Chapter 108
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 108
[Me: Mr. Ju Woo-seong.]
I sent a message out of the blue for the first time in a while, and it didn't take long for Ju Woo-seong to reply.
[Ju Woo-seong: lol;]
[Ju Woo-seong: my bad]
[Me: Are you kidding me?]
"This punk..."
I stared at my phone as if it were Ju Woo-seong himself, dumbfounded. His excuses quickly popped up in the chat.
[Ju Woo-seong: Hey~ how was I supposed to know?]
[Ju Woo-seong: I barely remember my own schedule. Do you really think I’d know The Dawn’s?]
There was no way he didn't know. Even a bottom-tier agency like Daepasung gathers all sorts of intel before a comeback. Of course, being bottom-tier meant we didn't know a single thing about Black Call's comeback.
He definitely knew. He must have figured that since their comeback was already set, it would be hard to push back, and the timing wouldn't be disadvantageous for them anyway, so they just went ahead with it.
But making a bigger fuss about it would just make us look pathetic.
Besides, we couldn't delay our schedule any further because of the events we had booked afterward.
'To put it simply?'
We were screwed.
I was too annoyed to even reply, so I just glared at the screen. Then, Ju Woo-seong started ranting on his own.
[Ju Woo-seong: No, but seriously... Seo Ho-yun, now that I think about it, this is ridiculous.]
[Ju Woo-seong: You messed up last time too.]
[Ju Woo-seong: You only contact your senior at times like this.]
[Ju Woo-seong: Is your friendship with Woo-seong a joke to you???]
[Me: yup]
I sent my sincere reply and shoved my phone aside.
"What are you doing?"
"Just... texting a guy who doesn't know the meaning of gratitude..."
"Hmm?"
Two tracks sourced and rearranged from overseas, and four tracks worked on by Kang Yi-chae. Even with a few months of preparation, a six-track first mini-album was an incredibly tight schedule.
To make matters worse, after renewing our contract ratios, Daepasung seemed determined to work us to the bone. They crammed every spare second with everything from university festivals to minor local events. For the past few months, we were lucky to get three or four hours of sleep a night.
While everyone was slumped over like zombies in the recording studio, the manager suddenly jumped up and ran over with drinks.
"But the title track this time is so good!"
"Manager..."
"Drink this and get back to it!"
...That calmed my anger a bit. I sipped on a frappuccino piled high with whipped cream, fueling myself with a sugar rush. Seong Ji-won turned to Kang Yi-chae.
"Can you play it one more time?"
"Sure. No problem."
Kang Yi-chae tapped on the keyboard, and the music began to flow. Amidst a dark atmosphere and a piercing beat, Kang Yi-chae's voice from the guide recording filled the room.
"You're really amazing."
Kim Seong-hyeon, with his hood pulled up, tightened the drawstrings and marveled.
"Oh, Yi-chae is blushing~."
"...I really don't want to compliment you anymore."
"But why did you change direction?"
While Jeong Da-jun unwrapped several candies and stuffed them into his mouth at once, Seong Ji-won asked as he picked up the wrappers and threw them in the trash.
"Exactly. We already finished recording the B-sides, but you completely overhauled them."
"Ah, that..."
Kang Yi-chae hesitated, scratching his head.
"The title track was already decided, so we couldn't change that... but I figured we could at least change the B-sides. I thought we needed something stronger. Since our comeback overlaps with our Black Call seniors."
Right. That was it.
The memory of ignoring Ju Woo-seong's barrage of "I feel betrayed," "You're so annoying" texts flickered in the back of my mind before fading away.
"They're going to come out with a killer beat... so if we stayed the same, it would have felt a bit dull."
"Hmm?"
I had been lounging with my head tilted back over the sofa, but I sat up at that.
Kang Yi-chae was thinking about things like that?
"I thought it would be better to pivot to a completely different genre. Not that I'm saying we'll win, but I thought a new attempt would make us stand out more."
"...So that's why the B-side is rock?"
"Exactly. We tried it with Da-jun, didn't we? The view count was relatively low... but the reaction was the best. It had the most comments, too."
Kang Yi-chae, speaking with unexpected seriousness, spun his chair around.
"No matter how much I talk about 'new challenges,' the bottom line is that it was a test to see if it could be a hit, and it achieved some results."
"Oh~."
"But who knows~. We'll have to see the results once it's out."
Kang Yi-chae let out a wide yawn, looking exhausted. I looked at him with slightly moved eyes.
That guy, he seemed like he didn't care about commercial success at all...
You've finally realized that ratings are everything!
Ding!
[I can see you're thinking something weird...]
"Do you have any idea how baffled I was when you suddenly said you were doing rock, Hyung?"
