“It looks like we need your decision now, Su-rim.”
“A decision on what?”
“Whether to perform the song sent by PD Joo or this one.”
Jung Su-rim let out a thoughtful hum.
Watching her, Seon-ho assumed that she would likely choose PD Joo’s song.
PD Joo Min-hwan’s song was originally Jung Su-rim’s.
He had barely made any changes to it.
There were only minor adjustments to turn the solo into a duet, but the expressive elements remained largely untouched.
However, Autumn Leaf by Prefer was different.
They had tried to preserve as much as possible, but the style of expression had changed significantly.
It was only natural for Jung Su-rim to hesitate.
A musician would naturally feel more attached to a piece they had put more of themselves into.
But Seon-ho was mistaken.
Jung Su-rim made her choice without much deliberation.
“I’ll go with Prefer’s song.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?”
She spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Because this song is better. Much better.”
Cha Hye-mi, who had been listening, nodded in agreement.
“This is really good. It’s hard to believe this is their first composition.”
Seon-ho looked at the two, seeing their certainty, and then spoke.
“Alright. Then, we just have one more mountain to climb.”
Jung Su-rim looked puzzled.
“What mountain?”
“The mountain named Joo Min-hwan.”
“I’m sorry, but we’ve decided to go with a different song for the competition…”
Jung Su-rim’s hesitant voice received exactly the response she had expected.
Because of the fixed cameras, PD Joo refrained from cursing, but his displeasure was unmistakable.
“A different song? What song?”
“A song from another composer…”
“Hah! So you’re saying you made this decision without even discussing it with me? Without a word to the person who stayed up all night working on it?”
Joo Min-hwan wore a skeptical expression, and Seon-ho, standing off-camera, wore an even colder one.
Seon-ho had listened to PD Joo’s guide track, and it was not the kind of work that required an all-nighter.
He had plenty to say, but as a manager, he couldn’t step into the frame.
Tomorrow K-Star Season 3 was led by its participants.
The former contestants of Season 2 had been brought back for the ratings, but on screen, it had to be Jung Su-rim taking the lead.
A manager barging in during a scene like this would be out of the question.
Right now, there was only one person who could intervene.
Cha Hye-mi, who was going to be on stage with Su-rim.
“PD Joo Min-hwan.”
“What?”
His tone was sharp, but Hye-mi remained calm and composed.
“Su-rim and I both strongly prefer this song.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. A lot more.”
“And why is that?”
“Because it’s a song made with true dedication.”
Joo Min-hwan’s temper erupted at Hye-mi’s words, and he raised his voice.
“You think I didn’t put in effort—!”
But as soon as he glanced at the cameras, he swallowed the rest of his words.
“So, who composed this song?”
“A composer named Prefer.”
“Pre… what? Never heard of them.”
“They’re a new composer.”
“Tch.”
Joo Min-hwan scoffed, then spoke after a brief pause.
“Fine. If the song is good enough to win over the singers, I hope you put on a great performance. That means I’m not needed here, right?”
Without waiting for an answer, he left the studio.
A brief silence followed.
It was Jung Su-rim who broke it.
“When can we meet Composer Prefer? Even if the song is complete, shouldn’t we have a meeting?”
Neither Jung Su-rim nor Cha Hye-mi seemed particularly affected by Joo Min-hwan’s reaction.
They had expected some resistance, but it had been easier than anticipated.
“They’re out of town and have personal reasons that make it difficult to meet in person. If you have any feedback or requests, just tell me. I’ll pass them along.”
“But won’t that take too long?”
“They’re paying a lot of attention to this song since it’s their first composition. Don’t worry.”
Seon-ho clapped the slate in front of the camera and switched it off.
With that, the real meeting began.
“Su-rim, the recording will be done at the broadcasting station, right?”
“Yes. That’s how it was last year too.”
Originally, audition programs were supposed to handle all competition-related production through the broadcasting station.
Since the premise of the show was to turn ordinary people into singers, this was only natural.
But as time passed and audition contestants successfully debuted as celebrities, the situation changed.
Entertainment agencies started getting involved in contestants’ performances under the guise of “sponsorships.”
At first, they were just trying to leave a good impression on contestants they were interested in.
But soon, these impressions turned into bargaining rights for exclusive recruitment. In some cases, preliminary contracts were even signed.
From the broadcasting station’s perspective, this was a welcome development.
Not only did it help cut costs, but the agencies’ involvement naturally improved the quality of performances.
From the company’s perspective, it was only natural that the contestant they had chosen should win.
However, the involvement of entertainment agencies wasn’t always beneficial.
