Chapter 14: Still In Progress (2)
December 3rd, the day of the meeting with the music director for the drama ‘Small Diary’, starring Yoo Ah-ra.
I hadn’t even started working yet, and before I knew it, the day had arrived.
Bracing myself against the cold winter wind with my coat, I walked directly to the director’s studio.
“Oh, there you are.”
When I rang the bell, a man who appeared to be an assistant greeted me. He had a slender build and a small frame, but his gentle eyes gave him a soft demeanor.
“You must be Heli-ssi, right? Please come in.”
“Ah, yes. And, um, this…”
I handed him the orange juice I had bought on the way.
“Oh, thank you.”
I carefully stepped inside and glanced around. As expected of the renowned studio of Director Yoon Sung-han, a director well-known in the drama OST industry, the room was filled with high-end equipment, yet everything was neatly organized without feeling cluttered.
The assistant knocked on a door to the right of the studio and spoke.
“He’s here, Dad.”
Apparently, the man I thought was an assistant might actually be his son.
In response to his words, the door opened. From beyond it, a white-haired artist emerged, followed by two individuals who appeared to be real assistants—a man and a woman.
The man wore a friendly smile, but the moment the woman saw me, she furrowed her brows sharply. It was clearly our first meeting, but for some reason, she seemed quite displeased with me.
“Well, I’ll be heading out now.”
The man said, extending his hand to Director Yoon Sung-han. Director Yoon Sung-han shook it with a soft laugh.
“Alright, PD-nim, take care.”
…So, it seems this man wasn’t an assistant either.
The man greeted Director Yoon Sung-han’s son and the woman beside him but walked right past me without saying a word. Before I had time to feel slighted, Director Yoon Sung-han spoke to me.
“So, you’re Heli-ssi?”
“Ah, yes. It’s an honor, Director Yoon Sung-han-nim.”
“Hm, you’ve got a good presence. Have a seat for now.”
He pointed to the chair in front of the synthesizer. I nodded and sat down.
“Manager Ha-yeon-ssi… well, she’s a team leader now. Anyway, I didn’t expect her to do this kind of favor. You want to be in charge of the OST that Yoo Ah-ra will be singing?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, well…”
To be precise, it’s not that I ‘wanted’ to be in charge—I was ‘ordered’ to do it. But the atmosphere felt awkward, so I couldn’t correct him. In situations like this, where there’s a subcontracting relationship, it’s best if the main party—Lee Ha-yeon in this case—is present. It helps avoid awkward misunderstandings.
“Lucky you, getting handed a golden parachute.”
The snarky comment came coldly from behind me.
It was the woman seated further back. She had long, unkempt hair, pale skin without a trace of makeup, and sharp, fox-like eyes. Despite her beauty, her expression gave off a mix of both sharpness and carelessness.
She must be the assistant. This time, I’m sure of it.
“Ahem.”
Director Yoon Sung-han shot her a glance, and she pursed her lips and lowered her gaze.
“These days, everyone’s desperate. I’m sure you can understand. This is Kim Ji-in, our sound engineer.”
“Composer now.”
Kim Ji-in corrected him curtly. Director Yoon Sung-han chuckled and let it pass, then turned back to me.
“Have you watched the drama?”
“Yes, I’ve seen up to episode 2.”
“Hmm. Do you know what role Yoo Ah-ra plays?”
“Yes, I’m well aware.”
Although it’s only about 20 minutes of screen time, it’s crystal clear. An arrogant, self-centered singer-songwriter. I desperately hope that Yoo Ah-ra’s character in the drama isn’t a reflection of her true personality.
“So, do you already have a song in mind?”
Even though it was an obvious question, my heart sank heavily for a moment.
“…No, I don’t have anything yet. No inspiration is coming to me.”
Director Yoon Sung-han’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, while the woman sitting behind him broke into a smile.
“Hmph… Heli-ssi, I’m not sure what made you think you could handle this OST, but let me tell you, drama OSTs aren’t something you can take lightly.”
His stern voice made my shoulders shrink involuntarily as he continued.
“Not only does the song need to fit seamlessly with the atmosphere and scenes of the drama, but since the singer in this case is also a character, you need to consider their role in the story as well. And let’s not forget about the tight deadline. At worst, you’ll have a week, and even at best, two weeks is the maximum you’ll get.”
Director Yoon Sung-han paused briefly. I nodded, indicating that I understood.
“A drama is the culmination of the hard work and money of dozens, if not hundreds of people. And especially, the OST you’re working on is one of the most crucial songs in the series. I’ve already received many submissions. So, even though Team Leader Ha-yeon-ssi made the request, if your song isn’t good enough, I won’t be able to use it.”
