Chapter 53: Not a Guide?

Was it common for the CEO of an entertainment company to personally sign an artist, oversee every part of the planning, and hustle on the ground?

Of course not.

Well, maybe in some cases.

That was exactly Kim Minsoo of KIM Entertainment.

He had the decisiveness to skip meaningless discussions for the sake of speed.

If it was Cheongseong for Stay, was there even a need to think about it?

“Our CEO again?”

“Who the heck is it this time, for him to go this far?”

Usually, it took a long preparation period to debut a single artist.

First, get approval from the board of directors and the shareholders.

Then the A&R team would review the overall concept.

And that wasn’t all.

Budget reviews, album production plans, marketing procedures…

Kim Minsoo skipped all those steps and simply waved the contract in the air as he made the announcement.

“Alright, alright. From now on, we’re focusing on ‘Kids Who Escaped Us.’”

“We don’t even have any artists to focus on right now.”

“Shhh!”

Complicated approval processes, boring meetings—

If he was going to go through all that, he wouldn’t have started the company in the first place.

So the staff whispering to each other on the rooftop while smoking—well, maybe it was inevitable.

“I knew from the start our CEO was a runaway train…”

“Still, he could’ve at least given us a heads-up.”

“He did all this work alone?”

“When those contract terms get out, it’s going to be chaos.”

“Good thing we don’t have any in-house exclusive composers.”

“Seriously, who are they? Hah… And what kind of band name is ‘Kids Who Escaped Us.’”

It wasn’t just grumbling.

It was genuine concern for the CEO and for the company.

Kim Minsoo.

There had never been a CEO like him before.

Even though the company ran with only about twenty people, they had plenty of capital.

Salaries so high you’d never believe it was a mid-sized agency, and benefits rivaling a conglomerate’s.

Kim Minsoo called himself “a CEO who smears everything with money,” making quite a stir in the industry.

He discovered raw talent and raised them into S-class employees.

Thanks to that, experienced veterans quietly made their way in.

The company atmosphere? It couldn’t be better. After all, people said comfort came from the wallet.

“Hm… I wonder what kind of plan he’s cooking up this time.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to focus on scouting trainees?”

The only downside—if you could call it that—was that the CEO personally involved himself in major decisions.

The staff started sharing whatever information they had managed to gather.

“I hear the song’s insane.”

“Don’t tell me… Busan Goblin?”

“No, not that.”

“Now I’m curious about the song. Did they get a foreign track? A&R Assistant Manager, you know anything?”

“All I know is, you’ll fall over when you hear it.”

“I could’ve said that too.”

There wasn’t any concrete information.

As their clumsy guesses continued, someone finally spoke up.

“Still… the CEO does have good instincts.”

On that, everyone could only nod.

Having money didn’t automatically bring in trainees.

The promising applicants all wanted to go to major entertainment companies. KIM Entertainment? Naturally, they didn’t make the cut.

Even so, the man had managed to bring moderate success to a five-member girl group, so he wasn’t someone to take lightly.

‘This time… it won’t just be “moderate.”’

Among the staff—

Yoon Seonghan, who had been playing dumb until now, stepped forward.

Clapping his hands once, he hid a smirk as he spoke.

“We all know we’re not going to figure it out just by talking here, right?”

“Director Yoon, you know, don’t you? Give us a hint.”

“Well? We’ll know if we go down. Time’s up. Hurry up.”

Half expectation, half suspicion—

The employees followed Yoon Seonghan quickly down the stairs, their feelings complicated.

“…Didn’t you say it was a traditional band?”

“Vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard—they have it all. And they’re perfect. If that’s not traditional, then what is?”

“But these mascot masks… Is this for real? What the hell. This is driving me crazy.”

“Want me to make you go even crazier?”

“…Excuse me?”

“They have a DJ too.”

“…?”

KIM Entertainment’s meeting room.

CEO Kim Minsoo had urgently called in the team leaders and directors.

If it felt like the order of things was reversed—yes, it was.

Locking eyes with Yoon Seonghan, he gave a nod, and Yoon quickly operated the beam projector.

“…You’re seriously going to release them like this?”

“Huh…”

Silence fell over the meeting room.

You’d expect them to gather the best-looking people and unveil them with a bang—

But covering their faces like this? This was a strategy no one had ever heard of.

