Chapter 190: A Provocation That Wasn’t in the Calculations
Backstage at dawn, when no one was around.
It was the perfect place to attempt a new challenge.
Hoo.
I took a deep breath.
Then stood solemnly in front of the turntable.
“Ah, wait a second.”
There was sothing I had forgotten before starting proper practice.
I quickly put on my mask and set up the cara.
The most important thing during practice was objectively checking my own skill.
Every day, like writing a diary, I planned to record myself gradually becoming familiar with analog equipnt.
I placed two LP records on the new setup.
On the left was Black Box’s .
A classic Italian House track where rhythmic hi-hats and a solid kick worked together perfectly.
On the right was Bobby Brown’s .
A masterpiece with the groove and rhythm unique to New Jack Swing.
The problem was that the two songs didn’t share the sa BPM.
Shhk, chiik—
I carefully lowered the needle.
The difficult part ca next.
“Huh?”
With my left hand, I gently pushed the platter.
My right hand rested on the fader as I slowly crossfaded the volu.
When I tried to match the BPM by feel, the rhythm kept slipping off-beat.
In my ears, the two tracks clearly sounded like they were becoming one—
But my hands felt awkward.
I needed to nudge or stop the platter slightly, but the sensation kept slipping away.
“So this is how it is.”
It was hard.
Really hard.
My long-forgotten competitive spirit flared up.
It felt like I had returned to the first ti I ever started DJing.
No complicated theory.
No flashy techniques.
Just struggling with music using nothing but my ears and the sensation in my fingertips.
It wasn’t easy.
Awkward and difficult…
But fun.
So incredibly fun that I couldn’t put the record down.
The problem was that even after hundreds of attempts, my hands still wouldn’t cooperate.
“Hoo…”
I downed a cola in one gulp and stood in front of the turntable again.
I took off the headphones and rewound the record.
While pushing the LP with my fingertips, I tried to recreate the feeling of winding the sound back.
After countless attempts—
“Huh?”
The rhythms finally stopped colliding.
The empty spaces between them started fitting together.
The sound began flowing as one.
For a brief mont, my ears recognized it first.
That was it.
The perfect beat alignnt.
The slightly worn tone unique to LP records.
And the smooth beat flowing across the mixer.
“Yes!”
My first emotional success.
The rhythms of House and New Jack Swing connected into one seamless story.
Only after lowering the fader slowly did I realize I had been holding my breath the whole ti.
I stopped the cara and replayed the video.
At first it had been clumsy, but the sound gradually found its place.
As I slid the LP into its sleeve, I murmured to myself.
On the day Moon Night Club opened, I would show them the real thing.
So that the nights of that era could return.
Not a club that rely copied the atmosphere and na.
But a warm space capable of reviving the emotions and mories of that ti.
To do that—
I had to recreate the rough, imperfect sound of that era.
A sound that could never be reproduced digitally.
Not through technology—
But through feeling.
And if that was the case, I had to change first.
Record it day by day.
Build it little by little.
Practice never betrays you.
“Aaaah!”
I stretched my arms wide.
That was enough for today.
It was just past 7 a.m.
---
So ti later.
“Taeyoon, it’s hard to see you these days.”
“It’s only been a week…”
Kim Minsoo suddenly visited Backstage.
It had beco nearly impossible to see Taeyoon.
As soon as performances ended, he rushed into his studio.
And since he wasn’t writing songs, he didn’t even show up at KIM Entertainnt.
“Writing songs?”
“Songs too. And practicing with the equipnt you gave .”
If you’re thirsty, you dig the well yourself!
Kim Minsoo had simply co over without warning.
He was curious about what Taeyoon was doing.
What kind of song he might create next.
How could he not be curious?
Oblivious to Kim Minsoo’s thoughts—
Taeyoon casually asked,
“Where are you going today?”
“You psychic or sothing? How did you know?”
“I can tell just by looking.”
Taeyoon’s suspicious gaze landed on Kim Minsoo.
That outfit was practically battle gear.
A suit more luxurious and flashy than usual.
After spending so much ti together, Taeyoon already knew that whenever Kim Minsoo dressed like that, he was heading sowhere important.
“There’s sowhere I need to go. Difficult, but exciting.”
“Oh, a blind date? Soone like you, CEO, will definitely be liked by the woman. Just don’t make the sa jokes you make with .”
