It was early December, and the morning air in Paris was sharp and hazy, thick with pollution.
Even in the mist that blurred the streets, Julien Moreau was already on his way to the studio.
"Hey! Julien's here already?"
"Ah! Director Morel, you're here early as always."
Julien had thought he'd arrived ahead of schedule, but as expected, Luc Morel had beaten him to it.
"No need for that guilty look. This is part of my job. At this rate, people will think you're the engineer."
Julien smiled politely, though in his mind he thought, "That's not usually the case, Director."
The reason Julien arrived early wasn't just diligence—it was deeply rooted in his past.
*"Julien, show up earlier. Don't want to record today?"
*"Hey! I've got plans, so move the session. Don't like it? Then record it yourself."
In his past life, there was no such thing as normal or expected. Even if it wasn't his song, he was forced to handle recordings. Senior engineers would offload work onto him simply because he was junior.
Thankfully, he genuinely enjoyed recording—it had helped him grow tremendously.
"At least I improved a lot thanks to it."
Shaking off the memory, Julien smiled and took a seat on the couch, exchanging a few words with Luc Morel about the session. As with the previous days, Julien would take the lead, and Luc would assist.
Just then, the studio door opened, and Pierre Lemoine walked in.
"Good morning, Julien, Director!"
His bright voice made Julien rise with a grin, though he was surprised to see Pierre so early. The session wasn't due to start for quite some time.
"You're early, Pierre. What brings you in ahead of schedule?"
Pierre chuckled.
"I couldn't sit still. I'm okay with starting at the set time, but... I was just dying to hear the track. Did you finish the MR yesterday?"
Julien laughed. It was rare for singers to start recording without hearing the final instrumental mix, but given the tight album schedule and Pierre's insistence, this was how it had to be.
Julien knew the feeling well—he guided Pierre to the couch and played the finalized MR.
As the music filled the room, Pierre's eyes sparkled. He was completely absorbed.
When the track ended, he sat silent for a moment, then smiled brightly.
"...Wow! I'm speechless. It's amazing."
Julien grinned and teased:
"You look like you're dying to sing right now."
"Haha! You caught me. Can we start now? I'm more than ready!"
Julien raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you going to warm up first?"
"A pro sings in any condition."
Impressed by Pierre's enthusiasm, Julien led him to the recording booth. He returned to the console and began adjusting the effects to match Pierre's tone perfectly.
"Ready, Pierre? Let's begin."
Through the booth window, Pierre nodded with a smile—not nervous, but full of anticipation.
This was the moment Julien had been waiting for: the start of recording his first album in this new life. The studio was filled with a charged energy, as if something special were about to happen.
Click—click—click—click!
Julien hit record. The metronome ticked, and then Pierre's voice rang through the mic, filling the studio.
"Under the tree where ice flowers bloom, I still remain…"
Pierre's smooth, resonant mid-low range blended flawlessly with Claire Sorel's violin from the previous session. Together, their sounds transcended music—it was art.
Listening, Julien felt chills.
In his past life, the song Snowman had never seen the light of day. But now, it was shining.
Even though he'd always believed in its potential, the performance he was hearing surpassed all expectations.
"Did I really write this?"
Julien was stunned. In all his previous life, he'd never created something this perfect.
But Pierre wasn't satisfied just yet. After finishing the first verse, he requested to hear it back.
"Julien, can you replay that part? I think I added 1 tick too much vibrato."
Julien was floored.
"One tick? That's insane…"
Most people wouldn't even notice a one-tick deviation—a near-imperceptible shift—but Pierre caught it immediately. His meticulousness was closer to obsession.
Julien chuckled internally and played it back.
"With someone like Pierre around, this might become the greatest track I've ever made."
Some would find Pierre's precision overwhelming, but not Julien. For him, perfection in music was a pursuit worth chasing.
"I won't lose either."
Julien smiled, watching Pierre sing again. They were both chasing the same goal in different ways—and whatever lay at the end, it would be worth it.
The night before, Pierre had stayed up practicing.
Though he tried to sleep early to preserve his voice, he kept checking his phone.
"Is Julien still working? Why isn't he texting?"
Maybe it was excitement, or maybe nerves. A decade into his career, Pierre was surprised to feel this giddy.
Eventually, he drifted off.
The next morning, he warmed up and rode with his manager to the studio.
He thought he'd be the first to arrive—but walked in to find Julien and Luc already at work.
"Guess I wasn't the only one taking this seriously."
Hearing the final mix of Snowman changed everything.
"This is crazy. I need to record this now."
Julien seemed to sense it, grinning.
"Pierre, how about an early start?"
Pierre nodded eagerly. And just like that, the session began ahead of schedule.
As Pierre adjusted the mic height, he laughed to himself.
"Did I nod too excitedly just now?"
"Eh, who cares. I'm really excited."
He took a deep breath, letting the metronome guide him. He hoped that excitement would be captured in the recording.
The session had begun at 8 a.m. Now, it was well past noon.
Julien suggested lunch, but Pierre declined.
"Better not eat if I want to keep my vocal condition."
Julien nodded, secretly relieved. The flow of the session was too good to stop now.
They skipped lunch and pressed on.
Only the sounds of Pierre's voice, the music, and Julien's fingers dancing over the console filled the studio.
Outside, the sky turned red as the sun dipped westward. But inside, they remained fully immersed.
Finally, Pierre removed his headphones and let out a deep breath. His sweat proved his effort.
Julien listened to the take again and nodded.
"Great work, Pierre. You can come out now."
Pierre walked out and sat beside Julien, his voice a little hoarse from singing all day.
"Was it okay?"
Julien smiled brightly.
"Haha, just like you said earlier—I don't even know what to say. That was the best recording of my life."
Pierre smiled gently. For a moment, neither spoke.
But something passed between them without words.
"I guess… my part is done now."
Pierre sounded a bit wistful.
Julien chuckled.
"What are you saying? It's just beginning. Don't you want to sing this on stage?"
Pierre blinked.
"Oh, right! I guess I got too focused on the album. You're right—it's just the start."
As they talked, Julien's hands didn't stop. He was editing the raw takes swiftly.
Then he paused and looked at Pierre.
"Want to hear it?"
"Of course."
Click—
With a tap of the spacebar, the mix began to play.
Pierre's voice flowed from the speakers, blending with the MR.
Even in its rough state, the song was already radio-ready.
Pierre's breath caught. When the track ended, he stayed silent.
"Julien, this song… it's incredible. I still can't believe I got to sing it."
His voice was full of heartfelt gratitude.
Julien simply smiled.
"No. Without your voice, this wouldn't have become what it is. Great job, Pierre."
The studio was filled with a warm silence. Both men sat quietly, imagining the stage where this music would come to life.