Chapter 5

Reckless Genius Composer's Regression - Chapter 5 (5/482)

A few days ago, after receiving the installment payment for the exclusive contract, Hyun-seung bought gifts for his family one by one. After much hesitation, he finally decided to buy a 'game console.'

"Come to Animal Island!"

A game where you live on a quiet island, farming and fishing with cute animal friends! He had enjoyed this game since his previous life because it made him feel like he was on vacation.

"Haa..."

However, there was a problem.

"Who could have taken my radishes..."

Despite a day of playing and finally achieving a bountiful harvest of radishes, someone had stolen all of them overnight.

"I'm so depressed..."

Just as Hyun-seung was about to put the game console down on the bed, his phone rang.

Zzzzz.

A call came from an unknown number.

"What is it?"

Hyun-seung immediately pressed the reject button. At least for now, he didn't feel like talking to anyone.

Zzzzz.

The phone vibrated again.

"What now..."

Hyun-seung picked up his phone after a moment.

"Ah."

He let out a short sigh after reading the content of the newly arrived text message. He had thought that LS might send a contract proposal soon, but he hadn't expected it to come so quickly.

"Hmm."

It was clearly important.

Yes, it was important, but...

'I don't feel like talking about work.'

Hyun-seung reluctantly typed a reply and then threw his phone to the corner of the bed, closing his eyes. Whether it was a contract or anything else, he decided to think about it after a good night's sleep.

* * *

A few days passed.

"Hmm."

Kim Woo-hyun was sitting in the company cafeteria, scribbling something in a notebook.

1. We are currently using the pseudonym HS.

2. The contract name and account holder is Min Hyun-seung.

3. However, there is a possibility that 'Min Hyun-seung' is not his real name.

4. He is presumed to be an exclusive composer for another management company.

5. His skills are undoubtedly outstanding.

6. It is speculated that he grows radishes as a hobby.

After reviewing the peculiar points of 'HS' written in tiny letters, he added another line.

6. For several days, he has been ignoring my calls since he said his radishes were stolen a few days ago.

To Kim Woo-hyun, this was an entirely unexpected situation.

'Does he not know me?'

As a current industry insider, he was known as the 'rising Midas touch' and his name should have been familiar. Even if he hadn't heard his name, he must have heard of LS Entertainment, which boasts a strong lineup of singers.

'Even if he has no intention of signing a contract, shouldn't he at least express his refusal?'

He shook his head.

'No, he must have had a tough time...'

If someone's radishes, which they had worked hard to grow for a year, were stolen, it would be understandable for them to be too upset to focus on work.

"Hmm."

However, he couldn't just wait indefinitely.

After staring at the number in his phone's contact list for a while, he slowly organized his thoughts.

'Should I contact him again?'

If he did, how should he start the conversation?

After much deliberation, he began to make the call.

Ding, ding.

The signal sounded for a moment.

- Hello.

A gruff voice came from the other end of the line.

"Mr. Min Hyun-seung?"

- Yes, who is this?

Kim Woo-hyun narrowed his eyes at the short response, then cleared his throat and carefully delivered the greeting he had rehearsed.

"I am truly sorry about the radish theft you experienced."

- Ah, LS?

"Yes, I just wanted to offer my condolences..."

Just as Kim Woo-hyun was about to continue,

- I'm fine now.

"Good to hear that."

- I'm getting over it with fishing.

Hyun-seung added immediately.

- I've been enjoying boat fishing on the island, and it's really helped me calm down.

Kim Woo-hyun, who had been holding his phone close to his ear, pulled it away and stared at the screen.

'What...?'

The voice sounded like someone in their 20s, but the hobbies, from farming to fishing, gave off a mature vibe, which felt out of place.

He imagined a 'natural man' with long hair and a beard.

"Are you available to talk now?"

- Hold on.

After a moment, a voice came from the other end.

- I'm getting a bite.

A series of grunts followed.

- Oh, a big one!

Kim Woo-hyun responded in a conventional manner.

"Oh, congratulations!"

