“I just tried writing it once.”
Taeha answered and showed Im Chan-hyung the lyrics he had written.
Honestly, he didn’t have high expectations.
It was his first time ever writing lyrics in his life, so it was only natural he lacked confidence.
Of course, he had utilized his Immersion Ability.
‘Republic of Korea’s top professional lyricist’ was exactly that.
But ultimately, the Immersion Ability draws out a person’s potential.
In other words, if Taeha had no talent for writing lyrics, it would all be meaningless.
This was also why he didn’t hold any vain hopes while showing the lyrics to Im Chan-hyung.
However,
“It’s so good?”
“Is it okay?”
“Yeah. Totally. It’s so, so good.”
What came back from Im Chan-hyung after he had checked all of Taeha’s lyrics was unexpected praise.
It wasn’t just Im Chan-hyung.
Kim Su-jin and Jo Yong-ho also saw Taeha’s lyrics and did not hold back their praise.
For Taeha, it was an incredibly gratifying result.
But he didn’t get arrogant.
Because the evaluations from TT and the Prequel members were still pending.
Especially among them, TT’s evaluation was crucial.
If the composer who gave birth to 〈Wave〉 with his own fingertips didn’t like the lyrics, the recording work couldn’t proceed.
But thanks to Im Chan-hyung, Kim Su-jin, and Jo Yong-ho, he had gained some confidence, so Taeha sent his lyrics to the group chat where TT and the Prequel members were together.
He sent just the lyrics without any particular comment.
The decreasing number, one by one.
The number that started at five changed rapidly and then stopped at one.
And then, Seo Jong-woo’s message arrived.
[I told you you’d write it well!]
It wasn’t just Seo Jong-woo.
[What’s this lol, is this Sung-wol a pro gamer who’s also good at fixing computers?]
[He probably can’t fix it;; He won’t be as versatile as our Taeha^^]
[The lyrics are so goodã… ã… I teared up a little while reading them just nowã… ã… ]
[I wish we could start recording soon]
[We’re meeting tomorrow, right?]
…
Messages from the Prequel members poured in like this.
But he still couldn’t relax.
Because the number one hadn’t disappeared yet.
The owner of the number one was none other than TT.
“Taeha. We’ve arrived at the filming site.”
Just as Taeha was staring at the number one for a while, this voice came from Im Chan-hyung.
Taeha averted his eyes from the group chat.
Because his routine upon arriving at the filming site was to immediately get out of the car and go around greeting all the actors and staff.
For that reason, Taeha didn’t see the number one disappear.
He didn’t even know that his phone was ringing like this.
Ring, ring.
Taeha checked his phone only after he had finished all his greetings and had over twenty missed calls piled up.
All of them were from TT.
Taeha discovered this belatedly and called TT.
And the tension he felt again with the dial tone.
-“Mr. Taeha! Why aren’t you answering your phone!”
“I’m sorry. I’m at the filming site.”
-“Ah. Filming. Well, that makes sense then. Ahem, ahem. Anyway, the reason I called is about the lyrics you sent…”
“Yes.”
At Taeha’s answer, TT, who had been trailing off, raised his voice.
-“The lyrics are so good! How on earth can you come up with something like this?”
The resumed filming of 〈Byeonghwa〉.
Episodes fifteen to eighteen depicted the process of Kim Seong-wol and Han Seung-hye’s reunion, centered on events from the latter half of the Imjin War.
First, episode fifteen showed Han Seung-hye parting ways with Gwak Jae-woo and heading north to confirm Kim Seong-wol’s fate, while Kim Seong-wol advanced to Gilju Fortress and fought the Battle of Seokseongnyeong-Jangdeoksan.
The Battle of Seokseongnyeong-Jangdeoksan began when Myeongchungseo, having discovered a thousand Japanese soldiers returning after plundering Gapari Village in Myeongcheon, led two hundred soldiers in a surprise attack.
Myeongchungseo’s two hundred soldiers boldly attacked the Japanese soldiers, throwing them into confusion, but the disoriented Japanese soon realized their numerical superiority and counterattacked.
