The Hit Song of This Life Is Revenge - Chapter 50

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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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Revenge Is the Hit Song of This Life
Episode 50
Ki-baek checked to make sure the Recording Room was empty before sending a text to Jae-i.
As the screen went dark, a sigh escaped his lips.
“Hah…”
He had thrown out the question before she could even answer.
Just like someone who had been waiting.
On top of that, memories of how he had made things awkward by adding a pointless joke made his face burn with embarrassment.
A message flashed across the screen that had been staring back at him as if mocking his pathetic behavior.
[I’ll be there soon. Going straight up to the Recording Room.]
Ki-baek chided himself with clear, sharp words.
‘Get a grip, Kang Ki-baek.’
He carefully drafted a neat, composed message to ensure none of his inner turmoil bled through.
[Alright. See you in the Recording Room on the third floor.]
Just as he set his Cell Phone down on the table, a knock rattled the door.
“Yes. Come in.”
“It’s me, Director.”
The doorknob turned, and PD Han Myeong-geun stepped into the office.
As Ki-baek rose from his seat, he noticed the producer looked far more exhausted than usual.
With a heavy thud, PD Han Myeong-geun sank onto the sofa in a single stride.
“I finally cleaned up after Manager Park Seong-ho’s extended leave. I must be cursed with an abundance of work. Haha.”
“I know. Thank you for all your hard work, Han PD. You’ve really been through a lot.”
The manager of an artist with an upcoming performance had suddenly taken sick leave, forcing Han PD to step in and handle the schedule himself.
Ki-baek was sincerely grateful to him for stepping up without any hesitation.
“I came by because there’s something I need to discuss.”
Ki-baek nodded slowly.
They were in the middle of a frantic rush, so the man’s presence was vital, but even if this was a request for vacation time, Ki-baek intended to grant it.
However, the words that spilled from Han PD’s mouth were completely unexpected.
“Manager Park Seong-ho wants to return next week.”
“Yes.”
“But he specifically requested to be Lee Jae-i’s manager.”
“Lee… Jae-i?”
The muscles in his brow twitched.
It was true that she would need a manager to handle her promotions.
However, the program hadn’t even concluded yet.
He had assumed it was a matter to be sorted out later, so this abrupt conversation caught him off guard.
More than that, why did the word “specifically” ring so loudly in his ears?
Failing to read Ki-baek’s stiffening expression, Han PD continued his smooth explanation.
“Manager Park Seong-ho is exceptionally good at his job. I think he’d be great for managing a rookie, but what do you think, Director?”
“Ah…”
Managing a rookie was indeed crucial.
But a manager was someone who stayed by an artist’s side from morning until night, or until they fell asleep, wasn’t that right?
‘Manager Park Seong-ho…’
He recalled hearing that name tossed around in the casual gossip of the female employees.
‘Park Seong-ho has the perfect face for a model or an actor.’
‘No way! He needs to stay a manager! That way we get to see him more often.’
An image of her spending the entire day glued to another man suddenly flashed through his mind.
And with a man who supposedly looked like an actor or a model, no less.
“Director?”
Han PD’s voice brought Ki-baek back to reality.
“But wouldn’t it be better for a more experienced manager to handle a rookie?”
The counterargument slipped out before he could stop himself.
Instead of being discouraged, Han PD’s eyes actually brightened.
“Rookies naturally have a lot to be anxious about. A calm manager is the absolute best fit. Park Seong-ho is exactly that type.”
“……”
Ki-baek pressed his lips into a tight, firm line.
* * *
In front of Star Entertainment’s Recording Room.
The moment the door opened, his silhouette emerged before the light even could.
It was the Director.
“You’re here.”
Jae-i blinked.
Something felt off.
The man standing before her was frozen stiff, as if he had completely varnished over his usual playful nature.
Was this truly the same person who had been throwing out casual jokes just tens of minutes ago?
“Yes, were you waiting long?”
Jae-i instinctively lowered her own tone to match his register.
“Let’s review the Music Recorded first.”
Ki-baek spoke while lightly tapping on the laptop sitting in front of the mixer.
Jae-i quietly sat down on the sofa positioned in the back.
“They mentioned they’ll be coming to film the Guide Recording cuts tomorrow. You can treat today just like a practice run.”
“I will.”
“Let’s check if these are the correct files you received.”
Without the swivel chair rotating even once, music began to fill the space.
The melodies of the two songs flowed consecutively without a single word of conversation breaking the silence.
