Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 536



Only Noblemtl

Episode 536

KS Entertainment Senior Producer Kang Dong-hyun.

Ahead of the impending comeback of Caius, he was feeling uneasy.

“Why is he so dead?”

Team leader 1 came over and put coffee on his table. He looked around the workroom as he did so.

Kang Dong-hyun’s studio was the complete opposite of Jeong Ho-hwan’s.

It means a mess.

In that mess, Kang Dong-hyun was sitting with his head held high, looking like he had all the worries in the world on his shoulders.

“Is it because the team’s response wasn’t good?”

This time, Kaius makes a comeback with a single album.

I had to compete with just one song. But the production staff’s response wasn’t good.

The theme of this comeback song was love.

If it was just love, the reaction wouldn’t have been this bad.

‘This kind of teen pop doesn’t suit Kaius!’

‘Isn’t this too sudden a concept change?’

‘This isn’t the Caius I knew!’

‘Caius isn’t this soft!’

‘What is the concept you have built up so far?’

The theme of the comeback song is not just love, but a soft and sweet and sour love.

An expression of affection towards a loved one… … .

It’s a theme that’s too sweet for Caius, who has only shown strong vibes so far.

“Hey, don’t worry about that.”

Team leader patted Kang Dong-hyun on the shoulder and comforted him.

“At least Director Jeong Ho-hwan, Director Yoon Hee-yeon, half of the team members, and the KAIST kids like it.”

The topic of love came out of the mouths of the members of KAIST.

“There are quite a few people who support me. So… … .”

“No, that’s not why.”

“then?”

“Lyrics… … .”

Jin So-yu’s name is listed in the lyrics credits of the comeback song. And Kang Dong-hyun was very concerned about that.

“I, I feel like I’m being scammed… … .”

“Actually, it’s a scam.”

“right?!”

A song with the common title ‘I Want You’.

The lyrics of that song were born in this format.

First, Jin So-yu and lyricist Kang Dong-hyun sit next to each other. Jin So-yu writes the lyrics.

[A direct hit to my meticulous heart★

You’re so pretty you steal my eyes (wink)

I want to keep you in my hands♥♥♥]

I don’t know why they added hearts and stars.

When Jin So-yu writes lyrics, the lyricist and Kang Dong-hyun secretly give her hints.

How about this? How about that? Wouldn’t this word be better? Wouldn’t this fit better?

“And Soyou, isn’t it a bit weird to say ‘You’re so pretty’ to a guy?”

“How can you determine that he is a man?”

“uh?”

“And are you being sexist? Are you saying that men can’t be pretty?”

“No, no! That’s just the general impression! Ugh, instead of ‘pretty,’ how about ‘cool’?”

When criticism comes in like this, Jin So-yu groans and writes it down, saying, “Hmm, I don’t like it.”

It’s like covering your eyes and pretending not to know.

[You are so stylish that you catch my eye.

Lead my eyes and take me wherever]

In this way, the original almost disappears in the end.

When you finish the lyrics like this, people applaud as if they had finished it.

Wow, you’re awesome! You wrote the lyrics! Alright, let’s put your name in the credits!

“This is just a scam aaaaaaaaaa!”

“There’s nothing I can do… … .”

After the Erica mixtape incident, Team Leader 1 and Kang Dong-hyun started working on a project.

It is to revive Kaiser’s artistry. To be precise, it is to give Kaiser a story of growth as an artist.

That’s why the theme of ‘IWY (I Want You)’ was also about the love that the members of KARA requested. And going a little further, Jin So-yu participated in writing the lyrics.

No, I made it look like I was involved.

“It feels like there’s an awl stuck in my heart… … .”

Kang Dong-hyun chewed his fingernails anxiously.

“T, this isn’t what I wanted… … .”

“Hey, did you even credit it as written entirely by Soyou? Your name is at the very end of the lyricist credits. Main lyricist 1, lyricist 2, and Soyou. Didn’t Soyou contribute at all? The basic ideas all came from Soyou’s head.”

“Well, but we helped you… … . Isn’t it no different from writing the test for you… … ?”

“Don’t overthink it. Think of it as helping you take your first steps. It’s practice for Caius to fly higher.”

