Chapter 331
Chapter 331
At the mountain cabin songwriting camp intended to encourage Kim Rae-bin, only praise was allowed.
Because of that, even if a beginner’s work was a total mess, everyone just laughed it off and moved on. We were there to have fun, after all.
But when it becomes "work," the story changes.
Take a look at the opinion Bae Se-jin cautiously voiced.
“…Listen, anyway, the song that won the Grand Prize was ‘Promise.’ So, how about doing something like a sequel based on that?”
“That is a very sensible suggestion!”
It sounded like the feedback would end on a heartwarming note, but it didn't.
“Yes. It’s good to push what performed best. But for a Grand Prize-winning song, the overseas response was just… okay. Nothing special.”
“O-oh, really?”
“I agree. I think people abroad would prefer something harder, like ‘Drill’~”
“Exactly. I’m against it!”
In an instant, opinions were ruthlessly divided.
“…Fine. I’ll take it back!”
“I liked it, though. Se-jin, that’s a shame.”
“Ahem. Right. Well, then what do you guys think!”
There was no specific criticism. However, if the majority shot it down, we naturally moved on.
“Anything else fresh?”
“A unique idea has occurred to me! Using MIDI and electric noise to emphasize mechanical sounds for a robot concept…”
“Boo~ cheesy~~”
Actually, there was one guy who was being blatantly vocal with his jeers.
“Cha Yu-jin, you haven’t offered a single opinion and have only been criticizing since earlier. That is a very inappropriate attitude!”
“Okay! I’ll talk. I like transformation heroes!”
“We did that during Idol Inc., and if we end up doing an OST, it’ll overlap too much. Rejected.”
“Ugh…”
Go ahead and boo yourself.
Regardless, most of the members were making sensible points. It was just that their ideas didn't fit the current situation, so they were being implicitly weeded out quickly.
As a result, the brainstorming turnover rate was extraordinary.
“The ideas are getting too scattered, so let’s try to organize them into a chart. Let’s focus on the core of the concepts that got the best overseas response and the hero movie OST concept.”
“Okay~ Moon-dae, you’re making it, right?”
Naturally dumping the work on me, I see.
“I’m sorry, Moon-dae. I should really learn how to do stuff like this too.”
“It’s fine. You already have so much on your plate.”
In the end, it took exactly half a day to extract the concept characteristics we needed to aim for.
I organized it without even pausing for breath.
“A concept based on intense action beats that is American-friendly while maintaining TeSTAR’s signature uniqueness.”
“…….”
“…….”
“Wow.”
If a company had handed down a request like this, it would have been a premise worth murdering your boss over.
But we had to do it. That’s just how the arts are.
“From now on, use this as the central framework… and tell me the concepts and songs you want.”
“Yes sir…”
The fierce meeting, which had been like a frantic game of ping-pong, entered a brief lull.
“My throat hurts….”
“Yu-jin, from now on, let’s try to whisper instead of shouting. You can’t perform with a raspy voice at the concert.”
Listening to Ryu Cheong-woo calmly hit Cha Yu-jin with facts, I checked on the others.
‘First off, Kim Rae-bin is doing well.’
He was practically in a league of his own here. Pass.
‘Keun Se-jin has a good perspective, too.’
In fact, he was more competent here than at the creative camp, which had been purely for fun. He was top-tier at filtering out good opinions and swaying public sentiment.
‘Cha Yu-jin provides the energy.’
Since he spoke his mind without hesitation—but not in an offensive way—he kept the meeting moving.
‘…It’s a decent group.’
It wasn't just about coming up with good ideas anymore; I was pleased that even when I restricted them with a framework, they didn't lose heart and spat out useful suggestions.
And as we moved into the composition part, one person made an unexpectedly strong showing.
It was Bae Se-jin.
“…Since we’re talking about being ‘American,’ how about drawing some metaphors from American literature?”
He had taken an approach no one else had thought of.
“American literature?”
‘I like the sound of that.’
I immediately followed up.
“Do you have something specific in mind?”
“I was… thinking of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories among the classic novels.”
Edgar Allan Poe.
The pioneer of American detective and horror fiction.
“You know, the eerie stuff. It’s very famous and distinctive….”
“Ooh.”
Perhaps encouraged by the reaction, Bae Se-jin spoke quickly, his face slightly flushed.
“You know ‘The Black Cat’ that he wrote? It’s chilling and has a twist… Isn’t that exactly the kind of uniqueness TeSTAR is going for?”
“…!”
“I-I think you’re right…!”
Oh.
As expected of someone who reads a lot, he presented a symbolic idea quite convincingly.
‘Classic horror literature, huh?’
Not bad.
For starters, Kim Rae-bin’s eyes were sparkling.
“If it fits the concept, quoting it in the rap lyrics would create a very cool structure. I will definitely make a note of this.”
“…Right.”
It was practically the first time Bae Se-jin had stepped forward to offer a producing opinion himself.
‘He’s surprisingly talented.’
