Chapter 11: The Prelude to a Comeback (3)
[Letter Entertainment Studio Room, 3rd Floor]
November 25th, 3 a.m. Exactly five hours after the end of the main broadcast of ‘Singing Through the Times’ had ended.
The close-knit trio, Lilac, had gathered in the studio, pulling an all-nighter despite each of them having their own homes. They were there to discuss the concept and direction for their next album.
Since 10 a.m., a total of ten people had come and gone from the meeting and no fewer than thirty composers had been mentioned. Yet, there was no end in sight to the discussion and the three members were utterly drained.
In the early days of their debut, they had longed for the freedom of ‘Do whatever you want!’—but they were slowly realizing just how exhausting that freedom could be.
“Wait, what?”
The youngest member, Kim Yoo-jeong, had fallen asleep long ago. Meanwhile, the second member, Lee Yeon-ji, stared at her phone and muttered in surprise.
“Unnie, did you see the news of ‘Singol’ 1nickname of Singing Through the Times? Hyeok-pil-ie came in second.”
“…What?”
Yoo Ah-ra, who was on the verge of slipping into a dream, cracked her eyes open. Curled up on the sofa, she resembled a sleepy cat. Lee Yeon-ji chuckled softly and repeated herself.
“He came in second. ‘That’ Yoon Hyeok-pil.”
“Oh… really?”
“Yep. Wanna take a listen~?”
“No.”
Still half-asleep, Yoo Ah-ra let out a big yawn and shook her head.
“And didn’t I tell you to stop using dialect?”
“There’s just the three of us here—what’s the big deal?”
“I told you, stop doing it. Those things turn into habits. …Yaaawn.”
After that light scolding, Yoo Ah-ra turned onto her side and closed her eyes again. Lee Yeon-ji, unfazed, added one more thing.
“So, this is the song that the new arranger did~?”
At the mention of the new arranger, Yoo Ah-ra’s curiosity was piqued. She cracked one eye open, lifting her head slightly and speaking.
“If it’s that good, why don’t you share it instead of hogging the earphones?”
Lee Yeon-ji giggled at the subtle remark and unplugged her earphones. The song spread through the speakers, filling the room.
Yoo Ah-ra closed her eyes again, focusing her attention on the music.
—On days like today, I remember your smile when we first met……
From the first verse, she felt something and her eyes opened on their own.
What is this? Was Hyeok-pil’s voice always this sad? Or did the arrangement make it sound like this? No, wait… his voice and the arrangement match perfectly.
As the song went on, Yoo Ah-ra couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
“…Hey.”
Before the song even ended, Yoo Ah-ra jumped up from the sofa. Lee Yeon-ji grinned as she watched her, a playful smile that somehow irritated Yoo Ah-ra. She didn’t like that smile. It made her feel like Lee Yeon-ji was mocking her and Lee Yeon-ji was two years younger than her, after all.
“This was arranged by that new guy?”
“Yup.”
“…Where is he now?”
“Dunno, probably at home.”
“Ugh, whatever.”
Yoo Ah-ra slumped back down on the sofa.
Lee Yeon-ji spoke up again.
“Should I ask Hyeok-pil-ie where he is? I’ve got his number.”
“No, forget it. You’re not even that close to him.”
“True enough.”
Silence.
It seemed the conversation had ended for today. Lee Yeon-ji put her earphones back in and immersed herself in her smartphone.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ah-ra, who appeared to be trying to sleep again, slowly took out her phone from her pocket.
Ten seconds later, Lee Yeon-ji’s phone buzzed with a KakaoTalk message.
[Ah-ra Unnie: Give me Hyeok-pil-ie’s number.]
At the same time, NBC Sangam Broadcast Station.
PD Kim Tae-joo stared intently at the monitor, his eyes bloodshot.
The ratings had gone up. Not just the ratings—the netizens’ responses were overwhelmingly positive and the newly released track had debuted at number 70 on the charts.
In a time when music from competition hardly garners attention—though there are some rare exceptions—this was a solid achievement.
However, all these positive results were only giving Kim Tae-joo a headache.
It was like a drama, where the ugly duckling’s potential had finally exploded in the last episode. The audience and the public wanted more of this story and as the producer, he wanted to craft it more deeply.
But his relationship with Yoon Hyeok-pil was already strained. He could try bowing his head and asking for favors, but Yoon Hyeok-pil wasn’t likely to forget all the cold indifference and neglect from before.
“…Sigh.”
Kim Tae-joo sighed, recalling the voice Yoon Hyeok-pil had shown during that performance. Objectively, it was impressive. But why hadn’t he been able to convey such deep emotion before?
The answer was simple—it was all in the arrangement.
Yes, when he thought about it, the problem wasn’t really with Yoon Hyeok-pil. It was their relationship that had soured. There was no issue with the arranger.
