Chapter 50

# Chapter 050

"Everyone is so shining. I'm not like that. If I don't even try, I'm just a nobody."

Seong Pil looked at Baek Seolha as if asking if she had heard such words from Jang Hayang.

Baek Seolha also seemed quite flustered, her eyes wide open.

No one in the room knew what Jang Hayang was feeling.

"So, I thought of a way to stand out in the team."

"Was it the rap?"

"Yes, ahaha... No one in the team has learned rap, and when I tried it during the monthly evaluation, I gained a bit of confidence. I thought I could do it... Of course, it was just my thought! I'm not saying I'm good at it!"

"Speak up. I have a manager who can listen to your concerns."

"Well, ahaha. I was worried that it might seem like I'm trying to stand out. I planned to tell the manager after my skills improved. I didn't mean to hide it..."

Jang Hayang's embarrassed laughter echoed through the practice room.

He tried to laugh loudly to change the downcast mood, but no one responded.

Jang Hayang had no choice but to stop laughing. She looked up at Seong Pil, seemingly anxious.

"Was it too presumptuous...? We don't even have enough time to practice dancing and singing..."

"Rika."

"Yes."

"Hug Hayang."

Rika hugged Jang Hayang without a moment's hesitation.

"Hayang."

"Yes, yes."

"I want to express my feelings, but I can't put it into words. If I had known, I would have majored in literature. Um, so, I think you're really impressive... proud... satisfied... Rika. Hug her tighter."

Rika hugged Jang Hayang even tighter.

"No one. No one in this building thinks you're trying to stand out. Who would think that way when someone is trying to do something well? Just the fact that you want to learn something is enough to make people happy. And you're not a nobody. Did the CEO hire a nobody?"

"No."

"Did I bring in a nobody?"

"No!"

Jang Hayang vehemently denied it.

"Alright, I get it. It's embarrassing, so I'll stop talking."

"I'm curious what you were going to say. Show some backbone like you did with Seulha."

"Be quiet and go drink some health juice."

Han Gug-in was already peeking his head through the half-open door.

Rika gave Jang Hayang one last tight hug. The members left the practice room one by one.

Jang Hayang stayed behind, as if she had something to say.

"Manager."

"Why? Were you moved? Did you suddenly feel like practicing? I was pretty cool, right?"

"Aha, you really are embarrassed."

"Quick, say what you have to say and go. Let me have my moment alone."

"Um."

Jang Hayang spread her arms wide.

"Just a hug from the manager would have been enough. I was surprised when you told Rika to hug me."

"My hugs are saved for when we top the charts. No, then I'll make you ride a horse around the company."

"Looking forward to it."

"I'll talk to the CEO about your rap."

"Thank you."

"I'm the one who should be thanked."

Jang Hayang left the practice room.

Immediately, Seong Pil started thinking.

'The reason Hayang needs to learn rap is...'

Seong Pil began to formulate an argument to persuade Hong Gyuheon.

* * *

Seong Pil knocked and entered the CEO's office.

Han Gug-in was also there.

"I have something to say about Hayang."

Seong Pil explained that it would be good for Jang Hayang to learn rap.

"If she debuts as is, Hayang won't have a part to shine in the center. If there's a dance break, Ara or Rika will take it. The chorus will be dominated by Seulha and Rika."

"Forcing her into the center for the sake of fairness would ruin the performance. But is this something to worry about now? They just started."

"Other trainees don't just play around while Hayang practices."

The gap between Jang Hayang and the other members is already significant.

Considering Jang Hayang's learning ability, the gap might widen even more in the future.

There's a possibility she could become a visual prop.

However, lowering the performance's difficulty and quality for her sake isn't an option.

"So, you want to make Jang Hayang the main rapper?"

"Yes."

"Rap. In girl groups, if there's rap, it's usually short or simple. Sometimes it's not included at all."

"That's because there's no one who can handle it or it doesn't fit the team's style. It would be good to include it if possible."

Having a rap section can prevent the song from becoming repetitive.

If there's a member who can handle it, including a rap section can improve the song's quality.

