Chapter 35

Reckless Genius Composer Returns - Chapter 35 (35/482)

Manager Kim stood in front of Hyun-seung's studio door and took a deep breath.

"Goodness..."

The thought of having to deliver bad news to Hyun-seung made his heart tremble.

What can I say?

Despite getting closer, Hyun-seung was still a difficult person to talk to about work.

"It's going to be a mess..."

The only consolation was that there was some good news that could somewhat offset the bad news.

"I don't know, let's just see how it goes..."

Manager Kim then gently knocked on the studio door...

"Yes."

Hyun-seung's characteristic gruff voice came from the other side of the closed door.

"Oh, you're here?"

Hyun-seung, who didn't even glance up from his phone, replied, and Manager Kim let out a sigh.

"You don't even look at me now."

To that, Hyun-seung said, "Ah, sorry," and made brief eye contact before continuing in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Sorry, my girlfriend is not feeling well right now."

"Your sister-in-law is sick? What's wrong with her?"

"Huh? Well, she's not really my sister-in-law..."

"If she's your girlfriend, she's my sister-in-law!"

Hyun-seung was actually talking about the heroine character in the 'otome dating simulation' game he was playing, but...

Manager Kim's misunderstanding only deepened over time, as he had no way of knowing the truth.

"I'll bring some over-the-counter medicine and some porridge when I get off work if you give me her address. No, no, that might be too much, I'll just leave it at the door..."

Hyun-seung frowned and waved his hand.

"Stop it, what are you talking about..."

To Hyun-seung, it was definitely a ridiculous suggestion.

"Anyway, what's up?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you here if it's not mealtime?"

At that, Manager Kim muttered, "Ah," and replied.

"First, I have some bad news."

It seemed the time had come to deliver the bad news to Hyun-seung.

"What is it?"

There was a moment of silence.

"About the title track of your album, does it have to be sung by Oh Do-hyun?"

"Was I rejected?"

"It's not that you were rejected, but the timing wasn't right..."

"Ah, rejected."

Hyun-seung, acting as if it didn't matter, added.

"Why are you making it so difficult, Manager? It's not your fault."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm annoyed, but I'm not going to take it out on you."

Hyun-seung finally put down his phone and added.

"To be honest, I'm a bit narrow-minded."

"So?"

"Once I decide, Oh Do-hyun will never get my song."

Manager Kim, trying to lighten the mood, asked.

"Even if he offers a fortune?"

"Of course."

"Even with a fortune?"

Hyun-seung smiled and replied.

"When Oh Do-hyun offers a fortune and begs for a song, it won't be different with anyone else. No matter what, Oh Do-hyun will never get a song from me, so just watch."

If someone else had said it, it might have been different...

'This kid is really bitter...'

But coming from Hyun-seung, it felt like a heartfelt truth.

"Anyway, it doesn't have to be Oh Do-hyun, right?"

When Hyun-seung replied, "Yes, that's right," Manager Kim took another deep breath and continued.

"Next, the good news."

It seemed the time had come to deliver the good news that could somewhat offset the bad news.

"What about Mr. Moon Bum-jae?"

At that, Hyun-seung narrowed his eyes.

"Mr. Moon Bum-jae?"

"Why? Don't you like him?"

"No, it's not that..."

Manager Kim asked again.

"Didn't you include Mr. Moon Bum-jae in the list of hopeful singers you submitted?"

After a moment of moving his lips, Hyun-seung replied.

"Yes, but probably..."

"Probably?"

"He probably won't sing it."

Manager Kim asked, puzzled.

"Why do you think that?"

Hyun-seung, about to say, "Well, from experience..." swallowed his words.

Moon Bum-jae.

One of the representative singers of LS, he was someone Hyun-seung had sent love calls to several times in his previous life.

*He considered him one of the top five instruments among existing instruments (*active singers).

Not only had he sent love calls multiple times, but he had even given him a song he wrote thinking of Moon Bum-jae.

"The song is good, but..."

Of course, the result was always the same.

"Our composer's song just doesn't fit with me."

Every time.

"I'm sorry."

He was often rejected.

"Wow, even the great Min Hyun-seung has someone who doesn't like him?"

"Yes?"

"Mr. Moon Bum-jae is picky, but..."

Manager Kim, trailing off, revealed an unexpected fact.

"No, he said he wants to do it."

"Really?"

"Your song. He must have heard it by chance."

"Yes."

"He said he really wants to sing it."

"Really?"

Hyun-seung's eyes widened.

'What's gotten into him...'

Wasn't he the one who always gave vague rejections like "it doesn't fit" whenever Hyun-seung sent love calls?

Even when Hyun-seung was at the peak of his career as a composer, he was always turned down. So why now...

Why would he be so eager to sing a song by Hyun-seung, who has a much less impressive career in this life?

'What are his criteria for choosing songs?'

