Chapter 81: A Sign of Success
“Excuse me?”
The song was over, but no sound came from outside. Muyoung stared blankly outside. Ciwon and his crew were having a serious discussion about something.
“Whoa.”
This is bad.
I must have done something wrong. I looked for Gyeongmin, but he was also waiting outside the studio. Muyoung stood nervously, like a child about to be scolded, waiting for instructions.
Thump- thump-
As I read through the lyrics again, I heard a noise from somewhere. It was a soundproof booth, so outside noises shouldn’t have been audible.
“Hmm?”
The moment Muyoung took off his headphones and turned around.
A man was banging his head against the wall. He just kept tapping his forehead against it… He must have come in alone, and since no one else came in, it couldn’t have been a person.
‘There really are a lot of ghosts in places like studios.’
-Muyoung.
“Yes!”
Muyoung gave the ghost a light glare and then answered the call. Ciwon scratched his forehead and grabbed the microphone.
-The lyrics I just called out—the ones that were supposed to be hummed.
“Yes, yes.”
-Did you just make that up?
Muyoung paused for a moment to understand what he was saying.
The lyrics came out so naturally that it didn’t seem like they were made up. I wondered if I had known them subconsciously. But after thinking for a moment, Muyoung shook his head.
“It just came out like that as I was doing it.”
-The lyrics fit well with the rhythm, so I think we can keep them as they are.
“If we keep it as it is……”
-Do you remember what you just did? Write it down. ‘You’ll be so captivated by my charm that you won’t be able to escape. Don’t worry. It’s only natural.’
At Ciwon’s words, Muyoung frantically searched for a pen. And he wrote down exactly what he said, without missing a single word.
-Since you’re an actor, you’re probably the best at character analysis. Let’s go with that. Should we start with the intro?
Just like that? Without any coaching?
Muyoung raised his hand and asked.
“Am I okay?”
When you saw me singing in the dorm, Ciwon was shocked. He said he’d never seen anything like it before.
In response to Muyoung’s question, Ciwon crossed his arms. His posture was quite crooked, but a shallow smile hung on his lips.
-Yeah. Just do it like you did just now. Oh. In the first verse, the part that goes ‘Just follow me.’ Pay attention to the rhythm there. Tap, tap, tap! You know what I mean?
“Yes. I understand.”
It’s nothing special.
Muyoung drew a circle with his finger and smiled. Ciwon’s icy demeanor from earlier seemed to have softened, and he felt more at ease as well.
-Then let’s go again.
“Yes! Play the music!”
It’s not like a karaoke or something. Ciwon laughed and pressed the play button. One sentence floated through Muyoung’s mind: ‘What if Doha had—’ If he could just hold on to that thought, he’d be able to produce something decent.
Boom- thump thump.
If it weren’t for that ghost constantly banging his forehead and grating on his nerves, that is. Strangely, it was getting louder and louder, and even with the headphones on, the vibrations were audible.
-What’s wrong? Is there a problem? I can’t concentrate.
Unable to bear it any longer, Ciwon picked up the microphone again. The number of times he lost the rhythm and became more disorganized was increasing.
Muyoung smiled awkwardly and waved his hand.
“No. I’m just a bit bloated.”
-……Should we take a break?
“I’m fine. We should hurry up. I’m sorry! I’ll really focus now.”
It was already past dawn. Muyoung smiled apologetically and looked at the lyrics again. And he swept his left arm—
‘Can you be quiet?’
The ghost placed his hand on the wall where he was banging his forehead.
I don’t know what’s going on, but since he’s still here, there’s nothing I can do to get rid of him.
“Let’s go. Play the music.”
He banged his head against the hard wall, then turned his head. His forehead was bleeding profusely from all the banging. Muyoung ignored him and sang.
“Don’t say you’re sorry—I don’t want to hear those words from you. The words I want to hear are thank you—”
……Thank you.
“I love you! That’s all there is to it!”
Instead of the hard surface, the ghost banged his forehead against Muyoung’s hand. He muttered his thanks and looked away again. And then he continued to thump, thump, thump. But because of Muyoung’s hand, the sound didn’t echo.
-Hmm. Good. Okay.
Unaware that the strange expression of gratitude had been recorded, Ciwon and Muyoung continued working, boasting perfect chemistry.
The chemistry was so good that progress was faster than expected.
“Good job!”
He’d probably have to come in for another day or two, but for a beginner to do this much in one day was incredible.
When Muyoung came out of the booth, the crew applauded and praised him.
“Wow. You did great.”
“Yeah. Ciwon’s known for being picky. You almost got it done in one take.”
“What’s your natural voice like?”
“Me? Did my voice change?”
“Uh-huh. It’s a bit thicker and huskier than it is now. Your tone is nice.”
Muyoung was at a loss for words amidst the flood of compliments and scratched his head.
It was just before sunrise, but everyone looked satisfied and not tired.
“Then I’ll make a schedule and see you again. You’ve worked hard.”
“Come in.”
“Yes. Thanks, Ciwon.”
Muyoung smiled and sincerely greeted him, not knowing anything as a novice. How hard must he have worked?
In response to his greeting, Ciwon turned his back without saying a word.
Thwack-
After Muyoung left, Ciwon leaned halfway back in his chair and pressed the music play button.
-Don’t say you’re sorry. I don’t want to hear those words from you. The words I want to hear are thank you ……thank you.
“Huh?”
Is something wrong with my ears? There’s static after ‘thank you.’ It sounds like he’s saying something……
“What’s wrong? Ciwon?”
