Chapter 164
G.o.d of Music Chapter 164 . Black Music Suits No One (2)
Before she went to Shiheung for her event, Seo HanYu visited the company to talk with KangYoon .
She finished the talk with KangYoon inside the studio, and just as she was about to leave, she met Park SoYoung who was just leaving White Moonlight’s practice room .
“Huh? Unni, h.e.l.lo . ”
“HanYu . ”
When Seo HanYu greeted her, Park SoYoung waved back . As she was still a little unsettled being inside World Entertainment, Seo HanYu was one of the nice people that approached her .
“HanYu, are you going to your next schedule?”
“Yes, what about you unni?”
“You know what kind of situation I’m in, I’m practicing . ”
The two people headed towards the rooftop . As World Entertainment didn’t have a proper resting venue, the rooftop was always used as the resting place .
The two sat down on a bench on the rooftop and started talking .
“Unni, is the song going well?”
“It’s not easy . Both HeeYoon and the president are amazing people… I need to reach their level quickly…”
Park SoYoung sighed slightly . When she did, Seo HanYu closed in on her and spoke softly .
“Among the songs on White Moonlight’s alb.u.m, I liked your song the best . Especially that last track, ‘I Want To Tell You’ . I even cried when the song said ‘Dreams don’t disappear even if the tears well up . ’”
“Thank you for telling me that, HanYu . ”
Park SoYoung was thankful to Seo HanYu, who acknowledged her work .
Muse, the exclusive composer for World Entertainment, always produced hit songs . Moreover, Kim JaeHoon and Lee HyunAh could write songs for themselves as well .
The only one to acknowledge her, a newbie to this industry, was Seo HanYu if you excluded KangYoon and Lee HyunAh .
“You should teach me too sometime . I’ve always wanted to learn music . ”
“Really? Okay then . Tell me again once your activity period is over . Well, I guess you’ll be teaching me how to dance then?”
“Should I? It will be fun to teach each other . ”
Seo HanYu and Park SoYoung got along very well with each other . Their rooftop talk became more active as time went on .
“How was it in Daecheon yesterday? I heard there were many muscular men at the beach nowadays, is it true?”
“There were a lot of people with good body figures . Yesterday, the event got delayed a little and we were waiting when…”
Unlike Park SoYoung’s excited att.i.tude, Seo HanYu was rather calm about it . She talked about how Ailee gave an autograph on the abs of some men as well as other stories that happened at the beach .
When she did, Park SoYoung looked at her with envious eyes .
“Wow, I’m so envious . I’ve never been to the beach this year . ”
“No way . I was at the beach, but I’ve never dipped myself . Do you know how frustrating it is to not be able to do anything when you’re actually there? I wanted to wear a bikini this year… I’ve never worn it once in my life . ”
“Really?”
Park SoYoung’s eyes widened . A pretty lady with a thin figure like Seo HanYu had never worn a bikini before… especially as a celebrity? This came as a shock to her .
“The other unnis have tried them on when they went traveling overseas, but MinAh-unni and I have never worn them . ”
“That’s such a pity . Both you and MinAh have such pretty figures?”
“I guess there’s no helping it . We are busy after all . Some day I’ll… huh? President . ”
When Seo HanYu was about to express her disappointment, the door to the rooftop opened and KangYoon came out .
He took out some cigarettes but immediately put them back in before he greeted them .
“HanYu . You haven’t gone yet?”
“Not yet . There was some time left so I was chatting with SoYoung-unni . I’m also waiting for manager-oppa . ”
“Mr . DaeHyun should be coming over from taking MinAh to her schedule? You are all quite busy . Did the director go to MinAh?”
“She probably did . I heard she had something to say to the staff over there . ”
They were talking when the door to the rooftop opened once again, and this time, a man, who was out of breath, came in . It was manager Kim DaeHyun, who had come to pick Seo hanYu up .
“*pant, pant* . HanYu, let’s go . ”
“Yes . Thank you for all your work, president, and you too unni . I’ll be off then . ”
Seo HanYu offered manager Kim DaeHyun some tissue paper before saying goodbye .
“Have a safe trip . ”
Park SoYoung waved her hand and greeted her out .
