Chapter 10: The Talent to Move People
Aura.
It's a commonly used expression.
Well, it's nothing grand.
It's mainly used to describe the special vibe celebrities give off.
“Wow……. Han Yujin, you’re more of a celebrity than I expected.”
“What does being ‘like a celebrity’ even mean……?”
Han Yujin had that.
The first time I saw her, everything was too loud inside for me to even think about whether she was a celebrity or not.
The regret that the club was closing, the pressure of having to find a new job, the worry of how I’d carry all those bags……
But seeing her in broad daylight, in such a bright place, she looked different.
It felt like a celebrity who had been dancing on stage had suddenly popped out of the TV.
Seeing her like this, I started to think that maybe she really was the girl from the rabbit drawing.
Han Yujin, who was sipping an iced Americano with two added shots, pressed me.
“I’m asking you what being like a celebrity means.”
What else?
“You’re flashy.”
“Pffft.”
“……?”
“Normally, people say something like pretty or cool, don’t they? And not even sparkly, but flashy…….”
Why was she looking at me like that.
She was wearing a black knit top covered in tiny cubic beads.
They reflected the light and sparkled intensely. If that’s not flashy, then what is?
Geez, this isn’t even a club light……
Even so, it was fascinating.
Those beads were flashing in every direction, and yet Han Yujin’s face shone even more. Seriously.
“It’s not just your clothes. Everything about you is like that.”
Did she understand what I meant?
Han Yujin smiled in satisfaction and asked.
“How was my singing? Pretty good, right? Han Yujin class is still alive and well, right?”
She didn’t have to say that last part.
Was this fishing for compliments?
“Yes. Of course.”
“No matter if it was a guide recording, the composer should still give feedback afterward. How could you just leave like that? Weren’t you even curious?”
That day, I had plans, so I left right after the recording.
Ah, to be clear, the plans were mine.
Hyung was treating me to barbecue for the first time in ages—how could I resist that?
“Sorry. I had something important.”
“What could be more important than a debut?”
“I heard you sing and figured there was nothing to worry about.”
“Wow……”
“What?”
“You’ve got a subtle talent for moving people, don’t you.”
Maybe it’s because she’s a celebrity? Her sensitivity is off the charts.
But still, it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Anyone at the recording session would’ve felt the same.
The legendary one-take recording!
Han Yujin pulled off something so difficult.
Even if it was just a guide track, singing a rhythmically complex song in one go was mesmerizing.
And it was my song, too!
“I was a bit nervous at first. But…… when you sang the version with my lyrics, you looked more at ease.”
“Yeah. I’m not really good at trying to seduce someone or anything like that. I don’t see the need to be so explicit. I’m fine just the way I am.”
Pfft.
This time, I made a weird sound.
Being able to shamelessly say something like that is a talent too, seriously.
“Anyway, thank you for expressing it so well.”
“You know the lyrics are finalized with your version, right?”
“Yes. I was told.”
“Oh Jisoo won’t take this quietly.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing. Just something to consider.”
“You mean, lyricist Oh Jisoo might have a problem with her lyrics being rejected?”
“……Yeah.”
Her cautious nod made me respond just as cautiously.
“At first, I was kind of hoping lyricist Oh Jisoo would write the lyrics. I secretly looked forward to it. It’s just that……”
Having ‘Lyrics by Oh Jisoo’ on the credits was practically a badge of honor.
It was well known that she was selective with her songs, so if she picked a song, it meant it was at least worth listening to.
But I grew more attached to my own lyrics.
Writing well and fitting well are two different things.
“Did you listen to the recording again?”
Han Yujin picked up her coffee and stared at me.
I wanted to say something profound, but lacked the expressive ability.
You know, those kinds of things critics say.
Mixing in rare words to sound all artsy and clever.
It was so good, she wore my song so well, it went beyond what I imagined.
I felt like I had to give something back……
It was hard. So I just answered plainly.
“I’m curious how far Han Yujin can go with my song……. That’s what I’m wondering.”
Whether you’re a lyricist or a composer.
For people who make a living through creativity, getting rejected is routine. Rejection is more familiar than acceptance.
It’s only natural. I’m not the only one who’s good.
That person is good, this person is good.
Every day is a thin sheet of ice. One wrong step and you fall into icy water—this is the cold, professional world.
Even Oh Jisoo, who’s called a star lyricist, was no exception.
Gone are the days when you could get by on name value alone.
Maybe that’s why she gave up on pretentious talk of art long ago.
That’s what a commercial writer is.
The moment something you love becomes something you’re good at, it becomes your livelihood. And the moment it becomes your livelihood, you have to care more about others’ eyes than your own taste.
Even so.
“I really wanted to do this one. It’s been a while since I felt that way.”
Sometimes, you just want to indulge your greed.
This was one of those times.
Everyone wants to write lyrics for a good song.
Why? Because it becomes part of your career, it becomes money, and it becomes honor.
Taeyoon’s song had a unique charm that made you see it differently.
Beyond whether it was good or bad, it had a freshness only rookie composers could bring.
She wanted to infuse that freshness with something special.
A song that, regardless of commercial success, made you want to take on the challenge.
“Um…… I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
A&R Team 1’s Assistant Manager Chun Kyunga bowed her head.
She bowed so deeply, her forehead was about to touch the table.
Honestly, for someone like Oh Jisoo, she was pretty cool about things.
But what if she wasn’t?
They said another set of lyrics had already been pitched.
And it wasn’t like she could go, “Well, I guess I can’t work with you guys anymore. Bye.” and throw a tantrum.
This industry has no clear superior or subordinate.
It’s a cold relationship, purely based on mutual need.
That’s just how it is here. Even if it’s disappointing, you shake it off and move on to the next project.
However.
‘Ugh, why is this atmosphere so cold.’
