Chapter 17: Psychological Warfare (1)
On the afternoon of December 8th, Team Leader Lee Ha-yeon called me in again. She wanted to discuss the OST. While the final approval was something to celebrate, it seemed Yoo Ah-ra wasn’t particularly pleased about it.
“Well, it’s just a guide recording. Once she sings it herself, I’m sure she’ll realize it suits her… probably.”
The melody still lingers in my ears and vision. This piece was crafted solely for Yoo Ah-ra’s voice.
My approach to composing has fundamentally changed. I used to create the song first and then look for a singer, but that’s no longer the case.
Music has countless colors, but the most critical one is undoubtedly the color of ‘singer’. If that color tone doesn’t blend well, the overall feel of the music changes.
Therefore, I want—no, I need to compose songs that match the voice above all else. It’s an instinctual feeling.
The only exception is Yoon Hyeok-pil’s’Alleway’ song. Originally, I had designed the song with the artist ‘Jeon-hyeok’ in mind, but I ended up revising about half of it to better suit Yoon Hyeok-pil in the end.
However, the current OST guide version is merely a ‘demo’ sung by a guide vocalist.
“I hope so too.”
Team Leader Lee Ha-yeon replied with a wry smile.
“Also, you’ll be meeting with the Lilac team this Friday. And the OST recording will take place the following day.”
“…I guess we’ll be seeing each other two days in a row?”
“The schedule is a bit tight. And I haven’t told them that you’re the composer of ‘Mountain Scenery’, but since we’ll be recording at Director Yoon Seong-han’s studio, you don’t need to worry too much.”
“I see.”
“And this is for you.”
Team Leader Lee Ha-yeon handed me a small card. It was an ID card, a pass for studio access.
“Your official access pass. Now, don’t borrow Hyeok-pil-ie’s anymore.”
“Ah, thank you.”
I stuffed the access pass into my pocket and stood up.
“Well then, I’ll be going now.”
Anyway, it’s another job added to my list.
Progress has been unexpectedly smooth. Ever since I changed my name, I’ve gone from being an arranger to a producer for a girl group… It’s both exciting and a bit overwhelming.
Just as I was about to leave with feeling a mix of pride and anticipation, Lee Ha-yeon added as if she had just remembered something.
“Oh, and be careful when you meet them. Don’t get eaten alive.”
“Pardon?”
Eaten? Me? What does she mean?
Team Leader Lee Ha-yeon continued nonchalantly.
“They can be pretty ferocious, you know.”
“Didn’t you say they were nice?”
“That’s what all the producers said before they quit. ‘They’re nice, but…’”
She trailed off and smiled brightly.
“You get what I’m saying, right?”
I understood more or less. It made me a bit nervous, but you can’t judge people based solely on rumors.
I gave a short reply.
“Yes.”
The next day.
I stood in front of the studio room on the third floor of Letter Entertainment. The nameplate on the door read ‘Lilac’, indicating that this would be their exclusive space until the album work was complete.
That means there are three celebrities inside.
“Hoo—”
I took a deep breath. Even so, my heart wouldn’t calm down.
— They can be pretty ferocious, you know.
You can’t truly know someone until you meet them, but the team leader’s words echoed in my mind.
I’ve decided to do this, so I have to push through. Besides, it shouldn’t be a big deal. The eldest, Yoo Ah-ra, is only 22 years old.
The others are 20 and 19, respectively. No matter how ferocious they might be, it’s not like they’d actually bite.
Gathering my courage, I grabbed the doorknob. The click sounded unusually loud. Why are my hands shaking now? Is my hand tremor acting up?
Swallowing hard, I turned the doorknob.
As soon as the door opened, a scent wafted toward me—a distinct, feminine fragrance, both sweet and slightly dizzying.
Through the slowly widening gap, I saw Lilac. Yoo Ah-ra, Lee Yeon-ji, and Kim Yoo-jeong. Long hair, medium-length, and short hair, respectively. All three were stunning.
The three of them, who had been sitting comfortably, turned to look at me simultaneously. Then, they stood up. Their movements felt slow, almost like a scene in slow motion.
Yoo Ah-ra approached me first.
“Hello. You know who we are, right?”
She extended her hand with a somewhat arrogant expression. How should I respond? Should I just smile and shake her hand?
Suddenly, the team leader’s words echoed in my head again.
— They can be pretty ferocious, you know.
— They can be pretty ferocious, you know.
…I ignored Yoo Ah-ra’s greeting and walked past her, probably with a blank, expressionless face. I didn’t have the energy to put on a bright smile right now.
First, I needed a place to sit. There was a chair in front of the synthesizer. I went over and sat down.
I could feel three sets of eyes on my back. Maybe I should’ve taken some cheongshimhwan 1(calming pills) before coming here.
“I heard you’ve composed a song with the album’s concept in mind.”
Without turning around, I spoke. Yoo Ah-ra timidly approached me.
“Well, I did make a few on my own…”
“Let’s hear them first.”
“…Right now? All of a sudden?”
I glared at her without responding. Seeing her up close, I realized just how small her face was. How can all her features fit into such a tiny face?
“Uh, excuse me?”
Yoo Ah-ra took a step back. I must have been staring too intensely. Clearing my throat, I replied.
“Ahem. You turned down all the other composers’ songs. Isn’t it because you want to use your own?”
“That’s not it.”
Not it, huh? I already heard all the details from Team Leader Lee Ha-yeon.
“Just let me hear it. If it’s good, I might use it after some rearrangement.”
