Yumi stepped into the studio, plugged in a USB, and played the track. It was quick, sudden, and didn’t give anyone a chance to prepare themselves.

For a moment, Crescendo looked caught off guard. Though, it didn’t take long before he was completely absorbed in the music. His head tilted as it nodded to the rhythm.

He laughed at some parts, shook his head at others, and even clicked his tongue in amazement.

‘That was pretty much my reaction when I first heard it, too.’

She had an uncanny ability to pinpoint what the public would love. Even just hearing the beat made you want to move.

The song’s rhythm gave away her experience with EDM. It reminded me of that DJ Matoma’s remix of the legendary American rapper Notorious B.I.G.’s song called ‘Want That Old Thing Back.’ 

The remix was called ‘Matoma, The Notorious B.I.G. – Old Thing Back (Feat. Ja Rule, Ralph Tresvant).’ It was a mix of old-school hip-hop and tropical house, which would satisfy hardcore hip-hop fans and casual listeners alike.

Watching Crescendo now, that song came to mind even more vividly. When the song ended, Yumi spoke.

“The title is ‘Monday Party.’ The idea is that you start partying on Friday night, and before you know it, it’s already Monday.”

It sounded a little silly, but after hearing the track, it made perfect sense. The vibe of the song was like partying like there was no tomorrow.

“This… I’m not doing this alone, right? You’ll be adding a female vocalist for the hook?” Crescendo asked.

“I’m thinking about it, but I’m not sure yet. Either way, you’ll be the only one rapping.”

That was news to me. A female vocalist?

“You never mentioned needing a vocalist, Yumi.”

“It just doesn’t matter either way. It’d be nice to have one, but the song works without it. And since Crescendo sunbae-nim is great at both singing AND rapping, we could tweak the track a little, and it’d still sound great with just him.”

“If it’d be nice, then of course it matters. Do you have someone in mind?”

Yumi shook her head.

“No. Not yet. The rap sections are still empty, so it’s not really coming together yet. Once Crescendo fills in his parts, it’ll be easier to decide. But honestly, we don’t NEED a vocalist. Adjusting the track won’t make it a lower quality song.”

I couldn’t decide yet either. Once a song touched my ears, I would always have some sort of instinctive feeling about it. Right now, though, nothing was clicking. Our gazes shifted to Crescendo.

He licked his lips nervously as if his mouth had gone dry. He spoke.

“For starters, I’ll do the rapping parts soon.”

“Great. Um… how long do you think that’ll take? Can we expect an update once it’s ready?” I asked carefully.

There were a lot of instances where the rapper already had the lyrics written and finished the recording in no time. If Yumi’s theme and beat matched something he already had written, it would be done in a jiffy.

Even if it didn’t, small tweaks would make it work. Of course, that wasn’t always the case. True to his reputation, Crescendo didn’t disappoint.

“Can you give me a moment?”

His gaze met mine. His eyes were unfocused, yet somehow intense. It was like he was already deep in thought.

“I’ve got a lot of lyrics written already…”

He trailed off, still piecing things together in his head. Then, without another word, he hit play on the track again and bobbed his head.

Trezis stepped out, leaving just me, Yumi, and Crescendo in the studio.

Crescendo mumbled along as he scrolled through the lyrics saved on his phone, sometimes spitting them out clearly, and sometimes jotting notes in a small notebook. He tweaked and refined the lyrics as he went.

By now, the beat had looped through the speakers dozens of times. Yumi sat beside him, watching intently as he worked.

‘Anyone could see she could write songs.’

Yumi not only had talent for composing and producing. She also had a knack for writing lyrics, too. Until now, I hadn’t focused on training her in that area and prioritized arrangement and composition instead.

Watching her now, though, I could see the clear look of interest in her eyes. I should have her study that later. For now, I would have her practice with a wider variety of genres.

An hour passed. Finally, Crescendo nodded and strode toward the recording booth.

“I’m ready.”

He slipped on the headset and took a deep breath.

