Although it was Saturday evening, KangYoon and Lee HyunJi remained at the company without going home. The importance of an employee was different to that of an employer. Jung HyeJin had already gone home, but these two still had some things to do regarding the contract with Kim JiMin.
Drinking bitter coffee, KangYoon turned his eyes to the papers.
"She lives with just her grandmother?"
KangYoon couldn't hide his surprise after hearing about Kim JiMin's family situation from Lee HyunJi. Looking at her address, he saw that it wasn't far from where he used to live. KangYoon was speechless.
"That place… they even share the toilets…."
"What? Such a place still exists?"
"It's just around the corner of where I used to live. There aren't many toilets, so they are practically shared. I didn't know people still lived there…."
"…I'm more surprised by the fact that you used to live there."
"Now that I think about it, it hasn't been that long since I started getting hot tap water."
Lee HyunJi was surprised at KangYoon instead. She did once see KangYoon's resume, but she didn't know that he went through all sort of suffering in a place like that.
KangYoon thought that Kim JiMin had to have a stable lifestyle first. Although more hunger calls for more desperation and better quality, that didn't work in an era like this. However, there was a problem; money.
"…We can get a small house. It will be better than a shack like that one."
Fortunately, Lee HyunJi's answer was a positive one. She also thought that their first trainee shouldn't stay in a shack like that. However, there was a problem.
"I'm not worried about the money since you'll earn it back, but this won't be a vain investment, right?"
Her worries lay with Kim JiMin. Although they got a proper trainee, the matters of the world were mysterious.
KangYoon agreed with her worries but still calmed her down by saying that he would make it happen.
"I'll have to do my best. Now, we'll be family."
"That's true. You always moved for a just cause like that. It's not just one or two people that fell for that charm of yours."
"Hahaha."
KangYoon shrugged his shoulders.
Eventually, the two came to an agreement that they should get Kim JiMin a dorm where she could live with her grandmother. They also decided that she should practice everyday after school, Lee HyunJi went off to look for trainers, and KangYoon agreed.
Like that, matters about Kim JiMin were finished. Next was Lee HyunAh.
"…Lee HyunAh? Here?"
Hearing that from KangYoon, Lee HyunJi crossed her arms. Is a band easy to succeed with? Her opinion was that it was very hard.
"What did you reply with?"
"I said that I will think about it. A band is a very hard item to succeed with. I can't just accept them on behalf of friendship."
"She must have been disappointed. She might have thought that you were a high-pass."
"Work is work."
Lee HyunJi nodded at KangYoon's words. Running a company wasn't a joke. Accepting an entire group on behalf of friendship was a hard thing to do.
"In your opinion, do you think Lee HyunAh and her band have a chance to succeed?"
KangYoon didn't voice out his opinions that easily. Lee HyunAh definitely had her own charms. She was going beyond the 'Hongdae goddess' position in the indie band world. Moreover, she could even write songs as well. As an individual, she was a very talented singer-songwriter. The problem was the band. Can the individuals of the band succeed as a star? Can they succeed as a band in the major world?
Considering all that, it was hard for KangYoon to come to a decision. Lee HyunJi also seemed to notice his worries and added.
"A band is definitely difficult. A lot of people came out as a band in the past and screwed up. Moreover, they are of mixed gender, so it will be hard to gain fans."
KangYoon agreed with her. However, there was something that tugged his heart.
'A band, huh… a band, in the end, gains profit through performances…'
He could just give up on them. But something just didn't seem right.
KangYoon's worries didn't settle.
Kim JiMin felt that everything was a dream.
Lee HyunJi came to her school and processed documents about early leave for every day as she would become a trainee. As this all had the agreement of her guardian and had legitimate documents about her from the company, the school allowed it without much hassle. Though, they found it slightly disappointing since it was a small company.
"JiMin! Did you really become a trainee? That's awesome!"
"My friend is a celebrity now?"
When rumors spread, Kim JiMin became a hot issue among the students. Despite that, she maintained good relationships with her friends.
The next change that came to her was the dorms. Kim JiMin had lived in shacks for all her life and was not able to believe the two-room studio apartment in front of her eyes.
"…Wow…."
It wasn't that big, but it was very neat and tidy. Everything felt as though it was a dream. There was everything necessary with beds and a computer.
"My dear, president. I cannot thank you enough."
Kim JiMin's parents grabbed KangYoon's hands dearly. She did hear that her granddaughter had become a trainee or something, but she never imagined that she got her a house as well. KangYoon also grabbed her hands back.
"JiMin will bring you to a better place in the future. She'll give us with greater things, so this is not much."
"Thank you, thank you so much."
Kim JiMin's grandmother was just thankful.
With the matters with the school and living done, they took care of most things. What was left was training. And today was the historic first training.
"Hello."
Kim JiMin finished just the morning classes and headed to World Entertainment. She greeted Jung HyeJin and headed to the basement studio.
"Welcome."
In the studio were KangYoon and professor Choi ChanYang. Kim JiMin nervously greeted towards the professor.
After a brief introduction, the three sat down and went to the topic.
"JiMin, the professor will take care of your vocal training starting today. You have a lot to learn, but singing is the basics of the basics, so you must work hard, okay?"
"Yes. I'll do my best."
Kim JiMin's eyes were full of enthusiasm. Professor Choi ChanYang smiled in satisfaction.
"No, take care of me too. This will be the first time I train someone too."
Kim JiMin's eyes trembled, but KangYoon explained.
"He's a professor in Hallyeo Arts University. It's the first time he's doing vocal training, but he teaches composing. This opportunity is quite rare. Also, the vocal skills you're about to learn can't be learned from just anywhere so do your best."
"A pro…fessor… hi다."
Kim JiMin gulped in nervousness. Then, professor Choi ChanYang smiled and made her relax.
After she relaxed a little, KangYoon continued to explain.
"It's called SLS vocal method, and it originated from vocal music, but it can handle pop or classic, as well as all other genres of singing."
She wondered if there really was such a magical singing method, but trusted KangYoon. When her eyes sparkled, KangYoon continued.
"It's hard to see effects for people who already learned another vocal method. But I thought that you should be able to learn it since you don't have experience learning any other things. This is quite effective for people who don't have habits in singing. Not anyone can teach it without the proper licenses. So, do your best to learn it."
"Yes."
KangYoon spoke no more. He pushed away the tables in the studio while Kim JiMin sat down.
"Here, do as I do. Ah~."
"Ah—"
Professor Choi ChanYang started from the basics. Kim JiMin sang as she did normally. Then, the professor shook his head.
"Think as though you're doing it more naturally. Listen to me. Aaah—-"
KangYoon sat down and focused his ears on their voices. The professor repeated the same 'ah' sound. The prior sounded like a scratching sound, and the latter sounded more comfortable.
"What is the difference between the two?"
"I think the first one was more difficult to voice out. The second one sounded more comfortable."
"Good. You have good ears."
The compliment made Kim JiMin happy.
"That's where the importance of SLS lies. Comfortably and clearly. If you perfectly digest this voicing method, then you'll be able to voice out even the high notes."
"Oh…."
Kim JiMin exclaimed. She didn't even think about that.
"Let's do it then. Aah—"
"Aaah—"
"The sound is still a little awkward right? It's because your larynx is too low. The important thing is to find the right place for the larynx. Again. Aah—"
"Aaah—"
Kim JiMin's vocal training started with the basics. Seeing that the lesson was taking off, KangYoon quietly left through the door.
In the office, Lee HyunJi was hard at work while grabbing her head. KangYoon sat down as to not interrupt her.
'Band, what do I do with a band?'
The band problem was very difficult. How to produce profit out of them, this was a big question. Even if they acted as a unit, the problem of sharing profit was obviously a big hindrance. There was a reason Yerang wanted Lee HyunAh alone.
'But no one has done it yet. The merit of being the first success is definitely there. Moreover, her skills are already approved. Increasing the number of performances and proper marketing should make her a good card.'
There was definitely merit if he could package the band well. Moreover, there was the foundation that she had piled up in Hongdae (Hongik University District). If the music could be turned a little more mass-public-oriented while maintaining the originality of the band, then a good reaction could be expected.
'If I do decide to accept her, then the important part will be to produce a profit. But it's not like HyunAh has talents in acting or TV shows, and there's no way the others do either. In the end, it will be about music…. Music, music, huh. Music… Oh.'
