76 - Upki Girl

< Why Is This Song Playing Here? > “Move your hand, let me see if it's swollen.” “I'm really fine…” “I don't trust you when you say you're fine. I'll check with my own eyes.” Yona hesitated, her face flushed, before finally letting go of the sock she was holding. I thought she was embarrassed because her feet were sweaty from dancing, as feet are somewhat of a private area. But that wasn’t it. As she pulled down the sports sock from her shin to her heel, I saw a compression sleeve made of tights material already wrapped around Yona's ankle, along with a medicated patch. She hesitated because she didn’t want this to be discovered. These were things I hadn't seen at the dorm. It meant she had put them on in the practice room, away from people’s eyes, and most likely used the patch because she was in pain. Judging from the worn ends, they weren’t new and probably from when she had a sprain and needed a temporary cast. “Where did you get the patch?” “Ah…” As Yona hesitated, hiding something, Aliyah answered coolly instead. “Cathy bought it.” Yona quickly added, as if to defend herself. “I asked them not to tell anyone.” “Who said I was scolding you? Since when has it been hurting?” Once again, Aliyah answered for her. “About three days? She kept it a secret with just me because she thought it would cause worry if Quack and the others knew. So please stay out of this, Quack.” “Hey, if it was this bad, you should’ve gone to the hospital. What good would a patch do?” “If I go to the hospital, they’ll just tell me to get a soft cast and rest.” “If the hospital tells you to rest, you should rest. What are you going to do if it gets worse later? You're so stubborn about the wrong things. Sigh.” I acted as if it didn’t bother me, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt. I know Yona hesitates to show her vulnerability, but still, as her manager, shouldn't she have told me? I see us as bound by fate, but it seems I haven’t been able to inspire that much trust in her, making me reflect on myself. I’ve tried hard to treat her like a brother or friend rather than just a manager. I could have mentioned it over a beer at the dorm, but I wanted to address this now while emotions were fresh. I gently spoke to Lia. “Lia, could you step out for a moment? I’d like to talk to Yona alone.” Lia responded sweetly. “Uh-uh, no. I’m an investor, so just say it here.” “Why are you only an investor at times like this? And it's sponsorship, not investment, right?” “Yep. Typically a sponsor, but when Quack tries to exclude me, I'm the investor. If you don’t like it, buy in yourself, Quack.” What a genius. An unstoppable genius. “Consider me invisible and speak freely. Aliyah will be silent.” “Yona, honestly, I’m a bit disappointed. This is something I think I should know about…” “I’m sorry.” “You said it yourself. Eye contact among the members is scarce, leading to built-up issues exploding. Why is it like that here too? You said you wanted to talk. Is it because you don’t trust me?” “No, it’s nothing like that… It's just that it seems insignificant, and I didn’t want to cause unnecessary worry…” “Since we’re on the topic, it’s not just you. Hong and Eunbit also have that tendency. I feel it’d be more comfortable if they were straightforward like Seowon, saying they’re in pain if they’re in pain or annoyed if they're annoyed. At least then I’d know if there was a problem and what they were thinking.” “Quack Manager, Aliyah has difficulties too. Ask me about it.” “Okay, Lia, what's troubling you? Tell me, and I'll listen to everything.” “Quack Manager’s very existence is a bit unsettling. Wouldn't you consider a business trip to Mexico? I’ll send you.” “What’s in Mexico?” “Drug cartels.” “To die?” “Not necessarily, it’s just that it might put things into perspective. You know you can survive a bullet to the calf.” “Lia, my sister and the manager are talking.” Yona chastised Lia, but I sided with her instead. “Yona, I actually wish you’d treat me like she does.” “Do you have that kind of kink? That’s a bit off-putting.” “Am I making you uncomfortable?” “No. Not uncomfortable.” “Then why act like that? Among family, worrying about each other and relying on one another shouldn’t be an issue. We're family now.” Yona gave a faint smile. “Yes…” “Right, I know it’s your nature, so changing overnight is impossible. But at least inform me about issues with your body. You think you're protecting me, but from my perspective, it creates a sense of distance and feels dismissive. Understand what I mean?” “Yes… I hadn’t thought of it that way. I’m sorry. I’ll let you know if I’m in pain from now on.” I believe the key points have been addressed. Anything further would be nagging. Just as I was planning to lighten the mood using Aliyah, Yona extended her foot towards me after removing the compression tights. “Manager, my ankle from the other day feels a bit achy. I think it’ll be fine after resting a bit, but could you check it for me just in case?” Really. Who knew such an action could be so heart-throbbing? It was a peculiar feeling. Carefully, like