Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 808



Only Noblemtl

Episode 808

Himura handed a handkerchief to the father sitting next to him. The president of Webex, Rihito, took the handkerchief and roughly wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The handkerchief became soaking wet in an instant.

“Himura.”

“Yes, father.”

“Is that kind of thing popular these days? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a stage like this on television.”

“no…….”

Himura looked up at the stage and spoke in a dazed manner.

“It’s a bit of an unusual… … performance. Normally, you have to dance, but as you know, you can’t dance in ‘Ayumu’s Jukebox’.”

“Because it’s a program with singers.”

The atmosphere in the audience was, well, peculiar.

It was full of heavy breathing.

It’s only natural that I started exercising out of nowhere, wearing thick clothes in a space with the heater on.

Even his father, Rihito, was caught up in the atmosphere and had to wave his arms.

There was a trend where if you didn’t respond, you would become a sinner.

“If we do this kind of stage one or two more times, I’ll die. Is this the next one?”

There was a hint of relief on Rihito’s face as he asked that question. Was it perhaps a reminder of his youth, when he burned the heat of Saturday nights at the discotheque?

“No… … probably.”

Himura was momentarily taken aback by his father’s unfamiliar appearance, then coughed and asked cautiously.

“Father, how is it? Compared to Tomoe.”

“Men are so impatient. To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t really know about recent music. Things like Kawaii Future Bass… .”

Himura doesn’t know that well either.

“Still, I feel something… something. Something like the flow of the times… .”

“Can you feel it?!”

“But that’s not what you’re asking. You’re asking me to compare myself to Tomoe. There’s a limit to how shallow it is. Can’t you be a little more patient?”

“My face… … .”

“There’s nothing I can’t tell you.”

“Really?!”

Rihito sank deeply into his seat.

“The Girls’ League and those kids on stage are also Director Park’s work?”

“That’s how it feels.”

“Our collaborator… … the future of the idol business headquarters… … .”

Rihito swept back his remaining hair and declared.

“I don’t know! The song isn’t even finished yet!”

“Then let’s look at the next stage… … .”

“But where do I keep hearing the sound of a grown man sobbing?”

“It sounds like a familiar voice.”

“wow!”

Ayumu, who was sitting on a chair next to the Samurai Girls, let out a sigh of admiration.

“This is how it is… … .”

Ayumu held her head as if trying to think of a word to express, then quickly snapped her fingers.

“This is the first time in my broadcasting history that the audience got excited on stage! But what should I say, it was a forced excitement?”

When Ayumu said that, everyone laughed loudly without exception. It was said to be forced excitement, but there was not a single sign of displeasure or ridicule.

“Ahaha! I wanted to go out and jump too, but I barely held back! It would be nice to invite DJs to our jukebox sometimes! How did you come up with the idea to do a stage like this?”

Rika brought the microphone to her lips as if she had been waiting.

“I changed my route right away because you said I couldn’t dance!”

“Oh my, what if you guys can’t dance and you make the audience dance!”

“to be honest.”

Rika scratched her head, smiling bashfully. Her face suddenly turned red.

“I didn’t know you would respond like this! I’m so grateful and I love you all! If you hadn’t responded, I would have run away crying as soon as the broadcast ended!”

Rika made a heart with both arms and ran backstage in embarrassment. Laughter erupted again.

But then, out of nowhere, a cry broke out. It was buried among the laughter, so no one noticed.

Ayumu gestured to Rika, who had run away behind the band session.

“Come, come!”

“Eeeek!”

As Rika approached Ayumu, covering both her cheeks, Ayumu sat Rika on his lap.

“Wow, it’s big! It’s much taller than I expected!”

“I’m 171cm!”

“Huh? Is it okay to say something like that? I heard that idols sometimes intentionally shorten their height when speaking?”

“It’s a plus for K-pop idols!”

“Yes, yes. Rika? So.”

Ayumu looked at Rika affectionately and gently stroked her cheek with her hand.

“How was the stage where you said you would run away crying if there was no response?”

Rika smiled brightly and made a V sign toward the camera.

“Rika’s great victory!”

“Wow, so cute! Do it with me too!”

“Oh, wait a minute!”

Rika escaped from Ayumu’s lap and dragged Erika and Noah with her. Rika put her arm around the two and sat on Ayumu’s lap.

“Together, great victory!”

“Great victory!”

This time, we all made a V sign toward the camera.

