Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Translator: Penny
Chapter 52
Though our second mini-album promotions had just wrapped up, we had no time to rest. We had to immediately dive into another breathless sprint.
We still had to record and film a Christmas-themed fan song for release by Christmas, as well as practice special performances for the year-end award shows and music festivals.
"Alright, listen to the guide track now. These are your individual parts."
After distributing the sheet music to the members, I played the demo track recorded in Gyeon Hajun's voice.
It was an upbeat dance rock song, sampling a Christmas carol melody with electronic sounds.
As the song ended, everyone nodded in approval, offering compliments like "This is good," "I like it," and "It's pretty good."
Amidst the warm relay of compliments, Ryu Jaehee, who had remained silent, finally spoke up with a sharp intake of breath.
"I wonder if this song can truly survive amidst the fierce competition of Christmas carols."
"Why? Is it too ambiguous?"
"The song is good, but it lacks a hook that really grabs you."
"I knew that already, but hearing it confirmed like this still stings."
"No, Hyung, don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to belittle your efforts."
Ryu Jaehee hastily added this explanation, but Eden Hyung responded with a dismissive remark:
"Who said anything to you?"
"Doesn't it sound like you're feeling down about it?"
"I'm just being honest about my impressions. Why is that a problem? I'm just not sure about releasing this song."
Having rushed to complete the song amidst a hectic schedule, it was no surprise that the result fell short of his expectations.
The situation was further complicated by a Penalty that caused him to cough up blood and be rushed to the hospital during the recording process.
In contrast, despite similar time constraints, KICKS' arrangement of the first verse of "One Chance" had been driven by strong motivation, resulting in a satisfactory outcome.
The problem with this Christmas fan song was the lack of any real motivation to work on it.
There's a world of difference between doing something because you're told to and doing it because you genuinely want to.
Still, after hearing the word "trash," his pride wouldn't allow him to release the song in its current state.
For the past hour, he'd been replaying the track endlessly, tapping his fingers against the floor as he listened intently.
As always, Seo Yehyeon, who had been assigned the smallest part, broke the silence.
"I think I've mastered my part. Can I go back to my room?"
"No, throw that sheet music away," I replied, getting to my feet. I grabbed my jacket, which I'd carelessly tossed on the sofa, and headed for the door.
"I'm going to make some revisions."
Thanks to Kim Dobin, this report had become second nature. I left the basement dorm.
"Just rent the whole place yourself. Is he your brother or your enemy...?"
"Ah, Hyung, just until today. I'm really getting my own studio now."
I casually pushed Yongcheol Hyung off the studio chair where he'd been working on beats and opened the file I'd heard countless times.
I tweaked a few chords in the backing track, then spent an hour listening, identifying the awkward transitions and refining the melody.
If I'd known it would turn out like this, I should have listened to the entire demo track before recording it. Why was I in such a rush to proceed without making any revisions?
Well, it was getting tiresome.
Back then, I couldn't even stand to listen to it again. But now that I had some breathing room, the music seemed to be entering my ears more clearly.
Ryu Jaehee's honest feedback had also given me some motivation.
I repeatedly played the song, which had become more listenable after a few revisions, to conduct a final review for any remaining awkward parts.
It's getting late, so calling Gyeon Hajun to record a guide track would be a bit much...
I'll just have to do it myself.
I scanned the sheet music, humming the lyrics along with the melody, until I abruptly stopped at a section I knew I couldn't handle.
You composed this as if I wouldn't be singing it, huh?
"Hyung, can you hit high notes up to the third octave?"
"First you raid my studio, and now you're making me do demo work too? If I could hit those notes, I'd be a ballad singer, not a rapper!"
"Hyung, who was your ex-girlfriend back then...? Anyway, when she dumped you and you sang 'She's Gone' at karaoke, you were hitting those high notes perfectly."
"Get out, you little brat!"
Yongcheol Hyung pretended to kick his chair at the mention of his embarrassing past.
The cramped studio lacked a proper recording booth, so we immediately started recording the guide track with the microphone.
I managed to handle the most challenging high notes using falsetto. Ryu Jaehee would convert them to full voice later.
After finishing the guide recording and turning off the microphone, Yongcheol Hyung, who had been stifling his laughter behind me, finally burst into unrestrained giggles.
"The way your voice suddenly gets so thin in the high notes is hilarious, seriously."
"Ah, what am I supposed to do if I can't hit the high notes?"
"You should just stick to rapping and singing rap for the rest of your life. 'Pure white dream↗ sniff.'"
"I already felt that painfully while recording just now, so stop mocking me like that."
"Mocking? I'm just recreating it perfectly."
Grumbling at Yongcheol Hyung's imitation of my falsetto high notes, I transferred the project file to my phone, grabbed the printed revised sheet music, and stood up from the studio chair.
After thanking everyone, I returned to the dorm and played back the demo track I had poured my heart into. A sense of déjà vu washed over me.
Their faces had been all "ooh" during the verse, but as soon as the high notes hit, they were desperately trying not to laugh. I just closed my eyes tight.
Yeah, I can't hit those high notes, you bastards.
