Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 370



Only Noblemtl

Episode 370

Girls’ League’s first mini album title ‘Long Four’.

It was unusual for a girl group song to use a band sound. It was also unusual for it to highlight sexuality in a way that was not in keeping with the times.

With the unique ‘Long Four’, Girls’ League won the grand prize at the HPT Music Awards.

It was a song that had a lot of meaning for the Girls’ League, the fans, and the idol world.

‘Even more so for me.’

As Baekseol continued her performance of ‘Long Four’, her fighting spirit boiled within her.

The Girls’ League’s ‘Long Four’ was much cooler than it was a year and six months ago.

It was a state where I could dare to say that it had been completed as a single work.

‘This alone should be enough.’

But the Girls’ League has prepared a special performance.

This is the ‘Long Four’ band performance that was shown at the Japanese debut showcase. What was different from that time was that it included Baek Seol-ha’s solo.

‘Long Four is like my solo stage.’

Rika’s ‘Love Mirror’.

Jang Ha-yang’s ‘Epitaph’.

Joara’s ‘Dance With Me’.

Shin A-reum’s ‘Crown’.

Following that, it is no different from Baek Seol-ha’s ‘Long Four’.

‘I composed the melody of Long Four.’

In the past, the guitar melody that Jung Ji-eum played as she pleased when she asked for a villain-like atmosphere became the backbone of ‘Long Four’.

For Baek Seol-ha, ‘Long Four’ was more affectionate than any other song by the Girls’ League.

‘With this song… … .’

As soon as the first verse ended, the Girls’ League stopped moving. The music also stopped, so the audience just stared at the stage in bewilderment.

Was it a stage accident?

It was only five seconds of silence, but it was more than enough to leave the audience confused.

Then the lights went out.

The audience faintly felt around in the darkness with their eyes. Something seemed to be moving, but they could not tell what was happening.

The lights came back on.

Wow!

There was a thunderous roar.

The Girls’ League sat in the band session booth. They each held their instruments and stared at the audience without a single smile on their faces.

As Joara struck the drum’s tom tom, the ‘long four’ began again.

‘With this song… … .’

Snow White strengthened her resolve.

‘It will elicit a response greater than just vocal and dance performance.’

As Joara said, it’s cool.

* * *

Ishikawa Yuuto was so moved that he covered his mouth.

Yuuto was holding onto the regret of not being able to see the ‘Long Four’ band play at the Girls’ League’s Japanese debut showcase.

I was hoping that they would show a band performance since ‘Long Four’ was coming out.

‘You really are.’

Yuuto’s favorite Girls’ League song comes in as a real band sound. It’s even played by the Girls’ League themselves.

I couldn’t help but be moved.

‘Pretty people sing well, dance well, and play instruments?’

Yuuto was so happy that he clapped without realizing it.

‘Who hates this?’

Whoever thought of this stage should definitely receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Band member Yuuto was more impressed by the Girls’ League band stage than the others.

His emotional storm then took another leap forward.

“Sonna (that) is a lie!”

Baek Seol-ha ran out to the front of the stage and showed off a fast-paced guitar solo.

Snow White’s long, white fingers stretched out coolly and moved briskly like water sparrows, reflected on the screen.

Every time her fingers move, magic happens. The sound of the electric guitar touches people’s hearts.

‘This, this should be filmed on Blu-ray and preserved as a national treasure… … .’

Snow White’s fingers were wedges.

Every time her fingers touch the board, people’s hearts are driven into a wedge and placed under a spell.

Even an outsider would feel that the speed was ‘fast’, and Baek Seol-ha’s face was so serious as she focused on it, so people were mesmerized and stared at her.

“Hey, Yuu-chan.”

Ishikawa Emi lightly patted Yuuto’s shoulder.

“Mom, I told you not to call me Yuu-chan… … .”

“So what? This is Korea, so no one will understand.”

The concert ticket that Rika gave to Ishikawa was for the Girls’ League’s first concert in Seoul.

Thanks to that, the three of them ended up going on a family trip to Korea that wasn’t in their fortunes, and now they were at a concert.

