Genius Manager Who Hears Voices - Chapter 61



Only Noblemtl

Episode 61

After dinner, everyone went to bed early.

Heesung and Jaewook Yoo were sitting on the bench in the yard, having a quiet conversation.

“Is there a convenience store near here? Or maybe a supermarket?”

“Well? There won’t be a convenience store, and it’ll probably be quite a drive to get to the supermarket. Do you need anything?”

“I’m out of cigarettes. I’m going to be stuck here until tomorrow, so I think I should buy some in advance. From the way you’re talking, it sounds like you’re going to make me work too.”

Yoo Jae-wook looks at the sickle left behind by Jang Man-ho and laughs in disbelief.

“Oh my. Even in the countryside, there are sickles all over the place within arm’s reach. I really thought we were making a horror movie.”

Yoo Jae-wook, whose face turned pale as he asked if this was Gokseong, returned to his original expression only after hearing that it was not Gokseong.

Of course, it was just a movie material, but at that moment, Jang Man-ho’s tone of voice, his expression, and the chilling scythe before his eyes made me think of a scene from a horror movie.

Hee-sung looked at Yoo Jae-wook, who was crumpling up an empty cigarette pack, and asked with a puzzled look.

“By the way, do you smoke? I heard you said you were being treated for vocal nodules.”

Of course, not all singers smoke.

In fact, there are quite a few singers who smoke, and some talented singers even say that alcohol and cigarettes are the source of their singing ability.

However, Yoo Jae-wook has been receiving treatment for several years to overcome vocal nodules.

I asked because I couldn’t understand how someone like that could quit smoking.

Yoo Jae-wook said, throwing down the bundle of cigarette packs he was holding.

“It’s been about four months. Originally, I didn’t even touch it, but when I gave up on everything, it was the first thing that came to mind. I was thinking about drinking and smoking, just completely destroying myself. I didn’t even have any regrets.”

“So you’re not receiving any treatment at all now?”

“From the beginning, treatment was meaningless. Vocal nodules aren’t something that can be cured by taking medicine or getting injections. I just kept holding on to something that didn’t work, foolishly.”

Yoo Jae-wook looks up at the night sky with a self-deprecating smile.

This time he asked Heesung.

“By the way, you could have just pretended not to know, but why did you insist on helping me? If it were someone else, I would have taken pictures and spread them around because it was such an interesting sight. Maybe it was a camaraderie or something because we work in the same industry?”

After asking the question, Yoo Jae-wook added that there should be no misunderstanding.

“Ah, don’t misunderstand, I just speak like this. Anyway, I meant to say thank you.”

“Anyone other than Yoo Jae-wook would have done the same. And anyone else would have done the same, not just me. It’s more like camaraderie… … well.”

“Anyway, thank you. I’m not just saying this, I mean it. When I came to my senses, I realized how dizzying the situation must have been. It’s completely different to leave this floor with my own hands and to run away as if being chased. If it hadn’t been for you, it would have been the latter. Then the rest of my life would have been pretty boring.”

Once an image is attached to a celebrity, it follows them for life like a label.

Perhaps Yoo Jae-wook is not a talented singer who started out as an idol, so today’s incident may be his last image.

I meant it as a thank you for stopping that from happening.

“Are you thinking of leaving the entertainment industry completely? Do you have any other plans?”

“Well, I don’t know. I’m just in my mid-30s, and I don’t know what I’ll do with my life. I’ve saved enough money to last a lifetime, but money isn’t everything in life.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you know that? Including my trainee days, I’ve been in this industry for 20 years. That means I’ve spent more than half of my life singing and dancing. I wonder what I can do in the future… .”

“Isn’t it true that you don’t have to sing? Of course, you’ll have regrets, but I don’t think that’s a reason to give up other things you can do musically. Like producing, for example.”

Not all singers continue their music career even if they do not develop vocal nodules.

No, rather, it could be said that it is a rare case to consistently release albums for several decades.

Some go on to become actors, some go on to compose and write lyrics, and some go on to become vocal trainers.

It was entirely possible to continue musical activities without leaving the entertainment industry.

“I have absolutely no ability in that area. It would be more accurate to say that I had no interest in it in the first place. That’s probably why I’ve come to this point.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“If I ever wanted to teach and advise others, I would have approached it the right way myself. It’s not that I didn’t get help from a trainer, but I spent a lot more time learning on my own, how foolish.”

“If it’s GEM Entertainment, I’m sure they have a pretty well-organized system in place. But why bother studying on your own… .”

“So, isn’t that foolish? I had a sense of entitlement because I was an idol. I was always dissatisfied. They never taught me more than the standardized training. So, I always spent my free time in the vocal room. I only had a piano and devoted myself to practicing singing for hours. As a result, I once had the skills I wanted.”

Heeseong was able to immediately grasp the gist of what Yoo Jaewook was trying to say.

“So that means that in the end, it came back to haunt me, because I was obsessed with high notes without having the right vocal technique and system.”

“That’s right. Isn’t that especially true for people in our country? In any performance or competition, people who can sing high notes well tend to get noticed. And those people are often evaluated as talented singers with good singing skills.”

“Hmm.”

“There was only one thing I wanted to do. To increase my vocal range. I thought that was something you had to be born with, but somehow you could overcome it with effort. I think that’s why all the songs on my personal albums got such good reviews.”

