At the words spat out by Director Gim Gibaek with a drained expression, Gang Rojun tilted his head and asked back.
“You're asking me to write lyrics for all the songs?”
Director Gim Gibaek gave a small nod.
“Yes. Mm—this isn't something I've discussed with the CEO or the A&R team yet, but I think it would be good for you, Lojun-nim, to take charge of the lyrics for Vanguard's debut album. What do you think?”
Gang Rojun muttered inwardly, somewhere around the lines of, *Is that okay?* And he had every reason to think so. For a company like GN Entertainment, famous and skilled lyricists who were among the best in the country should be a dime a dozen.
The typical order of completion for a song was composition first, lyrics second.
Once the composer sent the track and the agency selected it, the agency compiled the song's concept, the idol members' concepts, the direction they were pursuing, and so on, then distributed everything to lyricists along with the selected track. Naturally, to dozens of lyricists, not just one. Then the lyricists would frantically write lyrics. However, only one lyricist's work was chosen per song. The process was more or less similar for both composition and lyrics; either way, it was a cutthroat reality.
Once composition and lyrics were finished, recording proceeded and choreography was created.
There wasn't a single thing that wasn't important.
That was why Gang Rojun found it a bit puzzling.
*'With all those lyricists available, is it okay to give it to me? I don't mind, though.'*
It was one thing if it were just one song, but Director Gim Gibaek had said all the songs to Lojun. Gang Rojun briefly scanned the members before meeting eyes with Gim Gibaek once more.
“I'd like to try, but is it really okay for me to do all the songs?”
Director Gim Gibaek slowly shrugged his shoulders.
“There might be quite a few people who oppose it. But we have to make it happen. Because having you write the lyrics is advantageous in many ways.”
“What kind of advantages, for example?”
Gim Gibaek, who had been rubbing his chin, let out a hum.
“Hmm—most of the songs for 'The 100%' were written by you, Lojun-nim, right? Even Bak Hyeonjeong-nim's.”
“That's right.”
“'Witch,' the original 'Survival 100,' the Japanese version of 'Survival 100,' 'Daring,' the OST 'Lovers,' and 'Monochrome Sound.' As far as I've checked, that's about it. Is there anything else?”
Though his tone was weary, he was precise. Rojun wondered, *When did he check all of this?* It was strange—for someone who looked like he would do everything roughly, he clearly remembered the songs.
“No.”
“Your discography as a lyricist, Lojun-nim, is unbelievably substantial for a newcomer. Moreover, songs related to 'The 100%' and 'Monochrome Sound' are still in the upper ranks of the charts. The results of the songs you've written are quite good as well.”
“······”
“On top of that, your lyric-writing speed is said to be in the blink of an eye. Sources are PD U Hanseok, PD Jeong Suryeong, and Song Mingeun-nim. Ah, and the members here as well. Though it's the same for composition, an experienced lyricist would be much faster, wouldn't they?”
It seemed he had already finished his research.
“Among the Vanguard members, the visual center is an outstanding lyricist with exceptional skill, and his work speed is several times faster than other lyricists. I believe you absolutely must do this, Lojun-nim.”
Sihu, who had been listening quietly from the side, cautiously chimed in.
“R-Rojun. I'd like you to write the lyrics too. I trust you. You wrote all my songs for 'The 100%,' and I want to entrust you with the songs I'll write in the future as well.”
Gang Min and Dogyeong also agreed fervently.
“I'm definitely in favor.”
“There's no lyricist like you, Rojun-hyung.”
At this, Director Gim Gibaek added on.
“If you, Lojun-nim, take charge of all the lyrics, Vanguard's debut will naturally be faster as well. Usually, lyricists take anywhere from a few weeks to a month to work.”
Finally, he mentioned what had been weighing on his mind.
“However, if you feel the workload is too much and too tough, mm—you may refuse. What's most important is your condition and health, Lojun-nim.”
Refuse? Gang Rojun had no intention of doing so.
“No. I'll do it.”
Though he had been focusing on composition lately, Lojun hadn't neglected his writing or lyric work.
*'My main job, and even my side jobs, are all fun. If it's possible, there's no reason to give them to another lyricist.'*
Gang Rojun smiled with his eyes.
“To be honest, I was going to ask to write at least one song.”