However, just then, the three hundred cavalry under Han In-je, who had been lying in ambush with Kim Seong-wol, joined the battle, dampening the momentum of the counterattack.
“Trample the Japanese invaders!”
Above all, five Japanese generals led four hundred elite troops, but they couldn’t withstand Kim Seong-wol’s courageous charge and retreated, decisively turning the tide of the battle.
Eventually, the Japanese forces retreated to Jangdeoksan, five ri from Gilju Fortress.
Jeong Mun-bu, who had been watching the situation, dispatched a detachment to preemptively occupy the summit of Jangdeoksan.
“Move quickly!”
Thus, Yu Gyeong-cheon’s cavalry attacked the Japanese forces from the summit of Jangdeoksan.
The Japanese forces resisted Yu Gyeong-cheon’s cavalry with firearms, but it was futile. They eventually scattered in retreat, became surrounded on all sides, and were captured in the valley.
It was a great victory, with six hundred Japanese heads taken.
However, after the victory, Kim Seong-wol heard from one of the newly joined righteous army soldiers that the surname of a female righteous army commander active in the south was ‘Han’.
Kim Seong-wol agonized for several days before going to Jeong Mun-bu and saying he thought he should leave.
“If that’s the case, then there’s nothing to be done. There are probably people in the south who need you as well.”
With these words, Jeong Mun-bu sent Kim Seong-wol off, and Kim Seong-wol headed south to find the female righteous army commander with the surname Han.
Episode sixteen focused on Han Seung-hye’s story as she moved to Pyeongyang to confirm Kim Seong-wol’s fate.
Han Seung-hye, held back by Ukita Hideie’s Japanese forces besieging Dokseongsanseong Fortress.
Han Seung-hye realized that if she didn’t defeat the Japanese forces here, she could no longer go north.
While pondering a solution, she coincidentally met Jeolla Province provincial army commander Choi Cheol-gyeon, who suggested joining the righteous army.
“If we help General Gwon Yul defend Dokseongsanseong, the path north will open.”
Han Seung-hye judged his words had merit, joined Choi Cheol-gyeon, and began helping Gwon Yul.
Eventually, with reinforcements joining in, the Japanese forces lost their will to fight and retreated.
Gwon Yul didn’t miss this opportunity, organized a cavalry pursuit unit, and inflicted damage on the Japanese forces.
Han Seung-hye, also as a member of the pursuit unit, made a great contribution in killing Japanese soldiers.
Thus, part of Gyeonggi Province was recovered, and with the arrival of Ming dynasty reinforcements, the spark of hope grew even larger.
But even in this situation, Han Seung-hye did not stop her steps toward Pyeongyang.
She declined General Gwon Yul’s proposal to fight the Japanese together and headed to Pyeongyang.
Thus, she arrived in Pyeongyang.
But Gonishi Yukinaga, who was defending Pyeongyang…
Gonishi Yukinaga, of course, did not permit Han Seung-hye’s entry.
“Then there’s no other way. This time too, I’ll have to carve a path through myself.”
In the end, Han Seung-hye decided to join the Joseon-Ming allied forces and personally fight in the Battle of Pyeongyang Fortress.
Episode seventeen depicted the Fourth Battle of Pyeongyang Fortress and the Battle of Byeokjegwan.
Han Seung-hye participated in the Fourth Battle of Pyeongyang Fortress, and Kim Seong-wol participated in the Battle of Byeokjegwan.
The two people anxiously searching for each other.
Han Seung-hye intended to personally recapture Pyeongyang Fortress and confirm Kim Seong-wol’s fate.
Kim Seong-wol intended to break through at the Battle of Byeokjegwan and meet the ‘female righteous army commander with the surname Han’ said to be in the south.
First, in the Fourth Battle of Pyeongyang Fortress, which had somehow progressed to its fourth iteration, the Joseon-Ming allied forces joined by Han Seung-hye were victorious.
Gonishi Yukinaga fought hard without receiving rescue from Otomo Yoshimune, but it was futile.
He couldn’t withstand the concentrated fire from the Ming forces armed with numerous cannons like the Daejanggunpo, Wiweonpo, Jamopo, Yeonjupo, and Bullanggi Fortress, and the combined all-out offensive by Joseon’s regular army and righteous army forces.