Like that, Park SoYoung and KangYoon were the only ones left on the rooftop . KangYoon had a look at his watch before speaking .
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes . Are we going there now?”
“Let’s go in 10 minutes . Shall we see at the entrance?”
“Okay . ”
In the afternoon, they had an appointment with professor Choi ChanYang . KangYoon asked him if it was okay to bring Park SoYoung along, and he was given approval . He was taking her just in case Park SoYoung could learn anything from their exchange .
KangYoon asked Park SoYoung carefully as she stood there blankly .
“Uhm, SoYoung . You must go down and get ready, no?”
“Huh? Oh, I don’t have anything to take with me . ”
“R, really?”
KangYoon was a little fl.u.s.tered . He was fiddling around with a cigarette in his pocket .
Seeing that, Park SoYoung spoke carefully .
“HeeYoon told me to watch over you because you need to quit smoking . ”
“……”
Hearing those words, KangYoon had to leave the rooftop .
***
As the students were on holiday, Hallyeo Arts University was rather empty .
The hills that would usually be crowded with couples were empty, while only some students could be seen doing club activities .
Professor Choi ChanYang was looking at the campus through the window in his office .
“ChanYang . What are you looking at?”
Someone spoke to him from behind as he watched the scenery outside . It was Park TaeSung, a popular ballad composer as well as a professor at the same university .
Professor Choi ChanYang finally turned around and sat down .
“I was looking at the students . The romantic couple over there is quite cute . ”
“Really? All I see is the boy having a hard time matching the girl . ”
“Hahaha…”
Professor Choi ChanYang laughed awkwardly when Park TaeSung voiced his rather pessimistic opinion .
Not minding him, Park TaeSung sipped his coffee while crossing his legs . Although his thick, short legs weren’t easy to be crossed, he ended up doing it anyway .
Professor Choi ChanYang tilted his head while looking at the score that the other had brought him .
‘I think he’s trying something new here… but I think G will be better after C . I mean, F is okay, but why did he put a B flat here? It feels rather unnatural . ’
Professor Choi ChanYang tilted his head . This could be considered to be a trial of something new that ended awkwardly .
When he stopped talking, composer Park TaeSung urged him to speak out of curiosity .
“How is it? Do you think it’s strange as well?”
“…I think you tried a lot of new things here . ”
“Oh, I knew it . You do get it . You’re right . I felt like I was. .h.i.tting a wall so I tried out a new style this time . Isn’t it good?”
Park TaeSung, as a composer, had a lot of obstinacies . His pride seemed to have taken a hit after his song was rejected by Sedy, and he wanted to listen to some acknowledgments .
‘What am I supposed to say?’
If he spoke his honest opinion, it might touch upon the other’s pride, and to just overlook this, it looked like this would become a problem . He was in a dilemma .
At that moment, there was a knock on his door . Soon, the door opened and two people came in . It was KangYoon and Park SoYoung .
“Come on in, Mr . KangYoon . SoYoung . It’s been a long time . ”
“h.e.l.lo, professor . Oh! Professor Park!”
Park SoYoung seemed to be in close terms with composer Park TaeSung as well as she greeted him rather cheerfully . Park TaeSung also had a nice expression on his face .
“Oh my, SoYoung . It’s been a long time . How have you been doing?”
“I’ve been doing okay . You’re as handsome as ever, professor . ”
“Hahaha . ”
Park SoYoung at college was quite a cheerful girl . She looked very cheerful to have met someone she knew here .
She greeted professor Park TaeSung while professor Choi ChanYang introduced him to KangYoon .
“Oho! World Entertainment! That’s where HyunAh is, huh? I’m watching rather closely as well . It’s an honor to meet you . I’m Park TaeSung . ”
“I’m Lee KangYoon . It’s an honor for me to meet a famous composer as well . ”
The two shook hands .
Lee HyunAh of White Moonlight was from Hallyeo Arts University as well . Moreover, World Entertainment also possessed superstars like Kim JaeHoon and Eddios . There was also the rising star Kim JiMin as well . World Entertainment was a hot issue amongst the professors and students of Hallyeo Arts University .
KangYoon’s eyes also shone when he saw someone unexpected here .
