Chapter 6 Chapter 6

It's spring in Seoul, and a thin layer of frost clung to the windows. The early morning air in the recording studio still carried a hint of chill. Lia sat quietly at the console, the demo of "Fool" playing on repeat for who knows how many times.

She clearly remembered the moment Kwon Ji-yong handed her this song a few days ago. "...'Fool'?" She looked up in surprise, her voice trembling with excitement. "Is it a Bigbang song?"

"Well, it's not confirmed yet whether it will be released or not, let's try it first." Quan Zhilong leaned lazily on the back of the chair, as if his whole body had no bones supporting him, and he was so casual as if he was discussing an ordinary matter.

Just like that, with such casualness, she handed her a nearly finished song. Lia sighed softly, bringing her thoughts back to reality. Unreleased audio sources are extremely private, especially a sample like this, which is already close to being finished.

Even Teddy rarely let her touch this kind of upcoming work. I don't know whether to say that Quan Zhilong is too kind or too trusting of me... If she accidentally leaked it, it would be a big deal.

Her eyes fell on the computer, and the audio waveform quietly spread out on the screen.

In the past few days, she specifically borrowed Teddy's studio time from 5 to 8 in the morning, hoping to adjust the sample while the YG arrangers were still at work. But things were much more difficult than she imagined.

The song Quan Zhilong had given her was nearly complete. The melody flowed smoothly, the emotions were delicate, and the drums, bass, and harmonies had been repeatedly polished. At her current level, there were almost no flaws.

She tried making some adjustments, but the technical changes only ruined the song's original mood. She scratched her hair and buried her head on the table in frustration. There must be something missing...

She gently closed her eyes and hummed the chorus. "I still don't understand why love keeps getting further and further away from me..."

At the moment the melody ended, she subconsciously dragged out the ending note a little longer—a fraction longer than the original, then quietly dropped it. She suddenly opened her eyes.

Her fingertips quickly pulled up the track and added a subtle falsetto chorus at the end of the chorus, allowing the main melody to linger for a final moment before slowly fading away. Listen. Lia gripped the mouse tightly, staring at the screen, holding her breath.

The music slowly drifted in, the lingering echo of the harmony lingering for a moment before dissipating into the air, like a whisper that hadn't been fully spoken before vanishing into memory. That was the feeling. She let out a soft breath and couldn't help but smile.

She thought she would be able to hand over the adjusted version to Quan Zhilong soon, but he got caught up in his busy schedule and disappeared for several weeks. So the sample remained in her hands, as if it had become her property.

She had even developed a habit without realizing it, and couldn't help but listen to it several times after practice every day. Meanwhile, at the company, the trainee screening had entered a new round.

One day after training, she returned to the locker room and found several trainees sitting on the floor, whispering about something. When Lia came in, the conversation paused for a moment, then quickly resumed.

"I heard that the sister who left a few days ago was a trainee of JYP, but she was eliminated after just one year." "How scary." Another person sighed softly, "We don't know when we will be eliminated..."

Lia felt a mix of emotions. The time she spent in the studio felt like a utopia, a temporary escape from the harshness of the trainee world. But these days, oscillating between stability and turmoil, left her with a subtle sense of disconnection.

It was like stealing time that didn't belong to her. After all, she wasn't a producer. Like the other trainees, she was standing on an invisible red line, vulnerable to being pushed off at any moment.

If she was eliminated, it would mean she would no longer be eligible to enter the recording studio and would have to say goodbye to everything she loved. The small dressing room fell silent, and everyone's heart was shrouded in a haze.

"Huh..." Someone let out a long breath and forced a smile, "There's no point in thinking so much, let's go back to the dormitory." Everyone nodded silently and dispersed one after another. Lia didn't want to go back immediately.

She sat quietly in the dressing room for a while, until her stomach suddenly growled, and she realized how late it was. Her mind was in a mess, and it seemed that it wasn't all bad emotions, but more of an uncertainty about the future.

Anyway, she decided to fill her stomach first. She decided to go to a nearby convenience store to get something to eat. * The company was silent at night, the entire floor was empty, and only her sneakers made a slight squeaking sound on the floor.

It was pitch black outside the window, and her frail figure was reflected on the glass. Just as she was about to turn down the stairs, the elevator door nearby suddenly opened, and a familiar figure shuffled out. Lia subconsciously stopped and blinked.

Quan Zhilong saw her immediately. He raised his lips, greeted her lazily, and teased, "Our Lia, practicing so late, are you planning to shake up the music industry?"

