Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 169

169.

I had prepared a secret gift for Mok-hwa, so now all that was left was to make our comeback a success. At the recording studio, I sat in front of the computer. The A&R [Artists and Repertoire, the division of a record label responsible for talent scouting and artistic development] team leader was next to me. I had asked to learn about producing during the recording process.

“Wow… Dong-hwa, you’ve got real talent.”

Chae Ha-min clapped his hands in admiration.

“Quiet.”

I need to concentrate because I’m about to learn something new.

“Just give instructions. You roughly decide how to sing it when you write the song, right?”

I nodded.

Once the explanation started, various tips followed. The A&R team would handle detailed work like pitch control and correction later, but these were things needed to create the right atmosphere during recording.

“Dong-hwa, you’re becoming a one-man band.”

The team leader muttered, sounding a bit bitter.

“Goodness, why are you buying all the trouble at such a young age? I feel like grabbing Hae-jin by the collar. There’s so much talk about how well Planning Team 2 is doing these days, but isn’t it mostly thanks to you, Dong-hwa?”

“Team Leader Jang also looked like he was suffering. And so did the A&R team members.”

Isn’t this a job where you can’t succeed alone? The fundamental reason why the planning team is doing well is that Luminus consumes us. It’s hard to determine the cause and effect, but it’s clear that Luminus is a necessary condition for us.

“Ah, you’re thinking strange things again.”

Don’t read my mind without permission, you damn rabbit. Is that even possible? Did he learn something from his grandmother? There are crazy prophets who read possibilities, so maybe there really is such a thing as divine inspiration.

Ding!

[There’s no such thing!]

Be quiet. The world is wide, and there are many mysteries.

[You’ve changed! You used to do whatever I said!]

I don’t know how long he’s going to keep harping on about that change. And I never pretended to die, Giji-saeng [a reference to a character or concept the narrator is familiar with].

[You did when you were an AI! I asked you to imitate a cat, and it was so cute…]

It wasn’t worth reading further, so I closed my eyes. He barely had any emotions back then, so there’s no way he would have asked me to do something like that. I don’t know how he went crazy like this. I hope I don’t end up like that when I’m old.

[It’s possible!]

‘More importantly, Giji-saeng.’

[Yes?]

‘What about the prophecy?’

[It’s a secret!]

You damn thing. I took a deep breath. No matter how I think about it, I’m suspicious of that guy.

Chae Ha-min waved his hand in front of my eyes. I must have lost consciousness for a moment. So, let’s focus on what’s in front of me for now. It’s a problem I can’t solve anyway. I can forget it with work.

“Let’s start recording.”

“…Okay, sure.”

Chae Ha-min nodded with a sly expression, as if he was letting it go. I wanted to flick his forehead hard with my middle finger, but I held back. Violence is never right.

I watched Chae Ha-min enter the recording booth and the team leader start preparing for the recording, learning from the sidelines. Even if I know the basics, it might be different from the actual work.

* * *

The song we’re recording this time has the working title ‘Rabbit Hunt,’ but the lyrics were completed, and a new title was given. The lyrics are simply a threat to die together. It can be seen as lyrics that faithfully follow the original concept.

The title is ‘The Time Waiting for You.’ Lee Hyun-jae recommended it, saying that the emotional state felt in the lyrics was similar to a character in a movie. I heard it was an Italian movie. How amazing is my student? Following the Blossoms Official Statistics Office, he’s even aiming for Blossoms Official Xflix [a fictional streaming service, likely adult-oriented]. Amazing.

“Ah, this song is unique. The feeling is a bit strange.”

“It feels a bit different from the songs Dong-hwa usually writes.”

While I was chewing on a salad during the break after recording, I heard various comments around me.

“That’s right. It’s all thanks to Ha-min hyung [older brother or male friend].”

Yes, thanks to the unnecessary mention, Chae Ha-min is bowing his head in shame.

“A fresh but familiar feeling, it’s strange.”

“It’s not plagiarism. I’ve roughly compared it to hit songs from the last 40 years.”

In the first place, money-making codes tend to be sung like popular songs. The song Chae Ha-min sang surprisingly has a similar progression to a jazz band’s song from about 30 years ago, but even that can’t be called plagiarism for some reason. Perhaps the song Chae Ha-min’s father used to sing was dormant in his subconscious.

“…Do you really have to go that far?”

“Of course.”

And I eliminated even that similarity through my hands. I was able to create a completely fresh song.

“I, I see. It must be frustrating for people who can’t take the obvious for granted, to the point of suicide.”

Oh dear, how unfortunate, puppy. I’ll protect you with the concept of animal rights.

“The lyrics are romantic too!”

Seok-joon’s speeding has begun. Now he’ll explain why it’s romantic, using Wizney’s examples. More than that, he knows the word ‘romantic.’ The dinosaur’s knowledge level is higher than expected.

“But it’s a bit tough preparing for this only a month after the overseas activities ended.”

Chae Ha-min obviously changed the subject. The shameful situation from earlier ended a long time ago, but it seems like he’s finally snapping out of it and changing the subject. Chae Ha-min served the topic of conversation.

“Actually, it wasn’t that hard because the song was already finished.”

Ryu Iden’s toss followed.

“It’s all thanks to Ha-min hyung.”

