The Double Life of a Genius Musician

Chapter 82: Strictly Prohibited from Leaking Outside

Assistant Manager Go Minseo had been contacting me quite often these days.

Meeting schedules.

Song schedules.

All of them were delivered directly by Go Minseo.

Familiar.

Something about this person felt really familiar.

How should I put it. Almost like Han Yujin?

At first, I just thought she was a rather passionate coordinator.

The start of our calls was always about the new song.

Are you proceeding with live sessions for the instrumental accompaniment?

There isn’t anything more we should prepare on our end, right?

I think it’d be good to add some ad-libs to the chorus line, would you consider adding them?

Is there perhaps a part that a specific member might have difficulty handling?

Before the recording schedule.

She went into quite a thorough coordination.

There were some good opinions, and there were parts I absolutely couldn’t give up.

It was a systematic company.

Thanks to the attentive coordinator, I could work comfortably.

What I especially liked was that she completely understood my song.

You intentionally reduced the dynamics when the vocals came in, right?

And in the chorus, you deliberately kept it plain so the singer could interpret it freely, is that correct?

I think it’d also be good to tidy up the kick so that the drum tone doesn’t overtake the vocals.

It wasn’t just simple confirmation.

She caught details that were key to making the song the best it could be.

Deep discussions took place.

To be honest.

I felt like I was learning the ropes through Go Minseo.

And she probably wasn’t unaware.

That I was still a clumsy producer.

It was my first time with vocal recording, and sometimes when I couldn’t understand industry jargon, I’d jot it down and later ask Hyung.

Even so, she was consistent.

She always spoke politely without ever showing it.

Thanks to that, I could prepare for the recording comfortably.

Up to this point, I would’ve just thought she was the usual SSS-grade coordinator……!

But sometimes, I wondered if she didn’t actually have another real reason for contacting me.

‘……No way. Am I being too self-conscious?’

At first, I thought it was just my imagination.

But the more we talked.

The more I had reasonable suspicion that she wasn’t treating me as ‘Composer Stay collaborating with Manny Entertainment’ but rather as ‘Composer Stay she wanted to connect with musically.’

It was the same today.

Quite a natural flow.

The chord progression isn’t conventional, do you usually think of the melody first? I felt a similar vibe back in <Ancora>.

“Uh…… it depends on the moment?”

Ahh. I see. Was there a particular reason you used synth sounds instead of guitar in the beginning of <More Than Time>?

“It gave a softer feel.”

I really loved <Super Ride>, you know. That pluck sound in the middle was absolutely fantastic.

“……You caught that?”

That was when I became certain.

This person was ‘the real deal.’

It wasn’t just a polite comment after a casual listen.

It amazed me that she could specifically mention even the hidden sounds.

In other words……

Yes! Of course. I thought your synthesizer sounds were really unique, Stay. I felt that again in this song too. That was intentional, right?

It was sincere.

It wasn’t a simple reaction, nor a formal compliment.

She was someone who interpreted songs with a perspective unlike others.

Go Minseo’s analysis went far beyond mere curiosity.

Her attitude brimmed with a solid will to fully understand the music, and the composer who made it.

I asked.

“Assistant Manager Go, you really listen to songs like…… a composer, don’t you?”

Then, on the other end of the line, I heard her chuckling.

Was that a good sign?

Hahaha. What do you mean by like a composer? That’s a compliment, right?

“You break the song down to each instrument. Is that another occupational hazard of yours?”

Being part of a major A&R team, it made sense.

But I was especially surprised when she mentioned hearing the pluck sound in <Super Ride>.

Because that was something I’d intentionally hidden.

Even with a really good headset, it was barely audible.

There are composers like me who subtly hide certain sounds in a track.

The reasons vary.

Sometimes it’s like an Easter egg for only the most attentive listeners to catch.

Other times, it’s to give the track a subtle depth.

In my case, it was the latter.

If you put the pluck sound in the forefront, it kills the other instruments.

But if you layer it faintly in the background? It softens the entire track.

A female soloist.

Harsh sounds could easily make it stiff.

So I added just a touch of that faint, secret pluck sound to give it a dreamy vibe.

Catching that wasn’t something an ordinary person could do.

Go Minseo answered.

I’ve listened that way since I was little.

“Huh, really? Since long ago?”

Yes. That’s just how it’s always been for me. I felt like a song wasn’t a big lump but the sum of little instruments, you know?

Oh. So there was someone else like me.

Not an occupational hazard, but something she’d had since childhood.

That made me weirdly happy.

“That’s fascinating. I was the same.”

Wow, really? That’s why I especially like your songs, Stay.

“Huh?”

Even when I dissect them one by one, nothing feels awkward. Not a single part sticks out. It’s, how should I say…… independent yet organic? Since when has that been the case for you……

Fun.

This was so much fun.

It wasn’t like talking about music with anyone else.

With the professional perspective and personal taste mixed together, there were no restraints.

“……Oh? Really? I like 90s pop style too.”

What songs do you like?

“You might find this surprising.”

What is it?

“Spice Girls, Wannabe. Do you know it?”

Wah!

A short scream.

Then silence.

Tadadadadak-

Instead, I heard frantic banging sounds.

Not the sound of typing for a search.

Could it be…… she was so excited she was banging her desk?

Uwaaaah……. Crazy. Of course I know it. I love it too. I even have the CD!

“I really like those raw drum samples unique to the 90s. They feel weighty, reassuring. And don’t you think the synth bass is absolutely insane?”

