Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 22



Only Krnovel

22. Give me your cell phone.

Yuna, who has started promoting her new song, is having a busy day.

From music broadcasts on the three major terrestrial networks and cable channels to filming variety shows for promotions, interviews, and various events. It’s not an exaggeration, even if I had ten bodies, it wouldn’t be enough.

Living a hectic day like this, it is natural to become absent-minded···.

Even in the midst of all this, one powerful thought remained in my head.

That’s right,

– If it’s okay with you, I’d like to help you.

It was about the identity of a man who, when she was struggling, met her at a shopping mall in Paradise, threw her a melody like a shower of rain and then suddenly disappeared.

‘What is Seok Oppa doing?’

It’s been over a week since I asked my boss, Baek Seok, who was there at the time, to find out about the man, but there’s still been no news.

It was a promotional campaign for his new song, a new audition program that was about to be launched. He knew very well that he was very busy, but he couldn’t help but feel anxious.

The emotion that started out as curiosity soon turned into waiting, impatience, and annoyance.

Now it has reached a point where it almost borders on obsession.

Yes. I hate to admit it, but I was now an obsessive woman, obsessed with a man I had just seen that day, and had only seen him for a few minutes.

‘But there’s nothing I can do.’

At first, I tried to shake off the thoughts, but it was in vain.

I have to sing a new song for every stage or event, and since it includes a man’s melody… I’m stuck in an endless cycle where men naturally come to mind.

Another problem was his personality, which required him to find out everything he was curious about.

Eventually, she came to the conclusion that the only way to resolve this obsession was to meet the man again.

‘Seok oppa is busy, so I don’t want to burden him again… Should I go to Nakwon Shopping Mall again this weekend?’

Why, don’t they say that the culprit is bound to return to the scene of the crime?

So, I was thinking about secretly visiting Paradise Shopping Mall during the coming weekend.

“Wow, sis, that’s awesome! Listen to this!”

I was stopping by the company to take a break before moving on to my next schedule.

The stylist Lee Su-ji, who was with me, suddenly thrust her cell phone into my hand.

Unlike his usual chic appearance, his speech was a bit excited.

“What is this?”

“I think she’s the YouTuber who came out as a representative for the sister cover song challenge, she’s totally crazy.”

“Cover song?”

I don’t remember very well, but I think I heard it vaguely in my sleep.

Because of her busy schedule, she was completely in charge of marketing and public relations for the company. She had foolish faith that Baek Seok and Choi Dae-heon would take care of it.

By the way, how great is the cover song that someone with little emotional ups and downs is making such a fuss?

“Show me too.”

When I handed over the phone and played the video, the voice of a man with his face covered and only his upper body exposed flowed out.

The vocals reinterpreted in his own style are quite impressive.

The first part of the verse passes like that.

The moment when the connecting melody appears before entering the chorus, the sabi.

“···!!!”

Yuna jumped up from her seat and started walking towards somewhere.

The place she headed to was none other than a conference room where a challenge-related meeting was in progress.

She kicked open the door and burst in, saw Baek-seok, and shouted.

“Seok Oppa! Devoice! Who is this guy!”

“Device? Oh, you heard the cover song? It was chosen well, right?”

“So, you know my brother?!”

When I asked him urgently, he replied that it wasn’t that, but that he was just a YouTuber that Choi Max-heon found by chance.

Then he kept asking where he had heard that voice before.

“I’m confused because you suddenly showed interest in YouTubers. Judging by your expression, you must be really into them. If you’re that curious, why don’t you come to work this Saturday? You’ll have some free time in your schedule then.”

Baek-seok and Choi Dae-heon, who had learned of the man’s inner strength, had scheduled a meeting that afternoon.

He then added things like, “He’s a rookie of all time,” and, ridiculously, he’s already been criticized once, so they need to work harder to build a good relationship.”

It seems like Baek-seok has no clue what’s going on.

“Anyway, it’s 1 o’clock on Saturday…”

And after waiting for a few days, the day came.

After finishing the morning schedule,

“Get to the company as fast as you can!”

As soon as I returned to the office, I went to the conference room on the 11th floor.

