Chapter 1

1.

“I feel really bad for not being able to do more.”

Han Jihyuk sighed deeply.

The woman sitting in front of him shook her head.

“This is enough, Mr. President. It's my fault for not being good enough, but still, if I do well on this stage, there's a chance, right?”

Lee Ji-hyun said with a smile.

Han Jihyuk let out a small sigh.

He felt guilty.

She said it was her fault, but Han Jihyuk thought differently.

Lee Ji-hyun was a girl brimming with talent.

He had brought her to the agency when she was twenty-four, after proposing a contract.

Now, four years later, she had not achieved much despite her talent.

Han Jihyuk believed it was because he had not supported her enough.

“You do your best, and I'll do my best to sing. Why are you so worried?”

Lee Ji-hyun smiled, seemingly unaware of the sigh that came from guilt rather than worry.

She was smiling, but there was a strange tension in her eyes.

She was fully aware that this might be the last chance Han Jihyuk could give her.

It was an opportunity she had begged for, bowing hundreds of times and kneeling dozens of times.

“It will… go well.”

No, it has to go well.

After all this, if it fails, it would be unacceptable.

Then, really, God must have abandoned him.

He loved music. He wanted to make music.

It was so desperate, but he had no talent, so he had to give up.

Still, he couldn't leave the industry, so he started as a manager and eventually set up a small management company.

…And to collapse like this?

It's absurd.

Life can't be this cruel.

“You said you originally wanted to sing like me, right?”

“More precisely, music. I enjoyed singing and writing songs.”

Han Jihyuk replied to Lee Ji-hyun.

He shrugged and continued.

“Why are you asking this suddenly?”

“Just… because it might be the last time, and it feels strange.”

Lee Ji-hyun said this while moving her fingers.

Her hand gently fidgeted on her knee.

“Mr. President.”

“Yeah?”

“Even if it doesn’t go well this time… I won’t blame you. So, don’t blame yourself.”

Han Jihyuk blinked, trying to understand what she meant.

Then, he burst into laughter.

“Why would I blame you?”

“I mean, don’t blame yourself. This… is a promise.”

Lee Ji-hyun extended her pinky finger.

Han Jihyuk looked at her pinky for a moment.

‘Can I not blame myself?’

He wasn’t sure.

But how could he say that here?

“Okay, it’s a promise.”

With a smile, Han Jihyuk extended his hand and linked his pinky with hers.

Lee Ji-hyun smiled warmly.

“I’ll get ready!”

A staff member’s voice was heard.

Han Jihyuk looked at Lee Ji-hyun, asking if she was ready to go.

Lee Ji-hyun took a deep breath and stood up.

As they left the waiting room to prepare, she saw four women rushing onto the stage.

They were a four-year-old girl group, Y①GO, who had recently received good reviews and were firmly in the top tier.

Seeing them, Han Jihyuk’s face slightly contorted.

Lee Ji-hyun also glanced at Han Jihyuk, seemingly concerned about the girls.

“Mr. President.”

“Yeah, Ji-hyun.”

“When I first met you, I thought you were a fraud. You told me I had talent.”

“At that time, I really thought you were shining.”

Han Jihyuk chuckled, recalling their first meeting.

“Probably, if it weren’t for the seniors of Y①GO, I wouldn’t have even talked to you.”

“It was around the time Y①GO’s seniors debuted.”

“If it weren’t for you raising the seniors of Y①GO, we wouldn’t have come this far, right?”

Lee Ji-hyun smiled.

She said she was grateful to the seniors of Y①GO for that reason.

But Han Jihyuk couldn’t even thank them in jest.

He had poured everything into raising them.

They were the company’s first girl group.

After their debut, he was just starting to recoup his investments.

He had been considerate, creating a short contract period to avoid burdening them, but as soon as it ended…

“They immediately went to a major agency.”

From the major agency’s perspective, it must have felt like a great catch.

They had acquired a girl group that had debuted with decent results without much cost.

For Han Jihyuk at the time, it felt like a bolt from the blue.

He had invested everything to debut them, and just when he thought he could breathe, he was betrayed.

Han Jihyuk shook his head to clear his thoughts.

What good would it do to think about it now?

‘It’s in the past, and there’s no point in regretting it.’

While Y①GO’s choice had brought Han Jihyuk a terrible outcome, he couldn’t change it.

‘I should be grateful that, thanks to them, I have this last chance today.’

Han Jihyuk thought to himself and lightly patted Lee Ji-hyun’s shoulder to encourage her.

Feeling this, Lee Ji-hyun smiled warmly.

Y①GO’s performance was beautiful.

Because it was a group he had discovered and nurtured, Han Jihyuk had a deep attachment to them.

At the same time, he felt a deep sense of betrayal.

Because they were talented, they had grown well even after Han Jihyuk disappeared after their debut.

