SCT-Novel Chapter 148: Gocheok (3)
Chapter 148: Gocheok (3)
GN Entertainment, known as one of the top three entertainment companies in Korea. And its CEO, Ha Seo-hwan. CEO Ha Seo-hwan, who has been in the entertainment industry for decades, had gone through all sorts of trials and tribulations, and just as many celebrities had come and gone through him.Those who sang well, danced well, acted spectacularly, were full of wit, had decent talent or potential, and brimmed with energy, and so on.
The list was endless.
Perhaps because of that, CEO Ha Seo-hwan had gradually become desensitized. Seeing excellence repeatedly made it feel ordinary. Even if someone else did something similarly well, it no longer impressed him. Human desire knows no end, and CEO Ha Seo-hwan was no different. Having only seen excellence for so long, he grew bored. His expectations only grew, but for the past ten years or so, there had been nothing that truly satisfied him.
But now, that fortress-like wall had just crumbled.
-♬♪
Kang Rojun’s vocal filled the recording studio to the point of shattering it. A high note that made the veins on his neck stand out. It captivated everyone’s ears. Rough, but not unpleasant in the least. Rather, it overflowed with something ecstatic. CEO Ha Seo-hwan, watching Rojun in the recording booth, slowly looked down at the goosebumps on his arm.
“……”
And then he smiled faintly.
‘My body is reacting first.’
How long he had waited for this moment.
‘I thought I’d never experience this again in my life… but I was wrong.’
In this moment, the numb heart of CEO Ha Seo-hwan reignited. His fighting spirit. His slightly dulled fighting spirit flared up once again. Wildness. Rojun’s vocal now was offering explosive excitement to those listening.
‘The others are good too. They could easily crush average talents. But Rojun has already surpassed that level.’
CEO Ha Seo-hwan judged that Kang Rojun had gone beyond the human realm. In all his decades in the entertainment industry, nothing with this level of destructive power had ever existed. The other employees in the recording studio felt the same.
‘My god……’
‘He, he practiced that all on his own??’
‘A vocal that slams into your ears… and makes you freeze. Yes, if you’re the main vocal, you should be that overwhelming.’
‘Incredible. The best vocalists I’ve seen couldn’t even hold a candle to him.’
They might not be on the level of CEO Ha Seo-hwan, but they were all seasoned veterans who had spent years in the entertainment field. And to them as well, Kang Rojun was a genuine disruptor. Among them, Manager Kim Ki-baek, whose eyes had widened just like the others, thought.
‘Incredible!! He’s even improved since ‘Produce That 100!’.’
Even as he admired him purely, he didn’t forget the praise for the other members.
‘Do-kyung’s rap brings the mood alive and balances it out, Kang-min holds the center well. Then Si-hoo as the lead vocal heats up the atmosphere. After that, Rojun hits with a bang. They all blend well together, and the pieces fit perfectly.’
One member might grab the others by the collar and drag them along. But that has its limits. A standout member can become a hot topic, but the group as a whole won’t rise. Eventually, that group disappears without a trace while only one face remains known.
‘Even a sharp tool needs a handle to be truly powerful.’
‘Vanguard’ currently had individual popularity among its members, but if that harmony faltered, interest would eventually fade. Manager Kim Ki-baek had seen countless such groups. Of course, an outstanding member could survive on their own, but if the group succeeded, the impact would multiply.
Kang Rojun was exactly that right now.
‘He’s already overwhelming on his own. But if he has the wings of ‘Vanguard’… he’ll conquer Korea easily and move on to the world.’
If Rojun was the roof of ‘Vanguard’, then Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung were its pillars. The members didn’t get greedy and did their part, and because of that, Kang Rojun could freely move and shine on top of the foundation they laid.
By now, the members of ‘Vanguard’ had entered the second verse of ‘GreenBee’.
The producer, who had been listening seriously, let out a small chuckle.
‘……The parts of the song fit the members perfectly. That kid Rojun structured this? Didn’t they say he just started composing not long ago??’
Before long, the song that had been ringing out suddenly cut off. The members inside the booth took off their headphones, and so did Kang Rojun. Then he threw his gaze outside the booth. At some point, the expressions of the dozens of employees had subtly changed.
‘What’s with that atmosphere? I think we did alright.’
