NOVGO.NET Chapter 109: Full Recovery (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Choi Ri-na stood frozen in the middle of the studio, her eyes wide open. She didn't move. Only faint breaths escaped her. It was as if time had stopped for her alone.
No wonder.
Just moments ago, the song that had been blocked by her PTSD had come pouring out of Choi Ri-na's mouth, her vocals flowing as if nothing had ever been wrong. Stunned, she stayed perfectly still for a while as if to calm her heart, and after a few minutes of standing motionless, she finally managed to move.
"L-let's try singing it again."
Taking a short breath to steady herself, Choi Ri-na opened her mouth where she stood. Song flowed from her lips.
-♬♪
The song that had once been hopelessly stuck now streamed out with perfect ease. As if all that time of being unable to sing had been a lie. Even as she showed off her vocals, Choi Ri-na slowly broke into a smile. And then.
"Waah!! It works!! It really works!!"
Choi Ri-na stopped singing and suddenly began jumping up and down. Her violet hair bounced with every leap, and just then, the massive monster of a man who had gone to the bathroom stepped into the studio. It was Go Chun-seok.
Go Chun-seok froze mid-entrance.
"Hm."
Choi Ri-na was high-energy even on a normal day, and now she was bouncing all over the studio, which put him slightly on edge. What kind of idea had struck her this time? This could be dangerous. Having been through a great deal with the endlessly energetic Choi Ri-na, Go Chun-seok briefly wondered, should I retreat for now?
But before he could even close the door, Choi Ri-na spotted him first.
"Oppa!!"
Her eyes crinkling into a deep smile, Choi Ri-na grabbed Go Chun-seok's massive arm and pulled. He looked like a man who wouldn't budge an inch, yet he was dragged along like a giant scarecrow, and once Choi Ri-na stopped in the center of the studio, she shouted at him.
"Oppa! I can sing! I can sing again!!"
The ever-stern Go Chun-seok's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
"Oh?"
Her PTSD was a matter of serious importance to Go Chun-seok and the rest of her comrades at 'MEG'. She was, after all, the beloved Maknae of 'MEG'. Lee Chan-hoo, Ha Yeon-ji, and the others often asked Go Chun-seok how Choi Ri-na was doing. So Go Chun-seok genuinely shared in her joy,
"You can sing now?"
"Yes!! It comes out perfectly!!"
Choi Ri-na showed off her vocals once more, right in front of Go Chun-seok. Honestly, Go Chun-seok didn't know a damn thing about music. But he did know that the songs Choi Ri-na sang back in their Mercenary Corps days were good. A clear, bewitching tone that captivated anyone who heard it. Even Lee Chan-hoo of the Assassination Squad had called her voice enchanting back then.
Or rather.
'I remember all the mercenaries calling it the voice of an angel.'
Rough, hardened mercenaries had likened her vocals to an angel's. On top of that, the strength of Choi Ri-na's voice was that it suited any genre. Just then, her voice thickened with a slight rasp as she hit a high note.
Go Chun-seok, who had been listening entranced, applauded, and by the time Choi Ri-na stopped singing, her eyes had grown red.
"Hah...... this feels so good. It really does."
Choi Ri-na was always upbeat and bubbly, but ever since waking up in this world, being unable to sing had weighed heavily on her heart. Not long ago, a thought like this had even crossed Choi Ri-na's mind.
What if I can never sing again for the rest of my life?
It was a truly terrifying thought. But after meeting Commander Kang Jae-ha and her comrades, the blockage in her voice had seemed to loosen little by little, and just now, pop! It had burst wide open.
Of course, it was hard to say her vocals had recovered 100%.
Choi Ri-na herself knew that best.
'It's a little- muddy? My throat feels rough too. Of course it does, I couldn't sing for almost a year after coming back.'
It had been nearly a year of being unable to sing because of her PTSD. Expecting 100% condition the moment she recovered made no sense. But bringing her dormant vocals back up to full strength would be no challenge at all now.
Because now she could sing to her heart's content.
And of course, her 'ability' would be a big help too.
In any case, Go Chun-seok gave the excited Choi Ri-na a solemn smile and said,
"Tell the Commander-nim. He'll be pleased."
She must have been planning to anyway, because Choi Ri-na whipped out her phone at once. She quickly dialed Jae-ha, grinning from ear to ear as she began to speak.
