Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Blind Test
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When we returned to the studio, Seol-ah's eyes were still teary.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Seol-ah's demeanor toward me was incredibly deferential. Even the way she sat in her chair was, without her realizing it, perfectly postured.
“...I told you several times.”
“You just... said you were ‘someone amazing,’ Min-jun. You never said you were a producer.”
I thought I could gloss over it, but she has a good memory.
“Let's just say it was because of the CEO. It's still a secret for now, okay?”
“Yes.”
“Then let's begin.”
The guide recording began.
[The trait 'Star Maker (A)' is activated.]
[Influenced by your Vocal Lv 91, Seol-ah's Vocal Lv 83 temporarily increases by +4.]
Seol-ah, who already had top-tier vocals for an idol, momentarily showcased the abilities of a master-class singer thanks to the temporary synchronization with me.
“For the 'Time is passing by' part, express the recurring feeling of impatience.”
“Yes!”
“The line 'You, who smiles at me,' should be wistful, filled with longing.”
“Yes!”
“And for 'My love is waiting for you,' make it desperate and powerful, as if you could reach it if you just stretched a little further.”
“Yes!”
As Seol-ah sang the high-note killing point, tears of emotion welled up in her eyes.
With her high understanding of the composer's intentions, Seol-ah completed a guide vocal of release-ready quality in just a few takes.
“Good work.”
“You did great, Seol-ah. That was really good.”
“Mana... Producer-nim, you’re full of surprises.”
Seol-ah was confused about what to call me. An hour ago, it was ‘Min-jun-ssi.’ Thirty minutes ago, ‘Min-jun-nim.’ Now, ‘Producer-nim.’
“I'll be focusing on my manager duties until Answer succeeds, so just call me manager.”
“...Okay.”
“It's still a secret from the other members, too. I'll reveal it officially after we pass the blind test.”
“Yes.”
Behind Seol-ah's awkward smile, a glimmer of overwhelming joy could be seen.
* * *
Finally, it was the day of the blind test.
The song I'd completed while avoiding the eyes of CEO Park Jae-yong. If not for my history of helping Lee Yoo-ah with her song, and without the Director's support, I wouldn't have even been able to participate in this competition.
Preparations for the blind test, like adding extra amps and speakers to the practice room, had been made yesterday. This was because using multiple speakers of the same quality and output was better for listening than just cranking up the volume on a single one.
The expressions of the Answer members heading to the practice room with me were filled with excitement.
Just then, my sixth sense suddenly activated with a warning, and I swiftly dodged someone lunging at me from behind.
“Ugh?”
*Thud.*
The guy who'd tried to tackle me struggled to keep his balance but ended up tumbling across the marble floor. It was Kim Sung-hoon from Dope Scale, with whom I'd only gone on one schedule.
The members were startled, but upon recognizing Kim Sung-hoon, they bowed a full ninety degrees.
“Hello, Seonbae-nim!”
“Uh-huh. Yeah...”
Kim Sung-hoon dusted off his knees and stood up as if nothing had happened. His reddened ears stood out against his pale face.
“Hello?”
“...”
I greeted him, but Kim Sung-hoon, as expected, looked displeased. Acting all friendly after we'd only worked together once.
“...You're not human, are you?”
Kim Sung-hoon said with a sullen expression.
“Sung-hoon-ssi, are you okay?”
“...”
Team Leader Lee, who was in charge of Kim Sung-hoon, came running over.
“Hey! Because of you...”
“Ah, it's fine, Timjang-nim.”
Kim Sung-hoon stopped Team Leader Lee, who was about to yell at me.
“Joon. Drinks next Monday?”
“...If I don't have anything scheduled.”
“So stiff.”
Kim Sung-hoon smirked and walked ahead.
“Wait, when did you get so close with Seonbae-nim?”
“We went on a schedule together once. During my vacation.”
“...Our manager oppa is different. Different in a... very different way.”
