In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Chapter 62

How rude.

I’m doing so much for him, and he just gives me a cold shoulder.

I glanced at my annoying brother and straightened my posture.

It was time for the live stage.

The radio show was being broadcasted live, so I composed my face calmly.

I didn’t want to cause any controversy with my attitude after doing well.

And I was curious.

What song would that duo perform?

As soon as the commercial break ended, the two idol singers took their places in front of the microphones with serious expressions.

The first one to start was Hanjo.

He’s good.

It was a fast-paced, catchy rap.

I heard he had been active in the underground scene with his crew, and it showed.

He’s good.

Even though the lyrics were in English, they were easy to catch.

The song that Street Boys chose, ‘Silence’, was an emotional hip-hop song about the hope for tomorrow.

I had listened to it before when I was studying composition. 

It was a song that built up the atmosphere with a rapid rap and then exploded with a vocal chorus.

The rap was important, but the chorus was where the emotion had to burst out, so the vocal was really crucial for this song.

Hanjo finished his rap and Giwon brought his mouth close to the microphone.

Oh…

A powerful voice came out of his small frame.

I was surprised for a moment.

He looked so different from the timid image he had shown during the broadcast.

The comment section heated up with his sweet voice.

Jang So-won, who had been listening to the song with his chin propped up, raised and lowered his eyebrows slightly, as if he was impressed.

He smiled faintly, as if he was surprised.

Ri-hyuk and I also smiled as we listened to the song.

It was not a fake, but a sincere respect for a good stage.

The song lasted for almost three minutes and ended in a flash.

“Thank you.”

As we and the DJ clapped for them,

The Street Boys bowed deeply and left the radio booth.

Before the door closed, Giwon nodded his head toward Ri-hyuk.

Ri-hyuk nodded back.

Then he turned his eyes to me.

He looked at me with a strange look, as if he had something on his mind.

I raised my index finger at him.

“…?”

I mouthed to him.

‘A case of water.’

He frowned and wrinkled his eyebrows.

I laughed at his expression.

***

The interview that followed with New Black was very smooth.

Maybe it was because only the original members of Something were left and the atmosphere was relaxed, or maybe it was because I had a lot to talk about with Sowon as a fellow composer.

It was like one story led to another, and it went on endlessly, to the point where the PD had to signal us to stop.

The DJ said regretfully.

“Oh, it’s time to say goodbye. Don’t you feel sorry, everyone? We could have talked more if we had more time.”

As the comments said that the DJ seemed to be the most sorry, Sowon smiled awkwardly.

“I guess I did a biased broadcast again. Well, they are my favorite juniors. And Wooju here is a very interesting guy. He has a lot of stories. He’s really rich in stories.”

Things like being a veteran idol, or a hero on the day of the college entrance exam.

There were quite a few topics that people would be interested in if I started talking.

But today’s purpose was to talk about composition, so I had asked for his understanding beforehand.

“We have to let them go, right? Then, can you introduce the song you’re going to sing for the listeners? I heard it’s your own song. And you’re revealing it for the first time here on Wonderful Night.”

The provocative words of self-composed song and first reveal made the chat room buzz.

I waved my hand modestly, seeing the reaction.

“Don’t expect too much. It’s still lacking in some parts.”

“Don’t be fooled, everyone.”

The DJ teased me.

“I saw the sheet music that Wooju brought earlier. You can look forward to his self-composed song today.”

“Ah. Senior.”

“Then, please introduce it.”

I replied with a playful smile to his joking eyes.

“Yes, the title of the song we’re going to play for you is Night Sea.”

“Night Sea, why did you choose that title?”

“Well, I grew up in my grandmother’s arms since I was little. We lived in Gunsan, and our house was very close to the sea back then. When I sat outside in the yard at night, I could smell the salty air and hear the waves from somewhere.”

I explained with a smile, but the other two looked at me with the same expression as a decalcomania.

Why are they like that?

I feel a bit strange.

“Anyway, I really love feeling the breeze. You know what I mean. When the cool wind brushes past your body, you feel uplifted and everything seems to go well. It was the same when I was young, so I always nagged my grandmother to open the door that connected the living room to the yard when the weather was nice in spring or autumn.”

Our Kim Deok-soon lady would grumble, what kind of door are you opening in the middle of the night?

But she opened it anyway.

