Chapter 39
Chapter 39
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Slim Gold's Big Hit
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“How did you know?”
“Of course I had to. I heard it plenty while you were recording.”
I was pretty shocked, but the composer acted like it was no big deal.
Was this the poise of a pro?
Hyejeong, hand over all those karaoke trips we took together.
“More than that, it was really good.”
“Ahaha... You think so?”
“Yeah. That friend has talent to begin with.”
“Hyun-su?”
“If Hyun-su is Slim Gold, then yes.”
Oh... so he really does have talent?
This composer might not look it, but he's a pretty famous pro in the industry.
He already has his name on a few hit songs.
“Oh, that one?”
“You mean you haven't heard? The album's impact is massive right now.”
“Huh?”
A question mark popped up over my head at the composer's words.
Massive impact?
“Hyun-su's just some promising rookie with a name, right?”
“He was. Until the other day.”
He said that and pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and showed it to me.
“It's trending right now, and you didn't know?”
“Trending?”
What did that mean?
Ayoung and Hyun-su hadn't said anything.
And how long ago did the album even come out for it to be trending?
I responded but still half-doubted as I looked at the composer's phone.
My eyes widened soon enough.
“Is this for real?”
The screen he showed was a music chart.
Specifically, the real-time hot chart.
Hyun-su's songs were lined up in the top ranks, the ones for the brand-new tracks.
Yeah, lined up.
Not just one—multiple album tracks holding positions.
“How did it blow up like this?”
“Well, leaving aside how good the songs are, there are a few reasons. For one, no influential singers have dropped new tracks lately, leaving a gap. And promotion.”
“Promotion?”
“The big names in the band scene are pushing it hard. From broadcast TV to articles, SNS—they're introducing it to their fanbases like crazy.”
“Ah.”
I recalled the people from that dinner party. Come to think of it, there were some famous faces.
“These days, promotion is essential for songs. People have to know about it to listen, so in that sense, it was top-notch marketing.”
“You know a lot about this...?”
“It's my livelihood. Gotta keep an eye on the industry.”
Pros really are different.
And if the album's doing well, that's good, right?
I'm just helping out part-time anyway, so...
“You seemed skeptical, but then you must be Miro.”
“Huh?”
“You haven't seen the group photo with Do Hyeon-gang?”
Do Hyeon-gang—I'd seen him at that dinner.
Even among all the big names there, he had the most seniority and fame.
“Look closely here. Isn't that you next to Ayoung?”
He said that and showed me the photo.
The familiar background, familiar faces... and me, totally wasted, grinning ear to ear with a V-sign...
“Huh?”
“Your face was flushed, and you looked different from usual, so I didn't recognize you at first.”
“No, wait...”
Do Hyeon-gang's circle? Wasn't it just a casual gathering?
More importantly...
“Where'd you get this photo?”
“I follow that guy on SNS. This one, though, a junior sent it to me.”
Oh, right, I said they could post it...
But...
I looked at the photo closely.
Face beet red from being hammered, grinning like an idiot—is that really me?
Still pretty, though.
Anyone else would've looked like a total mess, but it works out cute.
“Wow, the photo turned out great.”
“Anyway, I got sidetracked.”
He let out an exclamation looking at my face but brushed it off lightly.
He put his phone down and pulled out his notebook again.
“Anyway, this time I tried to reflect all six opinions as much as possible to capture your individuality. It's a first for me, so it feels fresh.”
The notebook he opened was filled densely with words and phrases. Probably all the input from me and the other members.
“Oh... Does this not happen usually?”
“Sometimes clients give a vague vibe when commissioning, but no one gets this specific. People who make those demands usually compose themselves anyway.”
“Ahaha... Did our company ask too much? Honestly...”
“So now you're blaming the company?”
“...I'm a bit thrifty.”
The composer gave me a look of disbelief at my words.
...It's kinda embarrassing when someone usually expressionless does that.
“Ahem, anyway, what do you think of our input? Helpful at all?”
“Huh? It's not about helpful. I just mash whatever's here together and make it work.”
“Ahaha... Brutal.”
“Well, song-wise, me doing it solo would probably be better, honestly.”
Ouch, really brutal.
But I knew that already.
An amateur crew steering the ship won't go straight, right?
Still...
“We're streamers, though. With live streaming and viewers right there, having our personalities shine through will appeal to both the folks watching our broadcasts now and the new listeners coming in from the song later.”
So what if the ship veers off course?
Sometimes a dense forest calms the heart more than a vast ocean.
“Right? That's why I don't say much.”
The composer nodded with his signature blank expression, like he got it.
“But we should set some priorities first.”
He showed me a page from the notebook.
Individuality, freshness, etc...
Stuff I'd said, plain as day.
“I've already used a few to sketch the big picture.”
He showed me the notebook, pulled out a pen, and started circling some words.
“These, these, and this one—definitely in. Anything else you absolutely want? I need to compile and recruit lyricists.”
“Recruit lyricists?”
“Yeah, I can do lyrics, but I was gonna ask some friends.”
He's serious. Well, good is good.
“Hmm... Then this one... this, oh and this would be nice but not essential.”
We picked out the ones that should go in from the list.
Will all this end up in the song?
It made me a bit excited, but also worried.
Did I pick too many? Will it turn into Chimera-mon?
“Don't worry. I won't force anything in.”
Whoops, did my face give it away? As I pondered the notebook, the composer reassured me.
“Ahaha... Right? Okay, all picked.”
I handed it back with a lighter heart.
“What do you think?”
“Looks good. Thanks for cooperating.”
After that, we talked for quite a while longer with the composer.
From why we gave certain opinions, to what I thought during the last recording session, how I ended up featuring on Hyun-su's track, how the work went, and so on.
After chatting about song stuff for a good long time, he paused, then spoke a bit cautiously.
“More than that, this has nothing to do with this album, but...”
“Gasp, what are you gonna say?”
We'd talked long enough here to build a little rapport, so I teased back playfully, but the composer looked dead serious as he made his pitch.
“Any interest in releasing a song?”
“...A song?”
And his proposal was something I hadn't even considered.
“Truth is, I have this track I composed a while back.”
“A track?”
“Composers always have one or two songs that never find an owner.”
He said it with a hint of bitterness, cleared the notebook from the table, and propped up his phone.
“I know it's sudden. But how about listening first and deciding?”
“Uh... sure, I'll give it a listen.”
Sudden like he said, but no harm in hearing it, right?
I agreed, and he tapped his phone a few times before playing the song. The melody and vocals flowed out, leaving me a bit flustered.
“You sing pretty well...?”
“Couldn't get a guide vocal, so I did it myself.”
That ended the talk.
After my first comment, I focused on the song.
‘...It's like a pop song.’
I was surprised right from the intro.
A famous K-pop composer had this hidden away?
No denying it felt strongly like a pop track, Korean lyrics aside.
I listened on, a bit puzzled.
But the more I heard, the more puzzled turned to awe.
By the end.
I couldn't help but wonder again.
“...Is this okay for me to sing?”
Isn't this a bit too big for me?