Chapter 7: An Unexpected Opportunity (2)
“Ah, you’re eating pizza?”
Yoo Ah-ra appeared as if like a ghost, murmuring in her baby-like voice. She then lightly walked over and sat next to Jung Yoo-jeong.
“Mind if I join you?”
Jung Yoo-jeong swallowed the lump of tension rising to his throat and answered.
“Um… yeah, sure. But this was brought by your manager. Didn’t you buy it?”
“Yeah, I gave him my card. I told him to order pizza for the staff while he was at it. But he got sweet potato pizza for me. I can’t eat sweet potatoes. Well, here goes!”
With her small hand, she confidently tore off a slice of pizza that was at last twice the size of her face.
Did she hear the conversation we just had? Jung Yoo-jeong tried to calm his pounding heart as he stammered.
“R-really? Why did he do that?”
“I don’t know. He’s quitting soon, so maybe he just doesn’t care anymore. How childish.”
“Hahaha, I guess… so.”
Sweat started to bead on Jung Yoo-jeong’s forehead, while Kim Woo-seok found himself smiling without realizing it. Watching her nibble on the pizza with her small hands was like watching a baby bird—so cute.
But the peace didn’t last long.
“Anyway, what were you talking about?”
“…”
“…”
Silence.
Jung Yoo-jeong frantically signaled Kim Woo-seok with his eyes. SOS, SOS!
Kim Woo-seok, catching the hint, looked around frantically before grabbing a bottle of cola.
“Ah, ah. This cola won’t open… Why, why is it like this?”
“Cola?”
It was a rather straightforward distraction, but thankfully, Yoo Ah-ra seemed to have her attention diverted.
“Uh, yeah. It seems there’s an issue with the manufacturing; the cap won’t open…”
“Let me try.”
She rolled her tongue slightly in her characteristic way, and extended her hand.
“D-do you think you can open it?”
“Of course~ I’m really good at this. Believe it or not, I have quite a grip. Back in the day, I often beat boys in arm wrestling, so they called me Goliath.”
Isn’t David 1David (A biblical figure known for his strength and courage) ? Kim Woo-seok wisely kept that thought to himself.
“…Alright, here you go.”
“Thanks. Oh, oppa, hold on.”
“Huh? What, what for…?”
Before opening the cola, Yoo Ah-ra wiped her greasy hands on Jung Yoo-jeong’s shirt. His expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly forced a benevolent smile.
“Haha, you could have told me. I have some wet wipes…”
“Okay.”
She responded nonchalantly and then gripped the cola cap with both hands.
And then…
Pop!
The cap came off with a satisfying sound. She smiled brightly and set down the cola.
“See? See? I told you, I’m stronger than I look. Anyway, what were you guys talking about? It seemed interesting.”
Jung Yoo-jeong, wiping his shirt with a wet wipe, flinched slightly. He glanced at Kim Woo-seok again, signaling him to cover for them.
“Uh, yeah. So, um, you see…”
Kim Woo-seok pondered for a moment. He couldn’t very well admit they were gossiping…
“Ah!”
He suddenly thought of a good excuse!
“Hyeok-pil-ssi brought in a new arranger this time.”
Yoo Ah-ra widened her eyes in surprise and tilted her head.
“Hyeok-pil-ssi did?”
“Yes, yes. That’s what we were talking about.”
“Hmm~ Really? I didn’t know he had such connections.”
That was the end of her interest. She refocused on the pizza, munching away.
With each chew of her small mouth, a large slice of pizza disappeared one by one. The two men watched her eat with a strange mix of unease and fascination.
“Burp—ah, I’m full now. Well, I’ll be off~”
With a loud burp, Yoo Ah-ra stood up, having devoured a surprising four slices of the large pizza. Jung Yoo-jeong and Kim Woo-seok hurriedly stood as well to see her off.
“Ah, goodbye!”
“See you, Ah-ra-ya!”
“Yeah~”
Yoo Ah-ra waved lightly at them and walked toward the third floor, where the studios were. Her yellow slippers, adorned with little chicks, made soft sounds as she passed through the lounge and ascended the stairs.
Thud, thud, thud…
However, the small footsteps stopped midway between the second and third floors. For some reason, Yoo Ah-ra had paused on the landing, her tiny feet unmoving.
