Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 559



Only Noblemtl

Episode 559

The audience was filled with laughter, cheers, and commotion. The words exchanged were varied, but everyone’s eyes were focused on one place.

It was Jo Ara who appeared on the screen.

Joara, who was holding the microphone, stopped talking and wiped her eyes.

Her face was unusually white due to the makeup and lighting. The area around her eyes was particularly red.

She frowned like a baby holding back tears and tried not to show them.

[I am…….]

Finally, Joara opened her mouth.

Seongpil stood in the middle of the audience, in the same position as the other audience members, and looked only at her, just like the other audience members.

However, Seongpil’s impression was different from that of other audience members.

Seongpil saw many faces superimposed on Jo Ara on the screen. From Jo Ara when she was 18 to now when she is 22, everything passed by quickly like a panorama.

[We received this award thanks to the fans who loved us… … .]

What should I say about Joara when I first met her? She was surprisingly bad-tempered.

The sight of one’s head being raised stiffly without any sign of weakness towards an adult.

The way he never looked away, as if to say, ‘I did nothing wrong.’

The way he tenaciously clung to practice, saying, “You’ll regret it later.”

And then, when he actually became an official trainee, he looked so happy and excited.

[Thank you, Soviet Union, no, Girls’ League members, for believing in me, thank you very much, yes, it’s all thanks to the members… ]

After the fan meeting, Ara smiled lovingly and said, “I’m glad I became an idol.”

Ara, who was obsessed with dancing but was a bit mature, gave up her own desires for the team.

Ara shed tears of resentment as she said that she wanted to defeat Caius.

[Thanks to everyone in the performance directing team and choreographers who created such great choreography… … .]

Ara had excitedly declared that she would take on the next producing job.

Ara, who trembled with fear and anxiety, did not hesitate to take a step forward.

Ara, who said she had everything planned out, would always ask Seongpil if everything was okay.

[Thanks to everyone at Garo Enter, and… … .]

Ara, who used to threaten her parents, saying, “I don’t want to succeed at something I don’t want to do.”

[mister.]

He is now on stage at the biggest music awards ceremony in Korea. He is on stage, holding a trophy in one hand, and giving his acceptance speech.

[Oh, no.]

Jo Ara, who had been frowning while holding back tears, finally showed something resembling a smile.

[Not Mr. Ajusshi, but Director Park Sungpil… … .]

“huh.”

Seongpil answered her call even though he knew she wouldn’t hear him.

“Our Ara… … .”

Emotion wells up from the inside of my stomach.

It’s overwhelming.

Vision becomes blurry.

There is a star that shines brighter than the stage lights. It is so bright that you can only see her and them.

[no.]

Joara smiled brightly, revealing her playfulness that could not be hidden, as if tears were no longer a problem.

[Mister! Doctor! Sister Gyu-heon! I told you I would make you sit on a pile of money!]

Joara shouted and lifted the trophy in a flash.

[I told you I would make it a success!]

There was chaos in the idol section when they heard Korean.

Some people threw off their pretense and laughed, clapping their hands roughly, while others held their stomachs and groaned.

Some people forced a smile as if to say, ‘Is this okay?’ and some whispered and then burst out laughing.

Someone else cheered, twirling his raised fist. And someone else raised the corners of his mouth in a kind way, as if he were very proud.

[So, um. Are you all proud?]

What’s the point of talking?

Although Joara couldn’t see it, Sungpil nodded. His hazy vision slowly shook up and down.

[We are the ones receiving this award, but this award is not ours. I think it is an award we received together with everyone who supported and helped us. It is not just ours, so please celebrate it together. I am not sure if my feelings will be conveyed well because it is such a common expression.]

Joara bowed deeply.

[Thank you all, really.]

As soon as the acceptance speech was over, applause swept through the empty space. A thrill ran through Seongpil’s entire body.

Each and every applause struck Sungpil’s every word like lightning.

All these people are congratulating the Girls’ League. Towards the idol produced by Sungpil.

“ah…….”

Seongpil let out a faint groan.

He is a lonely person. It is not because of human relationships. He is lonely because he cannot convey all the imaginations in his head to others.

