Translator: Chamber

  Editor: Illidan

  HeeYoon’s holiday began and ended with composing.

  She worked on Kim JiMin’s debut song, ‘Speak Happy Day’, as well as the other songs in the mini album, and she now had to work on Jung MinAh’s digital single. The continuous stream of work made Reina complain about how she had to play all alone, but HeeYoon didn’t even have the time to hang out with her.

  Inside the studio, Jung MinAh was currently listening to the song HeeYoon brought for her. This had no final rearrangement done on it and was only the bare composition. Listening to HeeYoon play the piano, Jung MinAh tilted her head.

  “I don’t really get the feel with just the melody.”


  “Hm, really? So you just want to know the feel of the song?”


  “Yes. Can you perhaps play the intro in brass? I think that it will be better for me to have a grasp on things….”


  As Jung MinAh requested, HeeYoon changed the sound to brass before playing it again. This felt completely different from the previous intro to Jung MinAh, and she started to move her body along with the rhythm.

  Having played the beginning part, HeeYoon stopped playing the synthesizer. Jung MinAh then spoke.

  “Ooh, this is the feeling. The beat is just right too.”


  “You like it? That’s good.”


  When Jung MinAh put her thumb upwards, HeeYoon was able to sigh in relief. HeeYoon was the happiest when a musician was satisfied with her composition.

  HeeYoon then played the intro of the next song. Jung MinAh listened in.

  “Is the general feeling like this?”


  “For now. Some sound effects should be added in, though. Shall I keep playing it on brass?”


  HeeYoon asked back at Jung MinAh’s question. Jung MinAh spoke after a little thought.

  “I think brass goes really well with this song. It’s easy to follow the beat as well. I think you should keep it.”


  “Okay. I’ll tell my brother that.”


  “Yes, and also….”


  Jung MinAh told HeeYoon about the things she felt from the song. HeeYoon wrote down the suggestions on the score and thought about what she should change. She was a musician alright, she had more suggestions than Kim JiMin did.

  When the blank spaces in the score became full with notes, Jung MinAh’s suggestions also ended.

  “That’s a lot of things to consider. It won’t be easy to consider them all. I’ll see you again next time, with my brother this time.”


  “Yes. Thank you for your work.”


  When they finished talking about the song, the two stood up from their seats.

  Jung MinAh was about to turn around after saying goodbyes when HeeYoon suddenly asked.

  “Hey, MinAh.”


  “Yes.”


  “We’re friends, aren’t we?”


  “Hm? Yes, of course.”


  This sounded very suspicious. Jung MinAh became a lot tense after seeing HeeYoon’s smile.

  “Yes, that’s right. But, you know? I was a little disappointed, you know? Giving my brother chocolates and not me.”


  “……”


  Jung MinAh gulped at the sudden chocolate story. She did not imagine that HeeYoon had such a side to her. She was definitely paying back for the time she was used as a sacrifice to put down the spark between Lee HyunAh and her.

  ‘Hiiik…..’


  Jung MinAh suddenly shivered. They say the quiet kid is usually the scariest when they get angry, and this was exactly that situation.

  Regardless, HeeYoon only ‘smiled’, and crossed arms with her.

  “I really like chocolate too, MinAh.”


  “Sorry?”


  “You know, can I… ask for some?”


  She was ‘asking’, but this was no different from a threat. HeeYoon was smiling, but there was some mysterious sharp air about her. The usually angelic composer was all but gone, and in front of her was the demonic sister-in-law with the evil smile.

  “Hahaha… O… of course.”


  Jung MinAh laughed awkwardly and looked elsewhere.

  ‘Ahjussi….’


  Jung MinAh looked for KangYoon in her heart. However, KangYoon couldn’t be seen for the entirety of that day.

  ***

  Having dropped Lee SamSoon off, KangYoon took a tour around Chiram-li, where the shoot would take place.

  Chiram-li was a very ordinary village. There was a mountain behind the village, and a small stream ran across the whole village. It was very beautiful.

  By the river, KangYoon sat down on a big rock and looked around.

  (T/N: Author screwed up and used ‘Chiram’ for two different places. This place is NOT SamSoon’s hometown. In fact, SamSoon’s hometown and this Chiram both don’t exist. Chiram is in Busan…)

  ‘Is that the place?’


  The Village Hall could be seen not far from where he was. He could see that many people were moving around busily. There were large poles with cameras at the end, namely Jimmy Jib cranes, and many people surrounding it. The shoot was taking place inside the Village Hall.

