Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 9



Only Noblemtl

9. I feel like drinking beer

Sunday midnight.

Yuna’s digital single, which many fans at home and abroad have been eagerly awaiting, has been released.

The title is ’26’.

Yuna, who is 26 years old and stands on the borderline between a child and an adult, said that the song contains her emotions and the world she feels.

“What Yuna sings about in this new song is youth.

Your role as an ever-changing adult.

On the other hand, I still want to remain a pure child with lots of dreams.

《The countless tremors that bloomed in the meantime were sung with honest lyrics and melodies.》

People agreed with the sentiments of a famous pop music critic.

And thanks to such rave reviews and favorable comments, the Kiwi charts were turned upside down just one hour after its release.

The number ’26’ written at the top of the chart.

Pushing out the so-called tier 1 girl group and taking the top spot!

Even though it was late at night, the live comments on YouTube and the community were lively.

– God Yuna, this new song is crazy too! Let’s go for #1 on Billboard!

n Unfortunately, that’s not possible this time. To do that, it would have to be released strategically at 1pm on Friday to reflect on the global charts.

Mr. N, Zhuge Liang? What rank is he besides Unsu?

N Jagangducheonㅋㅋㅋ Jegalgongmyeongjwa vs Suneungjwa

– The best goat song ever by my standards. Especially the build-up right before moving on to Sabi was crazy!

n It wasn’t just me who felt this way. 1:38 This place keeps lingering strangely.

N Yuna she is a god.

After hurriedly finishing up the melody revision, relief and congratulations erupted simultaneously in the conference room of Yuna’s agency, MXM Entertainment, which was monitoring the situation.

“Congratulations to our Yuna for topping the charts!”

“Wow, the last-minute revisions were worth it! Thanks to it, my lifespan was shortened by about 10 years.”

“You know too, sir? That Yuna got first place?”

“Yes, I just got a call from the US. They said that the credit limit is unlimited today and tomorrow!”

“Okay! Let’s open a few bottles of soju today! Tomorrow’s lunch menu is Korean beef sirloin!”

A noisy conference room.

Amidst the celebration of the hard work thus far.

“······.”

Yuna, the person involved, was sitting with an expression on her face, lost in thought about something else.

In the midst of gazes that are constantly checking their cell phones.

Her eyes are fixed on the YouTube comments.

– 1:38 It keeps hovering here strangely.

1 minute 38 seconds.

When you click on that section with your finger, a familiar yet unfamiliar melody flows out.

A melody hummed by a mysterious man I met at the Paradise Shopping Mall.

That’s why it felt ‘unfamiliar’ even though it was Yuna’s own song.

‘That ninja turtle guy···.’

Yuna bites her lips slightly as she recalls the back of a man carrying a load like a turtle’s shell.

After the man disappeared like the wind.

When she came to her senses, she went straight to the counter and asked.

– What did that person who left a little while ago buy?

That was the only clue I had about the man.

Then the answer I got from the employee who checked the receipt was:

– These are all entry-level composition equipment.

Oh my goodness, this is entry level gear.

I asked again if I had confused him with someone else, but the clerk’s answer was the same.

‘That makes it even more frustrating.’

Of course, I know that there are many masters in the music industry.

However, it was common sense that it would be nonsensical to find such an attractive melody line with only the chords and song concept heard for the first time.

And that too for someone who is just starting to compose music?

‘I should have followed you and gotten your contact information.’

She originally wanted to catch a man and have him co-compose the song.

Even though it was only two words, my pride wouldn’t allow me to just take someone else’s melody and use it.

As a result, from her perspective, it was no different from having a debt to pay to the man.

‘So I’ll wait.’

Yuna was sure.

If a man with this level of composing sense were to enter the world of composing, he would quickly rise to prominence in the scene.

I also asked my manager, who was there with me, to ask if there was anyone like that man among the new composers these days.

I remember your face so well that I will definitely repay this debt when I see you again.

And just as she had hoped, the two were reunited shortly thereafter.

In a completely unexpected place.

*

*

*

Meanwhile, 6 hours ago, Cha Seong-jun.

“Whew, it’s heavy. It’s heavy.”

Cha Seong-jun, who arrived at his studio, puts down the luggage he was carrying with both hands.