A picturesque moment for a lady and three girls. Rika turned her gaze slightly and greeted Erika. Erika caught that gaze and blinked twice.

‘Thank you, Eri-chan.’

‘you’re welcome.’

Erica accepted Rika’s greeting leisurely. And inside.

‘It almost became something (purified).’

Erica was sweating profusely.

I walked around the stage with the mindset of ‘If I don’t get up, I’ll die’ and tried to elicit a response. If there had been no response, I might have died in shame.

I would rather lose consciousness and collapse than endure such embarrassment.

But why did you take such a risk?

‘I can’t not do it.’

It was because of the look Rika gave to Erica.

The accelerating beat sounded to Erica as if it was forcing her to respond.

Unable to overcome Rika’s intuition, Erica ended up jumping into a battlefield where she couldn’t see even an inch ahead.

‘If you do this one more time, you’ll die.’

Still, it was thrilling.

It had a different flavor from a performance on a stage where everyone knew who they were and where they were expected to be cheered on.

The previous Samurai Girls stage where people only called out Rika’s name. It was so enjoyable that all the feelings of defeat I had felt there were washed away.

“Then, I can’t help but look forward to the next stage!”

After the declaration of the Samurai Girls’ great victory, everyone returned to their seats and the baton was passed to the next person.

“Mr. Noah, what did you think after seeing your colleague’s advanced stage?”

* * *

Filming break.

Noah went into the bathroom stall and sat down on the closed toilet.

It’s been a long time since I’ve thought of old times.

When I got nervous before a broadcast stage, I would lock myself in the bathroom to relax. But because there were so many people, I couldn’t stay there for long.

Noah rubbed his heavy eyes.

I blinked my eyes a few times but it didn’t get any better. I looked for artificial tears in my pocket but there were none.

I closed my eyes tightly and remembered the scene I had seen on stage earlier. What I had thought was a wall of silence had instantly turned into a fountain of enthusiasm.

“town…….”

Just imagining it made my heart race and I opened my eyes right away.

Noah checked the time on his phone and came out of the cabin. As he trudged toward the washbasin, he saw a passenger.

“uh?”

“ah.”

It was Tomoe.

Filming must have ended, but he’s carrying an electric guitar.

Seeing that guitar brought back another memory for Noah. It was Tomoe’s stage just before, the first time she had felt thrilled after seeing a performance.

On the stage where Tomoe stood… … .

“I enjoyed the stage.”

“iced coffee?”

Tomoe retreated to a seat outside the sink.

Noah hurriedly stepped into the spot where she had stepped aside.

“Go, thank you.”

“I learned a lot. The audience was quiet back then. I knew it was going to be that kind of stage, but I felt a little lost.”

That must be because people were moved by Tomoe’s performance.

“I was so nervous. I couldn’t even say what I originally planned to say. Maybe it’s because I’m in front of you, senior.”

“… … Are you nervous?”

“Yes. I practiced talking a lot.”

Tomoe smiled faintly and wiped her hands with a paper towel.

“It’s not like that on purpose… … .”

“yes?”

“It wasn’t just about speaking through music… … .”

Noah trailed off uncertainly. Tomoe just blinked as if asking what was going on.

“Oh, that’s right. Communication with fans is also important. I’m aiming to be a musician like an idol. Rather than just saying ‘Okay, look,’ and ending the music, I think it’s important to share the inspiration and the imagery that led to the creation of the music.”

Like the Girls’ League.

“That’s why I feel regretful. I finally got to appear on a show that was optimized for my intentions. If I could do it again, I would do it again.”

“… … Relax.”

“yes?”

Noah shook his head.

“No. I’m going to go because filming is starting soon.”

“Oh, yes! Cheer up!”

Noah left the bathroom with Tomoe’s support. Noah’s expression as he turned his back on Tomoe was not good enough to even say it.

‘There is no doubt about your stage.’

Of course I believe it will turn out well.

The only thing I regret is not being able to talk properly.

Noah felt defeated, because he didn’t believe in his music as much as I did.

I didn’t have the confidence that I could survive if I collided with that world.

‘Lotus’ was Noah’s first challenge and first courage. It was her small but lovely world that she had carefully created.

Your own colors revealed to the world for the first time.

I was proud, but when I compared it to Tomoe, I felt a new sense of pride…

‘I was arrogant.’

