30 - Giant Killing (2)
30 - Giant Killing (2)
30.
To put it simply, Jin Sohyang didn’t really like the song “Rough.”
There wasn’t some deep reason. It was just… cringey.
It wasn’t just Sohyang. The other four members of Hwayangyeonhwa didn’t like “Rough” much either. Especially the adult members—they were extremely embarrassed about having to wear school uniforms on stage again.
Originally, “Rough” wasn’t even a title track. It was a pre-release. But it became more popular than expected, so it got switched to the title track.
Because of that, Sohyang didn’t have high expectations for Yoon Hajun’s rearranged version. The core of the song was all about emphasizing “cuteness,” so how much could it really change just from rearranging?
That’s what she thought.
At least, until she actually heard it.
Sohyang listened to Hajun’s rearranged “Rough” with a bewildered expression.
W-What is this?
Is this really the “Rough” I know?
The bubbly, bouncy melody that used to feel lively and full of sweetness… had turned thick and sticky. The fast parts were slowed down, while the slow parts were sped up.
If the original song’s colors were pink and yellow, this one felt like dark crimson and deep purple.
“How is it?” Hajun asked.
His usually sleepy eyes had turned sharp.
How is it…?
Sohyang hesitated, unsure how to phrase it, then decided to just be honest.
“…This is ‘Rough,’ right?”
“You don’t feel it at all?” Hajun looked startled.
If “Rough” couldn’t even be felt in this, that would be a disaster. That would mean this wasn’t a rearrangement at all—it was a completely new composition.
Seeing Hajun’s worried face, Sohyang waved her hands quickly.
“N-No, it’s not that. I’m just… a bit taken aback.”
It had changed enough to be unsettling, but the core melody was still there. This song was definitely “Rough.” Just a version she had never even imagined.
“I also tweaked the lyrics to match the music. Not a lot—just a tiny bit.”
Saying that, Hajun handed her a sheet of paper. It had the lyrics on it—just as he said. No major changes. Only very slight edits.
For example:
“I love you (geudaereul saranghae)” → “I only love you (neomaneul saranghae)”
“I want your love (geudaeui sarangeul wonhae)” → “I only want you (neomaneul wonhago isseo)”
“I want to hold your hand (geudaeui soneul japgo sipeunde)” → “I’ll hold the hand that belongs only to me (namaneul wihan soneul jap-eullae)”
Definitely not huge changes. But those tiny edits completely shifted the entire nuance of the lyrics.
For example, the line “I love you but it’s hard to express” used to feel like a sweet secret of a shy girl. But now… it felt obsessive.
And it wasn’t just that one line.
“I’m not a kid,”
“What’s wrong with me,”
—all of those now came across strangely.
As Sohyang sat there confused, Hajun explained.
“The theme of my arrangement of ‘Rough’ is obsession. Not a shy girl’s love—but a clingy, suffocating love. Not ‘I’m worried because of our age.’ But: ‘Who cares about age? I want you. You’re mine. No matter what happens, you’re mine.’ That kind of vibe.”
“…That’s kind of scary.”
“I emphasized that in the music, too. That’s why I used violins—to create tension. And there’s a repeated lyrics section in the middle—that part is for dancing.”
“But… can I really pull off a stage like this?”
“Of course. You’ve done it before.”
“?”
“The stage for ‘It’s Not Love.’”
Ah.
Sohyang nodded. She hadn’t realized while listening, but once he said “It’s Not Love,” it made sense. That song also had a heavy theme of love. Although, that one wasn’t this clingy or suffocating. It leaned more toward a powerful girl-crush vibe.
So he heard that and thought of arranging “Rough” like this?
“The arrangement isn’t completely finished yet, but the big picture is this. And the highlight part—the dance-only section—won’t change. With this much, you can plan the choreography, right?”
“I’ll talk to my choreographer first.”
“Yeah, do that. Choreography is really important, so please make sure she does a good job.”
“Okay.”
Sohyang nodded, then looked at Hajun.
He was such an interesting person.
When she first asked him for help, she never even considered “beating” Han Goyo. She just wanted to perform a stage she wouldn’t regret.
But now… she was starting to see a possibility.
Maybe… just maybe…
§
“You’re telling me… a classmate arranged this?”
“Yes.”
Hwayangyeonhwa’s choreography director at ROC Entertainment, Hannah, looked baffled as she questioned Sohyang.
A first-year high schooler arranged this?
She knew Seolwon Arts High was impressive, but high school freshmen could do arrangements like this?
Of course, there were some rough spots. It felt like some parts of the music were stitched together a bit forcefully. But even so, this was extremely well done. Above all, the fact that someone rearranged “Rough” in this way was incredible in itself.
“…That’s amazing.”
“I thought so too.”
“So you want me to choreograph something that fits this song, right? Did the lyrics stay the same?”
“No, the lyrics changed a bit too.”
Sohyang handed her the revised lyrics Hajun had given her.
When Hannah read it, she let out an incredulous laugh. The lyrics were insane—in a good way. Just a few minor edits, but they completely transformed the overall tone.
“This isn’t just ‘seduction.’”
The rearranged “Rough” wasn’t sexy or alluring. It was obsession that bordered on madness.
“This man is mine. I’ve decided that. Everyone else get lost—or get hurt.”