Moreover—

Even in photos, there was something oddly off, enough to plant question marks in the employees’ heads.

The styling was clearly trendy.

At a glance, there was nothing wrong.

And yet, they couldn’t identify the source of the deep awkwardness seeping through the pictures.

What is this?

Are we trying to go down together?

CEO, why are you doing this…

There was a lot they wanted to say, but no one opened their mouth.

Fine, let’s trust him.

Maybe it was an ingenious strategy.

You know, that kind of thing—

Pretending to be faceless singers.

Pretending not to be good-looking.

Scattering all sorts of bait, then—Ta-da!—“Surprise! They’re actually a super handsome and cool six-member idol band!” shocking the public.

It had to be something like that.

No, it absolutely had to be.

The employees all turned their eyes toward the Executive Director.

Their gazes were full of desperate hope.

Executive Director Woo Chaewon stepped forward to take responsibility.

“CEO Kim, is this for real? Is it true?”

“Faces? We’re not going to reveal them. We’re going all the way like this. Forever and ever.”

“Why? Wasn’t this supposed to be a band idol?”

“Because that’s what the members want.”

“And the DJ—what’s with that? A DJ in a band… That’s just so random.”

Kim Minsoo was only in his early thirties.

They couldn’t help wondering where this sudden random sense came from.

He answered without a care.

“Hey now, random? I didn’t take you for that kind of director!”

“…?”

“Something nobody else is doing—that’s the most groundbreaking kind of planning to lead the trend, isn’t it?”

“Ugh.”

Sometimes it was better if he didn’t talk.

Nobody else is doing it?

That meant only two possibilities:

Either it was a truly fresh idea no one had thought of—

“A DJ isn’t exactly a mainstream character.”

—or it was so bad that no one wanted to do it.

If she had to be honest, Woo Chaewon leaned toward the latter.

Or rather, it wasn’t that it was bad, but that she wasn’t confident.

This was the company’s second debut artist. She wanted to take the safe route.

“You’ve heard the news that Manny Entertainment is launching a band idol, right? If we’re unlucky, the debut timing could overlap.”

It just so happened that a major entertainment company was also about to debut a “band idol.”

They didn’t have to be evenly matched—

But at the very least, they couldn’t let themselves be crushed.

She knew that thanks to DJ Blackhole or whoever, DJs were hot right now—but still…

That’s Blackhole. We don’t have a Blackhole.

Suppressing a sigh, Woo Chaewon continued.

“First, I have something to say. I’m an old-school type.”

“…What?”

At the sudden “old fogey coming out,” Kim Minsoo’s nostrils flared.

Woo Chaewon was exactly ten years older than him, an unni figure.

She had worked a long time as the A&R director at a famous entertainment company.

That meant she was experienced and sophisticated.

Before Kim Minsoo could say anything, Woo scanned the meeting room and spoke again.

“Alright, everyone here—let’s be honest.”

After a moment’s pause, she began her buildup.

“Anyone here know DJs well?”

The meeting room stayed silent.

“Want me to ask more frankly? Anyone here actually likes DJs?”

Silence again.

Woo shrugged and drove the point home.

“Then let me be even more, more, more blunt. Don’t DJs come off a little tacky?”

Why was everyone so hesitant today?

Kim Minsoo chimed in, almost as if hoping for agreement.

“Feel free to be honest. I’m not particularly against Director Woo’s opinion myself.”

The moment Kim finished speaking, KIM Entertainment employees cautiously began adding their thoughts.

“Whether positive or negative, it’s certainly a very unfamiliar type of character.”

“It’s true that a DJ feels out of place in a group claiming to be a traditional band.”

“The masks are a little awkward too.”

Though the negative opinions came first—

There were also positive ones.

“Other than DJ Blackhole, there aren’t many influential DJs, but… I think it’s fresh and good.”

“Like the CEO always says, our job is to lead trends—so I’m seeing ‘Kids Who Escaped Us’ in a positive light.”

“Hearing about Manny Entertainment’s band actually makes me think we should differentiate ourselves. I’m looking forward to it.”

The opinions were roughly split in half.

All the while, Kim Minsoo kept a sly expression.

When the round of debate ended, Kim stood up.

‘Ah… so this was the plan?’

