Breakthrough (3)
In the silence that settled after the accompaniment stopped, I closed my eyes and quietly retraced the sound I had just produced.
...I wonder if it was okay.
Anxiety crept over me. Pitch and rhythm had been fine—those were instincts etched into my body—but the real issue was the language. I'd followed the Japanese pronunciation written out in Korean characters with my eyes and imitated it as best I could. Still, to native ears, my Japanese might have sounded like nothing more than a clumsy foreigner's mumbling.
Even so, I had no regrets. I had produced the best sound I was capable of right then.
"Ahh, Jiyoung-ssi! That's good, really good!"
The moment I stepped out of the booth, Director Kawaguchi greeted me with a bright, childlike smile. He nodded repeatedly and clapped his hands in satisfaction.
Tanaka, who had introduced himself as the music director, was equally free with his praise.
"...I understand completely now. I can finally see why the director wanted Jiyoung-ssi's voice so badly."
Praise from masters of their craft left me feeling bashful. I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and answered through the interpreter, Sakura.
"Even so, I can tell the pronunciation itself still falls short."
Director Kawaguchi's eyes went round.
"You said earlier that you'd never pronounced Japanese before, correct?"
I nodded without a word.
"Hah, and yet you managed this much. With just a little polishing, we'll have something truly excellent."
Tanaka nodded in agreement with the director's confident assessment. But a moment later he checked his wristwatch and added, his voice turning sharp,
"I completely agree with you, Director... but you know, don't you? That we don't have much time."
At Tanaka's cold reminder, Director Kawaguchi gave a large, flustered cough.
"Ahem! I know, Tanaka. I know very well."
As I stood there not understanding the odd undercurrent between the two men, the interpreter Sakura leaned slightly toward me and whispered into my ear.
"Actually... Director Kawaguchi insisted on finding the perfect voice, so the animation's delivery schedule has been pushed back quite a bit. The official trailer keeps getting delayed too, and the fans are absolutely furious right now."
At Sakura's discreet revelation, I glanced sideways at Director Kawaguchi. Behind that kindly grandfatherly face, he had been bleeding the entire staff and the fans dry with his own stubbornness.
So that was it, you damn old man.
I let out a deep sigh and adjusted my grip on the lyric sheet again.
"Sakura-ssi, then if it's not too much trouble, could you help me with pronunciation corrections?"
At my suggestion, Sakura smiled radiantly, as if she had been waiting for exactly that.
"I was just about to suggest it myself."
Sakura immediately approached Director Kawaguchi, conveyed my wishes, and exchanged a few words. The director nodded repeatedly. When she returned to me, she spoke carefully.
"The director is asking if, assuming you're all right with it, you would stay with me at the hotel for a few days and focus intensively on pronunciation."
A twenty-four-hour close mark, huh.
That spacious penthouse had felt a little empty using it alone anyway, so this worked out fine for me.
"No reason I can't."
At my cool reply, Sakura nodded in relief.
"Thank you. Then, before we get into the real work, let's go draft the contract first."
She took the lead down the corridor and casually added,
"Director Kawaguchi will probably offer quite favorable terms."
Quite favorable terms, huh. In this industry, "good terms" always just meant money in the end. Probably a higher advance or better incentives.
After finishing the contract, I sprawled out on the hotel sofa like a starfish. Just like with Luminous, the legal review had been thorough, and the stack of documents was processed quickly.
"Jiyoung-ssi, these really are extraordinary terms. In Japan it's almost unheard of to offer this kind of rate to a newcomer or outside artist."
Sakura sat beside me listing various comparable cases and praising the deal until her mouth ran dry, but honestly money was not a major concern for me.
It's a foothold.
A solid foothold for Han Jiyoung to reach the world. There was no law that said my voice had to be delivered only from a stage. The fact that my voice would be embedded in a masterwork by Kawaguchi that would be exported worldwide—that fact itself was what mattered.
For the next few days I dove into corrective training with Sakura. After listening to my pronunciation a few times, her eyes sparkled.
"Jiyoung-ssi, you're truly amazing. Your ability to catch the accent of a pronunciation is no ordinary talent. At this rate you'll be perfectly corrected within a few days."
