Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 047
Chapter Title: Trailer Release
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Enson GT headquarters, 6th floor, SM Division recording studio.
I'd gotten a call from Chaeyoung, who had been out of touch and holed up somewhere, so I headed to the studio.
"Oh, you came?"
"What brings you here? You haven't even been coming up to the office lately."
"It's not that I didn't want to go—work kept me from it."
"Anyway, why'd you call me?"
At my question, Chaeyoung casually spun her monitor around to show me.
"The final trailer OST mix came in this morning."
"Oh, really? How's it sound? Turned out good?"
"Just listen to it first. You'll get the vibe right away."
"Alright?"
Chaeyoung nodded at my response and hit play on the track.
The familiar dubstep intro kicked in, followed by the pounding bass and drums, with a smooth male vocal guiding the melody through it all.
Even amid the avant-garde backing tracks and layered instruments that followed, Kai's singing held its ground without faltering.
'This is what a pro-level vocalist sounds like...?'
It was definitely worth begging Chaeyoung for last time.
Even if it cost me that pricey bottle of booze I cherished.
"It's better than I imagined..."
Chaeyoung burst out laughing at my straightforward impression, as if she'd expected it.
"Right? He might look like a total goody-two-shoes, but his vocals are the real deal."
"The song's so good, it might steal the spotlight from the trailer itself."
"Wouldn't that be a good thing? If it spreads by word of mouth among fans, it's free promo."
"True enough."
Chaeyoung cracked open a fresh beer can, letting the lingering avant-garde instrumental wash over us like background music.
"So, when's the trailer dropping?"
"The video edit's about 70% done, so probably no later than August or September. But since September's the two-year anniversary for Girls Memorial, they wanna push it to October."
"That's still a few months away."
"Yeah."
"Cool. Hit me up when you need me. I'll send over the audio files."
"Sounds good."
As the OST wrapped up, Chaeyoung shooed me out of the studio with a wave of her hand.
"Next time, bring some snacks from the break room, you jerk."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ It was sometime in October, after the national holiday of Chuseok had passed.
Jaehyeon sat at his computer, buzzing with anticipation.
The Project RA trailer reveal he'd been waiting for was just around the corner.
Thirty minutes to go.
To kill time, Jaehyeon opened the Bixiv site where his artwork was posted.
His screen filled with a feast of illustrations.
Switching the sort to "Recommended," the top post showcased his drawing of the Resistance Leader.
Number one in recommendations, flat out.
He'd been the first to upload a high-quality piece right after the teaser image dropped—a feat that now rewarded him with a steady trickle of attention whenever Project RA news hit.
'Thanks, Enson GT...'
Sure, topping Bixiv didn't mean cash or prizes...
But it felt damn good.
With the trailer imminent, he savored the sweet uptick in recs before heading to the Project RA gallery.
This gallery, born from a single user's offering of virtual dumplings, was packed with fans like Jaehyeon hyped for Project RA.
📰 Gallery Post Nickname: Anon Title: Holy shit Project RA trailer dropped wtf ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ [Chibi-deformed 'Leader' making a fuss GIF] Dropped? Lololololol 💬 Comments [Newest First] — Anon Fuck off you troll bastards — Anon Wanna kill them lololol 📰 Gallery Post Nickname: Transient Title: So what genre do you guys think Project RA will be? [Project RA teaser image] Honestly, apocalypse setting on mobile? Gotta be RPG or FPS, right? No way they'd make a casual game with this vibe lololol Personally hoping for a defense game. 💬 Comments [Most Viewed] — Anon Could surprisingly be a strategy sim ↳ Reply On a smartphone screen? Sounds tough tbh? 📰 Gallery Post Nickname: Mingsty Title: What I want from this trailer 1. In-game combat scenes 2. 'Leader's name 3. 'Leader's backstory 4. Other characters Honestly, Leader's hot, but those Resistance kids behind her? Insane quality. Would love some deets on them. And their weapons are all different—classes maybe? 💬 Comments [Most Viewed] — Anon Not even PC games do that lololol — Anon Fr lol While enjoying the posts in the gallery, the trailer reveal time crept up.
