chapter_0105

105 – What I Thought About Singing

105 – What I Thought About Singing

After Producer Na Hyun-gon left first due to a busy schedule, Serena, who remained, asked me,

“Were you surprised?”

I usually don’t show much emotion on my face, but she, a healing-type Virtual Youtuber (about to graduate), noticed it anyway.

I spoke to Serena just as I thought.

“I had a feeling that your father might be someone in a high position, but I didn’t expect to meet him like this, and I certainly didn’t think we’d be discussing contracts right away.”

“I’m sorry for surprising you. I don’t really like to show off things like this.”

“Well, I understand. You must have a lot of annoying people sticking around.”

“Hehe, that’s so true, Jia. You know everything without me saying a word.”

I casually asked her as she was about to leave the conference room,

“… You’re not going to take a break, are you?”

Serena smiled widely.

“Why do you think that?”

“You really like your fans, don’t you?”

“….”

Her expression turned oddly sad, and she leaned in to whisper in my ear.

“When will you be recruiting for the third generation?”

I chuckled and replied,

“I’ll definitely let you know when the announcement goes up. I’m preparing for it.”

“Oh? You’re definitely going to recruit for the third generation? You don’t even know yet.”

Of course, we have to recruit.

We will continue to grow, and to meet the increasing needs of our fans, we need to contract more Virtual Youtubers.

“I’ll help the Boss recruit no matter what.”

* * *

After Serena left, the recording continued for about 45 minutes.

But I couldn’t concentrate at all and was scolded.

I was trying my best to follow instructions, but I couldn’t remember if I did it properly or how many mistakes I made.

I was probably too preoccupied with the thought that I needed to inform the Boss and the members about this news quickly.

As soon as the recording ended, I asked the vocal guide,

“Can our members wait here until their recording time?”

“Yes, it’s fine to stay in the lobby. Would you like me to bring you a chair?”

“I would really appreciate that.”

CAT Entertainment.

A song from Parallel at CAT Entertainment!

‘Is this a dream?’

However, when I checked the business card I had put in my coat pocket, it looked the same no matter how many times I looked at it.

Even when I listened to the story I recorded again, it was all real.

It was 100% truth.

This is not a dream.

A giant entertainment agency that shares the Korean music market with SB Entertainment has reached out to Parallel.

It felt like I had suddenly acquired a magnet item while playing a kart racing game.

It was as if an opportunity had come to close the gap with Batchu Batchu KR, who was running ahead.

Moreover, Na Hyun-gon didn’t seem to have any intention of shaking Parallel.

Even though they could easily drag us along, being a large elite group, they still gave us time to think and showed consideration.

After about an hour, while calming my excited heart and planning for the future, the Boss and his group arrived.

While the Team Leader and the members were in the recording studio, I borrowed the conference room for a moment to talk with the Boss.

As I rambled on more than usual, the Boss chuckled.

“Hey, no matter what, CAT is a big deal. I might have believed it if you had toned it down a bit.”

Have I played too many pranks on the Boss?

I didn’t reflect on my past behavior like a shepherd boy…

Instead, I immediately showed the Boss the business card.

There was no need to play the recording file.

The Boss’s mouth dropped open, so I conveyed the conversation I had with Producer Na Hyun-gon as specifically as possible.

“Damn. I can’t believe it even after looking at the business card over and over…”

Just seeing the Boss’s shocked expression made it clear.

It’s an incredibly hard situation to believe.

“We have to seize this opportunity.”

“Of course. It would be foolish to let it slip away.”

However, even in this astonishment, the Boss was considerate of me.

“By the way, are you okay with singing with the kids? Ultimately, your thoughts are important if we’re going to accept this deal.”

I might have been a little touched.

I began to speak with a smile.

“Actually, while waiting for you, I organized my thoughts a bit.”

The reason I had avoided singing with the members in the past was due to my lack of confidence in my talent.

I was afraid of ruining the beautiful and harmonious melodies of the four talented individuals.

I didn’t want that.