The loneliness felt because one cannot fully share one’s own beauty with others.

Picasso painted tens of thousands of paintings before he died. Mozart wrote countless pieces of music before he died. Tony Bennett sang until he died.

It must be because of that kind of loneliness.

Perhaps it is because there are things that cannot be conveyed to others without pictures, music, or songs.

The only way to the world that Sungpil is given is through idols. It’s the Girls’ League. The Girls’ League is everything to Sungpil. Everything about Sungpil depends on the Girls’ League.

The Girls’ League is Seongpil’s way of facing the world. Seongpil shows the Girls’ League to the world and asks:

‘How is it, isn’t it beautiful?’

And the world answers.

‘huh.’

Seongpil, locked in his own room and cut off from the outside world, finally drinks the sweet wine flowing in from the outside world.

It is only at that moment that one realizes that the world and oneself are one.

The praise given to the Girls’ League flows directly to Seongpil.

It’s as if I’ve bitten into the skin of the fruit called humanity. It’s a throbbing, intense feeling of excitement, as if I’m feeling every emotion a human being can feel.

‘I am…….’

Alive.

The cheers of tens of thousands of people make life real.

Having lost his entire family and the ties of blood, he must connect with others in this way.

That’s why Sungpil will always live in the shadow of an idol. He’d be willing to die if it meant standing behind the Girls’ League.

* * *

When people talk about the grand prize at popular music award ceremonies, they usually refer to these three.

Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year.

However, objects of this structure have faced many criticisms since ancient times.

The artist of the year would naturally have created the album of the year, and wouldn’t that album contain the song of the year?

That is, the opinion is that the target should be unified into one. It makes sense. However, no award ceremony has been able to easily unify the target into one.

This is because the organizers consider that each song, each album, each person or each group has a different personality.

Besides, if you leave just one target alone, it’s too easy to cause trouble.

for example.

‘Who among us has sold millions of albums?’

or not.

‘Our so-and-so’s so-and-so song has been in the top 10 of the charts for several months?’

Or.

‘Which of us has the highest revenue from combined music and album sales?’

In this way, any kind of controversy can be brought up.

That’s why the grand prize for a popular music awards ceremony is bound to be split into many parts like Dragon Ball.

If not, there would have been marks left by fire bombs on the exterior walls of the host building long ago.

“What will happen to the targets?”

Part 2 is coming to an end.

The announcement of the target upgrades is concentrated in Part 3.

“Caius too… will you accept it?”

Snow White asked while looking at Joara’s expression.

Joara, who had been very happy until just now because she had defeated Caius, would quickly become gloomy if Caius were to receive the promotion.

The ‘Performance of the Year’ award is only available to idols.

The competition for best singer, best album, and best song is much wider, as it includes solo artists as well.

If Caius wins one of these three, it’s objectively Caius’s win. Then… … .

“Oh, take it.”

Joara said with a hearty laugh.

“I just have to win through dance. We can win through dance.”

Joara raised her index finger.

“The Girls’ League is number one.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Snow White looked slightly sullen. Only then did Jo Ara realize her mistake.

The Girls’ League won the award for ‘Automata’, which Joara was the main producer for. What about ‘Apple Crush’?

Baek Seol-ha ends the year on a sad note, not having received a single award for the album she produced.

“No, what… … .”

Joara thought about the awards that ‘Apple Crush’ could receive.

If I had to think about it, it would be ‘Song of the Year’, but that’s unlikely.

‘Apple Crush’ did well on the charts, but never reached number one.

It was because the ballad monster that had reigned over the Korean ballad scene for a long time made a comeback at that time. It was a time when the karaoke rooms and streets of Korea were filled with that song and ‘Apple Crush’.

Moreover, when compared to the entire year, the ‘Apple Crush’ is…

“Keiras will get ‘Song of the Year’.”

Jang Ha-yang said. Her tone was calm.

“It’s been #1 on the monthly charts for 3 months in a row. There’s no song that can compare to it this year.”

Joara couldn’t confidently say, “I’ll take it,” this time either. She was worried about Baek Seol-ha.

