Chapter 6: An Unexpected Opportunity (1)
Nowadays, ‘Singing Through the Times’, a singing competition format that had lost some of its luster, brought together seven singers each season to rearrange and perform songs by legendary singers.
The rankings are determined by audience votes, and while there is a winner, there are no eliminations for those who come in last place. However, depending on viewer sentiment, 3 to 4 contestants are typically replaced every 2 to 3 weeks. In the Yoon Hyeok-pil case, he was initially given a 3-week slot, with an agreement between his company and the broadcasting station to extend his stay if he showed potential.
This program was likely the last chance his company was giving him. However, judging by the poor arrangements he’s had so far, it seemed the producer in charge of him had lost interest.
Yoon Hyeok-pil tried to excuse him by saying the producer was busy, but it was obvious for an excuse. They were probably just going through the motions, knowing there was little reward in investing effort into a failed singer.
“Did they welcome my arrangement with open arms?”
Given that this might be his last chance, they should’ve put in some effort. If not, they could have at least assigned a producer affiliated with the broadcasting station.
“Well, no, not exactly with open arms…”
“Hmm.”
I feigned dissatisfaction, but in truth, I was grateful. Thanks to that disinterested producer, I had managed to get into LETTER, aka the Letter Entertainment’s B-1 Music Studio.
Incidentally, I had a bit of a scuffle with security and only got in thanks to Yoon Hyeok-pil’s help.
“So, the producer hasn’t even listened to the song I made?”
“No, even though I gave him the song, he didn’t listen to it.”
“And he still approved without even listening to it?”
“Well… considering my situation right now…”
Yoon Hyeok-pil smiled awkwardly.
This didn’t sit well with me, so I cautiously asked,
“Then, Hyeok-pil-ssi, perhaps my song…”
“I’ve listened to it.”
Thankfully, he answered before I even had to ask.
A smile began to form on my lips. I wonder what he thinks of it?
“It’s a good song. Even though it’s just a demo, it shows promise… I’m sure you’ll find a great singer for it later.”
The smile on my face froze, and my brow furrowed. Later? With a great singer?
“But there’s already a good singer right in front of me.”
Yoon Hyeok-pil is a talented singer. His voice in the song was clear and distinctive. The failures he’s faced up to now are probably because success in the entertainment industry isn’t just about vocal skills… or so I think.
“Huh?”
“Don’t be so self-deprecating. Do well in this competition, and when you release your official album later, include my song. It would be great to be a title track, but it might be better suited as the 3rd or 4th track since it’s a bit too mellow for a title.”
I wasn’t just saying this; I meant it. The only reason I didn’t charge him for the arrangement was that I genuinely wanted him to succeed. Please, let this be a stepping stone for me as well.
But Yoon Hyeok-pil had suddenly dropped his gaze to the floor and didn’t say anything.
“What’s wrong? Why are you so unsure of yourself? You sing incredibly well. If you had more confidence, I think you could even win first place.”
“…Really?”
Yoon Hyeok-pil looked at me with a mix of skepticism and hope.
I chuckled and responded,
“Of course, I mean it.”
For some reason, seeing him like this reminded me of myself not too long ago. The self-doubt and uncertainty about my own worth and future, just three weeks ago.
“…Nevertheless.”
Maybe that’s why I felt a bit melancholic.
I clapped my hands together to lighten the mood.
“Alright, let’s aim for first place.”
As I spoke, I glanced at the synthesizer. The studio setup was impressive—really impressive. I could die of happiness. Although it was considered B-grade by Letter standards, it was far superior, filled with more valuable and diverse equipment than my own studio.
“So, you’re going to do the arrangement, right?”
“Of course. I told you, I like your voice.”
I said it casually, but the truth is I couldn’t sleep at all after receiving the request to arrange the song.
I spent almost the entire night listening to Yoon Hyeo-pil’s songs and I genuinely grew to like his voice. It had a very distinctive quality.
His voice naturally carried a deep dark blue hue, making his lower register solid and perfect for conveying emotions of sorrow.