As Hyun-seung narrowed his eyes, Manager Kim continued.

"It's not just that he wants to sing it. I asked if he was aware that it's for a composer's personal album and that he would be featured, but he said it doesn't matter and just asked for a date."

The fact that Moon Bum-jae would be singing the title track was definitely something to celebrate.

"Yes, I'm happy about it."

But Hyun-seung was curious about why Moon Bum-jae had chosen his song.

'Why would someone who always turned me down...?'

Of course, the question would naturally be answered during the recording process.

"Great! Let's proceed!"

Just as Manager Kim was joking, there was a buzzing sound.

Hyun-seung's phone, which was on the table, vibrated.

"I have to go right away."

"Right now?"

"Yes, unfortunately, he asked me to come right away."

"Who?"

"Ah," Hyun-seung said, looking disappointed.

"Mr. President."

The second hand on the clock on the wall pointed to lunchtime.

* * *

Thanks to a sudden text message from the president, Hyun-seung found himself in front of the president's office for the first time in a long while.

Hyun-seung, who hadn't been in the president's office for a while, took a deep breath.

"Hello."

The atmosphere in the president's office, which usually felt quite heavy, seemed even heavier today.

Moreover, seeing President Jeon Nam-il nod without making eye contact...

'This doesn't feel good.'

Somehow, he had a bad feeling that the conversation would be unpleasant.

Of course, it was just a feeling, but...

This feeling had made him the top composer in his previous life.

"Please sit down."

As soon as Hyun-seung took a seat, President Jeon Nam-il spoke in a flat tone.

"I heard you're working on a personal album."

It seemed he was called in because the timing of working on a 'personal album' during a period of rising popularity was not to his liking.

'But he doesn't seem to be completely against it.'

If he had been completely against it, he would have just ordered the project to stop without even calling Hyun-seung in for a conversation.

"Yes, that's correct."

The president mumbled and nodded.

"I see..."

He then stroked the rim of his teacup and added.

"To be frank, I think it's a bit premature at this stage. Your branding isn't fully established yet, so I think it would be better to build more recognition and then proceed step by step."

Hyun-seung didn't respond immediately, so the president elaborated.

"Of course, the songs you've worked on with Seo Ji-nee and Jeong A-rin have been very successful, but you still lack the career to receive active support from the company. To effectively use the marketing channels we have, it would be better to take some time."

Before becoming the president of an entertainment company, Jeon Nam-il was a businessman.

To be precise...

A successful businessman in the entertainment industry, often referred to as a concrete jungle.

These days, even if the same ingredients and recipes are used, the success or failure of a restaurant can depend on the form of marketing.

Therefore...

Not just LS Entertainment, but all entertainment companies, often seek the most effective ways to use their established marketing channels based on the data they have before releasing an album.

From this perspective...

It seemed that Hyun-seung, who was still lacking in both his career as a composer and in recognition, rushing to release a personal album would be an action with no real benefits.

"I suggest you reconsider and plan to release your personal album at a later date."

From a commercial standpoint, President Jeon Nam-il's advice to wait and be patient was the right approach.

Although he had achieved various results this year, it was true that the publicity department couldn't just push him without more.

Ah.

Of course, that didn't mean he was going to give in.

He had already decided to release the album.

If the company's opposition became stronger than expected...

'I'll have to push it through, no matter what.'

Hyun-seung, who had been tightly pursing his lips, finally spoke.

"President, you might be right that it's premature."

"Yes, I think so too."

"However, sometimes the least commercial approach..."

Hyun-seung paused and then added in a firm voice.

"Can be the most commercial."

Their eyes met in the air.

"Interesting. Could you elaborate?"

Hyun-seung shrugged.

"Let's imagine a goose that lays golden eggs."

"A goose that lays golden eggs...?"

"How do you protect the goose?"

President Jeon Nam-il smiled and replied.

"Hmm, I see. First, you shouldn't cut it open, right?"

Hyun-seung nodded.

"Yes, that's the basic precaution we learn from fables."

"Are there other precautions?"

"Perhaps we should prevent the goose from feeling curious."

At that, President Jeon Nam-il muttered, "Curious?"

"To prevent the goose from being unnecessarily curious about the outside world, to make it believe that the barn it's in is the best place, and to satisfy its desires and desires appropriately."

Hyun-seung added.

"To prevent the goose from thinking about going beyond the fence to explore other worlds. Since the goose will provide golden eggs at regular intervals anyway, it's about eliminating curiosity by providing just enough."

A smile appeared on President Jeon Nam-il's face.

"Hmm, that's a pointed remark..."

Hyun-seung compared himself to a 'goose that lays golden eggs.'

It wasn't a wrong comparison.

Hyun-seung did provide golden eggs regularly.

'He's making a stubborn statement in a very smooth way...'

President Jeon Nam-il couldn't help but smile.