“When I couldn’t sleep at night, I would open the door and lie down on my grandmother’s lap. Then I could see the night sky so beautifully. The moon was bright and the stars were twinkling. When I closed my eyes, I could hear the sound of the waves and my grandmother’s chest was warm. I loved that so much.”

“…”

“Am I describing it too much? Your expressions…”

“No. Don’t mind us. Please continue.”

I feel very uneasy.

Come on, I’m talking about my memories, why are you looking at me like I’m a young master?

“Yes, anyway, I made this song while recalling those childhood memories. I hope you enjoy listening to it.”

“You have to say that.”

Ri-hyuk hit me and said.

“Your grandmother, you said she’s listening, right?”

“Oh, is Woo-ju’s grandmother listening right now?”

“…Yes, she should be listening to the radio in her bedroom by now.”

Actually, I wanted to talk to my grandmother so badly.

But I was afraid that they would say I was using the broadcast for personal purposes, since I was a rookie.

“Then, before we go to the commercial, why don’t you leave a message for your grandmother?”

“Um…”

I twisted my body awkwardly, and the production staff behind the glass window smiled.

“Uh, our Kim Deok-soon lady. I love you very much. This is the song I made, so please listen to it well… And uh… All the grandmothers in the country, fighting. You’ve worked hard raising your grandchildren.”

In the end, I blurted out a bunch of nonsense.

As I felt embarrassed by the ‘ㅋㅋㅋㅋ’ that appeared in the chat window in real time, Jang So-won senior bit his lips and held back his laughter.

“Okay, then, after the commercial, we’ll be back with New Black’s Night Sea!”

Sigh…

I totally ruined my image today. Ruined it.

I failed to manage my expression since the army joke, and just now, I sounded like I received a plaque from the national grandmother’s association or something.

I felt miserable as I took out my guitar from the case.

“Really, both of you stop laughing.”

“I’m not laughing. It’s just that you have a funny face, sis.”

“Senior.”

Jang So-won smiled and looked at me when I called him.

He looked at the script as if to tell us to focus on the stage.

“You stop laughing too. You water thief.”

“Hey, I’ll buy you some, so stop talking. You’re only a leader in name, but your distribution is like a grain of rice. If you keep saying that, I’ll call you rice too.”

I decided to stop weighing the water thief and the rice.

I was the one who lost.

We joked around to ease the tension.

Meanwhile, I checked if the guitar was well tuned and played it lightly as a test.

Okay. Check complete.

The instrument and the player were ready, so the only thing left was the partner.

“Are you ready?”

I looked at him with concern.

He was the kind of guy who hated showing his worry, but I couldn’t help it.

It was because the preparation period was short.

And because he had no personal experience, Ri-hyuk had a hard time catching the emotion.

I wondered if I was making him suffer because of my greed for composing.

That thought showed itself in a corner of my chest.

Ri-hyuk shook his head.

“Don’t worry. You’re saying that because of the emotion, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s the point of worrying now? Leave it in front of the stage.”

He spoke in his usual blunt way, but his eyes glanced somewhere else.

It was where the Street Boys were sitting earlier.

He turned his gaze to me as he looked at them.

… Well, you don’t have to worry about that part. I think I have a rough idea of how it feels. So…"

He smiled faintly.

“Trust me. I’ll do well.”

As he extended his fist like he was imitating someone, I reached out my palm and wrapped it around his fist like a cloth.

I had a good feeling about this.

**

Outside the booth.

The PD, the engineer, and the two writers smiled as they watched the conversation inside. The sub-writer grinned as if she found the New Black members adorable.

“They’re so cute, and the atmosphere is really harmonious. Right?”

“Indeed.”

The main writer said regretfully.

“If I knew they would get along so well, I would have invited them alone. They were already asking to sing solo. They’re nice kids, and they said they have confidence in themselves.”

“Well, what can we do? We already booked them.”

The PD gave a bitter laugh.

He had been planning to invite New Black since their album came out, because of Jang So-won who always talked about them.

But somehow, DNS Media got wind of it and requested a duel corner through the upper channels.

“Well, it worked out well in the end.”

The engineer said casually as he adjusted the sound on the console.

“My daughter is an idol fan, so I know this well. New Black and Street Boys have been fighting since before their debut.”

“Really, sunbae?”

“It was crazy. They had a lot of publicity and noise. That’s why there were more comments today than usual, and the voting was fierce too. Maybe it had something to do with that.”

“That’s true. There were some sharp comments, but they were quickly deleted.”

“I see. So that’s why.”

They all nodded in agreement.