At that moment, something flashed in KangYoon's head.
The main source of income for a band is a concert. Lee HyunAh's foundation is an indie band. Why did I only think about large-scale concerts? Concerts with less than 100 people audience is still a concert. Hahaha.'
Thinking about it, Lee HyunAh was already earning money as an indie band. However, there was a difference between doing it through a company and doing it as an individual or a team. Moreover, he could also expect an increase in quality as she would be able to focus solely on music.
'With a band, I could earn profits through indie stages, and get popularity through TV shows. Once there are enough fans, a large concert to sweep it all? Like that, shouldn't there be quite a lot of profit, though, not as much as an event?'
He thought about a part he forgot about. These people weren't the typical celebrities. They were indie singers. The advantage of indie singers was that they had manias - die-hard fans. If he could provide a fan-service for these specific group of fans, and increase their numbers, then there would eventually be a frightening mass of fans. The profit too would be…
"That's it!"
KangYoon subconsciously shouted out loud. Lee HyunJi, who was focusing on her work on the side, was surprised and looked at him.
"Did something happen?"
"Oh…."
KangYoon momentarily became embarrassed.
To strike the iron while it was hot, KangYoon immediately called for Lee HyunAh. She quickly came to the office of World Entertainment upon call.
Drinking the coffee Jung HyeJin gave her, Lee HyunAh asked.
"What did you call me for?"
Lee HyunAh's question had both expectation and worry. Before, KangYoon did not give a proper answer. However, she still expected something from KangYoon, thinking that KangYoon would be different.
KangYoon started to talk.
"You wanted to enter our company, right? With the rest of the band."
"Yes."
"I have something to talk about that. The conditions will be very bad. Is that fine with you??"
Yes. There was hope in KangYoon's words. She sparkled eyes and nodded her head.
"Yes, yes! I knew it, you were…."
"Decide after you hear about everything. The terms aren't that good. You will be sacrificing a lot."
"Sacrificing?"
Lee HyunAh was confused by the negative word. However, she already considered not going to Yerang a sacrifice.
"That's fine. If I was worried about sacrifices, I would have gone to Yerang."
"Okay. Then I'll start with the most difficult part for you."
KangYoon talked about the distribution of profits. It was about Lee HyunAh's individual income. KangYoon said that she would have to share some of her own income with the rest of the members. At those words, her eyes widened.
"What, my money?"
"Of course, the income from other members will also be shared in the same ratio. However, reasonably speaking, your income will be the highest. Meaning, you will be making some losses."
When KangYoon talked about the money, she started hesitating as well. The reality concerning money and the thought of being together with the rest of the team was conflicting each other.
Lee HyunAh thought about it for a moment and eventually came to a decision.
"…Okay. Then if I sacrifice my portion of the income, then will I be accepted?"
Lee HyunAh threw a direct question. However, KangYoon still said that there were some things left.
"There's still more. Decide after you hear about it. Honestly, if you enter, then I'd welcome you. This company is still in its initial stages, so rather than me doing something for you, you might feel like you have more family. So…."
"But it's not like you're going to abandon me, oppa."
"Y…. yes, that's true as well."
"You'll utilize the group somehow to produce income. If I come here, that is."
She was right. She said that and urged KangYoon to speak properly.
"…I'll clear it up for you. If you come here, you'll be put through a lot of suffering. You might even earn less money for the time being than being indie. However…"
"However?"
Her eyes sparkled at this point.
"I can guarantee this. The number of performances you do will increase. But the real goal is…."
"Is?"
"10,000 people concert."
Her eyes widened.
"10 thousand people!?"
Ten thousand may seem like not that of a great number, but it wasn't such an easy feat. Even she had a hard time believing whether this was possible or not. However, KangYoon continued to calmly explain.
"Your fans until now, and the fans you'll make through TV, your image you'll make in the future. In total, I'm thinking around 2 years. Our company will also have to get ready to digest such a large concert by then. I won't do something rude like asking you to spend your own money so don't worry about that.
"Oh…. Hahahaha."
Lee HyunAh smiled awkwardly. Looking at the current state of the company, as well as her own popularity as a band, this did not make any sense. However, KangYoon was the one to say it. She didn't think that it was a lie. Moreover, if the entire band was going to be treated the same, then there was no need to talk anymore.
"I, I'll come here. The others will come too."
"You'll be put through a lot of suffering. Like, a LOT. You might even resent met."
"It's fine. It's fine. 10 thousand. Ten… thousand…'
She went absent-minded as though she was enchanted by the temptation of the large-scale concert. To a band, a large concert was like a dream.
Like that, Lee HyunAh's band, The Formidables, nested themselves in World.
"President, you didn't say a lot in the show."
Today was the broadcasting date for the audition programme. Monitoring, Lee HyunJi jokingly complained to him.
"They said everything before me, so I had nothing else to say."
"Pfft. You should have made up something. Look at Lee JaeHyuk, he's making up all sorts of things. That applicant is really good too."
Like what Lee HyunJi said, applicant number 209 had very cleaning singing, and his attitude was very good as well. However, Lee JaeHyuk kept asking him for more saying something was lacking. And that definitely made it through the editing. After that, Lee JaeHyuk said in the interview that he liked the applicant but thought that he could do better.
"Compared to the other two, you don't appear that much. Perhaps because you aren't that known yet."
When Lee HyunJi jokingly said that, KangYoon shook his head.
"It was difficult to find a gem among the sand. There were people who had good voices, but it wasn't that easy to find people with potential. I think that those two are just celebrities putting on a show."
"Really? I think your standards are too high…."
"Maybe."
KangYoon shrugged his shoulders. This was his first appearance, but he didn't show that much of an impact, and he was slightly disappointed about that. However, there weren't that many talented people either. Moreover, Kim JiMin was edited out, even though she was the true talent.
"Yes, hello? Oh, producer."
While KangYoon monitored himself with a disinterested expression Lee HyunJi answered the call from a producer with a high-pitched voice. Reflecting her business attitude, she never stopped laughing and giggling while on the phone.
After the call, she sighed and spoke.
"President, we got a call from the producer of ONE STAR. It's work."
"Work?"
"Yes. He wanted you to do an arrangement of a song for one of the top 10."
"Arrangement?"
"Yes, the costs will be handled by the TV station. You became quite popular with the rise of T&T, right? It's about time you did something again."
KangYoon accepted and smiled.
[Korea ONE STAR Jay Han, voted most likely to go first!]
Korea ONE STAR top 10 candidate, Jay Han (real name Han SangHo) became the focus of attention yesterday when he was chosen as the most likely to drop out in the public vote.
When the selection and training footage of the top 10 members was released in the episode broadcasted on the 25th, Jay Han received compliments and attention for both his good voice and charming looks. But he was subsequently told off by the judge Lee JaeHyuk because of his bad pronunciation and poor song selection and then received the lowest amount of points. The obvious worry on his face during the next few missions made the viewers unsettled.
In the vote on the popular social networking website, Twisser, held after the episode, Jay Han was voted as the most likely candidate to leave the show first…
"…Shit…." (T/N: Spoken in English)
Reading through the news article that was written in Korean, which he was slightly unfamiliar with, Jay Han gritted his teeth. He received a lot of attention once he was selected as one of the top 10, and his name started circulating around the internet. And then…
– Jay Han is all about his face lol
– His pronunciation is so awkward. It must be his face.
– I swear to god that it's his face that got him selected. The song's meh…
"Aaaack!"
Looking at the comments on the article as well as on Twisser, Jay Han ended up screaming. A poll? Why are they making an article off that!
The mass media didn't have good feedback for him. He tried to contact the people he became close to through the joint training, but they should be practicing hard right now. He was completely alone.
"Motherfucker…." (T/N: Again, spoken in English.)
He spat out rough insults. It was hard to control his emotions.
Lee HyunJi was satisfied seeing KangYoon's confidence and spoke about the singer.
"His name is Jay Han. Korean name, Hang SangHo. Now, doesn't he look handsome?"
Lee HyunJi's eyes filled with bliss as she looked at the picture. Short hair, big eyes, and long legs. The man in the picture reminded her of a model. KangYoon shrugged his shoulders and spoke.
"He does look good. But he has the smallest support from the viewers. Voted as the most likely to drop out in the poll…. He sings well, but his pronunciations aren't that good. No matter how good his voice is, if the words don't get spoken properly, it's not much different from baby mumbling. But the singer doesn't sing English songs and is stubborn on doing Korean ones. It's like a little girl trying to put on makeup."