After Y①GO’s performance ended, it was Lee Ji-hyun’s turn.

The four girls walked off the stage and passed by Lee Ji-hyun and Han Jihyuk without saying a word, only giving a sneer.

“Still like that. It’s amazing how a small company can hold on so long.”

Han Jihyuk gritted his teeth.

He was about to say something to them, but Lee Ji-hyun grabbed his hand.

She smiled faintly and walked onto the stage.

Han Jihyuk looked up as Lee Ji-hyun started singing.

Her voice began to resonate lightly.

The audience below smiled.

Han Jihyuk also smiled, feeling a pleasant warmth.

It was a voice that always made him feel good.

How could such a talented girl not have succeeded until now?

As Han Jihyuk blinked, feeling a sense of regret, he noticed one of the stage devices above swaying.

“Huh?”

‘Why is it swaying?’

This thought flashed through his mind.

But before he could fully process it, his body was already moving forward.

It was the moment when Lee Ji-hyun’s song reached its highlight, requiring a dramatic performance.

Without hesitation, Han Jihyuk quickly walked onto the stage.

Thud!

A small sound, like something breaking, was heard.

Then, the light above began to fall vertically.

Directly onto where Lee Ji-hyun was standing.

“Huh?”

As the staff and audience gasped, Han Jihyuk quickly rushed onto the stage and shielded Lee Ji-hyun.

As soon as he enveloped her small body.

Bang!

The large light fell on Han Jihyuk.

There was no pain.

His vision turned completely white.

After realizing he was dying, the first emotion he felt was intense regret.

‘If I knew I would live and die like this… I wouldn’t have even started.’

No, rather, he would have continued doing what he loved, music.

He had no talent, but he was happy when making music.

Each day was enjoyable, and he thought it was the meaning of his life.

If he knew he would live and die like this, he should have just done what he loved, even if it was hard.

His eyes welled up with tears, not from pain, but from deep regret.

‘Damn, you stupid bastard!’

He cursed himself.

This was Han Jihyuk’s death.

“Hyuk… Jihyuk.”

Hearing a faint voice, Han Jihyuk forced his heavy eyelids open.

“Ugh.”

His throat was dry, making his voice sound strange.

Then, he opened his eyes wide.

He sat up abruptly.

“Is Ji-hyun okay…!”

Looking around in a panic, Han Jihyuk realized something was off and closed his mouth.

“What are you talking about? Who’s Ji-hyun?” A man with slightly gray hair looked at Han Jihyuk with a bewildered expression.

Han Jihyuk blinked, looking at him.

“Uh… Boss?”

“Yeah, I’m the boss! What’s wrong with you? I told you to prepare for the evening opening, and you’re just spacing out!”

The boss clicked his tongue.

Though he spoke harshly, there was a hint of concern in his eyes.

Han Jihyuk felt confused.

What’s going on? I just got hit by a falling light.

‘I died… so why is the boss suddenly here?’

When he was younger, before Han Jihyuk had given up on his dream of music, he worked at a café.

A music-themed café that hosted live performances in the evenings.

The boss of that café was standing in front of him.

“No… it’s not just that.”

The room was filled with tables and chairs, and on one wall, there was a shelf with records and albums.

On the other side, there was a piano and guitars for live performances.

“A café… but where am I?”

Han Jihyuk muttered.

“What are you talking about? Come on, snap out of it and get ready for the evening opening.”

The boss lightly patted Han Jihyuk’s shoulder.

Han Jihyuk nodded blankly.

He was confused and his mind was a mess, but his body naturally started preparing for the café’s opening.

As he mechanically wiped the tables, the sound of a bell caught his attention, and he turned to the door.

A man with a guitar entered the café.

‘I’ve seen this face somewhere before.’

Though he couldn’t remember, he immediately felt a bad vibe.

“I’m here.”

The man gave a perfunctory greeting and walked to the small stage, sitting down.

As soon as he sat, he frowned.

“Hey, clean this up properly.”

He immediately lashed out at Han Jihyuk.

Han Jihyuk, already feeling overwhelmed, slightly frowned.

“Bring a music stand.”

Han Jihyuk turned, feeling exasperated.

He didn’t even want to respond.

Accepting that he was here was already a struggle for Han Jihyuk.

He was doing the familiar tasks, but his mind was trying to make sense of this absurd situation.

“Ugh, so annoying…”

The man muttered and eventually got up to bring the music stand himself.

The man took out his guitar from the case, tuned it, and started playing.

It was a decent performance.

As he listened, Han Jihyuk tried to clear his mind.

Suddenly, something appeared in front of his eyes.

- 'The Inaudible Artist' frowns. He claims this is not music.

- 'Another Queen' turns her head away, ignoring it.

“Huh…?”

Oh.