Lee Du‑seok sat alone in the pavilion that overlooked the garden of his home, a baduk board before him. One hand held a record of professional moves; with the other he alternated placing black and white stones.
“What gorgeous weather.”
Halfway through the game he lifted his head and gazed at the sky, murmuring again and again, “Truly wonderful.”
Just then his personal secretary approached.
“Sir, you’ve been out here since morning.”
“Yes—how could I waste a day this fine?”
“It really is spring.”
Whoooosh—
The breeze tugged at the sleeves of his modernized hanbok, and Lee smiled contentedly.
“Right. There’s a scent of spring riding the wind—looks like the season’s returned.”
The secretary nodded, then suddenly seemed to recall something. He pulled the tablet tucked beneath his arm.
“Sir, it appears Hyunseung’s new song was released this morning.”
“As expected,” Lee answered, turning at once.
“From midnight, the digital single ‘A Handful of Cherry Blossoms’ was distributed on every major domestic platform and overseas as well.”
“How’s it doing?”
“Checking at 7 a.m. on the country’s largest service—Apple—it had slipped smoothly into the Top 100.”
Scroll, scroll-
“Ah…”
He skimmed the screen, hesitated, then added,
“It isn’t exactly a problem, but some of his core fans say the track feels much more ‘mainstream’ than his solo work—so they’re a little disappointed.”
Still reading the kifu, Lee muttered, “Mainstream, hm…?”
“And because Hyunseung suddenly agreed to television right when the single dropped, there are voices worrying he’s focusing on broadcasts and neglecting composition.”
The secretary ended with a concerned look, but Lee simply weighed a stone in his palm, studying the position.
Clatter, clatter—
On the well‑laid foundation, the flow of moves felt graceful and supple.
Tap!
After placing a black stone, Lee allowed a small smile.
Yes—knowing that fellow, he’d have played here to raise an enormous dragon.
A great dragon never dies.
In baduk (the game of Go), a giant group that secures life cannot easily be killed; by extension, large well‑built companies rarely collapse.
To Lee, Hyunseung was such a dragon—Daema‑bulsa. Think of flagships like S‑Electronics or L‑Electronics: who imagines them failing? Hyunseung was the same. The “horse” coiled inside him always advanced in the correct direction; a bit of popular grumbling would never topple him or rob him of home.
Lee finally turned calm eyes to the secretary.
“All that is nothing but interest—and a dash of envy—directed at the lad, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Sir. His profile’s rising, and the background noise rises with it.”
“In time such static tucks its tail and fades,” Lee clicked his tongue. “And this talk of ‘too mainstream’ contradicts itself. Who decides what mainstream is?”
Exactly—only after countless people seek out a piece does it become the sound of the age. These days some even say whatever most people consume is the height of art.
The secretary murmured assent, and Lee’s gaze drifted back to the board.
Clatter, clatter—
But interest waned; he set the handful of stones down and turned fully toward the garden.
“Come to think of it, the boy won’t show up for a game, claiming shoots and schedules—only I am left yearning.”
“Shall I ring him on an off‑day, have him drop by?”
“Leave it. I’ve no confidence I can beat him yet. When he catches his breath I’ll summon him myself.”
Surveying the blossoms he requested,
“Since we mentioned it—let’s hear the new song.”
“Right away, Sir.”
Moments later, lilting spring breeze flowed from the garden speakers.
—Along with the gentle spring wind the cherry petals blow…
Lee’s brow lifted in interest. The mellow, fluffy melody wrapped him like a warm quilt—hard to imagine Hyunseung had written something so soft.
“Mmm…”
Ears on the song, eyes on cherry and rapeseed in full bloom. He inhaled the blossom‑scent until it was almost dizzyingly sweet. Music, voice, flowers, fragrance—every element meshed perfectly with the day, and his heart swelled like petals drifting before his eyes.
Slurp—
He wet his throat with a sip of warm tea, soaked in the tune—then remembered the secretary’s earlier words. Mainstream? Neglecting composition?
Hardly.
In broadcasting circles they say there is no need to fret over certain people—geniuses whose glittering talent lets them escape any corner. Hyun‑seung was one of those.
“Don’t worry about the lad,” Lee murmured. “I still want to keep hearing his music.”
“Sir?”
“So long as my eyes stay open…”—he let the sentence hang—
“no outside trick will shake him.”
Practically a declaration that he would shield Hyunseung from any sabotage or intrigue. The secretary smiled faintly; if Master Lee had said it, there was indeed nothing to fear.
“Yes, now I can truly stop worrying.”
The breeze stirred, the sun was kind—spring in its fullness.
At last the day arrived: first main‑round taping of “K‑Sing Star,” and the broadcast premiere.
Ring‑ring‑ring‑ring—
Manager Kim, home early for once, visited his mother’s hospital room and hurried to his apartment.
“Already that late…”
A quick shower, a comfy T‑shirt, a spot on the couch.
Crack—pssst!
The beer hissed as he popped the can. He flipped on the TV; loud ads filled the room.
“Starting soon.”
For “monitoring”, he opened a live‑chat window on his tablet—though honestly he felt like a contestant’s dad, equal parts anxiety and desperate cheer: Do well, kid. Show ’em.