"So the most important thing will be to go with an easier song.'
Lee HyunJi rested her chin on her hands. The stubbornness of a singer was one thing, but this guy was about to drop out. Perhaps this was the right situation to use the expression 'not as good as he looks to be'.
The next day, KangYoon met up with Jay Han in the office. Jung HyeJin and Lee HyunJi were screaming about how handsome he was, but KangYoon felt something different.
'He doesn't have a great expression. Did something happen to him?'
Was it nervousness prior to a stage? Or some other element of worry? Thinking about various things, KangYoon started talking with Jay Han. Jay Han played the song he wanted to sing on the next round from his phone.
"'Below the Sky Without You'? Wouldn't the lyrics be too hard?"
KangYoon shook his head while listening to the song. This song was written in 1999 and the lyrics were poetic. However, it was hard to express it as it had words that were hard to pronounce. As he knew that Jay Han had issues with his pronunciation, KangYoon didn't want to recommend this.
However, Jay Han was firm in his decision.
"I like this song. I can express the traditional sentiments of Korea."
Now that made KangYoon confused. Usually, people who were taught outside Korea have a hard time sympathizing with the illogical expressions of Korea. But this guy, he liked it instead….
However, KangYoon shook his head.
(T/N: Now, the translation is about to get reaaaaally janky since I can't really 'translate' pronunciations. So, if you think 'hey, that's not a hard word to pronounce in English', then it's because I can't translate those.)
"From the old folk tales - on the foggy windows - like the dust— You have to express it properly. Can you do it?"
"Yes."
He straightened his shoulders in confidence. KangYoon could hear awkward words in his voice right now… but where is he getting all this confidence from? He shook his head.
'Looks like there's a need to tell him the truth.'
"Okay then. We need to see how good you are; so, can you sing it once?"
KangYoon came to a decision and let Jay Han into the booth. Then, he prepared a track. When the track was ready, he spoke into the mic.
"Have you memorized the lyrics?"
– Yes.
"I've set the microphone so let's try singing it."
Along with his words, the music started playing. The instrumental part ended, and Jay Han's singing started flowing out.
– From the ohd fohk tayles - on the foggee windows - like the dust - oh - you liive (leave) my heart-
"Pfft…."
KangYoon burst into laughter. He had such a charming voice, and the voice said that…. This felt really unbalanced. The two women behind KangYoon's back also blinked several times at this reversal. Jay Han, who didn't know what the reaction was like outside, sung with passion.
In the end, KangYoon stopped Jay after the first verse and let him out. He didn't say anything and made him listen to the recording.
"Oh…."
The awkward song that was recorded just now played back in the studio. Jay Han also had ears. He wanted a hole to hide in after listening to that awkward song. Seeing the two women trying their best to hold back their laughter, he felt even more embarrassed. His gripped fists trembled like mad.
KangYoon gestured the two women to leave and spoke.
"Until now, you may have survived thanks to your voice and your looks, but if you keep doing this, I can't help you."
"……."
Agreeing with KangYoon's words, Jay Han nodded his head repeatedly. He came to himself and faced reality. And then, he resolved himself.
After that, the two started going through a list of songs to choose from.
After tasting defeat, Jay Han didn't say anything to KangYoon. This recording incident was an insult to his life. He was angry about the news articles, but now that he learned the truth for himself, he wanted to hide in a hole somewhere. He also didn't forget about KangYoon's consideration of him when he sent the two women out.
"If you are going to go with a Korean song, I recommend something easier to sing."
Jay Han accepted KangYoon's offer. Monitoring through TV and monitoring the voice through the booth had a lot of differences.
Jay Han chose the song carefully. Since he only had one song in mind, it took longer to choose. He played all the music available in the studio including vinyl records, CDs, and MP3 files. However, it was hard to find the one he liked.
While Jay Han was going through the songs, KangYoon taught Kim JiMin at the back of the studio.
"…This is perfect 5th. If there's a sharp (#) on the third?"
"Major?"
"Good, that's the basics. You learn quick. Until now, you learned the guitar through imitating, but you must learn it using harmonics as the basis for the future, okay?"
"Yes."
While learning harmonics from KangYoon, Kim JiMin drew on the blank music paper. Right now, she was immersed in the joy of learning something she had never had the chance to learn or only learned through looking.
While being taught theory by KangYoon, Kim JiMin asked.
"Sir, that person. Isn't he the one in ONE STAR?"
"Yes, he is. I got a request for an arrangement so he's going through the songs."
"Wow."
Kim JiMin looked up to KangYoon. Receiving such gazes from a teenage girl, KangYoon became slightly proud of himself. His voice now had more power when he taught Kim JiMin.
While they were immersed in harmonics, Jay Han called for KangYoon.
"Have you chosen?"
"Yes. I'll go with this one."
KangYoon had a look at the vinyl record that Jay chose. It was a song named 'You'.
"My dumb head- may not feel anything - and my dry mouth - may not say anything - "
He wasn't asked to, but Jay started singing comfortably. The awkward pronunciation from before was gone. KangYoon listened for a while before he spoke.
"Good. Although the song is a little old…."
"The arrangement is your job."
This time, Jay Han smiled. KangYoon said okay and extended his hand.
"I shall answer your expectations."
Jay Han also grabbed onto KangYoon's hand.
'Wow.'
Kim JiMin found all this wondrous since this was usually something she saw through the TV.
"Hello."
Lee HyunAh came to World's office with the rest of the band. This was her first official day at work. The others separated to go sign their contracts, while Lee HyunAh headed to the storeroom on the 1st floor; KangYoon had something to show her.
"This… is our practice room?"
Looking at the completely empty space, Lee HyunAh muttered emptily. Not to mention sound dampening, there wasn't even cardboard. It was just literally an empty space.
However, KangYoon spoke calmly as though there was nothing to worry about.
"Hey, you're not thinking I'm just going to leave you here, are you? You said you all have your personal equipment, so you just need to install the speakers, a mixer, and the sound dampening foam or some cardboard on the walls. The ceiling isn't too low here, so the sound won't echo as much as you think. I'll make it better than your previous studio so don't worry about it."
"Boo…. The basement is better though…."
"Then do you want to use it together with JiMin?"
"No, I don't think that's right."
Lee HyunAh shook her head. Rather than everyone sharing good equipment, it was better to have separate spaces even if they had to have slightly worse equipment. She grumbled a little, but she did feel thankful for KangYoon's consideration for her and the band.
"You know how to put up sound dampening foam, right?"
"Whaaaat!?"
Though, she still screamed at the sudden reversal of having to install sound dampening herself.
"Hey, hey. I'm not asking you to do it by yourself. We're going to do it together."
"You surprised me for a second."
Lee HyunAh stroked her chest in relief at KangYoon's joke. To indie bands, who had not so good practice environment, putting up sound dampening foams was commonplace, but still arduous.
KangYoon spoke the same thing to the rest of the band once they came down after signing the contract. They also seemed to have had a lot of worries about practice environment and rather welcomed KangYoon's suggestion.
After that, Lee HyunJi came down and had a look at the soon-to-be practice room. Seeing the band chatting away, she spoke in worry.
"Did you say that they will have to do the construction themselves?"
"Yes. We need to save up on money after all."
"I also told the band as well. They accepted it saying that it was the natural course of action. Looks like the kids are al nice. Though, I don't want to make them go through such hardships…."
Lee HyunJi smiled bitterly. However, a practice studio was a must. KangYoon's opinion was that they should buy more expensive materials and reduce the human resources cost, and Lee HyunJi agreed. They had to use environmentally-friendly materials and more effective materials for long-term health. This was much better than calling people to put up cardboard.
Like that, the studio construction was settled, and KangYoon took out the next topic.
"I think we need a manager."
"Manager? Oh, that's right. We can't cover for them all the time."
Lee HyunJi agreed to that. Both KangYoon and she had a lot of things to do. Jung HyeJin had a lot of things to do in the company including accounting as well. There was a need for specialized personnel for the field.
"What kind of people do you want?"
"A person with more than 2 years of experience should do. I'm thinking someone who could cherish our kids and has some sense in the area."
"I'll investigate that. As for the pay…."