"Commander-nim! Ah! Are you in a meeting right now?? Then I'll call lat- it's okay?! No! I can sing now!!"
Kang Jae-ha's reply through the phone was simple, but sincere.
"You've worked hard for this."
Late morning on the 9th.
The location was a studio. Familiar women sat on a sofa inside the white-toned space. It was 'Seriel', the top-tier girl group that included Ra Yoon. Every one of them was flawless from hair to makeup. Their outfits were on the comfortable side, but their visuals were hardly different from moments before taking a stage.
"We're starting-"
Ra Yoon and the 'Seriel' members began waving at the phone set on the table in front of them.
They had begun their scheduled Live Stream.
"Hi, hi-"
"Hellooo."
The moment 'Seriel' turned on their Live Stream, fans came flooding in. A thousand viewers in the blink of an eye, and it took only a few minutes for the count to show several thousand. As fans kept pouring in, the 'Seriel' members chatted casually with them for a while, until Ra Yoon, the group's Visual Center and leader, raised her voice slightly.
"You've been wondering about our comeback date, right?? It's this Friday! We're making our Comeback on the 13th!"
The day 'Seriel' would return with a song written by the composer 'Rina', that is, Choi Ri-na, was about four days away. Which was why Leon Entertainment was already running an aggressive Media Play campaign around the 'Seriel' Comeback.
《Comeback D-4, Fans Buzzing over News of 'Seriel's' Imminent Return》
《'Seriel' Confirms Comeback for Friday, November 13th!》
《'Seriel' Comeback Approaches, New Song 'Teaser Photos Released/ Photos》
At this very moment, the teaser for their new song had gone up on 'Seriel's' official Youtube channel.
-Seriel 'Nyxtra' Teaser
'Nyxtra', the song Choi Ri-na had written, made its proud debut on Seriel's channel. The second song, 'My Page', would come in the next round. In any case, the teaser video blended only the intro and the Hook's melody, running about twenty seconds in total.
Short as the runtime was, 'Seriel's' firepower was staggering. A top-tier girl group indeed.
Less than an hour after the teaser dropped, it had racked up hundreds of thousands of views, and the comments were exploding with the public's anticipation and excitement.
-omg I'm calling it, this song is gonna be insane
-.......the intro alone is already unreal??
-Ugh please come back already!!! I'm getting dizzy over here!!
-wait, this is actually good? but it feels kinda different from Seriel's usual stuff, ngl
-heard they changed composers
-I'm losing my mind ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-I knew it the second I heard it lololol this is going straight to #1 on the charts
-FYI: Seriel comeback is on the 13th
-Aaahh!!! My ears are melting ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠ I need the full song NOW ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜ
-tbh Seriel's songs were always kinda meh to me lololol but this one's legit good
-wow I think this might be the best song they've ever put out. I'm not even a fan and I'm hyped
-this is so damn good
The song written by composer 'Rina' was driving the public into a frenzy.
That same night, the 'MEG' office.
The murmur of quiet conversation drifted through the somewhat hushed 'MEG' office. Kang Jae-ha and Cha Chung-hyeon sat facing each other at a table. Cha Chung-hyeon's face was, as always, the very picture of maximum boredom, while Jae-ha, legs crossed, calmly looked down at an open clear file.
"Hmm-"
What Kang Jae-ha was examining with a low hum was the task he had assigned Cha Chung-hyeon a while back. The investigation into a list of security firms. As for the conditions, size didn't matter, but the firm needed at least five guards on staff. Naturally, track record and skill factored in as well, and a company in financial trouble was best of all.
Scanning the list of security firms that would also serve as 'MEG's' manpower, Kang Jae-ha moved his hand.
-Swish.
Picking up a nearby pen, he made a few marks, crossing out the ones that didn't measure up in his eyes. About thirty minutes later, only three security firms remained on Kang Jae-ha's list.
Handing the list back to Cha Chung-hyeon, Kang Jae-ha gave his orders in a low voice.
"These three. Contact them and set up meetings."
"Yes, yes- most of them are on the verge of shutting down anyway, so acquiring them shouldn't be much trouble."
"Right. The meetings aren't really about the purchase, they're about assessing the condition of the remaining guards, that sort of thing. So tell them to bring whatever guards they have to the meetings."
