Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 375



Only Noblemtl

Episode 375

“I was really, really scared.”

During dinner, Jang Ha-yang spoke gloomily, recalling the concert.

“That surprised us too.”

When Jo Ara agreed, Jang Ha-yang smiled bitterly.

During her first concert in Japan, Jang Ha-yang performed a solo rap performance song called ‘Domino’.

It’s a rap song that powerfully expresses obsession with another person, and the audience’s reaction was amazing.

It was terribly quiet.

“I thought it was some kind of classical concert hall.”

“really…….”

Jang Ha-yang finished the performance smoothly despite being drenched in cold sweat. However, when she returned backstage, she couldn’t help but shed tears.

Because I felt like I did something wrong.

Later, I heard from Himura that Japanese idol fans are not used to that kind of performance.

‘Well, I think a cute, charming, and gentle look appeals more to me than that.’

When Girls’ League released their debut album in Japan, the title song was also ‘Tingle’.

This was a measure that actively took into account the tastes of Japanese fans. The members, especially Jang Ha-yang, have come to know the tastes of Japanese fans deeply this time.

Shin Areum comforted Jang Ha-yang, who was feeling down.

“But it wasn’t that you didn’t like Hayang’s stage, it was just that you didn’t know how to react? Wasn’t it something like that?”

“I wonder… … .”

“When my sister danced in her animal pajamas, we all loved it so much we could die.”

Even then, Jang Ha-yang was surprised.

I just went up there in my dinosaur pajamas and danced, and the audience gave me a pterosaur roar that made the world go round.

Jang Ha-yang felt like she had finally reached the pinnacle of dance performance, capable of astonishing people with just a single gesture.

“Hahaha, we all wore animal pajamas together.”

“But even I thought you were cute, unnie.”

“I don’t know.”

Joara intervened. Then Shin Areum snapped back sharply.

“Joara, you don’t think Hayang is cute?”

“No. In Japan, we have more female fans. I don’t really get the feeling that women like other women. Why is that?”

Joara looked at Rika.

Rika answered seriously.

“Ara-chan is cute! It’s more charming when you don’t know that you’re cute, pretty, and cool!”

“Hey, don’t cling to me! Why are you doing this, seriously! If you’re going to rush in, grab any guy and rush at him!”

Joara had been suspecting that Rika, who had not interacted with a man for so long, was using the women nearby as a substitute.

It’s been like this since I was a trainee.

That doubt has not yet been dispelled.

“It’s cool!”

Rika answered simply. Joara pushed Rika’s cheek away and sighed tiredly.

“I think I know.”

Surprisingly, it was Jang Ha-yang who agreed. Jo A-ra was puzzled.

“Are you my sister?”

“huh.”

Jang Ha-yang stared at Baek Seol-ha. Following that, the other members’ gazes also turned to Baek Seol-ha.

Snow White, who had been quietly concentrating on her meal, suddenly raised her head when the surroundings became quiet.

And then, bewildered by the four pairs of eyes looking at him, he laughed anxiously.

“Why, why?”

“Did you see it?”

“Wow, you’re really a genius at being cute.”

Jo Ara, of course, and the other members also enthusiastically agreed. How can the oldest sister be the cutest?

“Ugh, can you stop calling me a cute genius?”

“Why are you like that, sis?”

Jang Ha-yang gently wrapped his arms around Baek Seol-ha’s shoulders.

“Do you hate cute things?”

“No, that’s… … .”

The nickname ‘cute genius’ given by Sungpil during the preparation period for ‘New Asa’ has become popular within the Girls’ League.

It even became popular in Garo Enter, and then spread among the people.

Snow White has become the official cuteness genius.

Her appearance is elegant and sharp. That’s why, in the early days of her debut, it was said that the slight smile that went from her cold, expressionless face was the point of attraction.

But now, he has been crowned a cute genius.

“A little bit, that’s… … .”

Snow White kept talking, but in the end she didn’t say what she wanted to say.

I was going to say, ‘I feel like I’ve become a younger sibling,’ but if I said something like that, my real siblings would run up to me and dote on me.

I don’t want to be treated like that.

Jang Ha-yang stroked Baek Seol-ha’s shoulder as if she was fond of her younger sister, then brought up a different topic.

“Isn’t the coffee at Webex Cafe delicious?”

“Really! I want to drink ten glasses every time I practice! It’s a shame they don’t sell Hallabong ade though!”

“Why do you like Hallabong ade so much? It’s just orange juice.”

“It’s a drink filled with memories that Ara doesn’t know about. Ara, being a child, wouldn’t be able to understand this nostalgia… … .”

Shin Areum ruffled Rika’s hair and said, “You’re great.” Then she pointed at Jo Ara with her chopsticks.

“But next time, don’t go to the cafe to buy drinks.”

