Chapter 99

HyunAh, where are you going?

Asked Lee ChaHee, but Lee HyunAh left with a vague answer .

She rushed to the entrance of the office in fear of being late .

KangYoon was waiting for her at the entrance .

Lets go .

Lee HyunAh suppressed her jubilance and stood next to him .

Where are we going?

Wait a moment . Theres one more person .

What?

As soon as he finished his words, a car stopped near them and the windows went down . It was Lee HyunJis luxury sports car . She spoke from within the car .

Huh? Youre going too, HyunAh?

.

Lee HyunAh looked at KangYoon with a strange expression . However, that only lasted a moment . Thinking back, it was her fault that she assumed that the two would go alone . KangYoon didnt seem to know what she was thinking and opened the door to the front passenger seat and got onboard . Lee HyunAh got onboard the back seat .

The three departed to Hongdae like that .

Inside the car, KangYoon and Lee HyunJi spoke about many work-related matters . These included their future plans, fund management, as well as employment of other staff .

Wh . What the heck? Why am I here?

Why was it that she felt fluttered just before? Lee HyunAh momentarily felt that she was a fool . It only took an instant for her excitement to fall to the bottom .

Our current budget .

With the pay we get this week .

Lee HyunAh wanted to participate in that conversation, but there was no way to . Their talk regarding money was something completely clueless to her . She only felt that the scale of the money was big, but nothing felt realistic to her . Of course, she knew some things about copyrights fee, but building usage fees, other singers, as well as other administrative matters were like an alien language to her .

I shouldnt have come .

While Lee HyunAh looked out the window with a frown, the car stopped . It was a shared parking lot in Hongdae .

The parking fees are expensive here .

When Lee HyunAh said that in a worried tone, KangYoon received a ticket from the parking lots agent and shook his head .

Spending money here is much better than looking for an empty space on an alleyway to park .

Time was money . Agreeing with his opinion, Lee HyunAh followed behind him .

The three-headed to a nearby concert venue, Sweetpins . When they entered, a female staff in clean clothing greeted them .

KangYoon said that he had made an appointment and the female staff called the office to confirm . Soon, a man came out from the office and greeted them .

Are you Mr . Lee KangYoon? Welcome .

Hello .

After a light greeting, the male staff leads KangYoon and company to the office . They drank the coffee that the concert venue gave them and looked through the guide leaflets, the prices, and the materials about other concert teams .

Looking at those materials, Lee HyunJi asked the staff .

How many people can it hold?

Up to 200 . If we go with standing seats, we can go with twice that much .

So around 300 .

Lee HyunJi judged that the staff was exaggerating and drew her own conclusions . The staff became awkward and turned his gaze around to KangYoon .

We have done a remodeling recently and have replaced all the sound and light equipment to the latest ones .

How high is the ceiling?

When KangYoon asked an unexpected question, the staff couldnt reply easily . When KangYoon saw the papers, the height was there . He turned his gaze around to the papers .

Not that low . Looks like theres no need to worry about the sound .

.

According to these, you seem to be using the Allen series of speakers . Those are quite strong in the highs, so Im worried that there may be unwanted noise . Is there sound dampening on the ceiling?

The staff sweated hard . These people were very picky . As an office worker, how was he supposed to know the special traits of speakers? It wasnt easy to answer those questions . The staff members back became damp with sweat . He still tried to answer to the best of his abilities using the papers .

Fortunately, KangYoons questions werent limitless .

Thank you for the coffee . I wish to see the venue now .

Th this way please .

After KangYoons barrage of questions, the staff immediately led them to the concert hall . The hall was right in front of the 1st floor lobby . When the staff opened the door, there was a wide stage as well as a large clearing .

The booth seems to be in a suitable place .

KangYoon looked around and took pictures with his phone . Lee HyunJi also looked around in her own way .

HyunAh .

Yes?

She, who was suddenly called out after all this time, was surprised by KangYoons call .

Go stand on the stage .

At KangYoons request, she headed to the center of the stage . KangYoon stood in the middle of the audience area and looked at the stage; then asked the staff .

Can we test the lighting and the speakers right now?

Please wait a moment . The engineers are on leave today .

The staff showed an awkward expression . The engineers usually only came to work on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, where there were shows . This was done to save on human resources cost .

Just open the door . I know my way around .

If you say so .

The staff didnt dare to refuse a request from a potential customer . He brought KangYoon a set of keys from the office and opened the booth .

HyunAh, stay still .

Yes .

Lee HyunAh nodded her head .

KangYoon started fiddling with the lights in the booth . He controlled the lights with the light mixer and soon grasped how it was done . The staff watched KangYoon from behind .

Can you switch the lights?

If you contact us prior to the show, then yes .

Good . The lights here have too much blue tone . HyunAh doesnt do well with blue lights .

KangYoon fiddled with the lights for a few minutes before turning them all off . Then, he left the booth and turned on the spotlight . With one strong light shining down upon her, Lee HyunAh asked KangYoon in embarrassment .

