Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 416



Only Noblemtl

Episode 416

Seongpil suddenly got cursed at.

‘What? You fucking punk?’

The atmosphere could have been heated and passionate, but Seongpil didn’t do that.

It wasn’t that I suddenly regained my ability to make rational judgments as an adult.

He didn’t respond to Yoon Sang-yeol’s insults because there was a way to make him even angrier. Instead, Seong-pil gave Rika a subtle, condescending smile that she often did.

In that moment, Yoon Sang-yeol’s momentum, which had been boiling with passion, suddenly subsided.

As if a person whose anger reached its peak had become calm, Yoon Sang-yeol’s aura, which had been so intense that it made his hair stand on end, subsided.

“Director Jeong Ho-hwan, did you know that person went to the Girls’ League concert?”

Yoon Sang-yeol spoke in a calm tone.

His reactions and questions were extremely embarrassing to Sungpil. It was to the point where he began to suspect that Yoon Sangyeol had bipolar disorder.

“suddenly?”

“I don’t know.”

“… … I know.”

Jeong Ho-hwan readily accepted the invitation (challenge) sent by Rika.

When Seongpil first heard about Rika’s plan, he told her to give up, but Rika ended up sending an invitation to Jeong Ho-hwan.

It was when Sungpil went to KS Entertainment with Jang Hayang that he found out that Jeong Ho-hwan had come to the Girls’ League concert.

While Jang Ha-yang was receiving a gift from Jin So-yu and chatting, Sung-pil was sitting across from Jeong Ho-hwan and Erica and talking about the concert.

“Did you meet Jung Ho-hwan privately?”

“How many times.”

“What did you say?”

“what?”

“About the Girls’ League. About your strange dream. If you were someone who admired Jeong Ho-hwan, there’s no way you wouldn’t have told me about it.”

“… … .”

The Girls’ League is great. It’s awesome. Those are the stereotypical compliments that anyone can give. That’s about it.

Rather, Jung Ho-hwan talked a lot about Sungpil. In their first meeting, Jung Ho-hwan was deeply interested in the Girls’ League’s production strategy, to the point of inviting Sungpil’s fans.

However, Jeong Ho-hwan did not completely agree with Seongpil’s ideals.

‘Yoon Sang-yeol has an inferiority complex toward Jeong Ho-hwan.’

That was something that had been clearly revealed in a previous life.

Jeong Ho-hwan did not agree with Yoon Sang-yeol’s methods and repeatedly pushed him to the outskirts, eventually causing him to leave KS Entertainment on his own.

Yoon Sang-yeol hated Jeong Ho-hwan.

‘I think you called him a cultural smuggler… … .’

Jung Ho-hwan said that the reason he was successful was simply because he was born in the right era. The first generation of idols were nothing more than rags made by stealing and embellishing foreign culture.

Seongpil seemed to be infected by Yoon Sangyeol’s calm attitude and spoke calmly, forgetting the excitement he had felt earlier.

“It was a dream, but he said it was wonderful because it was a dream.”

Although the way of expressing it was different, Jeong Ho-hwan had similar thoughts to Yoon Sang-yeol.

From then on, Seongpil defined Jeong Ho-hwan, whom he had admired so much, as a false idol.

They say that pioneers are originally suspected and suffer. Sungpil decided to accept the criticism pouring in from those around him.

Because you are right.

“however.”

Seongpil said, sounding a little tired.

“How long are we going to keep chatting? I want to hear your answer soon. What are you going to do? We’re thinking of making a comeback in early June. What about Globe?”

Even if we meet, neither of us will have fun.

People may be excited about the clash between the new generation of girl groups, but in business terms, it’s more like a handshake.

“We might make concessions.”

Seongpil took a step back.

Yoon Sang-yeol said this with a face that was neither satisfied nor mocking, nor anything else.

“Early June? The Globe is around that time too.”

“How many weeks should we wait?”

“Then let’s go the same way.”

“… … What do you want to do?”

“I will prove it.”

