Chapter 9

3:00 AM.

The practice room was so quiet that the ticking of the clock could be heard.

I was composing a score.

Listening to the song with my ears and drawing the notes with my hands.

What should I add here? Guitar? Keyboard?

Saying I knew how to arrange music wasn't just boasting.

It was because, while studying, I had learned the basics from various producers at TJ Entertainment.

I took a sip of chocolate drink.

Roughly, I've got the framework down.

Dozens of scattered A4 papers around me.

They might look messy, but they were arranged with a certain regularity.

A kind of mind map, you could say.

Focusing on the A4 papers as if inputting them into my mind, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

First, I'll create the stage.

The stage we were to perform on was the high school auditorium.

A vast, open field.

In my mind, a model of the auditorium I had searched for online was erected in the vast field.

The stage was still shrouded in darkness.

I set up the instruments.

Guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, saxophone, cello, and so on.

Now, let's add the people.

The stage in the vast, open field was lit.

1. Kim Bijoo.

2. Kim Jung-hyun.

3. Seo Ryeok.

4. Wang Jiho.

5. Seon Wooju.

The trainees entered one by one, stood on the stage, and started singing.

The first performance was just the lyrics, without any accompaniment.

What is this?

When I combined the five voices in my mind, I was startled.

It was because of the harmony created by the five voices.

Similar yet different vocal ranges came together to form a beautiful harmony.

So this is why Manager Jo picked me.

It felt like a mystery I had been holding onto was finally solved.

Manager Jo must have recalled this harmony when he heard my voice in a TV interview.

Perfect harmony.

But the admiration didn't last long.

I had to start a new task.

I moved the instruments in my mind one by one.

Or rather, they moved naturally.

I made impromptu adjustments here and there, repeating the process.

Every time I made some progress, I opened my eyes to check the time.

3:30 AM.

I closed my eyes again and continued working.

4:00 AM.

I kept repeating until I got it perfect.

5:00 AM.

Finally, when I completed the final arrangement, I started transferring it to a piece of paper as if in a trance.

Creating the final work took a long time, but transferring it was quick.

"Done."

What I had in front of me was just a paper version.

To create the final product as promised to the kids, I needed to go to the studio and turn on the computer.

But there was no one at the company, and I wasn't in a state to do such work.

I was tired.

Sleepiness poured over me like a waterfall.

I naturally succumbed to the temptation of drowsiness.

* * *

5:30 AM.

Jo Kweon-hwan, the production manager of Lemon Entertainment, got out of his car and sipped an Americano.

A caffeine-packed drink he had made himself.

Taking a sip, he felt more awake.

"Ah, my head hurts."

In the past week, he had slept a total of 10 hours.

It was a brutal schedule.

Although he had finally managed to get some sleep at home, every nerve cell in his body was still begging for rest.

'Once Chan-hyuk's album is done, I'll get a good night's sleep.'

Stopping on his way from the underground parking lot to the stairs, Jo Kweon-hwan paused.

'What is this?'

Light was spilling from the corridor where the practice rooms were.

'Did someone stay up all night?'

Curiosity piqued, Jo Kweon-hwan approached.

With the debut of Scarlett, only five trainees remained.

Among them, only two were capable of staying up all night.

'Is it Bijoo? Or Ryeok?'

The immature youngest or the carefree Jung-hyun were out of the question.

Expecting to see one of their faces, Jo Kweon-hwan was surprised to find an unexpected face through the practice room window.

'Seon Wooju?'

It was the new face he had recruited.

'Why didn't he go home and stay up all night?'

Scratching his head, he soon saw a peculiar sight.

Scattered piles of paper everywhere.

Entering the practice room cautiously, Jo Kweon-hwan found papers with dots resembling musical notes.

He immediately understood.

'It must be for the year-end evaluation project.'

Furrowing his brows for a moment, he examined the contents.

Jo Kweon-hwan quickly figured out the pattern the person had used to arrange the papers.

'Wait a minute.'

He felt suddenly wide awake.

'Where's the final version?'

He found it right away.

Seon Wooju, clutching the final version like a baby.

Worried about waking him, but more curious as a musician, Jo Kweon-hwan gently took the paper from his hand.

'Let's see.'

The sound of turning pages echoed against the soft breathing of the sleeping youth.

