Free Web NovelSecond-floor studio.
When we opened the door and stepped inside, the producing team members who had been waiting waved their hands.
“Are you here?”
“Yes~! Have you been waiting long?”
“No, we were just about to get started ourselves.”
I sat down, passing around the coffees I’d brought to PD Na Sangyun and Hyungseop, who was sitting next to him.
Our younger members each grabbed a wheeled chair and rolled up on two legs.
“Let’s see.......”
It was time to check that the recording setup was all in order and to review the final mixes I’d been working on.
Today’s schedule was recording the album tracks. We’d already finished recording the title track, “Empire,” and had asked choreographer Han Ayun to prepare the dance, so only the remaining tracks were left.
“But there really are a lot of tracks this time.”
“A ton.”
PD Na Sangyun laughed. “That’s all because you guys are greedy.”
“Ha-hat.” We laughed awkwardly.
This first full-length album was meant to synthesize everything from our five previous releases. With the title track, there were eighteen songs in total. Even if you exclude the intro and outro that Junhyun wrote, there were fifteen album tracks. Among those, tracks by our producing team were included, and Biju, Ri Hyuk, and our maknae each got one. Of the twelve leftover songs, I’d written seven myself.
“It’s amazing every time I look at it.” PD Na Sangyun said as he scanned my laptop’s project list. “When did you compose all of these?”
“I made them in my spare time. Some are recent, but others I wrote years ago and just left in a folder labeled [Sorry, hyungㅠㅠ]. I’ve dusted them off and freshened them up.” Inside that folder were dozens more songs that didn’t suit the album concept and were on hold.
While we spoke, PD Na Sangyun noticed something on the desktop. “‘Dokkaebi’? What’s this?”
“These are songs I thought we could make into a special album this year or next.”
“Special album like Winter’s Nap?”
“Yes.”
A side project for music styles we wanted to try that didn’t fit the main album.
“You did that Halloween track with Hailey Blue, right?”
“That’s right. Was it called ‘Blue Moon’?”
“Yes. While working on that, I got the idea that it’d be nice to have a Korean-style theme.”
We thought of a concept album based on legendary creatures like werewolves and vampires, calling it Dokkaebi as the title. It was just a fun side project.
“This hard drive is a treasure trove.” PD Na Sangyun clicked his tongue.
“Woju, you have to be careful. If someone steals this, you’ll be in big trouble.”
“I’ve backed everything up.”
“It’s not the backup I worry about... people in this industry will steal anything and claim it as their own.”
I reassured the worried producer. “It’s fine. We have measures in place.”
“Huh...?”
“Our security manager handled that.”
“You even have a security manager now?”
I laughed and clapped my hands. “Here he is—Ruku.”
“Stop calling me that.” Ri Hyuk swept his hair back, stepping forward, making PD Na Sangyun and Hyungseop’s eyes go cold.
As Ri Hyuk prepared something on his phone, we beamed proudly. “Ri Hyuk hyung is such a hypochondriac. If his eyes twitch he goes, ‘Ah! I must be magnesium-deficient!’ and searches for supplements.”
“He once thought his heart wasn’t beating right and asked us to check.”
“He even Googles influenza at the slightest cough.”
As Ri Hyuk’s eyes twitched while he focused on his phone, the two producing team members nodded in agreement.
“I remember—when I coughed once, he made me wear two masks......”
“I recall when I caught a cold last time, Ri Hyuk sent me a care package with vitamins and a card, even though it was just a mild cold.”
The producing team’s youngest mentioned with a warm smile that he’d even included a handwritten note. PD Na Sangyun and we glanced at each other.
‘We’re teasing him, and he turns it into heartwarming vibes...?’
“Hyungseop, you want to move into producing?” While Hyungseop averted his gaze, Ri Hyuk hummed a tune and snickered.
“You heard that? My good deed.”
“So how did you handle security?” PD Na Sangyun pressed, and we smiled, ready to show him.
Ri Hyuk grinned and tapped his phone. “I set it up so that if the laptop is stolen, this happens.”
“Huh?”
“Look at the screen.”
As the two staff members peered at the laptop, a loud warning siren blared like a civil defense alarm, startling them.
[Waaaaah—!]
[Waaaaah—!]
Then Jiho’s booming voice came through the speakers. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
[Yoooo—!]
[This person is the laptop thief—!]
[He’s stealing the laptop—!]
The two staff members burst out laughing, rolling off their chairs.
“Heh—heh, hahahaha!”
“Ugh—ugh, uh-huh-huh!”
They were coughing and clutching their flushed faces, helplessly raising their hands and sniffling.
“That was just the start with Jiho.” Over the siren, Ri Hyuk’s narration began.
[You have committed theft under Penal Code Article 329. Immediately relinquish unauthorized possession of this laptop......]
After reciting the offense, Junhyun’s calm voice followed.
[Be happy.]
[Stay healthy and earn lots of money.]
