Chapter 80: The Direction I Really Wanted

“Hmm…….”

Assistant Manager Go Minseo, who had heard endless stories about the notorious Busan Goblin, sank into thought.

Handling a high-nosed creator.

That, too, was both the strength and the burden of the A&R team.

This meeting was a kind of evaluation match.

Before the team leader came down, just 10 minutes!

How she handled Do Gibong in this short window would affect Go Minseo’s performance review.

‘……So this is what it was?’

Therefore.

This was the first time Go Minseo had gone 1:1 against a power-abusing writer.

Everyone’s first time was bound to be clumsy.

Cruel as it was, there was no helping it.

If the first skill an A&R team must have was quick perception, then the second was surely resilience.

The composure to let things slide.

The mentality to hear from one ear and let it out the other.

That was the secret to surviving in this rough field.

‘It’s bearable, though.’

Surprisingly, Busan Goblin was the mild flavor.

As long as you interpreted his roundabout words correctly, you had already won half the

battle.

And Go Minseo read the true meaning behind every line of the conversation.

The input was correct—if only she delivered the output properly, it would be okay.

But.

‘Why must it always be like this…….’

The problem was that the “truth-speaking self” she had tightly hidden in her heart kept trying to burst out.

If one was a true professional.

If one truly cherished their music.

Shouldn’t they also know how to compromise?

Stay’s .

Busan Goblin’s .

She had listened to nothing but these two songs for days on end.

Songs with opposite charms.

If Stay’s piece was a sophisticated funky groove centered on bass, Busan Goblin’s piece was a fast, heavy trap genre flaunting intense sound.

If asked which song suited idols, she would answer without hesitation—.

An explosive drop with EDM breaks.

That was Busan Goblin’s strength.

A spell to bind you.

Spell, spell, spell. Fall in, no deny!

The chorus, repeating “Spell” like an incantation, was the archetype of an idol dance song.

Rather than deep storytelling, its catchy lyrics captured the ears.

She admitted it. It was good.

But if asked which song suited “Signum” rather than idols, of course it was .

It wasn’t intuition but experience telling her so.

Her radar, honed by ten years of idol fandom, was reacting strongly.

If they suddenly showed up now with a strong concept?

Even the handful of fans they had managed to gather would run away.

Maybe at debut, but this was their second single.

It was the time to solidify the worldview they had built and shift slowly.

And most decisively……

‘They won’t be able to pull it off.’

It didn’t fit.

No matter how much one called it “a reversal charm,” the members had been formed from the start as a fresh band-idol group.

Just by putting on smoky makeup and dark clothes didn’t mean they’d radiate intensity.

It would just look like kids in their dad’s suits, stiff and awkward.

Of course, the company also knew.

They knew which song would highlight Signum better.

The problem was simply that the opponent was Busan Goblin.

Because he threw tantrums? No.

Though narcissistic, he wasn’t the kind of thug to wreak havoc or shout people down.

He used a more gentlemanly method.

He simply…… handed the song over to the neighbors.

That was what made Busan Goblin frightening.

The neighboring company would instantly use it as a title track and create a booming boy group.

In truth, then.

Busan Goblin had “chosen” Signum. Graciously so.

“Assistant Manager Go? Are you listening?”

While Assistant Manager Go Minseo was lost in thought, Busan Goblin was waiting for her next words.

What should she do, what should she do.

Go Minseo checked the clock.

It was almost time for the team leader to come down.

She had dragged out the silence long enough—now was the time to deliver Manny Entertainment’s stance (which in truth was disguised but really what she herself wanted to say).

She opened her mouth with an innocent smile.

“Writer Do, the song is really great. As expected of Busan Goblin! I could tell it was yours just from the intro. The brass sound was magnificent.”

“……Excuse me?”

Was she trying to say it was obvious?

“It reminded me of BANG! too……. Ah! IGNITE had a similar vibe, didn’t it? Truly, the soul food!”

What was this supposed to mean?

Busan Goblin stared at her in a daze.

