Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Pandora's Box
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Don’t, Seol-ah. We have plenty of other fun stories. Don’t open that one. It's Pandora's box.
I stared at Seol-ah, shaking my head with powerful intent.
[Trait: Charisma Lv.2 Activated]
The aura emanating from me seeped through the cracks of the booth door and slowly began to envelop the members of Answer.
[Group Trait: ‘Steadfast Mindset’ Activated]
A refreshing aura spread from Answer, pushing back my dark energy.
[The target is beginning to resist your trait.]
[To increase the trait's influence, open the booth door.]
"...Haa."
Did I want to cause an incident on live radio? I'd rather just be embarrassed.
As I hung my head, the trait deactivated.
"We almost ruined the performance because one member was missing, but our PD... I mean, our manager, wore a military uniform and danced in her place."
-Huh? You mean that handsome manager? The good samaritan from the news?
"Yes."
"..."
A sigh escaped me as the scene from that day flashed in my mind.
Me, in a military uniform, doing a sultry dance with the Answer members, a cheesy expression plastered on my face.
The cheers of the soldiers had fueled my movements, making them even more intense, a sight that had made even the then-stoic Seol-ah burst into laughter.
-...Pffft!
-Ahahaha!
Laughter finally erupted inside the booth.
-Ah, everyone, I apologize. As our viewers on visible radio can see... *sniff*. I'm truly sorry. For those who are curious, you can look it up.
Eventually, even the production staff outside the booth looked up the video, and bursts of laughter could be heard from all over. Seeing my expression, the Answer members laughed so hard they looked like they were about to fall over.
Why are you humiliating me with something that happened a year ago...
"Manager-nim. The best!"
"You were awesome!"
Outside the radio booth, most of the production staff who weren't busy looked at me and gave me a thumbs-up.
I could only nod with a bitter expression. To think that an embarrassing past I thought was forever forgotten would spread through a radio broadcast.
Just in case, I searched for "Private Crazy for Girl Groups." Sure enough, the view count was slowly climbing.
-Anyone here from Cheolyeongsome?
Likes: 37
-lol, you're all so fast.
-Is that the same guy from the news who performed CPR?
-lol, he was really committed to the concept.
-As someone who served, let me tell you, those military boots he's wearing are incredibly heavy. That man is a seriously good dancer.
-You don't need to tell us that. Those sultry waves had me dying lmao
-Of course he can dance. He was in the final debut lineup for Fire Emblem.
-Wow, seriously? An incredibly handsome guy who can dance like that is wasting away as a manager? Seems like such a waste of talent.
-Isn't it because he's too old?
-He looks like he's in his early 20s? Seems like he's still young enough.
-Maybe SJ Enter put some kind of non-debut clause on him? I used to have a foot in the industry, so I know a little about it.
-You don't need to be in the industry to know that lol
I worried this would just make things complicated for me.
After the broadcast, we got in the car.
"...Oppa, you look upset."
"...I only said it because I really loved that moment. Did I make a mistake?"
Following Seul-bi, Seol-ah spoke with a worried expression.
"No... well... It's already happened, so it's fine."
"..."
"...But you remembered something from a year ago."
"Oh no. Oppa's really hurt."
Yi-na said with a chuckle, and Seol-ah shot her a glare.
"The PD-nim... might be embarrassed by how he looked that day, but..."
As Ro-si, who was usually silent, began to speak, everyone quieted down.
"You stepped up to save Answer's performance, Oppa."
"..."
A look of resolve appeared on Ro-si's face.
"If you hadn't tried so hard back then, Answer might not exist today. And if that were the case, I wouldn't have been able to debut and would still be a trainee or would have left JD Enter."
"...That's right."
Seul-bi nodded in agreement.
"That moment you find so embarrassing... for me, it was so cool my heart was pounding."
At Ro-si's sudden confession-that-wasn't-a-confession, the Answer members gulped and stared at her.
"You told me when you were training me before I joined. A singer is also an actor, and if the role they're given is a pooper, they have to poop in front of the audience without being embarr..."
"Pfft..."
"Kh!"
"Keuk."
At Ro-si's words, which made them imagine someone pooping with a serious expression, the other members covered their faces.
But Ro-si paid them no mind and continued what she was saying.
"Hoo... Anyway, you said not to be embarrassed. I've held on with just those words until now. So I hope you won't be like that either, PD-nim... That moment was really..."
Ro-si, her eyes even growing moist, swallowed hard, swallowing her words along with her saliva.
[Ro-si's self-esteem increases significantly.]
That's right. Ro-si's self-esteem quest wasn't over yet.
I was moved. To think she had cherished the over-the-top words I'd spouted in a moment of intense emotion all this time.
Strangely, the memory I had considered an embarrassing part of my past just moments ago no longer bothered me.
Right. I worked hard for Answer's success. Even if someone points fingers at my efforts, I should be proud. I did the best I could.
"Thanks for reminding me of something I'd forgotten. Now that I hear you say it, I'm not embarrassed at all."
"...Yes."
Lee Yoo-ah, who had been sitting quietly in the passenger seat, and the other members smiled complexly, while Ro-si nodded with a proud look on her face.
I felt a great sense of fulfillment knowing that someone was living their life, reflecting on my actions and words.
After Ro-si and I finished speaking, a long silence followed. I heard a small sigh, and felt the faint vibration of Seol-ah's phone.
"...Um... please drop us off at the company."
"Not the dorms?"
"No. We have something to take care of."
"Alright, then."
Suddenly, life returned to the members' faces as they looked at each other.