Then, Hyun-seung's voice came from the other end again.

- Anyway, could you get to the point quickly?

Kim Woo-hyun swallowed and replied.

"I would like to offer you an exclusive contract. We should meet in person to discuss it in detail..."

He cautiously trailed off and asked again.

"When do you plan to return to Seoul?"

An ambiguous answer came back immediately.

- I'm in Seoul.

Hadn't he just said he was enjoying boat fishing on an island?

'What? Is there an island in Seoul?'

Kim Woo-hyun's confusion deepened.

- I hate dragging things out, so let's meet tomorrow and go over the terms.

"Tomorrow?"

- Let's meet at 5 PM at DP Cafe in Hapjeong.

Hyun-seung finished speaking and added, "I'll go back to fishing now," before hanging up abruptly.

Kim Woo-hyun, with a blank expression, stared at his smartphone in his hand.

"Director, what's wrong? Why are you so spaced out?"

Employees from the PR team, who had just finished lunch and entered the cafeteria, greeted him.

"Wh-what?"

Kim Woo-hyun asked abruptly.

"Is there an island in Seoul?"

One of the female employees giggled and replied.

"There are many islands in Seoul. There's Seo-rae Island and Sebit-dung-dung Island..."

Kim Woo-hyun tilted his head.

"Can you fish there?"

Another male employee answered.

"I saw a documentary recently that mentioned eel fishermen there."

Kim Woo-hyun finally understood and let out a sigh.

Min Hyun-seung.

He didn't know much about him, but he seemed to have exceptional composing skills, grew radishes as a hobby, and enjoyed eel fishing on the Han River. He had long hair and a beard, and was quite rude, hanging up the phone abruptly.

"This guy..."

Kim Woo-hyun muttered again.

"Is a complete lunatic..."

His misunderstanding of Min Hyun-seung deepened.

* * *

The next day, Kim Woo-hyun arrived at the meeting place 30 minutes early and looked at his watch.

"4:59..."

It was just one minute before the scheduled time of 5 PM.

However,

There was no contact, and he didn't show up.

'Could he be standing me up?'

Even if he had no intention of signing a contract, standing someone up after setting up a meeting was beyond the pale. He had even rearranged his schedule to meet the next day without seeking his understanding.

'But to stand me up...?'

If he had at least contacted him...

'No message, no call...'

It was common courtesy to let someone know when you were coming, if you had left, and how late you might be.

At least, that was his understanding.

No matter how long he waited, the man with the long hair and beard, who grew radishes and fished on the Han River, did not appear.

"Haa-."

Kim Woo-hyun sighed deeply and looked at the fishing rod set next to his seat. He had bought it with his own money because it was unclear whether it could be purchased with a company card.

'After going to the trouble of buying it, to be stood up?'

He scolded himself for not keeping the receipt, thinking he wouldn't need to return it.

The smartphone screen showed 5 PM.

Thud, thud.

Suddenly, a young man entered the cafe.

"Hmm?"

Kim Woo-hyun quickly scanned the man who had just entered the cafe.

This was a series of occupational habits he had developed...

'He looks good, has a good figure, would photograph well, and has the look of an actor...'

Whenever he saw someone with exceptional beauty, he would scrutinize their appearance like this.

Then,

The man, who had been looking around the cafe, started staring at Kim Woo-hyun.

"Are you from LS?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Kim Woo-hyun started coughing.

"Could you be the composer...?"

Surprisingly, the composer who grew radishes and fished on the Han River had a face that could easily be an actor.

Contrary to his expectations, he didn't wear traditional Korean clothing, have long hair, a beard, or a natural look.

In fact, he was very handsome.

Not just handsome, but jaw-droppingly handsome.

"Yes, I'm Min Hyun-seung."

Hyun-seung sat across from Kim Woo-hyun and crossed his arms.

"I thought you couldn't come because I couldn't reach you..."

Hyun-seung narrowed his eyes.

"Isn't it enough to just show up on time?"

"That's true, but..."

