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“Ah, welcome!”

I arrived at the office right after a call with Ahn Jung-hwan.

How long has it been?

The last time I came here in person was when Jeong-hoon commissioned a track, so quite a bit of time has indeed passed.

“Wow, it’s cleaner than I expected?”

The first thing I noticed upon entering was that the office was tidy.

What’s going on? Did these people actually clean?

“Oh, since we had no work, we did a deep clean.”

“Really?”

“Yes, everyone just couldn’t sit still.”

“It does look nice and clean.”

Previously, papers would fly around here and there, making it look like a dump.

The tidy appearance really gives off a professional workshop vibe.

All the equipment seems to be the latest models.

“Oh dear, I’m glad you see it positively.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at Ahn Jung-hwan’s exaggerated bow in response to my compliment.

With him acting like this, I really feel like I’ve become the boss.

While he’s great at producing music videos, I feel like he could be a successful sales rep too.

“By the way, you mentioned a work request.”

“Yes, I’m here to set a schedule since a new track will be ready soon.”

Loa said it wouldn’t take long, so I came to finalize the contract early.

“Oh… what kind of style is it this time?”

“It’s a bit of a love ballad, something that might have been popular a while ago—like a rap ballad.”

Ahn Jung-hwan seemed slightly surprised at the mention of a rap ballad.

“You’re really exploring various styles.”

“Ahaha, composers are all different.”

Unlike Hyeon-su’s album, where one person creates everything, each track here is made by different people, giving the album a jumbled feel.

Moreover, it wasn’t initially planned as a single cohesive album, so the concept doesn’t match either.

“Still, a rap ballad sounds interesting… we’ve never made a music video for that style before.”

“Really?”

“Yes, our team loves trying out new projects.”

Liking to take on new challenges… I glanced over at the team members peeking from the back.

I wonder if they would enjoy this too?

They also look much more lively compared to the last time when they seemed like they were all dying from exhaustion after supposedly being given a break.

“So, I wanted to check if we could start once the track is ready.”

Looking at Ahn Jung-hwan’s attitude, he seemed eager, but I wanted to confirm it. He nodded.

“Yes, we can start right away.”

I sighed in relief as I received his immediate response.

…That’s a relief.

If it were delayed for any reason, I would have felt slightly embarrassed for boasting to Loa and Harbin.

“Actually, I’ve been waiting for a while now.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, even when I tried to rest, my hands were itching to work.”

His laugh seemed a bit like work addiction… but honestly, I felt a bit of a connection.

I also can’t truly relax even when I try.

Well, that’s just me and Ahn Jung-hwan being a bit peculiar.

Usually, people would rejoice at the prospect of a break.

Like those team members over there, who wince at the thought of starting work.

“By the way, when is that going up?”

“That?”

What’s going up? Is there something scheduled?

Thinking for a moment, I recalled one task that had been put off.

“The music video we worked on last time. I wanted to check the response during my break, but it hasn’t been uploaded yet.”

“….”

That’s about Jeong-hoon’s music video.

I really don’t have anything to say… Have we put it off too long…?

It’s high time it gets uploaded.

Since the debut track of the trainees has also been released, there’s no reason to delay any longer.

Not just for Jeong-hoon, but Tenshi, who featured in it, is probably waiting for it too, so it shouldn’t be held back anymore.

“Um… it will be up within this week.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Now that I’ve declared it, I have to make sure it actually gets uploaded.

I guess I need to call the manager.

Miro’s YouTube account is managed by The Six, so I’ll have to send them the video and coordinate the schedule.

“Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Yes, please do.”

After wrapping up the conversation and drafting a brief contract, I left the office.

The music video production has been confirmed, so once the track is ready, we can record it and send it right off.

Feeling a bit relieved after finishing the work, I was about to head home when—

Zzzz—

My phone, tucked inside the cardigan I was wearing, started vibrating.

Wondering what it was, I pulled it out to check— it was a message from the composer.

(Composer) – Kim Soo-hyun, do you have time tomorrow? I need help with a track.

Feeling a bit puzzled at the request, as he normally doesn’t ask for help, I thought, what could it be?

(Me) – I’m outside right now, I can come over right away. Should I?

As it turns out, the composer’s workshop isn’t that far from Ahn Jung-hwan’s office, and I got a reply saying to come over.