"This field is quite stingy on wages. Give more than other places. Being a manager is not an easy thing to do, you know?"
"Looks like we'll be in the red for quite a while."
"Well, we prepared ourselves for that."
Lee HyunJi said that they should just match the wages with other places, but KangYoon shook his head.
"Once the employees are stable, then they would do better. It's better to treat them well up first."
"…Okay. Looks like we'll have to do more for the time being."
"Once it's stable, they'll also feel a sense of belonging."
In the end, Lee HyunJi nodded his head to KangYoon. As someone who had to manage funds, human resources were the part that took the most money. Being asked to increase it more did make her feel bitter. However, KangYoon was looking at a bigger picture.
That evening, KangYoon started doing arrangements. He listened to the song 'You' several times repeatedly and imagined about Jay Han's voice in this song.
'Let's arrange it so that the high-pitched parts are more emphasized. A groovy R&B style should work well.'
KangYoon controlled the synthesizer to create a drum rhythm. He slightly tampered with the basic 8-beat drums to add more ups and downs and added the basic melody for 'You'. Then, he played it back only to get a grey light.
'Urgh….'
KangYoon creased his brows. As he hadn't re-arranged the melody line, he was struck by a disaster. He stopped it immediately and started re-arranging the melody line.
'Jay Han's voice was relatively deep, right?'
KangYoon thought back to Jay's voice as he edited the song. He wanted to bring out the rhythm of the song more, but it was hard to do so since it was such an old song.
'Looks like I should redo the rhythm first.'
He created a set of basic rhythms and went with the one that he felt was the most appropriate. As a result, another edition of the basic 8-beat rhythm was chosen. When he added the bass line, a splendid frame for the song was complete.
'Should I see it?'
He played back the first 16 bars. Then, a weak white light could be seen. KangYoon tapped on his feet to see whether the rhythm was good or not. It didn't feel bad at all.
'So now it's the main line.'
KangYoon started adding things to the mainframe. It wasn't so easy to add things while considering Jay Han's voice. To bring out the best of his voice, it had to feel good yet simple rather than using fancy instrumentals. KangYoon tried his best to bring out the 'feel' while repeating that process.
"Wow…."
Kim JiMin, who was learning harmonics in one corner of the studio, sparkled her eyes while watching KangYoon doing song arrangements. The sight of a retro music gradually turning into a modern one was a rare sight to see. She quietly approached behind KangYoon. She was curious.
"Sit."
KangYoon felt her presence and told her to sit. Then, he kept working.
"This part is like this…."
When Kim JiMin arrived, KangYoon raised the volume. He was planning to show her the arrangement process. Alternating between the mixer, synthesizer, and PC, KangYoon's hands moved about busily.
'So, this is what arrangement is.'
Kim JiMin's eyes shined while looking at the simple notes becoming more and more beautiful. The chords and the notes on the treble and bass clefs all felt curious to her. The song felt as though each puzzle pieces were find thing their places. Combining several instruments into one complete piece. That was what arrangement was about.
She had a lot of things she wanted to ask about, but she didn't say anything. KangYoon was focused and was even sweating.
'So cool. I'll also….'
Kim JiMin saw her future inside KangYoon's figure.
KangYoon's figure as he tuned the music and creating something new was unspeakably cool to her.
Lee HyunJi's work speed was very fast.
It took less than two days for her to buy the sound dampening materials for Lee HyunAh and the band. Soon after, she was also finished with putting up employment ads.
KangYoon heard from Lee HyunJi only a few days later that Lee HyunJi selected some candidates through the 1st interview.
"…That was quick."
"It's just the 1st interview. There are 3 candidates."
"Out of how many?"
"Twelve. Our wages were good, so there were quite a lot of applicants. They'll be coming today so please take care of the interview."
Around 2 pm, the applicants arrived. Jung HyeJin gave them coffee, while KangYoon and Lee HyunJi started the interview.
KangYoon didn't drag out the interview. He asked mostly practical things from what kind of people they managed to what they thought the industry was heading to. Since he told them to come in comfortable clothing, the applicants came with neat clothes that weren't suits.
After one interviewee left, KangYoon shook his head.
"President, what is it?"
"I don't like him that much. He has a lot of experience, but I feel like he will be swept away."
"Swept away? What do you mean?"
When Lee HyunJi didn't understand him, KangYoon explained.
"To manage a celebrity, I believe that there is a need for clear personal views on matters as well. A manager must consider the view of the company, as well as the celebrity and mediate between the two. But the applicants right now feel like parrots instead of mediators."
"Are those the words from a senior of yours?"
"Fuu…. Maybe."
KangYoon sighed. Then, he asked for the final applicant and Jung HyeJin guided the last applicant to the interview area.
This applicant had a tall stature and some heft to him as well. His eyes were sharp despite the naïve looking face. KangYoon greeted him and turned his eyes to the letter of personal introduction.
"Mr. Kim DaeHyun. 30 years old. 2 years of experience. So, you managed one celebrity for a long time. Jeon HyoJin, huh. 1st rate actress. She's rumored to be picky, but you managed her for 2 years. Quite the feat, I should say."
"Thank you, sir."
"Why did you apply?"
KangYoon gave the most difficult and most annoying question for all interviewees.
"The biggest reason is the wages."
"The wages…."
"During my two years at the previous company, my wages were frozen."
"Oh, my."
KangYoon clicked his tongue. Money troubles were the most problematic. His wages might have been frozen due to his lack of ability, but he didn't ask that straight up. He thought that was etiquette.
"So, you applied because the wages were high."
"There's that, but I also liked the fact that this was a new company."
"Really? Don't people usually avoid new companies because it's unstable?"
"The company I was at before had several rules since it was a big company. It was stable, and there were systems in place. However, it was hard to go up. However, if it's at the starting level, I thought that I may be able to grow the scale of the company with my skills."
This applicant was very challenging, and his words were okay.
KangYoon asked many other things as well. Mostly about practical work. For example, his actions when a celebrity has met with certain circumstances, or his work ethic.
KangYoon spent quite a lot of time in the final interview. This person was different from the previous two. KangYoon had a lot to ask.
KangYoon took care of all of his questions and ended the interview. After sending out the last interviewee, all the interviews were over.
"Phew. It's over."
Lee HyunJi stretched her arms. Judging other people wasn't so easy to do. KangYoon took Lee HyunJi's evaluation of the people and compared it with his own.
"So, you too like the last one, director."
"I liked his honesty. And he looks like he won't scheme. But the motivation for application was money, pfft. That was a little funny."
"Was it Mr. DaeHyun? Looks like I should contact his previous company and ask them how he worked."
"I'll do that. Don't you have musical work to do?"
"Oh, yes."
KangYoon immediately stood up and headed to the basement studio. He was planning to finish the arrangement that he couldn't finish yesterday. But on his way down, he saw the door to the 1st floor practice room open. In curiosity, he went inside.
"There, a little bit to the left. To the left! Hey! It's off-angle!"
With Lee HyunAh's shout, the practice studio was under noise-proofing construction. Kim JinDae picked up heavy insulating foam and stuck it on the door and next to the door, while Lee ChaHee stuck the rest of the sound dampening materials onto the wall. Lee HyunAh went up the ladder and stuck them on the ceiling.
'Amazing.'
Lee HyunAh's stomach was showing as her shirt was tied up at the bottom, and she was sweating. She was currently working while showing her thin waist.
"Oh? President, hello."
Kim JinDae greeted KangYoon first. The band then stopped working and approached KangYoon. Lee HyunAh, who was on the ladder, also carefully climbed down.
"You are amazing. You even climb ladders?"
"3 years of being indie, this much is natural."
KangYoon was somewhat proud to see Lee HyunAh change so much in 3 years, from the girl that was so shy that she couldn't even hand out her own composition to the rest of the team.
"Have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet…."
Lee HyunAh blurred her words. This was a signal that they should eat. KangYoon took out his credit card without saying much.
"Eat some jajangmyeon (black soybean noodles)."
"Yay!"
KangYoon gave them the card and turned around. He had to finish up his arrangement.
While the band was hopping in joy, Lee HyunAh pouted instead.
'Tch, I was going to ask him to eat together.'
"Hey, hey. HyunAh! What do you want to eat?"
"Jumbo sized! The most expensive one."
