Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Commoner Ending... Isn't It?
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Lisa.
Her real name was Im Hyun-soo, a 22-year-old woman serving as the leader of the mid-tier idol group The Fisher.
Having taken on the OST for ZTVC's latest drama, she quietly thought to herself as she gazed at the little girl standing before her with sparkling eyes.
'This might... not wrap up today.'
Though The Fisher itself wasn't widely known to the public,
independently of that, Lisa had been handling a ton of OST work for dramas, games, and more since her debut.
The biggest reason was that she'd starve otherwise... but more than that, the very reason she'd become a singer was her dream of doing this kind of OST work.
In fact, her name was fairly well-known in this field,
and even among the general public, there were plenty of songs where people went, "Oh, this one!" without knowing The Fisher or Lisa's face.
And so,
with her wealth of experience at such a young age, Lisa knew something all too well.
The most grueling and headache-inducing part of OST work was exactly this—working with kids.
'Making ten songs on my own takes less time than nailing just one like this...'
Surprisingly, this job often involved kids, thanks to the OST genre's frequent need for that pure, childlike voice.
And every time, Lisa learned for sure that those innocent-looking angels were actually demons crawled up from hell.
Whether they sang well or not wasn't even the issue.
For starters, the little ones never listened to adults—that was baseline. And the moment they got a bit tired, they'd declare "I can't do it" and plop down on the spot.
That was lucky, at least. More often than not, they'd throw a tantrum for no reason and start bawling, at which point it was truly hopeless.
Once they started crying, their throats would give out, tanking half the session's recording.
'And the most annoying part... is when moms are hovering like right now.'
The mother beaming at her daughter with eyes shining like stars.
She'd heard she was one of the drama's leads, but that aside, that gaze full of expectation just made Lisa sigh inwardly.
'Lead actress or whatever, moms are all the same in the end...'
Moms of kids in OST sessions all shared one trait.
A baseless conviction that "My baby is a genius."
When the issues cropped up, it was always this side's fault, never their genius daughter.
Hell, even when it got so bad you had to request a replacement, they'd grab your collar demanding why you couldn't see their daughter's sky-piercing talent.
These arguments wasted time as a given, and in the worst cases, recording got pushed to the next day.
In truth, true geniuses were one-in-a-million rarities, and Lisa had never met a kid in her OST work worthy of the label "genius."
Just ordinary mortals sacrificed to their moms' delusions, and this time was 99.9% likely to be no different.
On the other hand, setting aside this harsh reality,
judging by the mom's overly sparkling reaction, Lisa figured the moment she suggested a swap, a fist might fly her way first.
'Rookie who acts so well she landed leads back-to-back? Fine if she herself is talented, but why drag her daughter into it...
And I heard she's pretty good at soccer too. With that reaction, swapping might get me a kick instead of a punch.'
Bracing herself for a long day, Lisa plastered on her best smile and carefully addressed the pint-sized problem before her...
The girl named Chae Seon-hwa.
"Alright, let's get started then. If you get tired, just say so. I'll give you breaks. Got it?"
"Yes, don't worry."
The girl responded with surprising pluck.
Having already done two child actor roles, she at least seemed to have some sense.
Of course, Lisa had seen plenty who'd start strong only to smack you later, so she stayed cautious, keeping her smile in place.
"Good. Let's run it straight through from the top once."
"Yes."
A curt reply, and Seon-hwa took the mic.
At least she seemed to like singing—small mercies. But Lisa kept expectations low.
Just turned eight.
No way was she expecting refined technique or breath control.
'Please, just don't butcher the lyrics or melody too badly... Fixing that takes forever...'
Lisa steeled herself, ready to praise even a karaoke-level 74 score.
The intro felt endless,
until finally, the girl leaned into the mic, and her voice flowed out.
And yet.
-"I'll soothe the pain of those who suffer."
"...Huh?"
The next instant,
as the song burrowed into her ears.
Lisa felt her brain freeze.
'...What... what is this...? Th-this... from an eight-year-old?'
No off-pitch notes or murky tone like she'd feared.
What rang out was pitch near-perfectly tuned, pure and refined voicing.