The incident of Erica running away was known to ‘Youth’. This gave them the opportunity to show their artistic spirit and artistry to their fans and the public.

At that time, Team Leader 1 insisted that we use this as an opportunity to give Caius a growth narrative. That’s why I’m working on the project with Kang Dong-hyun.

“This is the first step.”

“……huh.”

Despite the consolation of Team Leader 1, Kang Dong-hyun was unable to regain his spirits. So he went to see his spiritual mentor, Jeong Ho-hwan.

When I entered the office, there was a team leader from the production department. Judging from the atmosphere, it didn’t seem like there was any good talk going on.

When Kang Dong-hyun came in, the team leader bowed his head to Jeong Ho-hwan and left the office.

As Kang Dong-hyun stepped away from the door, the team leader passed by, glaring at him.

‘Again… … .’

Even though the comeback is imminent, there are those who voice their opposition. In a way, they are loyalists. They are the ones who can say no to things that are not true even if a knife is put to their throat.

Kang Dong-hyun stood in front of Jeong Ho-hwan, feeling faint and timid for no reason.

“ha.”

Jung Ho-hwan messed up his own hair that had been nicely styled. Then he looked at Kang Dong-hyun and smiled warmly.

“Do you have any objections?”

“Oh, no. That’s… … .”

Kang Dong-hyun was unable to say anything. Jeong Ho-hwan offered him a drink with his usual smile.

“Is ‘IWY’ an irrational number?”

“yes?”

“The reviews aren’t good.”

‘IWY’ could destroy the image that Kaius has built up all at once.

A typical teen pop song about youth and love.

Of course, Director Yoon Hee-yeon’s wit prevented it from becoming too common. Unlike the song, it was visually differentiated.

Even so, the basic theme does not change.

A bittersweet love story, it feels like this.

“As you know, this song was originally supposed to be the title song of KAIST. I scrapped it. It ended up being a song that only Ginger occasionally sings as a practice song. Have you heard? I heard that Director Park Sung-pil cried when he heard Ginger sing this song.”

“Director Park Sung-pil… … Are you talking about the person who kidnapped Erica?”

“Why did my memory change like that?”

Kang Dong-hyun felt relieved when Jeong Ho-hwan laughed heartily. The joke had worked.

“It was touching. There was someone who saw the value of this song. There was someone who saw the value that I had seen, and the value that I had lost myself. But the original concept of ‘IWY’ wasn’t love. If I had to put it into words, it was rebellion.”

“Rebellion?”

“Towards adults… … You know? I’m the best. You don’t know me. I am me. These days, it’s a common lyric and concept, but back then, it was kind of refreshing. Yeah… … .”

These are the things that the Girls’ League has put forward as its main strengths.

“It’s not cute or pretty, but strong and admirable… … . And somehow that came to be love.”

“Isn’t that the fun of creation?”

“Love, youth, cheerful, rhythmic, simple and addictive melody. Common concepts with nothing new. Yes, I chose popularity.”

“… … .”

“I abandoned the unique color that Caius had built up and chose love, the eternal theme of mankind from the East and the West. Someone said it was vulgar. However, I will capture the public’s heart with that vulgar song.”

Choose popularity.

That would mean going against the times.

The huge success of KS Entertainment proves that the era of popularity is over. Everyone at KS Entertainment knows it.

“The very word ‘popularity’ has become an illusion. So much has changed in just one or two years.”

The cultural influence that was dominated by legacy media, represented by television, was shattered by technological advancements. It was shattered and scattered all over the world.

People don’t watch television anymore.

Cultural influence is in the hands of each individual human being, in their smartphone. How can popularity exist in this fragmented culture?

“K-pop didn’t grow by gaining popularity. The market has just become so huge. So, just by getting a response within that market, you can achieve unprecedented success. Like before, there are hardly any idols known by the entire nation.”

So targeting the masses has become a foolish thing. I can’t even explain what targeting the masses means.

I made a song targeting the general public. So, how do I get the general public to listen to it?

Is it okay to broadcast it on TV a lot? People don’t watch TV.

Is it okay to place an advertisement on a famous music chart? There are more than 10 music apps and sites.

Want to appear on a popular iTube channel? There are hundreds or thousands of such channels.

