translation by mourningmoor
Quietly, I activated the Time Dilation magic and cautiously summoned Kang Ichan's physical abilities.
This guy, his ability to analyze notes and arrange harmonies was exceptional. His ears were sensitive, and he could find the exact notes needed. It's a remarkable ability.
On top of that, I added the skills I had learned through Media Acquisition over the past few days.
I opened the composition sequence program, a modern technique used to create deep house and future bass-style EDM tracks, and turned on the power of the synthesizer.
But with just this much theory and technique, creating 'art' wasn’t possible.
What was really needed now was the 'third ear.' The ability to find beautiful melodies.
In other words, it’s the ability to discover songs that fit with the flow of the times and could resonate with a large audience. And this ability, well, it's not something just anyone can have.
But fortunately, it was already an ability this body possessed.
It was finally time for the best artist of Parapara, no, the entire Armania continent, Jesquière, to properly demonstrate his abilities.
"Aesthetic sense, and activation of the third ear."
I had lived for over 300 years. While innate abilities were one thing, my artistic sense, honed over centuries, was unmatched.
I had lived three times longer than others, and I was a being capable of using 'Time Dilation Magic,' a magic no ordinary wizard could dare attempt.
To me, time had always been unbearably dull, and the only things that brought me any joy during those long years were beautiful melodies and strange works of art.
That’s why I had become obsessively immersed in 'art.'
I even created a magic called 'aesthetic sense' and 'the third ear' just to find the greatest works of art.
"Let's take a look?"
Aesthetic sense.
Whether it's artwork, music, dance, or anything else, I meticulously laid out the blueprint in front of me based on pure beauty. The ability to choose the most valuable and beautiful from among them, refine it, and help recreate it is the essence of aesthetic sense.
In other words, even if the sampling track created by Kang Ichan’s abilities is poorly made, it can be transformed into the greatest song through the power of aesthetic sense.
"Hmm, this part needs a bit of refining...”
My hands were busy tapping the keyboard.
"This part... let's just remove it completely."
And then, the third ear.
It’s the ability to turn the piece created by aesthetic sense into actual music. The two-dimensional notes are converted into real music and can be heard.
“This part sounds good. I can use it for the drop.”
No matter how beautifully crafted a piece of music is, if it lacks appeal by the standards of this era, it’s automatically out.
In other words, it's the ability to pick out songs that will sell.
I narrowed it down to five tracks.
I sent those songs to A&R Team Leader Park Jiwoo.
I needed to get the judgment of someone from this world first.
* * *
"So, are you saying that the sampling track I gave to Team Leader Park Jiwoo is actually usable?"
"Yeah."
At Ichan's question, PD Pyo, who had been nervously fiddling with the armrest of the sofa in the representative office for a while, finally spoke up again.
"So, here's the thing. What if we use that track for the title of the next album?"
Ichan’s first meeting with him had completely slipped from memory, but suddenly, old recollections came rushing back.
The first impression PD Pyo had of Kang Ichan was, frankly, nothing short of grim.
It had been a special audition at the request of Team Leader Lee Gyuhyung, and Pyo PD couldn’t hide his disappointment.
When planning the younger group of Dinaple, Pyo PD had set three basic guidelines:
First, create a group with visuals above average. This was the very basic of basics in the industry, and there was no choice but to adhere to it if they didn’t want to fall behind.
Second, talent is important, but character comes first. If you invest years of effort and a significant amount of money, only for a school violence scandal to erupt later, it could be the end. Especially for a small agency like Blade, one wrong move could lead to a chain of bankruptcies.
Third, let’s create an artist group that can write their own songs, compose lyrics, and choreograph their own dances. The era of simply being a performance group is over.
Pyo PD seemed to have pondered whether Kang Ichan met these three conditions for a long time.
As for the first condition, visual appeal, Ichan was above average.
First, his body was attractive. Overall, he was slim with very long legs. His fingers were pretty, and his shoulders were just the right width. If styled properly, he’d look stunning in clothes.
Then, there was his face. He had a small face with a sharp jawline, which was already a plus. His eyes, though lacking double eyelids, were large enough to make up for it.
His nose was well-formed, and his lips had distinct shapes, with a prominent bottom lip that added to his attractiveness.
Yet, he didn’t seem handsome.
The reason lay in his dark eyes and awkward expression.
First, he couldn’t make eye contact and kept looking away. It made the other person feel so uneasy that it was almost nauseating.
But the bigger issue was his gloomy expression.
It was hard to tell whether he was smiling or crying—it was so ambiguous that it left people speechless.
[Kang Ichan, do you think you’ll become an idol?]
[…I… I really… want to.]
