Episode 76
[Quest completed. You have received ‘Memory of Possibility’ as a reward.]
“Gyeoul! You did great!”
I shouted and rushed out as soon as I saw Gyeoul, who had just staggered in through the waiting room door after the recording.
Oh my, our nerd.
I knew you could do it.
As I bombarded her with over-the-top compliments, Gyeoul, who was initially flustered, suddenly burst into joy and started hopping up and down, blooming with laughter.
“Did I really do well?”
“Of course! You did the best!”
“Really, really, am I the best?”
“Absolutely! You’re the best in the universe!”
“Hehehe.”
Unable to contain her joy, Gyeoul was bouncing like a rabbit, looking up at me with eager eyes.
…What’s this, should I throw her in the air or something?
Feeling like I had to do something, I grabbed Gyeoul by the waist and did the ‘up high’ move like I would with kids.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if it would work, but Gyeoul was so light that it ended up being easier than I thought.
Initially startled, Gyeoul started laughing and enjoying it halfway through.
I set her down, still chuckling, and asked her.
“So, Gyeoul, is there anything you want? You were so amazing today! If it’s something I can do, I’d love to help out.”
After a moment of thought, Gyeoul replied.
“…Can you do that one more time?”
I accepted her encore request.
“Gyeoul! You did great!”
“Hehehe.”
While I was busy showering her with praise, there was a knock at the door.
“Who is it?”
As I responded and opened the door, I found a face I didn’t expect.
“Are you Gyeoul’s manager?”
It was James Oh, a judge from Girl 100 and one of the best producers in the business.
What on earth is he doing here?
“Yes, that’s right. What brings you here, Mr. James Oh?”
“You recognize me?”
“If I’ve been in this industry and don’t know who James Oh is, I might as well quit and find a new path.”
“Hm, fair enough. No need for unnecessary small talk, I suppose.”
James Oh glanced at me, then said.
“Could you do me a favor?”
“…What sort of favor are you talking about?”
James Oh, looking a bit troubled, licked his lips and spoke.
“To be honest, I’m going through a slump right now.”
“A slump…?”
“It’s that dreadful, unshakeable illness that often plagues creators. I’ve run out of inspiration. Nothing I see, hear, or do leads to motivation for creating new music.”
“No matter what I listen to or what I do, I can’t find the motivation to create new music.”
Oh, right! James Oh had been increasingly quiet lately, and he was on a sort of semi-retirement, huh? Was it due to a slump?
His slump? That’s definitely not something to take lightly.
“I don’t think it’s trivial that the top producer, composer James Oh, is experiencing a slump. But, is it okay for you to share that with someone like me?”
James Oh chuckled awkwardly.
“Since my requests depend on the goodwill of the manager, it’s only natural that I should ask.”
It wasn’t true. For someone with James Oh’s stature, pressuring me to achieve his goals would be as easy as snatching candy from a child. Yet, he chose to be honest about his situation instead. He was taking quite the risk by letting me blabber and possibly harm the James Oh brand.
That honesty was quite likable.
I thought that if his request wasn’t too difficult for me, I should do my best to help. Though this thought stemmed from a human fondness, there was also a calculated gain in keeping a good relationship with such a big name.
“To know that composer James Oh has fallen into such a situation is, no exaggeration, a negative influence on the whole scene. I want to cooperate as much as I can. I’m even willing to take action beyond just this sentiment. So please, what would you like me to do?”
“Well then, could you introduce me to the arranger for Ms. Yeoreum’s stage song ‘Dress Up’?”
…Uh, that would be me, right?
“It’s just a pure question that doesn’t require a response, but what does that have to do with your slump?”
He answered my question with a seriousness I had never seen before.
“That arranger is a madman.”
“…Huh?”
No, I don’t think he’s that crazy…
Not hiding my surprise, James Oh slightly bowed his head and continued.
“I understand this might shock you, but it’s not an exaggerated expression. This person did something that absolutely no one would attempt, that insane stunt, in such a crucial venue. Any established composer would absolutely agree with that judgment. Doing such an arrangement to a song like ‘Dress Up’? A complete lunatic.”
Excitement was bursting out of James Oh as he spoke.
…If I reveal that I did the arrangement, will he grab me by the collar? The reaction doesn’t seem normal…
“Isn’t revealing that I arranged this going to get me by the collar or something? The vibe is pretty intense, isn’t it?”