“Are you going to have a fight with the Girls’ League over initial sales?”

Yoon Sang-yeol laughed heartily.

“If we were to fight over initial sales, the Girls’ League would obviously win. You know that album sales aren’t determined by the quality of the album.”

Albums are a unique commodity.

The quality of the album itself tends to determine initial sales. The sales of an album are determined by the performance of the group’s previous albums.

Globe’s last album’s initial sales exceeded 70,000.

The Girls’ League had 120,000 members.

If that’s any indication of next album sales, Girls’ League’s victory is a given.

“Proof is in the music charts.”

“What on earth… … .”

Seongpil felt like all his energy was being sucked out as he watched Yoon Sangyeol’s childish fighting spirit.

Seongpil didn’t even need to ask who he had to prove anything to because he knew why Yoon Sangyeol was acting like this.

‘You’re going to prove it to Director Jeong Ho-hwan, right?’

Yoon Sang-yeol hates Jeong Ho-hwan, but at the same time, he also has feelings of respect for him. They are objects of love and hate.

To Yoon Sang-yeol, Jeong Ho-hwan was both an idol he had to catch up with someday and a false idol he had to bring down from the top.

Yoon Sang-yeol can’t stand Jung Ho-hwan’s high evaluation of the Girls’ League and Sung-pil. So, this time, he planned to pit Globe and the Girls’ League against each other.

“Are you okay?”

It wasn’t a provocation like, “The Girls’ League will win, so is that okay?”

“Success Enter, it’s dangerous. Why would you take this gamble when you can’t even maximize your profits?”

“Gambling is a word used when you cannot predict the outcome.”

“It’s gambling. Do you know what kind of songs we’ll have and what kind of weapons we’ll bring? Gambling is betting on only your cards.”

“If my hand is a full house, it’s like gambling.”

Yoon Sang-yeol called the Globe a full house.

That was something he could say because he believed in Yoon Sang-yeol’s own producing ability. Sung-pil was envious of Yoon Sang-yeol’s confidence.

At the same time, I found him disgusting.

“Globe kids, are you sure they’re being managed properly?”

Yoon Sang-yeol’s confidence comes from pushing Globe members through training that borders on abusive.

Knowing that, I couldn’t look favorably on Yoon Sang-yeol’s confidence.

“I know the kids miss you.”

Yoon Sang-yeol was calm throughout, unlike someone who talks about duels.

Seongpil’s attitude became increasingly unpleasant.

Even though the topic of the Globe situation was brought up, Yoon Sang-yeol didn’t show any signs of agitation. It felt strange, like seeing someone who didn’t bleed when stabbed.

“I also went to see you, Yang So-min and Wise. Personally, I am grateful.”

“what?”

“You help out even when you go out here.”

Seongpil clenched his fist.

Yoon Sang-yeol continues to do such things even though he knows the mental pain that the Globe members are going through.

Even Yang So-min is grateful to Sung-pil for the incident where she couldn’t bear it anymore and ran away for a while. She sincerely thanks him for cooling their heads.

‘What kind of person is this… … .’

When he saw Sungpil’s eyebrows twitching in anger, Yoon Sangyeol said nonchalantly.

“I’m just doing what you were doing. Why are you so angry?”

“… … What I was doing?”

“Catching the kids.”

“I never yelled at kids like you do!”

“Yeah, you backed off a bit.”

Seongpil felt dizzy. It didn’t feel like he was talking to a human being.

“You, how can you do that? You’ve had the experience of being chased by someone and running away, so how can you do that to the Globe kids?”

“That’s right. I ended up leaving KS Entertainment.”

Despite being touched by trauma, Yoon Sang-yeol remained calm.

“But that was because there was no breathing room. Because there was no way to break the situation. If I had stayed like that… … I would have been kicked out to some worthless label under KS Entertainment or something.”

“You do the same thing to the kids! Knowing the pain, you… …!”

“No, there is hope for the kids. I’m just trying to push them to reach that hope.”

“Hope? What, settlement? Money?”

