The day after the release.
“Here already?”
The moment he arrived at work, Kim Woohyun went to the A&R team.
It was to monitor Hyunseung’s album that had been released yesterday. Rather than checking alone on his phone, it was better to check together.
Ah, of course, all tracks settling into the rankings would be a given, and he was curious which song would take #1.
Normally there would be a song you could more or less predict, but this time he was even more curious, so he hurried his commute.
Why?
Because that Geumdong brat did something very Geumdong.
“Did you stop by Promotions?”
At Team Leader Han’s question, Kim Woohyun shook his head side to side.
“I took one glance and it looked like a war zone, so I came straight here.”
“Good call. They’re even busier once the release is done.”
“Yeah, they’ve got to keep pushing real time chart update articles nonstop, and because of what that kid asked, it’s probably chaos over there right now.”
Right, Hyunseung had made one request before release.
He specifically said not to reveal that he was participating as a vocalist until the release. It was a request that naturally made you go, “Why?”
What better promotion was there than that?
Of course, Kim Woohyun also tried to persuade Hyunseung, asking why it had to be that way, but…
“Then it wouldn’t be a fair fight.”
“What fair fight?”
“It’s kind of a battle where Mateo’s pride and mine are on the line. You didn’t know?”
He had smiled brightly as he said it.
Come to think of it, if they promoted it loudly before release, the moment it dropped, everyone would obviously stream the track HS sang himself.
Sure, Mateo also participated as a vocalist, but domestically, ‘HS’ would have the stronger power right now.
No.
But still, if you take #1 comfortably like that, will something happen?
‘A guy who lives life the hard way.’
Kim Woohyun was recalling those memories when he shook his head.
If Hyunseung was going to become a CEO, Kim Woohyun could already see exactly how that label would run.
Fun.
Perfection.
Wagers.
Could the company possibly be running on those three elements?
‘Just thinking about it makes me dizzy.’
It was as Kim Woohyun was thinking that—
“It’s almost embarrassing to show you because it’s such an obvious result, but…”
Team Leader Han held out a tablet with an awkward face as he continued.
“Right now, across all tracks on both albums combined, ‘I’ll leave it’ is leading the pack the most at #2.”
At those words, Kim Woohyun, startled, took the tablet in both hands.
He was not surprised that ‘I’ll leave it’ was leading. He was only surprised that it was not #1.
“Huh? It’s not #1? Why?”
In a way, by now, HS’s songs had been getting explosive reactions at release to the point where “of course it’s #1” felt like a fixed label.
And he had heard that after HS’s face was revealed at the recent fan meeting, the fandom had grown quite a lot too…
“Unfortunately, KOK came back not long ago, so KOK’s title track is still holding #1.”
At that, Kim Woohyun nodded with a rough, “Ahhh,” and added,
“Well, it’ll get pushed down before long.”
The A&R team members in the room nodded along as well.
For them, HS’s song taking #1 would be as natural a result as opening your eyes and going to work.
But here was the problem.
Hyunseung had now gone beyond a goose that lays golden eggs and become a goose that even flaunts flashy wingbeats….
Would Jeon Nam-il really let him go easily?
Of course.
If it were Kim Woohyun, he would not want to let him go easily either. By whatever means, he would want to keep him inside his fence.
If you were thinking only in business terms.
Then, suddenly, he remembered what Executive Director Park had said.
“It’s not time yet, so don’t show it.”
It seemed Executive Director Park had also been approached by Hyunseung.
“For the kid’s sake, too.”
And he looked like he had decided to accept.
If so, this was clearly going to grow even bigger.
After a division head, an executive director level officer would be leaving at the same time.
‘This really won’t be easy.’
But Executive Director Park also looked like he was trying to come up with some kind of countermeasure, so Kim Woohyun planned to prepare a response as well.
Yeah.
He could not let Hyunseung bear all responsibility alone.
“Haa….”
It was when he was thinking that since even this album had started successfully, if they did not prepare properly, they might not be able to slip out of that grip—
“But we promoted the other songs super aggressively, and it’s both obvious and surprising that ‘I’ll leave it,’ which isn’t even the title track and had no promotion, is #1 overall.”
Team Leader Han muttered while looking at the tablet with a newly amazed face.
Glance.
Kim Woohyun stole a look at the words on the tablet screen: ‘I’ll leave it (leave it behind) – HS.’
“Isn’t it obvious?”
He put a hand on his waist and added,
“HS sang it.”
And then everyone in the room nodded vigorously in unison.
They all looked like they deeply agreed with that.
A few days passed after the release.
Naturally, it was after every track on both albums that HS participated in had settled within the Top 10.
That was true not only domestically, but overseas as well.
And another thing that was obvious was that ‘I’ll leave it,’ sung by HS, was taking #1.
And that was because after the fan meeting, the overseas fandom had been steadily growing too.
It was true that Mateo’s reputation was towering worldwide, but he could not surpass HS’s current popularity.
That is what you call being the trend.
