Recordings
The final recording ended surprisingly quickly.
Well, after countless hours of being beaten down with feedback, I'd gotten used to the composer's murderous critiques. By now, the few small adjustments left were easy to handle.
"Is it really over now?"
"Yes, it's finished."
Finally—it was done.
It felt surreal.
When had we started this? Around the same time as the Celestial Project's second single… yeah, it had been a long road.
"Shall we go get lunch first?"
"Sounds good."
It was a little late, but still close enough to count as lunchtime, so we left the recording booth and returned to the lobby.
Sitting down at the big table, I noticed the same notebooks from earlier still lying there.
Come to think of it, what had they been writing?
I sneaked a look at the one that seemed to belong to Moon Chang-sik, but his handwriting was so bad it was impossible to read.
"What are you looking at?"
Right on cue, Moon Chang-sik, who'd followed me out, asked as he caught me peeking.
"I was curious what you wrote here, but wow, your handwriting's awful."
"…An actor only needs to act well."
"Well, you do act well."
And he really did.
Young, tall, handsome, talented—success as an actor was almost inevitable.
On top of that, with passion, he'd risen to the top.
"Thank you. Anyway, the notes aren't anything special."
"Really?"
"Yes, I was just writing down questions like, 'What would a real composer be thinking here?' Things to ask for my role."
Man… he really was serious about acting. It was almost admirable.
"The director you're working with must be thrilled."
"Hm?"
"With an actor this dedicated, he can draw out the scenes he wants at 200%."
At my honest compliment, Moon Chang-sik seemed genuinely impressed.
"You know how to give compliments too?"
"I'm a master of words, after all."
I gave a playful shrug, but then the composer, coming out of the booth a moment late, chimed in.
"Not sure about words, but with that voice, half the battle's already won no matter what you say."
"Good vocal delivery is part of rhetoric."
"Didn't I train your vocals myself?"
"What, are you stealing credit from my vocal coach now?"
"Careful—'stealing credit' is a touchy phrase in our industry."
…Ouch. That was a trap I couldn't escape. I raised the white flag immediately.
"Okay, I take that back. Anyway, what took you so long to come out?"
"I thought of a finishing touch just as I was leaving. Tweaked it quickly before coming out."
"Oh… I'm looking forward to it. If it gets released, when do you think that'll be?"
He'd already said he wasn't sure about releasing soon, but maybe he had a rough timeframe.
"I honestly don't know. From what my sources tell me, some big-name idols are preparing comebacks."
Yikes… that was dangerous.
In today's chart-driven industry, big idols were like runaway 8-ton dump trucks. If you were unlucky enough to be in the way, you got flattened.
Speaking of big idols, one name came to mind.
"Do you know Lee Hyun-jun, by any chance?"
"Oh, you mean from Beastz?"
As expected of a pro in this field, he immediately knew the group.
"Wow, you know them."
"Of course. I even gave them a song once."
"What? Really?"
He'd written for them too? Just how wide were this composer's connections?
"Yes, I heard it sold well. They still reach out to me occasionally."
See—that's what happens when someone's talented.
Look at him—because he was skilled, everyone wanted to keep ties with him.
"Wait… did you get a premium beef gift set for Chuseok?"
"How did you know?"
"Just a guess."
So those beef sets were like mass mailings, huh. Idols really knew how to maintain good relations.
"You've got good instincts. So, what would you like for lunch?"
Lunch?
Now that he mentioned it, we had to order something…
Honestly, I'd tried nearly every delivery restaurant in this area by now.
"Mr. Moon, is your diet flexible?"
As I mulled over menus, I naturally thought of the actor. He looked a bit slimmer than last time—was it okay for him to eat out?
"Ah, it's fine. Since shooting began, I've already gotten to the right shape. Maintaining it isn't too hard."
"Oh? Confident, are you?"
"Well… what were you thinking of ordering?"
"How about jjajangmyeon? With tangsuyuk too."
"That much? Sure, fine. Carbs and protein together."
Oh, so that was acceptable?
Since he'd agreed, I casually took the composer's phone and placed the order.
Delivery arrived quicker than expected.
Maybe because we ordered past peak lunch rush, the food came right away.
I carried the jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk to the table, but then—ouch—the muscle pain stabbed at me again.
"Ahh."
"Are you hurt?"
