Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Answer Me Now
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[Trust and favorability among the members increase.]
[A large amount of experience has been gained.]
[The level of the group trait ‘Steadfast Resolve (B)’ increases.]
[1/3 Lv -> 2/3 Lv up]
Detailed Description: When all members are gathered, a +4 ability stat buff is applied.
It was an incredible trait.
When combined with my ‘Star Maker’ trait, Seol-ah’s vocals would be top-tier, not just among idols, but among all singers.
“I hate this. You’re all so mean.”
Ro-si’s tears wouldn't stop.
Starting with Seul-bi, all the members gathered around Ro-si, hugging and comforting her.
But that only made her cry and sniffle even more.
“Stop filming meee. A tissue, a tissue.”
Seeing Ro-si’s innocent, sniffling face, even I couldn’t help but smile.
This might be an embarrassing memory for her, but for the public, it would be a powerful point of endearment.
“Hehe. Give me the shoes.”
Yi-na took the shoes from Ro-si's hand.
The Answer members and I gave Ro-si her gifts after she wiped away her tears and snot.
“Aigoo, our Ro-si. Even in that situation, you didn't forget a single stocking or earring.”
Seol-ah patted Ro-si’s hip.
Ro-si suddenly shot me a resentful look. It was so unlike her that I broke out in a cold sweat.
I just wanted to break the ice, even if it was like this.
“What kind of prank is this? It’s too detailed.”
As Ro-si spoke through her sniffles, everyone pointed their fingers at me.
“…We all planned this together, why is it just me?”
“I wanted to show off my rap.”
So that's what she wanted to say.
“I’m sorry.”
Seul-bi came closer and put her arm around Ro-si’s shoulders.
“Speaking of which, there’s no rap competition this time. We decided to just go with yours, Ro-si.”
Ro-si’s glare at me grew even more resentful.
⋮
“Let’s have a late-night snack before we go!”
A small party broke out on the set after midnight. It was just charcoal-grilled chicken and pizza, but everyone ate with gusto.
But the star of the show, Ro-si, had to hold an ice pack to her eyelids to reduce the swelling.
“That was delicious.”
After the late-night meal, the staff members got up one by one, and preparations for filming began again.
“Just so you know, I really, *really* hate surprises, so don't even think about it, okay? The day you pull something like this on me is the day I quit.”
Seul-bi said, her eyes intense.
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. You think you’re the same as Ro-si?”
“Anyway, just don’t! If I get really mad, I’ll slam my head into the ground in a grand bow, you hear?”
“…And you’d die? I think the floor would break first.”
In response to Seol-ah’s words, Seul-bi wagged her finger back and forth, signaling the taunt wasn't enough.
“So, what are we filming today?”
Ro-si asked while getting her makeup done by a freelance artist, the swelling in her eyes having gone down.
“We’re making a video to upload on Tube before things get busier. It’s a variety-style interview tailored to our tastes.”
“…But we don’t even have a fandom yet…”
“We will soon. Fandoms need content to rally around, so we’re making it in advance to release at the perfect time.”
Seul-bi flipped through the script cards, giggling.
“Who wrote this script, anyway? It’s pretty fun.”
“The Timjang-nim wrote it, of course.”
“No way…”
At Yoo-jun’s words, Seul-bi let out a hollow laugh.
* * *
The day had come for the final recording of Answer’s single, ‘Answer me now,’ which featured Ro-si’s completed rap and would later become the title track of their album.
I was going over what we’d recorded so far, looking for any empty spots.
It was similar to the revision process writers go through.
As expected, I found some empty parts that needed to be filled with impromptu harmonies.
“See the 17th part, ‘My heart is beating for you’?”
-Yes!
“We’re going to add a background vocal there. Everyone sing together.”
-Yes, we understand!
“Hyung, that’s so cool…”
Choi Yoo-jun, sitting next to me, said with eyes full of admiration.
“Don’t just watch, remember it well. And study up on the equipment in your spare time.”
“Yes, sir!”
“The day you’re officially appointed to A&R, I’ll make sure you’re treated right, so don’t think of this as wasted time.”
“Don’t worry. I trust you!”
Choi Yoo-jun’s high energy made me chuckle.
-Mmm-hmm!
-Ah, ah!
-Brrrrrr!
-A-oo-ee-ah-oo!
I watched the members clearing their throats, waiting for the standby signal.
Ro-si’s timidness was mostly gone.
The effort of planning that event with all the acting had clearly paid off. Ro-si seemed a little hurt by me, but that would heal naturally with time.
Still, the occasional resentful glance she shot my way made me break out in a sweat.
Even so, compared to my past life, this felt like I was truly living, and I was even satisfied.
The recording was finished, and the result was good enough to be released as is. Of course, we would still go through the standard post-production process, including mixing.
The members came out of the booth, and we listened to the completed ‘Answer me now’ together.
The members’ eyes grew moist.
“It’s perfect, isn’t it? Great work, everyone.”
“You worked hard, too!”
The members’ voices were full of energy after finishing the recording. It was likely due to their high hopes for the popular variety show appearance and the hit song that would follow.
“Alright, it feels like we only have success ahead of us now, right?”
“Yes!”
“I can guarantee we’ll be a top group before this summer. You know I have good intuition, right?”
“We believe!”
“We belieeeve!”
Choi Yoo-jun started the chant, the Answer members joined in, and everyone burst out laughing.
Is this what it feels like to see your beloved children, who were once on the wrong path, finally step onto a flowery road?
“I need to get the song approved, so Yoo-jun, please take the artists to their fitting.”
“Ah! Right, today’s the fitting for the new outfits, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Grab some coffee and cookies on your way.”
I took the corporate card out of my wallet and handed it to Yoo-jun.