“…Understood.”
It was the harsh truth I’d been expecting. Not having a song prepared is a serious penalty for a composer.
“I’ll give you four days. Today, I was hoping to listen to your song, but since you don’t have one, you can leave now.”
Director Yoon Sung-han declared this with finality.
Four days. It’s not nearly enough, not for me, especially in my current state. But I’m not the type to whine or complain.
“Ah, by the way…”
“Hmm?”
“Do you happen to know the filming location?”
“Filming location?”
“Yes, I know the scene where the OST first appears is set in the rural mountainous area, but I don’t know about the detailed scenery or atmosphere.”
Inspiration. A few months ago, I thought it was just an abstract concept, but after nearly losing my mind, I sometimes feel it’s real. The sensation of colors flying before my eyes. The soft glow emanating from Yoon Hyeok-pil’s song.
All of these were parts of ‘inspiration’. And that inspiration wouldn’t be found in a computer monitor. Yoon Sung-han chuckled softly and said.
“Do you, by any chance, happen to have a driver’s license?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, I do. But I don’t have a car…”
“That’s a relief. Then you can go with Ji-in-ie.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Huh? Teacher?”
The woman and I both widened our eyes in surprise.
With a mischievous smile, Director Yoon Sung-han continued.
“Ji-in-ie doesn’t have a license, but I can lend her a car. And Heli-ssi, you don’t have a car, but you have a license.”
It was hard to argue with his logic, so both the woman and I stood there, mouths agape like goldfish.
The next day, I returned to the studio.
Director Yoon Sung-han’s son handed me the car keys, and although composer Kim Ji-in, who had been grumpy the whole day before, didn’t seem too thrilled, she still got into the car.
However, she wasn’t showing the same blatant hostility as yesterday.
While driving, I mulled over why she seemed so reserved today. It likely had to do with the fact that we were alone.
It wasn’t anything like excitement, but rather a matter of comfort. I’m a big guy, after all.
188 cm, 100 kg. I probably should lose some weight.
“You don’t have to be nervous.”
I said, trying to ease the mood.
“…I-I’m not nervous.”
Or maybe she was.
Taking advantage of the red light, I casually asked.
“So, when did you start composing?”
“At sixteen.”
“That’s about the same as me.”
“When did you start?”
“Seventeen and a half.”
“…Seventeen and a half?”
“Yeah, I started in the second semester of my first year of high school.”
“…”
Kim Ji-in just gave me a blank look without saying anything else. That was the end of our conversation.
The light turned green, and I focused on driving again.
Then, when we hit another red light, she suddenly spoke.
“I was originally supposed to be in charge of that track.”
“Oh, really?”
“…There was a high possibility.”
A small laugh escaped me. And Kim Ji-in rolled her eyes.
“I’m serious. I was really confident about the song I composed…”
Now I feel a little sorry. For her, it must’ve been like a parachute suddenly dropping out of the sky. I started to understand the hostility she’d shown earlier.
“Sorry about that… But if you already finished the song, why are you coming to the filming location? It doesn’t seem necessary.”
“…It got rejected.”
“What?”
What are you saying? That didn’t make any sense. I’d never heard someone talk like this before. If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.
“The PD listens to it first before the music director gives the green light, but the PD rejects it. Said it didn’t match the vibe of the show.”
“Ah. So you’re going for another shot this time?”
“…Well, something like that. Yawn.”
Just as our conversation was wrapping up, Kim Ji-in let out a big yawn. But it seemed to have slipped out by accident, as she quickly covered her mouth and blushed. Without looking at her, I said.
“Go ahead and sleep.”
“I’m not that sleepy.”
Despite her words, she slowly began closing her eyes, but our gazes met.
“…Ahem. You’re a pretty good driver.”
She smiled faintly. The ride must’ve felt smooth. I had always been told I had a knack for driving during my time in the military.
“Everyone my age drives like this.”
“Really?”
Though I had made a modest comment without much thought, Kim Ji-in took it seriously. Exactly three minutes later, she closed her eyes for good.
And she didn’t open them again.
We arrived in a small town in Gangwon Province. The mountains cradled the village like a blanket, and the low houses sprouted up like buds. Although it wasn’t quite the remote mountain village I had imagined—with its shops and residential buildings—it still had a cozy charm, thanks to its distinctive atmosphere.
“Ji-in-ssi, looks like that’s the place, right?”
It wasn’t hard to spot the filming location. It was at the school, where a rare crowd of townspeople had gathered.
“…Yeah, looks like it.”
Kim Ji-in, still half-asleep, gazed off into the distance as she replied groggily.
We walked slowly together.
