Shadows of the Spotlight

Chapter 14

We had just finished our breakfast when Jihoon and Jessica walked into the room, looking just as busy as ever. As expected, Jihoon immediately began discussing the schedule for the day.

"오늘 Arc는 다른 아티스트와 노래를 녹음할 거예요." (Today, Arc will be recording a song with another artist,) Jihoon started, his tone matter-of-fact, as usual. "그래서 오늘 하루는 대부분 녹음실에서 보내게 될 거예요." (So, most of the day will be spent in the recording studio.)

I nodded, listening as he explained the details. It sounded like a typical day in the world of a K-pop star—always on the move, always busy.

Just like yesterday, we all arrived in the underground parking lot, wearing the crew T-shirts. The familiar scene was a reminder of how quickly I was getting used to this new world.

This time, I got into Arc's car with Jessica and Jihoon. The drive was calm, with Jessica and Jihoon discussing something in Korean, which I only half-understood. Since they were occupied, I took the opportunity to pull out my phone and read up about the artist Arc was collaborating with.

His name was Carlos "Lil Blaze" Rivera—a famous Puerto Rican rapper with multiple chart-topping hits and several prestigious music awards. I scrolled through articles about his rise to fame, his collaborations with other big names, and his influence in the industry. He was known for his hard-hitting lyrics and distinctive voice, and his music often touched on themes of struggle, empowerment, and street life. It made me curious about how his style would blend with Arc's, given that they came from such different musical backgrounds.

As the car moved through the city, I found myself thinking about how Arc, despite all the fame and pressure, still seemed so calm and collected. But with a collaboration like this one, it was clear that even he couldn't avoid the intensity of the spotlight.

We arrived at the studio, and this was my first time in a recording space. It had a vibrant, creative atmosphere, with sleek, modern equipment and walls lined with soundproofing. Jihoon introduced Arc to Lil Blaze, and it was clear from the start that they were both excited to collaborate on the track. With Jessica accompanying us, I took a step back to let her handle the translation of the conversation.

As Arc and Lil Blaze began discussing the collaboration, they dove right into the details, talking about tempo, style, and the overall vision for the song. There were a lot of music jargons and terms that I didn't understand, but I noticed that Jessica would keep the English terms when translating them to Arc, ensuring the technical language didn't get lost in translation. She seamlessly switched between Korean and English, making sure Arc was on the same page about the creative direction.

While they exchanged ideas, it was evident how both artists were passionate about the project, bouncing off each other's energy. The discussion moved quickly, and I could tell how familiar Arc was with the process, despite the complexity of the technical terms. It was fascinating to watch how Jessica bridged the gap between their worlds, helping Arc navigate through all the intricacies of the collaboration while Lil Blaze eagerly shared his ideas.

As the session continued, I realized that the song Arc was recording was in English, with a mix of Spanish. Arc could pick up the English words, but he was clearly struggling with the accent. I could see his frustration growing as he tried to match the flow of the song, and it was starting to get to him.

Wanting to help, I decided to get him some water to calm him down. As I walked over to the table where the water bottles were set up, I overheard two of Lil Blaze's crew members speaking in Spanish. They were discussing Arc, and from the tone of their conversation, it was clear that they were frustrated with the situation.