‘If I were your older sister… … .’

I would have been very depressed if I hadn’t won any awards for the songs on the album I produced.

The awards ceremony isn’t over yet. It’s no use comforting Baek Seol-ha now.

That was when.

[Best song of the year from ‘Clark’, Girls’ League ‘Uparupa’!]

“Huh?”

The name of the Girls’ League was called from a completely unexpected place. Baek Seol-ha looked up at the stage, making a dumbfounded sound.

Snow White’s dumbfounded face was captured on the screen.

“Huh?”

“Sister, I have to go out quickly.”

“Uh, huh?”

Snow White was quickly taken up onto the stage by the other members. As they were going up, shouts of ‘Uparupa!’ could be heard from all directions.

The host explained while watching them come up on stage.

[Yes, ‘Upparupa’ is the song that heated up the short-form SNS ‘Clark’ this year! This summer was truly the Upparupa syndrome!]

On the screen, the image of the Girls’ League going up on stage appeared along with all kinds of Uparupa videos registered in ‘Clark’.

For about 15 seconds, people were just dancing the Uparupa. There were thousands and thousands of videos like that.

Finally, the Girls’ League came up on stage.

Snow White just stood there, dumbfounded, holding the microphone. Then, shouts of “Uparupa” were heard simultaneously from the audience.

Soon the shouts became one shout.

With the screams coming from all directions, Snow White had no choice but to do something.

“right…….”

He put both hands on his head to make them look like puppy ears and jumped up and down lightly.

“Uparupaa!”

There was a louder cheer than that of Brazilian fans cheering for Brazil after they won the World Cup.

The cheering continued, as if to show that we are living in the era of the Uparupa.

Snow White looked at it, trembling. After a while, she gently closed her eyes. Tears from her heart fell down.

‘Why am I…?’

The Girls’ League returned to the waiting area after receiving their awards. Rika poked Baekseolha.

“Aren’t you happy?”

“I’m happy, I’m happy… … .”

How long will ‘Uparupa’ follow Baekseolha around? If this continues, the representative song will change from ‘Apple Crush’ to ‘Uparupa’.

What on earth is Uparupa… … .

Is it so great to jump around in a pair of Uparupa pajamas? Why on earth… .

“and.”

What happened next was surprising.

The HPT Music Awards boasted a fairly international scale as it was held in Hong Kong this time.

It is about inviting artists from various Asian countries and giving them awards. Of course, Japan was among them, and the person who was invited was… … .

[Funabiki Seiko, Best artist in Japan from this year!]

Seiko came up on stage and sang ‘Faded Love’.

Seiko’s album, which includes ‘Faded Love’, has sold 2 million copies this year. Ranking 4th worldwide, it can be said to be a huge global success.

Of course, since most of the sales came from Japan, the awareness itself was low, unlike the global sales.

“She sings well. She really is a singer. Ha-yang, your expression brightens. What are you going to do if the camera catches your eye?”

“Smile.”

“No, not all expressionless faces are the same.”

Seiko’s stage presence captivated the audience with just her vocals.

Although the lyrics were not conveyed because it was in Japanese and most of the audience was K-pop fans, the reaction was lukewarm, but there was no disagreement that it was a top-notch performance.

Seiko took the microphone after receiving the award.

and.

[Ugh, first of all, the HPT Music Award that gave me this award… … .]

She even gave her acceptance speech in Korean.

All the Girls’ League members were shocked.

“What, you’ve been practicing Korean? It’s amazing. No, I told you to brighten up your expression, Unnie Hayang.”

“I told you, I opened it.”

“I opened it, but it’s a little scary.”

“The lyrics of that song make me feel bad.”

“Isn’t it just a breakup song?”

Seiko came down the stage with graceful gestures. As she came down, she looked around the audience.

Seiko found the members of the Girls’ League and waved lightly. The other members nodded to her as well.

“ah.”

After receiving a positive response from the Girls’ League, Seiko walked to the waiting area.

The idols lightly bowed as Seiko, who was called ‘Japan’s Best Artist’, approached them.