"Even with a rap section, it won't be the main part of the song. It might be better to practice only during the activity period. By the way, Jang Hayang took the rap part during the monthly evaluation. Is she interested in rap?"

"She said she wants to learn."

"Really? That's surprising."

Hong Gyuheon rubbed his lips, thinking for a moment.

It wasn't long.

"Since none of the trainees have learned rap, and Park's suggestion makes sense, it would be frustrating to receive a good song and not have anyone to handle the rap. How much does a rap lesson cost these days?"

When Hong Gyuheon heard the price, he was slightly surprised.

"Surprisingly cheap. Even from a professional rapper?"

Rappers often teach rap as a side job.

With the rise of hip-hop audition programs, more people want to learn rap, making the market larger than before.

"Park, find a suitable teacher and let me know. But is Jang Hayang really interested in learning? You're not pressuring or coercing her, right?"

"No, don't worry."

"Jang Hayang would probably agree even if you just suggested it lightly. You know, employees can't easily refuse what they're told."

"Jang Hayang was practicing rap on her own. She planned to tell the CEO when she reached a certain level."

"Good. Is that all you wanted to say?"

"Yes."

"Manager Park."

Just as the conversation was about to end, Han Gug-in interjected.

"I just suggested to the CEO that the members study music history."

Music history?

It's unfamiliar to trainees.

They're not music students...

"A few days ago, I reread the proposal you wrote. Your ultimate goal is to create artists, not just idols, right? For that, they need to understand music."

Seong Pil observed Hong Gyuheon's reaction.

"I agree with the proposal you wrote. Han's suggestion is also good. Musicians should have knowledge about music."

Han Gug-in's suggestion is reasonable.

Artists need a basic understanding of music.

'Come to think of it, WTP...'

The boy group WTP is currently quite famous in South Korea.

But in the future, they will frequently appear on the Billboard charts and go on world tours, making South Korea known to the world.

The name WTP will become a global phenomenon.

'They said they learned music from a producer during their trainee days. They wrote reflections on music movies, and even tried rewriting or composing songs.'

At first, I thought, 'Why go to such lengths for trainees?'

But after seeing WTP's success, I understood the producer's mindset.

'The producer treated the trainees as thinking artists, not just creations of the company.'

WTP repaid the producer's efforts, becoming an unprecedented artist in South Korea.

"That's a good idea. Should we invite a music professor to teach music history?"

"Actually, I've already outlined about half of the curriculum. Here it is."

[Lesson 1: Handel and Bach.

- Handel: Water Music

- Bach: Cello Suites

- The meeting of two artists across time: Casals and Bach

... (omitted)]

"What do you think? I wanted to start with Renaissance music, but it seemed better to start with the familiar 'father' and 'mother' of music."

Seong Pil was stunned.

"Start with classical music?"

"Yes. Of course, the goal is not just to convey and instill information. The content will be used as a means to convey a message."

Seong Pil quickly skimmed through the proposal.

'I thought I'd be listening to classical music all day.'

Han Gug-in's lectures mostly involved listening to music and sharing impressions.

Then, Han Gug-in would explain the stories and meanings behind the music.

The proposal contained only simple content, but it became interesting as he read on.

"Manager Park, I'd like you to cover music after World War II. I'm not familiar with that period."

"After World War II?"

Should we start with rock?

Or jazz?

Jazz existed before that.

"Yes, we can discuss the content later."

Starting with the Beatles after World War II would be good.

Han Gug-in often used Beatles songs for English lessons.

* * *

After Seong Pil left, Han Gug-in asked Hong Gyuheon.

"Shouldn't you have told Manager Park about this?"

"You should have."

Garo Entertainment's financial situation is not good.

It's not on the verge of bankruptcy, as funds keep flowing in from Hong Gyuheon's other businesses.

But Hong Gyuheon has other places to spend money.

"We need to debut them sooner."

"Manager Park expects at least two years."

"He wants them to be perfect."

The current expenses for the members are already a burden, and the training costs will increase in the future.

Maintaining this for two years is unrealistic.