‘I did know that composer Park TaeSung worked at Hallyeo Arts University but I didn’t expect to see him here . I wonder what happened to the song that he gave to JunYeol?’
He remembered back to the time when Lee JunYeol became angry .
The four people spoke about World Entertainment . Park TaeSung seemed to have a lot of interest in World Entertainment as he asked KangYoon various things .
“Recently, a lot of students are interested in World Entertainment . You’ve produced 4 artists in the last year and they were all hugely successful . From existing singers to new ones… They are all wondering how you managed to make Eddios and Kim JaeHoon come back to the industry . I’ve always wanted to meet you . ”
Hearing his words, KangYoon smiled sheepishly and shrugged .
“Not at all . It was largely due to luck . Both JaeHoon and Eddios have put a lot of effort in too . I only supported them from the side . ”
“You are even humble as well . Well, I did hear about you from professor Choi here, but I have to say . You’re exactly as he says . ”
“You overpraise me . ”
KangYoon was rather wary when he was flattered so much . In society, being praised so much sometimes had hidden intentions . Though, there didn’t seem to be one yet .
They finished talking about World Entertainment and KangYoon turned his eyes to the score on the table . It was the same one as the one he received from Lee JunYeol .
“Is this score yours, composer?”
When he asked, the composer smiled and nodded his head .
“It is . Oh, now that I think about it . Don’t you have your way with composing as well, president?”
“It’s a minor parlor trick . ”
“Oh no, you can’t say that . You’re one half of Muse . If it’s alright with you, can you have a look at my song?”
In other situations, he would have accepted it readily, but KangYoon hesitated this time . He didn’t want to listen to a black-colored song again . He didn’t want to drink poison knowing it was toxic .
However, composer Park TaeSung looked so desperate so he couldn’t refuse either .
“I may be lacking in skills, but… SoYoung . Why don’t we have a look at this together?”
“Yes . ”
Park SoYoung, who had stayed quiet all this time, also stood up and headed to the synthesizer with KangYoon .
‘Phew… . ’
KangYoon sighed . The score didn’t seem to have any changes from the one he got from Lee JunYeol .
‘Should I play this, or not?’
He didn’t even want to put his hands on the keyboard . The black-colored music just gave him that much pressure . It affected his emotions and physical condition .
At that time, Park SoYoung found that KangYoon’s hands were shaking . She found that strange and quietly whispered to him .
‘President, shall I do it?’
‘Huh?’
‘I’ll play it, so you can see it . I think that will be for the better . ’
KangYoon was very glad to see her be so considerate .
‘Can you please?’
‘Of course . ’
KangYoon let Park SoYoung play and returned to his seat before closing his eyes . This was in order to not see the light .
Park TaeSung thought that this was just a habit of KangYoon’s and did not say much about it .
Soon, Park SoYoung started playing .
‘Fuu… . . ’
The notes combined to create black light . It wasn’t that different from when Lee JunYeol made him listen .
As he closed his eyes, he didn’t see the black light . Fortunately, he was able to avoid his emotions being negatively influenced, but the sticky feeling couldn’t be avoided .
The 3-minute long music ended quite soon .
“How is it?”
After the song, Park TaeSung asked for his opinion with his eyes shining .
‘I had my doubts but as I expected…’
KangYoon sighed slightly while looking at the score .
The awkwardness of transitioning from C to F to B flat did not change at all . With the intro being awkward, everything else went astray as well . In the end, KangYoon had to shake his head .
Seeing his reaction, Park TaeSung’s expression turned dark .
“Haa… I wanted to try something new… but it was bad after all . Both you and professor Choi… . ”
Park TaeSung looked down .
With the singer, a composer like him, and even KangYoon having a bad opinion, he couldn’t get angry anymore . The damage to his pride was one thing, but the bigger problem was that he couldn’t get a grasp on composing right now .
Seeing Park TaeSung dejected, KangYoon carefully spoke .
“I don’t know more music than you do, composer, but… may I say something?”
“…Please do . ”
Park TaeSung raised his head . His powerless smile could be seen by everyone present .
KangYoon calmly spoke about his opinion .