* * *

On stage, Noah neither stuttered nor stammered, nor did he make any noticeable mistakes.

“I always thought, ‘Do I fit in with this group?’ And that’s because I didn’t think I was particularly outstanding.”

Noah, who calmly recited his story, had the power to evoke empathy from people.

People felt sorry for her, comparing her frustrations to their own past.

“There are a lot of things like that in our songs. I’m cool, I’m pretty, I’m confident. But I’m not the person who was born like that song, so I don’t sing like that. It’s a message I want to convey to people, that’s… … .”

Seongpil crossed his arms and focused on Noah’s story.

In addition to the story I had already heard from Noah, I had also studied her attitude and posture when appearing in the media.

That is, so to speak, nothing but a play. What she says is sincere, but her actions and speech are all calculated.

Yes, to Sungpil it was just a reenactment of a play, but even so, like the other audience members, Sungpil felt sincerity from Noah.

‘Is it because you have talent for acting? Or is it because you can empathize with the emotions while talking on stage?’

Even if it is a sincere statement that has become a habit through practice, to her it is the result of worries she has harbored for a long time.

“Beyond the question of ‘Am I the right person for this place?’, I even thought, ‘Am I the person who is needed?’ I had a hard time finding my place. I even used to berate myself by saying, ‘I’m not a helpful member.’ … … .”

MC Ayumu was also so absorbed in Noah’s story that he couldn’t ask questions. Noah’s story was too deep to be seen as just a talk show for broadcast. As a senior musician, he probably sympathized with some aspects of it.

In this position, Noah was shedding layers of her character as a member of Globe and Samurai Girls.

The curtain that had been wrapped around the character slowly broke and the humanity finally revealed itself. That humanity drew everyone in.

“That’s how I started, Samurai Girls. I also wanted to find my place and believe in my worth. That’s how the song ‘Lotus’ came to be. It was my first time writing lyrics, so I was nervous and embarrassed to tell people my story, but I still made it.”

It’s my story, not anyone else’s.

“They say that a good song is like a question. And when you hear a question, you want to answer it. I wanted to answer the good songs I listened to during my hard times. That’s why I wrote the lyrics and sang the song. Yes, ‘Lotus’ is my story.”

Facts and truths.

A magic word that draws people in without any special background explanation.

‘Okay.’

Seongpil nodded unconsciously.

Now the audience is ready to immerse themselves in Noah.

‘Lotus’ will combine with Noah to radiate an aura that goes beyond the power of music.

And going further, Noah sings ‘Lotus’ with his own unique style, just as he practiced with Seongpil.

‘It’s finished.’

‘Lotus’ truly becomes her song.

I will tell Noah’s story in Noah’s own way.

“Please listen.”

Rika stood in front of the synthesizer, and Erica was positioned diagonally behind Noah, carrying an electric guitar.

Noah held the hand microphone and stared straight ahead.

“Lotus.”

Her story begins… … .

“uh?”

Seongpil was embarrassed.

The ‘Lotus’ that Noah sings is not the version created through practice with Seongpil… … .

‘Original song?’

It was the original song.

Noah faithfully recreates the studio version created by Yoon Sang-yeol and Choi Yu-hyeon.

* * *

When I was working hard on ‘Lotus’, Yoon Sang-yeol once said this.

‘When I was in the US, I went to see a lot of performances here and there.’

Yoon Sang-yeol enjoyed the cultural soil of the United States, the pinnacle of popular culture.

I would go anywhere I could as long as I could hear live music. Live houses, jazz bars, symphony concert halls, stadiums, etc.

There is something I realized there.

‘There are two main types of musicians.’

One is the one that performs impromptu and unconventional performances. Fans of such musicians seek out something different from the sound source and visit the concert hall.

Whether it’s adding dancers, special effects, or instruments, musicians are always looking for change.

Sometimes, such variations can be a clue to breaking the musician’s frame and going beyond his limitations.

‘The second is the musician who maintains the frame.’

Their goal is a refined and detailed re-enactment of the original song.

They are confident that the studio version is the best recorded music, and they try to express music in the same condition in all places.

An artist who pursues one unchanging answer in the flow of time that continues from past to present, future to eternity.

They move towards one utopia on every stage.

It may not be a drastic change, but it is like a kind of craft, and it is fulfilling, like a craftsman devoted to one task.

After finishing his explanation, Yoon Sang-yeol made this request to Noah.

