182 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.182 #182. Something to Talk About I thought he would at least show up for work. On the day of recording for my original song, "Summer Records." The teacher didn't come to the studio at all. I wondered if he should be this casual about not showing up, but he's a freelancer after all. On days with no work, there was no reason for him to be present in the studio. Leah and Luca were scheduled to come on Wednesday. Fumuring on Friday. Leah and Luca informed me in advance they'd visit during the day due to their broadcast schedule. I sat evaporating in the cool blast of the air conditioner, just waiting for them to arrive. They were supposed to come at two, but why aren't they here yet? The clock had already ticked past 10 minutes. Should I message them first since I hadn't heard from Doa? Just as I picked up my phone. - Knock knock knock I jumped up and quickly went to open the door. "Hello!" "Hello..." A smiling Doa followed by Leah stepping in. With Leah appearing a good 10cm taller, Doa seemed particularly petite today. "Ah. Come in." The teacher had explained everything last time, but it felt awkward taking the lead today. "So... it's the same process as last time, right? I arranged the parts considering everything I envisioned. We might make some adjustments if something doesn't work out." "Yes!" Doa's overly cheerful response. I didn't get why she was overreacting, but after finishing my explanation, I asked Leah to step into the booth. Left alone with Doa. She sat close, playfully placing a hand on my thigh. "Hey. Kim Doa. I'm working right now." Frustrated, as the first recording was about to begin, I couldn't humor her antics. "Ah, come on. I want to hang out with you." "Let's hang out after this." "I have to leave for the broadcast after this." Then come back later or another day. Why pull these antics when other members are around? Glancing at Doa's pouty expression, it was clear my nonchalant reaction wasn't appreciated. "Is something bothering you today?" "No." "Then why are you like this?" "...I don't know. Let's just record." Feeling uneasy, but work had to continue. "Ah, ah. Can you hear me?" The mic test began. Confirming the sound, I gave the okay signal. Leah's voice reverberated from the speakers. Having a pro sing my song was an emotional moment. Similar feelings occurred when working with the teacher, but with it entirely my song, the feeling was overwhelming. It was slightly embarrassing hearing my own lyrics. An inexplicable tingling sensation rose from inside my chest. "Is everything okay?" As the accompaniment stopped, Leah inquired. "Oh. Yes. It was good, but let's try the chorus once more." "Leah's doing great." Beside me, Doa swung her legs, puffing her cheeks full of air. "Ah, come on. You've seen her perform way more than I have." "You thought she was cute because she sings well, didn't you?" Unfounded accusation. "No, I didn't think that." "She's taller and bustier than me, and sings well. Is she really not cute?" ... Would it be right to say you're cuter because of your smaller size? Feeling I might dig myself a deeper hole with details, I quickly doused the flames. "Sure, definitely not cute. Let's chat later. We have to record again." With a signal indicating the track was ready, Leah sang the requested part again. Her crisp high notes seemed to chase away the summer heat. Ha... No wonder the teacher picked Leah as his favorite. I wasn't sure about her character or looks, but her singing was unmatched. "How was it this time?" "Oh... I think the chorus is good now. Let's proceed to the next part." A song about three minutes long. If we remove the strictly instrumental parts, it's roughly 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Divided equally among the number of members, each would get about 30 seconds. Ideally, I wanted everything balanced, but it was practically impossible. Some parts were tricky to divide, and some were simply not suitable for certain members. I hadn't revealed this to Doa, but I felt a bit sorry about the distribution after the fact. Because Luca's part was merely 28 seconds. Two seconds less than the average. In contrast, Leah's was about 36 seconds. Roughly two or three lines of lyrics more if one senses it. "Okay. Thank you for your hard work." Satisfied that my initial vision aligned, I lightly patted Doa on the back. "Now it's your turn, Luca." "I'm intimidated. I need courage." A playful comment, but possibly true. In school presentations, going after the top student always felt awkward. "What should I do about it?" "Donate some courage." "I'll recharge and send it once home." "As if you would." Why make promises that won't be kept? As Leah returned, Doa naturally grabbed her water bottle and entered the booth. "Wow. Thank you so much for doing so well again today." "Oh... No, the song was wonderful, so I tried even harder." Even if it was a pleasantry, it felt heartwarming. Compliments on a well-crafted song never get old. "Leah, if you have things to handle, feel free to head out first. I don't think you'll need a retake." "Oh, no. I'll leave with Luca." ... Were they planning to hang out afterward? Unaware of the details, I nodded as if I understood. "Ah, ah. Can you hear me well?" No need to raise your hand. Doa raised her hand high beyond the glass window. It felt amusing, almost like watching a real idol show. "Yes, loud and clear." "Then let's start the playback!" Doa was speaking entirely in her broadcasting tone. Instead of replying, I played the track. Doa nodded calmly, singing along with the beat. It was evident she'd practiced extensively. I felt a bit bad for the teacher, but it seemed like she put much more effort into practicing my song. This realization made the sight of the girl holding the water bottle even more endearing. "Shall we do it again, Teacher?" Though unrequested, Doa addressed me as "teacher," to which I commented that it was okay to move on to the next part. "Sounds good. Luca, I like your high energy, but let's aim for a slightly calmer feel in the beginning, okay?" "Okay..." Doa dramatically lowered her voice completely. Come on, if you keep joking like that, you're going to get caught. As I struggled to suppress my laughter, Leah turned her gaze towards me. "RKRO, you said among us members, you like Luca the most, right?" Yes, it's been confirmed on YouTube videos and mentioned in my award speeches as well. "Oh, yes. I watch Luca's broadcasts frequently." "Is that why you're so thrilled right now?" "Excuse me?" "Oh... Your reactions seem a bit different from when I was recording..." Is it really that obvious? I was trying to maintain an impartial, business-like demeanor. I couldn't pinpoint where Leah got that impression. "Oh, not at all~ I'm not as full of ulterior motives as the teacher." A lie to cover up another lie. Truthfully, I'm a fan to the core. I was a man who had the idol Luca, adored by fans all over the world. If this were ever made public, I might become a high-bounty fugitive. "But Ash Block wasn't exactly being extremely rude that day, either." "Was it really okay? Watching it, I couldn't help but wonder what was up with that guy." "Maybe I've become desensitized after seeing too many strange chats on broadcast. Haha." Leah grinned at me. "Ah... there are definitely a lot of people who go too far on the internet." "Still, there are also many supportive fans, so I think it's something you just have to accept." It was a conversation I'd had several times with Doa. Streamers must lay that mindset as a foundation. Without such mental fortitude, surviving in the online world was a daunting challenge. "Hey! Hey! Teacher! When are we starting?" Distracted chatting with Leah, I'd forgotten to play the track, and quickly moved the mouse. "I'm starting it now." Luca's recording wrapped up earlier than I anticipated. I'd gauged the time based on the teacher's previous song, finishing about an hour earlier than that. After finalizing the files, I stood up from my chair to thank the two. "Thank you both for your great work. Once the final version is ready, I'll make sure it gets to you through the company." "Yup~ You put in a lot of hard work, too, Lucario-nim~" "Thank you!" Oh, just say RKRO! Kim Doa! Why use my embarrassing nickname out loud? "Let's go, Leah!" Just as Doa grabbed Leah's wrist. "Luca, go ahead and head down first." "Huh? Why?" "I have something to discuss with RKRO in private." My gaze shifted from Leah to Doa. Doa's usually gentle eyes had suddenly turned sharp.