Casting (2)
"...Because you won't be there."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Having mumbled those words, Yoon Seolah buried her face back into her pillow.
"..."
I couldn't understand her reasoning at all.
This was Choi Taeseong we were talking about. The Choi Taeseong.
For anyone dreaming of becoming a singer, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And she was turning down this golden ticket? Just because I was with HS Entertainment?
She's definitely going to regret this.
Her words implied that she wanted to join HS too. But the industry didn't work that way. She needed time to reconsider her decision.
I'm not saying I have to force her into it, but...
It wouldn't be too late to decide after giving it a bit more thought. I was about to say as much when...
"Seolah."
It wasn't me who broke the silence, but Kwon Dain.
"Are you really not going to sing until you can join HS?"
"..."
"That's not what you want."
Dain delivered the gentle but sharp reality check.
"I'm not saying your feelings are weird. I get it. Both Jisul and I are with HS."
Meeting up like this in the morning definitely had its perks. Our classroom, early in the morning, was the only place where we could talk about these things without worrying about anyone else listening.
"But you don't have to decide right this second. Can't you think about it a little more?"
Dain's voice carried genuine concern, but she also seemed puzzled. Honestly, so did I.
The usual Seolah wouldn't make such a careless decision. Why was she acting like this now?
"..."
Seolah stared at Dain in silence for a moment.
"...Fine."
She finally conceded, nodding slowly.
Then, with a soft plop—
I don't know how she'd survive without that pillow.
Seolah had already fused back with her makeshift bedding. Watching her, Dain handed me a shopping bag.
"Here."
I took the bag and set it on my lap, reaching inside to pull out the clothes.
The scent... is really strong.
The fragrance of fabric softener tickled the tip of my nose before I even pulled the garment out.
Is it because it's an expensive brand? That had to be it. High-end softeners probably had stronger, longer-lasting scents.
I pulled out the hoodie and slipped it on over my school shirt. It had been warm yesterday, but today was chilly.
"It smells nice."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. It's a familiar scent, so it doesn't give me a headache."
"Familiar?"
"Of course."
Because it's the scent you always wear. When I added that, Dain let out a soft, startled gasp.
"Ah, right..."
"I used to think you wore lavender perfume, but it was just fabric softener."
"I don't wear perfume."
Dain emphasized that she absolutely never wore perfume. Her earnestness was a little cute, and a chuckle escaped my lips.
Perhaps misinterpreting my laugh, Dain slightly rolled up the sleeve of her school uniform.
"If you don't believe me, you can... smell it yourself."
"Smell it?"
Was she telling me to smell her wrist?
I already believed her when she said she didn't wear any. There's no need to go that far. That was my thought, but...
...The atmosphere suggests I have to. Dain seemed determined to prove her point.
"Excuse me for a second."
I gently took her wrist and brought it closer to my face. I took a light sniff.
"Hmm, yeah, no perfume."
In less than ten seconds, the Case of Dain's Perfume was officially closed. I didn't understand why the presence of perfume mattered so much, but since she wanted me to check, it was best to just play along.
"...How is it?"
"What?"
"The smell."
If I had to describe it, it was nice. Just a generally pleasant scent. It was a mix of fabric softener and body wash, so it was bound to smell good.
"It just smells nice."
Hmm... Why was Dain suddenly so focused on her scent? I ran through a few hypotheses, and the most plausible one was...
Is this that 'natural body scent' thing people talk about? Maybe she just wanted to show off her natural scent. As I reached that conclusion, Dain parted her lips.
"Jisul."
"Yeah?"
"Check the pocket."
The pocket? Following her suggestion, I slipped my hand into the hoodie's pocket. Something rustled. When I pulled it out and set it on the desk, it turned out to be a chocolate bar. An imported one not sold in Korea.
"Oh, is this for me?"
"It's a thank-you gift for helping me. I didn't know what you liked... so I just grabbed something from home that most people enjoy."
I'd heard this brand had an amazing texture. Dain really was wealthy. To have high-end chocolates like this just lying around the house.
"Thanks. I'll enjoy it."
I waved the chocolate at her, then tore the wrapper halfway down.
"Here, this half is yours." I broke the chocolate in two and handed one half back to her. "Let's share."
6:00 PM, after all the students had gone home. Yoon Seolah, who had also returned to her house, let out a deep sigh.
"...Even if it's not HS."
She knew she should accept Choi Taeseong's offer. Her head understood it perfectly, but...
"But I still want to be together..."
Her head and her heart were pulling her in opposite directions.
"Both Jisul and Dain."
They were both at HS.
"..."