“suddenly?”

“You came back really late last time. Someone who doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night should go buy it.”

“Right. Araya, why were you so late then?”

Jo Ah-ra’s expression hardened at Baek Seol-ha’s question. She avoided eye contact with an embarrassed expression and spoke quietly.

“There was a person playing the piano there. I was curious so I started talking to him and we ended up talking… … .”

“Piano? Are you a musician?”

“Yes, well, that’s what it is.”

“Ahhh Ara-chan, you spoke to a guy first?!”

“Because she’s a woman!”

“If you want to talk to a man, you have to get permission from Atashi (me)!”

“Stop trying to control me.”

“That’s right, Rika. There’s no way Ara would do that.”

“Okay. Take a cue from Hayang Unnie… … .”

“How could I turn a blind eye to my true love, senior Kyuyoung, when she’s here?”

Jang Ha-yang watched Jo A-ra’s reaction for a moment, then opened his hands wide to say, ‘Just kidding.’

Joara said sooner than that.

“Unnie, this is the last time. This really is the last time. If you try to get me involved with Senior Kyuyoung one more time, I don’t know what I’ll do. That day is the day to decide the Girls’ League’s hand-to-hand combat champion.”

“… … Hahaha, sorry.”

“Joara, you lose to me too. But how about Hayang?”

“Hey, you’re the kind of girl who uses your body’s vision to see what your opponent does at rock-paper-scissors! You’re the kind of person who wins, you weirdo!”

So the topic of conversation shifted to Shin A-reum’s miraculous abilities.

Joara thought that was fortunate. She didn’t want to talk about the pianist she had met at the cafe, Chinon.

The last thing I wanted to do was tell a Grammy-winning artist that I was bragging about myself.

* * *

Seongpil took a break after finishing a meeting with Jo Jinman to coordinate the details of the concert.

After sitting in the break room inside Webex for a while, he headed to a cafe to get some coffee.

At that time, I received a call from Min Kyung-seop.

“Hey, Kyung-seop. Are you resting well alone in Korea?”

[What are you resting on?]

“How does it feel to send only your subordinates abroad and live a leisurely life?”

[Hyung, you’ll be back in a few days, right? I’ll give you back exactly as you said. I’m a producer who’s been out of the group I’m in charge of and resting alone in my hometown.]

“Thank you. So why?”

[I got an offer to appear on a variety show.]

“What is it?”

[‘The Unknown Singer’.]

It is a competition program where contestants wear masks and sing to determine the winner.

It is a popular program that its plots are exported overseas, and it is also a long-running program in Korea with an average viewership rating of over 6%.

“Wow, this is really good. It’s easy to prepare, so it’ll be good for the kids to get a feel for it. Who’s the recruit?”

[Snowfall.]

It was a natural appointment.

Last year’s ‘Music for Companionship’ was also like that, and Baek Seol-ha seems to have a particularly deep connection with music entertainment.

“I guess the writers also know that Seol-ha is a good singer.”

[I heard that PD Na Seok-moon, who directed ‘Eumwi-dong’, highly recommended it?]

Na Seok-moon also highly praised Baek Seol-ha’s singing ability in ‘A Companion for Music’.

We talked a lot about things like, “If we get to work together again, I definitely want to do a program with you,” and “If you like competition plots,” etc.

[Anyway, that’s why I contacted you.]

“Aren’t you asking after it’s already been decided?”

[Hey, how can I decide before my brother? Of course I want you to appear.]

“If that’s what the management team leader says, then there’s nothing I can do. I’ll ask Seol-ha first. Oh, by the way, who is ‘The Unknown’ now?”

‘The Unknown’ is the nickname given to the current winner of ‘The Unknown Singer’. It can be seen as having the same meaning as champion.

Those who make it to ‘The Unknown’ must wage a defensive battle against the ever-appearing competitors.

[The Unknown is now… … ‘Interesting and fun Ttanttara’, I think it’s singer Joo Sung-in. He finished his second defense.]

“Juseong… … is quite strong.”

[If I were to choose a technical song and mix it up, wouldn’t it be possible?]

“It’s not all about technique… … Ah, what’s the point of discussing it among ourselves right now? Okay.”

[Yes. Thank you for your hard work.]

“You work too hard.”

After ending the call, Seongpil clenched his fist and shouted silently.

‘Wait a minute, veteran singer Joo Sung, 8 years into her debut! Baek Seol Ha of the Girls’ League is coming!’

Snow White will proudly become more unknown and make her name known to the world. Seongpil was certain that she would definitely be able to do so.

‘Even if Seol-ha was dropped in a foreign country, she’s an idol vocalist who would buy a Porsche through busking and return to Korea.’

Seongpil headed to the cafe excitedly, imagining a future where Baek Seol-ha had become even more unknown.

