A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 52

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Regression Manual for an Idol Who Lost Their Original Intentions Chapter 52

Our second mini-album activities had wrapped up, but without any time to rest, we had to run breathlessly once again.

We still had recording and music video filming for a Christmas commemorative fan song to be released for Christmas, as well as practice for year-end award ceremonies and music festival special stages.

“Alright, listen to the guide now. These are your individual parts.”

I distributed sheet music to the members and played the demo song recorded with Gyeon Hajun’s voice.

It was an upbeat dance rock song with carol melody sampling incorporated into an electronic sound.

When the song ended, everyone nodded their heads and threw out compliments saying the song was decent and good.

In the midst of this heartwarming chain of praise, Ryu Jaehee, who had been keeping his mouth shut alone, took a breath and spoke his honest opinion.

“Can this song really survive among all those formidable Christmas carols?”

“Why? Is it ambiguous?”

“The song is good, but there’s no part that really grabs you.”

“I knew that too, but hearing the confirmation shot makes me feel pretty bad about it?”

“No, hyung, I’m not disparaging your efforts, so don’t misunderstand.”

I threw out a listless comment toward Ryu Jaehee, who was hastily adding what sounded like excuses.

“Who said anything to you?”

“Aren’t you feeling pretty bad about it?”

“You honestly shared your thoughts, so why would that… I’m not feeling great about putting this song out either.”

It was natural that I wasn’t satisfied since it was a song I’d hastily worked on while busy and frantic due to scheduling.

Moreover, I’d coughed up blood as a penalty during the work process and was even rushed to the hospital.

Similarly, although time and leisure were tight, the arrangement of KICKS’ that I’d worked on through gritted teeth was only the first verse, and I had sufficient motivation, so it produced satisfactory results.

But the problem with this Christmas commemorative fan song was that there wasn’t anything particularly motivating about working on it.

Doing something because someone else tells you to is different from doing something because you want to.

Still, having heard those words, my pride was hurt to put it out into the world as it was.

I put it on repeat and sat quietly listening to the song while tapping the floor with my fingers, and before I knew it, an hour had passed.

Seo Yehyeon, who had inevitably been allocated the fewest parts again, broke the silence and spoke up.

“I think I’ve sufficiently learned all my parts, so can I go to my room?”

“No, throw away that sheet music.”

I replied while getting up. I put on the outerwear I’d carelessly thrown on the sofa and headed to the entrance.

“I’m going out to do revision work.”

Because of Kim Dobin, I blurted out the report that had stuck to my lips and left the semi-basement dorm.

“Just rent the whole place yourself. I don’t know if you’re my junior or my enemy…”

“Ah, hyung, just until today. I’m really getting a studio now.”

I naturally pushed aside Yongcheol hyung, who was making beats in the studio chair, and opened the file I’d heard to death.

I touched a few chords in the accompaniment and modified the melody by catching the parts that had sounded awkward during the hour I’d been listening.

If I’d known this would happen, I should have listened to it once overall before recording the demo. What was I so rushed about that I proceeded right away without revisions?

‘Well, I was sick of it.’

Back then I didn’t even want to listen to it again, but now that I had some breathing room, the music seemed to reach my ears a bit better.

Ryu Jaehee’s honest evaluation had also served as motivation in its own way.

I put the song, which had become more listenable than before after fixing several parts, on repeat and did a final review to see if there were any more awkward parts.

‘It’s late, so calling Gyeon Hajun to record the guide would be a bit much…’

I guess I’ll have to do it myself.

I was humming the lyrics to match the melody while scanning the sheet music when I stopped abruptly at a part I absolutely couldn’t do.

I just composed this carelessly since I wasn’t the one singing it.

“Hyung, can you hit high notes up to the 3rd octave by any chance?”

“Not only are you extorting studio fees, now you’re making me a demo shuttle too. If I could hit high notes that well, I would’ve been a ballad singer, not a rapper.”

“Hyung, who was your ex-girlfriend back then… Anyway, when you got dumped by your girlfriend and sang She’s gone at karaoke, your high notes were soaring.”

“Get out, man.”

At his own dark history that came out of my mouth, Yongcheol hyung pretended to kick the chair.

Since the small studio didn’t have a recording booth, I turned on the microphone and proceeded with the guide recording right away.

I safely handled the most challenging high notes with falsetto. Ryu Jaehee would convert them to chest voice on his own.

When I finished the guide work and turned off the microphone, Yongcheol hyung, who had been covering his mouth and laughing as if he was about to cry behind me, let out the laughter he’d been holding back with snickering sounds.

“The way your voice suddenly becomes delicate at the high notes is hilarious, really.”

“Ah, what can I do about not being able to hit high notes?”

“You should stick to rap and singing rap for life. Pure white dream↗ *gasp*”

“I already felt it painfully while recording just now, so don’t caricature people like that while imitating them.”

“Caricature? I reproduced it exactly as it was.”

I grumbled at Yongcheol hyung, who was imitating my falsetto high note handling, transferred the work file to my phone, gathered the printed revised sheet music, and got up from the studio chair.

I left my thanks and returned to the dorm again. When I played the demo song I’d sung passionately, déjà vu occurred.

They had expressions of “oh” until the verse, but as soon as the high note part came out, I just closed my eyes tightly while watching them desperately try to hold back their laughter.

