Sample Clear (2)
"No, seriously, anyone can tell it's plagiarism, right...."
A stifled scream, just in case someone might overhear. Kang Saero voiced her concern in a voice pitched an octave lower.
"What 'right'? Keep this up, and I'll shove a box over your head."
Chart-topping No. 3 vocalist and top of the practical exam rankings. Her ears were spot-on, as expected.
For some reason, I felt a playful urge to tease her.
"Tch, caught me."
"You...."
"There are plenty of people who wouldn't notice even with this much difference."
"Youuu....!"
Honestly, I can't act to save my life, so I figured she'd catch on quick. But Kang Saero was in a serious state. She looked like someone who'd been brutally betrayed by someone she deeply trusted.
Grrrrr.
A total fierce delinquent vibe, yet her emotions were so vividly expressive. Now she had her hand on my shoulder, pressing down hard—it actually hurt.
"Ow, it hurts!"
"Kim Seryeon, are you gonna snap out of it or not? Are you insane?"
Kang Saero's mental state was crumbling; she looked like she might burst into tears any second. My shoulder felt the same way.
Teasing had backfired into instant guilt, so I decided to explain fast.
"Wait, hold on. My shoulder."
"I'm gonna crush it."
"No, really, it's not like that—let me talk."
Only then did the crushing force on my shoulder ease up a bit. Where did she even train that kind of strength? It was kinda scary.
"Fine. Go ahead and explain yourself."
"It's not plagiarism—it's sampling."
"What's that?"
I glanced up at Kang Saero for a moment. I'd always pegged her as a music savvy type, but she didn't know this?
"It's a common technique in hip-hop. As long as you properly clear the sample, it's different from plagiarism."
"No, this is plagiarism."
"Billboard artists use it all the time."
Famous names like Drake, Post Malone, Cardi B, Kanye—heck, even the new husband of a former South Korean First Lady. But in Korea, it's not widely known among the public, and even among those who do know, it's a hotly debated topic. Globally, it's often dismissed as plagiarism or freeloading by the clueless.
"So, you don't need the original artist's permission if it's sampling?"
"You do need permission. I haven't gotten it yet, but we're not releasing right away. I'll get it soon."
"Exactly—you haven't gotten it yet. You just copy, chop it up like this, and ask for permission out of nowhere. Who'd say yes?"
From an artist or listener's perspective, it probably felt like damaging the original. But I had my side too.
"No, I can definitely get permission."
I pulled out my smartphone, opened the app, carefully hid the spicy pics in my gallery, and showed her the most recent camera photo.
"This—Neon Blue's Yu Jeuni's guitar."
Kang Saero's eyes widened.
"What? For real?"
"You a fan?"
"Huge."
She might not know Billboard, but she was a Neon Blue stan. Her words came tumbling out fast.
"You met her? How? What's the connection?"
Then, as if her thoughts reached somewhere dangerous on their own—
"Why is Yu Jeuni's guitar in your studio...?"
She started looking up at me with cold eyes.
"This a crime?"
"No, I didn't steal the guitar."
"Not that. You're still in high school."
"So?"
"I mean...."
Kang Saero thumped her chest in frustration. She seemed desperate for an explanation, so I gave her the rundown.
"The studio we checked out together last time. Turns out it was one Yu Jeuni used to use. She showed up drunk one night."
Cold. Kang Saero's voice turned even icier. Her cobalt blue vocals already had that vibe, but now she was full-on ice-blue glacier.
"Ah, I see. And?"
"I just held onto the guitar she left behind."
And then came Kang Saero's shocking conclusion from that frozen face.
"So, you let drunk noona Yu Jeuni into your studio, had some deep talks and stuff, and something happened that made a music pro forget her own guitar?"
Even I was shocked hearing it. For delusions like that to pop out so casually—what the hell does she think about all day?
"No, I called the cops the second I saw her."
"Well, that's a relief, at least."
"Later, during the incident resolution, she kinda ended up owing me one. That's the vibe."
Whew, good thing I cleared it up quick—otherwise, plagiarism debates would've been the least of my worries.
Yu Jeuni's privacy took a minor hit, but oh well.
"And you."
Her venomous glare zeroed in on me.
"Yeah?"
"......Don't bring just anyone to your studio."
Out of nowhere. I tried to meet her eyes again, but like she'd never tried smashing my shoulder, Kang Saero dodged my gaze, peeking sideways.
"We went together.... before the contract."
What did that have to do with anything? As I stared, wondering—
"Just—don't!"
Kang Saero yelled suddenly and shot up from her seat, adding one more line before heading back to her desk.
"It's dangerous. You're a minor—don't let randos into a soundproofed space like that."
