Chapter 87
Chapter 87
Before I explained why we needed a workspace, I needed to talk about the album first.
Originally, if a company has an in-house A&R team, the album is entirely their responsibility. From setting the group's musical direction, to finding songs that fit in the music market, to arranging them to match the established concept.
But what if it was a small company without an A&R team, no dedicated producer, and not even a member capable of producing?
It became hard to bring out the team's unique color.
People might think that color or whatever doesn't matter as long as the song is good, but just looking at how the stature of producers had been rising lately, it was easy to see that people increasingly valued this 'team color'.
'And we do have a self-producing member... don't we.'
But that wasn't enough.
First, the biggest problem was that Kim Yuri only had one body.
The second problem was... there were too many ambitious members on the team.
Of course, I was included in that, but the main character I was about to talk about wasn't me.
It was Jeong Sowol.
—I have something I really, really, really, really want to do.
—What is it?
After the team was finalized, Jeong Sowol consistently expressed opinions related to the album.
By now, his opinions alone had piled up to 17, and this was one of them.
—I wish all the songs on the album were connected!
—Ah, um.
The kind of albums Jeong Sowol often listened to mostly paid a lot of attention to track placement within the album.
So that from track 1 to the last track, all the songs were connected organically and the album itself could feel like a single play.
Of course, that wasn't to say idols didn't care about track placement.
However, to make that a reality.......
'In the end, there's no choice but to split Kim Yuri's body into pieces.'
But since that was impossible, Kim Yuri personally set out to search for a composing team.
In that process, I got to listen to the work of a team Kim Yuri introduced, saying he wanted to work with them.
It was really alright.
The reason I gave a lukewarm evaluation like 'alright' instead of 'good' was because it fit my ears... really, too well.
It went without saying, but I also had my own music taste.
And fortunately, my taste had the mass appeal to casually find songs ranking high on digital charts good.
The problem was... the songs I truly found good mostly had chart performances that made discussing rankings laughable.
'In other words, whether this song will work for other people too is the key point.'
Since Kim Yuri and I had been able to become close quickly because our music tastes aligned, that hyung's ears were probably similar to mine.
For that reason, I held a listening session with all the members.
First, Han Neuti's reaction was this.
—It's good? Oh, nice.
It was a clear positive review, but since he said it with an expression asking if he dared to judge someone else's work, it was impossible to tell if he meant it.
Next was Baek Gyeonwoo.
—It's alright.
This guy... last time I checked out his playlist, he just listened to whatever the algorithm fed him.
And Kim Sanho.
—.......
—How is it.
—Um, it suits you well, hyung.
—So do you like it, or not?
—I like it.......
Actually, since Kim Sanho was the very definition of someone with top 100 digital chart ears, it was safe to say it had already been proven here.
The problem was Jeong Sowol.
Mass appeal......
It was a really important issue, but if it didn't match the members' tastes, it was all useless, wasn't it. And as we knew, Jeong Sowol had that kind of taste.
Out of all the members, this was probably the time I was most nervous.
—How is it?
Jeong Sowol, who had been listening to the song with wired earphones plugged in, opened his mouth in just 10 seconds.
—Wow, that sounds sick as hell.
—You listen to this kind of song too?
—I don't discriminate with music. Except for the crappy stuff.
He added that his gloomy song choices up until now had just been him finding songs that matched his guitar.
Anyway, after confirming the members' opinions aligned, I immediately summoned Kim Yuri.
Fortunately, it seemed the hyung liked it too. Just seeing how he seriously considered our request to be in charge of a group that didn't even have a name yet proved that.
And that answer had just come back yesterday.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a definite yes.
—A workspace?
—Yeah. Ah, but... we do need one.
Being an unknown composing team, they found it hard to afford workspace rent, so they set the workspace as a condition.
It wasn't an unreasonable request. It was understandable.
—Then I'll make one for you.
—......Huh?
And I had the money I received as compensation.
I naturally thought it would go into company funds, but the President told me it was my money, so I should use it.
I did consider giving it to my parents... but with the situation still unstable, I held onto it just in case.
'Yuri hyung is worth investing in.'
On top of that, Kim Yuri had been wasting unnecessary time going back and forth between the practice room and rented workspaces.
