Chapter 28

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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I would speak honestly.

If someone asked if was a good song, I could answer that it was a good song.

But if they asked if it was a good song for an idol stage, I wanted to tell them to cut ties with it immediately.

It was because this song had lyrics and sounds typical of a 2000s rock band style…

You could trust me. I had heard this song every time I went to take photos of idols throwing the first pitch.

This was just an exciting band song that didn’t even suit a cheerleader’s group dance. On top of that, its merit was the refreshing feel of extremely high notes.

In conclusion… the arrangement difficulty was ridiculously high.

“…….”

Could I not draw a composition-related trait? I needed it right now.

Regardless of my hopeless feelings, the conversation between the original songwriter and the participants was hopeful.

It seemed like the other team members only knew one or two lines of the addictive chorus of this song.

“We haven’t been active for a long time, so we haven’t been able to sing this song that much. I hope you guys do it wonderfully this time.”

“We will do our best to create a wonderful stage!”

How?

…No. Let’s stop being unnecessarily stressed. If I didn’t get hit by the editing in this team battle, I would consider it an average success and just stay safe.

Since it seemed like I could still manage to get into some small-to-medium agency and make a quick debut at this rate.

‘Still, I thought the stage would… turn out to some extent.’

Strangely, it was a pity. I didn’t know why I came to care about the stage when it wasn’t something I started of my own will anyway.

‘Even if someone made fun of me for being overly immersed, I wouldn’t have anything to say.’

“…….”

…Still, it was fun.

Alright. Let’s try to talk with a bit of care during the discussion. Maybe other participants could come up with good ideas.

The original songwriter left the filming set soon. They said they would watch the practice with the trainers during the interim evaluation a few days later.

And as the team members sat around, the story of the stage composition finally came up.

* * *

First, Ryu Chungwoo brought up a concept like a sample answer.

“Wouldn’t a cheer squad concept be the best? It seems like it would suit the song, and it’s good for putting in difficult choreography.”

“Cheerleading? Hmm……. It’s a good experience.”

“I think it’s okay.”

“It’ll be exciting.”

Responses came back from several people, including Cha Yujin. It was a nuance of being roughly okay.

“What do you guys think? Raebin, Moondae, Sejin.”

Ryu Chungwoo quickly scanned the reactions of the team members and picked out the three participants who were silent. Including me.

In this kind of situation, it worked better to choose words later after seeing the situation than being the first to open one’s mouth.

So, let’s naturally look in the direction where the other two were sitting.

“First, shall we hear Sejin’s opinion?”

“……A cheer squad seems like it would look tacky.”

He hit with facts even here.

Since he hadn’t received any malicious editing so far, Lee Sejin’s uncooperative attitude had rarely been highlighted on the broadcast.

Just looking at what popped up when searching for Park Moondae, Lee Sejin’s fans believed this guy to be a ‘sensitive hard worker who was shy.’

But since Ryu Chungwoo was an editor who received editing so well, Lee Sejin might finally get hammered by the editing this time.

Anyway, Ryu Chungwoo was not very shaken. He just calmly asked back.

“Then is there any other opinion?”

“That’s why I didn’t… try to speak particularly, because I don’t have one.”

“Hmm, okay. I got it for now.”

Ryu Chungwoo immediately asked Kim Raebin the same thing.

“What do you think, Raebin?”

“Since I’m in a state where I don’t know this song well, I think I’ll have to listen to it first.”

“Good. Then let’s play it once for now.”

When the provided smart pad was operated, starting with a classic drum intro, the chorus melody played by the electric guitar flowed out.

“…….”

After everyone finished listening to the song in silence, Kim Raebin first muttered with a pale face.

“This is…….”

Finally, someone who realized this selection disaster appeared.

First, the lyrics were a youth anthem that was popular in one’s youth. To put it nicely, it was retro; to put it badly, it meant it was old.

Naturally, there were no characteristic concepts like flower fairies or vampires, and it was ambiguous to attach one.

