Because of working on a song for a not-yet-confirmed new instrument (*Vincent), Hyunseung had a thick layer of fatigue piled up.
Maybe that was why?
He clearly slept long and deeply, but he kept tossing and turning because the dream was not good, and only barely managed to raise his body.
“What is this…?”
Scratching his messy hair, Hyunseung stared blankly down at the blanket.
Now that he was awake, he could not remember very well, but the feeling of being angry in the dream because something did not go his way remained faintly.
Creak.
Soon, Hyunseung decided it must have been a silly dream, got up, and went out to the living room.
His father was perched on the sofa, watching the drama “Red Thread.”
To catch the quickly passing subtitles, his father’s eyes were moving without rest behind his thick glasses.
Tap tap.
So as not to startle him, Hyunseung carefully approached and tapped his father on the shoulder.
─ Dad, did you eat?
Seeing his son’s face, his father smiled broadly and answered in sign.
─ Yes, I ate with Hyuna before you went out. You were sleeping too soundly, so I did not wake you. You are hungry, right?
─ I am not exactly very hungry yet, so let us go out to eat together a little later.
─ Let us do that. Then, would you like to fill your stomach a bit with grain powder drink?
At the word “grain powder drink,” Hyunseung immediately shook his head side to side.
Not long ago, while working with Sarah Stewart, he had smelled grain powder too much, so he had gotten sick of it.
Tap tap.
Then his father raised his hands again and asked.
─ Come to think of it, that young lady who liked the grain powder drink is not coming anymore?
─ Yes, she returned to her own country, America.
─ If it is America, it will be hard to see her going forward.
For some reason, his father looked disappointed. Did he like Sarah Stewart that much? Because she ate grain powder so heartily?
If not that.
Was it because it was the first time his son had brought a woman home, and he had other expectations? That would be troublesome.
However, for now, he should clear away the dark clouds on his father’s face.
─ Ah, tomorrow that grain powder young lady’s song comes out.
─ Then, the young lady sang a song you made?
─ Yes, that is right.
─ Our son is going to make his name known overseas now.
Hyunseung nodded briefly.
─ You could say that.
He answered with a confident smile. He felt proud, as if he had become a more boast-worthy son to his father.
However, dark clouds again drifted over his father’s face. Then he turned his head as if to hide a bitter smile.
“Why is that?”
Sitting down next to his father, side by side, Hyunseung stared straight through the quiet TV screen.
Of course.
All his attention was on his father.
“Ah…”
Watching the drama screen where subtitles were flashing by quickly, he thought he understood the reason.
Tap tap.
Hyunseung lightly tapped his father’s thigh.
─ Dad, do you find this drama interesting?
At that question, his father gave a small smile for a moment, then shook his head side to side.
─ It is a love story of young people, so how could it be interesting to me. I am watching partly because it is a drama that has my son’s song inserted.
Suddenly his father’s hands stopped in midair.
Then moving his gaze to the TV screen, he continued in sign.
─ When I look at the expressions of those actors, I think perhaps I can imagine more concretely what kind of feeling my son’s song might have.
As his father’s words ended, a small “Ah” slipped from Hyunseung’s mouth.
Right, his father…
He is someone who has lived in a severe silence where he cannot hear any sound.
He could not even hear the voices of his son and daughter, yet his son would brag loudly every time a new song was released.
Ah.
How painful must it have been every time his son said a new song was coming out.
Even the tribute piece he made for his father ended up being a song that made his father cry out, did it not.
He had thought too lightly.
Nothing had been fundamentally solved, yet because his ability could provide a comfortable and affluent life, he had felt relieved and happy.
Also, unlike in the previous life, he had thought that simply spending time together and making memories was fulfilling the duty of a son.
What his father truly wants… would be to hear his daughter say “Dad!” just once, and to hear a song his son made with eyes closed, without relying on a score, just once.
Hyunseung stood up and moved his hands to speak.
─ Something I forgot came to mind, so let me take care of it and then let us go eat.
Then he quickly turned and went into his room.
Thud.
Soon, with his back against the closed door, Hyunseung sank straight down to the floor.
Right.
He would, absolutely, by any means, in this life, give his father a solo recital that would be for his father, would not torment his father, and that his father could fully enjoy at ease.
It was the moment he made that vow.
That day was the day of a full Team 2 management department dinner.
Since they had rented out an entire place, the inside was packed with Team 2 people, and as the number of empty bottles increased, the smell of alcohol began to fill the air.
“Team 2 is going to take everything again this year.”
“Of course, is that not obvious?”
As one by one people got drunk, the decibel level rose.
“I should slip out soon.”
Because he needed to monitor Sarah Stewart’s new release that would happen soon, Kim Woohyun was only waiting for the timing to go.
Tap tap.
Just then, as Kim Woohyun was whispering to a team leader sitting next to him.
“Do you not think, Director, that you were a bit much too?”
Suddenly, Gi Yeonseon, cheeks flushed red, a Team 2 A&R division engineer, grabbed his wrist and poured out complaints.
“How could HS be working with Sarah Stewart and not call any of us even once?”
“Huh?”
“Originally when we recorded and when we did post-work, we always stayed up together as comrades, but how could he not call us…”
“Yeonseon, it is not like that, it is because Sarah Stewart set the condition that she would only work with HS…”
“Do you think we are upset because we could not see Sarah Stewart’s face? Hey, is that not right? We are not curious about Sarah Stewart, right?”
When Gi Yeonseon sought agreement from other engineers, they nodded and said, “Right.”
“We just want to be the ones to hear HS’s song first and from the closest distance.”
Then the other engineers all cried out together, “Indeed.”