I immediately took out my phone to look up locations, but the reason this wasn't executed was solely because of Kim Yuri.
—Seo Cha-gyeom.......
—Yes.
—Just use that for yourself... what are you doing giving it to a kid.......
He was so uncannily firm that I couldn't even add any more words to persuade him.
But this current situation.
Anyone could see it was screaming fate and opportunity.
"A workspace......."
The President, who had been muttering while stroking his chin, nodded indifferently a moment later.
"Alright."
And he left to greet the workforce that had arrived to start construction.
I... rubbed my shoulder.
'Does the President have more money than I thought?'
I never expected him to accept it so easily.
On the way to the basement level 1 practice room, I asked Baek Gyeonwoo.
"Just how successful of a game was SPACE G:? Do you know?"
"......."
"What?"
"You really did nothing but practice, huh."
According to Baek Gyeonwoo's subsequent explanation, <SPACE G:> was a game that succeeded worldwide, with a stature so huge it was once called one of the leading forces of the Hallyu wave.
When I asked what kind of game it was, he said 'you'd know if I told you', so I said I didn't know. And then he really didn't tell me.
'Anyway... so that's how it is.'
So someone who developed a game of that caliber really did start an idol company just for their nephew's dream.
It wasn't entirely without suspicious parts, but still, having a lot of money was always reassuring.
I entered the practice room, feeling renewed satisfaction with the present situation.
* * *
[Seo Cha-gyeom: So that everyone's waiting isn't in vain, we'll really come back with our absolute best. Please don't forget us and wait.......]
The composer of , Im Cheon-seon.
Despite the current reality where work was flocking to overseas composers rather than domestic ones, Im Cheon-seon's inbox was piled high with requests asking him to make songs.
Yet instead of putting his hands on composing programs, he was watching a video.
[Han Neuti: ......That would be nice.]
[Seo Cha-gyeom: Yes, it would be nice. But before that, we think it's right for us to put in the effort first. (Han Neuti: Nods nods) So from now on, we plan to consistently show our faces through vlogs like this.]
"......."
It was a trainee vlog uploaded to the channel of an agency called Sorasum, which he had never heard of.
To understand the catalyst that made Im Cheon-seon start keeping a close eye on Sorasum... no, Seo Cha-gyeom's activities.
One had to go back several months, to the moment his friend Joo Yeonhee sent a text.
[Lord: Oppa I found him!!]
[Lord: Oppa's role model lololololololololol]
A message transmitted with countless 'lol's that were clearly blatant mockery.
Im Cheon-seon sent a reply exactly as he thought.
[What are you talking about]
She must have been playing around, because another message arrived shortly.
[Lord: What was his name? Theo? Saw a trainee who looks crazy similar to that character]
[Lord: The one who passed away recently, that one]
[Lord: (Sobbing emoticon)]
Theo.
The NPC character from a failed game that Im Cheon-seon had dedicated a whole 10 years of his life to.
And.
'Role model, my ass?'
All he remembered was her cussing it out like crazy, let alone calling it a role model.
Im Cheon-seon, after reading the message, threw his head back against the chair's headrest. Feeling his body wobble a few more times from the recoil, he sent a reply a moment later.
[Who is it?]
He was curious.
Because that character, 'Theo', was the character in charge of being the ultimate pretty boy in Im Cheon-seon's failed game.
Pretty boy. It was a term that could feel somewhat old-fashioned, but considering the age of the people who made the game, it couldn't be helped.
'Must be insanely handsome.'
Knowing Joo Yeonhee's personality, where she was always cautious regarding the opposite sex even in private conversations, this was clearly not because they actually looked alike, but a roundabout way of saying he was handsome.
And Joo Yeonhee had extremely high standards, so it was worth looking forward to.
[Lord: Oppa, did you know a hue charted backwards?]
[Lord: The kid who made that song chart backwards is that guy, you didn't see it???]
He was aware of his song charting backwards.
But Im Cheon-seon's songs had always been prone to reverse chart runs. They were regulars on hidden gem playlists, after all.
He had thought the reverse run of was probably the same, casually assuming some celebrity must have mentioned it, and didn't think much of it.
'......Should I check it out.'
Im Cheon-seon turned on Neotube.
