Chapter 36: The One That Turned the Industry Upside Down

Nobody knew me, but I wanted to make a lot of money.

If I could live doing only what I wanted, I thought I didn’t need things like fame or recognition.

That’s why I performed wearing a mask, and why I never stepped up to boast, “I wrote such an amazing song.”

I acted like I was cool with it, saying I’d get tired if I became famous and people recognized me everywhere.

The fact that people were tossing around all sorts of speculations to uncover my identity was actually pretty thrilling.

But that wasn’t the truth.

I lied to myself.

They were all just excuses.

I couldn’t stand the idea of exposing my inner desires.

I wanted to hide them away completely.

Because when you look at music, you see the person. Everyone would.

I was afraid that people who knew me would peek into my inner self.

That they’d hear my music, read my lyrics, and smirk.

“So you’ve been living with thoughts like that inside?”

“In real life, you’re a total loser, but in music you’re some kind of perfect social butterfly?”

“Pretending to be quiet, but actually an attention seeker?”

“What a pathetic and gloomy delusional geek.”

I expressed the cool protagonist who existed only in my imagination through my music.

In reality, I was a pathetic loner university student who couldn’t adapt to campus life, but in my music, I was nothing like that.

I was confident, cool, and free.

That’s how my music was.

The definition of a real man. The beats were bold, the melodies extravagant.

And the lyrics?

Overflowing with confidence. My nose could’ve poked the sky.

Every step I took was on a red carpet, and even the sun shone its spotlight only on me.

“What am I supposed to say? Why is my face so hot?”

In other words, when it came to expression…

I was sincere.

“Han Yujin did a great job.”

“The song was good to begin with. But why are you sweating so much? Hot? Are you sick?”

“No. It’s just… I’m a little surprised.”

“The song really suited her. I wonder how you managed to bring that side out of Han Yujin.”

“I just… saw it, I guess?”

Yoon Seonghan came in and sat down after finishing his call.

He couldn’t join in on Taeyoon and Kim Minsoo’s conversation at all.

‘What on earth are they talking about?’

They were clearly speaking Korean, yet he couldn’t grasp the context.

They were talking about Han Yujin, and suddenly they were saying something about seeing something? What did that even mean?

He’d never been told he lacked tact, but today he felt like a clueless idiot.

Rolling his eyes around, Yoon Seonghan waved his hand.

“Hold on, hold on. You two aren’t doing some kind of skit, right?”

He couldn’t stand it anymore and cut into their conversation.

It felt like he was stranded on a deserted island.

Don’t talk about things only I don’t know…!

“You still haven’t figured it out? Here’s what happened…”

Just as Kim Minsoo was about to answer, Taeyoon cut him off.

“Sir. Just a moment.”

“Hm?”

“I want to say it myself.”

“Alright, alright.”

Taeyoon looked calmly at Manager Yoon Seonghan.

It was his first time saying this out loud.

It felt a bit awkward and embarrassing, his ears turning red… but a strange elation welled up inside him.

He barely managed to calm his tangled emotions before speaking.

Confidently and firmly.

“Han Yujin’s new song. I wrote it.”

“…What?”

“Super Ride.”

“Whoa.”

Yoon Seonghan dropped the chopsticks he’d been holding.

Roll—

The chopsticks weakly rolled across the table.

Holy— crap— what— what is this…

The words spilling out of him mirrored his shock.

“Taeyoon… you…”

Yoon Seonghan jumped up, grabbed Taeyoon’s hand, and shook it vigorously.

“This is crazy, this is crazy.”

“Hyung, calm down.”

“Do I look like I can calm down? The person the company’s been desperately searching for is right in front of me? And he’s someone I’ve been like a real brother with for over a year? You’re telling me I’m wrong? If I say so, then it’s true. Wow, seriously. But hold on, CEO-hyung—”

Yoon Seonghan, who had been speaking like a waterfall, gave Kim Minsoo a side-eye.

It was because of a strange sense of betrayal running down his back.

“Minsoo-hyung. Since when did you know?”

“The moment I heard it?”

“Seriously?”

