Chapter 51

Reincarnated Genius Composer - Chapter 51 (51/482)

In the end, the bet between Hyunseung and Jayble ended with Hyunseung's dramatic victory. The bet was structured such that the winner would choose the charity for the loser to donate to. Therefore, Jayble had to donate 500 million won to the organization chosen by the winner, Hyunseung.

Jayble carried out the promise with great enthusiasm. He completed the donation within 24 hours of Hyunseung designating the organization, and the donation was made in Hyunseung's name, not his own.

The charity chosen by Hyunseung was the 'Korean Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.'

Jayble finished taking photos with the president of the Korean Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the Seoul branch. Behind him, a large placard read, "Composer HS donates 500 million won," instead of his own name.

Click, click—

Flashes from the journalists' cameras rained down. Jayble forced a smile, though he was far from happy. Losing was a rare experience for him, and losing in music and streaming chart rankings was practically unprecedented.

"Did you expect to lose?"

"How do you feel right now?"

"Mr. Jayble, please give us a comment!"

Jayble answered the barrage of questions calmly.

"I accept the result. Although streaming chart rankings can't be the absolute standard for artistic merit, I did lose. I also listened to HS's songs, and they were all excellent. If the opportunity arises, I'd like to have a similar bet again."

Jayble added with a smile.

"I think it was a meaningful and productive bet."

If he showed even a hint of displeasure, negative articles would flood in. His scowling photos would be used as reference images, and the articles would end with something like this:

– Jayble responded to the interview with sharp eyes, seemingly struggling to accept the defeat.

He couldn't afford to show any weakness. He was a composer and a professional broadcaster. Despite the humiliation, he needed to wrap things up in the most favorable way possible.

To recover from the situation, he needed to appear cool. He had to show that he was an artist who wasn't swayed by mere wins and losses, and that he accepted the result gracefully.

"Mr. Jayble."

A journalist raised his hand.

"In some fan circles, there's a widespread belief that the outcome of the bet was completely reversed thanks to the support of Taichi Sakamoto, the CEO of Man Records. What do you think about that…?"

Well, if Taichi hadn't reported such an article, the bet might have ended in my favor.

However, journalists wouldn't provide such a tempting target without a reason. Based on past experience, this might be a trap.

"Whatever the case, the result is the result."

Jayble bowed his head slightly after speaking. It was a painful defeat, but the public reaction wasn't bad. Thanks to his generous donation of 500 million won, people focused more on the result than the win or loss.

It wasn't a waste to think of it as an investment for branding. It was a cost for image-making. Thanks to the bet becoming a hot topic, the streaming counts were much higher than usual. It was a bet with many gains.

Indeed.

Just looking at the comments under the articles being uploaded in real-time, the gains were clear.

Swipe, swipe—

↳ Really, both of them are amazing; it was a possible bet because their songs were insane.

↳ Before I knew it, I was checking the music charts every day, my heart racing...

Swipe, swipe—

↳ And the fact that the donor's name was HS; what a great gesture!

↳ The result isn't important; everyone says they both fought well.

However.

The most important thing now was that HS's existence was starting to become a real nuisance.

'A pesky little bug...'

He fell into a deep melancholy for a moment.

* * *

Jayble's donation article was buried without seeing the light of day, thanks to this one article.

– Taichi Sakamoto of Man Records, who revealed that he came to Korea to collaborate with HS, announced that the collaboration was confirmed, sparking a buzz. According to a source, while the collaboration itself is confirmed, continuous discussions are needed regarding the form of the work and RS (revenue sharing)... (excerpt)

Swipe, swipe—

↳ I knew it. I trusted you! National pride is rising, really, HS should be designated as intangible cultural heritage, let's start a petition.

↳ I heard that HS is not only a god-level talent but also a god-level looker; is your wife's seat open?

Swipe, swipe—

↳ With Man Records backing him, how amazing will the song he makes be?; HS, don't hold back, do whatever you want.