Yes, I can’t hit high notes, you bastards.

When the 3 minute 15 second song ended, I looked around at the members and asked.

“How is it?”

“The high notes are impressi-“

“Just try talking about the high notes.”

At my words added after a pause, Kim Dobin, who had been talking about the high notes, hastily shut his mouth.

Ryu Jaehee, who had raised issues with the previous song, also nodded with a satisfied face this time.

“It seems much better than before? The melody definitely sticks in my head more than the previous version.”

“Eden, you know my part, ‘White snow is falling, this is my first confession to you.’ The notes ‘falling→ this is↗’ would be better as ‘falling↘ this is↗’ I think. To put less strain on the throat.”

“Ah, is it a bit strenuous now? I couldn’t feel it since I processed the high notes with falsetto while recording the guide. Then I’ll revise the sheet music and you can sing it that way when recording. Youngest, give me that pen.”

At Gyeon Hajun’s request, I revised the musical notes on the sheet music and handed it back to Gyeon Hajun.

The expressions of Kim Dobin and Seo Yehyeon, who were practicing their parts, also didn’t look bad. Now we just need to finish recording safely…

Recalling the time we recorded , I suddenly had a clear vision of the gloomy future approaching.

Would I really be able to finish recording safely without forgetting that we’re filming?

I wouldn’t end up being branded as the only personality-flawed, unlikable member after the work process was broadcast, would I?

* * *

Recording and filming day.

We arrived at the recording studio after stopping by the salon with perfect makeup and hair styling.

The recording studio that the reality program side had arranged was quite excellent.

The sound quality was good to match the equipment quality. It’s just that my standards had gotten so high after seeing G1’s studio.

Cameras were installed both inside and outside the recording booth to film the recording work process.

I sat in the control room chair and muttered with my head bowed as if praying.

“Don’t forget there are cameras. We’re filming right now. Cameras, cameras… We have to finish work within today, so even if I don’t like it, I should let it slide appropriately…”

While I was pulling myself together with self-talk, Gyeon Hajun was warming up his voice, Seo Yehyeon was staring intently at the sheet music, and the youngest line was whispering to each other in low voices.

“I wish we filmed every time we recorded.”

“Why?”

“Look, Eden hyung is already doing mind control. Since there are cameras, won’t Eden hyung become a bit gentler too?”

“Tsk, hyung really has no sense. As if Eden hyung would be like that when it comes to music-related work. That hyung puts music before broadcast filming.”

At Kim Dobin’s words full of hope, Ryu Jaehee shook his head back and forth.

We’d have to see how the recording progressed to know whose words were right.

The camera light blinked, and recording began along with filming.

The first batter was Ryu Jaehee. I nodded my head while listening to his vocals stretching out refreshingly.

“Youngest, let’s do just the first line of the hook one more time.”

When I spoke in as gentle a voice as possible, Ryu Jaehee looked back at me from beyond the glass wall with a momentarily startled face, then hastily managed his expression when I glared at him.

I wonder if that kid Kim Dobin knows that his thumbs-up from behind is reflected in the recording booth glass window.

Ryu Jaehee’s recording finished in a couple of tries, and next was Gyeon Hajun’s turn.

As expected, I smiled contentedly today as well while listening to that tone that’s exactly my taste.

Since we had to finish the work by today, I had lowered the standard from 100 to 80, so Gyeon Hajun also smoothly finished recording his part after hearing “again” just a couple of times.

“Hyung, why have you become such a fake person? The hyung I know isn’t like this…!”

During our break time in the middle.

Ryu Jaehee, who handed me warm water, pretended to sob playfully.

After downing the water in one shot, I put on a benevolent smile and said.

“What are you talking about, youngest. This hyung has always been like this.”

“Hyung, the camera isn’t on right now.”

“Youngest, manage your expression properly.”

At those words, Ryu Jaehee made a relieved expression and took the empty cup from my hands.

The short break time ended, and the next turn was…

‘Here comes what I was expecting.’

Seeing the previous two people finish recording much more easily than last time’s , perhaps their tension had eased.

Watching Seo Yehyeon enter the recording booth with a peaceful face, I firmly prepared myself mentally.

The part that was both easiest and most challenging had begun.

I really tried to let it pass even if Seo Yehyeon only reached the 70-point standard, if possible.

After all, it wasn’t a song for ranking performances, just a surprise gift song.

But I absolutely couldn’t compromise. I had to pull it up to at least the 80-point standard to get results I could be satisfied with.

“Wait, let’s try again. ‘Pushing through the softly piled snow’- that part was fine, you know? But the pitch wavers after that.”

“Hyung, when you sing ‘pushing through’ try relaxing your throat a bit. The pitch starts wavering from there.”

“Did I tell you to put vibration here? I just told you to relax, so why is the note trembling. Again.”

“It’s not off-beat, it’s on-beat. Match the rhythm. Again.”

“I definitely said on-beat earlier. Again.”

“Match the rhythm. Again.”

“Sigh, again.”

“Again.”

As the sentences coming from my mouth grew shorter and the expression gradually disappeared from my face, the atmosphere in the recording studio grew heavier.

Finally saying “again” for the tenth time, I let out a heavy sigh and cut the MR.

As soon as our eyes met, I gestured with my hand toward Seo Yehyeon, who clearly looked tense, and said.

“Yehyeon hyung, come out for a moment.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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