Chapter 110: What the song left behind

The lights slowly brightened in the silent studio. The small clock on the table pointed precisely at 9 PM.

The recording lamp slowly illuminated, and the red LED next to the camera lens blinked on.

Song Gihwan, seated before the microphone, lightly adjusted his headphones.

Out of habit, he twirled the dial with two fingers to balance the audio and glanced once more at the analog mixer in front of him.

The countdown and the title card appeared simultaneously on the right-hand monitor.

3, 2, 1—

He leaned closer to the microphone.
He spoke in a slightly lowered, yet steady voice.

“Once a week, a time to unpack cherished memories and music.”

He took a short breath and adjusted the corner of the script with his fingertips.

“I’m DJ Song Gihwan, your host for Saturday night.”

He smiled briefly. Subtitles appeared below the screen along with his voice.

〈MNS Music Radio – Every Saturday at 9 PM〉
〈”What Music Leaves Behind” ┃ DJ Song Gihwan〉

Beyond the glass window at the back, the technical director gave an OK sign with his fingers.

This week’s guest sat opposite him. The recording camera slowly adjusted its focus to follow the guest’s face.

Song Gihwan reached out and selected a track from the digital audio panel beside him. Music began to flow softly through the studio.

After the first song ended, Song Gihwan raised his head.

Across from him sat an unbelievable face.

‘To think I’d see someone like this… here.’

He turned his head towards the microphone.

“If you listen to music these days, you’ll all know our guest today.”

He smiled gently at his guest.

“We have with us, singer Yoon Chaedam.”

“Hello, I’m Yoon Chaedam. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a show like this.”

“You were the main vocalist of the idol group QTLAY, and after going solo, you’ve expanded your musical range by writing and composing your own songs. The producer was quite surprised when he heard you were coming on the show. So was I. I imagine Chaedam’s fans were probably wondering, ‘Why there?’”

“I’ve heard that a few times, actually.”

Yoon Chaedam replied with a light smile.

“Exactly. First off, I’m curious about this. Did you know about our program before?”

“Yes. I remember hearing your voice a few times on the radio in the past.”

Yoon Chaedam nodded slightly in response.

“Not specifically this show. My father used to be on the broadcasting station’s outsourced music team, so I often listened to related materials. I was happy to find the same feeling from those days still preserved here.”

As they conversed, a faint connection surfaced.

“Ah, then Chaedam’s father… must be the person I met at the studio when I was recording my first album.”

“Yes. So, while I did make the suggestion to be on the show… I felt like this would be a place where I could… simply speak through music.”

“I’m grateful for your words. Then, shall we listen to Chaedam’s new song first and then talk?”

They played various songs, starting with the new release, interspersed with conversations about music.

As the end of the show approached, Song Gihwan slowly scanned the playlist on the script.

This segment usually concluded with the DJ introducing a personal recommendation.

But today, he wanted to present this song with a more special feeling.

It just so happened that his guest was also someone “young” who could speak sincerely about music.

“Chaedam, have you… ever heard of the profession of Vtuber?”

As soon as he finished the question, the producer beyond the glass window tilted his head slightly. His expression suggested he’d noticed Song Gihwan deviating from the script.

Yoon Chaedam’s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised by the question.

“Excuse me? Vtuber?”

At her reaction, Song Gihwan chuckled briefly. As if he had expected it.

“These days, there are many streamers who use avatars. Among them, the ones who do music are quite serious about their work.”

Yoon Chaedam cautiously nodded.

“Hmm… To be honest, I’m not very familiar with that area. It could be another form of stage for younger people, though.”

Meanwhile, the producer quietly spoke into the microphone.

“It’s not on the writer’s list. No, this… this song hasn’t even been reviewed.”

The technical director looked at Song Gihwan, silently questioning him with his expression.

‘Are you really going to play it?’

Song Gihwan took a breath and gave a short nod.

“This is a song I really wanted to share with our listeners today.”

He reached for the digital panel.

“Esmi Leah. An original song by a rookie Vtuber who works in the virtual space. The title of the song is… ‘On That Day’.”

The song, which began somewhat abruptly, eventually reached its end.

Even after the last echoes of the voice faded, no one in the studio spoke for a while.

Yoon Chaedam took a small breath in front of the microphone and exhaled. After a long pause, she spoke cautiously.

“…This… I feel like if I try to put it into words, the emotion will be lost.”

