The meeting of the center member of a popular idol group and the Queen of Sopranos.
That was the optimal set of conditions that couldn’t help but become a huge issue.
In a way, it was surprising that it had only managed to climb to 4th place on the music charts up to now.
Ah.
Of course, considering that the three songs holding firm above it were songs sung by HS, Mateo, and Sarah Stewart, it wasn’t an entirely absurd story either.
But judging by how this video recorded explosive views in a short period of time, it was obvious the ranking would be flipped soon.
Right.
Even now, hadn’t it stepped on Sarah Stewart, who had been 3rd, and climbed up?
Even so, whether it could surpass even the song Hyunseung himself sang, he didn’t know.
─ Will you hold both hands tight?
Just as Kim Woohyun replayed the live video of Jo Yeri and Jo Kyungmi—
“Jo Yeri sings better than I expected?”
He muttered to himself with an excited face. In truth, it wasn’t so much excitement as it was his eyes glittering like he’d found prey.
It wasn’t simply because she was a popular member within a popular idol group.
To begin with, LS Entertainment also had idols on Jo Yeri’s level.
It was just that, she had vocal ability beyond imagination.
On top of that, seeing as Hyunseung had “played” Jo Yeri as an instrument twice, you could infer that she had plenty of untapped potential she still hadn’t shown.
‘How much time is left on Jo Yeri’s contract term?’
Kim Woohyun was internally calculating the debut year and average contract period of the group Jo Yeri belonged to.
“It was good I went and gave them rapid-fire directing as an extra.”
Hyunseung, sitting there as if he had no interest, casually opened his mouth.
“What do you mean?”
“That day, before they went in to film, I gave them a quick directing session.”
“Hyunseung, you did?”
“Yes.”
“No, but why go that far….”
Kim Woohyun trailed off as he asked with a puzzled look.
Although Hyunseung had made many songs and done directing up to now, it was the first time he’d seen him chase down even the subsequent broadcast schedule and provide after-service.
To begin with, he wasn’t the type to listen even if someone clung to him and begged, so this meant Hyunseung had done it of his own accord, and…
“Just because.”
At that moment, Hyunseung wrapped up all the puzzlement with a single short sentence.
Like “It’s fun,” it was a magic line that left you with nothing more to say.
“I see.”
Kim Woohyun wanted to ask what “just because” meant, but he figured there must be a reason, and nodded.
And then, as if switching topics, he thrust forward the screen showing the real-time music chart window and continued.
“Hyunseung, your song keeps being number one.”
Just as he said, the song Hyunseung had directly participated in as a vocalist had firmly held the number one spot for two weeks after release.
[ TOP 100 ]
1st I’ll leave it – HS
2nd I’ll stay here – Mateo
3rd It’s Late, But Once Again – Jo Kyungmi & Jo Yeri (Prod. HS)
4th Turn around – Sarah Stewart (Prod. HSxMateo)
Perhaps because it was also a daily topic that Mateo, who had worked for many years as a composer, was participating in vocals for the first time, “I’ll stay here,” which he sang, also continued to plant itself at 2nd place.
Of course, it wasn’t a hot enough issue to chase down “HS,” the trend among trends right now.
At that moment, Hyunseung, who had been scanning the chart out of the corner of his eye, shrugged and said,
“There’s nothing here that isn’t my song.”
Ah, right.
Kim Woohyun let out an “Ah,” like an idiot, in a sigh.
Thinking about it, they were all songs Hyunseung had either made himself or participated in somehow. Even below 4th place, Hyunseung’s songs were not uncommon to see.
In other words….
He had really given a completely useless compliment.
“That’s true, but I meant the song you sang yourself….”
Someone might compare the charts to a battlefield, but for Hyunseung, it was nothing more than a cozy playground.
But since it came up, it would be good to bring it up.
“Still, since we’re talking about it, how do you feel?”
Even as he asked slyly, Kim Woohyun was careful.
Because he knew that the song Hyunseung had been struggling with for days, like fighting a hard battle, was “I’ll leave it.”
Right.
He couldn’t even guess what story there was, what kind of heart it came from, so he couldn’t bring himself to ask.
But now that the result value of that battle had come out, wouldn’t it be okay to at least ask how he felt?
Gulp.
He asked casually, but seeing Hyunseung’s lips that wouldn’t easily part, his mouth went dry and he swallowed.
How much time passed?
It seemed Hyunseung’s lips slowly began to part, and then a voice leaked out.
“Well, just…”
But this time too, it was only the answer, “just.”
‘It really seemed like a song with a story in it…’
To begin with, he wasn’t the kind of guy who would sing himself if there wasn’t a reason, and just because his face had been revealed a bit, he wouldn’t suddenly switch careers into being a singer.
More than anything, Hyunseung’s golden eyes, as he said “just,” weren’t they suddenly trembling as if sinking into deep depths?
‘Just, my ass.’
It would be so nice if he could let it out once, but the kid’s mouth was really heavy.
“So it’s that obvious to you?”
Kim Woohyun gave up on probing further and asked, deliberately teasing.
But Hyunseung shot back seriously.
“More than that, I just feel lighter.”
“Lighter?”
Just as he said, the trembling eyes found calm again.
Even the brief shadow that had fallen over them was completely swept away.
He looked not only lighter, but downright refreshed.