“So, why?”

“How good is Seol-ha?”

Yuuto took a step back from the magic of the performance and objectively judged Snow White’s solo.

‘It’s amazing for an idol to do it as a hobby.’

Of course, it is inferior to those who play band instruments seriously.

There will be quite a difference even with Yuuto, who has been practicing the guitar for many years. As for White Snow’s guitar solo, even Yuuto could do it if he put his mind to it.

‘But that’s not important.’

The reason Yuuto is impressed by Snow White’s performance is because she is an idol.

It’s amazing that musicians who specialize in vocals and dance can play band instruments at this level. It’s interesting because it’s amazing.

“Pretty good… … .”

Just as he was about to answer his mother’s question, Yuuto’s mouth became frozen.

Even though his mother looked at him strangely, Yuuto only looked at the stage.

‘what.’

The playing gets faster and faster. Not only faster, but also more energetic.

It’s a speed run that makes you feel exhilarated just by watching it, like someone running up two or three stairs at a time.

A performance that makes you wonder how much further you can go from here.

‘Were you hiding your skills?’

Snow White’s face tilted down little by little. Soon, she was facing the floor.

It is a state of extreme concentration where one cannot even maintain the basics of showmanship, which is looking at the audience.

‘No, it’s not concentration… … .’

Snow White is hanging.

I was left hanging on the cliff, helpless, watching my fingers fall off one by one.

The name of the cliff was Guitar. Soon, the strength in my fingers would go away.

‘If it gets slow or vaguely loose here… … .’

Snow White also knows that the performance will be interrupted. So the performance escalates repeatedly. In order not to fall, it becomes faster and faster.

The sweat on Baek Seol-ha’s chin drips down the floor one or two drops at a time.

Her face was no longer visible on the screen. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, showing only the crown of her head to the audience.

‘It keeps getting thinner.’

Snow White’s fingers, which she thought were stretched out coolly, twisted this way and that like the legs of a spider that got wet in the rain.

And yet the song continues.

The pitch rising dangerously and the sound becoming thinner and thinner had an instability that people who don’t know the guitar can’t feel.

‘My breathing is ragged.’

The breathing of the performance is creaky.

‘until when…….’

How long do you plan on continuing this tightrope walk?

‘I think we should stop here.’

At one point, as Yuuto was watching with sweaty palms, all of the audience members suddenly frowned and covered their ears as if they had made a promise.

Yuuto was used to this sound, so he ended up just furrowing his brows.

“What, what is it?”

The mother put her hand on her surprised chest and said.

A sound that tore the audience’s ears apart. It was because Baek Seol-ha plucked the string incorrectly.

The peak pushed past the line roughly.

‘I couldn’t see it properly because it was just a moment… … Huh?’

Yuuto’s liver and gallbladder grew cold.

At the same time, a commotion spread from the audience. Sporadic murmurs and faint screams erupted.

Snow White’s right hand appears on the screen. Blood is dripping from the thumb and index finger that were holding the pick.

* * *

Snow White held her guitar listlessly and looked at the floor.

Maybe it was because I played the guitar without even breathing, but I felt short of breath, something I hadn’t felt while dancing.

Snow White’s irregular breathing spread throughout the concert hall through a microphone placed somewhere nearby.

‘What did you say?’

There is a story that Yoo Seon-yeong told Baek Seol-ha while creating this guitar solo.

She said worriedly.

‘You said that captivating an audience is not difficult.’

This is said to be the truth that Yoo Seon-yeong realized after living as a band member for a long time.

Most people react indifferently no matter how great the technique is.

On the other hand, if you play an easy riff that the public is familiar with, but can play with their eyes closed, they will be happy and say, ‘Ah, this!’

‘That’s why you said not to obsess about the difficulty level… … .’

Snow White bit her lip as she felt a burning pain coming from her right hand.

embrace.

He knows it too.

I just wanted to show my fans that I can do this too. That I work so hard in so many different ways.

‘This is how it ended up like this.’

