Chapter 36
“What kind of person is Senior Dan Ha?”
The next morning.
We got up early in the morning and headed to the recording studio.
Rubbing our sleepy eyes, trying to catch a nap, the atmosphere was buzzing with an interesting question.
It was Jo Hee-on who asked Seo Baek-young about Dan Ha.
Presumably, since Seo Baek-young had been in the agency the longest, she would know well.
“I don’t know much either.”
“Eh?”
“Originally, she’s a person who doesn’t interact with others….”
That was true.
She was famous even in the entertainment industry.
Her shyness.
“Absolutely refuses personal contact outside of the members, only accepts greetings…. I heard she doesn’t go anywhere other than her own workspace and practice room.”
“…That’s what it takes to be successful.”
“That’s right. We should learn from her.”
The conclusion is that they really stand out.
“The reporters tried to catch something as soon as she debuted, but there was really nothing.”
“It was so bad that she didn’t even play with the members, there were rumors of discord….”
Kyunga also added something she had heard.
“Wow.”
Yeon Juhong let out an exclamation as if she found it fascinating.
“I don’t want to learn that. I want to be the closest with the members!”
“Start from debut.”
Kim Geum poured cold water on Yeon Juhong, who was excitedly talking.
As the angry Yeon Juhong grumbled, Kim Geum quietly added a word.
“But, well, it seems like you might debut.”
“Really? Really?”
“I don’t know, you punk. Work hard!”
…They argue well.
***
“Nice to meet you.”
When we arrived at the recording studio, two members of Burn Ash were waiting.
Dan Ha and Han Jae-i.
Han Jae-i was the main vocal of Burn Ash and a member who participated a lot in songwriting.
Their side also had solid skills.
Literally, he was also a member who followed the ‘visual becoming Mevo’ line of Colors.
…The popularity of Colors….
If my past life agency director had half the popularity of Colors, I wouldn’t have had such a hard time.
“Hello, everyone!”
Han Jae-i seemed to have a brighter personality.
Dan Ha… didn’t seem to have a soft personality.
Since the camera was on, he was naturally polite.
But he wasn’t bright or actively welcoming us.
He was blunt itself.
It was just like the image I saw in my previous life.
“Hello!”
But our side was completely stiff, so there was nothing to say.
“I heard that you have all distributed the parts. Before we start recording in earnest, I will explain the concept and listen to your interpretation. If anyone has an arrangement idea, please let me know. If I think the idea is good, I will actively reflect it.”
‘If I think it’s good.’
Just listening to it, I could tell that the standard was strict and cold.
The fact that he would listen to our interpretation was quite nerve-wracking.
However, the fact that he was sincere about his song was seen as a good thing.
It’s much better than someone who is half-hearted.
The more sincere the person who made the song and the person who sings the song, the better the result.
“First, let’s start with the vocal position members.”
The trainees, excluding us, moved to another room.
Dan Ha and Jae-i sat across from the four of us.
“You’ve chosen ‘<Fingertips>’.”
Dan Ha, having been informed by the production team in advance, went straight to the point.
“Yes.”
“Who chose it?”
“I chose it.”
I cautiously raised my hand.
Surely she wouldn’t be angry that we chose it, not the dance position.
“…I was hoping the vocal position would do it, but I’m glad.”
I see.
That’s a relief.
“Show me the part distribution.”
Kyunga gave Dan Ha and Jae-i a part distribution each.
The two of them looked very carefully at the part distribution, then looked at each other.
“You’ve divided it very fairly. You’ve also arranged for the chorus part to be sung in turns. Why did you do it this way?”
In fact, just hearing the question itself, it was a question that could be asked enough.
It was also a question that had been prepared in advance.
But…
He’s so scary!
He was another version of the tiger instructor, like Kim Geum.
So the trainees were all scared and couldn’t even think of speaking properly.
“We wanted to show off everyone’s charm to the fullest.”
In the end, I had to step in.
“Hmm.”
Dan Ha had a sullen look in her eyes.
“You’re the one who chose this song. What’s your name?”
“My name is Yoon Cheong.”
“What’s your part?”
“I’m part Ra.”
“I see. Why did you choose this song?”
Pressure… interview…?
I felt like I had become a job seeker in an instant.
“I liked that this song has its own narrative. I thought that if you’re a singer, not only should you have good technique, but you should also be able to bring out the emotions that are asleep in the song.”
“…What emotion did you see in this song?”
That’s a tough question.
“I thought it wasn’t just one thing. The emotion I felt the most was-”
I glanced at the lyrics.
“I thought it was a person who blooms even under oppression.”
Surprisingly, the one whose expression changed was not Dan Ha, but Jae-i.
“Not love, but a person?”
“Yes. There was definitely love… but I felt more for the person.”
“That’s interesting.”
Jae-i smiled.
“This is the only song out of the five that I didn’t write the lyrics for.”
“!”
“Dan Ha wrote and composed all the songs. From beginning to end.”
I didn’t know that.
