The Hit Song of This Life Is Revenge - Chapter 49

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

49
When the staff opened the door, the sitting engineer stood up from his seat.
“Hello. I am Lee Jae-i.”
“Yes. Have a seat here, and please give me the sheet music.”
As Lee Jae-i handed him the sheet music, he plopped back down into his chair and turned his head toward the monitor.
For a while, their conversation revolved entirely around checking the notes.
Whether to turn the volume up or down at a certain point.
Whether to add instruments or leave them out.
Before she knew it, Lee Jae-i found herself facing the engineer as he turned his chair around.
“We will check the overall vibe and wrap things up.”
When the recording engineer played back the recorded sound, the melody that had been floating around inside her head found its exact notes and flowed out.
As the song neared its end, the engineer added an explanation.
“Once we confirm it here, no further revisions can be made, so listen closely and let me know.”
“Yes. I understand.”
The notes brought to life by the melody were deeply satisfying.
As soon as the song ended, the engineer pressed the playback button again.
“This is the second track.”
The moment the second song began to flow, her body reacted before her ears did.
It felt as if a single note was soaking into the very tips of her toes.
As the sound spread outward, it seemed to pull the entire room beneath a serene water surface.
‘This is the one….’
The lyrics she had jotted down in her notes scattered, then began to align perfectly in her mind.
Soon, the sound from the speakers died down, and the engineer asked a question.
“Are there any parts you want touched up? Since the second track has no additional sounds, you can consider this the final version.”
Lee Jae-i shook her head with a soft smile.
“It turned out beautifully thanks to your hard work. Thank you.”
“Then we will wrap it up like this.”
Even at the signal marking the end of the session, Lee Jae-i did not stand up right away.
When the engineer shifted his gaze back to her, she parted her lips cautiously.
“Did all the trainees record here?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“It must be incredibly exhausting for you to produce songs for every single trainee.”
Lee Jae-i knit her brows, speaking in a worried tone.
The engineer’s expression softened completely at her gentle voice, and he scratched his head.
“The deadline is so tight that it’s impossible to do it alone. I am only in charge of two people. You and Kang So-ra.”
That was exactly what she wanted to confirm.
If so, it meant the engineer in front of her didn’t know Baek Song-ha’s song either.
‘I guess I won’t know for sure until we reach the rehearsal.’
After a brief pause, Lee Jae-i turned back to the engineer.
“So no further revisions are allowed from now on, correct?”
“Yes.”
Lee Jae-i pressed her lips into a tight line.
She actually welcomed this restriction.
No matter how clever Baek Song-ha was, she wouldn’t be able to easily overturn a finalized file.
As Lee Jae-i fell silent while sorting through the situation, he cleared his throat and added in a slightly lower voice than before.
“Well… because of the production schedule… it would be best if you could deliver the final stage song as quickly as possible.”
At those words, Lee Jae-i’s pupils darkened a shade deeper.
‘I do want to perform on stage with the second song, but….’
She still didn’t know what Baek Song-ha’s song was.
There was too little information to be certain.
The production team would thoroughly review the final music recorded files.
If that was the case, it was better to choose the safer option for now.
There were two produced music recorded files.
Having made her decision, she opened her mouth.
“I will go with the first song for the stage.”
The engineer’s face brightened at her immediate response.
However, Lee Jae-i cast her gaze downward.
If things proceeded this way, she would likely have to change the song right before the final stage.
She could already visualize the production team looking completely dismayed.
‘I will probably look incredibly reckless.’
Even so, it couldn’t be helped.
The important thing was that she now held the weapon capable of flipping the entire board.
Scanning the room as if packing up, the engineer turned to Lee Jae-i one last time.
“Then should I delete this one?”
The mouse cursor was hovering over Version Two.
Lee Jae-i’s eyes widened slightly.
She carefully voiced her request.
“I really want to try singing it sometime in the future… could you save it for me?”
“Of course. It’s not difficult, so I will bundle it into a file for you. Oh, don’t misunderstand. I only asked because things might get confusing.”
He added the explanation as if feeling a bit apologetic instead.
Creating a new folder, the engineer dragged and dropped Version Two into it.
With the distinct click of the enter key, the recording session was officially over.
“Setting it up like this prevents any confusion. Well, great work today.”
“Thank you very much.”
Lee Jae-i left the workshop after a polite bow.
Recalling the notes she had just heard, a satisfied smile played on her lips.
“Trainee Lee Jae-i. Please get into the transport vehicle.”
“Yes.”
Her steps following the staff member’s call were light.