Snow White is an idol and popular singer.

But I always felt resentful that the main image of myself that was imprinted on the public was my body, and that my innate physical condition, which I didn’t work hard for, received more attention.

I’d rather you watch me dance.

I wish you would listen to the song.

I hope you see my efforts.

No, please consider the effort too… … .

‘Because of self-satisfaction.’

To Baek Seol-ha, the guitar was a symbol of a musician.

The skill with which he used the symbol, although it had no logical connection at all, was a means of highlighting his musical side.

That’s why I was so obsessed.

‘I ruined everything because of my self-satisfaction… … .’

I practiced.

I practiced until I died.

I spent more time on the guitar than I would have spent on dancing and singing.

For a performance that lasted just over a minute.

But unfortunately, it failed in actual combat. And this is what it looks like.

No, the word ‘of all things’ is an excuse.

It was just a failure, like Snow White.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’

To Baek Seol-ha, the guitar is a symbol of a musician.

The most direct way to let people know about Baek Seol-ha’s efforts and serious attitude as a musician, which allows people to hear, “Idols play the guitar well too?”

It just broke.

It breaks and enters the coffin of trauma.

‘I’m sorry, everyone… … .’

Snow White couldn’t raise her head due to the uncontrollable anger and guilt. She lowered her head and tried to finish the stage.

We need to fix this as quickly as possible and apologize to the members and staff.

It was a sin that could never be repaid.

Snow White bowed her head.

No, I was trying to sleep.

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

A regular bass guitar sound spread out.

* * *

“What? Why are they playing?”

Jin-man Jo, the production director and general manager, looked around in confusion.

There was no one who could answer his question.

Jo Jin-man looked at the stage again in a daze.

Dong-ha Kwon, the leader of ‘Debi’, plays the bass. There is no playing, just a regular plucking of a single string, but the fact that it was an unexpected accident does not change.

It wasn’t just the FOH directors who were confused.

Jang Ha-yang, who was watching Kwon Dong-ha’s impulsive actions right next to him, was also like that.

‘We haven’t put the instruments down yet?’

It wasn’t that she didn’t put it down, but rather that she couldn’t put it down. After Baek Seol-ha made a mistake, she remained silent in the center for a few seconds.

The members also had no idea what to do.

As Jang Ha-yang hesitated, Kwon Dong-ha looked straight at her. Jang Ha-yang flinched at the sight of his gaze.

‘To me now… … .’

The gestures of Kwon Dong-ha’s hands as he plucks the bass strings are unusual. He plucks the strings with large movements as if he is protesting to have people look at his hands.

‘Are you telling me to follow you?’

At that moment, the drum cymbals rang loudly.

Everyone’s eyes turned in that direction.

The drummer of ‘Debbie’, who succeeded in attracting attention, stopped the shaking cymbal by holding it with his hand, and then started hitting the cymbal weakly and regularly again.

The drummer also looked at Jo Ara, a member who plays the same instrument as Kwon Dong-ha.

‘Oh, I see.’

The question is what Kwon Dong-ha is asking.

It forces members to make choices within a regular, monophonic melody.

Should we just leave Baekseolha lying down like this? Or should we pick her up and move forward again?

If you’re going to let them fall, you can stop playing right now. Then, you can move on to ‘Long Four’ and let the Girls’ League do their highlight performance.

But if not… … .

‘It means to pass the baton to Seol-ha again.’

The vocalist of ‘Debi’ stood next to Rika and played the piano slowly and softly. The guitarist plucked the guitar while looking at Shin Areum.

The members of ‘Debbie’ look at the Girls’ League. They all ask with one voice.

‘Are you going to leave it like this?’

The answer is set.

The girls’ league exchanged glances. Their gazes converged and intertwined, and they all nodded. And as if they had made a promise, they all looked at Baek Seol-ha’s back.

‘one.’

Joara raised her index finger.

‘two.’

I heard it too.

‘Three.’

Then, with the sound of the drums being pounded without mercy, ‘Long Four’ was played again.

