The Hit Song of This Life Is Revenge - Chapter 34

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Take a vacation too.”
-What?
As if it were an unexpected directive, a questioning voice came from the other end.
“Take a long-term leave until Lee Jae-i finishes the program. We’re switching the artists you’re currently managing.”
-Then what about the comeback schedule you mentioned before and—
“Forget about that.”
Yoo Young-jae cut the man off.
There was no need to worry about other singers right now.
Based on what he had heard so far, Star Entertainment was also actively pushing Lee Jae-i.
‘Better to strike properly.’
To create a rival dynamic with Baek Song-ha, he only needed to know Lee Jae-i’s schedule.
Should he have her make a comeback a step ahead to make it look like she was copying?
Or should he have them appear on the same day to really draw the spotlight?
Yoo Young-jae pondered the reckless thought and added another instruction.
“Make sure you pitch yourself well so you can stick close to Lee Jae-i.”
-Understood.
With that concise reply, the call ended.
Yoo Young-jae chewed on the situation for a moment, sorting through it.
She claimed she had nothing going on with the CEO, but could that really be true?
‘Whether she does or not.’
It was enough if the public simply felt that Star Entertainment cherished Lee Jae-i.
After that, people would chew her apart on their own once they saw the photos.
Yoo Young-jae turned around with a smirk playing on his lips.
The practice room door remained still, as if Baek Song-ha was busy memorizing the sheet music.
“…It’s a bit ambiguous.”
In this industry, unexpected hits do happen, but he didn’t get a definitive feeling from Baek Song-ha.
It wasn’t that she lacked skill, but rather that she was simply too greedy to last long-term.
Yoo Young-jae defined Baek Song-ha in a single sentence within his mind.
‘The type that’s good for a brief distraction.’
Seeing that this was how he felt, he predicted the public would react the same way.
That would be enough.
It would be fine as long as he could shatter the perception in the public’s mind that a talented solo singer equaled Star Entertainment.
Surely she wouldn’t fail at something as simple as memorizing.
The heels of Yoo Young-jae’s shoes clicked against the hallway floor as he walked away.
The further he got from the practice room, the smile that had been curling his lips slowly faded.
‘Lee Jae-i….’
Those three syllables created an echo with every single step he took.
* * *
Jae-i organized her sheet music, clicking her pen tip one last time.
It felt like she had just closed and opened her eyes, yet two weeks had flown by like an arrow.
Jae-i smiled as she looked at the sheet music stacked neatly on the desk.
‘Was studying always this fun?’
In the meantime, this space where she used to only catch a few winks of sleep felt even more special, perhaps because she had grown attached to it over the past two weeks.
The place where Jae-i was staying was the trainee lodging provided by Star Entertainment.
It was a benefit reserved only for those whose debuts were finalized, but Ki-baek, knowing her situation, had readily granted her permission to use it.
‘It’ll be deducted from your settlement once you debut, so you don’t have to feel burdened.’
Of course, he had added those words.
Even so, finding a place to stay was such a stressful ordeal that she could only feel grateful.
Jae-i read over the last sheet music she had written once more.
Though not extravagant, the notes stretched all the way to the end of the staff.
A melody formed in her mind, following the sounds made by those black dots.
‘It’s done. I think I understand the basics precisely.’
While focusing on the lessons, everything she learned was solely the core theory of music.
Major, minor, rhythm, structure.
The CEO didn’t teach her things like which notes to use to make a song sound flashy.
At first, she had felt anxious.
The time given was short, and her composition skills felt like they were at a toddler’s level.
But as the lessons repeated, she became imbued with Ki-baek’s calmness.
She also recalled the fact that her impatient heart had been because of Yoo Young-jae.
In the past, when Yoo Young-jae used to record the voice flowing from her mouth.
When she suggested it would be nice to layer chords here, Yoo Young-jae’s reaction had been sharp.
‘You don’t even know harmonics, so why are you talking about layering chords?’
Considering that the very first thing she had searched for back then was chords, the thorn embedded in her heart must have run deep.
That fancy word must have been the only one Yoo Young-jae knew.
