Chapter 72

Reincarnation of a Reckless Genius Composer - Chapter 72 (72/482)

Duseok sat alone in the pavilion of his home garden, playing a game of Go. In one hand, he held a Go record, while with the other, he alternately placed black and white stones.

"The weather is really nice."

He paused his game, lifted his head to look at the sky, and muttered, "It's really nice."

At that moment,

his personal assistant approached and spoke.

"Sir, you've been out here since morning."

"Oh, the weather is just too nice."

"Indeed, it really feels like spring."

Whoosh—

As the wind gently fluttered his modified hanbok, Duseok continued with a smile.

"Right, the spring breeze is here, so it seems spring has come again."

The assistant nodded in agreement.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and pulled out a tablet PC from his side.

"Sir, it seems Hyunseung's new song has been released."

Duseok, as if he had been waiting for this, responded, "Oh, really?" and immediately turned his gaze to the assistant.

"The digital single 'A Handful of Cherry Blossoms' was released on domestic and international platforms at midnight."

"What's the current performance?"

"According to the largest domestic platform, Apple, as of 7 AM, it has smoothly entered the top 100 chart."

Swoosh, swoosh—

"Um…"

After finishing his sentence, the assistant glanced at the tablet PC, hesitated for a moment, and then continued.

"There's no particular problem, but some of Hyunseung's fans seem to think that 'A Handful of Cherry Blossoms' is more mainstream compared to his personal album, which is a bit disappointing."

Duseok, without even looking up, examined the Go record and muttered, "Mainstream…"

"Moreover, since Hyunseung, who had been declining TV appearances, suddenly appeared on TV, coinciding with the release of his new song, there are concerns that he might focus more on TV activities and neglect his music production."

After finishing his sentence, the assistant looked at Duseok with a worried expression, but…

'If it's that guy, where would he place his stones to expand his influence?'

Duseok just clenched a black stone in his hand and carefully examined the board.

Creak, creak—

The flow of the game on the well-laid stones was smooth and flexible.

Thud!

After placing the black stone, Duseok wore a satisfied smile.

Yes.

If it's the guy I know, he would have placed his stones here to create a large group.

'Large group, never dies (大馬不死)'

In Go, a large group is ultimately hard to kill because it has a way to survive.

This is also a metaphorical expression used to describe large companies that are unlikely to go bankrupt.

The Hyunseung I think of is 'large group, never dies (大馬不死).'

Can you even imagine a major domestic company like 'S Electronics' or 'L Electronics' going bankrupt?

Yes, the same goes for that guy.

The horse (馬) inside him, which is a large group, has the ability to move gracefully in the right direction, so it won't be swayed by minor public noise, nor will it easily lose its place.

After a while,

Duseok turned his gaze to the assistant standing silently beside him and asked in a calm tone.

"Isn't all of this attention and jealousy directed at him?"

The assistant nodded vigorously and replied.

"Yes, it seems that as HS's recognition has increased, the noise has also increased."

"It's just noise that will eventually fade away on its own."

Duseok shook his head and clicked his tongue.

To begin with, the very notion that a mainstream sound is disappointing is contradictory. Who decides what is 'mainstream'?

Yes.

Music that many people listen to is what truly possesses the 'mainstream' quality that transcends eras.

Isn't it also said that the most consumed works by the public nowadays are the most artistic?

Soon,

after a pause, the assistant replied, "Yes, that's right," and Duseok turned his gaze back to the Go board.

Creak, creak—

But, he soon lost interest and placed the stones he was holding, turning his body to face the garden.

"By the way, he won't come to play Go with me for a while, making excuses about TV appearances, so I'll be the only one feeling lonely."

"Should I contact Hyunseung to come on a day without filming?"

"It's fine. I don't think I can beat him yet. I'll call him when he has a break."

Then, he requested while scanning the garden.

"Since we're talking about it, why don't we listen to the new song?"

"Yes, sir. I'll prepare it right away."

Soon, the gentle and refreshing melody of the spring breeze flowed through the speakers installed in the garden.

─ The cherry blossoms carried by the gentle spring breeze…

The moment he heard the song, Duseok's eyebrows rose in interest. The soft and warm melody, which he couldn't imagine Hyunseung had created, enveloped his entire body in a cozy feeling.

"Hmm…"

He listened to the song with his ears while his eyes took in the fully bloomed cherry blossoms and rapeseed flowers in the garden.

And when he inhaled the scent of the flowers, it was overwhelmingly sweet.

The warm melody of the song, the clear voice, the fully bloomed cherry blossoms in the garden, and the scent of the flowers…

Yes.

All the elements perfectly matched the current weather, making his heart flutter like the floating cherry blossoms.

Swoosh—

Duseok moistened his throat with a warm cup of tea while getting lost in the song.

'What did the assistant say just now?'

He mentioned that some people found the song too mainstream and were worried that Hyunseung might focus more on TV activities and neglect his music production?

'Nonsense.'

It's said that people in the entertainment industry are always worried. But someone like Hyunseung, who possesses a shining talent, is someone who, no matter what crisis he faces, will always find a way to survive thanks to his talent.

"Don't worry about Hyunseung."

Duseok added gently.

"I want to keep listening to that guy's songs."

"Sir?"

"As long as I'm alive…"

He paused for a moment.

"No one will be able to shake him."

Unless he falls by his own will, it was as if he was declaring that he would protect Hyunseung from any sabotage or foul play.

The assistant smiled faintly. After all, these were the words of Mr. Duseok.

"Yes, I really don't have to worry."

The gentle breeze and warm sunlight.

Everything…

told of the full arrival of spring.

* * *

Finally, the much-anticipated first round of the K-SingerStar live recording and the first broadcast day arrived.

Ding—

Manager Kim, after returning home early and visiting his mother at the hospital, hurried home.

"The time is already this late…"

After checking the clock on the wall, Manager Kim quickly finished his shower and sat on the sofa in the living room in comfortable clothes.

Click, pop!

The sound of opening a can of beer filled the living room, and as he turned on the TV, a noisy advertisement played.

"It's about to start."

Manager Kim, to monitor the first broadcast of K-SingerStar, opened the live chat window on his tablet PC and took a sip of beer.

In fact, while he said he was monitoring, his heart was like that of a parent of a K-SingerStar participant, filled with worry, concern, and earnest support.