Debut (4)
"What?"
Lee Yena smiled, a little awkwardly. It was a proposal sudden enough to startle even her — a woman whose command over her own expression was ordinarily flawless.
"A-yeon, what do you mean you want to film a challenge just the two of you?"
Park Siwoo asked, and Seol A-yeon answered.
"The High-Pitch Challenge."
The High-Pitch Challenge had been all the rage on YouTube before the Neon Heart challenge took off. Participants took turns singing a verse of a particular song — except they raised the key by several steps on a number that was already punishing to sing.
And yet the one making the suggestion was Seol A-yeon, who had been downcast from beginning to end.
Why is she suddenly asking to film a challenge?
Park Siwoo looked at her. He couldn't read the emotion held in those blue eyes, and so he decided to think it through rationally.
Lee Yena hasn't warmed up her voice yet.
On top of that, she had been performing concerts for nearly a month. Her throat was unlikely to be in good condition.
Filming another challenge with Lee Yena would definitely be a good thing, but...
The circumstances weren't favorable. Park Siwoo resolved to turn Seol A-yeon's proposal down.
Right then—
"Alright. Let's do it."
Lee Yena answered with a boldness that made Park Siwoo start.
"Yena?"
"Filming one more challenge would be great."
"But will your voice be all right?"
"Of course it will. Thank you for worrying."
Lee Yena let out a small laugh and walked over to stand in front of Seol A-yeon. A subtle current passed between them as their eyes met. After holding each other's gaze for a beat, the two stepped into the recording studio at the same instant, as if they had arranged it beforehand.
And then—
"Could you turn off the mic for a moment?"
With Seol A-yeon's words, both of their voices were cut off.
What conversation the two of them had inside, no one could know — the microphone was off. What mattered was that it had been off for only a brief moment, and that the two of them had talked the entire time with bright, unwavering smiles.
It's probably nothing.
Just as Park Siwoo thought that, a knock sounded against the glass. Seol A-yeon, having finished her conversation with Lee Yena, was tapping on the window. Cha Seungjun took the hint and opened the mic, and her voice spilled through the speakers.
"We'll start right away. Please play the song."
"Yes."
Cha Seungjun answered and looked at Park Siwoo.
Can't be helped.
He was worried about Lee Yena's vocal condition, but it wasn't something he could object to when she herself had said she was fine. Of course, if he refused firmly enough, she would stop — but there didn't seem to be any need to go that far.
They're both professionals.
They would know the state of their own voices better than anyone.
"Go ahead and start."
Once Park Siwoo's permission was given, Cha Seungjun played the track. The key had been raised by two steps, and even the instrumental intro sat high enough that Park Siwoo found it overwhelming. But the women inside the recording studio were Lee Yena and Seol A-yeon. The two of them finished the challenge without the slightest difficulty.
Park Siwoo had watched this challenge from time to time, but the timbre of their singing surpassed every video he had ever seen. The pitch was absurdly high, and yet both voices produced a sound that was perfect, without a hint of strain or distortion.
This is definitely going to be a hit too.
The views would explode. Thinking that, he waited for them to come out.
The door clicked open, and Seol A-yeon emerged first. In that short span she had poured out so much of herself that beads of sweat stood on her forehead. The Seol A-yeon of any ordinary day would surely have gone off to wipe her sweat by herself.
But—
"P-Producer!"
She walked up to Park Siwoo with a bright, open smile.
"D-did I do well?"
She asked it with her eyes sparkling. It was the opposite of how Seol A-yeon usually carried herself in front of other people — shy, reserved — and Park Siwoo was a little thrown. He didn't let it show, though. After a brief pause, he smiled.
"You did well."
Then Lee Yena, who had been behind her, walked up to him as well.
"Producer, how was my singing?"
What's with these two?
"Yena, well, you're always good to begin with, aren't you? In any case, you both worked hard."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Seeing them both nod, he turned around. He wanted to review the recorded footage with Cha Seungjun.
"Hmm."
Park Siwoo watched it through and nodded.
"I think we can use it as is."
"Then I'll send the video right away."
Park Siwoo's phone chimed. Cha Seungjun had sent the file. He uploaded it to the Guitar Hero channel at once, and with that, the day's work was done.
Kim Mir tapped at his phone. The challenge video sitting at the very top of YouTube filled his screen. It was the dance video of Neon Heart and Lee Yena. He forgot even his anger as he watched.
A moment later, the video ended.
"Damn it!"
The anger he had forgotten came roaring back. He had seen the view count. The number on that video was a staggering thirty million.
Why does that Lee Yena keep helping Park Siwoo?
The truth was, he had liked her. There wasn't a soul in South Korea who disliked Lee Yena, but Kim Mir's feelings ran especially deep. A slender waist, a full chest, striking features, an upright character — she was a woman without a single flaw. So he had confessed to her. Naturally, he had been shot down without mercy. Lee Yena hadn't even pretended to hear him. It had been the height of his popularity, and her rejection had hit him like a blow.
And yet.
Why does she keep showing up in Park Siwoo's videos and boosting the views?
