Chapter 65

Reckless Genius Composer Returns - Chapter 65 (65/482)

Manager Kim frequently visited Hyunseung’s studio at intervals of a few hours.

“Are you really set on appearing?”

“Isn’t this a bit too hasty a decision?”

“Why don’t you reconsider and put it on hold?”

Hyunseung shook his head at the man who was pouring out his concerns.

“It seems like your nagging is getting worse day by day.”

“Hey, I’m only doing this because I’m worried about you.”

“Won’t your recognition increase if you appear on TV? Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Don’t you hate being in the spotlight?”

To this, Hyunseung nodded slightly. “Yes, that’s true.” Indeed, in this life, he had tried his best to avoid exposure. He wanted to enjoy the music he loved, accumulate a moderate fortune, and live a cozy, free life with his family.

However.

The lingering regret from his past life held him back. The instrument he had missed out on for the first and last time... Yes, he just wanted to perform it as soon as possible.

Moreover, if he appeared on TV wearing a helmet, there wouldn’t be much to worry about in terms of exposure. Given his relationships, no one would recognize him, so he wasn’t too concerned.

“Well, can life always go as we wish? I think it might be fun...”

Hyunseung couldn’t explain his decision by mentioning his past life, so he gave a vague answer.

“Anyway, this fun...”

Manager Kim shook his head with a displeased expression. Every time, Hyunseung’s criterion for making decisions was ‘fun.’ He walked a tightrope with this ambiguous standard.

Of course, his performances always ended up being the best, but this time was different from his previous works. This guy, who was so sensitive about exposure...

Even if it was just a one-time interview photo, he was going to appear as a judge on a live audition program. It was hard to understand.

Even if he wore a helmet...

Yes, if he were to look at it purely from a commercial perspective, he might have suggested a bit of exposure, but Hyunseung was more than just a business relationship to him.

Manager Kim knew that once Hyunseung made a decision, he wouldn’t change his mind. All he could do was support him silently.

Then.

“Is winter finally over?”

Hyunseung asked out of the blue.

“Huh? Well, February is almost over...”

“Then spring must be coming, right?”

“Of course, why are you asking such obvious questions?”

He didn’t answer the question. Hyunseung just smiled slightly. Spring was almost here. It was time to reveal the song he had kept hidden.

“Let’s listen to it on the speakers at the new house with Mother soon.”

Hyunseung extended a USB drive.

“What’s this?”

Manager Kim tilted his head as he held the USB.

“It’s the spring season song I was working on.”

“Is it already finished?”

“Yes, but I haven’t chosen a singer yet.”

“Then we should find a singer quickly.”

After a moment.

Hyunseung looked at the USB in Manager Kim’s hand and smiled.

“Yes, we should record and release it soon.”

Yes, the song in this USB...

“Before the cherry blossoms fully bloom.”

He was confident it would be heard alongside the cherry blossoms every year.

* * *

“Let me know when it’s finalized.”

The man left the meeting room with a polite bow.

“Hmm.”

Vice President Park watched the man’s back and let out an interested hum.

The man’s name was Kang Hahoon.

He was the ambitious solo debutee that Team 1 was pushing for this time.

“Well, let’s make him debut grandly this year.”

Vice President Park rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly. He even pounded the desk and laughed heartily.

“He’s a real gem, a gem.”

There was a reason he liked him so much.

Kang Hahoon, who recently joined Team 1, was good enough to debut as a solo artist right away, from his looks to his skills. He had a shining star quality, and most importantly, he was from a wealthy family.

On the day Kang Hahoon signed the trainee contract...

His parents came along, promising financial support if he was given a debut, and repeatedly asked for their help.

Their exceptional love for their son was a welcome message for an entertainment company that needed to invest a lot to debut an artist.

“Yes, yes, he’s a rare talent.”

“Hahoon is almost a complete musician.”

The Team 1 employees, watching Vice President Park’s reaction, nodded vigorously in agreement.

“Oh, right.”

Vice President Park snapped his fingers as if something had just occurred to him.

“I heard there’s a big audition program called K-SingerStar coming up.”

“Yes, that’s right. We’ve already received offers for a few of our artists.”

Vice President Park asked, “Really?” and fell into thought.

“Hmm...”

The program, which was said to have received a huge production budget and investment, was a hot topic among entertainment industry insiders. With famous PD Kim Young-ho involved, the expectations were even higher.

Entertainment companies typically use their connections and requests to place trainees about to debut on such audition programs. This way, they can naturally get more exposure on TV and benefit from the publicity, starting their debut with a higher recognition.

So.

This might be a good opportunity.

“What do you think about this?”

Vice President Park moistened his dry lips and continued.

“We’ll have Hahoon participate in K-SingerStar. Just in case, we’ll also have someone from LS sit as a judge. If he doesn’t make it, LS might still take him in.”

He tapped the desk with his fingertips and added,

“Won’t this be a good plan? Who among our people has been offered a judging role?”

“K0K’s leader, Sehoon, was offered, but as you know, he’s preparing for a world tour, so he declined.”

When Vice President Park asked, “Then Team 2?” an employee cautiously replied,

“For Team 2, I heard Mr. Moon Bum-jae was offered, but he hates appearing on TV.”

“Yes, he wouldn’t listen to my request anyway. Is there anyone else besides them?”

Then.