* * *

Just before bending down, a ‘long cannon’ burst out from behind Baekseolha.

The members pluck and strike their instruments as hard as they can in protest.

Are you going to stop here?

Is this really the end?

Snow White slightly bent her upper body and received the blows of her younger siblings coming from behind her. Just as the rocks on the cliff continue to face the waves,

“… … .”

As Baek Seol-ha picked up the guitar again, cheers erupted from the audience.

It was definitely different from cheering.

The fans also knew that Baek Seol-ha had made a mistake. They didn’t feel bad about it. They just wanted her to continue.

‘……yes.’

Baekseolha gripped the bloody peak tightly again.

‘Then I’m sorry, but I’ll go back.’

thank you

And as she plucked the string with a pick, red flowers bloomed.

The pressure I felt before is gone.

The hand that moves the pick is much lighter.

‘I can do it.’

You have talent.

While practicing the solo for Baekseolha’s ‘Long Four’, Yoo Seon-yeong said that to her.

It was always nerve-racking to be evaluated in front of her as a guitar teacher. That’s how it is to perform in front of someone who is better than you.

‘Seol-ha, you definitely have talent.’

When Baek Seol-ha’s hands were stiff with tension and frustration, Yoo Seon-yeong used to say that.

Snow White responded with a smile, but Yoo Seon-yeong thought it was something she said to make her happy.

Isn’t that obvious?

If you really had talent, you would have completed a solo like this a long time ago.

however.

‘It was real.’

Snow White realized that fact clearly.

I feel like there’s talent embedded in every joint of my guitar playing hands.

The frame of the staff that he is running through seems too small to contain him.

‘I have talent.’

Snow White entered a state of immersion that was completely different from before. She spent every moment in ecstasy.

My whole body trembled with the realization that this was a sight only a genius could see.

‘I’ve always had this talent.’

The name of that talent is youth.

The power to get more than you put in.

The magic of not having to honestly exchange effort and results one-on-one.

I felt like snow was falling.

‘Ah, now is… … .’

As Son Hye-bin explained at the company outing.

‘The peak of life.’

Snow White’s mind did not allow for distraction, and she was driven endlessly into the guitar.

In response to the mental lashing, her fingers move with such precision and speed that she cannot control them.

A state where the mental and physical conditions are at their peak.

25 years old.

A time of rampant absurd talent, where one can achieve maximum results with minimum effort.

That’s why you can paint.

‘I can finish this performance… … .’

no.

‘I can overcome it.’

* * *

Yuuto looked around at the reactions of those around him. It was completely different from before.

Could it be because of Baek Seol-ha’s spirit as she races to complete the stage despite shedding blood?

‘no.’

Snow White’s performance is fundamentally different from before.

The breathing between the notes changed to that of a completely different person. Yuuto, who had been practicing the instrument for a long time, could feel it.

‘The senior in the band said that.’

The ears that listen to the guitar are different between the average person and a musician.

If you play well enough that another guitarist can tell, that’s a great performance.

But if you play it well enough that even the average person can tell, then it’s a fantastic performance.

‘Which side is Seol-ha on?’

No need to ask.

Everyone just opens their mouths and stares at Snow White on the screen. They also realize, without any explanation, that what is happening in front of them is special.

‘Fantastic performance.’

My mother’s voice, which had been asking me ‘What is this? What is that?’ throughout the concert, was no longer heard.

I could no longer hear my father’s fuss, which used to make me exclaim in surprise whenever Rika appeared, like a doting father.

In the magical silence, Yuuto’s palms sweated.

‘The tempo is ridiculously fast. It’s almost like they’re challenging the audience to a fight.’

But that’s why I got so immersed.

My palms are sweaty.

How far can we go?

Can you do more here?

How far?

Still more?

Ah, to this extent… … .

It is a continuation of admiration.

* * *

‘Wrong.’

Snow White slightly opened her fingers, which had slipped due to the dried blood. Then she gripped the pick tightly again and began to play.

‘It’s okay if I’m wrong.’

People don’t admire mechanically precise performances.