“In my opinion, I think you tried to show too many things here and that may have lead to problems . ”
“Tried to show many things? Do you mean to ask why I used a strange chord progression and melodies when I could just use the normal ones?”
“Not quite . This is just a personal opinion, but I think it will be okay to use simple chords and melodies rather than fancy and complex ones . Ones that bring out the best of a singer . ”
“Simple ones?”
When Park TaeSung asked back, KangYoon nodded his head and spoke .
“Indeed . If it were up to me . I would have gone C to G then Am – G – F – Em – Dm then G again . That will solve both the stability and the technique . I think it will be better even while considering the variations at the back . ”
“……”
Composer Park TaeSung became quiet . Although it was him seeking advice, it wasn’t easy to accept musical advice from someone as he himself was one of the top-tier ones in the industry .
However, he was someone with a wide heart .
“…It looks like I was too greedy . ”
He sighed and emptied the mug of coffee .
“Simple, huh… You’re right, president . I’ve tried many things to overcome my block during the past year . That’s what led me to try something absurd like this . Haha, but the answer actually lay in simplicity…”
“……”
“Simplicity . The fundamentals, the basics, huh…”
Park TaeSung reminded himself of those words several times . It was as though he was trying to never forget those words .
KangYoon waited until he finished clearing his mind .
‘That’s what composers are . They are beings that are evaluated both by the singers and the public . They always have to find new things so they should be very stressed out . They will be left behind if they can’t follow the trend, and in order to keep up with the trend, they always have to think up new things . This block should be a result of that . ’
KangYoon understood what Park TaeSung felt like .
Eventually, he smiled in understanding .
“Hahaha . That’s very refreshing . It reminds me of the old days as well . In the end, it’s all about the basics . Haha, I feel like I’ve taken a hit . I’ve heard something precious today . I will never forget what you’ve given me today . ”
Park TaeSung stood up and bowed to KangYoon . KangYoon abruptly stood up due to the sudden turn of events .
“Please don’t do this . I only spoke about my personal opinion . ”
“Not at all . This was something necessary for me . Thank you very much . Professor Choi never stopped praising you when we talked… and now I get why . ”
Professor Choi ChanYang, embarra.s.sed, smiled when he heard that .
Park TaeSung smiled brightly as though a weight was lifted off his shoulders . He took his score and stood up .
“I don’t think I should be staying here . I’ll fix it immediately and take it to Sedy . I feel good this time . I think I can make something that will satisfy him . ”
“I hope you do well . ”
KangYoon and Park TaeSung shook hands .
‘Wow… . ’
Seeing that KangYoon was at the same level as some of the highest-level people in the industry, Park SoYoung’s eyes gleamed .
***
After a dinner with professor Choi ChanYang, KangYoon and Park SoYoung walked towards the subway station .
“SoYoung . How was it today?”
KangYoon asked as they pa.s.sed under a streetlight and Park SoYoung replied with a flushed expression .
“It was very fun . The composition is the scenario, the rearrangement is the production, and setting the stage for the main character that is the singer . The stage can be a string, wind, and other sounds as well . Also…”
(T/N: I’m 100% sure I don’t understand what she’s saying, so don’t expect a correct translation of that…)
She listed the things that KangYoon and professor Choi ChanYang talked about . She knew very well that each of those points was things that she would not forget .
KangYoon replied with a satisfied expression on his face .
“Good . Remember that when we’re working for the company . Let’s do this . ”
“Yes . ”
“And also…”
KangYoon had a strong emphasis in his voice . Park SoYoung also stopped walking as she realized that he was about to say something important .
“It’s not that you are less skilled than HeeYoon is . ”
“Ah… . ”
“You may lack some theoretical knowledge compared to her, but I don’t think that’s the deciding factor in music composition . You and HeeYoon have completely different personalities . I believe that you can make a song that HeeYoon can’t . ”
“……”
Park SoYoung gulped .
The reason KangYoon decided to bring her here was to say this . She believed that she was temporarily hired because she was a little talented and knew about White Moonlight’s songs well .
However, KangYoon actually had more faith in her than she did in herself . She knew that KangYoon wasn’t someone to say empty words .
‘Yes!”
She resolved herself to return his faith with achievements .