I stay silent in front of the turntable.
It’s not because of some grand reason.
The music, not me, should be the main character.
I choose tracks based on the weather that day, the vibe of the audience, gender ratio, even current social issues.
Even if it sounds like I’m always playing the same kind of EDM beats, if you listen closely, they’re all different.
No song under the sky is exactly the same.
Every track hides the composer’s intention.
Uncovering that, presenting it to the audience, and remixing it in my own way—that’s why I stand behind the turntable.
The moment a DJ starts talking, all eyes turn to them.
Hearing is pure. I can move the audience depending on my intent.
I can make them dance.
Sometimes, when I get caught up in the moment, a shout or chant slips out. But I never make small talk.
That’s my rule.
So it’s pretty absurd.
— Right? You’re not answering because I’m right.
Han Yujin.
How did she recognize me from just that one shout?
I was curious. What is she, the Bionic Woman?
“Yeah, you’re right. But how did you know?”
— Oh, refreshing honesty. If you tell me what I want to know, I’ll answer you too.
“Just from listening?”
— Why do you wear a mask?
“…Is it weird?”
— …?
“…?”
Why? Because… I’m shy, that’s why.
There are a bunch of strangers out there.
Showing my face clearly in front of them? That’s torture for someone introverted.
Besides, DJ Blackhole and Seo Taeyoon have to be two different people.
To fully feel the mood of that place, it has to be that way.
— Wouldn’t it be a good thing if someone recognized you, cheered, and you got famous?
“Depends on the person, doesn’t it?”
Well, I suppose.
Someone like Han Yujin might think it’s strange.
Celebrities have to fight tooth and nail just to get noticed.
In other words… the complete opposite of me?
— The identity concept isn’t bad… but it’s a shame. That you can’t show your face.
“Why?”
— Don’t you look in the mirror?
“I do?”
What is that?
Did I just hear a soft sigh, or am I imagining it?
Whatever. I just need to achieve my goal.
“You heard my answer, right? So how did you figure it out just from my voice?”
Han Yujin cleared her throat for a moment and confidently shouted—
— Hold the beat!
“AAAH! Stop that!”
This time, I heard a stifled laugh through the receiver.
That’s not it, don’t do that.
— I go to Sierra just to hear you do that ‘Hold the beat!’ shout with the scratching. That tone came right through the phone.
“……”
— Hello? Teacher?
So, basically…
“Hold the beat.” It’s a shout I sometimes use when I’m riding the mood.
Usually right before a special show begins.
A kind of signature sound, you could say?
You know, like how some famous producers add their own little voice clips at the start—like “JYP~” or “Play Sound~”.
Someday, definitely, absolutely—I wanted to include a signature sound when I made my own real music.
Of course, I put it at the start of Lunatic Beat, too.
Something that would make people instinctively move the moment they heard “Hold the beat~”.
Something that, when heard, would make people go, “Ah—that’s her.”
That’s the sound I wanted to create…
— Hold the beat, hold the beat, such a fun song~ I’ll sing it too~ Ugh. That’s not how you do it.
Hearing it for real made me feel kind of embarrassed.
Han Yujin was really… unexpected.
When I saw her in front of the club, she had this gloomy shadow around her, but talking on the phone—there’s something fun about her.
— Play it live for me.
“What?”
— ‘Hold the beat.’
“Hmm?”
— I love the rhythm, your voice, everything. And it’s not just that—your mixing, your song selection, your focus on the music. I’m glad you’re performing again. Am I your 1st fan? And… thank you. Really. For reaching out.
Ah…
My face burned.
Her recognizing me, saying she loved my performance, calling herself my fan—sincerely—
So this is what it feels like.
I used to think hiding my face and being anonymous was the best way.
But being acknowledged like this by someone, talking about music like this—it’s exhilarating.
I guess… I did enjoy the attention in my own quiet way.
Maybe Han Yujin feels the same.
If so, then I can’t just sit quietly.
A little warm compliment relay? That doesn’t sound bad.
I decided to recognize her too.