  ‘I hope she does well.’


  Although the environment here should be similar to her hometown, TV programs shouldn’t be so easy. It was up to her to compete against the other cast to get screen time after all. Although he was aware that Lee SamSoon had analyzed the program and created a character for it, he was worried since he didn’t know what could happen here.

  However, it wasn’t like he could do anything for her even if he did stay here. The managers of other people were also having a chat outside the village.

  In the end, KangYoon asked manager Jung SangHo to take care of everything.

  “I should get going then. Please take care of SamSoon.”


  “Yes. Don’t worry about it.”


  KangYoon declined the manager’s offer to take him to the nearest bus terminal and got on the village bus.

  “Does this go to the terminal?”


  “Yes, it does.”


  After double-checking with the elderly driver, KangYoon sat on an empty seat.

  ‘I’m tired.’


  His eyelids closed due to the after-effects of waking up early.

  On the bus that drove on a rough road, KangYoon dozed until he rested his head against the window and fell asleep.

  ***

  “Hey, hey!”


  “…..”


  “Young man.”


  “Mmmm….”


  Feeling his body being shaken, KangYoon opened his eyes.

  However, when he did, an elderly man’s face was right in front of his eyes.

  “!!”


  “What do you have to be so surprised for? Hur hur, it looks like you were tired. This is the last stop. You should get off.”


  “The last stop… Ah!”


  Only then did KangYoon remember things. When he looked outside, he was no longer at the terminal, his original destination, and was at some old train station.

  “Haaa….”


  KangYoon hurriedly got off the bus. He had made a mistake. Although it would practically take no time at all to reach Seoul if he got off at the terminal, his plans were ruined now. He couldn’t get back on the bus either.

  As such, he ran to the ticket office.

  However, looking at the train schedule, there was a lot of time until the next one.

  ‘I just had to make such a mistake….’


  Having no choice, KangYoon got himself a train ticket. The fastest one here would take more than two hours to arrive. He sighed and left the train station, dejected.

  When he looked around, it was a vast expanse of fields. Other than a few restaurants near the station, there were no other shops either. This was a stereotypical countryside train station.

  “Sheesh….”


  KangYoon sighed. He had to eat lunch alone in the middle of nowhere. He had originally planned to eat lunch back in Seoul. He laughed awkwardly at the change of plans.

  Having no choice, KangYoon headed to a nearby restaurant.

  It was at that moment,

  “Aaah—-”


  A quiet, yet beautiful sound entered KangYoon’s ears. Although the voice was rather thin, it was very crisp.

  KangYoon came to his senses due to the sudden sound.

  ‘Nice voice.’


  KangYoon looked around. There were a few people around the clock tower at the plaza. He could see white light coming from there.

  ‘Light?’


  Although it was faint, it was definitely the light of music. KangYoon hurried there. It was clear that some capable people were singing. His heart was in a hurry.

  “In your place — only the cold wind remains — my heart feels cold –”


  KangYoon excused himself and pushed himself to the front of the people. A man and a woman were singing. The woman had a beanie on and was playing the guitar with her bare hands despite the weather, and the man was singing into a mic.

  ‘It’s JaeHoon’s song.’


  KangYoon’s eyes lit up hearing the familiar song. This was Kim JaeHoon’s song from before he entered World Entertainment, ‘In That Place’. This was a popular song for men to sing at karaoke, and one of the songs that women hated to listen to. This man, however, was very good at singing this song.

  “In my loving heart – you disappeared -and only the feelings — make me hurt –”


  It felt quite different listening to the song from someone with a beautiful voice. The people gathered around were having fun as well. However, the speaker was not of good quality and the woman had to keep messing around with the speaker’s settings. The man’s vocal output was beyond what the speaker could handle and buzzes could be heard here and there. Although she had to stop playing the guitar in order to do so, the people enjoyed the performance regardless. Even when the instrumental accompaniment stopped, the man’s voice was enough to catch their attention.

  The note from the guitar and the voice made a beautiful white light. Although it wasn’t strong, KangYoon was impressed regardless.

  ‘Nice sound. Their looks aren’t bad either. They’re doing very splendidly.’


  KangYoon closed his eyes.

  What if they stood in front of a larger audience? The woman’s accompaniment and the man’s singing. Both the singer and the listener would enjoy such an occasion.

  ‘Good.’


  KangYoon put his hand in his pocket to feel around for a business card. He was planning to show them this after listening for a little longer.

  Like that, a song ended.

  “Thank you.”