"Our maknae, you even know the word 'baffled'?"
"I just learned it at school yesterday~."
Jeong Da-jun bickered with Kang Yi-chae as usual.
Seong Ji-won, used to their antics, left them alone and was rewatching the rock cover video from the previous blind date self-produced content. Although, since it was rearranged with a hybrid rock vibe, it felt like a completely different song.
...And then, the title track we had been practicing all along played again.
'It sounds good even to my untrained ears.'
I wasn't sure.
Whether this song... was truly good enough to somehow, even slightly, compete. Whether it would be a song that, even if it didn't hit number one, would provide comfort by making people say, "Ah, but this really was a masterpiece."
And as far as I knew, there was only one person around me who could judge that.
I suddenly searched for her on my phone, and after looking at her brilliant track record... I stood up from the sofa.
"I have an errand to run."
"Get me a Melona on your way back~."
"Stop eating those, your teeth will rot."
"...Am I at the age where my teeth rot now?"
"You should start preparing for it."
Leaving behind the guys and their nonsense, I stepped outside. I sat in the still-shabby company lobby, hesitated for a moment, and then picked up the phone.
[Hello?]
After a short ring, a voice I hadn't heard in a while greeted me.
[What is it, you psycho? Long time no see?]
"Hello, Composer."
[What's the occasion for the call?]
"What do you mean, between us?"
[You brat, you didn't contact me for ages and now you're calling... you're really something else...]
On the other end, Im Hyeon-su clicked a lighter, likely putting a cigarette in her mouth. Her voice sounded strangely tired.
"Are you busy lately?"
[I'm always busy.]
"Well, your songs are just that good, Composer. Everyone's looking for you. You're so busy I can't even ask for a favor anymore..."
[......]
"......Haha. Was I too obvious?"
Im Hyeon-su, who would usually have unleashed a torrent of curses, was uncharacteristically quiet. Then, after a moment, she spoke with a voice laced with irritation and sensitivity.
[Seo Ho-yun. What is it?]
"......"
[Stop the sweet talk and get to the point.]
...She's sensitive today.
Actually, come to think of it, she was quite prickly the last time I saw her too.
Im Hyeon-su is very sensitive and delicate... yet surprisingly soft-hearted. That's why I quite liked her.
"...Composer."
That's why it was worth taking a shot like this.
"You're working on Black Call's song, right? How is it?"
[What about it?]
"Compared to Kang Yi-chae's song."
[......Are you trying to compete with Black Call?]
Well. Not exactly...
"...Setting that aside, how is the song?"
When I asked after a slight pause, Im Hyeon-su was silent for a long time. No, I think I might have heard her muttering a faint curse on the other end. Still, I waited without saying a word.
And then, the answer came.
[You're... really heartless.]
"......"
[Did you call just to check that? That's strange. Seo Ho-yun usually looks before he leaps. You wouldn't go out of your way to provoke me.]
Im Hyeon-su is more prone to jealousy and has a stronger desire for reputation and success than one might think. Yet, she was remarkable in the sense that she was accurately aware of those ugly sides of herself.
Recalling how her pride had been so wounded by Kang Yi-chae's song when we were making the fan song that she looked lost, yet she still ended up giving him meaningful feedback... I waited.
[Do you... by any chance...]
"......"
[...Shit, you already know.]
"Yes."
I looked away and once again recalled the composer's name from earlier.
"I saw it."
[Crust
Composers: Kim Yeong-seok, Blue Tiger]
Originally, it was supposed to be Im Hyeon-su's composition, but one more person had been added. The guitarist from the band she had stolen the song from.
The name of the composer who had been plagiarized.
"You've been through a lot. I'm sure you anticipated the backlash."
[...The phone's been ringing off the hook. We're trying to keep it quiet... but can it really be hidden?]
"......"
[...Sigh.]
Im Hyeon-su let out a long sigh.
[...I knew it, but it was so damn hard to actually accept and admit it. That I'm an ugly person... That I have no talent. I realized that again while looking at your member.]
'Here it comes.'
It's the kind of thing geniuses say from time to time. A composer with no talent couldn't have become as famous as Im Hyeon-su. No matter how much streaming fraud or plagiarism she committed. Im Hyeon-su was a genius, and no matter what controversies existed, you couldn't throw dirt on every song she made. At least not in terms of musicality.
[You... don't come to me anymore.]
"......"
[That Kang Yi-chae kid, he's a genius.]
Hearing a genius composer acknowledge a fellow member... perhaps if I were a villain, I would have felt a sense of euphoria, but this was just...
[Do you know?]
I kept my mouth shut and rubbed the back of my neck, listening to the voice coming through the phone.