And because it was made based on one person who was good at singing standing and singing alone, the chorus octave was so high it felt like the throat would tear.

What if the octave was adjusted? The charm of the song would disappear.

It was because the song’s charm was the exhilaration of the high notes that pierced the vocal cords.

“Hmm, the notes are very high. Have you found any other difficult points?”

“…….”

Kim Raebin inhaled as if he were going to pour out words, then glanced at the camera and shut his mouth.

It seemed he was being cautious since he had been hit by a personality controversy after the last team battle was aired.

“That is to say… yes. The song is good, but I think it will be difficult to arrange.”

“Really? Seeing you say that, it must be really difficult.”

Ryu Chungwoo readily accepted. It seemed to be because Kim Raebin, although the broadcast was ruined in the first team battle, had led the arrangement anyway and pulled out a proper song.

‘He had changed a late 2000s mass-produced EDM song into a sleek EDM trap, leaving only the sample beat.’

“Then how about Moondae?”

In the end, it was my turn.

“I think there is something to decide before the arrangement.”

“What?”

“The part distribution.”

Don’t see an answer in the song selection? Then the focus should not be on doing well.

It should be on not failing.

I could say for certain that right now, I was the only one in the team who could properly sing the chorus of this song.

To handle this immediately, one’s Vocal stat would have to be at least A- to be able to mix in, but I was the only one like that in this team.

‘But I can’t sing the entire chorus by myself.’

So we had to start by cutting parts and practicing immediately so that there wouldn’t be any voice cracks.

Arrangement wasn’t likely to produce a high success no matter what was attached, so let’s postpone it.

It wasn’t a time when a big picture could be drawn. It was an emergency.

If this explanation was delivered as moderately as possible, it became like this.

“Since it’s a difficult song to sing, I think we should start practicing first.”

“Part distribution… of course, it is important.”

Ryu Chungwoo looked surprised.

“But it’s unexpected. I heard you said to decide on the arrangement first in the last team battle, Moondae?”

“Yes?”

I didn’t know how he knew, as it was content that didn’t even appear on the broadcast.

“Ah, I heard it from Big Sejin.”

“…….”

‘When did he even start talking with Ryu Chungwoo?’

As expected, he was no ordinary guy.

“Raebin, I’m asking you because you’re the best at catching the arrangement. What do you think of Moondae’s opinion?”

“…Yes. It’s fine. While practicing, I will also… consider various options.”

Kim Raebin easily agreed. Although he looked like a person who had observed a meteor that would fall to Earth tomorrow.

“Hmm, then since I’ve heard all the opinions, I’ll proceed with a show of hands until a better idea comes out.”

Ryu Chungwoo organized the situation immediately without wasting time.

“First, those in favor of proceeding with practice with the cheer squad concept, raise your hands.”

The majority raised their hands. I also raised mine for now.

Ryu Chungwoo didn’t particularly pressure Lee Sejin, who didn’t raise his hand, and immediately moved on to the next agenda item.

“Then those who are okay with starting with part distribution, raise your hands.”

Fortunately, this also passed with a majority. Seeing that even Lee Sejin raised his hand, it seemed my explanation made sense to some extent.

Lee Sejin quickly lowered his hand and avoided my eyes just before our eyes met.

“…….”

Did he want to show that he agreed with the opinion, but not with me? Why?

“Good. Then let’s do the part distribution.”

So the part distribution seemed to proceed step by step, but it soon hit a scheduled obstacle.

“I don’t think I can do this part.”

“Oh, me too…….”

“This key is too high.”

The high-pitched melody of the chorus appeared four times and took up about half of the song.

However, all the team members except Park Moondae failed whenever they sang it or held their throats with awkward faces.

One team member, who had fairly good singing skills with Vocal B+, felt uneasy about voice cracks and finally brought up ‘that’ opinion.

“I think it would be better to arrange it and lower the key before doing it. We also have two members who rap, so how about adding some rap too?”

