Chapter 74

# Episode 074

There were a total of six songs prepared.

After Sung Pil, Hong Gyu-hun, Han Goo-in, and Son Hye-bin listened to all the songs, they held a meeting to select one.

All the songs had guide vocals.

What they needed to consider was how well the songs matched the members.

And how well they fit the color of the group the members would create.

Most importantly, whether the song was good or not.

In other words, whether it would sell.

"I'll pass."

Han Goo-in played the first song.

Sung Pil quickly jotted down his impressions of the song in his notebook. Although he had decided to write the song for Jung Ji-eum, he didn't want to listen to the other songs carelessly.

'Not bad.'

He was so focused on the first song that he felt drained.

Sung Pil's heart was pounding so hard it seemed to fill his ears.

The situation of choosing a song was exciting. At the same time, he was anxious about whether Jung Ji-eum's song would appeal to Hong Gyu-hun.

"Let's continue."

The songs passed quickly. Finally, the fifth song, 'Tingle' composed by Elic, came up.

It was as good as he thought when he first heard it.

The main theme of the lyrics seemed to be love. But it wasn't about the love between a man and a woman.

The 'you' mentioned didn't refer to a specific person but to a general audience.

It was the fans.

'Tingle' contained words addressed to the fans.

Despite the uncertain path ahead, the song expressed a trembling heart and a willingness to move forward together. It also conveyed the desire to overcome the impulse and for the fans to lead the way.

'It has all the feelings my sister talked about. The start, the challenge. I wonder if it has been revised a bit to fit the members' characteristics.'

It's good. It's good, but...

'It's weak.'

As a song to announce the group's debut, it seemed too ordinary.

Sung Pil made up his mind.

When the song ended, Hong Gyu-hun asked, "This is the last song. Manager Park, what's the name of this song?"

"Ani."

"What's 'Ani'?"

"Ani. The song's name is 'Ani'."

"What?"

"The song's name is A! Ni!"

"Oh, 'Ani'."

It's a good title for wordplay. Hong Gyu-hun, without much thought, asked to play the song.

Thus, 'Ani' was first presented in front of Hong Gyu-hun.

During the song, Sung Pil forgot to take notes and just stared at Hong Gyu-hun's face.

As always, Hong Gyu-hun's expression was blank.

It was impossible to read his emotions.

At the very least, a frown or a smile would have been helpful. In the end, the song ended without any results.

"Okay. Manager Han, pass out the slips of paper."

A small piece of paper was placed in front of each person.

"Write down two song titles and give them to me."

Hong Gyu-hun collected all the slips and wrote on the whiteboard.

[Tingle (Tingle)]

[Ani (Ani)]

Sung Pil let out a sigh of relief.

At least someone other than Sung Pil had chosen 'Ani'.

It would be even better if it was Hong Gyu-hun.

"There's one surprising fact. Everyone only wrote these two."

"Wow, our company's teamwork is really good. Or do we all have similar ears?"

"If we only gather people who are too similar, the company will become stagnant. Anyway, let's understand that the songs are good. I want to hear your opinions first. Anyone who wants to speak?"

A deeply rooted characteristic of Koreans.

When asked to speak, they don't.

"I will."

But it didn't apply to Son Hye-bin.

"I'll vote for 'Tingle'."

"That wasn't the intention of asking for votes."

"Oh, really? Hehe. What should I do? I broke the secret ballot rule."

"Just do it. Talk about the pros and cons. No, let's go around and talk about the pros and cons of both songs."

"Understood. First, 'Tingle' will sell. I can feel it."

"Let me say this beforehand, feeling alone isn't enough."

"I know. Well, to put it simply."

Son Hye-bin stroked her cheek, organizing her thoughts. Her subsequent words were without hesitation.

"The theme of 'Tingle' is the sharing of dreams. It's not just a declaration of 'My dream is this!' but a desire to share it with the audience. While it may not evoke empathy, it can evoke emotional resonance. Considering the fans rather than the general audience, this narrative structure is more useful."

First, 'Tingle' is suitable as a debut song for an idol group.

"Sung Pil has a proposal. The CEO also agreed with it, right?"

"That's right."

"What the kids need to show is growth. The debut song should be at the beginning of that growth process. The sentiment of 'Tingle' fits well. It portrays a girl who is somewhat anxious but firmly holds her hands and moves forward. It paints a picture of a weak yet confident person that makes you want to cheer for them. So, we've captured both the narrative and the character."

Son Hye-bin continued her explanation.

She focused on the power of the story 'Tingle' possessed.

She didn't delve into the musical aspects like the chord progression or the catchy chorus.

There was no need to say it.

"It sounds good, right?"

Son Hye-bin's evaluation, which lasted for about 10 minutes, ended. She smiled as if she had won and sat down.

