Chapter 32: Already Instinctively

Three keys.

Once upon a time.

Up until the 1990s, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t know what it meant.

The three essentials considered necessary for a successful life.

A house, a car, and an office.

There was even a joke that you needed these three keys to get a spouse with the character 師 (teacher) in their title.

Of course, that was a saying from long ago.

Now, more than 20 years into the 21st century, that culture had nearly disappeared.

“CEO. Be honest with me. You weren’t born in the ’80s, were you? Sometimes, you seem even more old-fashioned than my dad, who’s a ’58-year dog zodiac.”

One.

There were still people like Kwak Youngho, who placed meaning on the old ways.

If you put it nicely, they were romantic. If you didn’t, they were just outdated.

“House, car, office……”

“That’s ancient ‘three keys’ stuff.”

The standards of success were changing.

These days, if you mention three keys, kids won’t even know what you’re talking about.

“There are values that never change, no matter how much time passes.”

“Sure.”

“Think about it. If Tomorrow Entertainment handed you the three keys right now, would you say no?”

“Thank you for everything. I’ll be on my way.”

“See? That’s the three keys. Something anyone dreams of—enough to make even my right-hand man, Team Leader Park, pack his bags on the spot. Am I wrong?”

Team Leader Park sensed that Kwak Youngho’s rambling wasn’t about to end here, and his face went blank like his soul had left his body.

Sure enough, without a care, Kwak Youngho launched into his second round of rambling.

“A studio apartment in the heart of Seoul, a three-pointed-star car, and a flashy workspace. Perfect, right? Isn’t that the kind of life everyone admires?”

Yes, yes. Of course.

Imagination is free, after all.

It’s not like it costs anything to listen.

Having long realized that part of a high-salary employee’s job was listening to the CEO’s nonsense, Team Leader Park answered dryly.

“That’s true. But you know, CEO—”

“What.”

“In my opinion, Writer Seo doesn’t seem like the type to sell his future for a few keys.”

“…His future, huh.”

“Right? If he was, he would’ve jumped at the offer the last time you brought it up. And it’s not like you only hinted at it once or twice. You think someone as sharp as Writer Seo didn’t get what you meant?”

Kwak Youngho nodded for him to go on.

“What I’m saying is, let’s not make it burdensome now. You don’t need to lock someone in with keys just to work with them. He seemed close with Yujin, too.”

“Team Leader Park. But tell me—”

Kwak Youngho brushed the dust off his shirt collar and straightened up.

Team Leader Park tensed up as well.

He sensed something unusual was coming.

“Do you think Writer Seo knows the meaning of the three keys?”

“Of course he does. What comes with full support? Heavy pressure. You can find that out just by searching online these days.”

“Right. Exactly.”

“Sweet success comes with the bitterness of lost freedom. In plain terms, it’s like putting a ring through your nose. There are plenty of kids who sign contracts blinded by the conditions and end up mass-producing cookie-cutter beats like a factory. Writer Seo wouldn’t last in that. Don’t you remember? Man, even now, I get chills when I think about it.”

After downing the bottled water in front of him in one go, Team Leader Park continued at an even pace.

“When he said it wasn’t ‘sexy’ but ‘fatal,’ that’s when we knew—this kid isn’t ordinary. And it wasn’t even wrong. Locking up a gem like that and dulling his color? From an industry perspective, that’s just a waste. Our CEO wouldn’t…”

…do that, right?

His words trailed off awkwardly as his pupils wavered.

He turned his gaze from empty space to the CEO.

“…Ah?”

Only then did Team Leader Park blink, realizing Kwak Youngho’s real intention.

Ah, damn.

I’ve fallen right into the plan our CEO set up again.

It was always like this.

Not a single word out of his mouth was careless.

“CEO… you didn’t? You did this on purpose?”

“Now you get it?”

“You gave him pressure on purpose so he’d think deeply about what it meant… This is driving me crazy.”

Team Leader Park ran his hand through his bangs.

