Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: This Life is Space Star 39
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I sent the younger members back to the dorm and stayed in the studio.
To wrap up the remaining work.
Once I get in the zone, I have to ride that wave all the way, or I won't be able to sleep if I leave things half-done.
Just like that day preparing the year-end evaluation arrangement, I stayed behind alone and dove into the work.
For now, I'd roughly grasped our musical style.
I opened the notepad on my laptop and jotted it down.
-Theme: Love (broad sense)
-Atmosphere: Warmth
-Emotion: Joy
-Current song concept: Refreshing summer seasonal track
After writing down what I already knew, I paused to think if anything was missing, then added one more.
-Message to fans: ???
For idols, the most important listeners are the fans.
Unlike mass-appeal hits like Something, the biggest consumers of idol music are the fandom.
Fans are the very reason idols exist.
So, what message should I convey to our current fan cafe members and those who will become fans in the future?
After pondering, I typed on the keyboard.
-An invitation (?)
Idols and fans share the same dream, in a way.
An invitation to the dream we're chasing... I started typing but hit backspace to delete it.
It felt too heavy.
This song is our first meeting with the fans.
That kind of message was too much.
Like going on a blind date and suddenly hearing, "Hey, why don't we dream of a future together?"
Pressure kills the fun.
If you act all serious on a blind date, the pasta goes in through the nose and out the mouth.
Let's keep it light.
Instead of the heavy "share our dream" vibe, shift to "let's have fun together" while keeping the invitation feel.
"Come over here and let's have a blast together."
That thought aligned perfectly with the refreshing summer concept and ocean imagery.
Alright, let's summarize.
In a lively, cheerful atmosphere full of laughter and chatter (warmth), strangers meet and have fun (joy), sparking friendships (love) like people bumping into each other at a travel spot.
So, playfulness is the core motif.
What title could symbolically capture "playing"?
What do people do at the beach?
My flowing thoughts hit a wall.
An unexpected roadblock.
When was the last time I went to the beach and played?
Probably second grade elementary school, on a field trip to the Gunsan coastal waters.
After that, I moved to Seoul for trainee life, and even on days off, I just practiced.
Of course, I'd been to the beach plenty.
It was only thirty minutes from home, and as a trainee, I had chances too.
I got invites to go during breaks.
But those were obviously impure motives, so I turned them down.
Anyway, it was a shock.
What have I been doing with my life?
Not even knowing what people do at the beach.
Keywords like grilling shellfish or swimming came to mind, but those were from others' stories, not my experiences.
I considered posting online, "What do you do for fun at the beach?" but shook my head.
Since it's my song, I wanted to infuse it with personal experience.
I must have played at the beach a lot as a baby.
Sipping chocolate milk, I racked my brain until a faint memory surfaced.
Around age five.
A memory like a very old, worn-out book.
* * *
"Fireworks?"
The next day, I shared the song title with the members.
"I want to make a song about the vibe of playing at the beach together, and fireworks would symbolize that perfectly. Plus, fireworks carry multiple meanings—like celebrating New Year's, starting something new, or commemorating. It fits our debut album too."
"You're actually saying something sensible for once."
Ri-hyeok gave the highest praise he could muster. If the pickiest one approved, no need to ask the others.
Jung-hyun stroked his chin and asked.
"Sounds good. How'd you come up with the title?"
"A childhood memory."
Around age five, at some beach with Mom and Dad.
Weirdly, I don't remember their faces, but the fireworks are vivid in my mind.
A single streak shooting into the bright, clear sky.
The members gave strange smiles at my explanation.
What's with them?
Bijoo smiled and said.
"I think it's great. Fits the song's vibe."
As I was about to say thanks, the maknae chimed in.
"Hyung, but are we doing the title in Korean?"
"Thought about English at first, but Firework doesn't have the right feel. Grandma struggles with English anyway. She calls Something 'Samsing' all the time—imagine Firework."
The members on the studio couch nodded.
Especially Jung-hyun, who grew up in a village full of elders, seemed to get it.
That wrapped my title explanation when Ri-hyeok raised his hand like he had a question.
"How about lyrics?"
"Oh, right, forgot to mention. I'm leaving that to you guys."
"Huh?"
I gave a kind smile to their blinking surprise.
"It's our song. I did the composing, so you handle the lyrics."
Now it's your turn to sweat.
* * *
Time flew by in a blur.
April melted away—no exaggeration. Days skipped ahead when you blinked.
Every day was packed with debut prep.
Our collaborative track evolved too.
After days of racking brains and pouring creativity, the members wrote lyrics for their parts.
More days passed.
The once-untitled source transformed into <Fireworks> [Composed by Woojoo] [Lyrics by New Black].
Recording went smoothly.
Ji-ho teared up under main vocal Ri-hyeok's harsh directing, but whatever.
We'd been through it before, so it was fine.
When 'New Black - Fireworks' was finally done, we gathered to listen and felt déjà vu.
Like first hearing Something's final version.
"Never thought it'd turn out this polished."
Jung-hyun stuck out his tongue in admiration.
"Hyung, sometimes I think you're not an alien sent to help us. But... it's great, though it feels too good for a B-side."
"Yeah, could aim for a digital single later."
"Thanks for the praise, but no jinxing. Let's hear from the exec and A&R first."