What good news could have caused such a sudden shift in the atmosphere?
I parked the car at the company.
"Yoo-ah, do well."
"Okay, Unni."
"Yoo-ah Unni, I'll call you later. Don't be nervous."
"Okay."
Hearing Ro-si, the epitome of nervousness, telling someone else not to be nervous made me chuckle.
After waving to the Answer members, Lee Yoo-ah remained in the passenger seat.
"You can sit in the back and be comfortable now."
"It's not my usual seat, so it's not comfortable."
"What's mine or yours in this company? It's all the same, except for Sung-hoon hyung's car."
The Mercedes Sprinter was pretty much exclusively for Sung-hoon hyung. Should I suggest we get another one for Answer?
"...You must be tired, Oppa."
Lee Yoo-ah said, her voice full of concern.
"I can sleep when I'm dead. I'm just doing my best in the situation I'm in. You work hard too, don't you, Yoo-ah?"
Lee Yoo-ah smirked.
Was that not what she meant?
"I want to succeed quickly..."
Yoo-ah said with a sigh.
"I told you, you will."
Lee Yoo-ah stared intently at me as I drove, then spoke.
"But Oppa, you still mix in formal speech sometimes. Am I that uncomfortable to be around?"
Have I been doing that? I thought I was speaking casually.
***
We arrived at the location for Lee Yoo-ah's schedule.
Inside the studio was a large, metal cube structure, surrounded by a drum set, a keyboard, amps, and various guitars, placed as if they were decorations. Lee Yoo-ah was scheduled to sing inside it.
So this is where it starts.
My third eye told me that the light clearly leaking from the metal cube was not from the studio lighting.
I was certain that Lee Yoo-ah's fame would begin with this schedule.
"We'll do three takes. You'll sing one song, then take a break."
"Okay."
"It's okay if you forget the lyrics or make a mistake. Just keep singing. It'll look fine after we edit it."
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."
Lee Yoo-ah bowed to the female PD, who looked to be in her late twenties.
She looked at me, seeming nervous.
'You got this.'
Seeing my mouthed words, Lee Yoo-ah smiled faintly and adjusted her acoustic guitar to a more comfortable playing position.
There was something I'd forgotten.
"Yoo-ah. Sing only the English version."
"Ah... will that be okay?"
"Yeah. The reaction will be much better. Trust me and sing."
The PD approached, a slightly bewildered look on her face.
"There was an English version?"
"Yes. It's even better than the Korean version."
"...Let's hear it first. The arrangement is the same, right?"
"Yes. Are you concerned about cross-editing with the Korean version?"
"Yes."
"Please just use the English version."
"Oh? I don't think the subscribers will like that very much..."
"Listen to it first, then decide."
And the stage began.
The studio lights went out, and a new spotlight shone on Yoo-ah inside the cube.
♪♬
The lone instrument, Lee Yoo-ah's acoustic guitar, began to play.
As the lyrical melody, where warmth and loneliness coexisted, filled the air, the PD tapped her thigh, keeping time with the beat.
The nervousness had vanished from Lee Yoo-ah's face, replaced by the deep emotion of a seasoned musician.
♪♬
A snowflake fell on my head
The moonlight falls on my heart
♪♬
Lee Yoo-ah's clear yet resonant vocals blended with the vibration of the guitar strings.
"?"
The PD's eyes widened in surprise.
She must have listened to the Korean version endlessly during the planning phase, so she probably had no idea how good the English version would be.
From the build-up to the mixing, it was a pop song designed to fit English lyrics better. Moreover, Lee Yoo-ah's vocals, honed through constant pronunciation practice with the native-speaking Ro-si, were so fresh and new that one might wonder if she was a rising pop artist from the UK.
♪♬
A girl's heart wanting to fall in love
The heart of a note soaked in love
♪♬
Although the lyrics were slightly altered from the Korean version, the gentle rhymes that clung to the lonely yet warm atmosphere felt like they would stick in people's hearts.
Following the PD, the other staff members also became engrossed in Lee Yoo-ah's song, faint smiles on their faces.
And so did I.
"...This is so much better. Better than the Korean version."
"We made it from the start as a pop song that would appeal to an international audience."
"I see. Yoo-ah's pronunciation is native-level, too. I can definitely see this working."
Lee Yoo-ah's sweet vocals and the gentle melody of the acoustic guitar had a healing effect on everyone listening.
After the verse, a small change occurred in the bridge. The rhythm started to break, perfect for a rap.
♪♬
Mom, I'm sorry
I was going crazy
Because I miss my mom
This is the only way to feel my mom
♪♬
"This is so good."
The PD, who had been perplexed at the mention of singing the English version instead of the Korean one, was already completely captivated before the song was even over.
♪♬
I can see my mother under the moonlight mirror…….
♪♬
After Lee Yoo-ah's performance and vocals ended, about ten seconds of silence flowed. She had been instructed to maintain the atmosphere until they called "cut."
"...Sss... Hooo."
"...Cut! That was great!"
The PD, her face bright, called an end to the take after Lee Yoo-ah's unintentional deep breath.
*Screech!*
*Clap, clap, clap.*
All the staff members applauded with genuine admiration.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Swinging her guitar to her side, Lee Yoo-ah, looking overwhelmed, placed a hand on her chest and bowed repeatedly.
So this is how Yoo-ah succeeds. In her shining figure, I could almost see the international stages in her future.
Just then, my phone rang.
-Come to the company after Yoo-ah's shoot is over.
It was a text from the Director.