Chapter 148 : It’s Intuitive but Addictive
Chapter 148: It’s Intuitive but Addictive
As I lived my life, I realized things never went according to plan.
So, I had to get used to ad-libs more than scripts.
Because life was a live broadcast without a script.
Why was I suddenly getting all philosophical…?
"I'm going to insist on something this time, just like you suggested, CEO."
"Good. I can never resist when Stay insists."
"But!"
"...?"
"I wrote one more song with Lumière in mind."
It was because I had unintentionally written another song last night.
“Huh…”
Stay's songs had become two. Shouldn't that be a good thing?
But CEO Kim Minsoo was staring at me with a somber expression.
What’s with that look?
"…Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Did you not sleep?"
"Haha, ha..."
What? Is it that obvious?
I glanced at my reflection in the window… my eyes looked severely puffy.
CEO clicked his tongue and said,
"Looks like a zombie’s walking in. Get some sleep, eat properly. Jeez, you're young and you're staggering around like this every day. Are you taking the supplements Writer Oh gave you? Back in my day..."
He went on a lengthy nag, and I tuned him out.
Then he suddenly gave me a thumbs up.
"As expected of Stay. A double-song event? I like it."
And he flashed that trademark grin.
Yes, that was the CEO Kim Minsoo I knew.
I responded by making a V with my fingers and placing it under my chin.
I felt really good.
‘Telepathy’ must have been invented for moments like this.
Kim Minsoo had understood my intentions perfectly.
“Right, there’s no need to change it. Just add another one! Not everyone can make such a bold decision. I like it. I really do!”
No matter how important an artist’s conviction was—
It was still popular music.
When the music I wanted to make didn’t align with what the public wanted—
It was entirely up to me to find balance on that precarious tightrope.
But that wasn’t so easy.
The reason was simple. The moment I flipped the arrangement, the version I had envisioned completely disappeared.
"I realized it this time. Creating is easier than revising."
"You rascal. Now you're a true composer."
After hundreds of file edits—
And swapping parts around multiple times—
No matter how much I brainstormed, I just couldn’t be satisfied.
I was truly greedy.
I didn’t want to let go of the original mood, and at the same time, I didn’t want to break the balance.
The problem was I wanted to hold onto everything without compromise.
After a long period of struggle, I finally reached a conclusion.
Then... wouldn’t it be fine to just write another song that suits Lumière?
Once I landed on that perfect answer, I felt incredibly at ease.
The whole world looked beautiful.
“Let’s hurry and go listen to it.”
“Oho. Sounds like you’re confident?”
I said to Kim Minsoo, squinting one eye.
"I’m the type who doesn't even let you hear it if I'm not confident."
To that, Kim Minsoo responded with laughter that shook the conference room.
KIM Entertainment, Kim Minsoo’s studio.
Still luxurious, and it smelled amazing.
Taeyoon drooled as he looked around the studio.
Just staring at those dream pieces of gear—
He couldn’t help but let out a gasp of admiration.
“Wow… Still incredible no matter how many times I see it.”
Afraid to scratch the expensive equipment,
Taeyoon carefully reached out with his index finger to gently touch it.
This wasn’t just a regular studio.
It was practically a museum that could make any music geek faint.
Seeing those rare gears—ones you couldn’t even buy with money—his breath quickened and his eyes widened.
Even more rare gear had been added since the last time.
Unable to resist, Taeyoon cautiously approached the synthesizer and gently caressed the keys.
“This is insane. How did you get a Synclavier? Seriously. At this price, shouldn’t it write songs on its own?”
Taeyoon then pressed his ear against the massive speaker set off to the side and whispered with awe.
“Barefoot looks even cooler in real life. If you use this once, you probably can't go back to other speakers, right?”
Kim Minsoo chuckled and replied,
“Get your ear off that. No matter how expensive the gear is, no sound comes out if you don’t play something.”
Regardless of what he said,
Taeyoon wandered around the studio like he was touching sacred relics.
“Taeyoon. Do you remember the first time you came here?”
