Hyunseung changed his choice countless times until, instead of a ringback tone, he heard a “Hello?” on the other end of the receiver.
Do I join hands with this guy or not?
In truth, there was no particular reason he had to, but there was also no particular reason he absolutely should not.
From the initial capital on, to the employees, and even the roster of signed artists, he could fill everything with his own people, and taking Vincent along was also a benefit.
More than anything…
The more he thought about it, the more he judged that if he used it well, it had more advantages.
“I’m calling because I’ve finished thinking.”
─ The conclusion is the good one, right?
“Who knows, what do you think?”
─ Of course it’s the good one.
Vincent’s confident answer came through. As if he had not been bawling and spamming messages just because he could not reach him for about three days, now he was acting tough.
Still, well…
Just like Vincent said, Hyunseung’s deliberation ended on the good side.
“I want a detailed business proposal.”
─ What? Do we even need that between us?
“What are we even supposed to be? Between us?”
─ The kind of relationship where we stayed up all night recording together? The kind where we’ll share sweat drops together, and shake a protein shaker together?
“That’s kind of uncomfortable to hear.”
─ You’re the one who said that to me when you asked me to work out together!
Watching Vincent snap, Hyunseung thought he kind of resembled Sarah Stewart.
Are most people at Unice hot-blooded? Austin was not like that, though.
Ah. Of course, that might not even be his real face either. He was a businessman leading the huge corporation that was Unice Music Group.
“Anyway, it’s better to make things clear, so you can do at least that for me, right?”
─ If I don’t give you a business proposal, you won’t do a label with me either.
“You know it well.”
─ I’m just curious, why did you suddenly change your mind? Because I said you could bring all your instruments?
“It’s not just that.”
At his words, Vincent asked back, sounding curious, “Then?”
Why did he change his mind?
Because if he started a label, he judged he might be able to prevent a future that could repeat, in advance.
Looking back…
When he was driven to the edge by a “witch hunt” in his previous life, Hyunseung had no power to protect himself.
All he had was popularity and money.
But that did not last long, and it did not carry real power.
In the face of media play that drove one person into a corner, and a company that abandoned him, he collapsed helplessly.
In the end, all that remained was 5 billion won in debt, created by penalty fees for terminating advertising model contracts. Of course, he had the money to pay that off quickly, but….
Popularity and reputation, once they started falling, were not something you could easily win back. And on top of that, even his family had all left.
He had no intention of ever repeating that kind of life again. But there was also no guarantee it would not happen again.
Right. Even in this life, had he not suffered through rumors once because of “Hidden”?
Unlike his previous life, thankfully it wrapped up without major trouble, but he could not be sure it would not happen again.
‘I need to build power.’
Not just power as a composer, but power that could grip and shake the media.
He had to establish a position like a solid pine tree that would never be shaken, not a tree that could be ripped up from the roots by some tabloid scrap.
Like Teacher Lee Duseok.
“I want to try being the CEO too.”
If he wanted to protect himself, he had no choice but to become strong himself.
The next day.
Hyunseung finished getting ready and came out to the living room.
“Oppa, are you heading out now?”
Hyuna, who was toasting bread at the island counter, asked as she looked at him.
“Yeah. Give me one slice too.”
Hyuna told him to wait just a bit, then carefully spread strawberry jam over the freshly toasted bread.
“No matter how busy you are, at least make sure you eat.”
At that, Hyunseung grumbled, “There you go nagging again,” for no reason.
“Mmm, this toast tastes amazing.”
Then he took a huge bite and said in an exaggerated tone,
“Min Hyuna, later on, get a job at the headquarters building I’m going to start.”
“Huh? Oppa, are you going to run an entertainment company yourself?”
“Well, something like that.”
At his words, his younger sister’s eyes sparkled as she asked back,
“Then am I becoming a celebrity?”
“Why would you be a celebrity?”
“Just now, you said get a job at the headquarters….”
Hyunseung cut her off immediately and answered firmly.
“Yeah, as the cafeteria auntie in the company cafeteria.”
“Ah, seriously, Min Hyunseung! I knew it, it was weird the moment you started praising me!”
“Hyuna, celebrity? Isn’t that dream a little too ambitious?”
With her face reddening, Hyuna fumed and reached out to snatch the toast from his hand.
“You, don’t eat that toast!”
But there was no way a little sister who was only 163 cm could steal toast from the hand of Hyunseung, who was 183 cm.
“Ah, so annoyiiiing!”
Just then, their father came out holding the newspaper he had finished reading, and silently smiled as he watched them.
“Daaad!”
Hyuna ran up to him at once and immediately tattled.
─ Dad! Oppa told me to get a job later as the cafeteria auntie at the company he’s going to start!
─ My son is going to start a company?
─ No, Dad! That’s not what matters, he called me an auntie!
But their father’s attention was fixed on his “son’s company.”
“Min Hyuna, Dad’s on my side.”
“No he’s not! Dad’s on my side!”
Then their father strode right up to Hyunseung and asked with a serious face.
─ Son, are you really thinking of starting your own company?
─ Yes. I’m thinking of giving it a try.
─ You’re already busy as it is, will you be okay? If you do business, there won’t be just one or two things you have to worry about.