“Are the files exactly right?”
Jae-i pressed her fingertips firmly into the couch as she replied.
“Yes. They are.”
“Did you bring the lyrics?”
“Ah. Here.”
As he reached out to take the printed lyric sheet, she could feel a precise, rigid angle in the movement of his arm.
Jae-i tried to put a name to this subtle friction but ultimately failed.
No proper explanation came to mind.
“Let’s begin whenever you’re ready, Jae-i.”
“……”
They were perfectly ordinary words.
Yet, why did a stiff, hollow silence linger after every phrase?
Jae-i’s gaze kept drifting aimlessly over the patterns on the floor.
Yes, there was a definite sense of distance today.
Clenching her dry fingertips, she rose from her seat.
The moment she stepped inside the recording booth, the ambient noise cut out completely, leaving only silence.
She hesitated for a split second while reaching for her headset.
Then, she stepped closer to the Microphone and moved her lips.
“Director, by any chance…”
Ki-baek slowly lifted his head.
The gaze that met hers was masked in an expression strictly reserved for professional business.
“I’ll begin.”
Her lips gave up first.
Keeping the microphone channel open, he spoke briefly.
“We’ll start with Version One.”
The Director’s gaze shifted toward the monitor without lingering on her for even a second.
As if that direction offered safety.
At that exact moment, the red recording light clicked on.
She quietly caught her breath and focused entirely on the microphone standing before her.
When Jae-i lowered her gaze to the lyric sheet in her hands, Ki-baek’s eyes finally drifted back toward her.
‘Did she lose more weight?’
The lighting carved out her jawline, making it look even sharper.
As the intro began, her body moved a step closer to the microphone.
Her face showed she was feeling the music with closed eyes.
Only after the playback bar began moving across the monitor did his focus get dragged back to reality.
‘Do managers usually follow artists into the recording booth too?’
That was the very first thought that surfaced amid the slowly building notes.
He raised his eyelids once more to peer through the glass window.
Her shoulders trembled minutely as the first line commenced.
The sensation pulling at his eardrums pushed all other anxieties to the back of his mind.
‘Her tone…’
The moment the first line of lyrics drifted out, the small musical notes instantly transformed into a three-dimensional landscape.
Ki-baek picked up the notepad and pen beside him simultaneously.
‘It would be better to drag out the vocals more in this part.’
He had intentionally refrained from asking about the theme of the song.
He wanted to grasp the raw emotion conveyed by the melody upon hearing it for the first time.
With every breath, a long-suppressed yearning bled through the song.
As each bar transitioned to the next, a folder containing his own self-composed songs came to mind.
These were songs that desperately needed to be brought to life by a voice like this.
Just as a wave of personal ambition washed over him, the first song came to an end.
Ki-baek switched on his microphone in the now-silent booth.
“The emotion right now is perfect, so let’s go straight into the next one.”
She gave a small nod.
Before the flow of the atmosphere could turn stagnant, the intro for Version Two immediately began to play.
Minor Chords were utilized with exquisite precision.
The opening arrangement, which relied solely on a piano, actually heightened the level of focus.
The first line emerged like a soft whisper of breath.
‘Ah.’
An involuntary exclamation broke from deep within Ki-baek.
It was the exact same set of lyrics as before, yet they flowed into him with far greater clarity.
“Only when we fail to face each other…”
Her tone scattered into the air like a sob.
Following closely behind, a creeping falsetto anchored the lyrics.
“Why can I finally feel that heart?”
Forgotten emotions surged back as if touching the tip of his nose, forcing him to steady his breathing.
Ki-baek checked the file name displayed on the monitor.
‘Is this really not the performance track?’
The figure standing inside the booth was completely immersed in the music.
His head tilted to the opposite side in sheer bewilderment.
It was true that the first song was technically superior in terms of its instrumental arrangement.
However, that judgment only held weight if one relied strictly on an ear trained for Composition analysis.
Before he knew it, her final breath had been recorded and the track came to a stop.
Ki-baek hesitated for a brief moment before pressing the microphone button.
“Could you step out for a moment?”
The moment she opened the door and emerged, the lingering tremors generated by the song seemed to cling to her body as she walked.
Ki-baek turned his torso toward Jae-i, who had quietly seated herself on the couch.
“Is there a specific reason you decided to perform with the first song?”
She had expected a critique to follow, so a direct question caught her off guard.
Jae-i parted her lips a beat later.

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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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