Han Gug-in is preparing to attract investments, but it's uncertain whether they will succeed.

Garo Entertainment has a history of failing to launch an idol group.

"Ha. Just let Han handle it."

"Even if I tell him, he'll probably come to you directly."

"Of course. He'll burst in and say, 'CEO, you're spouting nonsense!'"

"Ha."

Even jokes couldn't improve the mood.

Hong Gyuheon knew about Seong Pil's dreams and how sincerely he worked to achieve them.

That's why it was hard to bring up this topic.

"He'll probably get angry."

"Have you ever seen Manager Park angry?"

"No."

"You'll see it for the first time."

Hong Gyuheon steeled himself.

"I'll talk to him next Monday."

* * *

The start of the week, Monday.

A day that makes you wonder if anyone likes it.

But Seong Pil liked Mondays.

Seeing the members practice made him feel fulfilled.

While weekends were good for rest, they felt empty and left him feeling hollow.

That's why Monday was a day he looked forward to.

"Manager Park. If we debut as soon as possible, how long would it take?"

"Hmm, considering the trainees' skills, at least a year. Minimum two years for training?"

"Too long."

Hong Gyuheon seemed to have a specific answer in mind.

Seong Pil felt his back getting wet with sweat from nervousness.

"Can't be..."

"I want it to be as soon as possible. As soon as possible."

What a trial.

I want to go back to Sunday.

"Is it okay to ask?"

Hong Gyuheon rarely talks about money with Seong Pil. Once they enter the debut preparation stage, it will be unavoidable, but for now, they are still in the training phase.

His attitude towards employees can be summed up as:

'Spread your wings.'

Hong Gyuheon respected Seong Pil's autonomy and thoughts.

It wasn't because he was lazy or lacked a plan.

It was his management style.

Respecting employees as equals and encouraging their initiative and enthusiasm.

If Hong Gyuheon was being so forceful, there must be a reason.

"The company's situation is a bit tough."

Hong Gyuheon talked about the group he previously produced, 'Supress.'

Even with a funding source, producing idols is a money pit.

A lot of money is needed for debut and activities.

Even more to improve quality.

'Supress's music videos and stages were impressive.'

For a small company to do this much? It felt like they were spending a lot of money.

Unfortunately, they failed due to a concept that didn't fit the trend and a peculiar, passive marketing strategy.

"We received investments, but now they're all debts. When I first gathered the members, I aimed for those with some skills to debut quickly. Do you understand?"

"Yes. But even so, to this extent..."

Are we supporting the members so generously?

Especially looking at the future training and management schedules, it will cost a lot more than now.

Won't we spend all the money just on preparation?

"As you know, just having the trainees costs a lot. We need to shorten this period as much as possible. The old investors are also pressuring us. We need to show something."

"It's a matter of the company's situation."

"You're an adult too. So, what do you think, Manager Park? What's your idea of 'as soon as possible'?"

Seong Pil, forgetting he was in front of Hong Gyuheon, sighed and scratched his head, looking into the distance.

Hong Gyuheon waited for him to finish thinking. She was curious about his answer and tried to hide her trembling hands by interlocking them.

Finally, Seong Pil gave his answer and looked directly at Hong Gyuheon.

"One year."

"One year?!"

For the first time, Hong Gyuheon was genuinely surprised. She spoke hesitantly, as if scared.

"No, Manager Park, are you okay? One year? Isn't that too short?"

"Based on my judgment. If the company is really in danger, we can debut within that period."

"Really?"

"Of course, there will be shortcomings."

"Y-Yeah. There will be. I expected you to burst into flames and say, 'That's ridiculous!' or 'How can we debut when the members aren't ready yet?'"

Seong Pil cares deeply about the members.

Anyone who observes them for a few days can tell.

That's why Hong Gyuheon was prepared to clash or even argue with Seong Pil.

"The members are important. If we set a one-year deadline, we'll have to practice even harder. Everyone will be very tired."

"That's true."

"But fundamentally, I work for the CEO."

"......Huh?"

"I'll do what the CEO asks."