“Hope that you can reach the top. Hope that after going through hard times, there will be reward. It’s different for me.”

Seongpil did not refute him.

Honestly, I’ve always thought Sungpil was strange since he left Success Entertainment. I was really curious as to why Yoon Sangyeol was pushing Globe so hard.

In his previous life, Yoon Sang-yeol was affectionate towards the Globe members, but he was never cold towards them. Rather, the role of pushing them was played by Sung-pil.

So, I thought that Yoon Sang-yeol would be the stand-in for Sung-pil at Success Entertainment after Sung-pil left.

But that wasn’t the case.

Seongpil remained silent, as the reason seemed to be about to be revealed.

“Idols are a thoroughly planned entertainment product. People say that planning is everything. That’s right. That planning starts with finding people, casting, and selecting the debut group. It’s like finding a gem. But it doesn’t end there. There’s more to it than putting a metal frame around a gem and adding decorations. It’s cutting a gem.”

Yoon Sang-yeol went to the computer and turned on iTube. There, he played a video of an idol’s music show performance.

It was a song by the boy group Darkest.

Yoon Sang-yeol watched with rapt eyes the choreography part where Darkest Leader Seo Yu-seon stroked his neck.

“Idols have more than just dancing or singing. They have a life force that radiates so brilliantly that it seems like it can captivate everyone. All idols, no, all people, have it. It’s the power that youth radiates, youth.”

Young men and women have an aura.

It is a dazzling light that runs straight ahead without doubting its own brilliant future.

“But there are fewer humans who can hone that power to its limit than a handful of sand. Do you see?”

Yoon Sang-yeol pointed to Seo Yu-seon on the monitor.

Seo Yu-seon smiled naturally with her eyes slightly opened. Her white teeth shone brightly.

He was a man who was youth itself.

Reveal everything without holding back.

“Can you imagine how much effort Seo Yu-seon had to put in to be able to make this kind of expression, have this kind of gesture, and have this kind of voice? Charm is also a skill. There is a limit to just natural charm.”

The video has ended.

Yoon Sang-yeol spoke, still in a state of ecstasy, as he was bathed in the electronic light shining from the monitor.

“Idols’ performances are based on a proscenium stage (a flat frame stage). They become paintings and are exhibited there. Broadcast choreography is just the most effective way for idols who are trapped in a flat space to be seen, and songs are just advertisements that grab people’s attention. The most important thing is the idol’s own power to keep people’s attention.”

“So… … you’re saying that you’re pushing the kids to be able to use that strength?”

“Every time I saw Seo Yu-seon, I was amazed. How could she shine so brightly on stage, even though she lived in hell every day and was covered in black dregs all over her body? Now I know.”

The reason why Seo Yu-seon and Darkest were the first completed works that Yoon Sang-yeol saw.

“It’s because I’ve had experiences where I’ve been pushed to the limit. It’s because I’ve constantly recognized my own shortcomings and tried to make up for them. I’ve fallen into the myth of immortality, where I don’t acknowledge that I can be destroyed… … That’s youth itself.”

One of the words that expresses the mental state of youth is the ‘myth of immortality’.

It is the height of arrogance to believe that no great misfortune or serious disaster will happen to you.

A way of thinking unique to adolescence, where one believes that one is special and different from others.

That’s why youth can shine so brightly. Because it can run straight ahead without doubting its own light.

That light can be seen by others as well. That is why writers from the East and the West, past and present, have praised youth.

“What made Seo Yu-seon different from others was that Seo Yu-seon truly existed in a myth. She overcame all the hardships that could have destroyed her.”

Seongpil was creeped out.

Yoon Sang-yeol will know how Darkest ended his activities. It can’t be said in vain that it was good.

However, Yoon Sang-yeol was romanticizing the hardships and suffering that Seo Yu-seon and Darkest experienced.

“Most idols give up after their second or third year. They realize that they can never reach the top, so they just do whatever the fans want. They have no sense that they are a work of art. They just say things like, “I like dancing, I like singing, I like idols, I want to keep living like this.”