Han Goo-in stared blankly at Son Hye-bin before hurriedly typing on the keyboard.

'I had to analyze it to this extent.'

Han Goo-in had only focused on how people would perceive the songs.

If Hong Gyu-hun asked for his opinion, his answer would be far inferior to Son Hye-bin's.

He hoped his turn wouldn't come next, but fortunately, Son Hye-bin still had more to say.

"What about 'Ani'? We need to talk about 'Ani' too."

"Ah, yes. There's not much to point out, but first."

Even though she said there was nothing to point out, Son Hye-bin smoothly listed the flaws.

"Is this about resistance? Freedom? That kind of theme, right?"

"Um, yes."

"I understand the theme, but there's no story. The lyrics are all fragmented and declarative. 'This is me!', that's practically the majority of the lyrics. The members need to exchange emotions and dialogues through the lyrics, but that's missing. And the message, if any, is just 'I don't agree', 'I don't like it', 'You're wrong'. It just sounds like complaining to an adult."

It was a bitter critique.

Sung Pil's hand, holding a pen, trembled.

He tried to calm down, but Son Hye-bin's criticism continued, making it impossible to do so.

"It feels like you're just throwing words around. Do you understand what I mean?"

"..."

"To be honest, it's childish."

That was the final blow.

Sung Pil's pen bent due to the force he applied.

Crack, crack. The plastic broke, and tiny fragments flew out.

"Manager Park."

Han Goo-in tried to calm Sung Pil down.

"And the sound is too experimental. It's too empty."

"We'll arrange it."

"Ah, right. You'll arrange it."

Is this sister deliberately using an annoying tone?

"PD Son, are you done speaking?"

"I can say more if you give me more time."

"Let's give Manager Park a chance. Manager Park, it's your turn."

Sung Pil stood up and looked at his notebook.

He was so excited after hearing Son Hye-bin's harsh evaluation that his vision was spinning.

This won't do.

"First, I'll refute."

Sung Pil put down his notebook and poured out his thoughts.

"The target audience for this song is teenagers. Up to early to mid-20s. It matches the members' ages. Do teenagers at that age have sophisticated backgrounds and logic in their emotions? It's a time of youthful vigor and a burning heart. Philosophical messages? They can be included, but what moves the heart more is an idol. The desire to become something they can't be, which turns into love, is the foundation of liking idols."

Sung Pil had gathered the members' ideas and brought them to Han Goo-in.

Han Goo-in then provided explanations using his knowledge.

The members didn't even know the fundamental reasons for their resistance or dissatisfaction until they heard Han Goo-in's interpretations.

"There's no need to explain every emotion in the lyrics. A declaration is enough. And even if the lyrics are fragmented, the members' energy will bring them together. It takes energy to portray a character who is sometimes childish, self-centered, and boldly unbothered by others' opinions. Confidence, purity, desire, resistance, dreams. All of these are encapsulated in 'I don't need your words, I'll do as I please'! How cool is that? You're thinking from an adult's perspective. When you were young..."

"I'm still young."

"...When you were younger, you were like this. There's a stage where people need to deliberately disconnect from others to confirm their self. The lyrics of this song express that. Childish? Of course! We're adults, so it's natural to feel that way!"

Sung Pil took a deep, rough breath to steady himself.

His mind was blank.

He felt drained, as if he had vomited everything he had eaten.

"Just saying 'I have a dream. Share my dream with me.' is something other idols have done. What's appealing about that? People like idols based on their visuals and music style. I want the debut, at least the debut song, to express the emotions the kids have."

"Then what's special about 'Ani's' lyrics? This girl-crush style has been quite common."

"What's important is capturing the kids' hearts..."

"Enough."

Hong Gyu-hun stopped the two.

"Manager Han, what do you think?"

"..."

"I am."

Sung Pil and Son Hye-bin looked at Han Goo-in.

The intense gazes made it hard for Han Goo-in to meet their eyes.

"Both of your opinions have merit. What I wanted to say has already been said by both of you. I think I'll have to consider only the feeling."

"Okay, I understand. Do the two of you have anything else to say?"

"Yes!"

"I do."

"Alright, go ahead."

Sung Pil and Son Hye-bin engaged in a heated debate without a break. It was a long battle that lasted for hours.

Neither of them backed down.

The more they debated, the clearer the pros and cons of the two songs became.

Hong Gyu-hun listened to their arguments quietly. He also replayed the songs and helped them organize their thoughts during the meeting.

4 hours later.

"Alright, now we need to summarize in one sentence. Both of you understand, right? Yes? Got it?"

Sung Pil and Son Hye-bin nodded weakly like sick chickens.

"First, PD Son."

"It will sell. 'Tingle' will sell. It's familiar and predictable, but it will capture people's ears."

