Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Episode 15. Debut just around the corner (1)
And so, the next day.
The entertainment industry was thrown into chaos by an unexpected piece of news.
Kim Yuna had moved from her existing agency, YY Entertainment, to Starlight Entertainment.
Naturally, entertainment news was entirely filled with that story.
[Kim Yuna signs with Starlight. Starlight Entertainment embroiled in lobbying controversy…….]
[Kim Yuna parts ways with YY. What kind of place is her new agency, Starlight?]
[Kim Yuna caught up in lobbying issues?]
Netizens’ reactions were just as heated.
—Is something bad happening to Yuna?
—It feels like Yuna will handle things just fine…… but I can’t help feeling uneasy. T_T
—What on earth is the appeal of Starlight? Yuna, this time it looks like a bad choice……
Within just three hours of the news breaking, thousands of comments had flooded in.
Most of them were negative toward her move.
That was only natural, considering Starlight Entertainment had been at the center of a lobbying controversy.
Even though the person involved had been dismissed, the sense of unease did not easily fade.
Given the situation, negative public opinion was inevitable.
However, industry insiders saw things differently.
“Kim Yuna went to Starlight?”
Why?
An investigation began immediately.
And before long, it was revealed why she had transferred to Starlight Entertainment.
“Guitar Hero was signed to Starlight?”
A genius composer who had suddenly appeared one day.
Guitar Hero.
Everyone had tried desperately to meet him, but he suddenly vanished after announcing that he would not sign any contracts.
Although he occasionally uploaded songs, he had not engaged in any real activity.
But then—
“He was under contract with Starlight.”
Industry insiders confirmed the fact.
As a result, numerous celebrities whose contracts were about to expire also learned about it.
They all had the same thought.
“If we can receive songs from Guitar Hero.”
Lobby issues and such no longer mattered at all.
Celebrities approaching contract renewal began to focus their attention on Guitar Hero.
At the same time.
Park Siwoo was busy preparing Neon Heart’s debut.
In truth, “preparing” mostly meant helping with recording.
Even that was not easy, as he had to juggle it alongside his sales duties.
Above all, a special guest was scheduled to visit today.
“The CEO, of course, and the Head of the Artist Division will be coming.”
The Head of the Artist Division, Han Dongsuk, was responsible for coordinating an artist’s concept and the overall direction of their music.
His authority in matters concerning artists was high enough to surpass even the CEO.
In other words,
even if a promotion had been secured, the band could be turned upside down if it did not meet his approval.
“Of course, that won’t happen.”
There was no need to get on his bad side.
“About five minutes until the appointment time.”
After checking the clock, Park Siwoo turned around.
The tense faces of Neon Heart members came into view immediately.
“This won’t do.”
Their hands were trembling so much that the guitar strings they touched produced unwanted noise.
Something needed to be done.
Park Siwoo grabbed the microphone and spoke.
“You don’t need to be so nervous. Just as usual. Just do it like you normally do.”
But their tension showed no sign of easing.
“If we make a mistake……”
There was nothing much Park Siwoo could do.
All he could do was hope they would perform well.
Time passed quickly.
Knock, knock, knock.
With a knock, the door opened and a group of people entered the recording studio in a rush.
He had been told that only the CEO and the Head of Division would be coming to check the song.
Who were the others?
As Park Siwoo looked confused, Cha Ye-seung spoke.
“Is everything going well?”
“Yes. We’re ready now. You can listen right away. But before that……”
“Oh, these are representatives from an investment firm based in Japan. They came to see you, Guitar Hero.”
“Me?”
Park Siwoo widened his eyes in surprise.
It was something he had never imagined—his name had spread all the way to Japan.
Before long, the man standing behind Cha Ye-seung stepped forward and spoke.
“My name is Jang Su-cheol. I make CDs in Japan.”
“……I’m Park Siwoo. You’re Korean?”
“My company is based in Japan…… I’ve been enjoying your music. I’ve been following you since your first upload.”
“You’ve been following me for a long time.”
“Yes. So when I heard that Guitar Hero was forming a band, I immediately decided to invest. I look forward to great music.”
“Thank you for your interest.”
After exchanging greetings, Jang Su-cheol returned to his place.
Park Siwoo shifted his gaze away from him and looked at Cha Ye-seung.
There were still many people standing behind her.
“These people came to see idols.”
It meant they had no interest in Neon Heart.
Park Siwoo nodded, gave a brief bow, and turned around.
Han Dongsuk, the Head of Division, approached from beside him.
“You’ve prepared two songs, correct?”
“Yes.”
“The title track is…… Pale Blue Dot?”
“That’s correct.”
“The title…… well, it sounds decent enough. I’ll listen to the song.”
At his words, Park Siwoo picked up the microphone.
“Let’s go with Pale Blue Dot. Please start whenever you’re ready.”
“Yes, yes.”
Leader Ha Seungjin’s anxious voice followed immediately.
Soon, starting with his intro, the song began.
Tap-tap-tap tak!
Boom……
A bass line laid itself over the drum rhythm, and a riff was layered on top.
But something felt off.
Like gears slightly out of alignment, the instruments were not perfectly in sync.
“Hm……”
The Head of Division let out a low hum as he noticed it.