Why bring that up all of a sudden?
Kim Minsoo continued as Taeyoon tilted his head.
“You haven’t changed at all. Your eyes... still sparkle.”
“Ah… Just earlier, you said I looked like a zombie.”
“What? Zombies can’t have sparkly eyes?”
“CEO, you’re such a dad sometimes.”
“Not funny?”
“Nope.”
Even though he said that—
Taeyoon’s eyes were practically glowing.
The gear set up backstage was no joke either.
But it still couldn’t compare to this place.
Gear wasn’t everything, but the sense of immersion that came with great equipment was beyond imagination.
This was what people called… a rush?
Watching Taeyoon, Kim Minsoo smiled and asked,
“What do you like most?”
“I like the mic.”
At the end of Taeyoon’s gaze was the SONY C800G.
The very model known for producing the best sound in modern hip hop and R&B.
Singing into that mic made you feel like it might even give you soul you didn’t have.
“You like it? Want it?”
“Oh come on, why would I need that?”
I’m not even a singer.
…though he didn’t say that last part out loud.
“Alright. I’ll give it to you if you become a singer.”
“Huh? You promise?”
It was one of those things.
Like saying “Let’s grab a meal sometime”—a light promise.
At least, that’s what it was back then.
“Aren’t you taking pictures today? If you’re done looking around, let’s listen to the song alre—”
“Ah, wait a second.”
Before he even finished his sentence, Taeyoon whipped out his smartphone and began happily snapping shots of Kim Minsoo’s studio once again.
In fact, Taeyoon often revisited the pictures he took on his last visit for motivation.
‘I’m going to work hard and someday own gear like this.’
With that kind of resolve.
After taking a few shots, Taeyoon looked down at the small screen of his phone for a moment.
What he saw was Kim Minsoo’s studio.
The equipment inside felt like a world out of reach.
Even capturing it in photos, it was still just a beautiful landscape passing by.
And that only made him want it more.
Not out of a greedy desire to own it,
But out of a yearning to one day shoulder the weight contained within it—just once.
“That's enough talking. Let’s listen to the song now!”
It was time to show through music instead of words.
I plugged the USB into the computer and loaded the project file.
Kim Minsoo peered at the screen and said,
“The tracks… sound really rich. Must’ve been a lot of work.”
“This one’s a little different. You’ll know once you hear it.”
As Taeyoon clicked the mouse—
After a moment of silence, the intro riff began to play.
A bouncy synth riff kicked off the song.
‘He stuck to the formula well.’
From the very first bar, it took my breath away.
It leapt forward like a shonen anime opening, then dipped smoothly with a teasing twist.
The drums weren’t heavy.
Just the right kind of light, bouncy kick that fit the vibe of modern idol tracks.
Kim Minsoo tapped his toes to the rhythm.
The low-tension hi-hats guided the rhythm without being overbearing, making your head bob involuntarily.
“I decided to title it <Not Yet>. I took inspiration from a girl gently calming down someone who’s being too impatient.”
“You nailed the concept.”
The core of the track was portraying ambiguous emotions in a charming way.
A clumsy push-and-pull.
A character that was both cheeky and assertive—drawn out with a cute tone.
“I can clearly tell what you're trying to show. Lumière’s youngest member gives off exactly this vibe.”
“Oh! Yes, exactly. You got it instantly.”
While sticking to the standard idol code, he created a fresh and standout element.
The so-called Stay-style design.
He laid down a clear standard and pulled the song along that path.
And then, as soon as the short intro ended—
“Keup! Hak! Pff!”
Kim Minsoo burst out laughing with weird noises.
A deep voice riding atop the bright rhythm.
It was Taeyoon.
“This is insane. You did the guide? Wow… this is legendary. But it fits ridiculously well.”
“Is it weird?”
“No. It means anyone can sing it and it’ll still work. Your tone’s clean. You laid it down like that on purpose, huh?”
Taeyoon grinned.
Exactly as planned.
