Chapter 163: A Death Match for Pride
Chiiiik—
The savory sll of seasoning spread through the air as the ribs cooked deliciously.
The one holding the tongs and diligently grilling the at wasn’t Kim Minsoo, but Kim Jinsoo.
‘Hm?’
It felt strange to see his hyung like that.
It was such an unfitting scene that Minsoo only stared down at the at.
Then Jinsoo put a few pieces on his younger brother’s plate and said,
“Eat a lot.”
Minsoo lifted his head.
Did hyung eat sothing weird today?
“What are you looking at like that? Never seen soone grill at before?”
“No.”
That wasn’t it. If he’d suggested eating together right before the final pitching, Minsoo naturally thought they’d be talking about work.
Even just a mont ago—he’d brought up the song as soon as they t. So why was he suddenly only talking about the at now?
The thought almost slipped out but he swallowed it down.
Instead, he said,
“You’re better at grilling than I thought.”
“You’re the one who asked to buy it. Of course I should cook it too.”
At that, Minsoo just chuckled faintly.
Right. Hyung had always been like this.
One Children’s Day, his brother gave him a robot as a gift.
But it was too big and complicated for him to assemble alone.
He didn’t have a real mom to help him with things like that.
And every ti, Jinsoo helped.
‘A gift should be sothing you take responsibility for till the end.’
That was always his way. Buying wasn’t the end.
If he bought him a ga console, he’d play with him. If he bought a robot, he’d help assemble it.
How much he’d wanted those gifts, or how big and cool they were—he couldn’t rember any of that.
Only the ti spent with his brother remained clear.
And now, that sa brother sat across from him, carefully grilling each piece of marinated at.
“Why are you smiling?”
“No reason. It just looks good. Let’s eat.”
Minsoo suddenly thought—was this what Taeyoon had ant when he said, ‘Let go of expectations’?
At so point, he’d started expecting things from his brother.
What would he buy him this ti, how would he play with him this ti.
But after Jinsoo ca back from the army and started working, those expectations slowly turned into disappointnt.
Even though hyung hadn’t done anything wrong.
He’d simply ended up resenting him after wanting too much.
‘That Taeyoon guy’s pretty sharp, huh?’
Even today—it was the sa.
He hadn’t co here with any big expectations.
But with his brother grilling at for him like this, he couldn’t help but feel touched.
For the first ti in a long while, Kim Minsoo had a proper al with his brother.
Peaceful and pleasant.
“Food tastes better when you’re the one paying for it, hyung.”
“You little punk, what are you—…”
After the al ended,
Jinsoo sipped his dessert sujeonggwa and asked,
“That DJing file… what did you an by it?”
“Well…”
At the vague answer, his lips twitched for a second—but unlike usual, he didn’t throw out a threatening line like, ‘What was your intention sending that file?’
Instead, he lowered his tone into sothing more businesslike.
“Minsoo.”
“Yeah?”
“The DJing version could actually turn out to be poison.”
“…Poison?”
“Not everyone giving opinions in a pitching has deep musical insight—or the ability to catch the hidden aning behind a track.”
“Hyung, that ans…”
Minsoo set down his sujeonggwa and continued, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
“So you understood it, then?”
Even at the joke in Minsoo’s voice,
Jinsoo replied with the sa businesslike expression.
“I an, how about working on sothing bigger with ?”
“Huh…?”
“You know what I an, right?”
Honestly, not really.
“Hm…”
Still, Minsoo shrugged, as if to say, ‘Well, maybe kind of?’
He was soone who’d mastered the art of talking in circles.
Jinsoo didn’t speak this way because he was sly or manipulative or because he looked down on Minsoo.
It was just sothing he did when he couldn’t read the other person’s intentions.
That was how he gauged their thoughts.
People, after all, tended to interpret things in the way most favorable to themselves.
And in doing so, they revealed their true feelings.
That was Jinsoo’s way of handling people who didn’t show their cards.
But Minsoo wasn’t such an easy opponent.
“What kind of answer are you hoping I’ll give, hyung?”
“…?”
“You’ve always done that. Whenever I answer vaguely, you probe like that. But, hyung.”
“Yeah, go on.”
“I’m really bad at reading between the lines. Let’s just talk straight. I don’t wanna waste energy playing word gas with you.”
Jinsoo nearly lost his composure—being hit right on the mark—but he quickly steadied himself.
Hearing his brother call for a fair play like that actually made it more interesting.
This would make things easier.
He relaxed his expression and said,
“I’m talking about that song. I think I’ve found a project more fitting for it than the Almond Young project.”
“The original version, or the DJing version?”
“Both?”
“So you’re telling to drop out of this pitching, then? No way…?”
“Wasn’t ant like that.”
Releasing the DJ-arranged version would be a double-edged sword.
That was what Kim Jinsoo thought.
To him, it could be an opportunity to see Stay as a composer with even greater potential.
But for a conservative company, it would be seen as a risk—sothing to look at with suspicion.