Just like she did for me.
“I’ve been listening to your songs.”
— You like idols? Makes sense, you’re at that age.
She’s barely older than me.
“No, not the idol tracks. Your single album.”
— Oh, come on. That’s like asking for a compliment on purpose. Everyone knows that album flopped.
“Just because the album didn’t do well doesn’t mean the artist’s sincerity disappears, right?”
— Huh? What do you mean…
“I meant I really liked the song ‘Fizz!’”
— …I only sang that one…
Her dragging tone made it clear she wasn’t being honest.
She’s bad at lying.
“You wrote it, didn’t you?”
— Uh… yeah. I mean, sort of…
“Oh, I knew it. That explains it. Why’d you credit it under a stage name?”
— …You’re serious? No, wait—how did you know? No, hold on—
What is this? Why’s she so flustered?
Her voice was laced with panic.
But I get it.
I was flustered too when she recognized me.
“It just hit me when I heard it.”
— What kind of feeling?
“It felt like the singer wrote it.”
— Liar.
“Why would I lie?”
— But how would you even know?
“I can hear it.”
— Hear what?
“The person singing keeps saying it. Listen to me. I made this. I’m really having fun, can’t you tell? So you should have fun too. Like that.”
— …So… did you have fun?
“Can I be honest?”
— Of course.
What should I say? I thought for a moment.
I’m someone who knows how to be polite, at least.
And after some thinking, here’s what I came up with:
“It didn’t sound fun at all.”
— …
“It felt like forced energy, kind of…”
— …
“Why does it always have to be like that? Sometimes you should get to do what you really want. Isn’t that the right of a creator?”
— What I want…
On the other end of the line, Han Yujin stayed silent for a long time.
“Hello? Ah, mic test.”
Could she have fallen asleep during the call? Or was she that moved?
If the call had lasted a little longer, I might’ve ended up saying the song wasn’t bubbly, it was frantic.
I let out a sigh of relief and ended the call.
Anyway, I kept my promise!
“It didn’t sound fun at all.”
Those words from Taeyoon broke Han Yujin.
Was it because she was upset? No. Because her secret was found out? No. Because he was blunt? No. All wrong.
“Seriously… did it really sounded that way?”
It was the first time. The first time she’d received such a direct critique.
“Fizz!”
That was the title of Han Yujin’s debut single. A failure. No matter how she tried to sugarcoat it, that was the truth.
She had tried to ride on the momentum of her existing fandom, but the limits were clear.
She got an amazing beat, a top-tier lyricist was involved. And Han Yujin herself composed the song. She thought it would succeed. She even played around with a pseudonym for fun.
If the song did well, she was going to reveal it with a flourish.
Everyone! I wrote this song too! What do you think! Surprised, right?
But she never got to reveal the composer. It would’ve felt less like a plot twist and more like a backlash.
[Han Yujin’s single? Major disappointment;;]
Is her agency even working? I was vibing to the beat and then heard the melody and just… huh? What happened?
↳ What is this song even?
↳ Isn’t Tumi Entertainment doing its job?
↳↳ Living up to their name lately. Too-mean, seriously.
↳ How could they do this to Han Yujin;;
↳ The track is trendy, sure, but doesn’t it just feel off?
↳ The problem is the composition.
↳↳ Why use a rookie composer? Can’t afford better?
↳ Han Yujin’s made them so much money, and this is what they do?
All she could do was sigh. Why did she assume it would go well?
She studied composition and MIDI for a long time. Got so full of herself she felt like a true singer-songwriter.
But composing? Not as easy as she thought. She should’ve listened to the warnings.
If it had come out that Han Yujin wrote the song…! The thought alone made her dizzy. Yeah, better to keep it a secret forever.
And it did remain a secret—no leaks. Everyone was too busy trying to comfort her.
Everyone starts off rough.
At least you tried what you wanted, no regrets, right?
Next album will be better.
You did well for a first try.
You’ve got talent.
No one gets it perfect the first time.
You’ll get a great song next time. Don’t worry.