"Can you propose a contract without any trust?"

Kim Woo-hyun immediately bowed his head in apology.

"I'm sorry if I offended you."

He felt a cold sweat as he sensed the situation was taking a delicate turn. This was the first time he had felt so out of control in a meeting, despite having conducted hundreds of them.

'He's just a young guy.'

From his youthful appearance, it was clear he had limited work experience and was in his early 20s.

After a long session of compliments, he could easily get him to sign with a decent contract.

"I was deeply impressed by the song you sent."

Hyun-seung didn't respond.

"Your composing skills are truly outstanding. Not just me, but all the A&R team members praised you..."

Then,

"I know."

Hyun-seung answered with a hint of annoyance and asked.

"So, you bought the song, right?"

Kim Woo-hyun, taken aback by his bold attitude, forced a smile.

"Your appearance is also exceptional."

"Yes, as you can see."

"You could be an actor right away..."

Hyun-seung replied in a flat tone.

"I have no interest."

A moment of silence followed.

"Then, do you have an exclusive contract with any company...?"

Kim Woo-hyun looked at Hyun-seung, trailing off.

"No, not at the moment."

Kim Woo-hyun inwardly rejoiced.

"I see..."

He tried not to show his excitement as he handed over the prepared contract.

"As I mentioned, I'm here to propose an exclusive contract with LS Entertainment. Please review it, and if there's anything you don't like, let me know..."

Hyun-seung replied in a commanding tone.

"Sure, I'll read it."

Hyun-seung took the contract from Kim Woo-hyun and began to read it carefully and slowly.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of pages turning echoed in the silence.

'What? Is he not satisfied with the terms?'

Kim Woo-hyun was constantly gauging Hyun-seung's reaction.

'No, that can't be it.'

Despite a few 'poison clauses' that could be disadvantageous in the future, the contract was much more favorable than the industry average. The poison clauses were cleverly crafted, making it difficult for a novice to spot them.

Moreover, signing with LS Entertainment, which had one of the strongest lineups of singers in the industry, was like a dream come true for a new composer.

'He'll have to sign eventually.'

Just as Kim Woo-hyun was about to take a sip of his now bland Americano, Hyun-seung spoke.

"The terms are better than the industry standard."

"There are many poison clauses."

"Really?"

"Let me list a few."

Hyun-seung read out a few clauses.

"Termination is impossible unless a natural disaster occurs."

"You won't need to terminate..."

"People are unpredictable, you know."

Then he read another clause.

"In such cases, the归属 period for the work can be adjusted through negotiation."

"Negotiation, in other words..."

"They'll use the company's legal team to adjust it to their liking."

Again,

"The contract period is too long, and the settlement ratio is unsatisfactory."

Hyun-seung shook his head and returned the contract.

"My overall impression is that it lacks sincerity."

"This is better than the average terms for a newcomer..."

"I want treatment based on my skills, not my experience."

Hyun-seung stood up and asked.

"My skills are not those of a newcomer, right?"

He added calmly.

"I'll give you one more chance."

"..."

"Prepare a contract with genuine sincerity."

Kim Woo-hyun, feeling as if he had been hit in the back of the head, stared blankly at Hyun-seung.

"I'll see you here at this time tomorrow."

Hyun-seung left the cafe without a moment's hesitation.

"Phew..."

Kim Woo-hyun let out a hollow laugh, loosened his tie, and muttered.

"This is interesting..."

His initial assumption that he could easily get a signature was completely off.

Kim Woo-hyun...

Had rolled around in the concrete jungle of the entertainment industry.

However,

He sensed that this was more than just exceptional composing skills.

What can I say?

He had the experience and insight of someone who had signed contracts dozens of times.

"That guy..."

Kim Woo-hyun stood up.

"He's a valuable asset..."

This composer was definitely going to be a big success.

To be precise...

He was something he wanted to acquire by any means necessary.

"Let's see who wins..."

A glint appeared in Kim Woo-hyun's eyes.

For the next meeting...

He was determined to win him over no matter what.