“…”
Sitting down on the edge of the stairs, Yoo Ah-ra clenched her fists tightly and looked down at the floor.
“Haahh.”
She buried her face between her knees, letting out a long sigh.
“Why do they have to gossip so loudly in such an open space like that?”
Every time she came to the company, something like this happened, and it really annoyed and frustrated her.
Why did people keep badmouthing her when they didn’t even know her? All she wanted was to sing songs that suited her…
After sighing deeply for a while, she pulled out her phone, her face somehow looking lonely.
Suddenly, she clenched her teeth and muttered coldly,
“I’m going to make those jerks regret it today.”
She called someone, her voice chilling.
“Hey, Yeon-ji-ya, it’s your sister. Yeah, no, it’s not that. I witnessed something in the lounge today. You wouldn’t believe what Jung Yoo-jeong and that rat-faced guy said about me…”
[B-1 Music Studio, LETTER Entertainment]
First, I had Yoon Hyeok-pil sing all of Yoo Seung-hyuk’s songs.
As I watched him sing, I discovered two new aspects about the ‘color of the voice’.
Firstly—and perhaps this is obvious—Yoon Hyeok-pil’s voice, like everyone’s, shines differently depending on the situation.
The color of his voice changes when he speaks casually versus when he sings, and it also varies when he sings songs that suit him compared to those that don’t.
The brilliance of the voice’s color is most beautiful when singing songs that suit him, followed by his normal speaking voice, and lastly, songs that don’t suit him at all.
Secondly, something I hadn’t noticed when listening to his recordings was that Yoon Hyeok-pil’s singing had a subtle ‘radiance’.
It was like starlight gracing a canvas, his singing had a gentle, light and warmth.
I didn’t see this phenomenon in the amateur busker, this radiance is likely a unique characteristic or talent that Yoon Hyeok-pil possesses.
“…Did the song just now sound strange to you?”
Yoon Hyeok-pil, meanwhile, looked unsure, tilting his head with a lack of confidence, seemingly unaware of these facts.
“You sang it really well. More importantly, how’s your throat?”
“Yes, my throat is fine.”
“Hmm, that’s good. You sang seven songs in a row. That’s impressive.”
Though my knowledge of vocal physiology was quite limited, I knew that having good vocal technique means you can sing a lot without straining your vocal cords.
“Hyeok-pil-ssi, is there any particular song you’d like to sing?”
I had already identified the songs that suited Yoon Hyeok-pil’s voice best from the medley we went through. But I felt I should ask him out of courtesy.
“Um…”
As usual, Yoon Hyeok-pil couldn’t decide. He seemed unsure about all the songs.
Seeing him struggle with indecision, I decided to choose a song for him, one where his voice would shine the most.
“How about I recommend one?”
“Oh, yes, please.”
“How about this one?”
As I spoke, I played the song. A gentle violin melody and clear, high piano notes flowed in the intro, followed by Yoo Seung-hyuk’s soft voice.
“Gasp.”
Yoon Hyeok-pil made a small sound as if he was holding his breath.
“It’s ‘Sending My Love’.”
It was one of most standout tracks from Yoo Seung-hyuk’s masterpiece album, a quintessential example of a great song.
I closed my eyes for a moment, immersing myself in the canvas painted by the melody.
The gentle yet beautiful vocals blended perfectly with the tranquil melody, accompanied by the deep resonance of the strings scattered throughout.
The scenery this music painted is a man looking at a woman’s silhouette from afar at a harbor.
The late Yoo Seung-hyuk, through his music, painted himself into his songs by singing lyrics that were deeply personal and full of emotion.
“…The song is really beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yeah…”
Yoon Hyeok-pil looked a bit flustered, his lips moving without sound. I could understand his hesitation. The more perfect a song, the greater the burden on a singer to reinterpret it.
Of course, I had no doubts.
This song was perfect for Yoon Hyeok-pil. Even the tremble in his voice, born from uncertainty, would shine with a gentle radiance when singing this song.
There was only one concern.
“But what if someone else chooses the same song?”
“The, uh, other seniors have already made their choices.”
“So, no one picked this one?”
“Yes, that’s right, but…”
Fortunately, it seemed the other singers had opted to avoid the challenge. While the song ‘Sending My Love’ isn’t technically demanding—at least by Yoon Hyeok-pil’s standards—the delicate and lyrical melody line was undoubtedly challenging to handle.
