Chapter 80

Reckless Genius Composer Returns - Chapter 80 (80/482)

“I’m sorry….”

As soon as Kang Hajeon fell out of the battle round, he immediately returned to the office and headed for the executive's room.

“No, no.”

Park Executive waved his hands vigorously at Kang Hajeon, who had bowed his head.

“What do you have to be sorry for? Lift your head quickly.”

“I really wanted to win….”

“Of course, if you had won, it would have been even better….”

Then, he continued in a seemingly nonchalant and resolute tone.

“Winning wasn’t the goal anyway; raising awareness was the objective, right? We’ve certainly generated enough buzz, and this is more than enough.”

In truth, he couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. But there was no way to reverse what had already happened. Park Executive could only sigh in regret.

At that moment,

Kang Hajeon lifted his head and cautiously began to speak.

“Mr. Park, I have something to discuss with you.”

“Yeah, is there another issue?”

“Although I lost and was eliminated, Mr. HS said he would give me a song from a special stage.”

Park Executive, who thought he might have misheard, narrowed his eyes and asked again.

“Hajeon, wait a moment… What did you just say?”

“Mr. HS said he would give me a song….”

“Are you talking about HS, the exclusive composer of LS Entertainment?”

When Kang Hajeon replied, “Yes,” Park Executive, with a face that couldn’t believe it, pressed on insistently.

“Are you saying that HS, or rather, that guy, really offered to give you a song?”

Kang Hajeon, looking at Park Executive’s skeptical face, calmly explained.

“Yes, and he gave me his personal chat ID.”

“Did he give you his personal chat ID?”

In response, Kang Hajeon nodded and took out his phone. When he opened the messaging app 'KakaoTalk,' the only user listed in his favorites was 'HS.'

“Is this his KakaoTalk?”

Park Executive couldn’t believe his eyes. He was surprised not only that the guy had given Kang Hajeon his personal chat ID but also because...

Swish, swish—

The profile picture of 'HS' was entirely covered with pictures of stray cats, which seemed out of place.

‘Is this guy really into that…?’

Park Executive blinked and clicked on the chat window.

“Ah….”

His doubts quickly turned into a sigh of understanding.

「I know it’s a great impoliteness, but since this is such an unbelievable offer to me, I want to confirm if I understood correctly. Did you really offer to give me your song?」

Following Kang Hajeon’s polite and detailed message,

「Yeah.」

The brief and almost vowel-less reply confirmed it was indeed the guy.

「Then, I would like to meet you in person and discuss it in detail. When would be a good time for you?」

「Wait until K-SingerStar ends.」

「Okay, I’ll wait. Please contact me.」

「Okay.」

Their conversation ended abruptly with no further content.

“The guy’s chat tone is no different from his usual self.”

Kang Hajeon watched Park Executive, who let out a hollow laugh, and tilted his head.

“Do you not know Mr. HS’s personal contact information, Mr. Park?”

“Since he’s from a different team, I only contacted him through the team leader of Team 2….”

Park Executive, feeling a bit embarrassed, scratched the back of his head and handed the phone back. Only a few key management and executive-level members of Team 2 knew the guy’s contact information or personal chat ID.

Indeed.

Although Park Executive was well-known within the company, the fact that he didn’t know such information just because he was from a different team proved that it wasn’t something anyone could easily know.

Considering that even the guy’s real name was known by only a few, the fact that he gave Kang Hajeon his personal chat ID indicated that he really intended to give him a song.

“Right, that’s what it means….”

Lost in thought, Park Executive suddenly grabbed Kang Hajeon’s shoulder and shook him lightly.

“It’s done! It’s all done!”

He forgot the disappointment from the elimination and jumped around like a freshly caught fish, overjoyed.

“If you can get a song from that guy, your debut hit is guaranteed!

However,

Kang Hajeon’s face was still clouded with doubt.

‘What if…’

Was it just a casual remark?

Was it out of consideration for the eliminated contestants?

Could it be out of pity?

These questions kept rising, making it hard for him to accept HS’s offer easily.

“Hajeon, are you not feeling well?”

At that moment, Park Executive, noticing Kang Hajeon’s expression, asked gently.

“Last time, you were worried that HS didn’t like you. But if he offered to give you a song, it means he does like you, doesn’t it?”

Kang Hajeon’s expression brightened slightly, as if he had heard the answer he wanted.

“Really?”

“Of course!”

“But what if he finds out I’m from a different team and doesn’t give me the song?”

Kang Hajeon’s face darkened again, recalling what his manager had told him about the competitive relationship between Team 1 and HS.

To make matters worse,

He had also heard that the entire Team 1 had a strained relationship with HS due to a recent plagiarism scandal.

‘If I tell him I’m actually a trainee from Team 1…’

Park Executive, as if he knew Kang Hajeon’s concerns, patted his shoulder and continued.

“Trust me, as someone close to him, he’s not the type to act petty. If he likes you, he’ll stand firm and push through, regardless of the team.”

Kang Hajeon nodded in response.

Indeed.

From what he had learned by reading all the articles and interviews related to HS, he knew that HS only gave songs to artists he truly liked, and was known for his picky and eccentric nature.

If this was true,

And if what Park Executive said was correct,

And if he had even given his personal chat ID,

Could it mean that HS really liked him and recognized him as an artist?

Just as a faint smile spread across Kang Hajeon’s lips,

“Wow, wow, wow, wow, this is amazing. It’s really amazing—.”

“Is it that good?”

“Of course! Our Hajeon’s path to stardom is already open.”

