The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 71

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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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Tap.

As I hit enter, the track title I had just saved flickered faintly on the laptop screen.

【 Whale Day_final_finalfinal_reallyfinal_reallyreallyFINAL 】

“Haah.”

Just looking at the file name made me sigh involuntarily.

‘This is seriously driving me crazy.’

Ian and Bella.

I was struggling to raise both of their satisfaction levels, but there was no progress at all.

‘When Ian’s satisfaction goes up, Bella’s satisfaction drops, and when Bella’s satisfaction goes up, Ian’s satisfaction drops.’

Does a song that can simultaneously satisfy both of their tastes really exist in this world?

It was a difficult task.

When the producer and artist want different things, I had no idea what to do.

“What’s wrong? What’s not working out?”

“Want to listen to this revision one more time?”

“Sure.”

I handed the headset to Shin Ha-yeon.

Shin Ha-yeon closed her eyes and listened to the flowing melody, then took off the headset and gave her review.

“It got a bit heavier than last time?”

“Is it refreshing?”

“Not yet?”

“Does it have a mature feeling too?”

“I’m not sure about that…”

This one failed too.

It was obvious I wouldn’t be able to fully satisfy Ian.

‘This is the best I could manage to raise it.’

[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]

> This is the mid-progress check result for ‘Build good relationships with A&S’!

> Achievement condition check

1. Client1 (Ian)’s satisfaction: 58%

2. Client2 (Bella)’s satisfaction: 76%

> Achievement conditions not met!

58% and 76%, these were miserable scores from trying to catch both rabbits and losing both. Though the average did go up.

“Why do you keep revising it? I thought the first song was great too. Not that the current one is bad or anything. The feeling is just slightly different.”

“Sorry. It must be hard to write lyrics when I keep making changes.”

“No! I’m also stuck on some parts so I can’t make progress either. And since the basic melody stays the same, it’s not that hard to revise.”

Shin Ha-yeon waved both hands dismissively.

“It’s complicated to explain. I’m having a hard time trying to catch two rabbits at once.”

I muttered while letting out a deep sigh.

“It feels like being caught between two people. Like a husband caught in mother-in-law conflicts or a middle manager suffering from both sides, something like that.”

“I don’t really understand what you’re saying but… anyway, you seem to be struggling too much. I feel sorry for you.”

Shin Ha-yeon sent me a worried look. I waved my hand to indicate I was fine.

“And, um, this might be presumptuous of me to say but… creativity is originally like that. If you try to be too perfect, it actually falls apart.”

“Huh?”

“Lyric writing is the same. I want to write lyrics that are both lyrical and meaningful, and I want them to match the rhythm too. But when I try to achieve both, the lyrics become too pedantic.”

Shin Ha-yeon scratched her cheek sheepishly.

“If you only write words that everyone would like, in the end it doesn’t resonate with anyone.”

That was true.

Lyrics that everyone can relate to, in other words, are likely to contain obvious and clichéd content.

What really touches the heart might require making some listeners slightly uncomfortable.

“I think composition is the same. If you try too hard to do well, it stops being your own work.”

I pondered those words.

“It stops being my song…”

Come to think of it.

I had only focused on their satisfaction levels, but was indifferent to the song’s actual completion.

Of course, the current song’s quality wasn’t bad. But at some point, that stopped being the priority.

“You’re right.”

I nodded slowly.

Writing a song that matches both of their tastes is impossible.

But what if I write a song so overwhelming that it transcends taste?

Then taste would become nothing more than a trivial matter.

“Thanks. I think I can see the path now.”

“I didn’t say much.”

“No! It was incredibly helpful!”

When I looked at Shin Ha-yeon with sparkling eyes, she just smiled bashfully. I immediately turned back to the laptop.

I decided to approach it in a completely different way. With this mindset, I began to see flaws in the song that I thought needed no more fixing.

‘This is it!’

I could tell instinctively.

I was excitedly about to put the headset back on when,

“But you know.”

“Yeah?”

Shin Ha-yeon suddenly spoke to me.

I turned my head with the headset halfway on.

“What?”