So, do I keep standing here?

Yeah . Youre going to be performing here in the future so have a look around too .

Lee HyunAh felt as though she had become a puppet . Before, with Greenlight, there was no prior testing due to time problems . And this felt strange .

KangYoon went back to the booth again . He turned on all the lights and had a look .

Is he some kinda engineer?

From what the staff knew, KangYoon was supposed to be the president of a company, but he felt more like an engineer instead . The way he controlled the lights with the light mixer was just like an expert . He would even believe it if KangYoon said he was an employee here . He had met various presidents until now, but someone like KangYoon was a first .

KangYoon controlled the lights for a while before turning off the light mixer .

You said that we can change the light settings, right?

Yes, of course .

Asking the same thing made KangYoon quite the annoying customer, but the staff member was a professional . He never lost his smile, However .

Can we test the acoustics as well?

When KangYoon said that he wanted to test the sound mixer as well, the staffs eyebrows twitched . These people were very picky .

Ha .

At this point, the staff became absent-minded . However, it wasnt like the customers were in the wrong or something . He permitted them with a slightly trembling voice .

Yes . O of course .

Normally, getting to know the stage was a very reasonable thing to do . However, other people usually looked for things like the location of the venue, the makers of the equipment, and other superficial things like that, but this person was completely different . He even went on to do some testing himself . This was the most frightening of customers out there . The staff clasped his hands in nervousness .

KangYoon told the staff that he wanted to borrow a mic . At this point, the staff had half-given up . KangYoon gave the mic to Lee HyunAh and HyunAh connected to the mic input .

Ah, ah mic test . Ah, ah

Listening to Lee HyunAhs voice over the speakers, KangYoon checked the overall acoustics . It would be good if he had a music recording with him, but he didnt have one on hand .

HyunAh, can you sing a song for me?

A song?

Yeah, its for testing .

HyunAh seemed to be happy that she finally had something to do before she warmed up her voice and raised her voice .

All day my heart is on top of that clock -

HyunAhs voice filled the hall . Observing the weak white light from the green note, KangYoon checked for the sound . This was the base test without any effects added to HyunAhs voice .

Its not really a satisfying sound . It feels murky .

That was KangYoons conclusion after considering the musical note, the light, and the sound he heard through his ears .

Should I do more?

No, its fine .

KangYoon thanked the employee before turning off the power switch and leaving the booth .

Thank you . Can you give me a business card?

At KangYoons question, the staff gave him a business card . He was already sweating on his forehead .

Then I shall contact you later .

Please have a safe trip back .

After a handshake, KangYoon left the Sweetpins concert hall .

Heading to the car, KangYoon asked Lee HyunAh .

How was the hall?

Hm .

Lee HyunAh thought about it for a moment before replying .

Honestly speaking, it didnt feel that good . The sound was murky, and the lights werent too my style either .

Really?

But if preppa wants me to do it, then Ill do it . (T/N: President + oppa, now in reverse)

Mind how you address me .

Sorry .

Anyway, so this place is no good . Lets look at a few others .

Lee HyunAh seemed embarrassed about what KangYoon said and scratched her cheeks while looking away .

After that, the trio looked around a few more concert venues . The employees there all had a hard time due to KangYoons testing .

***

Late night music show, Hula .

This was a music TV programme done by Moon Shinhak who was an entertainer, musician, as well as an actor, and this programme was a music-specific programme that was broadcasted just after midnight . The motif of this program was to let famous singers sing to their hearts content as long as it was within the studio inside the TV station .

Today, Kim JaeHoon was recording that programme .

You didnt forget anything?

Yes!

The parking lot in front of the front gates .

KangYoon asked the band who were loading their instruments into the van . This was their first time appearing on TV, so they all looked nervous .

I also want to go, but I have a lot of work to do . Damn

Lee HyunJi showed her disappointment . It was such a pity for her that work was dragging her feet .

But its because of you, director, that I can leave the company without worries .

Thank me more .

T . h . a . n . k . y . o . u .

KangYoon replied in a prankful tone to Lee HyunJis grumbles .

Lee HyunJi turned around to Kim JiMin behind KangYoon .

JiMin, you cant go touching things just because they all look curious to you, okay? You cant step on the lines either .

Yes .

Pfft, the lines are fine . Though, she might be electrocuted .

Oh .

Hahaha, its a joke .

Kim JiMin shrank back at Lee HyunJi and KangYoons pranks . Thanks to that, their mood as they went to the TV station was very bright .

With the exception of Lee HyunJi, Jung HyeJin, and Lee HyunAh, who remained at the company to practice, everyone else was going to the TV station . This was an outing with a lot of members since the founding of the company .

Inside the car, Kim JaeHoon clasped his hands and closed his eyes . This was his first appearance on TV after a very long time . His heart pounded with nervousness .

Behind him, Lee ChaHee and Kim JinDae were fighting, while Jung ChanGyu and Kim JiMin were talking about serious things .

Looks like they are getting along .

