Chapter 52: The True Meaning of “We”

Seo Dongyun was pretty quick at calculations.

A younger sibling, seven years apart.

Tight finances.

It was a kind of survival instinct.

He was confident when it came to numbers.

That was also evident in his work life.

“The rookie group from Company M had a similar tone, but we broke even in just four months.”

“At this rate, digital sales alone are projected to exceed three billion won annually.”

“Compared to the number of music show wins, the streaming count is…”

His mind worked as fast as the fingers strumming his guitar.

That was the secret to surviving five years without a hitch.

An S-class employee, under the watchful eyes not just of the team leader, but the department head.

And so—

‘Eight to two? If that’s true, that’s insane. And even for Legacy? Hmm…’

The 8:2 ratio that came from the team leader’s mouth was so exceptional it made Dongyun’s eyes widen.

It was a ratio only composers with recognition on the level of Busan Goblin could even think of demanding.

But that didn’t mean he could trust it 100%.

You couldn’t exactly take the word of those bigwigs upstairs at face value.

It wasn’t the first time they’d flip-flopped several times a day, depending on their mood.

Even so, one thing was certain.

‘This isn’t an opportunity I can just ignore.’

If even the chairman stepped in to actively push STaY forward, the ratio was a secondary issue.

Legacy.

An idol group that had sold out none other than the Tokyo Dome.

Fifty-five thousand seats. Few metrics showed ticket power as clearly as that.

In Korea, only a handful of groups had achieved a sellout.

Seo Dongyun organized the situation in his head.

If the chairman had personally marked STaY as the composer for Legacy’s next album, there was no reason to hesitate.

Maybe… this could be an opportunity?

It was on a completely different scale from Han Yujin’s album title track.

He had clearly confirmed that the producer who composed Legacy’s signature song had ranked first in history for copyright royalties.

Who was to say Taeyoon couldn’t do the same?

“As a composer, it’s hard to say no to something like Legacy, you know? Land the title track and you’re sitting on a pile of money. Sigh… Mother, why didn’t you give me the ability to compose? I’m jealous, seriously.”

“Didn’t you try writing songs before, Team Leader?”

“I quit ages ago.”

“Ah…”

“More than anything, the fact that the chairman himself is taking notice is really encouraging. I’m still scared of him, you know. Can’t even make eye contact.”

Just how exceptional this treatment was—

How much of a stroke of luck it was to participate in a Legacy album—

To the team leader, who was giving a full-on speech filled with envy and amazement, Dongyun quietly asked,

“Team Leader, hypothetically speaking…”

“Yeah, go on.”

“If, hypothetically. Let’s say I somehow found STaY and brought them in.”

“Oh?”

“Would there be a chance at the title track?”

A&R Team Leader Bang, arms crossed, looked at Seo Dongyun with a distinctly serious expression.

‘He’s not the type to say something without meaning.’

He wasn’t the type to waste time on pointless jokes.

Did he know something?

No way.

If he kept his mouth shut with this much going on, he’d be the one losing out. Especially with a promotion and bonus on the line.

He answered calmly.

“If it’s on the level of Super Ride, it’s not impossible.”

Every team member nodded.

They listened to dozens, even hundreds of demos a day.

Three years in the A&R team was enough to separate the wheat from the chaff. Their ears had been trained.

No matter how well rival company artists were doing, no matter if they were crushing their own artists and STaYing glued to the top of the charts—

Credit where it was due.

Super Ride was just that well-made.

On top of that—

“That’s true.”

“It’s already been proven, hasn’t it?”

The charts, the public’s reaction—both had proven it.

Legacy wouldn’t be any different.

If STaY brought in a track that fit them as perfectly as Han Yujin’s song—

Taking advantage of the momentary lull, Team Leader Bang asked Seo Dongyun,

“Our Assistant Manager Seo knows STaY well, huh? What’s their personality like? Age?”

“The truth is… STaY is…”

Gah.

Why did it come out so naturally?

Seo Dongyun looked at Team Leader Bang in surprise.

He’d almost gotten pulled in.

It wasn’t the right time yet.

Nothing was certain or set in stone.