Jo Yeri was so happy just from getting to sing a “trend” song like that. Of course, it bothered her that she would have to promote together with someone uncomfortable….
“Wow, our Yeri is doing a duet stage with a world class vocalist with an HS song!”
In the rearview mirror, her manager unnie met her eyes and chattered excitedly.
“Today’s going to be a legendary stage, isn’t it?”
Maybe because she was the manager who had been assigned to her since debut, she seemed especially excited about this situation.
Well, for most people, it would be an honor.
An idol group member not only received a song from HS, the current trend, but was also going to duet with the world class vocalist Jo Kyungmi.
But the problem was that Jo Kyungmi was her mother.
And the biggest problem was that because they had lived apart for a long time, they were worse than strangers.
Of course…
They had eaten one meal together, but after that, they did not contact each other.
They only communicated schedules through the company or the broadcast station.
Which meant.
Today was the first day they would see each other’s faces since the recording.
“Hoo…”
Seeing the broadcast station outside the window, Jo Yeri sank into the seat and let out a sigh.
Because after that day, they had not matched even once, and the broadcast they were appearing on today happened to be a famous music talk show.
This music talk show did not run on pre-recorded segments. It was a live broadcast, so even skilled singers felt burdened just appearing on it.
Of course, it also had significant influence, so when singers came back, it was one of the programs they absolutely appeared on for promotion.
Ah.
Finally, it was a chance to show her live skill to the fullest, a truly good stage where she could be recognized as a singer rather than an idol…
But a dark worry crossed her mind that what if they ruined it with discordant harmonies?
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
Jo Yeri forced herself to take deep breaths and calmed her unsteady, trembling heart. Yeah, you practiced like crazy.
Even though I only practiced my part, I can still do well.
So Jo Yeri soothed herself as she got out of the van.
Inside the broadcast station, bustling with people.
“I’m going to go around and greet people, so you go into the waiting room first!”
Leaving Jo Yeri in front of the waiting room, the manager hurriedly turned her steps away.
“Ah, unnie, come with me…!”
Jo Yeri tried to call her back, but the manager had already rounded the hallway corner and disappeared long ago.
“Ah…”
Letting out a sigh, Jo Yeri could not bring herself to open the waiting room doorknob.
Because on the paper stuck to the door, it said: [ Guest – Jo Kyungmi & Jo Yeri ].
That meant it was a shared waiting room for the two of them.
Then behind that door was a space with only herself and Jo Kyungmi.
“This is driving me crazy…”
But if she did not go in, the staff running around the hallway would definitely look at her strangely.
Should she hide in the bathroom until it was time to film?
No.
Should she just go in and try to match with her at least once?
As she continued to agonize for a while…
Creeeak.
With hands starting to sweat from tension, Jo Yeri grabbed and turned the doorknob.
Yeah.
Since it came to this, I’ll match our breathing at least once.
This is business. No matter how uncomfortable the situation is, a true pro has to do it perfectly.
“Hm?”
When the door opened cautiously, a faint laugh came through.
For some reason, both a man’s and a woman’s laughter together.
Creeeak.
Curious, she opened the door wider.
And then through the waiting room mirror, her eyes met a man’s.
“Huh?”
That man was HS.
“Wh- wh- why, are you… here…”
Startled, Jo Yeri stammered, pointing at HS in the mirror.
“What, did you see a ghost or something?”
HS looked at her like she was pathetic and clicked his tongue.
“Of course you’re a scaredy cat.”
After confirming Jo Kyungmi sitting beside HS, Jo Yeri cautiously stepped into the waiting room.
“Ah, hello.”
Then she gathered her courage and greeted Jo Kyungmi.
At that, a bright smile fell over Jo Kyungmi’s face.
For no reason, watching that face made her feel strangely choked up. Why was she making an expression like she had the whole world just from one greeting?
‘I hate her.’
She grumbled inside for a moment.
“But seriously, what brings you here?” She asked while looking at HS.
There was no reason for him to come, and she had never even expected someone like him to show up.
“Why, can’t I come?”
“It’s not that, but….”
“I heard you two never met up even once to practice after that.”
“Th- that’s because our schedules didn’t match….”
Jo Yeri could not even finish her sentence and pressed her lips tightly shut.
It was an excuse. Even she thought it was a pathetic excuse.
If they had tried to match, they could have matched as much as they wanted. But she had not had the courage to contact first.
“Before I do domestic promotions, I was so busy wrapping up overseas performances, that’s why.”
At that moment, Jo Kyungmi stepped in and provided a plausible excuse.
Like she was saying it was her fault, so do not scold their kid.
“Ah.”
HS looked back and forth between Jo Kyungmi and her for a moment.
“That’s why I’m here.”
Out of nowhere, he clapped his hands once and added in an ambitious tone,
“For one last forced march.”
That HS had the same face he had worn beyond the recording booth.
Yeah.
With a viciously handsome face, wearing a smile so wicked it was almost chilling.
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