“I had a hunch.”

“Wow… So you, as the CEO, knew and pretended not to? Even after seeing that whole commotion?”

“Otherwise, wouldn’t it be embarrassing?”

“…Well, that’s true.”

As the two suddenly started bickering, Taeyoon asked,

“Commotion?”

Yoon Seonghan began a brief explanation.

KIM Entertainment.

It wasn’t a major entertainment agency, but it still had signed artists and released albums regularly.

Of course, when a song shoots up the charts, the first thing to do is check the credit.

Unfortunately, no one had managed to discover STaY’s identity.

“Wow, but to think the composer STaY is right in front of me. And that it’s our Taeyoon! I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize you—!”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

Taeyoon awkwardly scratched his eyebrow.

It wasn’t something to apologize for not knowing—it was impressive for figuring it out.

Kim Minsoo.

He had always been a mysterious person.

But to identify someone’s identity just from hearing a song… it was beyond impressive—almost eerie.

That meant he understood and connected with Taeyoon’s music as well as an actual older brother would.

“How did you meet Han Yujin? No, before that—ToMe Entertainment doesn’t usually take songs from rookies, so how did that happen? Wait, wait. You were preparing for performances every day and still wrote songs? Are you even human…?”

“Hyung, slow down.”

In over a year, it was the first time he had seen him this excited.

This was someone who had stayed calm even when handing over ten million won.

“Were you already close with Han Yujin? Or with CEO Kwak?”

What should he answer?

After a moment’s thought, Taeyoon replied,

“A fan. And a friend.”

“Han Yujin had a friend? I heard her personality is really peculiar, and that she’s introverted. Rumor has it in the industry— Ow, why’d you hit me?”

Kim Minsoo jabbed Yoon Seonghan’s side with his elbow and gave an awkward smile.

Muttering, ‘He always blurts out something random just when things are going well…’

Ignoring them, Taeyoon clarified the situation.

“It’s not that I was trying to hide it. You’re not upset, right?”

“No, no. Not upset. Just really surprised. And besides…”

Yoon Seonghan drank a glass of cold water in one go before continuing.

“To think the rookie composer who turned the whole industry upside down is our Taeyoon… I’m so proud. Our CEO really has an eye for people. And you’re diligent too. I should’ve realized it when you made Angkora. Guess I’ve got untrained ears.”

“The genre’s different.”

At this, CEO Kim Minsoo added,

“That’s why it’s even more impressive. Usually rookie composers struggle to switch genres. Super Ride and Angkora might have similar instrument configurations, but their progression is completely different. When I heard the reversal in the bridge, I knew it.”

Taeyoon nodded.

A reversal in the bridge?

It wasn’t exactly a groundbreaking technique. These days, some even change the genre entirely to create a variation different from the main one. You could call it a trend.

“You figured it out from that?”

Taeyoon asked.

He thought there was no way.

If Kim Minsoo truly had an exceptional ear, he must have discovered it another way.

It was true that both songs had reversals in the bridge.

But the development was completely different.

In Super Ride’s bridge, the vocals were designed to be whispered, in order to draw out the singer’s alluring charm.

Just like how a slow whisper in your ear captures more attention than simply speaking.

But Angkora was a little different.

The beat became more dynamic. The vocals more distinct.

To clearly reaffirm the singer’s resolve, the instrumentation was built with only bass.

“No. Of course not. The two songs are really different. If you just skimmed through them, you wouldn’t know.”

This time, Taeyoon straightened his posture.

He was unbearably curious about what point made CEO Kim Minsoo certain.

“And…”

“Don’t drag it out—tell me.”

“You slightly push the snare beat off the downbeat.”

“So it’s not too flat?”

“That, and the way you handle reverb dynamically. The frequency balance is also unique. That’s where you can tell if it’s a pro’s intention or a beginner’s mistake…”

Reverb and balance belonged to the realm of engineering.

Simply put, reverb is the effect that gives a sense of space, and frequency balance refers to the evenness of the different frequency ranges.

There was no set answer. If there was a secret, it was only adjusting minutely while listening with your ears.