The comments that were tense and hostile had disappeared after Ri Hyuk gave a bottle of water to Giwon.

Then, Jang So-won signaled from inside the booth.

“They must be ready.”

The PD said and the engineer operated the console.

Soon, a monotonous piano sound flowed through the speaker.

The sub-writer asked nervously.

“Is this the right file?”

“We checked it several times before the broadcast.”

“Still…”

The playback file that was composed for 3 minutes and 20 seconds had a section where a simple piano sound repeated for the first 40 seconds.

It felt like just gently tapping the keys.

‘How are they going to stage this?’

He had heard roughly what they were going to do, but he didn’t know the details, so he was worried.

If it was a regular music show, it would be different.

But for the live corner of the fourth part, it was usually just a matter of coordinating with the agency and the broadcaster about ‘what song they would sing’.

Sometimes, singers would change their songs depending on their condition on the spot.

That’s why he was worried about the unknown stage that he didn’t know yet.

He unconsciously clasped his hands, as if he liked the various aspects of New Black that he saw during the broadcast today. The engineer laughed.

“Are you a fan already, Soyeong?”

The sub-writer shook her head.

“I’m thinking of checking out their fan cafe later.”

“Hey, stop talking nonsense. Hurry up and monitor the real-time reactions.”

“Yes…”

But the other staff members also looked at him with warm eyes as he held the guitar and cleared his throat in the booth.

It could be because of the cake they received as a gift.

Or because they filled up the broadcast time comfortably today.

But they felt like they were good kids, and they hoped they would do well.

As they watched.

“Ooh.”

Seon Wooju’s fingers started to move.

It was a gentle guitar performance.

I was worried that it would be boring with only the monotonous piano sound, but it matched well with the guitar sound.

Piano and guitar.

Only two sounds, but they felt rich.

I was momentarily impressed by the decent performance, but soon they widened their eyes.

“He’s really humming.”

Seo Ri-hyuk was humming with his eyes closed.

It was a soft and low humming.

As I listened to his humming that gradually rose in pitch, I felt a strange sense of comfort in my heart.

And above all, it was natural.

It was a strange thing.

He was filling the beginning of the song with humming, but it didn’t sound awkward or unnatural at all.

“Wow, these days they all take out the singers who want to debut as idols. That’s why nowadays…”

The engineer who was about to chat closed his mouth at the sight of the others’ focused faces.

He looked at the booth as if he didn’t understand what was going on, but he soon joined the line.

I kept looking at him.

He was not only singing, but also making a soft sound in the booth. He looked like a completely different person.

He was not cold and expressionless, nor was he flustered when his face was flushed.

He was like someone else who was somewhere else.

He smiled nicely at the corner of his mouth as if he was empathizing with the emotion of the song.

The sub-writer who was looking around the monitor said.

“The listeners’ reactions are pretty good. There are also a lot of comments saying it’s amazing.”

“It’s really eye-catching. Is that why you put it in?”

Someone muttered curiously.

Of course, if Seon Woojoo had heard that question, he would have said this.

He didn’t put it in on purpose, but it just happened.

It was something that stemmed from the method that Seon Woojoo suggested for Seo Ri-hyuk, who said he had a hard time catching his emotions.

The intention was to warm up with humming for about 30 seconds before singing, but the more he did it, the more it naturally blended with the song.

And.

Most importantly, it was because he felt empty when he made the song and saw that it was only 2 minutes and 40 seconds long when he went on air.

Of course, they didn’t know that, and it was only a mystery to them.

“Is he starting the song now?”

Seo Ri-hyuk opened his eyes after humming.

Then he smiled at Seon Woojoo as if he was ready.

Seon Woojoo nodded and moved his hand.

“Oh…”

The prelude of ‘Night Sea’ that started in earnest.

It was a warm and beautiful song that suited the title.

***

Meanwhile, at that time.

While the staff of HBS Broadcasting Station in Mokdong were admiring, the radio waves containing ‘Night Sea’ spread far and wide.

The closest was to an MP3 player of a student who was solving a workbook in a nearby apartment.

Next was to an old radio of a supermarket across the Anyangcheon.

Then to the inside of a subway line 2 that had just arrived at Gangnam Station.

And further away, to an old truck that was leaving the Seoul outer ring road.

The gentle melody of ‘Night Sea’ was spreading in all directions.

And.

One of its destinations was the house of someone who was waiting for his grandson to come out with an old radio on.