This Much Exposure Is Just Cute!
In the world of mainstream music, there are songs dubbed seasonal zombies—tracks that refuse to die and climb the charts every season without fail.
Songs that pop up on the charts every season, even over a decade after release.
'Truth is, those are the real cash cows when it comes to streaming royalties.'
It's no joke that the creators of hits like "Cherry Blossom Ending" live off royalties like a pension.
Honestly, for composers like me, it doesn't matter much how big the idol who sings our song gets.
Whether they sell a ton of albums or fill Gocheok Stadium with concert tickets, as long as the streaming royalties roll in, we're good.
"Honestly, this melody line is pretty solid..."
Of course, it was hard to imagine this track joining the ranks of those seasonal zombies. We'd decided to release it in summer, not winter, and I couldn't guarantee it had that level of quality anyway.
The song I'd chosen was a soft pop ballad from my past life, infamous as a mood killer when used as a drama OST.
Just watching you was enough, like sunlight on a winter day
The lyrics were utterly everyday and straightforward.
A super common tale of innocent puppy love, later recalled as a fond memory of that person.
Sung through a child's clear voice, those lyrics would create a vivid texture, like the first footprint in fresh snow.
Especially the chorus melody, gliding smoothly between true and falsetto—that was the song's highlight.
A few months ago, I wouldn't have even dreamed of attempting something this technically demanding, but now it felt doable.
The little tree lights blooming in my heart—if they shine on you, could this summer turn to winter?
Even with overt Christmas carol symbols, it didn't feel out of place thanks to the sleek pop sound throughout.
Hearing it under August's scorching sun would make you feel like you'd stumbled into a secret ice cave only you knew about.
"It's a carol, but... it suits summer nights more than winter. Still, the lyrics need tweaking. They're too drama-OST for my style."
I muttered as I took off my headphones.
Actually, in my past life, this song was famous among that singer's fans as a summer carol.
A cool tone to soothe sweat beading on your forehead, hiding a mature soul's depth beneath.
When those contrasting charms fused, it just might convince people with this odd "summer carol" vibe.
The instrumental was already set; all that was left was rewriting the lyrics in my style, which wouldn't be too hard.
And I had someone to consult anyway.
'Feel a bit bad, but... if this song was born in a parallel world like this, she'd probably love it, right?'
I knew full well that ripping off past-life hits made me a plagiarism composer, but this one felt extra weird since I was close to the original artist.
I pictured the male idol who'd collaborated with me on this track.
He'd soared high after I left the company... but we'd kept in touch steadily afterward.
Come to think of it, I wondered how my past-life acquaintances were doing after my death.
I'd stuck around the industry long enough to have plenty of friends—and plenty of enemies.
How had they taken my death? Who came to the funeral? Who cried? It suddenly bugged me.
"Ugh, dumb thoughts."
Now that I had some breathing room, my mind wandered to every random thing.
Back at Evergreen Sky Nursery, I'd sigh inwardly every night, lost on how to survive. Now I was at this point? What a world of difference.
Money worries were basically gone from my life now.
'But I could still end up a has-been ghost if I'm not careful.'
Complacency was the enemy, always.
To stay in the public eye after Singer Star, I'd need to keep active.
Unlike other celebs, singers fade fast. Miss the charts for a year, and the public forgets you.
Top-charting idols vanishing in under a year was old news now.
"Life's not easy..."
Should I be content with escaping the orphanage via cash? Or push higher with nonstop activity post-Singer Star?
That was my biggest dilemma lately.
"Siyeon! Your package arrived!"
"Oh. Got it. Un... ni."
"Hehe. It's in the living room. Wanna open it together?"
I nodded slightly at Yoo Seolha's words.
Given the outfit's nature, I needed someone to weigh in anyway.
Even in my past life, I'd never been big on buying clothes online.
Other stuff was fine, but clothes? Without trying them on, reviews could lie—real wear often felt totally different.
But dragging me from this mountainside to Gangwon's city for one Santa suit? No way.
So I'd asked the staff to order it via delivery.
The kids' Santa outfit I'd seen online looked super modest.
"...No, this is not it."
I changed and stared at the mirror in disbelief. Yoo Seolha tilted her head.
"Why? It's cute! Fits perfectly."
Fit wasn't the issue. The design was flawed from the start.
It had looked like it covered well past the navel at first. But the fabric's stretch and length...
I tested by slowly raising my arms in front of the mirror.
Whoosh.
As my arms went past shoulder height, the red velvet rode up defenselessly.
In a flash, my navel—and even the bottom of my ribs—were fully exposed.
Assuming any arm-raise, this beat my old cheerleader outfit for skin shown.
"...Unni, if I raise my arms, my whole stomach shows."
"Oh, really? Crop top style! Cute though?"
Yoo Seolha poked near my belly curiously. I flinched back from the tickle.
Even counting past-life memories, this level of exposure was unprecedented.
"I-I can't perform in this. Gotta order a new one."
"Aw, Siyeon. Compared to idol stage outfits these days, this is tame. What's wrong with a bit of tummy? Baby belly's just cute. Makes me wanna raspberry it~"
"It's not about cute—it's embarrassing!"
I protested, jumping, but my standards differed from theirs.
"It's summer though... Too covered up might look stuffy? A little skin when you raise arms isn't bad. Not like massive exposure."
"R-Really?"
"For you, it's cute exposure!"
But I knew Blooming's members had never shown skin on stage.
Their most revealing was short-sleeve tops with miniskirts.
'No, but seriously, not their place to say.'
I'd buy it from Lee Hye-na, but from Yoo Seolha, it felt like hypocrisy.
'At least the skirt's proper length.'
The bottoms I'd picked hit just above the knee.
Stage skirts? After experiences, no big deal anymore.
Off-stage, I still stuck to pants... but adapting to skirts, honestly, anything felt the same now.
Scary how I was turning into a real girl.
'Next thing, I'll be doing hours of makeup for Insta-vibe cafe tours.'
Worse: could be with a guy. Or girl. Probably solo, though.
"Oh? Jinwoo oppa. Over here, come check this out?"
Yoo Seolha called Joo Jinwoo, who'd just come downstairs. He usually avoided this area, but with young guys gone, he'd been visible more this round.
'Yeah, hanging with a lofty college senior must suck.'
"Whaddya think? Siyeon's outfit cute, right?"
He glanced, tilted his head.
"Santa suit? In this weather? But yeah, cute."
I looked up at him, raised arms in a V—let's see if he still called it cute.
"Hey, kiddo. You kids these days all this... fast? Already into that stuff. Like the cheerleader thing."
"Ugh! It's not like I like it! Ah. Dang. It."
I glared with bunny eyes. He chuckled, finding it cute.
Obviously, "kiddo" didn't faze him—like it never did me as a guy.
'This is kinda annoying.'