It was the same for Taeyoon.

He hadn’t set exact numbers when adjusting. He had just done it because it sounded good to him.

With the sudden flood of technical terms, Taeyoon watched his lips seriously.

“I honestly thought it was intentional. At least until I realized it was you. And…”

Taeyoon enjoyed dissecting songs he liked down to the smallest details.

But now, the situation was completely reversed.

Thinking that someone was analyzing his song like this made him unbearably happy.

It meant his song was that special.

Taeyoon’s eyes sparkled, urging him to continue, but Kim Minsoo dropped an unexpected remark.

“No. I think it’s better not to say this one.”

“Ah, come on. You’ve made me curious.”

“Taeyoon.”

“Yes.”

“It’s better not to know about the habits that come out unconsciously.”

“Why…?”

“Because then you’ll keep clinging to that pattern. Thinking, ‘It was a hit last time, so I should do the same again.’ The moment you start to focus on it and make it intentional, the freshness disappears.”

“…!”

“What I said earlier, I figured you probably knew already… But the truly important thing, you’ll come to realize later.”

“Ah…”

It felt like he’d been struck on the head.

Taeyoon thought,

Kim Minsoo is truly sincere about my music.

Maybe this man is even more capable than I thought.

If it were him, he wouldn’t have let this pass so easily.

I’m this sharp. I know your songs this well. I’m this meticulous.

He would have gone on bragging about how amazing he was.

Is this what real adult finesse looks like?

“Taeyoon. Analyzing and dissecting songs—you enjoy it, don’t you? I used to as well.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Let’s make a promise.”

“…?”

“Just enjoy your own songs. You think the creator already knows without doing that? No. Don’t look for commonalities or formulas—just be full of feeling.”

“Sir…”

Taeyoon fell deep into thought.

“Do you know why people say, ‘Go back to your roots’?”

“To be humble?”

“No. In this field, it means something different. It means don’t overanalyze—just enjoy music as music, like when you first started.”

If he was at this level, then truly…

“Ah, talking this much made me hungry. End of my speech! Let’s eat and move on. Eat well so you can perform well tonight.”

A belief grew inside him that he could openly reveal his inner desires without hesitation.

While Taeyoon briefly stepped away.

Yoon Seonghan carefully asked Kim Minsoo,

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“…Didn’t you hear me talking plenty just now? I haven’t talked this much in ages—my throat hurts.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

Beating his chest in frustration, he continued,

“Why didn’t you ask Taeyoon for a song?!”

The kid looked seriously moved.

That’s how it felt to Yoon Seonghan.

That’s when you have to pull them in.

Ask for Angkora—for them. No, ask to keep working together in the future.

Even if you offered billions, it wouldn’t be enough—so why was the CEO acting so relaxed…

“Every song already has its owner.”

“You can always make a new owner.”

“If you try to pull too soon, you’ll just get pushed away. Don’t say anything. Everything has its time.”

Kim Minsoo thought,

It’d be a lie to say he wasn’t tempted, but for now, he decided it was right to leave him be.

That was the way to handle a sensitive creator.

A strange current passed between them for a moment.

Then Taeyoon strode back in and said,

“Sorry. I got a call from home.”

“It’s fine. Let’s head out soon.”

Just as they were about to get up, Taeyoon stopped them.

“Wait a moment, hyungs.”

“Hm? Got something else to say?”

“I want to return the favor for the good advice you gave me today.”

“Want to at least pay for the meal?”

They had eaten so well that the three of them had finished ten servings in no time.

Kim Minsoo jokingly held out the bill.

Taeyoon shook his head.

“No, just paying for the meal wouldn’t be fun enough.”

“Hm?”

“Angkora. I’ve finished the song, but… there’s a specific singer I really want to perform it.”

“Whoa.”

Yoon Seonghan grabbed the CEO’s arm hard.

The bill he’d been holding dropped to the floor.

“I think I can trust and entrust it to you, CEO Kim Minsoo…”

The corner of Kim Minsoo’s eyes trembled.

“May I ask this favor?”

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