Even if Yoon Hyeok-pil refused to participate, securing the arranger could still work…
Kim Tae-joo picked up his phone. Park Jung-woo, who had filmed Yoon Hyeok-pil’s teaser, probably had the arranger’s number. When he thought about it, it wasn’t a bad opportunity for them either. Turning down an appearance over some petty grudge would only hurt them in the end.
– Hello.
Park Jung-woo’s voice came through the receiver. Kim Tae-joo quickly got to the point.
“Hey. Do you have the arranger’s number?”
Lee Ha-yeon, 32 years old.
A talented producer who entered the entertainment industry at the tender age of twenty-three, discovering promising new talents such as Kim Ah-yeon and Yoon Seung-ho and producing the boy group ‘Trend’. She is also a key figure at Letter Entertainment, managing all the artists under their label.
Her official title is Head of the Singer Entertainment Team at Letter Entertainment Agency.
Today, she summoned Yoon Hyeok-pil and Jung Yoo-jeong to her office. She wanted to get to the bottom of yesterday’s buzz-worthy event.
“So, in short, you outsourced the arrangement without consulting the company? I had a feeling. It didn’t make sense for Yoo-jeong-ssi to be Hel Mo-ssi.”
“Well, yes, I mean, it’s true, but… if you look at the situation, it’s not exactly what it seems…”
With Yoon Hyeok-pil not yet in the room, Jung Yoo-jeong was left trembling nervously in front of the team leader.
“There’s no need to feel so anxious. I’m not here to blame you. After all, your decision led to some pretty great results, didn’t it?”
“…Do you really think so?”
Even though Yoon Hyeok-pil’s scheduled three-week appearance had ended, PD Kim Tae-joo still wanted him to return regularly—if not every week, then at least every other week. Of course, with the same arranger.
It was a far cry from the past when they tried everything to get rid of him. Yet, Jung Yoo-jeong wasn’t feeling all that great. Naturally, it was because the ‘arranger’ the PD had praised wasn’t him.
Knock, knock–
Right on time, the door opened for another guest. Lee Ha-yeon called out.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Yoon Hyeok-pil entered the room. He took a seat next to Jung Yoo-jeong and met Team Leader Lee Ha-yeon’s gaze.
More precisely, Yoon Hyeok-pil’s gaze rested on the potted plant beside Lee Ha-yeon, unable to meet her eyes directly. For him, she was still someone too distant to face squarely.
“Hyeok-pil-ah, you worked with a different arranger who’s not affiliated with the company. It’s fortunate that he’s a freelancer, but what would you have done if he had been from another agency? We still need to release the music.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Yoon Hyeok-pil bowed his head. Lee Ha-yeon quietly observed him. He was still as timid as ever, but something felt different about him today—perhaps a bit more relaxed, even confident.
As she observed him, Lee Ha-yeon noticed something in his hand.
“What’s that?”
“Excuse me?”
“The thing you’re fiddling with.”
“Oh.”
Yoon Hyeok-pil placed the CD on the desk. Written on it, in small letters, was the title ‘Alleyway – For Yoon Hyeok-pil’.
“It’s a song the arranger gave me.”
“The arranger?”
Lee Ha-yeon’s gaze shifted to Jung Yoo-jeong, the former arranger. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“Yes, the composer Heli. He said he wrote it with me in mind…”
“Is that so?”
With interest, she picked up the CD.
“But why did you bring it here?”
At her brief question, Yoon Hyeok-pil clenched his fists. He recalled the resolve he had gathered several times in front of the office door.
It felt shameless, knowing how much he had failed in the past. But if he didn’t speak now, there would be no other opportunity. If not now, he would never find the confidence…
“I… I want to release this song as an album.”
Lee Ha-yeon’s movements paused for a moment.
She glanced between the CD and Yoon Hyeok-pil with a curious look, then let out a short laugh.
Yoon Hyeok-pil couldn’t tell if it was a scoff or a cold chuckle. His gaze remained firmly fixed on the floor.
Lee Ha-yeon’s soft, gentle voice followed.
“…I’ll listen and then decide.”
She inserted the CD into the computer on her desk. Soon, the song began to flow through the external speakers.
The main melody was led by a piano, with only a few accompanying instruments. It felt like the music was more about subtraction than addition. Yoon Hyeok-pil’s emotional vocals blended into the soft melody.
– In the alley where the sunset shatters, I think of you once again…
Each of the three people in the room absorbed the music in their own way.
Lee Ha-yeon had closed her eyes at some point, while Jung Yoo-jeong bit his lower lip with a discomforted expression. Yoon Hyeok-pil, on the other hand, stole glances at his team leader’s expression, a quiet smile forming on his lips.
In that pleasant silence, the delicate lyrics lingered in the air.
