Before anyone realized it, the first quarter of the year was passing. Heavy coats were thinning out, and in people’s hearts, already waiting for the warm spring, flower buds had begun to bloom.
In the midst of this…
The LS Entertainment building’s gym was full of heat from early morning.
“Hoo—uk.”
Breaths so hot they might steam, sweat pouring like rain.
The benches slick with men’s sweat showed just how intense their workout had been.
“I figured you’d quit before long…”
Executive Director Park shook two bottles of protein shake with all his might, one in each hand, then handed one to Hyunseung and added,
“You’re holding up pretty well.”
Taking the bottle, Hyunseung answered at once.
“It’s only hard and heavy right now, that’s all.”
At that, Executive Director Park snorted a laugh and downed his shake in one go.
Gulp.
Hyunseung followed suit, but no matter how often he drank it, he couldn’t get used to the taste; his brows knit on their own.
Why do people drink this nasty stuff, anyway?
He stared down the half-full bottle with a sour face, then finally tossed back the rest in one shot.
“Uegh.”
“Endure.”
Lately, through his joint PT with Executive Director Park, Hyunseung felt like he was grasping the truths of life.
Right. This too, would only taste bad for a little while.
At least, unlike others, he didn’t have to go on a strict diet and could eat as he pleased—what a relief.
They soon stepped into the locker room, and just as Hyunseung was about to take off his top—
“By the way…”
Opening his locker, Executive Director Park casually brought it up.
“That kid, Lee Hyoeun—seems like things are going well for her?”
“Well, that’s the obvious outcome.”
“It’s not like it’s just because you did well, you know? There’s your name value, and there’s also the fact that this Lee Hyoeun kid is doing well herself.”
At that, Hyunseung turned with a start and asked back, wide-eyed.
“You really think part of the reason she’s doing well is because she’s doing well?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“I didn’t know you had such a human side, sir.”
“Excuse me, punk?”
Executive Director Park clenched his sturdy fist and gave a light tap to Hyunseung’s chest, which was pumped with muscle.
The kid’s gotten pretty solid, he thought.
Executive Director Park hurried out of his workout gear. He needed to wash up fast—there was work to handle.
Shwooo—!
Letting the water cascade over him, Executive Director Park glanced at Hyunseung quietly washing up beside him.
At first, he’d known it would be a hassle, but he’d accepted the kid’s PT proposal purely for his daughter’s sake.
When his daughter came back to Korea, he wanted to gift her by letting her meet her ultimate bias, The Moon’s leader, Ahn Jiho.
Right.
He’d decided to endure it, imagining how happy she’d be.
But contrary to his expectations, working out with Hyunseung was actually pretty fun.
He wasn’t overly talkative, didn’t whine, and spotted well. He wasn’t bad as a workout mate.
At this rate, he figured he could keep teaching him as long as needed.
“Hey, are you an elementary schooler?”
“Why? Isn’t it cool?”
Except for the times he made little horns with his hair while shampooing.
“Even my boy didn’t do that when he was little.”
“Really? Guess he takes after you and lacks aesthetic sense.”
“What, you brat? Compared to you my aesthetic sense is far superior.”
“What’s wrong with my aesthetic sense?”
“It’s not my department so I kept quiet till now, but that flaming helmet of yours… forget it, not even worth saying.”
Shaking his head, Executive Director Park rinsed the remaining suds from his body.
Honestly. The more he knew the kid, the more ridiculously childish he was, with zero aesthetic sense. How did a punk like that produce such results? It was a mystery.
Just looking at Q1 this year: from the drama OST project, to “Villain daddy,” which was modeled after himself, to Lee Hyoeun’s “to me.”
He’d driven explosive reactions and delivered big results to the company. Internally, “This year too, HS” was practically a catchphrase.
A single in-house composer.
How could just one person produce outcomes like this…
He’d been in this industry for over twenty years, and he’d never seen anyone rack up results like that. He suspected that record wouldn’t be broken easily going forward.
Moreover, if someone asked whether anyone had shown him comparable results, he wouldn’t be able to say “yes.”
In a way, the kid had terrifying ability… Someone he’d warily kept an eye on, someone he’d wanted to steal the bowl from, no matter what.
But now he’d had to bow to that fearsome ability and admit it was the kid himself.
The result being… they worked out together and stood side by side under the showers.
You really never know what the future holds for people.
There really wasn’t a single falsehood among old sayings. True, in this business there are no eternal enemies or eternal allies. That’s the way and law of things.
Swish.
Lost in thought, he turned his head; seemed like Hyunseung was done washing and was towel-drying his hair.
Tap, tap—!
Executive Director Park flicked wet fingers at Hyunseung.
“Hey, I just dried off. What are you doing?”
“Hey, hey, ‘Villain daddy’ is doing crazy well right now. Shouldn’t I be getting royalties too?”
“You could’ve just said so. Why splash like a child?”
“Oh, and making horns with your sudsy hair is mature?”
“That’s pure.”
“Good grief.”
Turning off the tap, Executive Director Park snorted. The kid never let a jab go unreturned.
“So what do you spend all that money on, anyway?”
He looked Hyunseung up and down as the latter put on his street clothes again.
