Volume 2 / Chapter 72
TL: LightNovelCafe
“Jin Young – Director Son, I mean. You’re asking for too much like this.”
Producer Kim Ki Sik could not believe it. He wants to release a first single on broadcast? Even though it’s a free choice song mission, this is too much.
It made him uncomfortable that these two had come to make an unreasonable demand when they were in a situation where they were already on edge.
“It’s not impossible. You’re not going to use Jun Hyuk when he’s the eye of the storm right now? What’s better than this?”
“The picture does come out if Jun Hyuk plays the piano. But right now, the picture is that this is a love serenade that Jun Hyuk is giving Nam Seung Hee. If this happens, Nam Seung Hee will have a million anti-fans as soon as she debuts. Is that okay?”
“It’s a thank you if she has a million anti-fans, no?”
Yoon Jung Su was bantering and Son Jin Young spoke with force to convince Producer Kim Ki Sik,
“It doesn’t matter. I have to give her the lowest score and Jung Su can’t give her a high score either. He’s the lyricist.”
Nam Seung Hee’s elimination after the first stage would be a catharsis for Jun Hyuk’s fans. She dared to approach ‘our Jun Hyuk’ and she fell flat. This was not a bad look either. This would be eaten up as a reversal drama.
“Good. I’ll okay it if Jun Hyuk plays the piano and Nam Seung Hee is eliminated. How are you going to take care of the revenue issue?”
Who was the producer to take 40% of the entire revenue was the only issue left now. Would it be MV channel? Or would JSY do it? The fact that Producer Kim Ki Sik was discussing the revenue issue meant that he was not going to budge.
“It’s a producer issue. There’s no problem if we do it as MV channel?”
With Son Jin Young’s acceptance, Nam Seung Hee’s first stage was completed. Producer Kim Ki Sik put in the last nail,
“Good. We need to get a definite answer from Jun Hyuk that Nam Seung Hee can use the song. Lastly, take care of the composition fees. If something goes wrong, my neck is on the line.”
Son Jin Young was not worried about Producer Kim Ki Sik’s concerns. The person who made the song said that he would give it to them, so there would not be a problem there. He could just pay out enough of the composer fees.
However, there are more occasions when things do not go as planned.
***
“How was it? Did you have fun yesterday?”
“Yes, teacher. For the first time in a while… All of my stress went away.”
“If I had gone to the club everyday instead of the gym, I would have lost 80kg by now.”
Jang Na Rae and Kwak Hye Sung had dark circles, but their expressions were bright. Yoon Jung Su wanted to know how Jun Hyuk felt. How had he taken it in?
“Jun Hyuk, what did you think? I heard you were sitting the whole time.”
“Ah, yes. Dancing for me is……”
“It’s too bad you’re still a minor and can’t drink. If you had a drink and got tipsy, you would have danced a lot too.”
He wished they had given Jun Hyuk a few drinks. If he had felt the great chemistry that comes from alcohol and a simple beat, he could make amazing music.
What Jun Hyuk needs most is not musical theory, but various experiences.
“Do you have any thought of trying it out? Or do you want to select a different song?”
“I understood why you gave me the four songs. Your intention was to do EDM from the start?”
“Ha ha. I got caught. That was Hyung Joong’s idea. We wanted to show a new stage and we wanted to see you in a genre that you wouldn’t normally touch. Of course the production team was all for it. It’s a first attempt, but we thought that it would be possible if it’s you.”
Yoon Jung Su examined Jun Hyuk’s expression. His expression already seemed positive.
“Then have you thought about which of my songs would be good as dance music?”
“I had the thought that it would be fun to combine the four songs.”
To sample from the four songs and combine them? Yoon Jung Su could not easily connect the four songs.
“What? Combine the four songs? Won’t the flow be interrupted?”
“No. I can make the four songs sound like one. It’ll flow naturally.”
He was always much further ahead. How did he think of mixing the four songs?
Yoon Jung Su’s expectations on how the EDM Jun Hyuk made would take shape were inflated.
“Jun Hyuk, can you talk to me for a minute?”
Yoon Jung Su took Jun Hyuk to a cafe nearby.
Yoon Jung Su ordered coffee and handed over a score,
“Do you want to take a look at this?”
The score Yoon Jung Su had handed over was the ballad Jun Hyuk made.
“This is what I made. Did you write all of the lyrics?”
“Yeah, take a look at the lyrics. The song is so good that the lyrics are bound to get overshadowed.”
There were refreshing lyrics to match the cool and fresh melody before him. The story was of a girl and boy who were each other’s first loves and were honestly confessing the feelings they had been hiding.
Jun Hyuk murmured the lyrics along to the melody and put the score down,
“Uh… gooseb.u.mps.”
“What? Ha ha. Gooseb.u.mps? Then it’s a success. A first love normally causes gooseb.u.mps.”
Jun Hyuk was surprised that Yoon Jung Su who is in his mid-40s could describe a lively first love. Jun Hyuk could not know if he is rich in emotion or good at observation, but it is indeed a talent that he can find something in flitting moments.
“What do you think? You like it? Or should I write it again?”
“No, I don’t know lyrics anyway. Didn’t you say it’s a success if I got gooseb.u.mps? Then that’s fine.”
Yoon Jung Su took a peek at his watch and waved toward the cafe entrance. Son Jin Young was coming in, waving his hand.
Son Jin Young motioned for an awkwardly standing Jun Hyuk to sit down, and settled down next to Yoon Jung Su.
“Sorry. I’m a little late, right?”
“It’s okay, we just got here too.”
As awkward laughter drifted over the coffee table, Son Jin Young opened his mouth,
“You know that song you made? The one you gifted to our Seung Hee?”
Son Jin Young put emphasis on the word ‘gift’.
“Ah, yes. You’re talking about this?”
Jun Hyuk gestured to the score he had put down.
“Yeah. We’re thinking of using that on the first stage of the finals. What do you think?”
“I don’t care. I already gave that song to Nam Seung Hee.”
“Great, thanks. And there’s one more thing… Can you play the piano on the stage?”
“Me? They do the accompaniment as an MR.”
“Yeah. We’re going to create the MR without the piano.”
“Yes, that’s fine. It’s not difficult or anything.”
The two men looked more comfortable when Jun Hyuk brushed it off. And Son Jin Young gave Yoon Jung Su a slight look. The more difficult something was to talk about, the better it was for someone more familiar to bring it up.
Yoon Jung Su lowered his tone and began to speak gently,
“Jun Hyuk, this is uncomfortable to talk about. We can’t forget to talk about things dealing with money.”
“Money?”
“Yeah, it’s the composition fee.”
“Oh, it’s something I made for fun… I guess that can be worth money.”
A song made for fun. It was something said without much thought, but it tugged at Yoon Jung Su’s heart. It was like a blade to criminals who had to crack down and suffer for several months to complete one song.
Son Jin Young began to speak cautiously again,
“Jun Hyuk. JSY will buy that song. The average composition fee for rookie composers is…”
“Teacher, give me one second.”
“Yeah.”
Jun Hyuk went to the coffee shop counter and brought a memo pad and pen.
“You can call this number for issues dealing with money.”
“Who’s this number?”
“It’s the company in charge of the proceedings right now. I’m not allowed to discuss money or contracts going forward.”
“By any chance, is this company Peace?”
“Oh, it is. Peace. Lawyer Baek Seung Ho is in charge.”
The two men just looked at each other and blinked. They had no intention of receiving Jun Hyuk’s song for free. They were thinking of giving him adequate fees for a rookie composer, but a lawyer?