Pen and Paper Translations

From the morning on, knocking never stopped at Hyunseung’s studio.

After seeing the challenge video, people who wanted him to film one with them too were lining up at the door.

“Thought you said you liked Mom more than Dad!”

Starting with Kim Woohyun…

“Composer!”

All the way to Kang Hajun, Seo Jini, Jung Harin, and Yoon Jaeyi. Why is everyone being so bothersome like this?

Still, the one small mercy was that the busybody, Lee Hyoeun, happened to be tied up with her schedule and was quiet for the moment.

Ding!

The studio had only just become a little quieter.

[ Teacher Moon Beomjae: I am thinking of taking part in this ‘challenge’ thing. Could you help me with how to film it? ]

Now his phone started going off.

[ Please drop by the studio sometime soon. ]

No sooner had Hyunseung sent a reply to Moon Beomjae than another message arrived.

[ Ahn Jiho: We, The Moon, have also participated in the challenge. ]

Hyunseung knit his brows as if annoyed and sent back a reply.

[ Whatever TV ]

He was already out of his mind trying to work on the optimal song to play his new instrument (*Vincent). Why is everyone making things so chaotic.

He should turn his phone off for a while.

That was what he thought as he pressed and held the power button.

[ Sir. Perchance. You have not. Forgotten. Our game. Have you? I will be waiting. When you think of it, drop by once. Even if busy. Let us have. A game while eating. Gimbap.. @))))))) Have a nice lunch. ]

A text had come from Lee Duseok, whom he had temporarily forgotten.

He would sometimes send greetings that included famous sayings or odd emoticons, but things had been so hectic lately that Hyunseung had completely forgotten.

I should go, I should go.

It had already been months of just setting his heart on it. Once this project was over, he would definitely go pay respects.

[ Teacher, I do not li.. ]

Just then, while he was replying to Lee Duseok, the screen suddenly went black and an incoming call popped up.

“Ah, shoot.”

Hyunseung covered his face in dismay. The problem was, it was a call from someone he did not want to pick up, and because he had been tapping on the pad while typing, the answer button got pressed.

[ Red Thread Coordinator ]

Confirming the caller name displayed on the screen, he let out a deep sigh.

The Red Thread Coordinator was a woman with the ability to drain a person’s energy through a phone call.

Could this woman be a vampire? The kind that sucks a person’s energy instead of blood.

“Great, I am doomed.”

While Hyunseung just stared at the screen lost in stray thoughts, the urgent voice of a woman came through the receiver.

“Hello? Composer? Can you hear me? Hello? Is something wrong? Hello?”

What do I do, I am already getting drained. Should I just hang up?

No.

Then she will just keep obsessively calling back.

“Hello, yes.”

He would pick up and cut it off cleanly.

“Ah! Can you hear me now? I was worried something had happened.”

“There is nothing. Anyway, I understand the drama has already finished airing. What is this about?”

“What do you mean what. It is late, but we really must buy you a meal this time.”

Hyunseung drew the phone away from his ear with a frown. Did this woman boil and eat a train whistle.

Truly.

If he never wanted to hear this voice again, he needed to refuse firmly.

“As I have said repeatedly, there is no need for you to treat me, so you really do not have to worry about it…”

“I mean me as well, but the music director and the directing PD also say they really want to meet and treat you.”

But the woman cut him off again and continued in a pleading tone.

“I know you must be very busy, but could you spare just one day? Please, I beg you.”

Hyunseung sighed for a moment.

“Ha…”

He raked back his hair and added in a low, settled voice, firm and final.

“I absolutely do not eat with people I do not know.”

“How are we people you do not know? If we worked together, we are all family.”

“What sort of logic is that supposed to be?”

“If you are worried about exposing your personal info, if we draw up a confidentiality agreement promising not to reveal anything externally at all, would you meet us then?”

“No, there is no need to go that far…”

“We will accommodate anything. If you would only give us just one chance to treat you. I am also actually, in the middle…”

She had been speaking like she was clutching his pants leg, then the woman’s voice trailed off, and a strange silence followed.

“Hm.”

It looked like this was not entirely of her own will either.

The directors must be riding her hard to set up a dinner to open a connection with him.

“Ah, anyway!”

Soon the woman returned to a bright voice and shouted.

“We will completely match your schedule. Could you please allow us to buy you that one meal?”

“Well, then, the meal…”

Hyunseung let his words trail off for a moment, then spoke as if having decided.

“Let us do that in the next life. It will not work this time.”

“Ah, Composer! Wait, please just a moment!”

“Yes, yes, sorry. I will hang up now.”

Hyunseung coldly cut the call and immediately blocked the woman’s number and messaging account.

He had no need to deliberately increase outside acquaintances, and besides, drama OST work did not particularly interest him.

“Whew…”

Now he would really turn the phone off and only work.

Vincent…

Would absolutely become his instrument.

---

Since becoming division head, Kim Woohyun had grown much busier, but he had never once been neglectful toward Hyunseung.

He could not see him and eat with him as often as when he had been a department head…

But on the way to and from work, and going to outside appointments, he always did so with songs made by Hyunseung.

Of course.

It was not only because Hyunseung had made them. It was also because no matter how much he listened, he never got tired of them.

Among those songs, there was one he was most hooked on lately, the soon-to-be-released “look at me.”