I had never imagined I might have any linguistic gift. A few days later, Sakura closed her notebook with a look of satisfaction.
"Jiyoung-ssi, it's perfect. You could hold a conversation in Japanese now without my interpreting."
"It's just one set of lyrics I memorized..."
I answered offhandedly, but the corners of my mouth reflected in the mirror had lifted a little. The woman was overdoing the praise, yet it didn't feel bad. Who in the world dislikes being complimented?
We headed straight to the studio. In front of Director Kawaguchi and Music Director Tanaka, I presented the results of the past few days' polishing. When the red light in the recording room went out and I stepped out of the booth, the two men looked at each other and nodded wordlessly.
"We're good?"
Tanaka asked first. Certainty already colored his voice.
"We're good. Perfect. Do we need a re-recording?"
At Director Kawaguchi's question, Tanaka shook his head firmly.
"No. Nothing to touch. We'll send the OST file to the editing department as is."
Director Kawaguchi wore a pleased smile as he approached and held out his hand.
"It was excellent work, Jiyoung-ssi. An astonishingly fast pace! I see now why everyone keeps talking about Koreans."
He laughed heartily and continued.
"I would like to treat you to a meal today. Would that be all right?"
"A meal?"
"Yes, and there is also a gift I particularly want to give you."
A gift?
I had no idea what this old man was going to such lengths to give me. The contract terms had already been more than generous, and he had even provided a hotel penthouse plus a dedicated interpreter—yet there was still a gift left?
Reading the suspicion in my eyes, Director Kawaguchi sealed it with a good-natured smile.
"I'm certain you'll like it. That is my promise."
When he spoke with that much confidence, curiosity did begin to stir. A gift chosen by a master's eye would at least not be something strange.
"Sakura-ssi is coming too, right?"
At my question the director nodded as if it were obvious.
"Of course. Without Sakura we won't be able to converse. Hahaha!"
His hearty laugh rang through the recording studio corridor.
"Then please return to the hotel and prepare. I'll send a car this evening. You may look forward to it."
I gave a light bow and left the studio with Sakura.
The car that came for Sakura and me brought us to a quiet traditional Japanese house on the outskirts. The moment we stepped through the main gate, a carefully tended garden met our eyes. Clear water murmured over a small artificial pond, and a faint woody fragrance brushed my nose. The generous floor space and luxurious atmosphere made it obvious this was a high-end restaurant.
I've never been to a place like this before.
When we slid open the door of the room we had been guided to, Director Kawaguchi was already seated. Beside him sat an unfamiliar woman. I tilted my head and took a seat opposite them with Sakura.
Sitting on the floor is uncomfortable.
I fidgeted my way into position. Director Kawaguchi introduced the woman next to him.
"Jiyoung-ssi, allow me to introduce you. This is Aimyu-san. Had you declined my offer, she was the one who would have taken the OST for this work in your place."
The moment Sakura's interpretation delivered those words, I was more than a little thrown off inside.
...What? He's making me sit face-to-face with the person whose song got snatched out from under her?
I had no idea what this old man was thinking. If it had been me, I would have refused the meeting just because looking at the face of the person who stole my spot would feel rotten.
Did she come to check what kind of face I have in person? Or is she here for a staring contest?
I cast a wary glance at the woman called Aimyu. The reaction that came back was nothing like what I expected.
Aimyu suddenly brought both hands neatly together, eyes sparkling, and bowed her upper body low.
"Jiyoung-nim, I am truly a fan!"
Director Kawaguchi laughed heartily, clearly amused by my flustered expression, and added an explanation.
"This is my gift. Opportunities to communicate with musicians from other countries are not exactly common, are they? Aimyu-san also gladly came out the moment she heard you would be here, and I am truly grateful for that."
Aimyu waved both hands vigorously and spoke in a rush. Sakura's interpretation followed right behind.
"Not at all! I'm the one who is truly grateful you invited me! I—I've actually been a fan of Jiyoung-nim for five years straight!"
I couldn't help freezing with the teacup in my hand.
"...Since five years ago?"
At my echo, Aimyu nodded hard like an eager puppy.
"Yes! Ever since my high-school days! Listening to Jiyoung-ssi's songs is what made me dream of being in a band!"