Chapter 24: Concept Planning (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: Concept Planning (3)
‘Was this song always such an earworm?’
I rewound the three-minute audio file and played it again.
While there were parts that felt a bit excessive, the overall impression was much more striking than before.
“It’s good.”
“Really?!”
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s face brightened at my words.
“I’m not exactly a musical expert, but I like it.”
Lee Cheong-hyeon let out a sigh of relief. However, I couldn't let my guard down just yet.
If Lee Cheong-hyeon’s talent had suddenly blossomed, making him more advanced than the version of him I remembered, that was fine.
But what if the ‘past Lee Cheong-hyeon’ had created a song like this, only for it to be turned into the version I knew through arrangement or some other corporate process?
That would be a problem. Taste is ultimately subjective, and public reaction is something you can never truly predict until the product is out.
If it were the latter case, it wouldn't matter if I shouted, “Oh, this humble servant thinks Cheong-hyeon’s version is better!” It would be useless unless I could convince the entire company.
‘As a newcomer, there’s nothing I can do about the A&R Team yet.’
I desperately hoped this situation fell into the former category.
Perhaps even praise from a "clumsy person" like me felt good, because Lee Cheong-hyeon grabbed the mouse with a much more relaxed expression.
“Please listen to this one too. This was the melody I first thought of.”
The new track Lee Cheong-hyeon played was exactly the song I remembered.
“Was there a specific reason you changed it from your first idea to the version you just played?”
“Do you remember when the three of us talked about concepts with Ju-woo hyung?”
Their disastrous tastes, you mean. Of course I remembered.
“I just thought, ‘It would be nice if it had an exciting feel.’ But then I wondered if it would be better if the image was more concrete. After thinking about a few things, the direction shifted.”
“What kind of concrete things did you think about?”
“A six-meter-tall giant metal fanfare!!”
Lee Cheong-hyeon gave me a thumbs-up.
Well, it certainly feels like things are exploding. Though the purpose of that fanfare seems closer to destruction than celebration.
‘If the song changed based on the conversation we had… then there’s a chance this melody might actually stick, right?’
I’d have to hear what others thought, but personally, I preferred the version Lee Cheong-hyeon had revised.
I patted the shoulder of Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had grown this much on his own.
“It must have been hard getting it to this point. You did a great job.”
“I’ve still got a long way to go.”
True, compared to the work Lee Cheong-hyeon had ahead of him, a melody was basically just prepping the ingredients.
Still, finding ingredients this fresh was a feat in itself. I gladly sent Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had been struggling for a full week, back to his room.
He must have been exhausted, as he quickly bid me goodnight and headed straight to bed.
At that moment, I had no idea.
I didn't realize that someone had been watching mine and Lee Cheong-hyeon’s clumsy attempt at composition.
During group practice, we were given a five-minute break for every fifty-five minutes of work.
I was about to review my moves in front of the mirror when Jeong Seong-bin approached me.
“Aren’t you tired, hyung?”
“Huh?”
“It seems like you’re doing something with Cheong-hyeon every night. I was worried you might not be getting enough rest.”
I was about to mention the songwriting but quickly gave a vague answer.
“Just talking about music. Did we disturb you by chatting in the living room?”
Lee Cheong-hyeon had been embarrassed just letting someone else hear his music; I didn't think he’d appreciate me blabbing about his business.
But my worry was misplaced.
Lee Cheong-hyeon, picking up a water bottle, blurted out, “It’s because we were talking about composing!” satisfying Jeong Seong-bin’s curiosity before leaving the practice room.
If you were going to be this casual about it, why were you so nervous yesterday?
As I stood there dumbfounded, Jeong Seong-bin asked again.
“Composing?”
“Yeah. Cheong-hyeon seemed interested, so I told him to give it a try. He’s working really hard at it.”
“I see. Still, don’t overdo it.”
Jeong Seong-bin checked on me, saying he was worried about my health, and then returned to his spot.
I watched his retreating back and thought to myself.
‘Worry about your own health, you’re the one looking after all five of us…’
No one looks out for your health for you. Especially if you don't have a guardian or if they’re far away. In those cases, you have to take care of your own body.
I was debating whether to tell him that the battery of youth doesn't last forever when another person approached.
This time, the guest was Park Ju-woo.
“If it’s composing… is it related to the concept we talked about before?”
“No. Cheong-hyeon is just writing something for himself.”
“Then you, hyung…”
“I’m playing the role of a pacemaker with an enhanced whipping function.”
In reality, all I did was listen and hit the ‘like’ button.
Still, since he asked, I gave him a sincere answer. But Park Ju-woo didn't leave; he continued the conversation.
“Um, hyung.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“I… I know you’re busy, but could you help me with my song selection?”
“For the monthly evaluation?”
I asked just in case, and Park Ju-woo nodded.
There was only one week left until the next evaluation. Even if it didn't take Park Ju-woo long to learn a song, it felt a bit late to be picking one now.
‘Has he been agonizing over this for a while?’
If a quick selection was the priority, Jeong Seong-bin would probably be more helpful than me. I cautiously suggested an alternative.
“Did you ask Seong-bin? I think he might be more helpful than I am.”
At that, Park Ju-woo shook his head.
“…It’s a bit difficult to talk to Seong-bin about this.”
Just then, Jeong Seong-bin called us together, saying the break was over.
“Want to talk about it during dinner? Let’s practice first.”
“…Okay.”
Park Ju-woo readily agreed, showing no signs of anxiety about the late song selection.
