As I hopped onto the van, Manager Hyun-man turned his head and greeted me.
“Do-hee, how was class today? Was it fun?”
Since Hanseong Arts High School is quite far from the Topist headquarters and our new dormitory, I had to rely on public transportation or a personal vehicle.
“Come on, which student says class is fun? It all gets romanticized later.”
So, it was only natural that, given my widely known face, Manager Hyun-man took responsibility for my daily travels for safety.
I was grateful for that.
“Haha, true. So, have you made any friends? You’re not still wandering around alone, right?”
“…just a few. Anyway, I usually have lunch with Chiyo Unni and Woo-ah Unni.”
“Come on, that’s not good. You should eat with friends! So, should we stop by a café today? You said you wanted to have some pastries.”
“No, I’ve been on a diet since the day before yesterday… If I get caught, I’ll be in big trouble with Min-young teacher…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as you don’t get caught. Kids like Do-hee, who are still growing, should be exercising to lose weight, not skipping meals!”
“…Is that really the case?”
Manager Hyun-man laughed heartily.
“Yeah, but you still need to manage yourself, so let’s just buy one pastry and share it, okay?”
“Okay, deal!”
Manager Hyun-man had been like an uncle to me since his trainee days in elementary school, just like most of the Topist staff.
Thanks to them, my journeys to and from school always felt comfortable.
If only we could listen to classical music together, I’d be asleep in no time…
“Doo-ssi! Doo-ssi!”
Ah.
“Chiyo is here?”
“Jeb! Jeb!”
–boing! boing!
As Chiyo Unni got into the car, she made a grand popping sound with her mouth and playfully poked my stomach with her soft little fists.
“Ugh, when are you going to stop that?”
It’s surprisingly annoying when it happens repeatedly.
“Japanese people are generally very interested in UFC. Doo-ssi! Doo-ssi!”
“Ow!”
Chiyo Unni’s reason for getting in was simple.
Since the group started dorm training after the vacation, everyone began commuting together.
“Hello~ Chiyo, you should greet first.”
Then, Woo-ah Unni, who got in right after, pressed down on Chiyo Unni’s head.
“Ah, gomen nasai~ Chiyo has arrived!”
“Alright, alright. Everyone buckle up~”
Definitely, since Woo-ah Unni has been with Chiyo Unni for several years while attending the same school, she seems to have some control over Chiyo Unni.
“Why do you stare like that? Do you really like Unni?”
“Doo-ssi! Doo-ssi!”
I looked at Chiyo Unni, who was being all cheeky while sitting in the middle.
“No, I was telling you to sit properly in the middle.”
“Swish! Swish!”
Someone needs to tame this Unni.
“Swish! Swish, swish!”
“Stop it already!”
“Swish…”
*
Composer Jeon Yo-seob was sitting in the producing room, clicking away at the computer in front of him.
He was clicking away at the computer.
He was a major composer who had released several hit songs, but he no longer felt inspired by this act.
Sometimes he would enjoy and be fascinated by the masterpieces created by others, but in the end, it became a source of frustration.
In fact, he had long since stopped composing.
Now, what he was doing was just arrangement work.
Layering a mechanical arrangement on top of melody lines and basic beats composed by others didn’t require any creative inspiration at all.
It was merely a physical skill of clicking the mouse.
Ironically, that skill, which others found difficult, was the easiest thing for him, and the final products were excellent.
In other words, while his ability remained, enthusiasm, creativity, and inspiration were all nonexistent.
It had been over 20 years of being a composer.
Of course, if he consistently sat down and fiddled with things, songs would get written, but he felt no impression from those songs, and he was still craving a brilliant experience.
In truth, this was a burnout symptom most composers experienced.
When that happens, composers generally seek the solution of starting their own company to create their own girl groups, boy groups, or singers.
Thoughts like “If we can write such hit songs, why give them to others? I can produce and nurture them myself” eventually lead to that conclusion.
But he didn’t do that.
There were countless people who had squandered their entire fortunes that way.
Being a practical person, he had no desire to take risks even though he could already live comfortably.
In terms of being practical, he might have reached the end of his lifespan as a composer.
So he recently thought of an alternative solution.
Teaching lessons, in hopes of gaining inspiration or insights from teaching others.
Soon enough, the door to the producing room opened.
A girl walked in with delicate and harmonious proportions that could inspire anyone who had encountered countless idols, making it seem like inspiration would strike just by looking at her.
“You’re here?”
That was the turning point for him to decide to give lessons.
On that day, Do-hee Lee had a draft of “Fantasia” arranged in her head, and from a technical standpoint, the song itself wasn’t very polished.
Without his help for mixing and mastering, the song might have sounded messy and chaotic.
But even considering that, it was still a good enough song.
What mattered was whether it sounded good and was catchy.
Those were the charms of the song.
Securing volume, adjusting frequencies, balancing timbres—none of that held any meaning.
If it were him, he wouldn’t have been able to completely flip the song.
That was in the realm of inspiration and creation.
“Oh, you’re giving lessons in person, Composer-nim?”
So, with the thought that getting closer to the sun might reignite his spirit, he accepted the lessons.
“Ah, why? Am I not allowed to do it?”
