Chapter 22: The OST Sung by the Flowers (2)
Saturday, December 18.
It’s been nearly a month since I gained the ability to see colors, and with all my focus on work and neglecting meals, it’s amazing—I’ve actually lost weight. I’m down around 10 kg now, putting me at 95 kg.
Given that my weight gain was mainly due to stress-related binge eating, it makes sense that I’m losing weight now that the stress has lessened. At this rate, I might soon be back in the 80 kg range.
With that in mind, I used my latest contract payment to sign up for a gym near the office. Time to turn this fat into muscle.
Today was the first day of that ambitious plan.
After running for about 30 minutes and doing 40 minutes of weight training.
I looked at myself in the mirror while lifting dumbbells and I feel like I’m starting to get some of my old form back. People used to always comment on my broad shoulders.
“Mmm. Hmm.”
With no one else in the gym, I struck a few poses here and there. A little more of this, and I’ll be a Greek statue in no time…
“Huh? What are you doing here?”
“Aah!”
Startled by a familiar voice, I quickly bent down to pick up the dumbbell I’d dropped. I stood up, pretending that nothing was happening.
Right behind me was Lee Yeon-ji.
Where on earth did she come from? No, more importantly, what was she doing here?
Hoping she hadn’t seen too much, I cleared my throat, trying to act casual.
“What kind of pose are you striking?”
“…Huh?”
So, she did see.
I went outside with Lee Yeon-ji. Well, more like she followed me. Said she wanted some sundaeguk 1(blood sausage soup). I was worried we’d attract attention, but thankfully, it was still morning, and the restaurant was pretty empty.
“The facilities here are the best of any gym nearby, so I work out here. You see celebrities here pretty often, actually. Did you come here knowing that?”
“No, I didn’t.”
No wonder it was so damn expensive.
“So, don’t you have any schedules?”
“Not really. I had a few music shows and variety appearances, but they got cut out. I’m practically unemployed these days.”
She laughed as she poured some kimchi radish juice into her sundaeguk. I stuck with adding gochujang 2(spicy seasoning paste)—red stuff should be limited to just the seasoning, in my opinion.
As I stirred my soup, I took out my smartphone.
Kim Joo-won and Lee Hye-yeon.
They were plastered all over the main page of the portal site with a dating rumor. Curious, I asked.
“Are you guys dating anyone?”
“Hmm… I think it’s best to accomplish something first before getting into dating.”
She replied more seriously than I’d expected.
“…Is that so? But it seems like a lot of guys would hit on you.”
Handsome guys and pretty girls, all in the prime of youth—it’s only natural to feel a spark. I think it’s beautiful as long as it isn’t pure lust.
“Oh, well, there’s not much attention on Yu-jeong or me, but a lot of guys are after Ah-ra-unnie.”
“Yoo Ah-ra?”
“Yeah, she’s insanely popular. Every time we go on a music show, you wouldn’t believe the looks she gets. It’s practically creepy.”
Lee Yeon-ji made a face and shivered.
“Really?”
Yoo Ah-ra does have significant public appeal, but…
“Oh? Why do you look like you don’t understand? Even though our unnie’s frame is petite, she’s super glamorous. I mean, her chest is—”
“You don’t need to go that far.”
“Oh, right! That reminds me. Lately, there’s been this guy who’s way too clingy with her.”
Lee Yeon-ji raised her eyebrows seriously.
“Really?”
“Yes, that punk needs to be put in his place… Ah, it’s already 11. I have my next schedule.”
“What? I thought you didn’t have anything today?”
“This is vocal practice. I’ll get going now.”
Lee Yeon-ji finished her soup in one big gulp, paid for the meal, and flew off like a whirlwind.
She came and went just like the wind. Suddenly left alone, I felt a bit spaced out, just staring at the bright red sundaeguk in front of me.
I don’t even like sundaeguk much.
December 20.
A total of 43 songs arrived for me.
The company collected all the tracks they thought might suit Lilac, sent in by various internal and external sources, and passed them on to me.
