Chapter 129: Because it's Stay, isn't it?
To debut an artist, a series of complicated etings was always required.
At least three directors, a tangled Excel sheet.
And countless investors got involved.
That was the ‘normal’ for an entertainnt company.
But Kim Entertainnt was far from normal.
“Debut them!”
Investors? None.
Money source Kim Minsoo, CEO Kim Minsoo, approval authority Kim Minsoo, executive producer Kim Minsoo……
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it was practically a unilateral decision by Kim Minsoo, but no one took issue with it.
After all, the entire budget ca straight from Kim Minsoo’s pocket.
“Worried about investor opinions? Why should I care? It’s my money.”
That was Kim Minsoo’s philosophy.
Who was he, after all?
A secretive yet imnsely powerful 4th-generation chaebol.
Suspiciously wealthy, and equipped with a rare emotional sensibility.
Behind him stood the solid backing of the MW Group.
Because of that.
What would be criticized in an ordinary company was praised here as ‘keen intuition and bold passion’ from a producer.
A process that couldn’t be explained by common sense.
But here, it was routine.
Is the song good or not.
That was everything.
“Play it already.”
“You said you didn’t need to hear it.”
“I’m just curious. Is that a problem?”
Yoon Seonghan smiled and grabbed the mouse.
Click.
As he pressed the play button, the song started.
“What the hell…!”
Kim Minsoo sprang up from his seat.
Worried the firmly hooked headphones might fall off,
He gently pressed them with his left hand while tapping the edge of the desk with his right.
“Wow…”
The first verse, then the pre-chorus passed.
When the part ca where the two vocals overlapped in the chorus, Kim Minsoo raised his hand to his head and turned around.
Seeing that, Yoon Seonghan thought,
‘So our CEO had a side like this too.’
There had been plenty of tis when his confidence seed reckless.
But today was different.
There was… sothing wistful about him.
Could it just be his imagination that the usually fiery CEO looked like a neat teenage boy?
“Haha, and they express it like this?”
Kim Minsoo adjusted his headphones.
A calm voice.
Quietly flowing instrunts.
Precise breaths slipping out in between.
Before he knew it, Kim Minsoo was facing the younger version of himself, the one he didn’t want to rember.
His teenage years.
The vocal sounds that pierced his ears in the middle of the night.
The scribbled notes written in secret.
The hope that soone would sing the songs he wrote.
The countless dawns spent at the keyboard fueled by that one hope.
And then—
‘You want to beco so entertainer?’
The cold, sarcastic ridicule from his family.
All of that ca back to him suddenly, all at once.
Just like this song.
‘It’s definitely two people.’
At first, the two voices were clearly facing different directions.
Fragnts of foolish regret.
And the selfless emotions layered beneath them.
That misalignnt was so perfect.
But eventually, they beca one.
In the end, good music
makes you rember the days you used to dream.
And now, this song was proving that the dream was still continuing.
Kim Minsoo muttered quietly.
“Before the forgotten dream festers again……”
He savored that line over and over.
Even now, while playing the role of the wealthy CEO,
A part of his heart still held the young version of himself, sitting curled up with a guitar.
Why had those small, seemingly trivial monts felt so precious back then?
He took a brief trip back to those feverish days.
His throat stung, and his nose tingled.
“…CEO?”
He ca back to his senses at the sound of Yoon Seonghan calling him.
“Yeah, Seonghan. Good song, right?”
“Are you… crying by any chance?”
“Sss, what are you talking about? Isn’t this place dusty? You didn’t clean?”
“That’s such a dull, obvious, and boring excuse. Got anything fresher?”
Sss—
Kim Minsoo rubbed his nose with his index finger and made a half-hearted excuse.
“Allergies, allergies.”
Yeah right. He let it slide this once.
Being shaless like this—that was so Kim Minsoo.
Yoon Seonghan pretended not to notice the CEO’s misty eyes and asked,
“Do you know who the vocalists are?”
“No idea. It’s definitely my first ti hearing them, but they don’t feel unfamiliar.”
“If Taeyoon brought them in, they can’t be ordinary.”
“True.”
