Chapter 28: Something the Public Will Go Wild For

Today was unusually lighthearted.

‘Wow, I haven’t heard this song in ages.’

On my way to work, my favorite song came on from the music app’s shuffle play.

“Taeyoon. Tonight’s dinner menu is stir-fried pork.”

“Ohhh.”

I had a whole bowl of rice with the stir-fried pork made by Sierra’s auntie, the master of flavors.

“Man, today’s beat was great. What’s the title of that track?”

“Cosmic Girl. It’s a rhythm pattern a lot of DJs use for reference. That bassline is insane. It’s rare for funk to sound this modern…”

I even performed with one of my favorite tracks.

“Blackhole, your outfit looks nice today. Navy suits you.”

“Oh, really? Thank you.”

I even got a compliment on my new clothes…

Ah! Han Yujin came to see my performance too.

She said she was super busy with her album release just around the corner.

Even so, she still dropped by now and then to watch me perform.

No one else recognized her, but I knew.

Even in a black hat and ordinary clothes, she stood out to me right away.

She hadn’t forgotten to give me that little note with the rabbit drawing, saying that once the music video shoot next week was over, the real start would begin.

Anyway…

It was an unusually pleasant day.

That is, until Manager-hyung stopped me as I was about to leave work and told me this.

“Taeyoon. Hold on a sec.”

“Yes?”

“Someone from Tomorrow Entertainment came looking for you.”

“Really? Did they leave a business card?”

“Not quite… they’ve been waiting for over three hours now. Lately, they’ve been coming by more often. Yesterday, it was someone from Manny Entertainment.”

He was saying someone had been waiting for me.

“I feel bad. Could you tell them I’m not interested in meeting?”

“That’s what I said. But they’re… not the usual type.”

“Well, entertainment people can be pretty persistent sometimes.”

I tilted my head, thinking maybe it was just an overly eager agent.

“They said they’ll wait at the café.”

“Ah… that’s awkward.”

“And if you said no, they asked me to pass along this message.”

“What message?”

“What was it again? ‘Michael Jackson is God, and we are his rightful apostles’? Now that I think about it, that sounds weird. Maybe it’s some cult thing?”

“…!”

That’s when I knew instantly.

That so-called Tomorrow Entertainment rep was my brother.

In that brief moment,

I ran countless simulations in my head.

I tried to deny it.

Maybe he was here for work.

Maybe he came to scout me.

He has gone personally before.

But—

That line was unmistakable.

“Michael Jackson is God, and we are his rightful apostles.”

It was something we used to say as a joke when we were kids.

Who else would spout such nonsense besides him?

‘What’s he thinking?’

All sorts of possibilities filled my mind.

Along with a frightening thought.

If my brother asked me to just consider his position once… what would I do?

He’d said office workers care a lot about performance results.

“Hoo…”

A sigh slipped out, though I tried to hide it.

Alright. Let’s think pro to pro.

Working with my brother? Great.

The thought alone made me itch with excitement. He’d been my most honest musical partner since we were kids.

But… let’s look beyond that.

Working with Tomorrow Entertainment? That’s something I’d need to think about.

I don’t want to be tied down somewhere as a DJ, and I hate forcing myself to fit into a big entertainment company’s system.

And yet…

If my brother came to me in a humble way, could I refuse that offer?

…No.

I really couldn’t.

That’s what worries me.

I knew how hard it was for my brother to keep his job.

I also knew that ever since he got hired, he’d looked after me more than even our parents.

So how could I possibly give him a cold, flat-out “no”?

But before I could dwell on that thought—

“Oh my. My goodness, can this be real? Is it really true? The DJ who blew up the internet turned out to be my own brother. How astonishing. I was truly shocked, you know?”

He greeted me like he was reading from a Korean textbook.

“You sound like a robot.”

“Hello. I’m Seo Dongyun, Assistant Manager from Tomorrow Entertainment’s A&R Team 1. It’s nothing short of an honor to have the Super God DJ grace us with his presence. I heard you’ve received dozens of business cards already.”

“Ah, boring. Cut it out.”

I couldn’t tell if this was a warm welcome, a subtle jab, or a sign he was upset.

I quickly scanned his outfit.

It was what he’d wear to work.

Seeing him dressed like an office worker made him feel a little different.

When he said “Hello” and introduced himself with “Tomorrow Entertainment something-something,” he really did seem like a company employee.

“Is it because we’re in front of a club? I can’t believe this little countryside neighborhood has a 24-hour café.”

“I’ll grab some coffee.”

“Take my card.”

“I have my own money.”

“This is the company card. I’m here on business, so I should use the company card. Otherwise, what would that make me?”

At his words, I politely took the card and went to order drinks.

I sat down awkwardly with an iced chocolate in front of me.

The cold drink cleared my head—maybe because of my brother’s serious expression as he sat across from me.

The drink was cold. And sweet.

When I gave a satisfied look, my brother spoke first.

“Since I’m here for work, let’s talk business first.”

Then he placed his business card on the table.

From the way he was acting, this was no joke.

If he’d rushed over here in the middle of the night, he must have made up his mind.

“As you know, our A&R team also scouts artists with musical talent and knowledge, and I came again because you’re a perfect fit for that.”

“That’s true.”

Of course, the main casting work is usually handled by the casting team.

Street casting or influencer scouting is generally their domain.

But casting from the A&R team carries a slightly different meaning.

For artists like me—known here and there—when someone’s unique point really catches their eye, the A&R team might personally step in to recruit.

The main focus is on musical ability rather than appearance. And that’s exactly the case now.

“You know you’ve been getting quite a lot of buzz lately, right?”