Since I arrived at 2 o’clock, I was worried that the meeting might have already ended, but fortunately it was still in progress.

Let’s wait outside for a moment to catch our breath. After a while, we hear Choi Max-heon’s characteristic hearty laughter and the words “Please take care of me.”

Judging by the creaking sound of chairs being dragged, it was clear that the meeting was over.

then-!

Knock knock

As I knocked on the door and entered the conference room, I noticed the back of an unfamiliar head following Baek Seok, Choi Dae-heon, and Kim Seong-su.

And the protagonist, with the back of his head turned as if startled by the surprise attack.

‘This guy!’

As expected, it was a familiar face.

It’s the man I saw at my sister’s company last Monday.

I went to the parking lot and got an autograph from a fan.

at the same time-

“Is that right? Paradise Shopping Mall.”

Yuna smiled as the man’s pupils swelled like balloons at the confident question.

“I finally found it.”

*

one side,

“Is that you? Paradise Shopping Mall. I finally found it.”

Cha Seong-jun’s eyes widen at Yuna’s words.

Wow, looking at it up close, Yuna is really pretty in person… not because of that-

‘Did you recognize me?’

Because I got to know myself.

That means, the mother and daughter I met at Paradise Shopping Mall was Yuna herself. Not a composer or producer!

At the same time, it also meant that he had committed an act of an extreme enough antics to leave an impression on a top star, but anyway.

That wasn’t what mattered now.

‘You finally found it? What, who? Me?’

Judging from the nuance, it seemed like he was looking for himself…

‘why?’

I can’t figure out why.

Oh, maybe it’s because the average person doesn’t even know the topic and is giving melody lessons?

But then, didn’t they just put that melody into the new song?

Or was it because the situation was too dramatic?

I fell in love with a feeling like, ‘This is the first time I’ve met a man like this’… How could that be?

While my head was spinning, Yuna, who had come right up to my nose, asked.

“You were the one who met me in the parking lot on Monday, right?”

I even remember meeting you at work.

I answered honestly because I had no particular reason to evade the question.

“···Yes, that’s right.”

“Wow, awesome. Are you a real office worker?”

She was surprised, but soon her eyes narrowed.

“But why did you pretend not to know?”

To others, it may seem like they are looking at you fiercely… but to the other person, it is a gaze that is captivating and makes their heart flutter.

‘I can’t believe that the top star I only saw on TV is so close by.’

It’s hard to believe that he remembered me even though we only met briefly, and that he even came to see me first.

After calming down my confused mind for a moment, I answered.

“···I didn’t know that the person I met at Paradise Shopping Mall was Yuna.”

“Why? I looked like a normal person?!”

“I can’t see your face. Your hat is pulled down too low.”

“Ah. I admit it.”

Yuna simply agrees.

Meanwhile, Baek-seok’s reaction while watching this scene was quite funny.

“Huh? Huh? Huh huh?”

Baek-seok is babbling as he looks back and forth between Cha Seong-jun and Yuna.

Through the conversation between the two, it seems that he has finally figured out who Cha Seong-jun is.

“So, the Devoice here is the person I saw at Paradise Shopping Mall?”

“Yeah. And he’s the company official who asked me to sign the autograph in the parking lot at the brand model meeting last time. I asked you why I didn’t think I’d seen him somewhere before.”

“I, I see…? Wait a minute, so you’re saying that Mr. Devoice is a company employee?”

“Brother Stone. Please refrain from talking behind your back.”

While I was eating the kusari with an expression of disbelief,

“Oh, so.”

Baek-seok hums softly as if he has noticed something.

The puzzle piece that came together was why DeVoice turned down an exclusive contract.

I see. It’s not that I refused because the conditions didn’t match, but because I’m a salaried worker, having a side job wasn’t possible in the first place.

It was a moment when a faint smile appeared on Baek Seok’s lips.

“Please give me your phone for a moment.”

Yuna immediately held out her palm and asked for the cell phone.

It is no exaggeration to say that for modern people, the cell phone is another self, an external heart.

So of course-

“Here it is.”

I gave it to you.

Yuna took the phone and touched the screen a few times with her finger.