Jo Kweon-hwan stood still, reading the paper until the ice in his Americano had completely melted.

Then he smiled.

'Look at this.'

Jo Kweon-hwan's eyes sparkled with joy as he looked at the sleeping young man.

* * *

I had a dream.

I was on a tour bus with pigs, heading to Pyongyang for a pork belly party, when the driver suddenly let go of the steering wheel.

In the dream, I pointed at the steering wheel in shock.

"Hey, driver! The steering wheel-"

"I'll safely take you to your destination from now on."

Suddenly, EDM started playing.

Rumble, rumble.

The driver and the pigs cheered and danced, making the bus shake.

In the situation where it seemed like the bus would tip over at any moment, I screamed.

"Ah...!"

Waking up in a cold sweat, I found myself in the practice room.

"Phew..."

Was it just a weird dream?

The stress from yesterday must have been more than I thought.

After struggling with the aftereffects of the dream for a while, I noticed my hand felt empty.

Huh?

Where did it go?

When I tried to find the score I had written, something covering my body slipped off.

A cashmere coat.

It looked like it cost a few hundred dollars.

'What's this?'

No wonder I felt so warm while sleeping.

Confused by the mysterious coat and the missing paper, I received a message at just the right time.

The sender was Manager Jo Kweon-hwan.

-When you wake up, come to the recording studio on the 2nd floor.

-PS. Bring my coat.

"Manager brought it, huh."

Muttering like in a dream, I ran my hand through my messy hair.

Then I carefully picked up the expensive-looking coat.

I could imagine how uncomfortable Shin Suk-ju must have felt when King Sejong covered him with a dragon robe.

Still, why did he call me?

* * *

The 2nd floor of Lemon Entertainment was filled with recording studios and complex equipment.

This seemed to be the workspace.

It didn't take long to find the recording studio Manager Jo had mentioned.

[On Air]

The 'On Air' sign was brightly lit as soon as I went up.

Knock, knock.

I got a response.

"Come in."

Opening the door, I saw a familiar scene.

A recording studio I had seen countless times at TJ Entertainment.

Manager Jo Kweon-hwan was looking at a paper, clicking a pen, while a man in the recording booth was singing passionately.

Hmm? That person.

Looking closely, it was Yun Chan-hyuk.

A singer who had won a K-Net audition program.

With top-tier vocals, he was one of the most successful artists in the music market.

It was strange to see someone I had only seen on music shows in person.

Manager Jo Kweon-hwan glanced at me and pressed the talkback button.

"Chan-hyuk, take a 10-minute break."

-Why?

"Just take a break, you brat."

With a teasing tone, Manager Jo made Yun Chan-hyuk leave the booth, looking disappointed.

Wow, he looks exactly like on TV.

The singer, who reminded me of a friendly neighborhood older brother, showed interest in me.

"Bro, who's this?"

"He's a new trainee. Say hi."

I bowed politely.

"Hello, senior. I'm a new trainee, Seon Wooju."

"Hey, no need to be so formal. Just call me bro. What's with the 'senior'?"

Yun Chan-hyuk looked at Manager Jo.

"By the way, why did you call him?"

"Just some personal stuff. Sorry, can you give us some space?"

"How long?"

"Have a cup of coffee and come back."

"10 minutes?"

"A bit longer than that."

"No way, bro."

Yun Chan-hyuk shook his head.

"I need to record when I'm in the zone. I'll be back in 10 minutes."

"Hey."

"Hmm."

"Hey, Yun Chan-hyuk!"

"I’m singing in the rain~ I’m singing in the rain~"

Yun Chan-hyuk hummed the song and waved annoyingly.

Manager Jo Kweon-hwan clicked his tongue.

They seemed more like close friends than a producer and an artist.

"You two seem very close."

"Close, yeah."

Jo Kweon-hwan shook his head as if tired.

"I worked so hard to make him what he is."

I chuckled, reminded of a grandmother saying, "I worked so hard raising you."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thanks to the coat you covered me with."

"That's good to hear."

Sitting on the sofa, Manager Jo took something out of a drawer.

It was the score I had made.

"Is this yours?"

"Yes."

"Let me ask you a few questions."

"Sure."

What is this?

"Have you ever studied music?"

"What do you mean by that...?"

