Chapter 9: The Prelude to a Comeback (1)
The day after submitting the completed arrangement, NBC’s camera crew stormed into the studio, apparently for an interview.
“Just relax. Please don’t be nervous and stay comfortable. This isn’t the stage, Hyeok-pil-ssi.”
Despite being forewarned, Yoon Hyeok-pil stood in front of the camera, looking awkward and jittery that it was pitiful to watch even to me.
“Yes, yes, I understand!”
“The arrangement is great. Don’t worry too much. Just relax. Let’s begin.”
The PD, who introduced himself as Park Jeong-woo, began the interview again.
“Okay, Yoon Hyeok-pil-ssi. What kind of attitude are you going to take for this competition?”
“Uh… well… you see… that is…”
But, he still couldn’t answer properly. Not only the PD but also the writer looked frustrated, and the more that happened, the more frozen Yoon Hyeok-pil became—a truly pitiful cycle.
I sighed and asked the PD for a moment.
“PD-nim, may I have a quick word with Hyeok-pil-ssi for a moment?”
“Oh, yes, of course.”
Park Jeong-woo paused the camera for a moment.
I pulled Yoon Hyeok-pil into the recording booth.
“Hyeok-pil-ssi.”
“Yes?”
I wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, wondering what had he been doing to sweat so much.
“Don’t be too nervous. Just go out there and say you’re going to win first place.”
“…Yes?”
Yoon Hyeok-pil looked dumbfounded. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Hyuk-pil is a kind person. But he’s too kind. In the entertainment industry, kindness is a virtue that is only needed behind the scenes. The public doesn’t find purely kind celebrities appealing.
“Or say you’ll crush them all.”
“What? How could I say that?”
“No, we have to do it this way if we want to create buzz. Just say, ‘I’m absolutely going to come in first place in this competition. I’m confident.’”
“But still…”
“It’s your last performance anyway. Why not go all out for once? Hyeok-pil-ssi, how old are you?”
“I’m 21…”
“Perfect. At that age, you need to be bold. Go out there and do as I say. Then you’ll get more camera time and maybe even release another album.”
An album. Those two seemingly insignificant words seemed to stir something in Yoon Hyeok-pil. I didn’t miss that opportunity and continued my pep talk.
Sometimes you need to let go of yourself for your dreams. If you don’t want to give up, you have to go run like crazy and dive in…
After about 10 minutes of pep talk.
Yoon Hyeok-pil left the booth with a determined but still somewhat tense expression.
“I’m ready.”
“Oh, alright.”
He sat down in front of the camera with resolution. The PD, in a weary voice, asked the same question as before.
“What kind of attitude are you going to take for this competition?”
Yoon Hyeok-pil took a deep breath. And then, he recited the lines I had given him.
“I apologize to the seniors, but I’m absolutely going to come in first place in this competition.”
No robot could have been more robotic. I shook my head and frowned, but Park Jeong-woo burst out laughing.
“Hahaha. Oh, this is great. I don’t know what the arranger said to you, but I love the concept. It’s good Hyeok-pil-ssi. But try saying it a little more naturally.”
Yoon Hyeok-pil looked dumbfounded again at the positive reaction. Well, I guess it’s not surprising. The broadcast folks love anything that’s sensational.
“…Ah, yes. I understand!”
Yoon Hyeok-pil replied energetically with a slightly brighter expression.
Park Jeong-woo nodded and asked the same question again, but this time with a much brighter tone, not as indifferent as before.
“Okay, let’s go again. Yoon Hyeok-pil-ssi, what kind of attitude are you going to take for this competition?”
“I apologize to the seniors, but…”
The interview went on for about 20 minutes. Each time, Yoon Hyeok-pil responded with confidently bold answers, almost to the point of arrogance.
By the middle of it, he was sweating bullets, but overall, the atmosphere lightened up a bit.
At some point, while I was contentedly observing the slightly more cheerful mood.
“Can we interview the arranger too?”
The writer who had been glancing at me since earlier finally made a move.
“…Yes?”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. We occasionally film the arrangers as well. There’s nothing strange about it.”
The PD chimed in. Why are they suddenly picking on me? As I tried to quietly back away, the writer grabbed my sleeve, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me.
“Let’s try filming you once. The arranger is quite well-built and has a good face, so you’ll look good on camera.”
She encouraged me with a smile. It’s impressive how she managed to indirectly compliment my weight in a way that made me feel good.
In such a pleasant atmosphere, I couldn’t refuse…
Swallowing a sigh internally, I replied.
“…As long as you use a pseudonym and mosaic my face.”
November 16, Thursday.
– “I apologize to my seniors, but I have confidence that I’m going to come in first place in this competition..”
– “Honestly, until now, it was just an adjustment period. It was all a retreat to gain momentum.”
– “Now that I have fully understood, I will take first place.”
In the main broadcast of ‘Singing Through the Times’, where Yoon Hyeok-pil only managed to get 83 votes and faced a crushing defeat, the preview showed Yoon Hyeok-pil brimming with confidence for the next round.