As the members glanced around awkwardly.
-Clap clap clap.
Manager Kim Ki-baek, who had been dazed, was the first to bring his hands together with a weak smile. His tired voice followed.
“Nice-”
Only then did the other employees snap out of it.
-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!
Manager Kim Ki-baek, who was clapping, was soon joined by others. CEO Ha Seo-hwan, who was out of sight from the members, uncrossed his arms and quietly exited the recording studio. In the hallway, a female secretary was waiting.
“Are you finished already?”
“No, not yet.”
“Then why… by any chance, were you disappointed?”
As he started walking, CEO Ha Seo-hwan shook his head.
“Quite the opposite. My body’s itching, I can’t stand still.”
“Sorry?”
“I need to get to work, so that ‘Vanguard’ can really run wild.”
And with that, CEO Ha Seo-hwan walked away, while inside the recording studio, the producer was giving suitable direction. Then, the producer entered the booth where the members were. Taking off his cap, he muttered to Rojun.
“When we record ‘GreenBee’ officially, Rojun, you should participate in the producing too. When you composed and wrote the lyrics, you had a certain vibe in mind, right?”
“Yes, I did have something in mind when I wrote it.”
“Okay. Not during your own recording, but when the other members record, you’ll join the producing. Don’t go easy, give ruthless directions.”
Ruthless? That just happens to be my specialty. Kang Rojun chuckled inwardly and nodded, and the producer then turned his gaze to Si-hoo and continued.
“You too, Si-hoo. Join the producing during the ‘Windveil’ recording. For Song sunbae’s part, he’ll take care of it himself.”
Si-hoo, visibly tense, answered with difficulty.
“Y-yes!!”
“Alright, let’s move on to the next song.”
And then.
-♬♪
The next song resonated through the recording studio.
Later.
After completing their test recording, Kang Rojun and the members left the studio amid heavy praise from the staff. They had started in the morning, and before they knew it, it was lunchtime. The ‘Vanguard’ members headed straight to the cafeteria, and as Kang Rojun walked through the hallway, he checked his phone.
He had felt a vibration earlier.
As soon as he looked at the screen, a small smile appeared.
‘Oh-’
The reason was simple.
-[Hidden Mission ‘First Recording with the Members!’ has been completed! You’ve received 10 Coins as a reward.]
-[Hidden Mission ‘I Composed It, I Sang It!’ has been completed! You’ve received 15 Coins as a reward.]
The ‘AI Simulation’ app had sent him two rewards. He was already in high spirits from all the compliments he’d received from the staff, and now he was even more elated. Soon, the ‘Vanguard’ members arrived at the cafeteria, filled up on heaping bowls of rice, and then dispersed.
Kang Rojun headed straight to the gym.
Because of the test recording that started in the morning, he hadn’t completed his Daily Mission yet. After finishing that mission and heading to the studio, GN Entertainment’s in-house choreography team was in the process of finalizing the choreography for ‘Vanguard’. ‘GreenBee’ was already complete, and the rest of the songs were also near completion.
“Alright, let’s start making the video for ‘GreenBee’ first.”
Once the choreography is complete, the in-house team immediately creates a video of the finalized choreography, and that video is quickly sent to the ‘Vanguard’ members. From there, it’s a rehearsal marathon. Individual practice, group practice, and joint rehearsals with the in-house team, that is, with the backup dancers, and so on.
During that synchronization process, the confirmed choreography may be modified. Once they actually dance, it might not feel the way they originally imagined.
A few days later, finalized news reached the members.
“Next Monday, the official recording begins.”
That meant that on Monday, the 25th, after the weekend, official recording for ‘GreenBee’ would start. Kang Rojun, of course, and the rest of the ‘Vanguard’ members kicked their vocal practice into high gear. Rojun, cutting back on his personal schedule, stayed in the studio from morning to lunch, and afterward, he worked with the members in the practice room on their debut songs late into the night.
-♬♪
Manager Kim Ki-baek’s impression as he observed all this was.
‘Definitely, since they’ve been working together since ‘Produce That 100!’, their teamwork is spot-on.’
The weekend passed quickly. On Sunday, the day before the official recording, all members left early to manage their condition. ‘Vanguard’ gathered once again in the recording studio early Monday morning. Their positions were a little different from the test recording.
Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung were in the recording booth with headphones on. Only Kang Rojun was sitting in front of the equipment with the producing team.
Today, the producer, wearing a cap of a different color, looked at Rojun and smiled.
“First time producing, right?”
“Yes.”
“You just need to participate in directing the vocal recordings. We’ll take care of session recordings and mixing.”
The producer in the cap continued to explain the recording schedule for today in a professional tone. He even gave a bit of a warning toward the end.
“Don’t settle for just good enough. Like I said during the test recording, judge ruthlessly. Don’t worry about how long it takes. Just do it. Once you try it, you’ll start to get a feel for it.”
Today’s recording was, in conclusion, confirmed as part of Vanguard’s debut album. Because of that, a lot of time is usually invested in vocal recording, and the singers themselves put their heart and soul into it.
Then, Kang Rojun looked at the members inside the booth.
‘This setup feels awkward.’
He nearly burst into laughter but held it in. He was told to be ruthless, he had to be serious. Soon, the producer told the members they were starting.
“‘GreenBee’, we’ll begin with Do-kyung.”
-♬♪
The song played. Do-kyung, as always, relaxed and indifferent, began his rap without any mistakes. It didn’t sound particularly bad, but Kang Rojun wasn’t satisfied.
‘I’d like it better if his tone was lower.’
The producer looked at Rojun, silently asking with his eyes: What do you think? Not great? Okay? Picking up on it, Rojun responded.
“I’d like him to do it again.”
The producer gestured toward the members in the booth, as if encouraging him to say whatever came to mind.
“Any thoughts, feelings, vibes, anything that sticks out or feels off, whatever it is, feel free to tell them. Don’t filter anything.”
The producing team turned to watch Rojun like they were in for an entertaining show. Rojun launched his first direction at Do-kyung through the glass wall. It was short and direct.
“Again.”
Do-kyung surprisingly accepted it casually.
“Okay.”
The same part played again.
-♬♪
Do-kyung began to rap. Meanwhile, Rojun, now holding a notepad and pen in hand, suddenly stopped the track again.
“Again. Lower the tone more than you think.”
“Okay.”
On the third, fourth, and fifth attempts, Rojun finally said, “OK”. They had spent 30 minutes just on the first part. The producer in the cap chuckled from the side.
‘What- he was just a bit awkward at the start, but his producing style is solid. Did he instinctively pick up how to do it? Just like the rumors, he’s insanely talented. Scary, really.’
He also realized that today’s recording wouldn’t be finishing any time soon, and in fact, Rojun spent three hours just on Do-kyung’s opening rap part. Sometimes he gave simple directions, and other times Rojun demonstrated the rap himself. Si-hoo and Kang-min, already done waiting, had come out of the booth and were now sitting on the sofa. The producing team couldn’t stop admiring Rojun.
‘Wasn’t he supposed to be the visual center and all-rounder? He’s good at rap too??’
Finally.
“Yeah, good. Just keep paying attention to the part I mentioned.”
Do-kyung’s part was complete. He took off his headphones with a tired expression. But this wasn’t the end, other members were still waiting, and after the individual recordings, they still had to move on to the group recording. Rojun looked down seriously at his notepad, filled with notes. Do-kyung reached out to Kang-min with the expression of someone just released from prison.
“Touch.”
Kang-min let out a soft sigh and stepped into the cell. Meanwhile, from the sofa, Si-hoo leaned in and whispered to Do-kyung.
“How was it?”
Do-kyung shook his head and let out a dry groan.
“Rojun hyung has zero mercy right now.”
Regardless, Kang-min’s recording continued. Before the work could be completed, the producer paused the session.
“Let’s eat and then continue.”
Before they knew it, it was well past noon, approaching 2 PM. The producing team left the recording studio in small groups, followed by Rojun and the other members. However, the members couldn’t bring themselves to speak to Rojun.
“……”
Because Kang Rojun was seriously reviewing the notepad full of directions. His steps were slow too, so he trailed behind everyone. Then, once his thoughts were sorted in his head.
‘Producing’s more fun than I expected.’
Just as Rojun lifted his head.
-Bzzzz.
-Bzzzz.
The phone in his pocket vibrated several times. He casually pulled it out to check, but his eyes widened.
‘Oh? Second Evolution?’
*****
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