“This is it—the corporate card!”
Choi Yoo-jun accepted the simple card with both hands as if it were a treasure.
“I’ll get one made for you too, Yoo-jun. Just make sure you keep the receipts.”
“Don’t you worry!”
After sending Answer and Choi Yoo-jun off, I reported to the Isa-nim.
-I’ll head to the studio.
“Yes. I’ll be waiting.”
I played the finished recording for Siljang-nim Ji, the Isa-nim, and Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong.
“Holy crap. Ro-si made this?”
“She can ride the flow like this?”
“Whoa. Who taught her to drop rhymes like that?”
Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong was making a fuss.
He had been plenty surprised during the Answer member auditions, but this seemed to be a fresh shock.
“…Hey, I could mix this…”
“Daepyo-nim. We’ve already scheduled it, don’t change your mind now.”
Isa-nim Lee Sun said what I wanted to say. At this rate, I might as well mix it myself.
“Who said anything? The engineer’s probably already on his way. You want me to send him back?”
In the end, as promised, we decided to entrust the mixing of the single to a professional engineer.
We invited a renowned sound engineer, who had worked on many hit songs, to the company.
We could have just sent him the files, but we didn’t want Answer’s music leaking out.
Answer’s single, ‘Answer me now,’ began to play.
♪♬
A synthesizer sound reminiscent of a laser beam kicked in.
Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong fidgeted as if he was having a panic attack before finally speaking.
“Crank up the high-cut, then open it up like a door, pow!”
The sudden shout made the engineer jump and turn to look at Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong. Park Jae-yong had an expression and gestures as if he were mixing the track himself.
“…What the…”
The engineer turned back to the monitor, where various waveforms flickered, his face indifferent.
♪♬
The night begins again
♪♬
Verse 1 began.
“You need to put a gate on the overheads.”
“…”
In the end, Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong couldn't help but meddle with the engineer's work.
“Let’s pan that part to give it a stereo effect.”
“…I’m not a rookie, you know?”
the engineer retorted with a wry smile.
♪♬
My heart will break
♪♬
As it moved past Verse 2, the track started to build momentum.
“…Ugh, in that part, bring the bass forward a bit.”
“I’m… doing that right now.”
“…Emphasize the hi-hats in the drum channel…”
Why was I feeling second-hand embarrassment from Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong?
“Daepyo-nim.”
“Alright, alright.”
When the Isa-nim spoke in a low voice, Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong squeezed his eyes shut.
As the song entered the bridge, the lead vocal began to soar.
♪♬
You, who smiles at me
♪♬
“The breath sound is crucial! Why would you remove it?!”
“Ah, forget it! I’m done! You do it all yourself, Daepyo-nim!”
The engineer finally snapped, shooting up from his chair.
“Wait a minute!”
I tried to stop him, but the engineer stormed out, fuming.
“Daepyo-nim, you did that on purpose, didn’t you!”
The Isa-nim, seeming to share my simmering anger, lashed out.
“…No, well… the client’s opinion can be part of the process…”
In the end, we were able to bring the engineer back on the condition that Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong wouldn't enter the room.
“Hey! Still, kicking out the CEO is…”
“Let’s go. Now.”
The Isa-nim dragged Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong away.
Befitting a professional, the engineer produced a satisfying result, eliminating clashes between sessions and creating a clear, three-dimensional sound.
“The track was mostly finished, so it didn’t take long.”
I had already done some basic mixing to set the song’s direction, so the work didn’t take much time.
Once the single and title track were complete, a meeting was held, led by the Siljang-nim, the person in charge of practical matters.
“What should we do about the choreography? Should we commission just the chorus like before?”
“Yeah, let’s do that. And don’t pay the demo fee late like last time, causing all that talk about them going out of business.”
“That’s why I took over the finances.”
It seemed the Isa-nim hadn't been in charge of finances for very long.
“Well… speaking of the demo fee, last time the problem was the general affairs manager’s embezzlement, but there were also issues with the demo itself. The demo they gave us was an exact copy of a failed girl group’s chorus…”
Once a song is finalized, a request for choreography, ranging from a portion to the entire song, is sent to a dance team.
The dance team creates and sends a demo, for which the agency is supposed to pay a fee, but agencies often engage in the unfair practice of delaying payment.
However, just as the weak are not always righteous, there were also unscrupulous dance teams that submitted plagiarized demos. This was one of the industry's noisy issues.
“And the music video, the showcase…”
As the meeting dragged on, my ‘Sixth Sense’ trait began to react.
A light started to emanate from Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong’s body.
But there was no further guidance on what to do.
What could it be? I felt like I needed to know something.
“The showcase venue has been booked in advance, right?”
“We already booked two last quarter.”
The light, which had been shining like a halo, crept down to the back of Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong’s hand, which was resting on the desk. Unable to contain my curiosity, I slapped the back of his hand.
*Smack!*
“Ow!?”
A short video flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.
The heat of a massive midsummer crowd.
Answer was shining on stage, cooling down the summer heat with Park Jae-yong’s song.
It was the very song that had competed against my ‘Answer me now’.
A follow-up track?
How should I interpret this?
I didn't think Park Jae-yong’s song would be a bigger hit than mine. But it seemed to be a sign to strike while the iron is hot, to continue the string of hits with an immediate follow-up.
There were still a little over two years left until Answer's great success, the main quest.
If it were just about profit, the standard path would be to release a hit single and then monetize with a full album. But I felt an urgency to get Answer to the top as quickly as possible.
“…What? Why did you hit me?”
Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong rubbed his reddened hand with a bewildered expression, while Siljang-nim Ji and the Isa-nim just blinked, staring at me.
Needing an excuse, I scanned the back of his hand, searching for a mole or something.