Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Perfect Harmony
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Ellis quietly watched Yeonwoo.
A genius who had drawn approaches from eight places just by releasing a track and captivated Kim Beomsin.
A true genius composer.
But there was something more than that.
Just by hearing Kim Beomsin's voice, he had worked magic to propel someone who had been dismissed as outdated by the tide of the times straight to number one on the Mango chart.
This wasn't something that could happen just by writing good songs.
It required the insight not only to understand his voice but to naturally blend it with trends and captivate the public.
Even Kim Beomsin, who was known for his songwriting skills, and the composers and producers he had carefully selected, hadn't achieved this.
Yet Yeonwoo had done it simply by writing the song.
That meant he possessed not just the talent of a composer, but of a producer as well.
And now, this child was saying the members' singing wasn't good.
There had to be a reason.
"Which parts don't you like?"
"They're all singing together, but nothing matches."
"Is that so? I don't hear it. What about you, Sunbae?"
"Me neither."
At those words, Yeonwoo struggled to explain verbally and turned on the keyboard.
"Dahyun noona? Dahyun noona is singing this note right now. It should be about a half-step higher than that."
Yeonwoo played the key matching Dahyun's pitch range, then followed it with a half-step higher key to demonstrate.
"And Ayoung noona and Yunseo noona should be singing the same note, but Ayoung noona is about a half-step higher than it should be, and Yunseo noona can't hold the note to the end."
"......"
"You can hear all that?"
Yeonwoo nodded at Ellis's question.
"Yeah. How?"
"Just like that."
She knew he'd say something like that.
"Our Yeonwoo should've done classical music. He'd make a great conductor too, with ears like that."
"Classical's boring, Aunt."
The young Yeonwoo preferred stimulating things, like fizzy cola or sweet jelly.
He was at that age.
But that didn't mean he took stimulating things lightly.
"Aunt, can we try it again?"
"Y-Yeah, we should."
The childlike demeanor vanished, replaced by a professional one that initially flustered her, but Ellis soon stopped the recording and relayed Yeonwoo's words to the members.
"Uh, um... I don't really get it, teacher."
At the kids' responses, Ellis played the piano sounds for them. Dahyun, who had an ear for it, quickly found the pitch, but the others struggled.
"Hmm... For now, excluding Dahyun, can each of you sing your parts one by one?"
Ellis had the kids sing their individual parts.
Only then did Ellis start to hear what Yeonwoo had pointed out.
Ellis used the equipment to match the pitches and played them back for each one.
Hearing their own voices at the correct ranges, Ayoung and Yunseo understood right away, and Somin and Chaewon managed to match after hearing and trying a few more times.
"Now, shall we try all together?"
She played the group part of the song, and the members began singing in unison at the right timing.
The moment Yeonwoo heard it, he frowned and grabbed Ellis's hand.
"Huh?"
"Chaewon noona is about a half-step flat."
"I'll tell her. Chaewon! A little higher than that!!"
"Good. But it's a bit fast."
"I said higher, not faster."
After a few adjustments, Ellis asked the members to try the group part once more.
Right when their bodies still remembered the barely matched parts, as they sang the group section again.
"Ah."
It was a minute adjustment so subtle that an ordinary person wouldn't notice at all, but that tiny tweak made Ellis feel an enormous difference.
Like hearing something on cheap speakers and then on top-tier ones?
Her ears were ringing.
But Yeonwoo wasn't satisfied yet.
"Aunt."
"Yes?"
"Can Dahyun noona sing higher there?"
"You mean her range? Dahyun, can you go up to three octaves?"
-Yes, teacher. Up to high E.
"Oh, not bad. She says she can go that high, Yuin-ssi."
Ellis showed Yeonwoo the corresponding keys on the piano so he could understand.
Hearing that, Yeonwoo asked Ellis.
"Aunt, after the lyrics end there... um, ask if they can continue in a way that blends well together."
"Ah! You mean ad-libs? That section's about five seconds... Think she can?"
High E in three octaves was no easy range even for an adult woman.
Back in the rock era, the legendary female rock vocalist Seo Hwi, who burst onto the scene like a comet, had peaked at high A in three octaves in her own songs.
Vocal range wasn't the sole measure of good singing, but for an idol, Dahyun had an incredible range.
And to sustain that peak range for five seconds? Easier said than done.
Ellis asked Dahyun if it was possible.
-I think I can right now? Not on stage or anything... I'll try.
"You heard that?"
"Yeah, then have Dahyun noona do that, and have Ayoung noona take Dahyun noona's spot."
At that, Ellis tilted her head.
Ayoung had a distinctive, sweet tone and stable technique, but her highs weren't particularly solid. If she could, she'd be the main vocalist.
"Ayoung, can you sing at the range Dahyun was doing?"
-Um... Probably not....
Seeing Ayoung lack confidence, Yeonwoo tilted his head and looked at Kim Beomsin's fairy.
'You said she could?'
Originally, the plan to have Dahyun sing higher was because Kim Beomsin's fairy had told him Ayoung could handle the late second octave range without strain.
Kim Beomsin's fairy nodded again this time.
Then it flew up, passed through the booth, and approached Ayoung.
