Lee Young-ah received a call from Hyunseung after a long time.
It was rather sudden, but he asked if she would sing a song he had made….
Indeed.
For Lee Young-ah, it was quite a welcome piece of news and offer.
When they worked together as judges on K-Singer Star, they saw each other often and even worked on music together.
Afterward, as if Hyunseung had completely forgotten about her, there was no contact at all. Meanwhile, he went to the United States.
Soon after, she heard the news that he had abruptly vanished from the scene….
She never thought she would meet Hyunseung again in her lifetime.
And that it would be for music work, of all things.
She hadn’t heard any news of Hyunseung releasing a song since his return.
Which meant, wouldn’t she be the one singing Hyunseung’s comeback track?
‘I had no idea he thought of me that highly.’
Even though she heard news of his return, she was somewhat surprised because she assumed he would only work with high-profile American artists rather than Korean singers.
Indeed.
Sarah Stewart, Vincent Mah, JS, Rise, and even Daniel.
Wasn’t he someone who worked with the most prominent singers in the United States?
Such a person….
Chose me as the instrument to be used for his comeback!
With a fluttering heart, Lee Young-ah even stopped by a salon before going to see Hyunseung. Having fully set her hair and makeup like that, she headed to the studio Hyunseung mentioned.
Only when she arrived right in front of it….
“Huh?”
She noticed something strange.
“This place is….”
It was because the exterior of the studio, located according to the address Hyunseung sent, looked remarkably familiar.
If her memory served her right….
It was likely the large studio where she had come to record in the past.
Yes.
She had visited it along with dozens of singers after participating in a project album that embodied the wish for reunification.
“Why, to this place….”
For some reason, Lee Young-ah felt terrified of stepping inside the building.
It was because she was reminded of the recording back then. Since they had to capture individual recordings for dozens of people and record group tracks, she had to spend a full 24 hours in the studio without a wink of sleep.
It was work that continued without washing up, sleeping properly, or eating, so for Lee Young-ah, who had always finished recordings in just a few takes, the memory ranked as one of the hardest jobs she’d ever had.
No way.
It wouldn’t be like that this time too, right?
‘It won’t be.’
Striving to deny it, Lee Young-ah slowly moved her steps inside the building. No way, it won’t be.
However.
The moment she stepped inside the studio, she could be certain.
It was a site far worse than back then.
“Why, why did you come out so fast?”
“It’s your turn. Hurry up and get in.”
“N-No, I’m not ready yet….”
The one coming out of the recording booth was Ahn Jiho of The Moon.
His face had withered to the point where one might not recognize him at a glance, and he urged Choi Junghyuk, a member of the same group who was waiting in front of the booth, pushing his back.
And.
Choi Junghyuk roughly shook off Ahn Jiho’s hand, then clung to Hyunseung, who was sitting at the work table appearing to prepare for the next task, repeatedly rattling off nonsensical excuses.
“Um, my stomach suddenly feels a bit uneasy….”
“Go in.”
“I suddenly have tonsillitis….”
“Drink water.”
“I’m suddenly having an allergic reaction….”
“Take medicine.”
Hyunseung merely tossed back one-word replies without even sparing a glance at Choi Junghyuk. At that, Choi Junghyuk slumped his shoulders and walked into the booth.
That figure looked entirely like a cow being dragged to a slaughterhouse.
‘What on earth is this…’
Soon, widening her field of view, she saw people sprawled out like corpses all over the studio. Because their faces looked so scruffy and haggard, for a moment she wondered who they were, but….
From Seo Jinhee to Kang Hajun, Jung Arin, Lee Hyoeun, and Yoon Jaeyi.
They were singers quite well-known in Korea. Except for The Moon, they were also artists under LS Entertainment.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Just then, Hyunseung spotted Lee Young-ah and greeted her with a bright smile.
What a gorgeous face.
Amidst the people dying in gloom, he alone truly shone.
Which was why it was all the more terrifying. Why on earth does only he look completely fine?
Right then.
From somewhere, Jayble appeared, shaking out his wet hair with a towel.
“Huh? Young-ah, you arrived early.”
“Jayble, long time no see.”
“Yeah, I think it’s been about two years since we last met.”
It seemed he was taking turns producing with Hyunseung.
Well, of course.
There was no way Hyunseung could have handled so many people alone.
Yes.
If he had, wouldn’t Hyunseung’s appearance have to be a bit of a mess too?
“Anyway, shouldn’t you get some proper sleep, wash up, and then come out? It’s already the fourth day.” Jayble said, looking at Hyunseung with a worried face.
No.
It was a face filled with awe rather than worry.
‘F-Fourth day?’
On the other hand, Lee Young-ah was appalled. Seeing Jayble speak like that, it meant Hyunseung had been working for four days straight without sleeping properly or washing up. Was that even something humanly possible?
Even though she had worked with Hyunseung once before, she hadn’t known it would be to this extent.
Indeed.
Had she known it was to this degree, she wouldn’t have dropped by a salon today to get all dressed up. Because in any case, before long, she was bound to end up looking just as disheveled as the singers sprawled out like corpses over there.