Moreover, it could shift to a bright blue tone when needed, indicating his ability to handle both low and high notes and it’s further proof that he’s a skilled vocalist.
Coincidentally, his voice matched well with the song I composed, ‘Alleyway’. Of course, I’d need to hear it firsthand to be sure.
“…Thank you. And here’s your building access card; you can use it as a temporary employee ID badge.”
Yoon Hyeok-pil handed over the access card with a slightly moved expression.
“Oh. Does this mean, with just this, I can stay here indefinitely?”
“Yes.”
“Even use the studio?”
“If the B-grade studio is available, you can use it… probably.”
“That’s great. So, who’s the next challenge? Whose song do I need to arrange?”
I was thrilled, but there was no time to celebrate. The competition was only a week away.
“It’s… the late Yoo Seung-hyuk.”
“Huh? Him?”
The late Yoo Seung-hyuk.
A legendary figure who left the world after releasing an album that would be remembered forever. He was hailed as a pioneer in Korean ballads, and indeed, he was a legend in the Korean music scene.
Of course, with such a true legend, the pressure to arrange his songs is even greater.
“Uh, well. That sounds great. But do they usually do the arrangements and stage setup in just a week?”
“No, they usually inform us of the theme before the contestants even appear. But…”
“But?”
“…The previous arranger was a bit… well…”
“Aah.”
I didn’t need to hear more. It would only frustrate me.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. The stage setup is supported by NBC, right?”
“Yes? Oh…”
What’s it now? Another problem? When I narrowed my eyes at him, he scratched his neck with his usual awkward expression.
“It’s just… if the arrangement takes too long, it could be difficult for the stage crew… so, maybe we could do it without too many session musicians and stage decorations?”
He stutters out the words with difficulty, unable to meet my gaze.
Ah, now I understand.
Yoon Hyeok-pil is currently steeped in a defeatist mindset.
He thinks, ‘Someone like me shouldn’t trouble the staff’. ‘Someone like me shouldn’t ride in the van’. ‘Someone like me shouldn’t sing in front of the public anymore…’
But people aren’t tools whose worth should be measured by their utility. The world may be harsh, but at least I don’t think that way.
“…We’ll decide that after assessing the arrangement.”
But I’m not a psychiatrist, so there’s nothing I can really do to provide counseling here.
For now, I should focus on my role as a producer, or rather, as the arranger.
“First of all, Hyeok-pil-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s hear your voice first.”
I pointed towards the recording booth.
[Letter Entertainment Building, 2nd Floor Lounge.]
Meanwhile, in the second-floor lounge of Letter Entertainment, Yoon Hyeok-pil’s manager, Kim Woo-seok, and the producer who had been responsible for Yoon Hyeok-pils’s arrangements, Jung Yoo-jeong, were sitting together. A large pizza laid out on the table.
“A new arranger?”
“Yeah. He asked if he could have someone else handle it if I was tired.”
Kim Woo-seok frowned at Jung Yoo-jeong’s words. It sounded like his job was being taken away.
“…Has he finally lost his mind?”
However, Jung Yoo-jeong seemed more relieved than upset.
“Hey, watch your mouth. That’s the singer you’re in charge of.”
“Still, though.”
“I’m fine; it’s actually better for me. His arrangements always end up being a minus, no matter how hard you work. Whoever this new person is, they’re not even asking for an arranging fee. Let’s just consider it giving an opportunity to someone who’s passionate~”
No matter how hard they tried, or how little effort they put in, Yoon Hyeok-pil always ended up at the bottom. It was better to pass the bomb to someone else.
Besides, no one in the company was interested in him anyway, so this kind of outsourcing wouldn’t even be noticed.
“They won’t even charge for the arrangement? Then it’s a meeting of desperate people. …But how did he even get into the show?”
“Remember when the CEO was a judge on that audition program? He’s just making sure to take care of things until the end.”
“But looking at how things are going now…”
“It’s a disaster. Apparently, the CP and PD had a fight because of him. So it seems like they’re looking to drop him as soon as possible. They haven’t even asked about the stage setup since last week. It’s like they’re telling him to just get lost.”