Of course, since it’s only the first episode, there was a chance Hyunseung might not appear at all…
But the network had hyped the show with the keyword “HS” right up to airtime, so the odds were higher that he’d show up—even briefly.
Even if he failed to appear in the main broadcast, they would at least flash him in the teaser for episode 2 to keep ratings from dropping.
─ The nation‑wide mega‑audition K‑Sing Star begins right now!
The endless block of commercials finally ended, and the grandiose opening rolled.
↳ Whoa, it’s finally starting ㅠㅠ Look at that crowd
↳ They said Seoul’s 2 nd round was so packed it was almost a safety hazard
↳ So when is HS showing up?
↳ What about Jayble? Isn’t he on too?
↳ Will HS appear in ep 1? No… he *is* appearing, right?
↳ If they plastered the papers like that and he’s not on, that’s too much
↳ He’ll pop in just to plug his new single~
↳ Dude, that song’s already great—doesn’t need promo
↳ So when does Jayble come on? Is he not?
↳ This HS track is basically “spring incarnate,” gonna think of it every spring ;;
↳ If you’re only gonna talk HS go back to the fan‑café
↳ Lol, that reply is obvi a Jayble stan
↳ Where *is* Jayble? He is coming, right…?
↳ Jayble super‑fan here— you people are relentless, srsly
From the opening the live‑chat was on fire; HS’s name never stayed out of sight.
Because Hyun‑seung had kept such a mystique, some doubted the rumor of his appearance, others claimed he was doing TV just to plug A Handful of Cherry Blossoms.
Meanwhile fans of Jayble egged on the rivalry. Lately the two fandoms brawled in forums with some regularity…
Either way, dominating the chat proved HS’s pull over the program.
“Now this one’s pretty good.”
Contestants from Gyeonggi‑do began appearing in order: interesting hopefuls, genuinely skilled singers, moving back‑stories…
Songs, interview clips, tear‑stained eliminations, euphoric passes— the show left no time to flip the channel.
Close to the end, the screen suddenly cut to the Seoul round. Why switch now? Kim wondered—then long legs came into focus, the blur sharpened, and a helmeted man dipped his head as he entered the 3 rd‑round judging hall.
↳ Holy— it’s HS… he’s really on…
↳ He’s wearing the *actual* helmet??
↳ Bro, look at those proportions
↳ For real, the aura’s different; straight up handsome‑aura
↳ Oppa, please, *please* lift the goggles just once…
↳ Today’s fit is legendary, saving pics for life…
The awkward air in the room, the warm greeting between Kim Gwang‑jin and Hyun‑seung— all edited in.
“Saving that for the finale, huh.”
Just as it seemed they would show only the entrance, a timid‑looking woman walked in.
─ “A‑ah… I’m twenty‑five, from Seoul… My name is Yun Jae‑i… Nice, nice to meet you.”
Even introducing herself looked painful; unease filled her eyes, voice shaking.
“Try singing as comfortably as you can,” the judges said.
Yun Jae‑i promptly plopped cross‑legged on the floor with her guitar.
“What the…?”
Manager Kim stared. Viewers were just as startled:
↳ Why’d she sit down? lolol
↳ What kind of concept is that? lol
↳ Bet she’s a hidden powerhouse or something lol
↳ Wait, isn’t she the one HS used the super‑pass on?
↳ Possible; they shoved her in right before the ending;
↳ Excited— when they bring a guitar the odds are good ㅎㅎ
The chat boiled anew.
─ Please… don’t pity me…
But once Yun Jae‑i started, the mood flipped.
↳ Voice is fine but what’s with this vibe…?
↳ Yeah, it’s dragging me down…
↳ Is this the “speak‑sing” technique? She’s mumbling like crazy
↳ Too normal; no way she’s the super‑pass, right?
↳ If that’s the pass I’m quitting this show
The judges felt much the same.
─ “For that reason I’m giving a fail.”
─ “Regrettably, it’s a no for me as well.”
Barely a verse in, they stopped her and delivered their lines without hesitation.
─ “Ah…”
Her head drooped like a wilted stem when—
─ “I have a question.”
The silent Hyunseung spoke.
─ “We can use a super‑pass at the prelims, right?”
The screen smashed to the next‑episode teaser.
“Wow… the network bastards, really cut it there?”
Chat exploded:
↳ Are you kidding me?? You end it NOW???
↳ Timing gods, these producers ;;
↳ But why give *her* the pass? Is something wrong with my ears?
↳ Can’t see it either; not pass‑worthy
↳ Ugh, armchair experts everywhere lol
↳ Voice is nice tho. Skill’s average, that’s all…
↳ Look, HS must have seen SOMETHING, right?
↳ Whatever—TV is all scripted anyway
↳ HS… you too… sold your soul to ratings…?
↳ But… doesn’t his voice sound amazing…?
↳ Dude, read the room— not the time for stanning ㅠㅠ
↳ Forget voices, just drop ep2 already!!
Even the teaser bleeped out every reason Hyunseung gave, so nobody knew why he passed her.
“Seriously…”
Manager Kim muttered blankly at the credits.
“‘It’ll be revealed in 30 days,’ he said—now I’ve got to wait a whole extra week.”
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