“Oh, well, it’s not certain, but...”

An employee scratched the back of his head and hesitated to speak.

“What is it?”

“I overheard Team 2 talking...”

“And?”

“It seems the exclusive composer will be the main judge.”

“Composer?”

Suddenly, the name ‘exclusive composer’ brought an unpleasant face to Vice President Park’s mind.

No, it couldn’t be.

Yes, the person who had brought numerous achievements to Team 2 last year and was a thorn in his side.

Min Hyunseung.

However, Min Hyunseung was inexplicably averse to exposure. Even within the company, few people knew that HS’s real name was Min Hyunseung, so it was unlikely he would appear on TV.

Could it be...

Has he changed his mind due to recent popularity? After all, he’s at an age where he enjoys attention. It’s natural to assume he received offers to appear.

However, even if Min Hyunseung were to sit as the main judge on K-SingerStar, Vice President Park knew he wouldn’t be flexible enough to accept his request.

It felt easier to grab Moon Bum-jae’s pants leg.

“Who is the composer?”

Vice President Park narrowed his eyes, looking uneasy, and asked again.

“Why are you taking so long? Who is it?”

“It, it’s...”

The employee, feeling uncomfortable, kept moving his lips in front of Vice President Park.

Finally.

He reluctantly spoke, as if being squeezed.

“HS...”

The people in the room looked as if they had heard a historically taboo name.

* * *

The next day, as lunchtime approached, Manager Kim began frantically searching for something.

“Where did it go...?”

He searched his car, the office, the café terrace, the lobby, the hallway, and the restroom, and even posted on the company bulletin board to see if anyone had found it, but no one had.

In short, the USB Hyunseung gave him was gone.

No matter how he retraced his steps, it seemed to have been lost within the company, but the uncertainty made him uneasy.

Thud, thud—

An unstable footsteps echoed in the hallway.

Knock, knock, knock—

Manager Kim, who had been searching for the USB, finally headed to Hyunseung’s studio. Better to face it sooner rather than later.

“Hyunseung, I’m here.”

“You came just in time for lunch.”

Seeing Hyunseung’s face, Manager Kim felt a wave of guilt and fidgeted at the entrance.

“Why are you acting like a dog with a full bladder?”

“Well, you see...”

Manager Kim bit his lower lip and hesitated before finally closing his eyes and adding,

“I think I lost the USB you gave me.”

He bowed his head deeply, feeling the weight of his failure to manage the copyright. The weight of an artist’s talent and passion is that significant.

“I’m really sorry, sorry.”

As Manager Kim repeated his apologies like a parrot,

“What’s this?”

Hyunseung muttered in his usual indifferent tone.

“It’s fine, so just lift your head and let’s go eat.”

“No, someone might have found it and had bad intentions...”

“But I still have the original source.”

“But someone might have stolen it with intent...”

“It’s fine. I’ve already registered it with the Copyright Commission.”

Manager Kim, surprised, asked,

“When did you do that?”

“When I gave you the USB with the source, didn’t I prepare that much?”

Manager Kim let out a small, bitter laugh. Normally, copyright registration and management are handled by the company when the work is distributed, so it wasn’t Hyunseung’s responsibility as an exclusive composer.

However, it was surprising that he had registered the source with the Copyright Commission to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. No, no, upon closer inspection, he was a thorough person despite his seemingly casual demeanor, so it wasn’t that surprising.

“But where did you lose it?”

“I think I lost it in the office...”

“Well, it’s unlikely someone would use it if they found it.”

Hyunseung patted his buttocks and stood up, and Manager Kim, following his gaze, muttered, “I guess so...” but still felt uneasy.

No.

To be honest, it felt more like a nagging discomfort.

Given the strict entry restrictions, the chances of an outsider finding it were low. If someone found it, it would be an insider, and as LS employees, they would have no reason not to return it, especially since they know the importance of USBs containing audio or video files.

The reasonable suspicion here is...

‘Either it was taken intentionally, or it was kept intentionally without being returned.’

It could be one of the two. This possibility couldn’t be completely ruled out. Of course, since it was registered with the Copyright Commission, any issues could be addressed later.

If this incident was indeed intentional, the likely culprits would be Team 1, which competes with Team 2, or the person leading that team.

If my concerns were to come true and Team 1 were to release a song plagiarizing Hyunseung’s, it would turn into a full-blown fight, not just a company rivalry.

I hope it doesn’t come to that.

Manager Kim hoped that all his worries stemmed from his overthinking and patted Hyunseung’s shoulder.

“Yeah, who would dare use it? It’s clearly an HS song.”

“You said you would listen to it with Mother, but you listened to it alone?”

“No, I had to. I listened to it as soon as I got back to the office.”

He then draped his arm around Hyunseung’s shoulder and joked,

“Let’s go eat before it gets crowded. I’m sorry, so I’ll buy the meal tickets.”

“Of course you should.”

“But you only left a humming guide, so we need to do the main recording and set a release date. Haven’t you chosen a singer yet?”

“I’ve picked some candidates. Since it’s a spring season song, Jung Ah-rin might be a good fit.”

“Good idea. Ah-rin would probably run over barefoot to record your song.”

They both thought of Jung Ah-rin’s face and chuckled.

“It would be a relief if she doesn’t come barefoot.”

Finally.

They headed to the cafeteria, putting their worries about the USB aside.