Chapter 30 - PandaTL

So, I’ve been mingling in the showbiz trenches for ages, and I’m a skilled person at building business relationships with people.

Now, I’m not saying I have a 100% success rate.

Sure, there’ve been folks I couldn’t become business partners with, no matter how hard I tried.

But let’s just say that I’m much more adept at building business relationships than your average Joe.

Except this time.

This life is clearly a passing episode, an episode where I need to pick up speed.

See, I played nice with PD Kang Seok-Woo because I figured it’d fast-track my debut.

But when it comes to On Sae-Miro, why bother?

What if he’s really a talented vocalist and someone I need to form the best team in the future?

Then, I’ll treat him right in a life where I need him.

As I’m mulling this over, On Sae-Miro hits me with a question.

“Excuse me. Can I ask you one thing?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“You said you’re not a trainee. And you’re not with any agency either, right?”

“Right.”

“How many hours do you practice singing per day?”

Well, the truth is, I don’t spend much time singing songs. Most of my work is about how to sing well.

Just this morning, I spent over two hours practicing but didn’t croon a single verse.

Most of my daily routine revolves around music, but I have to save my pipes for showtime.

“Think, I put in about eight hours.”

“Every day?”

“Yup, as much as I can.”

“Don’t your parents say anything about that?”

Now, why do you have to ask me that?

Have you got some family drama brewing over your pursuit of becoming a singer?

“I guess not. They didn’t say much.”

“…Okay. Thanks.”

After my answer, I can tell On Sae-Miro has more on his mind.

It feels like he’s tiptoeing around a question he’s itching to ask.

Man, what do you want to ask?

The conversation didn’t end on a high note, but I’m not adding more to it.

If he’s got something to say, he’ll say it again.

Just then, the makeup van door swings open, and inside walks another PD instead of Kang Seok-Woo.

I don’t know his name, but I heard Kang Seok-Woo call him ‘Go PD.’

“Hey there. How long for the remaining two?”

“On Sae-Miro’s all set.”

“Han Si-On’s taking a bit longer.”

“Really? Then, Sae-Miro, can you head to the waiting area? A staff will guide you there.”

Sae-Miro stands up, bows, and leaves the makeup van.

In the meantime, Go PD plops down next to me and strikes up a chat.

“Si-On, do you know who I am?”

“Yes, I know you as Go PD.”

“… That’s how PD Kang calls me. It’s wrong. I’m Kim Dal-In.”

…This PD’s a Kim?

People don’t usually mispronounce a surname, right?

I’ve heard Seok-Woo call him ‘Go PD’ many times.

“My apologies, Mr. Kim.”

“I’m fine. PD Kang does call me PD Go. I didn’t realize the participants would hear that too.”

I’m curious. I really want to ask him the reason behind it.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I actually got a call from HR Corporation.”

“HR?”

“Yeah, a big-shot entertainment company in the States. Would it help if I said they’re a powerhouse on the Billboard charts?”

From the conversation flow, it doesn’t seem like the issue is me falsely claiming to be from HR, which is what I did.

Well, of course there won’t be an issue with that. I resolved things properly by exchanging words with Andrew Bryant at the end.

“What was the call about?”

“The composer behind ‘<Flowers Bloom>,’ the song you sang in the prelims, is with HR. You may know him, Chris Edward…”

“That was Eddie’s song?”

“What? Eddie, is that what the fans call him?”

“Oh, uh, no.”

I was so surprised that Eddie’s nickname slipped out without my realizing it.

The surprise hasn’t gone away.

<Flowers Bloom> by Way From Flower is Eddie’s song?

Ah, so that’s why…

It seems absurd, but it’s like solving a puzzle.

This is an unbelievable situation, but it’s also like pieces of a puzzle fitting together.

As soon as I heard <Flowers Bloom>, I thought there must be an original male version, and I imagined what that original might sound like.

So I made an arrangement in my head, trying to guess what the original version would have sounded like.

It felt eerily easy.

It was like I was guessing at a song I’d already heard, and the arrangement just clicked.

Technically, <Flowers Bloom>, which I sang in the first mission, was the closest thing to the arrangement I had done in my head by controlling the scales.

At the time, I just thought that the original version was to my taste, so the melody came out very well.

But if it was Eddie’s song, it makes sense.

I learned a ton about composing from Eddie.

Especially in the early days of my regression, when I first chose to go to the States,.

How to compose on instinct. How to turn outside vibes into creative fuel and how to write songs that can make it big on the Billboard—those kinds of things.

You can say this mentor laid the foundational groundwork for my composition abilities.

Sure, I’m better than Eddie now as a composer, but I’m grateful.

And personally, we were pretty tight as friends.

For a regressor like me, who returns to zero in each and every regression, calling someone a ‘friend’ means we were really tight.

But Eddie made K-Pop?

This is the first time I heard about it.

We didn’t work together during GOTM, but we were pretty tight when doing solo activities.

“So, what did Chris Edward say?”

“Ah, the message didn’t come directly to the composer but from the agency HR. They did confirm that <Flowers Bloom> was a song made with a male vocalist.”

