Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 68

Artists were certainly a strange breed.

 

From my perspective, it was hard to understand how someone who couldn’t even get a handle on their own emotions could suddenly be struck by inspiration and immediately start creating. It was as if these people suffered from some kind of illness where, unless they turned whatever they felt into a work of art on the spot, they’d end up with thorns growing inside their mouths.

 

That impression became even stronger when I considered how poor the working environment was here on Idol Classism.

 

At night, there was practically no work environment to speak of. While there was a space designated for those capable of arranging or composing from morning to evening, it was mostly just for show to look good on broadcast. Even to my untrained eyes, the equipment looked meager. Furthermore, the time Kim Haejun had disappeared was when the studio was completely closed, so his work must have consisted of doing whatever he could in a corner of his room with his personal gear.

 

I didn’t know what he intended to do when he went back into that room, and I even doubted if he could properly produce a melody he’d thought of. I figured that even if a result did come out, it would take a few days.

 

At least, that was definitely what I’d thought until last night.

 

‘Wait. How did you do this? Did you stay up all night?’

 

But upon seeing the resulting output, I couldn’t help but gape. I was skeptical if this was even possible.

 

Of course, I’d heard that time didn’t mean much to composers who were suddenly struck by inspiration, but even so, it made no sense. Kim Haejun looked like a literal wizard to me.

 

“You… did all of this in one night?”

 

“Yeah. Well, to be precise, I did a rough draft in the room and then went to the studio to work on it again once it opened, so it wasn’t strictly just one night… I redid the guide vocals because it felt so different from the original version… There’s still a lot to touch up. I just put it out in a hurry because we need to work on the choreography and start practicing.”

 

“It doesn’t feel like it was made in a hurry at all.”

 

“I’m glad you feel that way… So, Unha, what do you think of it?”

 

‘What do I think?’

 

It was obviously good.

 

Honestly, at this moment, I felt grateful to the Elder Duo and Kim Haejun for picking the [TOP9] song. At the same time, I regretted how little musical knowledge I actually had. I couldn’t express it in professional terms. All I could say was that it felt grand and amazing.

 

I didn’t know how he did it, but the background sound was incredibly rich. No matter how advanced technology had become, I still couldn’t understand how someone could create sounds like this with nothing but a computer. Most astonishing of all was how, throughout the entire song, images of revolution and death naturally surfaced in my mind.

 

“It’s… obviously great.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes. I love it. I don’t have the best ears for music, so I don’t know how to put it into words, but it’s really good. Seriously.”

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

“We shouldn’t just be sitting here; let’s go play it for the hyungs and Taehee right now.”

 

“Wait, hold on.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Actually, there’s one more.”

 

“What? You worked on another one?”

 

“This isn’t an arrangement. The reason I called you to the room alone was because I wanted to let you hear this specific song.”

 

“…….”

 

“I wanted to give this song to you as a gift.”

 

“To me? Why so suddenly…?”

 

“Just… I feel sorry about some things… and for a few other reasons…”

 

“Did you… work on this one yesterday too?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

‘No wonder… he only called me.’

 

It felt good, of course. Granted, it was still too early to say Kim Haejun had fully proven himself as a composer, and even if I received this song as a gift, the chances of actually debuting with it were slim, but…

 

There was no reason to refuse a free song. To put it bluntly, I practically had to force my mouth shut to stop myself from grinning ear to ear. But on the flip side, I felt a sense of curiosity. Kim Haejun and Lee Unha had certainly grown closer, but it didn’t feel like we were ‘gifting songs to each other’ close yet.

 

‘I have to assume he’s seeing JH in me, right?’

 

Yes, this wasn’t a gift for Lee Unha; it was a gift for JH.

 

As I saw Kim Haejun fiddling with the computer, I put the headset back on, and music with a similar vibe to the previous one began to play. I wasn’t sure about the genre. I didn’t know what style he used as a base. But…

 

‘It’s… it’s good…’

 

This song also pierced through my ears. The opening sound was a bit gloomy, but a quite addictive melody resonated. Perhaps it was because this song was also inspired by yesterday’s incident.

 

‘No. This is too, too good.’

 

Strictly speaking, it didn’t really fit the current trends dominating the music charts, but it was good enough to transcend that. In fact, it felt like the kind of song people would continue to love for years, regardless of whatever happened to be popular.