“Ahhh!” He exhaled sharply as he shook out his hands. A clear attempt to shake off nerves.

He wanted to do well in front of Yumi, and he wasn’t hiding it in the slightest.

‘I guess he wants to let his performance speak for itself.’

Right then, Yumi hit play. The beat dropped, and the recording began.

“Wow, he’s as good as I expected! This is exactly what I imagined.”

She grinned as she watched him spit his verses inside the booth. As expected from someone constantly ranked among the top Korean rappers. He delivered a flawless performance, one that exceeded even Yumi’s expectations.

There was no need for a second take. He nailed it in one go.

Verse 1. Verse 2. Verse 3. Straight through.

The only thing missing was the hook.

Crescendo swallowed a gulp as he stepped out of the booth, then let out a deep breath as he ran a hand over his chest to calm himself.

The look of amazement on Yumi’s face had him visibly relieved.

“Sunbae, that was incredible.”

“You think so?”

“Yes! It turned out exactly how I imagined!”

He collapsed into a chair.

“Glad I didn’t embarrass myself.”

Embarrass himself? That was ridiculously modest.

This track wasn’t just good. It was one step away from being a masterpiece. The problem was the hook.

The moment his rap blended into the beat, a name flashed through my mind. Her voice wouldn’t just put the song one foot into masterpiece territory, but both feet, firmly planted. I could already hear her voice layering onto the track.

Without thinking, I murmured aloud.

“For the hook… Jin-ah might be a good fit…”

“Oh! Jin-ah?”

His brows furrowed for a moment as he imagined it. Then, he let out a low sigh.

“Well… Jin-ah does sing well. Her recent song is also really good. But… Listening to her current song, I’m not sure if she would be a good match for this one.”

Even as he watched our reactions, he didn’t hold back his thoughts. That was how much he wanted the song to be perfect.

“Don’t get me wrong. I know she has a great voice. But the is just so upbeat, I thought maybe a more subdued voice would fit better. If the rap, the beat, and the vocals are ALL super energetic, it could end up feeling chaotic. It could throw off the balance. She’s got a great husky voice, but… I’d say her style leans pretty emotional, right? Maybe it’s just the concept of her recent songs, but she tends to go all in with her delivery.”

As expected from someone in music. His analysis was spot on. A cooler, more detached tone would suit this track better. My gut agreed. That was why I suggested Jin-ah.

I asked him evenly and kept my tone neutral.

“Then what about the singer from ‘I Don’t Love Anything’?”

That track was recorded with a cool, almost spoken-word kind of vocal. Crescendo suddenly smacked the armrest with a whack! And straightened up.

“Yes! That singer! The one from ‘I Don’t Love Anything’! That singer would be perfect! Detached, husky, clean. Totally addictive, too.”

Yumi and I locked eyes. Then we both burst out laughing.

Jin-ah had really nailed the emotional tone on this one. Who would’ve thought someone with her personality could sing like that? So alluring, so calm, and in control. Like she owned the stage. Like a queen.

That was the scary thing about talent.

Among talented actors, some were called ‘method actors’ because they completely transformed into their roles. It was the same with singers.When you didn’t know, you might think it was a completely different person. Jin-ah had that ability.

‘That voice in the song felt more like a spoken-word narration than a song, though.’

I nodded firmly.

“I do think that that person suits the song better than Jin-ah.”

“Haha. Please don’t misunderstand. I also love Jin-ah’s singing.”

“Oh, that much is obvious.”

With a clap, I spoke.

“Now then, shall we call for Jin-ah? Around this time… she should be done with practice by now.”

Crescendo’s face filled with confusion.

“Sorry…? Wait, I didn’t mean Jin-ah. I meant that person.”

“Yes. That person. The one who sang ‘I Don’t Love Anything.’”

“Then, why are you calling Jin…ah… huh?”

His words slowed as realization dawned.

A wide grin spread across my face.

“That singing? It’s Jin-ah.”

