Genius Manager Who Hears Voices - Chapter 63



Only Noblemtl

Episode 63

Strictly speaking, the current Hee-sung and Jae-wook Yoo had no relationship whatsoever.

Because they weren’t even a celebrity and a manager, and they had no prior knowledge of each other before this meeting.

All Hee-sung did was find Jae-wook Yoo, passed out drunk on the street, and give him a lift in his car out of goodwill.

So it didn’t really matter whether he continued his career in the entertainment industry or not.

The voice suddenly heard from the top of the ridge and the story Jang Mi-yeon had brought up a little while ago made it seem like the situation was going differently.

“It certainly seems like a nodule has formed. But it doesn’t seem to be at a level that can’t be overcome.”

“Does that mean it can be overcome? It can be cured?”

“This kid. I’m not a doctor, so what kind of treatment is that? Rather, if you solve the fundamental problem, you might be able to avoid this level of difficulty. If you just look at this video, it’s hard to say that he’s a singer, right?”

Hee-sung had no choice but to nod at those words.

No wonder fans are demanding ticket refunds.

While showing the video to Jang Mi-yeon, Hee-sung also saw the ‘Collection of Yoo Jae-wook’s voice-over comments’ for the first time, and it was even more miserable than he had expected.

“Then what is the fundamental problem you are talking about? Are you talking about vocalization techniques?”

“I see. Are you interested in music too?”

“Well, rather than that… … he actually confessed. He said that he ignored company training and practiced in his own way to increase his vocal range. I think that’s why he got to where he is now.”

“Not probably, but 100 percent. I’ve been training properly to a certain extent, so I’ve been able to hold out like this. If not, my singing career would have been over long ago.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“If I had been abusing my voice like this from the beginning, I would have put the mic down a long time ago. Did you see that program? .”

“? That, that program that summons old singers and reminisces?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Among the singers that appear there, there are many who end up as one-hit wonders, and many of them are practically forced to retire due to their throat conditions. Back then, they debuted without any proper training, and once they got a hit song, they would just keep performing on stage until they collapsed.”

Heeseong has heard that story too.

In fact, singers from that time were summoned and started singing their hit songs, but the performance was completely different from what fans had expected.

His voice was so cracked that he had difficulty even producing low notes, and he couldn’t even raise his high notes.

Not only the audience watching it, but even the panelists were unable to control their expressions at first.

However, everyone applauded as they watched him sing passionately until the end despite that state, and after hearing his story, everyone was filled with tears.

The things the singer said at that time were in the same context as what Jang Mi-yeon said just a little while ago.

“This person has released a total of three solo albums? If you count the songs, it’s probably over ten.”

“Uh… … I guess so. I just went on a streaming app and took a quick look, so I’m not sure. But how do you know so much?”

“That’s because among the stages in this video, there were some that I actually watched. I did some research on the singers before going.”

“You said you went to see it yourself? Yoo Jae Wook’s performance? Why? Were you a fan of Yoo Jae Wook?”

Jang Mi-yeon smiled at Hee-seong’s surprised appearance.

“Huh. If I told you I was really a fan, you’d be shocked. Why can’t I be a fan of that person?”

“No, rather than that… … I don’t think you looked that surprised when you saw it earlier.”

“That’s right. I’m not really a fan, but I ended up going to a concert once. A close friend of mine is a fan, and since I didn’t have anyone to go with, I suggested we go together. But it just so happened to be a concert that ended up causing a refund issue.”

“Ugh, my sister was a victim of that performance back then… no, she was an audience member? Really?”

“Yes. Actually, not all stages were like that, but some performances were like that. It was a bit disappointing.”

Jang Mi-yeon continued speaking with a bitter expression.

“The videos that were floating around back then were actually songs sung in the latter half of the concert. That’s why it couldn’t help but sound worse, but actually, the first few songs weren’t bad. Well, maybe one or two songs?”

“… … Isn’t that more of a mockery than a shield?”

“Hey! Why am I making fun of you? What I mean is that there were so many regrettable points, from the stage order to the throat management. Even in the video and when I heard it myself, it felt like my vocal cords were floating. If that keeps happening and continues, it will eventually lead to vocal nodules.”

“The vocal cords are floating? Are you talking about the ulna? That it’s floating upwards?”

Heeseong points to the protruding part of his neck with his finger.

Jang Mi-yeon laughed in vain at that sight.

“I’m not talking about vocal cords… … Anyway, there is something like that, and it’s not the correct way to pronounce things. Have you heard of passaggio?”

“Passaggio? What clothing brand is it?”

“Wow, you really don’t know anything about music? Why are you suddenly talking about a clothing brand here? We’re talking about music.”

“Okay. So what is that? Passage?”

“The process of going beyond your original vocal range to a more technical one is called passaggio, and depending on how well you cross that boundary, your throat will be less strained and you will be able to sing high notes cleanly. Why, when you watch singers on stage, there are some who sound anxious when singing high notes, while there are others who sound comfortable without any change in expression. Have you ever felt that way?”

Heeseong nodded obediently.

“Yes. Whenever I see a stage like that, I find myself clenching my fists without realizing it. I get nervous because I feel like I’m going to lose my voice at any moment. It’s even more frustrating for the person watching.”

“Yes, that’s right. It all comes from incorrect vocalization, and if you start from there and get it right, you can use the passage in a much wider range. In this video, Yoo Jae-wook is in this situation because he can’t do that.”