“By the way, Ha Muyoung is such a nice guy. It was an all-night session, but he didn’t show any signs of fatigue.”
“Shh. Just a second. Listen to this, bro.”
Ciwon handed the crew member his headphones and played the problematic section repeatedly. At first, they wondered what it was, but then looks of surprise spread across their faces.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“What? What? Let me listen too.”
“Isn’t this saying ‘thank you’?”
The rumored ghost sound?
The crew member let out a nervous laugh and shook his head.
I don’t really believe in ghosts, but I do believe in the superstition that if something like this happens, it’s going to be a huge success.
‘There’s precedent for it too.’
Whether it was a music video or a live radio broadcast, whenever there was evidence of a ghost, it was a huge success.
“What should we do about this?”
“What can we do? We’ll have to delete it and re-record it.”
“Delete it? Nah. I’m against that. Let’s just leave it in.”
“Are you serious?”
“It’ll be a very natural form of noise marketing. But is it really saying ‘thank you’? I hear it differently.”
At the crew’s bustling chatter, Ciwon stretched his neck back.
I’ve lived my life, and now something like this happens.
“Huh? Ciwon. What are you going to do?”
He was silent for a moment at their words.
Of course, something like this should happen at least once in a career. And it’s either a hit or a miss.
“Let’s release it as is.”
“Okay- It’s going to cause quite a stir.”
“I’ll let the agency know in advance. It’ll be problematic if they find out after the article comes out.”
“We’re going to release the soundtrack when the drama airs, right? We’ve got time, so let’s take it slow. The more I listen to it, the stranger it gets.”
Everyone kept pressing the play button over and over again in amazement. Ciwon watched the sunrise and felt hungry for the first time in a while.
“Let’s get some food.”
“Food? Sounds good!”
Maybe it’s a sign that the result will be good. Ciwon decided to let go of his anxiety and embrace his expectations instead.
“Order delivery. I need to work on this some more.”
Saying that, he spun his chair and got back to work. But unlike before, he felt very comfortable. His hands, working the machine, were excited and light.
“What? Prepare for the drama and the documentary at the same time?”
On the way home, the exhausted Muyoung blinked and asked. He looked like he was about to fall asleep at any moment.
“Yeah. The PD’s schedules overlap.”
Lee Yujin, the PD in charge of <You Are a Star, I Am a Star>, was also participating in the 30th-anniversary special
“So, to promote it, they’re planning to fill a significant portion of the documentary with drama production preparations.”
“Wow. That’s great.”
“I’ve got the schedule here. Oh, but there’s a problem—or I’m not sure if it’s a problem, but anyway, there are some changes.”
Muyoung rummaged through the front drawer and found a neatly folded piece of paper. His schedule for the month was packed with entries.
“What is it that makes me so busy? Let’s see……”
Starting tomorrow, there’s documentary filming, drama readings, poster shoots, and drama acting practice in between……
“Huh?”
And then there’s the poster shoot for
“I thought it was being delayed?”
“I checked, and it turns out that Director Gyeongseon’s work is with the same distributor. Their lineup and investors this time are no joke.”
The director himself had name recognition, and the money involved was from a large corporation. As a result,
“The production company is struggling with it, but if they can’t secure a screen at that time, they’re thinking of either delaying it or putting it up early.”
“Putting it up early? Is that possible?”
“The editing team will be shedding blood, sweat, and tears.”
Moving the March release date to January.
After that, there were even bigger-scale movies waiting, so they decided it would be better to put it up early. There were two 10 billion won productions scheduled at the same time…… They must be crazy.
‘Is it a matter of pride, or are they just being complacent?’
The three major distributors in South Korea are among the best in the country. Even if they coordinate internally, they compete externally, so it’s not uncommon for big productions to be released at the same time. That’s good for the audience, but it’s a nightmare for the production companies.
“Wow. Everyone’s working hard.”
Muyoung thought of the staff and clicked his tongue. Those people, who were already skinny, were going to get even skinnier.
“So, we’ll do online promotions first, and then start doing offline stuff around December. Things like production presentations and broadcast interviews.”
“You mean I’ll be…… going on variety shows too?”
“Of course. The production company will arrange it.”
Wow! I feel wide awake. When it comes to variety shows for promotion, a few big programs come to mind. I’m a fan of all of them. How fun would it be to watch them on MeTube while eating?
“For now, focus on the drama. The schedule will be set around the readings.”
“When do you think that’ll be? I heard it was going to be around December.”
“Time changes every time you blink in that place. Don’t think about it too specifically and just keep your mind clear. Just focus on what’s in front of you. Okay?”
Besides, it’s a special year.
In celebration of the 30th anniversary, special programs were popping up and disappearing like weeds. Muyoung covered his face with the script, looking annoyed by it all.
“Okay. Then I’ll focus on the present and take a nap.”
“Use a neck towel when you sleep. You’ve been using your voice a lot.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll eat some throat lozenges too.”
Mumbling, mumbling, Muyoung ate a refreshing candy and fell asleep. He didn’t seem to realize that the drama and the movie were going to be released almost at the same time.
‘Will it be a booster, or just a waste of opportunity……?’
If one of them takes off spectacularly and boosts the other, that would be great, but if not, it could end up being a short, intense display that quickly fades away.
When you think about it, it’s better to be exposed to the public all year round than to shine for just one season.
‘Especially since Muyoung’s a rookie.’
Whether the manager knows about his worries or not, Muyoung fell asleep peacefully, like a sleeping prince in the forest.