Seul-bi looked at me as if I were some kind of curiosity. Most of the staff and artists who didn't have schedules gathered in the practice room and the engineer's room.
“Artists, please pick the song you really want to do. Don't worry about what others think.”
“Yes!”
When Seol-ah, unlike her usual self, answered energetically, the other members gave her a strange look. It was an amusing sight.
“I was almost swept away by a wave and died, but thanks to that lighthouse, a masterpiece was born...”
Until the external composer participating in the competition arrived, the CEO's TMI was torturing everyone. Just when I was thinking I really couldn't listen to any more, the thick soundproof door opened.
“Yo! Bro!”
“Yo, JD.”
Henry, an external composer who had made quite a name for himself, arrived with his song.
“Hyung, that news article about you was hilarious.”
“Aish! Hey, hey, I was just talking about that.”
CEO Park Jae-yong had gone through many trials and tribulations to complete this song. He'd gone to Jeju Island to write a masterpiece, only to be nearly swept away and killed by a swell wave at a lighthouse.
Because of that, he couldn't pay his bills, leading to articles about JD Enter going out of business. And then there was the furious Director, who had to calm down all the startled employees...
Henry, who had been listening to the CEO's chatter, turned his eyes to the sound equipment.
“Whoa, look at this gear. Ack!”
CEO Park Jae-yong quickly wrapped an arm around Henry's neck, and Director Lee Sun's eyes narrowed. Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Section Chief Ji stood up with a wry smile.
“We'd like to welcome composer Henry, who has joined us for today's blind test. In addition to Henry's track, we will also be hearing a song from our very own ‘C.E.O.’ and another from the external composer, Beat Room. A total of three songs will be competing.”
When my alias was announced, the Director and Lee Yoo-ah exchanged meaningful glances.
“Everyone here is busy, so we'll get started right away. Three songs will be played in a random order, with a two-to-three-minute break after each one to gather your thoughts.”
The track began to play.
♪♬
It was an uptempo dance track with a disco house rhythm.
The tight, energetic synth brass. A two-four snare beat that morphed into what felt like a two-beat rhythm.
More and more people started to naturally groove to the solid drum beat, and I joined them.
I was inwardly surprised by the quality, which was much better than I'd expected. CEO Park Jae-yong was lost in the music with a knowing smile. This was definitely his song.
A string pizzicato cutting through the clear, intense distortion made you want to pop your neck and snap your fingers.
A good buildup leading to a powerful release.
It was definitely a good song.
If there was a downside, it was that while it lacked his usual stickiness, it was still unmistakably a Park Jae-yong song.
*Clap, clap, clap!*
As the song ended, CEO Park Jae-yong started clapping, and the others in the studio joined in with bittersweet smiles. It was a masterpiece, good enough for the CEO to act a little shameless. I clapped along with genuine appreciation.
“Alright. That was the first song. Please take a moment to collect your thoughts.”
People jotted down notes on their phones and tablets.
“If you're ready, we'll begin the second song.”
The second track played.
It was my song, starting with a muffled drum beat that gradually sharpened, evoking the image of a club's thick soundproof doors swinging open.
A synthesizer pop sound reminiscent of an 80s disco club.
“...Whoa! Retro disco!”
I cheered inwardly at the CEO's exclamation as the intro began.
“...The drum samples and the synth are just so catchy.”
The CEO, impressed from the very intro, continued to mutter his approval.
♪♬
The night begins again
But time is short
♪♬
Seol-ah's guide vocal, pretending to be the lead, began.
“What? It already has a guide vocal?”
♪♬
You, who smiles at me
Time will never come back
You, who smiles at me
My heart is waiting for you
♪♬
People let out small gasps at Seol-ah's crisp vocals, which perfectly captured the song's mood under my direction.
The Director wiped her moist eyes with a relaxed smile, while Lee Yoo-ah stared at me in astonishment. It was only a guide, but its level of completion was no less than an official release.
