Composer
"How did you know?"
"Of course I knew. I heard plenty during recording."
I was pretty surprised, but the composer spoke as if it were nothing special.
Is this what professionalism looks like?
Hye-jung, I want my karaoke nights back.
"Anyway—it was really good."
"Ahaha… was it?"
"Yes. Well, that guy's just talented to begin with."
"You mean Hyun-soo?"
"If Hyun-soo is Slim Gold, then yes."
Oh… so he really is talented?
That composer wasn't just anyone—he was a well-known pro in the industry, with a few hit tracks to his name.
"So, he's really that good?"
"Don't you know? His new album is blowing up right now."
"…Huh?"
I tilted my head at his words. Blowing up?
"Wasn't Hyun-soo just some up-and-coming rookie?"
"He was. Up until two days ago."
The composer pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, then showed me the screen.
"He's trending everywhere. You really haven't seen this?"
"Trending…?"
That didn't make sense. Neither A-young nor Hyun-soo had mentioned anything. And the album had only just come out—how could it already be trending?
Still doubtful, I glanced at the phone. And then my eyes widened.
"This… this is real?"
It was the realtime Hot Chart—ranking the latest releases. And Hyun-soo's songs weren't just on the chart.
They lined it.
Not one or two, but practically the whole album was stacked in the rankings.
"How did he blow up like this?"
"Well, aside from the songs being good, there were other factors. First, the timing—big-name artists hadn't released anything recently, so the field was wide open. Second, promotion."
"Promotion?"
"Some huge names in the band scene have been pushing him. From TV appearances, to articles, to social media. They're falling over themselves to introduce him to their fandoms."
"Ah."
I remembered the people I'd seen at that company dinner. Come to think of it, some of them were famous.
"These days, promotion is everything. People won't listen unless they know a song exists. From that angle, it was excellent marketing."
"You really know your stuff, huh?"
"It's my livelihood. You have to keep an eye on the industry at all times."
Yeah, pros are on another level.
Still, if the album was doing well, that could only be good. For me, it was just a one-off part-time help job anyway…
"I was half-skeptical, but then that photo proved it. You're Mi-ro, aren't you?"
"…What?"
"That group photo with the Dohyun-gang line—you haven't seen it?"
Dohyun-gang? I'd seen him at the dinner. He was the most senior and well-known among them.
"Here, look closely—next to A-young. That's you, right?"
He showed me his phone again.
A familiar setting, familiar faces… and there I was, red-faced, plastered drunk, flashing a sloppy V-sign with a goofy grin.
"…Oh?"
"At first, I didn't recognize you. Your face was so flushed, your expression totally different."
"No, but…"
Dohyun-gang line? Wasn't it just a casual gathering?
No, wait—
"Where did you get this picture?"
"I follow him on Insta. But this one, a junior sent me."
Right… I did give permission for photos.
Still…
I studied the photo. My face was beet red, grinning like an idiot. Was that really me?
Well, even so… still kind of cute.
Most people would look like a fool in that state, but with good base features, it just came off as charming.
"Wow, you photograph well."
"Anyway, back to the topic."
He ignored my self-admiration completely, setting his phone aside and pulling out his notebook again.
"This time, I tried to reflect all six members' input as much as possible, to bring out your individuality. It's my first time working this way, so it feels refreshing."
The notebook was filled with words and phrases, scrawled densely across the pages. No doubt, notes from me and the other members.
"Oh… that's not usually how it's done?"
"Usually, I might get some vague direction. But specifics like this? Almost never. Anyone who wants this much control usually composes their own music."
"Ahaha… I guess our company pushed you too hard, huh?"
"So now you're throwing them under the bus?"
"…What can I say, I'm thrifty."
At my words, the composer gave me a look of mild disbelief.
…For someone who was usually expressionless, that stung a little.
"Ahem. Anyway, do our ideas help at all? Are they useful to you?"
"Useful? Not really. I just take what's here and figure out how to piece it together."
"Ahaha… harsh."
"Well, honestly, the song itself would be better if I just composed it alone."
Oof. Brutally honest.
But it was true. No ship run by amateurs was going to sail in a straight line.
Still—
"Even so, we're streamers. Since our identity is tied to interacting with viewers live, our individuality bleeding into the music will make it resonate both with current fans and new listeners who find us through the songs."
So what if the ship sails into the mountains? Sometimes the forest is more comforting than the open sea.
"Exactly. That's why I don't object."
The composer nodded with his usual flat expression, as if he understood.
"But we should probably set some priorities."
He opened to a page in his notebook.
Individuality, freshness, clarity… words I recognized as things I'd mentioned before.
"I've already used some of these to form the basic framework."
Pulling out a pen, he circled several terms.
"These, these, and this one are definitely in. If there's anything else you absolutely want included, let me know. I'll compile it before reaching out for lyrics."
"Lyrics recruitment?"
"Yes. I can write lyrics myself, but I'll probably ask around my lyricist friends."
Thorough. Very thorough. Which was probably a good thing.
"Hmm… then, this one, and this one… oh, and maybe this too, but it's not essential."
I picked out a few more from the list.
Would all of these actually make it into the final song? The thought made me both excited and nervous.
What if I added too much? What if it turned into a Frankenstein's monster of a track?
"Don't worry. I won't cram things in unnaturally."
Yikes—had my thoughts shown on my face? He reassured me as I fretted over the notebook.
"Ahaha… right. Well, that's my selection."
I handed the notebook back, a bit more at ease.
"How's that?"
"Looks good. Thank you for cooperating."
We went on talking for quite a while after that.
Why I'd given certain opinions. What I'd thought during the last recording session. How I'd ended up featuring in Hyun-soo's song, and how the work had gone.
The discussion stayed firmly on music until, after a pause, he spoke again—this time with a careful tone.
"This isn't related to the group album, but…"
"Oh? What are you about to say?"
We'd chatted long enough to feel a bit of camaraderie, so I responded playfully. But his face was dead serious.
"Would you consider releasing a song of your own?"
"…A song?"
It was an idea I'd never even considered.
"I actually have a piece I wrote a while back."
"A piece?"
"Yes. Every composer has one or two tracks without an owner. Songs waiting for someone to claim them."
There was a faintly bitter edge to his voice. He pushed his notebook aside, pulled out his phone, and queued something up.
"I know it's sudden. But would you at least listen and decide?"
"Uh… sure. I'll give it a listen."
It was abrupt, but there was no harm in hearing it.
When I agreed, he tapped a few times, and soon a melody began to flow from his phone.
"...You sing well?"
"I couldn't find a guide vocalist, so I recorded it myself."
That ended the conversation.
From then on, I focused solely on the song.
…It sounds like a pop track.
Just from the intro, I was surprised.
A hidden song by a hit K-pop composer… and it sounded like straight-up Western pop, lyrics aside.
At first, I felt puzzled. But as it went on, that puzzlement turned into admiration.
By the time the song ended, I could only ask one thing:
"…Can I even be the one to do this?"
It felt… too big for me.