Cha Chung-hyeon nodded slowly, collected the clear file, and spoke again.
"Next is the report on 'MEG's' finances."
True to his role as 'MEG's' keeper of the vault, Cha Chung-hyeon reported the flow of money in meticulous detail. How much had been spent, how much earned, how the US stock market plays had turned out, and so on. Tens of billions of won were moving through their hands. At this scale, 'MEG' could hardly be called a startup anymore.
It was then.
-Swish.
The closed door of the 'MEG' office swung open, and a woman in a cap walked in. The violet hair peeking out from under the cap caught the eye. It was Choi Ri-na, and with a bright, crinkling smile she waved both hands at the Commander and Cha Chung-hyeon.
"Hi! Hello!"
Late as it was, Choi Ri-na's energy was higher than it had ever been, and after a brief exchange with Cha Chung-hyeon, she met the eyes of Commander Kang Jae-ha.
"Commander-nim! I'm here! Just as ordered!"
Kang Jae-ha smirked and crossed his legs as he replied.
"Aren't you tired? I told you tomorrow was fine."
"No way! I wanted to tell you in person, right away!"
Having already heard over the phone that Choi Ri-na's PTSD was healed, Kang Jae-ha murmured,
"Sing whatever you like. Anything."
Cha Chung-hyeon looked rather expectant as well. He must have been remembering Choi Ri-na's singing from the Mercenary Corps days. Either way, without a hint of hesitation, Choi Ri-na struck a pose.
"Ahem, ahem!"
She lightly cleared her throat and began to sing.
-♬♪
There was no accompaniment, but her vocals were the kind that needed none. Kang Jae-ha marveled inwardly, thinking,
'If she can raise her vocal skills even higher from here- then in her own way, she's a monster too.'
He quietly savored Choi Ri-na's singing. After about two minutes of song, Choi Ri-na immediately asked the Commander,
"How was it, Commander-nim??"
Kang Jae-ha simply gave her a Thumbs-up.
"Good. You'd chew up most mains (main vocalists) out there without breaking a sweat."
Cha Chung-hyeon, of course, shared the Commander's opinion.
"Whoa- that's impressive for someone who couldn't sing for a year. Takes me back. I like it."
The praise seemed to lift her spirits even higher, and Choi Ri-na, tying up her violet hair,
"I'll try another song! Ah, ever since I recovered, I've been dying to sing nonstop. It's a real problem."
began showing off her vocals once more. Kang Jae-ha made no move to stop her. Right now, letting Choi Ri-na run wild to her heart's content was surely the right answer.
And as he watched her sing, Kang Jae-ha recalled her Deja Vu.
'It was a vast, magnificent concert hall.'
The venue had been packed with a staggering crowd, and standing at the center of that enormous stage was Choi Ri-na, an acoustic guitar slung over her shoulder. The countless spectators screamed and cheered for her until their throats gave out.
'So she's about ready to step forward as a Singer-Songwriter too.'
Choi Ri-na was currently making her mark as a Composer and Music Director, just as Kang Jae-ha had charted for her. For her vocals to recover right at this point, the timing wasn't bad at all.
Soon, as Choi Ri-na finished her song and stood soaking in Cha Chung-hyeon's effusive praise, Kang Jae-ha said to her,
"You said the music for 'Moonless Village' is all finished?"
Choi Ri-na answered at once.
"Oh, right! I meant to tell you about that too! Yes! The 'Moonless Village' music is done!"
Kang Jae-ha had yet to hear the music she'd created for the animated film 'Moonless Village', but he gave her his next instruction as if it were nothing at all.
"For starters, the main OST track you wrote for 'Moonless Village'. Let's have you do the vocals on it too."
The moment she heard that, Choi Ri-na's eyes went round.
"Huh?? Am I allowed to do that?"
"Yeah, you're allowed. No, it has to be you."
Looking at Choi Ri-na while picturing Director Hong Man-seop and the others involved with 'Moonless Village', Kang Jae-ha stroked his chin, then,
"Rather than just handing over some music files, it'd be better to have them hear you sing in person. More impact that way."
with a faint smile, he pulled out his phone. He meant to call Director Hong Man-seop and Heo Seong-jin, the executive director of Netflix Korea.
"Let's just call them all in."
*****
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