Chapter 151

The singer who first gained recognition through Daulby’s 10th album.

The singer who received the spotlight once again in the final of a famous hip-hop competition program.

The singer who took the stage at Gocheok Sky Dome.

“Is it really true that such a singer has no proper album?”

Immediately after, Lee Jun’s words about how there wouldn’t be a singer more unusual than Pinocchio couldn’t be denied.

It did seem a bit strange upon hearing it.

The only song released under the name Pinocchio was “T.R.E.N.D” with Yoon Si-hyeok.

Even that was a part of a special episode of the Infinite Challenge Music Show.

“Isn’t there at least one song that immediately comes to mind when you think of Pinocchio?”

“Then let’s start by listening to the demos. Let me know if anything stands out.”

“Oh? Right now?”

“You have to strike while the iron is hot.”

Thus, after being grabbed by Daulby, who had suddenly transformed into an intensely passionate state, I found myself sitting on the studio couch for a long time, listening to various demo melodies from Daulby.

However, since Ha Eun’s upcoming solo album had to neutralize Lee Yeo-seo’s fierce image, Ha Eun chose melodies that were mostly bright in tone.

Is that why?

“Hmm… I wish there was a calm ballad or something.”

I heard several proposals from Lee Jun as he pondered the overall balance of the album.

Of course, I wanted to create a song that would showcase Ha Eun’s remarkable vocal abilities to their fullest.

“A feeling where you’re playing an acoustic guitar by the Han River, you know? Like busking.”

“Um, I don’t know how to play guitar…”

“I mean, just the vibe.”

Regardless of the situation, Daulby was an excellent singer with multiple hit songs.

At the same time, they were the people who knew the singer Pinocchio best.

“Let’s include one emotional track. That sound okay?”

I was confident that if we properly utilized Ha Eun’s clear voice, we could create a masterpiece.

Since Ha Eun, who had been somewhat passive in her singing activities for a long time, was finally being proactive, I wanted to make the most of this opportunity.

The subsequent discussion was about the overall concept of the album.

At that moment, Ha Eun was able to explain in more detail about Lee Yeo-seo’s commercial for the veterans alongside Rev.

“The villain? You as Ha Eun?”

“Even as a psychopathic murderer?”

“…The article has already been published.”

“I really didn’t know. I’ve been holed up in the studio.”

The expressions of Lee Jun and Lee Geon-yeol, who spoke as if Ha Eun’s appearance in The Veterans was news to them, were understandable since one wouldn’t know unless they actively looked it up.

However, Ha Eun had to thoroughly explain the image she wanted to create through this solo album.

It couldn’t clash too much with the image created in Rev’s cosmetics commercial.

“If the CF contract gets terminated, there’s quite a bit of money involved. To be honest, I’m a little scared.”

“How much?”

“It’s in the billions.”

“…That’s frightening.”

After continued discussions, the overall concept for this album was decided to be ‘high school girl’.

The main emotions of the album were also those of freshness and innocence that one could only feel during school days.

The idea related to Pinocchio’s first music video was proposed shortly after.

“Then, how about shooting it in school uniforms?”

“School uniforms?”

“Yeah. Nothing beats a real school uniform.”

To be honest, it felt like everything was progressing smoothly.

The sight of melodies and ideas flowing like a dam bursting in an album that was still in the conceptual stage was quite fascinating.

It was because of this that I had questioned whether the word slump that Ha Eun had mentioned a few hours earlier was a lie.

The current Daulby certainly did not fit the three-letter word ‘slump’ at all.

“Were you guys stuck on the project?”

“It’s not our album; it’s your album.”

“Do you think Ha Eun, having known you for over ten years, believes that you guys had no plans at all?”

In a sense, it was a professional habit.

Or perhaps, vague imagination.

Ha Eun’s ideas and daydreams about Daulby had been forming from the time she was still young.

This was preparation for the day when the girl who visited their studio every week grew into a proper female singer.

Therefore, the work related to Ha Eun’s first album couldn’t help but go smoothly.

Thanks to the thoughts that had been gradually formed over the long span of more than ten years, it meant that they weren’t starting from a blank slate.

“We should be able to finish between April and May.”

“Oh? That’s fast?”

“Because it’s a mini album. If we were to make it as rigorously as an uncle’s full album, it might not be ready until fall.”

Coincidentally, the timing of the release of Ha Eun’s first album would be around the first anniversary of Fantasy.

In other words, when they held the live concert celebrating the first anniversary of Fantasy, Pinocchio’s first album would also be released.

“Hmm…”

The likelihood of Diah and Pinocchio, who would both be releasing new songs around the same time, being compared didn’t seem low at all.

For now, their vocal tones and atmospheres were different, but who knew.

The reason Ha Eun was refining Diah’s voice into a younger form was due to this possibility.

Since the first anniversary live of Fantasy was, as the name suggested, a live broadcast.

A live performance itself is inherently full of variables.

Since it wouldn’t be playback of pre-recorded videos but a real-time performance, it needed to be prepared even more perfectly.

Thus.