Now, only the absolute final performance remained.
Lee Jae-i swallowed the words down silently.
‘See you on stage, Song-ha.’
* * *
The filming at the lodging concluded.
Lee Jae-i let out a long breath as she set her suitcase down by the entrance.
“Whew.”
She had escaped the space constructed by the production team, but the taut tension seemed to have followed her right inside.
The stifling, heated air made her head straight for the window.
Click.
With the sound of the latch releasing, the outside air rushed in all at once.
Taking a light breath, she walked over to the refrigerator and popped open a bottle of mineral water.
It was the end of September, a time when the summer heat had not yet fully receded.
The cooling sensation of the water spreading through her heated body escaped through her lips in a soft sigh.
Lee Jae-i sprawled out entirely on the floor of her studio apartment.
As the hard wood supported her back, her tension snapped like a thread, and all strength drained from her body.
‘How comfortable.’
The thought slipped out unbidden.
She hadn’t realized just how liberating it felt to simply allow herself to look unkempt.
Closing her eyes, she let her body drift with the flow of the breeze.
The remaining lodging shoot had mostly flashed past while she was swept up in Yeon Eun-soo’s frantic pace.
Though they had parted with the farewell of “Let’s meet on stage,” Yeon Eun-soo’s final expression had bordered on utter despair.
‘She will do great.’
The Yeon Eun-soo she knew wasn’t such a fragile person.
And along with the live broadcast schedule, she had also been informed about the sudden replacement of the main producer.
It was incredibly abrupt.
Because she had felt firsthand how much devotion Producer Son Hyun-joo had poured into the show, it made even less sense.
‘Could it really be a voluntary departure…?’
A lukewarm emotion that was difficult to put into words settled deep in her chest.
Unless she met Producer Son Hyun-joo in person, she would never know the full story.
Though the unpleasant aftertaste lingered, there was an immediate task at hand.
The date set for the live broadcast stage was exactly fourteen days away.
The schedule she received was grueling.
Graphic consultations for the stage, individual interviews, and three separate rehearsals.
In between all of that, she had to squeeze in her own private practice and guide recordings.
“This is no time to be lounging around.”
Her laziness was short-lived.
The music recorded session was done, and the lyric submission was complete.
Since revisions were impossible, her direction was set, leaving nothing left but a full sprint to the finish line.
Still, there was something she needed to check first.
Lee Jae-i rolled over onto her stomach and picked up her cell phone.
She typed the name of the broadcasting station into the blank white search bar.
She was curious about the post she had spotted back then.
Just whose name had been written in that post mentioning a sponsored trainee?
Yet, no matter how much she searched, the post was nowhere to be found.
‘Why isn’t it here? Did they delete it?’
Just in case, she flipped through the pages to search further, but it never appeared.
‘Did someone archive it somewhere?’
It happened just as Lee Jae-i accessed a community site and was tapping out the characters.
Buzz, buzz.
A caller’s name flashed in large letters right in the center of the screen.
[CEO Kang Ki-baek]
Lee Jae-i bolted upright from her lying position, her scattered hair falling neatly behind her back.
Clearing her throat, she pressed the answer button.
“Hello.”
– Did you arrive safely?
It was a casual greeting, but Lee Jae-i hesitated for a moment.
Just as she was about to speak, the CEO’s voice overlapped from across the receiver.
– How does the schedule look?
“I arrived safely, and the schedule is quite tight.”
This time, a brief silence flowed from the other end.
Following a small cough, he continued speaking.
– Two music recorded files were sent over, and if you plan to do the guide work for both, it looks like you’ll need to come to the office right away.
At his tone, which was laced with a faint trace of laughter, the corners of Lee Jae-i’s mouth nudged upward as well.
“Didn’t you say that resting was also part of the schedule?”
– Isn’t now the exact time I should be acting like an exploitative boss?
He wasn’t wrong.
Lee Jae-i pondered for a moment at his tone, which perfectly blended jest and earnestness.
What would he say after listening to her song?
She wondered if the emotions he had emphasized throughout his lessons would resonate with him when he heard it.
She hoped he would love the song she cherished so much.
When her reply was delayed because of those thoughts, another cough sounded from the receiver.
– If you don’t play along with my jokes, it makes me feel like I’ve become a terrible person.
“Not at all. You’re just not giving me time to rest, but you aren’t a bad person.”
The sound of his breathing abruptly caught.
It was a distinct silence.
– …….
“…….”
Lee Jae-i bit her lower lip softly.
“Since you didn’t play along either, I guess I’ll be the bad person. Where should I go?”

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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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