Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 378
Only Noblemtl
Episode 378
“Why did you contact me?”
[I saw the Girls’ League concert this time. It was great. It’s completely different from a music show stage. It was pretty fun for me too after a long time.]
“Why did you contact me?”
Kim Tae-hoon’s bitter smile was heard over the phone. He must have been embarrassed by Seong-pil’s hostile attitude.
Seongpil wondered if his tone had been too aggressive.
‘no.’
Rather, Sungpil was resentful of his own mouth. He was so used to being respectful to Kim Taehoon that he was resentful of his mouth not giving up the title of ‘hyung’ and the respectful tone even at this point.
[If you have time, I’d like to meet up and talk.]
“What are you talking about?”
[This and that. We didn’t end well, did we?]
“Now, let’s try to straighten that tangled knot a little bit.”
[Seongpil, I know how you feel. That’s why I don’t think we can reconcile.]
Kim Tae-hoon’s voice didn’t waver at all. No matter how much Sung-pil shouted at him, he didn’t show even the slightest sign of agitation.
[You probably hate me a lot. If I say ‘let’s have a nice talk’ now, what will happen to the feelings you had for the past 4 years after you left Success Entertainment? Understand and respect those 4 years.]
“really…….”
The tongue-lubricated speaking skills have not changed at all from the past to the present.
“Then what is it? Why are you looking for me now?”
[well.]
Kim Tae-hoon took a deep breath.
Sungpil knew what he meant. Kim Taehoon was giving Sungpil time to calm down and think things through without letting his emotions get the best of him.
Kim Tae-hoon had been convinced that Sung-pil would eventually meet him for about 30 seconds. Sung-pil was the same, and the reason was clear.
‘I’m not hanging up the phone… … .’
Seongpil felt ashamed of himself for continuing to ask ‘why’.
At the end of the following ‘Why’, Sungpil will eventually meet Kim Taehoon and hear his story.
[I can’t give you a specific reason. I just wanted to meet you. That’s all. I want to see the regrets and sorrows I have in front of you again. You have those feelings too. Whether it’s resentment, anger, or various other things… ]
“all right.”
This time, Kim Tae-hoon couldn’t help but be surprised. He didn’t know that Seong-pil would accept it so quickly and so willingly.
[Thank you, Seongpil. Then… … .]
“I’m in Japan now. I’ll go back tomorrow. Is tomorrow okay?”
[Not possible.]
“But, hyung.”
[Oh, Seongpil.]
“I’m not going to see my brother to reminisce about the past.”
If I met Kim Tae-hoon, I wouldn’t ask him questions like, ‘Why didn’t you catch me back then?’
There was no need to do that, and I didn’t want to do that.
The only reason Seongpil meets him is.
“I was curious. I was curious about what happened to the kids after I left, that’s all.”
What on earth could have happened that made Yang So-min run away to Seong-pil’s house?
Why was Wise looking at Seongpil with such a sad expression?
And what other things are happening?
‘Those stories will fuel me.’
By growing the horizontal enter and growing it again, one day you will have the Success Enter in your hands.
How Success Entertainment changed after Sungpil left. That story will be fuel for Sungpil.
[Yeah, you’re curious. Okay, let’s do that.]
After Sungpil decided on the meeting place and time with Kim Taehoon, he stood blankly in front of the front door for a while.
I unconsciously searched through my arms.
There were no cigarettes. Rika told me to quit.
Instead, Seongpil sang lowly.
“You just want the right answer. Close your mouth and feel the moment.”
Seongpil quietly sang the song of Caius, which would never be revealed to the world.
Even after singing the first verse, the trembling didn’t subside. Seongpil hummed and found a random melody.
In the meantime, the Girls’ League’s ‘No’ came out of his mouth unconsciously. As he continued humming, Seongpil suddenly realized something.
‘I miss the kids.’
The shaking had stopped, so Seongpil went inside the house.
* * *
Chinon prepared Korean food.
“Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Kobayashi.”
“It’s my first time eating Korean food, so I don’t know what to do. I just read a book and tried it, so I hope you like it.”
The Korean food prepared by Kobayashi, the housekeeper, was, to be honest, much better looking and tastier than the food prepared by Koreans.
Seongpil and the members expressed their admiration for the visuals that are hard to find even in Korean restaurants.
“What restaurant would be a good place to go?”
Chinon was glad to hear Joara’s compliment and told her to hurry up and come in.
