Chapter 75
Chapter 75
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Guide
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Director Yoon Joo-seong of Ironman Engineering asked,
"Hold on a second. Just by changing the aiming reticle like that, the hit rate on fast-moving targets goes up?"
The Aiming Sight Development Team Leader replied,
"It's not just adding the layout. We modified the software based on Team Leader Na's advice. Of course, right now it's at the level where we've crammed in source code just to enable function testing."
Another executive marveled,
"Wow... Does a master marksman spot improvements like that just by glancing at the gear?"
President Lee Jeong-min of Ironman Engineering asked,
"So, that test module was made exactly like the drawing, and Team Leader Na drew that on-site?"
"Yes. Team Leader Na's sketch was so precise, like he'd drawn it while staring at the actual device right in front of him. Implementing it wasn't difficult at all."
"Does the guy have artistic talent on top of everything?"
"I'm not sure about th..."
"So, what's the downside of this product?"
"Even without the predictive aiming function, production costs have gone up."
"It's using two hologram modules, so that's no surprise."
"Battery drain is faster too."
"That's expected. Any other downsides?"
"None."
"Huh? That's it?"
"Mass production might change things, but our team didn't find any other issues during testing."
President Lee Jeong-min tapped the conference table thoughtfully.
"So the issue is the unit cost..."
Division Head Lee Tae-seong offered his opinion.
"We can release it as a premium model separately and charge a higher price."
"Good idea. It won't generate huge sales, but it'll be great PR to show off our tech. Team Leader Cho, no matter how fast the battery drains, it won't die mid-combat, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
President Lee Jeong-min grinned and rubbed his hands together.
"Then let's develop a premium model. No objections? We can decide and greenlight it right here."
There were no objections, naturally. But someone had a question.
Executive Director Yoon Joo-seong asked,
"Team Leader Cho, how did Team Leader Na know such a simple tweak would boost the aiming sight's performance? Did we send him a unit in advance?"
"No. He emptied one magazine at the range and suggested it right there on the spot."
"No way, that makes sense?"
"Normally, no, it doesn't..."
Division Head Lee Tae-seong said,
"Director Yoon, if it's Team Leader Na, spotting improvements on-site isn't impossible. He's the developer of the Dragon Plate and a master of real combat shooting."
"Even as the Dragon Plate developer... Is he some kind of weapons engineering master too?"
"Given that he created the Dragon Plate and spotted upgrades for the aiming sight on the spot, maybe he is."
"How is that even possible?"
"Back in college, one of my professors was like that. He'd glance at something I'd slaved over and point out improvements right there."
"That's because a professor and student are on different levels of knowledge... Huh? So you're saying Team Leader Na is on another level in weapons engineering?"
President Lee Jeong-min smacked his lips openly.
"If I had a daughter or granddaughter, I'd marry her off to him."
But Lee Jeong-min had no daughters, just two sons. His one granddaughter was still in elementary school.
Lee Tae-seong said,
"Wishing for the impossible won't help..."
Lee Jeong-min suddenly snapped at Lee Tae-seong.
"If only you'd gotten married sooner! Why haven't you settled down?!"
"Why bring that up here? We're in a meeting."
"Damn it. I should've had a daughter instead of you lot."
Executive Director Yoon Joo-seong tentatively raised his hand.
"President, I have a daughter, so how about making him my son-in..."
"Director Yoon's daughter? Isn't she just a first-year college freshman? You joking?"
A few days later, composer Kwak Chan-seok visited the PC bang.
Cha Eun-seo was startled the moment she saw his face.
"Ah! Composer Kwak Chan-seok?"
"Uh... I didn't expect anyone here to recognize me."
Kwak Chan-seok did appear on TV occasionally, but never for long. Usually, it was just a quick clip of a singer visiting him for a chat. So it wasn't common for ordinary people to recognize him.
Cha Eun-seo said, her eyes sparkling,
"I'm a fan!"
"Thank you."
"Shall I show you to the best seat?"