Kim JinDae asked, and Lee HyunAh replied that, but in the end, the menu was unified into spicy or chilly. Lee ChaHee's opinion that they shouldn't piss off the president so early subdued all of them. Lee HyunAh grumbled and stuffed the noodles in her mouth.
"You'll become a pig you know."
"Right back at you."
Lee HyunAh snorted at Kim JinDae's words and stole the soup from him as well.
"It's done!"
When balancing, the last process of arrangement was done, KangYoon screamed out in joy. Kim JiMin, who was studying harmonics at the back, was surprised and came to him.
"Is it done?"
"Yup. Wanna listen?"
"Yes, please."
KangYoon played the completed song. This was pure music recording without any voice. The several speakers installed inside the studio started generating various colors of music. Then, those notes combined into one and created light. It was a very bright white light. The intensity of the light only became stronger as it went to the chorus and into the climax.
"The song's good….'
Kim JiMin exclaimed. Like KangYoon, she tapped her right feet along with the rhythm. She even imitated KangYoon's humming.
"The song's okay, right?"
"Yes. It's so good. I get that 'feel'."
"That's good. Next time, try to express some more. Your expressivity will also increase."
"Yes."
Kim JiMin soon went back to studying. She immersed herself in studying both harmonics and the guitar.
Meanwhile, KangYoon saved the song onto a USB drive and then contacted Jay Han. Jay said that he will soon be at the company and ended the call. He seemed to be in quite a hurry.
Not even an hour later, Jay Han was led by Jung HyeJin inside the studio. KangYoon greeted him and let him listen to the song. Jay Han received the score and listened to the song while imagining his voice inside his head. The rhythmic R&B style song captivated him instantly. However, the worry that he may be the first to drop out among the top 10 grabbed his feet.
"The song's great. But…."
Jay Han paused there for a second. When KangYoon looked at him doubtfully, he continued to speak.
"I'm not sure if this fits my voice or not. I do like R&B, but…."
"Then why don't we monitor it right away?"
"Can we?"
Jay Han accepted KangYoon's offer. KangYoon gave him some time to get to know the song while he prepared for the recording. Jay Han borrowed Kim JiMin's guitar and learned the song while playing it. Kim JiMin looked at that scene with curiosity.
After around 30 minutes, Jay Han said that he learned the song. KangYoon told him to go inside the booth and turned on the equipment. He set the mic to compliment his voice and started recording to monitor it later.
– The closed eyes - look only at me -
The drum beats and the bassline harmonized, and Jay Han's deep voice started ringing throughout the studio. The blue notes from his voice combined with the notes from the instrumentals and created white light.
'It's combing well.'
Although his pronunciation wasn't perfect, the song still created a strong white light. The fact that he went with something that wasn't hard to pronounce was quite effective. Although his awkward dialect-like words and the weird accents on improper syllables had some problems, this could be fixed through practice later.
After the first verse, Jay Han left the booth. He wanted to listen to his own voice as soon as possible.
"Oh…."
He became touched by his own voice harmonizing with the music and closed his eyes. He was happy as though he found his matching clothes. However, KangYoon said that it was too early to celebrate and shook his head.
"You must practice your pronunciation a little more. Although we went with an easier song, you aren't completely there yet."
"Yes. I'll practice a lot. Really…. Thank you so much!"
Jay Han's voice was filled with joy and emotion. Until now, he was always pointed out by the public that he was all about looks and had lots of problems with his pronunciation. But with this song, he felt that he would be able to defeat all of those opinions in one go.
He received the score and the USB from KangYoon and left World Entertainment. He expressed his gratitude several times on the way out. KangYoon said that it was okay and asked him to show something good on the stage.
It was a rare holiday today.
Although it was, Lee HyunJi couldn't rest easy at home. She bought a basket of fruits and headed to S hospital, the largest hospital in Seoul. There, she went through a simple process and headed to a special room in one of the top floors. Going past several people in suits and medical gowns, there was a door.
She carefully opened the door and entered. Inside was a sofa, wall-mounted TV as well as many other decorations Without the hospital bed, this would be mistaken for a hotel room.
"Well, well. If it isn't HyunJi."
"It has been a while, Chairman."
On the bed was the one she was meeting today. Chairman Won JinMoon of MG Entertainment. Unlike before, he had to meet Lee HyunJi with a very pale face. He did raise his voice to greet Lee HyunJi, but his voice no longer had the grandeur of before. The rubber pipe stuck below his nose made him look even sicker.
"Hur hur…. How long has this been? I think it's been more than a year."
"It hasn't been a year yet. I also came here a lot after I left the company."
"Did you?'
He smiled bitterly as though he remembered something bad.
"Those times were the good times. There was KangYoon, and there was you. I miss the days when everything worked out fine. What is this balance between factions? I was too greedy. I only desired for both sides to grow… *sigh*. If I supported one side more, then KangYoon should be a director around now too. You'll be my right hand too. If that happened, this would have never happened."
"Chairman….."
When Lee HyunJi looked at him with a sad expression, Chairman Won JinMoon smiled saying that it was alright. However, his smile was a weak one.
"Ah, no. it's fine, it's fine. I'm just complaining since it feels so bad nowadays. JinPyo, that guy is currently working in my stead but there's no way the directors are so easy…. Damn those stupid men. They sent Eddios off to America, and JinSeo off to China. How does that make any sense? Their reasons are grand too. Eddios has enough support inside the country. They can come back anytime. JinSeo also needs to work in a bigger market for her future. In the end, it's all about their own asses, isn't it? *Sigh*… They don't even think about that there are new groups appearing in the country. Why do they keep going too far…."
Chairman Won JinMoon grumbled to Lee HyunJi. While peeling an apple, Lee HyunJi quietly listened to him.
"America and China, huh. Those kids must be having a hard time."
"That's right. HyunJi, what do you think?"
"If it were up to me, I would have objected until the end. Even JooAh failed in America after all."
"Fuu. Yeah. Those guys screwed JooAh up as well. But they still can't get themselves together. Just how much loss must they taste before they…. *cough cough*."
He seemed to have gotten agitated as he ended up coughing. Lee HyunJi was about to press the bell for support, but Chairman Won JinMoon gestured her to stop, saying that it was okay. Fortunately, he calmed down quickly.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. If only my body was in shape, I could have done something. You be careful too. Let your guard down and you might end up like me."
"Sheesh, Chairman."
"Next time, I wish to see KangYoon too. I know that he's working without rest, but I still do want to see him."
"Understood."
Lee HyunJi nodded her head.
After that, she peeled fruits for the chairman and even took him out in a wheelchair for a walk. Seeing someone who was once the top of the industry falling to such a state, she felt bitter.
"Hello? I'm the presenter of Korea ONE STAR…."
Friday evening.
Korea ONE STAR's live broadcast began. After today, the top 10 would be reduced to top 8. The viewers, judges, and the audience got themselves ready for the ride.
However, the most nervous people were the top 10 who were waiting behind the stage.
"Fuu, fuu…."
One of them, named Yang JiWon, heaved deep breaths to calm herself down. The other contenders also calmed themselves down in their own way.
"Huh? Oppa, what are you doing?"
Kang YoungJoo, one of the top 10, looked at Jay Han with curiosity.
"I'i frathithii (I'm practicing)."
"You can take the pen out of your mouth you know…."
Jay Han was practicing his pronunciation. Like what KangYoon said, he practiced pronunciation using methods that actors and voice actors used.
Kang YoungJoo kept watching Jay Han in curiosity but eventually left seeing that he didn't react much. However, Jay Han still focused on his practice.
Waiting time finished quickly. The edited footage of the dorm lifestyle was broadcasted, and each of the top 10 went on to the stage.
"Good luck!"
"Unni, do your best!"
"Oppa, you too!"
The top 10 cheered for each other. However, they inwardly put up guards thinking that they shouldn't drop out first. The waiting room was a silent war zone.
– I - love you - with my all —
Showing fancy vibrato voice, the man before Jay Han showed his performance. The judges gave scores on their own standards, and the viewers that cheered for them showed support by texting.
After the song was over, the candidate stood in front of the judges. The leftmost female judge, Hong SeYeon, a songwriter, started her opinions first.
"Well done. I have listened to your song very well. This song might have gotten a little slow if you let your guard down, but you still brought out the essence well. However, I personally feel rather regrettable that the beginning and the end didn't balance out well. If you controlled your voice a little better, you could have brought us a song that was done more tastefully. It was a good song."
"Thank you."