After ordering an Americano with a big smile, I went to a suitable single seat and sat down.

I turned on iTube to review the clips from the live broadcast of Kaius. The moment I took out my earphones, the sound of the piano was caught in Seongpil’s ears.

A woman is sitting at a piano in the corner, playing it.

‘It’s busking.’

I’m not sure if playing a piano in a cafe fits the dictionary definition of busking, but it’s playing in a place with a lot of people.

Seongpil listened to the piano melody for a few seconds and then turned his gaze back to his cell phone.

Many people did so.

Once the performance started, I paid a little attention, then turned my attention back to the people sitting next to me or to my laptop or tablet.

Her performance remained in the cafe BGM.

“… … .”

A few seconds later, Sungpil put his phone down on the table and turned towards her. Then he concentrated on the performance.

In the cafe where there were dozens of people, Seongpil was the only one who kept looking at her.

‘I feel something.’

There is something in the performance that can be expressed as vitality.

What song could it be? If it were Hanguin or Shuichi, they could have easily named the song. And they could have enjoyed this performance more.

‘Because classical music is an art form that requires effort from the audience.’

To properly listen to classical music, a certain level of knowledge is required.

It’s not absolutely necessary, but they say that knowing it will make the music sound completely different.

The ability to appreciate performing arts such as classical music is used as a way to distinguish the upper class in the name of cultural capital.

‘It’s a classic, but the melody is modern.’

I wonder if classical music has developed in this way in modern times. Seongpil didn’t know for sure, but he listened intently to her performance.

I felt the life blooming from her fingers.

Seongpil’s gaze moved from her back to her fingers. He felt the same way he did when he first saw Baek Seol-ha.

Her fingers are long, white and pretty.

As the performance reached its climax, Sungpil ordered a separate cup of coffee and moved closer to her.

And when the performance was over, I went behind her and said.

“hello.”

There was no answer. He didn’t even look at Seongpil.

‘Are you still in the mood?’

Seongpil leaned in a little closer and called her.

“hello.”

Only then did she look back.

She was a woman with an elegant appearance who seemed like she could be the female protagonist of a Japanese historical drama. She seemed to be in her late 20s or early 30s.

She smiled faintly.

“hello.”

“I enjoyed your performance. Would you like some coffee too?”

“I wasn’t expecting this when I played. Thank you.”

She accepted the coffee with a shy smile.

“Did you enjoy the performance?”

“I came here to relax and drink coffee, but I couldn’t relax. The music was so beautiful. I ended up using up all my energy to concentrate.”

“You speak very fluently. Did you think about it before you listened?”

Seongpil smiled faintly and held out his hand.

“This is Park Sung-pil. I am working with the team led by Director Himura.”

“ah…….”

She said with a familiar smile, as if she was troubled.

“Can you say that again?”

“Huh? Oh, Park Sung-pil… … .”

At that moment, Sungpil noticed where her gaze was fixed. She was looking at Sungpil’s lips. Probably all along.

“This is Park Sung-pil. I have established a cooperative relationship with the team led by Director Himura… … .”

Seongpil stopped talking. Then she smiled again and nodded.

“This is Otonashi Chinon (the sound of ignorance).”

Her eyes, raised, were still fixed on Seongpil’s lips.

Seongpil realized.

‘This person is deaf.’

You can’t hear. Well, it’s not like you can’t hear at all, but your hearing is probably quite low.

So it is clear that he did not respond when Sungpil first called him from behind. He must have realized that he had come only after seeing Sungpil’s shadow.

‘But can you play like that? Did you memorize it from sheet music? …?’

Seongpil couldn’t easily recover from the shock.

We all know the famous anecdote that Beethoven composed and performed music even though he was deaf.

I used to think, “Wow, that’s amazing” when I heard about it, but when I actually saw that person, it wasn’t all that surprising.

“Uh, um.”

Seongpil pulled a nearby chair over and sat down. He met her gaze so she wouldn’t have to look up.

Chinon, who realized the consideration, laughed heartily. But he didn’t say anything about hearing.

“Are you a pianist?”

“Yes. He is a pianist known only to those in this company.”

Well, even though Webex is a general planning company, it is a company that has influence in the entertainment industry.

Even the staff may not know the pianist. The department in charge of Chinon is probably quite small.

“Classical? New Age?”

“Jazz.”

“Oh, somehow. It was plump and bouncy.”

“Do you listen to jazz?”

“……no.”

“But you still listened to my performance. I’m glad. Actually, I’ve been playing here for several days. But surprisingly, no one has paid any attention, so I feel a little lonely.”

“How many days will it continue like this?”

“yes.”

Chinon swept the piano keys as if embarrassed.

“I read it in a book a while back. A world-class string quartet busked in the subway stations of New York or London. Tens or hundreds of thousands of people must have been there during the morning rush hour. Can you guess how many people stood and listened to the quartet’s performance?”