Did I ignore all the comments in the chat and community telling me I had talent and should sing more?

Yes. I thought they were just playful jokes from my friends watching the stream and ignored them completely.

More than anything, as I mentioned before during Night of Legends, I don’t believe anything unless it comes from a professional.

But now, the situation has changed.

The C-line of CAT Entertainment, specifically the head of A&R, acknowledged it.

My singing ability, which is not an imitation, was good enough, and it didn’t disrupt the harmony when singing with the members.

So now, I must acknowledge that I have talent as a singer.

There’s no longer a reason to avoid singing with the members.

However, there is still one thing weighing on my mind.

I am a pure ordinary person who has never worked as an artist.

What would happen if someone like me released music with the members under CAT Entertainment?

Wouldn’t the attention that should be on the members shift to me?

So I came up with a plan.

“I will participate in the album production. However, I intend to do so anonymously. If possible, I think it would be nice to inherit the name of participant F, who took part in the illegal duet.”

“Uh… do you have to?”

“I want to show that CAT Entertainment chose Parallel as a business partner purely based on the skills of the first generation students.”

I will ensure that the name Majiya does not surface.

This is the minimum condition for my participation in the song production.

The Boss soon understood my intention and said,

“But in a way, this is also an opportunity for you to grow as a musician… are you willing to give that up?”

“What good would it do for me to succeed as a musician? It’s more important for you and the kids to do well.”

“Isn’t it possible that you could do well too?”

“I don’t enjoy singing.”

All the various activities I’ve done so far have been for the sake of the company, the Boss, and the kids he nurtures.

I’ve never done anything just for my own success.

Even the broadcasts on the official channel.

Participating in streamer competitions.

It was all for Parallel.

So this time, I’m not singing to succeed for myself.

I’m singing because I want the members to do better.

“At least the Producer doesn’t seem to see me as a talent capable of succeeding as a singer.

If there was certainty, you would have talked to me as an individual rather than as a group of five. I’m just a spice role to enhance the members’ singing. You understand what I mean, right?”

And even if I have the potential to become a famous singer,

I have no desire to make singing my profession.

I would do it if it helps the members, but if it’s something I have to do for a lifetime, I would obviously want to refuse.

Yes, if I had to put it that way, it’s similar to when the Boss asked me if I wanted to debut as a Virtual Youtuber.

To be a proper musician, I would have to repeat singing, recording, and uploading videos for a whole month.

What do you think is the reason why the broadcast cycle of the most popular Batchu Batchu JP, Sango Rivia, has become sporadic?

It’s because they’re doing so well as a musician.

External activities, concerts, recordings—there’s no time to go live.

There’s no way I could handle such a grueling schedule.

I would wither away if I couldn’t watch broadcasts.

“And we need to think about efficiency.

If I receive full support from CAT, I could probably release a decent album, and with enough money, I could chart as well.

But if the kids receive that, the effect would be much better. They all love singing and want to succeed musically.”

The Boss seemed somewhat disappointed, but he didn’t seem inclined to break my will.

“Yeah, I think I could contact the Producer and ask for that much.”

“Thank you.”

“But what if CAT Entertainment wants to work with you again for the next project and the one after that?”

For a while, there’s nothing I can do.

Since we are still in a subordinate position, until we gain more power, I can only split my time.

I don’t prefer reheating cold broadcasts, but what can I do? It’s an important time, so I’ll have to make do.

“I will do my utmost as long as anonymity is guaranteed.”

“Does that mean you’ll accept all the vocal training support they provide?”

I nodded with a determined expression.

“Yes. I don’t want to hold the members back.”

* * *

After the recording ended, the members went to broadcast.

Before returning to the company, I had dinner with the Boss.

The Boss, busy looking for something on his phone, asked me as we finished eating.

“By the way, it seems quite a few people have figured out that participant F is you… is that okay?”

He must have been keeping an eye on the community reactions.

“What will happen if we don’t announce it until the end? Everyone has their suspicions, but no one is certain.”