For this Lilac album, we need at least seven songs, and I couldn’t realistically compose all of them by myself within the deadline.
I glanced over the names of the composers. Maybe because I’m a rookie, but none of the songs came from big-name composers. They probably didn’t want a newbie producer messing with their work.
Anyway, I listened to all 43 tracks. It took nearly eight hours with all the replays, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t overlook any hidden gems.
“I’ve chosen three tracks that I think will suit you best. Give them a listen.”
In the now-familiar studio, I played three songs for the three women in front of me: ‘Star’, ‘Dream’, and ‘Old Memories’. The first two were dance tracks, while the last was a ballad.
“Hmm, not bad. A little plain, though.”
Yoo Ah-ra commented with her arms crossed, critiquing like a judge. Her two younger groupmates nodded along, following her lead.
It seemed they usually went along with whatever Yoo Ah-ra said.
“I’ll be handling the arrangements.”
“…Well, in that case.”
Yoo Ah-ra nodded in agreement, then she suddenly began putting on her coat.
“Where are you planning to go?”
I asked, glancing at the clock.
11:30 p.m.
Ah, it was already that late.
“I have a schedule.”
“At this hour?”
“…If you don’t know, don’t bother asking~”
She shot back curtly, then dialed someone on her phone.
But something seemed off. The call wasn’t going through—she kept the phone to her ear, glanced at the screen, redialed, then repeated the process three times.
Her expression was growing more frustrated, and her face was tinged with a hint of red.
“Oh, really, seriously…”
She muttered under her breath, biting her lip as she typed furiously on her phone.
Finally, it seemed someone picked up.
“Yes, hello. It’s Ah-ra. My manager isn’t here right now, so I—what?”
But as the conversation continued, her expression darkened, almost as if a shadow had crossed her face. What was going on?
“Yes, yes… Ah, I think I need to leave right now to make it on time. It’s an early morning shoot in Mungyeong.”
She said, now gripping her phone with both hands. The three of us, excluding Yoo Ah-ra, just blinked, watching the conversation unfold.
“Ah… someone who can drive me right now? It’s just that… I can’t drive…”
At that moment, Yoo Ah-ra’s anxious gaze landed squarely on me. And not just her; Kim Yoo-jeong and Lee Yeon-ji were also looking my way.
“…What? Why are you all looking at me?”
In the end, I found myself in the driver’s seat. There was no way around it. The temporary manager assigned to Yoo Ah-ra had suddenly gone MIA, and since it was a weekday night, there was no one else available.
At least I managed to negotiate a day’s pay… Trying to stay positive, I waited as Yoo Ah-ra got into the car. In the backseat.
“Yoo Ah-ra-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you sitting in the back?”
“Pardon?”
Getting roped into this is one thing, but I wasn’t about to play chauffeur.
“Am I your manager? Or do you think I’m your private driver?”
“Uh… what?”
“Sit up front.”
“…You really fuss over everything.”
She grumbled, but finally clambered up to the passenger seat.
“Alright, let’s go.”
I started the engine.
Tonight, Yoo Ah-ra was scheduled for a variety show called ‘Travel Log’. It was one of those shows where they spend a full day at a specific travel destination, cooking meals and playing games on site.
The show, aired on Sunday evenings, typically ranks around second or third in ratings. Although, with only three shows in its slot, second or third place essentially means it’s close to last.
The cast consists of seven regular members and one or two guests per episode. Among the seven, there are two women and five men, including three idols: Yoo Ah-ra, Hye-yeon from Pluto, and Chan-hyeok from Romeo. But the main star is definitely Yoo Ah-ra.
I’d seen a few episodes myself, and the producers seemed to enjoy editing clips of Yoo Ah-ra throwing cute tantrums.
“Where are we going again?”
“Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province. By the way, you’re good at driving, right?”
“I used to be a driver in the military.”
“Ah, I see.”
I set the GPS. Already exhausted, I saw the estimated arrival time: 4:12 a.m.
Sighing, I took a sip of coffee, ready to set off.
