The Crazy Mercenary Commander Goes to Work in the Entertainment Industry

’Moonless Village’ would be streaming on Netflix, with a worldwide release also in its sights. The music and Music Director for ’Moonless Village’ hadn’t been confirmed yet, but Kang Jae-ha naturally intended to push Choi Ri-na for the job.

Of course, Jae-ha had originally instructed Choi Ri-na only to compose the music for ’Moonless Village’.

’But if her blocked vocals have come back, that changes things.’

If her singing had recovered, then naturally, at least one of the songs she’d written needed to carry Choi Ri-na’s voice. What Kang Jae-ha selected was the main OST among the music for ’Moonless Village’.

In other words, Choi Ri-na would compose the music and participate as a singer too.

Around this point, Cha Chung-hyeon, who had been listening to Kang Jae-ha, stifled a yawn while musing to himself.

’Choi Ri-na is doing the vocals? Then maybe the whole world could end up hearing an OST sung by Choi Ri-na-’

His thought was exactly the picture Kang Jae-ha was aiming for. In any case, Jae-ha pulled out his phone and asked Choi Ri-na as if it were nothing.

”You don’t mind, right? Demonstrating the songs you made in front of the ’Moonless Village’ director and other people involved, and singing the main OST yourself.”

Rather than simply handing over the ’Moonless Village’ songs Choi Ri-na had made, Kang Jae-ha had planned to gather Director Hong Man-seop and the others in one place and play the music for them in person.

Choi Ri-na’s vocals included, of course.

That would make a far bigger impact.

It also meant saving time. Choi Ri-na’s eyes went round and she spaced out for a moment.

”Ah- ah! So you’re saying I should sing a song I wrote in front of people, right??!”

”Yeah, just the main OST track.”

”Wow, I’m getting nervous just thinking about it......but I can do it!”

”Right? You’ve got busking experience under your belt.”

”That’s right! That much is a piece of cake!”

Her motivation fully charged in an instant, Choi Ri-na huffed through her nose. Her snorts carried a high combat spirit. That was how she looked on the outside, but honestly, hearing the Commander’s plan had made Choi Ri-na’s jitters grow stronger. She had busked, but that was back when her vocals were dead.

Mostly she had only performed with an acoustic guitar or other instruments.

So singing in front of people would be the first time in quite a while.

Her heart kept pounding, but Choi Ri-na soothed herself.

’It’s okay, I can do this! The Commander will be there too. And I might end up standing in front of way, way, way more people someday, so I can’t chicken out at this level!’

With a faint smile, Kang Jae-ha called Director Hong Man-seop as General Manager Kim Ha-jae of ’MEG’.

”Yes, Director. Hello.”

Director Hong Man-seop was quick to pick up, and Jae-ha spoke to him in a low voice.

”Please make some time tomorrow. There’s music you should hear.”

The next day, midday. ’MEG Entertainment’.

Around a late lunch hour, a familiar woman walked into MEG Entertainment. Long straight hair, clear skin, slender arms and legs. It was Yoon Da-yeon. Having recently transferred from Leon to MEG Entertainment, she exchanged greetings with the staff inside the office.

Including, of course, CEO Park Ja-hee, who took her orders from the parent company, ’MEG’.

In the CEO’s office, CEO Park Ja-hee smiled at Yoon Da-yeon.

”Da-yeon-ssi, welcome once again. The company and I will both work hard so you can climb even higher.”

The company was much smaller in scale than Leon, where she used to be, but Yoon Da-yeon felt at ease.

”Thank you. I’ll have to do my part too.”

There was just one disappointing thing, though.

’It’s gotten harder to see that man......no, no, what am I even thinking right now. Am I crazy?’

The fact that Kang Jae-ha was no longer officially Yoon Da-yeon’s manager. Regardless, CEO Park Ja-hee continued.

When Yoon Da-yeon finished the conversation and stepped back out of the CEO’s office, a woman who hadn’t been there earlier was chatting with the staff. Yoon Da-yeon immediately scanned the woman, starting with her violet hair and then her looks.

The woman was Choi Ri-na.

’What, she’s pretty?’

The moment she saw Yoon Da-yeon, the woman bowed her head deeply.

”Hello, sunbae-nim! I look forward to working with you!”

At the energetic greeting from Choi Ri-na, who already knew the news of Yoon Da-yeon’s transfer, Yoon Da-yeon flinched slightly but returned the greeting for now.

”...Yes, likewise.”

Inwardly, Yoon Da-yeon thought the girl was incredibly lively.