"I mean, have you studied music professionally? Like harmony or music theory."

"Oh, yes."

I answered, recalling my memories.

"I learned a bit at my previous company."

"TJ Entertainment?"

"Yes. The producers there taught me some things, like how to use MIDI and create beats."

"No wonder your basics are solid."

Jo Kweon-hwan stroked his chin.

"From the arrangement, it seems you can handle instruments too."

"Yes."

"Piano?"

"Yes. I practiced a lot for a competition when I was in elementary school."

"Anything else?"

"A little guitar."

The producer stroked his chin.

"You did this in one day. An arrangement of this level."

"Yes, but as you can see, it's a bit rushed."

"No, no. It's really good. If I were a college professor, I would have given you an A."

Is it that good?

"I've heard you have a talent for composing, from various sources?"

"I heard a little at my previous company."

"You must have heard a lot more than that. You're quite modest."

Feeling flattered by the praise from a famous composer, I was surprised by what he said next.

"Wooju."

"Yes."

"Would you like to learn composition from me?"

"Huh?"

I blinked in confusion.

What did he just say?

"A bit shocking, isn't it?"

"..."

"From what I saw in your arrangement, you have potential. Of course, you're still a rough gem, but with some polishing, you could become a beautiful jewel."

He asked in a gentle tone.

"How about it? If you learn well from me, you could go by the name of a composer idol when promoting later."

"I'll do it."

"Huh?"

"I'll learn composition."

What a surprise.

A legend in the industry was offering to teach me a super special skill.

Who would refuse that?

I should accept it before I change my mind.

Perhaps thinking I would take some time to consider, Jo Kweon-hwan hesitated for a moment.

"Ah, great. Then..."

He handed me a USB.

"Take this first."

"This is..."

"The arrangement you made, transferred to the computer. I made some adjustments in the middle."

"Wow, thank you."

I bowed deeply without realizing it.

If I had done it alone, it would have taken until tonight, but the task was completed in an instant.

"Let's see. To teach you composition, I need to check my schedule..."

While looking at a calendar filled with text, we discussed when to start the lessons. Exactly 10 minutes later, our conversation was interrupted by a passionate ballad singer.

"What? You're not done yet?"

The burning eyes of the ballad singer, who seemed to be in a constant state of recording, made us both laugh.

* * *

Afraid that loving you might become my scar,

Yun Chan-hyuk, immersed in singing in the recording booth.

Jo Kweon-hwan nodded, giving occasional direction.

"Chan-hyuk, this is a stylish song, so you need to sing it a bit more delicately."

-Understood.

Understanding the direction, his singing style changed immediately.

He's a pro, after all.

But what Jo Kweon-hwan was really focusing on wasn't Yun Chan-hyuk.

Jo Kweon-hwan recalled the conversation he had with Manager Yun Seok-hwan that morning.

"About Wooju?"

Manager Yun Seok-hwan, looking at his smartphone in the company break room, asked.

"Why suddenly about Wooju..."

"I saw this early this morning."

"A score?"

"Seems like he arranged a song for the year-end evaluation pretty well."

Jo Kweon-hwan tapped the sheet music.

"I've seen idol compositions, but this is the first time I've seen an arrangement. As you know, arranging is much harder. You can't do it without musical knowledge."

"Oh, right."

Yun Seok-hwan said.

"The kid had a knack for it from the beginning. TJ recognized it and gave him special treatment. They even assigned a successful producer to him."

"He must have been a promising talent."

"How could a kid who can't dance survive there?"

"Dance? He's good at it."

"You only saw him recently. In the past, it was terrible. Like a log being pounded."

A bizarre scene came to mind.

"Anyway, when Wooju decided to leave, the company was reluctant. They even considered bringing him into A&R. He's good with instruments and has a lot of talent."

"But?"

"He refused. He said he only wanted to be an idol."

"What a unique kid."

Jo Kweon-hwan, who had been listening quietly, caught something in the other's words.

"Wait. He can play instruments?"

"It's all genetic."

"What do you mean by genetic?"

"Oh, you don't know. Who Wooju's father is."

Curious, Jo Kweon-hwan listened as Yun Seok-hwan mentioned a three-character name.

Jo Kweon-hwan's eyes widened.

It was a name he knew.