If perfect performance is the standard for excellence, then people should worship songwriting programs as gods.

The reason for this is because the emotion of music comes from the breath that only humans can have.

A comma in life where breath meets breath, breath intersects breath, and human life flows out to the beat.

The empty space that humans create, which cannot continue like a machine, determines the performer’s individuality.

‘It’s okay to be wrong!’

Snow White ran.

It’s okay if you’re wrong or shaken.

It just rushes in like lightning.

This is the country, running through the sky without any shaking.

Electric guitar.

Lightning struck.

Snow White struck the audience with lightning.

After that, she took a deep breath while sweating profusely. Baek Seol-ha laughed as she watched the sweat dripping down like rain and staining the floor.

She lifted the guitar in a flash.

The audience, thunder answered.

Amidst the cheers that seemed to go on forever, Snow White happily welcomed the light falling from the sky.

‘Thank you, guys. For cheering me on. For pushing me.’

If I hadn’t done that, I would never have seen this scenery again.

It is the sunlight above the clouds that only those who have been pushed to their limits can encounter.

Hearing the thunderous roar that rang in her ears, Snow White had a premonition.

He said that he had truly reached his peak.

* * *

Dong-ha Kwon, the leader of ‘Debi’, also had an experience similar to Seol-ha Baek. He was talking about a bitter past where he went up on stage with a trembling heart and failed miserably.

So I couldn’t leave Baek Seol-ha alone.

That’s the story… … .

‘X is done.’

As I watched the Girls’ League enter the backstage area, I felt a deep sense of unease.

‘Now that word has spread throughout the industry, I’ll never have to do bass sessions again for a living.’

no.

I wonder if they’ll cut out the next concert altogether?

If they had just finished the concert, they could have released a new album for ‘Debbie’, but it was obvious that they had overstepped their authority and ruined everything.

‘Goodbye, our new album… … .’

“thank you.”

Kwon Dong-ha suddenly came to his senses and looked to the side.

Baek Seol-ha bowed her head as she entered backstage.

I didn’t know what to do with the unexpected gratitude. So I didn’t make any gestures and just watched Baek Seol-ha disappear.

‘… … Okay, that’ll do.’

Although Baek Seol-ha had a slip once, she tried again to perform and created a fantastic stage that everyone will remember.

At least he wouldn’t have to go through trauma like Kwon Dong-ha in the past.

Kwon Dong-ha took a deep breath and shook off his anxiety.

If the role of a band session is to support the artist from behind, then he did the right thing.

While thinking like that, I was trying to shake off my obsession with money.

[good job.]

In-ear received praise from director Jo Jin-man.

That was more gratifying than the gratitude he received from Baek Seol-ha.

[But, let’s talk for a moment after this is over.]

‘Then that’s right.’

Yeah, if you curse, you get cursed at, and if you hit, you get hit.

I looked straight ahead while checking the moving bass. The audience was still in a state of enchantment.

The afterimage of the lightning struck by Baek Seol-ha remained and glowed.

* * *

“Sister, show me your hands.”

As soon as they entered backstage, Jang Ha-yang grabbed Baek Seol-ha’s right hand.

A long red line was visible on the inside of the index finger. Blood had dried and stretched from the index finger to the palm and wrist.

Jang Ha-yang ran his hand over that part with a pained expression.

“Oh, it’s hot… … .”

When Baek Seol-ha smiled awkwardly, Jang Ha-yang glared at her fiercely.

Snow White’s laughter stopped. She dropped her gaze helplessly like a guilty puppy.

“Swoop, hoo.”

Jang Ha-yang took a deep breath as if trying to calm down. Immediately afterwards, the staff brought ointment and bandages and gave Baek Seol-ha first aid.

“Sister.”

“Uh, yeah… … .”

“You did nothing wrong, Sister. Raise your head.”

Baek Seol-ha carefully looked at Jang Ha-yang’s face. Jang Ha-yang was smiling warmly.

“I pushed my sister’s back.”

To be exact, it was ‘Debi’s’ bassist Kwon Dong-ha who started it. But in the end, it was the members who made the decision. All the members pushed the leader’s back off the cliff.