There was no need to jump in first, swayed by the mood. The side in need would end up desperate anyway.

As Dongyun hesitated, Team Leader Bang asked,

“So, what about STaY? You mean you actually know them?”

All eyes turned to Dongyun.

Eager looks poured in.

‘Is this the right timing?’

Dongyun quietly ran the calculator in his head again.

This was an opportunity. That much was certain.

With the chairman showing personal interest, if STaY worked with Legacy, STaY could become much more famous than now.

And as for me, the one who brought in STaY?

Needless to say, my treatment would change.

A lightning-fast promotion.

A salary inflated like a balloon.

Maybe I could even consider moving to a better position elsewhere.

However—

‘A rookie composer is good bait.’

He quickly evaluated the situation with a cool head.

A big project like Legacy’s album meant the entire staff would get involved.

Expectations and interference would be just as big.

Regardless of his faith in Taeyoon and his songs—

‘If things go differently than expected… it could hurt his career.’

It was a double-edged sword.

It could be the best stage to prove Taeyoon’s potential, but if he failed, the fact that he wasn’t family would mean all the blame could be dumped on him.

Dongyun had seen and heard such situations many times.

So he couldn’t decide rashly.

His head growing complicated, he bit his lip.

‘This is just a numbers game…’

He cleared away the figures floating in his mind and thought again.

No need to let a mere royalty rate or publicity cloud his younger brother’s judgment.

He glanced at Team Leader Bang.

He was bouncing a pen, staring only at Dongyun’s mouth.

His younger brother needed to do music.

Without overanalyzing, just like now.

Enjoying music as music—that was what his brother wanted, what he himself wanted.

Seo Dongyun answered calmly,

“Honestly, I don’t think STaY has any reason to jump in first. Calls will be pouring in from all over, and they’ll be able to choose where to go. If they’re truly interested, wouldn’t they come on their own?”

“So you’re saying you don’t know?”

“Who knows.”

Seeing Dongyun shrug, Team Leader Bang thought,

‘Figures.’

He smacked his lips in regret, just spinning his pen in circles.

Where would he even find STaY…

I stopped by backstage, dropped by KIM Entertainment, and at night went to Sierra.

I had gotten busier.

Because I had a new job.

DJ Blackhole.

Composer STaY.

And…

Cheongseong—no, that’s not it.

The sixth member of “Kids Who Escaped Us” (KWEU), the ones who got out from us—Seo Rabbit!

For now, I was a guest member.

So that I could adjust the schedule flexibly to match my situation.

Sierra was still my number one.

Because of band activities, missing a DJ performance was something I would never allow.

It was both courtesy and a promise to the audience who had taken the time to come see me perform.

And honestly, I didn’t think KWEU activities would be all that busy.

It could end up being something only we enjoyed and found fun.

Mr. Moon Jungbae said this:

“Don’t expect too much. We just need to show what we’re good at, with sincerity.”

I agreed with that to some extent.

Who would be expecting a performance in a mascot costume?

It could easily feel like a joke. I’d think so myself.

Everyone seemed to feel the same way.

Otherwise, we wouldn’t all be this relaxed.

No pressure, no rigid frames.

We decided to make our music.

That, we were confident in.

Why do we wear masks in the first place?

Isn’t it to compete solely with music, without any other conditions?

Profit, break-even point…

The teachers repeatedly stressed that we didn’t need to care about such things.

“Our youngest, just do whatever you want.”

“Of course, of course. If you tell me to carry you on my back while I play the keyboard, I could do it.”

“The carrying isn’t the problem. I could even give up the bass part.”

“Really?”

“Hmm…”

With the teachers’ enthusiastic support, the real negotiations began.

A band is a band, but a contract is a contract.

KWEU signed a contract with KIM Entertainment.

Fortunately, Mr. Moon Jungbae said, “Kim Minsoo may look like a slippery guy, but when it comes to money, he’s solid. I trust him.”

That said, on the day we signed the contract, he showed up with a legal advisor in tow—that’s a secret.

Over dinner that evening, Mr. Moon and CEO Kim had this conversation.

“Hey, Minsoo. We can really do whatever we want, right?”