Seiko seems to have developed some social skills, as she approached the Girls’ League while bowing to the idols’ greetings.

I tried to approach her, but when I saw Jang Ha-yang’s face, I suddenly turned around. It was like a model walking down the runway at a fashion show.

“What? Why is it like that?”

“Ahaha, that’s right.”

The awards ceremony has entered into its third part.

This is the order in which all target awards are gathered.

The atmosphere gradually loosened up.

Because everyone expected the ending.

Joara foresaw what would happen next.

‘HPT is famous for splitting targets.’

I have a pathological dislike of pushing everything towards one artist.

For now.

‘WTP seniors will receive it.’

WTP has been focusing on singles in the US this year. They have copied the activity strategies of American singers and have fully targeted the US market.

They are sure to make a splash at the American award ceremonies later this year and early next year.

So the HPT Music Awards that invited them should also be of the same standard.

I will give them the most honorable award.

‘Artist of the Year Award.’

The HPT Music Awards directly states the ‘Artist of the Year’ award as the ‘Grand Prize’. At this awards ceremony only, it is not a grand prize but a true grand prize.

WTP has been focusing on singles in the US market. They have not yet released an album containing those singles. This is because they have released fewer songs from the album.

So the album award will go to another group.

‘Probably the Lights seniors.’

This is a boy group from YJS Entertainment that achieved initial sales of 1.9 million copies. Who said that boy groups don’t have popularity? This year, they captivated both critics and the public.

And the final grand prize is ‘Music of the Year’.

that…….

[‘Music of the Year’!]

A song that swept the charts this year.

A song that achieved ‘#1 on the monthly chart for over 3 months’, which is extremely rare in the history of Korean idol music.

The pinnacle of popularity.

[This is ‘I Want You’ by Kaius!]

Joara and the members of the Girls’ League applauded as if they had been waiting for it.

The members of KAIST sitting next to me also got up as if they had been waiting and headed up to the stage.

During ‘Best Performance’, Kaius had to look at the back of the Girls’ League. But this time, it was the opposite.

The Girls’ League looked at the back of Caius.

“really…….”

Snow White burst into laughter.

“If you always think you’ve caught up… … .”

“It’s over there.”

Joara answered bitterly.

But that was expected.

It’s not as bad as I thought.

“It’s just that the starting point is different.”

This is the difference between the so-called magpie and the stork.

It was good that they caught up to this point. Of course, the Girls’ League is not satisfied with that.

“The finish line is, we’ll get there faster. No, we’ll go further.”

“……huh.”

The whole place was filled with ‘IWY’ by Kaius.

It’s a beautiful and addictive melody that makes you want to hum just by listening to it.

The members of KAIST decided on the theme of love and Jin So-yu was in charge of writing the lyrics.

This is the form of love that the members of KAIST think of. KAIST got there because of the love they express.

[yes.]

Erica, holding the microphone, smiled at everyone.

[This is Caius.]

Caius, target.

Winner of the Music of the Year award.

* * *

Seongpil looked at Caius on the stage.

‘IWY’ decorated the background at a low volume.

Seongpil hummed the melody. It was the melody of ‘IWY’, but it wasn’t the melody of ‘IWY’.

Seongpil was humming a melody from his previous life.

[This is a great reward for us.]

In her previous life, Caius had expressed her youthful self-consciousness with this melody. She had sung what only she could do in her own language.

[We still have a lot of shortcomings.]

In some ways, it was a twisted future.

At the same time, it was a future that was set right.

It was the future and present that Seongpil had desperately tried to bring into the present.

[I will take it as the fans’ words telling me to work harder.]

Moreover, this melody, ‘IWY’, is achieving much greater success than its previous life.

The song that was supposed to disappear originally came back to the present thanks to Sungpil’s efforts.

[and.]

You should be happy.

Wasn’t this what Seongpil had been trying so hard to see?

In order to return Caius to his original state, Sungpil desperately chased after Erica who had disappeared.

It was a process to move towards the right future.

Seongpil was twisted… … .

[Our ‘youths’.]

The future that Seongpil ruined, where Caius had to reach the top.

Sungpil brought them back to the top. It was his achievement.