─ I have a partner, so it’s fine. And there are a lot of helpers who’ll support me too.
Probably?
The partner was Vincent for now, and the helpers… were not certain. He was planning to coax them little by little from here on.
─ You’ve met my partner too, Dad. When I went to America, you remember that guy who suddenly started doing the three cheers?
Even though I made him do it.
─ Hm?
His father searched his memory for a moment.
─ You mean that guy they said was a really famous singer?
─ Yes. Among pop singers who are alive right now, he’s probably the most famous.
As if he remembered, he continued, looking slightly excited.
─ It’s hard to believe our son is starting a company with someone like that, but since it’s our son, it also feels like something that’s definitely possible.
Dad, honestly.
Watching his face fill with pride instead of worry made Hyunseung feel sure it was the right decision.
Yeah.
Protecting himself also meant protecting his family.
─ For now, I’m going to go work. Let’s go out to eat somewhere good again soon.
With that, Hyunseung left the house, seeing his father off behind him.
Hyunseung left the headquarters building to go out to eat with Kim Woohyun for the first time in a while.
But before long, the two of them had to turn back and return to the building.
Because not long after they left, people recognized Hyunseung and swarmed in a crowd.
Kim Woohyun tried desperately to block them, but he got pushed back by the continuous surge.
In the end, like always, they went to the company cafeteria.
“Wow, I felt like I became a road manager again for the first time in a while.”
As soon as he sat down, Kim Woohyun said that while fixing his thoroughly messed-up hair. On his face was a joy that was hard to read.
“So, did you have fun?”
“Well, not exactly fun, but….”
At Hyunseung’s question, he scratched his chin, then chuckled and continued,
“It felt like playing with memories? You know, the romance, the sense of the field, things you can only feel when you’re a rookie road manager.”
“The rookie excitement, that kind of thing?”
Kim Woohyun nodded and said, “That’s it!”
To be honest, Hyunseung did not know that feeling at all. He had never been a rookie employee in his life, so how would he know?
He was just pretending to relate so he could bring up the main point.
Hyunseung slipped one piece of pork cutlet from his tray to Kim Woohyun’s tray and casually opened his mouth.
“In that sense, do you want to go back to being a rookie employee?”
“How would I go back to being a rookie employee, you punk.”
“If you move nests, doesn’t that make you a rookie employee?”
At that, Kim Woohyun waved his hand and said, “Why would I move nests, you punk,” and picked up his spoon.
He also added that instead of saying nonsense, he should hurry up and eat.
But Hyunseung had already taken out the knife, and with the will to see it through to the end, he spoke again.
“You could move. Or someone could move you.”
“Why are you saying weird things before we even eat?”
“If it’s not while we’re eating, we don’t really have time to talk these days.”
“Well, that’s true, but….”
Kim Woohyun narrowed his eyes for a moment.
“Min Geumdong, you’ve got something going on, don’t you? What is it, again?”
He grabbed Hyunseung’s wrist and demanded, as if interrogating him.
“Yes.”
Hyunseung answered briefly, then immediately added,
“I’m going to leave LS Entertainment soon.”
The moment the words ended.
Clang!
The spoon in Kim Woohyun’s hand dropped to the floor without fulfilling its duty.
Right after that, Hyunseung was seized by Kim Woohyun’s brutish hand and dragged to the office.
But for a long while, Kim Woohyun said nothing, only sat facing him, seeming to sink into deep thought, letting out a low hum.
“Hmmm…”
It was not something he needed to agonize over that much.
Before long, Kim Woohyun, with a deliberately calm face, tossed out a useless joke.
“If you’re going to drop a bomb like that, at least do it after you’ve eaten.”
“Then you should’ve let me finish eating before dragging me in.”
“If you suddenly say you’re leaving LS, do you think I can eat?”
At Hyunseung’s words, Kim Woohyun seemed to bristle a little, his upper body gradually leaning forward.
It felt like he was looking at a bull charging at a red flag.
Hyunseung almost let a laugh slip at the thought that steam might start puffing out of him, but unlike him, Kim Woohyun looked very serious, so he decided to hold it in.
“Then do I have to drive a stake into LS Entertainment for life?”
“Not that, but still, you have to go through steps and talk about it.”
“You know I’m not that style. They say you pull the ox horn while it’s hot, right? Since I decided, I told you right away.”
Kim Woohyun nodded. Because more than anyone, he knew that no matter what he said here, he could not turn Hyunseung’s mind back.
“Okay, then, if you leave, where are you going?”
“America first.”
“Huh? Don’t tell me you’re going to Unice Music Group?”
He looked so desperate that Kim Woohyun was now perched on the edge of the sofa with only his butt barely on it.
Should I stop teasing him now?
It’s funny, but at this rate, it feels like he might cry.
“No. I’m not going there.”
“Then…?”
“I’m going to start it.”
At Hyunseung’s words, Kim Woohyun blinked and asked,
“W-What does that mean?”
He seemed very shocked, but it was already decided.
“I’m going to start a label.”
It was better to bring up the main point now.
“In that sense, would you like to join our label as our first rookie employee?”
Hyunseung asked with a playful smile.
And once again…
Kim Woohyun’s scream rang down the company corridor.
Leave a Reply