Ki-baek had systematically broken down the sentences Jae-i remembered.
‘Since you have an extraordinary ability to remember sounds, Jae-i, it might actually hold you back if you get trapped in a framework.’
With that, he always told her to trust herself at the end of every sentence.
He said there was no set law in music.
He remarked that tricks learned in a short period would only result in a plausible imitation.
A tree needs solid roots to grow strong branches, yet she had overlooked what was important.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t known, but there was a vast difference between knowing and truly realizing it.
‘Whew. Lee Jae-i. You still have a long way to go.’
On top of that, there was a separate, most crucial lesson.
‘If you approach it with difficulty, you’ll find a complicated path. You have to approach it with your instincts to see the correct path.’
Right. Because of the obsession that had unknowingly taken root inside her, she had chased after flashy notes.
The important thing was to capture the notes lingering in her head and transfer them.
Thinking about it that way, composition didn’t feel so difficult anymore.
Of course, there were still many things she had to learn in the future.
However, the firmness of resolve provided by her mindset was entirely different.
‘I can do better.’
The notes rising above the staff seemed to speak on her behalf.
Jae-i felt a surge of confidence that she wouldn’t fall behind, no matter what Baek Song-ha prepared.
While she was immersed in composing, the broadcast of the next episode had also concluded.
Aside from revealing the scores, this broadcast released a lot of individual interview content from the trainees.
As the story behind her casting was introduced, the view counts for the festival and busking videos exploded.
Along with that, Jae-i also pondered the song she had hummed while busking.
“I should turn this into sheet music later too.”
If chance allowed it again, perhaps she could give it to Mark as a gift.
Crucially, the online communities were still buzzing over the score difference between her and Baek Song-ha.
└Wow. Lee Jae-i lost?
└A measly two-point difference, seriously?
└Lmao, Baek Song-ha getting triggered and trembling is freaking hilarious.
└Where? I didn’t see it on the main broadcast.
└At 15:30 here. You can see her expression when they pass each other by the waiting seats.
└Thx.
Jae-i naturally clicked on the mentioned timestamp.
The netizens were far more perceptive than she had thought.
At a glance, it was a ordinary wide shot.
One had to look intentionally to notice Baek Song-ha’s expression.
‘Ah, here….’
It was the moment her gaze had brushed past Baek Song-ha while entering the waiting room.
She had thought the girl possessed a talent for acting.
As expected, she realized there was no hiding what was forced.
Just as she was about to press the back button, Ki-baek’s name popped up on the screen.
“Yes, CEO.”
-We have filming tomorrow, so you aren’t staring at sheet music instead of sleeping again, right?
“I cleaned everything up earlier.”
-Can I believe you?
“Yes. I don’t want my dark circles permanently etched from a lack of sleep either.”
She was half-serious.
After watching Baek Song-ha’s video just now, she realized she would need to pay more attention to facial expressions during the remaining shoots.
However, the CEO chuckled, as if he took it entirely as a joke.
-All right. The internal monitoring of the episodes will be handled here and passed along. Have a good shoot tomorrow.
“Yes, I understand.”
For a brief moment, only the sound of their breathing filling the air passed through the receiver.
-Okay. Good night.
“You too, CEO.”
Jae-i stared at her cell phone for a moment after his voice faded.
A gentle warmth lingered faintly where his voice had been.
Jae-i slowly closed her eyes and drew a steady breath.
* * *
Ki-baek set the phone down beside him after ending the call and slowly leaned his back against the sofa.
The words were nothing but plain and succinct, yet a smile spread across his face anyway.
Because he had postponed his duties for the two weeks of intensive lessons, his laptop was piled high with things to do.
Perhaps the dark circles were something he should be worried about on his end instead.
“Shall I get started now?”
He cracked his neck as he turned his head, his gaze landing on the edge of the table.
A few sheets of paper crumpled from repeatedly writing and erasing.
They were the traces of her practice.
Ki-baek stared at the same spot for a few seconds before grasping his mouse.
If he wanted to continue the lessons, it would be best to handle the scheduled tasks in advance.
He opened a few more folders, murmuring silently to himself.

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