She lowered her eyes and curled her fingers. Then, she finally continued.

“I’ve been moved to tears by many songs, but this one… felt like something broke inside me. But it… doesn’t feel bad.”

She raised her head again. Her expression was a little dazed, but the corners of her mouth were turned up in a tiny smile.

“To be introduced to a song like this, I feel like coming on this show was the right decision.”

Song Gihwan smiled in relief. It seemed those around him felt the same emotions.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and spoke into the microphone.

“Listeners, the song you just heard was ‘On That Day,’ an original song by the Vtuber ‘Esmi Leah.’ It might have been a little unfamiliar, a little awkward. But I think this song demonstrates that there’s no set formula for how music can move the heart.”

He concluded by adding one last line.

“Hoping it becomes a song that resonates with someone this weekend— ‘What Music Leaves Behind’ concludes here. Sincere thanks to singer Yoon Chaedam for joining us today.”

There weren’t many areas where Esmi Leah could be considered clearly lacking compared to her third-generation colleagues.

Some might point to her audacity and eccentric nature, calling her clueless or lacking common sense, but…

That was merely a subjective assessment.

Objectively speaking, there were very few areas where Leah was genuinely behind.

Above all, Leah was the Vtuber who had achieved the fastest and most overwhelming success among her peers.

One of the few metrics where Leah undeniably lagged behind her colleagues was the view count of her original song’s music video.

Leah’s original song was entirely self-composed with Korean lyrics. Moreover, the genre wasn’t a typical ballad or idol-style song, but an epic narrative about a medieval war and a soldier’s reminiscence of their homeland.

On the other hand, her colleagues’ songs were covers with a J-pop feel. Existing popular songs with Japanese lyrics and typical Vtuber-style music videos—in terms of pure numbers, they weren’t even comparable.

In fact, even Leah’s current view count would have been impossible without her brand recognition.

However, a post on someone’s social media began to change the situation.

“What Music Leaves Behind”
Thank you for tuning in to today’s broadcast.
The atmosphere felt unfamiliar at first, but thanks to host Song Gihwan sunbaenim, it felt like opening up and reading an old diary.
And at the end of the broadcast,
I was introduced to a song I’d never heard before.
The name ‘Esmi Leah,’ the Vtuber,
To be honest, I heard it for the first time today.
But that song… felt strangely like an emotion I’d known for a long time.
It’s a somewhat heavy, somewhat quiet song.
But I’m sure it will resonate with someone.
‘On That Day’ — I recommend it.
#YoonChaedam #SongGihwan #WhatMusicLeavesBehind #OnThatDay #EsmiLeah #RadioListening #RecommendedSong

[Real-time Best Gallery]

[Today… QTLAY’s Yoon Chaedam mentions a Vtuber]

[Let’s arboza about the Esmi Leah that Yoon Chaedam mentioned]

[Static Gallery]

Title: Normies are f*cked…real

Content: Now, if you don’t know Vtubers, you’re the one left behind lol

‘Yoon Chaedam,’ one of the hottest singer-songwriters right now, personally ‘praised’ her, so what are you gonna do?

If you keep dissing Vtubers like before without realizing the situation has changed, you’ll get lynched by the ‘Yoon Chaedam fandom’…

Ahㅋㅋㅋ I’m a Vtuber viewer leading popular culture!

Comments:

• Not Vtubers, but Leah.

• How high is Leah going to climb?

• Let’s get Leah out of the Vtuber scene already…
  └ Who are you to decide? Being a Vtuber is something to be proud of.

• It’s the end of the world, really…

• The world’s gone upside down.

• I mean, they should just gather these followers and lock them up, why are they invading the mainstream…

• I like Chaedam, why did she have to make this choice…
  └ Above are the ramblings of the out-of-touch crowd.

• The situation is a bit hard to believe.
  └ Yoon Chaedam, who’s way out of the league of some boomer radio show, appears on said show > But then the boomer introduces a Vtuber song > And Yoon Chaedam f*cking loves it and posts about it on her Linsta lol
  └ Is this real??

• Hey, isn’t the radio host the same guy who did Leah’s opening song a while back?
  └ Right. Song Gihwan.
  └ Doesn’t that mean Leah knew she would be introduced beforehand?
  └ Her connections are amazing…
  └ This is hilarious lol How does a 50-year-old geezer have connections with a Vtuber?