Heart Memorial.
I had fun working on their illustration, and the game itself was well-made.
Overall, I had a good impression of them.
[Me: No, I’m not busy.]
[Me: Is there something you need?]
[Heart Memorial: Our company is planning to hold a small pop-up event soon.]
[Heart Memorial: We were wondering if you could create a simple illustration for it…]
Hmm.
An illustration, huh?
It seemed like they had really liked the artwork I did for them last time.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be this eager to reach out again.
“This doesn’t sound bad.”
After all, illustration was my profession—and something I genuinely enjoyed.
There was a unique satisfaction in completing a piece that was hard to compare to anything else.
Thinking that, I sent a reply.
[Me: Do you need a high-quality illustration?]
[Me: Or should it be more on the cute side?]
It depended on whether the illustration would be used for merchandise or just for display.
[Heart Memorial: Ah!]
[Heart Memorial: It’s for merchandise, so something cute would be great!]
[Heart Memorial: Feel free to draw whatever you like.]
[Heart Memorial: Our company trusts you a lot as an artist.]
Their response was overwhelmingly positive.
I knew I had done a great job on the last piece, but I didn’t expect them to be this enthusiastic.
Feeling a little surprised, I replied.
[Me: When’s the deadline?]
[Me: Let me know the timeframe, and I’ll send it by then.]
The deadline was the most important factor.
Depending on when they needed it, I might have to adjust my schedule.
[Heart Memorial: Just send it as soon as it’s done!]
[Heart Memorial: And if you could provide multiple poses, that would be even better.]
Ah.
It looked like they were going all-in on the merch business.
[Me: Got it.]
If that was the case, I should put in my best effort too.
After all, they had paid me quite generously last time.
Bzzzz.
I immediately turned on my computer and sat down.
Then, I began drawing.
Swoosh, swoosh.
Heart Memorial had said I only needed to draw a single character.
But considering how well they had compensated me before, I couldn’t bring myself to half-ass it.
I wanted to put in as much effort as possible.
‘I need to make it as cute as possible…’
First, I shrank the character’s proportions.
Then, I increased the size of their head.
Cute characters always have bigger heads.
Looking at other anime and games, it was clear.
To emphasize cuteness, the head had to be big and the body had to be small.
Of course, if a character had overwhelming natural charm, they could be cute without that.
But realistically, most mobile game characters didn’t have that level of appeal.
‘The story isn’t deep or anything.’
So, the best approach was to make them visually cute.
With that in mind, I continued drawing.
I kept the art style anime-like but made the linework thicker.
I avoided a realistic style.
Unless it was a cat, dog, or some uniquely adorable creature, stylized animation-style art always looked cuter than realism.
Swoosh, swoosh.
How long had I been drawing?
“…It’s done.”
I ended up creating a total of nine illustrations.
Three different characters.
Each with three different poses.
It had taken longer than I expected.
Originally, I had thought, At most, this will take three hours.
But by the time I finished, it was already dawn.
“Ugh…”
I stretched my arms and back before immediately sending the files via email.
[Me: It’s finished.]
[Me: Please check and let me know what you think!]
Since I had drawn more illustrations than requested, they’d probably be happy about it.
Of course, there was a chance they wouldn’t care, but still.
After sending the email, I grabbed my coat and stepped outside.
I had pulled all-nighters before, and I found that instead of forcing myself to sleep right away, it was better to take a short walk around the neighborhood before heading back home.
It usually helped me fall asleep more easily.
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
Well, it was still winter.
I wasn’t a big fan of puffer jackets, so I just wanted the season to be over already.
Thinking that, I slowly strolled through the neighborhood.
Crunch.
I stepped on a patch of frozen ground, listening to the ice crack beneath my feet.
After wandering around for a while, I was about to head back when.
Ding!
A DM notification popped up.
A message?
At this hour?
Most people weren’t even awake right now.
‘Who is it?’