KangYoon looked to the back seat through the rearview mirror . Seeing everyone get along, he felt joyous .

When they arrived, the assistant director came out to meet them .

Hello, Ive been waiting for you .

With KangYoon at the front, everyone followed the assistant director . The studio of the recording was on the 17th floor . When they arrived at the studio, the drums, mixer, guitar amp, and many other musical necessities were mostly set up .

While KangYoon greeted Moon Shinhak, the presenter, and the producer, Kim JaeHoon, the rest of the band started to tune their instruments . The drums were tightened to produce a suitable sound, while the electric guitar was controlled through an effector . The bass guitar was also tuned to match the rest .

Kim JaeHoon installed the microphone that KangYoon had gotten him and started to tune his voice .

Love you love you

Kim JaeHoon sang lightly to tell the requirements to the sound engineer . Today, there was no ear mic . Instead, there was a monitoring speaker, and Kim JaeHoon had asked the sound engineer to add the base sounds of the bass guitar, the drums, and the synthesizer .

A lot of time had passed, and the other members had finished setting themselves up . However, Kim JaeHoon was still in the middle of setting .

Its just as I heard .

Moon ShinHak narrowed his eyes . KangYoon asked from the side .

What have you heard?

His perfectionism . Kim JaeHoon is known for being a perfectionist, isnt he? Looks like the engineer fellow will suffer quite a lot today .

Just as Moon ShinHak had said, the engineer had a hard time doing the minute settings . To the others, like the band and the producer, it didnt sound that much different, but Kim JaeHoon kept asking the engineer to retune it in dissatisfaction . A whole 20 minutes had passed since the rest of the band had finished their settings .

Oh no .

It was very rude to keep dragging time with setting in front of a senior like Moon ShinHak . Moon ShinHak was smiling in understanding since he was a musician as well, but who knows what would happen if they dragged for any longer . KangYoon headed to the engineers location before things got worse .

Excuse me, but can I have a look at it?

The engineer let go of the mixer with a blank expression at KangYoons words . Perhaps he thought that KangYoon would be good since he was the president of the company that Kim JaeHoon belonged to .

JaeHoon, lets do this quickly .

Okay . Love you love you

Yellow musical notes started appearing in front of KangYoons eyes . Soon, those notes started generating white light . KangYoon started controlling the mixer . As JaeHoon had requested, he minutely increased the bass and decreased the middles a little . Then, the light became stronger, albeit very little .

Huh? Hyung . Put up the gain a little bit .

Kim JaeHoon was excited as though he had finally found the sound he wanted . KangYoon adjusted the sound per his request . Then, the white light became a lot stronger .

This is good . Okay, thank you .

The settings were finally over . KangYoon said excuse me to the engineer and left the place .

Moon ShinHak showed interest in KangYoon .

Are you an engineer as well, president?

I learned a little .

Haha . Your ears arent ordinary . Kim JaeHoon, that fellow, is known for being very picky, but you got an okay in one go . The sound is definitely better too . Looks like there will be a good stage today .

Seeing KangYoon make an awkward reaction, Moon ShinHak told him that they should have a drink together sometime and stood up to get ready for the show .

After a band jam for the overall sound adjustment, the recording began .

***

Cant win against my loneliness I wander through the night, drunk, looking for you

A quiet ballad filled the studio . The hefty, yet thin voice gradually became more powerful and made Kim JaeHoons own unique song .

My hot love is washed away by the rain

Contrasting to the bass that kept becoming lower, Kim JaeHoons voice kept going higher . Then, Kim JinDaes drums halted for a moment before re-entering powerfully to heighten the atmosphere .

Your promise to return made me live on but

Kim JaeHoons voice became gradually more powerful . KangYoon could already see a strong white light covering the entire studio . The white light seeped into everyone present and made them absorbed into the song .

However, KangYoon wasnt as satisfied . He could see something different within the white light .

Is that from back then?

It was similar to that light that he saw from Lee HyunAhs stage . It was silver light .

The more Kim JaeHoons song heightened the song, the stronger the light became . However, the silver light didnt completely overwhelm the white light . It became stronger before going away and did that again . In Lee HyunAhs case, the two lights were intermixed, but this time it was different .

The song ended like that . Everyone in the studio cheered and clapped .

Fuu, thanks for your work, everyone .

Kim JaeHoon greeted everyone while sweating . Although this wasnt a proper concert stage, he was happy to sing to his hearts content . The band members also felt very happy that they were able to go with a vocal that was not HyunAh .

Lets rest for 30 minutes .

Wait .

Before the assistant director could declare rest, KangYoon stepped up .

I apologize, but can we record this song just once more?

What?

The producer did not hide his surprise . Kim JaeHoons song was one of the best he had heard . But why? Even Kim JaeHoon looked at KangYoon with a confused expression .

However, KangYoon was thinking differently from everyone else .

This song isnt one that will end with just this .

While everyone looked at him in confusion, KangYoon was convinced .

He was convinced that he would be able to raise the power behind this song .