“The times have changed. Caius has proven the times. You don’t need to know everything. You can succeed if you know everything. The definition of success has changed.”

Technological advancements have confined humans to their own rooms.

Since algorithms only recommend what a person is interested in, people have significantly fewer opportunities to learn about other people’s interests.

Integrated cultural outlets such as television have disappeared.

So, there is no need to necessarily appeal to the general public. Just make songs that are only for your specific fans.

People who aren’t interested in the first place will be trapped in their own algorithm forever and won’t even look at idols.

Kang Dong-hyun spoke lightly as if trying to change the mood.

“Now that we’ve focused on popularity, how about putting some effort into advertising it? Spreading it everywhere!”

“Are you saying this for people who just want to listen to the song once? Stop it.”

“… … .”

“One of the biggest labels in the US is said to spend a huge amount of money on promotion, that is, getting the songs of its musicians on the radio. It is said to be around 500 billion won.”

“500 billion… … What… … Just the advertising expenses… … Can we recover them?”

“The US is a huge market. They can probably recover about 500 billion won. That company is forcing its popularity. It’s spending a lot of money. Being famous in the US means being famous in the world, so it makes sense to spend money. But we can’t do that. We don’t have that kind of money.”

“but…….”

Kang Dong-hyun noticed something strange.

By any chance, what Jung Ho-hwan keeps saying is… … .

“What do you think?”

A shadow fell over Jeong Ho-hwan’s face.

“These are the words I hear every day.”

“… … .”

“Be honest with me. Do I look like an idiot?”

Kang Dong-hyun’s expression hardened.

Jung Ho-hwan asked his idol to answer honestly. That’s why he answered honestly.

“No. The path that Director Jeong Ho-hwan has chosen is the path that K-pop will take. It has been that way up until now, and it will be that way in the future.”

Jeong Ho-hwan just smiled.

“I see… … .”

Which idol shook the nation, even such common phrases disappeared.

Memorizing the names of idol members from people’s mouths has become a meaningless task.

In an age where popularity has become a shallow joke.

A man is chasing a lost dream.

Three days until Kaius’ comeback.

* * *

‘How is the schedule organized like this?’

Seongpil was very busy today.

Check out the vocal version of Baekseolha’s ‘Automata’ guide.

Check out the choreography draft for ‘Automata’.

Check out the ‘Automata’ costume concept.

‘These are important tasks that I can’t handle even if I take them out one by one, but they overlap in one day.’

really…….

‘My blood is boiling, I can’t stand it.’

Seongpil arrived at work as if he was flying and settled into his office. He waited and waited for the morning meeting to end and for the real work to begin.

“Director Park, are you feeling unwell?”

When Hong Gyu-heon asked worriedly, Seong-pil raised his head like a meerkat.

“No! It’s okay!”

“Okay. Don’t push yourself too hard. Well, then, let’s just say that this is about it for the weekly meeting… .”

“president.”

The Korean people blocked the declaration of the end of the assembly.

Seongpil, who looked like a student about to hear the lunch bell ring, sat down again to eat mustard while crying.

“What are you going to do for the company outing this year? We were planning to go after our activities in Japan, but it got postponed a lot, didn’t it?”

“Didn’t the PR team say that a few weeks ago? Since the schedule is so hectic, let’s just give it a bonus this time.”

“ah…….”

Han Gu-in looked through the abbreviated minutes of the previous meeting. Sure enough, such content was written there.

“Director Han, that’s surprising. Were you looking forward to the company outing? Well, you broke the legend at the last company outing.”

“Oh, Mr. Son, please forget about that… … .”

Han Gu-in dived into the river to become the winner of the treasure hunt. The story of his life being saved thanks to Rika is still talked about within the company.

“I don’t want to go. Ms. Rika keeps talking to me. I know this isn’t the right topic to bring up, but she keeps nagging me… … .”

“Well, that’s difficult.”

Hong Gyu-heon clicked his pen.

Even if we just focus on the comeback work of the Girls’ League, there is not enough time. We do not have the luxury of spending 2 days and 1 night on a company outing.

The Horizontal Enter rule stipulates that if employees do not attend the company outing, the cost will be paid to them as a bonus.