“Yes. Only now do I finally feel like I’ve truly been reborn. Now I’m back to the starting point, so I don’t know how I’ll live again, but it feels like it might be fun.”
He couldn’t understand the full meaning of that answer.
But…
“Yes, we’ve heard the CEO’s ambitions well.”
Looking at Hyunseung’s comfortable face, Kim Woohyun said,
“Fun is good, but going forward, please become a CEO who also considers private interest.”
“Are you worried I won’t be able to pay you a salary?”
“Ah, no, of course not.”
It felt like he had left the heavy burden in his heart inside the song, and that thought felt truly relieving.
Paul set down a cup with warm steam gently rising and opened his mouth.
“Lately, unlike you, it feels like you’ve been calling me out often.”
Then, as he looked at the identical cup set before Mateo across from him, he added,
“More than that, to sit facing you and drink espresso… you live long enough to see it, huh.”
A smile lingered at the corner of his mouth. Mateo, following him, silently smiled and lifted the cup in front of him.
“In the past, I wondered why anyone drank coffee this bitter and hot.”
Then, taking a sip, he continued.
“But as I drank it, I understood. You only truly become an adult once you’re ready to accept heat and bitterness.”
“Not sure that’s something a fifty-year-old should be saying.”
The two of them laughed at the same time.
When the laughter gradually died down, Paul asked, eyes shining with curiosity.
“What made you start thinking that way?”
And for good reason. Because Mateo, whom he was seeing after a month, felt like a completely different person.
A man who rarely left the house unless it was for work was coming out often.
And it was surprising enough that someone who used to say he hated even the smell of coffee and wouldn’t let it touch his lips had started drinking espresso.
His whole atmosphere had changed. To Paul, he used to seem like a hedgehog with its quills up, but now… more like a puppy showing off soft fur?
He hadn’t been an extremely prickly personality to begin with, but composers, as a rule, lived with their nerves always sharpened.
That also applied to Paul, who had lived as the head of the New York Philharmonic.
At that moment, Mateo’s tightly closed lips opened.
“I thought I was a well-raised, proper adult, but now that I look back, time just passed and I became an adult. I was never really an adult, not once.”
Approaching fifty, admitting something like that out loud was not an easy thing.
Right.
The older you got, the harder it became to admit that the beliefs and values you’d kept for so long were wrong.
But on Mateo’s slightly raised lip corners there wasn’t a self-mocking smile. There was thick, heavy regret.
“It’s lucky I realized it even now.”
Then, instead of regret, the corners of his mouth filled with hope rose into a pleasant curve.
“Now I can finally be a real adult to my daughter. A real father.”
Paul looked at Mateo, then lifted his coffee cup.
Over the rim of the cup, for some reason, HS overlapped with Mateo’s face.
It wasn’t because they looked alike.
If he had to find one similarity, it would be that they were born with genius-level talent in composing.
And yet strangely, the HS that had been floating hazily in his mind grew clearer and clearer, standing out sharply.
And before long, he thought:
When would that young man call the New York Philharmonic again?
If he truly began his overseas activities in earnest, wouldn’t they be able to meet often, even as sessions?
Just as those thoughts came.
“It might be thanks to HS.”
As if he had read Paul’s inner thoughts, Mateo’s mouth spoke the name “HS.”
Come to think of it.
Until not long ago, watching the two of them get tangled up from afar, he’d wondered if it was a bad connection.
But now, at this point, he even felt like the two might be inevitable.
“It feels like only recently you were hunting down HS with fire in your eyes, and then suddenly you said you were working together, and that surprised me.”
“When the kid tempts you gently with an offer you can’t refuse, like some old fox, what can you do? You can’t help but take the bait.”
“Wasn’t it also because you learned he’s the same person as Choi Jihyun, and your curiosity as a composer was stirred?”
“I can’t say that wasn’t part of it.”
The two of them burst into laughter again at the same time. This time, their hearty laughter spilled over the terrace wall.
But then.
Paul, recalling the Billboard chart newly updated that morning, continued.
“Honestly, what surprised me most is that you’re falling behind.”
“You hit me where it hurts.”
“I’m sorry to stab where it hurts even more at a time like this, but what shocked me was his ability.”
At that, Mateo furrowed his brow and shot him a sharp glare.
But inside, like a hollow crisp, there wasn’t any hatred lodged there at all.
Then Mateo let out a booming laugh as if he’d remembered something.
“Why are you laughing?”
As the inexplicable laughter continued, Paul tilted his head and asked.
“No, you see…”
Matteo started to speak, then his face flushed red as he tried to hold back the laughter spilling out.
“That guy made me a ridiculous proposal.”
Then, as if the more he thought about it the funnier it was, he snorted out a laugh and said,
“He told me to become his baton.”
At that, Paul echoed, “A baton?” He knew HS called singers or performers “instruments,” but “baton” was a term he was hearing for the first time.
“Right. He told me to conduct the instruments for him.”
“What on earth does that…”
“With a very bold face, he said he’s going to establish a label in the U.S. and conquer the music market, so I should come in as a producer before it’s too late.”
“Is that really true?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if he’s making that offer knowing my price.”
Despite his gruff tone, Mateo added with a faint smile,
“Anyway, I told him to establish it first and at least present a signing bonus. I said I’d hear it out, at least.”
Paul couldn’t laugh along at those words.
Because maybe he had the sense that the orbit of the U.S. music market, unchanged until now, might be about to undergo a major upheaval.
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