Director Gim Gibaek raised his thumb as if to say, *Perfect.*
“Good. Understood, then I'll try to talk people around regarding the lyrics for Lojun-nim's debut songs. But I don't think it'll be too difficult.”
“Thank you.”
“I'm the one who should be grateful. A group with such capable members is a rare sight. And—perhaps you should also keep the Japanese versions in mind. Given the current atmosphere, I have a feeling we'll move into Japan faster than expected.”
If the debut album had three songs, he would have to crank out lyrics for six tracks total, counting the domestic and Japanese versions. It might normally be a burden, but Gang Rojun felt excited.
*'The more I have to do, the more the dopamine hits.'*
Soon, Director Gim Gibaek changed the subject.
“And congratulations. Vanguard's YouTube channel was a huge hit. As you all know, it passed 1.3 million subscribers this morning, and right now—let's see—it's at 1.8 million. At this rate, we might hit 2 million today?”
Vanguard's YouTube channel was no different from a runaway train.
[Channel Name: Vanguard]
[Subscribers: 1.86 million]
[Videos: 3]
It had opened yesterday, yet 2 million subscribers were already within reach.
“This is my first time seeing such a case, so even I'm—a bit bewildered. We expected a good response given your recognition, but to this extent... You've surpassed YouTube channels of fairly popular idols in a single day.”
This, too, was a record worthy of note. While there had been some precedents, it wouldn't be wrong to say Vanguard was the first to attract such subscriber and view counts immediately after debut.
“Thanks to that, the YouTube team has gotten busy. We were going to run it while gauging reactions after opening the channel, but with the situation like this, we can't just sit back and wait. There will likely be additional filming for YouTube uploads; I'll let you know as soon as I'm briefed.”
Next, he briefed them in more detail regarding the music video.
“I mentioned it briefly, but the music video production will be on a rather large scale. The CEO also gave an explicit order not to let the budget dictate things. If we film music videos for all the songs, we'll first release a teaser. It will also serve as Vanguard's concept teaser. Then we'll officially release the full music videos simultaneously on Vanguard's YouTube channel, with the debut stage coming after.”
Additionally, Director Gim Gibaek meticulously informed them of what had been decided so far. The more they heard, the more the Vanguard members' fighting spirit burned. Before long, Gim Gibaek closed the diary he had been looking at.
“I'm seeing and experiencing so many firsts that my passion is igniting.”
It was the exact opposite of his frail demeanor.
The next day, around Wednesday lunchtime.
Gang Rojun and the members were at the cafeteria. Sihu, Gang Min, and Dogyeong had been training from morning until noon, while Gang Rojun had come from the studio. The boys arrived at the spacious cafeteria and shook their shoulders lightly.
“Today it's gotta be Ttukbul, Ttukbul.”
Behind Dogyeong's dry muttering, Sihu and Gang Min also decided on their menus. With diverse options like Korean, Western, and Japanese food, deciding what to eat was a task in itself. A happy dilemma.
Gang Rojun said,
“I should grab a knife, I'm craving meat.”
“Steak? Mm—should I cut some meat too?”
Soon, Rojun and Sihu walked over to the Western food corner, and before long, the Vanguard members gathered at one table, sharing their main side dishes so everyone could try each. Dogyeong, expressionless, put a piece of Ttukbul in his mouth and slowly closed his eyes.
“I could easily put down three heaping bowls of rice.”
Gang Min, wearing a headband, joined in.
“Whoa—the Ttukbul quality is insane today. I should've gotten Ttukbul too.”
“Take some, hyung.”
“You take some pork cutlet too.”
Chewing on a few pieces of Gang Min's pork cutlet, Dogyeong turned his gaze to Rojun and Sihu.
“How are you hyungs?”
Gang Rojun was the first to answer, seriously cutting his steak.
“About what.”
“How you feel, of course. Hyung Sihu and hyung Lojun, you turned in tracks, right? Will the debut songs be yours?”
“No way to know.”
Sihu showed a reaction as if something had suddenly come to mind.
“Ah! Right! Rojun, you need to listen to the dance track. Is the title finalized as 'Geurinbi'?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you turn it in complete?”
“Fortunately. What about you, hyung?”
“I also narrowed it down and submitted.”
Gang Min looked at Dogyeong.
“Dogyeong, why didn't you turn one in? You can compose too.”