I think the employees would like that better too… … .

“Team Leader Min, how about sending the kids on a trip when you have some free time? As soon as possible.”

“Should I? Rika said she wanted to go to a private resort. Should I look into it?”

“Well, they choose expensive places. Well, I guess it’s okay.”

Hong Gyu-heon has been thinking about what gifts to give to the members recently.

Aren’t they the lucky ones who put Garo Enter on a rock? I wanted to give them a gift even though there was no particular reason, and the opportunity came.

“Let’s make everything the best.”

“As expected, boss, you are very generous.”

“That’s right. Well, let’s give gifts to our hard-working executives as well. Is there anyone else who wants to go?”

“Is it a weekday?”

“Mr. Park!”

Hong Gyu-heon raised his hand toward the disloyal Min Gyeong-seop. Min Gyeong-seop pretended to be scared and pulled away.

“Of course it’s a holiday. Are you planning on enjoying that luxury without having to work?”

“Then I’ll take it in money, hehe.”

Min Kyung-seop, you can see right through me!

Han Gu-in looked slightly disappointed.

“How about Director Son and Director Han?”

“I’m fine.”

Han Gu-in answered with a haggard look.

As the horizontal enter grew, it gradually reached a point where even his superhuman abilities could not handle the work.

It seemed like it was time to expand the finance team.

‘A director once said that. It’s better not to increase manpower, or employees, arbitrarily until one person faints… ‘

A Korean who got caught in that trap.

It’s really so pitiful.

“And I can’t swim either.”

“Who goes to a resort just for swimming? Here, here, I’ll go!”

Son Hye-bin willingly accepted Hong Gyu-heon’s gift. Then, like a daughter who is throwing tantrums, she grabbed Seong-pil’s arm.

“Seongpil, you should go too.”

“Me? I… … .”

This is the period of Caius activity… … .

If I have a day off, I want to do some community and Twitter activities. I’m already excited about how much fun it will be.

Even if you go to a resort, you won’t just be holding onto your smart pad. Plus, since Globe’s comeback is around the same time, the fun is doubled.

‘No, that’s not it… … .’

Sungpil’s feelings for Kaius have now cooled. He doesn’t know how many times he’s thought about it, but now he really feels like his feelings have cooled.

‘still…….’

Seongpil barely managed to revive her artistry by doing things that were tantamount to stalking her.

I don’t know if it’s because of that, but the title song of this album is said to be Sungpil’s favorite song from his past life.

Sungpil knew that fact before Ginger spoiled it. It was because the main melody was included in the teaser video for KARS’ comeback.

‘The lyrics and concept will all change, but the song itself will remain.’

Maybe, I’ll fall in love with Caius again… … .

“If Director Park goes, I will go too.”

Suddenly, Han Gu-in spoke.

Seongpil was puzzled.

“Why do you say you’ll go if I go?”

“Huh? Oh, no… … .”

Han Gu-in spoke quietly, looking around.

“I said I wouldn’t go because I thought I would be lonely if I was alone… … .”

“Oh, I understand that.”

Min Kyung-seop nodded his head.

“It’s difficult. I feel like I have to cook the meat myself, carry all the luggage myself, and when I go out to play, I feel self-conscious… … It’s like I’m going to work instead of going out to play… … .”

“I’m worried about things like what to carry when going to the resort.”

Hong Gyu-heon, who said that, was actually worried, ‘If only women go, who will grill the meat?’

Hong Gyu-heon himself, of course, had never properly cooked meat before. And it seemed like Son Hye-bin and the members had no such experience either.

In the end, I was secretly worried that the barbecue party would turn into a burnt meat party.

“So, Director Park, are you going?”

“I… … uh… … .”

Han Gu-in looked at Seong-pil with sparkling eyes. Seong-pil answered.

“I don’t want to go.”

“Sonna (that kind of)… … .”

“The boss is here. Why worry about being left alone?”

“Boss, would you like to play with me?”

“Don’t use that tone of voice, because I really want to kill you.”

“Eek… … .”

Han Gu-in and Hong Gyu-heon are long-time friends.

Hong Gyu-heon and Han Gu-in are long-time friends.

friend.

So, if you go to a resort, the two of you will have fun together… … .