“Hmm, I heard that you reached your desired range through a lot of hard work. Is it possible to raise your pitch without that passaggio?”

“Yes. If you learn to sing in the wrong way, it is possible. You probably raised your vocal range by squeezing your throat. Once you get used to it, you can handle certain parts, but it will be difficult to sing several songs in a row. You probably felt it yourself, that your throat was getting strained and burdened every time you sang a song.”

Heeseong briefly turned his gaze towards Yoo Jaewook who was in the distance.

Yoo Jae-wook said that if he can no longer sing, he will leave the entertainment industry altogether.

Because he had such great pride and passion for being a singer, he probably wanted to improve his skills even in the wrong way.

Heeseong looked at Jang Miyeon again and asked.

“My sister said earlier. It might be possible to overcome it. What should I do?”

“First, you have to get rid of all the things that are wrong. Then, you have to learn it again from the beginning. Of course, you have to take into account the condition of your throat and the age of your vocal cords, which may not be what they used to be.”

“How old are you?”

“Yeah. The vocal cords are part of the body, so they naturally deteriorate as you age. You have to acknowledge that and release songs that fit that. But in my opinion, Yoo Jae-wook doesn’t seem to be like that at all. Judging from his recent albums, his high notes are longer and his pitch is much higher. In a way, it was something that was expected, his vocal nodules.”

In short, it means that he ended up in this situation because he tried to squeeze out and raise his high-pitched voice, which would naturally decline with age.

And after hearing this story, one of the questions that had been lingering in Heesung’s mind was resolved.

‘So that means I’m still able to sing to some extent, except for those crazy high-pitched songs, like trot.’

Because he only sang high notes one after another, Yoo Jae-wook’s skills were miserable during his active years.

Because you would have continued to strain your throat until you reached the desired note.

But I gave up completely and stopped singing, and then after a long time, I sang someone else’s song and it sounded quite comfortable.

I wonder if Yoo Jae-wook felt that too?

“Is it really possible to overcome vocal nodules and sing stably again?”

“I can’t guarantee anything, but I know one thing for sure. The impossible can become possible depending on your own efforts. This is a matter that is entirely up to your own will.”

“Will? Is this something that can be done with will alone?”

“Oh my, ‘only’? How difficult is that? Starting from the recognition that you can never return to your old skills, and ultimately having to learn a completely new style and singing method, do you think that’s easy? Most people who suffer from vocal nodules and choose to give up the mic completely do so because they don’t have the confidence to overcome it.”

“Hmm… … .”

“It’s definitely difficult, but if you have the will, it’s not something you can’t do. There are many people who are considered great singers even though they don’t have explosive high notes. Do you understand what I mean?”

Heeseong nods quietly instead of answering.

Certainly, tastes cannot be the same for everyone.

Looking at the reviews from fans on Yoo Jae-wook’s released songs that I saw on the streaming app earlier, it seems like they were all mixed.

So, this means that if Yoo Jae-wook can just let go of his obsession with high notes, he can continue his career as a singer.

Heeseong, who had finished thinking up to this point, looked at Jang Miyeon with shining eyes.

“Sister! Are you hungry?”

“Stomach? Of course I’m hungry. I just got here. I came here to greet the elders as soon as I got here. I have to go and eat quickly.”

“Then do you want to eat with me? It’s nice to see you after such a long time, and we can talk about this and that. I’ll buy you something delicious.”

“Oh, you? I don’t think this is going to be a free meal. So what are you going to buy me?”

“Well, how about beef? Do you like Korean beef, Sister?”

“Hey! Who doesn’t like Korean beef? I can’t eat it because there’s none. Wow, really? Are you really going to go eat Korean beef?”

“Okay, let’s go. I’ll buy you as much food as you want.”

Hee-sung smiles meaningfully as he says that.

Knowing that the basis of everything is give and take, I planned to faithfully carry it out today as well.

***

“What is this… …? It looks like some kind of contract… … ?”

That afternoon, as the sun was beginning to set, Heesung called Jaewook Yoo aside.

As soon as he sat down on the table, Heesung handed him a piece of A4 paper.

“I think it would be more appropriate to call it a pledge rather than a contract. Well, either way, the meaning is the same.”

“A pledge? Why a pledge all of a sudden?”

“I have a proposal for Mr. Yoo Jae-wook, but to do so, I need to get Mr. Yoo Jae-wook’s promise. Would you like to hear the proposal first?”

Yoo Jae-wook nods his head with a puzzled expression.

“We will make sure that Mr. Yoo Jae-wook can continue his career in the entertainment industry. In other words, we will make sure that he can continue singing the songs he has always wanted to sing. Just like before.”

“What the heck is that all of a sudden… …. I think Mr. Jeong Hee-seong knows what kind of condition I’m in by now, right?”

“Yes, I know. That’s why I’m trying to help you. Aren’t you willing to do anything to make it happen?”

“Hmm, that’s true, but… … . But it’s not that I didn’t do it because I didn’t have the will. It’s that I couldn’t do it because it was something I couldn’t do.”

“Yes, then let’s talk about that later. For now, are you willing to accept it? And will you keep your promise to me?”

“I need to know what kind of promise you are talking about… … What exactly are you talking about?”

Hee-sung smiles slightly at Yoo Jae-wook’s question.

With that smiling face, he soon started telling a scary story.

“Just stay here for another month. During that month, don’t drink or smoke at all.”