What's more, Lee Yena had never once filmed a challenge with ENTRA. They had asked her several times, with her comeback right around the corner, and she had refused every single one. And now here she was, dancing with a rookie band. And of all bands, it had to be Park Siwoo's.
Kim Mir irritably opened the comments.
He dropped a single piece of hate into a comment section painted entirely in praise. A reply followed almost at once.
"Ah—!"
Panicked, Kim Mir hurriedly deleted the comment. His heart hammered against his ribs.
They couldn't have. There's no way.
He'd already deleted it. How were they supposed to sue? Telling himself that, Kim Mir set his phone down.
Right then—
"What are you doing, honey?"
Kim Soyeon came over. Kim Mir stuffed his phone roughly into his pocket and answered.
"Uh, nothing. More importantly, what's up?"
"This Neon Heart thing. Isn't that the band that Park Siwoo guy said he was doing?"
"Yeah. I told you yesterday."
When he said that, Kim Soyeon furrowed her brows sharply.
"Then why does it keep showing up in my recommended videos? Didn't you say you'd take responsibility and ruin them? Why are the views like this?"
"That's, Soyeon. Just wait a bit. I already changed the comeback schedule to the day after tomorrow, so Neon Heart is definitely going down."
"Really?"
"I'm telling you. Our group has a name. What's that Park Siwoo guy going to do to surpass us?"
Kim Soyeon looked down at him with her weight cocked on one hip.
"You have to ruin them for sure. I don't even want to look at that man's face."
"Same here. So just wait a little."
"What?"
"I said please wait..."
When Kim Soyeon shot her eyes up at him, Kim Mir immediately tucked his tail.
Damn it.
If it weren't for the baby. He was grinding his teeth inwardly when Kim Soyeon spoke again.
"And, speaking of which, why are you managing the money?"
"What?"
"From now on, I'll manage your salary."
Kim Mir's face twisted all out of shape.
"Take care."
"Yes, Yena."
"Ah, and this."
Lee Yena stopped Park Siwoo as he was heading out the door.
"It's a lunchbox. It's awkward to step out in the middle of filming. There's a catering truck, but it doesn't taste good."
The lunchbox she held out was packed remarkably full — substantial enough to be heavy even in one hand. To have prepared this much, she would have had to be awake since before dawn. He was still turning that over when she added,
"Share it with the team members."
"Thank you, Yena."
Park Siwoo bowed his head. Then Lee Yena said,
"I hope it goes well!"
"All right, then."
And so, with Lee Yena seeing him off, he left the house.
The place Park Siwoo was headed this time was the broadcasting station. Today was the day of Neon Heart's song recording. On this broadcast, Neon Heart would appear twice — once at the beginning and once at the end. The first of those songs would be pre-recorded, and the recording would be aired on the show. That was why they had come in first thing in the morning for the pre-recording.
The Head of Department already brought Neon Heart over, he said.
After parking, Park Siwoo went inside the broadcasting station and asked a passing staff member.
"Where's Neon Heart?"
"Ah, if you go that way you'll see it right away. Waiting Room 106."
"Thank you."
Park Siwoo headed in the direction he'd been given. He knocked and went in.
They didn't usually give a room this large to rookies. Apparently it hadn't been a lie that the station director was a fan of Guitar Hero — they had given Neon Heart quite a spacious waiting room.
Not bad.
Park Siwoo looked the room over once, then walked toward Seol A-yeon, who was in the middle of having her makeup done.
"A-yeon."
"Ah, Producer."
He stopped her as she tried to rise from her seat.
"It's fine. Stay seated."
"Ah, yes..."
Seeing her sit back down, he went on.
"You're not nervous, are you?"
"No, I'm not particularly nervous."
It didn't sound like an empty remark. Her face was remarkably bright.
"Just do as you prepared. No need to be nervous. A-yeon, you have more than enough skill."
"Yes."
Seol A-yeon nodded. Park Siwoo turned to check on the other members' condition.
But—
"Um, Producer."
"Yes?"
At the voice calling him, Park Siwoo turned back. Seol A-yeon was looking at him clearly through the mirror. Sensing even a hint of resolve in her face, he asked in a slightly more serious tone.
"What is it?"
"If our results are good tomorrow, would you have a meal with me?"
"What?"
Park Siwoo asked back, startled.
"Have a meal, you said?"
"Is... is that difficult?"
"It's not difficult, but..."
He let the end of the sentence trail off for a moment, then nodded.
"All right. Let's do that."
A flower blossomed across Seol A-yeon's face.
"I'll do my best!"
"Yes. Let's give it our best."
"Yes!"
Seol A-yeon nodded. Park Siwoo smiled at her for a moment, then turned away. He had only meant to chat briefly, but quite a bit of time had slipped by.
I still needed to talk with PD Lee Eunha.
"Cha Seungjun."
"Ah, yes."
"Keep a close eye on the girls' condition for me."
Leaving the rest in the hands of Cha Seungjun, whom he had called over for the instrument setup, Park Siwoo stepped into the studio.
And there he ran into her.
"Heh. You. Are you seriously planning to raise a band?"
His ex-wife, Kim Soyeon.