Chapter 81 Chapter 81

When the news broke, Lia was on SBS TV. The first episode of "Kpop Star" was scheduled to be filmed in the first week of October, and she had been on the set for almost the entire past two months.

Most of the contestants on the show are amateurs with no stage experience. She needs to work with other consultants to help them select and arrange the repertoire to suit the TV station's recording requirements. In order to present a better effect,

Most of the contestants' accompaniment tracks needed to be customized again, and just coordinating the track modifications and confirming the new versions was enough for her to run back and forth between the conference room and the recording studio.

Although the three entertainment companies and the TV station that led the program's launch each arranged professional music producers, the tight timeline and heavy workload meant everyone was working overtime.

She had almost no free time. Even on Yu Chenghao's birthday, she only managed to find a short while to meet him near the TV station before rushing back to the production crew. Frankly speaking, she was clearly not a qualified lover.

In this relationship, he had always been the one to accommodate her schedule and time. She often felt guilty, but he was like a pool of quiet, deep water, seemingly able to accommodate everything about her without limit. Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder, beneath the deep water,

What was he hiding? But such thoughts were quickly suppressed by the mountain of work. The only disagreement he had ever expressed was whether to make the relationship public.

Yoo Seung-ho is not shy about making their date public, but perhaps influenced by her manager Choi, she has always been reluctant to make it public. Public opinion is unpredictable, and she doesn't want to make their private affairs public.

This resistance was also evident in her actions. At the end of each date, she would change it to a private setting, but Yu Chenghao always gave in.

They had never really argued about it. Tonight was a long-awaited meeting.

The film directed by Liu Quanze is about to start shooting. The preparatory time was so long that she almost forgot that it was actually her who helped to transfer the script to Yu Chenghao.

Tonight, the director, screenwriter and several main actors are having a private gathering. Since everyone will bring their family or partners, Yu Chenghao made an appointment with her for this day two weeks in advance.

He seemed to have exceptionally high expectations for the film, having mentioned it so often that Lia could almost remember the contents of the script. He'd been frequently calling her over the phone to confirm things over and over again, until she'd repeatedly assured him she'd show up on time. Only then did he finally feel reassured.

Thinking of this, Lia glanced at her phone again. She was sitting in a meeting room that was temporarily converted by the production team. This room was used by the "KPOP

The staff of the "STAR" program team are free to use it. At this moment, there are three or two people sitting at the long table, quietly handling their respective work.

It was almost evening, and the journey from the TV station to the restaurant she had booked took an hour, leaving her with less than an hour to finish her work.

She wore headphones, concentrating on editing a soundtrack file on her laptop. Given the limited space, her expression was tense, her hands moving with practiced speed. Someone knocked softly on the conference room door.

The colleague next to her looked up, saw someone coming to the door, and reached out to pat her shoulder, indicating that someone was looking for her. Lia took off her headphones and looked out the door. "Nuna."

A handsome boy, holding a tablet, stood at the door and greeted her somewhat awkwardly. It was Jin Yucan, one of the contestants who had passed the audition.

As the first recording session approaches, Lia and two other music consultants are helping the contestants make final adjustments to the song details.

While it's reasonable for the staff to treat all contestants equally, the human heart isn't precisely machine-like. Besides Lee Hi, the person Lia cares about most is Kim Woo Chan.

Also a Korean-American, Kim Woo-chan grew up in a similar environment to her and is only a few months younger than her. He is a singer-songwriter.

If Lee Hi is considered a talented contestant with a perfectly executed vocal performance, then Kim Woo-chan is probably a well-balanced contestant who impresses in every way. His looks, skills, and songwriting abilities...everything is good, but none of them are truly top-notch.

From a production perspective, these types of contestants often suffer from poor audience appeal. He himself is aware of this, so he would always secretly visit her privately, repeatedly polishing his work and performance.

Lia responded, and guessed why he was looking for her. After a moment of hesitation, she simply closed her computer, stuffed it into her bag, and followed him out of the meeting room.

Although conversation isn't prohibited in conference rooms, everyone will usually move to another space if a deeper discussion is needed. "Let's go to Starbucks?" she asked softly, approaching the door.

"Yeah. Noona, do you want to have dinner together?" Jin Yucan asked cautiously. "No, I have an appointment tonight. Let's confirm it as soon as possible."

"Okay." Jin Yucan nodded obediently, and the two went downstairs together and walked towards the Starbucks outside the building.