  “Waaaa—!”


  Along with the man’s gratitude, the people started clapping. Some of the people put some money into the hat in front of the duo. KangYoon also took out some money from his wallet to put in.

  At that moment.

  *Whistle*~!

  Along with a sharp whistle noise, someone ran towards them. It was the police.

  “Over there! You can’t perform here without permission.”


  The sight of two uniformed policemen made the duo pack up their things.

  “What the hell?”


  “Damn, they ruined everything.”


  As the police kept blowing on their whistle, the people scattered, albeit grumpily.

  ‘Huh?’


  The performance came to a sudden halt. KangYoon panicked due to the sudden change in circumstances.

  The police ordered the two to clean up quickly, and the two packed their stuff while grumbling.

  ‘Sheesh, this is no mood to say anything to them.’


  Who would be willing to listen to him saying that he wanted to scout the two when there were policemen with whistles around? Things really weren’t going the way he expected today. KangYoon shook his head and sighed.

  ‘Phew’.

  At that moment, the hat on the floor with money in it entered KangYoon’s eyes.

  ‘Yes, I guess I can put it in there.’


  KangYoon quietly put his business card and a 10,000 won bill inside the hat before leaving. King SeJong (the one portrayed in the bill) shone brightly among those other bills and coins. It was also his form of appreciation for the good music.

  ‘I guess we’ll see again if fate allows it.’


  KangYoon left the plaza and the annoying whistle noises.

  ***

  Changing into their work clothes, AKA flashy baggy pants, the cast of Modern Farmer gathered in front of the house. Those baggy pants made everyone, including idols, look like old ladies.

  (T/N: The Village Hall is just an empty house…)

  “Wow, look at you, Miri.”


  “You aren’t so bad yourself, unni.”


  Yeon JiYoung and Miri were two members of the group named Girl Dress, and the two quarreled with each other saying that the other looked worse

  The other members of the cast were walking in an awkward fashion due to the work clothes. Of course, their mouths were saying that everyone looked good in those clothes…


  In front of them was the epitome of countryside civilization – The tractor.

  “Wow….”


  Miri, the member to come out, found the tractor very curious. It wasn’t just her. Other members, including Yeon JiYoung and Yeri of the same idol group, as well as Nael, came out one by one and they all had a look at the tractor with curious eyes.

  ‘Is that really something to be curious about?’


  Seeing her peers so curious about it, Lee SamSoon tilted her head. She naturally sat herself at the back seat.

  Seeing that, Kang HyunJi, the oldest of the ladies, remarked in a prankful tone.

  “Jennie rides a tractor like a car.”


  “Really, I can see that.”


  The other people giggled as well. Seeing that, Lee SamSoon acted boldly instead.

  “Any vehicle is like a car to me.”


  “She’s aiming for a commercial, that girl.”


  “Please call her now, at 010-….”


  Kang HyunJi came up with a plot on the spot for the cameras. She then also sat on the tractor as well. Thanks to her heft, Lee SamSoon had to help her get on.

  Soon, the only male, and the oldest one of them all, Song HakTae, left the house. After seeing everyone on board, he got onto the driver’s seat.

  But then…


  ‘How do I drive this thing?’


  He looked around the driver’s seat. He had to start by turning on the engine, right?

  The staff did not give him a key either, nor did he know where the gears were. He asked the staff once, but they did not reply to him at all. Song HakTae panicked.

  “Huh? Chief, does this thing even work?”


  (T/N: Song HakTae is the ‘village chief’ in this TV program.)

  Yeon JiYoung asked worriedly, but Song HakTae waved his hands saying that it was okay.

  “It’s fine! Just wait a moment.”


  Song HakTae replied confidently and kept wrestling with the machine, but unlike his wish, the tractor didn’t budge at all.

  “That’s strange. On TV they looked so easy. Producer Yeo, are you sure you didn’t give us a broken one?”


  He grumbled at the producer, but nothing he did got the tractor to work.

  Even the ladies left the tractor, with their excitement gone.

  “Are we going to walk?”


  “Aah, I wanted to ride one though.”


  Yoon SeulGi and Miri had a look at the tractor while acting cute, but the engine showed no signs of starting.

  “I’ll go get someone from the village.”


  Nael turned around to get someone from the village.

  Just as everyone was searching around this cutting-edge technology called the tractor, Lee SamSoon stepped up.

  “Chief, shall I have a go?”


  At Lee SamSoon’s words, everyone looked at her with awkward expressions, as though she had said something absurd.