“The Moon guys’ work will be done soon, so would you mind going into the practice room over there and listening to the guide track on the USB drive?”
Hyunseung politely asked for her understanding with an even more dazzling smile, entirely oblivious to Lee Young-ah’s inner thoughts.
The more he did, the more Lee Young-ah shivered from an unidentifiable terror.
Once she entered that booth, too….
That gorgeous face would surely look like a demon’s, wouldn’t it?
“Choi Junghyuk, you’re not breathing, so it sounds choked. Again.”
“This time too much breath went in. Again.”
On top of that, an evil spirit named Jayble was attached right next to the devil.
“E-Excuse me, j-just the restroom, just once….”
“No.”
“Again.”
Choi Junghyuk inside the booth just looked terribly pitiful.
Of course.
That will be my future.
Before long, Lee Young-ah, realizing that even if she regretted it, it was an ant-lion pit she couldn’t escape from anyway, quietly headed toward the practice room.
Woohyun, who had returned from his honeymoon in Bali, returned to Korea instead of the United States. Visiting his wife’s family home was part of it.
It was also because he received a tip-off from Sarah Stewart.
A tip that Hyunseung hadn’t returned to the US yet and was only doing music work.
Since it seemed to have started right after the wedding ceremony ended.
It had already been nearly two weeks, slipping by unnoticed.
Already.
He knew a large studio had been rented for the confinement of the instruments, but he didn’t expect actual confinement.
As soon as Kim Woohyun returned to Korea, he moved his steps toward the large studio where Hyunseung was.
Of course, with both hands full of desserts and coffee that Hyunseung would like.
“Oh boy….”
Stepping into the studio, Kim Woohyun realized one fact.
His hands had been far, far too small.
“This is going to be wildly insufficient.”
He hadn’t known there would be more than ten people aside from Hyunseung.
He had thought there would be at most about 4 to 5 people, but it was a massive miscalculation.
“Hyunseung.”
Kim Woohyun walked over to Hyunseung, who was sitting at the work table and appeared deep in thought.
“Oh, what brings you here?”
“Sarah whined that she couldn’t return to the US either because you kept working, so I came to check in.”
“I told her to go ahead, honestly.”
“Ha, but what on earth is the state of this studio? I wouldn’t even be able to clean this up for you. We need to call a cleaning service.”
He then slowly looked around the studio interior and shook his head. To the point where he wondered, was the phrase ‘an absolute disaster zone’ created after seeing this studio?
Empty coffee cups and water bottles rolling around everywhere were a given, and there were also plenty of traces of ordered takeout food.
It would be fortunate if it were just water bottles or delivery bags.
Even people were sprawled out everywhere like corpses, so anyone who didn’t know the circumstances would have fallen backward in shock.
Right now, this kind of scene….
Vividly showed just how fierce the recordings had been here over the past two weeks.
Still.
Seeing that it was full of familiar faces, it seemed everyone had held out until the end without escaping.
“Team Leader….”
Just then, a figure lying in the corner of the sofa squirmed and sat up.
“J-Jinhee?”
Seo Jinhee, whose dark circles had descended down to her chin, glared with eyes that had sharpened even further and said.
“Don’t you know recording studio etiquette?”
At those words, Kim Woohyun burst into laughter without realizing it.
As if.
It was because he remembered when Hyunseung first took charge of Seo Jinhee for recording several years ago.
Back then too, Seo Jinhee had woken up from a catnap on the sofa just like that and brought up etiquette.
‘Seriously, it feels so far away.’
Back then, he hadn’t known Hyunseung would become this wildly successful. Of course, thinking he was something special, Woohyun had secured the exclusive contract with the desperation of visiting three times, but….
He had never anticipated the scale of success Hyunseung had achieved now.
Above all.
He hadn’t expected so many people to come running at a single call from Hyunseung, even while knowing it was hell.
Perhaps… It must be to repay the kindness they received from Hyunseung.
At any rate, the guy truly had great luck with people.
But could going out of one’s way to suffer like that be considered a blessing, too?
Hyunseung’s handsome appearance from the wedding was nowhere to be seen; his cheeks were sunken and gaunt.
“Hyunseung, the work isn’t finished yet?”
“No.”
“How about taking a break and doing it again later?”
“I can’t.”
He wondered if something terrible would happen at this rate.
“Why can’t you?”
Feeling worried, Kim Woohyun continued to speak to persuade Hyunseung again.
“Unless the release date is urgent right now, doing it later….”
“They’ve already agreed to come.”
“Who?”
“Ah, that’s….”
Just as Hyunseung opened his mouth to reply.
“They’re here just in time.”
He suddenly looked toward the entrance and sprang up from his seat.
“Thank you both for coming.”
And then, unlike his usual self, Hyunseung politely clasped both hands together and bowed his head in greeting. Who on earth could it be….
Gasp!
Kim Woohyun followed Hyunseung’s nod and turned his gaze to the entrance.
Soon, seeing the two men standing there, he froze completely in place.
‘Why would those two, h-here….’
Indeed, it was because the two giants heralded as legends of the rock vocal world, Moon Beomjae and Baek Gyuho, were standing side by side.
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