Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 558



Only Noblemtl

Episode 558

A standoff that seemed like it would last forever. The one who broke it was Yoon Sang-yeol.

Yoon Sang-yeol approached Sung-pil. Sung-pil unconsciously tensed up his whole body and his muscles contracted. It felt as if an opponent was approaching him in the ring.

However, Yoon Sang-yeol passed Seong-pil and stood in front of the sink. When Seong-pil looked back, Yoon Sang-yeol was just washing his hands.

“Why are you just standing there?”

Yoon Sang-yeol didn’t look in the mirror.

He lowered his head and looked only at his hands covered in soap bubbles.

Sungpil recalled when he was at Success Entertainment. Yoon Sangyeol was obsessed with washing his hands, so he spent a particularly long time in the bathroom.

In the winter, I used to wash my hands so often that the backs of my hands would crack. Sungpil couldn’t stand it anymore and gave me some hand cream as a gift.

“Do you have anything to say?”

does not exist.

I don’t have a single word to share with him.

Seongpil set a date to meet him again. It was when Garo Enter acquired Success Enter.

I’ve imagined countless times that I would barge into Yoon Sang-yeol’s studio and tell him to leave the room.

That was Seongpil’s decision.

I didn’t have any desire to come here and talk in detail now. I didn’t have any desire to.

“what…….”

Seongpil fiddled with his hands. He wished he had something to touch. His hands felt empty. So he turned his head away from the mirror and crossed his arms.

“Is it worth living?”

Yoon Sang-yeol let out a hollow laugh.

“It’s the same.”

“That’s unexpected.”

“what.”

“You just wanted me to leave. Shouldn’t it be better then? Because one thorn in my eye is gone.”

Only then did Yoon Sang-yeol raise his head.

He looked at Seongpil reflected in the mirror.

“Isn’t that so?”

Yoon Sang-yeol lowered his head again. He was rubbing his left index finger up and down with his right hand.

It was as if he was trying to kill all the bacteria caught between the creases of his fingers.

“you.”

Yoon Sang-yeol’s tone was calm.

“You want me to regret this, don’t you?”

“what?”

“’I’m such a great producer, you can’t help but regret letting me go.’ I want you to regret it like that.”

Yoon Sang-yeol finally started rinsing his hands with water. It was faster than his usual routine.

“You want me to regret, or be embarrassed or ashamed, for opposing your producing rights. The Globes guys are not in a good mood either… … So you’re going to regret it… … .”

Yoon Sang-yeol turned off the faucet.

“Tae-hoon hyung, that might be the case. But I’m not like that. No matter how successful you are when you go out, I don’t feel any regret or shame.”

“I guess so. That would be foolish.”

Seongpil answered with a sigh.

Yeah, what would you expect that guy to say?

Are you worried that they’ll laugh and say something like, “I liked the Girls’ League?”

Yoon Sang-yeol was the person who had the greatest influence in kicking Sung-pil out of Success Entertainment. It would be embarrassing to apologize for what happened back then, but it’s amazing to hear such words in front of you.

“Okay, I understand… … .”

The moment Seongpil finished his conversation and was about to leave him.

“No matter what happens.”

Yoon Sang-yeol raised his voice as if the story wasn’t over yet. His previously calm tone began to waver slightly.

“I don’t regret my choice.”

“what?”

“I wish I had done this, I should have done this back then, those kinds of regrets are only for losers. There is no such thing as ‘should have done’. The moment you decide on something, it becomes fixed in that state. The me of four years ago… … .”

Uncleaned moisture flowed from Yoon Sang-yeol’s hand as he lowered it weakly. The drops of water fell to the floor.

“I wanted you to leave. Whatever the outcome, I don’t think it was wrong. I trust my past self as much as I trust myself. I… … .”

Yoon Sang-yeol looked straight at Seong-pil.

“I don’t regret it.”

His every word and every word was the material of his armor.

The armor of self-consciousness.