Shin Ha-yeon fidgeted with her lyric notebook with her fingertips. She seemed to be contemplating something, rolling her eyes around, then her lips opened slightly before closing again.

Shin Ha-yeon smiled quietly and shook her head.

“Never mind. It’s nothing.”

“How curious. Starting to say something then stopping?”

“Haha. It’s really nothing. You were about to concentrate and I was about to say something random. Go ahead and finish up.”

“…? Okay. Let’s talk about it later.”

I tilted my head but put on the headset anyway. I wanted to quickly capture the inspiration I had just gained and put it into the score before it passed.

As I began focusing on the laptop screen, all the miscellaneous things around me faded into the distance.

It felt like only music and I remained alone in this world.

***

Shin Ha-yeon watched Seol’s profile as he instantly became absorbed, wearing a strange smile.

She took a sip of coffee that had already turned lukewarm.

Yet her mouth only tasted bitter.

‘Would it be right to tell you this?’

He was already busy and concentrating on composing. She was worried that saying something unnecessary might disturb him.

And she wasn’t sure if talking about this was the right thing to do.

Shin Ha-yeon swallowed a sigh and muttered to herself.

‘Seol, actually.’

A bitter scent brushed her nose. Whether it was the smell of roasting coffee beans or the fragrance of betrayal, she couldn’t tell.

‘Mun Ah-rin came to see me.’

It was just a few days ago.

***

That day too, Shin Ha-yeon was sitting alone in the cafe, struggling by herself.

The music Seol had shared with her – the moment Shin Ha-yeon heard it, she was instantly captivated. And to think she could write lyrics directly for that song!

Just that thought alone made her feel giddy and excited inside.

In her desire to do well, she kept pondering over and over again.

-♩♬♪♩

Shin Ha-yeon listened to the sample file that Seol had first given her through her earphones while spinning her pen around.

Although it had continuously changed through various versions, the basic framework remained similar, so Shin Ha-yeon preferred to use the first sample.

‘It would be good if this part had a more intense feeling. Are the current lyrics too soft in pronunciation? If I mix in some plosive sounds, it might be much more appealing to the ear.’

Scratch scratch.

She erased the lyrics she had written and tried writing different words next to them.

She was in the middle of writing down three or four words with similar phonetic values.

Tap tap.

Someone tapped Shin Ha-yeon’s shoulder.

“Huh?”

As she turned her head and pulled out her earphone, she saw a familiar face.

“Hello.”

The brightly smiling face looked cheerful just like a young child.

“I’m Mun Ah-rin. We met before, didn’t we?”

It was that very person who had approached them claiming to be a friend when she was with Seol. Once Shin Ha-yeon clearly recognized who it was, her expression hardened stiffly.

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

As she pulled out her earphone and gave an awkward greeting, Mun Ah-rin laughed cheerfully.

“Why are you speaking formally? I’m the same age as Seol.”

By age, Shin Ha-yeon was one year older than both of them. However, Shin Ha-yeon had no desire to speak casually to someone who made her uncomfortable.

“Just because. Formal speech is more comfortable for me…”

“I want to speak casually though. How about we both just speak casually to each other?”

“Do… do whatever you want.”

When someone pushed this far, she didn’t have the temperament to firmly refuse. As she reluctantly dropped the formalities, Mun Ah-rin spoke to Shin Ha-yeon in a friendly manner.

“What were you doing? Homework?”

Her gaze briefly drifted toward the laptop. Shin Ha-yeon was startled and quickly closed the laptop screen.

Since she had been listening to Seol’s song just moments before, even if it wasn’t sheet music, the waveform that appears when playing music files was displayed on the screen.

It wouldn’t be possible to deduce what song it was from that alone.

But worried that an unreleased song might leak, Shin Ha-yeon’s heart pounded frantically.

“N-n-nothing!”

It was an obviously awkward answer. While Shin Ha-yeon was regretting it belatedly, Mun Ah-rin let out a long nasal sound.

“Hmm~.”

When she slowly looked up, Mun Ah-rin’s expression was far from ordinary.

“You were listening to music, weren’t you?”

Between her gently curved eyes that seemed pleased, a predatory gaze flashed like a beast that had found its prey.

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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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