Chapter 15
Chapter 15
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Midterm Inspection
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ellis was the type of person who lived with a timetable implanted in her head.
She went to bed at 4 a.m. and woke up at 11 a.m.
After getting up in the morning, she took her pet dog that she raised at home out for a walk to do its business, then ate her first meal of the day.
Her first meal was the same salad she'd eaten unchanged since her idol days.
Though the style of the salad changed with trends and the passage of time, for over ten years, her mornings had always started with salad.
After breakfast, she washed up and headed to work.
At the studio she arrived at, she stood in front of her desk, paired her laptop with her wireless earbuds, plugged them into her ears, played 1☆, and brewed drip coffee in the pantry.
Along with the fragrant coffee, Yuin's song—the one that had made her fall head over heels—flowed out.
"It's good no matter when I listen to it."
A fantastical chord progression, instrumentation, resulting in a perfect song with not a single flaw.
The song made by a 6-year-old, an unbelievable genius, showed her that you could create universally captivating music without chasing trends.
The problem was...
"Should I try writing some lyrics now?"
That she had to write the lyrics for this song.
Writing lyrics wasn't easy to begin with, but from her position as total producer, she had even more to consider.
She had to take the idol's concept into account.
Of course, since they'd decided on the concept based on this song from the start, she didn't really need to agonize over lyrics while considering the concept and other factors...
"Umm... What if she doesn't like it?"
The important thing was that the lyrics were homework given by the original composer as payment for the song.
What if they didn't pass muster?
She wouldn't get the song, and without it, she couldn't continue with the idol project as planned, meaning she'd have to start the whole planning over from scratch.
That pressure was weighing on her.
"Now I'm free... No, no. Too cliché. Fly away, high into the sky? No..."
She clutched her head.
The world's Ellis, unable to write even a single line.
As she groaned like that, her phone rang.
"Huh?"
Wondering who it could be, she checked the screen—and froze.
[Senior Shin Jiyeong.]
A call from Shin Jiyeong.
Was this really from Shin Jiyeong?
Wasn't it basically a call from the now-absolute composer Yuin?
Like a web novel author being pressured by their editor as upload time loomed, she brought her trembling hand to her smartphone.
It was scary, but a call she couldn't refuse.
"H-Hello?"
-Ellis! It's me!!
"Ah, yes. Senior. Wh-What's up?"
-Our Yeonwoo—no, Yuin—wants to come over to play. Is it okay if we head there now?
...Sorry, customer.
Our studio is a no-kids zone, so children aren't allowed... She wanted to say it, remembering her old part-time job days, but she couldn't.
"I'm fine with it!"
-Okay!! We'll be right there.
After hanging up, Ellis unconsciously bit her nail.
"This is definitely a midterm check!!"
And when he saw she hadn't written a single line, he'd be hugely disappointed, right?
'You still haven't written anything? Then I can't give you the song...'
Imagining Yuin looking down at her arrogantly and rejecting her, Ellis clutched her head.
Meanwhile, time began to slip away aimlessly.
She didn't know where Shin Jiyeong and Yuin lived, but at least in the capital area.
They'd be here in no more than two hours.
"Argh..."
Whatever.
Ellis hurriedly scribbled down lyrics exactly as they came to mind.
Not just one set, but literally several.
Why?
Lyrics that hadn't come for days started flowing effortlessly.
With them actually coming, her brain had kicked into overdrive.
Yeah, good.
Let's go crazy and write.
She resolved herself and dove into lyric-writing.
Ding-dong-
How frantically had she been scribbling lyrics? The intercom buzzed, and she startled, turning around.
Shin Jiyeong's face appeared on the screen beyond.
What was coming had arrived.
With a trembling heart, Ellis opened the door.
"Hello!"
Shin Jiyeong greeted her with a bright face, while Yeonwoo behind her gave a polite bow.
It was the pure, adorable picture itself—completely different from the Yuin who'd looked down on her in her imagination.
Well, the imaginary Yuin was cute too, but anyway...!
"Y-You've arrived, Senior! And Yuin!"
Yuin—that is, Yeonwoo—responded to Ellis's greeting by peeking out from behind Jiyeong just like last time.
There was no sign of the imaginary Yuin who'd looked down on her scornfully.
"Yeonwoo, you need to greet Aunt Ellis."
"Hello..."
Seeing Yeonwoo greet her in a tiny voice, Ellis suddenly felt like a fool for having been so tense.
"Yes, nice to see you. How have you been, Yuin?"
I've been pulling all-nighters thanks to you... She wanted to say, but held back.
"Yes..."
"What have you been up to?"
At that, Yeonwoo hesitated, then cautiously said, guitar, piano...
Jiyeong added on.
"Yeonwoo just plays piano or guitar at home and composes. That's it."
"Ah, is it severe i* by any chance?"
"No, Yeonwoo was sick for a bit. And Grandma, who he's mostly with, has severe i*, so he doesn't like going out much."
So that's why he just plays and composes at home?
"Impressive... So that's how those songs come about."
Yeah, it's been less than a month since he started composing... No one would believe it if she said that.
Jiyeong held back her urge to brag.
"Watching him do that all day... Ah, Grandma to you, Senior. Your mom must be impressive too."
"My mom? She's probably dying of happiness right now? She loves her grandson, but no one's as crazy about music as she is."
"Ah, she likes music?"
"She's a jazz pianist. And a professor."
"Ah."
While Ellis and Jiyeong exchanged light chit-chat, Yeonwoo's gaze was fixed on the recording studio equipment.
The computer along with the audio interface, outboard gear, monitoring equipment, and more.
It was full of things that could captivate Yeonwoo.
Staring at them as if entranced, Yeonwoo went to his aunt and smacked her leg, calling her.
"Auntie, Auntie!!"
