Chapter 98 Chapter 98
Lia took a week off. People really need a break. This was the first time she had confirmed this so concretely. In addition to the school's fixed weekly class schedule,
The rest of the time she slept, took walks, watched TV shows, and chatted with her mother on the overseas phone. She didn't open any work emails, except for occasionally picking up her composition pad to write and draw. That, too, was a way for her to relax.
The tense, constantly alert state gradually relaxed, her body finally regained its rhythm, and her thoughts gradually untangled themselves from the dark mess. She seemed to be gently pulled by something.
She returned to her own body. After class, she sat on the school lawn, basking in the sun, her headphones blasting random music from the Melon charts. Her mood was as bright as the sun, and the melancholy she felt had vanished.
Over the weekend, Kush held a party in Hannam-dong. It was the "dinner together" party that Kwon Ji-yong had been thinking about several times in the group chat. The venue was a stand-alone restaurant and tavern owned by Kush's friend.
Most of the people who came were from the music and fashion circles. These two circles often overlapped, from artists and models to DJs, stylists, and mixers. Lia saw many familiar faces, but also many unfamiliar ones. Unfortunately, it was already the end of April.
Bigbang is about to begin their overseas tour starting in Japan. In order to prepare promotional materials in advance, Kwon Ji-yong has already flown to Tokyo.
Kush unceremoniously posted a bunch of party photos in the group, which resulted in JiYo blacklisting him for a week. He was known for his playful nature, and while greeting people, he took Lia everywhere.
“That’s the kid I told you about, the one who wrote “Before Ends.”
Ends” has almost become synonymous with Lia. Her YouTube channel may be growing rapidly, but most people know her because of the controversy surrounding “KPOP STAR”.
There were also a few producers in the industry who had heard of her name because of their cooperation with YG. After a few rounds, her address book had a lot more people. She exchanged contact information with them,
They chatted about the big and small things going on in their circle. She wasn't big on this kind of socializing, but the people present were friendly and approachable, which was a novelty for her. Kush even winked, urging her to keep an eye out for potential male friends.
He'd been so serious just a few minutes ago when he'd been asking about her love life that he'd been showing concern for single women, but now he was teasing her about it. Lia slapped him on the arm, smiling impassively at her new friend.
Kush grimaced in pain, tears welling in her eyes under the pressure, afraid to say anything. * After a week's break, she went to the company to meet Yang Hyun-seok. As she once again boarded the elevator to the top floor, she felt a strange sense of detachment.
She'd only been there once, but her memory was remarkably clear. The surroundings were clearly the same, but her state of mind had completely changed. The elevator stopped at the top floor, and she walked through the long, gray corridor and knocked on the door.
Yang Hyun-sik was sitting at his desk, working. When he heard the knock on the door, he just said, "Come in," without even looking up. Lia walked in and greeted him. Seeing that he was still working on the paperwork, she sat down on the sofa and put her things aside.
Yang Xianshi quickly signed the document at hand, and when he looked up, his gaze paused on her face. But in just one month, her temperament had subtly changed.
She had previously retained a certain restraint, but now she was more confident. She simply sat there quietly, yet it was clear at a glance that she knew exactly who she was and what she was doing there.
Baoheng mentioned her recent work progress during her report. In a sense, Yang Xianshi gave Lia almost the maximum autonomy - or perhaps, this was actually a last resort when the company's resources were stretched to the limit.
But her growth rate still far exceeded his expectations. He always preferred people who showed their edge, whether that edge came from talent, judgment, or undisguised ambition.
And the girl before him was most likely another pearl he had discovered. His expression slowed down slightly, and he stood up and walked to the sofa, sitting down opposite her, his eyes falling on the things she brought.
A bound document with a hard drive on top. He was somewhat curious, but he still followed the procedure and exchanged a few pleasantries, asking about her recent work and life before getting back to the point.
"What did you bring?" Yang Hyun-seok asked. Lia handed him the prepared documents and said bluntly, "I've prepared a proposal to ask you to be in charge of producing Lee Hi's album."
Yang Hyun-seok glanced at her with a hint of surprise, almost subconsciously rejecting her proposal. He admired her, but with her current qualifications, it was still too early for her to want to lead the production of an entire debut album.
