Chapter 90

Reckless Genius Composer's Regression - Chapter 90 (90/482)

Meanwhile.

While the death match was in progress, Mr. Jeon Nam-il, the CEO, and Mr. Jeon Nam-il, the representative, were heading to an important meeting.

"Mr. Jeon, are you not tired?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

Mr. Choi, who was sitting to the right of the window, glanced at Mr. Jeon and cautiously made a suggestion.

"If you're not too tired, would you like to watch a video of K-SingerStar while we're on the move?"

"I was planning to watch it but didn't have the time. This is perfect. Sure, let's do it."

Mr. Jeon readily agreed and continued.

"I heard HS is one of the main judges."

"Yes, that's correct."

"I'm curious about what made him change his mind, given that he usually refuses to appear on TV."

Mr. Choi, sensing Mr. Jeon's interest, quickly took out his phone and asked.

"Should I check with Manager Kim?"

At this, Mr. Jeon slowly shook his head and pointed with his chin.

"No, let's just play the video first."

"Sure, just a moment."

Mr. Choi, who was familiar with modern culture despite his age, quickly found the video on NewTube.

The video clip titled "[K-SingerStar] Explosive Combination, Kang Hajoon vs. Yoon Jai! Who will win?" began playing on the screen mounted on the backseat ceiling.

"This is Kang Hajoon, a trainee from Team 1."

He pointed to Kang Hajoon on the screen and added,

"Team 1 has high hopes for him. I've monitored him a few times, and he seems to have a definite star quality."

Although Kang Hajoon was a trainee from Team 1, which was under Mr. Park's jurisdiction, Mr. Choi had also been paying attention to him recently, considering him a talent who could bring benefits to the company.

"Mr. Park has been talking about him non-stop lately. Even just looking at his external factors, he seems to have a high chance of success."

"I heard his fan club has already been established with a considerable fan base. I believe he can have a successful debut without a large investment."

Mr. Jeon slowly nodded and shifted his gaze to the screen.

Soon,

A familiar and well-known song to the LS Entertainment family began playing through the internal speakers.

"Hmm?"

Mr. Jeon narrowed his eyes and began to focus.

─ Today, let's walk together.

Kang Hajoon continued the song without ruining the original calm and emotional atmosphere of Seo Jin-ee's "Let's Walk Together."

Perhaps because he was watching it on the screen rather than listening live, he didn't feel the impact he expected throughout the song.

What can I say...?

'He's good, but just up to that point.'

Recently, in the K-pop industry, many half-decent-looking trainees have been debuted relying solely on live AR (LAR) technology, only to reveal their lack of live singing skills during music show encore performances, sparking controversy. However, since Yoon Jai has both visual appeal and above-average vocal skills, there's no need to worry about such controversies, and he will stand out even more in today's K-pop industry.

"He could debut right now without any significant issues."

Mr. Jeon left a brief comment.

"Yes, I agree... Oh, he's already on screen."

At that moment, Mr. Choi pointed to the screen again.

"Mr. Jeon, this is Yoon Jai, a participant recently recruited by Team 2."

"Is that so? Did Manager Kim recruit him?"

"No, Manager Kim submitted the contract, but the recruitment was at Min Hyun-seung's request."

Hearing this, Mr. Jeon turned his head and softly repeated, "Min Hyun-seung?"

"Yes, he seems to have a very good impression of Yoon Jai. He even saved him from elimination using a Super Pass."

Mr. Jeon then covered his mouth with his fist and chuckled.

"Someone HS picked out..."

Mr. Choi waited, expecting Mr. Jeon to say more, but he just stared intently at Yoon Jai on the screen without saying anything.

"Hmm?"

Soon, Yoon Jai walked out with a guitar, and Mr. Jeon raised his eyebrows, letting out an incomprehensible sound.

'As expected.'

Mr. Choi nodded slightly, as if he had expected this reaction. He had the same reaction the first time he saw Yoon Jai.

Mr. Jeon must be feeling 'confused' right now. The accompaniment was completely different from the original "Let's Walk Together," which might trigger an instinctive resistance to something new.