He hesitated with even the simplest questions, paused mid-sentence, and trailed off...
It didn’t seem like training would fix it.
[He’s a good kid, though.]
When it came to focusing on his personality, Gyuhyung added a few words, but being nice wasn’t enough. I couldn’t help but worry whether his character would allow him to get along with the other members.
The kids I had already picked were all very strong-willed, and there was a chance he might get overshadowed.
So, out of desperation, I asked.
[Can you play any instruments?]
[…I can play guitar and piano a little.]
[That’s fine. Do you write songs too?]
I had made it clear to Gyuhyung that I was looking for someone who could compose and choreograph. I threw the question out, hoping at least that would be a yes.
[I... write songs... a little...]
When he said he could write songs, I immediately took him to the studio. If he was just throwing out words to get by, I was ready to give him a proper lesson.
But this kid wasn’t just talking nonsense.
When I handed him the sequencer program and equipment like a synthesizer, he quickly produced a track.
He definitely had talent.
[First, you need some training. I saw you can sing to some degree, but your dancing... not so much. I can’t promise you’ll debut yet, so work hard. The opportunity is yours to create.]
That was why I brought Kang Ichan into the team.
But this kid... he only proved his worth at that moment.
Of course, that was before the accident.
“What do you think?”
I had no idea back then how gutsy he was that he didn’t even battle an eye when I suggested that his song could be the title track for the next album.
I didn't know his gaze was so impressive, nor did I realize the intense energy he exuded.
Most of all, I had no idea how captivating his expressions and body movements could be.
“A title track, huh...”
And the thing I didn’t realize most of all, was that this kid...
“So, does that mean you won’t do anything, PD-nim?”
His audacity was sky-high, almost to the point of arrogance. And... there was something else.
“No? Why wouldn’t I do anything? I'll work on that track all night if I have to. And I'll give you the sub-title track. We can work on it together if you want.”
It was the fact that he was terribly soft on Kang Ichan.
“If you say so... well, I guess.”
Kang Ichan, having successfully secured the promise for the song, leaned closer to the table.
He placed his arm on the meeting table, stared intently at PD Pyo, and crooked one corner of his lip upward.
“How about the royalties... how do you plan to pay them?”
Ha, this kid.
“You’re not thinking of trying to cheat me just because I’m a teenager who doesn’t know any better, are you? Treat me right. I’ll do as much as you pay me.”
Forget what I just said.
The thing I knew least about Kang Ichan was this—he’s a monster. A monster born of capitalism.
* * *
It wasn’t bad.
Of course, I used the Time Dilation Magic, but considering the usual concept of time, the song was made in about two days, which was cost-effective.
Moreover, I hadn’t even used the whole song, just the drop part with plenty of hooking elements and a few key sections.
But with that, I was getting paid for the song and would receive royalties separately.
[Unless the song is really good, I wouldn’t give this kind of treatment, but your song... I really like it. It stuck in my ears.]
After finalizing the details of the contract, PD Pyo threw in a compliment.
[Will the royalties be pretty good?]
[Of course. Trust my judgment. But we’re splitting it fifty-fifty. I’ll handle the rest.]
[What about the lyrics?]
[We’ll need to find a good lyricist.]
[What if I do it? Will I get paid for the lyrics too?]
For a moment, PD Pyo’s gaze changed.
《Ha, look at this. Now he wants to take a crack at writing the lyrics?》
The signals from PD Pyo’s mind kept changing shapes—《Expectancy》, 《Awe》, 《Curiosity》, 《A bit of fear》, and so on.
[Go ahead. I won’t stop you. But if it’s not good enough, I won’t use it.]
[It’ll be as good as the song, so just wait and see.]
[Alright, no need to wait. Let’s get started right away.]
With a light heart, I opened the door to the small conference room, taking a step closer to escaping the dorm.
Then, the noisy rabbits began to raise a fuss.
"Ah, why are you only showing up now? We need to do the reaction shoot."
"Hyung-nim, hurry up! We've all been waiting with our necks stretched out for you to show up."
Jaewon and Roa were in a panic, but Siu quietly added in.
"We would've been in big trouble if you were any later. We only have about 8 minutes left."
At times like this, Hanjoon could never be left out.
“Why are you making a fuss when we can just film without this brat?”
Though his words were spiteful, Hanjoon pulled his legs in to make room for me to pass.
"Sorry. I was having a meeting with the PD."
Then, he quickly sat down.
Team Leader Jang Yujin from the PR department pressed a button, lowering the ceiling screen in the small meeting room. At the same time, the camera lit up with a red light, signaling the start of the shoot.
"Jaewon, hit the slate and let's get started."
At that, Jaewon stood up and slapped his palms together in a playful gesture.