As Junhyun’s blessing played, the two staffers, who had just tried to stand, collapsed back onto the floor. Then Biju’s angelic voice took over.
[It’s not too late......!]
[Who is born evil? Take me to the nearest police station.]
Like good cop, bad cop, the warm and cold responses alternated, and the two staffers laughed. Next came my turn—our final measure to scare off the thief and reclaim my bag.
[I love you! Kim Deoksun!]
[Let’s be eternal! Kim Deoksun!]
By this point, even embarrassment from onlookers would make the thief ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) drop everything and run. Having witnessed our security protocol, the two staffers wiped away tears and climbed back into their chairs.
“Really, that was hilarious.”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a would-be thief look pitiful.”
I laughed. “Actually, it’s a ruse. While this plays, it automatically deletes all the files.”
“......”
“Ri Hyuk commissioned it.” Ri Hyuk nodded, and Jiho said, “We have to do something this intense. This laptop is like a relic of our Uju faith.”
“It truly is.” Junhyun smiled proudly, and we all laughed.
As we chatted, Hyungseop admired the sound quality. “The audio is really great.”
“That’s because we recorded it here.” I pointed at the vocal booth, and he blinked in realization. That reminded me of our real purpose.
“Oh my, we shouldn’t be standing around—let’s record! Recording!”
“Yes, sir!”
We dove right into tracking the album tracks. As Ri Hyuk stepped into the booth to warm up for his part on “Fallen,” I studied the lyrics sheet.
“I’m ready.”
“Go for it.”
Inside the booth, headphones on, Ri Hyuk closed his eyes, stood before the mic, and sang. Even though his part sat high and had dense notes that’d make anyone short of breath, our main vocalist delivered it as naturally as breathing on amphibian skin.
“Ri Hyuk.”
“Yes?” ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
“Excellent. As a fellow member, I’m always proud.”
“Cut it out, give me feedback.”
Ri Hyuk stared at me, and I offered a few notes. “At the start of your part, raise the tone a bit. Fallen needs to feel like a descent, and right now it’s a bit low.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
“Make the highlight more powerful......”
“Like this?”
He immediately adjusted based on the feedback, and PD Na Sangyun and I exchanged satisfied looks. “And let’s take it a bit more relaxed.”
“The tempo feels too fast, right? I’ll fix it right away.”
Without lengthy explanations, Ri Hyuk made the changes. Back on our debut album, I’d struggle through long-winded directions and everyone would ask what I meant, but now—maybe thanks to experience—our workflow was snappy.
“We might finish sooner than expected.”
“Looks like it.”
We smiled at the prospect of an early wrap. Then...
“Huh......?”
Somewhere in the studio, a glint caught my eye. I turned and saw CEO Park Kyuh o peering in through the window by the door, framing his hands like binoculars and smiling.
“Oh, CEO!”
He entered, laughing, hands laden with bundles.
“You could have just come in.”
“I didn’t want to disrupt recording. I’ll only stay if I’m not a distraction.”
“Did you bring snacks?”
“Yes, low-calorie ones.”
He’d specially ordered calorie-light treats from Australia. Our jaws dropped.
“Wowww! CEO!”
“Don’t say ‘the CEO gave it to us.’ Hide them and eat them slowly. One per day......”
Junhyun immediately tore open two protein bars and popped them in his mouth. The CEO corrected himself.
“One per day.”
“Yes!”
“If all our staff are on a diet, my heart aches... even the meat-loving calves are starving.”
We laughed at his concern. He turned to the two staffers, who were awkwardly standing, and told them to make themselves comfortable.
“Everything going okay?”
“Yes!”
Tough times lay ahead—hardly eating and practicing choreography. This full album was our most important project yet. It would cement our position in the industry. Though we’d earned a “National Idol” image with hits and promotions, we aimed for the nuance of being the top idol group, not just a popular one. Competing subtly with TeenSpirit’s image, we wanted a crown.
“Anything you need for the album preparation? I heard from Director Cho you have some ideas.”
“Yes, we’ve come up with a few concepts.”
Taking advantage of speaking directly to the CEO, we asked his opinion on several video ideas that tied into our debut album’s ongoing worldbuilding, which we’d refined in meetings with staff.
CEO Park Kyuh o listened thoughtfully, chuckled, and said, “Great ideas. Do whatever you want.”
“Really?”
“Of course! If it costs money, how much could it possibly be......”
At that moment, Ri Hyuk pulled a calculator from a drawer and tapped out a projected budget. The CEO’s expression faltered.
“CEO?”
“Huh...? Uh......”
“You okay?”
“Ah—ahaha! I’m fine! Hahaha!”
But he didn’t look fine. It reminded me of the face he made when I’d once mentioned new equipment. Watching us exchange glances, the CEO laughed and said, “Don’t worry about money. Just go ahead.”
“Thank you...!”
“All right, then record well.”
We bowed as he chuckled and departed. As the door closed, we heard him muttering.