And there, after facing 'Seo Cha-gyeom' for the first time, Im Cheon-seon immediately sent Joo Yeonhee a message.
[Hey]
[What do you mean alike, it's totally different]
[Lord: Really? Don't you get a vibe?]
[Lord: Keep watching]
Just as she said, Im Cheon-seon kept looking up Seo Cha-gyeom's videos.
And eventually, he ended up reaching the point of binge-consuming all of Seo Cha-gyeom's content.......
[Lord: Still don't see it?]
[Lord: See him in person then, go go when recording the digital release]
[No, screw that, I'm not going]
[I already wrapped things up with the production crew there, said I'm not appearing]
[I'm not even that curious]
[Lord: OMG, when have you been swearing up a storm at the game company, saying you killed that project]
[Lord: It could be reincarnated in Korea, you know ㅜㅜ]
[Lord: Seriously not coming?]
Only then did Im Cheon-seon realize.
'I got baited.'
Theo was just an excuse; it was the scheme of a social butterfly to drag him outside.
But now that things had come this far, it felt like he wouldn't be satisfied unless he saw it through to the end.
The effort Joo Yeonhee was putting in, to this degree... he couldn't ignore it anymore either.
That was how Im Cheon-seon really did, 'unwillingly', end up visiting the recording site.
—Uh, composer-nim, I have something to tell you.
And the Seo Cha-gyeom he met in person there was.......
'He really does have a vibe?'
Joo Yeonhee's words weren't a lie.
Seo Cha-gyeom and Theo had similarities beyond just looking alike in the face.
As for what that similarity was.
Im Cheon-seon, who had been watching Seo Cha-gyeom diligently giving feedback on revisions, spoke without realizing it.
—Hey.
—Yes?
—'Even the dawn of Rowin will come to an end.' Say that once.
Actually, because Theo was an NPC introduced at the timing when the game was already failing, he hadn't even been assigned a voice actor.
But in Im Cheon-seon's head, his voice was always.
—......Even the... dawn of Rowin... will come to an end?
—.......
It had sounded like this voice.
Exactly, a voice that perfectly realized Im Cheon-seon's imagination.
[Seo Cha-gyeom: If there's a song you want to hear, anytime in the comments.......]
And back to the present.
Im Cheon-seon, who had been listening to Seo Cha-gyeom's video with a serious expression, twitched his eyebrows.
"A song I want to hear......."
Im Cheon-seon thought.
'I'd like it if you sang my song.'
And he made a decision.
The time had come to put into action what he had been consistently thinking about since the <MAKE100%> filming.
"Alright."
Rolling up his sleeves, Im Cheon-seon searched for the email address of Seo Cha-gyeom's agency, Sorasum Entertainment.
And he composed an email.
The content was that he, none other than 'Im Cheon-seon' himself, would be in charge of making a song for their trainee.
'Won't they be shocked?'
He didn't feel the need to attach a portfolio.
After all, he was the composer of , the very song Seo Cha-gyeom had often enjoyed listening to.
A reply came just a single day later.
Im Cheon-seon wasn't nervous at all. Casually clicking the email, he read the first sentence while whistling.
"We're sorry but......."
Huh?
We're sorry but?
Im Cheon-seon calmly read through the text.
"We have already found a compos... what? What does that matter! You can just do it together! Let's meet next time if there's an opportunity? Who's going to give another opport... what is this?"
......I got rejected?
At that moment when Im Cheon-seon was standing there dazed at the unbelievable news.
[Ding!]
A notification rang on his phone.
It was a text from a guy who had once been his student.
[Voyager: Hyungnim, I got some good news lolololo ㅠ]
'I just had a shitty experience, you little bastard.'
He couldn't say that to a student he cared about.
While Im Cheon-seon inhaled and tried to piece his shattered pride back together, a few more texts added on.
[Voyager: Got contacted by a new company!! I'll be working with a rookie idol team]
[Voyager: They're giving me a workspace and even a salary...ㅜㅜ]
'Salary, so it's an exclusive contract.'
It was rare for a composer to get a salary.
Before congratulating him, Im Cheon-seon decided to check, worried that his naive student might be getting scammed.
[What company]
The reply came right away.
[Voyager: It's Sorasum! lolol]