Curious, I checked my phone.
[Seolhwa: (File)]
[Seolhwa: Oppa]
[Seolhwa: I made a rough song using the beat you sent me.]
[Seolhwa: Can you check it out and tell me what you think?]
It was from Seolhwa.
Then again, there weren’t many people who would be awake at this time.
[Me: Alright, I’ll give it a listen.]
I downloaded the file and hit play.
A soft, vintage beat—straight out of the 1960s—slowly filled the air.
She hadn’t modified the beat at all.
It was exactly the way I had made it.
‘Guess there weren’t any parts that needed fixing.’
I had thought the beat was pretty solid myself.
With that thought, I focused back on the music.
Over~
The 1960s was an era dominated by bands, so I had incorporated a band sound into the track.
Back then, bands practically ruled the world.
As the familiar band sound filled my ears, Seolhwa’s unique voice took over, completely drawing me in.
From her first album, I had noticed how effortlessly she controlled her vocals.
She could hit high notes with ease but also shift into a lower, more balanced tone whenever needed.
You…
Lost in thought, I continued listening until the song eventually came to an end.
“…This is good.”
Genuinely, it was really well done.
It was completely different from her first album, so listeners might have mixed reactions.
But still.
[Me: Just finished listening.]
[Me: This is amazing?]
[Me: Honestly, if you flesh out a few more songs in this style, you could just release the album like this.]
A reply came in shortly after.
[Seolhwa: Ah!]
[Seolhwa: You think so?]
[Seolhwa: I thought it was really good too, but I was worried other people might not like it lol.]
[Me: What matters is that you make the music you want.]
[Me: Just do what you want.]
[Seolhwa: Ah, got it!]
[Seolhwa: Then send me more beats!]
[Me: I’ll send them soon.]
After that, I wrapped up my walk and headed home.
I hadn’t realized how long I’d been outside, lost in thought.
And now, I was exhausted.
‘…I should set an alarm before I sleep.’
But I was too drained to even do that.
I regretted not setting it earlier as I let my eyes close.
Not long after Seolhwa’s first album was released, the music community started heating up.
[Title: Wait, isn’t Rage’s new album actually amazing…?]
[Content: Just finished listening—this is GOAT-tier for a debut album.]
L: Is it really that good? Hmm.
N: Yeah, it is. Go listen. lol.
N: Feels like just an easygoing, pleasant listen.
L: What do you guys even listen to if you think this is just “easygoing”?
N (Fubo): Death metal.
N: Okay, death metal is fair lol.
[Title: Rage’s new single is also fire. Give it a listen.]
[Content: Has a bit of that nostalgic kick, but it’s really solid.]
L: This beat is insane.
N: For real, this beat is crazy.
L: The vocals are god-tier too, but the structure of this song is just something else lol.
N: I’m on my fourth repeat already.
N: Yeah, this is actually really good.
L: Personally, I think this single is their best so far.
N: Yeah, lol.
[Title: Rage is actually the real deal.]
[Content: Just saw on Instagram—they said their first full album might drop next month.]
L: …?
L: Didn’t they just release a debut album? lol.
N: That was just an EP, not a full album.
L: Oooh.
L: Wonder what kind of music they’ll go for this time lol.
N: Honestly, anything would be good—their songs slap.
[Title: Breaking News] Rage is working with the producer behind Blazing Fire on the new album!]
I skimmed through the community posts, slightly amused.
It seemed like things were about to get really interesting.
[Content: This is it lololol.]
L: If this is real, we might get a legendary album.
N: You don’t just make a legendary album that easily, calm down lol.
N: Even if the songs are good, making a classic is tough. You have to satisfy both critics and the general public.
L: Still, I’m hyped as hell.
N (Fubo): Personally, I hope they drop a death metal track lol.
N: What is this, groove metal?
As time passed.
“Guess I should start reaching out to people today.”
For the first time in a while, I actually felt like playing Reore