Finding the Right Words

Chapter 83- Opportunity Isn't Expected

"We've been trying! The song is great, but there are no artists who have sung both versions satisfactorily enough to be the performer! They always mispronounce the English version!" I heard the director argue over his phone. "Tiffany Hwang was one of the ideas, but her voice range is too low. This is a song for a higher pitched voice. Yes, it has to be perfect. Because of Queen Be's role, we're getting international attention. No, Jessica Jung is unavailable. We need to find someone! It's going to be one of the main songs!" 

He hung up the phone angrily, his face red. He sighed, calming himself down. "I'm sorry, Queen Be. The song you wrote for us is great, but we're having troubles finding someone to perform it. It's very problematic. They don't have to be native English speakers, all they have to do is to pronounce it right. But no one can do that."

I shrugged. "I'm sorry, Shiljjang-nim. I'm doing what I can to help, but..."

"Queen Be, what if you recorded a preview version, so they can listen to it and understand what they need to do?"

"A- a preview? Well, sir, I'm not a singer..."

"It's not the real version. Just sing it for a reference. You know how it goes, right?"

"Of course, Shiljjang-nim. Should I?"

"Here, go on into the recording studio. We'll listen to it and tell you how it goes. Just try it. You have perfect English, right?"

"Yes, Shiljjang-nim."

Before I knew it, I was in the recording room, a pair of headphones over my ears, and a group of people looking at me through the glass. I gulped, trying to focus before I began.

The drama, and thus the song, was about the Korean War, the two sides of Korea split in two. One character was a North Korean soldier who is injured in combat, and is in the hospital through most of the drama, and pretends to hate the main character, but actually loves her. The other is a South Korean soldier who falls in love with the main character, and keeps trying to convince her of his love. The main character is split, and the song was both about the love triangle and the war in general. Actually, a very dark song. 

I watched for the director's cue, then listened as the music began. 

"Neither will give up, neither will concede,

The forces clash and fight for me.

One will lose, what will the other gain?

I cannot let one die while the other remains.

You who can promise me nothing,

why is your smile so sweet?

You who can promise me everything,

why do I shy away each time we meet?

The rain falls and falls on both sides.

Drops of tears and blood cross the divide.

Shattered families and broken dreams,

filling eerie silence with guilty screams.

My heart is torn--

the one who needs me or the one I need.

The divide will only kill, and the living will mourn,

and bloody earth will grow no seed.

Not even love will heal this tear,

for it is love that broke this land.

A war against themselves that wore their hearts bare.