But Go Minseo wasn’t the type to back down so easily.

She resolved.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!

If he spoke in circles? Then she would too.

That much she could do.

Even more tangled, spun round and round.

“But…… you know Signum’s personalities, right?”

“All idols are like that.”

“Gasp! Don’t tell me you’ve never met them? That explains…… They’re a bit clumsy. They might struggle to handle such an intense song. But with training, right?”

“……Excuse me?”

“We can’t possibly let another company get this song. Training—we can make it harsher. Though lacking, we’ll give it our best!”

“What on earth…….”

Busan Goblin’s mind went blank for a moment.

Was she an idiot, or a genius.

Was she mocking him, or praising him.

Was she clueless, or acting.

He couldn’t even guess.

Output was easy for him, but input was hard.

Back in his studio, Do Gibong collapsed onto the sofa.

He had talked for a long time with Manny Entertainment’s team leader.

Two whole hours of chatter.

But shockingly, he couldn’t remember a single thing they had discussed.

Something about Stay.

They kept bringing that guy up, drawing strange comparisons, and damn—he couldn’t even show his annoyance.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Stay, Stay.

It was strange. He hadn’t even fought with them, yet he kept feeling like he had lost.

……Why?

He barely managed to learn the title.

For an external composer, even this much consideration was a miracle.

Something about bass, he thought.

He wanted to hear it. He desperately wanted to hear it.

He had gone to nail as the title track.

Yet he came back feeling like he had only heard endless praise of someone else.

He prayed it was just his imagination.

‘How incredible could it be, for them to rave so much.’

Do Gibong connected his iPhone to the audio system.

Then he played the song Stay had made.

He started with Han Yujin’s .

‘The more I listen, the stranger it is. How on earth was this a debut track?’

I hadn’t listened to other people’s songs in quite some time.

Not because I was arrogant or looked down on others’ work.

It was the opposite.

When I heard a good song, when I encountered a track with an unexpected flow—

I was afraid I might unconsciously imitate it.

Afraid I might absorb someone else’s techniques without realizing.

Or perhaps…… afraid I’d feel deflated if a talented newcomer appeared.

That was all.

Self-replication was fine.

But—“Busan Goblin is just following someone else’s reference”—that was the one thing I could never bear to hear.

So I avoided it on purpose.

It was less stubbornness than compulsion.

Especially songs like .

A rookie’s freshness was a sharp weapon no established figure could ever match.

Do Gibong was at least the type to acknowledge that much.

‘……A solo arrangement, and yet it works.’

But no matter how much I tried to ignore it.

There was a reason why everyone kept bringing up Stay.

A fierce pursuit.

Honestly…… it made me nervous.

At that moment, someone who heard the music walked into the studio.

“Oh, Han Yujin. Shu-shu-shu, Super Ride~ That track really turned out well. Since when do you listen to other people’s songs?”

A comrade in the studio.

It was Music Ward.

Do Gibong hurried to turn off the music—

Ancora.

Oh no.

By mistake, he touched the next track.

Songs had no sense of timing.

Seo Taeyoon’s piece played right after in Do Gibong’s studio.

Since it had come to this.

Without replying, with a hollow laugh—

He just listened to all of Stay’s tracks.

‘How is this all by one person? Could it be a team?’

When all the songs finished.

Do Gibong took a breath and asked Music Ward:

“Hey, do you know Stay?”

“You just heard it, didn’t you? Weren’t those all Stay’s tracks?”

“Not the songs. Personally—don’t you know him?”

Music Ward shrugged.

That meant no.

“You’re well-connected. Haven’t you heard anything?”

“Not really?”

“Who is he? Maybe he just changed his stage name? You know, that guy back then…… who was it, that junkie.”

“What nonsense. That can’t be it. Ah! I did hear something briefly when I dropped by ToMe Entertainment…….”

“Stop stalling. Out with it.”

As Do Gibong pressed him, Music Ward smirked.

Since when was he curious about someone else’s work?