Assistant Manager Chun darted her eyes around, gauging Oh Jisoo’s mood.
She could feel that something wasn’t right.
Even when a song got rejected, Oh Jisoo usually put on a capitalist smile soon enough.
But for some reason, today was different.
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, Assistant Manager Chun. Ahh, maybe it’s time for Oh Jisoo to leave this industry.”
“Ack, a-ack……!”
Was that it? That characteristic roundabout way of speaking?
Assistant Manager Chun racked her brain.
She had to concentrate to interpret it properly. That was the only way a newbie in the A&R team could survive.
To deal with sensitive creatives, one had to act just as sharply.
“Um…….”
She was screwed.
Was it because she stayed up all night? Her brain was grinding like a broken gear.
What do you do at times like this?
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
You just throw out an apology.
With eye contact and sincerity!
She must never let it show that she was thinking something like, ‘Surviving in the A&R team is hell……’
Oh Jisoo answered without a care.
“No, no, Seo Taeyoon is just too sharp. Smart kids are good at everything. And when a composer writes the lyrics, sometimes it just clicks better. They get the concept right from the start.”
“Oh, totally. That’s really true.”
“……?”
“……?”
Chun slapped her own lips.
These damned lips sometimes ran off and said the right thing at the worst time. A mouth that asked to be hit.
She quickly looked at Oh Jisoo.
No reaction. That made her nervous.
Even if she had mellowed out recently.
Wasn’t this the same woman who used to storm around everywhere after one hit to her pride, saying, ‘I’m going to make a scene.’
She had never seen it personally. Only heard about it.
Still, the fear that today might be the day she’d witness that side of Oh Jisoo crept over her.
“I’m sorry, I’m sor—”
Huh?
She was about to reflexively apologize again but glanced at Oh Jisoo and noticed something odd.
Oh Jisoo asked,
“I’m really just curious. Don’t you think that Seo Taeyoon guy is a little weird?”
No. He’s perfectly normal.
“Right. He is weird. Could it be that Seo Taeyoon is kind of a front? Like there’s someone behind him. Who was it? That writer who went down because of drugs. Yeom Chanhwi? Maybe he’s Yeom Chanhwi’s puppet? That guy was good at writing lyrics too, right?”
Yeom Chanhwi got arrested……
“Right. He had a lot of followers. Even if he was messed up on drugs, he was good at making songs. Maybe Taeyoon is one of his followers?”
Who in their right mind would follow a drug addict……
Whether Chun answered or not,
Oh Jisoo continued her speculation.
“Or maybe it’s a team collaboration. There’s no way he wrote better lyrics than me on his own.”
That was way off base.
Chun shook her head.
Sure, creatives were imaginative, but letting someone write fiction like that was a no-go.
Seo Taeyoon. She had only seen him once, but he definitely wasn’t some shady fraud.
‘Huh? Assistant Manager? You’re an assistant manager, but you look like a college student. I thought you were a senior in my department.’
It wasn’t because she liked that he said she looked young.
“Wow……. You’re really funny.”
“Funny? Wasn’t I just super sharp?”
Chun swallowed the urge to say, “The sharp one is Seo Taeyoon, who wrote those lyrics for that kind of song,” and replied,
“You haven’t even listened to the lyrics.”
“Why would I?”
“If you listened instead of imagining all this, you’d get a feel for it.”
“Chun, you know I don’t read other people’s lyrics.”
“Maybe it’s time you started?”
“There’s a barb in that?”
Oh Jisoo, who chugged her now lukewarm tea, stood up and added,
“That’s right, I did say that. I used to be like that. But Seo Taeyoon’s lyrics…… I want to see them. He’s the first person to make me this curious.”
“Give it.”
“I-I will. But, give what?”
Oh Jisoo stormed into A&R Team 1.
Team Leader Park, overwhelmed by her unannounced presence, tried to read the mood.
Was she really this pissed about getting beaten by a rookie?
“Seo Taeyoon’s lyrics.”
“You never read other people’s lyrics, Ms. Oh.”
“This time, I have to.”
Team Leader Park let out a subtle sigh.
Oh Jisoo must’ve had her reasons for chasing this far.
Everyone knew she had zero interest or amusement in other people’s lyrics.
It must mean it was too much for her pride to take.
“Why are you curious?”
“I’m curious how good the first rookie’s lyrics are.”
“Hm.”
“And our CEO Kwak Youngho—he’s totally weak when it comes to my lyrics. But he finalized it with that side, and it’s driving me crazy.”
“Ask him directly.”
“He’s on a business trip.”
“Come here for a second.”
Team Leader Park quickly took Ms. Oh into a meeting room.
“You know you’re not supposed to see this, right?”
Ms. Oh mimed zipping her lips instead of answering.
Well, she’d already heard the demo song, so it wasn’t that big a deal.
And she wasn’t the type to blab about it anyway.
But there was another reason Team Leader Park brought her to the meeting room carefully.
Taeyoon’s “Super Ride” wasn’t just a well-made song. It was the beginning of a shift.
Now it was really about the music, not the name value.
This industry needed to clear out the stagnant waters. A monster rookie was charging up.
We…… needed to step it up too.
“I actually wanted to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“How did you pull that kind of talent out after just one hour of teaching? Teach me too.”
“Don’t you know the saying? If you’re meant to make it, you will.”
Team Leader Park handed her a headset and said,
“Even if someone’s meant to make it, it helps to have a good teacher, right?”
Only then did Oh Jisoo’s stiff expression soften a bit.
“Really? The debut song of Rookie No. 1……. I’m looking forward to it.”
After focusing on the song for 3 minutes and 20 seconds, Oh Jisoo stood up from her seat with only two words.
“We…… really need to get our act together. Seo Taeyoon, seriously, what is this kid.”