Even Lee Yura, who was almost confirmed to be participant L, managed to keep it a secret.

As long as I don’t stand on stage like an X-Man and declare, “I am participant F,” Majiya and participant F will forever be different people.

Even the first-generation students seemed uncertain, and only after I told them the day after the illegal duet did they nod, “I knew it~.”

“If that’s the case, keep it a secret from the kids too. Why did you tell them?”

“I didn’t want to deceive them.”

I understand why the Boss said that, considering the kids leaked the news about the Valentine’s Day New Outfit a month before it was supposed to be announced.

However, the probability of the members revealing my identity is low.

Since content and New Outfits are often mentioned in broadcasts, the chances of mistakes are higher.

But mentioning individuals unrelated to the broadcast is subject to being blindfolded, and if repeated, they could get banned from the broadcast.

More than anything, once the collaboration between CAT and Parallel is publicly confirmed, there’s no need to maintain the masquerade that I am a separate individual from participant F.

It means I don’t mind if it’s revealed someday.

However, the Boss seemed to want to ensure that it was kept hidden, so he made this suggestion.

“Or, before the kids start their broadcast, you know how we’re focusing on cafe explorations right now? Since the kids are doing that anyway, how about doing some personal broadcasts instead?”

“You want me to do my own broadcast?”

“Yeah. It seems better to clearly show the difference between Majiya and participant F rather than just denying it. You could sing with a 1 million won reaction or something.

You know, that tone where you sing casually without putting in much effort, like when you showed KraeMang. That way, you probably won’t get caught.”

When I asked if it was really necessary, I received this advice.

“You were planning to never sing on broadcasts and only sing in the recording studio, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a surefire way to lose public favor. It might have been fine before, but right now, people are scrutinizing everything. You’re still just acting, but you need to keep sprinkling some fire extinguisher.”

In fact, even if I get caught, I could just endure it.

I’m not an individual but an employee under Corporate Affiliation.

It varies from situation to situation, but in cases like this, the members might get annoyed.

They could accidentally leak the truth due to persistent viewers.

More than anything,

“You need to think about your own status too.”

“My status?”

“Yes. You’ve been the MVP of competitions and have consistently brought in 3,000 to 4,000 fixed viewers with your content. Your status is solid, right?”

I’ve only done what I could to help the members succeed.

As the Boss said, the number of people following Majiya, who is like a disinfectant truck, has indeed increased.

From now on, I need to be careful about how I act so that it doesn’t negatively affect the members.

However, it’s also true that being told to do solo game broadcasts feels a bit lonely.

If I say I’ll sing with a 1 million won sponsorship reaction, it sounds too much like a Virtual Youtuber.

I’m not a Virtual Youtuber.

“How about holding an event instead?”

“An event?”

As the Boss mentioned, many scopes are still directed at me.

Before public sentiment heats up, I thought it would be good to manage it while also using it as a promotional tool.

“Let’s set a day for a viewer participation event in the Battle Colosseum. If I don’t win even once in ten rounds, I’ll do a karaoke broadcast as a penalty after the event. What do you think?”

The maximum number of participants in the Battle Colosseum is 90, with 30 teams.

In other words, if I set up a one-on-one against the viewers, I would have to face a 1:87 ratio to win.

The viewers would definitely think, “This is doable.”

It’s fine if many skilled players come.

Ultimately, the goal is to lose and sing to reinforce that Majiya and participant F are different people.

“Would you like to join in, Boss?”

“… Me?”

“Yes. Since it’s already an advantageous bet for the viewers, it would be even more favorable for them if you join me. Don’t you think they’d want to participate too?”

“Hey.”

“The more people watching, the easier it is to spread the rumor that I’m not participant F.”

In the end, I was caught by the Boss and got a playful hit on the head, but I received permission.

“Alright. Let’s give it a try. Who knows? You might just dominate with a 2:87 ratio.”

A word from the author (Author’s note)

Fan art by Do Se-hwa has been added to the announcement!!

They drew Jia adorably for Christmas, holding chicken in one hand and…?!