I was on my way back from Paradise Shopping Mall after calling a taxi in a hurry.

Because not long after I sat down next to the woman in the hat and hummed the melody, the promotion message came to me.

[The promotion mission was successful.]

[Singer-songwriter rank is upgraded to level 2.]

‘The mission was to help a musician in trouble and compose a melody line that suited his taste···.’

It must have meant that the melody he sang really suited the girl’s taste.

I had a feeling that my worries would be solved so easily, but anyway, it was helpful, so I guess I succeeded in my mission.

Then came the continuous stream of promotion reward messages.

[Stat and skill level restrictions are removed.]

[2nd stage of neglect/rest activity added.]

[The title ‘Late-blooming singer-songwriter beginner’ applies.]

At the same time, the avatar’s appearance also changed.

The avatar with a question mark above its head spun around and around, then soon stopped with an exclamation mark.

An effect reminiscent of the evolution of Pokémon.

When I looked closely with anticipation, I saw that the costume had completely changed.

In the combat uniform of a tired office worker-

“ah······.”

-A set of black Adidas training suits.

Well… it was an outfit that suited the title of ‘beginner singer-songwriter’ quite well.

Anyway, I was so happy to be promoted that I decided to go straight home and eat the famous noodle soup and nabal.

Because of that, I might have looked like a crazy guy to the women who came and went as they pleased, but I knew that we wouldn’t be meeting again anyway.

“This is much more important than that.”

With this, you can now raise your stats to Lv. 5 or higher.

But what caught more attention was what happened next.

“Idle activities and rest activities were added?”

We started checking right away.

[Choose an idle activity.]

▶ Practice singing

▶ Playing other

▶ Studying Mars

▶ [New!] Piano Performance

[Choose a relaxation activity.]

▶ Meal: Takes 2 hours. Restores 1 stamina.

▶ Sleep: Takes 8 hours. Full stamina recovery.

▶ [New!] Watching a movie: 3 hours. Obtain ‘Emotion’ buff for 1 hour.

※ Current stamina: 1/6

Cha Seong-jun’s eyes grow wide.

Not only did the number of idle and rest activity options increase by one, but maximum stamina also increased by 1.

First of all, as a new abandoned activity.

“Oh, piano playing!”

Cha Sung-jun clenches his fist in joy.

Since I had already started composing, I had been secretly hoping to have some piano-related skills.

After all, there are limits to composing with just an acoustic guitar.

On the other hand, the new leisure activity was enough to arouse curiosity.

“Emotional buff?”

This time, instead of restoring stamina, it was an activity that gave a buff.

I couldn’t stand to wonder what kind of mechanism it was without trying it out right away.

[You chose to watch a movie.]

The avatar begins to move in response to the message.

The screen switches to a scene where you are sitting in a movie theater seat.

A guy wearing 3D glasses is holding a square popcorn in one hand.

This time too, it was a really cute production.

While waiting for the Avatar movie to finish, I set up the composition equipment I bought at Paradise Shopping Mall.

After completing the installation, I was satisfied with the appearance.

Do you feel like a real composer?

On the one hand, I felt like I had to go find a studio right away, even tomorrow.

Because the house is small and there is noise between floors, it is difficult to record vocals.

After that, I had a light meal of rice and Spam, and did some housework that had piled up during the week, and time passed quickly.

[I finished watching the movie.]

[You gain the ‘Emotion’ buff for 1 hour.]

At the same time, a 60-minute timer appeared in front of my eyes.

I guess the buff will remain during this time.

“Next, I’ll put all four coins I saved into the composition stat.”

Reach Lv.9 in one go.

Cha Seong-jun raised the corners of his lips as if he was satisfied and started the music composition program, ‘Logic’.

It’s finally the moment for my first full-fledged composition.

“Since it’s our first time, let’s take it easy, take it easy.”

In a YouTube interview with a famous composer, it was said that it is better to start lightly when working on your first project.

Rather than starting off with a lot of effort, I think it’s better to take an interest in something little by little over a long period of time.

So Cha Seong-jun also thought the same.

The theme of the song was to be caught naturally in everyday life.

“Because today is Saturday evening.”

I think something like ‘Saturday Night’ would be appropriate.

Since this was my first composition, I was worried that I would get lost here and there, but somehow it’s progressing so quickly. Is it because I raised my composition level? Or is it because of the buff?