The track in the bridge was momentarily muted, bringing a sudden silence. Just as the listeners were beginning to wonder, the drums exploded back in, and a high-note vocal filled the chorus. A soft wave of awe filled the studio.
My song ended, and a few people, including Lee Yoo-ah and the Director, were wiping away tears.
Henry's expression soured.
“...I just remembered I have some urgent mixing to do. Hyung, I'm gonna head out first.”
“Yeah. Okay. I'll let you know the results later.”
Henry, who had been fiddling with his phone, abruptly stood up and left. It was obvious he was running away, intimidated by the quality of my song and CEO Park Jae-yong's.
“The drum samples and the synth are catchy from the very beginning. It's almost hypnotic. It has a melancholic vibe, but the danceable beat and the cute Mixolydian scale in the bridge give it a sense of stability. The buildup makes you anticipate the chorus, and the high-note vocal provides a perfect release... Well made. And who's that on the guide vocal?”
Even while wiping her tears, the Director chuckled at the CEO's TMI.
“Let's hurry and listen to the last song.”
The final song, clearly Henry's, began. It was an uptempo R&B dance track with a heavy trap beat.
It was a charming song with a solid kick drum main theme running throughout, a consistent, catchy melody, and a harmonically natural flow.
This one's pretty good, too.
About half the people in the engineer's room started to groove. At least in the initial buildup, it was a decent song, arguably on par with mine.
But that was it.
The chorus, which should have exploded as the song built up, ended up falling flat. It seemed he had tried to put a twist on the cliché, but it ended up being neither here nor there.
From the composer's perspective, he might have been proud of the fresh progression, but for the listener, it was a frustrating song with no release, just endless buildup.
By the time the song ended, almost no one was grooving anymore. This might have been because the impression left by my song and CEO Park Jae-yong's, which were far superior, still lingered.
Small slips of paper were passed around, and everyone wrote down a number. We have voting apps, but they insist on using paper.
Section Chief Ji began to tally the votes.
“Number 2.”
My song's number was called out repeatedly.
“Number 2... Number 2... Number 2... Number 2... Number 2, Number 2.”
As my song was called again and again, a wry smile formed on CEO Park Jae-yong's lips.
“And finally, Number 1.”
“!”
When the last vote, presumed to be the CEO's, was read, all eyes turned to Park Jae-yong, who shot up from his seat with a flustered look.
“It wasn't me!”
CEO Park Jae-yong shook his head, looking incredibly wronged. Sincerity flickered in his eyes.
It was unexpected. CEO Park Jae-yong had a high sense of self. Besides, his song was objectively almost as good as mine, so I'd expected him to vote for himself.
“That one vote was me.”
When I raised my hand, CEO Park Jae-yong's face lit up.
“Ooooh.”
A collective, unreadable exclamation burst from everyone.
Honestly, I couldn't say CEO Park Jae-yong's song was better than mine, but I cast my vote for it in recognition of a performance that exceeded my expectations. He'd completely gotten rid of the stickiness, and it seemed like a style that would suit the members perfectly.
“Bring Answer to the planning office.”
At the Director's words, I went to the practice room to get the members. They were all hugging each other and crying, while Ro-si stood beside them, her gaze poignant and lonely.
I pushed through the trainees surrounding the members.
“Ro-si is a member now, too.”
“I'm sorry, Ro-si. I'm sorry.”
“...*Hic*, it's okay, Unni.”
At my words, Seol-ah pulled Ro-si into the hug, and the members' sobs grew louder.
It was a heart-wrenching sight.
As you can see from songs that were about to be forgotten before making a comeback, a good song alone is never enough to guarantee success.
Most people who compose and produce know about money chords and create songs that should sell well, yet countless tracks are buried due to bad timing, marketing issues, and other immeasurable factors.
But I was confident. Because even now, visions were constantly appearing in my third eye.