Lyrics Are Best Left to the Literature Girl
"So, what do you think of the lyrics?"
"Hmm? They're not bad, I guess? But I'm not really great at lyrics."
The basic framework of the song I'd titled Christmas of the Day was about longing for Christmases past on a rainy summer day.
The original had been about missing a lover, but since I'd never actually dated myself, I'd twisted the lyrics a bit.
Not just a lover—more like missing friends, family, or the whole vibe from back then...
My major wasn't lyrics to begin with. I could slap together something passable, but when it came to this, you really needed someone with a genuine feel for it.
That's why I showed the lyrics to Kim Seoli.
Her dad was such a big deal in literature... so Kim Seoli had no choice but to be pretty knowledgeable about writing herself.
She'd even said that if she hadn't gotten into the band, she probably would've become a novelist on her own.
"Personally, the word choice and flow... they seem pretty good. But I've mostly written novels. I don't know much about songwriting..."
"That's good enough."
I met Kim Seoli's sleepy half-lidded gaze.
Up close like this, she's actually really pretty.
Blooming's skyrocketing popularity came from their tight performances, sure—but the members' stunning looks were becoming the biggest factor.
Maybe because of that, Yoo Seolha aside, the other members' makeup was getting more and more elaborate... and from my vantage point, it felt kinda weird.
If I had to pick Blooming's weakest link, it used to be Jo Naeun—but now it'd be Kim Seoli.
Jo Naeun had some kind of breakthrough after lessons with Park Hansu and her skills shot up fast.
She was even personally messaging him, asking tons of questions about guitar.
Park Hansu had entered his active period last month and was swamped, but he didn't seem to mind having a disciple like Jo Naeun— he was replying diligently every time.
Kim Seoli, on the other hand, wasn't the type with any burning passion for music.
She didn't have insane passion for writing either.
She'd been born without much drive to begin with, and with her wealthy background... everything was just whatever.
To reach the top as a band, the drummer's crucial, though.
Well, not always. There were bands with godawful drumming that still got recognized as world-class.
"Unnie, ever thought about studying lyrics?"
"I have... thought about it. Honestly, I figured I'd quit after high school. If I'd known it'd go this far, I would've started learning sooner."
"I bet you'd pick it up super fast if you tried."
For Blooming's future, even if they outsourced composing, they needed at least one member who could handle lyrics.
They weren't some idol group—they couldn't outsource every single song.
Even if they did outsource the tracks, writing lyrics with member input was essential for maximum popularity.
"Oh, wanna hear it while you're here? I'll sing it once."
"Yeah, sure."
I started singing, matching the adapted lyrics.
-Fragments of seasons scattered through the raindrops
-Memories of that unusually cold day
-Beyond the summer heat pooled by the window
-I picture that night when white breaths touched
From the first verse, Kim Seoli's eyes trembled faintly.
I closed mine, recalling friends from my past life and the winter scenes I could never return to, then dove into the chorus.
-Christmas of the day, snow falling on an August night
-Memories like that time piling on my shoulders
-Trapped in the hot wind, I don't dream
-Of that Christmas I can never return to
After the first verse ended, I stopped the song and turned to Kim Seoli.
"How was it... uh? Are you... crying?"
"Yeah."
"...Why?"
"Made me miss my mom."
For the record, Kim Seoli's mom was alive and well. She'd even been on the massive TV in their living room yesterday.
I freaked, thinking she'd remembered some ex or a dead friend.
Like I'd noticed before, this girl was kinda weird.
"Come to think of it, what song are you guys doing, unnie? Decided yet?"
"Yeah. From this round to the finals—we've got it all planned."
"Already?"
Once Kim Seoli calmed down a bit, we sipped cocoa together.
Asking about Blooming's song for this round was inevitable.
Baek Yuyeon had brought some no-name drama OST with under 10,000 views, and Joo Jinwoo, learning from last time, was sticking to his ballads.
So what about Blooming? At this stage, debuting something new was tough and stressful.
What had they chosen?
"Anthem for this one."
"I know that song."
A refreshing summer track. Not my favorite personally, but it fit the seasonal vibe okay.
"And we're wearing swimsuits. As stage outfits."
"Huh? Wait, is that okay on network TV?"
"...What are you imagining? You think we're doing bikinis or something?"
No? Then what? I stared at the outfit Kim Seoli showed me—no skin color at all. It was wrapped up so tight, was it even a swimsuit?
"...This is it?"
"We wanted something more revealing, but our parents said no."
"Ah."
Well, can't be helped.
Anyway, time flew by. From this round on, there was no slacking—rehearsals and stage planning nonstop.
I requested cardboard sets from the production team to give a homey feel, plus lighting to soften the stage.
Unlike other stages, this one didn't need fancy gear. No orchestra, no backup dancers.
It was a carol, but followed standard pop structure, so vocal power and emotional delivery would make or break the quality.
They've only sung easy songs so far...
This one was undeniably tricky.
A song full of sky-high notes might've been easier in some ways.
But this—demanding precise control switching between chest and head voice in an awkward range—was a nightmare for me.
"Still... it's just barely stage-ready."
I chugged water in the practice room, muttering to myself.
I knew better than anyone how much my skills had grown. Honestly, at this level, I was top-tier for my age—genius territory, no question.
But I couldn't measure against normal kids anymore.
Truth be told, since the live rounds started, I'd been enjoying the stage more and more.
The attention, the cheers—it felt good.
In my past life, I'd always been behind idols, just polishing their shine. Never got real spotlight, never felt the stage rush.
To keep standing on stages, I have to keep growing.
My vocals were dead last out of the final five. Not just last—overwhelmingly.
So feeling a bit urgent was inevitable.
The public was getting used to this genius elementary kid who composed and sang hits.
I brought new stuff every round, and they charted—but votes were based on live performances.
A bland vocal showing in the finals could cost me the win right at the finish line.
"Hoo..."
Actually, betting sites and the public alike were predicting my landslide victory.
The fanbase gap between me, Joo Jinwoo, and Blooming was huge now.
Joo Jinwoo was the undisputed top vocalist, but sticking to ballads limited his fans.
Blooming and I had built fame by charting our own songs, dominating communities and YouTube.
Our cases were so unprecedented, Joo Jinwoo might even feel cheated.
He'd targeted the core audition audience perfectly; we'd pulled in casual viewers who didn't care about this stuff.
"Boosting singing might be at its limit here."
My tone was nice, but the childish girl's timbre and voice were unavoidable.
Puberty would fix that.
But that's ages away.
So how to continue after Singer Star? No clear answer yet.
Unusually serious, I left the practice room and gazed at the summer sea.
And the next day, the TOP 5 showdown began.