Lia couldn't help but laugh, and her bad mood just now was swept away. It was really great to see him at this time. Quan Zhilong took a few steps closer, and she finally saw his appearance clearly.

He casually wore a black jacket with only a thin short-sleeved T-shirt underneath, looking exhausted.

His hair was a little flat from wearing a hat for so long, and his eyes were dark and tired, as if he hadn't had a good rest in a long time. Lia couldn't help but show concern for him. "You have a lot of announcements lately, right, Oppa?"

Kwon Ji-yong shrugged and said casually, "It's okay. I filmed variety shows all day and am just getting ready to go back to the company to make an album." He spoke casually with a slight smile on his lips, but his heavy steps honestly reflected his fatigue.

Lia looked at him, feeling a little sad. Bigbang's debut album hadn't been well-received. As a rookie group, their schedule was packed, with announcements coming one after another.

Lia specifically watched their rookie special. In the freezing weather outside, they played games in short sleeves. The loser had to jump into ice water, much to the audience's amusement. He was even harder.

As the leader, he shouldered more responsibilities than anyone else. While the other members could rest after the show, he couldn't. Even though he was so sleepy he was swaying slightly just standing there, he was still focused on producing the team album.

Lia couldn't help but look a little sad, but the next second, her stomach growled. "Gurgle..." The air stagnated for a moment, and then Quan Zhilong burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"Let's go find something to eat?" Lia nodded shyly. The two of them walked around the streets near YG several times before realizing that most of the restaurants were closed.

Quan Zhilong put one hand in his pocket, swaying slowly, and said half-jokingly, "I finally treated our Lia to dinner, I don't think it will be in vain?" Lia kindly comforted, "It's okay, I have to control my weight anyway."

Quan Zhilong frowned, as if a little dissatisfied: "Children can eat more when they are growing. You are too thin now." Lia shrugged and made a helpless expression.

The cameras she has to face are too demanding, and even though she has become so thin, she still looks far from enough to appear on the screen. So even though she is not a person who is keen on food, she will occasionally feel tired.

Finally, they found a lighted convenience store. Pushing open the glass door, warm light streamed in, and the air was filled with the aroma of food.

Quan Zhilong skillfully picked up two bowls of instant noodles, tore open the packaging, and poured in hot water. His movements were as smooth as if he had done this countless times. Lia sat at the long table and put down her chopsticks after only a few bites of instant noodles.

After becoming a trainee, she gradually got used to the feeling of hunger, and the emptiness in her body made her feel strangely at ease. Her eyes unconsciously fell on the opposite side.

Quan Zhilong lowered his head and ate at a rapid pace, even his chewing movements seemed hurried, as if he was used to finishing everything in a limited time. Lia couldn't help but ask, "...Oppa, do you usually wolf down your food like this?"

"I've been on so many trips, I'm used to it." He smiled, his tone sounding nonchalant, but his chopsticks didn't stop moving. Lia stared at him, feeling a mixture of emotions.

Suddenly, Quan Zhilong seemed to remember something, raised his head and gestured at her, with instant noodles still in his mouth, and said vaguely: "Your demo..." Lia tacitly understood what he meant: "Oppa, do you have time to listen to it?"

As she spoke, she pulled out an MP3 player from her schoolbag and handed it to Quan Zhilong. Inside it was the demo version she had adjusted. Quan Zhilong finished his instant noodles in a few bites, took the MP3 player, and unplugged the earphones. "We still have some time."

The light in the convenience store was a warm yellow, and the lingering steam from instant noodles hung thickly. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop, eyes closed, listening. Lia unconsciously held her breath, quietly observing his expression. …

Three minutes later, the music stopped. Kwon Ji-yong took off his headphones, a smile on his face as he looked up at her. "Our Lia, you did a great job." Lia breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Oppa."

Although it might have been just encouragement, she instinctively knew that the other party approved of the changes she had made. Her originally tense shoulders quietly relaxed, and her cheeks were slightly hot from the nervousness and the sudden compliment.

"When you go back, save the project file to the computer in the recording studio." Quan Zhilong stood up, stretched his stiff joints, and patted her shoulder casually, "I will try my best to use it." It would be great if it could be used.

Despite this expectation, Lia didn't want to be an extra burden to him. She shook her head seriously and said to him, "Thank you very much for letting me try, Oppa."

She knew that even if Kwon Ji-yong could lead the album's production, the final decision wasn't his alone. As a trainee, being allowed to access unreleased music was an opportunity envied by countless others. She shouldn't ask for more.

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