Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Ro-si's Audition
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“Oh… Mom…. No. I miss you too.”
On the way to the dorm after practice, I could hear Seol-ah’s voice on the phone.
“Yeah…. I’ve been busy with work. Ah… TV appearances don’t pay well. We have to do a lot of live shows to make money. Yeah…. How’s your knee?”
Seol-ah was subtly changing the subject, avoiding a direct lie. It didn't sit right with me.
“I’m doing fine, so just take care of yourself. I’ll soon… well, not that soon. The company invested a lot in us, so we have to work hard for a year… No! What pocket money! Your daughter is a singer. I’ll be making a lot of money soon. Don’t send it!”
Startled by her own raised voice, Seol-ah began to whisper.
“If you send it, I’ll just send it right back, fees and all, so don’t make me do extra work. I’m busy.”
“……”
“Mom, I have to get to my schedule. Yeah, I’ll call you next time. I miss you too. I love you, Mom.”
Seol-ah, who usually seemed so stoic, looked particularly pitiful today.
It struck me that the immense pressure from those around them must be a huge reason why so many struggling celebrities go down the wrong path.
“Unni, who sends money back and pays fees for it in this day and age?”
“…You think I don’t know that?”
The members sighed.
*Just wait a little longer. Once Ro-si’s situation is sorted out, I’ll get rid of all your worries.*
After dropping the members off at the dorm, I returned to the company.
[Ro-si's Rap stat has increased by +12.]
[Ro-si's favorability and trust in you have each increased by 12.]
[Your experience as a producer has increased by 12 points.]
In the end, Ro-si had achieved her goal, and I was starting to look forward to the upcoming audition.
Would a stat increase really make such a dramatic difference? It was the first time I’d raised a stat point, and my anticipation was turning into excitement.
It was 4 o’clock, the time the system had set. Isa-nim approached what had now naturally become my space, the former Team Leader Park's desk.
“We’re about to have Ro-si rap. Want to watch?”
“I’ve been waiting.”
Isa-nim laughed as if he found me absurd.
“Min-jun, you always talk like you already know everything, don’t you?”
“…Do I?”
“Yes. Confidence is good, but if you act like that too much, you might make some enemies.”
Isa-nim’s words made me reflect on my own complacency. It was true that with my rough knowledge of the future and the system’s help, I could come across that way.
“I’ll be careful.”
“Good. But don’t let it get you down. A confident look is the most attractive, after all.”
“……”
*What am I supposed to do, then?*
“I’ll go get Ro-si.”
“No, let’s go together. We’re heading down anyway.”
We called for Ro-si from the second-floor practice room.
“Hello, Isa-nim!”
“Right. Ro-si, do you have a moment?”
Ro-si had even put on makeup, clearly having prepared for today. On our way down to the first-floor engineer room and studio, she spoke up.
“Thank you so much.”
“…For what? It’s only natural if you have the skill.”
Isa-nim intercepted the thanks Ro-si had directed at me. Ro-si and I followed behind him with awkward expressions before breaking into a small smile.
*Whoosh.*
The door to the engineer room opened. Instead of the stale air from before, the room was filled with relatively fresh air.
“Greetings, esteemed Producer-in-Chief!”
CEO Park Jae-yong, who was sitting in front of the computer and console, spun his chair around. His actions were a bit over-the-top, like a pre-planned bit.
“Ro-si, you’re here? You look even prettier today.”
“Thank you!”
Ro-si’s white-blonde hair, similar to Seul-bi’s, shone with particular brilliance.
“I hear you can rap?”
“…I’m not great, but I’ve worked hard.”
“Shall we have a listen? What will you perform?”
“Ah… I thought it was already decided.”
Ro-si looked at me as she spoke, and I gave her a slight shrug.
“What was?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll be performing Trilogy’s ‘Mind your own business.’”
“…An SJ song.”
A bitter smile formed on CEO Park Jae-yong’s lips.
“There’s no MR for that song, so I’ll give you a version with the vocals removed. Hold on.”
CEO Park Jae-yong’s hands moved quickly.
“It’s a waste of money. Should I just illegally download it?”
“That’s up to you, Daepyo-nim.”
“Right? Sun Isa-nim, you agree it’s a waste to give Gyeon Sang-jin any money, right? That ten-cent piece of….”
Isa-nim let out a deep, frustrated sigh toward the ceiling.
“Just kidding, just kidding. I don’t even know where to illegally download things.”
Contrary to his words, his hand seemed to hesitate as he purchased the song.
“Ah, man… of all the songs, it had to be one by that jerk.”
The CEO grumbled under his breath. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Though he hadn't done anything particularly nice for me, I felt a sense of solidarity.
“Ro-si, do you know what vocal removal is?”
“…I don’t think so.”
“Ah… you don’t.”
He looked as if he had been hoping she wouldn’t know.
“See these spiky waveforms sticking out here?”
The CEO pointed to the monitor.
“Yes.”
“This is the vocal track. If I click the analyze button and… do this…”
A loading window appeared in the center of the program, and the waveforms, which had been sticking up like a hedgehog’s quills, flattened out.
“The vocal part gets erased like this.”
“Whoa!”
Thinking it was a chance to get on the CEO’s good side, Ro-si let out an exaggerated gasp. So, Ro-si did have some sense.
“Hehe, cool, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s amazing.”
“There’s a downside, though. The recorded instruments get muffled along with it.”
When the vocal-removed track played, the once-powerful beat sounded dull, as if it were coming from a distance. It wasn't exciting enough to use as a backing track.
“Oh… then what do we do?”
Ro-si asked the question just as CEO Park Jae-yong had guided her to. He seemed to be a very talkative person. In a word, TMI.
