The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 122

“Indie Kid, is there a problem?”

“Ah, PD [Producer Director] Na. I think there’s something wrong with the MR [Music Recorded]. This friend’s rap part is almost at the AR [All Recorded, meaning pre-recorded vocals] level of the original track.”

“Ah, that? We requested it from the agency. Didn’t you hear about it?”

“What request?”

“We’re planning to make the rap part of today’s performance lip-synced. Since it’s the first broadcast…….”

Sanghyun stepped forward at the word lip-sync that PD Na mentioned.

“You said you’re PD Na? Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Sanghyun, rapping with 888 Crew. My rap name is 56.”

“Ah, nice to meet you. I really enjoy listening to 888 Crew’s songs. I’m Na Hansoo, the PD in charge of the sound team at Popular Music.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have any lip-sync experience yet. Would it be okay if we just proceed with the MR?”

Sanghyun didn’t like PD Na’s attitude of preparing the AR without even consulting him. But he wasn’t a rebellious high school student who would just lash out when he didn’t like something. He knew that if he could get things done the way he wanted by speaking nicely, that would be the best.

However, PD Na’s answer was negative.

“We insist on live broadcasting, so accidents often happen. I know very well that Lee Sanghyun is a good rapper. But please follow our lead on this. As you know, rap isn’t exactly a genre optimized for live performance, is it?”

After finishing his sentence, PD Na Hansoo chuckled and patted Sanghyun’s shoulder.

Sanghyun felt a surge of anger but held it in.

“Isn’t this the first performance of ‘After Today’? I’ve prepared a lot to support Indie Kid, and I’m confident that I can do well live. Please.”

“Broadcast accidents happen a lot in rap. People often forget the lyrics, and rookies miss the beat a lot. So please follow our lead.”

PD Na Hansoo’s tone became firm. In proportion, Sanghyun’s tone also became firm.

“If there’s a problem, I’ll take responsibility. So let’s proceed live.”

“No, how can a rookie who’s performing on a broadcast stage for the first time take responsibility? What, are you going to kneel in front of the broadcasting station’s main gate and beg for forgiveness if there’s a broadcast accident?”

Finally, PD Na Hansoo’s voice began to mix with annoyance. Sanghyun stared at PD Na Hansoo for a moment and then turned his body towards the stage.

‘I knew it.’

However, Sanghyun wasn’t going back to the stage while suppressing his dissatisfaction, as Na Hansoo thought. He was going to greet the Indie Kid members on stage.

“I’m sorry, hyungs [older brothers/male friends]. I don’t think I’ll be able to perform on stage today. The performance has AR, so you can proceed with that. I’ll call you separately.”

Sanghyun politely greeted the Indie Kid members, put down his in-ear monitor and microphone, and left the stage without any regrets.

PD Na Hansoo’s face was filled with embarrassment, as he thought Sanghyun’s actions were a bluff.

‘What is that bastard? A rookie kicking away this big stage? An opportunity to get on public broadcast waves?’

Na Hansoo thought it was a bluff until Sanghyun was about to disappear from the set. But Lee Sanghyun really left the set without looking back even once.

“Hey, Jinhyung. Go get him.”

“Yes? What should I say?”

“First, tell him to come to the stage. Apologize for not notifying him in advance and try to appease him. Then he’ll reluctantly come back.”

Na Hansoo sent a quick-witted assistant director to Lee Sanghyun. He was the best at gauging the cast’s mood and figuring out what they wanted.

In fact, it was he who would be in trouble if Lee Sanghyun left now.

The comeback special stage had already been allocated to Indie Kid. Rush Entertainment had used its influence, but it was also because ‘After Today’ was the number one song on the charts.

Of course, the chart ranking wouldn’t actually be broadcast on the music show until next week, but the live performance of ‘After Today’ had already been advertised on the website.

‘If Jinhyung apologizes and flatters him, he’ll reluctantly come back.’

A moment later, PD Na Hansoo’s phone rang.

Caller ID: Hwang Jinhyung.

Suddenly, he felt uneasy. Why is he calling instead of bringing him back quickly?

“Hello.”

“PD! Lee Sanghyun has packed all his things. He’s not leaving because he can’t remove his makeup. And he looks like he’s going to wash his face in the bathroom and leave if we don’t remove it right away.”

“What? Really? Not a bluff?”

“If it was a bluff, would I be calling you like this? This is real.”

Jinhyung’s urgent voice, who was quick to read the situation. PD Na Hansoo postponed Indie Kid’s dress rehearsal and ran to the waiting room.

When he arrived at the waiting room, he saw Lee Sanghyun rubbing his face with cotton pads that he didn’t know where he got from. Next to him, Jinhyung and the makeup artist were standing in awkward poses.

“Lee Sanghyun!”

“Yes?”

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

Lee Sanghyun’s tone was firm. PD Na Hansoo could feel the sincerity in that tone. It was time for him to yield.

However, perhaps because of the habit of ‘managing’ the cast for many years, his pride was not easily bent, and instead, a strong warning popped out of his mouth.

“Are you leaving knowing that you will never be able to enter CBC broadcasting station again if you leave now?”

Lee Sanghyun, who took his eyes off the mirror, looked at Na Hansoo and said clearly.

“I don’t know. But I don’t care.”

“I don’t think Lee Sanghyun knows how strong his broadcasting station connections are, but if you leave now, not only CBC but also other public broadcasting stations…….”

“PD Na Hansoo.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Are you always so talkative?”