"Still, it's good, so we're saying it. You know I'm stingy with compliments, right?"
I know all too well.
I smiled at Ri-hyeok and turned to the maknae. The quality praise was nice, but something felt missing to me.
Not quite what I wanted to hear.
I asked the innocently smiling Ji-ho.
"What do you think, Ji-ho? Does it capture our color?"
"Hmm, I don't know much about 'color.' But this song just makes me happy. Not like with Something—this feels like actually watching fireworks. So cool."
Ji-ho continued.
"Like watching fireworks explode at the beach with you hyungs. Reminds me of trainee struggles, year-end eval, music shows after meeting Woojoo hyung. And... like good memories, but also a feeling that an awesome future's ahead...?"
His words finally eased my mind. He'd nailed my intent.
It was well-made, sure, but execution and intent are different.
Did it capture our color then?
Bijoo nodded.
"I like it too, hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Feels good, like clothes tailored to us. Too early to say for sure, but listening... "
He trailed off with a smile.
"It really feels like our song."
* * *
Late April.
The third-floor conference room at Lemon Entertainment buzzed with a group of people.
Dressed freer than other departments, they were the A&R team staff.
Artist & Repertoire.
One of the big three departments alongside rookie development and management in an idol agency—overseeing all album production.
Deciding concepts, sourcing tracks via contests or in-house.
Lemon leaned heavy on pro composers, thanks to production exec Jo Kyu-hwan.
Talk naturally turned to music.
"Woojoo's self-composed track today. Heard it yet?"
"Exec hasn't either. Just knows the title: Fireworks."
"Fireworks?"
Staff tilted heads.
"Isn't that title overdone? I know at least five."
"It's just a B-side anyway."
"Title and hit potential are separate. Who'd guess Something would blow up?"
"True. Caught me off guard."
They reminisced about Something's success.
When word spread a rookie boy group got Jang Sowon collab, reactions were mild: "Oh, okay."
Trainees were dev team's turf.
Best case, her singer-songwriter cred meant free promo—nice.
Then they forgot, and boom: a chart-topping monster everywhere.
"Total shock. Phone blowing up leaving work, PR running wild. Ji-ho's graduation that day—Girls on Top member drew reporters too."
"Yoon manager blocked interviews."
"Whole company chaos. Scarlett took a year for #1. Who saw pre-debut kids topping charts?"
One recalled.
"Hope this self-comp turns out decent too."
"If it flops, no biggie."
"Shouldn't we have helped? Sowon did for Something. Kid alone won't hit quality..."
"We'll fix it if needed."
They nodded casually.
Everyone knew Something's hit, but expectations for this were rock-bottom.
Reason: why assign a B-side to a newbie composer amid pro offers post-Something and Music Cafe.
Image building.
For promo: "composer idol."
So, song quality? Low priority. Business over curiosity.
"Plus, that base source Woojoo used—brutal, right? Anyone here untouched?"
They shuddered at the infamous source.
Any A&R composer knew it: looks easy, sucks soul dry.
Trim here, that pops; trim that, this juts.
No one dared, all quit.
Pros surrendered—how's a newbie idol?
They nodded.
"Yeah, tough one."
"But encourage him. We've eaten well off him—company too."
"Four meat parties? Kid's going big. Knows how to treat people."
Each Something milestone, Woojoo treated staff dinners, small gifts.
Hence their fondness for New Black's leader.
They prepped reactions to soften blows.
Door guy: "Exec and team lead coming."
They hushed, tidied papers.
In came production exec Jo Kyu-hwan, A&R team lead, manager Yoon Seok-hwan, New Black trailing like chicks.
"Hello!"
Staff smiled warmly at energetic greetings.
After seats and hellos.
Pre-meeting: Woojoo presents work.
"...That's how we picked the title. Main listeners: fans or potentials. Focused on fun vibe, deep house genre... but turned tropical-ish, blurry line."
Woojoo smiled, bowed.
"Full of flaws, but as our first collab, please go easy."
Of course. We'll be kind.
Staff exchanged looks. No bad vibes, as planned.
Song played from speakers.
'Hm?'
Intro had them tilting heads.
Solid opener.
Unique rhythm—like stars twinkling in night sky. Joyful melody overlays.
Clear night sky evokes sans description.
'Not bad? Minimal tweaks.'
They enjoyed, pleased workload light.
But eyes shifted at Kim Jung-hyun's rap.
'Jung-hyun's got rap chops. Real talent there.'
Energetic melody under rapper's voice—strong tone hooks effortless.
Staff eyed each other.
Still, just "good rap making," no biggie yet.
Then trouble: Bijoo's part to Ri-hyeok's.
Rising rhythm/melody explodes in chorus.
Like fireworks.
Refreshing melody drenches ears, not sparks.
'...Kid made this?'
Not just quality—they hear masterpieces daily.
Shock: the color.
Fits members perfectly.
Musical identity: screams "their song," individuals shine in harmony.
Like group name New Black—colors blend to sleek black.
Great song flops if mismatched.
Big agencies fail sans fit; small ones succeed with it.
Idol game: A&R and planning.
Fireworks aced musically and strategically.
Staff minds tangled.
Expected meh, prepped pity—now killer track.
'What now?'
Good song awe mixed with dilemma.
Like casting side role post-leads, then starrier actor appears.
"......"
Song ended in silence.