The meal has begun.
Seongpil kept showing a moved expression with every bite. Chinon smiled happily at the dynamic changes in Seongpil’s expression.
“Ms. Seiko.”
“yes……?”
When Sungpil called, Seiko answered with her energy drained. Something must have happened with the members while Sungpil was out, because she had become a completely different person than before.
“How is it, do you like Korean food?”
“Yes, it’s delicious… … .”
Even while talking to Seiko, she kept an eye on the Girls’ League.
‘Did the kids tell you not to talk to me?’
Sungpil wanted to take this opportunity to ease the tension between the members and Seiko a little. That’s why he deliberately talked to Seiko more.
Seiko seemed happy to be talking a lot with Seongpil, but she was still concerned about the Girls’ League.
And even though Sungpil tried to open up a conversation between Seiko and the members, it didn’t seem to make much of a difference.
Eventually, Seongpil had no choice but to give up at some point.
However, the atmosphere at the dinner table was not cold. This was because the host of the event, Chinon, had excellent communication skills.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
Chinon, as always, expressed surprise as she listened to Rika’s story.
“Are you producing the album yourself?”
“Yes (hi)! We express our own color!”
“Amazing. Is there something you want to do, Rika-chan?”
“First of all, I want to dress my sisters in cute clothes! I’m going to make them wear skirts and prepare a lot of clothes with frills and lace! I’m also going to sing cute songs in a cute voice!”
Producer Sungpil wanted Rika to hear the sound of his clothes bursting.
“Cute?”
“yes!”
“But cute things don’t suit Rika-chan?”
“yes?”
“Rika-chan is so cool. Just looking at her makes me want to admire her.”
Rika kept repeating, “Am I cool? Aiming at me?” and then puffed out her chest with an air of pride.
“It definitely has that side to it! Cute is good, but cool is better!”
Seongpil’s clothes stopped tearing. He felt relieved and cleared his chest. Then he met Baekseolha’s eyes, and she was also clearing her chest.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
“What kind of producing is this guy with such thin ears?”
“Ara-chan, I (Atashi) am not shallow-minded! If you don’t cancel this right now, I’ll put Ara-chan in a swimsuit and send her up on stage!”
“Do you know what I’ll do for you when it’s my turn to produce?”
“Guys… … .”
Seongpil said in a sad tone.
“This is a chance we’ve all had, so let’s not mix up our feelings for each other.”
“I’m just joking, sir.”
“Come to think of it.”
Seongpil said to Seiko.
“Seiko-san, you’ve been producing since your debut, right? You wrote the lyrics and composed ‘Roppongi’s Avanture’ yourself.”
“… … Isn’t that obvious? It’s too grand to even call it producing.”
“How can that be natural?”
We live in a world where the music industry is highly sophisticated and each task is extremely specialized.
It is rare for a single song to be composed by a single person. Someone does the introduction A, someone else does B, and so on, with many people involved in the production.
“It goes without saying that being able to focus and command the staff during the production process is a great thing.”
“… … That’s right, it’s great!”
Seiko straightened her hunched shoulders and showed confidence.
She didn’t really hear Sungpil’s praise as praise. She just did what she had to do, so how could she be praised for that?
I just drank water, but people around me seemed to be saying, ‘Amazing!’ But I felt good because I was being complimented.
“Do you have any advice for the kids? Tips, things like, ‘This is the right way to do production. This is how it should be done.’”
“uh…….”
Seiko frowned.
“method?”
She thought about it over and over again, and the words that came out were truly nutritious.
“Can I just do it?”
“… … Just like that?”
“Well, unless you’re a great person like me, you might not understand.”
Seiko quickly covered her mouth and revised her statement.
“Everyone knows that! Uh, can’t you see the path? Somehow, from the moment I decided to make an album, I could see the path that I had to take. I just had to follow it.”
“ah…….”
“Don’t you know?”
“all right.”
When Sungpil sympathized with Seiko, the members looked at him strangely. It seemed like Sungpil was too lazy to answer and was just trying to please Seiko.
You can see the path, so just follow it?
It’s so absurd that it can’t be explained unless Seiko is trying to show off her genius.
“Senior.”
Joara called Seiko.
Seiko smiled, exuding the aura of a senior, surprised and delighted that one of the Girls’ League members had called her.
“Yes, Ara. Do you have any questions?”
“What is that length? What is the standard?”
