Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Sounds Just Like Avril
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“It sounds just like an Avril Lavigne song.”
Lee Si-eun recalled the song her mom used to love listening to back in her childhood.
Avril Lavigne was a singer who experimented with various genres centered around rock, but her signature hit was Sk8er Boi.
It was the quintessential pop-punk track born from rock, a song that inspired and influenced countless artists who came after.
Yeonwoo had referenced Avril Lavigne and Sk8er Boi while composing this one.
So, naturally, the vibe was bound to feel similar.
“Nice. It’s familiar, but somehow fresh.”
“What about it?”
“Dunno. Hard to put into words.”
With her limited musical depth, she couldn’t explain exactly what made the song feel new.
But it was unmistakably familiar, yet the track itself was fresh.
“Mom would love this.”
Thinking of her mom, an uber-fan of Avril Lavigne, Lee Si-eun focused on the song.
Then the second and third tracks played.
They felt completely different from the first, but every one was so good it was impossible to rank them.
“We’re only picking one of these?”
They were all too strong for that.
“Hey, you’re hilarious. You were just whining about not wanting to do it, and now you’re worried about the songs?”
“I don’t wanna do it, but…”
She’d resigned herself now, knowing her stage fright and camera anxiety were at their peak. But deep down, her original dream had been to become a singer.
When a great song like this landed in her lap, how could she not want to sing it?
‘Still, cameras suck…’
Lee Si-eun’s mind was a mess.
Truth be told, it wasn’t just about dislike.
The real issue was stepping in front of the camera for actual filming.
Her stomach would churn so bad she’d freeze up, unable even to act.
“Hey, wouldn’t it be better to back out now? What if I can’t even fake the acting because of this nausea?”
“No, that’s why I’m saying go to a psychiatrist.”
Lee Si-eun did the math.
Sure, therapy or counseling might be pricey, but how expensive could it really be?
This drama was 12 episodes.
Just the pay for one episode would cover a ton of sessions.
“Yeah, let’s go! I’ll go!!”
“You’re saying you’ll go, right? For sure? I’ll book it?”
“Yes!”
Whether by choice or force, if this fell through, her acting career was over.
And with it, her life.
Lee Si-eun steeled her resolve.
And in the midst of it…
“Hmm~.”
Without realizing it, Lee Si-eun started humming the song she’d just heard.
By the time she noticed she was humming it, she tilted her head.
“Weird.”
“What?”
“This song just sticks in your head perfectly.”
“Isn’t that just because you like it?”
“Maybe? It’s like… I could sing it comfortably even if I really tried? Like it was made perfectly for me?”
“Talk some sense. You think that’s possible?”
The two had no idea.
That the person who made it possible was the one who composed the song.
* * *
Meanwhile, the production team was just as torn over the three tracks.
They’d originally planned to contract just one, so they had to pick from the trio. Like Lee Si-eun, though, they couldn’t decide which was best.
“What do you think, Writer?”
“I… like all three. No clue which to choose. You, PD?”
“Same here. Man… this is driving me nuts. Alright, music’s the music director’s domain anyway. What’s your take, Music Director? Which one stands out?”
The music director narrowed his eyes at the director and writer.
“Hey, are you two dumping this on me?”
“Dumping? We’re asking because your opinion matters most!”
“Hmm…”
At Park Sung-guk’s words, the music director pondered for a moment before speaking.
“I can’t pick either. The band kids could nail any of these three.”
“…What’s the point of a music director with no backbone?”
“…And you’re the one who came to me without any yourself, PD.”
Park Sung-guk had no comeback.
Instead, Yoon Jin-ah spoke up.
“How about asking Yuin directly? Even if she sent three tracks, she’s gotta have a favorite she wants the band to sing.”
“Worth a shot.”
Park Sung-guk called Jiyeong right away.
“Yes, Shin Jiyeong! Got a question! We love all three tracks Yuin sent, can’t pick one. Any she recommends?”
-Yuin? Uh, hang on…
He could hear Jiyeong talking to someone.
Yuin must be right there.
Park Sung-guk perked up his ears.
He was curious about Yuin’s true identity—known to only a few.
Even his cousin Park Su-hyuk wouldn’t spill, so he didn’t even know if Yuin was a man or woman.
-Oh? Yeah, got it.
Disappointingly, he heard Jiyeong but not Yuin.
-PD!
“Yes, go ahead!”
-Yuin says number one would be best.
“That pop-punk one, right? Got it.”
“Pop-punk? The first one she sent?”
“Yeah, Writer. She says it’s the most high-teen vibe.”
“True. So main OST is track one… Huh? Music Director, you don’t seem thrilled?”
