Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 184



Only Noblemtl

184. Identity

After finishing the NAMA stage in Hong Kong.

Yuna, who returned to Korea, was still reminiscing about that day with lingering emotions.

‘It was awesome.’

No, beyond awesome, the stage with Sungjun was perfect.

Could it be because of the added energy of the 14,000 audience members that filled the arena?

The live performance on stage was much better than the rehearsal that morning.

The audience also responded enthusiastically.

Yuna is the top singer in South Korea.

It wasn’t her first time on the NAMA stage.

During overseas tours, I have often held the microphone in front of even larger audiences.

But, even for her, this NAMA stage was special.

The excitement, joy, and thrill on stage.

Because it came in the same boat as usual.

‘Why?’

Yuna, who had been asking herself about such feelings, was able to quickly come up with an answer.

Because it wasn’t just me who went up on stage, but my partner, Sungjun.

When I mixed my voice with Sungjun, it felt like all the various emotions he felt were flowing into me.

Sungjun sings with all his might as if it were a one-time performance that will never come again.

The aura of joy, passion, and fighting spirit he radiated resonated with Yuna’s own.

It was the first time in a long time that I felt so overwhelmed that I felt like I was going to explode.

And the pounding of my heart that started because of that hasn’t stopped since I returned to Korea.

Although she had maintained her original intention throughout her long career as a top singer, it was only natural that her original intention would fade with time.

However, Sungjun’s song brought back the scattered pieces of his original intention to Yuna.

‘Thanks to you, I was able to recall something I hadn’t remembered in a long time.’

It was a long time ago, when I first decided to pursue music.

I’m talking about those precious times when I just played guitar and sang, my heart pounding with joy, even though not a single audience member paid any attention to me.

He expressed his gratitude for reviving forgotten emotions in the waiting room after returning from the stage.

“Thanks to you, oppa, it was such an enjoyable stage.”

“me too.”

Seongjun also smiled back as if he was happy.

Okay, now.

“Since you finished the stage well, you will keep your promise to grant me one favor.”

“Of course. So, what do you want?”

“That… I’ll tell you after oppa’s concert is over.”

Yeah, not right now.

If we continue like that, there might be some disruption to Sungjun’s year-end concert.

Besides, Yuna herself needed to prepare.

That preparation is the completion of the ‘unfinished’ song.

The title song of the mini album scheduled for release next week.

This was a melody from a section that I had put on hold for a while because I couldn’t think of anything particularly good.

I had high hopes that standing on the NAMA stage with Sungjun would spark some pent-up inspiration, and those hopes turned out to be wonderfully realized.

♪~ ♬~

As I overlapped my voice with Sungjun’s, a melody flowed through my head.

It was a melody that fit that unfinished section exactly.

The melody that was engraved in my mind was not forgotten even after I left the stage.

As soon as I returned to Korea, I completed the song and handed it over to the A&R team.

And the reaction that followed.

“As expected, our Yuna… This song is really good! Especially the part where it goes from the verse to the chorus!”

“Last year at this time, you asked for some time, but then came back with an amazing melody at the last minute. You did the same thing this time?”

“But it came out earlier than last time. This time, it’s not a digital single but a mini album, so we had to film a music video and release a teaser, so we didn’t have much time, but the timing was perfect.”

Team members are showering him with praise.

And they are not the type of people who are sycophants trying to please top star Yuna.

That is, the current evaluation is a genuine compliment.

“By the way. This song is a love song. How long has it been since you sang this song?”

“That’s right. Hehehe, where did our cutie get his inspiration from?”

“Well~”

The playful interrogation of the smiling female team members

As Yuna answered leisurely, the face of the man who had been the source of her inspiration appeared in her mind.

Brother Seongjun.

Being with him gives me endless musical inspiration.

After Sungjun’s concert is over, I will definitely convey this feeling.

Yuna ends her recollection with a pledge.

Then the gaze turns to the side.

My older sister, Seol Hye-yoon, whom I love more than anyone in the world, is talking on the phone with someone.

“Yes, really? So is that confirmed as the opening song? That’s good.”

Judging from my sister’s bright voice and the words I’m hearing, it seems like the song she participated in writing some time ago has been confirmed as the animation opening song.

“Have you decided on your sister’s song?”

“huh.”

When Yuna asks, Seol Hye-yoon nods.

I had an idea why my sister was so happy.

Perhaps it is because the lyrics of the song contain his true feelings towards someone.

Just like himself, who put the same thing into the title song.

“Congratulations! Then when is the PV coming out?”

“In two weeks at the earliest.”

“In two weeks…”

Coincidentally, it overlaps with the release date of his own mini album.

If that happens, the true feelings of two sisters towards one person on the same day will be revealed to the world.

As it turns out, it has become a competition that isn’t a competition.

My older sister Seol Hye-yoon would not have been unaware of that fact either.

However, I just don’t say it out loud.

The complex and subtle feelings of the two people were deeply revealed in their intersecting gazes.

“Ugh.”

“Phew.”

A sigh escapes the sisters’ mouths simultaneously.

“Why are you sighing, Sister?”

“Hayoon, what about you?”