“standard?”
“Where are you going?”
“Where are you going?”
Seiko said as if she found it strange.
“That’s where I want to go.”
“… … .”
Joara replied, “Oh, yes,” and went back to focusing on her meal. She had no choice but to react that way, because Seiko’s story was too abstract.
Seongpil provided additional explanation.
“Guys, Seiko-san is someone who has been blessed by the times.”
Seiko quickly turned her head and spit out the shikhye on the floor. Seiko got up from her chair and fidgeted, looking for a rag.
Chinon called Kobayashi and had him clean up the shikhye that Seiko had spat out.
“What, what is it all of a sudden! What, a blessing of the times?”
Seongpil continued his story, leaving Seiko alone and flustered.
“Mr. Seiko’s tastes coincide with the tastes of the public. For 15 years. It’s truly amazing, and it can’t even be described as genius. It’s a blessing of the times.”
It is rare for an artist to enjoy a long artistic life. Far from it, there are many cases where they shine for only three or four years before disappearing.
The genre that an artist focuses on may be completely ignored by the public, the work may remain in the past, or the artist’s motivation may be dampened.
So, it’s amazing that it just shines for a short time and then disappears.
“Of course, it can’t just be talent.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve been shining like a star since I was born.”
“There must have been effort.”
“Ha, of course I don’t slack off in my efforts. I… … .”
“Seiko, what kind of music do you listen to often? Is there a genre you like?”
Seiko tilted her head and spoke occasionally.
“I just listened to everything that was on the Oricon charts since I was young. Rather than liking something, I bought and listened to compilation CDs or tapes of the top songs on the Oricon charts.”
“Even these days?”
“Yes. On Apple Music… … .”
Seongpil nodded his head.
“I guess that was the secret.”
“Are you listening to the Oricon chart?”
Seiko has always thought that this taste of hers is too convenient.
There are many artists who are known as Naero in Webex.
If they listened to music, they knew everything about it – what CD it was, what LP it was, what version it was from which record company, what era it was from, etc.
They seem like experts, but Seiko mostly just plays songs on the charts on repeat without any analysis.
Even if others say it’s ‘too commercial’ or something, Seiko liked that kind of music. Music that you can listen to without hesitation.
“Araya.”
Jo Ara was flustered when Sungpil suddenly pointed to her. This was because the atmosphere at the table had unexpectedly become serious.
“Me?”
“Yeah. Does Ara listen to a lot of foreign pop songs?”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“What about our country’s chart?”
“When an idol song comes out, I listen to it once or twice… … If it’s good, I add it to my playlist… … .”
“Yeah, that’s what people usually do. But that’s not how you do it when you’re producing.”
You shouldn’t listen to only what you like.
“If you listen to the songs that are on the charts in our country, you’ve probably thought, ‘Wow, why do people like this?’ No matter how many times I listen to it, it’s not that good, so why is it ranked so high?”
The members smiled bitterly at those words. This was because they had all thought about it at least once.
“You can think that way. The important thing is that ‘Why do you like this?’ should not lead to ‘Our country’s music is ruined’ or ‘There’s nothing to listen to.’”
The thought should extend to ‘Ah, so that’s why I like it.’
That is the mindset of someone whose job involves dealing with the public, and it is the mindset that members who will be producing in the future must have.
“If you don’t have talent like Seiko, you need to put in that kind of effort.”
So, Seiko’s talent presentation ended.
Seiko, the person involved, was extremely embarrassed, as if all her usual boasting was a lie.
It was as if, instead of receiving a compliment like, “You sing well,” he had been given a hymn about his own singing.
Seiko whispered to Chinon in an embarrassed tone.
“Don’t take it too seriously. Director Paku is probably doing that to save my life.”
Since Chinon didn’t have an answer, Seiko looked at her closely. Chinon was looking at Seongpil with a look of admiration in her eyes.
“So that person is called a producer.”
Chinon continued to look at Seongpil, who was strengthening his resolve with the members.
* * *
After the meal, everyone sat around the living room sofa and chatted.
One thing that was different from the meal was that the members asked Seiko quite a few questions.
“What did you do with your outfit?”
“Clothes? I didn’t really touch my clothes. It’s not like I didn’t care at all, though.”
“So, senior, you only cared about music?”
“That’s what it is.”
In this way, the members asked Seiko questions about producing.
It wasn’t much help, since the Girls’ League, as an idol group, had limited useful information to get from Seiko.