“Ah… I shouldn’t have done that…”
Watching his audacious behavior, Yoon Hyeok-pil buried his head in his hands.
“What’s that? Is he a robot? Hahahaha!”
I teased the despairing Yoon Hyeok-pil to my heart’s content.
That is until the interview with me with a mosaic over my face like a criminal, appeared next.
[Arranger Hel Mo (pseudonym) / 26 years old]
Q: How long did it take you to arrange the song?
– “The arrangement? Oh, that? It only took me a day.”
Q: ‘Sending My Love’ is a song that many participants found challenging, but…
– “It is a difficult song to arrange, but I found it enjoyable. It was easy. Since the basic sketch was already a masterpiece, as long as the coloring was done well, it would undoubtedly be first place.”
Q: You seem confident.
– “Yes. As I said, the arrangement turned out great. The singer’s ability is also outstanding. As long as he doesn’t get nervous, as I said, he will definitely be first.”
Of course, I deliberately chose similar concepts for both interviews. The frustrating part is that I only asked for a mosaic, but they also altered my voice as if I were a criminal…
“Why did they even change my voice? This is absurd.”
“Ha-ha-ha-ha…”
Yoon Hyeok-pil clutched his stomach in laughter beside me, just as I had moments before.
“Hel Mo? What the heck, hahahahaha.”
“……”
Helly was already a pseudonym, so there was no need to use ‘Hel’ as a surname and add ‘Mo’ after it. I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes.
“They’re really going all out.”
Is this what they call the devil’s editing? Experiencing it firsthand doesn’t feel great.
Tsk, tsk. I clicked my tongue and checked the real-time reactions on my phone.
[Is Hyeok-pil crazy? Getting only 83 votes and saying that…]
[He seemed totally clueless. Probably the PD’s idea. Looks like a desperate move, bound to end in last place.]
[LOL, what’s with that arranger? I thought I was watching a true crime show when he suddenly appeared like a criminal.]
[Judging by the mosaic, he must be super ugly. Even his silhouette was really chubby.]
“……These little punks.”
I was seething at the nastiness of the comments when Yoon Hyeok-pil suddenly looked at me and spoke.
“Um, excuse me, but Arranger-nim?”
“Yes?”
“What does Helly mean? Why don’t you use your real name?”
Ah, so that’s what he was curious about.
Changing the composer name that held my entire career wasn’t an easy decision.
Despite that, I discarded my real name and adopted the alias ‘Helly’. I didn’t want to reveal the reason behind it, so I just gave a wry smile and answered.
“There’s a comet called Halley. Halley, Helly, you know? But let’s focus on practice. This isn’t the time to be chatting.”
The viewer’s reactions are good. Though it was good in a negative way, it was better than no reaction at all. If you can perform well with this kind of attention, it opens up opportunities. If not, you get buried.
“Practice hard. Practice hard.”
I pushed Yoon Hyeok-pil into the booth.
“For now, just sing one song casually and then we’ll head to the practice room.”
Practice with the session musicians was finally scheduled two days before the recording. Since the session musicians could just follow the sheet music, there wouldn’t be any major problems on stage, but it was still clear discrimination. There was no way I could feel good about it.
-Yes, I understand!
…But Yoon Hyeok-pil seemed completely happy, though.
The long-awaited day of the competition finally arrived: Saturday, November 18th, at 2 PM.
I walked with Yoon Hyeok-pil to the NBC Culture Center. After greeting the security guard and entering the parking lot, another staff member was waiting for us.
A weasel-like face. That was the first thought that came to mind as soon as I saw him. He was also small in stature and looked rather sly.
The weasel spoke, looking at me.
“Is this him?”
“Yes, hyung.”
“…Hmm.”
The weasel’s lips twitched as if he had something to say. I extended my hand first.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim So… Helly.”
“Yes. I saw the preview. I’m Kim Woo-seok, Hyeok-pil-ie’s manager.”
The weasel shook my hand. His hand was small too. Or maybe mine was just big.
“You’re quite tall.”
“Yes, well.”
186 cm. It’s my only point of pride. I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. The weasel raised his eyebrow and asked.
“May I ask how old you are?”
“Twenty-six.”
“…Oh, I see. Let’s go then.”
The weasel hurriedly headed towards the elevator. So, I realized I was older than him. Smiling to myself I followed him behind.
When we reached the floor where the waiting room was, a staff member approached us.
“Ah, you’re with Yoon Hyeok-pil’s team, right? This way please.”
Following the staff’s guidance, we arrived at the waiting room.
The room was nothing special, ordinary and… well, more like shabby, but the mere fact that I was sitting in the very place I had only seen on TV filled me with excitement.
“At least we have a waiting room.”
However, I tried not to show my excitement in front of Yoon Hyeok-pil. I looked around the room with a stoic expression, trying to seem like a cool city guy.
“When does the recording start?”
I asked Yoon Hyeok-pil, who was chanting his lyrics like a mantra. The manager who should have been informing us these things had disappeared, saying he was going to greet other singers.