Park Executive, even more excited, hummed a tune and added,

“Hajeon, being eliminated from the audition? It’s nothing in your career as a singer. It’s a mere speck, not even a blemish.”

He then leaned in and whispered,

“But getting a song from that guy? It means our Hajeon’s second life as a singer will start with a grand opening.”

To Park Executive, this situation, where Kang Hajeon was eliminated from the audition but received a song from HS, felt like a loss and a gain (一失一得).

‘No, no…’

It should be called a double gain (一擧兩得), right?

* * *

A week had passed since the battle round ended.

During this time, Yun Jei seemed to have mastered the use of his voice, gradually showcasing explosive singing skills.

As a result,

Yun Jei, with his unique rhythm and voice, easily passed the duet round that followed the battle round.

“So, who was eliminated between Yun Jei and Kang Hajeon in this battle round? No, don’t tell me. You won’t say it anyway….”

“What are you doing?”

“No, the producers cut it right before announcing the results. They’re really despicable.”

Kim Manager, as if he had a lump in his throat, pounded his chest and vented his anger.

Recently, Kim Manager had become a passionate viewer of K-SingerStar, even leaving real-time chat comments every week.

At that moment,

Kim Manager, who had been fuming, smoothed his collar and asked casually,

“Hyunsung, what do you think of Kang Hajeon? My gut tells me he’s going to make it….”

When Hyunsung nodded and made a small sound, Kim Manager pressed on.

“Should we reach out to him? While we’re at it, let’s meet Yun Jei as well? Oh, has he already signed with another agency…?”

Hyunsung, as if something had just occurred to him, mumbled,

“My next personal project is….”

He realized he hadn’t told Hyunsung that he had decided to give Kang Hajeon a song.

Zing!

At that moment, Kim Manager’s phone vibrated loudly.

“Ah! Arin said to meet her in the parking lot by one o’clock. Let’s go quickly.”

Hyunsung, unable to continue, nodded and put on his coat.

‘Let’s think about it later…’

Kang Hajeon’s project would come after playing with Yun Jei on K-SingerStar.

* * *

Jeong Arin, Hyunsung, and Kim Manager found a Korean restaurant near the company.

The table was so full of dishes that it was hard to find any empty space.

“Eat a lot. You always eat at the company cafeteria.”

“So what? What’s wrong with the cafeteria?”

“I just mean you should eat something healthier and more expensive.”

“Huh? Disrespecting the cafeteria?”

Jeong Arin, shaking her head at Hyunsung’s joke, mumbled,

“Let’s stop talking….”

“Arin, you’ve been so busy lately. How did you find time to treat us to lunch? You’re so considerate.”

“Because of the success of ‘A Handful of Cherry Blossoms,’ I didn’t even have time to enjoy the cherry blossoms this spring.”

Jeong Arin, feigning a pout, added,

“I might have been the busiest person in the world this spring.”

She then made a whining sound and slumped her shoulders, but her lips curved into a happy smile.

Indeed, she had been extremely busy lately, with endless festivals, concerts, performances, music shows, and variety programs.

It felt like a day had 48 hours.

Still, compared to the time when she almost got kicked out of the training program, the current physical fatigue was something she could easily endure.

Indeed,

Saying she was tired might be misleading to those who were struggling to endure their training days.

Jeong Arin smiled again, and Hyunsung, who had been eating a rice cake, teased her with a playful voice.

“Hey? Disrespecting the whole world?”

“Ah, really! You’re so childish!”

“Now you’re calling me childish and disrespecting me.”

Jeong Arin, looking like she had lost her spirit, shook her head.

“Let’s just eat….”

For a moment, only the clinking of chopsticks could be heard.

“Mr. Composer, are you planning to make a summer seasonal song?”

Jeong Arin suddenly asked with sparkling eyes.

“I was thinking about it. Why?”

“Then, can I sing it?”

Hyunsung, seeing Jeong Arin’s pleading face, put on a serious expression.

“I wasn’t going to give it to you anyway, but now that you’re making that face, I really don’t want to.”

Jeong Arin, taken aback by Hyunsung’s firm answer, immediately retorted,

“Why not?! If it’s a summer seasonal song, it should be sung by a singer with a cool and refreshing voice….”

Jeong Arin, irritated by Hyunsung’s playful answer, placed her hand on her hip.

“Isn’t that a disrespectful remark to people under 160 cm?”

“Are you under 160 cm?”

“Ah… I’m just a little short, really just a little.”

Jeong Arin mumbled to herself.

“Just about 158 cm…?”

Hyunsung chuckled and resumed eating silently.

‘Ah, really, summer will be here soon.’

Thinking about Jeong Arin’s words, he realized the weather was getting warmer.

Who will sing the summer song?

Hyunsung, taking a big bite of the rice cake, fell into deep thought.

“Hmm….”

It wouldn’t be a problem if Jeong Arin sang it, but he also wanted to use different singers for each seasonal song to highlight the unique charm of each season.

Most importantly, he wanted a voice with a bit more freshness….

Hyunsung, suddenly remembering a voice, let out a small exclamation and put down his chopsticks.

“That guy is perfect.”

“Huh? Who are you talking about all of a sudden? Are you seeing things?”

Jeong Arin, waving her hand in front of Hyunsung’s face, asked worriedly.

“You’re not getting enough sleep. Get some rest….”

“Right, I’ve decided.”

“Good thinking. From now on, reduce your caffeine and get plenty of sleep….”

Hyunsung, ignoring what Jeong Arin was saying, immediately took out his phone.

Tap, tap, tap—

The sound of tapping the screen was brief.

A message was sent to Kang Hajeon’s chat window faster than expected.