"As for my score."
The LCD screen next to Hong SeYeon started rising. The score was 92. It was neither high nor low.
Following that, Moon SangJae gave 94. The problem lay with Lee JaeHyuk.
"Well done. I actually think differently from the previous two people. This song, 'Fate', is all about controlling power. Moreover, in the arrangement, you gave accents on the control of strength. However, that wasn't enough in my opinion, and the song overall ended up less powerful than it should be It's a little bit of a pity. The reason I tried to stop you from doing this song was because it feels different to listen and to sing. Nonetheless, you have done a good job. As for my score."
Lee JaeHyuk's scoreboard started rising. The score stopped at 86. Today, Lee JaeHyuk's scores were relatively lower than in the previous weeks. He didn't have a great expression as though he was disappointed by the top 10.
92, 94, 86. That was this person's score.
"Thank you."
Consoling himself, the man went behind the stage.
"Mr. Jay Han! Are you ready?"
"Yes."
Hearing the call from the FD (Floor director), Jay Han took out the pen from his mouth. It was time to show what he was capable of. Guided by the FD, he moved towards the stage.
– The song I will be singing this time is sir Lee HyungChan's 'You'.
While JayHan was walking up to the stage, the audience and the viewers were watching a video. In the video, Jay Han introduced the song he would be singing, as well as why he chose this song and how he would sing it.
– This song is very important for me. Until now, I received a lot of rebukes due to my inability of proper pronunciation of the lyrics, but I want to show that I can express my emotions through these lyrics.
After the short interview footage, the stage lights turned on. Then, the drums and the bass started flowing out of the speakers.
"Whooooo~~~"
Jay Han's charming humming decorated the instrumentals and the audience with signs started cheering. However, they were an extreme minority. Most of the others didn't seem to care at all.
Jay Han closed his eyes and started singing.
"Now I can't see you even if I want to - but closing my eyes I–"
Slow but not dragging, he matched the rhythm with his feet. Jay Han's unique deep voice added power to the song. He was careful to pronounce each word properly and sang.
"Now, I can't see anything - cannot say anything—"
The song went past the introduction and into the development section. The audience felt that the awkward pronunciation of before couldn't be felt anymore and they could now immerse themselves in the lyrics a lot more.
"The song's good"
"It's so…."
Little by little, people started falling for the song.
Not seeming to care, Jay Han focused on the song with his eyes still closed.
'It does feel awkward not to see the light.'
KangYoon was watching Jay Han's stage through TV at the company. Musical notes and light could not be felt through media. He felt stuffy as he couldn't see the details, but he could feel that Jay Han's song didn't sound awkward anymore.
"He's really good. So cool…."
Kim JiMin, who was watching by KangYoon's side, became absent-minded as Jay Han sang the climax part of the song. The seemingly not-caring audience had now turned into passionate audience as the song reached the climax. Kim JiMin was surprised to see the reactions of the audience.
"Sir, I think that place is turning into an uproar. I wish I was there…."
"Should I have looked for tickets? I didn't think about that."
Looking at the disappointed Kim JiMin, KangYoon made a bitter smile. Although he finished the arrangement for the song he had a lot of work to do as the CEO of a company and didn't think about getting tickets. It was a bit of a pity.
– I will—love you—for- ever—
Eventually, the song reached its conclusion and ended in a grand manner. Unlike what the chorus was singing at the back of the stage, Jay Han sang 3 tones higher than the original. The emotional song ended in a passionate song. The only female judge there, Hong SeYeon, stood up, while a few of the fans stood up as well and cheered.
Jay Han didn't seem to be nervous anymore and wiped his sweat with a small smile as he waited for the judge's opinions.
The excitement from the song still didn't seem to disappear yet as Hong SeYeon barely managed herself to sit down.
– Well done! Whoo! This is just the first round of the finals, but I didn't think I would get to hear such a song. The rhythm unique to R&B is definitely there and the 'can't see you' at the chorus part was sung in a way that wasn't just shouting it out loud but held back a little more. I think that was the point of this stage. And the climax after the chorus, I can't say anything here. This song was very old, so it should have been hard to rearrange and practice it, but both the storytelling and the emotion-telling was the best! My score is.
The scoreboard in front of Hong SeYeon started rising. 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90. Then, the people started cheering. The first digit stopped at 9 and the second digit started rolling as well. The people started sweating from their hands. 7, 8, 9, 0, 1, 2…. The second digit rolled for much longer than usual.
Then, it stopped at 8. The score was 98.
– Whoaaaa—–!
The audience cheered at the result. This was a very hard score to see. There was no way she could give out full marks already, but the song was good… The score showed a lot of hesitation in the decision.
Following that, Moon SangJae's scores weren't that much different either. It was 97. With two people giving scores above 95, the cheers became even louder.
Now, everyone's gazes fell onto the final judge, Lee JaeHyuk. He opened his eyes and spoke calmly.
– The first time I heard that you chose this song, I was half doubtful. Yes, this song is definitely easier to pronounce, but I thought that it would be hard to rearrange this song to fit the current trends. But after I listened to it, I thought 'oh! This song turned out really good.' Jay Han's voice has his unique charm to it as well as depth, so it's really good to listen to it, but it should have been hard to find a song that fits your voice. A good song and a good voice. You have shown us a splendid combination of the two. My main gripe about it, as always, is the breathing. You must beware of the breathing sounds. Just before you went into the climax, there was a feeling of being slightly cut off. If you could fix that part, then it would be great. It was a good song. As for my score.
With a long comment, Lee JaeHyuk's scoreboard started rising as well. The audience and the viewers at home paid attention to how high of a score he would give. He was known for giving smaller scores than the other two judges. Not to mention 95, he rarely gave out scores above 90. That was how much everyone looked forward to this score.
But then…
-Wow!
When the first digit was fixed to 9, the people in the audience started cheering. The person himself, Jay Han, also widened his eyes the numbers were rolling faster than before.
"Don't you dare tell me that it will be revealed after the commercial."
Kim JiMin also paid attention to the score while shaking her hands. KangYoon also couldn't take his eyes off the TV in curiosity.
– 98! It's 98!
Eventually, the presenter's excited voice came through the TV. Jay Han jumping around in joy, as well as the passionate cheers of the audience and the satisfied smile of the judges, were all captured by the camera.
'Good for him.'
KangYoon smiled in satisfaction thinking that a good song went to a good singer.
After the live broadcast of Korea ONE STAR, the songs of the top 10 were revealed to the public. After one day, most of the songs went up in the charts by around 10 steps. The popularity of audition programmes could be felt here.
"First place is 'You'. Well, the judges were like that yesterday, so I don't find it that much curious."
Looking at the rankings of songs in the music website with the largest user base, Lee HyunJi clapped towards KangYoon in amazement. KangYoon shrugged his shoulders.
"It's good that it turned out well."
"At times like these, you should be happy. Like this."
Lee HyunJi grabbed KangYoon's hand and high-fived. KangYoon also laughed. He was indeed happy.
"I kinda did realize from last time, but your arranging skills are quite amazing. Miss HeeYoon's composition skills and your arrangements. Looks like we have no worries for money for a while."
"Is that so?"
"Of course."
Lee HyunJi stood up and spoke in a loud voice, as though she didn't like KangYoon's attitude.
"It's not just once, this is the second time already. Moreover, it was ranked 1st this time. You put yourself as Muse this time, right?"
"Yes, for the name value. I did that."
"The singers and companies that were half-doubtful will also proactively seek you out now. Last time, they were nobodies, but it will be different this time."
Lee HyunJi was filled with hope. She gripped her fist saying that he should leave it to her.
"Looks like we'll get busy. Heheheh, I'll grab some good business."
"Where are you going?"
When Lee HyunJi grabbed her coat to leave, KangYoon asked doubtfully. She smiled and responded.
"Business of course. I can't miss an opportunity like this. I'll be back soon."
She seemed joyful as she left the office while hopping.
"I hope she doesn't fall…."
Seeing her smile like a little girl, KangYoon ended up laughing.
He left the office and headed to the band practice studio on the 1st floor.
"Looks like the construction is almost done."
The sound-proofing and sound-dampening materials that Lee HyunJi brought were nowhere to be seen on the ground. KangYoon headed inside.
"Oh? Hello."
The members of the band, The Formidables, and their new manager Kim DaeHyun stopped what they were doing and greeted him. KangYoon raised his hand and accepted the greeting.