I quickly set the food down and rubbed my aching arm. The composer looked puzzled.
"No, just muscle soreness."
"Been working out lately?"
"Yeah, it's killing me. The company's making me learn dance."
"Dance? Hmm…"
Oh? Why was he hesitating?
Surely the new song didn't come with choreography, right?
I hadn't even practiced the guitar sheet music I'd been given, and if there was choreography on top of that, I'd really die.
"There's no dance routine for this song, right?"
"There wasn't originally… but I'm considering it now. Maybe bringing in a choreographer…"
Whoa, hey—if you do that, I'm really done for.
"Just so you know, I'm terrible at using my body. I went to dance class and ended up jump roping."
"…That bad?"
"Yes. Don't think of me as a normal adult woman. Think of me as someone who's been bedridden for ten years."
Okay, maybe I exaggerated a bit—but either way, the result was the same: I couldn't dance.
"…I see."
Only after I put it that way did the composer reluctantly nod with regret and help set the food.
Phew… that was close.
I let out a sigh of relief and tore open the plastic wrap from the jjajangmyeon, when Moon Chang-sik—who had been listening silently the whole time—suddenly spoke up.
"Soo-hyun."
"Yes?"
Ah—should I not have mentioned learning dance in front of him?
Eh, whatever. If he asks for details, I'll just say I'm a VTuber. It's not like I've got anything left to hide—and it's not like he'd go spreading it around.
"Are you interested in a bit-part acting role?"
"…A bit-part?"
"Yes. Last time, the director mentioned in passing that he wanted to add a scene, but didn't have anyone suitable. He asked if I could recommend someone, and that came to mind just now."
So that's what he'd been thinking this whole time? Still… a bit-part role? That was way too sudden.
"Uh… what kind of scene?"
"Just this one."
"What?"
"In the beginning, a cocky top star who briefly chats with the producer."
Ah… I could picture the type of scene. But…
"I'm not cocky, and I'm definitely not a top star."
I'd never studied acting in my life.
For someone like me to stand in front of the camera, the role would have to be something that required no acting at all—something natural to me. But those two traits didn't really fit.
"You're cocky enough. And you look like a top star, don't you?"
Oh…
A top star saying I looked like a top star—could I brag about that somewhere?
"So what do you think? No interest? I think you'd fit the role perfectly, and it'd look great on camera."
Well… it was a generous offer, but… wasn't it a bit much for me? Even on variety shows, I'd covered my face with a hat because I didn't want to appear on camera.
"Uh, well… I'm not really comfortable with media exposure."
"…Why not?"
He tilted his head, genuinely confused. For someone whose entire career revolved around cameras, he clearly couldn't understand.
Why? Because if people recognized me later, it'd be a hassle.
But saying that felt embarrassing…
"I'm just… satisfied with where I am. I think chasing publicity would only wear me out."
I tried to say it in a roundabout way. But instead of dropping it, his eyes lit up like something inside him had been set off.
"Are you really satisfied with your life as it is now?"
"…Huh?"
Was I?
"Would someone truly satisfied go all the way to a studio and work this hard on recording?"
"Uh…"
Good point.
Why was I working so hard on recording?
"Or are you just avoiding it? Saying, 'I'm satisfied with where I am, so I don't need to push further.' Like that?"
I couldn't think of anything to say. And before I could try, he pressed on.
"I see it differently. I think there's no reason not to push further."
His solid voice—the same one that commanded attention in packed movie theaters, in restaurants, even in someone's living room—hit my ears with force.
"People are torches—burning once in a lifetime. If you're going to burn anyway, why not burn brighter?"
I couldn't help but focus on him.
Until now, I hadn't realized it—but he truly was a top star.
The kind of person who could immediately draw in everyone around him.
"Not a torch that only lights the doorway, the hallway, or the people nearby. A torch that can illuminate villages, cities, even an entire nation."
And then, after a pause, he looked me directly in the eyes and said:
"Soo-hyun, I think you have that quality. You could be a beacon that lights up a city—no, a nation. So why hesitate to shine?"
With that, he leaned back in his chair as if he'd said everything he needed, and began mixing his now-clumped jjajangmyeon again.
And while he stirred, I sat there, dumbfounded, chopsticks frozen in midair.
Was… was this really the kind of person he was?
And honestly—who makes a bit-part acting offer like that?
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