It was already dark, and the Starbucks was filled with people from the TV station, mostly sitting in groups of two or three. Since their broadcast schedules were irregular, this place had become a popular place for them to take a break and meet up.

The two of them got their coffee and sat down in a corner by the window. Jin Yucan handed over the tablet.

"I changed the lyrics a little bit last night, Noona," he said, watching her expression carefully. "Can you listen to it for me? I always feel like the chorus isn't quite... catchy enough."

Lia took the tablet and casually asked him, "You stayed up late again, didn't you?" Jin Yucan scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed: "Yeah."

"The recording starts in two days, try to get enough sleep," Lia glanced at his dark circles under his eyes, "performance on stage is also important." "Yes, thank you, Noona, I know."

Lia stopped talking and began to read the content on the tablet. Jin Yucan had chosen an original song for his first performance. This wasn't the first time she had helped him revise it.

Over the past two weeks, the song had been refined several times, from melody to lyrics to layering. It was already nearly complete, and it also fit the bill for a safe, standard talent show. But she was well aware of his concerns.

Even if it's above average, it's still just "impeccable," far from truly stunning.

She knew the problem, but there were limits to how much she could adjust the work without departing from the original author's original work. It would have been easier for her to write a completely new piece.

She had seen many of Jin Yucan's past works, and in her opinion, none of them were good.

Creation is a very natural endeavor, and he's clearly not one of the most gifted. He's good enough to debut as an idol, but at his age, it's too late for him to undergo systematic training.

Jin Yucan sat quietly opposite her. Seeing her frown, he didn't dare to interrupt her, but a hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes. In just two months in Seoul, his world had been completely turned upside down.

He loves music, and when he first passed the audition, he almost thought he was one step closer to his dream. But soon, reality dealt him a heavy blow, and the most direct blow came from the very person who helped him.

Although she was almost the same age as him, she was far superior to him in terms of musical talent, aesthetic perception, and everything else. After spending a few weeks together, he had only just glimpsed a small part of this industry, but it was enough to make him realize how insignificant he really was.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, Lia finally spoke slowly. "I think..." She glanced at Jin Yucan, "How about just removing all the arrangements?" Jin Yucan couldn't understand what he was hearing for a moment: "Remove everything?"

"Yeah," Lia nodded, "rearrange the guitar and only keep the sub bass as the chorus." If a song has everything, it is equivalent to having nothing.

What he wanted could not be achieved, at least not within the existing framework, so she could only give drastic suggestions for revisions based on her intuition.

"Just you and the guitar. But in that case, the guitar part would need to be completely rewritten. If you're willing, I'll help you, even though it's a lot of work."

Jin Yucan didn't hesitate for long. He knew she was right, which was why he had come to see her. Seeing that he didn't object, Lia briefly explained her thoughts, and Jin Yucan listened attentively, taking notes on his phone.

The more he listened, the more his heart sank. He knew that if he followed Lia's ideas, the final result would definitely be better. But if it weren't for her, he might not be able to complete such a revision independently even if he had another ten years.

The difference in talent was sometimes so stark as to make people despair. The stronger she became, the more he realized his own weakness.

He looked at Lia's focused expression, his eyes filled with gratitude, admiration, and... a hint of despair and jealousy that he himself didn't even notice.

After confirming that Jin Yucan understood what she meant, Lia put away the tablet and handed it back to him. Finally, she picked up the iced Americano in front of her and took a sip. As the cold liquid slid down her throat, she felt a slight sigh of relief.

Starbucks gradually filled up. After Lia's attention shifted from the music, she checked the time and, distractedly, listened to the conversation between the couple at the next table. It was almost time for her to leave, so she quickly finished the rest of her coffee in a few gulps.

".......GDxi." "Really?" "......Are you taking drugs?" "Oh my god, it's so hot..." "......"

The voices were intermittent, and amidst the clamor of the surrounding voices, she couldn't quite make them out. But those few fragmented words still made her body stiffen. She shook her head violently. She must have been too tired to be in a trance and hallucinate.

Even though she comforted herself in this way, she couldn't help but take out her mobile phone from her pocket and clicked on the Naver icon.

Jin Yucan was about to ask her when she was leaving, but she turned pale. He didn't dare to say anything for a moment. He just sat opposite her quietly, watching her constantly pressing her phone. #Kwon Ji-yong Drug Controversy #Kwon Ji-yong Positive Reaction #YG

Express your stance #BIGBANG suspend activities... The real-time search was filled with unfamiliar words. She looked up at Jin Yucan in confusion, her mind blank.

----------