Even though he had heard the song countless times, the unfamiliarity made it feel like he was hearing it for the first time, causing initial confusion.

However,

This confusion would soon turn to shock by the end of the song.

─ Today, let's forget everything and walk together.

After Yoon Jai's performance, the video clip moved on to the next item, and neither of them said a word.

To be precise, Mr. Choi was waiting silently because Mr. Jeon hadn't said anything.

He had expected a short feedback, like before...

Mr. Choi put his hands in his pockets and fidgeted with the coins inside, a habit he had when eagerly waiting for something.

For a while, Mr. Jeon sat deep in thought, tapping his fingers and tapping his leg.

Then, he lightly tapped his knee, as if making a decision, and said,

"Since he chose this person, there's no room for doubt. Moreover, he has brought a lot of success to the company, so it's our turn to repay him."

He narrowed his eyes, as if deeply considering something, and added meaningfully,

"Doing so will be beneficial to the company in the long run."

Mr. Choi, understanding his intention, nodded without asking more questions, and Mr. Jeon smiled in satisfaction.

Mr. Choi, thinking that continuing the conversation might tire the CEO, turned off the screen.

Silence filled the car again, and Mr. Choi's fingers moved faster as he sent a text message to someone.

* * *

Manager Kim stood at the bottom of the stage, waiting to watch the final death match.

"It's been a while since I've spent so much time on a filming set."

He crossed his arms and stared intently at the stage, where the staff were busy.

'Yoon Jai...'

Her performance was about to start.

'I need to watch carefully.'

She was the participant that Hyun-seung saved with a Super Pass and gave a chance to advance to the TOP 11.

Or, rather, she was now one of us.

He didn't doubt Hyun-seung's judgment. After all, he had already proven his ability with Seo Jin-ee and Jeong Ara.

Her composition skills were undeniable.

However,

He still didn't trust Yoon Jai.

Manager Kim didn't recruit people for fun. He carefully evaluated whether they had the 'marketability' to appeal to the public and the competitiveness and value to survive among many products.

Although he had monitored her voice and skills, he hadn't found the 'star quality' or 'marketability' in her yet. Of course, even if she didn't have it, he wouldn't cancel the contract, but he wanted to see it for himself.

With his own ears and eyes.

Manager Kim's eyes widened with determination.

Thud, thud—

Yoon Jai walked to the center of the stage, and the stage went dark with a light applause.

Soon, a blue light illuminated her head, and on the re-lit stage, Yoon Jai sat in her signature pose, crossing her legs.

Tap, tap, tap—

She began strumming her guitar to set the rhythm, and the MR accompaniment blended in perfectly.

Her red lips opened, revealing a small, powerful voice...

Her breath, filled with longing, tickled the air.

Her fingers, moving continuously, enriched the simple MR accompaniment.

When she sang, she seemed to be in her own world, unlike her usually reserved demeanor.

'She truly loves music.'

In this industry, those who survive are driven by the desire to outdo others, to be recognized, and to keep running without rest, not knowing where the finish line is.

The participants in this program are probably no different.

They hope for the elimination of their opponents, their own victory, and recognition from the judges, gritting their teeth and believing that winning is everything.

However,

Yoon Jai seemed different. As she looked down at her guitar, her eyes were filled with happiness.

'Ah...'

Manager Kim was momentarily captivated, staring at her face.

'I found it.'

When Yoon Jai lifted her head towards the light, her eyes, dark like the night sky, sparkled like a galaxy.

No matter what anyone said...

At least for now, Yoon Jai was the brightest light.

"Hyun-seung was right; she's a good instrument."

A singer's 'star quality' and 'marketability' are only truly revealed on stage.

The playing field is slightly different for each person.

For Yoon Jai, her 'star quality' shone brightest on stage, and her 'marketability' was most evident when she sang.

'I'm glad I came to see her perform.'

He was genuinely glad he decided to watch her performance.

Buzz, buzz—

Suddenly, his phone vibrated repeatedly.

Manager Kim, looking at the message, resolved to himself.

Yes.