“Wasn’t that why you signed with me?”

“Even if you don’t care about us, make sure you take care of Taeyoon.”

“It’s 8:2 even without an exclusive contract, you know? I made a huuuge concession.”

“Right. At that level, we can’t complain, huh?”

“Come on, you know this industry better than anyone.”

“Taeyoon could get that treatment anywhere and still… huh? Well, yeah. 8:2… Approved! Hahaha!”

…Excuse me, gentlemen. I can hear everything you’re saying.

When CEO Kim asked what I needed, I spoke honestly.

“I’m not asking for much…”

In exchange for participating in the band, I laid out two conditions.

Nothing extravagant.

“It’d be nice if I could have a studio—”

“Studio?! You mean we need a studio? Hold on a sec—Hey! Where’s the key to our studio?!”

“No, no, no! Not that one!”

I quickly declined CEO Kim Minsoo’s offer to give me KIM Entertainment’s main studio.

I did feel a bit bad for always refusing, but…

That was just too much.

“Oh… it’s really tidy now.”

“You know how much we cleaned because you were coming, Taeyoon? Gicheol even brought a Jo Malone diffuser!”

Instead, I decided to borrow Mr. Moon Jungbae’s studio attached to Backstage for a while.

First of all, I liked the location.

I also liked the fact that I could eat tonkatsu every day.

Above all, I felt most at ease here.

Honestly, calling it “rent” was a stretch—it was basically free.

“Are we strangers?”

“Still, you should take rent…”

“It’s me, me. The building owner. Use it as you like. What equipment do you need? Writer Seo, just bring yourself.”

“In that case, I’d feel too guilty to come.”

“What kind of band member charges another member rent?”

After some back-and-forth—

We struck a dramatic deal for a great price: 300,000 won a month.

Oh, and tonkatsu was unlimited!

“You won’t get sick of it?”

“I could eat this three times a day.”

And the second condition.

Was—!

“…!”

“We?!”

“On Music Train?!”

“Isn’t that only for idols?”

“At our level, we’re basically an idol band, haha.”

“Don’t laugh like that, you sound like an old man.”

It was an appearance on a music show.

I didn’t need anything else.

No car provided? I could just take the subway.

No stylist? We’d be wearing masks anyway, so what was the point?

“A music show, huh…”

I’d heard from my brother countless times how much effort and money it took just to appear once.

Honestly, I got nervous, thinking this was too much of an ask.

But my worries were unfounded.

CEO Kim Minsoo reassured us, “You think I wouldn’t even set up your debut stage? Just wait. I’ll prepare it as well as any idol’s.”

“But Taeyoon.”

“Yes?”

“Why a music show?”

“Because it’s not a place just anyone can get into?”

“Ha. Our Taeyoon. I like how you know exactly what’s worth aiming for. A music show? Heck, I’ll send you on a tour of every music show.”

As expected of CEO Kim Minsoo!

I knew I could count on him.

But there was no need to overdo it.

Once—just once—was enough.

“You think once will do?”

“You’ll see. Once will be more than enough.”

I was confident.

In my song, in our chemistry.

“All right. Let’s focus on the album work for now.”

Everything else moved along smoothly, without a hitch.

There was no doubt about our performance skills.

We quickly prepared two arrangements.

One with DJ participation, and one without.

“It’s been a while, but you’re really amazing.”

“It’s thanks to Writer Seo.”

In the same space, singing the same song.

Wearing the same clothes, counting the same beats.

Finally—

On the day the lyrics telling our story were completed—

“All right, shall we try it once?”

“You memorized the lyrics properly, right?”

The drumsticks cut through the air.

3, 2, 1…

The preparation was perfect.

They became twenty years old again, and I finally realized the true meaning of “we.”

So what if there was no response? So what if no one recognized us?

We had the song, and we had each other.

That was enough.

That’s what I thought, really thought, and yet…

[The Essence of a Band Is Ultimately ‘This’]

[KWEU, Meteor-like Rookie vs. Disguised Veteran, Netizens Clash]

[An Unexpected DJ Craze, Why?]

The world just couldn’t leave us alone, huh?

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