You should be happy.

[i love you.]

I should be happy, but I couldn’t be completely happy.

Kaiser, who won the award faster than the Girls’ League. Kaiser, who has practically reached the peak of his career as an artist.

‘……no.’

Seongpil left the unpleasant feeling rising in his heart as it was.

This is a natural feeling.

Seongpil is a fan of Kaius, but he is also a producer of Girls’ League.

This unpleasantness is not a feeling of ‘I should have left Caius alone’.

It’s a feeling that you should naturally have as a producer of a group.

‘We’re next.’

The producer is the group’s first fan.

He cheers for the group he is in charge of more than anyone else.

I hope the group will reach the top.

Seongpil wants the Girls’ League to reach the top.

‘Our kids too… … .’

You deserve to be there.

Not now, but next year, or the year after.

‘Standing much higher than Caius.’

Seongpil had ambivalent and contradictory feelings at the same time.

As a fan, I congratulate Kaiser on his success, and as a producer, I hope that the Girls’ League will overthrow Kaiser.

Seongpil collected his thoughts and applauded Caius.

Towards the best girl group of the year.

And someday, towards the girl group that the Girls’ League will defeat.

* * *

‘It was expected.’

Snow White calmed her mind.

Honestly, I wanted to look away from Kaius, who was receiving the ‘Music of the Year’ award.

They were the ones who always wanted to catch up with Caius. But finally seeing Caius reach the top brought up many mixed emotions.

‘As expected.’

Even though it was expected, I can’t help but feel disappointed.

‘It’s a shame.’

But it’s just a pity.

Snow White smiled pleasantly.

There was no sense of inferiority. The other members felt the same. They applauded with respect for Caius.

The reason why this could be so is.

‘We can do it too.’

The story is set in a large entertainment company.

Catching up in just three years sounds like a dream.

Seongpil said.

‘Success takes time.’

It is an obvious truth.

But people often forget that.

People who start dieting or exercising in the new year soon quit. They give up after investing only a few months and not becoming the ideal version of themselves they had in mind.

People who decide to study a foreign language often get frustrated and give up because their skills don’t improve in a short period of time.

Everyone wants quick and immediate success.

So you get disappointed in yourself and give up.

True success and victory take time.

‘It’s important not to forget that.’

Let go of impatience, forget your inferiority complex, believe in yourself, and move forward honestly with time.

The efforts hidden beneath the shining success are built up little by little in the darkness.

It’s not difficult.

‘Because that’s what we’ve been doing so far.’

Caius returned to the waiting room.

He said this while looking at the snow-white Erica.

“congratulations.”

“Thank you, sis.”

“amazing.”

“no.”

Erica said with a stern face.

“If I wanted my sister to say I was great, I couldn’t lose even in one place.”

“… … Uh, yeah?”

“If we were in Garo Enter and you were in KS Enter, the results would have been the exact opposite.”

Snow White couldn’t understand what Erica was talking about.

in short…….

“Thanks to the company… … you say?”

“If we are great, if we are better, we shouldn’t have lost anywhere. The starting point is different. So please don’t say we are great. Congratulations are enough. What is truly great is… … .”

If we talk about individual humans.

“Because my older sister and Ara did the direct production. So, I don’t want to receive compliments, but rather congratulations.”

Of course, even the Girls’ League members had a hard time understanding Erika’s intentions.

It seems like he’s saying, ‘I received the award thanks to the company,’ but honestly, it seems like he’s being too humble.

She’s so humble that it’s making her frown. It would be better to just say, “We’re amazing, right?” I guess that’s just Erica’s personality.

“I hope that one day we will meet at the same height.”

“… … Yeah.”

Still, I don’t feel too bad about being acknowledged like this.

“But I don’t think you should say that… … .”

Snow White tried to return Erica’s recognition as a show of respect. Then Erica shook her head.

“Look. Why am I saying this?”

“huh?”

After one artist’s performance, the screen flashed.

It was awards time again.

The target order is over, but are there any more winners?

All the Girls’ League received was the performance order. They were not told what awards were given between those performances.

