Chapter 138: Contract (1)

Boom-chick! Boom-boom, chick!

As we arrived at the underground recording studio, Bang Seon-Woo's music was echoing through the hallway as usual.

"Is this a dance track?"

"Ah, yes. Composer Bang Seon-Woo is currently working on it."

Kim Jong-Hoon's eyes widened in surprise. "Bang Seon-Woo? As in the one who created 'Hurry Up!' for Cherry Blossom?"

"Yes. And he composed four out of the five songs I proposed for you."

Realizing that the unidentified songs that inspired him musically were created by Bang Seon-Woo, the hottest composer at the moment, Kim Jong-Hoon looked thrilled.

"No wonder...'Hurry Up!' also has a very unique flow."

While Kim Jong-Hoon and I were waiting on the hallway bench, the sound from Room 1 stopped.

"Let's go in."

As Kim Jong-Hoon entered the recording studio, the startled Bang Seon-Woo sprang to his feet.

"K-Kim Jong-Hoon? Kim Jong-Hoon of Blit? Really?"

Bang Seon-Woo's astonishment ceased only when he saw me following behind.

"Why so surprised? I left a message on KkTalk saying I'd bring Mr. Kim Jong-Hoon to see you. Didn't you see it?"

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Bang Seon-Woo pointed toward his phone tossed aside in the corner of the studio. "D-did you? I didn't see it because I was busy working."

Kim Jong-Hoon apologized for startling him and bowed politely.

"I'm sorry. I was so anxious that I ended up being rude and dropping by unannounced."

"No, no! It's fine! Please, lift your head! Wow, this is amazing!"

When the excited Bang Seon-Woo finally calmed down, Kim Jong-Hoon began to ask questions and expressed his frustrations that had been bottled up for so long.

"I was listening to your music in the car, and it felt electrifying. But I guess that dance track you were playing just now was equally, if not more, electrifying."

"Th-thank you."

"But how did you come up with such a track? I know this question might be impolite, but it's got such a unique flow."

Still confused about what was going on, Bang Seon-Woo caught my signal and carefully replied, "It's kind of hard to explain in words...would you like to see how I work?"

"I would love to!"

Bang Seon-Woo lifted his MePad with an excited expression. His fingers started moving across the screen like lightning.

"I just, like this, jot down whatever comes to mind, hum it out after jotting it down...if the humming doesn't sound right, I modify it. Oh, and the post-production isn't done by me; Mr. Lee Dong-Min handles it."

Amid his explanation, a new song was swiftly created.

"Since this song was made to commemorate meeting Mr. Kim Jong-Hoon today, how about we title it 'Encounter'?"

Kim Jong-Hoon's face went pale at Bang Seon-Woo's nonchalant question. Some struggled for years and were tormented just to create a single song. However, witnessing Bang Seon-Woo effortlessly manifest a musical idea into a complete piece highlighted the vast chasm of talent between them.

"...It seems like a method beyond the reach of ordinary people like me."

Kim Jong-Hoon's voice was devoid of energy when he realized that his ideal was something he could never achieve.

The disparity in talent could indeed be cruel at times. However, acknowledging one's shortcomings was necessary to move forward to the next step—collaboration with others.

Bang Seon-Woo glanced at me nervously, vividly concerned about what he might have done wrong given Kim Jong-Hoon's stern expression.

"Mr. Jong-Hoon."

Kim Jong-Hoon slowly turned to me at my call.

"You have the looks, dance skills, vocal talent, and the ability to write sincere lyrics."

"But still..."

"Wouldn't it be okay to let go of some desires and rely on others for a change?"

A flicker of realization passed through Kim Jong-Hoon's eyes as he was about to make an excuse.

"Let go, huh..."

Kim Jong-Hoon closed his eyes and fell into deep thought as he reflected on my words. After mumbling to himself for a while, he sighed deeply and began to speak as he acknowledged his shortcomings and accepted the need for others' help.

"I see what you mean. Trying to excel in everything must have been my greed."

As Kim Jong-Hoon nodded in agreement, his face seemed a bit brighter like the moon slowly revealing itself from behind thick clouds.

***

I called Kang Ha-Na and Jang Ye-Bin who were busy setting up their dorm to the recording studio. The two who were dressed casually caused quite a stir upon seeing Kim Jong-Hoon as they were his huge fans.

After managing to calm them down, I asked Kang Ha-Na to sing. Once inside the recording booth, she started singing with a serious demeanor.

The moment Kang Ha-Na's voice came through the studio speakers, Kim Jong-Hoon couldn't hide his astonishment.

"Wait. How is it possible that a vocalist like Miss Ha-Na hasn't debuted yet?"

"What can we do if the so-called industry experts only have that much insight?"