handling a kitten, I held her foot and lightly pressed around the medicated area between her Achilles tendon and calf. Yona, with her pretty face, had beautifully delicate feet. “It doesn’t seem swollen… Does it hurt?” “No, it doesn’t hurt when you touch it. It just throbs a bit when I step.” “Maybe you should get an X-ray at the hospital?” “I don’t think it’s necessary, but if you want, I’ll do it. We’re family, after all.” “Hmm, I feel like that’s a bit sarcastic…” As I set her foot down and tilted my head, Yona responded with a playful expression. “Oh, really~ I didn’t mean it that way, but did our manager really feel like I was being sarcastic… Pfft, haha!” It seemed like she was trying to imitate the 'oh really' skill, but she couldn’t help but burst into laughter partway through. Embarrassed, she quickly changed the subject. “How do you say that with such a straight face, manager?” “Well, you just channel the extreme rage simmering deep inside. But you're not mad right now, are you?” “Oh, this is hilarious. Every time you use that tone with Seowon, I nearly lose it trying to hold back my laughter.” “Oh really~ Even if others explode from frustration, Yona almost died laughing? I didn’t realize that. We can’t have our leader dying of laughter. I’ll try to be less funny from now on.” Yona collapsed onto Aliyah's lap, laughing uproariously. She didn’t care if her shorts were showing, kicking her feet towards the ceiling with her mouth wide open, enough to reveal her tonsils and glistening white molars. I had never seen Yona lose herself in laughter like this before. It felt like she was laughing not just because it was funny, but also as a way to shed some protective layer around herself by exaggerating a bit. “Haha, sister, your nostrils have gotten really big.” Laughter is contagious. As Yona laughed, Aliyah joined in. I laughed out of a sense of accomplishment. “Let’s call it a day and head back. Once we get to the dorm, I’ll ask Seowon to warm up a heat pack for your ankle.” “Yes.” “And just to be safe, let’s go to the hospital tomorrow. It’d be a relief if nothing’s wrong, but at least we can keep up with physical therapy if needed.” “Yes, I’ll do that. I’ll get up early and go before heading to the practice room.” “I’ll go with you.” “Yes.” “Quack, Aliyah’s legs hurt from practicing too.” “Should I carry you?” “No. Just the thought makes me want to kick you.” “Then what should I do?” “Can I kick you?” “Where?” “In the butt.” “Sure, go ahead. The almighty investor wants to kick a lowly manager's butt, and I should gladly offer it.” “Oh, really?” The way she excitedly drew her right foot back made it seem like she was genuinely ready to kick. However, Yona wouldn’t allow it to go that far. “Don’t do it, Aliyah. Sister will get mad.” “But Quack said I could kick him. He said he liked it.” “Hey, don’t make up stuff. I never said I liked getting kicked.” “You did give permission, though.” “Aliyah, Sister said no.” “Okay…” Watching Aliyah’s deflated expression made me laugh inside. Quietly, without showing it. *** The day of Yona’s solo debut recording for her song 'Open' had arrived. The recording took place in a studio about ten minutes away from 'Hum Hum,’ as our office’s system wasn’t equipped for professional recording sessions. The studio session times were referred to as a ‘program,’ which typically lasts between 3 and 4 hours. We booked one session, with the song’s composer, Yeom, directing the recording. Even though we’d been warned not to come because it would be distracting, all the Upkick Girl members and I still accompanied Yona to the recording studio. “Yona, you can finish this in one session, right? You’ve recorded plenty before.” “But, sir, it’s my first time recording a solo track…” Unusually, Yona was groaning. Despite having recorded a few songs before, from yesterday, she had been sighing heavily from tension. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t practiced enough. The pressure of a solo performance seemed intense. Plus, nowadays, they aim to get the guide recording close to the final product, and Seowon, who did the guide, had sung it so well that it added to the pressure. “I’ll play the guide track; practice along a few times.” “Yes.” As Yona headed to the recording booth, team members showered her with encouragement and support. “Go, leader!” “You’ll do well.” “Knock it out, Yona!” “Fight on, Yona!” Standing near the door, we naturally made eye contact. I patted her shoulder, saying, “You’ve practiced a lot. You’ll do great.” Yona entered the booth through the glass window. Yeom spoke to Yona through the intercom system that functioned like a quiz show buzzer on the table. She could just speak directly into the mic to reach us, but a button press was needed to communicate back to her. “Try saying something.” ―Ah, ah, ah. “Okay. I’ll play it through, sing along.” ―Yes. Han Seowon’s guide version of 'Open,' which we had heard countless times at the dorm and practice room, flowed through the monitor speakers. Originally a typical EDM dance track titled 'FM LOVE' that got rejected by Plan L, it was