Right on schedule, a new post popped up.
📰 Gallery Post Nickname: Anon Title: No cap, trailer is actually out!!!!!!!!!! {Video link with red icon} Grabbed it the second it dropped. Heading to watch now. 💬 Comments [Newest First] — Anon Massive rec lololol — Anon Going to watch ㄱㄷ Like everyone else in the comments, Jaehyeon clicked the video link as if entranced, jumping straight to the trailer.
The video began.
Opening with the avant-garde dubstep track, it panned over a ruined city.
Henrietta stood in the middle of a destroyed street, eyes closed.
The moment she opened them, the sharp bass drop signaled the OST kicking into high gear.
Bass and drums in perfect harmony.
A vocal performance too powerful for any instrument wove through, enriching the track.
Henrietta faded out, and the screen shifted.
First up: young Henrietta, and the exit from the underground city.
"The feeling hits, the fire ignites. A voice whispers in my heart─."
As the OST rolled on, it cut to two adults—likely Henrietta's parents—being dragged away.
"Drag the hypocrites and leaders, dilute your fears─."
Next, the underground city's crematorium. A crying young Henrietta clutched a necklace with a strange emblem.
"Keep breathing, don't lose your mind. When the storm hits, follow the plan─."
Avant-garde backing swelled with bass, electric guitar, and drums, building to the highlight.
"Parents, siblings, neighbors—step into the flames, ignite the riot─ Don't just sit there quietly!"
News footage of riots breaking out, bloodstains everywhere.
Back to the ruined cityscapes.
This time, brimming with the chaos from the underground Resistance's uprising.
Crunch─.
The last cop's head exploded under Henrietta's axe swing, gas mask and all.
"If you've lost your way and you're adrift, hold on to me tight. We can make it to the other side─."
Riots over, Henrietta and the Resistance gathered in the street's center.
As if blessing their victory, the blizzard began to die down.
The OST faded too, and just as the video seemed to end─
Crunch─.
Crunch crunch─.
Footsteps in the snow.
Steady gait, but multiple sets from the sound of it.
Henrietta noticed as they drew closer─
Click─.
A rifle cocking, then screen to black.
And with that─
[Last Arcadia]
The title appeared, and the video ended.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Having watched it to the end, Jaehyeon was speechless.
'What the hell did I just watch...?'
The trailer's impact outdid even Girls Memorial's reveal.
Maybe because it was the polar opposite of Girls Memorial's fresh vibe.
But it wasn't just the concept.
First, the production quality.
It felt like watching a top-tier quarterly anime episode—straight-up jaw-dropping.
Especially for Jaehyeon, who knew his way around drawing.
Second, the OST vocalist.
The voice rang a bell. After a moment's thought, Jaehyeon realized who it was.
Ishida Kai.
Even Jaehyeon, no J-pop stan, recognized him instantly. One of Japan's top three vocalists, no question.
And they got him for a mere game trailer OST?
'Enson GT must've raked it in with Girls Memorial...'
In reality, snagging someone like Kai wasn't easy no matter the budget, but Jaehyeon, clueless about the music biz, just figured they'd cashed in big and opened Bluebird.
[Trend Rankings] 1. Last Arcadia 2. Ishida Kai 3. Ishida Kai new song 4. Enson GT 5. Ishida Kai new song title As expected, Ishida Kai was blowing up alongside the trailer.
Fans of the singer on hiatus were all over it now that he'd randomly dropped a game OST.
'Eh, not my problem.'
Staring at his monitor, he pulled out his LCD tablet and hooked it up.
For once, not for cash, but pure creative itch after so long.
Who to draw this time? Henrietta's three Resistance lieutenants?
Or her mom from that quick flash?
Mulling it over, he made up his mind and grabbed the stylus.
'Gotta be young Henrietta.'