“sorry.”

“No! What are you sorry about, Hayang? Oh, no, what are you sorry about, Hayang!”

Snow White tried to hug Jang Ha-yang, but stopped, not knowing if she was qualified to do so.

So Jang Ha-yang hugged Baek Seol-ha tightly.

“I just got angry because… … I suddenly got upset when I saw my sister get hurt… … .”

“It’s just a little cut, so what, hehe.”

Jang Ha-yang gently stroked the back of Baek Seol-ha’s head. Baek Seol-ha felt the warmth and felt good, as if she had returned home.

But I couldn’t just like it.

Baek Seol-ha apologized in a gloomy tone.

“I’m sorry guys, I made a mistake… … .”

“are you okay.”

Shin Areum answered as if she had been waiting.

“You saw the audience’s reaction, too, right?”

“uh…….”

“What? You don’t remember?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Then I’ll watch the concert DVD later.”

“Oh, how was it?”

Shin Areum playfully shot back.

“Of course I got gopchang. I made a mistake and hurriedly cleaned it up.”

“Oh, I see… … .”

* * *

“… … What just happened?”

Kim Min-joo said, sweeping her arms.

I had goosebumps on my arms, as if I had been in a warm place and then suddenly got hit by a cold snap.

I don’t know much about rock, but I intuitively understood that Baek Seol-ha’s performance was amazing.

“Erika, do you play guitar?”

Erica can play acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and bass. She has the skills to be a session musician for any gig if she wants to.

“Sulha, how good was that guy?”

“Hmm.”

Erica placed her index finger on her chin and tilted her head. Kim Min-joo frowned in disgust at her cuteness.

‘If this kid’s job wasn’t an idol, I would have cursed at him right away.’

‘Kim Min-joo, the vitamin of the juicy and beautiful Kaias’ shook her head.

Then Erica said.

“Artfully… … .”

“Did you do pretty well?”

“It was terrible.”

“Is that the bad swordsman just now?”

When Ginger answered calmly, Erica nodded as if driving a wedge into it.

“Didn’t you hear the mistakes? The crackling sound, the notes being too loud, the harmony not matching.”

“Oh, you didn’t do it on purpose.”

So what the heck is this?

Why is it that I feel a thrill when I listen to Baek Seol-ha’s performance that I cannot feel even when listening to a professional performer?

Erica answered simply.

“It’s spirit.”

“Spirit?”

Erica extended her thumb, index finger, and little finger. Then she cutely stuck her tongue out.

“Rock spirit.”

Resistance and freedom.

“You really are all over the place. Stop being defensive and speak properly.”

“Minju, is this a shield? Then you’re saying that the soul and swing in the song that Director Jeong talks about are all bullshit?”

Kim Min-ju kept her mouth shut.

I couldn’t dare to refute Jeong Ho-hwan’s words.

“There are areas in music that cannot be judged by technique.”

When you ask jazz artists, “Why is this jazz?” they often answer like this.

‘Because I have soul.’

No one can explain what soul is, but it is certain that it cannot be expressed technically.

There are areas in art that cannot be understood with reason.

“That was what was in my sister’s performance.”

There was spirit, soul, and spirit.

* * *

How many tears have I shed while watching the Girls’ League concert?

Kim Chae-hyun couldn’t count.

Opening medley.

Rica’s DJing.

Duo performance by Shin A-reum and Jo A-ra.

Jang Ha-yang’s epitaph.

‘Long Four’ band performance.

Besides, each and every stage was legendary. At least, that was the case for Kim Chae-hyun, the people’s person.

However, I can confidently say that I have never shed more tears than I do now.

[Everyone! Did you have fun today?]

A pleasantly hazy melody.

The clean and simple sound penetrated between the feelings of fullness and regret that spread throughout the audience.

[This is the last song!]

When she heard that, Kim Chae-hyun started crying and waving her cheering stick.

[Purple Tulip Man, Are You Watching!]

The happy ending, the finale, has arrived.