Chapter 158: Coming to See Doah
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 158: Coming to See Doah
“Lalalalala~ lala~ lalala~”
I hummed, trying to lay a melody over the track.
The instrumental itself was definitely starting to take shape…
But maybe because I can’t sing, adding the melody felt much harder.
This was the second draft of the guide track, which I’d somehow managed to create with Yoonje’s help.
Before I knew it, there were only about ten days left until the deadline.
You could say I was feeling the pressure, but it wasn’t like there was much more I could do.
Creative work isn’t something where efficiency is proportional to the time you put in.
And as a complete beginner, I had to keep compromising with myself.
Still, Yoonje seemed to be having fun helping with my project, because he supported me with incredible enthusiasm.
I guess this is what it’s like to get help from a friend.
-Knock, knock, knock
“Hey. Han Taemin.”
When I opened the door, it was the guitarist I’d been seeing a lot of lately: Mr. Seo Yoonje.
He casually set the guitar he was carrying on his back instead of a bag down next to my bed and plopped onto the floor.
“You said you’d be here around four. Why are you so early?”
“The professor said he had something on today, or whatever. Anyway, it’s a sweet deal for me~”
“Lucky you.”
I sat in front of the monitor and played the revised version again. Yoonje crossed his arms and listened quietly.
“Hey.”
Yoonje clicked his tongue as if something was missing.
“Yeah?”
“Are you really going to submit this with everything programmed on the computer?”
“I think the keyboard is fine as it is, and you said you’d handle the guitar.”
“But no matter how I look at it, I think it’d be better to record the drums and bass live too.”
Even though I’d already refused once, he still seemed hung up on it.
“But you said that costs money.”
“No. I told you, if we go through my friends, they might do it for free.”
“But it feels weird asking them…”
A friend of a friend. An acquaintance of an acquaintance.
That kind of connection might be common for Yoonje, but not for me.
I barely have any friends, and I don’t even use the word ‘acquaintance’!
“Hey, I told you. You just have to go and~”
“Ah. No way. Not that.”
He said they’d call it even if I just had a drink with some girls once without Doah knowing.
I’d rather just pay the money and hire them officially.
I had no desire to do anything that might hurt Doah.
I was already so indebted to her from when I left the agency. If I secretly went out to a place like that on top of everything…
“I’d rather get a part-time job somewhere and pay them. With money.”
I’d be a fucking animal if I did that.
Thinking about it again, I shook my head and put my foot down firmly.
“You’re such a beta.”
“Yeah, I’m a beta. Shit. If a bastard like me who just sits in his room watching VTubers isn’t a beta, then who is?”
My otaku self had already been exposed to the whole world anyway.
I had nothing left to lose.
“Man… You’re something else, and so is Doah. Seriously.”
Yoonje laughed in disbelief, shaking his head. He took his guitar out of its case and started playing the melody.
“So you’re wondering whether to raise the key here or not, right?”
“Yeah. I feel like it might be good to raise it just one key?”
“In my opinion…”
It was a mystical experience, watching a thought become sound.
Communicating your will through something other than words.
Of course, acting also had many important elements besides dialogue, but it was a completely different beast from music.
I’d never once in my life been thankful for the piano lessons my mom made me take.
But in this moment, I was incredibly grateful for that forced education.
My mom, who ran a small piano academy, was a very kind teacher to her students, but that didn’t apply to me.
They say the title of ‘someone else’s child’ stops a parent’s hand from rising.
Without that minimal breakwater, I had to learn while crying and getting hit with a switch.
“What if just the drums came in off-beat here? I think it would add more feel.”
“You think? Hold on… let me try adding it.”
Yoonje sat in my computer chair, clicked the mouse a few times, and implemented my request.
“Playing it now.”
Soon, the music started, and when the revised part played…
“Ooh…”
Our eyes met.
We didn’t have to say a word.
We knew our opinions aligned.
“Hey. You should join our band.”
“What are you talking about? I’m a junior now, what band?”
“No, no. Not the school one. I’ve technically ‘graduated’ from the school band based on my year, so I was planning to start my own.”
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
I was flustered by the sudden offer, but I had no intention of accepting.
“You’ve got a pretty good ear. Even a fucking ‘expert’ like me can tell you’ve got some skills.”
“Thanks for the compliment, but no.”
“Hey, why are you so cold?”
“Ever think you’re the one who’s being too much?”
How could he be so clingy, even with another guy?
“Why not? Let’s hear your reason.”
“Because…”
Isn’t it obvious?
“You perform.”
“Right? If you’re in a band, of course you have to perform.”
“That’s why I’m not doing it.”
“Don’t tell me you’re shy or something. A guy who’s even been in a TV show?”
I hate crowds.
I hate being the center of attention.
And if I join, it feels like I’ll have to hang out and drink with you and people like you all the time.
“I’ll think about it if this project goes well.”
I couldn’t bring myself to be so harsh to the guy who was helping me, so I chose to just vaguely brush it off.
