Chapter 38

Reckless Genius Composer Returns - Chapter 38 (38/482)

Inside the banquet hall, brightly illuminated by a luxurious chandelier.

Clank!

People dressed in formal attire were gathered in small groups, clinking champagne glasses together.

It was a regular gathering organized by well-known composers to foster camaraderie.

The intention was good, but...

It had long since degenerated into a place where composers, who had gained some recognition, shared information to push each other's release schedules.

"Who's this?"

For that reason...

"Jaebeul, let's have a drink together."

The seat next to Jaebeul, one of the most recognized active composers, was always crowded with people.

"Rumors are going around that you're planning to release a solo album soon?"

"Could you give us a hint about when it's coming out?"

"Right, we need to know so we can avoid clashing with it."

Jaebeul sipped his champagne with a relaxed smile amidst the gathering crowd.

"Well, I am preparing it..."

Rumors about his plan to release a solo album by the end of the year had spread throughout the industry.

He was also aware that other composers, mindful of his presence, had been delaying their releases.

The reason was simple.

They didn't think they could win.

'Of course...'

He had no obligation to tell them the exact date.

Initially, Jaebeul had no interest in such gatherings...

And he didn't particularly care about his relationships with the composers he knew.

Eventually.

Jaebeul swirled the glass in his hand and continued slowly.

"But I'm sorry, I haven't set a definite release date yet."

Despite this, they didn't show any signs of disappointment and forced a smile.

"No, no, there's nothing to be sorry about between us."

"Right, it's not your fault."

"But please let us know as soon as you set a date!"

Ko Sangjun, standing nearby, twisted his face.

'Bastard, you've already finished the work.'

He had received news of Jaebeul's release through a distributor and immediately postponed the album he was involved in, without a set date.

Even if there was a rough estimate...

Seeing Jaebeul tightly close his mouth and pretend otherwise made him want to splash champagne in his face.

'You sly bastard, trying to hog everything for yourself...'

Ko Sangjun, suppressing his feelings, spoke to Jaebeul.

"Jaebeul, have you heard of HS, who's been making waves lately?"

He continued, trying to provoke Jaebeul.

"Isn't it time to invite him to our group?"

The people around him began to murmur at his bait.

"Ah, I've heard of him. He made hits with Seo Jin-ee, Jung Ah-rin, and Gong Hyo-ju, right?"

"It's not just hits; if you go to Japan, you'll hear a Seo Jin-ee song every few steps."

"I've heard of him too, but I heard he discovered and debuted Jung Ah-rin?"

This made Jaebeul's eyebrows twitch.

HS.

There was probably no active composer who didn't know him.

Jaebeul had heard the name a few times.

A new composer who suddenly emerged from somewhere this year.

As such...

There was no composer who didn't find HS's appearance threatening.

Rumors about him were rampant among composers...

And many were trying to get information about his next work.

"HS..."

Jaebeul repeated the name and immediately sipped his champagne.

Glug, glug—

Then, as always, he forgot the name along with the champagne he had drunk.

"Delicious..."

In this industry, there are cases where a song becomes a hit due to perfect timing and luck, even if it's not particularly good.

Conversely.

Even a song by a famous composer can fail if the timing or luck is off.

However.

Jaebeul had earned the title of "composer who never fails" by breaking through countless such scenarios.

A natural talent for composing.

Constant good luck.

And significant public interest...

He possessed all the conditions for a composer to succeed and believed there was no one who could compete with him.

He simply...

Focused on enjoying his rising popularity and living each day more interestingly with the money piling up.

To such Jaebeul, Ko Sangjun's provocation came.

His attempt to subtly provoke Jaebeul by bringing up a rising new composer was all too obvious.

Finding the sight amusing, Jaebeul's lips curled up as he pondered how to deal with it.

"Right, Sangjun. You're right."

He then patted Ko Sangjun's shoulder lightly and sneered.

"I heard his songs are better than yours, so he's qualified enough."

Ko Sangjun's face contorted.

'That bastard...'

In fact, Jaebeul was lying.

He hadn't heard Ko Sangjun's songs...

Nor HS's.

Ko Sangjun knew Jaebeul's words were a lie to provoke him, which hurt his pride even more.

Jaebeul, looking at Ko Sangjun's twisted face, raised his champagne glass.

"Everyone, do you have any objections to inviting that composer as Sangjun suggested?"

Eventually.

Clank!

As the glasses clinked again in the air...

Ko Sangjun...

Just glared at Jaebeul and gritted his teeth.

* * *

Manager Kim was walking down the company corridor, lost in thought.

Thud, thud—

Despite continuous persuasion, Hyunseung had declared he would release his album in sync with Jaebeul.

Since then, he had been skipping meals and pouring all his time into the final modifications.

Of course.

If there were parts he didn't like, he could always make changes, but Hyunseung wouldn't have submitted such a song in the first place.

