Chapter 62

It's so prickly.

I did so much for you, and you still give me a hard time.

I glanced at the annoying younger brother and straightened my posture.

Now it was time for the live performance.

Since everything was being broadcast live through the visible radio, I composed my expression calmly.

It would be troublesome if, after all the effort, there was a controversy about my attitude at the end.

And I was also curious.

What kind of song would this duo present?

After the commercial ended, the two idol singers took their seats in front of the microphones with serious expressions.

Hanjoo started.

He's doing well.

It was a fast-paced, catchy rap.

I heard he used to be part of a crew in the underground scene, and it definitely showed in his style.

He's doing great.

Even with the English lyrics, they were easy to follow.

'Silence,' the song chosen by Street Boys, is an emotional hip-hop track that deals with the theme of hope for the future.

I had heard this song before when I was studying composition.

It was a song that built up the atmosphere with a fast, whispering rap and then the vocalist would burst out in the chorus.

The rap is important, but the vocalist really needs to convey the emotion in the chorus.

After Hanjoo finished his rap, Kiwon leaned in close to the microphone.

Oh...

Suddenly, a powerful voice erupted from his small frame.

I was taken aback for a moment.

It was completely different from the timid image he had shown in previous broadcasts.

The sweet voice made the comment section heat up.

Senior Jang So-won, who had been leaning against her hand and listening to the song, raised and lowered her eyebrows slightly.

It seemed she was smiling faintly, as if surprised.

Ri Hyuk and I were also smiling while listening to the song.

It was a genuine, heartfelt respect for a good performance, not a fake smile.

The song, which lasted nearly three minutes, ended in an instant.

"Thank you."

While we and the DJ clapped, the Street Boys bowed deeply and left the radio booth.

Just before the door closed, Kiwon bowed to Ri Hyuk.

Ri Hyuk nodded in return.

Then he turned his gaze to me.

He looked at me with a strange expression, as if he had mixed feelings.

I held up my index finger.

"......?"

To Ri Hyuk, who tilted his head, I mouthed the words.

'A box of water.'

Ri Hyuk's eyebrows twisted in response, and I couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Outside the booth.

The PD, engineer, and two writers smiled as they watched the banter inside.

The sub-writer beamed, finding the New Black members adorable.

"The kids are cute, and the atmosphere is really warm, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

The main writer sighed regretfully.

"If I had known they would harmonize so well, I would have booked them for a solo performance. Anyway, So-won kept suggesting solo performances, saying the kids were capable and confident."

"What can we do? We already booked them."

The PD smiled wryly.

Ever since New Black's album came out, Jang So-won had been suggesting we book them, always talking about them.

But somehow, DNS Media got the upper hand and requested their appearance, leading to this showdown.

"Well, it turned out well in the end."

The engineer, adjusting the console, said offhandedly.

"I know because my daughter is an idol fan. New Black and Street Boys have been feuding since before their debut, it was a mess."

"Really, senior?"

"It was crazy. They had promotional feuds and it was noisy. The comments today were more numerous and the voting was intense, probably due to that."

"Yeah. They calmed down a lot after that."

"When?"

The main writer asked, as if he didn't know.

"Don't you remember? When the youngest member of Street Boys was nervous, Ri Hyuk handed him a bottle of water and said something softly. After that, they calmed down."

"That's right."

They all nodded in agreement.

The sharp comments that had been flying around suddenly disappeared after Ri Hyuk handed Kiwon the water bottle.

Then, Jang So-won inside the booth gave a signal.

"It looks like they're ready."

The engineer adjusted the console at the PD's words.

Soon, a simple piano melody flowed through the speakers.

The sub-writer, worried, asked.

"Is this the right file?"

"We checked it several times before the broadcast."

"But still..."

The first 40 seconds of the 3-minute 20-second file were a repetitive, simple piano melody.

Just a gentle tapping of the keys.

'How are they going to set up the stage?'

I had a rough idea of how they would do it, but not the detailed process, so I was worried.

It's different for a proper music show.

For a live segment like this, the agency and the station usually just agree on the song they'll perform.

Sometimes, singers would change their song based on their condition on the day.

That's why I was worried about this unknown stage.

The sub-writer, who seemed to have developed a liking for New Black from today's broadcast, unconsciously clasped her hands.

"Seo-young, are you already a fan?"

The sub-writer chuckled.

"I'm thinking about checking out their fan cafe later."

"Hey, stop the nonsense. Monitor the real-time reactions quickly."

"Okay..."

But the other staff members were also watching the booth with warm eyes, where someone was holding a guitar and clearing their throat.

Maybe it was because of the cake they received as a gift.

Or because the broadcast content was so engaging.

For some reason, they felt like good kids and hoped they would do well.

As they watched.

"Oh."

Seo-woo-ju's fingers began to move.

It was a gentle guitar performance.

I was worried about the simple piano melody, but when it combined with the guitar, it fit well.

The piano and the guitar.

Just two sounds, yet they felt rich.

For a moment, they were amazed by the decent performance, but soon their eyes widened.

"He's really humming."

Seo-ri-hyuk was humming with his eyes closed.

It was a soft, low hum.

Listening to the pitch gradually rise, it felt somehow soothing.

Most importantly, it was natural.

It was a strange thing.

Even though he was filling the beginning of the song with humming, it didn't sound awkward or forced at all.

"Man, they say all the kids trying to debut as singers these days are turned into idols. That's why..."

The engineer, who was about to make a casual comment, closed his mouth at the focused faces of the others.

He, too, soon joined their ranks, unable to take his eyes off the booth.

The song was impressive, but Seo-ri-hyuk, who was making soft sounds inside the booth, seemed like a completely different person.

Not cold and expressionless, not blushing and flustered.

He seemed like someone else.

With a beautiful smile, as if he had fully immersed himself in the song's emotion.

The sub-writer, looking around the monitors, said.

"The listeners' reactions are quite good. Many are surprised."

"His presence really draws attention. Was that the reason for including it?"

Someone muttered, curious.

Of course, if Seo-woo-ju had heard such a question, he would have said it wasn't intentional, but it just happened.

It was a method he suggested to Seo-ri-hyuk, who had said it was difficult to grasp the emotion.

The idea was to warm up with 30 seconds of humming before singing, but the more they did it, the more it naturally fit the song.

And.

The biggest reason was that when the song was finished, it was only 2 minutes and 40 seconds, which felt too short for a broadcast.

Of course, the others wouldn't know this, so it seemed mysterious to them.

"Is the song about to start?"

Seo-ri-hyuk opened his eyes after finishing the humming.

Then he smiled at Seo-woo-ju, as if ready.

Seo-woo-ju nodded and moved his hands.

"Oh..."

The intro of 'Night Sea' began in earnest.

It was a warm and beautiful song, fitting its title.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that moment.

While the staff at the Mokdong HBS studio were amazed, the melody of 'Night Sea' spread far and wide.

The closest was to a student's MP3 player, where they were solving a workbook in a nearby apartment.

Next, it reached an old radio in a supermarket across the Anyangcheon River.

Then, it entered the interior of a Line 2 subway train that had just arrived at Gangnam Station.

Further still, it reached an old truck that was leaving the Seoul Outer Ring Road.

The gentle melody of 'Night Sea' was spreading in all directions.

And.

One of its destinations was a home where someone was eagerly waiting for their grandson to appear, with an old radio turned on.