"I'm a bit worried."
It's been a while since I recorded the Japanese song, and two of the original tracks have been continuously changed. It's because Kang Ichae didn't like them.
I can't grasp the concept or feel of it.
There was also a bonus track.
In Japan, there are cases where idol songs are occasionally used as anime opening or ending songs.
This time, as I prepare to enter Japan, I finally asked Daepaseong for something good, and although it will require several complicated processes and final approval, there is a possibility that the bonus track will be chosen as the ending song for a new anime if it's done well.
"Does it have an anime vibe?"
"No."
There are various genres, but Japanese music, including J-POP, has a distinct color that can be clearly distinguished when you listen to it.
And such songs mainly come from Japan.
Especially this song should match the animation.
But the song Kang Ichae made?
"The beat, just smells like money."
It was a fresh beat with Kang Ichae's taste 200% in it.
Until now, it was a more energetic atmosphere that I could handle, but this Japanese song for the album had to be different.
"I didn't expect to be troubled by something like this."
Kang ichae chuckled, seeming unable to grasp any inspiration.
It seemed a bit troubling to strip away his strengths. Moreover, while it might be fine for games, he had zero interest in animation, which made it even more challenging.
"How do you get rid of the money smell?"
"I love the smell of money, so don't ask me."
"...Can someone else come instead of Tokkeang?" (Rabbit)
At Kang Ichae's shout, Jeong Dajun, who was spinning around in a wheeled chair in a slightly distant place, approached Kim Seonghyeon and asked him to push him, sliding quickly and approaching in an instant.
"Hyung!! Did you watch Speed Racer or Ninja Hattori when you were young?"
"Speed... What's that?"
"...I don't want to have a conversation with someone who doesn't know."
Although he grew up properly as a drama enthusiast now, Jeong Da-jun, who devoured anime when he was young, looked at Kang Ichae, who didn't know anything, with a cold look, and then took away his laptop and opened a YouTube window.
"Look! It's so exciting as soon as you listen to it, and your heart is filled with emotion! It makes you want to run around the playground with tires on fire under the blazing summer sun! It feels like the throbbing youth that was buried deep in your heart five years ago is rising again!!"
"So what were you doing when you were fifteen, Dajun?"
"I was going to an English academy~."
"...You were?"
"Seriously, you're too much."
Jeong Dajun and Kang Ichae chatted.
Anyway, after listening to a few more songs through related videos, Kang Ichae nodded his head.
"Ah, um, okay, okay."
And he hummed a melody and immediately started creating a beat.
It wasn't like a factory, but he produced a beat that seemed to contain a refreshing breeze blowing from somewhere, while exuding a sweaty scent under the blazing sunlight.
"Wow!! This feels right!"
'Crazy...'
As Kang Ichae roughly followed the beat and matched the melody with his mouth, he turned his gaze to Jeong Dajun.
"...Is it good?"
Kang Ichae raised his head, resting his chin on his hand, as if he was unsure if it was his taste or not.
"I'm the youngest here but wasn't that ending song not about running around the playground with tires on fire... What was it? A Japanese trainee challenging K-pop... something like that?"
"Ah, I see," Jung Da-jun, who was feeling guilty, closed his mouth.
The Hallyu wave, which had been in full swing, seemed to be fading, but in recent years, the K-POP wave has started again.
It has even been used as a theme in comics, and the animation that Jung Dajun is currently working on tells the story of Japanese male trainees succeeding as idols in Korea.
"Well, then let's just put in our preferences," Kang Ichae seemed pleased with the idea of being able to incorporate his own preferences, as his mouse clicked cheerfully.
The sweaty smell and the feeling of passionate youth that filled the air disappeared, and soon a refreshing and lively EDM deep house genre song took its place.
"Wow... It's over the top. No matter how inspired he was, is it possible to completely change the development of an existing song in just a few minutes?"
"Even I would get annoyed with this,"
this genius kid...
Kang Ichae seemed to understand why lim Hyeonsoo was hit hard by reality and became depressed. As the days went by, Kang Ichae's level and sense of making music skyrocketed, and now he was even incorporating coherence into his songs.
"Ichae,"
even after watching him several times, other members continued to be amazed by the scene.
"Why did you leave it so empty?"
"I wanted to experience the bitterness of life for once."
"Don't lie, you didn't want to do it," Kang Ichae chuckled and got up from his seat, heading into the recording studio. It seemed like he was going to do a guide recording.
"What is he doing?"
"He's pulling out the beat like that," I thought the company would handle attaching Japanese lyrics, so I was mumbling and reviewing the beat, but Kim Seonghyeon glanced at Kang Ichae, who had entered the recording studio, and said.
"Do you know about that?"
"What?"
"Kang Ichae, he received a lot of love calls from other idol group agencies. They want him to make songs."
"I think I heard about it through the manager. At first, they tried to talk through the company, but it didn't work out well, so they got his personal contact and talked to him..."
"But?"
" he got scolded severely."
...Why? Why would he turn down an opportunity to make money?
I didn't necessarily oppose Kang I-chae making another song.
Seeing the puzzled expression on his face, Jung Dajun hopped over to my side and shook Kang Ichae's phone.