Although he couldn't understand why Hyunseung was going to such lengths, with the representative's approval already in place, he couldn't stop him.

"Sigh..."

Manager Kim felt he was aging rapidly due to Hyunseung's unpredictable behavior.

Then.

He heard a conversation that caught his attention.

"Did you hear that the representative's direct secretary took a document from Man Records?"

"Wow, so it means that Vice President Park intercepted the document meant for Team 2?"

"Probably. The company atmosphere will be tense for a while. We should keep a low profile until it calms down..."

The management team 1 employees were chatting by the vending machine, sipping canned coffee.

'Huh?'

Manager Kim almost chuckled.

Because...

If their conversation was true, it meant that Vice President Park had intercepted a document from Man Records that was originally meant for Team 2.

Despite this, he had proudly claimed it as Team 1's achievement in a recent meeting, which was amusing.

Although...

Vice President Park was a rough person, but he was also shrewd and skilled in dealing with situations. Manager Kim had assumed he would have used the popular 'KOK' in Japan as a connection...

'So that's how it is...'

Manager Kim resolved to be more cautious around Vice President Park and was about to turn away when...

"Still, I don't understand. Why did Man Records specifically target Team 2? Isn't it unnecessary for inter-company collaborations?"

One of the management team 1 employees tilted his head and asked, and another responded.

"Isn't it because of Seo Jin-ee?"

"Seo Jin-ee?"

"She's a big hit in Japan right now."

Then another employee interjected.

"No, it's because of that person."

Manager Kim perked up at the mention of "that person."

"That person? Is there another person active in Japan besides Seo Jin-ee?"

"Right, the composer from Team 2."

"Ah, you mean HS? Why suddenly?"

The employee who spoke up explained further.

"Actually, I was the first to receive the document from Man Records. It was snatched away almost immediately, so I couldn't read it properly, but it seemed to be about wanting HS's songs, not a collaboration between the companies."

Manager Kim held his breath at the mention of "HS."

"Anyway, the situation should have been a mess, but it's strangely calm. Thanks to Vice President Park intercepting the document, the collaboration with Man Records almost fell through..."

The management team 1 employees, unaware that Manager Kim was listening, continued to spill the details.

"Well, maybe the representative is too busy to check it yet?"

"That would be a relief, but I'm worried that the whole team might get in trouble."

"Maybe it's like the calm before the storm. If a big fuss breaks out, we'll be the only ones to avoid it..."

"True, with Vice President Park's temper, he won't just let it go. We'll be the ones to suffer."

Manager Kim organized the situation as he listened to the employees' conversation.

In the end...

Man Records was looking for HS, not Team 2 or Team 1.

By some twist of fate, the document was sent to Team 1 instead of Team 2, where HS belonged.

'It ended up in Vice President Park's hands.'

However, the representative somehow knew and took the document, and since then, there has been no reaction.

It was a peculiar situation.

'Certainly, the representative...'

He wasn't the type to casually read or delay an important document from Man Records, a company that could greatly help with entering the Japanese market if relations were well-maintained.

'The representative must have already assessed the situation...'

The lack of action was likely intended to pressure Vice President Park.

'Sometimes silence is more terrifying than shouting.'

It was a typical move by the representative.

Of course.

Vice President Park couldn't be unaware of the representative's intentions.

'In the end, it's like receiving a yellow card...'

Although Vice President Park received an implicit warning due to the near collapse of the collaboration with Man Records...

If the results had been good, it could have been smoothed over without any issues.

'But Hyunseung...'

Despite being at the center of the incident, he was completely unaware of the document from Man Records.

He wanted to run to him and tell him everything, but he couldn't.

'The representative must have a reason for not informing him...'

He couldn't risk ruining things by acting rashly.

He would wait for the right time.

'But he's really impressive.'

Even though Hyunseung didn't like being in the spotlight, he had still stood out, and he had even received a love call from Man Records, a company known for not collaborating with external composers.

Is this what they mean by "those who are meant to succeed will succeed"?

'He is impressive...'

Thinking of the first time he met Hyunseung, he couldn't help but smile.

Then, his phone in his pocket rang loudly.

Beep, beep—

Manager Kim's lips curved into a smooth smile as he checked the message.

'Why?'

Although he couldn't clearly explain the reason...

'Maybe...'

There was a growing hope that Hyunseung might really be able to beat Jaebeul.

"It's lunchtime; I should contact him..."

Just as Manager Kim was about to contact Hyunseung, a message arrived from his direct superior, Manager Choi.

Before he could reply, several more messages arrived in quick succession.

* * *

'What on earth...'

This was the thought that filled Manager Kim's mind.

He had been trying to calm his uneasy feelings and coax Hyunseung to the cafeteria.

Then, he heard from Manager Choi that an "emergency meeting" had been called, and he immediately went to the representative's office...