Thus, Joseon finally succeeded in recapturing Pyeongyang Fortress seven months after losing it.
“Waaaah!”
But rather than sharing in the joy of victory, Han Seung-hye strove to find news of Kim Seong-wol within Pyeongyang Fortress.
Finally, Han Seung-hye met a prisoner inside Pyeongyang Fortress who knew Kim Seong-wol.
And she learned that Kim Seong-wol, mistakenly believing Han Seung-hye was dead, had left for the north to become a righteous soldier.
“How could he… make such a choice because of me… Still, it’s a relief he’s alive.”
It was regrettable and sad that she had come all the way to Pyeongyang Fortress and still couldn’t meet Kim Seong-wol, but she was relieved he was alive.
Thus, Han Seung-hye headed north once again.
Meanwhile, Kim Seong-wol joined the Joseon-Ming allied forces one step late, after the Fourth Battle of Pyeongyang Fortress ended.
And he fought a battle against the Japanese forces at Byeokjegwan.
The Joseon-Ming allied forces, their momentum at its peak.
But this momentum actually held back the Joseon-Ming allied forces.
They looked down on the Japanese forces and became careless.
Especially the Ming forces’ carelessness, having achieved continuous victories, had a decisive impact on this battle.
A tremendous number of Ming soldiers were killed by the Japanese forces.
In this process, the Joseon army also suffered considerable damage, and Kim Seong-wol stepped forward.
“I will change the tide of battle.”
But this time, his efforts were insufficient.
Bang!
Kim Seong-wol, hit by a Japanese arquebus, senses death simultaneously.
In episode eighteen, Han Seung-hye, heading north, coincidentally hears news of Kim Seong-wol’s injury and returns south.
Han Seung-hye rides her horse frantically and finally arrives at Haengju Fortress.
Han Seung-hye frantically calls Kim Seong-wol’s name.
“Master Kim! Master Kim!”
And she discovers a man collapsed, covered in blood.
With a bad premonition, tears streaming down her face, she approaches the man.
Then, a familiar voice from behind.
“Miss Han?”
Coming to her senses and turning around, surprisingly, Kim Seong-wol is standing there.
Thus, the two people who had missed each other throughout the war.
Unaware of the tears flowing down her cheeks, Han Seung-hye runs to Kim Seong-wol and kisses him.
The relief of survival and the joy of reunion bloom amidst the tension of war.
***
After finishing filming up to episode eighteen, Taeha met with the Prequel members at TT’s recording studio.
It was the day to record the OST for 〈Byeonghwa〉.
Even when Taeha was busy, the Prequel members had met separately and steadily practiced.
Taeha also made time whenever possible to synchronize with the Prequel members.
For that reason, all preparations for recording 〈Wave〉 were complete.
In fact, all the other members except Taeha had already finished their recordings.
Now, all that remained was Taeha’s vocal recording.
The Prequel members cheered for Taeha as he entered the recording booth.
“Go for it. Our maknae.”
“Sing it beautifully again.”
“Let’s finish quickly and go eat something delicious.”
“What should we eat? For a day like today, it’s probably best to go to our regular spot, right?”
Thus cheered on, Taeha entered the recording booth, received TT’s signal, and began to sing.
***
Cold times linger with each season
Left alone, with dampened eyes
Lifting my head, I realized
That you were my lover
With reddened fingertips, I caress the empty air
Snowflakes hidden in my sleeve
I wept before they could even melt
That you would not return
Now rest in peace
I have wept all for you
Why couldn’t I speak when you were here?
Why did you pass by like a moon shadow?
Now rest in peace
I have wept for you
Why couldn’t I protect you when you were here?
Why couldn’t you linger like a dream?
Now rest in peace
Now rest in peace
Upon your pillow, with words
The dream we shared together
I will send it away like a wave
***
Thus, the lyrics Taeha wrote himself were layered over a lyrical melody.
Simultaneously, a natural smile formed at the corner of TT’s mouth as he watched this process.
It was the same for the Prequel members watching the recording process together.