Chapter 32

Reckless Genius Composer Returns - Chapter 32 (32/482)

"Bubble Girls, the comeback date is set for November. We are currently in the process of producing the music video..."

At that moment, Team Leader Lee and Manager Oh of Management Team 1 were busy preparing for the meeting scheduled for lunch.

Knock, knock.

An employee, holding a stack of papers tightly, opened the door and entered.

"Excuse me, I'm interrupting your conversation..."

Then,

"A formal letter has arrived, and I think you should take a look."

Manager Oh's eyes widened as he examined the letter the employee handed over.

"Man Records...?"

The reason was that the logo of Man Records, a company that no one in the industry could be unfamiliar with, was prominently displayed at the top of the letter.

Man Records.

One of the leading record companies in Japan, known for being particularly picky about the musical quality of the artists they sign. Due to this, they are also one of the most closed-off record companies, rarely collaborating with external entities.

"I'll take a look. You can go now."

Manager Oh, trying to hide his surprise, motioned for the employee to leave.

"Oh, Manager Oh, this..."

Team Leader Lee, who had glanced at the letter, also seemed quite surprised.

"1. We wish your company continued success."

Team Leader Lee then began to read the letter, which was written in Japanese, out loud.

"2. This letter was prepared with the help of the law firm Leadersmith, which Man Records has engaged."

He swallowed hard and continued...

"3. For smooth collaboration, we request strict confidentiality, and the content is as follows..."

Suddenly, Manager Oh narrowed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Hmm."

He couldn't bring himself to read the rest out loud and only scanned it with his eyes.

'Why did this letter come to Team 1...'

The main content of the letter was about wanting to collaborate with HS, a composer from Management Team 2, who is currently rising in popularity.

In the end, this letter has nothing to do with Team 1.

It's already public knowledge that Seo Jin was successful in her Japanese debut.

So, they must be looking for 'HS,' the sole composer credited on her album.

'Can't just take HS away...'

Manager Oh bit his lower lip in frustration.

The collaboration proposal from Man Records...

He was furious that he had to pass it on to Team 2.

"Team Leader Lee, tell the employee to send this letter to Team 2 via fax."

"That's a shame..."

"What can we do? Man Records is only interested in HS."

Team Leader Lee, with his shoulders slumped, took the letter.

At that moment,

"Why are you chatting? Have you finished preparing for the afternoon meeting?"

Executive Park, who had burst into the small meeting room, immediately showed his displeasure and sneered...

"Is this the material for today's meeting?"

He pointed at the letter Team Leader Lee was holding.

"No, that's not the meeting material."

"What is it then? Why are you taking so long?"

"In fact, we were reviewing a letter from Man Records."

Team Leader Lee, following Manager Oh's nod, handed over the letter.

"Even though it wasn't addressed to Team 1..."

Team Leader Lee hesitantly passed the letter to Executive Park.

Manager Oh expected Executive Park to explode in anger as soon as he read the letter.

'He already sees HS as a thorn in his side... We'll just get another lecture.'

He had already bowed his head in preparation for the scolding.

However, Executive Park only nodded calmly.

"Hmm..."

Executive Park read the letter for a while.

"I'll take this letter with me."

Executive Park, as if making a decision, picked up the letter...

"Are you going to deliver it to Team 2 yourself?"

Seeing this, Manager Oh asked in surprise, to which Executive Park replied nonchalantly.

"What are you saying, Manager Oh? That's a silly thing to say."

Everyone stared at Executive Park in disbelief.

"Are you going to let such a good opportunity slip away?"

Unexpected words came from Executive Park's mouth.

"Sir, I'm really sorry, but Man Records didn't request collaboration with LS Entertainment; they specifically asked for HS."

"Team Leader Oh! HS is just lucky, but is there anyone in our Team 1 who is inferior to him? Whether in terms of skill or experience, we are far superior."

"Well, that's true, but..."

"Come on, Team Leader Oh, don't worry so much!"

Executive Park was ambitiously preparing for the 10th anniversary album of KOK, on which he had staked his reputation.

However, contrary to his expectations...

He was frustrated that the public's attention was being split between Jeong A-ri and Seo Jin.

With the massive obstacle of Lee Doo-seok, he couldn't easily intervene, and it also irked him that Team 2's Choi was thriving thanks to HS.

His childish emotions kept boiling up inside him.

"Summon all the composers and have them bring the most impressive sample songs they have."

He then added with a smirk.

"Anyway, as long as the song is good, it doesn't matter if it's from HS or SH. Why would a company like Man Records, which has a bright future, pin their hopes on a rookie composer with an uncertain future? The important thing is to get a hit song."

