Chapter Thirty-One: The End of LOEN

Chen Zhe held the freshly revised lyric sheet in his hand and began discussing it with Lee Ji-eun, standing beside him. They tried singing together, with one performing the lead and the other harmonizing.

“Finally, I understand you’ve become a memory; no words can explain it.”

“When others ask, I’ve composed a melody without an ending, and it cannot go on.” (Chen Zhe harmonizing: and it cannot go on.)

“Like a certain scent lurking at the street corner, passing by unintentionally, stirring up laughter and tears from days past.” (Chen Zhe harmonizing: stirring up laughter and tears from days past.)

“Suddenly the pain in my heart is impossible to suppress; as it turns out, I’ve never forgotten.” (Chen Zhe harmonizing: impossible to suppress.)

As they tried harmonizing, despite this being their first collaboration, they somehow worked together with surprising ease, almost as if they had been singing partners for a long time. Watching from the side, Bae Soo-young couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction.

They rehearsed together several more times and found their coordination remained smooth and natural, so they decided to attempt a formal recording. After informing Bae Soo-young, Chen Zhe and Lee Ji-eun entered the recording booth and began.

“No, Chen Zhe-ssi, you started this part a bit too high—it’s not quite right! Let’s do it again.” After the chorus, when Chen Zhe sang the next line, he started in a key that was too high, forcing Lee Ji-eun to follow suit for her part, which altered the whole flavor of the song and lost the original feeling.

Bae Soo-young waved at them from outside the booth, signaling that the previous take wasn’t good enough and they should start over.

Perhaps having learned from the first mistake, the second attempt went much more smoothly, with only a few minor errors that Bae Soo-young chose not to point out.

After all, this was just a test recording, meant only for those present to hear—not a finalized single or album that required take after take in pursuit of perfection.

“That was excellent! If I didn’t know otherwise, I’d think you two have been singing partners for years,” Bae Soo-young said, rising to his feet after they finished several segments of the song. Choi Soo-young and the others also stood and applauded their performance.

“Haha, Director Bae, you flatter us!” Embarrassed by the praise, Chen Zhe scratched his head, though inside he was thrilled. This was, after all, a compliment from a professional music director.

“Enough chatting for now. Come over and listen to the playback—see how it feels!” Bae Soo-young beckoned to the two, who were about to converse with Choi Soo-young and the others, urging them to listen to the demo first.

They each took a pair of headphones from Bae Soo-young.

(Placeholder—later tonight I’ll be setting up a computer and still haven’t gotten it working; the monitor won’t get a signal, though the laptop is fine...)

“Come in!” The door opened from inside, and a slightly plump middle-aged man sized up Chen Zhe and his companion before pulling the door wide.

“Long time no see, Senior Han-te! Zhe, this is IU-ssi’s manager, Jung Han-te-ssi! Senior Han-te, this is Chen Zhe-ssi, the composer and singer of ‘Melody’ whom the company president just signed!” Han Zelu greeted the middle-aged man politely, then introduced the two.

“Hello, Jung Han-te-ssi. I’m Chen Zhe!” Chen Zhe greeted him politely.

“Hello, Chen Zhe-ssi! I’ve heard a lot about you. After seeing that video yesterday, Ji-eun has been very curious about the singer of ‘Melody.’ I didn’t expect the president would find you and sign you to LOEN! I look forward to working with you,” Jung Han-te replied with a satisfied smile.

“No, no, I look forward to learning from you, Jung Han-te-ssi!” Chen Zhe replied graciously.

“Han-te oppa, who are you talking to out there?” Suddenly, a husky female voice drifted from inside the room. Chen Zhe recognized it as IU, Lee Ji-eun.

“Ji-eun, I’m speaking to your future junior!” Jung Han-te called over his shoulder.

“My future junior? But the company doesn’t have plans to debut any new artists yet, does it?” Lee Ji-eun asked curiously. If the company had such plans, she would surely be the first to know, as she’d likely be asked to help guide the newcomer.

“Yes, he’s the singer of ‘Melody.’ The president just signed him, so he’ll be your labelmate soon. He’s here today to meet and get to know some of the company seniors,” Jung Han-te explained.

“The singer of ‘Melody’? The president signed him?” Lee Ji-eun’s voice rose in surprise from inside. A flurry of hurried footsteps followed as someone approached the door.

Chen Zhe and his companion looked toward the source of the footsteps and saw a pretty girl, about 161 centimeters tall, run up to them.

“So you’re the singer of ‘Melody’?” she asked, wrinkling her nose as she eyed Chen Zhe with curiosity.

“Yes, Senior IU. I’m Chen Zhe from China, just signed by the company. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senior IU. I hope to learn a lot from you,” Chen Zhe responded, hastily introducing himself when he noticed Lee Ji-eun studying him.

“Chen Zhe-ssi from China! Nice to meet you. Your Korean is excellent! I’ve heard your ‘Melody’—it’s really good. Keep up the hard work!” Lee Ji-eun said with a smile, giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder as she rose on tiptoe.

“Thank you, Senior IU! I’ll work even harder from now on,” Chen Zhe replied, startled but grateful for her encouragement.

“Alright, enough standing by the door! You’re blocking the entrance—come in and take a seat!” Lee Ji-eun clapped her hands and motioned for the three of them to follow her inside.

The three nodded, and under Lee Ji-eun’s lead, entered the lounge. Sitting down on the sofa, Chen Zhe looked curiously around, interested in what an artist’s lounge might look like.

“Are you curious about my lounge, Chen Zhe-ssi?” After pouring water for the three, Lee Ji-eun noticed Chen Zhe glancing around and smiled as she asked.

“Yes, sorry, Senior IU! This is my first time seeing an artist’s lounge, so it all feels quite novel!” Chen Zhe replied, a little embarrassed, scratching the back of his head.

“Haha, it’s alright! The first time you see an artist’s lounge, it does feel new and exciting. But after a while, you’ll get used to it!” Lee Ji-eun laughed, waving away his embarrassment.

“By the way, Chen Zhe-ssi, has the company told you when you’ll debut? Have you chosen your debut song?” Suddenly, as if remembering something, Lee Ji-eun asked eagerly.

“Senior IU, according to the president, I’ll debut in August, and my debut song will be ‘Melody,’” Chen Zhe replied after thinking it over. After all, he’d need his senior’s support at his debut and couldn’t afford to offend her.

“August? That leaves just over a month to practice—are you sure you’ll be alright?” Lee Ji-eun was surprised by the tight schedule. With only a month or so to prepare, the training would be intense. She couldn’t help but ask with concern.

“It’s no problem, Senior IU! I’ve already passed evaluations with the company’s music theory teacher. As long as I stay consistent, debuting won’t be an issue. The next month will mainly be focused on etiquette and variety training,” Chen Zhe replied, warmed by her concern and offering a reassuring smile.