“Um… … If there were hundreds of thousands of people… … At the very least, wouldn’t at least 300 people have stopped and listened?”

“Six people.”

Seongpil made an exaggerated expression of surprise. Considering that she was a deaf person, he made it easy to read her emotions through her facial expression.

The shape of the mouth also moved more widely than usual.

“Only six people?”

“Yes. It would cost 30,000 yen to see that quartet perform. It would be extremely difficult to get a seat. The busking performance that day must have been amazing. The dream team that might be the best musicians in the world performed, but only six people stopped.”

People who were busy going back and forth to the subway station would have gone to work on time that day and earned an average of 100,000 won.

But if you stop and listen to the quartet’s performance, it will be an experience worth about 300,000 won.

“Of course, everyone must have been busy. It’s the subway station on the way to work in the morning. It’s understandable that you wouldn’t have any free time. But still… … .”

Chinon pressed down on a piano key.

Doo-woong, a heavy vibration seeped into her index finger. Chinon felt it pleasantly.

“It’s a melody produced by the world’s best musicians, but six people, I think, is too much.”

“That’s definitely true.”

“So, after hearing that story, my dream was set.”

“What is it?”

“If I were to do something like that, I would want to stop at least 100 people. Right now I’m playing in a cafe, and in the past few days, only two… three people have shown interest in me. That’s my dream.”

Chinon quickly moved his fingers to create a piano melody, which instantly captured Seongpil’s heart.

Now that I know more about the human being Chinon, he sounds even more appealing than before.

“Isn’t it a little absurd?”

“That’s really cool. That’s great. That you have that kind of dream. I’ll be rooting for you.”

Seongpil was truly impressed.

It was abstract, but I found it fascinating that there were people who had such romantic dreams.

“Do you have a concert coming up? I’d like to go see it.”

I really want to see a personal concert by someone with this dream.

“Mr. Haku, you said you weren’t interested in jazz. You’d be bored even if you came.”

“Oh, it’s not Haku, it’s Park, Seong, and Pil.”

“……hmm?”

Chinon pronounced ‘Haku Seiru’ a few times, then opened her eyes wide.

“Ah, Paku Senpiru! Senpiru-san!”

“Yes? Do you know me?”

“Girls League!”

Seongpil was dumbfounded.

This is because Chinon acted as if he knew Seongpil.

“I met Ara-chan. And Seiko told me about it.”

“Oh, right… … Wait a minute. Are those the two people you’ve been interested in for the past few days?”

“Yes! It’s amazing, I guess there really is such a thing as fate.”

Seongpil had complicated feelings.

I didn’t know what to think about Seiko telling Seongpil’s story to others.

What did they talk about?

While he was thinking about such things, Chinon took a sip of the coffee Seongpil gave him and said.

“My next show is… … Unfortunately, I haven’t had any scheduled recently. But there is a show that Senpiru-san might be able to see.”

“Really? Where do you do it?”

“Are you Korean? You can watch it on TV.”

“Are you on a Korean program? Is it an orchestra concert or something?”

“The Olympics.”

Seongpil’s hair turned white.

What did Chinon just say?

“I will play a song at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.”

Chinon smiled shyly, just like when she first met Seongpil.

“It might be difficult for you to come and see us in person, so please cheer us on by listening to us on TV. I will play a performance that will touch Senpiru-san’s heart even more than today.”

* * *

‘Me too… … .’

Seiko endured the embarrassment as she recalled yesterday’s events.

‘You’re talking to Chinon so rudely… … We’re friends… … .’

Seiko had grabbed Chinon yesterday and made a scene, saying, “How could you do this to me!”

It was a scene that would remind Koreans of a situational comedy program that deals with adultery.

Chinon had been explaining to Seiko in a flustered manner that it wasn’t like that. And Seiko also believed her words, and they had a tearful reconciliation.

‘I have to apologize for meeting you again today. I guess I was too harsh.’

Seiko entered the café inside Webex. Today, too, Chinon would be playing the piano here.

That was indeed the case.

No, I wasn’t playing, but I was sitting at the piano with Seongpil.

“……ah?”

Seiko approached him tentatively.

I can hear conversation.

“Mr. Senpiru,” Chinon calls Seongpil.

Call Seongpil by his name.

Seiko still calls Seongpil by his last name, ‘Paku’.

“I will play a piece that will touch Senpiru-san’s heart.”

Seiko listened quietly to their conversation.

Then, without knowing what it was, he picked up something that was placed on the table next to him. It was a coffee cup that Seiko was holding, and the cup was half-filled with cold coffee.

“Borrow it.”

“yes?”

Seiko strode towards Chinon and shouted.

“Hey, you vixen bitch!”