Chapter 164

In the rented studio, the sound of singing never stopped.

It definitely sounded sweet. The technique was impressive. What was even more surprising was that it was gradually improving.

Perhaps it was because Gaeul’s concentration was sharpening by the day, or maybe she was truly erasing everything else from her mind except for singing. Either way, her voice was becoming purer and more refined.

Looking at her like this, it even seemed possible that she might actually stand a chance of winning against Lena Shin.

“Cough… Ha.”

“Your voice is a limited resource; maybe you should rest a bit and practice more gradually.”

“I-I’m fine. I’ll practice just a little longer. I feel like this is still not enough.”

“…”

But I didn’t see that as a positive sign.

“…”

Maybe this was a thought a manager should never have.

Rather than pushing an artist to work harder, I found myself watching her struggle and feeling conflicted.

And yet, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

“Team Leader Cheon Jonghoon, it’s me.”

Because I wanted to be not just Gaeul’s manager, but also her guardian.

-What is it?

“I need your help with something.”

After making the necessary preparations, I went back to the studio where Gaeul was in the middle of her practice.

And during the brief moment when she finished singing a song and was hydrating, I spoke to her.

“Gaeul, can I ask you a favor?”

“A favor?”

I took out the sheet music I had prepared and handed it to her.

“This is a song I prepared; would you like to try singing it?”

“You prepared this, Team Leader Seon? Could it be an original song?”

“Right. It’s not entirely original since I had help from two people.”

I had been learning professional mixing from Cheon Jonghoon, and objectively, I thought I lacked the skills and knowledge to make a perfect song entirely on my own.

For that reason, I had asked him for help with production to make up for the gaps.

Of course, since I was the one asking for a favor, I had thrown in some flattery, praising his skills a little more than necessary. He acted indifferent, but I could tell he was pleased, and he ended up actively assisting me in making the song.

…Honestly, now that I thought about it, he had a surprisingly gullible personality.

Then, at some point, Oh James found out about the song. He had barged into the process, saying, “How could you work on something this important with an outsider instead of your own coworker and partner?” And so, unexpectedly, I ended up creating a song with both the best producer of today and the future’s greatest producer.

“How was it?”

Gaeul, who had been staring blankly at the sheet music I handed her, spoke with a slight tremor in her voice.

“…Are you asking me to sing this right now?”

“Just think of it as a light test run.”

“…”

“Would that be too much?”

To be honest, this must have been a daunting request for Gaeul.

A song she had never heard of, with no prior notice, no guide recording—just the sheet music and the backing track. And to top it off, she had to sing it in front of her superior.

If I had given her time to prepare, that would have been one thing, but asking her to do it right away must have made her want to refuse.

But I believed in Gaeul’s talent. And I also trusted the bond we had built. I felt like our relationship was strong enough that she would consider this request.

…We’re friends, after all, right, Gaeul?

Still, I was nervous about the possibility of rejection. So, putting on my best pitiful expression, I gazed at her with a pleading look. Seeing that, Gaeul’s face turned visibly red before she mumbled softly.

“…If Taeyang Oppa asks me like that, I can’t refuse.”

“Haha, was that a bit unfair of me?”

At that, Gaeul let out a small laugh and said,

“I’ll do it. But give me a moment to go over the sheet music first.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate you going along with this sudden request.”

“…I should be the one thanking you. Always.”

She was such a kind girl.

“I’ll handle the accompaniment. Don’t worry about the guitar part; just focus on the vocals this time.”

“Yes.”

As I quickly finished tuning the electronic piano in the studio, Gaeul spoke.

“I’ve roughly learned it for now.”

“That was faster than I expected. Shall we start right away?”

“…I’ll do my best so that I won’t embarrass your song, Taeyang Oppa.

Her best, huh…

That was great and all, but that wasn’t what I was hoping for, Gaeul.

But I thought expressing it with words wouldn’t sound right, so I started moving the keys instead.

This was a more fitting way for us to communicate right now.

And following my accompaniment, Gaeul hesitantly started to sing.

“How was it?”

After finishing the song, Gaeul hesitated as if she was organizing her thoughts and then gazed at me, almost entranced, and spoke.

“The song… Yes, it was good.”

“Mm… I appreciate that, but what I really wanted to ask wasn’t about the song itself—I wanted to know how you felt.”

“…How I felt?”

I shared with her the thoughts I’d been having lately.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“…”

Gaeul hesitated for a while, opening and closing her mouth, and then slowly spoke.

“…Is that really important? Isn’t the real priority figuring out what song to sing and how to sing it in order to win the competition?”

“No, this is more important.”

“Just one person’s feelings?”

“It’s not just one person. It’s the emotions of a singer who conveys feelings to countless people.”

But that wasn’t the only reason.

“And I’m a fan of Yoo Gaeul when she sings with joy. Not when she sings out of duty or obligation.”

“…”

“I want to see you smile when you sing.”

Songs could bloom from sorrow, from anger, even from emptiness.

But more than songs born from those emotions, I loved Yoo Gaeul’s voice when she sang purely for the love of it—when that passion spread through her entire being.

That was why I had gone to Cheon Jonghoon and Oh James, why I had put all of this into motion.

Because I thought this was a way to share the burden she carried, a way to help her enjoy singing again.

“What’s the title of this song?”

“The title of the song is ‘The Duty of Singing.’”

“The duty of singing…”

“How about using this song in your next battle against Lena Shin?”

Gaeul, who had been in deep thought in the heavy silence, finally spoke.

“There’s a condition.”

“A condition?”

What’s this? Is she worried the final quality won’t be good?

Well, it does seem lacking, so I can understand her concern.

Don’t worry, Gaeul. I’ll stay up and make sure the quality is satisfying.

“If it’s about the final quality, you can relax. Of course, this is a demo version, and we haven’t started proper mixing yet. Before the Music Road recording, we’ll make sure the quality is to your satisfaction…”

“No… that’s not it.”

Oh.

“You said you want me to enjoy singing, right?”

“Right.”

After a long time, Gaeul smiled her usual bright smile and said,

“Then, please join me on stage on the recording day.”

…Me?

Seon Taeyang, who had been working on mixing ‘The Duty of Singing’ late into the early morning, fell asleep with his fingers still on the laptop’s keys.

And before starting her morning training, Gaeul came in and saw him in that state.

She hesitated a little, then slowly and quietly walked toward his desk.

Reaching his side, she found a notebook where he had written down some ideas. Thinking it was his private matter, she tried to avoid it, but she couldn’t resist the strong impulse and read the contents.

Yoo Gaeul as a vocalist is already complete. Even compared objectively, she lacks nothing against top-tier singers. So what she needs now to truly soar is simply the right song. For that, I cannot compromise. Even the smallest flaw, the slightest imperfection, could dull the brilliance of the gem that is Yoo Gaeul.

A single blemish can lower the value of a jewel. Don’t settle for 98%, or even 99%. If I am to stand beside her, then the only acceptable work is 100%.

So that this kindhearted girl never has to feel like she is lacking.

So that this warmhearted girl can sing with a smile.

“…”

Gaeul read through it slowly, then turned her gaze toward Taeyang’s sleeping face.

And she asked herself:

“Is it even possible not to love someone like this?”

Carefully, so as not to wake him, she reached out and gently caressed his cheek.

“It’s impossible, isn’t it?”

Her fingertips traced along his unshaven jaw, feeling the roughness of his stubble.

“No matter what he looks like—whether he’s middle-aged or an old man, no matter the time, no matter the era…”

Her thumb brushed against his slightly parted lips.

“I would have loved him.”

And then, quietly, she placed a kiss on his cheek.