↳ I've been stuck in this guy's album for over a month, drowning in tears. Can someone show me the way out... ㅠ

Swipe, swipe—

↳ On the day I gave up on my long-held dream, I heard HS's song and started dreaming again! I'll always support you with gratitude.

The public now began to call HS a representative composer of Korea. The number of members in fan cafes grew exponentially, and the official LS Entertainment website's bulletin board was flooded with posts requesting the reveal of HS's face, causing the staff to struggle.

Most importantly, the 'high note challenge' for the highlight section of the title track 'Dear my Beethoven' became a trend, and thanks to this, videos from both professional singers and ordinary people flooded in, helping Hyunseung's album maintain the top spot on the music charts for two months after its release.

In contrast.

Hyunseung, at the center of the controversy, seemed no different from usual.

"Mr. Min Hyunseung, I've come all this way, can't you at least treat me like a guest?"

This was the first greeting from Seojin, who suddenly appeared at Hyunseung's studio.

"Did you not think you were an uninvited guest?"

"I feel a bit off."

"Do you still not know me well? I can't lie because of my personality."

Seojin narrowed her eyes and muttered, "Whatever."

"Fine, here's a gift."

She then handed Hyunseung a shopping bag with a serious expression. Inside were a casual shirt and a knit from a Japanese luxury brand, neatly packaged.

"What's this for?"

"Because you always wear childish hoodies."

"I am a kid."

"Sigh, even if I think about it, it's useless."

She had come straight to visit him as soon as she entered the country for a break during her activities in Japan. Despite this, she had prepared a gift to thank Hyunseung for bringing her back to her peak, but his reaction was not just lukewarm but completely flat!

"Why do you two always seem to bicker when you meet?"

Manager Kim peeked into the shopping bag Seojin had brought and added.

"Hyunseung, thanks to Jinny's cover of 'Dear my Beethoven' on her YouTube channel, the high note challenge started. In a way, she opened the door to the second wave of popularity."

"What does she know? She probably didn't even check it out. She's just living in her own world."

While it wasn't 100% due to Seojin, she did contribute to Hyunseung's long-term chart dominance. If it were another composer, they might have bowed in gratitude, but Hyunseung, the actual person, not only didn't show gratitude but also had a sharp look, as if he were producing.

"Well, is it really because of Seojin? The song is good, so that's why it became a trend."

"Hmm?"

"Also, in the last bridge section, the pitch code went off at the 'live' repeat section."

He continued, undeterred by Seojin's fierce gaze.

"Also, the last measure before the outro extended by half a beat, overlapping with the variation section. Do you want me to say more?"

"You did check, didn't you?"

"Just because it was trending... but at least the habit of tensing your jaw when hitting high notes is gone, so it's easier to listen to."

Seojin, who had been listening silently, snorted and muttered, "You're giving and taking at the same time." Despite this, she seemed secretly pleased to receive a compliment from Hyunseung, as her lips curved into a pleasant smile.

At that moment,

"Wow, Jinny, you picked out some expensive and beautiful things for Hyunseung."

Manager Kim interjected, changing the topic.

"But did you not buy anything for me?"

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Really, that's too much."

Seojin, crossing her arms, scolded Manager Kim, who looked dejected.

"But shouldn't you, as the manager, buy a gift for the composer?"

"Me? Why? He makes way more money than I do. He's a walking corporation now."

Indeed, it had been about a year since Hyunseung was signed. During that year, his achievements were truly remarkable, and to exaggerate a bit, he was becoming a 'walking corporation.'

Just looking at the flood of articles, last year was the year of 'HS,' and as the article said, this year would also be Hyunseung's year. Starting with the collaboration with Man Records, it was a natural progression.

Moreover, thanks to the CEO's instructions, the songs Hyunseung had been selling without much desire were registered under 'HS' and used as title tracks for LS Entertainment's idol group comebacks.

Now, within the company, there was a trend to use whatever Hyunseung created, whether it was children's songs or trot music. And this benefited not only Hyunseung.

While it wasn't a definite matter yet, he had heard that his contributions were recognized, and if things went well, he might be considered for the next executive position.