When the 3-minute, 15-second song ended, I turned to the members and asked, "What do you think?"
"The high notes were really impr-"
"Don't even mention the high notes."
Kim Dobin, who had been about to comment on the high notes, quickly clamped his mouth shut at my pointed pause.
Ryu Jaehee, who had previously criticized the earlier song, nodded with a satisfied expression this time.
"It's much better than before, I think? The melody definitely sticks in your head more now."
"Eden, about my part—'White snow is falling, my first confession to you'—the notes 'falling→ my↗' sound better as 'falling↘ my↗'. It'll be easier on my throat too."
"Ah, is that too much for you right now? I didn't notice the high notes were falsetto when I was guiding you. Okay, then let's revise the score and sing it that way during the recording. Youngest member, pass me that pen."
I revised the musical notes at Gyeon Hajun's request and handed the score back to him.
Kim Dobin and Seo Yehyeon, who were practicing their parts, also seemed to be in good spirits. Now all we had to do was finish the recording without any issues...
As I recalled the recording session, the looming dark future suddenly became crystal clear.
Will I really be able to focus on the recording and not forget we're being filmed?
What if the broadcast of our process ends up painting me as the only unlikeable member with a personality flaw?
On the day of recording and filming, I arrived at the recording studio after getting my makeup and hair perfectly done at the salon.
The recording studio provided by the reality show was quite impressive, with excellent sound quality to match the high-end equipment. It's just that my standards had been raised so high after seeing G1's studio.
Cameras were set up both inside and outside the recording booth to capture the recording process.
Sitting in the control room chair, I bowed my head and muttered as if in prayer:
"Don't forget the cameras. We're filming right now. Cameras, cameras... We need to finish this today, so even if I'm not completely satisfied, I'll have to let some things slide..."
While I was mentally preparing myself, Gyeon Hajun was warming up his vocal cords, Seo Yehyeon was staring intently at the sheet music, and the Maknae Line was whispering among themselves.
"I wish they'd film every recording session," Dobin said.
"Why?" Jaehee asked.
"Look, Eden Hyung's already doing mind control. With the cameras here, maybe he'll be a bit more relaxed?"
"Sigh, Hyung, you're so clueless. Eden Hyung would never let anything interfere with his music. For him, music always comes first, even before filming."
Ryu Jaehee shook his head at Kim Dobin's hopeful words.
We'd have to wait until the recording started to see who was right.
The camera light blinked, and recording began simultaneously.
Ryu Jaehee was the first up. I nodded along to his clear, powerful vocals as they soared through the studio.
"Youngest member, let's try the first line of the hook one more time," I said, keeping my voice as gentle as possible.
Through the glass wall, Ryu Jaehee glanced back at me with a momentary look of panic. But when I glared at him, he quickly regained his composure.
Does Kim Dobin realize his thumbs-up behind me is reflected in the recording booth's glass?
After just a couple of takes, Ryu Jaehee's recording was finished, and it was Gyeon Hajun's turn.
As always, I smiled contentedly, enjoying his vocal tone, which perfectly matched my taste.
With the deadline looming, I lowered the benchmark from 100 to 80. Gyeon Hajun smoothly finished his recording after only a couple of "again" takes.
"Hyung, why have you become such a phony? The Hyung I know isn't like this...!" Ryu Jaehee said playfully, his voice cracking with mock emotion as he handed me a cup of warm water during the break.
I downed the water in one gulp and replied with a benevolent smile, "What are you talking about, maknae? This Hyung has always been like this."
"Hyung, the camera isn't even on right now."
"Maknae, keep your expression under control."
At that, Ryu Jaehee's face relaxed with relief as he took the empty cup from my hand.
The short break ended, and the next up was...
The moment has come.
Seeing the two singers before him emerge from the recording booth with far greater ease than before, Seo Yehyeon seemed to relax.
With a calm expression, he entered the booth, steeling himself for what was to come.
The easiest yet most challenging part was about to begin.
I had genuinely intended to let Seo Yehyeon pass with a score of 700,000, if possible. After all, this song wasn't for ranking purposes—it was just a surprise gift.
But there was no room for compromise. I needed to push the target score to 800,000 to achieve a result that would satisfy me.
"Hold on, let's try that again. 'Breaking through the softly piled snow—' Up to that part was fine, but the pitch wavers afterward."
"Hyung, try to relax your throat when you sing the '헤치고' part. Your pitch starts wavering right after that."
"Did I tell you to add vibrato there? I just said to relax your throat. Why is your pitch shaking? Again."
"It's on the beat, not off-beat. Stay on rhythm. Again."
"I clearly said it was on the beat earlier. Again."
"Stay on rhythm. Again."
"Sigh, again."
"Again."
As my sentences grew shorter and the expression on my face gradually vanished, the atmosphere in the recording studio grew heavier.
Finally, after saying "again" for the tenth time, I let out a heavy sigh and cut off the MR.
As soon as our eyes met, I beckoned Seo Yehyeon, who looked visibly tense, and said, "Yehyeon Hyung, come outside for a minute."
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny