"Dohee, let’s record the guide one more time."
"Okey~"
For the past few months, Chaerin unnie and I had been working on a project.
Making a fan song with just the two of us, without any outside help.
And now, at last, the end was finally in sight.
The truth was, I had only just started learning composition, and Chaerin unnie had never once made a commercial song before.
Naturally, with our abilities, we had no choice but to run into difficulties during the composing process.
Our opinions had been sharply divided from the very beginning.
—I once saw scores on a song review site. Regardless of the song itself, they lowered the score because the message meant to convey the singer’s feelings to the fans lost its sincerity due to the typical electronic pop format. If we think about that, wouldn’t a ballad be better in terms of completeness?
From the song’s RPM to its genre.
Chaerin unnie, who had studied composition starting with making beats because she was very interested in hip-hop, ironically wanted to make the fan song as a lyrical ballad.
—Why do scores matter? The fans listening to it are what matters. In my opinion, as long as the lyrics are lyrical, it’s fine, you know? Just listen to this first.
On the other hand, I, who had played unplugged instruments—in other words, acoustic instruments that performed classical music rather than electronic sounds—argued for a genre with a fast beat.
Of course, there were plenty of classical pieces with high RPM too, but classical music had a strong image of being lyrical in form.
These discussions continued every day even after we left the studio, at the dorm, even in bed.
—I like both... hehe.
—Unnie, hurry up and sleep. You said you have an individual schedule tomorrow morning. It’s 3 a.m. right now.
—Let’s go work in the living room so Sera can sleep. I think she can’t sleep because we’re talking.
—Hing... I want to learn composition too...
Since the two of us were still inexperienced at composing, our options were limited, and because of that, we had no choice but to write a simpler, more monotonous song.
In the end, the middle ground we compromised on was an up-tempo R&B based on rock.
Because by nature, the rock genre had simple sessions: vocals handling the melody line, electric guitar forming the high-beat bass line, bass, and drums.
—How about this?
—It’s easy to listen to, for now?
Instead, precisely because it was relatively easy to write, it had the advantage of becoming closer to easy listening and getting familiar to the ear quickly.
—I don’t think it’s, like, super addictive... but it’s not bad, right?
—Yeah. But it’s still not that good yet. Honestly.
And so Chaerin unnie and I recorded the melodies that came to mind every day, and if we both thought something was decent, we transferred the melody through the keyboard connected to the computer.
Then, to match the added melody line, we newly picked out and adjusted the bass line.
***
—So we’d like to reveal the fan song for the first time at our concert... Would that be okay?
When we first told the performance directing team leader that we wanted to present the fan song onstage at the concert, the reaction we got back was positive.
—Oh, really? When did you prepare something like this? The fans would really love it!
—But the song isn’t out yet... Still, I think we can finish it before the concert.
—Then don’t feel pressured and just let me hear whatever you’ve made so far. I need to know the mood of the song to plan the staging. If the response is good, it’d be nice to put it in the next album too, right?
And we were able to get approval more easily than expected.
Even though the song hadn’t been finished yet, the fact that they simply trusted us and gave permission meant they had that much faith in us, so it was something to be grateful for.
That was how good our relationship with the staff was.
The only problem was that the higher-ups dispatched from headquarters kept saying we were a project group, were far too obsessed with money, and worked us to the bone.
A few days after we received approval like that.
The planning team delivered the concept for the third and final VCR shoot.
The making of the fan song.
The plan was to use it as a video to be shown right before the fan song stage.
And today.
A studio inside the Shock Entertainment building.
All the members gathered and sat in this place, where cameras were set up on every side.
"I’ll play it first, okay?"
When Chaerin unnie pressed the button, the guide version of the fan song flowed out through the speakers.
「When your smile reaches me
The colors become dyed in fantasy
When all of it makes me smile
For one moment, everything is beautiful」
Normally, I would have admired the fan song recorded entirely in my own voice.
And with the words, “Wow, Lee Dohee’s singing skills keep getting better every time, insane~” I would have drawn out the unnies’ fed-up reactions.
But watching the members listen seriously, my face felt especially hot and ticklish today.
‘Why am I so embarrassed?’
So I kept letting excuses spill out of my mouth.
"For now, the lyrics are just written randomly. We’re going to rewrite them to match the guide syllables... Ah, th-this is the point part..."
But Kim Seoyun, as usual, still tugged on my cheek and played dumb.
"Why is she stuttering? Is our maknae Dohee embarrassed, maybe?"
Normally, I would have been annoyed.
But instead, that reaction actually made me feel less embarrassed.
"So what do you think...?"
I prided myself on having a good ear.
But since I could end up giving a biased evaluation when it came to my own work, I couldn’t help still being uncertain.
"I think it’s good...!"
Still, the members’ reactions were definitely positive.
"It’s good. To be really honest, it’s not the kind of song that makes you gasp the moment you hear it, but in contrast to the beat, there’s something emotional and overwhelming about it."
Even the picky Hana unnie said that.