Kim Minsoo couldn’t exactly punch him.
He sighed quietly.
The truth was—
He had dressed like this because of an important eting.
The eting about the **KW Gangnam Hotel Club Rebranding Project**.
A team had been assembled to overco the hotel club’s crisis and establish a new standard.
Kim Minsoo was no longer just the CEO of KIM Entertainnt.
He now carried a new title:
Head of the Club Business Division at KW Tourism Developnt.
The title sounded nice.
But in reality—
He was basically a shield.
If the project succeeded, the credit would go to the hotel.
If it failed, the bla would fall on Kim Minsoo.
That was what a task force was.
It always began the sa way.
The official word was “opportunity.”
But the real aning was “experint.”
“…Yeah. I guess it’s kind of like a blind date.”
Kim Minsoo smiled bitterly.
Taeyoon noticed the subtle change and replied,
“Don’t worry. Whatever you do, wherever you go, whoever you et—you’ll steer things in the direction you want.”
Monts like this didn’t need clumsy sympathy.
Short.
Direct.
Encouraging.
That was Taeyoon’s style of conversation.
And honestly—
Taeyoon truly believed Kim Minsoo could accomplish anything.
Feeling slightly relieved, Kim Minsoo asked,
“Taeyoon, can I ask you a difficult question?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“If the KW executives tell us to forget Moon Night Club and just make sothing ordinary, what would you say?”
He intentionally asked a complicated question.
Taeyoon had always given brilliant answers before.
In his own way, he had molded stubborn people like clay.
Kim Minsoo expected him to think carefully.
But Taeyoon answered imdiately.
“Then tell them to do it.”
“…What?”
“If they have a better plan than this, tell them to try it.”
That wasn’t the answer he expected.
But Taeyoon continued.
“But those executives… they probably just wear suits and work in offices, right? I doubt they’ve even been to an old nightclub, let alone a club.”
Kim Minsoo straightened his posture.
“And if they don’t know what a club ans, they won’t understand why we’re putting this much effort into it. You need experience to understand sothing.”
“…Experience.”
“Yes. Even if they approve the project, if they don’t understand why people go to clubs, problems will eventually appear.”
Kim Minsoo stroked his chin.
He was right.
Those executives only looked at numbers.
Profit.
Success.
Like robots.
They needed sothing that could inject life into those robots.
Kim Minsoo blinked slowly, encouraging him to continue.
Taeyoon spoke calmly.
“We’re not making a typical EDM-only club, right? Sierra already avoids that kind of vibe.”
Then Taeyoon leaned forward and smiled.
“Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred tis.”
“…Oh.”
Kim Minsoo’s eyes lit up.
Taeyoon stopped there.
The answer was complete.
Kim Minsoo had already understood.
Kim Minsoo nodded slightly.
“Right. Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred tis. Showing them.”
Yes.
This wasn’t about persuasion.
It was about showing the standard.
Of course, he couldn’t say sothing that blunt in a formal eting.
Kim Minsoo prepared his own counterattack and headed to the KW headquarters.
For so reason, his steps felt lighter today.
---
anwhile, that afternoon—
The main conference room of KW Tourism Developnt.
The atmosphere was heavier than usual.
The KW Group had placed the **KW Gangnam Hotel Club Remodeling** on the agenda.
And after Kim Minsoo ntioned rebuilding a 1990s club inspired by Moon Night Club—
A eting had been called.
Old music.
Analog equipnt.
The outdated emotions of that era.
Words like these often appeared with such projects.
Cultural restoration.
Intergenerational empathy.
Vintage aesthetics.
But the reality was different.
Reviving sothing that used to be popular—
Essentially ant turning mories into products for sale.
Music had to flow.
It had to move.
Moon Night Club had beco legendary not just because of turntables and cigarette smoke.
But because it breathed with the rhythm of its era.
Even if the exterior resembled nostalgia—
If the core was weak, people would mock it rather than empathize with it.
Still, the proposal couldn’t be dismissed lightly.
Because nostalgia sold well.
At least that was the opinion of Executive Director Park Sangwoo, head of marketing at KW Tourism Developnt.
Sharp gazes crossed above the heavy mahogany table.
The large screen displayed the agenda.