“You know how it is. Once a company finds its footing, it tends to value stability. No matter how stylish the DJing version sounds, soone will end up developing a bias against the original track because of it.”
Kim Minsoo simply nodded calmly.
“Especially since it’s a long-prepared project. It’s not just about sales. You’ve run a company yourself, so you should know. No matter how innovative a plan may be, it takes real courage to actually—”
At that mont, Minsoo, who had been listening quietly, suddenly cut him off.
“Wait, wait.”
“Huh?”
“Everything else, fine. But that part—I can’t agree with. Yeah, I run a company, but… how can you suppress creativity? Especially when you’re the owner, isn’t that the one thing you shouldn’t suppress?”
“Heh.”
“No, seriously. The problem isn’t that there aren’t creative people—it’s that those who can be creative are too afraid to do it. Why turn it down if you can pull it off? Why not?”
“…Yeah. Why not indeed.”
As of today, Kim Jinsoo saw his youngest brother in a different light.
He’d thought the guy was just playing CEO, running a club with a DJ.
But that mindset?
‘Now that I think about it…’
Didn’t he debut the Cheongseong mbers as a masked band?
Even had a DJ—a completely foreign elent for a band—front and center to stir up buzz.
And that wasn’t all. A male ballad duo dabbling in R&B, too.
KIM Entertainnt was walking paths no one else dared to tread.
And at the center of it was Stay.
‘The common link is the composer, huh. That’s… interesting.’
Was that coincidence? No, not at all.
There was no such thing as coincidence in this world.
It was rely the fragnts of effort finding their rightful place—disguised as inevitability.
In truth, Jinsoo had called for this eting to discuss sothing bigger than the Almond Young project.
Regardless of how today’s pitching turned out.
But he’d changed his mind a little.
With that mindset, with that confidence—
There was nothing to worry about.
Or maybe, deep down, he’d been hoping Minsoo would ask him for a favor today.
He’d laid the groundwork to establish dominance in their relationship.
Yet here he was, finding himself looking forward to seeing what KIM Entertainnt and Stay would do next.
“Hyung, I don’t know what exactly you were worried about or what you were curious about. But you already gave a chance last ti. That’s more than enough.”
“You sound pretty confident.”
“Of course.”
“Confident about winning the pitching?”
“No.”
Minsoo downed his sujeonggwa in one go and smiled that mischievous, devilish grin of his.
“Confident about showing exactly what Stay and I want to show.”
“You…”
Jinsoo could read that peculiar smile easily.
‘I’ll handle it.’
Seeing that confident face, Jinsoo couldn’t help but laugh.
For the first ti in a while, a deep, hearty laugh.
Minsoo laughed along with him.
‘Guess he had fun, huh?’
He’d planned to leave with a cool line and disappear smoothly—
But seeing that proud expression on his brother’s face, he just couldn’t walk away yet.
“Thanks for the al, hyung. Honestly, I’m not that into this place, but coming here with you made it pretty nice. It was good.”
“Next ti, I’d like to et that composer too.”
“Ah, co on. He’s not even under exclusive contract with us. It’s not like I can summon him. But I’ll ask.”
At that casual line, Kim Jinsoo made up his mind.
Kim Minsoo, Stay, and KIM Entertainnt—
He’d give these adorable kids a big gift.
Of course, he’d take full responsibility for both the start and the end of that gift.
‘When would be the right timing?’
There was no reason to hesitate.
Jinsoo urgently summoned the Headquarters Marketing Strategy Team.
It was three hours before the Almond Young Campaign main the pitching.
That afternoon.
The Almond Young eting room grew noisy.
Daebak Sound vs KIM Entertainnt.
A death match for pride—everyone, without exception, gathered in the conference room.
This wasn’t just any pitching for a the song.
But it wasn’t sothing grand like determining the brand’s future or deciding the fate of its image either.
There was another reason today’s presentation had everyone in a stir.
“They say the Marketing Strategy Team from headquarters is coming down today?”
“Huh? Seriously?”
“Yeah. Rumor has it, Executive Director Kim Jinsoo is coming too…”
It was, indeed, an unusual event.
For headquarters to co all the way down just to decide on a project’s main the? That never happened.
Up until now, they’d only done one thing—
Standing back, watching from afar, and then asking, ‘So, how are the sales?’
Murmurs spread.
Speculation ran wild.
Was this an inspection to see how things were going?
Or did they have so other agenda?
No one knew.
But one question echoed in everyone’s mind.
‘Why?’
It was like a division commander visiting a military unit—or an education inspector showing up at school.
Before anyone could make sense of it, the eting began amidst the confusion.
“Executive Director entering!”
Two teams were seated at the front of the conference table.
Daebak Sound and KIM Entertainnt.
The Daebak Sound side scanned the room with a confident smile.
So of the working-level staff already seed to have made up their minds.
Connections, achievents, familiarity—everything was on their side.
On the other hand, the KIM Entertainnt team remained relatively quiet.
CEO Kim Minsoo sat in his seat, flanked by two staff mbers.
Both teams had their representatives present at the eting.
Then soone spoke up aningfully.
