Second Try Idol

The news that Reina had contacted me spread among the members in no time.

“Hey, hey, hey. Ah, lucky you, Suh Hyun-Woo. So lucky."

“That's a really great opportunity, isn't it?"

Goh Yoo-Joon sprawled on my bed and threw a tantrum. “Ugh, I’m so jealous. You greedy bastard. I want to be involved in the project too, I do! Ugh!”

At first, I wasn't sure how to react to his genuine envy, so I was wary of his reactions. However, once I realized he was just being dramatic, I ignored him. I glared at Goh Yoo-Joon, who was poking my waist with his foot while sprawled out on the bed like an eagle with its wings spread. I smacked him and got up.

“Keep it down or get out. Or listen to this."

“Listen to what?"

I played a track saved on my phone. Goh Yoo-Joon closed his eyes to listen, then tilted his head in confusion. “What's this? I have never heard this before. New Age?"

“Nope." I grinned proudly and said, “It's one of my compositions for you."

It was a simple piece that blended piano melodies with a few beats. It was a sample I had lightly put together while thinking of submitting it for a TV show or movie background music selection that Goh Yoo-Joon would be involved in.

I hadn't had as much time to work on compositions on my laptop in the US, so I recorded the piano parts on my phone and sent a text asking Kim Jin-Wook for help. Then…

Attachment: [Goh Yoo-Joon.mp3]

Message: SOS

I had sent a brief message, and received an equally succinct reply.

Attachment: [Goh_Modified.mp3]

Message:.

Despite being an incomplete piece with just piano and beats, the modified version attached was impressive enough to share with Goh Yoo-Joon.

“My song?"

“More accurately, it's a track for the original soundtrack selection you will be singing. It's more likely to end up with Joo-Han or someone else’s songs, but I thought I'd submit it anyway."

After hearing it was his song, Goh Yoo-Joon sat up to listen more intently.

“This is all there is to it, as there are no guide vocals yet, but it’s not bad for my first composition, right?"

“It's more than okay. It's good! Did you make all of this?"

“No, no, Kim Jin-Wook—" Right, the cameras were still on. “—hyung helped me. I worked on the piano part, and he added the beats."

“Wow, Suh Hyun-Woo, asking Jin-Wook hyung for help is like using a cheat code."

Goh Yoo-Joon took my phone, listened to the song until the end, and gave a thumbs-up. “Sounds good. Hey, but if this doesn't become the soundtrack, you are giving this to me, right?"

“Not really. If it doesn't become the track, I might give it to Yoon-Chan instead."

“Ah, why!"

“What?”

I left the noisy Goh Yoo-Joon in the room and went to the living room. Regardless of the soundtrack outcome, the song would go to one of the members. Since Goh Yoo-Joon was getting a solo song for the soundtrack this time, I thought of modifying it to something brighter and more refreshing for Yoon-Chan.

I sat on the couch in the living room and gazed out at the cityscape through the large windows. Then, I saw Goh Yoo-Joon leave my room and return to his own.

“Call me when it's time for practice."

“Okay."

It appeared he was going to take a nap. Joo-Han had gone to work with Callia Lawrence, and Yoon-Chan had been picked as Reina's next duet partner and had gone to practice with her. Jin-Sung had gone out for a run, and I was just...

“..."

The accommodation was eerily quiet, as if no one else was around. It had been a long time since I was alone like this in the middle of the day. I mindlessly stared out at the cityscape for a while, then I got up abruptly when I felt I might fall asleep.

“I should go practice too," I said to myself, still conscious of the camera.

I quickly packed my things and headed to the practice room.

***

"Uh..."

I expected to find Reina and Yoon-Chan practicing together in the practice room, but Yoon-Chan was nowhere to be seen. Only Reina was there, busy writing something on a music score.

“Senior.”

“Oh? Ah, Hyun-Woo. You’re here to practice? Go ahead."

“Ah, yes! Um, Yoon-Chan..."

“Yoon-Chan said he was going back to the accommodation a while ago. Didn't you see him?"

“Ah, we must have missed each other—no, I didn't see him. We probably crossed paths."

“Did you come here to practice with Yoon-Chan?” Reina asked, her expression tinged with disappointment.