“Don’t worry, who am I? If I just add an 808 drum track on top of the muffled beat like this…”
♪♬
*Doo-doong-tak doo-doong-tak koong! koong! koong!*
*Doo-doong-doo-doong koong! koong! koong!*
♪♬
Laying a new track over the muffled beat, he produced a powerful beat with a quality that made it sound like the original MR.
The CEO had a rather frivolous side to him, but seeing him analyze multiple chords and create a beat in an instant, it was clear he was a talented man.
“Enough of that, let’s hear her. I have a meeting with a reporter soon.”
When Isa-nim cut in, a look of deep disappointment washed over the CEO’s face.
“…Alright, alright. Go ahead and start whenever you’re ready. No pressure.”
“Yes! I’ll begin. Ahem! Ahem!”
Ro-si’s gentle eyes instantly hardened as she got into the beat.
Like a straight-A student had turned into a rebel.
At the same time, a faint light began to emanate from Ro-si’s body.
♪♬
Your thoughts are always one-sided
Your bullshit’s selfish from the start
Effort, the living proof of talent
The tables start to turn right now
Better stop your bragging
Your cup ramen’s from a mini-stop
The gap between us, another level…
♪♬
I was stunned by how skillfully Ro-si delivered her rap.
The ease she displayed was incomparable to how she looked during her 115th practice run.
It was as if she’d had a breakthrough.
I turned my head to look at the CEO and Isa-nim.
They, too, were gaping in astonishment.
As the rap progressed, the faint light emanating from Ro-si grew stronger.
*Clap, clap, clap!*
As Ro-si’s small audition came to an end, the CEO clapped his hands, his face beaming with joy.
“Damn! Seriously! That was almost pro-level. Isn’t she almost as good as Seul-bi?”
“Yes. At this level, I’d say she’s in the top five among all girl groups.”
Even Isa-nim, who rarely showed his joy, had a brightened expression.
“Th-thank you.”
Ro-si herself seemed to be in a daze.
She looked shocked by her own performance.
She wouldn’t know that her sudden improvement after her final practice was due to the system’s influence.
A sudden thrill washed over me.
This must be what it feels like when a child you’ve raised gets a good job.
“Ro-si! You’re this good, so why haven’t you been rapping all this time? You’re much better at it than singing!”
“…The Producer-in-Chief said I was better at vocals and should focus on that…”
A sour expression crossed CEO Park Jae-yong’s face.
“…I did?”
“Yes…”
“…Did I really?”
Isa-nim shot the CEO a grim look.
How was this so identical to what happened at my own audition?
“But is there a reason you specifically chose to perform Trilogy’s ‘Mind your own business’?”
Quickly changing his expression and the subject, he posed the question, and Ro-si fidgeted, looking at me.
“Manager Min-jun told me to practice this one.”
“Min-jun did?”
All eyes turned to me, expecting a natural answer.
Fortunately, I had also realized the pros and cons of this song while practicing.
“…Because it’s a song by our biggest competitor, SJ.”
“…Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles?”
CEO Park interjected, puffing out his chest slightly.
“Yes. And if you listen to Trilogy’s original version, you’ll notice they twist their pronunciation a lot to create a sense of rhythm…”
“Hey, hey, hey! Our Min-jun has a good eye. I find that so tacky. It’s one thing for kids who can actually speak English to slur their words, but when kids who can’t even order a meal abroad start rolling their tongues…”
“Daepyo-nim!”
“Huh? Oh, right. Continue.”
If Isa-nim hadn’t stopped him, it felt like he could have talked for an hour straight.
The CEO’s desire to talk was astounding.
“Yes. I thought Ro-si would be the perfect person to nail the rhythm while delivering every word with proper diction, instead of mumbling like Trilogy does.”
“Whoa… good call. Ro-si definitely suited the song much better than Trilogy.”
The CEO seemed to have forgotten he was supposed to be auditioning Ro-si.
Sighing, Isa-nim stepped in.
“Ro-si, you can go now. I’ll call you separately later.”
“Okay! Thank you for seeing me in a good light today!”
As Ro-si bowed deeply, a pleasant scent wafted from her shimmering white-blonde hair.
“Alright, Ro-si, look forward to some good news, okay?”
“Thank you, Producer-in-Chief! Thank you, Isa-nim! Thank…”
As she was about to thank me, I shook my head, urging her to leave.
I judged that if those around me praised me too highly before the CEO had given his direct approval, I might earn his petty jealousy.
Ro-si left the studio with a happy expression.
“Wow, was Ro-si always that amazing? She’s pretty good for someone who hasn’t even been trained. Aren’t her vocals and dancing decent too?”
“Yes. She has the visuals and everything else, but because no single aspect stood out, she’s been languishing until now.”
A subtle hint of discontent laced Isa-nim’s words to the CEO.
It was as if he were saying, “She would have done better sooner if you hadn’t insisted she stick to vocals.”
“Ahem. That aside, Min-jun, how did you discover Ro-si?”
The CEO, who had some sense, deftly changed the subject.
“I happened to see her on my first day and noticed she had great visuals and clear diction.”
“Just based on that?”
“…I believe that in a girl group, the key points are expressed through the lyrics, and in that respect, I thought Ro-si’s pretty voice and proper diction were the best.”
A look of admiration appeared in the CEO’s eyes.
“Min-jun, you’re something else.”
“…?”
“You talk like you’ve produced many times before. Didn’t you say you were a trainee?”
*I learned a lot from my nemesis.*
“Ever since I decided to become a producer, I’ve been studying hard, starting from the bottom.”
“Wow! With the proposal and now this, Min-jun, you’re a real talent!”
As the CEO began to praise me again, Isa-nim crossed his arms leisurely, as if this was something he had known all along.