After that, I had to endure Kang Gi-yeon’s harsh instruction while trembling with unease until dinner time arrived.
The first-floor lobby was very quiet during dinner.
Most of the employees seemed to have gone home.
Thanks to me saying I’d eat separately, the dinner group today consisted of only Park Ju-woo and me.
I sat at the table, unwrapping my salad, and waited for Park Ju-woo to speak first.
Park Ju-woo, as usual, set the oriental dressing aside and spoke.
“…Remember how I said I wanted to do a strong concept?”
“I do.”
“I’ve been thinking about it ever since… but no matter how many songs I listen to, I can’t find one that feels right.”
“It’s not easy to find a song that perfectly fits your taste.”
“Eventually, I even became unsure of what I was looking for.”
It seemed Park Ju-woo had put a lot of deep thought into the topic we’d briefly discussed a few days ago.
However, something felt off.
‘Was he always the type to be this stubborn about his tastes?’
If anything, the Park Ju-woo I knew after debut was more of a ‘whatever works’ kind of person.
Unlike most of the members who were similar to how I remembered them, the current Park Ju-woo felt a bit unfamiliar.
“What’s bothering you the most about picking a song right now?”
“…I don’t know.”
“Number one: you can’t find a song you like. Number two: you can’t find a song that reflects the feedback from the last evaluation. Number three: miscellaneous. Pick one.”
“Number… three?”
Great. In that case, I just had to guess.
I thought long and hard about what could have disturbed Park Ju-woo’s peace of mind recently.
The biggest change from the past was likely my presence—the most uncontrollable "clumsy person" in UA history.
I didn't think the fight between Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon would have affected Park Ju-woo much.
That left only one thing.
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s composing.
‘He was definitely there when we were talking about it.’
I didn't know the exact cause and effect, but I threw out a question, figuring it was worth a shot.
“Did seeing Cheong-hyeon compose cause a change of heart?”
Hearing my words, Park Ju-woo struggled to answer after much deliberation.
“…I think so.”
At that moment, a scene from a trashy soap opera played in my head.
Lee Cheong-hyeon, a minor who, lured by a few shallow compliments, grinds his soul late into the night to enjoy a hobby that will eventually become his career…
And Park Ju-woo, who is resentful, thinking, ‘I can’t even sing the songs I want to sing, but you’re out here finding yourself?’
Haha, forget the debut; I’d be lucky if the whole thing didn't blow up.
In front of me, as my face likely turned pale, Park Ju-woo cautiously added a comment.
“Cheong-hyeon is challenging himself with music in different genres… but I feel like I’m the only one who still hasn't found my way.”
Park Ju-woo lowered his gaze. It seemed he felt his own worries were trivial compared to Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had only done classical music but was now writing pop songs.
I unwrapped the fork for Park Ju-woo, who hadn't even taken a bite of his salad, and asked.
“Are you feeling impatient?”
“…I guess so. I wonder if I’ve been thinking too complacently… I feel a bit ashamed.”
It was a truly touching mindset.
In all my time at Hanpyeong Industry, I had never once worried if I was ‘working too complacently.’
‘It’s not even a debut song, just a song for a vocal test.’
Honestly, I felt like he could just pick any decent song for an evaluation.
However, I was the one who had staked my life on song selection, and I knew that their serious attitude toward everything was what had carried them toward their debut. I couldn't just dismiss his feelings.
Instead, I spoke to Park Ju-woo, emphasizing that my suggestion was purely personal.
“The strengths of the songs you like might be the message or the concept, but why don’t you try thinking about if there are other strengths?”
“Other strengths…?”
“In one song, you might like the guitar riff, and in another, you might like the drums.”
“…Right.”
“If you increase the number of elements you like, it might become easier to find a song that fits your taste.”
“…That’s true.”
Though I had failed to find any strengths in Department Head Nam even after using that method.
“Who knows? There might be an idol song written by a composer who’s a huge rock fan.”
When I cracked a silly joke, Park Ju-woo finally managed a smile.
Feeling much lighter, I asked him.
“By the way, can I ask why you couldn't talk to Seong-bin about this?”
“Oh, that…”
I was worried I had touched on a sensitive part of teenage friendship, but fortunately, Park Ju-woo answered with a calm face.
“Well, I changed my career path to become an idol trainee because Seong-bin asked if I wanted to try being an idol with him.”
I knew that. In his early days at UA, Park Ju-woo had been preparing to be a solo singer.
“I like preparing for debut with the members, and I don't regret deciding to be an idol because I thought about it a lot before deciding… but whenever I listen to rock music, Seong-bin gets self-conscious.”
“Our Seong-bin felt guilty for dragging a friend into this…”
Park Ju-woo nodded. He must have felt quite bad that his friend was walking on eggshells around him.
‘I can see why he couldn't talk about his song selection worries.’
Still, it was nice to see that kind of friendship in the group. Friends who consider each other’s feelings—wasn't that heartwarming?
Of course, since I didn't really have friends, I couldn't exactly relate.
I suddenly felt like I might have wasted my life a bit.
March passed by incredibly quickly.
I baked bread and did a recording experience.
I resolved conflicts between members, encouraged them to write songs, held mock evaluations so they wouldn't be nervous, and gave advice on song selection.
+
[SYSTEM] A ‘New Task’ has been assigned.
▷ Join the Debut Team
▷ Reward: Experience Points (20)
+
After spending such a fulfilling month, the March Monthly Evaluation, which would determine Spark’s debut team, finally began.