“…Really? Wait a second.”
Seeming encouraged by my words, Yoo Ah-ra hastily pulled a USB drive from her pocket and handed it to me, looking both anxious and hopeful.
I plugged the USB into the computer and opened the files. There were three MP3 tracks. I put on my headset and played one of them.
The first song consisted only of clumsy guitar playing and Yoo Ah-ra’s voice. The second track wasn’t much different. Neither was the third.
I stopped each track after listening for about a minute.
This girl couldn’t even sketch out a proper draft. Calling it a draft is generous—her compositions were as sloppy as crooked lines in a child’s drawing.
Without thinking, I clicked my tongue.
“…Tsk.”
Yoo Ah-ra’s expression instantly stiffened.
I felt a pang of guilt inside me as well.
It’s not that I’m too soft to speak harshly—I just lack experience. I’m not used to it. I’ve only just been given this rare opportunity to turn things around, so who am I to be making such bold statements now?
…But the team leader’s words kept echoing in my head.
Be careful not to get eaten. Don’t get eaten. Don’t get eaten…
“This isn’t good. The foundation is weak, the chord progression is clumsy, and I have no idea what the theme or concept is supposed to be. It’s better not to use your original songs.”
“…”
Even though I tried to soften my critique, I could see cracks forming on Yoo Ah-ra’s face, like it could shatter with just a light touch.
I pushed the USB with her self-composed songs to the side of the desk.
“But I didn’t come here to evaluate your original compositions.”
I pointed to the two younger members, who were watching anxiously, gauging Yoo Ah-ra’s reaction.
“First, I want each of you to go into the booth and sing a song you’re most confident in.”
This is a method I devised to gauge the singers’ ‘self-awareness’. If the song they ‘think’ they can sing best truly suits them, it means they have a good understanding of their own strengths.
“Let’s start with you, Yoo-jeong-ssi.”
I chose Kim Yoo-jeong, who was watching Yoo Ah-ra and me with a curious expression, to go first.
Yoo Ah-ra was upset. I, Lee Yeon-ji, could tell right away. Her cheeks were puffed out, her lower lip was pouting upward, her brows were knitted and her gaze was full of resentment.
All of it was directed at one person—Heli, the producer who had just arrived.
She was probably frustrated and annoyed that this man wasn’t bending to her will.
I remembered how confident she was just thirty minutes ago.
—We need to assert ourselves from the start and establish a clear hierarchy. We have to make it known that the singers come before the producer. You guys just have to trust me. I’ll dominate him well.
Dominate him. What nonsense.
Heli seemed completely unaware of Yoo Ah-ra’s sulking, lost in appreciation of Yoo-jeong’s singing with his eyes closed.
But his expression was unintentionally comical. For some reason, his facial muscles keep twitching—his eyebrows wiggling, the corners of his mouth quiver, and the tip of his nose lifting as if it were floating upwards…
This guy is something else.
“Not bad.”
Heli scribbled something in his notebook: Kim Yoo-jeong – 70. Was that a score?
“Then, can I take a break now?”
“Yes.”
The moment she stepped out of the booth, Kim Yoo-jeong made a beeline for the sofa. She probably didn’t want to get caught up in any unnecessary power struggles.
“Next…”
Heli’s gaze shifted to me. Yoo Ah-ra’s face remained stubbornly sullen.
In fact, she glared at him with even more intensity. But Heli, unfazed, pointed at me calmly.
“Lee Yeon-ji-ssi, please sing.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
That’s when Yoo Ah-ra cut in, her voice sharp and angry. Heli turned and stared at her silently, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife…
“Yeon-ji-ssi, what are you doing? Please sing.”
But instead of addressing her, he ignored her entirely. Yoo Ah-ra’s face turned bright red. I should be siding with her at this point, but her fuming reaction was just too cute. I couldn’t resist; I did as Heli said.
“Yes~”
The moment I moved obediently, Yoo Ah-ra’s dagger-like gaze shifted toward me. Her lips moved, mouthing, ‘Just wait till this is over’. I barely managed to suppress my laughter.
Once in the booth, I put on the headset. Heli’s voice came through.
—“What song are you going to sing?”
I hesitated for a moment. I’d been thinking this since earlier—this guy’s voice is really attractive.
“Hamilton’s Lonely.”
—“Hmm. That’s a good song. I’ll play the MR (Music Recording) for you, so please go ahead and sing.”
The MR started playing immediately. For the next three minutes, I sang freely without holding back.
It felt great to release all that stress with such a powerful song.
—“Nice. You can come out now.”
After finishing the song, I stepped out of the booth and took a quick glance at that familiar notebook.
100.
I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it felt good.
“Next.”
Heli looked directly at Ah-ra eunnie without even calling her name. Yoo Ah-ra met his gaze silently. It was the start of a staring contest.
Ten seconds. Thirty seconds. One minute…
I was wondering if I should step in.
When suddenly, Heli stood up.
“Aah!”
Both Yoo Ah-ra and I flinched in surprise, instinctively stepping back. Yoo Ah-ra was especially startled, squeezing her eyes shut and trembling. Then she opened them again, glaring at me in embarrassment, as if trying to cover up her reaction.
In the meantime, Heli had vanished somewhere. We stood there bewildered, and then Kim Yoo-jeong spoke nonchalantly.
“He went outside.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s completely lost it!”
Yoo Ah-ra stomped her foot and shouted.
“What the heck is his problem?!”
She clucked angrily, just like a furious little chick.
