Everyone agreed that since it was an OST this time, we needed a different approach than the album songs we had been making before.
"It's not a collaboration like a game, so we just have to make it fit for the movie."
"At the same time, it's important to show TeStar's color, right~"
Putting the center on the movie and putting TeStar as the base just enough to be recognizable.
There was just a problem.
"Yes… I-it would be better if there was a main melody like in the game."
"… Whether we make it or not, they have to give the data."
The film industry didn't have much to offer.
Some of the keywords and scenario summaries that were given as 'limited due to leakage problems' were poorer than expected.
Let's start with keywords.
[Space, Cyberpunk, Psychic, Combat, Focus]
The plot was at the level of an obvious sci-fi hero movie. There was almost no explanation of the concept.
'It's too much.'
I frowned. They could have at least written a memorandum of confidentiality, it would've been better than this.
"First of all, I will proceed with composing while being conscious of the fact that it is background music in line with the movie OST composition method…"
So, even if Kim Raebin shouted sternly and started working, the rest of the members had nothing to do.
'I don't know how to compose an OST, so what can I do?'
There were four days left, but now it was hard to learn and cram.
'At most, I'll have to touch the melody…'
There was nothing to brainstorm about. With this theory of surplus manpower, there would only be feedback on what Kim Raebin created.
'I started a camp to avoid this situation.'
Right now, when composing an OST, it was a bit bitter to follow the previous steps without any special choice. I turned around and got up from my seat.
"Where is Moondae hyung going?"
"Getting some water."
"I'm coming too!"
Cha Eugene followed. Somehow, he seemed to follow me whenever I went to the kitchen… I didn't think it was an illusion.
"Can I eat this?"
"Okay."
I didn't bother to tell him that he had to pay for the things he grabbed. This guy had enough money.
Cha Eugene, who was finding snacks in the hotel refrigerator and popping them into his mouth, suddenly spoke.
[I can see the trouble on your face?]
"… What."
"It's tasty! Take it!"
I didn't need it.
I murmured as I chewed on the nuts he offered me.
"Do you have any worries?"
Well, wasn't it obvious?
"It's because the selection of an OST in four days is a forced march. There aren't many materials provided by the company."
He wasn't one to be swayed by realistic words, so it was okay to say this much.
As expected, Cha Eugene looked fine, but shrugged.
And he made a bombshell statement.
"That company is doing it on purpose!"
"… !"
Cha Eugene crumpled the snack bag and threw it into the trash.
Bang.
"On purpose."
[Yes. This is perfectly clear. Um, this company doesn't seem to want to give us the job, right?]
"… …"
Keep talking.
I leaned against the wall. Cha Eugene also leaned against the wall.
[They're saying they're upset because we suddenly stepped in. Well, maybe they're a little bit prejudiced.]
Ah.
'Is it on the racist side?'
He was a local, so he knew it well.
"Are you talking about it from experience?"
"No! But I don't care."
Now he was using double negatives.
(TN: In Cha Eugene's phrase above, "No!" He uses the words, 없지 않아요 (eobsji anayo) in Korean, which are two words that are grammatical negations. This is where the term "double negatives" come from, and having double negatives oftentimes makes a phrase turn out to be positive or have a different meaning. An example of this in English is, "He doesn't not like to dance." Or "He can't find neither his keys nor his wallet." It basically just doesn't make sense and cancels out other meanings. I couldn't find a good way to translate that into English, so I hope this helped instead!)
Well, whatever Cha Eugene's Korean skills were, judging from the expression on his face that said he didn't care, it seemed that nothing serious had happened.
"So I know this too. If we do well, they can't talk."
Oh.
"And they won't. We're cool even without OST!"
"You wanted to go to America."
[Well, there are always other options!]
Still, there was nothing to lose if we politely declined.
'It's been a long time since this guy showed off his head so aggressively.'
It was kind of interesting. Shall I encourage him?
"Then I don't want to quit, but what if those guys are offended?"
"Then, we should scream that we want a 100% proper request. Stars are like that. And I want to do it! Our company will send an e-mail."
Hmm.
It was definitely a cool way, but… It was true that we squeezed through the T1 line, so there was no need to give the opponent an excuse to openly refute.
I grinned.
"What if there is a quieter and cooler way?"
"… ! Let me know!"
Okay.