In truth, the main reason Seolah wanted to join HS was largely because of Jeong Jisul.
"When I recorded with him..."
That experience had felt like entering a whole new world.
He had pointed out her flaws with pinpoint accuracy, taught her advanced techniques she'd never tried before, and helped her unlock her lower register. But above all...
"...It was comfortable."
Being with him was incredibly comfortable. Both for her mind and her body.
If possible, she wanted to do every single recording session of her singing career with Jeong Jisul.
"Though I know that's impossible."
Another heavy sigh escaped her lips.
"...Should I just ask him?"
For someone who usually did whatever she wanted, this was the first time she had ever agonized over a decision like this.
"If it's Jisul... he'll probably give me an answer that makes sense."
And even if he gave her an answer she didn't like, just being with him would put her mind at ease and help her make a choice.
Seolah picked up her phone. She quickly opened her chat window with Jeong Jisul.
At that exact moment, what was Jeong Jisul doing?
"You can ease up a bit there, sunbae. We're going to apply a compressor during mixing to smooth it out anyway, so if you push too hard now, it'll stand out too much."
"Ah, okay."
He was in the studio at the HS Entertainment headquarters, recording the single for Generation X.
"The last line is the highlight, so let's give your throat a break and record it in a bit."
Bae Sol watched him intently.
"Taeseong," she called out to Choi Taeseong as he stepped out of the recording booth.
"Yes?"
"How is he?"
"Jisul?"
"Yeah."
"...He's just a genius. He works with the entire mixing process already mapped out in his head."
"That's what amazes me the most too."
Jisul was the type of producer who stored the finished product in his mind and simply brought it into reality. Since the final version was already complete in his head, his working speed was mind-bogglingly fast.
"Even during the recording just now, the way he pointed things out... it made it so comfortable."
Taeseong paused, hesitating for a moment.
"But... there is one thing I'm slightly worried about," he added cautiously.
"What is it?"
"We're used to recording exactly as we're told, so we don't mind that kind of direction. But... wouldn't singers with big egos dislike Jisul's advice?"
Bae Sol let out a chuckle at Taeseong's concern.
"Oh, Taeseong."
"Yes?"
"Jisul has already worked with the singer with the biggest ego in the country."
"..."
"..."
"...Ah."
Right, Seong Haein. The realization struck Taeseong.
"...You're right."
A quiet fell over the room again. It wasn't awkward; they were just giving Taeseong's throat a chance to rest.
Ah, the song is great. The music leaking out of the studio filled Bae Sol's ears. She knew he was talented, but Jisul's musical spectrum amazed her every single time.
I expected him to do well, but... His work always exceeded her wildest expectations.
"Great work, everyone."
7:00 PM. The recording session was officially over.
"You worked the hardest, Jisul."
"Seriously. This is the first time I've ever finished recording in just an hour."
"...I didn't have to sing the same part more than three times."
"It felt like everything just clicked when I did what he said."
The members of Generation X showered me with praise, but finishing the recording in an hour was only possible because they were highly skilled professionals.
I just explained things in a way that was easy to understand.
"You guys can head out first. I'll just finish up the mixing and head home."
When Taeseong offered to buy me a drink, I politely declined.
Only Bae Sol and I remained in the studio. Paying no mind to the quiet, I began mixing. It didn't take long. Since I already knew exactly what to do, I didn't need to hesitate.
"...You're incredibly fast," Bae Sol marveled when I finished.
"I want to learn mixing from you, Jisul. The sound quality is top-notch, not rushed at all... How do you work at this speed?"
I packed my bag while chatting with her.
Just as Bae Sol asked, "Jisul, want me to buy you dinner?" I noticed a message had arrived from Yoon Seolah.
"Excuse me for a second, CEO Bae."
I asked for her understanding and read Seolah's message.
Is she asking me to buy her dinner? Either way, she wanted to meet up.
"I'm sorry, but a friend wants to meet up, so I'll head out now."
I politely declined Bae Sol's offer.
"Which friend? Dain?"
"No, someone else."
"Well, I suppose you have plenty of friends."
Bae Sol nodded, then added,
"Oh, right, Jisul."
"Yes?"
"That vocalist of yours. The one who wants to be a singer."
"Yes."
"We're planning to hold auditions before the summer break. Tell her to apply if she's interested."
"..."
She actually already received an offer from Choi Taeseong. I couldn't bring myself to say that out loud.
Instead of meeting Seolah immediately, I went home first. I was still in my school uniform and needed to change into comfortable clothes. I messaged her back on my way home.
"If I give her my address, she'll probably barge right in."
Wondering what she wanted to talk about, I sent Seolah the address of a cafe near my house.