“From what I can see, it’s not like you live extravagantly.”
Plain white tees that look like they sell three for 39,900 won (approx. $28 USD).
A sports-brand windbreaker thrown on top.
Even his jeans looked nothing special, and on his wrist, instead of a luxury watch, a smartwatch.
Even the wallet and car key he tucked away were ridiculously modest compared to what he earned.
Seriously.
Where did the kid spend the money he made?
“Hm.”
The longer Hyunseung’s hum stretched, the more Executive Director Park’s curiosity swelled.
Then, closing his locker with a clack, Hyunseung spoke.
“Dunno? Maybe I’ll just buy this company later.”
“Wh—?”
“Or maybe I’ll just start my own label.”
“Y-you…”
“I’m kidding. Why the long face?”
Even so, Executive Director Park’s expression hardened in an instant.
For some reason, the words didn’t sound like a mere joke. They sounded like something entirely feasible.
“Sir, I’ll get going. See you tomorrow.”
Hyunseung patted his shoulder and left the locker room first.
Clack.
Left alone, Executive Director Park took deep breaths to stay calm.
“That kid… the scary things he says…”
His voice, at least, seemed beyond his control, was trembling.
Meanwhile.
Lee Hyoeun was doing the first solo interview of her life.
“Hm…”
Asked by the reporter if she felt her recent popularity, she scratched her chin and hummed.
“Feel it… feel it, huh…”
Honestly, it didn’t quite feel real. But she could tangibly sense her life slowly changing.
Right now, though the settlements hadn’t come through, her schedule was filling up and she was run off her feet.
Thanks to that, she could put thoughts of her mother, hospitalized in the psych ward, on the shelf.
What’s more, messages poured in from school friends and people she’d worked part-time with.
The company had told her not to respond unless they were truly old friends, so she hadn’t answered one by one…
But honestly, even without instructions, she was so busy it was physically hard to reply individually right now.
Ahh.
Of course there’d been no word from her father.
“It may not feel quite real yet, but I think I’m starting to sense it. Really, I’m just grateful—it’s all thanks to composer HS for making such a good song.”
The reporter nodded and spoke.
“I’ve done a ton of one-on-one interviews with LS Entertainment artists, and everyone seems to get on well with HS. How to put it… it doesn’t feel like a simple business relationship of trading songs, you know?”
“Maybe it’s because he doesn’t just make a song. He sincerely works hard together with the singer. I can’t speak for others, but for me at least, that’s it.”
The interview, carried out in a rather warm mood, was already heading into the home stretch.
“This is a bonus question, since you said you like HS: if you had to pick just one favorite among his songs, which would it be?”
Without a second’s hesitation, Hyoeun answered.
“They’re all great, but personally I like ‘Villain daddy’ the most. I think I listen to it several times a day lately.”
“Oh, that’s the one famous for the ‘dad challenge’!”
“Yes, I haven’t joined the challenge yet, but I might’ve streamed it more than most fans.”
“Is there any particular reason you’re so attached to that song?”
Hyoeun carefully lifted the corners of her mouth and spoke.
“Actually, I was separated from my dad when I was young.”
“Oh… I see.”
She wasn’t sure if it was professional discipline, but the reporter’s face quickly softened with sympathy. She nodded, as if to say she’d listen quietly.
“But while listening to that song, I started to wonder if maybe he had his reasons too.”
Thanks to that, Hyoeun could quietly spill her story, almost like talking to herself.
“I had a tough childhood, and I resented him a bit then—wondering why he left me. But the song makes me think—maybe he did have his circumstances. It makes me think, ‘I had an old man like this too. Maybe I’ll get to see him again someday?’ I think that’s why I’m more attached to it.”
“Then, when you get more famous, you might be able to find your father.”
“I don’t have to find him. I just hope he’s living well somewhere.”
But the atmosphere had sunk heavy, and sensing that it might be her fault, she added, gauging the mood,
“Uh, I feel like I made the mood too gloomy…”
The reporter exchanged a look with the cameraman, then waved both hands.
“Oh, no!”
Then, for the first time, the cameraman carefully opened his mouth.
“Then, could you strike the ‘Villain daddy’ challenge signature pose real quick? It’d be great to run that as the photo for the article.”
“Of course!”
To liven the mood, this much was nothing. As a brand-new rookie, Hyoeun’s enthusiasm flared high.
Moreover, thinking it might help Hyunseung somehow, she struck the pose harder than anyone.
Namely—
the bodybuilder pose, both forearms flexed up at right angles, showing off muscles.
“Oh my, what’s this.”
Then the reporter blurted out loudly like she’d been startled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Is something the matter?”
The cameraman and Hyoeun both looked at the reporter.
Then smiling, the reporter held out her phone and spoke.
“What do we do? You really gave that pose your all… but I think it’s going to get buried.”
“I’m… not sure what you mean…”
Narrowing her eyes, Hyoeun looked at the screen.
There was a thumbnail that undeniably grabbed the eye.
“The real one has appeared.”
It was the arrival of a challenge she could never hope to beat.
.
.
[ The real Villain daddy’s Villain daddy challenge revealed! “Watch closely, kids. This is how dads throw down.” ]
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