Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Cha Seoha and Kang Min sat in front of the monitor and prepared recording, and the three people for whom the studio was the first sat on the sofa and waited blankly.

Today’s work is recording all instruments except drums.

If time permitted Cha Seoha wanted to re-record vocal too.

“Alright, first Heo Junseong. Enter the booth.”

“Hey, why am I always first?”

“Until now you always stepped forward. Don’t you want to do first?”

Heo Junseong looked alternately at Lee Doyoung and Kim Jihu.

He didn’t know the reason but even thinking himself the thought came that him doing first was right.

“Ha... I’ll do it, do it.”

“Yeah, go in unique Junseong.”

Heo Junseong grumbled and entered the booth.

“Having Junseong is really fortunate. I’m nervous so I don’t think I can do the first order.”

“You do well too so why are you so scared.”

“Because I’m still lacking compared to you guys.”

“Later you’ll do the best.”

“Huh?”

“No. Seems like that guy is about to start.”

While Kim Jihu and Lee Doyoung were chatting Cha Seoha pressed the recording button.

Heo Junseong nodded and read the beat then started playing at the exact timing.

“Oh, what that guy.”

“He’s good?”

“Right. Why is he good?”

At Heo Junseong’s performance far more excellent than thought Lee Doyoung and Kim Jihu were surprised.

Cha Seoha thought the friends would definitely make mistakes in this recording.

“Okay. Good Heo Junseong. You’re good.”

“This much is gum. Next!”

Heo Junseong perfectly did the next part too.

He made mistakes once or twice but that degree was a general degree of mistake.

“Good. Going to the solo part.”

“Okay.”

Cha Seoha admired seeing Heo Junseong excellently doing the recording.

No, he thought it was scary.

When he first went to Hyun’s Resonance, Heo Junseong’s skill was school band level.

Of course a high level school band, but a level where the word competing with pros itself didn’t hold.

But a few days later on the day everyone gathered and showed skill he had grown one layer.

In the following Banwol Park busking too, even now recording.

Heo Junseong is growing scarily.

Gradually getting closer to that Heo Junseong Cha Seoha knew.

‘Why?’

Originally Heo Junseong is a type who plays sensually so if not blocked by some wall he doesn’t grow well.

However now he’s not particularly blocked by a wall but growing scarily every time.

‘Did periodic performances help?’

The Oktap of the past life had lower action power than now.

Because horizontal friends gathered there was an absence of a leader who had vision and whipped.

Cha Seoha thought that, but this was only half right.

Periodic performances and hard training surpassing a school band (Cha Seoha doesn’t think that) helping is right.

But contrary to Cha Seoha’s thought Heo Junseong was feeling a wall every time.

Exactly, the wall called ‘Cha Seoha’.

Because looking at Cha Seoha’s skill the thought only came that if he stayed still he would fall behind alone.

However Cha Seoha who didn’t know this fact only nodded with a satisfied face.

Like that Heo Junseong went through very slight correction and finished recording.

“You did well. You can come out.”

“Yay!”

Heo Junseong came out of the booth and looked at everyone.

With an annoying expression as if saying ‘it was nothing’.

“Annoying.”

“Jihu. How can you talk to a friend like that.”

“Fucking annoying really.”

“...Yeah.”

Unexpectedly Heo Junseong’s recording with nothing to touch ended and now Lee Doyoung’s turn approached.

“Doyoung let’s record.”

“Got it.”

Lee Doyoung entered the booth with a trembling voice.

“Why is that guy cute.”

“Oh, Kim Jihu that type?”

“...Heo Junseong you really might die.”

“Kekekekuk.”

“It’s not a figurative expression.”

“...!?”

Kim Jihu glared at Heo Junseong with eyes as if freezing him then stared at the front again.

“Doyoung. Ready?”

“Yeah!”

“Yeah, then I’ll start recording right away. Let’s try the intro first.”

“Got it.”

Lee Doyoung was quite frozen.

Cha Seoha pressed the recording button.

Not long after the timing Lee Doyoung had to play approached.

But Lee Doyoung missed the timing and couldn’t play.

“Ah! Seoha sorry. I’ll do it again.”

“It’s fine. Let’s try slowly.”

Like that once, twice.

When he pressed the recording button again about ten times Lee Doyoung called Cha Seoha.

“Seoha. I don’t think I can do this...”

“Difficult?”

“Yeah. I thought I did it properly but the beat is wrong and the feel doesn’t live why am I like this...”

If the environment is unfamiliar playing not going well was natural.

Because we’re not pros.

And before starting playing a process of adapting to the environment is needed but Lee Doyoung seemed not to have done that.

But it’s not impossible.

Because while Lee Doyoung was recording ten times a little while ago I found a method.

“Doyoung. When recording you have to prioritize concentrating on your ears rather than your hands.”

“Ears...”

“I’ll play the song, concentrate and listen and roughly play.”

“Yeah.”

I played the song and Lee Doyoung played the bass.

“Listen to other instruments not the bass.”

Lee Doyoung listened to the music with ears tilted and roughly played as if practicing.

“You have to listen well to the monitor in that way. Usually when first recording there’s a tendency to concentrate only on one’s own playing rather than what is heard.”

“Right. I think I did that.”

“Alright, if you knew that you have to adapt to this environment.”

“Environment...”

All this atmosphere of playing has to be comfortable.

When tension is released and even the air is felt my sense finally comes alive.

Only then can you do the playing while listening well to the music with ears.

Lee Doyoung looked around the surroundings for a moment.

I didn’t mean only the physical environment literally but he seemed to be finding his own method.

“Catch the posture a bit comfortably too.”

Like that a short time flowed and Lee Doyoung spoke.

“Seoha. I’ll try again.”