[ KW Gangnam Hotel Club Rebranding Project ]
[LUNATIC]
The proposal had already been distributed beforehand.
The problem was—
It was too emotional.
The atmosphere in the room was tense.
Kim Minsoo continued presenting calmly.
But after only ten minutes—
Executive Director Park Sangwoo spoke.
“It’s outdated.”
He was a man who believed entirely in numbers.
He tapped the proposal docunt.
“Retro trends exist. I know that. But Moon Night Club? That might appeal to hipsters.”
He snapped the docunts shut.
“It’s 2025. LP, analog, retro—fine. But those things should stay as Instagram photo concepts. If they beco the center of operations… well.”
There was clear mockery in his voice.
Honestly—
He was irritated.
So young guy nad Kim Minsoo had suddenly appeared.
The younger brother of Kim Jinsoo.
And now he was acting like a departnt head.
Did that kid even understand managent?
Romance was nice.
But romance in business was foolish.
Soone needed to teach him that.
The other executives shared similar thoughts.
Director Go Daeyoung from the KW Hotel Marketing Office spoke next.
“Young people like retro trends. But they dislike inconvenience. Equipnt, sound systems, layout, interior—retro elents are fine as concepts. But running operations in an analog way? The performance numbers will suffer.”
He almost added:
*The admission fee is ridiculous.*
But he held back.
Executive Director Park Sangwoo continued.
“Director Kim Minsoo—am I saying that right? KW Hotels is a premium brand. We host international conferences. And now we’re reviving an old nightclub?”
Purely nurical concerns.
Voices of worry rose around the room.
Kim Minsoo simply nodded.
He understood.
These people avoided challenges.
If they didn’t, the KW hotel club wouldn’t have deteriorated into its current state.
Then the only female director at the table spoke.
“I can’t understand this proposal either. Custors are not forgiving. Why did nightclubs decline? Because custor needs changed. Yet you’re proposing massive investnt? This isn’t a revival project—it’s a risk gamble.”
The complaints were direct.
But they were understandable from people who prioritized stability.
However—
Kim Minsoo had no intention of retreating.
“You’re all talking about capital and profit. Let address that.”
If they spoke with numbers—
He would respond with numbers.
“The KW Gangnam Hotel Club’s daily revenue is less than a quarter of its peak. If you look at the data…”
Docunts appeared on the screen one after another.
Data revealing the operational failures of the KW Gangnam Hotel.
The executives who had been complaining fell silent.
After the presentation ended—
The conference room fell into silence.
Kim Minsoo glanced around.
Now he could continue his presentation.
“This won’t simply be a new club. It will be a place selling experiences. Exclusive experiences that cannot be found anywhere else. A space where people communicate through music regardless of age, gender, or nationality. Isn’t that beautiful?”
Then he added casually.
“Surely everyone here has stayed up all night at a nightclub and then stumbled into a classroom the next morning at least once?”
He scanned the room.
…As expected.
The room fell completely silent.
Their faces clearly said:
*We’ve never been to one.*
Kim Minsoo barely suppressed a laugh.
*Wait… has no one here actually been to a club?*
This was the KW Group’s top executives.
And if that was the case—
*Taeyoon was right.*
He rembered Taeyoon’s words.
“You need experience to understand sothing.”
He hadn’t expected them to be this accurate.
If that was the case—
The operation continued.
With a sly but irresistible tone, Kim Minsoo said,
“Surely none of you here have never been to a nightclub or club… right?”
Awkward coughs echoed.
“Ahem.”
“Well…”
“Haha…”
Soone muttered quietly.
“At my age… a club?”
Finally.
The line he had been waiting for.
Kim Minsoo smiled.
For so, a club was a nostalgic place.
For others—
It was a place of longing.
And Kim Minsoo had noticed exactly that.
Talking endlessly about profit margins wouldn’t change anything.
So he targeted their hidden curiosity.
Without missing the mont, he continued.
“Yes. A club anyone can go to—even at that age.”
“…?”
“And isn’t that exactly the club we’re trying to create?”
Everyone stared at him in shock.
Kim Minsoo delivered the final blow.
“Let’s go to a club. See it yourselves. Experience it.”
Then he added—
“At Club Sierra. Where Blackhole performs.”
“…!”
The conference room fell into chaos at the unexpected provocation.
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