Grrrr—
A loud rumbling sound came from beside me. I glanced over and saw Yoo Ah-ra, blushing slightly while trying to play it cool.
Did she skip dinner? To avoid embarrassing her, I pretended to adjust the seat.
“Alright, we’re off. Try to get some sleep.”
Without a word, Yoo Ah-ra reclined her seat, popped in her earbuds, and pulled a sleep mask over her eyes.
I could faintly hear the song playing in her ears—it was ‘Idol’, Lilac’s track, which had just finished its first recording round.
2 a.m.
We seemed to be arriving earlier than expected, so I pulled over at a nearby rest stop. Even while sleeping, Yoo Ah-ra’s stomach kept growling softly.
We’re out here working to survive, so we should at least eat.
“Yoo Ah-ra-ssi?”
I gently tapped her shoulder. She must’ve been in a deep sleep because she flailed her arms as she woke up.
“Huh? What? What is it?”
“Step out for a moment.”
“I… I can’t see in front of me.”
She waved her hands around, disoriented.
I reached over and removed her eye mask.
“Oh… I was still wearing it.”
She mumbled absentmindedly as she stepped out of the car, her face blank with sleep. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she stretched and yawned simultaneously.
Only then did she squint, noticing something wasn’t quite right. This wasn’t the scenery she’d expected.
“Wait, where are we?”
“A rest area.”
“A rest area? Why here?”
“We’re on track to arrive earlier than expected. Might as well grab a bite to eat on the way.”
“What time is it?”
“Two. We’ll easily make it there by four.”
“Hmm…”
It seemed she was indeed hungry, judging by the satisfied look on her face. I yawned as I walked toward the cafeteria, hearing her scuffing footsteps trailing behind me.
We stood in front of the menu board.
“What do you want?”
“Pork cutlet and udon.”
“Alright.”
I ordered the pork cutlet and udon for her, plus a kimchi fried rice for myself. It was quite a spread. After printing out the meal tickets, I stepped aside.
“Uh?”
“You’re paying.”
“…What?”
“Sorry. I left in a hurry and forgot my wallet.”
Though clearly reluctant, Yoo Ah-ra took out her card and paid. After waiting for the food, we picked up our food and found a secluded table to sit at.
We sat facing each other but didn’t speak, each of us focused only on our food.
Buzz. Buzz.
Yoo Ah-ra’s phone kept going off relentlessly. It didn’t stop buzzing.
“Your phone’s ringing a lot.”
“…”
Without replying, she simply turned her phone off.
“Someone’s bothering you?”
She glanced up at me briefly.
“A bit.”
Was it the guy Lee Yeon-ji mentioned? Then again, her personal life wasn’t really a producer’s business.
“Who is it?”
…I couldn’t deny I was curious. Not because of some romantic interest—far from it. My past had given me enough grief from superficial things like that. You could even call it a bit of a trauma.
“And what would you do if you knew?”
“Well, I’m bigger, so I’d just flatten him. It’d be hard to lose that way.”
“…Pfft.”
She barely cracked a smile but quickly composed herself, lowering her head to her bowl of udon.
Figuring it was best not to pry, I stayed silent, eating my meal and thinking about the arrangement for the rest of the songs.
Lost in thought, I unconsciously reached my chopsticks toward the cutlet in the center. Since it was in the middle, I somehow mistook it for fair game.
I took a bite and only then realized Yoo Ah-ra was watching me intently.
“Oh. Sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry. I wasn’t going to finish it anyway.”
“Really?”
I took another bite, then another. One, two, three, four… Apparently, I was eating faster than I realized because she quickly slid the plate out of my reach.
“Alright, alright, enough. Stop. No more.”
“Oh, my bad.”
I put my chopsticks down and leaned back in my chair to show I’d stopped. Only then did she return the cutlet to its original spot, finally feeling safe to eat at her own pace.
Watching her enjoy each bite so earnestly, I offered some friendly advice.
“Eat slowly.”
“It’s hard to eat slowly when half of its gone.”
“…Sorry.”
