Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 8



Only Noblemtl

8. What is that stone?

National goddess.

Celebrity’s celebrity.

K-pop trendsetter.

National hip hop top, etc.

There are countless words to describe top star singer Yuna.

A fearsome rookie who rose to the top of the music industry in just 2 years since debut with lovely visuals and a unique voice tone that is called a vocal gangster.

As soon as they release an album, they line up on the Kiwi charts, win grand prizes at various music awards, and recently even entered the Billboard Hot 100.

Even the fact that she participated in writing and composing all the songs on her debut album earned her praise as a talented musician, not just an entertainer.

This is the superstar who is currently enjoying the greatest popularity in name and reality.

“Eww!”

A sigh was heard in a store in Paradise Shopping Mall.

The reason was simple.

“Don’t come out. It just won’t come out!”

Because I don’t have any inspiration at all.

It was Yuna’s long-standing habit.

Whenever I get stuck working on a song, I go to Nakwon Shopping Mall.

I just barge into a store that feels like it and play the piano until an idea comes to me.

What started as an amateur attempt to gain musical inspiration from the holy land of Ttanttara has continued to this day.

It’s almost become a jinx now.

Her agency also experienced her stubborn nature and routine firsthand, so they paid special attention to her care and control.

But, as they say, a time bomb will explode someday.

Eventually, an accident occurred.

『Yuna’s comeback announcement after half a year! Digital single release imminent tomorrow!』

The situation is one day before the comeback.

Yuna called her management team together and dropped a bombshell statement.

– I don’t think it’ll work. I’ll edit the new song’s melody.

The melody line that has been revised and revised over the past week.

The producers said okay, but in the end, they declared that they would change it because they didn’t like it.

And that too with only a day left until the release!

– I’m so sorry to my brothers and sisters. But I still don’t think I can release it like this.

As mentioned earlier, her songs boasted a high level of perfection.

She was a woman of few compromises when it came to music.

After intense negotiation, we decided to keep the release time as is, but to do some final revisions during the last day.

So the production team is on emergency standby in the studio.

Yuna and her manager hurriedly searched for Paradise Shopping Mall and entered a store with an interior that was just their taste.

I sat down at the piano and repeated the chords of the section I wanted to modify dozens of times.

Time passed without end, but the melody I wanted did not come to me, so I held it in and held it in until I finally exploded.

“What’s that guy?”

“I don’t know, why are you yelling all of a sudden?”

As the attention focused on him, a cold sweat started to run down the back of the manager next to him.

Even though her long hair, which she had until her last promotions, was cut short for her comeback and she even wore a baseball cap pulled down low, Yuna’s aura is different.

Things would be awkward if anyone in the store noticed her true identity.

‘I told you to be careful······.’

I can’t stand anything that has to do with songwriting.

As the chatter grew louder, the manager’s lips became drier.

It was at that time that I was trying to persuade him to go to the famous 2,000 won noodle restaurant next to the shopping mall and have some refreshment.

“hey.”

Before she could stop him, someone came up to her and tapped her shoulder.

He was a man who went in and out of the store several times.

He said that with a suspicious smile.

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to help you.”

*

[The promotion mission has arrived.]

[Help a musician in trouble to solve his problem.]

[Composing a melody line to the musician’s taste]

A message appeared before Cha Seong-jun’s eyes as he waited for the clerk to come pick up the instrument.

Promotion mission.

That’s what was limiting the increase in stats.

I checked to see how it appeared at this time.

[Stats have increased through passionate singing practice.]

[Vocation Lv.4 > Vocalization Lv.5]

The neglect activity set while helping Seol Hye-yoon ends.

As a reward, the vocalization stat was raised to Lv. 5, so the condition for the promotion mission to occur was that 3 or more stats had just been achieved at Lv. 5.

‘Let’s see what the mission is.’

Composing melody lines.

I was happy because I was really engrossed in the composition stats at the time.

I’m a little hesitant about the expression ‘musician’s taste’.

‘By the way, why are all these missions so active?’

Thanks to that, I have to talk to a complete stranger again.

However, Cha Seong-jun was determined to throw away any embarrassment before the mission.

He walked briskly without hesitation and arrived in front of the piano.

“Who are you to act so carelessly-”

“Is it because of the melody line?”

When I ask a question, interrupting the man next to me, the woman quickly turns her head and looks at me.

Under the shaded brim of his hat, his surprised eyes were looking straight at Cha Seong-jun, asking questions.

How did you know that?

“No, you’ve been playing the same chords all along. I thought you were coming up with a melody. Is that right?”

“······.”

The woman, who had been silent for a moment as if on guard, soon nodded her head slightly without saying anything.

It was a natural reaction, since a stranger suddenly spoke to me.

Still, the nod was a positive sign for Cha Seong-jun, who had to carry out the mission.

“I’m sorry for telling you this late, but I’m not a weird person. I’m a musician too.”

Actually, I’m someone who wants to restart music, but it’s not really a lie.

“Isn’t it true that musicians like us should help each other out? After all, two people’s heads are better than one’s.”

“······.”

I showed off all the cuteness I had honed at work, but the other person didn’t respond. But they didn’t really tell me to get out of here.

It’s not a giraffe.

“How. Is your boyfriend okay-”

“Cousin! It’s my older brother.”

“If it’s okay with your cousin.”

The man and woman exchanged a glance and nodded slightly again. This time, it was clearly an expression of acceptance.

By the way, why do you keep nodding your head? You were shouting so well earlier.

“Ahem. Well then, let me add my idea, even if it’s not enough. How will the code progress?”

When Cha Seong-jun asked, who had coughed awkwardly, the mother and daughter pressed the keys.