I hurriedly shook my head. “No, no. I was going to practice with him if he was here, but… I also came here just to practice by myself.”

I realized that I had never actually had a proper duet with Yoon-Chan, so I thought it would be nice to take this opportunity to do so. But now that he left, I would have to wait for another chance.

“Oh, really? What song are you going to sing?"

“Well, today, uh, actually I haven't decided yet. But I have a lot on my mind, so I'm planning to sing multiple songs and then decide."

“Can I recommend one?"

“Yes, please do."

Seeing that I was still quite nervous around her, Reina chuckled and stood up. “How about a song by Callia?"

“A song by Callia?"

“It's called ‘Cinematic,’ and I just thought it might suit you well."

“Alright! I’ll give it a try."

Reina brushed past me as if to leave, but then sat down on a nearby chair. “Do you mind if I watch you practice for a bit? I've given a lot of feedback to the other members during their practice, but I've never done so for you and Yoo-Joon."

“Oh, thank you."

Reina was famous for really bringing out the emotion in a song, so it would be really great to receive feedback from her.

I sat down on the chair Reina had vacated and fiddled with my phone, searching for and listening to “Cinematic” by Callia Lawrence. I hummed softly. The song felt vaguely familiar, but still somewhat unfamiliar.

While I was singing along and listening to the song again, Reina cleared her throat. “By the way, Hyun-Woo..."

“Yes?"

“You, um, I was thinking to pretend not to notice, but did you accept my request because you felt pressured by me, your senior?"

“Hmm?”

Reina fiddled with a vase next to her chair, avoiding my gaze. “I mean… I might have gotten too excited and pushed you too hard to accept my proposal."

“Oh, that."

She was talking about the production.

“Not at all. I really wanted to do it."

“That's a relief, then. Preparing for something else during comeback season isn't easy, so I just wanted to ask. I was worried you might have said yes just because you felt like you had to." Reina suddenly raised her hand in the air and made a cutting gesture with her fingers as if she was using scissors. That wasn't for me, but for the editor of this recording to edit this part out.

“Anyway, thanks for agreeing to participate in my secret project. I was really worried about what I'd do if you said no."

“I should be the one thanking you."

Reina took a flower from the vase she was fiddling with and came over. “Practice and eat well, okay?"

“Okay!"

“I will talk to you later, then.”

She handed me a rose. I took it with a somewhat bewildered look, but Reina smiled and patted my head before leaving the practice room. It felt a bit like a proposal, and she was so cool. However, when I came to my senses, I realized my hands were wet as the roses had been in the vase for a while.

***

Tomorrow's schedule was set. For the first time in a while, we were doing a street performance without a stage, securing a spot right in the middle of the plaza in front of a department store to grab people's attention. We decided to present a dance-heavy remix version of “Parade” along with our solo and duet pieces prepared individually.

Tomorrow's performance was especially important because, after it was over, the next venue was a small theater arranged by Callia's record company. Although it was small, it was a venue hard to fill for completely unknown singers in the US like we were.

So where would we gather the audience from? From the foreign press interview and street performance with Callia tomorrow. Both the interview and the performance were planned to end with promotions for the next show, and even if the response at the venue wasn't great, we expected American Rings and K-POP fans to fill the seats once the news spread through social media.

With such important promotion ahead, our practice venue changed. From a small practice room in our accommodation, where dance practice was just a dream once band instruments were brought in, to a large practice room. This room could accommodate the dancers helping with the “Parade” remix version, which we were focusing on for this performance.

Callia had been grumbling to Reina in rapid English that for some reason sounded almost like she was rapping, but she stopped in her tracks upon seeing the number of dancers for the “Parade” remix version already in the large practice room.

“Why are there so many people here?"

In the midst of this, Jin-Sung grabbed me and started jumping up and down. “Hyung, it's been a while, but we are going to nail that dance break, right? Yay! The choreography is the same as the last awards show, right?"

“Uh… Yeah, yes… Stop shaking me, Jin-Sung. It hurts.” More importantly, I shook pathetically in all directions every time Jin-Sung jumped, which really hurt my pride.

Anyway, this remix version of “Parade” would be a stage where we slightly modified the choreography that had been changed during the last awards show. We would perform this modified choreography again.

I thought this would be the best way to attract as much attention as possible.

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