‘… … .’

… … .

“Uh, um, can I think about it?”

“Director Park, are you coming?”

“Let me think about it. I often work on weekends. I’ll decide after looking at the situation.”

“What? It looks like we’re not working.”

That concludes the discussion about gifts to be given to the Girls’ League and its executives.

Min Kyung-seop, who decided not to attend, decided to receive the resort fee in cash as a wedding congratulatory gift. Min Kyung-seop left the conference room cheering.

Hong Gyu-heon sighed.

“I guess getting paid is more enjoyable than playing with your boss… … .”

Information: Of course.

* * *

‘Automata’ choreography draft completed.

As Sungpil entered the practice room, the choreographers greeted him politely. It was natural for them to be humble since someone was there to judge the work they had created.

‘It took longer than I thought.’

First, the choreographer creates a draft and later combines them. This method, advocated by Seo Yu-seon, has the advantage of being fast.

Although the time limit was set at around 10 days, the actual choreography production took almost 3 weeks.

‘I didn’t think it would be easy in the first place.’

There are less than two months left until the scheduled comeback.

Time is quite tight.

‘If this finished version is not plausible, I have no choice but to reject it.’

I hope that such a situation will not arise.

At the time of their debut, the Girls’ League spent about three months practicing choreography.

After that, it gradually decreased, and by the time I reached ‘Apple Crush’, I was able to master it in just one or two months.

‘This is proof that everyone has grown up.’

However, ‘Automata’ is different from the other songs. As a song that focuses on dance, it will be much more difficult than the choreography that the Girls’ League has done so far.

‘There are less than two months left. Will our children be able to master it in that time?’

The only consolation is that the vocal difficulty is not high.

Seongpil sat down on his chair with mixed feelings. Then he looked around at the choreographers… … .

“Araya?”

There was Joara in the middle.

She was wearing a black tracksuit like the choreographers to create a sense of unity.

Even Heo Su-in, a traditional Korean dancer who wears a modified hanbok every day, wore a training suit, making their uniformity stand out even more.

“Why are you in there? Are you cosplaying as a choreographer? How much do you want to be a choreographer…?”

“I’ll dance with you too, Si-an?!”

“okay?”

“I didn’t just come here for fun. I danced with them every time the choreography was completed. Of course, Si-an can dance with them too.”

“Oh, I see.”

Seongpil was relieved.

If Joara had mastered the blueprint in advance, it would have been much easier to prepare for the comeback.

“Then shall we take a look?”

Joara and the choreographers took their places.

Seven people prepared to dance.

Originally, ‘Automata’ was produced as a choreography for 13 people. However, since 7 is an odd number like 13, it is possible to imitate it by giving up the size of the corps de ballet.

Joara took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then, as soon as the demo version of ‘Automata’ started playing, she opened her eyes wide.

“Look carefully.”

this.

“This is the dance that swept all the performance awards of the year.”

Joara danced with all her might.

He didn’t spare any of his energy.

I controlled all my body’s movements with my head, excluding my instincts.

The body moving according to the set choreography felt extremely heavy. However, at some point, the weight of the body began to disappear.

A body that has become completely accustomed to dancing eventually surrenders to the dance and flourishes in freedom.

The feeling of dance and body becoming one.

‘Sir, can you see it?’

Jo Ara didn’t care about Seongpil’s gaze.

Because I was putting all my energy into dancing and didn’t even have the energy to care.

‘I’m dancing so painfully.’

Only to reach Seongpil’s ideal.

She throws away her joy and plunges into pain. Ecstatic about the oneness that can only be felt in that pain, she waits for the answer.

The only compensation for this suffering.

“Haa, haa, uncle… … .”

Joara, who finished dancing, asks without even wiping off the sweat.

“How about it? 100 points?”

The choreographers burst into laughter at Jo Ara’s childish speech. But they were also waiting for Sungpil’s answer.

Is it 100 points?

It has to be 100 points.

Because we made it!

“Isn’t it a little lacking?”

silence.

An eerie silence.

A silence that you want to break, but at the same time don’t want to break.

Joara barely managed to get her voice out, her lips trembling.

“……yes?”

100 points… no?

Girls’ League, about two months until comeback.