Chapter 55

After finishing the recording of "Family Birth," Yoon Hyun returned to Seoul, and the first thing he did was to start shooting the music video for IU's lead single.

Yoon Hyun designed the background of the MV to be about a little girl who inherited her grandfather's legacy of craftsmanship in a family of artisans. In the workshop, besides various mystical-looking tools and finished products, there was also a sleeping man. One day, IU, riding on a mini train left by her grandfather, accidentally started a time travel journey. Through the train window, she saw images from the future, where she saw the man lying in the workshop would be her boyfriend in the future. Knowing this, IU began to take good care of the sleeping man and worked hard to develop a time machine. After a long effort, she finally succeeded, and when she turned adult, the machine was finally completed, allowing her to travel through time. Just as she left, the sleeping man woke up...

When IU saw the script, she pouted her lips high. She even wanted to refuse to shoot. This was completely different from what she had in mind for the song!

"Whether you like it or not, you have to shoot it. If you don't take it seriously, don't ever see me again," Yoon Hyun said sternly, suppressing his reluctance to force IU to comply.

In fact, he had already softened under IU's tears, thinking about rewriting the script and reshooting.

But suddenly, he remembered that Jang Boram and Ham Eun-jeong were also preparing to debut, and their debut stage was likely to be scheduled soon. If their debut coincided with IU's comeback, wouldn't it be even more awkward?

So, Yoon Hyun, who didn't treat IU as an outsider, decisively decided: complete the production immediately and arrange the comeback stage right away.

Poor IU was still feeling depressed, wondering why Yoon Hyun, who clearly knew what kind of MV she wanted, didn't do it that way, when she was already being...

The entire MV was shot indoors. During the two days when Yoon Hyun was shooting "Family Birth" and Lee Yoon-jeong was directing another MV, the studio had already been set up according to Yoon Hyun's script.

So the entire shooting was completed in just one and a half days.

Yoon Hyun's final concession was to lie on the bed and play the role of IU's future boyfriend...

"OPPA, didn't you forget something?" After the MV was completed, IU approached Yoon Hyun.

"What?" Yoon Hyun was taken aback, thinking for a moment, but couldn't recall anything.

"The lead single doesn't have a name yet!" IU was a bit angry.

"The song is yours! You should name it," Yoon Hyun realized.

"OPPA, you name it. The album is about to be printed, and the lead single still doesn't have a name. Many people are waiting to see my embarrassment," IU said, a bit dejected.

"Let's call it 'IU.' The song," Yoon Hyun thought for a moment and said.

"Wouldn't that be a bit strange?" IU blushed, a bit embarrassed.

"Then let's call it 'I&U,' with a small heart as the background for the 'and.' It should be quite cute," Yoon Hyun suggested.

"U&I," IU thought for a moment and said, hinting at something.

"If you decide, let's go with that," Yoon Hyun pretended to be clueless.

"Thank you, OPPA!" IU bowed to Yoon Hyun, a bit disappointed, and then left.

With that, IU's comeback officially entered the countdown.

That night, the news of IU's comeback was announced on LOEN's official website, along with a 30-second teaser of the MV for the lead single "You and I."

The next day, the detailed information of the album, titled "IU," was released. The album contained six songs, with all but the lead single "You and I" written and composed by Yoon Hyun, who also served as the producer of the entire album.

If the news on the first day was a small ripple that didn't attract much attention, the news on the second day was like a 10.0 magnitude earthquake, causing a tsunami in the music industry.

Although Yoon Hyun had not appeared on stage as a singer for a long time, he had become a legend in the music industry in just two years.

"Whatever Yoon Hyun produces is a masterpiece."

This had become a widely accepted fact in the music industry.

Not to mention the songs he performed himself, which spanned several languages and successfully reached the world's largest stages, even the songs he wrote for others were remarkable.

"If" turned an unknown girl from S.M. Entertainment into the go-to singer for TV drama OSTs. Although Kim Tae-yeon won the Golden Disc Award last year for a different song, "If" remains her signature song on any program she appears on.

When the girl group Girls' Generation, which Kim Tae-yeon was a part of, faced the most severe crisis in the history of Korean idol groups, the Black Sea incident, almost no one was optimistic about their future. However, six months later, Yoon Hyun's "GEE" successfully wrote the nine girls into the history of Korean music with an unprecedented nine consecutive chart toppers, a record that even the most popular group, TVXQ, had to look up to.