“I knew it.”

“You don’t seem surprised. But Chris Edward would like to meet you once, with one condition, Mr.Han.”

“What’s that?”

“He wants to hear the song you have in your head… Like, he wants to know what that sounds like.”

I cracked up.

Right now, Go PD—no, scratch that, Kim PD—is keeping a secret.

If my hunch is right, the dough deal between Channel M Show and HR went belly up.

HR probably demanded some cash for Chris Edward’s appearance, but M Show cheaped out way lower than what HR asked for.

When things got hairy, Edwards likely wanted to meet me himself based on his personality, while HR didn’t want to set a bad precedent in the Asian market.

And after some back-and-forth, HR chose to first verify my talents.

If the song I arranged was really good, they would take the risk of setting a bad precedent and have Chris Edward appear.

And come on, my song cannot be a dud, so I can have Eddie attend a Korean broadcast if I feel like it.

But, hmm, I’m kind of on the fence.

I’ve got Eddie’s digits and email on lock.

I could bypass M Show and meet him one-on-one if I wanted.

It’s great for the episode—for the life where I’m seriously gunning for those 200 million album sales.

But maybe it’s smarter to rope in the M Show this time.

So, what’s the biggest thing I can squeeze out of the M Show?

Cash? I don’t need it.

Fame? I got plenty from my last gig.

No matter how I slice it, there is nothing M Show’s got to offer right now.

“Mr. Han Si-On?”

“Oh yeah, I know what he means.”

In times like these, there’s the easiest path.

Instead of asking what I want, it’s better to suss out what they can offer me.

To do that, I have to put them in debt.

“Can I have a word with PD Kang Seok-Woo?”

“He’s off-set today. You can tell me, and I’ll pass it on.”

“Then how much did Chris Edwards’ side quote for an appearance fee?”

“Pardon?”

“I think HR put a condition on it because the negotiations over the appearance fee did not satisfy them.”

“……!”

As soon as I finished speaking, Kim PD’s eyes shook uncontrollably.

“I can’t tell you that.”

“So, how much did M. Show throw down?”

“I can’t say that either!”

I guess PD Kim Dal-In hasn’t done this kind of negotiation before.

If he were a seasoned PD, he’d probably hit back with, “Negotiation? What negotiation are you talking about?”

“Could you pass a message to Kang PD, then?”

“What message?”

“Our conversation is just now. Oh, and include that I’m confident I can score Chris Edward.”

“……”

PD Kim tries to speak up a few times, but ends up bobbing his head.

“Thank you. You’re very kind.”

At my words, PD Kim, who is about to leave the make-up van, suddenly turns back and stares at me for a while before leaving.

Even after Kim PD leaves, I’m not alone in the van.

One pair of ears caught our entire conversation: the stylist who’s been tweaking my hair.

Looking in the mirror, I can feel the stylist standing behind me, occasionally glancing at me furtively.

What’s with the deal?

Is this your first time seeing a regressor?

***

Today’s shoot was the first since Team B was formed, and it was held at a pork belly¹ restaurant in Myeongdong, which was the sponsor of the program.

The difficult part about filming an audition program is that you have to film with ordinary people.

Those who have not been on the air are not used to acting appropriately in front of the camera.

Of course, there are times when it is good because you can capture raw moments, but overall, there is a lot to worry about.

“When you’re not chatting, keep an eye on the whiteboard the writer’s toting. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“I understand!”

“Oh, and dine in like there’s no tomorrow. Once you’re in the dorms, it’s all a strict diet all day.”

So the first thing they did was eat.

After all, people become more amiable when they are full, and conversations become easier.

The main writer filmed the members having a grilled pork party and thought that everyone seemed to have personalities that were a bit different from their first impressions.

Of the four members—Lee Ye-On, Han Si-On, Choi Jae-Seong, Go Tae-Hwan, and On Sae-Miro—Go Tae-Hwan was the one who had the most ice-cold demeanor.

And considering the vibe he gave off through his speech and actions, Han Si-On actually came across as the coolest.

Should I say he seems like the kind of guy who doesn’t get ruffled easily?

At times, Han Si-On even gave off a depressed and obsessive vibe.

But based on first impressions alone, Go Tae-Hwan undoubtedly looked the most indifferent.

His features were very distinct, and despite not wearing any special makeup, there were deep shadows around his eyes as if he had done a smoky eye look.

‘The vibe is a bit different from a typical pretty boy look.’

The expression “someone who looks like they should be an attractive military officer that people would obey” might suit him better.

Of course, the main writer, being a woman, had never been to the military herself.

But what’s this Go Tae-Hwan doing now?

“Should I grill it a bit crispier?”

He seemed more engrossed in grilling the meat than eating it.

Insisting he was good at grilling meat, he took the tongs and scissors and showed no signs of putting them down.

Then, he subtly observed whether the members were eating deliciously.

In particular, he was intensely observing Han Si-On…

The way Han Si-On ate meat was not ordinary.

‘He looks like some Hollywood star, doesn’t he.’

It’s hard to explain, but it feels less like he’s eating and more like he’s savoring it.