"Look."
"......?"
Jung Da-jun effortlessly unlocked Kang Ichae's phone screen.
Then, he went into a chat and scrolled down to show me a long conversation. It said that they had finally obtained his contact information and asked him to reply if he was interested after seeing his work, promising to take care of him without any regrets.
But Kang Ichae's reply was dismissive.
[Kang I-chae: Oh no, I can'tㅠㅎㅎ]
Scrolling down further, there was another chat from Kang Ichae.
Even if they persistently asked.
[Kang I-chae: Please ask the company!!]
Even if they asked if he had any specific conditions.
[Kang I-chae: Ichae doesn't know about thatㅠ]
...It was like that.
"Kang Ichae...."
Why you using a third person even when texting someone you've never met before?
Feeling sorry for the employee who seemed frustrated while sending messages to a strong-willed 22-year-old rapper, I handed the phone back to Jeong Dajun.
"I accidentally pressed this while playing games on Ichae hyung's phone... He was replying like this. He said I could show it to you guys."
"Why? Just do it then. It's good to make a lot of money."
"Yeah, you're right."
Unless it's a rival group, there wouldn't be much of a reaction if Kang Ichae worked on songs for other idol groups. Instead, it could fill the fans with pride that the person who wrote such a song is a member of our group.
Moreover, it was more common than expected for idols who have already shown talent in composing to work on songs for other groups.
"Why do you guys get so upset about it?"
The quick-witted one who came out of the recording studio could tell the conversation topic just by looking at our atmosphere and pursed his lips.
"Why should I care if people benefit?"
"......"
"......"
"...Hoyun hyung said he would keep him in check, but he's become quite stubborn."
"Being a leader is truly an extreme job...."
Kim Sunghyeon looked disgusted and distanced himself.
"Is this for real?"
Isn't it just annoying?
Kang Ichae slumped back onto the sofa.
He would complain for two hours about not wanting to do it, but then suddenly get inspired for a minute and spend five minutes recording a guide track. It reminded me of someone....
"Hmm."
Kang Ichae occasionally acted arrogant.
Not because he was ignorant, but because he had a precise sense of objectivity.
Strong mental fortitude, quick wit, and a dazzling talent. It would be more fitting for him to be humble with those abilities, but...
"But this Lim hyeonsoo is also going through a slump."
It means that Kang Ichae might experience that phase someday too.
"Instead of these kinds of contacts, I hope ms. composer comesback soon. It's been too long since we've seen her."
"She said she went to find love?"
"Why on earth is she looking for love in California?"
Kang Ichae muttered as he picked up his phone.
But even so, the fact that she didn't contact first shows that she's quick-witted.
"But did you hear about that!?"
"What?"
"Cheongbeom, the composer, why does she have Blue Tiger tattoo?"
"Huh? Why?"
I'm really not that curious.
I pushed away Kang Ichae who was coming closer, and Jeong Dajun, who was memorizing the Japanese lyrics of the finished song, snapped the cap of his pen and said.
"She had a tattoo of a blue tiger―."
It's already cringeworthy.
"―from his first love."
"Wow...."
Ugh....
"To be honest, if someone else did that, they would be so embarrassing, but because she's a composer, it's cool."
"That's what I'm saying! Isn't it ridiculous?!"
Why would you do something like that?
"Why is Hoyun so fussy?"
I had worked with Lim Hyeonsoo for a long time in the original world, but I had never heard such a story.
Of course. Such a non-existent story couldn't penetrate my ears.
Sung Jiwon chuckled quietly beside me and asked.
"Should we get group tattoos too?"
"Doesn't it really sound like Jiwon hyung?"
"Do you want to get matching tattoos?"
"Seriously, don't even joke about that."
"Ahaha."
The youngest members laughed and quickly grabbed their wallets, saying they were going to the convenience store to buy something to eat.
Sung Jiwon and Kim Seonghyeon also left to go to V Live....
I was left alone, I flopped down on the black leather sofa, holding a candy in my mouth.
"Why is everyone acting so crazy these days?"
I inserted a piece of paper into the clipboard and lay down, twirling the pen in my hand and organizing my thoughts.
The factors for success in the Japanese market include the duration of activities, content, and local recognition.
As for the songs, Kang Ichae will take care of them on his own....
"Hmm, this seems important."
Backlash against overseas expansion from the domestic market.
That's what I'm talking about.
After seeing the reactions that came after the year-end stage, I roughly understood the situation.
I mumbled to myself as I rolled the candy in my mouth.
"Did I do a good job sweeping the floor?"
If Jung Da-jun had heard that, he would have asked if I cleaned.
I drew lines with the pen, writing down the names of the people I remembered. And on top of that, I drew lines, added question marks, or underlined them.
And one person stood out the most.
[ㅇㅈㅎ]
By now, that person must be suffering from stress.
And a few days later, Lee Jihyeon was really feeling the pressure.
"I handed over the Japanese radio. I sent negotiation emails for anime insert songs."
She drew lines on the to-do list she had written. After finishing the Apocalypse trilogy, Lee Jihyeon wanted to move on to a five-part series, but the company strongly discouraged her.