Perhaps he hadn't expected it to be received so well, as a look of dazed pride crossed Bae Se-jin’s face.
Ryu Cheong-woo smiled as he wrapped things up.
“So, a Hollywood movie vibe based on American classic literature, mixed with our own universe?”
“Let’s set that as the direction for the production for now.”
I rubbed my chin.
To be honest, this alone was… a bit lacking.
‘It doesn’t quite have that "click" yet.’
I decided to find meaning in the fact that we had established a direction and an inspiration.
‘The core can be finalized while we work on the movie OST.’
Actually, my intention in pushing for this camp wasn't necessarily to churn out high-quality results right away.
It was more about checking and encouraging each member’s producing capabilities.
‘I wanted to see if the label would run smoothly.’
Since the group was now essentially standing on its own two feet.
‘Once we become an independent label, our decision-making power increases, and there are definitely members who need an adjustment period.’
And from what I’d seen so far, most of the members were doing great. Everyone was talkative and cooperative.
‘Ryu Cheong-woo is talented at mediating, so he’s fine.’
I gave almost everyone a passing grade.
However, after looking around like that, one person remained.
“…….”
“Seon A-hyun.”
“Y-yes…!”
The guy who had spent almost the entire day just nodding along looked up.
“About the drafts we have now, I’m curious what you think.”
“U-um… I think they’re all, g-good ideas…!”
“Which parts specifically?”
Seon A-hyun flinched but answered slowly.
“H-Hollywood movies… have a very popular, mainstream feel. So I think adding a deep feeling, like classic literature, is… good….”
“…Right.”
Yeah. If I asked him directly and slowly like this, he offered pretty good feedback.
The problem was… he couldn't do it in real-time, which was the most important thing when working.
‘He can’t voice his opinions.’
Seon A-hyun was incredibly good at expressing a given task, but he was already a bit weak when it came to original thoughts or ideas.
Moreover, unless it was a moral issue, he didn't try to fight even if he had a dissenting opinion.
Because of his consideration for others, he would step back to listen, and as a result, he couldn't find the timing to jump in at all.
In short, in situations like this, he was just a number for the majority vote.
He knew it himself.
—Hyung! No opinions?
—I, I… not yet.
—Mm~ Okay.
—…….
After that conversation with Cha Yu-jin, Seon A-hyun had hung his head low.
I sat down next to him.
“It’s okay to take it slow.”
“……Yeah.”
Seon A-hyun didn't look like he entirely agreed, but he nodded for now.
That was actually better.
‘He has his own pride.’
It seemed he felt a strange sense of competitiveness about the things he couldn't do. There was room for growth….
“What’s this? Why is the atmosphere like this?”
“…!”
Keun Se-jin cut in with a laugh.
“Ah~ Moon-dae must have said something because A-hyun didn't give many opinions!”
“…….”
“N-no, that’s not it…!”
Seon A-hyun reacted a beat late. It seemed he really had felt that way….
“Hey, why worry about that~ We have so many friends who are good at producing. Let’s just enjoy ourselves, A-hyun!”
Of course, these words didn't work on Seon A-hyun.
“T-the moment will come when I, I have to do it myself….”
Keun Se-jin grinned.
“Moon-dae can just do it for you then!”
“…!”
“Moon-dae, aren’t you going to produce A-hyun’s solo later?”
“M-my solo??”
“Yeah! We’ll all do a unit or a solo at least once later on~”
He cleverly omitted the sad explanation of 'when the other members go to the military.'
Anyway, I let out a small laugh.
“If you want, of course I should.”
“…!”
“See? You can relax now, right?”
“Yeah.”
Seon A-hyun gave a faint smile and stood up, looking much more at ease.
“T-thank you.”
“For what.”
Still, looking at his eyes, it seemed his ‘desire to try’ hadn't died. It just seemed like his mind had been put at ease.
“I’ll… go in now.”
“Okay.”
“See you tomorrow, A-hyun~”
Since the atmosphere suggested today’s camp was mostly over, a few members had already left their seats.
Seon A-hyun left the suite’s living room following them, looking lost in thought.
“…….”
Keun Se-jin kept his mouth shut until Seon A-hyun disappeared.
Then, he suddenly spoke up.
“You really look out for A-hyun, every single time.”
“He’s a member.”
“Mm~ Is that so?”
Keun Se-jin added in a casual tone.
“Moon-dae, you know A-hyun does a great job once the production is done and he starts preparing, right?”
I knew. I just wanted him to grow a bit.
“Instead of worrying about our same-age friend, let’s just worry about ourselves, okay? Ourselves~”
“Sure.”
No, actually, you guys are all younger than me. I endured Keun Se-jin cackling and patting my back.
‘This guy is still full of energy.’
He seemed to have stamina left, so if I said something stupid now, I wouldn't hear the end of it.
I stood up, thinking I should look for another timing to confess my ‘situation’ tomorrow.
“Where are you going?”
“The bathroom.”
I had just received an unexpected text on my smartphone.
