To be perfectly honest, for Yoon Se-hee, “<Kiss you>” was a somewhat burdensome song.
After all, the song itself had a sexy concept, which seemed inappropriate for her age. She had thought about it that way.
However, surprisingly, people’s reactions were good. And the other five members also seemed to prefer “<Kiss you>” quite a bit. Simply because it was the most popular song after their debut.
If it weren’t for that one hit duo who dominates the music charts, it might have easily made it into the top five.
Of course, it was a problem that most artists active in Korea were facing at the moment, so there wasn’t much that could be done about it. It was practically a natural disaster.
Anyway, Yoon Se-hee didn’t really expect much from the arrangement of “<Kiss you>“. How different could a sexy concept song be? Especially when it was arranged in just a mere day.
But.
“… Is this really “<Kiss you>“?”
Upon hearing Ryu Won’s arranged version of “<Kiss you>“, Yoon Se-hee couldn’t help but widen her eyes.
It wasn’t just a matter of it being good or bad.
The fierce will to charm the one you love, no matter what.
Because of that, the fast and intense melody of the original “<Kiss you>” had completely transformed.
If compared to colors, it would be like changing from the passionate red to a bright yellow or a pure light pink.
Yes. The song’s concept itself had completely changed.
“Still, there’s a bit of the original “<Kiss you>” vibe left, right?”
“It does… but can this still be called “<Kiss you>“?”
“I merely reinterpreted it and arranged it accordingly. If you can’t feel the original “<Kiss you>” in this song, I guess that’s up to the listener.”
Ryu Won’s words were not wrong.
After all, he hadn’t touched the core melody that defines “<Kiss you>“. But would anyone who listened to his arranged “<Kiss you>” truly recall the original’s sexy image?”
“By the way, I also modified the lyrics to match the song.”
“Did you finish modifying the lyrics too?”
“Yeah. You should be able to memorize it within 9 days, right?”
Ryu Won’s modifications to the lyrics were roughly like this:
“The line ‘I’m going to have you’ was changed to ‘I want you so much.'”
“‘You won’t know if you don’t say anything’ was changed to ‘I hope you understand even if you don’t say anything.'”
“‘I’ll keep doing what I want’ was softened to ‘Can I act a little selfish just for today?'”
Simply put, while the original “<Kiss you>” represented the mind of a clingy woman, Ryu Won’s arranged version was a song about how a shy woman expresses her feelings to the man she likes.
Therefore, the original lyrics naturally felt awkward, and they had no choice but to modify them accordingly.
The problem was that all these changes confused Yoon Se-hee.
Memorizing the lyrics was easy enough; after all, nine days was more than sufficient.
But this level of arrangement brilliance, coupled with perfectly fitted lyrical adjustments, all done in a single day… It was nothing short of a shock to Yoon Se-hee.
And after observing Yoon Se-hee’s reaction, Ryu Won smiled wryly and continued.
“Of course, it’s confusing, right? The “<Kiss you>” I arranged isn’t the typical sexy concept song; it’s closer to a pure-hearted girl’s confession. It’s also completely opposite to the image you’ve portrayed so far.”
“No… The reason I’m confused is…”
“But wouldn’t it be fine? While it’s attractive and good when a woman boldly approaches for love, I think there’s also charm in a shy woman who subtly provokes feelings. Though… I personally prefer the former.”
“…?”
Do I really need this extra information?
“Anyway, trust me and just give it a try. I think this image suits you quite well too. Oh, as I mentioned before, choreography modification is not my area, so you’ll have to handle that on your own. The existing choreography probably won’t match the “<Kiss you>” I’ve arranged.”
“Oh, I see!”
“Okay, then try your best.”
Yoon Se-hee nodded.
There was only one thing left to do—her part.
For the first time, it struck her how exceptionally talented the boy in front of her really was.
Why wasn’t he the top student or even second?
Is he deliberately concealing his abilities? (Just that he’s poor with written exams.)
It was clear that the boy in front of her could be defined by one word.
Genius.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, another person’s face instinctively popped into her head.
The current leader of one of the top three entertainment companies: Queen. The remarkable individual who has built Queen from the ground up.