That kind of feeling.
It was dizzying. It used to be a sweet, lovely song! How could it change this much?!
“So… can you choreograph it?” Sohyang asked cautiously.
Hannah stared at her.
All of Hwayangyeonhwa’s choreography had been made by Hannah. She was the one who taught the members every move. And out of the five members, the one who worked hardest was Jin Sohyang.
When Sohyang first became a trainee, her dancing wasn’t that great. But she worked desperately and pulled herself up to this level. Not just dancing. Even facial expressions toward the camera, simple gestures—she practiced all of it by studying countless videos on her own.
“I’ll do it.”
That was exactly why Hannah cherished Sohyang the most. And now, her favorite student was asking for her help. Of course she’d do it. Damn right.
“First, since we don’t have much time, I’ll keep everything except the highlight part as simple as possible.”
“Yes.”
“And this will probably rely a lot on your hands.”
“My hands?”
Hannah nodded and looked at Sohyang’s hands. Long, slender, beautiful hands. With those hands, she could maximize this “obsession” theme.
“Have you decided on the outfit?”
“Not yet.”
“You’re preparing stage direction together with him, right?”
“Yes.”
“What about backup dancers?”
“That’ll probably be difficult.”
Hannah felt a bit disappointed. If there were backup dancers, things would be much easier. But it couldn’t be helped. This was the opening stage, after all. The real stars of the concert were the third years. Bringing backup dancers would be… too much.
“Still, since there’s a clear dance section, it won’t be too hard to choreograph.”
“That’s a relief. Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yeah.”
It was her beloved student’s first solo stage. She would make choreography that wouldn’t lose to anyone.
At the same time, she really wanted to see the face of this student named Yoon Hajun who rearranged this song.
§ § §
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Hm?”
“It’s just… Oppa, you look really tired.”
At Suyeon’s words, I shook my head. I was tired, sure, but not to the point of collapsing. I drank an energy drink I bought from the convenience store and said, “By the way, are you really okay staying home today?”
Suyeon nodded. Then after a moment of thought, she smiled brightly.
“I think I’m a total homebody. Going out is fun, but… I like home more.”
“Well, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
Right now, the two of us were in my room. Because Suyeon said she would rather stay home than go out. She was eating the strawberry ice cream I bought at the convenience store.
“Home just feels comfortable. But… is it okay to just sit around like this?”
“Of course.”
The whole reason I took her out before was to relieve her stress. To make her as comfortable as possible.
“But how are we going to work on the song? Can you really make a song just from what I told you before?”
“Of course not.”
Those things are only small reference points during the process. You can’t write a whole song with just that.
I looked at Suyeon, still crunching on ice cream, and asked, “Why? You want to start working already?”
“Yeah.”
“Then should we start?”
I took out the guitar I bought with the contract money from Sohyang. Senior Won Sungmin sold it to me super cheap, and it felt perfect in my hands.
“What kind of song do you want to sing?”
“What kind?”
“From existing songs—tell me what kind of song you’d like to sing.”
“Hmm, there are too many I want to sing… I like songs like ‘Let’s Go on a Trip,’ and ‘Rooftop Cat,’ and oh! ‘Rumor’ too!”
Okay, I get the general idea. She prefers bright songs over dark ones. Songs about her own story rather than songs for someone else.
“It’s hard to explain, but instead of some super special song… something comfortable? Something that just feels cozy? Like, for example, a song that feels like our home. I like that kind of song. Of course, I also want to sing special songs, but for now I feel like that.”
“Yeah.”
A comfortable song, huh. That’s another tough request. Not that comfortable songs are bad. They’re just hard to make.
Songs need dynamic control. Especially for a festival stage, controlling tension and release is crucial. If it’s tearful from start to finish, or just energetic the whole time, it’s hard to leave a strong impact. You need a calm section for buildup. But that calm section can’t be too long. It’s pleasant to listen to, but not memorable.
So we need to make a song that’s comfortable but still impactful. As if that’s easy.
“Do you have an image of the kind of song you want? Just say it comfortably. Don’t overthink it—just say whatever comes to mind.”
“Hmm… like, wearing comfy clothes at home and texting or calling a friend? Or being with a friend? Eating snacks or ice cream while watching TV? Listening to songs you like? Or chatting? That kind of vibe?”
…Yeah.
This is going to be insanely hard. Probably the most difficult track I’ve ever worked on.
I let out a short sigh—then smiled. But that kind of challenge is fun too.
A comfortable vibe, huh.
What should I use as the base instrument? Acoustic guitar, probably.
After that, Suyeon and I kept talking about various things, using the conversation to define the image of the song.
“It’s like… inviting the people you like over to our house.”
“Yes! Exactly!”
The image was set. Now it was time to actually write.
How do I give it that cozy feeling…?
As I tapped on the guitar body, Suyeon suddenly asked, “Oh, right. Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“When can I see Jin Sohyang?”
She looked excited. She must really want to meet Sohyang soon.
“As soon as the choreography is ready. You’ll help as an audience.”
“I’m good at that! I even have a Hwayangyeonhwa light stick!”
“…Right.”
Apparently Suyeon likes Hwayangyeonhwa more than I thought.
She’s not going to storm the stage or something, right?
…Now I’m getting a little nervous.