“Hey, if you win this thing, I’m kidnapping you for sure.”
“Let’s see if I win first.”
That was the end of our small talk.
Yoonje worked at my place until dinnertime, then went home.
*
Doah seemed to have gotten incredibly busy lately.
She was in the middle of preparing for her second album, so it was recording during the day and streaming at night.
Despite that, in the messages she sent whenever she had a spare moment, she’d fill them with emoticons expressing all sorts of joys and sorrows.
[I got praised! Oppaaaaa!]
One moment she’d send an emoticon of a cat grinning widely.
[Aah… they won’t… let me leave… these people… I’m so hungry… but they won’t let me leave… why… just why…]
The next, she’d send an emote of someone turning to dust and fading away.
Even if I was too busy to reply sometimes, I couldn’t help but smile watching her put on a one-woman show.
[Home now?]
I only checked my phone after Yoonje left and sent a reply.
[I got home a while ago.]
An angry-looking hamster with its cheeks puffed out glared at me.
[Yoonje was over, so we were working. I couldn’t check my phone. Sorry.]
[Aren’t you hanging out with Yoonje oppa a little too often these days?]
[Hanging out? We were making a song.]
[I think I’m getting jealous.]
Getting jealous of a guy?
[Want to meet up now?]
[But Oppa, didn’t you already eat?]
The ideal picture would be for me to say I hadn’t eaten and suggest we eat together.
Having just eaten dinner, I rolled my eyes and sent a reply.
[That’s true, but…]
[I’ll come see Doah.]
When she says something like that, I don’t really have a choice.
Instead of replying, I just threw on a cardigan, slipped on my slippers, and stormed over to the next building.
-Knock, knock, knock
“Who is it?”
Doah’s voice came from inside.
“It’s me.”
After my short reply, my girlfriend, dressed in hot pants, greeted me.
“…You said you already ate.”
“But I hadn’t seen you.”
Still, my answer must have satisfied her, because she let me inside.
“But Oppa, I have to go stream in a little bit.”
“I know. I’ll walk you to the studio. It’s been a while.”
“Ooh~ I like that.”
Her mood seemed to have lifted already. Giggling, Doah poked my stomach.
“This is my dinner!”
From a black bag, Doah pulled out a convenience store hot dog.
“Is that going to be enough?”
“I wanted to eat something delicious with you… but Luka-tan… said I had to eat alone.”
Doah pretended to cry.
Feeling bad for no reason, I told her I’d heat it up for her and put the bag in the microwave.
“How was recording?”
“Umm… I think it wasn’t bad. Much better than when we did Boundary, I think?”
“The song. You’re not even going to spoil it for me?”
Doah would often tell me confidential details that only insiders would know, but for some reason, this time she wouldn’t even let me hear a sample.
“Yep. I’m keeping it a secret.”
She nibbled on the hot dog, her small mouth moving as she ate with relish.
“But you can really look forward to it. Heh… The song is great, but I saw them working on the music video. This is guaranteed to be a huge hit.”
“You’re already a huge hit.”
“No, no. I mean an even bigger hit.”
“You’re going to be world-class.”
“Just you wait. Soon enough, there’ll be a billboard in New York.”
I was starting to get a little scared that it might actually happen.
“What are you streaming today?”
“Today, I’m doing a surprise collab with Clover unnie.”
“All of a sudden?”
It wasn’t a name I had no connection to, so I flinched.
“Ah… Unnie said she’s been finding it a bit overwhelming to stream alone lately…”
“I see.”
When she did her solo streams, she seemed perfectly fine, so I thought she’d gotten better.
I guess everyone lives with their own shadows.
“She said she’s going to do it with the other members one by one, and I’m first today! Heh.”
“Okay. Have fun.”
“Ack. Why do you say it like that? You have to watch, too.”
“Ah, of course. A collab is a must-watch.”
I stayed with Doah until it was time, walked her to the studio, and pulled up Luka’s avatar on my monitor as soon as I got back.
[Luhai luhai, everyone~]
Greetings from my comrades poured in.
The Pink Army gave her an enthusiastic welcome today as well.
After a short talk segment, Luka cleared her throat.
[Ahem… everyone. Today, we have a special guest who will really, really surprise you~ Drumroll, please~]
She made a drumming sound with her mouth, and then what appeared next to her was…
[Ta-da! It’s Clover!]
The chat was flooded with question marks.
But an unannounced event is always welcome.
Hearing the news of a collab, the Pink Army welcomed her by waving their light sticks enthusiastically.
The stream was flowing along nicely with some chill conversation when a comment from Clover made me choke.
[Hey guys. You know how I said I went to Seoul a while back? I had a meal with Luka-tan then.]
[Ah! Unnie! What are you about to say!]
Doah sounded extremely flustered, as if this hadn’t been discussed beforehand.
I also felt my palms start to sweat for no reason.
[Everyone. Luka. She’s way, way cuter than you could ever imagine.]
Hmm. Accurate.
I nodded at the 100-point summary.