Episode 73: Producer (2)
Honestly, Hylliy is pretty lucky.
‘Because they stuck in my memory.’
That’s a big deal.
‘Truth is, my memory isn’t perfect.’
Naturally, since 2025, pre-regression, is 15 years ago for me.
For someone who never planned to regress, foggy recollection is normal.
Still, I pride myself on decent recall.
At least for songs I worked on or loved, I remember them well.
Beyond music, I retain only major events—like the Kevin Lee scandal—or stories of people around me, like Ji-woo or E-GIS, mostly from Polaris chats over drinks reminiscing, “That’s how it was back then.”
In that context, Hylliy doesn’t fit any category.
I never collaborated with them, and while their songs are good, they’re not timeless hits like “You, For a Moment.”
Their biggest event? Hitting their first music show win after four years—hardly a grand scale.
Our rapport was limited to “fellow artist” status due to the boy-group-girl-group divide.
So why do I remember Hylliy so clearly? The closest reason ties to “having been involved.”
‘In a word, a benchmarking target?’
In 2027, after Laira’s debut single yielded mixed results, I was brought in as a drastic measure.
My first move was dissecting several girl groups—Pleiades from our family, Sunshine’s UniC, JWY’s Cheshire Kitty, TAKE Entertainment’s KYS, and more.
Top-tier groups were obvious; even 1.5-tier groups with a music show win were studied.
‘Hylliy was one of them.’
Skipping the details, the conclusion is: I know.
I know the peak Hylliy can reach soon and the shortcuts to get there.
How can I be so sure? Simple.
The crisp, mysterious concept that elevated Laira to top-tier drew significant inspiration from Hylliy.
‘Rearranging Mysty, made for Laira, to suit Hylliy wasn’t hard.’
In short… I’ve done this before.
“Hello.”
“Oh, hello.”
“Nice to see you three again.”
Stepping into the recording studio, my casual greeting is met by familiar faces.
The three engineers who struggled through the Shooting Star session.
“Honestly, the first day’s intensity overshadows the easier second and third. I almost dodged this gig,” the chief engineer admits, flanked by his chuckling colleagues.
I get it.
But I also know why they’re here.
“Working with me once changes your perspective, doesn’t it?”
“Saying it yourself is cheeky, but I can’t deny it.”
It was tough, but the reward was worth it.
As I exchange greetings, Suhyuk enters late, distributing plastic cups.
Not the dark, opaque Americano—modern fuel—but a clear, pale green drink.
A mix of Bacchus and cider, dubbed “ice Bacchus.”
“Figured you’ve had enough coffee.”
“What, planning to wear us out with this?”
As the chief engineer’s uneasy—half-joking—voice rises under the soft lighting,—
““Hello~!””
—two new voices chime in perfect sync as guests enter.
“Oh, welcome. Why just you two?”
“Manager unnie Ailee said she has to talk.”
“I see. Take a seat for now. We need Ailee to start anyway.”
“Yep!”
I settle the lively pair on the couch, offering bottled water.
Their eyes dart to our ice Bacchus, but it’s off-limits.
‘That calorie count…’
Even zero-sugar cider might’ve been okay, but it’s unfit for a pre-activity girl group.
Aware, they sip water, and I smirk inwardly, recalling their profiles.
‘Choi Eunwoo.’
A textbook main vocal with clean, stable high notes.
The “confident main vocal” label fits her perfectly—always in the top five of 4th-gen girl group vocal rankings.
Though she feels the weight of Yoonje’s direct casting, her skill justifies pride.
‘And Kitano Sora.’
Slightly lower high range than Eunwoo, but she handles lows Eunwoo can’t.
Her pronunciation, muddled by nationality, earns mixed reviews unlike Eunwoo’s, yet it crafts a dreamy vibe that synergizes with Hylliy’s core concept.
In Hylliy, some even say Kitano Sora suits the vocal role better than Choi Eunwoo.
Of course, that’s an unproven opinion now.
A single “They’ve never hit number one” is enough to undermine both their skills.
“Oh, PD-nim. Late, but congrats on your first win.”
Choi Eunwoo breaks the heavy silence with a cautious remark.
The topic stings, tying to my recent thoughts.
“Thanks. For the congrats and support.”
“No problem. Hehe.”
“Now Hylliy should aim for number one too.”
That kind of unfair critique won’t plague Hylliy anymore.
Though not at their peak, as Bong Cheol-jin noted, their skill holds up anywhere.
With a song tailored for them, success is near.
“Yep! We’ll work hard! The song’s so good, we’ll nail it this time!”
As if sensing my intent, Kitano Sora’s bright smile—melting countless fans—lights up.
‘Compared to Zia, it’s a bit lacking.’
Still, it’s enough to lead a group. I smile back lightly.
“Oh, and PD-nim, feel free to drop the formalities. We’re younger…”
Eunwoo adds hesitantly, but I shake my head.
“Even so, I’m the senior. Can’t do that.”
“But…”
“If I go casual, it’ll spark talk—‘Han Yujin has no manners,’ ‘So rude.’ I know formalities might feel stiff, but let’s stick to mutual respect.”
Eunwoo nods, understanding the dilemma between a younger senior and older junior.
But my formality with Hylliy has another reason.
‘I can’t go easy.’
I don’t recall every group’s activity timeline.
I vaguely remember Starlight’s, but Polaris’ shifted debut threw that off.
‘Even meeting Pleiades would crash Hylliy.’
That’s why I eyed their peak.
With Mysty—proven beyond fandom power—plus Hylliy’s potential, no team, however strong, can outrank it.
That makes Live Music Center viable.
There, half the score is from chart rankings, so even with weak voting, a win’s possible.
For that, this session must be intense.
Raising their skills, honed over a year, in a short span demands it.
‘But going casual might break them…’
Not a boast, but experience backs this.
From Laira to senior Pleiades members—my track record’s colorful.
Even off-record, drunken jabs like “that jerk” flew.
‘Others, maybe, but Hylliy’s close to Zia…’
Zia, with few friends, finally found some.
Ruining that over me would be a problem, so I’ll maintain boundaries.
“Sorry, I’m a bit late, right?”
Ailee enters with Hylliy’s manager, interrupting my thoughts.
“No, perfect timing. Hello, I’m Han Yujin, the producer.”
I greet Ailee lightly, then turn to the manager, offering a hand.
A new face, so a routine gesture.
“Oh, yes. Hello.”
Her response feels cold, reluctant.
Before I dwell—
“Yujin-ssi, I’ve got work today. Junior Manager Ju will oversee recording.”
Ailee cuts in.
Normally, I’d agree, but—
“Um, Ailee, could you stay a bit? Just… an hour?”
I hold her back.
‘Hope it’s just a hunch.’
Jeon Seonwoo’s talk of pro- and anti-new-producer factions from the concept meeting lingers.
‘Bong Manager liked me, but…’
No guarantee the manager feels the same.
Her edginess suggests she might sabotage my producing.
Ailee’s presence could mediate.
“An hour… Sure.”
Whether she caught the manager’s vibe or for another reason, Ailee agrees.
“Okay, let’s start with Kitano-ssi?”
Hoping it’s just nerves, I begin Hylliy’s main vocals’ level-up and Mysty recording on thin ice.