"Hmm… If we look at the fact that these guys are coming out unfairly pretending to give us work…"
It was a rather good situation.
I smiled and opened the plastic bottle.
"It's enough to say that, but we should pay attention."
"Are the two ways different?"
"They're different."
I drank water.
"It's just that we can't refuse."
So, weren't they making unreasonable demands?
"Oh…"
Cha Eugene nodded his head softly.
"But why?"
"It means our company is using some strength."
"Is it stronger than the Limestone company?"
No matter how much T1 could do against that crazy copyright conglomerate…
"It's not like that, it's because of the close relationship. T1 Entertainment distributes Limestone movies in Korea."
"Oh."
There was definitely a reason the film studio couldn't turn it down. I didn't know what it was, but T1 made a better deal than expected.
Perhaps T1 saw our proposal as a green light for flattery, saying 'Thank you very much'.
'Did they think we bowed down on our own when we were about to be sarcastic because our direct label proposal fell through?'
They completely misunderstood, but it was good to use them.
Anyway, wanting to grow the overseas pie of the grand prize singers would have been the same for T1, so I think they made a big deal by contacting the film company excitedly.
However, considering the relationship with T1, the film company said it was okay, but the staff got annoyed when non-American KPOP idols suddenly intervened.
I touched my chin.
'Someone is playing a joke somewhere in the middle of film history.'
At most, it was only one OST made by foreign guys, so wouldn't it be okay?
"Someone among the head of the Limestone staff seems to think we're pathetic."
"Okay! But when will you tell me how?"
"Right now."
Frustrated, I grinned.
"Okay. The meaning of the explanation so far is…"
"Please tell me!"
He was proud.
"It means that once we meet the absurd conditions these guys called, they'll have no choice but to say okay."
"Hmm?"
"It's a situation where everyone at the top agreed. They can't refuse without a reason. I don't know if it's a revision request."
"So how… First of all, we will send them a well-made finished copy."
"Boooooo. That's losing."
This guy.
"It's not just about making it well, it's about adding more keywords on our own."
I drank water.
"We'll add the existing hero movies of this film company and the keywords of the game company on our own, and we'll add it elaborately."
"Why do we need to do that?"
"To make them ashamed."
"Hmm?"
I crumpled an empty plastic bottle.
"We're just adding it honestly as we send it. Those guys didn't send us anything so we collected the data and made it ourselves."
"Uuuuuh!"
"And the next words are important."
"What?"
I laughed.
"I don't think the person in charge is unaware, but when requesting an OST demo, they usually kindly tell us that this level of information and time is needed."
"… !"
I shrugged.
"And when we have a meeting, we just have to tell them that they need to prepare these things, just like teaching a kindergartener. Then it's over."
No matter how many OST songs there were, preparations for the first meeting with outsiders couldn't be left out without a report from the top.
Then, even if we didn't know who the prankster was, there was no place to escape. They would have to explain to both companies what happened.
"WOW."
Cha Eugene changed his stance.
"Hyung, that's totally Badass!"
"Do you like it?"
"I like it!"
I was glad he liked it.
Cha Eugene asked for a high-five, and even ran to the hotel parlor and started explaining himself first.
"Let's make our cool OST and embarrass them!"
"What?"
I knew it would be like this.
I completed the explanation by supplementing Cha Eugene's words. The members looked bewildered, but soon became serious.
"It's a classy way."
"It's okay~ Even if things go wrong, we did our best."
In this way, even if things went wrong, it meant that we could win unconditionally in the public opinion war. Yes, I considered that too.
"Shall we try a majority vote?"
"Okay."
As soon as the unanimous vote was OK, Cha Eugene blew a whistle.
"Our members are really cool!"
And Kim Raebin started to get excited again.
"Then we must get to work immediately."
"Okay. We'll quickly bring up movie and game references~ Our Raebin, fighting!"
"Yes!"
That was how the surplus manpower, excluding Kim Raebin, also had something to do.
"Well, then, should I tell the company about the explanation to be sent there?"
"Well, I think it would be more effective if we used it."
It was not likely that an interpreter who could save all the subtle nuances would be attached in this short period of time. Rather, it was better for us, the parties, to spend a little more time.
'There's just the right person.'
"Should I do it?"
"No. Gather the references since you know American culture well."
"Okay."