Sometimes it was like this.

Even if Kwak Youngho wandered around the company making a ruckus all day, even if he smiled kindly when people called him Kwak-rebal—

He wasn’t a screw-loose kind of guy.

Pressure.

Yes. Kwak Youngho had intended to give pressure.

“Think about it. No matter how good the three keys sound, if you look closely, none of it actually belongs to him.”

“That’s right. The studio apartment is leased under the company name, the car is on lease, and the studio equipment is company property. A nice-looking illusion.”

“I’m telling you, I want to give Writer Seo that kind of pressure. People only see reality clearly when they feel pressure. They start wondering, ‘Why is this person going so far for me? What is it they want from me?’”

Kwak Youngho wished for Taeyoon’s safe and secure future more than anyone.

This was just the beginning.

It wouldn’t be long before hands reached out from all directions.

They’d coax him, sweet-talk him, threaten him, tempt him, persuade him, seduce him, flatter him, dazzle him—then stab him in the back, trying to control him like a puppet with strings tied to its palms.

By the time he realized it, it would be too late.

He had witnessed countless promising young musicians vanish without a sound.

And…

‘I almost became one of them, too.’

Kwak Youngho had made the same mistake himself.

For a poor musician, the keys right in front of him seemed like a master key to everything.

At first, that’s how it looked.

But a month, two months, a year, two years later…

When he came to his senses, he realized the door he’d opened wasn’t to heaven—it was to a factory.

Music I wanted to make? Did I even have something like that?

The passionate musician had disappeared, replaced by an eccentric mathematician.

Even though music wasn’t mathematics.

He felt like a factory foreman, churning out formulas that fit the public’s tastes.

He only hoped that fresh new composers wouldn’t follow in his footsteps, drunk on the comfort of the moment.

“Innocent composers. We’ve got to make sure they don’t make that mistake. That way, the industry will stay healthy, and the ones with a good sense will show their own colors. Just like Seo Taeyoon right now.”

The atmosphere grew heavier.

Team Leader Park, who knew about Kwak Youngho’s past, gave an awkward smile.

“Still, you made a lot of money. Have a drink.”

“Yeah. I made a lot. But you know—it took me ten years to get rid of the bad habits I picked up back then.”

Composer or arranger—

Both were officially registered “professions” with a tax code.

And what was a profession? A means of generating income.

Could you really call someone a professional if they just played around as an artist, lost in their own world, wasting time?

It was natural to understand the public’s needs and read the trends.

But from what Kwak Youngho had seen of Taeyoon, there was no need for him to force himself into that mold.

“Writer Taeyoon looks at the person before the music. That means he doesn’t have to shape himself to the public. Even if he does, it’s just not the right time for that yet.”

He was already instinctively catching the right balance.

There was no way he could just sit by and watch extraordinary talent warp into mass-produced beats in pursuit of money.

“Sometimes, CEO, you really surprise me.”

“Why.”

“I just wonder how many steps ahead you’re seeing.”

“Hm. More?”

“Pardon?”

“That’s it?”

“Does there have to be more?”

“Come on, since you’ve started flattering me, keep going. The mood was good just now.”

Even at Kwak Youngho’s playful words—

Team Leader Park only pressed his lips together and stood still.

Thinking to himself, He really is someone who genuinely cares about the industry. I could never be like him, even if I was reborn.

“What if, contrary to our expectations, Writer Seo says, ‘Sure, I’ll sign an exclusive contract. Three keys, jackpot.’ Then what?”

Kwak Youngho clapped his hands once and replied,

“What else? There’s nothing to think about. If he trusts me enough to choose that, then I’ll give him top-notch care. I’m human too, so yeah, I do have a bit of greed for Writer Seo. But even if he refuses, I don’t want to cling to him pathetically. I want to respect his decision. I guess you could call it… my last bit of pride?”

Team Leader Park nodded as if in agreement, but thought to himself,

Yeah, right.