“Junhyun—”
“Yes, hyung?”
“What did I say just now?”
“He said to cut out yuksang sil and yangjangpi.”
“......”
Hearing the CEO’s slow, mournful steps fading down the hallway, we all stared at the ceiling.
“Sorry, CEO...”
“We’ll make lots of money for you!”
As if answering us, the overhead lights twinkled softly.
The next day.
The web drama Shin-i, starring Jiho, had surpassed two million views.
“Wow......”
It was hot domestically, but it seemed international subscribers were pouring in even more, despite the video being on a separate production account.
-Indonesia sub plz
-Jiho’s face is right here and I have to read subtitles—such a shame.
-Came for Jiho, fell in love with the drama.
-They should make this a two-hour film.
-As an Indian, I hope NewBlack comes to Bollywood. Jiho rides a unicycle shooting guns while Junhyun catches bullets and dances. Title: The Five Goofballs or something.
-17:31 That’s my boyfriend’s face
-17:59 The darkness at the end might be your future
I’d heard foreign platforms had many shows like The X-Files, but well-made dramas resonate anywhere. According to Seokhwan hyung, domestic OTT platforms and others were already inquiring about licensing.
Meanwhile, it wasn’t just the public and our fans buzzing about the web drama.
“I watched it—really good.”
Director Hwang Jeonggu, who’d come to film Our Family Is Alien, told us.
“Jiho acts so well.”
“Right? He’s good.”
“Yeah, I was surprised. I didn’t expect this from a web drama. I’m not into horror but it was fun. I even thought of scenes I’d want to shoot.”
It was like the excitement we and the producing team felt when a fresh song debuted in pop music.
“Writer Bae’s work—good to see it succeed.”
Senior Seo Noeul, one of the leads in Sleep, praised the web drama’s success. Actors, too, showed keen interest.
“I guess web dramas can be like this now?”
“Juseon’s youngest sibling acts well. Very solid performance.”
“This looks really fun. Filming it must be a blast. The character’s so unique.”
Praise for Jiho’s acting brought an involuntary smile to my face. Good, right? He’s good. Hearing industry pros take notice of our rookie actor made me proud as if I’d raised my own son. Indeed, our real parents were proud.
-“My son~!”
“Why?”
-“Called because I’m so proud of him.”
“Hmph, now?”
My father, merrily calling him the greatest actor of the twenty-first century, looked truly happy.
-“Next, our Hoho Chicken ad......”
“Dad.”
-“Yes?”
“If you want to shoot an ad with us, win first place in the chicken market first.”
-“Dad, I’ll work hard......”
We laughed at our late-blooming father’s resolve. Yet when alone with us, our maknae remained composed despite all the praise.
“Jiho! Look at this. A column by the acting coach who taught me at TJ says he’s paying attention to you...”
“Really? That’s great~”
“Aren’t you happy?”
“It’s like when hyung makes music......”
As Jiho monitored his scene from Shin-i’s episode one, he said,
“When I watch it, I see ways I could’ve done better, spots that weren’t quite right......”
“I know.”
“Yeah, that’s the feeling. I need to do better.”
It was similar to my own perfectionism when composing. In any case, as the saying goes, even a whale dances to praise—our maknae hit the books on the script all the harder.
So...
“Let’s enjoy it on his behalf.”
“Yay!”
We relished the responses praising our maknae. As the web drama’s subscriber count soared, we gathered in the company lounge on Friday night to watch the first broadcast of I MOVE.
“You don’t have to watch......”
Biju gave us an embarrassed smile as we set up the TV.
“Hyung, really don’t need to watch. We’re not on today’s competition.”
“We’re not?”
“No, next week. It’s patterned as prep, competition, prep, competition...”
It showed high schoolers preparing for their musical-style dance contest, then the stage performance.
“I feel like it’s a waste of time. Just practice, nothing special...”
“We’re watching!”
“Hyung! Practice is important? You’re more important~!”
At Biju’s hand to his mouth and startled look, we hid our trembling limbs.
“......”
It wasn’t that practice was burdensome. Moments like this—exclaiming together—bonded our team.
Just then—
“Start!”
Under the TBC logo, I MOVE episode one began. Fancy shots of dazzling stages introduced “the world’s best K-pop dancers,” followed by competition clips and audience reactions of amazement.
[...Forget everything you know about survival shows]
Huh?
In the tense competition scene, we noticed Biju “tip-tapping” onto the stage.
“Hello~! Everyone~!”
Like the red-hooded girl from that animation, Biju skipped in cheerfully, making us laugh. Next came clips showing the fierce dancers in awkward, goofy light. As we giggled at the funny preview, a sudden—
[Ssssccrrreeech-]
[AAAAAAH!]
The table wobbled and cockroaches scurried, causing the dancers to scream in horror as the shot flashed by in a single second. The live chat on our monitoring screen exploded with “???” and “ㅋㅋㅋ.”
“......”
Embarrassed, we all covered our eyes in unison.