When he listened to the powerful yet controlled rhythm, he felt his confidence inexplicably surge.

Right.

If it was this song, topping the Billboard chart would not be a problem.

The song was good, and it was sung by the rising star who had swept the Billboard right at debut, Sarah Stewart.

Of course. The condition Hyunseung had said was needed to scout “Vincent” as an instrument, “maintain number one on the Billboard chart for three straight months,” might be a bit of a stretch…

But if Sarah Stewart’s star power pulled it up into the upper ranks, the addictive and forceful melody would stake out the very top, and game over.

“It should be possible.”

At least, Kim Woohyun believed without a shred of doubt that it was not impossible. After all, it was a Hyunseung song.

The fact that someday Hyunseung might truly leave his side hurt a little, but…

As the person who wanted Hyunseung to succeed more than anyone, now was the time to think about what he could do to help the name “HS” be known to a wider world.

Knock, knock, knock.

While walking under the weight of these thoughts, he found he had arrived in front of Hyunseung’s studio.

“Mom is here.”

“Yikes, what is the state of this studio.”

Kim Woohyun took in the studio at a glance and immediately grabbed a trash bag.

Was he not sleeping at all, just working…

Crushed cans of high-caffeine drinks were rolling around, and dozens of disposable plastic coffee cups were stacked like a tower.

On top of that.

Over there, what on earth were those caffeine tablets.

“You have been eating these and not sleeping as you work, have you not?”

“In that case, could you hand me that coffee you are holding.”

Hyunseung pointed at the coffee in his hand and asked.

“No. A person needs to sleep at least a little as he works.”

“Well, sleep is something you can get all you want after you die and go to the grave anyway.”

“At this rate you might really get a free pass into the grave.”

Hyunseung stood before the mirror and, sliding a grimy palm over his cheek, spoke.

“I am actually trying to bulk up, but it is not going well.”

Kim Woohyun held his face in both hands and shook his head. Bulking was not the issue right now.

He was honestly worried that this way he might reach heaven before he reached Billboard.

“This will not do. You, take two days of forced vacation.”

“That is not possible. I have not finished the work yet.”

“Sarah’s song will not release for two days anyway, and you said you need three months at number one to scout Vincent, right. Then there is no rush.”

At this, Hyunseung nodded, saying it made sense.

Clap.

As if something had occurred to him, Kim Woohyun brought his hands together and continued.

“Ah, since we are on it, I heard you told them not to promote Sarah’s release.”

He had already heard it from Team Leader Kwak and had been puzzled, meaning to ask.

Even if the release was through Unice, it would be distributed worldwide, so it would appear on Korean platforms too. Why not promote?

HS X Sarah Stewart

People would go wild just seeing the two names. What better publicity could there be.

“Unice only had an article saying they would announce a new song in step with the start of the North American tour.”

Even after hearing Hyunseung’s answer, Kim Woohyun still could not understand. Our promotion should be separate from Unice’s, should it not?

If there was no promotion at all and it just came out, the public might pass by without even knowing the song was made by HS.

Of course. One could tell by reading the composer and lyricist credit, but not many people check that.

Then with a puzzled tilt of his head, Kim Woohyun asked.

“What does Unice not promoting have to do with anything?”

“They say Misut-Sarah does not take songs from other composers and only sings songs she writes herself.”

“Misut-Sarah?”

“Ah, Sarah Stewart.”

What does Sarah not taking other people’s songs have to do with it. And what is Misut-Sarah?

As he understood Hyunseung’s words less and less, Kim Woohyun scratched the back of his head and added.

“But your name is in the copyright credits anyway, so most people will find out soon enough…”

Hyunseung shook his head and answered firmly.

“Of course. But maybe Misut-Sarah does not want to put it out there first.”

At that, Kim Woohyun could not speak and mouthed like a goldfish. 

Is our Geumdong really thinking of others first?

He had been maturing day by day lately but had he truly matured.

Then taking off his headset and setting it down, Hyunseung added.

“Then, just like Mom said, I will head out for today.”

He was even saying he would do what he said. Was he sick? Had high caffeine damaged his brain…?

“Good. Go home quickly and catch up on your sleep.”

“Yes, and I should come in early tomorrow morning.”

“Huh? Just take it easy tomorrow as well and come the day after.”

“No, I need to come in to work out.”

“Hey, you can skip a day.”

All at once, with a set face, Hyunseung called to stop him.

“Mom.”

“Huh?”

He stared holes through the belly fat peeking out past his shirt.

“You know you have put on weight lately, right.”

“Ahem. There are more dinners I have to host…”

“One day becomes two, and that becomes a year.”

It seemed like there would be no end to Hyunseung’s barbed but on-point words.

“No matter how busy you are, please work out. Once you hit your thirties, age-fat does not come off easily.”

He finally said the one thing he least wanted to hear.

“Right now you are like a muscle pig.”

“Muscle pig?”

“Yes. A pig with muscles.”

Of course.

“Like five-layer pork belly with just the right marbling of fat.”

“What did you say, you little punk.”

“Kidding. I should go home and eat pork belly now.”

“Ugh, I would rather faint than listen to this.”

If he could truly think of others first, he would not be able to say knives like that straight to someone’s face.

In short, he had managed to lift some heavy “iron,” but it was by no means the same as truly gaining “wisdom.”

Right.

Once a golden child, always a golden child.