Chapter 181

Chapter 181

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 181: Three-Way Confrontation

All the TwoBear staff and artists gathered in the conference room to listen to the final demo of the title track, now just awaiting official recording and mastering, and after hearing the song I pieced together following my talk with Gyeoul, there was a brief moment of silence.

At first, I thought they were just organizing their thoughts for feedback, but even after a long pause, no one said a word.

…What, was it really that bad?

…Oh James and Gyeoul said it was good, though.

Growing more and more embarrassed waiting through the awkward silence, I cautiously spoke up.

“Um… could you all start sharing your thoughts now?”

At my words, Cheon Aram seemed to snap out of it and asked,

“Who did the guide vocals again?”

“Gyeoul and I.”

When all eyes turned to Gyeoul, she buried her face shyly.

Why is she acting like that? She sang really well.

Gaeul looked like she had something to say but hesitated, while Yeoreum absentmindedly twirled her long hair and stared at me.

Yoori sighed while looking at the two.

…Honestly, I had no idea what this reaction meant.

Cheon Aram, resting her chin on her hand, casually threw out a comment.

“I think we could upload it just as it is. Or maybe we can rearrange it a little acoustically and put it as an album track? If we frame it like a Gyeoul solo featuring a bit from others, I think the fans would accept it.”

“…Using the current guide vocals?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

I looked around, hoping someone would stop her, but the others were nodding along too.

Seriously, what the hell is going on?

“…This is supposed to be a Girl Revolution song.”

“I know that, but this song… it feels like it really shows off Team Leader Seon.”

That sounded familiar, so I turned to look at Oh James behind me.

He met my eyes, grinned brightly, and gave me a thumbs-up.

…Well, okay. At least he’s happy.

Pushing the overly positive Oh James out of my mind, I asked Cheon Aram,

“Are you saying you think this song doesn’t suit Girl Revolution?”

Cheon Aram shook her head and said,

“No, that’s not it. It’s a great song. It maintains the color Girl Revolution pursues, and it doesn’t lose touch with popular trends. We’ll know for sure after recording, but I think it’ll be fine. It’s definitely title track material. You did great, Team Leader Seon.”

It was high praise. Especially considering how objective Cheon Aram usually is in meetings like this.

Which is why their reactions still bugged me.

“So, you mean it’s too good to discard just based on the guide version?”

“Mm… it’s more like it must not be discarded. The cause and effect are different.”

“…Sorry?”

What the hell does that mean?

Why such dramatic language over a mere guide version?

Cheon Aram scratched her head a little and said,

“How should I put it…? Honestly, this song doesn’t feel like Girl Revolution’s. It feels like it belongs to Seon Taeyang. Like the ownership has been stolen.”

Oh James evaluated the TwoBear staff’s reactions like this:

‘They all just felt overwhelmed by the intensity of your work, Team Leader Seon. No need to overthink it. It’s basically praise. When they say it’s vivid and strong, that’s all they mean. This work is phenomenal. It’s something you can truly enjoy and be proud of. I’ll take care of the rest of the mastering details, so don’t worry.’

Still, I couldn’t feel fully convinced by that answer alone.

I couldn’t shake off the lingering unease.

“So, this isn’t a part-time gig. What brings you here today?”

That’s why I went to find Cheon Jonghoon.

Honestly, I tried to play it cool and call it a part-time job, but in reality, my true mentors in music were this guy and Oh James.

“I came to consult you about some work.”

Cheon Jonghoon snorted at my words and said,

“You think I’m so free I can just drop everything when you come barging in? You know Alcest’s new album is almost ready to drop, right? Sometimes you seem to underestimate me. The time I give you is only the scraps of my schedule…”

At that moment, the door burst open and in came Yoon Seoa, leader of Alcest.

“Team Leader Cheon! I’ve informed everyone that the scheduled directing session was canceled just as you instructed! The kids were grumbling that it was so sudden, but I’ll work them hard enough that they won’t have time to complain! Enjoy your free time!”

“…”

“…”

At a loss for words, I just thanked him.

“Thank you for making time…”

“So, what’s your business?”

Sensing his desperate attempt to change the subject, I played along.

“I created a new song for the title track.”

“…Already?”

“Yeah, I got lucky.”

Cheon Jonghoon twitched an eyebrow and asked again,

“…You call that luck?”

“Yes, it’s not the kind of song you usually produce in such a short time.”

“Well, fine. You know your way around the system. Play it.”

Following his instructions, I prepped the song.

“The song is called ‘I’ll Be By Your Side.’ I’ll start playing it now.”