As he ate the pizza, Jung Yoo-jeong rubbed his lean arm. Kim Woo-seok was wondering if this was a hint for a massage and then asked with a bright expression, suddenly remembering something.
“…Oh, right. I heard Lilac’s manager resigned again!”
“What? Oh, yeah, he did.”
“So, is the position open?”
Jung Yoo-jeong put down his pizza, looking dumbfounded.
“…Do you really want that position?”
“Well, I mean, it’s gotta be better than this.”
When Kim Woo-seok first started managing Yoon Hyeok-pil, he was full of enthusiasm. After all, Yoon Hyeok-pil was the winner of an audition show and had an incredible singing voice.
But after half a year, he realized the truth.
Yoon Hyeok-pil was not going to make it.
He lacked that mysterious quality called ‘star power’ in him which was a hundred times more important than mere vocal ability.
“It might not be better; actually, it won’t be better.”
Jung Yoo-jeong dismissed the idea with a click of his tongue. The Lilac Trio’s reputation for being difficult was well-known within the company.
It wasn’t that they were unreasonable; initially, they were friendly and polite. But the moment anything involved their music, they turned into absolute perfectionists, tolerating no mistakes, no matter how minor.
They even demanded a high level of musical understanding from their managers.
The latest manager, for instance, had fallen out of favor with the group for misjudging a demo track and then sealed his fate by taking a wrong turn and arriving late to an event.
Jung Yoo-jeong shook his head, recalling how the bear-like manager had almost cried.
“But I heard there’s another album in the works for Lilac.”
“Yeah, that’s the problem. Nobody in the company wants to work with them now. Everyone knows how demanding they are.”
“…Man, I still don’t get it. They’re so nice otherwise.”
“Right? They buy pizza and act like angels, but once it involves their music, they go nuts.”
This year marks the third year since the debut of the girl group Lilac. Although they haven’t reached number one on the charts, they consistently rank around the 3rd to 5th position and stay within the top 15 for one to two months.
Even if we consider just their digital song power, they’re better off than other groups that briefly hit number one only to plummet down the charts. Moreover, they’re actively participating in acting and variety shows, which boosts their recognition and influence, rivaling even major groups.
However, despite their success, there are always bad rumors about them.
“So, who’s the most troublesome? Yoo Ah-ra seems fine to me.”
“Hey, she’s the worst.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah. She’s the real mastermind. She gets her two younger members to make life difficult for producers and staff. She’s never satisfied with the songs she gets, no, just thinking about it makes me angry.”
Jung Yoo-jeong, who seemed to recall a humiliating experience with Yoo Ah-ra, threw down a slice of pizza in frustration.
“I mean, does she think she’s Jung Ha-yeon or something? She’s so short and has this cute, petite face.” he muttered, unsure if he was complimenting or criticizing her.
Kim Woo-seok asked cautiously, unsure if Jung Yoo-jeong was complimenting or criticizing her.
“Is she really that bad?”
“Yeah. That’s why her solo album keeps getting delayed.”
Yoo Ah-ra is the most popular among the three members of Lilac.
She stands at 155 cm—though she fervently claims to be 160 cm—and has a baby-faced charm that could easily make her pass as a high school student. Her sparkling eyes and small, adorable face create a perfect harmony.
Whatever she does is considered cute; she’s so lovable that people would probably laugh it off even if she were to hit someone.
Her voice is also naturally soft, which endears her to viewers on talk shows, where she quickly builds a positive image. Her acting skills are good enough and every drama she appears in has decent ratings.
Given her popularity and decent vocal skills, the company has long encouraged her to release a solo album.
However…
“She kept saying she didn’t like the songs, I mean, really. Even after we sourced from external composers, we probably received around 100 songs. But yet that ridiculous woman…”
Just then.
Someone peeked around the corner of the L-shaped hallway in the lounge.
Jung Yoo-jeong was frozen like a statue, and Kim Woo-seok turned his head and flinched in surprise.
Standing there was Yoo Ah-ra.