But it was a meaningful time for the members. It would be meaningful to hear stories from someone who has gone ahead on the path of an artist, and who has walked it for a long time.
Chinon looked proudly at Seiko, who had awkwardly started talking to the members.
“Oh my gosh, Onee-chan!”
Then Rika called Chinon.
“huh?”
“Can you play the piano for me? I really want to see your Grammy-winning performance skills!”
“Rica.”
Seongpil gently stopped Rika.
“It would be rude to ask that. You probably weren’t prepared.”
If someone suddenly says to Girls’ League, “Are you the idol who won an award at the HPT Music Awards? Can you dance and sing?”, it would be rude of course.
Ricardo thought about it and quickly apologized.
“sorry…….”
“No, Senpiru-san, it’s okay. Rika, is there something you want to hear?”
Chinon really got up.
Seongpil and the other members were surprised. They never thought he would accept the request so readily.
“Uh, are you okay?”
“Yeah. I always play the piano.”
Chinon walked over to the sunny window and sat down in front of the grand piano that was there.
That piano was the reason Rika asked Chinon to play it for her. It was hard to resist the urge to ask her to play it when there was such a beautiful piano right in front of her.
“Can you play our song for us!”
Everyone looked at Rika as if they couldn’t stop her.
“okay.”
Everyone was surprised.
“Mr. Chinon, have you heard our kids’ song?”
“Yes. I heard ‘No’ the day before yesterday.”
Seongpil couldn’t tell if Chinon really ‘heard’ it or if there was some way Chinon could hear the music.
Snow White asked in admiration.
“Can you play it just by listening to it, Sister Chinon?”
Chinon smiled faintly.
“No, Mr. Kobayashi.”
Chinon asked her housekeeper Kobayashi to print the sheet music for the Girls’ League’s “Ani.”
Kobayashi went up to the second floor. Ten minutes later, Kobayashi handed Chinon the sheet music he had downloaded from a sheet music site.
Everyone came up behind Chinon and looked at the music score.
“Team Leader, what is this? Did our song’s sheet music get leaked?”
“People listened to it and wrote it down in sheet music. If you go to a sheet music site, you can sell it for money.”
Snow White briefly glanced over the sheet music.
“That’s true.”
Of course, it is impossible to completely transfer ‘No’ into sheet music, since it was originally a song created with electronic sounds.
There must have been several scores of ‘Ani’ on the site. Kobayashi simply picked one out of them and brought it.
Snow White looked at the music score and moved her fingers as if she was playing the piano.
‘It’s a bit lacking.’
Even if the ‘Ani’ made with electronic sound was transferred to the piano, the sound of this score was too poor.
Even if a world-class pianist played this score, it would not sound rich.
“Can you give me 10 minutes? Please sit down and wait a moment.”
Everyone went back to the sofa and sat down as Chinon had said. Chinon looked at the music score carefully.
The sunlight streaming through the glass window illuminated Chinon and the piano. It looked like a scene from a movie. There was even a sacred atmosphere.
At that time, Rika covered Seongpil’s eyes.
“It’s not fun. Ricci?”
“I didn’t cover it up to make it match! Don’t look at Chinon-sister’s fingers so insidiously!”
“ha.”
“Excuses won’t work!”
“I saw the finger, but I didn’t look at it in a sinister way.”
“Why do you like fingers so much?!”
“Isn’t this an old man fetish?”
“… … Araya, do you know what that means?”
Seongpil removed Rika’s hand that was covering his eyes. Rika, not tired of it, covered Seongpil’s eyes again. So he just spoke with them covered.
“Fetish? Isn’t it just that you like something specific?”
“……okay.”
Fetish has sexual connotations. It doesn’t simply mean a preference for something.
Seongpil ended the conversation, hoping that Jo Ara wouldn’t make a mistake in the future…
“Ara-chan, a fetish is a sexual excitement for a specific part of the body, object, state, or situation… .”
“How do you know so much?!”
Seongpil was so surprised that he pushed Rika’s hand away forcefully this time.
“Do you carry a dictionary in your head?”
“If you learn from Director Han, this is nothing special!”
Mr. Han Gu-in, what on earth did you teach Rika?
“What? It’s not much different from what I said. Dude, you have a fetish… .”
“Seol-ha, I don’t know why I’m in this situation. Do I have to live hearing things like this from kids? I feel like a toy… … .”