A renowned music critic and the current CEO of Queen.
Lee Ji-hak.
“Se-hee, I really like kids like you.”
“Me?”
“I’m a married man, so please don’t misunderstand. I mean kids with talent, like you.”
“Do I really have that much talent?”
“Of course!!! So, don’t be shy about it. You’re Queen’s treasure!”
“Haha…”
Yoon Se-hee recalled her conversation with Lee Ji-hak.
The president has a great affection for geniuses, almost to the point of favoritism.
And his discernment for spotting geniuses is remarkable.
If by any chance this president were to meet the boy in front of her…
‘What kind of reaction will he show?’
He might just go wild with excitement.
“So, this is the “<Kiss you>” I know?”
“Pretty impressive, right?”
“It is impressive, but I still can’t believe a high school student like you arranged this.”
Ha Ji-woo, known in Iris for her outstanding dance and rap skills, couldn’t help but look shocked as she listened to the remixed version of “<Kiss you>” presented by her junior.
The song’s concept had been completely flipped over, yet there was no hint of awkwardness.
On the contrary, the structure of the track felt so natural, it was as if it had always been this way from the start.
However, the person who remixed the song was none other than a high school freshman, the same age as Yoon Se-hee.
Isn’t a high schooler basically an amateur? Is this level of arrangement even possible?
Even interpreting “<Kiss you>” this way and remastering it was highly clever. The rewritten lyrics were also perfectly suited.
I had heard Seolhwa Academy was amazing, but I didn’t expect it to be THIS good…
“So, you’re asking me to help you with the choreography, right?”
“Yeah, I thought if you helped, we could definitely create a better stage.”
Until now, Ha Ji-woo had crafted most of the choreography for Iris’s songs. In Yoon Se-hee’s experience, no one was more dependable than her.
Of course, Ha Ji-woo accepting Yoon Se-hee’s request was a completely different matter.
“… Is it possible?”
That’s why Yoon Se-hee carefully asked. Ha Ji-woo glanced at Se-hee.
Tss…
Begging with such restlessness? That’s cheating, isn’t it?
Yoon Se-hee is the youngest member of Iris and, as such, receives a lot of love from the other members.
Initially, everyone thought she was quiet and avoided conversations, making it difficult to get close to her, but they soon realized it was just because of her shyness.
Meaning, once you get to know her, you understand the true charm of Yoon Se-hee.
On the surface, she gives off a very cold image, but inside, she is very shy and even occasionally adorable.
Even from a fellow woman’s point of view, that kind of charm gap is something that drives you crazy.
So…
“Of course it’s possible. It’s our precious junior’s request; who else could it be for?”
“Really?”
“Why would I lie? Besides, it’s your first-ever solo performance, so I’d never tolerate anything but the best choreography.”
And through this stage, people might come to understand.
What Yoon Se-hee’s true appeal is.
Shouldn’t we be grateful to that boy for creating such a wonderful setting?
Though I have no idea who he really is because you never revealed his identity.
“I heard you’re going to perform on the stage at the freshman welcoming event, Se-hee?”
“Oh? Yeah!”
“Didn’t Ryu Won… I mean, Won help you with that?”
“Ho-how did you know about that?”
The only ones who knew that Ryu Won had helped Yoon Se-hee arrange a song were Yoon Se-hee, Ryu Won, and a few teachers.
Therefore, Yoon Se-hee couldn’t help but appear flustered at Baek Ye-rin’s comment.
…
Actually, Baek Ye-rin’s ignorance on this matter would have been unusual.
Considering how closely Baek Ye-rin had been watching the person named Ryu Won.
Ryu Won himself had already told her, openly admitting that he had helped Yoon Se-hee last night. As if to assure her there was no ulterior motive.
Of course, Baek Ye-rin already understood how good a person Ryu Won was.
That was why she knew his words were true—there was no hidden agenda or deception.
… Unlike herself.
With such thoughts in mind, Baek Ye-rin smiled faintly as she responded to Yoon Se-hee’s question.
“It’s a secret. But I thought someone like you would catch on quickly.”
“?”
