Chapter 5

5,

Baek Kyung-tae was a new manager who had been working for just under three months. He had chosen the job of a manager because he loved music and enjoyed the idea of nurturing a star with his own hands. However, over the past three months, Baek Kyung-tae had heard dozens, if not hundreds, of complaints and reprimands, and his enthusiasm for the job had completely drained away. If he had been assigned to take care of his favorite celebrities, it might have been different. But that wasn't the case. There was no one to give special consideration to a manager who had only been with the company for three months. Baek Kyung-tae only did temporary jobs. He knew it was inevitable and understood it intellectually, but it was still heartbreaking. "I wanted to be a manager for singers... why am I assigned to take care of actors?" Baek Kyung-tae sighed and muttered to himself. It had been a long time since he had some free time, so he visited a café he used to frequent. It was evening. Although he had only dropped by for a short break, he thought it would be a good way to relax. Even though managers were paid low salaries, he could still afford a cup of coffee. "One iced Americano, please." He couldn't afford the expensive coffee, so he just ordered the cheapest one. The purpose wasn't to drink coffee but to listen to the music here. The music here wasn't particularly special, but it created a peaceful atmosphere. As expected, when Jeon Tae-chan, who had just taken the stage after the evening opening, started singing, it wasn't bad. However, Baek Kyung-tae had a slightly awkward expression. 'He hasn't grown at all.' It was exactly the same as a few months ago. The parts where he made mistakes were the same, and the parts where he unnecessarily elongated the notes were exactly the same. 'It would be great if he could show some growth, even a little bit.' Baek Kyung-tae muttered to himself, feeling disappointed, and took out a notebook. It was a habit he had since he dreamed of becoming a manager. He would write down the strengths and weaknesses of singers or people who sang in the underground. He thought that someday, when he was assigned to take care of a singer, it might be helpful. It was also convenient to have it organized in a way he could see at a glance. The fun of evaluating his favorite singers in his own way was something he probably couldn't easily find elsewhere. As he was writing 'slow growth' in the weaknesses section, Baek Kyung-tae suddenly looked up at what Jeon Tae-chan said. "I'm going to do something a little special today." Until then, he hadn't been particularly interested. Just curious. But when Han Ji-hyuk suddenly took the stage, he became a bit more interested. Before joining the current company, he used to come to 0*8Me at least once or twice a week, so he knew Han Ji-hyuk's face. It was interesting to see a café part-timer suddenly take the stage. He clapped enthusiastically. The other customers, reacting to his enthusiasm, also clapped to cheer for Han Ji-hyuk. Han Ji-hyuk's wide smile caught his eye. 'As always... he's handsome.' Han Ji-hyuk had above-average looks. It wasn't a stretch to think that some of the customers might have come to see him. "Haha! Then, let's listen to Han Ji-hyuk's song." Baek Kyung-tae finished writing the sentence he was working on in his notebook, turned the page, and wrote Han Ji-hyuk's name at the top. 'Well, let's see how good Han Ji-hyuk, the café part-timer, is at singing.' Baek Kyung-tae twirled his pen and looked at Han Ji-hyuk. Han Ji-hyuk carefully walked to the piano and placed his hands on the keys. His music began. The song Han Ji-hyuk had decided to perform was originally a different one. A popular song he had always practiced. But at that moment, he desperately wanted to sing another song. The piano seemed to pull him in, and the song felt like it was choosing him. In the end, Han Ji-hyuk let his hands move as they wished and started playing. It was a song by a British band that would later be made into a movie. It was very famous, but many people didn't know the title. Initially, it was met with resistance due to its complex lyrics and structure, but it was later re-evaluated. A gentle piano melody, accompanied by drums and guitar. According to the original, the vocals needed to be very powerful to cut through the drums and guitar. But Han Ji-hyuk knew he didn't have that kind of power. 'I'll make the song easier to sing.' So he made a slight adjustment. He emphasized the gentle piano and made sure it didn't feel out of place without the drums and guitar, and he made the vocals gentle as well. He removed the difficult parts and decided to focus on the parts that conveyed strong emotions. He planned to shorten the originally six-minute song to about two minutes. This was quite a difficult task, but for some reason, it was clearly organized in his mind. It was as if a divine inspiration had been given to him. - 'Another Queen' respects your opinion and instills confidence in you, saying you can do it no matter what. - 'The Invisible Artist' bursts into laughter, saying not to worry because they are confident. Reading these messages, Han Ji-hyuk continued to play the piano softly. The