“Can we do it just one more time?”

She began to participate a bit more passionately in the rehearsal for the anniversary performance, scheduled for every Tuesday.

The problem was that Ha Eun wasn’t the only one participating in the rehearsal.

The bigger problem was that there wasn’t a single person among the Fantasy members who could match Ha Eun’s stamina.

Is that why?

“Ha, Ha Eun. I can’t lift my arms…!”

“Maknae! Can you stop overestimating the stamina of people who just sit in their rooms and stream!”

“That’s not a spirit…that’s a demon…”

“…Is this a rehearsal room or a hospital?”

Every time Ha Eun called for “one more time”, groans echoed throughout the rehearsal room.

Despite that, she pulled out a familiar pair of sunglasses without a shred of concern.

“Yuna unnie is an individualist. There’s no teamwork!”

“Isn’t it you, Ha Eun, who’s the least team-oriented here?”

“Wuu─! Malicious instructor, retreat─!”

Thus, after quite some time, Ha Eun transformed into special instructor mode, pushing the other members around.

The real instructor was just assisting Ha Eun from the side.

This was because Ha Eun already knew all the choreography perfectly.

For one reason or another, from the instructor’s perspective, there was no harm in working diligently in rehearsal.

Therefore.

“Okay, okay. This is all for the fans of Fantasy. Let’s all do our best!”

Rather than stop Ha Eun, the instructor pushed the Fantasy members around just like Ha Eun did.

Strictly speaking, even though the attitude of the Fantasy members wasn’t insincere, the enthusiasm of the instructor and Ha Eun was above and beyond that.

Thus, the days continued where different voices sang in Daulby’s studio and the Fantasy rehearsal room.

Finally, the message came.

[Ha Eun, the 3D avatar is complete. We need to see how it operates, so can you come to the company when you have time?]

“Oh, yes. I’ll come first thing Saturday morning.”

At last, Diah’s 3D avatar was completed.

The studio for the first anniversary live performance of Fantasy was also almost ready.

So, when Saturday, which was set with Jee Hye-min, arrived.

“Can you lift your arm once?”

-Swoosh.

“Good. Next, try walking a little.”

Ha Eun had to move around the studio like an animated puppet.

This was because during the group’s trip to Japan, it had been revealed that Ha Eun’s athletic ability was beyond what Jee Hye-min had imagined.

Oddly enough, not only Diah’s 3D avatar, but also those of the other members had to be tested.

When Ha Eun nodded her head, it felt strange that another avatar, not Diah’s, was nodding as well.

Among them, especially testing the avatar of Ha Eun’s favorite Virtual YouTuber, Cream, felt particularly ambiguous.

This too was merely a test, but somehow, thinking that Ha Eun and Cream had become one made her feel tingly from her fingertips to her toes.

“Hmm…”

Thus, being careful even with a simple hand gesture, a request for the “Illusion” performance came from Jee Hye-min, who was looking at Ha Eun with a puzzled expression.

“I’m going to play the MR, want to give it a shot?”

“Oh, yes.”

To put it simply, there was no significant flaw in the 3D avatar.

There was no error occurring between Ha Eun’s movements and the 3D avatar’s movements.

However, after one demonstration performance ended.

“Um, Hye-min unnie.”

“?”

“When the 3D avatar is ready, there’s something I’ve always wanted to try. Can I do it?”

Ha Eun, still equipped with Diah’s 3D avatar, made a strange request that made Jee Hye-min raise an eyebrow.

“Is it something weird?”

“No, it’s not weird.”

“Well, alright. Give it a try.”

Jee Hye-min looked at Ha Eun in the center of the studio with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

Then, just a few seconds later.

-Whoosh!

Ha Eun, who jumped on the spot, performed a backflip.

Almost simultaneously, Jee Hye-min’s words got stuck.

Yet, what Ha Eun wanted to do was not just a backflip.

-Swoosh…Whoosh!

-Upright.

“That… that bow! Is the avatar bowing as well?”

“Um, um… you’re doing it well…”

Aren’t you tired?

In response to the question that Ha Eun had genuinely wanted to ask, she replied while standing on her hands that she was fine.

However, there was one thing that Ha Eun hadn’t considered.

-Squeak.

-Thud.

“Oh, noona. If Ha Eun is here… oh, oh?!”

Lee Dong-jin, who had just stepped into the studio, had to quickly turn his head when he saw Ha Eun in the middle of the studio.

No wonder, it wasn’t just Ha Eun’s body that was upside down.

“I’m, I’m sorry!”

The T-shirt that Ha Eun was wearing had completely dropped due to the force of gravity.

In other words, Ha Eun’s prominent defined abs were on full display.

Fortunately, since she was wearing pants, a greater disaster did not occur.

“………Could you please step outside for a moment?”

“Y-yes!”

Ha Eun’s face was already flushed to the point of bursting.

Jee Hye-min, who watched this entire spectacle, was stifling her laughter.

“If a broadcast accident happens later, Diah’s abs will be the first to be revealed~.”

“…That’s too much…”

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