Hanseong Arts High School, where majors mixed for general classes regardless. Homeroom time.
* * *
Certain stimuli become familiar fast, losing their thrill over time. Classmates' looks, achievements outside school, popularity—all that.
It was starting to feel routine. After practicals and finals when everyone was swamped with exams, I finally escaped the constant nagging spotlight a bit.
"Kim Seryeon, what you up to these days?"
"Exams over—finally dropping the next track?"
The attention from around me.
"Hee...."
"He's so handsome...."
The girls' fawning was as strong as ever.
After that, I'd meet Kang Saero during breaks, chatting about this and that.
"Whoa, so Neon Blue really blew up for real."
"Yeah. Only heard it from Yu Jeuni, though—no word from the vocalist's side."
Kang Saero, a diehard Neon Blue fan, looked glum.
"Knew it."
She even followed their band SNS, so she had some idea. But confirmation from an insider hits different.
"Loved 'em since middle school, but the vocalist's been controversial for ages."
The vocalist runaway theory. Seemed like accepted fact among fans.
Kang Saero spilled all the rumors about the vocalist.
"Loves guys."
"Huh."
"Acts like she doesn't care about the band or anything."
"Oof."
"Said she'd go solo someday."
"Whoa."
Someone came to mind. Kang Saero probably meant it that way, but maybe just my imagination. Anyway, no prying.
Scene shift: after school, inside the studio. Kang Saero's eyes lingered on Yu Jeuni's guitar.
"It's legit. Matches the one from Neon Blue's Star Pic account."
"Like I'd fake something like this."
Instead of answering, Kang Saero plopped onto the desk in the booth.
"So, what's the exact vibe you're going for with this sampling thing?"
Music talk now. The project was hip-hop, seemingly unrelated to her, but actually very much so. Strong correlation.
I'll use her voice for recording too.
Since I planned to feature her vocals again, best to brief her on the direction.
"But explaining that means I need my laptop."
Kang Saero was parked at the desk with the laptop, blocking access.
"Heh heh."
"What're you laughing at?"
Not some cat messing with the owner's workspace. She smirked slyly, no intention of moving, so I stood behind her chair, reached around, and grabbed the mouse.
"Here—this is the highlight from the original."
I dragged the cursor over a waveform section.
The track: Tears of Courage. Dreamy, melancholic melody sinking endlessly. Faint vocals whisper dark emotions. A boy musters courage to change but breaks, dragging home to bury his face in the pillow and sob. Nothing changes. It never will. He holes up, hiding from the world, cocooned in blankets, sinking deeper. Familiar, cozy fabric and cotton suffocate him in tears....
Neon Blue's signature psychedelic rock meets lo-fi vibes.
In seconds, Kang Saero's sensitivity was hooked.
"Ahh, it's so good."
"Right?"
"I used to hide under the covers holding my breath listening to this."
"?"
What was middle school Kang Saero like to do that? Wasn't she the flawless, wrinkle-free popular student council prez?
Anyway, I sliced the core four bars from the highlight, sped it to 1.2x, pitched it up slightly. Trimmed the gritty noise, polished it clearer, looped it repeating.
"Listen now."
Hit spacebar—the old melancholy was gone. Hazy yet cozy. A spontaneous trip destination. Any-floor hotel room, view irrelevant. Fun day, but strange surroundings keep sleep away. So you draw back the curtains, stand by the massive window breathing dawn's chill. Familiar yet nostalgic city nightscape. Why do distant lights feel like dreamscapes?
The dreamy loop repeats.
"Whoaaa......"
Kang Saero's lips parted slightly, a soft gasp escaping. Without pause, I layered a thick 808 bass and chopped hi-hat rhythm underneath.
Sad rock sound flipped instantly to trendy hip-hop beat.
"That's sampling."
Not freeloading.
"You deconstruct existing sources, rebuild into a whole new context. Done right, it's super hard."
"Mmm...."
Melty in her chair. Still lost in the hazy music.
I leaned in from behind like some dark brainwasher, whispering.
"Totally different from the original, but this vibe's pretty good too, right?"
"Yeah... it does, Seryeon...."
Kang Saero nodded, entranced.
Hmm. Push more and the mood might get weird, so I poked her awake.
"Hah!?"
"What? Why jump like that?"
"N-nothing."
She snapped to quick. Onward.
"So, lay this as the base and top it with rap?"
"Heavy auto-tune on melodic rap—singing rap or melody rap style."
"Got the feel."
Why her for hip-hop recording? Exactly this.
"But why me for recording? You gonna auto-tune me?"
"Nah, more like re-record the sample—the Tears of Courage highlight."
"Ehhh?"
Kang Saero's eyes went wide again.
"Why that?"