Chapter 67

Reckless Genius Composer Returns - Chapter 67 (67/482)

The recruitment of participants for K-SingerStar has come to an end. Soon, online reviews will be conducted, followed by simultaneous second-round preliminaries in each region. HS was scheduled to appear starting from the final preliminary round, after both the first and second rounds were completed.

There is still more than two weeks left until then.

But, why...

“Huh? Composer, wait... You mean you haven’t prepared at all?”

When the person in charge of the K-SingerStar soundtracks contacted HS to check on the progress of the competition song for the final, they received a blank response: “Oh, right.”

“Why are you preparing so early when the main rounds haven’t even started yet?”

HS, who seemed bewildered, responded with even more nonchalance, which only made the person in charge more exasperated.

“Since this is your first time appearing on such a program, you might not know, but once the main rounds start, you’ll be so busy that it’s better to prepare in advance.”

“While I appreciate your concern, I can create it when the time comes.”

The K-SingerStar soundtrack manager sighed inwardly. HS was a famous composer, but a novice in broadcasting, which is why he could so easily say he would create it later.

While I understand...

My perception of HS changed for the worse after just one call.

“I understand what you’re saying, Mr. HS...”

Everyone from the staff with minor roles to the overall CP has put all their efforts into planning and producing this program.

Just when we couldn’t refuse the proposal to wear a helmet because of his current popularity, he now seems to be acting arrogantly, which is quite annoying.

“Mr. JayB has already created and submitted his song. Why do you think he did that? Probably because he finds it difficult to create a song at the last minute.”

The manager, pressing his temples, added in a suppressed voice:

“I hesitate to say this, but if you don’t have a song ready by then or if the song you provide is below the level we expect from you, it will put us in a very difficult position.”

Silence followed on the other end of the line. Did I speak too harshly? What if he now wants to cancel the contract? Anxiety suddenly washed over him, but he didn’t retract his words because they were true.

We accepted the absurd proposal to wear a helmet and allocated a large portion of the production budget to make HS a main judge because of the high-quality songs we expected from him, as well as the interest in his presence.

If the quality of the songs doesn’t meet our expectations and the public’s reaction is lukewarm, the soundtrack managers will all be in trouble, and the overall CP will have to submit a report to the station manager, leading to a very awkward situation.

“Hello? Mr. HS?”

After a long silence, just as he was about to check if the call had been disconnected, HS’s voice came through the speaker.

“Manager, don’t you need to tailor the song for the person who will perform it in the finals? What’s the point of creating it so early?”

The high-pressure tone of his voice was almost suffocating.

“I understand your concerns, but there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll hang up now.”

The continuous, unyielding tone only made the manager feel more intimidated.

“Mr. HS, that’s not what I meant...”

Just as the manager tried to continue, the call abruptly ended.

At the same time, a worried sigh escaped his lips, wondering if HS would provide a proper competition song for the finals.

“Sigh...”

Eventually, he began to imagine HS in his mind.

“This guy has some nerve.”

A fierce, intimidating, and menacing image came to mind.

* * *

Manager Kim held his phone between his ear and shoulder as he made a call.

“Hey, Hyunseung. I just finished submitting your song to the distribution company.”

“What’s the date?”

“I asked them to set it as close to the cherry blossom season as possible.”

“Thank you.”

“What are you up to? I was thinking of having lunch together before my meeting...”

Suddenly, a vibration caught his attention. Checking the screen, he saw a call from the distribution manager.

“Hyunseung, hold on, I have an incoming call. I’ll call you back.”

Thinking the release date had been set, Manager Kim quickly answered the call.

“Hey, is the date set already?”

“No, but there’s an issue I need to inform you about.”

“What issue?”

“One of the songs that came in a few days ago is very similar to the one you submitted.”

“What? Similar?”

“Yes, the distribution staff all think it’s a plagiarism. I also think it sounds similar.”

Hearing this, Manager Kim recalled the USB he had lost a few days ago.

It can’t be...

Before he could speak, the manager added:

“We need to check this quickly.”

“Do you know who submitted it?”

“It was submitted by the team leader of Team 1. I’ll send you the audio file via email.”

“Thanks, I’ll check it right away.”

As the call ended, the screen went dark, and he felt a sense of darkness creeping over him.