"Hyunseung, don't retire."

"Huh?"

"Absolutely don't retire."

Manager Kim was very serious and solemn.

"You need to be with me for life."

How many people have achieved record-breaking results and then disappeared? Moreover, while the exact amount is unknown, Hyunseung must have earned enough to live a comfortable life, even if he were a regular employee working for a lifetime. With future settlements, he would have enough 'wealth' to live comfortably.

Most importantly, geniuses are often capricious, and Hyunseung, in particular, pursued fun over money. If he declared one day that he found it uninteresting, it would be impossible to know how to retain him, and it already gave him a headache. Absolutely, that couldn't happen.

"Hmm."

Hyunseung rubbed his chin as if in thought, and Manager Kim's face grew paler.

"I won't retire."

While it wasn't certain if he could be with Manager Kim for life, since he had returned to a young age, he wanted to compete with the hit songs of his time that he might not have been able to if he hadn't returned.

And even when the time he was active came around, he preferred to break his own records rather than retire. He wanted to enjoy this life by breaking records, not chasing 'wealth' or 'honor,' but by having fun with music.

"Not for life with me?"

"Maybe?"

"Would it help if you said it?"

"You're pouting again."

"Fine, we have the second meeting with Man Records tomorrow, right?"

Hyunseung sighed, "Ah, right."

"You forgot again?"

"Well, I realized it now, so it's fine."

"What will you do without me?"

"I'll be fine."

Manager Kim shook his head, saying, "I lost," and patted Hyunseung's back.

"Let's go to the cafeteria. We need to eat well before the meeting. I heard they're serving beef bulgogi today."

"Can I get a meal ticket?"

"Did you not think that stealing a meal ticket is like stealing a flea's liver?"

"You're not a flea, Manager."

Seojin, listening to their conversation, sighed.

"Immature."

Men are the same whether they're in their 20s or 30s.

* * *

Taichi was waiting in the meeting room arranged by LS Entertainment, anticipating his meeting with Hyunseung.

Which project will he accept?

There were about ten project proposals in the second proposal of the collaboration. He didn't expect HS to accept all of them, but he was worried that there might be nothing that caught his interest.

However, there was no reason to reject the first proposal, so he planned to start by discussing the localization of HS's album in Japan. Of course, he would offer the best royalty conditions in the industry and ensure that his songs were not compromised by using top Japanese singers.

"Hmm."

Taichi continued to organize his thoughts and checked the time on his wristwatch. The agreed time was approaching.

Knock, knock, knock—

The long-awaited knock finally came. The door to the meeting room opened, and HS... no, Min Hyunseung, walked in and bowed in greeting.

"You're here early. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"No, I just arrived as well."

"Shall we start discussing the collaboration then?"

Hyunseung sat across from Taichi with a relaxed smile. Taichi also smiled, appreciating the positive atmosphere.

"Have you reviewed the proposal?"

"Yes, I've thoroughly checked it."

"About the first proposal..."

"Yes, the first proposal is for Man Records to handle everything, and I have no reason to refuse. I checked the distribution costs and royalty split, and the conditions are fair. I'm very grateful."

Taichi nodded, relieved. Yes, as Hyunseung said, it was a proposal that couldn't be refused.

"Then, let's talk about the second proposal. Asking you to handle everything would be too much, but are there any projects you'd like to take on?"

Hyunseung scratched his cheek with a lackluster expression.

"Well, I wasn't really interested in the other items."

"Then, should I send you more project proposals...?"

"No, I want to take on project number 7, the 'NinSix' game company's OST."

Taichi recalled the proposal. Project number 7...

"Are you referring to the OST for 'Island of Animals' Season 2? May I ask why you're interested in this project?"

A game OST isn't a big money-maker. It heavily depends on the game's IP, and only a few cases lead to significant profits. The fact that he knew all the examples indicated how rare they were.

"Just because."

Hyunseung paused and added indifferently.

"I like the game."

There was no hidden agenda. That was the only reason.