Recordings
Mahohyun—who had entered the audition under the name Maho—was someone with a personality quite similar to female Kim Soo-hyun.
She preferred staying home over going out, and instead of hanging out with groups of people, she found happiness in decorating her own cozy space and lounging there.
That kind of person found herself drawn to Miro.
When she first saw Miro in the audition broadcast, she thought, This participant is impressive.
Wasn't she the one who managed to take people who came from the community just to mock and bully her—and instead hooked them in with her charm?
And it wasn't like she had much content, either. She just chattered away with nothing of substance, yet still drew people in.
That was what made her impressive—and a little worrying.
Clearly a strong "my pace" type. If she passed and became part of a group, wouldn't that cause disharmony?
For Maho, who was already a little worn out from human relationships, that didn't seem like something to look forward to.
But once she actually talked to Miro on the phone, she realized her worries had been unnecessary.
Miro herself was gentle and laid-back, with no chance of discord.
She wasn't timid either, and in fact often engaged Maho in conversations.
For someone like Maho, who had never really had anyone around to talk to about manga, anime, or even Japanese VTubers, her Heaven-tier Project colleagues were precious otaku-mates—and among them, Miro was someone she could talk to about especially many things. That's why they quickly grew close.
And that's why Maho had gathered the courage to call her and suggest going to the recording together.
Maybe it was a bit forward, crossing a line—but she figured Miro would accept it, and she had.
So she had come out today in a brighter mood, but…
"Well? Better than my profile picture?"
What is this beauty??
Beautiful—strikingly beautiful, with sharp, feline features.
Her figure was balanced, with all the right curves and long legs—an appearance that would leave most celebrities in the dust.
And she clearly knew it. From the way she grinned smugly, openly flaunting her looks, it was obvious she was fully aware of her appeal.
"You're beautiful too, unnie."
"Uh… thanks?"
"Haha! Okay, let's go."
Grinning like she was having the time of her life, Miro led the way, while Maho sighed lightly and followed.
"Have you listened to the debut song much?"
"Plenty. The guide vocalist was really good."
"Yeah. I wonder if they're someone famous?"
"Not sure. I don't know much about Korean singers."
"Same. I only know Japanese ones."
Looking at someone with that kind of appearance spouting otaku talk left Maho at a loss for words.
Now she finally understood why her friends always asked her about it.
Still… even so, it was baffling.
"You seem a little nervous. Why?"
"Uh… you're prettier than I expected?"
"You're pretty too, unnie."
"Still… you're really too pretty."
It was a resigned sort of admission, but Miro just laughed happily.
"Why are you laughing?"
Annoyed, Maho asked, and Miro answered with a grin full of mischief.
"I even changed my profile picture just to see this kind of reaction. Worth it, right? Oh, and when you tell the others, just say, 'Miro's cuter in real life,' okay?"
Her words were more ridiculous and eccentric than Maho had expected.
She changed her profile picture just to get reactions to her face?
That was something even people extremely confident in their looks wouldn't normally do.
But having fallen victim herself, Maho couldn't say anything. All she could do was laugh in disbelief.
"Ahaha… fine. I guess I can't be the only one who got tricked."
Well, she'd already been caught off guard—might as well just enjoy it. Besides, it wasn't so bad thinking she now had someone this gorgeous among her acquaintances.
So, with that, Maho arrived with Miro at a studio in the city.
"Nice building."
"Right? He must be loaded since he's famous."
The awkward atmosphere had eased somewhat during their walk.
As they chatted, they entered the building, where the composer himself came out to greet them.
"Welcome."
He looked like a slim man in his early forties.
With unkempt long hair hanging down, and a rough, unshaven jaw he occasionally stroked, he guided Miro and Maho inside with an impassive expression.
"You're with the Heaven-tier Project, correct?"
After giving each of them a once-over, he offered a brief explanation, then pointed toward the recording booth.
"First, sing the entire song. I'll listen, then divide up the parts. Who wants to go first?"
"Uh… should I go first?"