This isn’t the time to stand around.

Shaking his head, Manager Kim regained his composure. If someone found his lost USB and really plagiarized the song, he needed to take responsibility and resolve the issue urgently.

“Should I tell Hyunseung...?”

He pondered for a moment. Should he handle the situation on his own and then inform Hyunseung, or should he tell Hyunseung first and deal with it together?

Standing in the hallway, he weighed his options.

Eventually, he decided to head to Hyunseung’s studio. No matter what, the original creator needed to know.

* * *

When Manager Kim arrived at Hyunseung’s studio, he relayed the information from the distribution company. After listening to the audio file from Team 1, they found that even someone with “tin ears” would mistake “A Handful of Cherry Blossoms” by Hyunseung and “Spring Ending” by Team 1 for the same song.

“Sigh...”

Manager Kim, looking despondent, rubbed his face repeatedly. When his face turned red, he finally spoke.

“Even a non-expert can tell.”

“Exactly.”

Hyunseung nodded calmly. Manager Kim observed his expression but saw no change. Was he really not bothered? After all, someone had plagiarized his song.

But...

The most important thing now wasn’t wondering about Hyunseung’s unusually calm demeanor. He needed to resolve the issue caused by his mistake.

First...

“Anyway, since this is clearly plagiarism, I’ll take responsibility and resolve it.”

“Manager Kim?”

“Yes, it’s my fault. I should have managed it better. I’m really sorry.”

Manager Kim apologized sincerely.

“Even if I had ten mouths, I wouldn’t have anything to say.”

In such situations, he had learned that acknowledging one’s own mistake before blaming others is the priority.

However...

Hyunseung, unable to bear the serious atmosphere, started trembling and said:

“Why are you acting like this, Manager Kim? Are you turning into Jeong Arin?”

“Turning into Jeong Arin?”

“You’re overreacting like her.”

Manager Kim, momentarily stunned, then playfully pretended to punch him.

“Really, what are you saying!”

“It’s just that you’re being so serious, it’s funny.”

Hyunseung, trying to suppress his laughter, continued in a playful tone:

“I told you before, the creation date and time are all recorded, and the original audio file is stored. I’ve also registered it with the copyright committee, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Still, since this happened within the company, we need to handle it well. If it escalates, it will definitely reach the CEO’s ears...”

Hyunseung sighed and scratched the back of his head. It seemed Manager Kim blamed himself for losing the USB.

Hyunseung found it frustrating to see Manager Kim, who looked unstable, blaming himself for the theft.

“Manager Kim.”

Eventually, he stood up from the desk and added:

“Let’s resolve this before it reaches the CEO’s ears.”

* * *

“What did you just say?”

Team Leader Oh of Team 1 glared fiercely.

“I’m just politely asking the distribution company to cancel the release of the audio file.”

Hyunseung shrugged, as if wondering why he was getting so worked up.

“What kind of behavior is this? Manager Kim, aren’t you the one in charge? Why are you just standing there?”

“Talk to me. Manager Kim is just here to guide me to Team 1.”

Hyunseung stepped forward and continued:

“The day I submitted my song to the distribution company, I found out that Team 1 had already submitted a very similar song. I’d like to hear Team 1’s thoughts on this matter.”

Team Leader Oh’s forehead creased with wrinkles.

“What? Are you saying Team 1 plagiarized Team 2’s song?”

“I was trying to be polite, but I should have been more direct.”

Seeing a young composer suddenly appear and question them, Team Leader Oh couldn’t help but laugh sarcastically. It was really absurd.

A composer from Team 2 suddenly appeared at Team 1’s office, not just raising suspicions of plagiarism but already assuming it was true.

“This kid, I knew he had a weird personality, but he’s really something...”

Team Leader Oh sneered, twisting his lips.

“Team 2’s morale is really a mess, isn’t it?”

“Since it’s a mess, I’ll add one more thing. I don’t know which composer from Team 1 plagiarized my song, but if they had at least made it better, it would have been more acceptable.”

Team Leader Oh, who had been listening quietly, tilted his head and asked, “What?”

“If it had been better than my song, I might have let it slide.”

“Listening to this, I can’t believe...!”

Just as Team Leader Oh was about to explode with anger,

“What’s all the commotion here-!”

Suddenly, an ally from Team 1 arrived.