[Kang Yi-chae knows how to play almost every instrument. That definitely helped. But playing an instrument and having a sense for composition are two completely different things.]
'Kang Yi-chae...'
It was a bit of a surprise.
I knew he could play instruments to some extent from when we made the fan song, but to be so good that even the fastidious Im Hyeon-su acknowledged him...
When I just listened without saying much, Im Hyeon-su continued.
[Right now, of course, his sense might be less than mine. But I spent a fortune going to a music college in the States and have been grinding in this industry for so long, but he's different.]
"Yes."
[He... inspires awe.]
Listening to that confession where she laid down her pride, I ran the numbers in my head, comparing Kang Yi-chae's song with Im Hyeon-su's Black Call song. And Im Hyeon-su, who naturally expected me to be doing just that, laughed.
[I can hear your brain working from here, Seo Ho-yun. I'll just tell you.]
And... Im Hyeon-su finally admitted it.
[It's good, Ho-yun.]
"......"
[Kang Yi-chae's song. ...Looking at the song alone, it might even be better than mine.]
For the fiercely proud Im Hyeon-su to say this meant that in terms of musicality alone, we could actually win.
Having finished my mental calculations, I said calmly, "Thank you for the answer."
[......Haha, you nuisance. I really hate you.]
"Really? That's a shame."
I quite cherish you, though.
"Shall we have a meal together next time? I'll bring some of that alcohol you like, Composer."
[Only if you bring a 30-year-old Glenfiddich.]
"Do you have a conscience? That costs over a million won."
[Then forget it. I'll drink alone.]
Im Hyeon-su replied curtly, but she laughed at the end. However, her self-deprecating tone remained. By admitting her own filth and covering herself in it, Im Hyeon-su had paradoxically broken through a new wall and taken a step forward.
[...Ho-yun.]
"Yes."
[...Why the fuck does heaven bestow talent? It's so goddamn annoying.]
"......"
I tapped my heel against the floor in the lobby. A poster of our last new song was hanging there.
What could I say to her?
That her talent exceeds that of an ordinary person? That she's a more successful composer than Kang Yi-chae?
That Im Hyeon-su, who has already enjoyed all the glory, is now worthy of respect for knowing how to let go of herself...
Many things came to mind, but...
"I like it."
There was only one thing I wanted to say right now.
"Your music, Composer..."
[......]
"A lot."
Im Hyeon-su was silent for a long time. Then, the sound of a lighter flicking reached me, as if she were about to smoke again.
[...To think that the bastard who blackmailed me would give me this kind of comfort.]
Im Hyeon-su laughed weakly.
[I must really be pathetic right now...]
"......"
[Thanks, even if it's just words, Seo Ho-yun.]
With that, Im Hyeon-su hung up the phone.
I stared at my stupid face reflected in the black screen.
"She's changed..."
Im Hyeon-su had changed.
Whether even the arrogant Im Hyeon-su changed after seeing Kang Yi-chae, or if she felt a sense of crisis from my blackmail. Whatever it was. I rubbed my mouth and stared blankly outside.
"Even Im Hyeon-su changes..."
* * *
A short while later, The Dawn's teaser was released.
[The Dawn - 'Kill The Lights' MV Teaser]
The video uploaded to Nutube was 29 seconds long. When I clicked it, a strange humming and a sharp scratching sound against a wall could be heard.
Passing through a dark hallway, the camera draws closer to the center of a secret room filled with stacks of documents. Tied to a chair in the center was Seo Ho-yun, his face covered in wounds, wearing a uniform adorned with medals but stained with blood and dust.
—Flicker...
As the camera slowly zooms in on his face, the screen darkens abruptly every time the old fluorescent light flickers.
When the screen is completely engulfed in darkness and then turns back on, Kang Yi-chae, dressed in a clean uniform, gazes indifferently out the window of a luxurious train carriage.
—Flicker...
This time, it's snowing. Stepping on the softly piled white snow, Seong Ji-won slowly draws a gun strapped to his thigh and aims it forward.
—Flicker...
With every step Jeong Da-jun takes in a vast, empty white space, the walls shake and crack.
And finally. Kim Seong-hyeon is seen on the rooftop of a tall, abandoned building. With a look of determination, he picks up a discarded flag from the ground.
The moment he waves it high.
The screen flashes once, and Seo Ho-yun, who was in the secret room, opens his eyes.
BOOM!!
An explosion occurs, and amidst the smoke and dark red flames that instantly erupt, the piles of documents fly in all directions, covering the camera. The title and The Dawn's name are etched onto the black screen.
[ KILL THE LIGHTS
THE DAWN ]
That teaser was the signal flare for the return of the post-apocalypse.