A melody line that suited anyone, regardless of gender, had the power to capture public ears.
It seemed simple at first glance, but kept shifting direction.
The relentless hooks pounding into your ears were nearly dizzying.
As the interlude followed the first hook, Kim Minsoo casually muttered,
“Good.”
A clean impression.
Kim Minsoo quietly closed his eyes.
There was someone he used to quietly like back in school.
Just watching from afar made the day feel complete.
Her smile alone made the world feel a little less complicated.
<Not Yet> poked at exactly that kind of feeling.
A mischievous yet irresistible tone.
The slightly sassy face that pushed away playfully, only to let her guard down just a little.
It was just like her.
A friend everyone liked and no one could hate.
Sometimes cheering you on from behind.
Sometimes making you think, just maybe, she held a special feeling just for you.
A melody you couldn’t help but hum along to.
And before that, the memory of someone would gently surface.
Taeyoon cluelessly spoke up.
“CEO, why’s your face red?”
“...It's hot. Just hot in here.”
Taeyoon’s voice filled the spacious studio solidly.
– Not right now~ den den den~
“Hey, Taeyoon. This ‘den den den’ part—did you do that on purpose?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s intuitive but addictive. Throw in a cute dance and it’s game over.”
The track restarted from the beginning.
It started like a joke.
Pretending not to know the other person’s feelings, even though you do.
Taking a step back and speaking with a smile.
Even pushing slightly with a ‘Try a little harder’ kind of grace.
The problem was... it was too cute.
Unfairly cute.
I even imagined Lumière performing this song.
It suited them perfectly.
The stage, the outfits—I could already see it all, and it was driving me crazy.
Kim Minsoo’s mouth twitched.
Trying to hold back his smile made his expression look hilariously awkward.
“Man, this is really... good. I just like it.”
There’s always that moment when your feelings burst out no matter how hard you try to hide them.
And this song captured that moment flawlessly.
Especially the killing part—it had such a strong hook that the choreography just popped into mind.
It felt like someone was leaning in close and whispering into your ear: “So, please look at me a little more closely.”
A song that made you smile at the pleasant tickle it left behind.
Taeyoon simply explained his intent.
“Lumière’s concept is pure and wistful, right? I wanted to breathe a bit more life into that without breaking the concept.”
“That makes sense.”
“I finally get it now. A good song alone doesn’t change a team.”
“Taeyoon, you...”
“When you first planned Lumière, there must’ve been a reason for the mood you set. I tried to lightly mix in my own flavor without disrupting that.”
Kim Minsoo straightened up.
It was a mature realization.
He didn’t ignore the planning intent.
Respect. Reinterpretation.
That was how Kim Minsoo saw Taeyoon’s attitude.
There were plenty of composers who could write good melodies.
But not many could grasp a team’s direction and character.
He’d become a real composer—one who thought about the context, not just the result.
A slow smile spread across Kim Minsoo’s lips.
This made him look forward to <Velvet Trigger> even more.
It would be a song infused entirely with Stay’s own sensibility—
With no room for outside emotions to seep in.
“Lumière’s lucky.”
“Sorry?”
“Getting two Stay songs? That’s a real blessing.”
“Hmm? Ah, this one is definitely a Lumière track. But both aren’t for Lumière.”
Taeyoon replied nonchalantly.
With a face way too clean for that cheeky expression.
“Hmm?”
“You told me to insist on something, so I did. I’m good at following directions, remember?”
Kim Minsoo’s face practically said, You, good at following directions? Yeah, right.
Pretending not to see that look, Taeyoon casually continued.
“The other song I envisioned is for a female solo.”
“Then only Jeongin?”
“Rather than going solo, I think it’d be even better with a male featuring.”
“Oho. R&B does shine with both male and female voices. Who’s the feature? Got someone in mind?”
To that, Taeyoon answered as if he’d been waiting for the question.
“Blackhole.”
Boing.
What was that sound? Did he just say Blackhole?
Kim Minsoo flared his nostrils, simply staring at Taeyoon.