And so, the ‘Project to give Seo Taeyoon pressure with keys to naturally teach him that nothing in life is free’ was perfectly designed.

The stage was set.

Ready, action.

Director: Kwak Youngho. Lead actor: Seo Taeyoon.

“Hello.”

“Did you just come from the hair salon? Wow, you look way sharper.”

It was the day of Han Yujin’s showcase.

The location was a private Japanese restaurant near the showcase venue.

Taeyoon, fully prepared, had arrived.

He had cleared his entire day.

It was an exciting day for him.

He’d have a nice lunch, and in the evening, he’d go watch the showcase.

He’d also adjusted Sierra’s performance schedule…

“But what’s that? Yujin’s lightstick?”

“Yup.”

He had even prepared the lightstick in advance.

“You bought that?”

“Yes.”

“Where from?”

“They were selling it on the official site. It even lights up. This is my first time seeing a lightstick, but now I get why people buy them. It seems like it’d be fun to hold it together and cheer.”

Kwak Youngho gave Taeyoon a side-eye.

You… why are you turning that on and waving it right now?

You’re not Han Yujin’s fan—you’re a participant, and a composer at that…!

Kwak Youngho slapped his forehead.

Taeyoon, unfazed, happily kept talking.

“It’s really flashy and pretty. ToMe Entertainment has more sense than I thought. Oh, but why won’t this turn off? Is it broken? It’s brand-new. What is this, made in China? Hey, hey, get it together.”

Kwak Youngho cleared his throat and pointed at the button on the side.

Which one of these is your real self, exactly?

Right now, he looked just like a clueless youngest sibling left near the water.

Where was that composer who firmly expressed his opinion to the main producer and brought out the hidden sides of singers?

“Ah, sorry. This is my first time with something like this.”

“That happens.”

After some small talk,

Kwak Youngho got to the point.

“You heard the highlight medley, right?”

“Yes. I listened to it several times.”

“What did you think?”

“I think it was very cleverly designed. It draws attention with the beat in the part you put the most care into, then cuts off right at the climax… Even though I’m the one who made the song, I still felt excited for what would come next.”

Kwak Youngho scooted closer to the table.

Here it was.

Seo Taeyoon’s hidden self that completely lost control when it came to talking about music!

He didn’t want to miss a single word.

“What about the other songs?”

“I’m not sure if I’m in a position to evaluate the works of senior composers.”

“Go ahead. You have every right. Being on the same album means you’re at a comparable level.”

Taeyoon took a sip of green tea, then chose his words carefully.

As honestly as possible, yet without being impolite.

“Each track has a different genre and vocal style. One is by a foreign composer with a rather unfamiliar style. At first glance, it looks like a variety of experiments, but I saw it a little differently.”

“How so?”

Kwak Youngho swallowed hard.

“I think all the songs are pointing in the same direction. Starting with breaking away through ‘Super Ride,’ then resistance. And finally, breakthrough. It feels like all the tracks naturally arrive at the same destination—Fatal.”

Hooked. I’m hooked.

“That’s why I’m looking forward to today’s showcase even more. Hearing is a sensitive sense. But the moment an overwhelming visual appears, it fades. They say when you’re deeply immersed in something, it’s like the world goes silent as if the speakers have been turned off.”

“True.”

“I’m sure of it. Today will be different. Hearing won’t turn off—it’ll blend perfectly with sight, awakening into a complementary sense. That… uh, are you listening, CEO?”

Kwak Youngho looked deeply moved.

Why were his eyes watering?

Just ten minutes ago, this was the clumsy young man making a fuss about a perfectly fine lightstick not working.

Yet when he started talking about music, he sharply pinpointed the essence of the album.

He changed his mind.

Three keys, pride—

He completely forgot about all that.

At least in this moment.

“Writer Seo.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll treat you well! I’ll give you everything you want! I’ll support you with everything I’ve got! So please, don’t go anywhere eeeelse!”

He just wanted to be honest with his feelings.

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