Especially Lee Hi, that is the new artist he currently values the most. Although Teddy is busy preparing for 2NE1's new album and he can't find a suitable replacement for the time being, it is unlikely that he will hand it over to her anyway.
"You mean you want to completely direct the production of the entire album?" he reiterated. Lia nodded. She looked so calm, so unconcerned, that it was hard to tell if she was confident or simply overconfident.
Yang Hyun-seok remained expressionless as he casually flipped open the document. The cover read, "Lee Hi's Debut Album Production Proposal," and inside was the complete production framework:
From the album concept to the analysis of the artist's voice characteristics and expression, the preliminary arrangement structure concept, to the visual atmosphere reference, target audience positioning and release rhythm suggestions, the logic is clear and well-organized.
He flipped through the second half, and Lia silently handed him the hard drive. For a moment, the atmosphere felt a bit overwhelmed, as if he wasn't the one controlling the conversation.
Yang Xianshi glanced at Lia, then silently took the hard drive and plugged it into the laptop on the coffee table. The hard drive contained several demos made in conjunction with the proposal.
She didn't submit the finished products directly, but rather presented them as extensions of her exploration of the album's concept—precise, clear, and fitting perfectly into the overall direction. Yang Hyun-seok's expression relaxed a little. This was a very mature proposal.
Putting aside her age and qualifications, just looking at the content itself, this is a project worthy of attention in any context.
Her grasp of the album's concept is surprisingly coherent: the rhythm, main axis, and imagery all revolve around a clear framework rather than being pieced together haphazardly.
The material may be unsophisticated, but it reveals an undeniable talent and a well-thought-out judgment—brilliant and just the right amount of talent.
"Did you write these yourself?" Yang Xianshi asked, his gaze fixed on Lia's face, his tone hesitant. Lia nodded, "Yes, I've been preparing them over the past few months."
To be precise, the proposal was gradually sorted out by her during the intervals between recordings of the program, while the demo was mostly a record of inspiration from certain moments in the past, which were now reassembled and used here.
"...Did Teddy steal someone else's album for you to make?" Yang Hyun-suk asked half-jokingly. Lia knew what he was thinking. He probably found it hard to believe that she had done this independently. "GD
When Nim was making the album Heartbreaker, I was right there with him the whole time.”
She learned how to lead a complete album from a highly autonomous and personal creator, and transformed and reconstructed that experience into her own methodology.
He wasn't bound by established divisions of labor, participating in nearly every aspect. What he could learn depended entirely on his own perception and understanding. And this was precisely the approach that suited her best. Upon hearing this, Yang Xianshi's face was momentarily filled with shock.
How old was she then? Sixteen or seventeen? This wasn't just a matter of learning to write a few melodies.
"Style," "expression," "marketability"... How an album is fully realized and serves the artist is a sophisticated and complex system. And at that age, whether intentionally or not, following Quan Zhilong, she dissected and internalized this system, and precisely applied it to this proposal.
What's more, she knew Lee Hi quite well—after those months of recording, she knew the characteristics of Lee Hi's voice and was also very clear about her preferences in expression. Her confidence was not unfounded.
Yang Xianshi almost nodded, but the words stopped at his lips. — She is growing too fast. This is a good thing for the company, but not entirely.
When he hired someone, he naturally wanted them to be not only capable but also willing to work for the company. He wanted talent that he could control.
He had always excelled at creating a sense of crisis through competition and comparison, thereby inspiring his subordinates' identification and dependence. This sense of crisis fueled their desire to be seen and to earn his approval. But now, he couldn't see that desire in Lia's eyes.
This wasn't a good sign. Lack of desire meant it was difficult to control. He thought for a moment, then softened his tone, neither completely denying nor agreeing:
"Lee Hi's album...it's true we haven't decided who will be in charge." "We'll take your proposal into consideration, but YG prefers to find a more experienced producer for her debut album."
"You know, the company values this kid very much." Lia nodded without further comment. She wasn't surprised by this outcome. Her experience was too limited, and even if her work was good enough, it wouldn't immediately dispel Yang Hyun-seok's doubts.
The rest depends on God's will.
----------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