[The concert was so cool, it was the best ㅠㅠ]
“…….”
It was Keun-dal.
[Did you follow us on tour?]
[Yes! Since it’s a neighboring country, I worked hard to make time over the weekend, and I’m so glad I did. This is what healing is all about…]
Right, he was a guy with enough money that flying first class was no big deal.
I briefly estimated the assets he possessed and shrugged. As long as he didn't get scammed, I didn't care how he spent it.
However, another text arrived immediately after.
[By any chance, is a video call okay? There’s something I want to check.]
Hmm.
It sounded like something was up.
[Sure. Just a moment.]
[Okay!!]
I went into the small room where Ryu Cheong-woo was typing on his laptop.
“I’m going to have a quick video call with Ryu Gun-woo hyung.”
“Mm, okay.”
I had considered getting a whole new room for the call, but I figured that would lead to more suspicious misunderstandings, so I decided against it. This suite was my room, anyway.
With him here, he’d probably block any other guys from snooping around.
‘…It is reassuring to have someone who knows.’
“Can I say hi too?”
“You can do as you please.”
I placed the video call to Keun-dal, and it was accepted as soon as the ringtone started.
—Hello!
“…Hyung, you keep using the wrong honorifics.”
—Ah, r-right, sorry…. Are you outside?
“Yes.”
I wasn't going to let an accident like last time happen again.
—Have you been well?
“Of course.”
Keun-dal immediately corrected his speech, and only then did I ask how he was doing and try to get straight to the point.
“Why did you want to call….”
Just then, Ryu Cheong-woo called out from behind me.
“Moon-dae?”
I told him he could say hi, so why was he asking for permission again?
“No, it’s not that… Se-jin says he wants to say hi too.”
“…!”
“Ah, not the younger Se-jin, but Bae Se-jin.”
Turning my head, I saw a tense-looking Bae Se-jin standing past the door.
Ryu Cheong-woo looked a bit flustered.
“He claims he knows the person personally… Is that right?”
This is driving me crazy.
I looked at Bae Se-jin, and he cleared his throat.
“Well… I guess you guys video call often. I thought I’d say hi too….”
“…Um, yes.”
If I just mindlessly said okay here, I felt like I’d keep telling useless lies. I racked my brain for a way to end this disastrous situation.
It was then.
“What are you guys all doing there… hm?”
Keun Se-jin approached, seeing the three of them huddled by the door.
I immediately pressed the end call button.
Beep.
“Park Moon-dae, you were on a call…!”
“Ah.”
Thinking it was a mistake, Bae Se-jin looked horrified. Keun Se-jin let out a hollow laugh.
“Were you on the phone? I wondered where you went when you said you were going to the bathroom.”
“I just got a call from someone I know.”
“Really?”
Keun Se-jin looked back at Ryu Cheong-woo and Bae Se-jin, then shrugged.
“…Do you all know each other?”
“Ah… he’s someone who helped Moon-dae when he was younger.”
“Ah~ I see.”
“You know, the person Park Moon-dae has been looking for since last year. That… ah.”
Bae Se-jin belatedly shut his mouth after reading the room.
‘Damn it.’
He must have started talking thinking Keun Se-jin already knew, only to realize he didn't, but the damage was done.
“Anyway, I happen to be somewhat acquainted with him too….”
“Ah… okay.”
“…….”
Keun Se-jin fell silent. An inexplicably awkward silence settled between the rooms.
“…For now, shall we go rest? This is originally Moon-dae’s room.”
“R-right.”
Bae Se-jin looked back at me with an expression that said he’d messed up, but when I shook my head, he quietly shut his mouth and followed Ryu Cheong-woo out of the room.
“Se-jin, you should come in too.”
“…….”
Instead of responding to Ryu Cheong-woo’s call, Keun Se-jin massaged his own shoulder.
Then, just as he seemed about to turn around, he suddenly spoke.
“Isn’t this… a bit much?”
“…!”
His tone was full of resentment.
“How many times now…, it feels like everyone knows but me.”
Fuck.
He had every right to misunderstand.
“No, it’s not that everyone knows. It’s not like that, it’s just the situation before….”
“Then why does everyone know when you said it was hard to explain? Even that hyung just now….”
Keun Se-jin seemed to hold back his next words for a moment. Then he fell silent.
“…….”
‘Say something.’
I barely managed to think of something to say. Then, I spoke as calmly as possible.
“The thing is….”
“Park Moon-dae, you’re just flustered. Do you not feel sorry toward me at all right now?”
“…!”
The words flew out reflexively.
“That’s not it.”
“Really? But….”
Keun Se-jin opened his mouth as if to snap at me… but then he deflated.
“…No, I’m just… let’s talk later.”
“Wait. You….”
“Later.”
Keun Se-jin muttered to himself in a voice that wasn't even that angry, then quickly opened the door and left.
Slam.
He left so quickly that I immediately heard the front door closing.
From the hallway, Bae Se-jin whispered.
“…I’m sorry.”
“…….”
I’m screwed.