Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 287
Tom stared blankly at the boy.
'Who is he...?'
Tom first learned about Lee Yeon-jae through the 'Jim Fury Show.'
Jim Fury, a show host known to every American.
A video of a strange Asian boy mimicking his greeting had gone incredibly viral.
And for good reason—the level of mimicry was eerily exceptional.
As soon as Tom saw that video, he thought Lee Yeon-jae's singing skills couldn't be bad.
'If he's good at mimicry, it means he can use his voice well.'
Imitating someone else's voice is never easy.
Voice projection, pronunciation, breathing, intonation—all these complex factors contribute to creating a unique voice.
Being able to imitate someone's distinctive speech habits and nasal sounds indicated an extraordinary talent.
'But so what.'
Tom was a professional well-known in the industry, working with famous pop star Lily Sweetie.
There was no reason for him to be interested in Lee Yeon-jae.
Numerous other singers requesting Tom's producing services were also formidable professionals.
Yet here he was, coming all the way to another country for a newbie who had never released an album and was primarily an actor.
If not for Lily's desperate request, this would never have happened—Tom's most absurd experience.
But Tom had just realized.
The most absurd thing was yet to come.
'...What is this.'
It wasn't the time to worry about trivial things like this foreign trip.
The song he had just heard was far more important.
'What did I just hear.'
Tom's mind was blank.
His unfocused gaze wandered to the floor.
"(The song is over now.)"
Lee Yeon-jae, wearing headphones in the recording studio, quietly spoke up.
"(Should I sing another version?)"
"(...)"
"(Tom?)"
Tom wasn't in his right mind to respond.
Seeing no reaction, Lee Yeon-jae was briefly puzzled but soon put on a calm face.
"(Let's stop here. Thank you for listening.)"
He said in a nonchalant voice and took off his headphones.
Only then did Tom come to his senses and urgently turned on the microphone.
"(Why, why stop here. Why?)"
"(You didn't say anything. Wasn't it not good?)"
What wasn't good?
Could he really think the song he just sang wasn't good?
'Are my ears just for show.'
As Tom stood there dumbfounded, Lee Yeon-jae spoke first.
"(It's okay. You came because of Lily's request.)"
"(No, it's just...)"
"(You don't have to listen forcibly. Still, thank you for listening.)"
"(I wasn't listening forcibly! Just, I was, uh...)"
Tom couldn't bring himself to say that he was too impressed by his singing ability to say anything.
But even if he didn't say it, it was a fact.
An undeniable fact.
'Why is he so good at singing?'
Lily had sent a live broadcast video as a reference, but it was incomparable to now—it was much better.
The stability of reaching high notes effortlessly.
Clean handling of each note without any excess.
A natural sense of rhythm flowing smoothly.
Above all, the deep emotions conveyed in his voice were vivid.
'How does he have such pronunciation as a non-native speaker.'
The song Lee Yeon-jae had just sung was a pop song, so all the lyrics were in English.
Despite clearly paying attention to each pronunciation as it wasn't his native language, it didn't sound overdone at all.
It was clear how much he had practiced from the day he did the live broadcast to now recording.
"(You use your voice well. Have you ever learned voice training?)"
"(No, I haven't taken any classes...)"
Lee Yeon-jae hesitated for a moment, then added belatedly.
"(Oh, I did practice by watching videos on YouTube.)"
"(...)"
"(I watched videos made by professional instructors, so yes, you could say I learned.)"
Lee Yeon-jae confessed as if revealing a guilty conscience.
Tom looked at him with an incredulous face.
'Since when did self-study become equivalent to formal learning.'
His incredulity grew stronger as the songs were repeated.
'How can someone like this exist.'
Tom couldn't be sure if he could describe Lee Yeon-jae as 'naturally gifted.'
He seemed to have innate talent, but seeing traces of intense struggle made Tom hesitate to use that expression.
A representative example was when he sang the same lyrics as if different people were singing.
―Tell Me. 'I dare you to love me.'
This song was made with unrequited love in mind.
Every time Lee Yeon-jae started singing, he transformed into a specific character.
A person shy about experiencing love for the first time.
A person fully enjoying the thrill of love after a long time.
And a person suffering from a painful love they couldn't live without.
'So this is what it means to prepare emotions.'
Tom stared blankly at Lee Yeon-jae singing.
Where to breathe, where to stop, and where to scrape the pronunciation.
It was astonishing to see him meticulously adjust all these elements according to the changing emotions.
―You called me Lilly. I knew I was in love.
Lee Yeon-jae literally changed his voice at will.
Tom and his producing team watched with their mouths open.
'How can he sing so effortlessly...?'
The most astonishing thing was that Lee Yeon-jae's face showed no sign of difficulty.
His expression changed to match the emotions of the song every time, yet overall, he appeared calm and composed.