He...

Was quite pleased with Hyun-seung's snake-like attitude.

What can I say?

Everyone, regardless of age or experience, usually trembled in front of him.

In contrast, how was Hyun-seung?

He spoke calmly, without excitement, and without any change in his tone, presenting his opinion smoothly.

To put it a bit exaggeratedly...

When talking with Hyun-seung, it often felt like having a business discussion on equal terms.

For that reason...

President Jeon Nam-il might have enjoyed the time spent with Hyun-seung, whether the conversation was tense or casual.

'He's only in his early twenties...'

As the president smiled and remained silent, there was a knock on the door.

Knock knock!

The president's secretary entered hurriedly a few seconds later.

"President, I'm really sorry to interrupt, but there's an urgent call. What should I do?"

"An urgent call?"

"Yes, I don't know the details, but it's from Mr. Taiji Sakamoto of Japan's Man Records."

President Jeon Nam-il repeated, "Taiji?"

The president recalled that at a recent meeting, Executive Vice President Park had mentioned that they were positively discussing collaboration with Man Records.

'Something must have gone wrong.'

The president immediately replied to the secretary.

"Please connect the call to my office."

Hyun-seung, listening to their conversation, nodded slightly. He knew about Man Records.

No, he had to know.

It was one of the major record companies, and anyone in the music industry should be familiar with it.

Man Records.

Rumors in the industry said that their approach to work and working environment were uniquely better compared to other record companies, focusing more on musicality than popularity.

However, due to their closed nature and reluctance to collaborate with external producers, Hyun-seung had never worked with Man Records.

Of course.

In his previous life, Hyun-seung had received generous treatment from other major record companies like Sony and Universal and had worked on many projects, so there was no need to be particularly attached to Man Records.

'Still, since I'm back...'

He nodded, thinking that collaborating with Man Records in this life would be quite interesting.

Ring!

President Jeon Nam-il answered the phone in a calm tone.

- Nice to meet you. I'm Taiji Sakamoto, the president of Man Records.

"It's an honor to speak with you. I'm Jeon Nam-il, the president of LS Entertainment."

The other party greeted in Japanese, and Jeon Nam-il also replied in Japanese.

Although Hyun-seung was sitting right in front of him, the president thought that the conversation wouldn't leak if it was in Japanese.

But that was a huge misunderstanding.

Hyun-seung was very proficient in Japanese and was listening intently while pretending to look elsewhere.

- Did you perhaps not check the official letter we sent to your company? Or should I interpret the absurd response we received this time as a polite refusal?

The accusatory tone made it clear that something had gone wrong.

'Even an official letter...'

He had only heard from Executive Vice President Park that they were positively discussing collaboration.

He had never heard that Man Records had sent an official letter.

Of course.

He couldn't reveal that, so he had to phrase his response carefully.

"Is there anything unpleasant that happened during the communication process that you would like to share?"

At that moment, Taiji continued in an agitated tone.

- I clearly said I wanted to work with 'him,' so why are you sending me nothing but trash songs?

It seemed that the 'collaboration' proposed by Man Records was not a company-to-company collaboration.

They had specifically requested a song from a particular composer...

Executive Vice President Park, being a high-ranking official, would have understood Man Records' intention.

If it was an official letter, he would have clearly stated his request.

'So why...'

As the president pondered, a name came to mind.

'Min Hyun-seung...'

Man Records, a major music and record distribution company based in Japan, wasn't it?

And.

Recently, the popularity of Seo Ji-nee's album and its tracks has been rising in Japan.

'The composer of that album...'

The president looked at Hyun-seung, who was idly looking around the office, hiding his boredom.

- If he has refused to collaborate with Man Records, can I meet him in person?

The pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place.

'If Executive Vice President Park hid the official letter, the reason is...'

It was likely due to performance, or what is commonly called a turf war.

'He must have intercepted it first.'

Taking a deep breath, President Jeon Nam-il asked in a low voice.

"Excuse me, but by 'him' you mean..."

His gaze remained fixed on Hyun-seung.

The fact that Taiji was willing to come in person suggested a strong desire to collaborate with 'that composer.'

Was the president of Man Records planning to come to Korea to persuade the composer?

If, as he suspected, the 'composer' Taiji was desperately seeking was really Hyun-seung...

Hyun-seung calling himself a 'goose that lays golden eggs' would not be the overconfidence of a lucky beginner.

At that moment.

There was a moment of silence on the phone.

- Wasn't it clearly stated in the official letter we sent?

From the other end of the phone...

- 'HS,' that name was mentioned at least ten times!

Taiji's voice, mixed with anger, came through.

'Oh dear.'

President Jeon Nam-il, however, smiled.

'It's not just overconfidence.'

His gaze remained fixed on the goose that lays golden eggs...

No, no.

On Hyun-seung's profile.