After a moment,

"Anyway, don't be late for the meeting later. It will be a very important one."

Executive Park, looking forward to the executive meeting scheduled for lunch, adjusted his tie.

* * *

"Hello."

Manager Kim bowed deeply, almost touching his forehead to the floor, and sat next to Executive Choi, who had called him. Although he was a bit nervous about the other executives' gazes...

He was secretly pleased.

Just the fact that he, as a manager, was frequently attending executive meetings hosted by the CEO's office meant that he could aim for a promotion to executive if he continued to perform well.

Even if not, it was a satisfying result to have his performance recognized.

However,

During the meeting, Manager Kim couldn't concentrate due to the constant buzzing of his phone.

Glancing at it, he saw a series of messages from Jeong A-ri, complete with siren emojis.

'Why is she suddenly doing this? Did something good happen?'

Just as he was about to put his phone back in his pocket...

Buzz!

The buzzing started again.

Why are they both acting like this?

Since joining the management team, his phone had never been turned off, though it had been off before.

Whether it was annual leave, weekends, public holidays, or festivals, he always had to keep his phone on.

'Maybe I should turn it off for a moment...'

But the constant buzzing made him consider turning off his phone for the first time.

"The meeting will conclude here..."

Just as the meeting about the artists' plans for the second half of the year was wrapping up,

"Wait a moment, I have something to say to the CEO."

Executive Park spoke confidently.

"Although it's not confirmed yet, I have some good news to share..."

Everyone's attention turned to Executive Park, and Manager Kim began to observe him closely.

Suddenly, his long-winded introduction was uncharacteristic of Executive Park.

"Man Records has proposed a collaboration."

At these words, Manager Kim's eyes widened and he seemed to forget to blink.

'If it's Man Records...'

It's a major record company on par with Sony Music and Universal Music Group.

It's one of the record companies that Korean artists aim to work with when entering the Japanese market.

Due to its closed nature, it rarely collaborates with other companies.

Even a major entertainment company like LS Entertainment had no history of collaborating with Man Records.

'Surely, this guy has some good skills.'

Manager Kim, glancing at him, nodded slightly.

While he didn't like the person himself...

He had to admit that Executive Park had considerable skills and salesmanship.

As Manager Kim's thoughts lingered,

The CEO, with a keen interest, asked,

"Directly from Man Records?"

"Yes. We have already requested songs from the main composers of Team 1, and we plan to submit them to Man Records once they are compiled."

"Is this due to Seo Jin's successful debut in Japan?"

"Although we can't say for sure, I believe it has had a positive impact."

Executive Park added,

"Given the positive perception and ongoing discussions, we aim to establish a collaborative relationship with Man Records through this opportunity."

The CEO's lips curled slightly.

"If it succeeds, it would be a great achievement."

"Yes, I will do my best."

The executives in the room, listening to the conversation between Executive Park and the CEO, thought,

'He's really pushing for Team 1.'

They shook their heads, seeing Executive Park as if he was solely claiming credit for Team 1.

However,

Executive Choi didn't find Executive Park entirely annoying.

While Team 2's Seo Jin had successfully debuted in Japan and Jeong A-ri was on a steady rise since her debut,

The group 'KOK,' known as Executive Park's children, had also achieved record-breaking success this year, bringing in significant revenue.

With the successful collaboration with Man Records...

Considering future opportunities and achievements, Team 1's first-half performance could be seen as superior to Team 2's.

'He may be a lone wolf, but he's definitely a capable one.'

He couldn't help but admire his skills.

"Yes, if it succeeds, it will be a significant achievement."

The CEO, as if making a decision, stood up and added,

"I look forward to good news."

Everyone followed suit, standing and bowing slightly.

Executive Park also stood and responded confidently,

"Yes!"

"The meeting will conclude here."

As the CEO announced the end of the meeting, everyone quickly left the room.

Manager Kim, still pondering the Man Records contact, also left the room.

"He's really something..."

If Team 1 could establish a relationship with Man Records, it would create more favorable conditions for promoting many more K-pop stars to the top.

Manager Kim shook his head to shake off his envy.

'What could have been so important that the kids were contacting me like that...'

He then took out his phone from his pocket.

Manager Kim quickly glanced at his watch.

1:58 PM...

"What? Only 2 minutes left?"

He hurriedly moved, almost running down the hallway, but then stopped.

"Why am I running?"

Still,

He wasn't annoyed that Hyun-seung, fresh from his vacation, was eagerly looking for him like a baby bird.

* * *

After the meeting, Manager Kim immediately went to Hyun-seung's studio.