Yoon Sang-yeol declared that he had no regrets or remorse for having made Sung-pil leave the company in the past or for allowing him to leave.

The reason I brought that declaration up in front of Seongpil was because he needed armor.

In order to believe in himself, he speaks out his belief. That means that Yoon Sang-yeol’s inner self is wavering.

It is so shaky that it is difficult to sustain without the power of language.

“… … .”

Seongpil nodded in silence.

“Yeah, what’s the point of talking about it for a hundred days? But regret isn’t something that’s in your heart, hyung.”

“what?”

“Isn’t it based on the reactions of those around you? Since you have a strong sense of pride, do you understand the current situation?”

Yoon Sang-yeol’s expression hardened.

“I don’t regret letting me go back then. It was the right choice. That’s not for you to decide. You’ll see where it goes.”

“you…….”

“You can tell on stage whether it was the right choice or not. Oh, yeah, it was the right choice for you, hyung.”

Seongpil had a smile on his face.

“If I had stayed at Success Entertainment, what would my position be like now? If I had only created one group… … .”

A loud cheer broke through the wall again and rained down on the two men.

“I guess it’s the opening stage. I’ll go first.”

Seongpil came out of the bathroom.

Yoon Sang-yeol looked at the place where he had been, then pulled out a paper towel and slowly wiped his hands.

He shut his eyes tightly.

‘You can tell on stage, go… … .’

I guess it’s a hint at the relationship between Globe and the Girls’ League.

Seongpil knew very well what Yoon Sangyeol was most upset about.

Seongpil was basically saying, “Look at where the Globe you produced is now.”

The globe is Yoon Sang-yeol’s artistic soul projected outward, and Yoon Sang-yeol’s self-consciousness revealed to the world.

The Globe cannot afford to lose, and it is not good to be under someone.

because.

‘I have to go back to KS Entertainment.’

I have to become a producer at KS Entertainment again. I have to rise to the position of general producer at KS Entertainment.

That is the final evidence to complete the ontological verification given to the human being named Yoon Sang-yeol.

He is outstanding.

He is a leader in culture.

He is not the type of person to be confined to a small piece of land called Success Enter.

The success of Globe is the stepping stone to a huge success that will surpass all other groups. This is how Yoon Sang-yeol’s ontological proof comes to an end.

You have value… … .

‘no.’

Just, just.

‘The Globe must win.’

I want to take away all the misogyny and just have the globe stand on top.

Yoon Sang-yeol thinks so.

Before I knew it, that was all I was thinking about.

I have only ever imagined the Globe standing on top, not for myself.

We are the one, We are the world, Globe.

The girls who will one day become the world itself.

The Globe is not a projection of Yoon Sang-yeol’s artistic spirit or self-consciousness.

It’s Yoon Sang-yeol himself.

Sungpil left Success Entertainment and created the Girls’ League and became successful? So what?

Seongpil was probably an outsider who had no connection to Globe producing anyway. How could you regret his departure?

There’s just one more group to beat.

‘It’s only been three years.’

Four years from now.

There is plenty of time.

That’s enough… … .

“ha.”

Yoon Sang-yeol put his hand on the wall.

It’s only been 3 years, but it’s so hard.

Before he can top the globe, he feels like he will fall down first.

* * *

This year’s HPT Music Awards were held in three parts.

Not all singers or idols who participate in the awards ceremony are given a stage. So, receiving a stage is an honor in itself.

But among them, there is bound to be a noticeable order.

The most glorious stage order is the opening and closing stages of each section. Six teams are given the privilege of decorating the beginning and the end.

‘Caius is one of them.’

Joara looked back at the cue sheet in her mind.

People may not know which group comes out in which order, but idols on stage obviously know the order.

Caius took charge of the final stage of Part 1.

‘we are…….’

The Girls’ League is the opening stage of the second part.

Last year’s HPT Music Awards was only two parts, but Girls’ League took charge of the first part finale, which caused a lot of talk.

Perhaps concerned about the controversy at the time, this time they expanded it to three parts. In fact, the time for the awards ceremony was also extended.