"So, it looks like construction is almost done."
"Yes, we only have the ceiling left."
Kim JinDae answered KangYoon.
Lee HyunAh was on the ladder. She stuck the last sound-proofing material, and Lee ChaHee grabbed the ladder. The two male members cleaned up the floor and walked around the walls to see if there were any gaps.
'It's good to see that there's no differentiation between genders.'
They worked just as hard as the others in arduous work. KangYoon received a good impression of them. 'Ladies are weak and should be respected' didn't seem to exit here. Lee HyunAh sweating while working hard impressed him a lot.
"It's finally over…. Huh? You were here?"
After sticking all the soundproofing materials, Lee HyunAh finally looked down and found KangYoon. When KangYoon waved his hand, she slowly climbed down the ladder. The male members folded the ladder and cleaned up the rest.
"Aah. Aah — I should do proper testing, but for now, I can't hear any noise."
"Yes. I think it worked out well. It's not that stuffy, and there were just enough materials too."
"That was close. You have your instruments, right?"
"Yes. We'll set those up after we clean up."
They swept the floor and cleared away the trash. After cleaning up the plastic buckets and other things on the floor, the practice studio now looked very convincing.
KangYoon also cleaned up with them. Everyone held him back, but KangYoon shook his head.
"I couldn't help out in the construction, so I should at least do this much."
The fact that he couldn't help them due to his arrangement work tugged his mind. Although he still had the time to look after Km JiMin, he felt as though he abandoned the band and felt sorry.
"It's fine, it's fine. Oppa, I'm hungry can you…."
When the mood was about to relax, Lee HyunAh stepped up. KangYoon laughed at those words. He wordlessly took out his credit card and everyone cheered.
"We moved in, so jajangmyeon is fine, right?"
"Yeees."
Somehow, their replies were rather bland. They felt slight disappointment. KangYoon added another line.
" too."
"Yay!"
Tangsuyuk was great for jajangmyeon.
(T/N: In Korea, when people move houses (in this case, studio), they usually celebrate by eating jajangmyeon (black soybean noodles). Tangsuyuk (fried pork in sweet sauce) is like the wonderful side menu. FYI, where I live, jajangmyeon is around 4.50USD, while Tangsuyuk is around 12USD)
After a luxurious lunch, KangYoon, the band members, and manager Kim DaeHyun started setting up the equipment. KangYoon installed the second-hand speakers and connected them to the mixer.
"You have to think of it as 'if going inside, then coming outside'. Remember 'if going inside, coming outside'."
"Yes. Speaker out, so mixer in. Are the others the same?"
"Yes. If you don't get anything then ask again."
KangYoon taught manager Kim DaeHyun about installation and the mixer, as he installed things. Kim DaeHyun listened carefully while writing down sound set up theory into a note. A band's manager must know about the acoustic setup. KangYoon thought so.
Kim JinDae moved the drums and set up omnidirectional microphones and acrylic panels. Then, he set up a mic for the bass drum and connected those to the mixer.
"This isn't an ordinary studio…?"
Kim JinDae. Was flabbergasted while looking at the microphones and the acrylic panels. This was going beyond just setting things up. The bass and the electric guitar was the same. They also pulled out a line input and connected them to the speakers. They shook their heads as well, saying that there was no need to go this far, but they went with KangYoon's words saying that they must listen to the others as well.
"Oppa. The speaker positions are interesting. They aren't at the front but at the back."
Lee HyunAh found the speakers on each side of the door quite curious.
"If they're at the front, then the sound will get clumped up. Your monitor…."
"I should just listen to the speaker, right?"
"Get used to it. You must get used to listening to all the sounds."
Lee HyunAh said she understood and connected the lines.
The setting went smoothly. After managing the cables, they went for a sound check. KangYoon taught manager Kim DaeHyun how to control the mixer, and they started tuning the volume. With the sound dampeners absorbing unnecessary sound, they had considerable volume even in this tight space.
After a jamming session, the final test was over.
"It's over!"
Along with Lee HyunAh's declaration, the practice studio construction was wholly complete. Everyone cheered in satisfaction at their new practice room. Although it was quite small, but the sound was much better than where they practiced previously.
When everyone collapsed onto the floor, exhausted, KangYoon spoke.
"There's one final thing to do."
"Eeeh?"
Work again? Everyone showed their fatigue. However, he didn't exactly talk about 'work'.
"Why don't we change the name of the band?"
"The name?"
Kim JinDae asked back. Due to the 3 years of affection, he didn't want to change the name that easily. However, Lee ChaHee was different.
"I agree. Our current name will be quite funny once it's on TV…."
The opinions were split half and half. Kim JinDae and Lee HyunAh objected while Lee ChaHee and Jung ChanGyu wanted to change. They started discussing it when KangYoon spoke.
"Let's say you went to music camp. The presenter is going to introduce you like this. Blah blah blah, whatever descriptions and then at the last part. I introduce to you! The~ Formidables~! Like that…."
"Let's change it, right now."
Lee HyunAh quickly changed opinions. She didn't seem to even think about it and didn't turn back.
"Hey, Lee HyunAh."
"Oppa, this is not right. Definitely."
"……."
After quarreling for a while, they decided to change the name. And after discussing it for a while, their name was changed.
To 'White Moonlight'.
– A song for a band? I don't think I can do that yet.
"I'll send you some examples. Try listening to it and coming up with one."
Late at night, KangYoon was calling with HeeYoon. He sent Lee HyunAh and the band home and remained at the company. He had quite a lot of work to do still.
– Okay. It's the band that we went to watch with SoYoung last time, right?"
"Yeah. The leader there can compose as well, so you don't need to be pressured."
– I am going to be pressured. It's your company, I can't do it jokingly.
"Girlie."
KangYoon leaked a laugh. He could feel worry along with a slightly complaining tone. He felt warm feeling his sister's attitude.
– It will take some time. I never composed for a band before, so I want to ask the professors for help.
"Don't push yourself, okay?"
– Yeah, you too, oppa. Don't overwork yourself. Drink in moderation, and women too…
"Okay, okay. And what the heck was that last one."
KangYoon finished up his call with HeeYoon and sent a few of Lee HyunAh's band songs to her e-mail. Then, he did transact the documents that Jung HyeJin sent up before going home.
On the way home, KangYoon took a bus. Looking out the window at the calm waters of the Han river, he fell into thought.
'The Formidables, no, White Moonlight should enter major soon….'
KangYoon opened the window slightly. The cold wind cooled his head.
'Strictly speaking, White Moonlight is 2nd generation indie band. They're well positioned as well. Can they enter major now? Or….'
KangYoon thought about this very deeply. There were a lot of cases where well-established indie bands came to major. However, successful cases were very rare. Of course, most of them managed to profit and earned money as well as giving their contracted company the right money, but only an extreme minority gave big impressions to the general public. In this era where idols were the trend, indie bands were considered 'gourmet food' like existences.
KangYoon would hate for his own singers to become a part of a niche market. He had to look for the right causes of that happening in order to not repeat the same process.
'The style of the singer is important, but the priority is to match the preferences of the general public. Also, they must have moderately good appearances. Or have unique characteristics. I need to make the people turn around to them at least once. But are they ready?'
Thinking about a lot of things, KangYoon shook his head. It was not easy to decide that in one go.
The bus had already arrived at his destination. KangYoon had fallen into thought and almost missed his destination. Though, he could get off as the bus didn't leave just yet.
Even while walking, his thoughts about the band continued. However, he couldn't easily think of a strategy.
The next day, even coming to work, KangYoon couldn't stop thinking about White Moonlight. He was practically deciding on a path for them, so it was natural.
"Are you worried about something?"
Lee HyunJi brewed a cup of coffee for KangYoon.
"Oh, director."
"You look serious. Is there something problematic?"
KangYoon spoke about the strategy for White Moonlight. While listening to KangYoon, Lee HyunJi sipped on her coffee as well. Slowly drinking the bitter coffee, she slowly spoke.
"To go to a major, popularity should come first. But their fan base isn't big enough yet."
"Yes. Even if they make an album, the income will be at a dangerous level. Their foundation is a little weak too…. But I think they're capable of challenging major. Though, the risks would be big…."
KangYoon sighed. To delay going to major for a foundation, then the immediate income would be small, but to boldly challenge major can expect big profits, but the consequences of failure were big as well. The former was safer, but the temptation of the latter was big.
