LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 84
The last recording surprisingly wrapped up quite easily.
Well, after countless hours of being beaten down with feedback, I had already adapted to the composer’s brutal critiques, so the minor feedback left was a breeze to handle.
“Is it really over now?”
“Yes, it’s finished.”
Finally, it’s done.
Feeling a wave of emotion wash over me. When did this project even start?
It’s almost akin to the Celestial Realm Project’s second album single… Indeed, it’s been a while.
“Shall we have lunch first?”
“Sounds good.”
Although it was a bit late, it was still just barely lunchtime, so I exited the recording studio and made my way back to the lobby.
Once seated at the large table in the lobby, I noticed the notes I had seen when I first arrived were still scattered on the surface.
Come to think of it, what was I writing down here?
I glanced at a notebook that seemed to be Moon Chang-sik’s, but his handwriting was so messy it was barely legible.
“What are you staring at?”
Just then, Moon Chang-sik, who had been following me out, approached and started chatting.
“I’m curious to see what was written, but your handwriting is quite terrible.”
“…As long as the actor performs well, isn’t that enough?”
“Well, you do act well, that much is true.”
He really is good at it. Young, tall, handsome, and on top of that, great acting skills—there’s no way he wouldn’t succeed as an actor.
And with such passion, he’s become a top star.
“That’s just a given compliment. By the way, what I scribbled in the notebook isn’t anything special.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, I was just wondering what thoughts a real composer might have while I was acting.”
Wow, it’s remarkable how serious he is about acting; I can’t help but feel a sense of respect.
“It must be nice to work with a director who appreciates that.”
“Yeah?”
“With an actor this dedicated, you can extract the desired scenes at one hundred percent.”
Moon Chang-sik was greatly impressed by my sincere compliment.
“Wow, you can give compliments too?”
“Well, I’m a master of words, you know.”
I lightly shook his shoulder as I said this, and just then, the composer who had come out late responded.
“I don’t know about your eloquence, but your voice is nice, so anything you say carries weight.”
“Great vocal technique falls under eloquence too.”
“The technique is something I trained you on, wasn’t it?”
“Excuse me, are you trying to steal the credit from my vocal lesson teacher?”
“Ah, in our industry, using the word ‘steal’ is a sensitive topic.”
…Wow, I just got served. Is that how we’re playing it? I decided to immediately wave the white flag.
“Okay, let’s retract that remark. But why did you come out so late?”
“I just had some finishing touches to think about before leaving. I just did some light adjustments.”
“Oh… I’m intrigued. If it goes well, when do you think it will be released?”
I had heard he wasn’t planning on releasing the song immediately, but surely there’s a rough timeline established?
“I honestly don’t know. From what I hear, major idol groups are preparing for comebacks.”
Oh no… major idols are risky.
In this age where songs are evaluated by chart rankings, they are like an 8-ton dump truck with a broken steering wheel.
It’s just asking to get run over.
Speaking of major idols, one person came to mind.
“Composer, do you know Lee Hyun-jun?”
“Ah, you mean from BEASTZ?”
The composer, being well-versed in this domain, immediately spouted the group name.
“Oh, you know him.”
“Of course. I’ve given him a song before.”
“Really?”
He’s given him a song? Just how expansive is this composer’s network?
“Yeah, I heard it sold pretty well. I’ve been in touch here and there since then.”
Truly, it matters when someone is talented and sociable.
Just look at the composer; his skills lead people to stay connected wherever he goes.
“Did you receive a Hanwoo gift set during Chuseok?”
“How did you know?”
“I just guessed.”
By the way, receiving Hanwoo during Chuseok feels like you’re part of a group delivery.
Once again, idols excel at making favorable impressions.
“You have a good intuition. What would you like for lunch?”
Lunch?
Now that I think about it, I should order something…
I had probably tried almost every delivery place in the area at this point.
“How’s your diet, Moon Chang-sik?”
As I pondered the menu, I naturally thought of the actor Moon Chang-sik. He seems to have lost a bit of weight since the last time I saw him; can he eat whatever he wants?
“Oh, I’m fine. I’ve achieved a suitable physique now that filming has started. Maintenance is no problem.”
“Oh… are you confident?”
“Well… what are you thinking of ordering?”
“How about jajangmyeon? With sweet and sour pork on the side.”
“That much is… fine. Carbs along with some protein, huh?”
Oh… he seems to be okay with this?
Having received his permission, I instinctively took the composer’s phone and placed the order.
The delivery came faster than expected.
It’s probably because I placed the order just as lunch hour was winding down? It seems they rushed to prepare it without any backlog.
I set the jajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork on the table, but forgot about the muscle soreness that suddenly jabbed at me.
“Ouch.”
“Are you in pain somewhere?”
With my food hastily set down, I pressed my aching arm, and the composer looked over with a puzzled expression.