"Yes, you go ahead, unnie."
So Maho went first. With a slightly tense expression, she entered the booth and focused on the melody, singing each line steadily.
Though she had recorded countless cover songs before, it was her first time singing a track that would list her own name as the artist. That alone was enough to make her nervous.
And the song wasn't easy either. She had to concentrate hard to avoid mistakes.
Truthfully, since the song leaned heavily K-pop, she wasn't completely confident—but the sections with a Japanese band-style flair? Those, she nailed with confidence.
When she finished and stepped out, Miro clapped in admiration.
"Whoa, your high notes are insane, unnie."
The blunt comment made Maho burst out laughing.
With the tension finally lifting, she laughed without resistance.
"Ahaha! What kind of way is that to say it?"
"But I'm not half-bad either, so sit back and watch."
Miro, speaking with bold confidence, stepped into the booth.
Watching her don the headset and stand at the mic, Maho found herself quietly impressed.
It felt like watching a real celebrity recording in person.
"Alright, let's begin."
With that pleasant voice lingering in her ears, the backing track filled the recording booth.
And then, Miro's singing began.
"Oh…"
Miro's singing wasn't particularly technical.
But her clear diction and natural tone carried the song with richness even without technique.
Though she struggled a bit with both the high and low notes, she held steady, and her innate timbre more than made up for her weaknesses.
So Miro, too, sang the song through once.
"Now, I'll assign parts for each of you. Please prioritize recording those sections first."
The composer, who had quietly listened without any unnecessary remarks as both Miro and Maho sang, spoke at last, pointing out a few sections and highlighting important points.
"First off, Maho, your strength is in the lower range."
"Eh? Oh—yes."
"Could you lower your tone slightly and sing this part?"
"Ah, yes, I understand."
For all his detached demeanor, the composer was entirely professional when it came to recording.
He clearly identified each singer's strengths and weaknesses and assigned the parts that fit them best.
Even during recording, he gave pointed feedback along the way, which strongly conveyed his expertise.
For Maho, who usually only recorded cover songs alone, it was a fresh and highly beneficial experience.
But since she had years of experience covering all kinds of songs, she quickly adapted to his instructions, and before long, she had finished recording.
"Great work. I think this will shape up into a solid part."
The composer nodded approvingly, clearly pleased with her quick recording.
"Next, Miro."
Now it was Miro's turn.
Having watched Maho receive feedback earlier, she entered the booth a little tense.
"Could you raise your tone here and again in this section? Overall, right now it's…"
"Ah, like this?"
"Yes, that's good. And then after that—wait, let's redo the previous section. Sorry, please try it like this instead…"
"Okay, okay, I'll give it a try."
"Nice, good. You seem to have a wide range of tones you can produce. That's a strength. For the next part, try it like this…"
"Yes, yes…"
"Again, let's go again. You're pushing your voice out well, but here I'd like you to use more throat…"
Thus began the long recording session.
As Miro entered the booth, Maho cast a sidelong glance at the composer, who had suddenly become far more animated.
The impassive eyes from before were gone; now his lips were slightly curled upward, his gaze sharp, as he made request after request.
Seeing that, Maho figured this would take a while and sank down onto the sofa at the side of the studio.
"More, more."
"Ahhh! Aaaagh!!"
"Don't scream."
"Aaahhh!!"
Well… with Miro's voice being as good as it was, at least it wasn't boring.
So Maho sat there, observing the process of a professional composer shaping an amateur singer who happened to be his favorite.
"Now, lower your voice more calmly in this part."
"Ahhh—"
"A bit more."
"Ah—ah—"
"Good. A little more."
"Ah, damn it…"
"That muttering tone just now—that's perfect. Try singing this part in that voice."
But as time went on, the confident, radiant image from earlier was nowhere to be seen.
Miro's face twisted with strain as she sang, and Maho could only sigh.
…I was hoping we could catch a movie afterward.
But with no sign of the session ending anytime soon, Maho didn't hesitate to cancel the advance reservation she had made for an anime film.