“…….”

“You didn’t say a word when you were ignoring the musician, did you? You decided to lip-sync without saying a word to someone who ran all the way from Gwangju to Seoul, didn’t you? You didn’t even apologize after coming to the waiting room.”

The Indie Kid members, who had belatedly followed into the waiting room, were surprised to hear Sanghyun’s words.

‘So this is what it is.’

They had heard several times that 888 Crew were guys who would lash out if they didn’t like something. In fact, they were somewhat involved in dissing the show business magazine.

But the truth was that they had never directly experienced that image because they were always polite juniors in front of them.

‘They don’t just put up with it, they don’t put up with it.’

888 Crew weren’t guys who couldn’t stand it and lashed out at the slightest thing they didn’t like. They tried to solve it as rationally as possible, and then they just didn’t put up with it if it didn’t work.

Lee Sanghyun expressed his opinion to PD Na Hansoo in a gentle manner. His patience was long, he was polite, and he was rational enough. Nevertheless, Na Hansoo did not show any consideration for Sanghyun.

He wasn’t talking about the situation frankly, and he wasn’t sincerely asking for understanding. He was just demanding. Lip-sync.

He felt Lee Sanghyun glancing at them as they entered the waiting room. The Indie Kid members smiled and nodded.

Although it was titled Indie Kid’s first public broadcast stage, they didn’t want to force a junior who had been ignored to go on stage.

They had escaped to find a livelihood by signing a contract with an agency, but they were still underground musicians.

‘You’re telling me to do what I want, right?’

Lee Sanghyun felt much more comfortable after receiving the Indie Kid members’ encouragement, which wasn’t really encouragement. Everything else didn’t matter, but the truth was that he was worried that he would ruin Indie Kid’s first stage, where they had accepted reality by bending their pride.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll be on my way. I’m sorry for causing a commotion.”

Lee Sanghyun picked up his bag and got up from his seat. Then PD Na Hansoo opened his mouth.

“……Lee Sanghyun.”

“Yes.”

“There seems to be a bit of a difference in…… perspective. We fully understand Lee Sanghyun’s feelings. It’s a bit late, but we’ll proceed live.”

PD Na Hansoo continued, feeling like he was hurting his pride, with a clenched feeling.

Sanghyun felt bitterness in PD Na Hansoo’s actions. He wasn’t trying to feel superior to PD Na Hansoo or act like a boss. He knew that musicians couldn’t be the boss, although it was a slightly special situation now.

In addition, PD Na Hansoo may have just been following the manual in the broadcasting station system. The coercive way of communicating was not appropriate.

If PD Na Hansoo had just come into the waiting room and said, ‘I’m sorry. Let’s talk for a moment,’ everything would have been resolved. Sanghyun had actually come down from the stage thinking of going home, but he was willing to go back up if he just apologized.

‘It’s too late.’

It’s too late now. Going back to the stage now is the worst-case scenario.

If he goes up on stage now, PD Na Hansoo only has things to lose.

On the other hand, he only has things to gain without losing anything. He takes care of his pride, takes care of his demands, and takes care of the intangible benefits he gets from being on stage.

It would be better to have a picture of taking care of his pride but missing out on the stage or practical benefits. That way, there would be something to gain and something to lose.

PD Na Hansoo is the main PD of the sound team. Even if he doesn’t go on stage, his iron rice bowl [secure job] won’t be cut off, he’ll just get a few scoldings.

“I’m sorry. There’s a difference in each other’s positions, and I think I was too stubborn. But even if I stand on stage now, I don’t think it’ll be a good look for either of us. I’ll head out.”

Sanghyun politely greeted PD Na Hansoo and left the scene.

PD Na Hansoo had a puzzled expression on his face as he watched Sanghyun’s back. Now that everything he wanted had been achieved, all that was left was to swagger back. Or he could have left intoxicated with a sense of superiority, making loud noises.

But it wasn’t either of those.

He apologized first, greeted him politely, and left coolly.

‘Is he taking care of my pride now?’

PD Na Hansoo felt that way and dismissed it as nonsense. He’s only 18 years old. There’s no way he could think that deeply.

No, even if he could, there’s no way he could put it into practice.

‘But…….’

The intuition that he had gained from rolling around in the show business world for more than ten years kept telling him that.

PD Na Hansoo turned around and headed back to the set and picked up his phone. He didn’t have Lee Sanghyun’s phone number.

“Jinhyung. Do you have Lee Sanghyun’s phone number?”

“Yes. Shall I give it to you?”

“Give me the number, and you can go first. Tell the next teams to shorten their dress rehearsal time a bit. Indie Kid didn’t get to rehearse.”

“Yes.”

Na Hansoo, who got Lee Sanghyun’s phone number from the assistant director, was lost in thought for a long time. If he called now and got humiliated, he would really lose his pride too much. In that case, he would rather be scolded by the director or the senior executive PD a thousand times.

But…….

Na Hansoo seemed to have made up his mind and made a phone call.

-Hello?

“Is this Lee Sanghyun’s phone?”

-Yes, it is. Who is this?

“This is Na Hansoo, who just talked to you.”

-Yes, PD Na. Did I leave something behind?

‘Leave something behind?’

Na Hansoo was now convinced. Lee Sanghyun was giving him a chance now.

“Yes, you left something behind. Where are you now?”

-I’ve almost arrived at the bus terminal…… Is it important?

“It could be important, so wouldn’t it be better to come back to the broadcasting station and get it?”