“Well, first we’ll do a rehearsal on stage. And then there’s another waiting room where the singers and MCs gather together, and we’ll wait for our turn there with the seniors.”
“Ah, got it. But don’t sing too strongly during the rehearsal. Save the surprise for the main stage.”
Yoon Hyeok-pil smiled shyly. Earlier, he had been shaking with nerves as if he was going to die, but it seems like he’s feeling a little better after taking a Cheongshimhwan 1(Calming Pill). At least the medication worked for him.
“Yoon Hyeok-pil-ssi, please get ready for rehearsal!”
Soon, a staff member called for Yoon Hyeok-pil.
The rehearsal was about to begin, but the weasel was still nowhere to be seen.
“Mind if I watch?”
“Of course, go ahead.”
So, I followed Yoon Hyeok-pil in place of the weasel.
The stage was bustling with staff coming and going, it was more like a marketplace than anything else. Even though the rehearsal was about to start, they were chatting among themselves without any interest. Given Yoon Hyeok-pil’s situation, it felt like deliberate neglect.
“Go ahead. You know it’s okay if the rehearsal doesn’t go perfectly, right?”
I said with a bitter smile, seeing Yoon Hyeok-pil off like he was embarking on a long journey.
“Yes, I’ll be back.”
Yoon Hyeok-pil replied energetically before stepping onto the still-chaotic stage.
I looked around. Few people seemed interested in watching him. Most were busy with their own things and even the more leisurely staff were engrossed in their lunchboxes. Only Park Jeong-woo stood quietly, watching Yoon Hyeok-pil intently.
Yoon Hyeok-pil’s song began amidst such indifference.
As the drums marked the beginning, Yoon Yeon started playing the haegeum, followed by the lyrical melody of the piano. Yoon Hyeok-pil’s deep navy blue voice gently settled over the music.
– I remember your smile the first time we were together.
As he sang the first verse, the atmosphere outside the stage subtly changed. The staff paused their activities to watch the stage.
Yoon Hyeok-pil didn’t sing with much force just as I told him. He gradually painted his song at his own pace, perhaps at 50% effort or even less.
But as the song continued, the staff became increasingly absorbed in the music—a testament to the advantage of ‘low expectations’.
The staff who had been glaring at Yoon Hyeok-pil slowly closed their eyes and those eating lunch stopped moving their chopsticks.
The session musicians playing alongside Yoon Hyeok-pil were the same. Each of them wore a bright expression, thoroughly enjoying the music.
Those people, when I first met them, seemed to be showing a lot of reluctance to do it.
– …I still wait for the day we’ll meet again, sending you my love.
In a stark contrast to the initial indifference, the final verse blossomed like a flower amidst attentive silence. As the music faded, silence fell on the stage.
The staff showed no reaction. They simply stared at Yoon Hyeok-pil on stage, their gazes clearly filled with approval.
It was only that, but for both Yoon Hyeok-pil and me, it was more than enough.
After all the rehearsals were finished, the singers began gathering in the waiting room for the recording. Yoon Hyeok-pil borrowed another dose of Cheongshimhwan from me before heading over, while I mingled with the staff to observe the filming.
“Oh, Hyeok-pil-ssi, you’re here?”
But surprisingly, there was someone who welcomed Yoon Hyeok-pil.
It was Cho Hyun-joon, a singer who has been in the industry for ten years, making him a singer with quite a bit of experience, but his vocal ability always comes with a question mark.
According to him, he has a style with ups and downs. Since he had vocal cord nodules, his throat has been damaged. He caught a cold, etc., and has many excuses, but judging from the rehearsal I heard directly, he is no match for Yoon Hyeok-pil.
“Sit next to me, next to me.”
“Ah, yes.”
“That way I’ll stand out a bit.”
There’s an old saying that a stone thrown carelessly kills a frog 2(A metaphor that means even a small, unintentional action can have a significant and negative impact). Even though it was a complete joke, it’s a hurtful thing to say to Yoon Hyeok-pil right now. Moreover, at least 60% of that sneer was sincere.
I don’t like this guy. My brows furrowed involuntarily.
“Oh, right. What was with that preview, Hyeok-pil-ssi? You caused quite a stir. Noise marketing?”
Cho Hyun-joon’s sneer continued without stopping.
“Ah, yes. It’s… similar.”
“Right? But that’s a double-edged sword. How are you going to show your face if you end up in last place again?”
He patted Yoon Hyeok-pil’s shoulder with a mocking smile.
“Do your best, think of this as your last chance.”
“Yes. Thank you, senior.”
What are you thanking him for? I’m fuming inside. If possible, I hoped Yoon Hyeok-pil would perform right before or after Cho Hyun-joon so he could overshadow him completely.
While I was grinding my teeth and glaring, a stern-looking PD approached. That must be Kim Tae-joo.
The PD glanced over the participants and spoke in a cold, gray voice.
“Alright. The show is about to start.”
Yoon Hyeok-pil clenched his fists tightly. I did the same in solidarity.
Finally.
The main event we had been waiting for was about to begin.