"Hm?"
"Do you know how to use that stuff too?"
"Of course!"
"Then why don't you have any?"
"I sold it all when I went to study in the US."
Jiyeong had had her own studio-cum-recording room until just before going abroad to study.
"So you don't have any now?"
"Guess I have to get new ones. First, make some money."
"Does it cost a lot?"
"Pretty much?"
"Then I'll make a ton of money and buy it for you, Auntie."
"Really? Aigoo, you're all Auntie's got. Auntie will make a ton too and leave you all my fortune. Got it?"
"Hehe."
Seeing Yeonwoo grin innocently, Ellis covered her mouth.
Was the world allowed to have something this cute?
I want a nephew like that.
But Ellis had no nephews.
"But Aunt Ellis finished the lyrics?"
Only Yuin, who wanted a killer song and specific lyrics, existed.
Still shy about asking directly, Yeonwoo went through his aunt indirectly, and Ellis's face stiffened.
"Uh, well... I did write some lyrics."
Ellis gathered up her scratch papers, torn sheets, crumpled balls, tablet, and so on.
Traces of lyrics scribbled here and there, unable to focus on one spot.
"Umm..."
Ellis picked out the ones that had at least a verse or were finished and handed them to Yeonwoo.
That was when—
Ding-dong-
"Huh?"
The intercom rang out of nowhere.
No one who might come at this hour?
"Who is it?"
Ellis headed to the entrance with the lyrics in hand and checked the intercom.
"Whoa."
On the monitor, Kim Beomsin was grinning widely, face pressed right up to it.
-Ellis, you in there? You are, right? Open the door quick. Huh?
Jiyeong was startled too by Kim Beomsin's voice, thick with unrefined Chungcheong dialect.
"No way, why is Senior Kim here?"
"Right? He's never come to the studio once."
Saying that, Ellis opened the door. Kim Beomsin burst in through the entrance.
"Surprise!!"
With both hands full of food, Kim Beomsin beamed at Ellis.
"...Hello, President."
Ellis greeted him awkwardly. The atmosphere wasn't welcoming at all, but Kim Beomsin took it in stride.
The MZ employees at the company were the same—young folks never welcomed him warmly, so he was used to it.
"Sorry, sorry. Dropping by so suddenly like this. But I was just too curious. These kids we're investing big to launch."
"Of course, you'd be curious."
"That song? Even I think it's killer. Maybe that's why—this new group's got a real good vibe. Shin Jiyeong's gonna hit it big... Huh? Shin Jiyeong's here?"
Spotting Shin Jiyeong, Kim Beomsin soon noticed the little one peeking out from behind her.
"Who's this little lady?"
At that, Yeonwoo reacted immediately.
"I'm not a little lady!!"
Kim Beomsin flinched at Yeonwoo's outburst, and Jiyeong spoke up.
"Our Yeonwoo's no lady anywhere you look. He's a cool prince, right?"
Worried Yeonwoo might burst into tears from being upset, Jiyeong exaggerated on purpose and pushed him forward.
With Jiyeong behind him, Yeonwoo puffed up, bristling with energy.
Seeing that, Kim Beomsin inwardly screamed how cute!! but said with a sorry face,
"Aigoo, my bad. You're so pre... no, handsome, I mistook you. Haha!"
Kim Beomsin laughed good-naturedly, but when Yeonwoo hid behind Jiyeong again, he awkwardly clasped his hands behind his back and pretended to look around the studio.
The hidden Yeonwoo stared at Kim Beomsin.
The man, nearing 50, looked young thanks to thorough self-care over the years, but even to Yeonwoo, he clearly looked older than his own dad.
A total ajusshi.
But...
Around that ajusshi, more fairies than the ones hovering around Yeonwoo were shining even brighter than Yeonwoo's fairies.
Yeonwoo couldn't tear his eyes away from the ecstatic sight.
But on the contrary, Kim Beomsin had lost interest in Yeonwoo and was looking around before facing Ellis again.
"Nice setup you've got here. Solid gear too. So this is where our kids will record now?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"What's that?"
Kim Beomsin's eyes lit up at what Ellis held.
"Did you compose it? No, lyrics? Right, Yuin wrote the lyrics for the song?!"
At his words, Ellis nodded as if entranced.
"Let me see."
"Huh? No, this is still..."
"Ah, still discussing? What's to discuss. Everyone knows your lyric skills, Ellis. Right, Jiyeong?"
"Right. Shall I take a look too?"
Jiyeong, Beomsin, and Ellis huddled together to check the lyrics Ellis had written.
Yeonwoo watched blankly from behind.
His composing was killer, but Yeonwoo still hadn't fully learned Hangul.
"Umm... Nothing jumps out as perfect... Maybe match them to the concept?"
"What's the concept? Ellis, you got one locked in?"
"For now... freedom? No, the song itself is the concept."
"Umm... Saying that, they all seem decent."
Saying that, Beomsin flashed a boyish smile unbefitting his age and looked at Ellis and Jiyeong.
"Want me to sing all these lyrics?"
"Huh?"
"The president?"
"Yeah, they need a guide if our kids are gonna sing 'em. I'll record the guide. How 'bout it?"
Ellis and Jiyeong hesitated.
"What? Hey, you think I'm too old for it? Hey, I can still do a guide!"
"No... it's not that..."
"The president doing a guide..."
Kim Beomsin as a guide?
Way too luxurious for a guide.
Contrary to their thoughts, he seemed thrilled at the chance to sing after so long and poked around in front of the recording booth.
"Going in? Huh? I'm going in? Recording the guide?"
"Yes, well..."
As Kim Beomsin entered, Ellis changed her expression and sat down.
Getting to hear Kim Beom'Sin' for free.
Ellis decided to enjoy the luxury.