“I'm a rap-only type, so it wouldn't fit a group song.”
“Well—you can use it for a solo or unit group later.”
Among the members who focused on eating for a moment, Dogyeong asked the older members.
“Do you think the staff will like your songs?”
Sihu, the one with the most composition experience, scratched his head.
“Even if they like them... the decisions won't come immediately. They'll probably start by listening to the collected songs with a test mindset first? Director Gim also said that choosing songs is complicated.”
“That's true. As far as I know, they usually hold meetings almost three times or more before deciding.”
“They narrow it down from fifty, thirty, ten... and when they have the final candidate songs, the CEO and executives gather to decide.”
“Ugh—just selecting songs will take forever.”
“We're fast because our company is big. Usually, song collection alone takes over a month, and confirming the songs takes even longer.”
“We're in the song collection phase now, so does that mean the debut songs are out for this month, and next month?? If it drags, the month after?”
Dogyeong sighed deeply, finding it a bit distant. Gang Min was the same. Watching the younger ones, Sihu infused a positive mindset.
“We're on the fast track, I told you.”
Listening from the side, Gang Rojun spread steak sauce over his rice and clicked his tongue inwardly.
*'I had a rough idea, but selecting songs really is insanely complicated.'*
Meanwhile.
In the large conference room, numerous staff from the management team, A&R team, business team, publicity and marketing team, and more had gathered. Among them was Director Gim Gibaek, who had a long puffer jacket thrown on casually. In the buzzing atmosphere, a female team leader from the A&R team stepped to the front of the room. To be more precise, she was the person commanding Vanguard's dedicated team.
She announced to the many staff members.
“Vanguard's song collection is about eighty percent complete. It's not finished yet, but per the CEO's order to expedite, we'll begin checking the more important tracks among those collected.”
They hadn't finished collecting all the songs for Vanguard's debut album, but since the core songs were more or less gathered, they had decided to hold a first-round demo listening to pick tracks. Naturally, they wouldn't play every collected track in this room. They would gauge the atmosphere focusing on the more important songs, compile each team's opinions, and then the A&R team would make a first-round cut.
“For reference, as shared in advance, the song collection includes tracks from Vanguard members Lojun and Sihu. We'll start with those two first.”
Several staff members were aware that Lojun and Sihu had participated in the song collection. However, trust in Sihu's side was stronger. Only the A&R team here knew of Rojun's composition.
“We'll start with Lojun-nim's track. First, listen to this ballad that Lojun-nim composed a while ago.”
Just as she operated the laptop.
-Swish.
The glass door at the front suddenly opened, and someone entered. At the same time, all staff members who were seated, including Director Gim Gibaek, stood up and bowed respectfully. It was only natural.
The one who had just appeared was someone who spoke in a low, weighty voice.
“Sit down. I only came because I was curious.”
It was GN Entertainment's CEO, Ha Seohwan. Dressed in a full suit, he sat in the seat the staff made for him. It was by the window; CEO Ha Seohwan crossed his legs calmly and shot a look telling them to continue. He wore a faint smile, yet charisma dripped from him somehow.
The slightly surprised female team leader cleared her throat and operated the laptop again.
Soon, throughout the large conference room.
-♬♪
A ballad played. It was Gang Rojun's 'Track 1.' After listening for a moment, CEO Ha Seohwan smiled faintly. An expression difficult to read. In contrast, the surrounding staff let out pure exclamations.
“It's good?? Is it just me?”
“Wow—does he have ballad potential too?”
“It's absurd to the point of being ridiculous, this is his first composition? Amazing.”
Director Gim Gibaek let out something close to a chuckle.
*'I haven't heard this track before, but—it's made incredibly well. I understand the staff's reaction. Who the hell would look at this and think it's a beginner's composition?'*
The female team leader, having cut the song around the first verse, raised the corners of her mouth.
“Good, right? Next, we'll play a track that was separately requested from Lojun-nim for the collection. Listen first. Ah, the title is 'Geurinbi.'”
A few seconds later, Gang Rojun's fresh new song, 'Geurinbi,' began playing in the large conference room.
-♬♪
Then.
“······”
After listening to approximately thirty seconds from the intro of 'Geurinbi,' CEO Ha Seohwan abruptly gave an order.
“Put this song down as confirmed.”
One of Vanguard's debut songs was decided in an instant.