Those who didn’t know just blamed the composer and the agency. That made her feel even more miserable.
She wanted to grab someone—anyone—and cry, What went wrong?
I gave it everything.
Since her idol days, she worked hard to present the image the public wanted. Always cheerful and bubbly. Fresh and radiant. That was the version of Han Yujin she had to show.
Naturally, the single followed that vibe. She shouted “Fizz!” at the camera with a wink, ran across the stage in painful heels, worried her dangerously cut top might slip.
“What can I do about it now.”
Han Yujin let out a deep sigh. A concept is a strategy. It can’t be changed easily. Nor should it be. It’s not just about image or style anymore—it’s music, visuals, performance… even worldbuilding these days. A comprehensive identity.
Even if the musical style shifted slightly, the overall tone remained the same. She acted out that fruity-sweet image bursting with flavour. The so-called “lock-it-in” strategy.
But that kind of thing can wear people out.
It becomes stale, predictable. A cookie-cutter image that feels like déjà vu.
People could easily see it that way.
“Is it time for a change?”
Everyone dreams of change. But change is risky. She’d seen so many seniors try to break free from their fixed image, only to get swallowed by a new concept and flop. She’d rather people say the song was just bad. She didn’t want to hear, “Nice try, but that was a reach.”
Appealing with originality? Of course everyone wants that. The problem is, it’s not easy.
Still… today felt a little different.
Why does this feel comforting?
Her heart felt lighter.
Thanks to Taeyoon. It wasn’t exactly comfort—more like a jab. Some might even call it rude. And yet, she kept going over his words in her mind.
It wasn’t just that he uncovered her feelings. For the first time, someone truly understood them.
“I should’ve said goodbye properly.”
Some days, you just want to pour your heart out to someone. Today was one of those days.
Han Yujin picked up her phone again.
[Thanks for today. I’m looking forward to Lunatic Beat. And about what you said earlier…… there’s actually something I really want to do…… don’t you have those moments too? When you just want to express everything? I don’t even know how to explain it properly.]
Maybe because they shared a secret. Somehow, Taeyoon—whom she had just met—felt like an old friend.
Before she knew it, she was opening up. She wanted comfort. She wondered how warm Taeyoon’s comfort would be.
It didn’t take long for a reply to arrive.
[That feeling? I know exactly what you mean.]
[Oh? What do you call it?]
Her heart pounded as she waited for his answer.
[Art syndrome.]
“…!”
Wait, what?
I wasn’t particularly a fan of Han Yujin. I just like checking out most new releases. I don’t care about the genre or the artist’s nationality.
But I do have a weird way of listening to music. I isolate each instrument.
Sometimes I talk to the music in my head.
“Why’d you make this part like that?”
Naturally, I started analyzing songs. That led me to DJing.
“If it were me, I’d have done it this way.”
That was how it all began. That’s what arranging is: reworking something someone else has already finished.
Dissecting a track, analyzing the instruments, understanding the intentions of the composer and arranger. That was both my study and my hobby.
In that sense, Han Yujin’s Fizz was a special song.
The moment I heard it, I knew. The singer and the composer were the same. I was absolutely sure. You can just tell—the vocalist sounds totally comfortable. I figured Han Yujin wrote it herself.
So when I saw the credits, I was surprised.
[Composer: Jeden]
No way. There’s no way I could’ve been wrong.
I scoured the internet, hoping to find a hint. But there was nothing. So I let it go. People use pseudonyms all the time.
But today—finally! The mystery was solved! It felt thrilling, like I’d scored another one of those unnoticed wins.
And then I started wondering about the girl in the song.
“Why did Han Yujin make a song like that?”
It didn’t suit her. That was the perfect way to describe it. Like a model wearing something that looks fine on the outside, but you can tell it’s uncomfortable for her.
So today, I sat in front of my computer, activating my usual “If it were me” mode.
It was the first time. The first time a melody came to me because of someone.
Just like that, I started creating a tailor-made outfit—for someone else—for the very first time.
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