The song played for about three minutes.

“…”

And Cheon Jonghoon remained silent.

Seriously, why does everyone clam up when they hear this song?

Unable to endure the silence, I asked,

“How was it?”

“…”

After a long silence, Cheon Jonghoon finally spoke.

“This is a Seon Taeyang song.”

“…”

It was an obvious statement.

But somehow, it hit differently this time.

“Could you explain what you mean?”

“What you made feels closer to an artist’s song rather than a typical KPOP composer’s.”

“…”

“You’ve been influenced by Oh James.”

Cheon Jonghoon turned his gaze from the audio system and looked at me.

“Why do you think I offered you—well, technically ‘hired’ you for part-time?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. There are plenty of people more talented than me, aren’t there?”

He snorted once and said,

“Isn’t it time you start seeing yourself objectively? Or is it fake humility? Either way, cut it out. I can’t stand it.”

What fake humility? It’s just knowing my place.

“No, seriously, there are way more technically skilled and intuitive composers out there…”

“Bullshit! You’re a genius. Enough that even I, Cheon Jonghoon, felt a sense of threat.”

“…”

It felt like I got hit over the head. I never imagined hearing something like that from a guy as arrogant as him.

“Oh James probably stuck to you for the same reason. If he had any decent eyesight, he couldn’t miss it. But the genius he sees in you is a little different from what I see.”

I couldn’t hide the questions welling up inside me and asked,

“What did you see in me, Team Leader Cheon?”

“What I saw in you was ‘the eye.’ The ability to see an artist’s talent, what’s missing, and what’s needed to complete a song.”

Hearing that, I recalled when I had bluffed my way into SS by introducing Gyeoul.

He must have mistaken my ‘status window’ ability for natural talent.

“That’s just coincidence. Honestly, from the beginning, I was just bluffing to look like a competent salesman to you.”

“Bluffing? Ha. Didn’t you rate your own songs during midway checks? Like giving yourself 96 points, 92 points, stuff like that?”

“Yeah, I did.”

It was something I did sometimes. Knowing my limits was something I was good at.

That’s why I made such a fuss. Back then, I didn’t think I could ever create a perfect 100-point song.

Somehow, I managed to create ‘Albatross,’ which met that standard, but I didn’t think it was anything impressive.

While I was lost in thought, Cheon Jonghoon asked curiously,

“Do you think that’s something just anyone can do?”

“…”

And I had no answer for that question.

“You really are a genius. Haaah… I can’t believe I have to spell this out with my own mouth… Anyway, back to the point. Unlike me, Oh James probably saw intuition in you. That intuition is the way you incorporate your individuality and thoughts into your work. You’re not just making systemized music—you’re creating art.”

Cheon Jonghoon slammed a stack of books on the shelf, making a dull thud, and said,

“I believed you could reach the peak of systemized music—if you filled in your missing knowledge. That’s why I helped you. Because I also aim for the peak. And because I was confident you were capable! It would be humiliating for me if my rival couldn’t reach that peak because of something as petty as a lack of technique or knowledge! But it seems you chose a different path. I had a bad feeling when you called it ‘luck,’ and now here we are.”

He let out a deep sigh, calming himself slightly, and spoke quietly.

“I won’t deny your song. That would be petty. It’s clearly high-quality and well-crafted. But you need to know—it’s completely different from what I aim for. Depending on luck, rolling the dice, chanting ‘follow me, I’m right’… that’s a way of dismissing everything humanity has built up systematically. So I will respond.”

I asked,

“What kind of response?”

“I’ll prove that my way is right.”

Cheon Jonghoon stood up and began operating the audio system.

“With Alcest’s next album.”

And then his music started playing.

“…”

I listened and made my judgment.

‘…100 points.’

Cheon Jonghoon had surpassed even his previous best.

Alcest’s comeback timing and Girl Revolution’s comeback timing overlapped.

For us, releasing the album now felt inevitable to maintain each member’s current momentum, so we had no intention of changing the timing.

It didn’t seem like the other side would change either, meaning a direct chart battle was inevitable.

That’s why my worries grew. Because I wasn’t confident that the song I made could beat Alcest’s.

Lost in thought while organizing the MV planning report, the office door opened.

“…Taeyang oppa? Do you have a minute?”

It was Gaeul.

Startled for a second, I quickly masked it and welcomed her.

“Sure, Gaeul. What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk for a bit.”

“Alright, come sit down—”

Just as I was welcoming Gaeul, the office door opened again.

“Team Leader Seon, could I talk to you for a bit?”

“…”

It was Yeoreum.