“Good. Instead this time will you try recording while looking at me? I’ll direct like conducting.”

“Yeah, got it.”

“Alright, starting.”

I pressed the recording button again and this time stood up from the seat and stared inside the booth.

Matched eyes with Lee Doyoung.

The timing the ascending slide would announce the start.

I clenched and opened my fist and drew an ascending curve with the right hand.

After that the intro played long with quarter notes.

I nodded and rode the rhythm.

With the right hand I drew the rhythm of the bass Lee Doyoung had to play.

At the exact timing to rest I tightly clenched the fist and gave a clear stop signal and Lee Doyoung understood that well and played.

“Okay! Good! Continue!”

Since I didn’t press the talkback button Lee Doyoung wouldn’t have heard my words.

But that I was sufficiently satisfied he probably knew from the expression.

Because the guy’s expression was bright.

Definitely confidence attached to the playing.

He was listening well with ears and playing.

A guy who will do well if told.

There were a few minor mistakes but Lee Doyoung eventually created a satisfying result.

“Okay. Doyoung end! You can come out.”

As soon as he heard the end sign Lee Doyoung exited as if jumping out of the booth.

“Seoha!”

“Yeah?”

“Recording is really fun!”

“Hahaha! That fun?”

“Yeah! This is pretty fun!”

Seeing the fully excited Lee Doyoung I felt various emotions crossing.

Pride and apology.

Those two emotions seemed the biggest.

He likes it this much...

“Wow, first time seeing Lee Doyoung make such a big voice.”

“Right. Cute.”

“Oh, Kim Jihu that type?”

“Want to die?”

“Kikikikikik...”

“I said it’s not a metaphor.”

“...”

“Alright, stop chatting and Kim Jihu enter. We have no time.”

Unlike other members Kim Jihu had very short sections to record.

Only about the piano to be used as a real instrument he would record and the rest he planned to replace with MIDI.

These days decent synth virtual instruments have excellent quality.

“Wow, like a machine is playing?”

“That guy has been like that since young.”

“Wow, Jihu really does well.”

Kim Jihu played like a machine.

There was not a single section he made a mistake.

“Will okay come out in one go?”

“That guy what. No worry.”

“I have to become that degree quickly too.”

Heo Junseong, Kang Min, and Lee Doyoung thought Kim Jihu’s recording was perfect.

And thought they could start preparing to pack up soon.

Like that Kim Jihu who played all his parts.

“Kim Jihu.”

Cha Seoha’s voice was cold.

“Yeah?”

“If you’re going to do it like this there’s no meaning in recording.”

“...Huh?”

Kim Jihu’s reaction was quite surprised.

He couldn’t get a sense at all where it was wrong.

Also, surprised were the three people behind the same.

“Wasn’t it perfect?”

“Seoha’s voice is scary.”

“Hidoina...”

“Kang Min what did you just say?”

“Ah, no.”

Cha Seoha opened his mouth again.

“This is no different from just stamping with MIDI?”

“What?”

“Third-rate performers are worse than MIDI, second-rate performers are the same as MIDI, first-rate performers MIDI can’t follow. This is a famous saying in the composing industry.”

Kim Jihu felt a sudden realization at Cha Seoha’s words.

Kim Jihu’s playing was the same as a machine.

As Cha Seoha said such perfect playing is much more efficient to stamp out with MIDI without the person suffering.

Receiving the performer’s playing doesn’t come from the intention of only wanting a precise feel.

“Express what only you can do. Even if it’s clumsy it’s good. If you embrace the clumsiness and go forward something only yours will arise.”

“Even if clumsy it’s good...”

Kim Jihu started tapping the keys alone.

The words even if clumsy it’s good is of course not saying play badly.

Even if numerous philharmonics play the same Beethoven’s choral symphony, the feel is each different.

Where does that difference originate?

It could be the performer’s rubato, the conductor’s interpretation, or a specific instrument’s running wild.

But whatever it is a person is contained there.

Not playing with not a single error like a machine.

Kim Jihu was briefly immersed in thought.

The piano competition he participated in as a child.

That moment when he had to show the end of delicacy and precision, and at the same time live feel.

At one time that was boring.

‘So I quit classical...’

Kim Jihu recalling childhood at Cha Seoha’s words suddenly reached even such a thought.

‘Shall I bring a bit of the childhood feel.’

Kim Jihu who somehow thought it was interesting decided to try again.

“Good, I’ll try again.”

“Yeah. Going again.”

Cha Seoha pressed the recording button.

Kim Jihu imagined that while listening to the music coming from the headphones.

His own appearance playing rock music in front of renowned judges and elegant audience.

Precision and delicacy.

And at the same time such an imagination of having to show freedom.

An absurd picture but somehow that scene kept being drawn in his head.

And containing that scene at his fingertips he pressed the keys.

Flashily.

Sometimes delicately.

With a feel of being intense or solitary or missing someone.

Melting various emotions, infinite emotions he himself could feel into the playing and expressing himself.

“Wow... This is it!”

“Uwa... Jihu really does well.”

“It’s a not special performance. This becomes this tremendous.”

The three people sitting on the sofa admired in their own ways.

Cha Seoha who heard that conversation somehow thought thankful.

To Kim Jihu who digested the directing well.

To the other three guys who noticed that and knew how to appreciate.

“Good! Kim Jihu perfect.”

“Thanks.”

Like that after finishing even Kim Jihu’s recording the instrument part recording ended.

* * *

“Owner...”

“Yeah, I’m watching be quiet a bit.”

The scene of Oktap’s members recording was being monitored by Jo Hyeonseop and part-timer Park Minji.

Jo Hyeonseop was to the point of his eyes becoming blank because cognitive dissonance was coming severely.