’There’s a kid with suuuper high energy here?? Is she a trainee or something?’

Choi Ri-na then briefly discussed a few things with CEO Park Ja-hee before leaving MEG Entertainment, and her image left a remarkably strong impression on Yoon Da-yeon.

About an hour later, that same Choi Ri-na arrived at a studio.

A place with all kinds of production equipment and a recording booth. At a glance, it was clearly a studio for working on songs, and two people were already inside.

Kang Jae-ha, who had switched to Face A, and Lee Chan-hoo.

The moment she saw the two of them, Choi Ri-na spoke up in slight surprise.

”Oh! Commander, you’re already here?? Am I late by any chance?”

Kang Jae-ha smiled faintly and shook his head.

”No, you’re right on time.”

”What a relief. I thought I’d come pretty early, but you and oppa were already here, so I thought I might be late.”

Kang Jae-ha gave Choi Ri-na a quick once-over. From her expression to her outfit. She was wearing a loose hoodie, and while a reasonable amount of tension showed on her face, it wasn’t enough to be a problem.

’At that level, there’s no real need to help her relax.’

Then, pointing at the recording booth with his index finger, Jae-ha continued.

”If you want to go in and practice, give it a try.”

”Okay!”

Answering spiritedly, Choi Ri-na went into the recording booth. Watching her, narrow-eyed Lee Chan-hoo grinned.

”Seeing her like that gives me a weeeird feeling, sir. Kinda like watching my little sister’s audition?”

”She’ll do fine.”

”Of course.”

It was about thirty minutes later that more people joined the studio. The first to arrive was Director Hong Man-seop, the man spearheading the animated film ’Moonless Village’.

”Hello, CEO. General Manager.”

Next was Executive Director Heo Seong-jin of Netflix Korea.

”Everyone’s already here, I see.”

After giving everyone an appropriate greeting, Executive Director Heo Seong-jin looked around the studio, then was startled when he saw inside the recording booth.

”Huh??”

It was understandable. A familiar face was standing inside the recording booth.

”Why is Music Director ’Rina’ in there......”

Executive Director Heo Seong-jin, who could hardly fail to recognize the Music Director of the ’One-Act Drama Project’, was slightly flustered, and Director Hong Man-seop, standing beside him, chimed in.

”Music Director??”

Soon, seemingly having belatedly noticed their presence, Choi Ri-na scrambled out of the booth to greet them.

”Hello!!”

Director Hong Man-seop and Executive Director Heo Seong-jin returned the greeting in bewilderment, and Kang Jae-ha, wearing his mask, introduced Choi Ri-na and briefly explained the current situation to the two of them.

”We’ll get into the details a little later. For now, just listen.”

Lee Chan-hoo chimed in.

”Haha, you’re both in for a surprise.”

Director Hong Man-seop blinked. He’d come after hearing there was music to listen to, so who was this pretty woman all of a sudden?

’I thought they were going to recommend candidates for the ’Moonless Village’ music?? What is this out of nowhere?’

Likewise, Executive Director Heo Seong-jin stroked his bald head, wondering what was going on. Why was Music Director ’Rina’ here? And wearing headphones, no less.

Right now, Choi Ri-na looked, to anyone’s eyes, like a singer about to step into a recording session.

Leaving the two question-mark-filled figures behind, Kang Jae-ha nodded to Choi Ri-na.

-Swish.

Answering with a resolute expression, Choi Ri-na went back into the booth. Inside, after fiddling with something, she spoke into the microphone.

”Testing, testing- you can hear me, right??”

Choi Ri-na’s voice rang out powerfully through the entire studio. Kang Jae-ha gave a thumbs-up, as if that was plenty. Choi Ri-na’s eyes crinkled in a faint smile as she signaled she was ready, and it was Kang Jae-ha who handled the laptop by the production equipment.

After a few touches on the laptop, a song soon began to fill the studio.

It opened with the melody of a gayageum. The slow rhythm gradually quickened, and the sounds of various traditional Korean instruments blended in. The moment he heard the intro, Director Hong Man-seop ran a hand over his thick eyebrows.

His eyes widened along with it.

”...!!”

The reason was simple. The music playing now, the intro, was a perfect match for ’Moonless Village’, the project he was pouring his heart into. Naturally so. The song they were listening to was the main OST for ’Moonless Village’ that Choi Ri-na had composed.

Soon, around the time the janggu and other Korean textures began mixing with a modern rhythm, Choi Ri-na, headphones on and head bobbing to the music, opened her mouth.