As Yeonwoo's gaze turned to Ayoung, the fairy pointed at her head, and the other fairies swirled around her head like an angel's halo.
'Her head?'
Then Kim Beomsin's fairy flew back to Yeonwoo, pointed at its own throat to mime singing, then pointed at its head.
From throat to head, and incredibly, power entered the voice, raising the pitch.
'Sing from the head?'
Nod nod.
Yeonwoo, who had never sung, couldn't fully grasp it, but he understood what the fairy meant.
"Aunt, can't she sing from her head instead of her throat?"
"You mean head voice instead of chest voice? Well, that's not easy without practice."
Kim Beomsin's fairy shook its head immediately and pointed at Ayoung.
'She can? No, she knows how?'
Nod nod.
"That noona can do it."
"Really? Hmm... Ayoung, do you know how to use head voice by any chance?"
-Ah... Our vocal teacher said it sounds like opera if I do it that way... and told me not to. To only use chest voice.
Ellis briefly recalled her profile.
Right, now that she thought about it, this girl had studied opera briefly before switching over.
That meant she'd learned enough to distinguish between head, chest, and mixed voice.
"It's just for recording anyway, so let's match it with head voice. Possible?"
-Yes, I'll try.
Meanwhile, Yeonwoo looked at Kim Beomsin's fairy again. The fairy pointed at Dahyun, then at its stomach.
"Tell Dahyun noona to put strength into her stomach when she sings."
"Okay."
The group part re-recording proceeded as per Yeonwoo's instructions.
Ellis and Jiyeong stared blankly beyond the booth.
It was because the harmony based on high notes opened their hearts wide, evoking a true sense of freedom.
That feeling matched the album's freedom concept so perfectly that Ellis looked at Yeonwoo as if entranced.
How on earth did Yuin—no, Yeonwoo—know Ayoung could use head voice, and with just the advice to engage her core, enable Dahyun to sustain a three-octave high E with a long breath?
"How... How is this possible? How did you know?"
"Just like that."
...Just like that.
Did real geniuses just know?
She'd heard rumors that Kim Beomsin, originally a vocal trainer, had trained juniors like this after becoming a successful singer.
It was almost like Kim Beomsin was advising from the side.[Kim Beomsin's fairy did it.]
"Um... We've recorded everything for now, but if you have more suggestions, please share."
"Yes, Aunt."
As Yeonwoo nodded readily, Ellis pieced together what they'd recorded so far and played it for everyone to hear.
"It's just roughly spliced together, so it needs polishing, but please get a feel for it."
"Yes, Aunt."
Yeonwoo bowed his head slightly and listened to the song.
As Ellis said, red fairies popped out at the spliced sections, but overall, there were no issues.
And in the part where his adjustments came in, blue light emanated, with fairies leaping about wildly.
Not perfect, but satisfying.
"Good, Aunt!"
So Yeonwoo couldn't help but smile brightly.
He realized there was nothing more joyful than hearing singers bring his created song to completion.
For a moment, he regretted not being there for Kim Beomsin's recording, but on the other hand, he thought being with his sister who was starting her dream might be even better.
Besides, unlike Cold Night, which was just released first, this was truly his debut as a professional composer.
"G-Great, then I'm happy too."
Looking at Yeonwoo's beaming smile, Ellis felt her heart drop with a thud.
He could smile that brightly too.
Still just a child, yet he had a bewitching charm that captivated people.
She wished she could just touch those glutinous rice cake cheeks once.
"Yeonwoo-ya, if you smile like that anywhere else, you're in big trouble."
Jiyeong grinned mischievously at Ellis and pressed Yeonwoo's cheek firmly, erasing his smile.
'Jealous....'
It felt like she was saying, "I can touch his cheeks, no problem," and Ellis was incredibly envious.
I want a nephew too.
As Ellis thought that, she remembered the members still in the booth and hurriedly called them out.
"Good work!! You heard it too, right? It's good?"
"Yes, it feels so great!!"
"If this comes out on the album, it'll be a huge hit, for real."
"Ah, isn't this song just too good? That composer Yuin-ssi... He's seriously amazing. Ah, and our producer teacher too."
Ellis smiled at the three vocal part kids making a fuss.
That Yuin was right there.
Unable to say it, she just averted her gaze to Yeonwoo.
"Teacher Shin Jiyeong, is this kid your nephew?"
Chaewon and Somin were sticking to Yeonwoo's side with eyes dripping honey.
"Teacher makes me sound old. Just call me sunbae or teacher? And yes, he's my nephew. Shin Yeonwoo."
"Yes, teacher. I didn't greet you properly earlier. Hi, Yeonwoo."
"Hi, noona."
"Oh my, so cute. Can your noona give you a hug, Yeonwoo?"
At Somin's words, Yeonwoo hesitated shyly before nodding.
Somin scooped him up as if she'd been waiting.
"So ador— no, cute. Teacher, Yeonwoo could be a model. How is he this ador— no, cute?"
As she said that, Somin naturally pinched Yeonwoo's cheek.
Watching the cheek stretch out, Ellis was horrified.
No way, daring to touch the sky-like Yuin composer!! You kids would be trembling if you knew who he was!!
Ellis screamed inwardly....
'Jealous.'
In truth, Ellis envied the life of not knowing the genius's true identity.