‘The second thing an idol should pursue is.’

In the first place, idol performances cannot and should not have improvisation.

It’s hard enough to fully master this complex device of vocals and choreography, so there’s no room for adding unnecessary effects.

‘You’ve probably seen a lot of idol performances where they get carried away by the atmosphere and go overboard.’

After standing on stage, Noah suddenly remembered what had happened back then.

And I thought.

‘I was overdoing it.’

He couldn’t tell right from wrong from Sungpil’s praise and tried to ruin the stage on his own.

‘Lotus’ is a work that was created by Yoon Sang-yeol and Choi Yu-hyeon over a long period of time. But they are trying to change it to something that took only a few days of research, just to take advantage of the live performance.

I was really out of my mind myself.

‘… … No, no.’

As the interlude of ‘Lotus’ began to play, Noah brought the microphone close to his mouth.

‘I’m running away.’

There are two types of musicians in live performance.

A musician who tries to break the mold, a musician who tries to fit the mold.

Noah didn’t have the courage to break the mold. If the result of breaking it was smaller than the mold, how could he endure the loss?

‘I have to run away.’

Noah didn’t have the confidence to exude an aura that dominates the stage like Rika or Erika.

Stage presence? I don’t know about that.

What he has been working on for four years is a precise, delicate, and faithful reproduction of the original.

Yoon Sang-yeol has lived only in the human world, and he feels most comfortable there.

So, even if Noah’s own shortcomings are revealed, it is not entirely his fault, but also Yoon Sang-yeol’s fault.

Noah ran away and hid. He hid behind the stuffy but safe shield of Yoon Sang-yeol.

Of course, there is a path I want to take.

Seongpil told me.

I took a few steps while holding his hand, but if all I found at the end of that path was a wounded me, I wouldn’t be able to endure it.

That’s why Noah chose a familiar journey over a new adventure.

“It’s a life I didn’t want, but

I have to go up, up

Up, looking for something I don’t even know… … .”

‘Lotus’ contained positivity and comfort for a life where one cannot predict what will happen even an inch ahead.

Noah felt like crying.

Did I mention this when I was talking to Ayumu earlier?

Globe’s lyrics exude confidence, but he says he doesn’t sing it because he’s a confident person.

It’s just a message I want to convey.

‘The lotus flower is the same… … .’

Through time that knows no end

Don’t be in a difficult situation without knowing why.

You must be so tired and worn out.

‘I’m sorry, Director Park… … .’

A song sung without listening to the music, using only a trained sense of time.

Perfect breathing, proven hundreds of times.

Emotions expressed with extreme restraint.

Dynamism is obliterated.

Murdered musicality.

Excluding communication and locked in one’s own world, the only thing one pursues is to reach the original through reenactment.

‘sorry…….’

Noah’s song doesn’t have any exciting twists or unusual events, but it’s still comfortable.

She protects herself by surrounding herself with Yoon Sang-yeol’s world.

* * *

Yoon Sang-yeol was annoyed.

Because Noah didn’t sing, but only told strange stories. He had a sad look in his eyes, full of self-pity, as if he was talking about his unfortunate family history.

‘Why would you do something like that… … .’

Did Seongpil tell you to do it?

‘You do all sorts of things.’

Isn’t this just flattering others to understand this song?

To Yoon Sang-yeol, Noah began to look like a crack, an individual sticking out of a globe that should be uniform.

‘There’s no need to do that.’

There is no need for that, the ‘Lotus’ is completed.

Some time passed after Yoon Sang-yeol listened to Noah’s nonsense, and the stage finally began.

Only then was Yoon Sang-yeol able to calm down.

‘You’re good at it.’

Noah sang ‘Lotus’ faithfully.

It has a smooth and elegant tone and technique without any rough edges. It is comfortable to listen to, has moderate appeal, and above all, it is a faithful reproduction of the original song.

‘That’s the way to do it.’

She enters Yoon Sang-yeol’s vessel, and without realizing that she is trapped, she is confident, thinking that the large size of the vessel is hers.

Noah is free.

The audience was completely absorbed by the combination of Noah’s story and ‘Lotus’.

Yoon Sang-yeol didn’t like the fact that an external story was intruded into the song’s internal world, but he still liked the performance.

‘Lotus’ faithfully follows the original song.

Something strange happened.

“……what?”

Bridge after the end of verse 2.

Erica walks to the front of the stage, turns her back to the audience, and faces Noah.