-♬♪

Choi Ri-na’s vocals layered over the main OST.

The color of the song grew rich in an instant, and as it gradually built, Director Hong Man-seop and Executive Director Heo Seong-jin both looked like their souls had left their bodies.

Glancing at the two of them, Lee Chan-hoo whispered to Kang Jae-ha.

”Choi Ri-na sounds way better today than the little I heard before.”

Kang Jae-ha agreed. Choi Ri-na’s vocals were enough to melt the ears, polished as if she’d been gearing up for this day with a vengeance. The tension-inducing low notes were great in their own right, and her unwavering high notes were just as hard to look away from.

Satisfied, Kang Jae-ha rested his chin on his hand.

’I knew her Voice Tone was a straight-up cheat, but her volume is so full that even the high notes don’t look like a strain. And above all, since it’s a song she wrote herself, her emotional interpretation runs that much deeper.’

More than anything, Choi Ri-na had crafted the song brilliantly. Sure, with her ’ability’ that was to be expected, but layered with her musical talent, the result was staggering.

By this point, Director Hong Man-seop had completely lost himself.

”......”

The song itself was so well made that the world and feel of ’Moonless Village’ came through achingly clear, and above all, the power of that vocal was tremendous. In that moment, Director Hong Man-seop flinched and looked down at his forearm.

Goosebumps had risen.

Executive Director Heo Seong-jin was equally shocked, though in a somewhat different way.

’...Sh, she can sing too??’

Executive Director Heo Seong-jin had already experienced the songs Choi Ri-na made through the ’One-Act Drama Project’, but this was the first he’d learned that Music Director ’Rina’s’ vocals were this absurdly good.

’Musical talent, and singing chops like that on top of it-’

Soon Executive Director Heo Seong-jin was stroking his bald head without pause. It was something of a habit of his. A habit that came out whenever he witnessed something extraordinary.

A while later, the song filling the studio and Choi Ri-na’s vocals came to a stop.

Yet Director Hong Man-seop and Executive Director Heo Seong-jin remained motionless, still staring at Choi Ri-na inside the booth.

”......”

”......”

Watching them, Kang Jae-ha let out a small laugh.

’Completely spellbound. Of course they are. Who could hear that and stay unaffected?’

Then Choi Ri-na took off her headphones and shuffled out of the booth.

”How was it??”

To Director Hong Man-seop and Executive Director Heo Seong-jin, both still frozen, Kang Jae-ha explained.

”I recommend the song you just heard as the main OST for ’Moonless Village’. There are other tracks that would become the music of ’Moonless Village’ as well, of course. What do you say? As the music for ’Moonless Village’?”

Only then did Director Hong Man-seop, coming to his senses with difficulty, bow deeply toward the masked Kang Jae-ha with a stiff face.

”Thank you. Truly, thank you.”

Next, he took a step closer to Choi Ri-na.

”Please, let us hear the other songs too. And for the main OST we just heard, I would very much like ’Rina’-nim to take on the vocals as well.”

Director Hong Man-seop’s eyes said he had already decided on Choi Ri-na for the music of ’Moonless Village’.

”It absolutely has to be ’Rina’-nim.”

A few days later, inside a white van on the move.

A familiar top actress came into view. It was Moon Ji-a. She was quietly reading the ’Condensation: Euphoria’ Screenplay, and her manager in the passenger seat kept sneaking glances at her through the rearview mirror. The look of someone with something to say, holding it in.

That went on for a good five minutes or more, and as if he couldn’t take it any longer, the manager finally spoke up with difficulty.

”Ji-a, are you really not going to renew your exclusive contract with our company?”

At her manager’s question, Moon Ji-a, her eyes still on the ’Condensation: Euphoria’ Screenplay, smiled faintly.

”Oppa, do you know how many times you’ve asked me that Contract Renewal question just between yesterday and today?”

The manager cleared his throat and answered, feigning nonchalance.

”Well, it’s because you won’t say a word about it. I’m on pins and needles, and the CEO keeps hounding me.”

”The answer will come when the time is right, won’t it? It’s not like I’d answer on the spot just because you asked.”

”W-well, that’s true, but.”

Only now lifting her eyes from the Screenplay, Moon Ji-a showed a smile.

”Besides, it’s an agency Contract Renewal. That’s not something to take lightly.”

”Of course! I know that too! But......you’ve been so quiet it’s making me nervous.”

Moon Ji-a turned a little serious.

”I’m thinking it over.”

For some reason, she seemed slightly negative about the Contract Renewal.

*****

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