The two people laughed bitterly.

“Sister. Let’s not blame each other. No matter what anyone says, I love you the most in the world.”

“so do i.”

“Well, I have something in mind. Why, as I said last time, if I immigrate to a country that practices polygamy…”

“Oh, that’s a little…”

Normally, she would have been the Confucian older sister who would have scolded me to stop talking nonsense, but this time, she just trailed off.

“Anyway, Seongjun oppa is really an amazing person. He made these two pretty sisters fall in love with him.”

“In reality, I am a dull person who has no sense of humor···.”

“Ugh.”

Another sigh escaped me.

Along with that, the face of the person who caused the sighs appeared in the minds of the two sisters.

In this situation, what is Seongjun doing now?

*

A specific page within SoundSky was displayed on the large TV screen.

[TOP Charts and Tracks – New & Hot]

A chart showing the ranking of the most played tracks on SoundSky over the past week.

Sungjun muttered as if in a trance after seeing the songs that took 1st and 2nd place on the chart.

“I… won.”

1. Player D – Continue / ▶0.5M / 1day

2. Player B – Game Over / ▶0.5M / 1day

500,000 views in just one day.

Even while simultaneously setting all-time records, the results were mixed.

Sungjun’s song is ahead of Bobby’s!

Due to the nature of SoundSky, it is not possible to check the exact number of detailed views, but the logic is that songs with higher number of views are placed at the top.

It was a clear victory for Sungjun.

“ha ha ha.”

Laughter broke out.

It was also because I was relaxed.

The joy of winning a duel with the best singer of our time.

Applying childish logic, since he beat the number one, he felt like he was now number one.

There was one thing that was bothering me during that time.

If you say that you are smiling because of the above reasons.

“Why are you laughing?”

Seongjun asked Bobby, who was raising the corners of his mouth just like him.

Then Barbie said in a voice that said, “Of course.”

“Well, it was fun.”

Barbie’s answer was simple and clear.

I had vaguely expected it.

From the beginning, the guy wasn’t particularly interested in the ‘player’ information.

‘I was just wondering if I was a player.’

However, during his conversation with Bobby, Sungjun hinted at the possibility that he might be a player.

There, Barbie had already achieved her goal of ‘confirmation’.

Still, the reason why he insisted on making the bet could be found by looking back at what he had said.

– I’ve been thinking of a ‘fun’ bet.

– I wanted to join in while watching you ‘play’ with your idiot brothers.

That’s right.

What he pursued was the ‘joy’ he felt from competing with himself.

‘In other words, winning or losing didn’t matter to him from the beginning.’

Whether I won or lost in a match where I gave it my all, I just had fun in the process.

That’s why he can smile so happily even in defeat.

On the one hand, it was annoying, but on the other hand, I thought it was very Barbie-like.

Well, anyway.

Now that I’ve won, I’m qualified to question the guy.

It’s time to dig up everything you’re curious about from the guy as loot.

There is no set number of questions, so we may spend the night answering questions.

Of course, the first thing to ask was decided to be one thing.

That’s right.

“So, what is your real identity?”

Bobby, who had given an ambiguous answer to the question of whether he was a player in the previous meeting.

– Half right, half wrong.

What on earth does the term ‘half-and-half player’ mean?

Seongjun thought about it over and over again and made his own guess.

After formulating and eliminating numerous hypotheses, only the two most convincing ones remained.

One of them is the hypothesis that Barbie is actually a clone of Orpheus.

This hypothesis arose from Sungjun’s strong conviction that he was the only ‘player’.

That’s understandable, because when ‘Bangsingki’ was installed at the subway station a year ago, the download history was ‘0’.

‘The release date was that day too.’

Additionally, immediately after downloading, the existence of ‘Bangsinki’ suddenly disappeared from the App Store, so there was no possibility that Bobby downloaded ‘Bangsinki’ additionally after himself.

What Sungjun noticed was rather the opposite possibility.

‘Orpheus mentioned that he had been conducting several tests to safely inject my abilities, leading to the current ‘Bangshinki’ system.’

I don’t care what kind of bizarre things they were.

but.

‘What if that test was also conducted on ‘Bangsinki’?’

In the first place, it is standard for all games to go through a ‘beta test’ before their official launch.

therefore.

“I am-”

“You are a man who was a ‘player’.”

Before Bobby’s lips opened, Sungjun spoke his mind first.

“flaw.”

Bobby smiled faintly after hearing Seongjun’s words.

And Sungjun noticed right away.

That Barbie’s smile was a smile of positivity.

Finally, Barbie’s lips slowly opened.

“You’re right. I was a ‘player’ too.”

‘also…!’

Barbie used the ‘past tense’ herself.

That means you are not a player right now.

The player’s confidence that he would be the only one proved correct.

Does that mean I have been stripped of my player status?

Or why did you come down from the player?

Have you also received an offer for a seat in the Biseung?

Perhaps your abilities have diminished because you accepted it?

I was about to ask a lot of questions.

“only···.”

Bobby’s words, which I thought were over, continued.

And in the words that followed, a shocking truth came out that completely overturned Sungjun’s guesses.

“Not in this world, but in another world.”