175 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.175 #175. Part Allocation “When it comes to allocating parts, you see…” With the teacher’s words, I grasped my pen again. “Initially, you aim for the most ideal sound, you know? You probably get it too. This part suits this person the best when they sing it.” As I nodded, the teacher continued explaining. “But once it’s brought to the company—” The teacher clapped their hands together. “They’ll say, 'Change it like this.'” The teacher clicked the mouse, and the screen showed the revised sheet music. “Wow…” Even though I didn’t memorize each member’s name, I could tell at a glance that it had been significantly revised. “So, do we just go with this?” “No way. Even if they use backing tracks nowadays, they still perform live sometimes. You have to set a baseline and negotiate a bit.” With that, the teacher played a track from their own album compilation. “Today, let’s allocate parts for this one.” “...Is it okay for me to do it for your song?” “Of course. When did I ever say you have to do it all by yourself? Let’s do it together, didn’t I say?” The teacher’s music was something beyond what I could produce at this point. The music I had been creating was band sound based on piano melodies—with Yunjae being my sole source of help, almost everything was built on his foundation. However, the teacher was on another level in terms of instrument types and sound effects. Once I began to understand, I realized how amazing of a person he truly was. “So, what do you think of the Closer members, as a producer?” “Well… they’re decent, I guess? There doesn’t seem to be any major weak links…” “Wow, Taemin, you’re generous with your praise, huh?” …Is that so? But honestly, the music they consistently put out was so good that I hardly thought of them as lacking. “Here’s the truth. If we’re just talking about vocal talent—like surviving solely on their singing—everyone except Leia wouldn’t make it, you see?” I thought perhaps Clover might have been somewhat competitive, though. The teacher was kind in demeanor but brutally honest in evaluation. “Yet, their voices are fundamentally appealing. That’s probably why they’re popular like virtual streamers.” “Right.” “So, honestly, both the general audience and producers often feel that about them. When you make songs, the part allocation can’t help but be similar.” “For instance, Fumuring or Luka for the intro, and Leia or Clover for the chorus seems like the standard pick for this group, right? It was the same for the second album too.” “Yes.” It was a concise summary with no disagreements. “So, I thought maybe we should do it a bit differently. It could feel tedious if it’s too predictable.” “Really?” “Yeah. If necessary, I’d even request the Closer members to practice more. I’m not sure if they’d be able to find the time given how busy they are, though.” A small seed of desire was stirring within me. The temptation to let Luka handle the chorus. Luka wasn’t exactly overlooked. But as even Doa acknowledged, her singing skills weren’t the top tier within the group, so others usually took the lead on the chorus. “Here’s your assignment: allocate parts for my song. But you need to do it carefully, right? Analyze the members’ voices and bring your rationale with it. I’ll give you feedback then.” “Got it.” “Alright, let’s wrap it up here for today. I have an appointment.” Even though I didn’t smoke, I waited while the teacher finished their cigarette, then boarded the subway back home. Plugging in my earphones, I listened to the audio file I received. This part would be… maybe Jennifer? I’m not sure about this part; perhaps leaving it for Leia would work? The chorus is pretty high… hmm… can Doa handle it? Adding a pinch of personal bias was fine, but ruining the outcome wasn't an option. My decisions could greatly impact Closer’s song. This wasn’t a casual affair like managing a football team in a game. When I texted Doa that I’d arrived home, she replied asking if she could come over. *Knock, knock, knock* Opening the door, I was greeted by my girlfriend, wearing hot pants and a boxy t-shirt. “It’s really hot.” “It’s almost June, after all.” We had to start bracing for yet another sweltering season. “How was your day?” In truth, not much happens on a day-to-day basis. We share our lives daily, and our routines have become quite established. “Yeah, it was fun.” “Is the teacher still watching our stream avidly these days?” “Yeah. Lately, it seems like he’s been a bit swayed, catching Fumuring’s stream regularly.” Doa slid an arm around my waist as she came closer. “Stay humble, okay?” “Oh, naturally. By the way, there’s something I wanted to run by you today.” “What is it?” I could handle it by myself, but I wanted to hear Luka’s perspective, too. “You know this song, right? Our teacher’s winning piece.” “Yes.” “My assignment today is to allocate parts for it, you see?” “So, your homework involves dividing the parts for us?” “Exactly. But I need to come up with something different from the second album’s configuration.” “Hmm…” As I played the song on my phone, Doa nodded along, humming the melody. “The song is really good, as expected.” “So if you were to choose, which part would you want?” “I think… hmm… maybe just before the chorus or the intro would be best?” Those were exactly the parts Luka handled in the first and second albums. “Isn’t that a bit cliché? Isn’t there another part you’re eyeing?” “The chorus… but it’s too high.” “Give it a try.” When I encouraged her to try, Doa, who had been sitting on my lap, suddenly got up and crawled straight into the blanket. "Nooo... Don't make me do it..." "But if you do well, I could actually recommend you for this." "No wayyy... Just give it to Leia... I don't want to be criticized... Ughhh..." A dark aura rose from Doa as she spoke. "Come on, you can do it. Even if it's not perfect, just give it a shot, okay?" "No." With only her eyes peeking out from under the blanket, Doa showed no intention of budging. "Hey, Kim Doa." I slowly moved over her, pretending to pounce. Doa immediately submerged entirely under the blanket. "Do you think you can escape like this?" "Uh-uh." She was on my bed, where could she possibly run? "Come on, just try. Please, Doa, okay?" My persistent wheedling finally made her sigh and lean against the wall. “Listen up, Miss Luka.” “Yes?” “If I have no desire to do it, why are you pushing me?” “I’m just asking you to show me once, not actually telling you to do it.” “You’re being annoying...” After giving me a sideways glare, she confiscated my phone to play the audio file again. "Okay, okay. If I mess up, don’t complain, alright? I’m giving this my all." "Alright." "Turn around. It's embarrassing." "Okay." Curious about the amounts of pre-performance requests, but I obliged her every demand. “Flowing breeze~ in this moment~” This part sounded fine. When singing, Doa always maintained the distinctive Luka tone. It was a much higher pitch compared to her normal speaking voice. However, having already raised her pitch once, coaxing out an even higher note proved too much for her in the song’s climax. “I will be waiting for you~ Ughhh!” I felt Doa’s cheek brush against my back. “Oh, it's impossible. I can't hit that note.” “You did well.” As I hugged her, acknowledging her effort, Doa looked up at me expectantly. “But how was it, really?” “Well, apart from not reaching that high note, it was good.” “But that high note is the big issue, isn't it?” “That’s true.” Her foot made a thudding sound against my calf. “See? That’s why I said no.” “It’s okay, you're cute, so you’re forgiven.” “Ugh, whatever. Come here. I’m not sure about my part, but I’ll see what fits the others.” Grabbing my tablet, I positioned myself next to Doa, and we began our little coloring session. Each color, of course, corresponded to a Closer member’s hair color. After completing the initial allocation, I zoomed out to review the entire sheet. “Hmm... This part, love.” “...Yeah, I see it.” Even without words, we both understood something was amiss. ...The entire thing was practically a Leia solo. With embarrassment, I smacked my forehead with my palm at the screen, showing 40% green, symbolizing Leia.