“Is it time for the Rookie of the Year award now?”

Jang Ha-yang asked.

Part 1 will soon be over, and it will soon be the Rookie of the Year award. Joara was only concerned about the order of the winners, so she was slow to respond.

“Well, I guess so.”

“Who will get it? Last year it was the Globe.”

“Oh, that was really unexpected. I barely managed to get it in less than a year.”

“We were aiming for that too.”

“Right.”

But better than that, the Girls’ League won the main prize.

[Next is the Rookie of the Year award!]

The host shouted excitedly as if he was expecting something.

The Rookie of the Year award is a category that garners a lot of attention even within the K-pop fandom.

Usually, K-pop fans are hungry for groups to be fan of, so they are always waiting for a new group to appear.

Joara was also looking forward to the Rookie of the Year award the most. It’s always fun to see chicks.

[Female Rookie of the Year Award!]

The audience seats, which had been excited until just now, became as quiet as a mouse.

[It’s a ‘nudge’!]

The five ‘Nudge’ members who were waiting in the waiting room were surprised but stood up naturally. They probably expected that they would receive it.

Nutzy walked out onto the stage while regularly greeting the seniors around him.

[Oh, yes… … .]

Leader Yoo Kyung-min took the microphone and began giving his acceptance speech.

Joara called out to Shin Areum, who was sitting one space away.

“Aren’t you close with him?”

“Me? We’re close.”

Yoo Kyung-min is one of the winners of ‘Project For You Season 1’. In other words, he was a member of the group For You.

When For You disbanded, she joined SMS Entertainment and debuted after only a few months of training.

“I just briefly greeted them at the broadcasting station.”

“They talked about it a bit on the program.”

“When did that happen? I don’t know if we’re close, but Kyung-Seop oppa is a fan of hers.”

Min Kyung-seop was secretly a fan of ‘For You’. To be exact, he was a fan of For You’s Yoo Kyung-min. His fandom history naturally led to SMS Enter’s Nudge.

“No, but that guy.”

Jo Ara looked at Yoo Kyung Min on stage as if she was amazed.

“Your face is about to disappear?”

Compared to other members of ‘Nudge’, the ratio is clearly good.

Even though a top-tier actress turned host is standing next to her in a tight dress, she doesn’t feel pushed around at all.

Then suddenly a strange shout of ‘Woohoo!’ was heard from the audience. The Girls’ League members were startled and looked at the audience and then at the scoreboard.

Woo Hyo-min was on the scoreboard. She opened her eyes wide and smiled, then blew a kiss to Yoo Kyung-min on the stage.

Yoo Kyung-min smiled and waved his hand in that direction while giving his acceptance speech.

[Yes, lastly, I would like to thank all the members of SMS Entertainment and the general PD. Most of all, I would like to thank our ‘Soft’.]

Yoo Kyung-min and the members returned to the waiting area with the trophy. They passed by the Girls’ League on the way.

Yoo Kyung-min looked at Shin A-reum. Shin A-reum also looked at her, and their eyes met.

Yoo Kyung-min smiled. Shin A-reum did the same.

“Oh, but they still greet me because we used to eat from the same pot. It’s nice to greet my juniors with their eyes.”

“Yeah… … Right.”

Shin A-reum felt a bit uneasy.

What bothered me was the fact that Yoo Kyung-min was looking this way, no, looking this way.

Yoo Kyung-min seemed determined to see Shin A-reum whenever he passed by here.

Next came the male rookie award. Just like ‘Nudge’, the award went to a group from a major entertainment agency.

“Looking at that… … .”

Rika said gloomily.

“I feel complicated because I think our juniors also got the wrong idea about the Rookie of the Year award… … .”

The groups that receive the Rookie of the Year award are usually groups from major entertainment agencies. That’s because the level of attention they receive is on a whole other level.

The boy group of Garo Enter is also expected to have a bright future, just like Girls’ League, where they will be invited to award ceremonies and just suck their thumbs.