"Did Dohee write the lyrics...?"
"Huh? No. Together with Chaerin unnie. I wrote the chorus."
"Even the lyrics you wrote are cute..."
So I felt a little relieved.
‘Phew... Thank goodness...’
Chaerin unnie also seemed satisfied with the members’ reactions, because she smiled and opened her mouth.
"So, the reason we gathered today is..."
Harang unnie raised her hand high and answered.
"To record!?"
Chaerin unnie ignored her and continued speaking.
"Dohee and I put our heads together and wrote the lyrics, but it’s still a guide version, and originally, we were planning to entrust it to lyricists."
Chaerin unnie handed the members the papers she had prepared.
"These are the parts we decided on while imagining your voices."
On the thin A4 paper, each member’s part was marked in a different color.
"It’s okay if the meanings don’t connect, so for your own parts, I’d like all of us to participate in writing the lyrics ourselves. Since it’s a fan song."
***
Around the time the Saven members were fully immersed in preparing for the concert.
At last, the concert and ticketing schedule were announced in detail.
As planned, the beginning would be Korea, Seoul.
===============
[Concert ticketing is up]
Saven 1st Concert
'Link: to Seventh Heaven'
(Poster image)
Genre: Concert
Date and time: September 23 (Sat) 5 p.m., September 24 (Sun) 6 p.m.
Venue: Olympic Gymnastics Arena
Age rating: Ages 7 and up
Running time: Approximately 120 minutes
※ Purchase limit: Fan club pre-sale 1 ticket per person per show / General sale 2 tickets per person per show (including fan club pre-sale tickets)
※ Batch delivery: August 28 (Mon)
※ For smooth ticketing, if you reserve using bank transfer, you cannot change the payment method to credit card.
===============
—Holy crap, it’s up.
Since the fans already knew about the concert through the news, most of them had finished all preparations by the time the ticketing notice came out.
—Ah lol, with that many seats, there’s no way I won’t have a spot
—I’m getting the chair-standing section no matter what...
—Damn, I even failed course registration and had to take extra summer classes, can I do this?
└lol just take the concert as a summer class too lol
—But is the Enterpark server on standard time?
—I’m from out of town and already booked lodging. If I fail ticketing, I’m just gonna chug soju at the motel
But when ticketing day actually arrived, all that overflowing composure and confidence vanished, replaced by encroaching anxiety.
—Looking for a mercenary. Reward if ticketing succeeds
—What’s pre-sale? I just like listening to the kids’ songs on YouTube, so I really wanted to go to the concert this time. Did I have to join the official fan club?
└Then you’ve got no choice but to wait for leftover seats + canceled seats in general sale lol There’ll probably be seats left on the 3rd floor lol
—I’m gonna absolutely destroy this ticketing fr
Since the agency decided the capacity while comparing it with actual audience numbers.
No matter how large the capacity was, good seats were always a bloodbath, so it couldn’t be helped.
—Ding
And right then, a notification message from Saven’s WE app popped up.
[SAVEN has started a broadcast: ‘Hey, it’s a competition.’]
And in the live screen, Dohee was waving her hand.
[Hello~]
—Ah damn, I saw the title and thought Harang came, but it was Rahee? She’s starting to resemble her unnie
—Doha Raha
—Ah, move already, you can just come and listen in person
—For real, the tickets are ours, so move
A new competitor had appeared.
***
Of course, I failed miserably.
As soon as I entered, I got kicked out along with the queue.
"Is it usually this hard?"
—Yeah, I barely succeeded too
—I failed because I couldn’t focus while looking at your face, take responsibility
—My standing spot ㅠㅠㅠ I think scalpers used macros ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
For some reason, I felt upset, so wanting to do something, I left the live broadcast on and called Mom on speakerphone.
[Yes~ My daughter~ Why did you call?]
Mom’s voice was gentle, as usual.
"Mom... what should I do?"
Of course, I intended to joke around.
[Why? Did something happen to my daughter?]
As expected, Mom sounded worried.
I made my voice tremble as much as possible.
"Um... I failed at ticketing, so I don’t think I’ll be able to invite you... Hing... What should I do..."
At this point, Mom would comfort me.
[Sigh...]
But contrary to my expectations, what came back was a sigh.
"Huh."
[Hang up. Be good to your unnies.]
Before I could even ask her to wait a second, the call ended, and in that brief moment, I heard Mom muttering.
[Doa can’t grow up like her unnie...]
Meanwhile, the chat window on the screen in front of me was rapidly scrolling upward.
—That’s why you shouldn’t prank your mother lololol
—lololol Dohee’s little sister’s name is Doa? I’m curious lololol
—Were you Rahee even to your family? lololol
Only later did I learn that the agency had delivered tickets to the parents in advance.
That was why I felt wronged.
I thought I was the one who got to give them.
"Ah... I should’ve called Dad. Dad gets fooled easily."
—lololol Dohee, you should be reflecting, what do you mean you should’ve called your dad lololol