At that moment—
[In the infinite darkness
A small, lonely blue light
Containing all that we are
That tiny space]
Seol A-yeon’s voice echoed through the recording studio.
Her clear, ringing voice seized control over the distorted instrumental flow.
Then, almost miraculously, the unstable session began to fall into rhythm.
[Pale blue dot
Our only home
A precious treasure where all dreams and hopes bloom]
Park Siwoo quietly marveled.
He already knew about Seol A-yeon’s vocal ability…… but
“Has she ever sung this well before?”
Even during recording, it hadn’t been at this level.
It made him want to redo the recording immediately.
If Park Siwoo felt that way, would the Head of Division feel any differently?
After the song ended, the Head of Division murmured as if enchanted.
“Good…… very good.”
He seemed completely captivated by Seol A-yeon’s charm.
Life had returned to the Head of Division’s once dull eyes.
“She’s quite pretty, sings well too. She’s got a good vibe. If you go with an idol band concept, it’ll work.”
“Right?”
“Yes. And……”
He quickly scribbled something in the notebook he had brought, then spoke.
“You said this song was composed by Guitar Hero, correct?”
“Yes.”
“It’s really good. I’m sure this will succeed.”
Of course it would.
Whose song was it?
Park Siwoo smiled confidently and said,
“Thank you for saying that. Would you like to listen to the next song as well?”
At his question, the Head of Division shook his head.
“No need to strain your voice further. Besides……”
He turned his head to look at Cha Ye-seung.
Park Siwoo followed his gaze and turned as well.
“……”
Sharp, piercing gazes fell upon him.
“You said Neon Heart, right? When will the performance be? We’ll sponsor your concert.”
“No, we’ll do it. This song…… truly. It’s absolutely the best!”
The investors standing behind him began clamoring, each insisting that they would provide sponsorship.
Watching the recording studio descend into chaos, Park Siwoo forced an awkward smile.
“Please handle this.”
He looked at Cha Ye-seung with that meaning in mind, and she let out a deep sigh before speaking.
“Let’s discuss investment in Neon Heart with me.”
However, even Cha Ye-seung, the CEO, struggled to control the heated crowd.
“Who composed this song? Who is Guitar Hero?”
“Wait, isn’t he the one who made the song covered by Lee Yena?”
“Right! Guitar Hero!”
The investors nodded one after another.
“We want to invest in songs made by Guitar Hero. That person is definitely going places.”
Cha Ye-seung wiped sweat from her brow and said,
“Please calm down, everyone. Let’s go upstairs and discuss this in detail.”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
Finally managing to calm them, Cha Ye-seung exhaled heavily and said,
“Producer, I’ll head upstairs. Thank you for your hard work. Head of Division as well.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, goodbye!”
With the Neon Heart members hurriedly offering their farewells, Cha Ye-seung led the investors out of the recording studio.
At the same time, Han Dongsuk spoke.
“First, we’ll release the song on streaming platforms, and then have them appear on public broadcast music shows.”
It was the standard route.
Park Siwoo nodded, and Han Dongsuk added,
“When do you think the album recording can be completed?”
“I think we can finish within a month.”
“Are you certain?”
It was difficult to be completely certain.
He didn’t know how quickly Neon Heart would master the songs.
Just as Park Siwoo was thinking, Ha Seungjin shouted,
“We can do it. The composer already created and delivered the songs to us, so we’ve completed all individual practice.”
That was welcome news.
After calculating, Park Siwoo said,
“Then we can finish within three weeks. Of course, if the quality isn’t satisfactory, it may take longer.”
“So, at minimum, one month.”
“Yes.”
“Good. Let’s proceed with that…… I’ll inform you of the release schedule later.”
“Understood.”
“Then, good work.”
“Take care.”
With that, the Head of Division also left the recording studio.
“Phew.”
Only then did Park Siwoo feel a sense of relief.
As he exhaled, groans erupted from all around.
“Ha…… I thought I was going to die from nerves……”
“Exactly……”
They were Jang Junhyuk and Lee Suah respectively.
“Everyone worked hard.”
Park Siwoo offered words of encouragement.
“Producer, you worked hard as well.”
After multiple exchanges of greetings, Seol A-yeon cautiously approached from a distance.
“Did you have something to say?”
When he asked, she replied calmly,
“Did I do well?”
Her tone was calm, but her eyes were restless like a dog desperately needing to go to the bathroom.
Snickering, Park Siwoo replied softly,
“You did well. Please keep it up like this.”
“Ah……! Yes!”
For a moment, it felt as if a fresh floral scent filled the air.
Seol A-yeon smiled brighter than ever.
About a week passed like that.
While Park Siwoo was recording his fourth song, his phone rang loudly.
When he checked it—
[The Neon Heart release schedule is set. It’s on the 16th of next month.]
It was a message from the Head of Division.
“Roughly five weeks left.”
That was enough.
As he thought that, his phone rang again.
[You can meet the deadline, right? We’d like it completed by at least the week after next.]
[We can.]
[Good. Let’s talk again after the album work is finished.]
[Yes.]
Just as he thought the conversation had ended and was about to put his phone away, another notification came.
[Ah, and could you negotiate with the PD from the music broadcast side? We need to set the broadcast debut schedule…… and you’re the only sales person we have, Producer.]