'This is a full-staff meeting...'

From the executives seated in their respective places to the representative in the central seat...

Manager Kim was sweating profusely, unable to even swallow comfortably.

Not only the key personnel but all executives and the representative were gathered.

The problem was...

The reason they were all gathered was because of Hyunseung.

At that moment, Manager Kim saw Vice President Park, who was sitting far away from the representative, looking unusually dejected.

'I see, he knew this would happen...'

Vice President Park had effectively stolen the opportunity from Hyunseung and received a warning from the representative.

With the representative now using Hyunseung's album release date as a pretext for a high-level meeting, it would be even more awkward for him.

'Yes, you should keep a low profile for a while...'

Just as Manager Kim was trying to hide his amusement, the representative, Nam Il, began speaking slowly.

"I assume everyone is already aware of the matter..."

The representative confirmed that the topic of the meeting was the release schedule for HS's solo album.

This confirmed the rumors that the representative favored Hyunseung.

Instantly...

The bustling atmosphere in the conference room quieted down.

"That young man seems determined to release his album at the same time as Jaebeul and face him head-on. I tried to persuade him, but it seems impossible to change his mind without a solid reason..."

He then looked around at the gathered people and asked.

"I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on this."

There was a moment of silence after the representative's question.

"That's too reckless," Vice President Park blurted out.

'Although he received a warning...'

He couldn't just stand by and watch a doomed situation without saying anything.

Moreover, facing Jaebeul was something that would never happen in Team 1, so he reluctantly spoke up.

At that moment, Manager Choi, who was directly under Vice President Park, chimed in with a mocking tone.

"Hey, Manager Kim. You couldn't control a kid and ended up gathering all these important people?"

Manager Kim, feeling a surge of irritation, leaned forward, but a large hand blocked his path.

"I'll discuss personal matters later. I disagree with Vice President Park."

It was Manager Lee, the head of the Production Planning Department.

"I think this is a fight where we can gain something whether we win or lose."

He calmly looked at the representative and Vice President Park, continuing.

"Considering his achievements so far, I believe he has the potential to grow. While immediate benefits are important, if we support him and let him mature, he won't even think of leaving the company."

Vice President Park, hearing this, spoke with a more agitated voice.

"Manager, why are you supporting him too? He's been causing trouble repeatedly. It might be better to break his spirit this time..."

At that moment, Manager Choi, who could be considered Vice President Park's rival, interrupted.

"Vice President, while personal benefits and efficiency are important, we should also consider the long-term perspective, as Manager Lee suggested."

"Manager Choi, it's because you're so lenient that he doesn't know his place and keeps causing trouble. What has he done to deserve such a loud voice—?"

Unable to contain his rising anger, Vice President Park slammed his hands on the table and stood up.

As the atmosphere became increasingly tense...

Everyone tried to calm them down, looking at the representative, but the two were too agitated to see clearly.

"Enough."

The representative slammed the table and spoke in a calm but authoritative tone.

"What are you doing in the middle of a meeting?"

His stern words instantly cooled the heated atmosphere.

"We need to listen to the songs before making any decisions."

He then turned to Manager Kim.

"Manager Kim, I'd like to listen to the tracks from Min Hyunseung's solo album right now."

Everyone's attention turned to Manager Kim.

"I'll contact the A&R team immediately to get the USB ready."

Manager Kim quickly called Team Leader Han and gave a brief, urgent instruction.

'Please, hurry...'

Despite the cold weather, he felt cold sweat trickling down his back.

Knock, knock—

Shortly after, Team Leader Han carefully entered the conference room with a knock.

"Excuse me."

He placed a USB and a wireless headset on the table and backed out of the room.

'Phew, it's a relief it's not too late.'

Manager Kim wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and asked.

"Representative, would you like to listen through the headset?"

"Yes, that would be fine."

He connected the USB to the laptop and handed the headset to the representative.

"Thank you."

The representative, with a short nod, put on the headset over his neatly styled hair.

'After so many years, I'm witnessing this scene.'

Click—

Manager Kim, struggling to keep his hands steady, finally pressed the space bar to start the song.

At the same time...

The representative's eyes tightly closed.

His eyebrows twitched once...

But his expression remained unchanged.

How much time had passed?

Tap, tap, tap, tap—

Representative Nam Il, with an unreadable expression, tapped the table in rhythm.

Eventually.

Clack—

The representative loudly placed the headset on the table and slowly opened his eyes.

'What is he thinking?'

Manager Kim swallowed hard and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"This is a big deal."

Just as Vice President Park's face lit up at the representative's brief comment...

"I feel bad for Min Hyunseung."

Representative Nam Il looked at Manager Kim.

"Manager Kim, it seems..."

"Yes, Representative."

"This might be a fight worth taking on?"

The room was filled with mixed reactions at his words.