♪~ ♬~

A familiar melody of a bell was heard from somewhere.

Her new song this time was ’26’.

Then Yuna searched her pockets, took out her cell phone, and stopped the ringtone.

What is this? So you’re saying that I just called your phone from my phone…?

“Okay, save. You save it too, quickly.”

“What?”

“Here’s my number.”

Baek Seok belatedly intervened in the words that were spoken without much thought.

“Hey! How can you give out your number so carelessly? What are you going to do if it gets leaked?”

“Are you going to leak it?”

I have no desire to eat bean rice.

So, yes, yes.

“Okay?”

“You really···!”

Yuna shrugged her shoulders and said as she left the conference room.

“Anyway! I’ll contact you soon, so answer unconditionally. Otherwise, I’ll spread the word in the industry. You’re the Paradise Shopping Mall Hunting Man.”

Yuna left after giving a shameless warning that she was the one who got the number but was instead treating me like a hunter.

In the place where the storm passed.

“······.”

Only four men with blank expressions were left.

*

*

*

The next morning, at Cha Seong-jun’s house

Wheeeeeeing-

Rattle rattle-

The sound of the vacuum cleaner and washing machine running is loud from the morning.

Cha Seong-jun, who was mechanically pushing the cordless vacuum cleaner he received as a gift to commemorate his first move into a new home over 5 years ago, was lost in thought.

A reminiscence on what happened at MXM Entertainment yesterday.

To be a little more specific, it’s about what Yuna came to see me about.

– You save my number too. I’ll contact you soon.

I was curious as to what on earth he was trying to say when he even asked for my number, so I asked Yuna’s spokesperson, Baek Seok.

– Aega, that is, Yuna is an artist with strong confidence and pride in her work, so I think she was shocked when she heard the melody part that Devoice helped her with. She said that the part she was stuck on was solved in just a few seconds. She was even more flustered when she suddenly disappeared that day.

He added that he thought he owed Yuna a debt of gratitude, and although he didn’t know the details, he speculated that it might have been because he had something to talk about, such as the situation at the time or the musical aspect.

– One thing is for sure, it won’t be private contact. Absolutely not!

It may be a wish from the agency’s perspective, but… in any case, it was a strong tone telling me not to have any unnecessary expectations.

Well, if I hear from Yuna, I’ll know the exact reason then.

Anyway, even though a day had passed, it was still something I couldn’t quite believe.

“But I need to come to my senses now. I don’t have time to record cover songs anyway.”

The first cover song signed with MXM should be released at midnight today.

It’s Barton’s schedule, but what can I do?

It was something I brought upon myself because I was blinded by money.

So, after finishing my housework in a hurry, I headed to my studio around lunchtime.

It wasn’t too far, only about two subway stations away, and the weather was nice, so I decided to walk to stretch my legs before recording.

Additionally, it was to recall that I had spent the whole afternoon yesterday chewing over the melody and lyrics of the cover song I had learned, and studying what kind of vocalization and emotion I should express when singing it.

I put my earphones in and played Yuna’s song on repeat to record today.

And I checked YouTube while humming along lightly. Of course, it was DeVoice’s channel.

“Haha, it’s gotten longer.”

In the meantime, the number of views has exceeded 500,000 and the number of subscribers has reached 200,000.

It’s so addictive to see the numbers keep increasing every time you check. This is probably why you’re on YouTube.

Maybe there will be advertisements soon. While turning on the happiness circuit, I spied on Seol Hye-yoon’s channel, and she also has 300,000 views and 250,000 subscribers, which is not bad.

“If this continues, we’ll really end up singing a duet?”

While I was thinking about this and that, I quickly arrived at my destination.

I stopped by a convenience store and bought two bottles of water to drink during the recording, then went into the studio.

Then I turned on my MacBook and set up the equipment.

“Yeah, there was that too.”

Two boxes placed under the desk catch my eye.

I brought the gift box that MXM gave me to the studio yesterday on my way home.

These two square spaces will contain the ‘support’ that Director Baek Seok prepared with his ‘heart.’

“Then let’s check the size of that heart.”

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