“I don’t think so.”

Baek Seol-ha denied Rika’s words.

“We are here.”

“… … That’s right!”

Rika quickly regained her energy.

“Because the Garo Enter we’re in is invincible!”

The junior group of the Girls’ League will have a better start than the Girls’ League. At least they will avoid becoming an award ceremony applause machine like the Girls’ League did when they first debuted.

That was when.

All the lights on stage went out.

The front and left and right screens were also filled with darkness. Then, the light gradually began to return.

Ginger appeared on the screen.

She wore a leather outfit that revealed her entire body. Music started playing and she started dancing.

The white floor she walked on was sprinkled with red powder. With each step she took, the powder flew up and rippled.

“It’s a beginning.”

The first part of the finale of Caius begins.

Ginger’s dance performance video is an appetizer. The main stage will begin soon.

‘Since it’s the final stage, there’ll be a lot of time. I’ll be able to show two or three songs. If I pay attention to the directing, I can fill it with two songs.’

Doing well on the awards stage doesn’t affect the award. But this is a battle of pride. You can’t fall below others.

‘What kind of stage should I show?’

Chaos? Gaia? Nectar?

This comeback song, ‘IWY’, will definitely be there… … .

The video has ended.

The lights were bright.

Dozens of people were standing on the dark stage. In the center of them were members of KAUS, dressed in black leather like the ginger in the video.

Clothing designed to maximize the body’s lines.

Music is playing.

Joara knows what that is.

‘time.’

This is the most difficult dance performance song that Kairos has ever produced.

* * *

KAUS’ first full-length album ‘Time’ is a work that brought KAUS 200,000 initial sales.

The title song ‘Time’ attracted attention for its performance. It was a dance with a feel that had never been seen before in any girl group.

The military dance, which is performed with such precision that it seems like mechanical devices are meshing together, instantly captures the audience’s attention.

Yoon Sang-yeol stopped watching ‘Time’ midway through because of an inferiority complex after watching it for the first time. Baek Seol-ha, who watched ‘Time’ herself, even shed tears.

All the staff at KS Entertainment also gave favorable reviews.

The legendary performance was back on the awards show stage a year later.

‘It’s probably a layout that was designed with the automata of the Girls’ League in mind.’

Erica thought so.

When I first received the arrangement from the company, I was surprised to see that ‘Time’ was included.

This is because I thought only ‘Nectar’ and ‘IWY’, which were released closest to each other, would be included.

Of course, the choice wasn’t bad. In fact, Erica was even happy that ‘Time’ was chosen.

And Ginger liked this song the most.

‘All K-pop fans are watching the awards ceremony.’

‘Time’ is the best weapon to fight against the Girls’ League’s ‘Automata’.

The highlight performance has begun.

A one-minute dance break that will forever be remembered in K-pop history. The members of KARA perform the same moves without a single error.

Their path moves slowly from the right end to the left end for one minute.

Following Caius’s ecstatic steps, the audience’s eyes also slowly move from right to left. Their gazes resemble those of an audience admiring a fresco that fills an entire wall of a cathedral.

The eyes are forced to scan the picture, gripped by a sense of reverence and awe.

‘Time’ is over.

The lights went out.

The members of KARA quickly went backstage and changed their costumes. Next up is their comeback song, ‘IWY (I Want You)’.

In just one minute, Caius was back on stage.

The lights come on.

The music is playing.

The audience cheers.

The cheers were so huge. Incomparable to when ‘Time’ came out earlier… … .

‘ah.’

Erica groaned inwardly.

* * *

The audience cheers.

The cheers were so huge, just like when ‘IWY’, which Caius had performed on the final stage of Part 1, came out.

Erica sat in the waiting area and stared blankly at the stage. Five girls were on stage.

Part 2 opening stage.

The Girls’ League’s comeback song ‘Automata’ is playing.

The cheers and shouts were incomparable to ‘Time’. Even ‘Nectar’ wasn’t enough to compare, so I had to bring ‘IWY’.