“Huh? Aren’t you Kim Ji-in-ssi?”
Near the school’s playground, a staff member who was controlling access for the general public recognized Kim Ji-in and greeted her warmly.
“Oh, hello. This is a friend of mine, and we’re just here to take a look around the set. Is that okay?”
The staff member readily nodded in agreement at Kim Ji-in’s bright smile.
“Of course, PD Yeong-chae-nim is over there.”
“Thank you!”
Kim Ji-in quickly trotted off in the direction the staff member pointed, and I followed behind her.
When we arrived at the monitor, weaving through the other staff members, the PD stood there with an indifferent, almost aloof expression. As the name suggested, the PD was a woman.
“PD Oh Yeong-chae-nim, I have arrived.”
Kim Ji-in greeted.
“…What’s this about?”
“Well, you see…”
Kim Ji-in spoke with a sense of determination to the PD who had previously rejected her song. She explained that she understood why her track had been turned down and came to experience the atmosphere of the scene again.
“Yeah, sure. Good for you, then.”
“…Excuse me? Oh, yes. Right, good. Good for me…”
But the PD just nodded nonchalantly, and the dry response left Kim Ji-in visibly flustered.
“Alright, let’s stop resting and start shooting.”
The PD said, signaling the beginning of the filming.
Because of that, I didn’t get a chance to say a word to the PD and had to step back.
We moved over to the audio crew and sat down. They greeted us warmly—but only greeted Kim Ji-in, not me. Thanks to that, I was able to leisurely watch the filming in peace.
“Cut. Put a bit more emotion into it. And the lighting team?”
“Yes?”
“Can you dim the lights a little bit? It’s too bright.”
“Oh, yes, of course.”
The atmosphere on set was quite relaxed. The staff seemed harmonious, perhaps because they were already filming episode eight while episode two had just aired.
Though I’m not familiar with how dramas work, I could tell this was a rare sight in filming locations these days.
“Nice view, isn’t it?”
A male staff member smiled at us—or rather, at Kim Ji-in—as he asked. His eyes were glinting playfully. It was typical flirting.
“Yes, it is.”
“Oh, right, by the way, what was your phone number again, Ji-in-ssi? I—”
“Oh, look, it’s Yoo Ah-ra.”
Just then, Yoo Ah-ra appeared in the distance, holding a script in one hand and a guitar slung over her shoulder. She greeted the staff with a smile as she walked by.
Kim Ji-in watched her closely before asking.
“How many scenes are we shooting today?”
“…I think we’ll probably shoot until the stage scene.”
“What? But the song isn’t even ready yet!”
Kim Ji-in asked in surprise, and I felt the same. Since episode two had just aired this week, there were still three weeks until episode eight, where the stage scene would appear.
“Well, originally, we were going to shoot the stage scene after the song was ready, but…”
“Obviously! How can you shoot without the song?”
She cut in, sounding indignant.
“Ah-ra-ssi brought one of her own songs. She asked if we could use it if it worked well with the scene…”
The staff member trailed off, looking apologetic.
Kim Ji-in seemed utterly stunned, speechless for a long moment, as if she couldn’t quite process what she’d just heard. Then, all of a sudden, she pointed at me.
“Oh, right. Well, anyway, I’m not doing the song this time. This person is. He’s doing it.”
“What? Really?”
It was obvious what she was doing. She didn’t want the pity, so she was shifting it onto me. I shot Kim Ji-in with a sharp glare.
“…I thought you said it was a competition.”
“When did I ever say that? I’m not some shameless person who steals other people’s work!”
Suddenly, the nearby staff exchanged strange glances.
A shameless person who steals other people’s work.
In this situation, it was a clear jab at Yoo Ah-ra.
“Oh…?”
It didn’t take long for Kim Ji-in to realize the unintended implication of her words. Her face flushed bright red as she frantically shook her head.
“Oh, no! That’s not what I meant at all! I didn’t mean to imply Yoo Ah-ra-ssi is shameless or anything like that….”
“Are you okay with this?”
While Kim Ji-in panicked, the male staff member finally turned to me, asking the question seriously this time.
Honestly, I was just as surprised, having heard none of this from Team Leader Lee Ha-yeon. It was probably a spur-of-the-moment decision by Yoo Ah-ra.
“Well, if the song is good, it makes sense to use it.”
But I’d reserve judgment until I heard it myself.
If Yoo Ah-ra’s song was genuinely good, I wouldn’t mind just joining in as the arranger. It wouldn’t be a bad deal.
Hi everyone! I’m so sorry for the late upload—there were some unexpected technical issues that held things up. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. The new chapter is finally up, and I hope you enjoy it! 😊