"No need. I'm here to meet Na Gang-in today."
"Oh? Ah! You knew it's Oppa Gang-in's cooking day! He's in the kitchen right now."
When Kwak Chan-seok had met Na Gang-in at a restaurant with his youngest sister Kwak Yu-seon, actor Kim Yu-chan had raved about his cooking skills.
Kwak Chan-seok recalled that.
'Looks like it'll take a while to finish, so why not try that delicious food while I'm here?'
"How do I order food here?"
"I'll give you a seat near Oppa Gang-in's fixed spot, so watch the monitor and order from there. Actually, let me explain it myself. This way."
Today's special was japtangbap, a mixed rice dish that often appeared at this PC bang.
Kwak Chan-seok watched the monitor, ate the dish, and marveled,
"This is seriously good."
He understood why Kim Yu-chan had praised Na Gang-in's cooking so much. It was so delicious that it was a shame to see the portion dwindling with every bite.
After emptying the bowl completely, he pondered.
'Should I order another? I'm so full though...'
He hesitated. It wasn't about the price; his stomach was full. Leaving half a newly ordered bowl would be rude to the chef, Na Gang-in.
A young woman sat in the seat next to him.
She had her face covered with sunglasses, a hat, and a mask, plus a coat. Even so concealed, her aura was extraordinary.
Kwak Chan-seok often saw people like this.
'Feels like a celebrity.'
Kwak Chan-seok turned to look at her. The woman glanced at him too and gasped in surprise.
"Ah! Composer Kwak Chan-seok?"
"Uh... Who might you be?"
Shin Eun-ha lowered her sunglasses slightly.
"It's me."
"Ah, Shin Eu..."
Kwak Chan-seok immediately lowered his voice.
"What brings you here, Miss Shin Eun-ha?"
"To eat, obviously. I heard Oppa Gang-in's cooking today."
"Ahh, yeah, this food's worth it. So, ordering now?"
Kwak Chan-seok asked because he was thinking of ordering another bowl alongside hers. But Shin Eun-ha's response was unexpected.
"No, I'll eat in the staff break room."
"Huh? Why would you use this PC bang's staff lounge...?"
"I'm really close with the kids here. I go way back with the owner uncle too. I used to live in this neighborhood for a long time."
"Ahh."
"But I never expected to see someone as famous as you, Composer Kwak Chan-seok, here..."
Shin Eun-ha suddenly had a great idea. She beamed and whispered,
"Composer, can I recommend an amazing rookie singer who sings really well?"
"A rookie?"
"She's only released one CM song so far, but she sings incredibly. Oh, listen to this."
Shin Eun-ha quickly searched online and found a beverage ad. There were even edited clips online featuring just the part where Na Gang-in sang the CM song.
"This one. You've seen it on TV a lot, right? I know the rookie who sang it."
"Uh... I know her too, but?"
Shin Eun-ha grinned widely again.
"Ah! You've looked into it!"
"I composed that song..."
"Pardon?"
"Looks like you didn't dig that far. It's the CF you starred in."
"Uh... uh..."
She averted her gaze briefly before meeting his eyes again.
"She sings really well, right? Makes you want to give her a song?"
"That's exactly why I'm here."
"Huh? Ah! No way!"
Shin Eun-ha let out a squeal.
"Kyaaah! Mmph!"
She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and glanced around at the other customers. No one came over just for a brief shout in a PC bang.
"Composer, what genre's the song you're giving Oppa Gang-in? Ballad? Dance? Hip-hop? No way, rap?"
"A guide vocal gig..."
Shin Eun-ha panicked.
"Huh? A gig?"
In the PC bang kitchen, Kwak Chan-seok said to Na Gang-in,
"I heard from Kim Yu-chan. You do part-time gigs in all sorts of fields."
Actor Kim Yu-chan thought that was the case.
"I just do this and that."
Shin Eun-ha grumbled from the side with a pout,
"He’s amazing at all of them."
"Why are you sulking?"