That cunning guy dragged Moon Jungbae out from whatever cave he was hiding in.
And that wasn’t all.
From our side, he didn’t stop at bringing in Cheongseong at full force.
Next door, he’d lured Jeong Jaewook and Tae Junggi and who knows who else.
So clearly, this new vocalist wouldn’t be any ordinary case either.
That was the common belief between Kim Minsoo and Yoon Seonghan.
“But, CEO. Are we sure about this?”
“About what?”
“Isn’t it normal to bring the singer first? What they do, what they look like… No, before that. We don’t even know if they’ll sign with us, so how can you just…”
Kim Minsoo cut him off cleanly.
“Hey now! Don’t jinx it.”
Then added,
“What do you an ‘how’? You trust Stay. Seonghan, I’m seriously excited right now. Alien or whatever, who cares? If the song is this enchanting. Don’t you agree? Let’s get the contract ready right now.”
Seo Taeyoon, Do Gibong, and Baek Junhyun.
The three sat in a row.
“What kind of scene is this?”
Kim Minsoo rubbed his chin, scrutinizing the trio.
From one angle, then another.
‘Is this… really right?’ he couldn’t help but think.
Yoon Seonghan asked,
“That one in the middle—isn’t he the Busan Goblin?”
Kim Minsoo replied casually,
“He must’ve co along since he’s the original composer.”
Standing beside him, Yoon Seonghan also rubbed his chin and said,
“Then who’s the other vocalist who didn’t even show up to the CEO eting? Must be soone incredible, huh?”
“Wow, Seonghan, didn’t take you for the old-school type. Did you ti travel from the Joseon dynasty? Maybe they’re just busy. Stay will handle it all, won’t he? Just trust Stay.”
Yoon Seonghan narrowed his eyes and looked at Kim Minsoo.
Since when had he been this understanding?
If I were Taeyoon, I would’ve started a religion by now.
Just play a song and the followers would co flooding in.
At the very front of the line would be CEO Kim Minsoo.
Thinking that, he scanned the room again.
The pale and pointy one, the awkward but stubborn-looking one, and the one who looked like he was about to be dragged off to grad school.
Among them, who looked most like they'd beco a singer?
Drumroll—
Obviously, Seo Taeyoon!
Kim Minsoo was thinking the sa thing.
“The more I look at him, the weirder Taeyoon seems.”
“What do you an?”
“Why doesn’t he show his face? If I had that face, I’d plaster it everywhere.”
“Yeah, of course you would.”
“But Seonghan, don’t tell ……”
Kim Minsoo kept his eyes fixed on Do Gibong as he continued.
“Don’t tell Gibong is one of the mbers?”
“Haha. Our CEO, your imagination is really sothing else.”
“No, but what if he is?”
Yoon Seonghan answered flatly.
“No way. That’d be a disaster. You heard the Busan Goblin’s contract is about to end, right?”
“Is that so?”
In this industry, there really were no secrets.
“Yeah. Mr. Park’s been going around making threats. Said if anyone signs the Busan Goblin, he won’t sit still. Ugh, and if he finds out he’s putting out music? He’ll chase him to the depths of hell.”
“Why? Is Busan Goblin his property? Isn’t it about ti Park Taekeun stepped down?”
Park Taekeun, aka Mr. Park.
CEO of a well-known publishing company (a place that manages songwriters’ distribution and royalties).
He ran the largest independent publishing company with the most songwriters under his wing.
A man whose presence kept the industry both nervous and grounded.
It was no secret that his next targets were the Busan Goblin and Stay.
Credit where credit is due.
Both of them were always on the lookout for a chance to snag those two.
“Still has a sharp nose for things. I just hope he doesn’t ss with Taeyoon.”
“If he does, I won’t let it slide. If anyone touches my people, I’ll spend every penny I’ve got to make them regret it.”
“That was childish but kind of cool. But, why is Taeyoon ‘your people’?”
“Ahem.”
As they were talking while standing—
Soone observant caught sight of them.
Waving enthusiastically with both hands.
It was Taeyoon.
Yoon Seonghan waved back warmly and, like a ventriloquist, warned him.