“Anyway, the audacity to attempt something that no one else seems likely to do, and the cleverness to pull it off, seems to spark the flame of inspiration within me again. So, I’d really appreciate it if you could set up a conversation. That’s all I want. I feel like meeting that person would give me some positive stimulation.”
“Hmm, looks like they’re not approaching this with bad intentions.”
“I was seriously contemplating whether I should brush this off or pretend I don’t know. Then I made my decision.”
“Since he was honest with me, I’ll be honest too.”
“That’s me.”
“…What?”
“That crazy guy is me.”
“….”
James Oh squeezed his eyes shut and asked.
“Excuse me, but aren’t you the manager?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“So, you compose music too?”
“Ah, the struggles of a small agency. In a place where there aren’t enough people, employees wear many hats.”
“Though I kind of feel like most of what I do now is self-inflicted…”
He sighed dramatically.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“I’d find it hard to believe too.”
I was thinking about giving him some form of proof out of consideration for him.
“Shall I show you the process when I get back to the office?”
“No, I’m afraid that won’t be sufficient.”
What do you mean by ‘not sufficient’? What else can I possibly show?
Ah, is it knowledge only an expert would know? If that’s the case, I guess that would count as proof.
…Crap, this is a disaster. I’m just winging this without a solid theory.
While I was pondering whether I should just say it was a lie and dash out, James Oh, with his arms crossed, stared at the floor for a long time before suddenly looking me in the eyes and saying,
“…The intention behind the arrangement.”
“What?”
“If you can tell me your arrangement intention properly, I’ll believe you. It seems like I’m the only one in the jury who understands this well.”
That’s not really that hard, is it?
I don’t know if that’ll satisfy him, though…
I decided to say it as I thought.
“I’m not sure what you’re expecting, but there wasn’t anything grand about the arrangement intention that you, composer James Oh, would proclaim it to be. There was only one intention for the arrangement. To highlight Gyeoul.”
“…Highlight?”
“Yes, highlight. Gyeoul’s talent is truly remarkable. You can’t really call her a genius in expression, but she definitely isn’t lacking as a machine for expression.”
“A machine… Does that mean she expresses the composer’s intention accurately?”
As expected from the person called the best, he understood very well.
As expected of someone called Go, his understanding was top-notch.
“That’s right. The word ‘machine’ isn’t meant to have a negative connotation. Gyeoul is the kind of girl who can convey exactly the intention behind a song, without any embellishment. And honestly, there are almost no limits to that. Whether it’s punk, rock, ballad, R&B, electronic, or trap, she will perfectly reproduce the image the original creator intended.”
He silently nodded along as he listened to me.
Thinking the reaction was pretty good, I continued.
“To make such a girl stand out, we had to show her off in as many ways as possible.”
“So that’s why you chose Dress Up.”
“Exactly. And the direction of the arrangement for Dress Up is aligned with what I just said. Dress Up is a masterpiece with adequate difficulty and various genre interpretations. It’s the perfect song to showcase Gyeoul’s talents. I think it would have been fine even if we had participated on stage with the original version.”
“Then why did you arrange it?”
With a slight shine on my lips, I looked at him hopefully as he awaited my answer.
“Gyeoul can do even more than that.”
“….”
After saying that, I gently patted Gyeoul, who was staring at me blankly, and continued.
“So I wanted to make each part more provocative, raw, funkier, soulfully, and girly. You could say the composer team Revolution sharpened the hexagonal edges a bit more.”
“…You did all that just to make a trainee stand out?”
“Not just ‘just’. Is there any other reason to arrange a song?”
“…Right, there’s not. There wasn’t.”
Even after the conversation ended, he remained silent. I felt a bit awkward and wrapped up the discussion.
“As for the intention behind the arrangement, that’s about it. …Well, it’s not that big of a deal, right?”
“…No. It was truly impressive. It was a significant story.”
James Oh politely pulled out his business card from his pocket.
“Your name, …I mean, what did you say your manager’s name was?”
I handed him my card and replied.
“TwoBear Entertainment Team Leader Seon Taeyang.”
“Got it. Team Leader Seon Taeyang. I’d like to make a proposal.”
He swallowed nervously and continued.
“Would you like to work with me? I’ll pay you double what you’re earning right now. I won’t hold back on sharing my experience with you.”
At that moment, Gyeoul stepped forward and screamed.
“No way!”
She looked like a baby otter defending its beloved shell.
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