“No, it’s just muscle soreness.”
“I see you’ve been working out lately.”
“Yeah, it’s exhausting. The company has me learning how to dance.”
“Dancing? Hmm…”
Uh oh, why does he look contemplative?
Please, tell me there’s no choreography involved with the new song? I haven’t even practiced the guitar scores I was given last time, and if there’s choreography on top of that, I’m truly doomed.
“Please tell me that song doesn’t have choreography, right?”
“It originally didn’t, but I’m pondering it now. Considering hiring a choreographer…”
Oh no, if that’s the case, I’m really going to be in trouble.
“Just so you know, I genuinely can’t dance. I did jump ropes in dance lessons.”
“… Is it that serious?”
“Yeah, I’m not an average adult woman; think of me as someone who’s been bedridden for the last ten years.”
I embellished a bit, but at the end of the day, both of us aren’t exactly dance stars either.
“… I understand.”
After I voiced my concern, the composer nodded in disappointment and helped set up the food.
Phew… that was a close call.
As I sighed in relief and tore open the plastic of the jajangmyeon, I suddenly heard Moon Chang-sik, who had been listening to our entire conversation, casually chime in.
“Su-hyun.”
“Yes?”
Oh right, mentioning that I’m learning to dance in front of Moon Chang-sik might not have been the best idea.
Eh, never mind. If he asks, I’ll just say I want to be a VTuber.
What’s there to hide at this point? Moon Chang-sik isn’t someone who would go spreading rumors.
“Are you interested in minor roles?”
However, what Moon Chang-sik proposed was completely off from my expectations.
“…Minor roles?”
“Yes, when I was chatting with the director the other day, he mentioned wanting to add a scene but didn’t have a suitable person to cast, so he asked if I had anyone to recommend.”
He’s been quietly pondering that while watching me all this time? But a minor role… this is way too sudden!
“Uh… what scene is it?”
“This exact scene.”
“Excuse me?”
“Just a shameless top star having a brief conversation with the producer at the beginning.”
Oh, I can somewhat imagine the scene. But…
“I’m neither shameless nor a top star.”
I have no prior acting experience. For me to stand in front of a camera, I’ll need to embody a character so naturally that it hardly requires any acting at all—these two traits are fundamentally mismatched!
“You’re plenty shameless, plus you look like a top star!”
Oh…
To be recognized as looking like a top star by an actual top star… should I brag about this somewhere?
“So, are you considering it? I think it would turn out beautifully, and you’d perform well.”
While I’m incredibly thankful for the offer… but isn’t it a bit late to jump in now? I’ve even hesitated to appear in variety shows because I didn’t want my face showing.
“Um… the truth is, I prefer to shy away from media exposure.”
“… Why?”
Moon Chang-sik looked at me with an expression of genuine confusion. As someone whose job it is to stand in front of a camera, it seemed he couldn’t possibly comprehend.
Why? It’s not like I want people recognizing me and making things complicated, is it?
But this is a bit embarrassing to say…
“I’m someone who’s satisfied with the present. I feel like attracting attention would only complicate my life.”
I tried to convey it indirectly, but Moon Chang-sik still looked puzzled, or perhaps something clicked in him that ignited a fire in his eyes as he addressed me.
“Are you really someone who’s satisfied with the present?”
“Pardon?”
Satisfied with the present? Well…
“Does someone satisfied with their present come all the way to a workshop and work diligently on recording like this?”
“Uh…”
That’s true, isn’t it?
Why was I so diligently recording this new song?
“Are you not trying to shy away? Like, ‘I’m satisfied with the present, so I don’t need to do this’?”
The words flowing from Moon Chang-sik’s mouth left me speechless.
Moreover, before I could say anything, he quickly added his next point.
“I think a bit differently. There’s no reason not to do it.”
In theaters accommodating hundreds, sometimes in restaurants, or during moments in someone’s living room.
The words and phrases resonating from Moon Chang-sik’s solid vocal delivery pierced my ears.
“Humans are torches burning through a single life; wouldn’t it be better if we burned brighter while we can?”
I instinctively found myself focusing on his words.
He was definitely a genuine top star, one who could immediately capture the attention of anyone right in front of him.
“Not just any ordinary torch lighting the doorway, but a brilliant torch that lights up the village, the city, the nation.”
After pouring out his thoughts, he paused for a moment before meeting my gaze again.
“I see potential in you, Su-hyun. You could be that beacon lighting up the city, or rather, the nation—why hesitate to shine brighter?”
With that declaration, Moon Chang-sik leaned back comfortably and resumed tossing his now slightly soggy jajangmyeon around.
And while he mixed his jajangmyeon, I sat in sheer bewilderment, unable to lift my chopsticks.
Uh… was he always like this?
And who in this world makes minor role offers in such a grand fashion?