“I also understand how Director Park feels… … .”
Toy Seongpil and cute genius Baek Seol-ha shared their pain.
Meanwhile, Chinon finished her preparations. She carefully placed the music score on the stand and released her hands.
“Let’s get started.”
Chinon gently placed his fingers on the keyboard.
The noisy atmosphere died down in an instant.
Everyone was expecting a performance by a Grammy-winning pianist, but expectations weren’t high.
This was especially true for Baek Seol-ha and Rika, who were experts at reading sheet music.
‘If the sound comes out exactly as written in the score… … .’
There will be no performance that matches Chinon’s abilities.
But I wasn’t disappointed. The performance was just a small event anyway.
It was a small entertainment that happened by chance when I was invited to a meal. I wouldn’t be disappointed if the performance wasn’t as great as it was at a real concert.
“No” from the Girls’ League.
Chinon’s fingers moved.
At that moment, everyone’s bodies froze as if they had been hit by a strong wind.
The music born from her fingers was not ‘no’. It was a completely different storm that vibrated in all directions through the air.
“ah.”
Twenty seconds after the performance began, Baek Seol-ha let out an exclamation of surprise as if she had realized something.
Because the melody and melody of ‘No’ was heard.
Chinon’s fingers rose and fell in a flashy manner like fireworks, and there, a hint of ‘No’ was seen.
The code is the same as ‘No’, but the melody is different.
It is a performance that you can’t possibly think of as Girls’ League’s debut song, ‘Ani’, but it preserves a piece of ‘Ani’.
“Improvisation… … .”
Seongpil hummed softly as he accepted the storm that Chinon was pouring down.
At a company outing, Han Gu-in played Bill Evans’ song, ‘When I fall in love.’
Because it was a song that touched Sungpil’s heart so deeply at the time, he went home and looked it up.
There were several versions, so I listened to them all, and they all sounded like different songs. Even the running time was different, from 4 minutes to 6 minutes to over 10 minutes.
‘It’s an improvisation.’
When Seongpil found it strange and asked, Han Guin answered like this.
‘It’s natural that each live version is different. It’s because it’s improvised.’
While maintaining the structure of the song, express the inspiration you feel when playing it.
The current Chinon was like that too. She read the score of ‘Ani’, but it was only a task to grasp the framework.
The rest is written anew, relying solely on experience and inspiration.
Every moment is creation.
‘At first glance, it’s like this… … .’
Didn’t you say that you first heard ‘Ani’ the day before yesterday? And that you saw the sheet music for the first time today?
But it’s still like this.
The 10 minutes that Chinon had asked everyone to give her. In that short time, she had figured out all the ‘nos’ and completely recreated them in her own colors.
“Uh, uh… … .”
Joara placed her clenched fists on her knees and let out intermittent muffled moans as if someone was choking her.
She was drawn to Chinon’s performance.
Joara was drawn to the beat, which was much faster than the original song, and the melody that changed from moment to moment.
For her, who was accustomed to popular music where repetition is the greatest virtue, this was a new musical format.
It must have been embarrassing, but everyone, including Joara, was listening to the performance. They were watching Chinon’s hands moving as quickly as the wind.
With only admiration.
‘Is this what it means to hit something without even preparing? To think of it right here and now and hit it?’
The reason why these people, who are not familiar with jazz, admire Chinon is because all the sounds she makes are created spontaneously on the spot.
They looked at Chinon’s creativity with awe.
Shin A-reum thought blankly with her mouth open.
‘awesome.’
Chinon, who has a small build and a gentle smile, easily blushes when asked mischievous questions.
Her usual appearance was nowhere to be found.
Only the life force that filled the room explained the human being called Chinon. It was an overflowing creative life force that could penetrate the skin and bones of others and strike them directly in the heart.
“ah!”
Everyone was amazed without anyone having to say anything first.
The rushing performance slowed down as if it was taking a break, and returned to the familiar ‘no’ to everyone.
That wasn’t the only reason the Girls’ League was surprised. Chinon, with sweat dripping down her forehead, was smiling with the happiest smile in the world.
As if this moment were the happiest.
‘This kind of person… … .’
Snow White covered her mouth, overwhelmed by Chinon’s smile. Snow White did not even dare to think of evaluating the artist who had reached ultimate bliss through music.
‘This is the kind of person who goes to the Grammys… … .’