Deeming it almost criminal, Kim Jong-Hoon started to gossip about Eyestone. His sharp words were so intense that even Bang Seon-Woo, who was standing by, flinched in surprise.

When Kang Ha-Na finished her song and stepped out of the booth, Kim Jong-Hoon cheered with a standing ovation.

"That was fantastic, Miss Ha-Na."

Kang Ha-Na blushed at Kim Jong-Hoon's compliments and responded. "Thank you, sunbae-nim!"

"It's me who should be thankful. To think of Miss Ha-Na as a guest at my concert is thrilling."

Kang Ha-Na tilted her head in confusion at Kim Jong-Hoon's excited reaction.

"I'm a guest?"

"Weren't you aware?"

Suddenly, all eyes turned to me.

"Ha-Na, you're going to debut at Mr. Jong-Hoon's concert at the end of this year."

"What? Really!?"

Kang Ha-Na blinked her large eyes and shook her hands frantically at the news.

Jang Ye-Bin chuckled at her reaction. "Ha-Na unnie, what's with the flapping? Are you so happy you feel like flying away?"

"N-no, it's just...my, my debut... at Mr. Kim Jong-Hoon's concert...how do I handle this?"

Unlike her usual quiet nature, Kang Ha-Na would often stutter and flap her hands when genuinely flustered.

We all laughed for a while at Kang Ha-Na's unexpected reaction.

"And this friend here is Jang Ye-Bin, the lyricist of 'Hurry Up!' by Cherry Blossom. Though not faring well on the Cameo Page, she's top-notch as a lyricist."

Jang Ye-Bin mockingly slit her throat with her thumb at my introduction. "Yoon-Ho oppa, why would you introduce me like that? Don't talk about my 'regrettable performance' on the Cameo Page! My dedicated fans there will have your head if they hear this!"

"How many dedicated fans are there?"

Jang Ye-Bin pouted. "Does the number of fans matter?"

"It does. So, esteemed writer, how many comments did you get on your latest posts?"

"There's one—but that fan, Polar Bear, is so dedicated!"

Then Bang Seon-Woo timidly raised his hand at Jang Ye-Bin's exclamation. "Sorry, noona. That was actually me."

The frustrated Jang Ye-Bin exclaimed, "What? You are Polar Bear?"

"Yeah. No one was commenting on your stories, so I thought...at least I should."

"Hey! Are you asking for a beating? Huh? Who asked for your comments?"

"

Ouch

! What!? Weren't you happy to have a dedicated fan?

Aaagh

! Don't hit me! Why are you hitting me?"

Feeling betrayed, Jang Ye-Bin playfully hit Bang Seon-Woo on the back. After their sibling-like quarrel, Jang Ye-Bin vowed to give up writing novels and focus solely on lyrics.

'

That's a wise decision.

'

After all, Jang Ye-Bin would never succeed with her writing in the future anyway.

After the commotion settled, Jang Ye-Bin and Kim Jong-Hoon started working on the lyrics for the song. Kim Jong-Hoon also had a knack for writing lyrics. However, it wasn't long before Kim Jong-Hoon expressed his astonishment.

"It's a great fortune that you chose to be a lyricist, Miss Ye-Bin."

Jang Ye-Bin nodded in agreement. "Actually, I think so too."

Having friends to talk about music with, Kim Jong-Hoon no longer looked lonely.

***

It took several hours before I could finally take Kim Jong-Hoon to Lee Dong-Min's office. As we entered, Lee Seo-Jun, who had been waiting with an anxious expression, sprung up from the sofa.

"Jong-Hoon. If you're done talking, let's head to the hospital first!"

Kim Jong-Hoon smiled and brimmed with energy, looking even more spirited than me.

"Mr. Lee, I'm okay now."

"What, what do you mean by that?"

"I mean it. If you're worried, you can have Sang-Yong hyung stay with me."

Lee Seo-Jun tilted his head as he was puzzled by the sudden change in Kim Jong-Hoon's demeanor. Kim Jong-Hoon then shared what had happened in the recording studio.

"This place is truly amazing. And as for Miss Ha-Na, I should be the one asking her to join my concert."

Kim Jong-Hoon's enthusiastic narration left Lee Seo-Jun bewildered. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Hearing it myself, I'm sure her debut will turn South Korea upside down."

Kim Jong-Hoon chatted away like a child about his fantastic experience in the recording studio. Only then did Lee Seo-Jun heave a sigh of relief.

"So, Mr. Lee. I was wondering..."

"Yes, Jong-Hoon, what is it?"

Kim Jong-Hoon approached me with a grin. "Can I stay here for a while? I'd like to receive some help from Yoon-Ho too."

'

Wait a minute. When did we become so informal with each other?

'

Even if we were the same age according to our IDs, making us technically same-age friends, I had actually lived to 36 before traveling back in time.