“I interpreted it as love. But Dan Ha interpreted it as not just love. In that sense-”
“There’s no right answer. Even though I made the song, your interpretation is also correct.”
Then, Dan Ha cut off Jae-i’s interpretation.
It’s bland.
I glanced at the camera.
It was one of the opportunities to plant a good impression.
Why would you cut off the flow like that?
“Looking at the lyrics, you probably guessed roughly, but this is the story of two people.”
Dan Ha explained in a low, toneless voice.
“I’ll leave the interpretation of the relationship between these two individuals to you. Please convey your feelings through the song.”
…He won’t tell us his interpretation until the end.
“You said you were inspired by a classic novel, which novel did you get inspiration from for this song?”
It was Ryu Bo-ra.
As expected of an actress, she was very good at analyzing.
“That’s-”
“It’s a secret.”
Jae-i was about to speak, but Dan Ha stopped him.
“I’d prefer if you sang it without knowing, or discovered it after singing the entire piece.”
“Do you have a reason?”
“I just thought it would be more fun.”
“….”
…He really didn’t seem like an ordinary crazy person.
People who do art are a little crazy, but he was more than that.
He had a lot of fans, but he also had a lot of antis, and I could see why.
If he’s like this in front of the camera, not in private, it’s not easy.
“In that sense, I’d like to change the parts a bit.”
Dan Ha quickly wrote something down on paper.
“This chorus would be better if you sing it in pairs, rather than one person at a time. Two people, twice. However, even if it’s the same chorus, it would be better to sing it with a different feeling. The first and second verses have different developments.”
“What kind of…feeling…?”
“That’s up to you.”
Yikes.
The backbones of the four of us seemed to be slightly pulled.
After that, his demands continued for a long time.
He would listen to our voices and change the parts, or vaguely describe the feeling of each part.
However, most of his points were valid.
And many of them were better than our ideas.
After so much feedback, the actual recording began.
“We’ll rehearse once and then go into recording.”
“Yes!”
“Part Ga, trainee Ryu Bo-ra will start.”
“Yes.”
Both Dan Ha and Jae-i were members with producing experience.
“Don’t just sing your part, but try singing the whole song first.”
“Yes.”
Ryu Bo-ra put on her headphones, kept time, and started singing.
“…Her face is the size of headphones.”
Kyunga muttered quietly next to me.
I didn’t have anything to say because I was thinking the same thing.
It was a moment of feeling wronged.
“You were off pitch there. Again.”
Even though it was a rehearsal, it was very strict.
The two of them made Ryu Bo-ra sing again even if she was slightly off.
The problem was, from the beginning.
“Do they…usually make you sing everything again from the beginning?”
“Not really.”
Jo Hee-on asked Kyunga in a whisper.
That’s right.
It wasn’t like that.
“Ryu Bo-ra trainee.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t try to act here. This isn’t a drama set.”
Gasps.
Two people nearby exclaimed in surprise.
Oddly, Ryu Bo-ra seemed unaffected.
Seemingly unfazed.
“Yes. I’m sorry. I’ll do it again.”
“The emotional lines are different in each part, right? But don’t try to pretend they’re the same. It would be great if you really understood that they’re different. We’ll explain it in detail, but Ryu Bo-ra is an experienced performer.”
Han Jae-i also looked a bit apologetic.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
He wouldn’t bleed a single drop even if someone stabbed him with a knife.
I couldn’t help but think he was a bit cool.
“Now let’s finish the recording and start from the first part.”
“Yes.”
The recording officially began.
Jo Hee-on and Lee Kyunga finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But I wasn’t particularly relieved.
This is just the beginning. This is…
“I’ll go again.”
“Yes.”
“Again.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ll go again. Don’t raise it at the end.”
“Yes.”
“Focus on your breathing.”
“Yes.”
Sure enough.
The endless cycle of feedback… Feedback hell…
We were starting to worry about Ryu Bo-ra.
It wasn’t about their mental state; it seemed physically exhausting.
“Ryu Bo-ra trainee.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be honest. Your vocalization, pitch, pronunciation, they’re all good. Not bad at all.”
“Yes.”
“But it’s not great. Somehow, you know it too, right?”
Dan Ha said with eyes devoid of emotion.
“Yes, I’m aware.”
It felt like ice talking to ice.
“I’m more hurt just by listening… Bora is unaffected, but I feel like I’ve been hit…”
“Me too…”
I sighed at Lee Kyunga and Jo Hee-on’s words.
Recording, it won’t be easy.
“Yoon Cheong trainee.”
At that moment, Han Jae-i called me.
“In my opinion, since Yoon Cheong trainee chose the song, why don’t you try it first, and then Ryu Bo-ra trainee can try?”
“I’m fine with that.”
I thought that was better.
I was wondering if I was making the kids suffer by choosing something difficult.
“Trainee Ryu Bo-ra, please come out.”
“…Yes.”
Ryu Bo-ra came out of the recording studio.
And then I went into the recording studio.
At that moment, I saw it.
Ryu Bo-ra, who seemed so indifferent,
“….”
Her hand was trembling.