It is certainly not easy to show off singing skills in idol music.

This is because several members share parts and most of the songs are dance music, so they focus more on performance than singing.

On the contrary, all of Yoo Jae-wook’s personal albums are ballad-style music.

You can fill up the 3 minutes by yourself and achieve any range of notes you want.

That was the point where M2B’s Yoo Jae-wook and solo Yoo Jae-wook showed a clear difference.

As Yoo Jae-wook said, all of his songs always included significant high-note parts.

“But eventually, as time went by, the aftereffects of that gradually began to take hold. At first, I thought it was because I wasn’t feeling well. It was just because it was morning, I couldn’t sleep, and I had a cold. I rationalized it like that and continued to overwork myself. Then, at some point, I completely broke down.”

“You must have tried hard, but you didn’t see any progress at all? I don’t think they say vocal nodules are something that can’t be overcome.”

In fact, vocal nodules are a fairly common symptom among singers.

Although there may be differences in degree, there are many cases where it can be overcome if you immediately go into a period of rest and focus on treatment as soon as you feel it.

Rather, there are cases where they use that as an opportunity to learn new creative techniques and receive great acclaim for their next album.

A bitter smile spread across Yoo Jae-wook’s lips at Hee-sung’s question.

“Progress… … Well, I don’t know. There was a time like that and I didn’t feel it, or maybe I was completely incapable from the beginning. At least, when I felt it, I never liked it even once. It never reached the level I wanted.”

“What level do you want? For example, what kind of… … ?”

“It’s literally true. It’s the satisfaction I feel when I sing my own song. Singers have that kind of feeling. What’s my current condition? Whether I’m digesting it properly or not. When I sing my own song, I can feel it in my skin.”

After saying that, Yoo Jae-wook got up from his seat.

Then he lifted the sickle lying on the table and smiled.

“Okay, okay. It’s late at night, let’s stop talking about such depressing things. It’s all over anyway, so there’s no point in talking about it any more. I’ll make sure to earn my keep tomorrow and work hard to recover. Don’t you think you’ll feel a lot better after sweating a little in the middle of summer? Hahaha.”

When I saw him at work during the day and when he was drunk, he really looked like he was going to do something big.

Looking at his attitude now, it seems like he has some positive aspects.

Heeseong also got up from his seat and nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. Since you’re here, I hope you get to experience the countryside properly. I hope it’s a healing trip.”

“Healing. It’s been a while… … No, it’s the first time I’ve heard that. The word “healing” doesn’t really fit with life in the entertainment industry. Anyway, let’s have fun until tomorrow, Jeong Hee-seong.”

That’s how the conversation ended that night.

Little did he know that this rural experience would change his life forever.

***

“Oh my, you ate so much chicken porridge yesterday, but why don’t you have any strength left? Are you going to get married with that?”

“You can’t use your strength. You’re working so hard! I dug up all the potatoes here by myself. I did it all by myself.”

“You only filled five boxes in three hours, so why are you talking so much? Tsk tsk. You have to fill in the ridges and install a water pump later, so do it in a hurry. Oh, and make sure you pay for your meal properly?”

“Hoo… … Yes, yes. Even if I have to stay one more day, I’ll finish clearing out all the rice paddies and fields before I go. Don’t worry, village chief.”

“Oh, our Heeseong is good at work! As expected, a sincere person is good at everything. Heeseong! Eat and drink some fresh food. Should I have brought some fresh food?”

“Yes, sir!”

Heeseong, who was fertilizing the peppers and tomatoes, stopped what he was doing and walked over.

Yoo Jae-wook threw the hoe he was holding on the ground and sat down to eat some fresh food.

“Chief, I’m also a day laborer today. Why didn’t you tell me to eat some rice? It’s so frustrating.”

“What? You’re sticking your butt out without me saying anything. Are you not going to eat it if I don’t say anything?”

“I have to eat. That’s what I worked so hard for.”

Saecham is a type of snack eaten in between work.

Since it is not a meal, they usually serve things like makgeolli or side dishes.

The ladies who worked with Yoo Jae-wook laughed and said as they watched him pick up the radish kimchi with chopsticks.

“If you’re a singer, why don’t you pick a song! What good is a snack without a children’s song?”

“Oh, Graze. There’s also some makgeolli. Let me try some. It’s been a while since I’ve had a treat for my ears.”

Everyone sat down on the dirt and clapped their hands toward Yoo Jae-wook.

Yoo Jae-wook, who knew the condition of his throat, hesitated for a moment, then quickly stood up and grabbed the spoon.

“Yes, yes, that’s great! I’m not the type of person who sings just anywhere, but today I’ll sing a proper song for you. You all earn hundreds of thousands of won, right?”

“Hundreds of thousands of won? Why? Are you giving me money too?”

“No, that’s not it. My concert tickets cost that much. Since you get to hear it for free, I guess I’m making money. Right?”

“Oh, you have to hear it to know. Stop talking and call him quickly. We’ll evaluate him after we hear him.”

“Haha, yeah.”

After taking a deep breath, Yoo Jae-wook held the spoon like a microphone and brought it to his mouth.

And soon he started singing an unexpected song.

Hee-sung’s expression changed dramatically when he heard that.