“The composer didn’t join us today, I see. I was hoping to et Composer Stay.”
Minsoo replied with ease.
“There’s no real need for the composer to attend, is there? The music will do all the talking anyway. Right, CEO Park?”
Before Park Taekeun could respond, Im Geonwoo, seated beside him, suddenly cut in.
“Rather than the composer, isn’t the person who ca today a much greater source of confidence for CEO Kim Minsoo?”
The atmosphere in the eting room shifted slightly.
Everyone knew that Kim Minsoo and Kim Jinsoo were brothers.
The eyes of everyone present wavered uncontrollably.
– It was strange that headquarters suddenly showed up.
– But they can’t be here just to play family favoritism, right?
– Ah… what’s with this atmosphere? It’s suffocating.
Summing up the whispers exchanged behind their backs, it all boiled down to this:
– What is this, a song pitching session or a political battlefield?
Soon after, the two songs played in sequence.
First ca Daebak Sound’s .
Predictable composition, stable mixing, and an image perfectly aid at the brand’s target audience.
A few quiet sighs followed.
“This is the textbook example of ad music.”
Everyone seed to share the sa impression—good.
Then ca KIM Entertainnt’s (original version).
“Ah…”
Soone inhaled sharply.
The stiff expressions of the executives softened.
They looked as if they’d rediscovered sothing they had forgotten.
The oldest director murmured, almost to himself,
“I’ve heard sothing like this before…”
It was the sa feeling he’d had back in 2002, when he first heard Almond Young’s campaign song.
It was undoubtedly sophisticated.
But why did it make his heart tingle like this?
“This could even work as a brand slogan. First Spark.”
So people smiled faintly, others furrowed their brows.
And then—just when everyone thought no one would dare add anything more— the youngest director across the table raised an objection.
“This isn’t a place to debate whether a song is good or bad. The concept and keywords are clearly defined. Oh, and that’s not to say KIM Entertainnt’s song lacks anything. It’s plenty competitive. But Daebak Sound’s track aligns more closely with the luxury concept.”
From there, fierce argunts followed.
Good, bad.
Sophisticated, unstable.
A gain if chosen, a loss if not.
Blah blah, this and that.
That’s how etings always were—
a place for polite fighting.
Deriving rational results? Nobody cared about that.
Everyone was simply obsessed with making others agree: “No, seriously, I’m telling you, I’m right.”
Outwardly, it seed evenly matched. But in numbers, it was six to four— Daebak Sound held a slight advantage.
Watching the eting silently, Kim Minsoo thought to himself,
‘What a ss.’
So this was what a big corporation amounted to.
And why did my brother even co?
He turned his gaze to Kim Jinsoo.
For soone who’d brought the Headquarters Marketing Strategy Team along, Jinsoo looked far too relaxed.
Even a bystander watching a fire across a river wouldn’t look that calm.
Of course, the HQ staff who ca with him were the sa—quiet and composed.
Then, Executive Director Kim Jinsoo, who had been observing the situation calmly, glanced at the wall clock and brought everyone’s attention to him.
“Yes, I’ve heard all your opinions. First, I’d like to thank both Daebak Sound and KIM Entertainnt for your hard work preparing for this presentation.”
The noisy marketplace-like atmosphere fell silent in an instant.
Jinsoo bowed politely to both Park Taekeun and Kim Minsoo, then began summarizing the situation with an air of composure.
“Based on the discussion, it seems Daebak Sound’s is more suitable in terms of concept alignnt. Therefore, the Almond Young Project main the will be finalized with that track.”
As soon as he finished, the energy shifted on Daebak Sound’s side of the table.
Im Geonwoo curled his lips and clapped quietly.
It wasn’t arrogant—but there was clear satisfaction behind it.
Yet, even as he watched this, Kim Minsoo remained surprisingly calm.
Why did Taeyoon’s words suddenly co to mind?
‘So this is what he ant by not having expectations.’
A faint laugh escaped him.
It was a strangely familiar feeling, as if soone had told him in advance.
Then what was that al earlier? A consolation dinner? They’d already decided everything among themselves?
Still, he wasn’t the kind of man to let his mixed feelings show.
He just wasn’t ready to see Taeyoon disappointed— after all the effort he’d put into writing the song.
The eting wrapped up quickly.
Im Geonwoo smirked and stood up, while Park Taekeun, beside him, quietly studied Kim Minsoo.
They had won. Daebak Sound’s song had been selected. And yet—
‘What’s this…?’
A strange chill ran through him.
He hadn’t spent 30 years in this industry for nothing.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that even though they’d won, they hadn’t really won.
Anyway, as the eting concluded anticlimactically and people began to leave one by one,
the Headquarters Marketing Strategy Team Leader softly called out to Minsoo.
“CEO Kim Minsoo of KIM Entertainnt.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“Would you have a mont to speak with us privately? There’s sothing important we’d like to discuss.”
“Pardon? Ah, yes, of course.”
What was this situation now?
As Minsoo stepped out the door, his eyes followed the back of his brother’s head.
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