Contestants who were great singers but lacked the appeal of a celebrity, or those who were difficult for agencies to invest in—these individuals inevitably suffered collateral damage.
Simply being a good singer wasn’t enough to compete against performances backed by major entertainment agencies.
Jung Su-rim and Cha Hye-mi were among those affected.
Su-rim had yet to secure direct investment, and Hye-mi struggled to receive proper support from MOK.
Of course, given public scrutiny, they would receive basic assistance, but it would be nothing more than a standard level of support.
If they left stage production to the agency, they would get a generic set.
If they left costumes to them, they would get ordinary outfits.
If they left arrangement to them, they would get an uninspired composition.
That’s why they had to decide everything in advance before placing production orders.
When it came to the creative aspects, they had to take full control.
Team Leader Park Cha-myung had promised to help as much as possible, but he had his own work to handle, meaning they couldn’t rely on him for everything.
At best, he would assess the feasibility of their ideas and offer some advice.
He might take care of the practical aspects, such as handling logistics, equipment and services for creating a stage production.
But that was about it.
At first, the situation felt overwhelming.
Han Seon-ho was a rookie manager, and Jung Su-rim had little experience beyond Tomorrow K-Star. Hye-mi wasn’t even officially debuted, so she was in the same boat.
Naturally, they all had the same worry.
Can we really pull this off?
And so, the meeting began.
But as it went on, none of them felt overwhelmed at all.
Instead of uncertainty, the room was filled with anticipation and possibility.
“Unnie, what if we put stairs on the stage? I can do the intro, and then you make a grand entrance right at that moment!”
“It’s not a bad idea, but descending stairs isn’t as easy as it sounds. If they’re too short, they won’t have an impact, and if they’re too long, it’ll be hard to control my breathing.”
“Oh… I see? But I really want you to make a dramatic entrance.”
Once they started talking, a flood of ideas poured out.
Ah…
Hye-mi knew exactly what this feeling was.
It was something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Freedom.
Until now, there had been too many things to be mindful of. She had to fit herself into whatever concept the agency decided on—there was no room for freedom.
But this time, it was different.
Whenever she and Su-rim chatted, Seon-ho oppa simply listened.
Sometimes, he chimed in with agreement or gave his own suggestions, carefully noting down every idea they mentioned.
Being able to decide everything about the stage from start to finish—
For some, that might be a burden, but for Hye-mi, it was exhilarating.
It made her feel like she could do anything.
And on top of that…
“Su-rim ssi, since this will be an emotional performance, what if we minimize movement and use lighting effects instead?”
“But wouldn’t that be too predictable? Hye-mi unnie and I both have a consistent style when we sing, so I think we need something different.”
“Hm. So you’re saying the stage might feel too predictable?”
“Yes.”
“Then that’s even better. We can shatter expectations.”
“Huh? How?”
“In the next round. Let’s win this round with our vocals, and then in the next round, we can completely flip the image. That’ll be the real surprise, won’t it?”
Their manager had complete confidence in them.
Throughout the meeting, Seon-ho oppa spoke as if their advancement to the next round was a given.
For the first time, Hye-mi felt the power of having someone on her side.
It was the first time since she started music.
When she auditioned for Tomorrow K-Star, she had been desperate to convince her father, who opposed her dream of becoming a singer.
Ironically, the very week he finally agreed to support her, she was eliminated.
At MOK, she had no real allies.
The managers and trainers were kind, but they were strictly professional. Eventually, even their professional kindness faded.
But now, things were different.
They were a team that trusted each other.
“…Um.”
As Hye-mi, who had been silent for a while, spoke up, Seon-ho and Su-rim’s attention immediately turned to her.
“I think we can do this.”
“Do what?”
“What do you mean, unnie?”
“Everything. I just feel like we can do anything.”
Her voice was steady.
Understanding her emotions, Seon-ho smiled.
“Then should we try singing the song? With just a little practice, I think we’ll have it down in no time!”
Hearing Su-rim’s cheerful voice, Hye-mi turned to Seon-ho.
“Oppa, there’s no vocal guide for this, right? The composer only wrote the sheet music?”
“Yeah. No guide, and they said you can even ignore the sheet music if you want.”
“What about the lyrics?”
“You can adjust them from the original or rewrite them completely.”
Su-rim waved the sheet music she had received during the meeting.
“So the red parts are my lines, and the blue ones are unnie’s?”
“Yep.”
MOK’s composing software, Labeltone, had the advantage of printing session data in sheet music format.
That’s how Seon-ho, who couldn’t read sheet music properly, was still able to provide it.
Cha Hye-mi and Jung Su-rim paused their stage-planning discussion and began to sing.
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