Cha Eugene was not it. He was active, but to be honest, I didn't think he was going to use the official document vocabulary well.
I turned my head.
"Ahyeon-ah."
"Yes… ?"
"Can you make a description of our work in English?"
Seon Ahyeon's face brightened.
"Yes… !"
Studying abroad at a prestigious private school and having an advanced English vocabulary, this was probably better. Before sending, we needed to have it inspected by an expert.
Besides, Seon Ahyeon didn't participate in producing well, so it seemed he was glad that he had something he could do.
"I will work hard… !"
"Good."
It seems that Seon Ahyeon also put some pressure on his mind with this.
Keun Sejin smiled.
"Ah~ I think everything has been sorted out. Shall cheer again?"
"OK!"
The air became lively again.
And in that atmosphere, Kim Raebin muttered as if he had now realized.
"Then, considering the description and translation… The deadline is half a day shorter."
"… …"
"… …"
Kim Raebin raised his thumb.
"The scheduled camp date was originally three days, so it seems to fit perfectly!"
Yeah, if he was okay, we were all okay.
• * *
Aah… I am tired."
TI Entertainment's external cooperation department on duty sighed.
Contacts from abroad came at dawn in Korean time, so it was the worst thing to have to stand on standby for an emergency one day a week.
He slept on the side and watched Netplus, but it was still boring.
'In the first place, I don't have the right to read anything that comes at this time.'
When there was an emergency from a few of the requested customers, there was nothing to do other than quickly contact them. The worker rolled the company's ERP system with a sigh.
Then he saw a document.
[테스타 (TeSTAR) film cooperation case]
Because they were such a hot idols, he heard rumors within the Knowledge Department.
'They told us first that they would work with Limestone.'
And he thought that he heard heard that they sent an actual demo the day before yesterday.
He didn't have permission to read it, so he just checked it slightly over their shoulders, but he could tell that even the explanation attached as an appendix was made with great care.
So he felt uncomfortable.
'Like this…'
To be honest, it seemed a bit servile.
'Everyone seemed to be ignoring them, but idols who won the grand prize in Korea…'
Could it be that the company did it?
Somehow, his ego was hurt by the proxy, so the worker excitedly cursed at the company as an excuse.
And the future was also predicted briefly based on the time.
'If they give an OK sign, I'll be able to say something, this damn company…'
It was then.
A new mail had arrived.
[Fw: In response to your request of… … ]
It came into view from the recipient.
'Limestone!'
Just click… He wanted to, but he didn't have the authority. So, in the eyes of the worker, who was at least scratching the surface, one came into view.
The attachment size.
'Uh…'
What arrived was a pile of files the size which TeStar had sent… !
'What the hell did they send?'
If it was a simple OK sign, it wouldn't be this clear, and the contract clause was the same.
'Damn!'
It was frustrating that he couldn't see it because he didn't have permission to read it… ! The watchman sighed.
And after the day was bright, the watchman got the circumstances of the co-mail.
That it was a gesture of voluntary tax payment and reconciliation sent back.
'Wow!'
It was a cool substitute.
'What did they send? No, how much better did they make the song than that?'
• * *
"A proper request has arrived."
"Oh."
It worked.
Of course, I didn't know what I was going to say when I actually went to the meeting.
'No, in this way, we can just send and receive emails without meeting.'
Still, I didn't bother to stop the members from laughing and high-fiving.
'One win is one win.'
Ryu Chungwoo smiled and continued the briefing.
"There are almost no revision requests, only a few arrangement requests regarding the structure of the song."
"It's not difficult!"
Kim Raebin was almost flying. He showed unbelievable aggressiveness for a guy who had worked while drinking caffeinated drinks like water for three days.
'Looks interesting.'
It was then. Ryu Chungwoo showed a puzzled expression.
"And… They say we'll sign a contract with a cameo appearance?"
"… ?"
"Really? A movie cameo?"
"Mhm."
I was amazed.
These guys…
Just because things had turned out like this, they really wanted to eat Korean box office mulberries.
"You mean for this movie, right?"
"Yes. We'll just appear in the background as if passing by."
"At this rate…"
"Is it okay?"
And naturally, we all looked at one guy.
"Why, why… ?"
"We'll trust you."
"… !?"
Bae Sejin, a genius child actor, had come to challenge Hollywood.
"Don't trust me!"