The text on the screen is… … .

“Staff… … ?”

Everyone who supports idols from behind.

They are called staff.

It includes various people from managers to producers. However, when it comes to staff at popular music awards ceremonies… … .

[Art Director of the Year.]

Refers to those involved in idol production.

[Yoon Hee-yeon, K-Us ‘Nectar’]

The staff members do not go on stage themselves.

[Sound Engineer of the Year.]

It just passes quickly through the screen images. This is a music awards ceremony and a K-pop concert at the same time.

[Kang Dong-hyun, KAIST’s ‘Nectar’]

Here is the list of awards added to the HPT Music Awards this year. Inspired by the ‘Korean Popular Music Awards’, these awards were created to honor staff working on the front lines of K-pop.

[Composer of the Year.]

Many names have passed by.

Among them, there were a lot of people from KS Entertainment.

No, the only name that the Girls’ League could see was ‘Cause’. That’s why KS Entertainment’s importance seemed to be high.

[Jung Ho-hwan, KAIST ‘IWY’]

There were names of staff and producers from other agencies, mainly large agencies.

There was no name for the horizontal enter.

To be exact, there was no name for the regular employee of Garo Enter.

[Choreographer of the Year

Seo Yu-seon, ‘Automata’.]

Among the winners of the award, only Seo Yu-seon, who is currently in Japan, filled the staff column.

The Girls’ League was both delighted and excited when they saw the name.

Maybe one of them will have Seongpil’s name on it.

[Producer of the Year]

Yeah, like Producer of the Year.

When they saw that word, the members’ hearts started pounding at the same time. But.

[Yoon Sang-yeol, album ‘Graffiti’]

Seongpil’s name was never mentioned.

[Executive Producer of the Year.]

It’s the last turn.

All the groups that had the names of their agency’s staff members mentioned stood up and applauded.

The Girls’ League also rose up as soon as Seo Yu-seon’s name was mentioned. However, it feels somewhat empty.

I started to look forward to it because I was so empty.

Executive Producer. This is Seongpil’s title.

‘please.’

Snow White prayed.

That was when.

Although quite a number had already risen, soon a number that overwhelmed them all rose up.

Dozens of people stood up from the waiting area at the same time. All idols and artists affiliated with KS Entertainment.

PTR-17, B.I.S., Butes, two members of Darkest, several famous solo artists, and even Caius.

[Executive Producer of the Year

(Executive producer of the year)

[Jeong Ho-hwan]

As soon as the name was mentioned, dozens of idols and artists from KS Entertainment applauded with respect.

“You saw it.”

Erica said calmly amid the applause of dozens of people.

“In this case, how can I receive praise like ‘great’?”

Snow White was dumbfounded.

Erica’s voice was drowned out by the applause, as if it was coming from underwater.

I’m hungry.

The heartbeat is so loud that it seems to block out all outside noise.

Isn’t it?

Are the KS Enter people’s applause too loud?

I don’t know.

I don’t know what happened to my body though.

“uh……?”

Amidst the applause, Baek Seol-ha only opened her mouth. Then, as if to take her place, Jo Ara spoke in a voice that was frozen in place.

“Sir… … ?”

Our producer.

“Uh, sir, huh… …?”

Our, who brought us here.

“Park, Director… … .”

Our producer, Seongpil.

Seongpil’s name is nowhere to be found.

* * *

‘of course.’

Seongpil smacked his lips bitterly as he looked at the list of awards. No, the very feeling of bitterness would be a sign of a thief.

In the first place, Seongpil’s name can’t be on there.

This is what it means for Seongpil to be the winner.

‘We beat KS Enter.’

This means that the Girls’ League has overwhelmed not only KARA, but all the idols under KS Entertainment.

The Girls’ League alone has surpassed KS Entertainment.

It means that horizontal enter breaks KS enter.

‘therefore.’

This is a given.

I’m not sure if Sungpil’s name will still be there in 10 years. Even when Garo Enter’s next boy group comes out, and then a girl group comes out, and then another boy group comes out.

‘That’s natural.’

Seongpil gave a refreshing round of applause to his idol who would never fall.