‘Guitar solo… … is that it?’

Yes, it’s a guitar solo.

But something is strange.

A solo performance is meant to be seen by the audience, but Erica turned her back to the audience.

What Erica sees is not the audience, but Noah.

He is speaking to Noah through his music. He is pouring out free and rough melodies, shouting something to Noah.

Noah’s expression becomes distorted.

The audience and the band session supporting ‘Lotus’ were equally embarrassed. The first guitarist turned his back to the audience and started a solo performance.

At a point where it seemed like a new punk rock methodology, Erica’s guitar strings exploded and howled.

Even though his back was turned and he couldn’t see it, his hands must have been racing wildly like a stormy sea.

Yoon Sang-yeol lost his mind for a moment at the ear-piercing electronic sound.

‘How can you play at this level… … .’

It’s not something that an idol would learn as a hobby. It’s not just about being skilled. Every phrase she plays is extremely creative.

It makes the audience’s palms sweat like an ad-lib performance by a real guitarist.

Next time, and the next time, and the next time, how are you going to play with the sound?

Like a first-class acrobat performing acrobatics, he displays his skills endlessly, allowing the audience to witness a sea of ​​music.

Despite this rough and violent performance, Erica’s back and shoulders are calm. Only the guitar howls without any disturbance.

But even such storms gradually die down.

‘Is it the end?’

Yoon Sang-yeol felt regret.

‘The ending wasn’t very good.’

It would be nice if she just finished, but Erica tenaciously holds onto her guitar and won’t let go even though she’s out of material.

Eventually, the same cliche phrase was repeated several times.

It’s getting to the point where the audience is starting to get tired of it.

‘Are you happy that the time has come to show off your skills?’

I understand it to some extent.

As an idol, you must want to show off to someone since you practiced the guitar so hard. However, you should refrain from such behavior that lowers the quality of the stage.

Erica seemed to have realized it too. Her slumped shoulders meant that she had lost the imagination to continue playing the guitar.

The band session also returns to the original accompaniment of ‘Lotus’ accordingly.

That was when.

The heavy piano sound, like bricks stacked on top of each other, struck Yoon Sang-yeol’s ears. It was a loud noise, as if trying to take the initiative away from the band.

‘what.’

The main character was Rika.

‘Block code?’

Rika frantically strummed the four-part chords, stacked vertically thickly, with both hands.

That sounded like a protest.

Now it’s my turn, so don’t skip ahead and sing along to me.

Yoon Sang-yeol was thrilled.

‘Surely you’re going to improvise?’

Why?

Can’t you see Noah fidgeting with the mic? He should be going into the highlight of ‘Lotus’ now? He ignores that and suddenly shows off his solo performance?

‘Why?’

Something is happening.

It was the very next moment that I realized it.

Rika’s right hand, which had been pouring out the baptism of codes with her left hand, played the melody line. A beautiful melody that caught Yoon Sang-yeol’s ears.

The melody swept through people’s ears with endless variations.

‘Something, something is happening.’

It wasn’t difficult to find a reason for something.

The two performers who created this strange phenomenon, Erika and Rika, were looking at one place.

It was Noah.

Naturally, the audience’s and Yoon Sang-yeol’s eyes could not help but be fixed on Noah. Noah trembled amidst the countless gazes directed at him.

Is it because you’re afraid?

“Noah-chan.”

Rika called Micro Noah’s name.

Noah glanced at her.

Rika raised the corners of her lips and took her left hand off the synthesizer. The chords disappeared, leaving only the melody. The repetitive melody was the bridge of ‘Lotus’.

After a few words, the final highlight begins.

Rika held up three fingers of her left hand.

three.

The bassist, drummer and band session were the first to catch Rika’s signal.

two.

“I’ll go.”

The melody gradually fades.

The momentary pause in sound is a common compositional technique in popular music. Its meaning is ‘notice’.

A notification that highlights are coming up next.

The audience, and of course Noah, understood it. Noah’s trembling stopped. She turned away from Rika and looked straight ahead again.

By coincidence, Noah’s eyes met Yoon Sang-yeol’s.

Noah’s song began with the powerful sound of the hi-hat drums, and Yoon Sang-yeol gripped the armrest of his seat tightly.

It was a ‘lotus flower,’ but it was a lotus flower that Yoon Sang-yeol had never heard of, and it was beyond the original.