***

“Hello, sunbae-nim! My name is Jin-ah Choi from Blue Sherbet!”

“Ah… Oh. Yes. Nice to meet you.”

Crescendo stared at Jin-ah for a long moment before letting out a breathy laugh, one mixed with disbelief. It looked like he still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

“Haha… ha… wow. Hahaha.”

He should have guessed when we told him about Yumi. Jin-ah turned to me and stared at me with an expression that was begging for an explanation.

“He’s a fan of yours.”

“Heup…! Really? I’m a fan, too! I swear! I’m not just saying this out of politeness! I’m really, really am a big fan!” 

Her sharp cheekbones and piercing eyes, normally so striking, now looked almost fragile. Right now, she felt more flustered than intimidating. She looked like someone who had been hit with one shock after another.

“Anyway, you got the rundown, right? We’re recording today.”

“Yes! Last time— wait, no. Um. Yumi’s song? Or, uh…”

“He already knows everything, so you don’t need to freak out like that.”

“Freak out?! Why would you say that in front of…!”

Jin-ah might not have realized it, but the more flustered she got, the deeper Crescendo’s cheekbones seemed to sink. Just how high of a pedestal had he put her on? Somehow, I felt a little guilty.

“So, you need my voice for the song, right? Wellll, sounds like we’ve got another hit on our hands.” 

“Hush and just listen. Yumi already did a guide track while we were waiting.”

She narrowed her eyes at me but didn’t argue.

“Yumi.”

“On it!”

The song played. It was a surprisingly long song by today’s standards, just over 5 minutes. Jin-ah had already heard the song, but that was without any vocal tracks. This was the full track, complete with rap and a guide for the hook. She would feel a big difference.

“You like it?”

Her expression already said that she loved it, but I asked anyway. Jin-ah turned to Crescendo and gave him a double thumbs up.

“Sunbae-nim, you’re amazing! Your rap was super clean and just awesome! It totally stuck in my head! And your voice sounded incredible, and wow! I seriously love it!”

Crescendo had probably heard a million compliments like this before. He had likely heard even more over-the-top praise, but he scratched the back of his head with a pleased grin.

“Thank you. Hearing that from both of you definitely hits different.”

Jin-ah listened to the track a few more times with Yumi’s explanation before stepping into the recording booth.

‘I wasn’t expecting to finish the recording in a single day.’

We only came for a quick meeting, but before we knew it, the recording was nearly complete. All thanks to Crescendo’s enthusiasm. 

Even now, his eyes were glowing as he watched the booth. Not as a someone overseeing a rookie’s debut, but more like a fan watching their favorite artist perform live.

Eventually, Jin-ah’s voice filled the room. It felt more subdued like in ‘I Don’t Love Anything,’ but with more power behind it.

“This is perfect! Seriously!” Crescendo clapped like a seal and had a silly grin on his face.

Somehow, I think my perception of him was beginning to shift. I definitely did think of him as someone with a lot of charisma.

Yumi gave an okay sign. Just like that, both the rapper and the vocalist had nailed their recordings in one take.

“Unnie! That’s a wrap! Let’s go straight into the chorus!”

Crescendo and Jin-ah recorded additional harmonies and ad-libs. Before long, a rough, unmixed version of the track was finished.

Watching it all unfold, I felt a sudden wave of gratitude. We hadn’t even struggled to make this, and yet a masterpiece just landed in our laps.

‘If it’s this song… the aftermath is going to be unreal.’

A debut song under Yumi’s name. It was a song destined to hit number one on the charts.

“President Kang.”

After the recording, Crescendo spoke with a face still flushed with excitement.

“Just let me know whenever you need me for interviews, music video schedules, anything. I’m on board. This is easily one of the best tracks of my career. And besides… it’s a huge moment that’ll reveal Yumi’s identity.”

“That would really help me out, thank you.”

We smiled and shook hands.

All that was left now was to serve the meal we had just finished cooking.

—

<< Previous Chapter | Index | Next Chapter >>