“Just stick to the facts, facts only. If CEO starts going off on his own theories again, I’ll seriously lose it.”
“Alright, alright. Let’s go. Hey! Taeyoon! You look even better outside.”
Watching Kim Minsoo approach like he was dancing, Yoon Seonghan clicked his tongue and muttered,
“Our CEO’s definitely opening his wallet today.”
We didn’t even get to finish our greetings properly.
We split into separate cars and headed to the backstage.
That was my suggestion.
There was no better place to talk in secret than there.
CEO Kim Minsoo greeted us cheerfully and started the conversation.
“Let introduce myself again. I’m Kim Minsoo, CEO of KIM Entertainnt. It’s a pleasure to et you.”
Maybe it was the seriousness of the occasion.
Today, he actually felt like a real CEO.
He even showed up fully dressed. The flashy watch was still there too.
Kim Minsoo opened with talk about the song.
His gaze was fixed on Do Gibong.
“Gibong, long ti no see. You must be busy these days, but I’ve been enjoying your music.”
“Ah, hyung. You flatter . You’ve gotten even more stylish.”
“But Gibong. What’s going on with you? You let soone rearrange your song? You usually hate it when people touch your work.”
Do Gibong looked at as he answered.
“Well, because it’s Stay?”
……What was with that expression.
Why the wink?
Please don’t look at like that. It’s uncomfortable. Not cool at all.
Maybe my discomfort showed on my face.
Do Gibong patted my back and turned to ask Kim Minsoo,
“So, how was the song?”
“Well, as expected?”
“Even better than the original, right?”
“I like the twist the original had too. Every song has its own charm, right? But Taeyoon taking just the lody and turning it into sothing entirely new—now that’s impressive.”
As if in agreent,
Everyone seated nodded quietly.
The mood was great.
But I shouldn’t be the main character today.
Do Gibong and Baek Junhyun—those two were ant to take the spotlight.
Putting on a light tone, I said,
“The original lody was so good. It was lyrical. I only made minor adjustnts to suit the vocals. I wouldn’t have even thought of it without this friend. Ah, let introduce him properly.”
Then I gave Junhyun a firm nudge in the ribs.
He looked nervous, like he was silently asking, ‘Can I really speak up?’
So I gave him a small nod.
And then—
“Hello! I’m Baek Junhyun. It’s an honor to finally et the legendary CEO!”
Junhyun sprang up from his seat to greet him.
That’s when Kim Minsoo finally turned his attention to Junhyun.
“Oh, nice to et you. Where’d you learn to sing? Your projection’s incredible.”
“…Was my voice too loud?”
Maybe the rookie’s nervous question ca off as endearing, because a small laugh broke out.
I must’ve been like that once too.
Then Kim Minsoo, in his usual playful tone, continued the conversation.
“When I heard that first line, I went ‘Whoa!’ You look calm on the outside, but you’ve got so much packed inside. It’s a soft tone but strong. That’s sothing kids these days can’t pull off, you know? That hhhr-rreeee…….”
Kim Minsoo mumbled a strange lody before speaking more seriously.
“What really got was how honest your voice is. Even when you sing like you’re talking, it’s not boring. Do you know how dangerous that charm is when it cos to singing?”
There was no need to hear more.
That was approval.
Junhyun’s face turned beet red.
He kept saying “Thank you, thank you” over and over.
Not to be outdone—
Do Gibong jumped in, half-laughing.
“What did you think of the other vocalist?”
Kim Minsoo raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.
“Hmmm, well. How should I put it.”
Do Gibong’s throat bobbed.
He looked nervous.
Sohow it got excited too.
He still didn’t know that the ‘other vocalist’ was Do Gibong himself.
So—what would Kim Minsoo say?
“Not bad. Bit too emotional, but the tone’s not bad either. But……”
After a long pause, Kim Minsoo looked back at Baek Junhyun and answered.
“He lost to Junhyun. That’s for sure.”
Ah, ouch.
Do Gibong’s face crumbled in the most delicate way.
Even from here, I could see his eye twitch.
…Wait, he really doesn’t know?
What the heck. This is seriously confusing.
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