"Okay. Manager Park."

"'Ani' will create fans. Not necessarily a broad audience, but within the target range I set, there will definitely be a response. The basic fan base to be gained from the debut, which is the start, is..."

"Don't add unnecessary details."

"..."

Hong Gyu-hun felt like her ears were bleeding. She also looked exhausted as she passed out the papers.

"Everyone, write."

Everyone knew what to write without being told.

Hong Gyu-hun collected the votes and unfolded them.

She then wrote the number of votes each song received on the whiteboard.

[Tingle (Tingle) 2]

[Ani (Ani) 2]

It was a tie.

In this case, everything depends on Hong Gyu-hun's decision. Sung Pil hoped Hong Gyu-hun would side with 'Ani'.

"Call the kids."

"The kids? You're not going to let the CEO's kids vote too?"

"Yeah. It's not a majority vote. I just want to hear their opinions."

The members were called to the meeting room in the middle of their practice. They listened to the two songs without any explanation.

"Huh? The second song was done by the guide teacher..."

"Rika, be quiet."

Hong Gyu-hun stopped Rika's chatter. She didn't want the members to communicate with each other.

She only wanted their feelings.

"Write on the paper. Which one is better? Which one do you want to debut with?"

The members' expressions hardened at this.

They realized this wasn't an ordinary situation.

They took the paper and pen.

Some decided immediately.

It was Jang Hae-yang. She moved her pen slightly and quickly folded the paper so no one could see.

Next was Baek Seol-ha. She closed her eyes tightly to avoid meeting Son Hye-bin or Sung Pil's gaze and submitted her paper.

"Can we listen to them one more time?"

"No."

Jo Ara shook her legs and kept clicking her tongue.

She eventually made a choice but with a reluctant expression.

The last one was Rika.

She seemed to be in a situation where she had to choose between her mother and father, who had decided to divorce.

"Rika, are you not done yet?"

"U-Um... just a little more time."

30 minutes passed.

People waiting for her were getting impatient, wondering what there was to think about.

Rika tapped her feet to the beat or hummed the song she had just heard. It wasn't just to buy time; she was replaying the song in her head.

"Rika."

"J-Just a little more time!"

Rika kept nodding her head and humming the song. To others, it sounded like a faint moan.

After 40 minutes, Rika wrote a number on the paper.

Finally, all the votes were collected.

"Go out."

The members left the meeting room without hearing the result.

Hong Gyu-hun checked the votes submitted by the members.

"The debut song is 'Ani'."

It was a sudden announcement.

Sung Pil and Son Hye-bin looked at each other in shock.

"Meeting over. Everyone, dismiss."

"CEO, CEO. Was it a majority vote?"

"Yes."

"What was the result?"

"Do I have to tell you?"

"..."

"No."

"Just a warning, don't ask the kids what they voted for. It would be problematic if you two start forming factions."

"Understood."

"Yes."

"Hypothetically, if 'Ani' fails, the kid who chose 'Ani' might be blamed. Conversely, if it succeeds, it could be used to criticize each other later."

That was indeed a problem.

Voting has the effect of distributing responsibility. But that only works if the secret ballot principle is maintained.

If the secret is broken, it's practically the same as a public choice.

"If you have nothing else to say, go out."

The long meeting finally ended.

* * *

Hong Gyu-hun unfolded all the votes.

[Tingle (Tingle): Hong Gyu-hun, Son Hye-bin, Baek Seol-ha, Jo Ara]

[Ani (Ani): Park Sung Pil, Han Goo-in, Rika, Jang Hae-yang]

Contrary to what Hong Gyu-hun had said, the result was a tie.

In a tie, the CEO's choice becomes crucial.

Hong Gyu-hun initially chose 'Tingle'. In that case, 'Tingle' should naturally be the debut song.

However, at the last moment, Hong Gyu-hun's mind changed.

'Tingle will sell. Yes, it will sell.'

It's a good song.

Of course, 'Ani' is also good.

But 'Tingle's' strength was its familiarity. Familiarity means it's more likely to be heard and attract attention.

Especially for people who like this genre.

'Tingle' would guarantee a stable start and performance. If Hong Gyu-hun were a manager, she would have chosen 'Tingle'.

But at the last moment, when she unfolded all the votes, the storyboard they had created together came to mind.

It had the goals of Sung Pil, Han Goo-in, and Hong Gyu-hun.

'Manager Han wants an idol group that wins first place in all music shows. Manager Park wants the best idol. And I...'

I want an idol that I can fall in love with.

"If I were a fan, I would have been more drawn to 'Ani' than 'Tingle'."

Hong Gyu-hun gathered all the votes and tore them to pieces.

The debut song was decided to be 'Ani'.