Chapter 390
Inspiration for art comes from various sources.
But the most useful source among them, and the one that many artists like to use, is none other than 'experiences in daily life'.
You can see things that you don't usually know about even in books that few people read.
For example, the culture of other countries or other people's thoughts.
There is definitely joy in exploring and savoring these things, but they are ultimately 'other people's thoughts' and phrases that come from 'other people's experiences'.
In short, it means that it is difficult to 100% empathize with them because they are not mine to begin with.
So what are some things that I can 100% empathize with and use as inspiration?
Things that I have seen, heard, and experienced in my life.
Things that I have experienced from the past to the present are useful in creating something brilliant.
Just like Heo Yu-bin now.
You shouldn't be afraid of thinking.
No matter how painful your memories are, you have to squeeze everything out in a situation as blocked as this.
You never know what will come out of the place you wanted to avoid.
A childhood where joy, accomplishment, and satisfaction coexisted.
The bitter and depressing feelings you felt as you grew up, and the frustration that came from that.
The beautiful time of youth that you finally reached after barely escaping from the time when you wanted to avoid everything.
Wait a minute.
The beautiful time of youth...... ?
Heo Yu-bin immediately wrote down the idea that just came to him in his notebook.
That's right. Youth wasn't always beautiful.
There were countless trials and errors to get to where you are now, and you had to overcome endless periods of instability.
There were many memories of wandering in the dark, and there were moments when I wondered if it was right to continue on this path.
After fighting and overcoming the darkness, I met the current members and found happiness.
'Everything wasn't perfect from the beginning. It was like that then, and it's like that now, because I'm always incomplete.'
Youth isn't perfect.
No matter how much you've escaped your old self, look at yourself now.
When you start to feel pushed to the edge of a cliff, don't old memories immediately come flooding back and you forget what you've learned and realized so far?
Youth is a place where anxiety and fear coexist, as well as a sense of accomplishment and happiness.
How can you combine this with the concept of an idol and express it?
'Fear, yes, fear!'
If you go with the refreshing feeling of typical youth, it's too ordinary.
There is a high possibility that a similar concept to
Above all, the freshness is gone.
Then, you need to add one special element to break away from the ordinary, and 'horror' can be the answer.
Heo Yu-bin wrote down every single idea that came to mind in a notebook without leaving anything out.
This time, the opponent is Connex.
It's not a guess, it's a done deal.
Then, you need to prepare more than ever, both materially and mentally.
It's important to not just pick good songs, but also to tightly plan the pre-promotion.
So that everyone's attention can stay on Seleste's album during the three-week promotional period.
If you choose the concept as horror, there are many things you can do during this promotional period.
I already have a few video concepts in mind.
'I don't think we need to go with the synth genre that has a youthful feel for the song genre... What would be there?'
Heo Yu-bin first wrote down all the genres he could think of, and then eliminated the ones that didn't fit.
About an hour later, Heo Yu-bin, who had narrowed down the candidates for the title song genres to three or four, stretched his chair back and stretched hard.
"Hoo-ha!"
My chest feels like it's been cleared.
Having broken through the blocked part once, my blood flow seems to have cleared and I can breathe easier.
'Now all that's left is...'
The plan is all done.
The storytelling is ready.
Then, all that's left is to write a track that others will really enjoy and present it.
Heo Yu-bin, who hadn't smiled for several days, lifted the corners of his mouth as he swept his bangs back.
The time has come to make up for the days he'd dragged on so sluggishly.
There were about 5 days left until the preparation period given by the planning manager ended.
'5 days is enough.'
Heo Yu-bin sent an apology message to the members while booting up his work laptop.
Heo Yu-bin wanted to go to the dorm right now and apologize, but he had to keep his word first.
***
A few days had passed since Heo Yu-bin had not returned to the dorm at all.
The members who had been flustered at first had now gotten over their confusion to some extent, but they still couldn't hide their anxiety.
"I don't know if he's sleeping properly."
In particular, Song Hyung-bin seemed to be most worried about Heo Yu-bin's health.
I smiled at him, who kept looking at his phone.
"It'll be okay. If Yubin didn't have a clear plan from the beginning, he wouldn't have left a message like this."
"I think so too, but you know. People's hearts can only be anxious."
"I agree with that. But I think we should trust Yubin until the end right now."
Heo Yubin, who had barely explained the situation to us and didn't offer us a helping hand, left a short message in the group message room.
He said he finally seemed to have found a breakthrough in his work, and that he would finish everything and come back within the next three days.
I knew that Heo Yubin was having a hard time preparing for the next album, but I didn't know that he would have to stay in the studio and put all his effort into it to this extent.
So at first, I was very worried like Song Hyung-bin, but thanks to a single phrase that appeared in the status window, I was able to confidently tell the other members to trust Heo Yu-bin.
[Characteristic, 'Corner Genius Producer' is in the process of blossoming.]
The phrase 'blooming' appears when the individual characteristics of the members evolve one step further.
In situations where they are truly pushed to the edge or where their abilities are tested to the limit, each person's abilities explode and bloom.
So far, Chae Eun-gyu, Yoo Min-ha, and Song Hyung-bin have succeeded in blooming one after another and saved Seleste from crisis.