Erica looked at the ‘automata’ as if she was possessed. The same feeling she had when she first saw the automata spread from her heart to every blood vessel in her body.

Erica closed her eyes tightly.

‘Yeah, that’s why I felt defeated… … .’

This was because Caius did not have a performance that could surpass ‘Automata’.

‘Time’ failed to move people’s hearts. The beautiful and elaborate mechanical device only inspired a sense of wonder.

‘Ginger.’

Erica grabbed Ginger’s hand, who was sitting next to her. Ginger’s hand was shaking.

‘we are…….’

* * *

[Best Performance Group, Women’s Category]

The host looked at the cue sheet, smiled, and shouted.

Joara’s eyes lit up when she heard the winner’s name. Her eyes widened.

and.

“Ewww!”

Joara jumped up and screamed for everyone to hear. She raised her clenched fists high into the air several times as she let out a long, drawn-out scream.

Ginger, who was sitting next to the Girls’ League and waiting for Caius, slowly lowered her head. She couldn’t laugh and applaud the Girls’ League like the idols around her.

Ginger loves to dance. She loves to dance. So she doesn’t want to lose in dancing.

‘Time’ was the best move she had.

however…….

“Ginger.”

Erica put her arm around Ginger’s shoulders, and gave her strength to straighten her back.

Ginger had to force herself to watch the stage.

The backs of the Girls’ League members walking onto the stage are visible. Only Jo Ara’s back, bathed in light, is visible.

“Clap your hands. The cameras will be on us.”

Yeah, I’ll definitely take a picture.

The Girls’ League, known as Caius’s rivals, are going up on stage after receiving the award. You’ll want to film Caius’s reaction.

“… … .”

Ginger clapped her hands, clenching her molars.

The host shouted again.

[The best performing girl group of the year is Girls’ League, and their song is ‘Automata’!]

* * *

KS Enter building.

One of the break rooms.

The management team and production team in charge of KARA gathered to watch the awards ceremony.

[The best performing girl group of the year is Girls’ League, and their song is ‘Automata’!]

Senior Producer Kang Dong-hyun covered his eyes with his palms. Then he rubbed them.

“The album ‘Taste the Nectar’ is… … .”

He bit his lips hard.

“It shouldn’t be buried like this… … .”

‘Taste the Nectar’ and its title track ‘Nectar’ released this year should not disappear like this.

It doesn’t work, it seems to disappear.

‘If Nectar could win an award, it would be in the Best Performance category. But.’

It was taken away.

‘Nectar’, which was the pinnacle of Caius artistry, is thus buried in history.

Defeated by the Girls’ League, she disappears without leaving any traces.

* * *

The host passed the microphone to the leader, Baek Seol-ha. Baek Seol-ha gave it to Jo Ara.

Joara was embarrassed when she received the microphone and kept asking, “Me? Me?” Baek Seol-ha nodded and pushed her forward.

Joara went to the front of the stage.

Tens of thousands of spectators were visible. All of the spectators were looking at Joara’s mouth.

There are no suspicious eyes like there were at last year’s awards ceremony. Everyone thinks it is natural for Girls’ League and Jo Ara to come up on stage to receive an award.

It felt like a lightning bolt had struck Joara’s spine. The lightning spread along her nerves, bringing intense pleasure.

Joara raised the corners of her mouth, filled with joy.

“I…….”

The smile quickly disappeared.

Joara stuttered.

“Thank you, people… … .”

Thank you for letting me stand here.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try.

* * *

Garo Enter CEO’s Office.

Hong Gyu-heon, who was watching television, roughly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. Then he picked up the champagne that was on the table and took a strong sip.

[Thank you… … .]

Executives at Garo Enter shouted in joy. Champagne flowed from the sky like Joara’s tears.

Her tears tasted of joy.

It’s been 3 years since the debut of Girls’ League.

Winner of Performance of the Year Award.

Wow, this is the award he got by beating out Caius.