'I am technically 37 now.

'

Lee Seo-Jun and Lee Dong-Min exchanged smiles.

"Alright. Dong-Min, please take good care of Jong-Hoon for me."

"I can certainly do that, hyung."

'

Wait, no. They can't decide that without my consent!

'

Lee Seo-Jun seemed to want to extract more than just the songs I had provided to Kim Jong-Hoon and Lee Dong-Min intended to strengthen his relationship with Kim Jong-Hoon to further promote Kang Ha-Na.

Since it appeared to be a win-win plan for everyone, I had no choice but to reluctantly nod along.

Just like that, I managed to make another friend after traveling back in time.

***

Today was June 9th of 2020, the day when Hoop Entertainment and Miso would officially sign their contract. It was more advantageous for Miso to have a formal contract with our company if we were to engage in a custody battle with Yoo-Jin's paternal uncle.

As I waited at the company's entrance, Jung Sang-Bong appeared with Miso and Yoo-Jin.

"Did you get carsick today, Miso?"

"No!"

Miso energetically replied and began to look around curiously. She seemed fascinated by the full-body pictures and autographs of celebrities adorning the company walls.

"Uncle Yoon-Ho, Uncle Yoon-Ho. What's that?"

"Oh, that? That's a plaque of appreciation."

"And what about that?"

"Ah, that? That's a flag won at the Chuseok special celebrity sports festival."

Miso's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow! Do celebrities have sports days too?"

"Of course they do!"

"That sounds fun! I want to go running too!"

Miso was thrilled at the thought of participating in a sports festival as a celebrity. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie since there were events similar to a sports day. But if Miso were to actually participate in the celebrity sports festival, I wondered which event she would compete in.

'

Running? Maybe not. Running is out of the question because she could easily get injured if she falls. Jump rope? If she gets caught in the rope and gets red marks on her skin, that's a no-go too. Archery? What if she gets injured pulling the bow? I guess cheering might be the safest option.

'

While I was pondering over this, employees who had been watching Miso from a distance began to slowly approach.

"Hi, Miso. I'm your fan," said Kim Mi-Hye, the always composed assistant manager from the Publicity Division who had come down to our floor to see Miso.

Miso smiled broadly at Kim Mi-Hye and bowed politely. "Thank you, Auntie."

"I'm not an auntie, call me unnie."

Saying she had no regrets left in life now that she saw Miso in person, Kim Mi-Hye hugged Miso tightly and started taking pictures.

Soon after, employees gathered around Miso and began to take turns to snap photos while offering candy and snacks. It was a warmer welcome than when Lee Tae-Poong visited. After all, Hoop Entertainment didn't have any child actors.

That's when Gu Seong-Cheol appeared, scolding the gathered employees.

"Hey, what are you all doing instead of working!?"

Startled by the reprimand, the employees quickly dispersed back to their workstations. Once everyone had scattered, Gu Seong-Cheol cautiously approached us and cleared his throat.

"So this is Miso whom I've only heard about. Nice to meet you. I'm the highest-ranking person here."

At that moment, a snicker echoed over the partition followed by murmurs grumbling about whether that was the reason they were told to get back to work.

Hearing Gu Seong-Cheol's welcome, Miso clasped her hands together and bowed deeply.

"Hello! I'm Jung Miso from Sunbeam Class at Lila Kindergarten!"

Gu Seong-Cheol's face lit up with a bright smile. "It's good to see you, Miso. But can we take a photo? My daughter is a huge fan of yours."

"Of course!"

Miso ran over and took Gu Seong-Cheol's hand. She then made a peace sign and posed for the camera. Gu Seong-Cheol even mimicked Miso's actions with an excited expression.

"Are you ready? One, two, three! Cheese~."

After taking the photo, Gu Seong-Cheol said Kang Ji-Yung was waiting and led us upstairs. Upon arriving at the director's office, I could see Kang Ji-Yung and Kwak Moo-Hyuk waiting for us.

"Welcome. Come on in."

Miso offered another polite greeting and lightened the atmosphere. After a brief explanation of the contract, Miso pulled out a character pen from the pink Powertuff Girl bag I had gifted her. The pen was topped with a character as big as her fist, which she didn't seem to find heavy as she held it firmly. Then she asked Yoo-Jin a question.

"Mom, where should I sign?"

Holding the character pen, Miso looked thrilled and was ready to sign the contract herself.

But Yoo-Jin shook her head and calmed Miso.

"Miso, only I need to sign."

"So I don't sign?"

"That's right. You're still too young, so I will sign for you."

"I see...okay, Mom."

Miso looked a bit sad and fidgeted with the character pen.

That's when the usually stoic Kwak Moo-Hyuk began to speak with an uncharacteristically gentle expression that I'd never seen before.