And the wedding song "Fool for a Fool," which Yoon Hyun wrote in just a few minutes at his friend Park Myung-soo's wedding, helped Kim Jong-kook, who had been out of the public eye for a year and a half, return to the music scene and shine again.

Such a person was now writing an entire album for an unknown girl!

What attracted even more attention was that Yoon Hyun, who had always refused to sing others' songs, had not only written the lyrics for IU but also composed the music and chose it as the lead single!

The entire music industry suddenly woke up from the whirlwind of Girls' Generation and began to eagerly anticipate the album produced by Yoon Hyun.

In contrast to the outside world's anticipation, Yoon Hyun's fan café was filled with disappointment.

"Is OPPA going to become a producer? I still want to hear OPPA sing!" Such discussion threads almost flooded the entire forum.

Later, Yoon Hyun arranged for LOEN to release the songs on Melon and other music platforms.

The three released songs instantly dominated the top three spots on the download chart.

All the doubts about whether Yoon Hyun could be a good producer vanished in an instant.

Soon, it was the weekend, and Yoon Hyun arranged IU's comeback stage on MBC's Music Center, which had no ranking competition.

No other reason, just because MBC had the best relationship with him.

"OPPA, my stomach hurts a bit," IU, who was now in her dressing room waiting for the juniors to visit after visiting all the seniors with her manager Kim Soo-yeon, was so nervous that she didn't know what to do with her hands and feet.

"Were you this nervous for your debut stage?" Yoon Hyun was a bit amused.

"No... I just wanted to do well because OPPA would be watching my performance," IU said, a bit embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I'll be in the audience. This song has a high pitch, so don't be too nervous, or your vocal cords will tighten up..." Yoon Hyun said with a smile, joking with IU.

Just as Yoon Hyun was joking with IU, his phone rang.

"Oh, Jeong-won! What's up?" The caller was the president of Yoon Hyun's fan club, Park Jeong-won.

"Is today your student IU's comeback stage, OPPA?"

"Yes! I'm with her right now, waiting backstage to go on stage."

"We discussed it, and since your student might not have many fans to support her at the venue, we organized a few dozen people to come."

"You? Are you here now?"

"We're already in the venue! Don't worry, OPPA, we didn't bring any fan signs, just a few light sticks for IU!" Park Jeong-won, who was familiar with Yoon Hyun, knew what he was concerned about.

"That's great! Thank you all!" Yoon Hyun said, relieved.

"No problem! Your student is like our little sister! We support her too! And please tell IU that her singing is beautiful, and we all like it!"

"Her phone is on speaker, she can hear you!" Yoon Hyun said with a smile.

"Thank you, Sister Jeong-won! I'll do my best!" IU felt warm in her heart, hearing the encouragement from Yoon Hyun's fans.

"Good luck! We'll cheer for you!" Park Jeong-won said finally and hung up.

"How are you feeling now? Still nervous?" Yoon Hyun smiled at IU.

"Not really. But I really envy you for having such great fans! If I had fans like that, I'd be so happy," IU said, full of envy.

"Then just sing well. My fans are all great people. If you do well, they will support you and cheer for you!" Yoon Hyun encouraged her.

"Then wouldn't I be poaching your fans?" IU laughed.

"Why are you so formal with me?" Yoon Hyun also laughed.

Because of Yoon Hyun's involvement in IU's comeback and LOEN's growing influence on music programs through Melon, IU's comeback stage was naturally given a very important position, far beyond her current fame.

"Looking at the clock, whispering secrets,

In my heart, the stories I most desire..."

With the prelude of the music, IU, dressed in a cute, tight mini skirt, began to sing on stage.

Yoon Hyun, meanwhile, was quietly watching from the entrance of the backstage.

After his intense training, IU's breathing was much more stable now. Yes, the high notes were still a bit shaky, but it was already very good, especially considering she was dancing too...

At this moment, Yoon Hyun really felt like a teacher, seriously grading his student's performance...

On stage, IU, who had started her performance, had long forgotten her nervousness. She sang her song while trying to find Yoon Hyun in the audience. Yoon Hyun's fans, who had come to support her, showed great professionalism.

But IU couldn't find Yoon Hyun.

However, she knew Yoon Hyun must be watching from somewhere.

So she performed her best.

At the end of the song, the audience burst into enthusiastic applause.