Chinon’s performance was beautiful, exciting, and also breathtaking.
Chinon spent her whole life capturing the sound while playing. As a deaf person, she cannot fully hear the sounds she makes. However, she can feel the vibrations with her fingers.
I consider that vibration as the thread of life, and I try not to let it go forever.
The thread is thin and sharp, and even if the hand holding it is torn, she never lets go. The vibration of the piano is the greatest pleasure she can feel, and the only way she can be completely connected to the world.
When I was 4 years old, I first touched the piano.
At the age of 21, I graduated from Berklee College of Music with honors.
At 22, when I won a Grammy award.
And it has always been that way, even now.
‘This kind of person… … .’
Chinon was leisurely playing while looking at the ceiling. Then, when it was over, she suddenly placed her face level with the piano keys.
As the sweat on his forehead fluttered, his fingers moved madly.
Chinon immersed himself in the music, accepting the vibrations, the melody, the music in its entirety with his fingertips.
I held on to the thread of life. I didn’t care if the skin on my hands was peeling off, or if the bones were exposed, I just focused on being alive in this moment.
This performance was proof that Chinon was alive. It was an act of pouring all of his life force into letting people know.
After the seven-minute performance, a drop or two of Chinon’s sweat fell on the keyboard.
When Chinon raised his head, everyone applauded. It was not a polite applause, but applause that came from the heart.
Snow White, no.
The Girls’ League thought.
This kind of person.
‘They call me an artist.’
A human being who turns life into a work of art.
* * *
The house that Seongpil and the Girls’ League left was quiet.
Chinon said with a regretful tone.
“It was nice to see so many people after such a long time, but they’re all gone now.”
“I will come often.”
Seiko spoke cheerfully as she helped organize things.
If Misato had seen this, she would have said, ‘Our Seiko-chan is helping someone else clean up their house… She’s all grown up… ‘
“Thank you, Seiko. Would you like some coffee?”
“Coffee is done now… … .”
Chinon laughed playfully.
Chinon, who was cleaning the table near the sofa, caught sight of a notebook. She opened it and looked inside, and there were autographs from the members of the Girls’ League.
‘This is the autograph of an artist who will be nominated for a Grammy in the future! If you sell it, you’ll make money!’
Then Rika started signing.
The members were in high spirits after hearing Chinon’s performance, but Chinon asked them to sign the song, so they had no choice but to do so.
Chinon snickered as he looked at the sign.
Let’s turn another page and see Seongpil’s autograph.
[World-renowned producer Park Sung-pil]
Chinon covered her mouth and laughed heartily. It was a bigger laugh than when she saw the Girls’ League’s sign.
“Chinon.”
“huh?”
“Today… it seems like things didn’t go well?”
The reason Chinon arranged this event was to bring Seiko and the Girls’ League closer together.
It’s not like we’ll become friends after just one meal, but it’s better than nothing.
Chinon wanted his friend to do well. He thought it would be better if he helped him. Helping someone was something that gave Chinon great joy.
“We talked a lot.”
“but…….”
Seiko was completely different from when she sent Sungpil away.
“Director Paku is so lucky to be seeing off the immortal genius Seiko, who will never be seen again in the world!” said Chinon, who was watching from the side, with such liveliness that it was embarrassing.
“Well, I have to wait another 7 months to meet the Paku Isarang Girls’ League again… … .”
The ending wasn’t very good.
Seiko hoped to become like her sisters with the Girls’ League within a few days.
‘It’s strange.’
Why does the Girls’ League hate Seiko so much?
Chinon, who didn’t know the whole story, couldn’t understand the abnormal hostility of the Girls’ League. That’s why Seiko seemed like a vague victim.
“Don’t worry, Seiko. Next time… … .”
“miss.”
The housekeeper, Kobayashi, came walking from the front door.
“Mr. Ishikawa has arrived.”
“yes?”
Chinon said to go first.
Rika came into the living room, wiping the sweat from her forehead as if she had run.
“I’m sorry for coming all of a sudden!”
“No, Rika. What did you leave behind?”
“I have something to say to Senior Seiko!”
Seiko opened her eyes wide.
“Me? To me?”
“Yes, that’s it, senior.”
Rika came closer to Seiko. Her cheeks were faintly red.
“We couldn’t meet because of good fate… … . I listened to a lot of your music since I was young! When you said you were going to Webex, I was really looking forward to meeting you!”