Right, right. It amazes me how they made it so minimal yet so sophisticated.

“It’s hard to make something simple without it getting boring. In that sense…… 90s dance-pop beats are the ‘real deal.’”

I spoke without even pausing for breath.

“I want to imitate it too, but it doesn’t come out right. I guess it’s that emotional feel only those who lived in that era could pull off.”

Oh come on, Stay, you’re not at the level of referencing a particular song. My gosh! There’s someone else who loves Wannabe……!

I’ll correct myself.

Han Yujin was different.

If I had to compare, she was closer to my brother, Seo Dongyun.

Why was this so fun……?

I had the prejudice that someone belonging to the A&R team of a big agency would only chase trends.

But she was a maniac who knew the styles of the 80s and 90s inside and out. Maybe even more than me.

“At this level, you could try writing a song yourself.”

Oh no. What are you saying. Listening and writing are completely different. I just guess I’m more suited to being a director than a player.

That wasn’t true.

I could guarantee it, people’s lives are unpredictable.

Just look at me.

When you listen to a good song, there always comes a moment when you think, ‘I want to make a song like that too!’

“It comes at such an unexpected moment.”

I hope that moment comes. Ah, and also……

As if we had known each other for years.

As if we had shared music together for a long time.

We discussed in depth the hardships of having ‘sensitive ears.’

When I came to my senses, two hours had passed.

It was comfortable. Just like with my brother.

I must’ve talked too much, right? Sorry. You must be busy.

“No, not at all. I really enjoyed the conversation.”

You’re coming in tomorrow to see the Chairman, right?

“Yes, that’s already tomorrow. If I arrive early, I’ll give you a call. I’ll buy you a coffee.”

Ah, really? Then it’d be my honor. Let’s talk in more detail when we meet!

……Hmm.

I wasn’t sure what more detailed conversation she wanted to have there.

‘She’s an interesting person.’

Assistant Manager Go Minseo.

For long, deeply.

She might become a colleague to share music with.

The entertainment industry wasn’t a distribution business that grew just by pouring in capital.

There was a reason why Jeong Jaewook was called the pioneer of K-pop, the modern-day Gungye, the one-of-a-kind genius producer.

If you asked whether he had been successful from the very beginning as a producer.

Of course not.

It took less than three years to blow away all the money he earned as a producer.

The first idol group he ambitiously prepared ended in complete failure.

Even so, he couldn’t give up.

To back down like that…… was just too humiliating.

‘Just let one hit, just one!’

The girl group that seemed to finally be climbing to the top tier crashed because of a bullying scandal.

What burst wasn’t their popularity but his insides.

‘Well, money can always be earned again.’

He sold his house, sold farmland in the countryside, sold his car, sold his watch, sold his stocks, sold even his pride.

With everything he could possibly sell, he built “Velos,” which exploded in success and instantly established the kingdom called “Manny Entertainment.”

Japan, Vietnam, China, America, France.

Nearly ten subsidiary labels.

A dinosaur of the entertainment industry with a market cap nearing 10 trillion!

Just being part of such a company was a source of pride.

A company everyone wanted to work for.

A company every creator wanted to work with at least once.

So it wasn’t strange that when Taeyoon suddenly appeared, backed excessively by the Chairman’s favor, the in-house producers gathered and sniped at him.

“I heard Chairman asked to see Stay again?”

“They say he’s even taking on track producing.”

“Feels a bit fishy……?”

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Stay’s producing had been going far too smoothly.

If those composers who had worn down the doorframe of Manny Entertainment just trying to sell one song were to see it, they’d faint.

“No matter how good his instincts are, even instincts can be wrong sometimes, right?”

“It’s rare for him to cling this much to a rookie composer.”

“Is it because he’s handsome? Could this be some kind of star composer-making project?”

Even the in-house producers knew.

That when Jeong Jaewook got the feeling of ‘This is it!’ he acted this aggressively.

His intuition was good.

It couldn’t be denied.

Even though it sometimes missed, most of the time it was right.

That’s what everyone thought.

But, this was a very shallow observation.

In truth, Jeong Jaewook was quite a calculating man.

Only those who knew, knew.

But not everyone needed to know the truth.

Sometimes illusions looked more convincing.

Manny Entertainment Chairman’s Office.

Swish, swish.

Only the sound of papers turning filled the room.

Seated at a desk in the corner, Jeong Jaewook was seriously examining something.

“Hoooh…….”

He let out a low sigh of admiration, as if interested.

“This one’s a bit……”

He shook his head in disapproval.

“Yes, this was it.”

He let out an exaggerated exclamation and wore a satisfied expression.

More than usual, Jeong Jaewook was observing the materials with depth and care.

Once wasn’t enough.

He underlined as he checked again.

He didn’t forget to leave meticulous notes.

After reviewing over ten pages of documents three times, only then did he smile in satisfaction.

“So this is how it is.”

Jeong Jaewook rested his chin on his hand and thought deeply.

As expected, my prediction wasn’t wrong.

The precise statistics supported his judgment.

Numbers didn’t lie.

The report Jeong Jaewook had been examining.

On its cover, it read:

[ Strategy Evaluation Report ]

Subject: STaY (Composer, Producer)

Authoring Department: Manny Entertainment Strategic Planning Headquarters / A&R Team

Supervisors: Director Lee Sojin, Director Lim Hojun

Internal Use: Strictly Prohibited from External Leakage

Confidentiality Level: Level 1

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