Others chuckled at the sight of the engineers uniting under the influence of alcohol, but they were undaunted.
“Besides, this time even the distribution did not go through us, so we have not even heard it. How can anything be so grievous.”
With veins rising in her neck, Gi Yeonseon shouted. Then, as if upset, he thumped his chest with a loud “thud.”
“Is that something to go that far about….”
Looking into their bloodshot eyes that looked ready to spill tears at any moment, Kim Woohyun felt like he was facing a cult.
Right.
A cult that served HS as their leader.
“Everyone, there were circumstances, so calm down first…”
Trying to soothe them, Kim Woohyun glanced around for an opening. He needed to monitor Sarah Stewart’s soon-to-be-released song, but how could he slip out…
Moreover, because of Hyunseung’s restraint, nothing like proper promotional material had been sent out, so he also had to check what promotion the Korean music platforms would give.
Well…
Since Unice was also the label of the artist who sang the song, they would not have done a sloppy job.
But he had to follow through. Yes, it was the only thing he could do for Hyunseung.
“I have work left, so I will get going. Everyone eat properly and head home safely…”
Just as he was about to get up.
“Huh? Director.”
A team leader stopped him and said.
“Sarah Stewart’s songs are already out.”
At that, Kim Woohyun immediately turned on his phone to check.
[ Latest Music – Overseas ]
Look at me – Sarah Stewart
Black angel – Sarah Stewart
fuckkkkkk – Sarah Stewart
As the team leader had said, the very top spot of the [ Latest Music – Overseas ] tab on a major domestic music platform was taken by Sarah Stewart’s new songs.
Still. If it is top placement, that is not bad.
“Wow, they even got featured in the main page’s new release recommendations.”
“Huh? There are three songs? Did HS make all of these?”
“As far as I know, he only made ‘Look at me’.”
“Then they put front and center as title the song HS made.”
“Hey, if HS made it, of course they would.”
Everyone put down their glasses and chopsticks and checked Sarah Stewart’s songs on their phones.
No.
They checked the song HS made.
At that moment, an employee lifted his head as if curious and asked.
“But why is there not a single article?”
Like a sly fox, rubbing his two hands together, Kim Woohyun shifted the topic.
“Since this is how it is, shall we all monitor the songs together?”
With perfect timing, Gi Yeonseon sprang to his feet. Wait, was he not drunk?
“I will talk to the owner and ask them to play it.”
With eyes that suddenly turned bright again, he scurried to the owner and chattered something.
Soon.
“Look at me,” which Hyunseung had made, flowed out inside the restaurant.
─ ♬ ♬ ♬
Although it was a powerful beat that suited a company dinner quite well, people suddenly became calm. Some even straightened their posture.
“Ah…”
One by one, exclamations slipped out of people’s mouths.
“This is insane…”
With unknowable admiration, they downed drinks repeatedly, using the song as the side dish.
Listening to the song Hyunseung had made, they seemed to be in good spirits, smiles spreading across their faces.
Right.
Like how a person naturally wears a smile when they see something beautiful or cool.
“Director, I am honestly happy that I get to listen to a song HS made.”
Returning to his seat, Gi Yeonseon added in a settled voice.
“Of course, if we had worked on it together, I would have been even happier.”
Feeling that he understood a little of his heart, Kim Woohyun lightly patted his shoulder.
Then he looked over the faces filling dozens of tables. Every one of them was smiling.
Finding the sight funny in its own way, Kim Woohyun smiled along.
A bunch of swarthy men at a company dinner listening to their in-house composer’s song and grinning brightly was truly a rare spectacle that might never be seen again.
Sarah Stewart’s album was finally released worldwide.
It goes without saying…
There was an outpouring of public attention, called the return of the Billboard goddess.
In fact, the clamor was not only because of the comeback.
[ #SARAH #TomeChallenge #eradicationofmaliciouscomments ]
Because of the “eradication of malicious comments challenge” Sarah posted at the same time as the release, even hotter attention was pouring in.
Why?
Because the moment the challenge dance ended, she not only raised both middle fingers with a fierce expression.
─ “Fuck all of them talking behind their backs.”
She spewed out curses one could not put in one’s mouth, telling those who talk trash behind people’s backs to eat crap.
No.
Even for an American, she was still a rookie in her second year after debut…
“If anyone saw this, they would think she is a gangster rapper.”
Looking at Sarah in the video with a mischievous expression and both middle fingers up, Hyunseung locked the screen.
He already knew she was a crazy free spirit, but not to this degree.
“Hopeless.”
Thinking that Austin must also be getting ulcers because of Sarah Stewart, he slowly checked the tracks uploaded to platforms.
[ Latest Music – Overseas ]
Look at me – Sarah Stewart
Black angel – Sarah Stewart
fuckkkkkk – Sarah Stewart
What is this “fuckkkkkk.” Is it expressing laughing in contempt while cursing?
Could it be that the swearing with middle fingers in the challenge was all a build-up to promote the song “fuckkkkkk.”
“Hmmm….”
For a moment he worked his brain trying to understand the crazy figure that is Sarah Stewart.
“That is enough.”
Hyunseung quickly gave up.
Right.
“Since I would not be able to understand anyway.”
More than anything, if this challenge made Sarah rise even more to the center of the buzz, then naturally the new songs would be spotlighted together…
Then.
Climbing to number one on the Billboard chart would not be far off. Soon.
Sitting at the work console, Hyunseung murmured Vincent’s name.
“Vincent, Vincent, Vincent….”
Already, on his work monitor, lines of chords were connected and packed densely.
“No matter what….”
At that moment, Hyunseung was certain.
“The name fits too perfectly on this.”
Vincent would absolutely be the one to sing this song.
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