It was a suggestion to do the arrangement first. Damn it.

“Lowering the key is…….”

Kim Raebin’s expression darkened. His already bad impression became even worse.

However, the tide had already turned.

“I think lowering it is right.”

“I agree too.”

“Hmm, first of all, the team members must be able to handle it. How about lowering the key and trying to arrange it to suit that?”

Kim Raebin glanced around and finally nodded.

“Yes… then I’ll try it that way.”

It was evident that he was giving in altogether for fear of getting destroyed by the editing again if he said he wouldn’t do it here.

In the end, the arrangement proceeded with the inconsistent opinions of ‘lowering the key,’ ‘adding rap parts,’ and ‘accompaniment suitable for the cheer squad concept’ all being reflected.

I thought that when guys without a sense have loud voices, it fails smoothly like this.

The stage was as good as ruined already.

I didn’t particularly oppose in this whole process. Anyway, even if I spoke, I would be pushed back by the numbers.

Even if luckily activated, I would only become a complainer if I spoke without a proper alternative.

Besides, it would be hopeless if words like ‘You’re saying that because you can sing it, so let’s go as it is, right?’ started coming out.

I was already appearing on the broadcast like a guy without social skills, so it would be troublesome if I even appeared selfish.

So, an outsider was needed who would honestly tell us that this was terribly tacky.

‘In the end, is holding out the answer?’

The interim evaluation, where they only looked at the first verse, was three days later. If the judges had ears, someone would say it was tacky.

Until then, I should think of some kind of alternative.

“Now, let’s make the choreography!”

But the choreography Cha Yujin created that day with that shout was a movement of bizarre difficulty on the level of .

Thanks to that, I had to resist the urge to put my remaining stat points into Dance, alternative or whatever.

They were three days where my stamina slowly melted away.

And, finally, the interim evaluation began.

* * *

“This team’s rankings are spectacular~”

“Raebin has sharpened his sword!”

“Everyone’s results in the ranking announcement ceremony are good.”

From the mouths of the judges, the rankings came out first.

The production crew must have told them to mention it in advance, but anyway, it was true, so it would act as an expectation.

“Ah, the demo song is out already?”

“Yes!”

It was thanks to Kim Raebin directly talking with the arranger and proceeding.

“Wonderful~”

“Right. This team is the only one! Already doing it with what they arranged themselves, not the original song.”

“As expected of a team of talented people!”

The judges were already satisfied.

However.

“Hmm….”

The reaction after the stage actually ended was lukewarm.

The judges, who were exchanging glances while shrugging their shoulders, finally picked up the microphones one by one.

“Actually, it’s not that your stage itself feels that bad? But it has no charm.”

“Right. The choreography is well-made too. It shows some wit. Hmm, the cheer squad concept… well, it’s supposed to suit the song, but why is it so gloomy?”

“It’s a pity because the rap feels like it was put in too unexpectedly. You touched the original song in many ways, but it feels worse than the original.”

As the reviews accumulated, the problems began to be specified.

Finally, as soon as judge Youngrin picked up the microphone, she asked.

“Who did the arrangement?”

I intentionally didn’t look at Kim Raebin. Because the person who brought up the talk was the problem rather than one guy.

But looking around, everyone else was looking at Kim Raebin, so it didn’t mean much.

“It’s something we all discussed and did together.”

Ryu Chungwoo quickly grasped the situation and turned it into joint responsibility. And it seemed he was going to neutralize it by saying that he led the team incorrectly as a leader.

It was a good judgment.

But there were trollers everywhere.

“Yes. And… the arrangement work was carried out by Raebin.”

You’re going to cut off the tail like this here?

‘Are you crazy?’

Doing such a stupid thing while the camera is rolling?

Seeing that his face was also flustered, it seemed he had reflexively named the other guy because he was scared after receiving harsh criticism.

‘Fu…ck….’

If things went wrong, it looked like it would go into editing as group bullying.

Lest I be lumped together, I also opened my mouth for now.