“Oh no, no… that’s not it.”
“Haha, I didn’t mean to make you flustered. Actually, I originally had a sabbatical. It worked out perfectly. I can earn some money while resting. So don’t feel too pressured, just take the class comfortably.”
Do-hee Lee nodded.
“Well, I guess we don’t need to introduce ourselves…”
Jeon Yo-seob loaded the computer.
“Shall we jump right in?”
He was overflowing with the desire to teach.
*
“Composing with MIDI is actually a different story than composing with analog sound.”
The composer’s class was more systematic than expected.
In a way, it was technical theory.
“To explain it in terms of fundamental tones and harmonics, this is the piano’s C note.”
An irregular graph appeared on the screen.
“The waveforms are irregular, right? But there are still strong waves in the middle. Each of these waveforms carries integer multiples of the piano’s C note frequency, which we call ‘harmonics.’ Got it?”
“Yes.”
“But the note produced by a synthesizer…”
This time, a graph with only exact harmonics and no middle values was displayed.
“It appears completely regular. That’s why the sound feels mechanical. This is the charm of synth sounds that can’t be made with analog instruments. Now, let’s put a non-integer wave here.”
A discordant sound echoed.
“Yes, it became a loud noise.”
“It works on the same principle as chords, right?”
“Oh, that’s right! Chords actually arise from harmonic effects. Look again, when you press C on an analog piano… it doesn’t just sound the C note; frequencies like 1/2, 1/3… and even 1/16 resonate. If you pick out the notes from 1, 1/2 to 1/5…”
“C, and… C, and G, C, E.”
“Oh, right! That’s the C chord. Everyone knows C, E, G. Naturally, if you add F to the C chord, what happens? It becomes a discord, right? This principle applies to all other chords too.”
In this way, Jeon Yo-seob’s class dealt with more than just how to handle MIDI equipment.
It comprehensively covered a fundamental theoretical approach and analysis of synthesizers.
“Of course, you can write a song without knowing all this. In fact, it’s fine to compose with analog instruments or just find samples and stick them together. But understanding this helps you appreciate the charm and colors of different instruments better, get it? Ah, and sometimes there’s beauty in the irregularity, but we’ll talk about that later… First, let’s try making some fundamental and harmonic tones with the serum. Just like I mentioned… Oh, that’s right. You’re really smart! Let’s start with the envelope… LFO is… Now let’s give it a go.”
And perhaps, this was the most necessary aspect for me, who had only been playing the piano with my fingers and thinking of notes in my head, without any theoretical harmonic structure in place.
It was the most essential element I needed, considering I hadn’t established a theoretical framework of harmony.
*
After class, the members gathered in the 5th-floor cafeteria of the building to start their meal.
Of course, for me, it was more about nutrient intake than a meal.
After finishing all the salad and just picking at the leftover mushrooms, the gentle Kim Na-eun Unni comforted me.
“Do-hee, let’s just suffer for 2 weeks. Then it’ll be over, right?”
Unni doesn’t know.
I can feel the genetics of this stubborn chest fat influencing my entire body.
I put down my chopsticks and pretended to cry on the table.
“Wah wah…”
Can I get a piece of meat, please?
“Pretending to cry won’t work. I’m not giving you anything today.”
“I miss gentle Kim Na-eun Unni…”
“She’s dead.”
“Wah…”
Wow, a bit harsh today.
At least Kim Seo-yoon dipped a piece of tonkatsu.
“Hey, can I have one?”
I nodded vigorously, but…
“Kim Seo-yoon.”
Na-eun Unni glared at her.
“Come on, a piece is fine. Just let her eat it. Eating this won’t make her gain weight.”
“It’s a matter of attitude. I said last time was the last time.”
And after Na-eun Unni’s resolute words, Kim Seo-yoon set the tonkatsu down.
“…Right?”
“Wah…”
As I drooped my head again, Woo-ah Unni and Chiyo Unni kept teasing me while they ate.
“Wow, this tonkatsu is crispy and super tasty.”
“Seriously, it’s the bomb. It’s crazy good!”
Seriously, why do I have to manage myself?
“By the way, why am I this hungry?”
“Maybe you’re just exercising more than when you were with Seven?”
“Is that so? Or maybe I’m still in my growth period.”
This level of hunger doesn’t make sense unless something is growing.
Wait, could it be that I’m getting taller…!?
“If it’s the growth period… then I need more nutrients…”
“Since she’s appealing like that, let’s just give her one, Unni. It’s not like eating is a big deal.”
“Ugh… Then just one, okay?”
I nodded vigorously, and Kim Seo-yoon moved her fork.
“Here it comes, tonkatsu flying~”
Following the airplane motion, it was annoying but I opened my mouth wide.
“Ah~”
“Zoom~ Oh look, our youngest eats so well~”
Hah, delicious.
Carbs, meat.
“Hey? I want to join in too!”
Thankful that Chiyo Unni likes to copy, she picked up the tonkatsu with her hands.
“Here comes Do-hee! Zhoooom…”
I, defeated by my appetite, opened my mouth happily.
“Zhooooo… Zhoosh! Zhoosh Zhoosh!”
Ah, this is ridiculous.
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