And... that thin, delicate voice unique to a child, piercing straight to the heart.
-"I'll bring joy to lonely memories. In overflowing happiness, my song~!"
The song itself was simplified for a kid, no flashy techniques or complex melodies required.
Even so, to Lisa, this rendition was flawless.
Spot-on lyrics and pronunciation as basics.
Pitch traced like it was drawn by hand.
And above all.
The vivid "emotion" carried in that lovely voice.
It felt like a baby angel had come to spread light across the world,
melting even Lisa's anxious heart in its warmth.
"Ah..."
Thus, utterly convinced of a commoner ending only to get hammer-smashed in the back of the head.
Captured by the shock, Lisa just blankly stared at the little one... no, at Chae Seon-hwa.
Then,
as she watched, Seon-hwa finished the song and calmly asked in a steady voice.
"How was it?"
"Ah... uh... g-good... Way... way better than I... imagined..."
For a moment, words failed her entirely.
All she could do was drag them one by one from her mouth.
"C-could you... sing it one more time...? N-not a big deal... just wanna... check..."
"Yes."
Seon-hwa grabbed the mic again at her words.
As the same song flowed out once more,
Lisa confirmed it wasn't a hallucination—and couldn't help but think one thing.
'They really... exist... geniuses.'
*
"Ah..."
My daughter singing before my eyes...
No, my goddess.
Watching her, hearing that voice—my heart swelled with profound emotion.
I'd predicted this.
We'd practiced at home a few times,
and even in her past life, she'd once appeared on a show as a singer prodigy.
But knowing it in my head and feeling it live on-site were worlds apart.
The soft, warm voice burrowing into my ears.
It still carried that childish pitch,
and lacked the overwhelming aura that had dominated audiences in her past life.
Even so,
just hearing Plea—my goddess's—voice properly in this life had my heart bursting with joy.
From that deep, endless abyss.
That warm voice that had pulled me from the dark depths.
The song overflowing with love and compassion.
Standing at the starting point of that gracious mercy filled me with such emotion,
I couldn't hold back the tears.
"T-teacher?"
"Sniff... huuhh..."
Once more, grateful to be alive in this moment.
*
To Ha Yu-ra, Chae Soo-jeong was a "strong person."
Unshakable no matter what, steadfast.
And her actual physical prowess(?) was no joke either.
Somehow aloof,
yet deeply maternal underneath.
A dignified mother figure through and through.
So this scene before her eyes came as quite the shock to Ha Yu-ra.
"Sniff... sniff..."
"...Um... a-are... you okay? Here, tissues..."
"Th-thank... you... sniff..."
Tears streaming down her face, Chae Soo-jeong wiping her nose.
Hadn't she just smiled lightly even when The Queen Dowager, Sovereign of Deception hit 28% ratings?
Seeing her cry like this—an image unimaginable from her usual self—strangely reminded Ha Yu-ra of a certain type.
'This is like looking at a hardcore idol stan... or... not quite?'
Stepping back, it wasn't incomprehensible.
She herself knew someone who flipped like this over their kid.
'Is this just what parents are like...? Kinda dramatic, honestly...'
She probably wouldn't know for sure until she had her own.
Leaving the still-weeping Soo-jeong behind, Ha Yu-ra's gaze returned to the scene.
Lisa staring blankly in the booth, Seon-hwa gripping the mic with her tiny hands, singing.
'She's really good. Doesn't look eight at all.'
Honestly, watching Soo-jeong push her daughter so hard, Ha Yu-ra had wondered if it was just parental greed.
She hadn't experienced it herself, but she knew moms often overburdened their kids with expectations.
No matter how amazing Soo-jeong's acting, that didn't guarantee her daughter was a genius too.
In fact, Seon-hwa's acting was solid for a child actor—maybe a cut above average.
She listened well compared to peers, but nothing prodigious like her mom's.
So Ha Yu-ra had expected this OST to end averagely.
But... this scene forced her to admit it.
Different fields—acting vs. singing—but
this girl was undeniably Soo-jeong's blood...
a true "genius."
And with that realization.
Another thought dawned on Ha Yu-ra.
'An eight-year-old genius singer... I should probably tell that person about this...'