reborn with tropical house instrumentation and new lyrics. An eight-bar rap feature was to be recorded by Samaru, the runner-up of Rap Monster Season 3, scheduled for recording later this week. ―Opening up my closed heart, open, open, open As Seowon’s vocals layered over the bouncy tropical house melody, even though I had heard it repeatedly, “Oh, it’s good,” escaped my lips. I hadn’t cared for it at first, but the more I listened, the more it grew on me. Yona warmed up by mimicking Seowon’s vocals with her style. While she was practicing again with the vocal-removed backing track, Yeom grumbled, seeming unsatisfied. “Ugh, this really is a strange kid…” I was startled at first, thinking Yeom was talking to Yona, but he was actually reacting to a message he received on his phone. “What's up? Who is it?” “It’s the lyricist. They want me to send the address of the recording studio. Seriously, such a weirdo.” “Ah, is it the 'Next-door Lyricist’? Haha.” The mention of this lyricist always brought a smile. They were a budding lyricist associated with 'Hum Hum’ who recently debuted with the lyrics for Yona's song 'Open.’ However, their quirky personality seemed to be troubling Yeom. “Do lyricists usually not show up for recordings?” “Big names like Jo Eun-na or Um Ji-su who help shape the album concept might come, but generally, non-top-tier lyricists don’t.” “Does it matter if they do?” “Well, this one’s a bit odd.” “Why? Sounds entertaining.” “They said they need to meet Yona in person to talk and get inspiration. What are they, a shaman?” “Yet somehow the lyrics turned out well without meeting, right?” “Yes. I suggested they check out Eye Contact resources online instead. Ugh, they keep asking for the address. What should I do?” “Just let them come. They probably really want to see the recording.” “No, they’re coming because they wrote a song they want to share.” “Composed it?” “Yeah. Told them to send it via email, but they insisted on sharing it in person.” “Pfft. Quite passionate. Let them come. Who knows, it might be good?” “I don’t mind, but they’re the persistent type…” “I'm curious to meet them. Have you seen them in person?” “No, we’ve only communicated through messages and email.” “Let them come, sir. I feel sorry for them.” Prompted by my empathy, Eunbit supported my suggestion, and Yeom finally sent the recording studio address to the 'Next-door Lyricist.’ Yona's main recording started shortly after, and the lyricist arrived about an hour later. Yeom was deep into the recording, so after a brief greeting, Eunbit and I led the lyricist to the lounge as there was no room in the studio. The lyricist was a guy in his late twenties, sporting a tight beanie pulled down to his eyebrows, exuding a somber vibe. “Oh, the lyrics for ‘Open’ were excellent. Initially, I thought they were written by a woman.” He seemed somewhat introverted, so I initiated the conversation lightly. Eunbit gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Like many timid people, he started with an “Ah…” and then confidently stated that he could have written even better lyrics if he had met Yona in person. “How old are you?” “Twenty-nine.” He looked seriously at Eunbit and me and continued. He made direct eye contact while speaking, indicating high self-esteem. “I’m going through a rough patch, nearly gave up on this year, but managed to debut somehow.” Although we hadn’t exchanged many words, I quickly caught onto his type. He was earnest and opinionated but fundamentally dull, with humor not suited for the mainstream, making conversations tedious and tiresome. Moreover, he lacked awareness, oblivious to others’ boredom. He likely didn’t care about others’ feelings or interests. Like so. “Want to hear my song?” As if the answer was already decided, he pulled out his smartphone from his pocket, announcing he had just purchased new earphones and explaining their specs, connecting them to his phone. However, it seemed like we’d have to wait a bit longer to listen. “My first time composing a song, lyrics aren’t done, just a humming guide. Keep that in mind while listening. Normally, I need to connect with the singer to write lyrics, but I just went with the flow without any specific artist in mind…” Blah blah blah blah… “Oh, really? Wow, so you learned on your own?” Excited by Eunbit's nodding, he continued eagerly. Stop. Both of you, just stop. I lightly stepped on Eunbit’s foot under the table. Understanding my signal, Eunbit got straight to the point. “Let’s hear the song.” We shared an earphone piece each. My expectations were rock-bottom, plummeting into the abyss. Never met a talkative one who was worth much. As expected, basic beats with a crudely layered guitar melody typical of a novice. The vocals were a sloppy hummed guide, recorded with the phone. Both Eunbit and I sank in our sea of disappointment. Should we keep listening? I pondered. Then... Huh…? The melody line transitioning from part B to the chorus. A familiar, catchy melody repeated. Wait, what…? Why is this song here? While the quality was worlds apart, it was undeniably the melody I knew.