 

Since this version was just a guide, the lyrics were gibberish and it hadn’t been post-processed; it was hard to say it had a stimulating taste, but I just… I just liked it. here was an emotional energy to it that struck straight at the heart.

 

I wasn’t saying this just because it was a gift to me. I was speaking with total sincerity: I felt like I wanted to debut with this song. It condensed the life Kim Haejun had lived as an artist, not just an idol trainee. It felt like the death of his dearest friend JH, his failures, and his new challenges were all melted into it.

 

Online critics would surely evaluate Kim Haejun’s song exactly like that.

 

“What’s the… title of the song?”

 

“I haven’t decided yet. I’d like you to choose the title. What do you think… do you like this one too?”

 

“Yes. I love it so much. I’m not lying; I almost teared up.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“More than that. I even thought… if I ever debut, I’d want to debut with this song.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes. Absolutely. I’m not kidding. If I get picked for the debut group… I don’t know if I’d get permission, but… it’s so good that I’d want to consider it.”

 

And there was one more thing I had to say. I lifted my head, showing a slightly bashful face. Kim Haejun, who was wearing a somewhat awkward smile, suddenly felt like a total treasure.

 

“If possible, I’d like to debut with you, hyung, with this song.”

 

It was my sincere feeling, without a single lie mixed in. A confession that wasn’t quite a confession, spoken shyly.

 

Kim Haejun opened his mouth cautiously.

 

“Thanks for saying that, Unha.”

 

Seeing that, I realized once again.

 

‘I… I’ve picked up a gem.’

 

The quest suddenly felt far more welcome than ever. Right now, there was no room for worry regarding the Joo Wooyoung and Kim Haejun line. Including Lee Unha, that left about three spots left.

 

‘Taehee is… okay too… but I feel like I need to watch him a bit more.’

 

It wouldn’t be too late to decide on the remaining members after this stage and the viewer voting were over.

 

My head was a mess with various worries and problems, but for now, I felt like I should put the most weight on the performance in front of me. I pulled out my phone and looked at the schedule I’d written down previously.

 

I wanted to monitor this week’s broadcast, but unfortunately, I felt I had to postpone it. This was an important stage. I didn’t want even the slightest variable. The thought struck me firmly that, from this moment on, I had to devote myself entirely to this stage for the next five days.

 

‘But… this.’

 

“…….”

 

‘I’m not the only one who thinks this, right?’

 

“…….”

 

‘I hope I’m not the only one who likes this new arrangement.’

 

Since I’d always considered myself tone-deaf when it came to music, I couldn’t help worrying, but the expressions on the Elder Duo’s faces after they joined us made it clear that my judgment hadn’t been wrong.

 

I saw the two of them staring blankly at Kim Haejun. It was the exact expression I had when I first heard the music. Even Jung Taehee, who still harbored a grudge against Kim Haejun, looked like he was acknowledging that the arrangement was incredibly well-done.

 

“You really…”

 

“…….”

 

“You really are a genius, aren’t you, Haejun?”

 

“Huh? No, I’m…”

 

“I knew you had talent, but… wow… seriously… how did you do this in one night?”

 

‘They’ll probably flip if they find out he gifted me a song, too.’

 

“Taehee, what do you think of this?”

 

“If Unha likes it, then I like it too.”

 

“We’re definitely going to win. Don’t you think so? Unha, even you think…”

 

“…….”

 

“You never know. No matter how good the song is, it’s a competition, so if the performance isn’t right, there’s a chance of a backlash.”

 

“…….”

 

“So, hyungs.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Let’s skip monitoring this week’s broadcast.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Don’t watch anything, and let’s just focus on this performance. I don’t think you hyungs, or Haejun hyung, or Taehee are easily swayed by outside factors, but this performance is just that important. We can gather and watch the reruns after the stage is over.”

 

“…….”

 

“Would that be okay?”

 

At my words, everyone nodded. Not just Kim Haejun and Jung Taehee, but the Elder Duo as well.

 

“No, we were planning to do that anyway.”

 

“Let’s do this with our lives on the line.”

 

<Commons> Class Mission – Citizen Revolution

Mission Song: [TOP9] Dangerously

Death Performance – 5 Days Remaining