He would try to guide Yoon Jai well.

* * *

"Yoo Joo vs. Yoon Jai, the death match between Yoo Joo and Yoon Jai has concluded."

The MC walked to the center of the stage and conducted a brief interview with Yoo Joo and Yoon Jai.

"Yoo Joo, how do you feel after the death match?"

"I'm satisfied with my performance, which was better than during practice, so I feel at ease."

Although the interview focused more on Yoo Joo...

"Yoon Jai, how do you feel now?"

"I sang with all my heart, so I have no regrets."

Yoon Jai seemed to be getting more comfortable in front of the camera, answering the questions well.

The MC then looked at the judges' panel, trying to build suspense.

"Ah, the performances of these two participants were very close. The judging is taking quite a while—"

The judges pretended to be in an emergency meeting, but in reality...

"Isn't this really necessary?"

"Well, what can we do? They want it to be dramatic."

"This is when I feel the most pressure."

"But the participants did a great job this round."

"True. They did so well that there's no talk of manipulation."

"Kang Hajoon's performance earlier was a surprise. He sang even better than before."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Won Jin-sub, and Hyun-seung smiled slightly.

Kang Hajoon had shown an incredible improvement in a short time, delivering a nearly perfect performance.

It wasn't just the judges who thought so.

The staff also exclaimed in admiration when his performance ended.

"What about Yoon Jai's performance just now?"

Kim Gwang-jin smiled and looked at Yoon Jai on stage.

"Her performances are becoming more distinct, and her unique color is getting richer with each round."

Everyone followed his gaze to Yoon Jai.

"That's true. Her voice is not only not tiring but getting better."

"Frankly, I'd like to invite Yoon Jai as a guest singer at my concert."

"Then you should say it now to save on the concert booking budget."

"True. She might be too busy to accept later, so should I say it now?"

Won Jin-sub and Lee Young-a made jokes in turn.

'Right.'

Jae-bi nodded slightly in agreement.

"Hmm..."

Kim Gwang-jin looked away, deep in thought, and let out a sigh.

"What can I say...?"

He scratched his chin, pausing for a moment.

"Today, all the participants shone like bright stars on stage."

Kim Gwang-jin, who had called the participants 'stars,' closed his eyes again.

"But two stars stood out, leaving a lasting impression."

The judges, hearing 'two stars,' simultaneously thought of the same people.

'Yoon Jai and Kang Hajoon.'

They were probably right.

Finally,

Kim Gwang-jin, with a kind smile on his wrinkled face, added,

"I hope to see these stars shine for a long time."

The judges also smiled in agreement.

Yes.

They genuinely agreed with his sentiment.

.

.

.

The brief emergency meeting ended,

"Finally, the decision has been made on which of the two participants will advance."

The staff handed the announcement card to the MC.

"In my hand is a paper with the name of the winner of this death match, who will secure the final spot in the TOP 10."

The MC knew it was a scripted event. Both Yoo Joo and Yoon Jai were going to advance.

The previous death matches were also scripted, with the winners decided before the performances.

However,

Wasn't his job to stand in front of the camera?

Maintaining a poker face, he continued the scripted dialogue.

"What's happening? An unexpected turn of events—!"

He built the tension with a dramatic line.

"By unanimous decision of the judges, both participants will advance to the next round—!"

He announced the predetermined result with a loud, clear voice.

"This means that instead of the original ten, a total of eleven participants will advance to the final round as the TOP 11!"

Yoo Joo already knew she was a shoo-in...

But when the camera zoomed in on her face, she feigned a surprised expression as if she had seen a ghost.

Then,

She patted Yoon Jai's back, who was nodding continuously, and giggled like an 18-year-old girl.

Of course, it was all an act.

"Everyone, please stand here."

After the announcement, the eleven participants, as planned, stepped onto the stage.

"Let's reveal the faces of the TOP 11 who will perform in the final round—!"

Soon,

The faces of the eleven survivors appeared on the giant screen behind the stage, and the camera panned over them.

However,

The judges only alternated their gaze between the two 'stars' on the screen.