Looks like today’s a lucky day.

I hailed a taxi and headed straight to the composer’s workshop.

“Oh, you got here quickly.”

When I arrived, the composer was there alone.

He looked a bit haggard, probably because he had been working non-stop.

Why are so many people around me exhausting themselves with work?

“I happened to be nearby.”

“Perfect timing.”

After taking off my coat and sitting down, the composer pointed to the screen.

“This is the melody I created.”

“Oh… you’ve already made it?”

“I’ll play it now.”

Without further ado, he hit play on the track.

It had been a while, so I thought it might be completed by now, but listening to it was astonishing.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the intro melody, where the gayageum resonates, perfectly fitting the historical drama theme.

He wants my opinion on this, right?

Is it okay for someone like me to evaluate a piece created by the composer…?

“Why are you closing your eyes?”

“Huh?”

“Take this.”

Interrupting my focus, the composer handed me a sheet music with the lyrics written on it.

“You can read music, right?”

“Y-Yes, of course?”

“Could you sing it to match the melody?”

“Right now…?”

Even if he asks me to sing, doesn’t he have a guide vocal for this?

“It’s still a test; I just want to see the feel.”

For my baby, Miro, a guide vocal would be essential…

What if I sing it far from how the composer intended?

That would be quite embarrassing.

“Um, *ahem*.”

Still, as the melody played, I warmed up my voice and began to sing.

I put in quite a bit of effort, as if I were performing in a music evaluation, and soon the melody reached the end of the first verse.

“Uh, how was that?”

I asked, my face slightly flushed from embarrassment, and the composer nodded in a calm manner.

“It was okay. Now, onto the next.”

“Next?”

“This time, try singing to this melody.”

Saying that, he played another melody.

It was somewhat similar to the previous one but with an entirely different structure, which caught me off guard.

Do I just sing it like before?

“Ah, um….”

So once again, I found myself singing, feeling like I was in a continuous music evaluation.

Phew… this composer really creates two melodies in one sitting.

His speed is indeed impressive…

“Now for the next melody.”

“Huh? How many are there?”

“Just three more to go.”

“…..”

Hearing that, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Looks like I’m about to do two years’ worth of music evaluations all at once.

**

So after a round of indiscriminate and absurd musical torture was over.

The composer finally explained to me why he did that.

“I’ve never tried this style before… I wanted to compare it with your voice.”

“Oh, I see… Were you satisfied?”

“I was a bit uncertain, and it made me anxious, but you really helped.”

…Well, if I was of help, then that’s good.

I’m glad it turned out well.

But have I gotten a bit better?

In the past, if given just the lyrics and melody, I would have stumbled while singing, but now I managed it quite well.

“So did my singing match what you imagined?”

Feeling a bit more confident, I boldly asked the question I’d been worrying about since earlier.

Maybe about 80%…

“No. Um, it was helpful, but…”

…But his next words caused my confidence to plummet.

“*Cough*, I just… my condition isn’t great today….”

“…I see. Let me get you something to drink.”

Saying that, the composer stepped out of the recording studio to grab some fruit juice that he always keeps ready.

“By the way, what brings you to this area?”

As he handed me a cool-looking fruit juice from the fridge, he finally asked about my recent activities.

“Oh, thank you. I just visited the office regarding the music video today.”

“Is it for the song you’re working on?”

“Yes, I’m here to finalize the request since the track is almost complete.”

“Seems like things are going well.”

“Did Jeong-hoon not mention anything?”

They seem to be living together, so it’s a bit surprising that he hasn’t said anything.

Well, it’s true that fathers and sons can often be quiet with each other.

“That kid has been rather hushed, you know. Is Jeong-hoon making good tracks?”

The composer seemed to genuinely care about his son’s status as he asked me.

Regarding his status…

Hmm, would it be quicker to show rather than tell?

“Would you like to see the music video?”

“The track?”

“Yes, it’s ready to watch as soon as you open the email.”

Since I saved the file I received previously into my email, I can pull it up on the PC without delay.

Seeing my eagerness to share, the composer’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

“Could I ask you to show me?”

“Oh yes, I can do that.”

With that, in the composer’s studio, where Jeong-hoon was absent—

“Alright, take a look. He made a great track.”

The mini presentation of Jeong-hoon’s work had officially begun.

 

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