“But… isn’t this song too difficult?”
Yoon Hyeok-pil’s concern mirrored my own thoughts. Finally, he expressed his concern.
I shook my head with a soft smile.
“No, this song suits you perfectly, Hyeok-pil-ssi.”
‘Sending My Love’ as the title suggests, deals with the theme of farewell. However, Yoo Seung-hyuk’s clear, sky-blue voice doesn’t treat farewell as the end.
He views it as a painful moment, a prelude to an inevitable reunion, and he cherishes the parting as part of that hope.
But Yoon Hyeok-pil’s voice, with its deeper, more resonant tones, could convey an even more profound sense of sorrow than Yoo Seung-hyuk.
The sorrow of farewell, tied to the uncertainty that there may be no promise of reunion, gives birth to a new interpretation of ‘Sending My Love’. Much like a painting can be reimagined with a new color scheme, a song can be given new life through reinterpretation.
“Still, I don’t think I can handle this song…”
Yoon Hyeok-pil continued to express his doubts.
“You said you don’t have any other songs you want to sing, right?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“Let’s try it out first, and then you can decide. I can finish the arrangement quickly.”
I stretched and then focused my attention on the monitor.
When it comes to ‘rearranging’, I have two main approaches in mind.
The first approach involves keeping the original framework but changing the coloring. The second involves modifying the framework itself to create something entirely different.
The first approach is typical for a competition-style arrangement, while the second is more of a risky gamble. For now, I planned to go with the first.
In any case, it’s less challenging than starting from a blank canvas, much like the importance of a sketch in art cannot be overstated.
Having the basic and most crucial elements like lines and composition already drawn means at least half of the work is already done. All I needed to do was fill in the remaining half with the colors I wanted.
“Let’s see…”
I began by checking the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) to see what virtual instruments were available.
As expected, this studio was stocked with a range of virtual instruments I could never have dreamed of owning: piano, organ, guitar, contrabass, cello, various electronic instruments, and so on…
Then, one instrument caught my eye.
An instrument whose name looked odd written in English: Haegeum.
“Oh, there is a haegeum.”
The haegeum is a traditional Korean string instrument that conveys a deep sense of melancholy. However, it’s such an uncommon instrument in pop music that Yoon Hyeok-pil was surprised as soon as I pressed the key for it.
“H-Haegeum?”
“Yes. I think it would be great to use it.”
“Great. R-really?”
One defining trait of someone in a tight spot is their fear of taking risks.
Yoon Hyeok-pil was clearly exhibiting that trait right now.
“Yes, let’s give it a try and see how it sounds. We have plenty of time.”
“…”
With Yoon Hyeok-pil silent, I began to play the haegeum.
As expected, it produced a sorrowful sound, with a color akin to a deep, rippling purple. Despite being a virtual instrument, it sounded unexpectedly vivid and unique.
If I combined this well, it would probably go well with Yoon Hyeok-pil’s voice…
I asked Yoon Hyeok-pil, who was staring at me like a mute.
“Do you think we could find a haegeum session player?”
Unlike pianos or guitars, finding a professional who plays the haegeum is limited, so it couldn’t be used unless an expert played it live.
It wouldn’t make sense to use an instrument track for just the haegeum when all the other instruments were live.
“Ye, yes? Suddenly?”
“The performance is next week. Try contacting the CEO first. Or at least the PD.”
“But I, uh…”
“You said it yourself, we’re at a dead end. We have to try everything. That’s what the company is for, so don’t worry about it and go for it.”
“Uh, okay, um…”
“Go ahead. I can’t do it myself.”
“…Alright, give me a moment.”
As I continued to urge him, Yoon Hyeok-pil reluctantly pulled out his phone, his hands shaking as he started tapping on the screen.
“I’ll keep working while you make the call~”
To give him some privacy, I put on my headset and began to immerse myself in the work.
‘Sending My Love’
I closed my eyes, focusing on the melody I needed to rearrange.
A canvas burst into color against a dark backdrop. The rich purple of the haegeum, the deep green of the piano, the delicate apricot of the violin, and Yoon Hyeok-pil’s deep navy blue.
“Phew…”
I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.
It was as if the colors had seeped into my eyes, filling my vision with a vibrant hue.
I carefully selected the most brilliant shades and placed them on my palette.