“stop…….”

“When a person reaches their limit and hears things like, ‘You did well enough,’ ‘You’ve done well, you’re great,’ or ‘You’re precious because you are who you are now,’ that’s the end.”

“Stop it!”

Seongpil shouted.

It was so pitiful that the Globe members were under such a lunatic.

Yoon Sang-yeol would not feel any guilt while abusing Globe.

Yes, Yoon Sang-yeol. You’d better crash and break. Until Success Entertainment goes under. That way, you can bring the Globe kids back as quickly as possible.

Seongpil came to that conclusion and stood up from his seat.

There is no need to be here any longer.

“Go.”

“Do you know what Yang So-min’s dream is?”

Seongpil stopped, flinching. He slowly turned his head towards Yoon Sangyeol.

“The world’s best idol, that’s what they said. When I first heard it, I was dumbfounded. What is the world’s best idol? Anyway, okay. I promised to make it so.”

“… … .”

“We are the one, Globe. The girls who will become the world itself… … . I will achieve that grandiose slogan and dream. You created that slogan, didn’t you?”

Seongpil just looked at him, unable to find the answer.

“Five years from now, I don’t want to see those kids saying, ‘That’s good enough.’ Even if they hate me and resent me, I’m going to see them become the world.”

“That’s… … not for the kids… … .”

“Yes, for me. Because that is my dream. For that, I will make the globe out of diamonds.”

A stone that preserves youth forever.

The king of jewels that neither rusts nor ages.

“The globe must remain youthful forever. It must not be defeated. There comes a moment when youth declares defeat and becomes a common cog in society. The moment when youth, who are convinced that they are immortal and will not die or be destroyed, become just another adult… … . That’s when their ideals are shattered by trivial things. They can’t get a job, they get scolded by their boss, they get dumped, society doesn’t change even after voting, they become adults through such trivial things. It’s funny.”

The globe could do that too.

It didn’t reach number one on the charts.

The album sales seem to have hit the ceiling and are not increasing.

I’m still at a standstill.

At that point, there will inevitably come a day when you lose your desire to rise. Just like any other group.

“That’s because they care about things like public opinion. They look at bubble-like popularity. So I push the Globe with my own personal evaluation. And I give them the joy of success. Those kids are managed like flowers in a garden. They always look at the mirage-like standards that I have set.”

Then one day you can reach the top.

It will have the same light as the Darkest.

Yoon Sang-yeol truly believed that.

“Jung Ho-hwan has given up on this belief, you are talking nonsense, and the other planners have no will to do anything on their own. I will be the only one left among them. My name alone will represent this era.”

Finally, Yoon Sang-yeol’s long speech ended. Seong-pil was able to fully understand his thoughts only at this moment.

I knew that Yoon Sang-yeol wasn’t just harassing the Globe members because he had a bad personality, but I still felt uneasy.

Rather, I hated him more.

He sees humans as nothing more than tools. He is a human who thinks that when a tool is no longer useful, he will be happy even if it rusts and breaks. Humans are not tools in the first place.

“It’s so nice to see you mumbling like this.”

Seongpil said.

“You’re not sure either? Do you even want my approval?”

This time, Yoon Sang-yeol didn’t answer. Like Seong-pil, he probably couldn’t find the words to return the favor.

In the awkward silence, Sungpil brought up the name of a singer.

“Kim Kwang-seok. Do you know him?”

Yoon Sang-yeol was taken aback when the name of the deceased singer-songwriter suddenly came up.

There is probably no one working in the popular music industry who doesn’t know Kim Kwang-seok.

“I like the song ‘Unsent Letter.’ Listen to it.”

Seongpil left the studio, leaving only those words behind.

The story, which lasted about an hour, ended so absurdly. Yoon Sang-yeol did not change his mind in the end. The Girls’ League and Globe will make a comeback at the same time.

Unless one of the two changed their schedule significantly, they would rush into a fight to kill each other, and one of them would be destined to lose.

“… … .”