It was as if he wasn't just changing his voice but becoming a completely different person.
All within a brief three-minute span.
"(...)"
Their awe and admiration manifested in silence.
Everyone watched the boy in the recording studio without saying a word.
The big man who had introduced himself as Lee Yeon-jae's manager interrupted.
"(I think it's time for a break.)"
"(Huh? Oh...)"
Tom sighed when he absentmindedly checked the time.
Two hours had already passed.
Forcing a singer to perform without any break for such a long period was insane.
'Damn, I must be crazy.'
Feeling guilty, Tom quickly told Lee Yeon-jae to take a break.
Lee Yeon-jae, who emerged from the recording studio, quietly drank water without showing any sign of exhaustion.
'He must be naturally fit too.'
Tom admired him internally.
Not knowing how much time Lee Yeon-jae spent on acting practice each day led to such a thought.
When Lee Yeon-jae emptied a water bottle, Tom approached him promptly.
"(Would you like to release a song?)"
"(...?)"
Lee Yeon-jae tilted his head in silence.
Tom tried his best to smile kindly.
"(Instead of remixing Lily's song, I think it would be better to work on a new one. I have a song I've been saving, and it would suit you perfectly. Want to give it a listen?)"
"(Pardon?)"
"(Just listen to it once. Emma, get my laptop.)"
"(No, wait. What are you saying all of a sudden.)"
Lee Yeon-jae looked quite bewildered.
Meanwhile, Tom's eyes and ears were busy analyzing him.
'His voice is so dry now.'
Despite his confusion, his voice remained calm, with little pitch variation.
'This is where the stability comes from.'
Singers are usually categorized into those who produce stable high notes and those who deliver high notes with piercing intensity.
Some switch between these styles, but reaching that point involves a tough process.
'I can't let this kid go.'
Tom's mind raced.
"(I heard Lily marveling at your acting skills. After watching the music video, I understood why she said that. You're an excellent actor.)"
"(Thank you...?)"
Lee Yeon-jae blinked at the sudden compliment.
"(But I think you should be a singer. You're meant to sing.)"
"(...?)"
"(Your acting skills are at the level of someone who trained to become a singer. Do you understand what I mean?)"
"(No. I don't understand at all.)"
Tom eventually got frustrated seeing Lee Yeon-jae's puzzled expression.
"(Just do both! Act and sing, excel at everything you do. And your debut song will be with me!)"
It was sure to be a hit.
Anyone with ears would be captivated by Lee Yeon-jae's singing.
Even if the album didn't perform well due to the limitations of being a debut by an Asian artist, it didn't matter.
'Working with him would be so much fun.'
He was a talent Tom couldn't afford to miss.
Imagining Lee Yeon-jae perfectly understanding his requests made Tom want to stay in Korea indefinitely.
However, unlike Tom's intense reaction, Lee Yeon-jae remained calm.
"(Thank you for saying that. But I'm not sure.)"
"(What? Why?!)"
"(I came to find out if I enjoy singing, but I can't distinguish it well. It felt like I was just acting as someone who sings the whole time.)"
The boy's eyes were cautious as he said that.
Only then did Tom fully understand what Lily had told him a few months ago.
'(His personality is really peculiar. He's very calm and cautious but also fearless.)'
'(What's so peculiar about being fearless? Everyone around me is fearless.)'
'(Tom, you don't get it because you haven't seen him. No matter how familiar someone is with the camera, it's extremely hard not to get nervous. But he looks at the camera without hesitation. It's like he's seeing through it.)'
At first, Tom thought Lily was exaggerating.
But the day the music video came out, he understood why she described it that way.
The boy staring straight into the camera, despite his young age, had the gaze of an old soul.
And even now, he did.
"(I love acting. That's why I enjoyed singing just now; it felt like acting in a different way. But continuously singing with such emotions feels like a disservice to those who prioritize singing.)"
"(...)"
His voice carried sincerity as he calmly conveyed his thoughts.
Such deep insight, unusual for his age.
Tom realized he couldn't persuade him with mere admiration and compliments and decided to change his approach.
"(I get what you're saying. Singing with someone else's emotions feels like acting, right?)"
"(Yes.)"
"(Then how about singing with your own emotions?)"
"(Pardon?)"
Lee Yeon-jae looked confused.
Tom continued with a serious expression.
"(Sing lyrics that you can fully immerse in with your own emotions, without anyone else's.)"
"(Ah, yes. That could work. Then I need to find lyrics first—)"
"(Looking for lyrics is good too. If you're lucky, you might find them in a few years. But that's too slow. There's a more certain way.)"
"(...?)"
Lee Yeon-jae slightly furrowed his brow, not understanding what the other person meant.
Tom gave him a meaningful smile.
"(You should try writing the lyrics yourself.)"