regular and simple notes, played in a steady rhythm, carried a heavy emotion. Then, Han Ji-hyuk opened his mouth. "Mother, I've killed someone." A gentle but powerful pop song. Han Ji-hyuk closed his eyes tightly and then opened them, continuing to sing. He didn't try to convey his emotions through the song. He just sang and immersed himself in the song. And when he did, his emotions were naturally conveyed to the listeners. He told the story of a man who fights with himself and the world every day. No other thoughts came to mind. When Han Ji-hyuk sang, he was the protagonist of the song. He felt like he might cry. Who would have thought that it would be so difficult to express his feelings? As he gradually let out his inner thoughts, a sense of relief mixed with a huge wave of anxiety washed over him. Seeing this, he stood alone. With only one thing, his confidence in himself, he prepared to face the huge wave. It burst out. "Sometimes I wish I hadn't been born." Hearing this, Baek Kyung-tae's mouth dropped open. "He's crazy..." He muttered in a low voice. It was a voice that came out without him realizing it. He couldn't control the emotions welling up inside him. The emotions in the song were so powerful that Baek Kyung-tae had a pained expression. The joy of hearing such a good song and the sadness, anxiety, and loneliness in the song overwhelmed him. The emotions fought with each other, making Baek Kyung-tae's face change constantly. It wasn't just Baek Kyung-tae. The sudden loneliness and fear, and the trust in oneself within it, were being conveyed to the customers. Some felt the loneliness more strongly, while others felt the confidence in themselves more strongly. Some shed a tear, while others just blinked in amazement. As he was completely immersed in the song, Baek Kyung-tae was certain. 'This is the person I've been looking for.' Today, he finally found the singer he wanted to work with as a dedicated manager. His heart raced. Was it love at first sight? He had never experienced love at first sight with a woman, but he thought the feeling he was experiencing now was similar. Han Ji-hyuk's song ended. Before the lingering aftertaste had completely faded, Baek Kyung-tae picked up the paper in front of him and wrote a number. Naturally, it was number 2. After writing it, he folded it in half and put it aside, then started writing about Han Ji-hyuk in his notebook. About Han Ji-hyuk's strengths and weaknesses. He could write a lot about the strengths, but the weaknesses were a bit of a struggle. 'There doesn't seem to be anything...' His piano skills were top-notch, and his vocals were excellent. It felt like he had practiced for ten years. In the end, Baek Kyung-tae left the weaknesses section blank and picked up his smartphone. He thought he should contact the company. After finishing his song, Han Ji-hyuk took a deep breath. "Phew, ah..." He tried to calm his heart as he stood up, and he smiled. In his eyes, a flustered Jeon Tae-chan was reflected. It was understandable that he was flustered, as Han Ji-hyuk was different from before. A hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes. He had thought the customers would naturally choose him, but now he was thinking it might not be the case. "Uh, so..." Jeon Tae-chan stammered. Han Ji-hyuk spoke into the microphone. "Now, please write a number on the paper." At the right moment, Jung Seon-woo started walking around the tables with a cup. People wrote numbers on the paper, folded them in half, and put them in the cup. Jung Seon-woo brought the cup to the stage and started counting the votes. The result? It was obvious. "Out of 39 votes... Jeon Tae-chan, 6 votes." Jeon Tae-chan, who had been pretending to be relaxed despite being a bit nervous, had his expression collapse. He looked at Jung Seon-woo with wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe it. Jung Seon-woo turned to Han Ji-hyuk and said, "And Han Ji-hyuk, 33 votes. Congratulations." It was a decisive victory. Han Ji-hyuk smiled. He didn't know how to express it, so he just showed a smile. He was incredibly happy that most of the people here had liked his song. In Han Ji-hyuk's eyes, as he looked at Jeon Tae-chan, there was a meaning. - Let's end this cleanly. Jeon Tae-chan seemed to understand the meaning in his eyes, as he suddenly scrunched up his face and turned his head away. He left the stage without saying a word. "Good job." Jung Seon-woo patted Han Ji-hyuk's back a couple of times. "Thank you, sir." "It's fine. I need to go check on Tae-chan. Keep an eye on the tables." "Yes, sir." Han Ji-hyuk nodded in response. As he came down from the stage, a man suddenly stood up and walked over to him. 'This face... I've seen it somewhere before.' As he watched the man approaching him, Han Ji-hyuk thought to himself. 'It's familiar, but who is it?' Just as he was tilting his head in confusion, the man approached Han Ji-hyuk and handed him a business card. "I'm Baek Kyung-tae from IX Entertainment. You sang really well." Hearing the man's introduction, Han Ji-hyuk blinked. It was a very familiar name. A name that no one in the entertainment industry could be unaware of. And that Baek Kyung-tae... 'Why is he here...?' 'Why...?'