After Seongpil left, Yoon Sangyeol thought back to what he had last said.

Kim Kwang-seok’s ‘Unsent Letter’. Why did it suddenly come out? Yoon Sang-yeol searched for the song on iTube and listened to it.

And right away I could see why Seongpil had recommended that song.

‘It’s easy to make a flower bloom, but it’s hard to make it beautiful.’

Those lyrics replaced Seongpil’s answer.

In other words, it was a metaphor that Yoon Sang-yeol’s method was wrong.

Yoon Sang-yeol laughed loudly.

‘Is this what it means to be a person working in the music industry? To convey a message in this way… . . . ‘

It’s easy to make flowers bloom.

As he said, Yoon Sang-yeol was opening flower buds that seemed like they would never open. He forcibly pulled them apart to reveal the leaves.

Regarding this, Seongpil says this.

‘It’s difficult to be beautiful.’

Yoon Sang-yeol held back a sneer, then stopped laughing.

It was because I remembered what he had said before my relationship with Jeong Ho-hwan broke down.

‘This method will only make the kids unhappy. What’s the point of ruining these kids, these young, potential kids…?’

Jeong Ho-hwan spoke as if he had suddenly had a change of heart.

What on earth is the man who created Darkest talking about?

At that time, Yoon Sang-yeol felt like hanging onto Jeong Ho-hwan’s trouser leg and begging him not to say something like that.

From that day on, Yoon Sang-yeol’s idol died.

‘All five complained of mental illness. Three of them retired completely because their symptoms were so severe. There was no part of their body below the neck that was not cracked or worn out.’

So what?

‘They were like first-class dancers, the best vocalists, and they remained the icons of eternal youth and the best idols.’

We’ve become a group whose name will be remembered in the history of popular music. Isn’t that more than enough?

‘It’s easy to make a flower bloom, but it’s hard to make it beautiful.’

Yoon Sang-yeol knows too.

So, we are trying to make it beautiful.

For the dream. Yoon Sang-yeol wanted to see the light like Darkest and Seo Yu-seon once again. He would have been happy to live just for that.

There is already a precedent, so this method is correct.

[It’s easy to make flowers bloom]

Kim Kwang-seok’s miserable lyrics.

[It’s difficult to be beautiful.]

It rang in the studio.

* * *

The negotiations failed.

That means that Globe and Girls’ League’s comebacks would be around the same time.

Son Hye-bin couldn’t understand Seong-pil, who was so dead that he said that.

“Can’t we just move back or forward?”

“Yoon Sang-yeol said he’ll make a comeback at the same time as us. It’s not just that our timing overlaps, he’ll make a comeback following us.”

“What? Are you a psycho?”

“I know.”

Seongpil’s mind was not good since he left Success Enter.

I felt as if mud was flowing instead of blood, I had no energy, only negative thoughts were in my head, and small curses kept coming out of my mouth.

‘It’s an album produced by Seol Ha, but if the comeback period overlaps with Globe’s, the performance won’t improve much… ‘

If by some chance the Girls’ League is overtaken by Globe, how frustrated will Baek Seol-ha be?

Seongpil felt tears well up in his eyes just thinking about Baek Seol-ha looking sad.

‘Would the outcome have been different if someone else had gone instead of me?’

I don’t know.

The only consolation was the fact that I didn’t see a future where I would regret it. Perhaps the future where the Girls’ League is defeated because of the Globe won’t happen.

‘But if I’m going to do it anyway… … .’

I hope it never gets stuck with the globe.

“Hey, don’t worry about it.”

Son Hye-bin patted Seong-pil on the back. As if trying to shake off Seong-pil’s depression.

“That bastard Yoon Sang-yeol must be really worried about you. Hey, did our Seong-pil succeed?”

“……success?”

“When you drink, you start to lament. You keep comparing yourself to Yoon Sang-yeol and saying things like, ‘I should have gone to college too.’”

“Why are you saying that… … .”

It was an embarrassing memory.

Most things said while drunk are embarrassing, but that one was especially embarrassing.