Suddenly I looked out the window and it was raining lightly.

The sound of raindrops hitting the window feels like a metronome.

If we now move the rhythm of these raindrops using BPM as the beats per minute…

“Oh, that’s a good idea?”

I played around with virtual instruments, choosing a percussion sound that felt like it was blocked by a window, and then stamped it onto the project score at regular intervals.

I tried it out and it felt just as I expected. It’s good.

Next, he brought out his new guitar and sat down.

I plan to find chords that fit the feel of a guitar that I am familiar with.

“Let’s try something with a calming yet night-like chord.”

I found a chord I liked by strumming the guitar strings using the arpeggio technique.

In a flash, the second instrument is finished.

Since this was my first composition, I planned to keep it simple and use only three instruments, so only the last instrument is left.

What I want to convey with the last instrument is.

“The main sound of this song is the sound of rain.”

As is typical, nothing beats a bell to represent raindrops.

This time, I listened to several bell sounds and chose the one I liked the most.

Ding♪ Ding♪

It’s like putting strawberry seeds in a strawberry, poking the bell sound into the beat.

After that, I finished my first composition by slightly adjusting the volume and effects.

“Uuuuuu.”

Cha Seong-jun stretched out both arms.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been this absorbed in one thing without any distracting thoughts.

How much time has passed?

Check the time on your laptop.

“Huh? 10 o’clock?”

Cha Seong-jun tilts his head, seeming embarrassed.

It was definitely 9pm when I started working, but only an hour had passed.

Even though it didn’t feel like it, it felt like I was hanging on for 3 hours.

‘Is composing something that can be done so easily?’

Maybe it’s because I’m not obsessed with perfection.

Because it’s literally just a practice piece.

“Well then, where should we hear the results?”

I put on my headset and listened to the finished song.

It’s a song that gently depicts a rainy night, just as I had pictured it in my head.

The corners of Cha Seong-jun’s mouth twitch.

‘What, it’s not bad?’

No, to say it wasn’t bad was an understatement.

To be honest, it was pretty good for a first time. If someone who didn’t know heard it, they might mistake it for a professional song.

‘But even a hedgehog thinks its babies are cute. It could be self-indulgent.’

It requires some kind of objective verification.

Cha Sung-jun connected to ‘Sound Sky’.

‘Sound Sky’ is a global online music distribution platform where musicians upload their new songs or original compositions, and listeners can search for and listen to them according to their tastes.

Cha Seong-jun has also already created an account.

ID ‘D.Voice’.

Deep Voice is an English expression of the name ‘Seongjun (Sung means voice, Jun means deep)’, which was given to him by his grandfather with the meaning of becoming a person with deep resonance. It was abbreviated to give it a feeling similar to that of the global K-pop artist ‘Z.Tiger’.

It’s a bit of a weird name, but whatever.

Anyway, no one will know it’s you.

“Upload.”

He uploaded the song to his account and threw himself on the bed.

Perhaps because I had a hectic day, my eyes quickly closed.

*

At that time, Washington State, USA.

ID ‘georgeking’.

George, a SoundSky named user and a K-pop fan, especially Yuna, has been logged into SoundSky since morning.

This is because Yuna’s new song was released at midnight in Korea, which is 11 a.m. here in Washington.

The release date is two hours away, but while we wait, it’s George’s job to keep up with the latest work posted on the site.

At that time, I was listening to new songs one by one.

“oh?”

[D.Voice – Saturday Night Rain Drop]

A song from an ID I’ve never seen before has been uploaded.

This guy is probably a young musician kid who has just started composing music.

He played music with a warm smile.

The introduction begins with a percussion that feels like a soaked sponge.

“Not bad.”

Next, a guitar arpeggio is laid down, and the elegant sound of bells is woven over it.

Is this the starlight in the night sky? Oh, it’s the sound of rain.

George slowly closes his eyes.

A purple curtain covers the pitch-black eyelids and stars twinkle.

And the sound of raindrops tapping gently against the window.

It was such a vivid night that I forgot it was actually morning.

“Somehow I feel like drinking beer.”

He took off his headset and wrote a comment before heading to the fridge.

– I LIKE IT.

No one could have predicted what kind of response those three simple words would have.

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