And Lee Hyun-jae’s spike. Chae Ha-min’s face turned red, and he dropped his head. Oh dear, a point lost.

“It was possible thanks to the alcohol-free rhapsody.”

Um, I guess I’m in charge of confirmation kills. The right attitude in a debate is to push someone who’s cornered to the edge of a cliff.

Chae Ha-min stared blankly at the ceiling. His eyes were filled with deep regret, swallowing his usual cheerfulness. It’s a rare sight, so I should keep it in mind.

Then, Chae Ha-min jumped up from his seat, buried his face in his hands, and shook his head. He looked like he wanted to wake up from a terrible nightmare. Ah, it’s a little fun.

“Ugh! Why did I do that! I’m serious! Unbelievable! No, how could I do that! I’m not an idiot, how can that make sense!”

“In some ways, you’re quite close to the concept of an idiot, Ha-min. I respect you.”

“…Really? You respect me?”

Oh dear, he didn’t listen to the first part. Chae Ha-min’s emotions were overturned like a ship caught in a storm. His lips slowly turned up, and when I saw him smiling brightly, he looked like a madman.

“Haha, really, Dong-hwa respects me? Hehe.”

“I don’t think I need that respect.”

“I’m envious.”

Why is Lee Hyun-jae the only sane one? No, even Lee Hyun-jae sometimes has a screw loose, so I’m the only normal one.

“Respect me too!”

“Shut up.”

Only one week left until the comeback. I put the remaining greens in my mouth. I wonder when I’ll be able to escape this hellish diet.

It’s all Ryu Iden’s fault—although it’s clear that the company imposed this diet for health management. If there’s anything that causes me stress in Blossoms, the answer is usually Ryu Iden.

“Always only to me!”

“Shut up.”

* * *

The practice period passed quickly, so I was a bit disoriented. Therefore, when there’s a break in practice and time is floating, I need to knit to calm my mind and body.

“Ah! Long time no see, Dong-hwa hoobae [junior/younger colleague]!”

Damn it.

I put down what I was knitting and looked ahead. Jun-sung, who I hadn’t seen in a while, was holding coffee in both hands and looking down at me.

“What brings you here?”

“I was passing by and thought I’d say hello. I heard you were resting here.”

I heard he was resting, but coming in… Damn it, he has a completely different way of thinking than me. He’s a social human who includes conversation in the category of rest.

“When you’re alone, you get random thoughts, you know.”

I silently accepted the coffee and tilted my head.

“…Have you been well?”

Ryu Iden’s Social Skills Special Lecture Advanced Level 3: If a conversation starts weakly, just say hello, and the other person will automatically reveal their recent situation, so don’t worry.

“Ah, well. I need to be well.”

Ugh, I already feel like I’m caught up in something. I can predict to some extent what it’s related to.

“…Do you remember the story I told you before?”

Jun-sung muttered with a forced smile. Oh dear, what’s wrong?

“So, I haven’t been doing well.”

I’m really sorry, sunbae [senior/older colleague], but do you know that there’s a lot of context missing before the conjunction ‘so’? Because he has a twisted personality, his thoughts bounced around like a rugby ball.

“Ye-eun is… apparently trying to leave.”

Oh dear, Ye-eun. You should have given me some hint.

“I’m just… feeling uneasy, and you, Dong-hwa hoobae, have a mature side. I thought I’d whine a little.”

Can you get rid of ‘we’? It’s a word I don’t want to hear unless it’s the members or Mok-hwa.

“What basis do you have for saying that?”

Still, since we signed a contract, let’s have a conversation. Thanks to Ye-eun, I prevented Ryu Iden from being consumed as gossip, and I also got a list of celebrities who would cause accidents later from Ye-eun.

“Well. I don’t know. These days, Ye-eun’s eyes look a little sad when she looks at the members.”

“Then it probably isn’t. I’ve talked to Ye-eun sunbae several times, and ‘I’ think she definitely wants to be by your side.”

‘I’ think. It’s risky to convey Ye-eun’s thoughts, so it has to be my thought somehow.

Jun-sung paused and looked into my eyes. Even though he acts carelessly, he’s the leader of an idol group that he built on his own, so he can probably figure out the truth.

“…I see. It’s strange. I was strange too.”

Jun-sung looked into my eyes for a few seconds and then lay down on the sofa.

“So. It seems like it would be hard for Ye-eun to leave me.”

Your choice of words is truly beautiful. You’re talking like a male lead with a terrible personality from a third-rate romance novel. It feels like there’s going to be a disgusting scene a few pages later where he regrets, ‘I shouldn’t have taken it for granted!’ I vividly remember almost throwing up while reading a book I bought by mistake.

‘Anyway, Giji-saeng.’

[Haa, I’m really in trouble if you keep calling me like that.]

‘Did Ye-eun become like that because she was helpful in what you guys do?’

There was no answer.

‘Maybe she has to manage space-time like you later, so you’re teaching her the rules of possibility in advance?’

There was no answer.

‘…Damn it, then just one more thing. Did you contribute to making Ye-eun like that?’

[No. I never did that!]

Okay, that’s enough. I ended the worries I’d been having all along.

Jun-sung was groaning on the sofa like a patient. I wanted to ask one thing.

“If Ye-eun sunbae declares that she’s leaving, are you thinking of accepting it?”

A long silence.