The music director shook his head.
“No, the track’s great. It’s just… the other two are too good to waste.”
“What’s the dilemma? Just use all three in the OST lineup. I’ll ask.”
“Works for me. Oh, but tracks two and three will probably go in as BGM without vocals.”
“That’s all you.”
Park Sung-guk fully trusted the music director he’d gone to great lengths to hire.
Casting was done, music was already in hand—what was left was the actors’ efforts.
What efforts?
At minimum, practice handling instruments, even if just lip-syncing.
Better yet, if they could actually play this one track for real.
“Alright, let’s drill the actors, prep the press conference, and get to it.”
Park Sung-guk declared boldly.
* * *
“Yeonwoo, what’s next on your plate?”
At Jiyeong’s question, Yeonwoo opened his to-do list.
-Yoo Jae-hyuk Uncle’s album
-Chae Hayeon Teacher’s album
-Drama OST composition
“All done.”
He’d cleared everything on his immediate plate.
Yeonwoo pondered what to tackle next.
Top of mind: making an idol group and a band. But after helping with drama casting, he’d realized firsthand how hard gathering people was.
More than that, circumstances often meant things couldn’t go his way.
He’d wanted the bassist who scored 75, but the PD and writer picked a total newbie who only knew basic chords—for acting and image reasons. Same with guitar: a skilled 90-pointer lost out to a 70 due to looks.
He vowed never to do drama OSTs again unless he was fully in charge.
But something felt off.
Lee Si-eun’s voice kept popping into his head.
Honestly, she wasn’t an amazing singer. Kim Beomsin’s fairy had practically demonstrated how much polishing she needed, and Yeonwoo agreed.
But her voice.
That voice was a gift.
Even Kim Beomsin, the ballad emperor built on his voice, probably couldn’t match her.
If he tailored songs to her vocal range, she could nail anything.
No wonder blue fairies—and even yellow ones—burst out every time she spoke.
A voice like that was money.
Why waste it on acting?
Yeonwoo couldn’t fathom it.
The key was, melodies starring her voice kept surfacing in his mind.
But he couldn’t make them.
Or even if he did.
She was an actress.
If she were a singer, he’d crank out tracks for her.
“Yeonwoo, what’re you thinking so hard about?”
“Hm? Nothing, Aunt.”
“Okay, oh yeah. Hadass asked if you’d collab on their new album?”
“Hadass sisters?”
That piqued his interest.
“That’s their fourth, right?”
Hadass had debuted with Yeonwoo’s Fly High as a digital single, then a mini-album with Rising and three other tracks he’d bundled with Fly High. After that, Alice handled composing and producing for mini-album 2—three albums total.
They’d succeeded up to mini 2, cementing their spot as leaders of the new idol generation.
“Yeah, oh, but this one’s not a Korean album.”
“Huh?”
“They’re going for Japan.”
Yeonwoo tilted his head.
“Why Japan? Do the sisters speak Japanese well?”
Yeonwoo knew music inside out, but not how the industry worked.
He’d seen videos of Japanese idols, assuming they just spoke the language fluently.
“Himari unnie’s last album blew up. That’s how you got famous there—know that?”
“In Japan? No clue.”
“Anyway, word got out you gave them songs, they did a Japanese broadcast, it hit big, so now they’re expanding there?”
“Gotcha. Wanna give it a shot? I’ve got some tracks made for Hadass sisters.”
“Sure… Oh, right.”
“What is it, Aunt?”
Jiyeong remembered a forgotten offer and told Yeonwoo.
“With your fame, JOP’s asking you to work in Japan?”
“Like what?”
“Chae Hayeon’s Japan debut, and producing a trainee debut for JOP.”
Yeonwoo shook his head.
“Teacher Chae Hayeon can’t go to Japan now.”
“Huh? Why?”
“She hasn’t fully established herself here yet. No TV appearances. She’d just end up a second Nakagami Ayuna like I said.”
“Fair. What about the trainee debut producing?”
Yeonwoo thought it over.
Producing in Japan, not Korea?
“Not idols, right?”
“Nope, JOP doesn’t do idols.”
“So what kind of trainee debut?”
“They said you can pick trainees however you want.”
Yeonwoo’s eyes lit up.
Wasn’t this what he’d hoped for? Not fully from scratch, but selecting and debuting them was close enough.
Still, caution first.
If he jumped in and the trainees sucked, it’d be worse than nothing.
“I’ll check the trainees in Japan and decide then!”
Fresh off the drama OST frustrations, Yeonwoo aimed to be deliberate, unlike his past snap decisions.
But he had no idea then that the very frustrations would coincidentally lead to exactly what he wanted.