It had all gone exactly as he intended.

He had provoked a small argument on purpose—

So they would focus more on the song.

Everyone had gotten caught up in the DJ topic and forgotten the most important thing.

“Alright, thanks for your opinions. But aren’t we forgetting something?”

“…Excuse me?”

“No matter what we say, a band has to win with its songs and performances. Director Yoon, the track’s ready, right?”

Kim grinned and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“…”

“…”

With the magical melody, everything became vivid.

I said that time never stops.

Even after the song ended, no one could speak.

The team leader who closed his eyes, arms crossed, quietly nodding—

The team leader whose face flushed, reminded of his first love—

The director who had once claimed to have thrown away all sentimentality—

It felt like they were wandering through a hazy, forgotten part of their past.

The most surprised of them all was Director Woo Chaewon.

‘Realistic fantasy.’

That was the best conclusion she could give this song.

The vocals carried the wistful melody with strength.

The instruments were arranged in perfect harmony.

Her heart raced, yet it felt like time had stopped.

The meeting room blurred into a classroom, then a schoolyard. She could barely keep her composure.

“CEO… this…”

“What kind of song is this?”

“Team Leader Kim, are you crying?”

The sunlight shattering at the classroom window.

The cold tap water three people shared in a corner of the basketball court.

The cool breeze against still-damp sweat.

The old emotions came vividly back to life.

The thrill of following someone.

The pain of getting back the letter you’d worked up the courage to give.

The purity of those days when you’d greet them cheerfully the next day as if nothing had happened.

Stories dearer for being unreachable replayed in each person’s mind.

“…CEO, are you seriously doing this?”

It was Director Woo Chaewon who broke the silence.

The one who had opposed it most fiercely was now making a sudden and drastic turn.

“I’ve fallen for it again. Wow… You stirred up all that fuss just to show us this, didn’t you?”

A small laugh broke out.

In the softened atmosphere, Kim Minsoo asked,

“How was it?”

“Do you really need me to say it out loud?”

The emotions they’d been holding down were bursting out everywhere.

“The melody and arrangement are really trendy and bright… but strangely, it’s nostalgic.”

“This is weird. Why do I feel like I was suddenly a high school student just now?”

Some opinions were backed by numbers and data.

“The bridge part is perfect for Reels or Shorts. Was that intentional?”

“This is going to get covered everywhere.”

“There’s no specific target age range—it’s for all age ranges.”

The atmosphere had flipped.

After hearing the song, their minds felt clear and their bodies light.

Like they’d taken some magic elixir from a comic, an unfounded surge of confidence told them they could do anything.

That was the greatest strength of this song.

An encouraging song didn’t have to keep chanting like a spell—You can do it, stay strong, you’re precious.

Sometimes just lightly touching on emotions anyone could relate to could be a gentle encouragement.

Words of awe, almost like speaking in tongues, burst from Woo Chaewon’s mouth.

“You picked a great vocalist. Switching from powerful to light like that—they’re incredibly skilled. Who is it? Doesn’t sound like a rookie.”

“This is a demo.”

At the unexpected answer, everyone looked up at Kim Minsoo.

How could this quality be a demo?

“Our vocalist is so amazing that I wanted you to hear it as a guide track. Maybe I wanted to hide them a little longer.”

“What? I’ve never heard this voice before. You’re saying this is a guide?”

Then Kim Minsoo placed both hands on the table and answered—

With a far more cheeky and confident expression than before.

“It’s not a guide. This demo was sung by the band’s DJ.”

No one could answer.

All they could think was, Wait… how can a DJ be this good…?

Kim Minsoo folded his arms and asked again.

“Want me to tell you something even more surprising?”

“There’s something more surprising than this?”

“There’s another song.”

“Well, yeah. You can’t exactly put just one track on an album.”

Just as the mood began to loosen—

He revealed the key figure.

“And the one who made the song? Don’t be shocked now—drumroll.”

After a short pause, Kim Minsoo suddenly shouted, full of excitement.

“The sensational star who’s made a dazzling debut in the industry!”

Click.

The page on the beam projector screen flipped.

“Doo-doo-doong!”

There, four English letters were written.

[ STaY ]

“Huh?”

“What?”

“…Whaaaaaat!?”

The entire company was thrown into chaos.

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