Seiko flinched, but then the corners of her mouth went up and her expression brightened.
“I respect you as an artist!”
Seiko’s eyes twitched. She turned her head away to hide her tears, but Chinon, who was standing next to her, saw her expression.
Chinon smiled as if to say, “You saw it, right?”
Seiko let out a wet laugh and tried to say ‘thank you’ to Rika. She also said, ‘I hope you get along well from now on.’
however.
“But I don’t think we’re going to create a meeting by pretending it was a coincidence like today!”
“……huh?”
“This is no different from stalking! You go to the dance academy where Ara-chan is, and you loiter around the practice room!”
“Huh, huh?”
“I respect you as an artist, but I hope you refrain from doing things like this! You even got a 5-year grace period from Director Park!”
“Huh?”
“Then that’s it!”
After Rika left Seiko, she waved her arms wildly at Chinon and said goodbye.
Chinon also accepted it cheerfully.
After Rika left, Chinon approached the stern Seiko.
“Seiko, today isn’t the only day… … You’ve done this a lot? Stalking… … .”
“S, that’s not stalking!”
Anyway, Seiko felt like she had become a little closer to the Girls’ League.
* * *
Seongpil returns to Korea.
His face was stiff the whole time. It was like that from the time he went to work until he left.
A&R team members Jung Ji-eum and Lee Jae-ho were gossiping.
“Is something wrong, Seongpil?”
“Well, I guess it’s just my guess, but I think the response in Japan was worse than expected?”
“If it were normal, I would have bragged about Japan’s reaction first. It seems plausible.”
“When you calm down, you can tell us at the A&R meeting. Should we change the direction of our next Japanese album?”
The two people’s concerns about Sungpil soon turned to the direction of the A&R team and future strategies.
Unfortunately, the reason Sungpil’s face turned so stiff was not because of the Girls’ League or Garo Enter.
‘I’m meeting Taehoon hyung in the evening.’
As time approached, even his legs began to tremble. Seongpil, who had spent the whole day with such complicated feelings, finally reached the time to leave work.
As he was heading towards the central staircase, a strangely familiar-looking man called out to him.
“Director Park, I heard that Rika met the pianist Chinon… … .”
“I’m busy.”
Seongpil pushed aside the disappointed Han Guin and went down the stairs.
Son Hye-bin called him from the first floor at the bottom of the stairs.
“Seongpil, it’s been a while since I came back, but I’m drinking… … .”
“I’m busy.”
Seongpil passed by Son Hyebin, who was mumbling, and headed toward the exit.
Hong Gyu-heon greeted Seong-pil in the lounge on the first floor.
“Director Park, are you finished work? You worked hard today.”
Hong Gyu-heon tried to replace the fluorescent light installed on the wall in the break room. She climbed the makeshift ladder carrying the new fluorescent light.
“Why are you doing that yourself, boss?!”
Seongpil rushed to Hong Gyuheon like a puppy running to protect its dangerous owner. Then he received the fluorescent light from her and completed the replacement and inspection.
“I can do it.”
“No, please ask the other employees to do it… … .”
“I’m sorry, it’s already closing time. What, thank you, Director Park.”
“no.”
Seongpil picked up the bag he had put down and prepared to leave work again.
‘let’s go.’
With the determination of a general heading to the battlefield, Seongpil left the Garo Enter.
“ah.”
As soon as I opened the glass door, I saw someone.
Seongpil couldn’t help but be surprised the moment he saw her.
“Mr. Ginger?”
“Oh, hello, Director Park… … .”
Ginger was bending over, holding the paper bag in her arms. She looked very hunched over for some reason.
“Why here… … .”
At that moment, Sungpil felt eyes on him from behind. When he turned around, he saw A&R team members Jung Ji-eum and Lee Jae-ho looking at him in disbelief.
“That hardened expression was just smoke… … .”
“I guess you were trying to hide something good. But how can I call Caius on my way home from work?”
“I don’t know. Did you receive a job offer from KS Entertainment?”
“It’s terrible… … .”
“Oh, no!”
Seongpil shouted reflexively. Lee Jaeho and Jeong Ji-eum returned the booing.
Seongpil tried to make excuses, saying, “I didn’t call you,” but then he remembered that Ginger was waiting right in front of him.
He suddenly turned his head towards Ginger.
“How did you come? Ara isn’t here right now.”
Ginger stuttered.
“I came to apologize… … .”
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