"Oh, A-ri is here too? It's been a while."

"Manager, it's been a long time!"

"Yes, A-ri has a lot to monitor these days, which is good."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with her, Manager Kim sat on the sofa and asked,

"Thank you for the dinner invitation, Composer."

"It's no problem. Do you have the items?"

"Yes, I brought two meal tickets."

"Then please wait a moment."

"You said to be here by 2 PM! I ran here!"

"I had something to do."

"If you were going to do that, you should have given me more time!"

At that moment, Hyun-seung pointed to a shopping bag on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

"I brought a gift."

"What? A gift? Really?"

"Check the shopping bag on the table."

Manager Kim, saying "Let's go," stood up and picked up the shopping bag on the table.

"Hey, this..."

When he opened the case inside, he found a Rolex watch, a man's dream.

"What? Is this real? Are you joking?"

It was a product that had become scarce due to high demand, making it hard to buy even if you had the money.

"Hey, this..."

It was a high-end product worth tens of millions of won.

"Isn't this too expensive a gift?"

"I bought it according to my income."

"How can you expect me to accept such a burden..."

Manager Kim, trailing off, put the box back on the table.

"Really, you're making me feel uncomfortable."

Hyun-seung, saying "Let me see," took the watch out of the box and started to put it on Manager Kim's wrist.

"I'm giving this to you to encourage you to work hard and not lose confidence."

"Hyun-seung..."

"It looks like it would fit perfectly if you shortened the band by one or two links. Take it."

Manager Kim, biting his lower lip, finally said,

"I'll really work harder. I'll bow in the direction of your house every morning and start my day. And before I go to sleep, I'll..."

At this, Hyun-seung made a gesture as if he was annoyed.

"Thank you so much..."

Suddenly, he remembered the early days when they first discussed the contract.

'You...'

He brought this talented but socially awkward person into the industry like a hermit sage.

Not only did he meet the expectations of being a 'lifeline' for his career...

He quickly became a well-established composer in the industry and is now taking such good care of him.

"Do you like it?"

"Of course..."

"I'm happy too."

Seeing Manager Kim looking at the watch like it was a lover, Hyun-seung couldn't help but smile.

After all, wasn't he the one who helped him re-establish himself as a composer in this life?

"By the way, Hyun-seung..."

Suddenly, Manager Kim asked with concern,

"Is it okay to spend money like this?"

"Huh?"

"Although I'm really grateful..."

Manager Kim trailed off for a moment.

"In fact, I suddenly made a lot of money, so I think I need to be careful in various ways. Since my income is irregular, changing my spending habits could be difficult, and I might suffer from the annual income tax next year..."

To this, Hyun-seung replied calmly,

"Yes, I'm prepared for that."

Since his income from royalties, broadcasting activities, radio, real estate, and other sources was in the billions, the number of tax professionals handling his tax affairs was almost ten.

As the saying goes, even a dog can recite poetry after three months.

Although he hasn't yet appointed a dedicated tax professional, he is preparing in advance using the information he has learned.

"If you need any help, let me know."

Hyun-seung nodded indifferently again...

"By the way, A-ri, why were you looking for me so urgently earlier?"

At this, Jeong A-ri exclaimed,

"Big news! Big news! Breaking news!"

"What is it?"

"Composer, you got a date request!"

Manager Kim, surprised, asked, "Hyun-seung did?"

"I already told you it's big news, big news, breaking news!"

"Hyun-seung? The kid who practically lives in the studio and only cares about farming, how did he..."

Sure enough, the quiet cat climbs the stove first?

"This kid..."

Just then, Jeong A-ri asked,

"But now that the composer is dating, won't Manager be lonely?"

Manager Kim, with a serious face, replied,

"What are you talking about? Since we're on the topic, I have a blind date this weekend."

"Wow, what? Who is it? How did you manage to get a blind date with a busy person?"

"Just someone who works at a nail salon nearby. A friend recommended it strongly..."

He then cleared his throat and asked Hyun-seung,

"By the way, what did you say when you asked for the date?"

"Huh?"

"If you like her, you should ask for a second date..."

Manager Kim was unaware that Hyun-seung's date request was made within the 'SoomSoom High School' game, leading to a misunderstanding.

"Let's see, I'm not sure if this strategy will work."

"Ah! That's so unfair!"

"Well, I can tell you, but will it help?"

"Just tell me!"

Under Manager Kim's urging, Hyun-seung reluctantly replied,

"I offered to give up my weekend, and I told her to do the same. It seemed to work, and we moved to the next chapter."

"What? That works?"

"See, I said I