Thinking back now, I feel sorry for Son Hye-bin back then. Whenever we met, all I did was bring up the story of Yoon Sang-yeol and complain about my life.

“You used to be jealous of that kid, but now you’re jealous of Yoon Sang-yeol.”

Seongpil smiled slightly so as not to let Son Hye-bin’s comfort go to waste. It wasn’t just because of that, Son Hye-bin’s words were also encouraging.

“I know.”

Yoon Sang-yeol is jealous of himself.

In my previous life, I was in a position where I could never catch up to others. Now, I can compete on equal footing.

“You’re right, sister.”

“Don’t worry Seol-ha. We’re definitely going to make this album a success. Since it’s our first comeback in a year, aren’t the people also grinding their teeth and preparing?”

“Looking at the performance of the Girls’ League concert, it seems like my love hasn’t faded.”

“It’s even more exciting! Tens of thousands of people from all over the world have seen our girls perform! Damn, this is the first time I’ve seen a girl group go on a world tour in just their second year, except for the big agencies.”

Common sense would suggest that the next album will also be a success.

Seongpil regained some of his energy.

“I have to go see Seolha. Where is Seolha?”

“I tried to cheer him up, but he went to see another woman.”

“If you say that, I sound like trash.”

Information: Correct.

“I think Seolha will be in the vocal room?”

“Are you practicing again?”

“Seol-ha is amazing too. It’s just like when I was little.”

“My sister was crazy about dancing.”

“That’s why you were planning to study abroad. You should graduate from college too.”

“What? Are you saying you’re sorry to me? Thank you so much, for giving up studying abroad and staying here.”

“I feel like my gratitude is slowly fading away.”

“Should I give you a kiss or something?”

Son Hye-bin smiled and stuck out her cheek. Seong-pil blew her a kiss and went to find Baek Seol-ha.

Seongpil, standing in front of the vocal room, straightened his posture and cleared his throat.

“Seolhaya.”

After knocking, I opened the door.

Immediately, Seongpil’s body froze and he couldn’t move.

“ah.”

Snow White was shedding tears.

The moment he saw her distorted expression, Seongpil’s head also stopped like his body.

Why are you crying? What could possibly make you cry when you’re alone in your room?

Instead of sheet music, there was a production-related plan on the piano stand where Baek Seol-ha was sitting. There were red lines drawn here and there, as if it had been reviewed several times.

Snow White quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand. But her sobbing did not subside, so she turned her head away from Seongpil.

Seongpil realized that his hand holding the doorknob was shaking. He gripped the doorknob tightly to stop the shaking, and was finally about to enter the vocal room.

“Director Park.”

Jang Ha-yang appeared right next to me.

Seongpil turned his eyes towards her in surprise.

The door was open towards Jang Ha-yang, so she couldn’t see what was going on inside the vocal room.

It was fortunate that Baek Seol-ha, Seong-pil, and Jang Ha-yang didn’t want to show this side of themselves.

“Uh, uh, Hayang. Why?”

“Could you please come for a moment… … .”

“where?”

“This is the practice room.”

“uh…….”

Sungpil tried not to let his eyes roll back to the vocal room. He didn’t want Jang Ha-yang to think that there was a problem inside.

Snow White will be inside, desperately wiping away the tears from her face.

“why?”

When Jang Ha-yang is in trouble, she smiles and speaks as if there is no trouble. But this time, even though she looked troubled, there was no smile.

“Araga… … .”

I cried.

While practicing, I suddenly collapsed on the floor and cried. I cried my heart out.

Saying, ‘I can’t do this anymore, I don’t want to do it anymore’… … .

The members and managers didn’t know what to do in the sudden situation. So I wish Sungpil would come and check out the situation.

That was the story.

“… … .”

Seongpil’s eyes did not tremble.

But my heart was trembling.

Like a compass with magnets on both sides, the arrow of the mind turns and trembles madly.

Which way should I point?

Snow White.

Okay.

At this moment, who should I go to first?