Lee HyunJi thought for a moment before speaking.
"If it's you, president. I don't think we'll fail even if we go major."
"Director, wait…."
"However."
Before KangYoon could say anything, she gestured him to stop. He listened in.
"You'll receive a lot of requests for arrangements or compositions. Once that happens, even you will have a hard time focusing on the band alone. And once that happens, my opinion is that they would go downhill."
"Hmm……."
"Right now, we have a quite a lot of money from your songs. There will be a lot of songs in the future as well. My opinion is that we should look at the long-term for the band."
KangYoon thought for a moment before agreeing.
"I understand. Looks like I was in a hurry."
"I can understand you. Most of the income of the company is on you, after all. The rest……. Pfft, are well, kids. You're like the breadwinner."
"Oh my."
KangYoon shook his head at Lee HyunJi's joke.
But now that he decided on s strategy, he felt very calm. KangYoon organized the strategy and headed to where White Moonlight was practicing.
"Jay! You're too vigorous nowadays, take it slow!"
On their way home after meeting a producer from the TV station, Kim SeMi tapped on Jay Han's shoulders. She was also in the top 8.
"What do you mean slow, the last time was just luck."
"What luck. You were just acting all along, weren't you?"
The two quarreled as they headed to the lobby. In the lobby were not only employers but normal people as well. They twitched after seeing Jay Han and Kim SeMi before talking about it amongst themselves.
Upon Kim SeMi's pestering, Jay Han bought coffee from the café in the lobby. The two female staff there twitched for a moment after seeing the two, but they still proficiently received the orders.
"10,500 won." (10.50USD)
"Here."
"Thank you. And may…."
Jay Han was about to turn around after paying when the staff grabbed him. The female staff hesitated for a moment before giving him a pen and paper.
"I didn't make a sign for being a star yet…. Are you fine with a normal one?"
"Yes, yes."
Jay Han gave an ordinary sign. The staff blushed and thanked him, and he went to his seat.
"Wow, Jay! Aren't you the popular man. Looks like the last song was big huh?"
"The song was definitely good."
"Please introduce me to that composer too. Was it Muse? Just who is it?"
"It's a secret~."
"No, don't say that. Please, pretty please?"
Jay Han had a hard time declining Kim SeMi's pestering.
KangYoon received a score and a music file through his e-mail. When he played back the file while reading the score, it was a slow-beat ballad. The melody was simple rather than fancy. However, it steadily climbed up.
'There are no lyrics. So, she left the lyrics and the arrangement to this side, eh?'
KangYoon saw through HeeYoon's intentions. Then, he was about to do the songs when something caught his eyes. It was the list of songs that he was requested to rearrange.
'I don't think I can take this too.'
KangYoon put HeeYoon's song to one side. It would be very difficult to do that on top of the requests from other companies. KangYoon thought about it for a moment before deciding that he should leave the arrangement to HyunAh.
He headed to White Moonlight's practice studio to give the song and the score. He could hear very little of what they were practicing from the outside. It was the effect of soundproofing. Without it, the instruments would have rung out throughout the entire building.
"Huh? President."
Kim JinDae discovered KangYoon first and stopped playing. When the drums stopped, the other instruments all lost their fun and the song was forcibly halted. The others all greeted KangYoon and sat in front of him. Lee HyunAh came to him first.
"Here."
"What's this?"
"Your new song."
KangYoon didn't explain for long. Lee HyunAh received the song and started playing the synthesizer. As she once majored composition, her keyboard skills were quite good.
"The song's good. The melody is desperate. I think it's about 'loss'."
Jung ChanGyu commented his own opinion. Kim JinDae also agreed with that opinion and nodded his head.
"President, did you make this?"
KangYoon shook his head at Lee ChaHee's question.
"No, it's made by the exclusive composer for this place."
"What? There's an exclusive composer?"
Lee ChaHee's eyes widened. A small company like this having an exclusive composer was something she heard for the first time. Moreover, the song was very good as well. She wanted to do a song like this.
"The song is really good. It's definitely our style. Though, it's a pity that there are no lyrics."
Lee HyunAh seemed to like this song and didn't stop complimenting it.
"You should do the lyrics yourself. The composer didn't make it saying that it should be better for the singer to do it."
"Oh, really? What about the arrangement…?"
KangYoon pointed towards the members when asked about the arrangement.
"You have the band here, so I think it will be better for you four to do it together. HyunAh has done it until now, and I think it will be better to do it your style. How about it?"
"Oppa, that's…."
Before Lee HyunAh could say something in disappointment about the lack of KangYoon's arrangements, Jung ChanGyu interfered.
"That sounds interesting, let's do it."
"Wouldn't the four of us make something better?"
Lee ChaHee chimed in as well. Even the quiet Kim JinDae nodded his head in agreement. Lee HyunAh, who usually didn't like her own pieces being tampered with, also ended up agreeing.
KangYoon added a comment just in case.
"You can think of it as arranging it while practicing it as well. I think that's why there are no separate scores for each of you. Think of it as training teamwork."
"Yes."
"Let's do the recording a week later. I'll also come and edit what I find necessary. From now, I'll tell you the schedule through the manager, is that okay with you, manager DaeHyun?"
Manager Kim DaeHyun immediately replied to KangYoon's words even while reading a book related to acoustics. KangYoon was satisfied by his attitude towards work and left the studio.
"Let's learn the song first. Gather around."
When KangYoon left, Lee HyunAh sat on the synthesizer again. She set the synthesizer to piano and started learning the song with everyone else. As they had to add the lyrics as well, there were a lot of things to do.
There were quite a lot of requests for arrangements, but there was some work regarding White Moonlight as well. KangYoon headed to the holy lands of indie bands, Hongdae (Hongik university district), with Lee HyunJi while they were creating the song.
"There are a lot of college students for sure. Good times."
Said Lee HyunJi while walking through the streets of Hongdae. Looking at the students filled with vitality, she seemed quite envious. KangYoon only laughed it over.
The two headed to various concert venues in Hongdae. However, there was a problem.
"Okay, we understand. We'll discuss it and come back later."
After listening to the prices, Lee HyunJi shook her head and left through the door. KangYoon was also flabbergasted by the insane rental fees. The two headed to another place and grumbled.
"Why is an indie stage so expensive? We might as well rent a real one."
Lee HyunJi complained in anger. KangYoon didn't feel that much different from her. As indies gained popularity, the land prices in Hongdae also rose and the rental fees had risen as well. Although they researched this beforehand, they still found it absurd.
"I was planning to get a regular contract for at least 3 or 4 places, but with prices like these… we can only lower the number."
KangYoon also found this serious. He was planning to show a lot of performances by signing contracts with various places, but with these prices, there would be a detriment in the plan. But just in case, he visited all the concert venues in Hongdae.
However….
"Looks like they teamed up."
Lee HyunJi couldn't hide her disappointment. All the concert venues seemed to have schemed together as the rental fees were insanely high. She grabbed her head.
"What do we do now? Just sign a contract with one place?"
KangYoon also couldn't say anything easily. Doing concerts was a necessity. However, there would be immense losses with rental fees like these. Right now, they needed both income and fans. It would be a stretch to sign a contract like this.
Then, something flashed in his head.
"Was Yeonnam-dong right next to this place?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"As far as I know, there are clubs starting to appear there too."
"They're starting to appear. But the big concerts still happen in Hongdae. Would the people really be willing to walk that far?"
Lee HyunJi asked in worry.
Next to Hongdae was Yeonnam-dong. As the prices of residence increased around Hongdae, the clubs that held indie concerts were being pushed out. The reason for the increase in rental fees was in the end, due to land prices. However, Yeonnam-dong was a different story. Although there was the pressure of the poorer environment….
KangYoon thought about it for a moment before coming to a decision. Then he spoke with assurance.
"Let's just do 1 contract."
"Just one? Wouldn't that be insufficient for PR?"
"Let's do a short-term one. Instead, we'll use the remaining funds and the income to…."
KangYoon pointed towards a rather old building. It was an old building in Yeonnam-dong. However, cafés were starting to appear in places, and people seemed to be increasing as well.
"Rather than paying expensive rental fees, let's just make one. A concert venue."
"Whaaaat?"
Lee HyunJi's jaws gaped at KangYoon's insane plan.