Shin Eun-ha whined,
"I thought a famous composer coming in person meant you were here to give Oppa Gang-in a song..."
Kwak Chan-seok smiled awkwardly.
He wasn't the type to churn out songs.
He crafted each one meticulously. If it didn't satisfy him, he'd shelve it, refine it later with new ideas, and shelve it again if still unsatisfied until inspiration struck.
He put effort into every song, so they didn't come quickly.
But his tracks were frequent hits.
The one he'd just finished was already contracted to a singer's agency. The president had signed a deal the moment he heard a new song was in the works.
He couldn't give Na Gang-in a shelved track either.
Na Gang-in had saved his youngest sister Kwak Yu-seon from an electrocution accident. Kwak Chan-seok wanted to repay that favor somewhat. Handing over a dusty old song didn't count in his book.
He'd recently heard from actor Kim Yu-chan that Na Gang-in did various gigs. So he'd come to offer a guide vocal job for his new track. It wasn't full repayment, but he wanted to help in some small way.
Na Gang-in had no reason to refuse unless it involved singing on camera or a big stage.
"I've sold out today's meals, so can we go now?"
Kwak Chan-seok replied brightly,
"Of course. Let's go. I'll treat you to di..."
He remembered the japtangbap he'd just eaten. It'd be hard to find better at any restaurant.
If he couldn't buy something tastier, treating him to a home-cooked meal with care would do.
"Dinner will be prepared by my little sister. Yu-seon makes sure I don't starve. When I'm focused on composing, I skip meals. Haha."
Shin Eun-ha jumped in,
"I'll come too."
Kwak Chan-seok asked,
"Don't you have a schedule, Eun-ha?"
"I'm on hiatus lately, just chilling. Plenty of time."
"You're at the peak of your career, and you're on hiatus?"
She'd been through a lot of incidents lately, so she'd decided to take a break from movies and dramas for a while. She was only doing CFs and simple events now.
"Just felt like resting."
"Uh... Well, then..."
They headed to Kwak Chan-seok's studio.
He'd bought a large standalone house, using the first floor as living space and the second as his studio.
Kwak Chan-seok explained,
"For guide vocals, you don't need to sing like a pro. Just pitch, rhythm, and vibe in a way the singer can easily grasp. I'll point out any specific intentions I have."
Na Gang-in looked at the sheet music. It was covered in notes about things to watch for while singing.
A translucent sheet music and lyrics appeared before his eyes. It matched exactly the printed version from Kwak Chan-seok.
Kwak Chan-seok said,
"Give it a try first. I need to hear your voice before tweaking. Oh, and keep pitch and rhythm as accurate as possible."
Na Gang-in skimmed the sheet music, then looked ahead and began singing.
His AR lens currently displayed the 2082 model personal karaoke mode score. AI Jeon Ji-in only provided minor corrections to make his pitch and rhythm even more precise.
Outside the recording booth, Shin Eun-ha watched and said,
"Wow, he memorized the sheet after one look? Now he's even got great memory."
Kwak Chan-seok was surprised for a different reason.
"Pitch and rhythm are perfect."
He'd asked for accuracy since it was the first take, but he hadn't expected this level.
"And the voice is great too."
Na Gang-in's voice was naturally pleasant. It sounded even better when singing.
The song ended.
Kwak Chan-seok rubbed his hands unconsciously. He was getting excited.
"Great voice. Pitch and rhythm machine-precise. Now, let's add real emotion and do it properly."
The guide recording wrapped up in two hours.
Sound engineer Kwak Yu-seon waited on the first floor, prepping ingredients, instead of the second.
Kwak Chan-seok handled recording gear well enough that he didn't need her for just a guide track.
She complained when he came down,
"Big bro, why'd the guide take so long?"
"Couldn't help it."
Kwak Yu-seon tilted her head.
"I thought Gang-in was good at singing, but apparently not? Weird. He nailed that unprepped CM song on set."
"No, it's not that..."
"At least go easy. It's just a guide."
"I couldn't go easy!"