Lee Jihyeon sighed bitterly, rubbing her head with her hand.
"Damn rookies...!!"
But she admitted it. She realized that if she took one more step here, she would lose her mind, so she decided to put her plans on hold for now.
For the past year, Lee Jihyeon had been working tirelessly, like a person who never gets tired.
With the solidly built Apocalypse trilogy and the attention-grabbing Hameko planning, and even the crazy (or creative, as some would say) Jacen.
It was a perfect collaboration between Lee Jihyeon's planning skills and Seo Hoyun's execution.
"Now is the crucial turning point."
In the overflowing sea of gossip and old-timers in the K-pop industry, The Dawn managed to attract attention and establish a certain position.
But they couldn't stop here. If they wanted to quickly rise to the top of the second-tier and beyond, now was truly important.
A new concept, a new world, and this time, they had to capture popularity....
"Japanese activities...."
"That's what bothered me the most. During this time, we should be focusing on establishing our presence domestically, but fans might criticize us for focusing on overseas activities."
"I heard it will be released soon by the PR team!"
'Activities, activities, activities....'
My legs trembled. Even drinking coffee hastily didn't calm my mind.
How many nights have I stayed up during The Dawn's activities, worrying and crying over every single reaction?
Lately, I've always been in a constant state of exhaustion, feeling a mix of accomplishment and emptiness. But now, due to the tension, all I could hope for was for this matter to pass without any issues.
"Jihyeon, why are your legs shaking like that?"
"Ah, um, well...."
"Are you nervous?"
The team leader asked with a gentle voice. Although I was slightly moved that he cared, just as I was about to nod my head, '...hmm?'
I met the calm faces of everyone in the planning team.
In this office, I was the only one feeling anxious and restless.
"A-Aren't you feeling anxious, Team Leader?"
"Hmm?"
The team leader took a sip of his coffee and raised his eyebrows.
"Why would we? Jihyeon has done a great job, what's there to worry about?"
"...."
"Always reliable~."
No, it seemed like she wasn't even paying attention.
'...Ah, damn it.'
Jihyeon finally realized.
'These bastards....'
These few people had entrusted everything about The Dawn to Jihyeon. So the peace that came from experience wasn't genuine, but rather closer to indifference.
Jihyeon heard those words and blinked for a moment before bowing her head deeply.
"...Huh."
To hide the resurfacing sense of reality.
Because she didn't want to show that she was on the verge of laughter.
'So this is why people say to do things in moderation.'
"I didn't want to show that I was bursting out laughing."
"That's why people say to do things in moderation."
When you enter a company, don't work too hard, even if you have an Excel certification, say you don't know how to create a pivot table, and even if you know a second language, start by saying you don't know.
I didn't say those things for a reason.
Even if you work hard, very few people appreciate it, and even if they speak kindly, it's ultimately just a pretense to use you.
"Oh, an article just came out!"
"Let's do another live broadcast for The dawn now. Shall we leave work now?"
"Sure~."
As Lee Jihyeon took a deep breath, everyone pretended to consider the proposal, citing the excuse that such tasks were the responsibility of the media and publicity team, and then hurriedly made their way out.
But Lee Jihyeon, who had been prepared to stay back, nibbling on sandwiches and checking reactions to adjust future plans accordingly, ended up hesitating and then standing up with a sigh.
"...Alright."
"...Shall we go together?"
"Sure~."
'No, I won't!'
With that, Lee Jihyeon closed her eyes tightly and tossed the work phone she had carried around for the last past hoping for a call or message.
"I'm leaving."
Stuffing the scattered items into her bag haphazardly, Lee Jihyeon walked out of the office.
Even though it was late, the media and publicity team were still at work, so even after turning off the lights in the planning department, the office wasn't completely dark.
Posters of Min Jiheon and The Dawn were plastered all over the lobby, but Lee Jihyeon made an effort to ignore them.
"Isn't there too much overtime these days?"
"It's the beginning of the year, so it can't be helped~."
Lee Jihyeon was too tired to respond or resist as the planning team members chatted. She just kept her mouth shut and managed to reach the subway entrance.
Suddenly...
"...??"
She turned around again. A bewildered planning team member grabbed Lee Jihyeon's arm.
"Where are you going, Ms. Jihyeon?"
"...Ah, please go ahead."
This wasn't right no matter how she looked at it.
"I have something to check briefly and I'll be back."
"Really?"
Lee Jihyeon turned back to confirm.
'Jeez...!'
Rather than just quickly turning around, she wanted to stay until the end to confirm the reactions!
'I know too!! I'm such a mess!!'
Lee Jiheon quickly said her goodbyes and hurried away.
"Phew, huff...."
As Lee Ji-hyun entered the planning team's office, she turned on the computer relying on the light coming through the crack in the door.
Tap, tap, tap.
Click!!
Nowadays, she is more familiar with the password for the office computer than her own home computer. Lee Jihyeon quickly typed on the keyboard and searched for "The Dawn" and "Daepaseong"
With trembling hands, Lee Jihyeon clicked through the search results on the monitor and blinked for a moment.
"Huh...?"
---