I nodded briefly, then replied without a trace of a smile.

“I’m acquainted with you, so I’ll have a cup of coffee. But as you know, I declined last time, and my answer’s the same today.”

Maybe it was my imagination, but I swear my brother’s eyes were saying, ‘Why, you little…’

He nodded like he was telling me to keep talking, so I met his eyes and spoke clearly.

“I have one question first.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you trying to cast me? Saying ‘me’ feels weird… I mean, Tomorrow Entertainment’s basically a top-tier company, right? You’re famous for idols. So why bother casting a minor DJ like me? I just don’t get it.”

My brother shrugged and countered with a question.

“Before that, let me ask you—sounds like you’re assuming entertainment companies don’t scout DJs. Why do you think that?”

I didn’t hesitate.

“Because it doesn’t make money.”

“Ah.”

He let out a sound that could’ve been a sigh, a filler, or maybe even admiration, then fell silent for a moment.

It was an honest answer.

Tomorrow Entertainment.

It’s one of the so-called “big three agencies,” isn’t it?

Even right now, I could name all the idols who’ve come out of Tomorrow Entertainment.

That’s how influential they are.

Their CEO is a first-generation idol.

Nine out of ten idol groups they’ve produced have been successful.

There must be tens of thousands of trainees desperate to get in.

They hand-pick the best of the best.

They invest billions of won over years to feed, clothe, and train them.

And still, one wrong move and everything can collapse in the entertainment industry.

To me, they looked like racehorses running blind toward nothing but revenue and performance numbers.

Return on investment. Break-even points.

If this was how my brother in A&R talked, I could only imagine what the other teams were like.

But my brother said—

“So that’s how you’ve been seeing the work I do, Taeyoon.”

He opened with an unexpected reply.

I quietly listened to what he had to say.

“Making money—that’s obviously important. It’s true that it’s the first priority. But, Taeyoon, have you ever had a meeting with another company?”

“No.”

As a composer, yes, but not as a DJ.

“Artist lineup. And… pioneering new markets. Plus leading trends. In general terms, that’s what it comes down to. But here’s the thing, Taeyoon.”

“Yeah. I’m listening.”

“Money is the result. What we—no, what our team specifically—is looking for is something the public will go wild for. Right now, it just looks like we’re focused on idols because that’s where the trend is.”

What he said made me think a lot about my job—about being a DJ.

“But we saw potential in your DJing. That this genre isn’t just about spinning tracks in a club. That you can showcase a DJ’s unique musical tone in this kind of way. You know, the people who change the history of pop music are the ones who break the mold. And we decided that person is DJ Blackhole.”

Honestly, I saw my brother in a new light today.

He wasn’t just some A&R staffer chasing money and performance metrics.

He was still the same person from our childhood—someone who genuinely loved music and respected artists.

“So you’re saying there’d be an album release, an advance payment—conditions similar to a regular singer?”

“That’s right. We’d be investing because we see potential.”

“Wow…”

My brother finished his drink in one shot and added,

“And speaking of money earlier—who says DJs don’t make money?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I was really surprised earlier. The tickets were pricey, and there were a lot of people. But what if a big entertainment company decided to seriously push you?”

I was getting drawn in. Completely drawn in.

So this was how my brother worked at his company.

That serious gaze.

That reliable tone of voice.

I’d always thought he looked like a mountain bandit, but seeing him like this, his appearance actually felt reassuring.

I almost signed on the spot.

“Yeah. I’ll think about it.”

Even at my vague answer of “I’ll think about it,” my brother just sipped the rest of his coffee.

When he urged me to hurry and finish mine since it was expensive, I ended up downing my iced chocolate in one shot.

I barely managed to refuse when he told me to order dessert if I was hungry.

At moments like this, he was just the same old brother I’d always known.

I narrowed my eyes and studied him for a bit before grabbing my bag.

“How are you getting home?”

“Bus. If I take the first one, the timing’s perfect.”

“Wait. I’ll call you a taxi.”

“What taxi? You think I’m rich?”

“Company card. You’re working a night shift—it’s only natural to take a taxi home.”

“Huh?”

“They said it’ll be about ten minutes.”

Convinced by his words, I sat awkwardly, fiddling with my phone.

Should I not have said I’d think about it?

Should I have asked for more detailed terms?

Will he feel disappointed?

Those were the thoughts running through my mind.

Honestly… it felt a little awkward to head home together with someone who had come to recruit me.

Even if he was my brother, business was still business.

“Let’s head out now. The taxi’s almost here, right?”

“Looks like it.”

As I got up, my brother gently grabbed my arm and called my name.

“Taeyoon.”

“Yeah?”

“This time… can I say something as your brother, not as a company rep?”

He was probably going to nag me.

Or maybe tease me about my mask or something.

I nodded warily.

My brother lightly tapped my arm and said this:

“You punk. Don’t tie yourself down anywhere. Just enjoy yourself and do what you want—whether it’s DJing or composing. And… Tomorrow Entertainment’s rookie terms aren’t that great.”

Then he strode over and pushed open the door.

“…”

I stared at his back for a long time.

He didn’t try to play the emotional sibling card.

He didn’t act pitiful like a struggling office worker to beg me.

He simply and calmly told me what he saw as DJ Blackhole’s strengths, the impact my Lunatic Beat would have, the treatment I’d get if I signed with Tomorrow Entertainment…

Only the realistic facts.

Looking at his back like that…

I guess you could say I was a little moved.

I felt pathetic for even briefly suspecting he might just be testing me.

“Let’s go together. Get me a taxi too.”

For some reason, my brother’s back looked especially dependable today.

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