176 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.176 #176. Offline [UnnieUnnieUnnieUnnie!] The chat window is flooded with messages from Muring. Since she tended to make a fuss over trivial matters, I didn’t feel any particular urgency in her tone. The story of the boy who cried wolf wasn’t popular without reason. [What is it, what is it, what is it!] [Big news! Huge news!] What could possibly be so significant that Muring would call it groundbreaking? [I just got off the phone with the manager unnie?] [Yeah.] [And guess what, Ashblock-nim is handling two of the songs for our participation album! Kyaaaaaaa!] I should pretend to be surprised by this... But to be honest, this was not a shocking revelation for me. Wearing a sheepish smile, I moved my fingers on the keyboard. [Wow! Really huge news!] [...Doesn't sound genuine to me?] No, because I'd heard it all from my boyfriend. Even before it was confirmed, he was excitedly planning the parts distribution at home. [No, no, I am truly excited. Happywwww] The convenience of chat is that it allows one to hide emotions behind a mask. [So they said if we visit personally, we can record there?] [You’re going to do it...?] [No, unnie. When would we ever get a chance to visit a top-notch producer’s studio, right?] She wasn’t wrong. Just a year ago, I was a mere VTuber streaming in sweatpants from my room. Having my own studio, getting advertisements—all these privileges were because I debuted as a Closer. And these privileges were temporary. In a year, they’d melt away like snow. [But your face... are you okay with that...?] [Oh, how would people know it’s me, Humuring,~ Anyway, it’s a part of the industry~] In the same positive perspective she showed in her broadcasts, Muring remained consistent. Then again, she might seem a bit naive. [Lolololololol but what if you get beat up offline when you go?] [That’s why, unnie, please come with me.] Ah, this was her main point. Sneaky girl. [Oh~ You don’t want to die alone?] [Let’s slowly wither away together, Luka?] Her quoting a famous drama line made me smile. [Alright, when the official contact comes in later, I’ll let you know the dates so we can go together.] [Yeah, yeah. Yay! And then we can go on a date after recording, right?] [We'll be lucky if we finish recording in one day...] In fact, having the two weakest ones together might be for the best. Since veterans like Clover unnie and Rhea could finish and leave early. [Oh yeah! I’m in! Ah~ Then I’ll look up some good eateries nearby~] [Yeah! Sure, sure! Let’s keep in touch!] Good eateries, huh... I remember my brother saying there were some good spots he liked around there... I was pretty sure I heard about various places, but why can I only remember the tangy fried chicken he got treated to on the first day? * * * “Are you serious? Is this for real?” My teacher burst into laughter looking over the parts I had arranged on his tablet. “Uh... it kinda looks that way...?” “Hey. Regardless of which part goes to whom, don’t you think there’s too much green? It’s for Rhea, even.” “Well... it seemed like there were a lot of parts that suited Rhea.” “And what did I say? If it's purely about skill, it’s really best to have one person sing everything.” After running the music again on screen, we dove into revisions. “Now right here. Add Jennifer.” Suggesting to include Jennifer in the chorus, my teacher made a proposal I found hard to agree with. “Wouldn't this be difficult in the high notes?” “It’s their job to make it happen. And Taemin, most artists don’t like singing the same part all the time.” “Really?” “Yeah! If someone asked you to compose but always in the same genre and structure, would that be fun?” His explanation made logical sense naturally. “Challenges are essential, both for producers like us, and for artists.” “Sure, there are people who create one hit and milk it forever, but that’s an exception. To advance, everyone else needs challenges.” The need for challenges to move forward was a common phrase, but it resonated profoundly. Yeah. That’s why I came here, after all. “Look at this. The arrangement you did for Luka.” “Yes.” “This is entirely within what Luka ‘can do’. You only ticked off the parts she can handle.” Since Luka’s part was directly checked by Doa herself, my teacher’s words held weight. “I think we should have Luka in the chorus once. I do.” “But if she can’t...” “Practice, and if it doesn’t work, swap it out near the end. Rhea won’t take long to cover it if needed. This is not a problem.” Is that so... Under my teacher’s guidance, I watched the colorful score take shape. Even if doubtful, this session was about adopting an open mindset. “How does it look now? Pretty good?” “Yes, after listening to your explanation, it seems that way.” “Now, we send this to the company to be shot down.” Seeming amused by his own remark, my teacher chuckled heartily. “No matter how right this seems, if the company says no, that’s it. You have to go bold when sending an ideal draft!” “Because whatever you want to do won’t always happen anyway!” “Yes!” After sending an email, my teacher spun his chair and deflated like a balloon with its air let out. “Have you eaten?” “No?” “Wanna grab a bite?” “No.” “Why. Going somewhere?” “I have to go see my girlfriend, so...” Casting a half-mocking glance, my teacher waved his hand dismissively, indicating I should leave. "Well, it would be strange if you didn't have a girlfriend with that face. Go have fun." "Thank you!" "Oh! Taemin!" As I held onto the door handle, I quickly turned my upper body. "Yes?" "For the next Summer Records, I'm going to have you arrange everything yourself before sending it to the company. Keep that in mind." If this had been in a chat window, hitting 'gasp' repeatedly would have been the polite thing to do. "Oh. Understood. Thank you for the session." Even as a student here to learn, being asked to take on everything myself was quite overwhelming. My heart was racing. Ha. I had to share this victory with Doa. To show that I am not just a subordinate, but someone truly in charge! As soon as I stepped out of the building, I called and mentioned that I would arrive in about an hour and then jumped on the subway. Because of the rush hour, even breathing felt difficult. I felt like I might as well want to give up, but this is something I'd have to endure daily if I continued with a job. If I officially joined Bitdam... Would I have to go through this every day...? Barely escaping the crowd without being able to check my phone, I headed to the grilled pork belly restaurant, where I was to meet Doa. "Oppa!" Doa ran towards me, smiling, likely having arrived early. Just seeing her smile melted away all my fatigue. "What, you came early?" "Nope, oppa, you're late." Checking the time confirmed she was right. "Let's go in." "Yeah!" After ordering the meat and sitting across from each other, Doa began recounting her day. "So the confirmed members are me, Muring, and Rhea!" Those were the names of the members who were going to come to our studio to record. "Will they all come on the same day?" "Hmm... I’m not sure about that part. But I think Muring and I will coordinate our schedules to go together. We agreed not to go home until both are done." "Why isn't Rhea joining you?" "Oh, she'll come when the day arrives, but she mentioned she has something during the day, so going during the day is tough for her." So, they'll come in about two rounds. "So, how did the part distribution turn out? Is it similar to what we planned?" "Ha. Ha. Ha." Talking about that drastically changed sheet. "Ah, no. It got completely rejected." "Huh? I thought it was the best when I saw it." As sad as it was, I had to share this too. "Luka will probably sing part of the chorus." "Pfftt." Doa nearly spat out her food, barely catching it with her hand. "Me?" "Yes, you." "Why me when there are others who are so good?" "If they give all the parts to the talented ones, there's no reason for you to exist, they said." It was a harsh truth, but that's exactly how it was explained. "Think of this as an opportunity to really improve your singing skills." "Ah... this is terrible..." "Oh! And I get to decide the next song's part distribution entirely, so let's do well in practice, okay?" Doa, who seemed to have momentarily lost her spirit, regained her energy only when the grilled pork belly was served. Recording offline was proving to be more challenging than expected.