♪~ ♬~ ♪~ ♬~

A code that seems familiar, but has unique structures here and there.

At that moment, I was wondering what kind of melody was put on top of this code.

“Hmm~ Hmm~”

A small hum began to flow out of the mouth of the woman who had been silent until now.

‘wow.’

Cha Seong-jun swallows his admiration.

The melody she played had lines that matched exquisitely with the unique variation of the chords.

On the one hand.

‘Your voice is killing me.’

Even at low volume, her soft voice captivates the ears.

Humming that finds a resonance point without effort and resonates leisurely. The ad-lib lines are also smooth as water.

Almost like a professional’s skill.

Is that why? It sounds like I’ve heard that voice somewhere…

at that time.

“Hmm~ umm~”

For a moment, the humming shakes slightly.

Two words that other people would have just said without thinking and said, “Okay~”.

But perhaps because his level of composition had improved, that small sense of discomfort felt big to Cha Seong-jun.

“I think it’s just getting stuck at that part.”

“uh?”

The woman’s pupils dilate.

As the saying goes, the melody I was humming a little while ago was a line that was undergoing endless revisions.

“···How did you know?”

“It just popped out a little there. What should I say, it seems like they kept revising that part.”

Cha Seong-jun’s next words gave me goosebumps.

He pointed out everything with such precision, as if he knew the whole situation.

He approached me with the intention of helping me leisurely, and I thought that he must have incredible musical skills.

Of course, it was a big mistake.

Meanwhile, the person who was misunderstood as a music expert without knowing it is me.

‘This is difficult.’

He was deep in thought, his eyebrows furrowed.

It’s because of the melody the woman played a little while ago.

Although I felt a very slight sense of discomfort, it was a perfect melody in itself.

I can confidently say that this is the result of much deliberation.

‘But you want me to come up with a better melody line here?’

Is that even possible?

At that time, I was shaking with fear at the difficulty of this mission.

“···So, do you have any good ideas?”

The silent woman asked first.

Her eyes were half anticipation and half suspicion.

Amidst such gazes, Cha Seong-jun opened his mouth.

“Can you give me a rough idea of ​​the song concept?”

The reason I asked about the song concept was this.

‘The goal of this mission is to compose a melody that suits this woman’s ‘taste’, not to compose a melody that is ‘better’ than the existing one.’

It was a brilliant idea that came to me as I pondered over the mission content with the belief that there would be an answer to the problem, just like when solving the language section of the CSAT.

In order to come up with a melody that will hit your taste, it was necessary to at least understand the intention behind the song or the theme of the song.

“······.”

The man and woman lock eyes again in response to Cha Seong-jun’s question.

Narrowing the eyes, frowning, and shaking the head is an expression of deliberation.

Then the man let out a deep sigh and then from the woman’s mouth.

“···Twenty-six. I don’t want to be an adult yet.”

A truly poetic and emotional answer came back.

‘Um… twenty-six.’

Cha Seong-jun closes his eyes for a moment.

At first glance, it seems like a difficult and vague topic to express.

But twenty-nine was also a moment he had gone through.

Okay, let’s give it a try.

“I’ll sit down for a moment.”

Cha Seong-jun opened his eyes and sat down on the piano chair where the woman had been sitting.

A woman quickly distances herself with a puzzled expression.

Let’s focus on him, without paying any attention, while placing both hands on the black and white keys.

Whoa whoa whoa.

As the world of inspiration unfolded, one by one, welcome faces began to appear.

They are inspiration fairies wearing bean sprout shaped musical note hats.

‘Okay, show me this time too.’

As I played the chords, repeating them to myself, the fairies began to dance as if they had been waiting for me.

A musical scale that flows and disperses leisurely at the same time.

This time, I have to catch it and spit it out of my mouth before it disappears.

“Ah~”

Cha Seong-jun slowly opened his lips.

*

‘Who the hell is this guy?!’

Yuna swallows her shock inwardly.

A man suddenly sat down next to her and started playing the piano.

A song in a mixture of Korean and English flowed out of his mouth.

“Every time you look at me. I feel you. Get all right.”

Lyrics that are just random and have nothing to do with the twenty-six concept that I answered with great effort.

But the melody the man was humming.

‘···They suit each other well, don’t they?’

It was not only natural and flowed back and forth, but also strangely unique and addictive.

As if it was the original melody from the beginning!

“Excuse me. Can you sing that melody again just now?”

“Uh… Wait a minute. What was it?”

The man, who had been silent for a moment at Yuna’s request, started singing again.

The lyrics and melody are somehow subtly different from the first one.

But doesn’t this melody fit the song even better than before?

‘This is ridiculous. I’ve been struggling so much for this part.’

It was a great experience.

As someone who has high musical pride, it was a blow to her pride.

But on the contrary, I had to admit what had to be admitted.

Without further ado, a man’s melody is perfect for this song.

If that’s the case, then yes.

“excuse me-”

It was at that moment that Yuna, who had decided on something, was about to open her lips.

“Sir, the instrument you requested has arrived.”

The employee with the ponytail who had gone to the third floor warehouse returned to the store.

At that moment, the man playing the piano suddenly stood up from his seat.

“Oh, it came out.”

Then he blinked his eyes and looked into space for a moment, then smiled faintly and said.

“The instrument you ordered has arrived. Well, I hope it was helpful, even though it’s not much, but I’ll take my leave now.”

The man headed to the counter, his arms full of instruments he had just paid for.

He looks like a turtle, carrying a guitar bag on his back and boxes in both hands and on his shoulders.

A man carrying a heavy load on his back suddenly left the store and disappeared.

It was a split second.

From Yuna’s mouth, who was watching his back.

“What’s that, Dol-i?”

Vulgar language that hadn’t been filtered out came out.

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