Finally, it was Heo Yu-bin's turn.
I was relieved to see this.
It is not a lie that Heo Yu-bin found a breakthrough, it is true.
The fact that the producer's characteristics are gradually preparing to bloom means that he is creating something that breaks the mold we think of.
All we have to do is trust Heo Yu-bin and wait.
However, the members who cannot see the status window like me could not hide their worries as time passed.
"I went down to the studio to check if he was eating well, but the door was closed so I couldn't check!"
"So what did you do? You didn't give him a lunch box?"
"I don't know. I left it in front of the studio door, but I don't know if he'll eat it or not."
Yoo Min-ha even went to the Sigma Entertainment building with the food Kang Si-yoon made, but he didn't meet Heo Yu-bin.
However, Chae Eun-gyu, who was maintaining a similarly stable atmosphere to me, patted him on the shoulder.
"It's okay. Yu-bin will be here tomorrow."
"Will he really finish everything and come back tomorrow? What if it takes too long?"
"He has never broken his word, so let's just wait."
Chae Eun-gyu, who possesses the awakening trait 'A Flower Blossomed with Confidence' that greatly increases mental strength, has become mentally stable enough to be comparable to me in the group.
His personality is clearly different from when he has an abnormal condition.
Thanks to Chae Eun-gyu, the eldest brother, the atmosphere among younger brothers seemed to gradually calm down.
'The fire has been put out for now, but the rest is in Heo Yu-bin's hands.'
The promised days passed slowly.
On the third day, Heo Yu-bin was locked in his studio, obsessed with finishing the project.
Everyone's attention was on their cell phones or the front door of the dorm.
"We're waiting for him now, but isn't he coming in at night?"
"Hey, no way. Today is the D-day for the concept meeting? Then he has to meet people from the company, so he should come during the day at the latest."
"......He'll be here soon."
"How can you be sure of that?"
Ji Yoon-chul spoke with great confidence, without any basis.
When Yoo Min-ha asked right away, the youngest just shrugged his shoulders.
"It's a feeling."
"A feeling?"
"I think I have a good feeling, so trust me."
"I don't know why, but when Yoon-chul does this, I can't not believe him."
After everyone had an early breakfast together and washed up, the clock was already approaching 12 o'clock in the afternoon.
The clock in the living room was just before 12 o'clock.
"...I'm home!"
The front door opened miraculously, and Heo Yu-bin came in, greeting with a slightly trembling voice.
The members who heard that sound came running out from all over the dorm.
"Yu-bin!"
"Yu-bin is here?"
"Hey, seriously! Why are you here only now, you're making people shiver!"
Yoo Min-ha, Kang Si-yoon, and Chae Eun-gyu immediately greeted Heo Yu-bin fiercely, hitting his shoulders and arms.
Ji Yoon-chul greeted Heo Yu-bin by rubbing his shoulders a few times like a docile cat.
I was about to open my mouth to tell Heo Yu-bin that he had a hard time.
"Yu-bin."
Song Hyung-bin slowly walked forward and called Heo Yu-bin in a low tone, making me pause for a moment.
Heo Yu-bin, who recognized the leader's meaningful tone, raised his head and looked at him.
"...Did you finish the work well?"
"Yes. I was honestly scared that it wouldn't all be done in 3 days....... I finished everything well."
"That's fortunate. But Yu-bin, as I said before, it's really difficult if you act alone like this all of a sudden. You know, we're all in the same group and we have to move forward together. If you do this, we can't help but worry and keep our hearts in suspense."
Song Hyung-bin delivered the words he needed to say as a leader in a short and concise manner.
He didn't push him too hard, but he said important things to always be aware that we're on the same team.
If it were the usual Heo Yu-bin, he would have slightly lowered his head, stuttered his words due to nervousness, or immediately apologized and cowered.
"I'm sorry, hyung. I thought that the entire album project could be ruined because of me, so I tried to solve it on my own. I was so obsessed with that greed that I think I caused a lot of trouble to the members. I'm really sorry."
Heo Yu-bin looked straight into Song Hyung-bin's eyes without hesitating even once.
He didn't even try to apologize. He completely admitted his mistakes and apologized without any hesitation.
He didn't stop there.
"I'll take full responsibility for everything that happened because of me. If today's project doesn't pass, I'll take responsibility no matter what. I prepared that hard, so please trust me just this once."
He didn't even avoid responsibility.
He even said that he would shoulder everything on his own shoulders.
I stared at Heo Yu-bin's eyes, which seemed to have a fiercer will than ever.
This was not the Heo Yu-bin I first met in
This was not the Heo Yu-bin who always trembled in fear, had difficulty standing up alone, and was very shy.
Heo Yu-bin, who had the confidence and ambition to take responsibility for everything, was standing there.
At that moment when everyone was silent for a moment at Heo Yu-bin's words.
Heo Yu-bin's status window popped up in my field of vision and a bright silver light enveloped me.
[Trait, 'Corner Genius Producer' awakens.]
[Status abnormality 'Hikikomori' is deactivated.]
[Awakening trait, 'With My Heart' is acquired.]
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