That wasn’t his kind of person.

It was a good sign.

Maybe Busan Goblin could finally climb out of the cave he had made for himself.

“He’s young.”

“Young? Like early thirties?”

“No, they said he’s a college student.”

“What? Hey, come on……. That’s too far.”

“It’s true.”

“What, are they trying to make a hero out of Stay or something? Say something that makes

sense.”

“I don’t know. I’m just repeating what I heard. If not, then forget it.”

“Wait, don’t tell me…….”

Do Gibong checked the title credits of Han Yujin’s and UTAR’s albums.

“What is this? He even wrote the lyrics?”

He couldn’t believe it.

No matter how gifted one was—

Experience and gravitas always seeped into a song.

For UTAR’s band track, well, the arrangement was Cheongseong, so maybe that explained it.

But the mournful yet stylish mood of Ancora? That was not a sentiment a person in their twenties could possibly create.

“I’m curious.”

“About what?”

“Stay.”

It was the first time.

Someone had made him this restless.

Do Gibong let out a faint sigh.

Now he felt a little relieved.

He understood well why Manny Entertainment was agonizing over this.

If this was the writer who had drawn out FATAL from Han Yujin, then surely they had seen fresh potential in Signum too.

“Is there any way to get Stay’s contact?”

“What, so you can go grab him by the collar?”

Now, at last, Stay had……

“I just have some questions.”

He wanted to meet him.

Not every creator threw tantrums like Do Gibong.

When Taeyoon visited Manny Entertainment once again, he greeted politely and spoke.

“I received word that my song was pitched. Was there something else you wanted to tell me?”

“No, it’s just…….”

The A&R team leader signaled to Go Minseo.

She quickly rose and played .

No matter how many times they listened, this was the right song for Signum.

Still, she kept quiet.

She knew never to openly object to the company’s decision.

Fortunately, the team leader felt the same.

What was surprising was—

“Writer, have you known our kids for long? Any personal connection?”

Taeyoon answered.

“Not long, but I’ve seen them quite deeply.”

“It’s strange. Yehwan has been practicing bass so hard. His skill has really improved.”

“Live performance won’t be that difficult.”

“Exactly. I was really surprised. The bass took the front, but it wasn’t overly flashy or peculiar.”

“That’s the strength of bass.”

Silence briefly filled the meeting room.

“The truth is…….”

This meeting had another purpose.

They wouldn’t summon a writer just to talk about bass.

“Writer. There’s something about Signum’s album. It’s regarding the title track. To start with……”

He chose his words carefully.

Stay and Busan Goblin.

Two heavyweight composers had gone head-to-head.

Naturally, opinions clashed inside the company.

Let’s dress them in the right outfit.

No, we can’t ignore Busan Goblin’s name value.

It would be a waste to lose either, so let’s go with dual titles.

The main producer for this album had reached this conclusion:

What good would it do to upset Busan Goblin? But we can’t relegate Stay’s track to just a B-side either. So…… let’s go double!

It wasn’t a bad choice.

Some agencies actually used this strategy.

But the opponent was Busan Goblin.

That man would never agree so easily.

So in the end, one path remained.

“ has been decided as the follow-up track. The music video will be shot simultaneously, and the debut promotions will be just as strong as with the title track. So……”

The team leader politely added:

“We hope you won’t feel too disappointed.”

He glanced at Taeyoon.

His expression hardly changed.

The team leader swallowed nervously.

Even if he had to hear complaints, he was ready to endure them.

But.

An unexpected reply came back.

“I don’t see why I should feel disappointed.”

“……Pardon?”

“I’m happy enough that my song was pitched. Of course I had hoped for the title, but a follow-up track isn’t bad either. However.”

Taeyoon wet his throat with coffee before continuing.

‘When you take a step back, make sure to put forward a proposal that moves you two steps ahead.’

He recalled the precious advice Oh Jisoo had given him.

“For this only, could you entrust the recording and producing entirely to me?”

“……What?”

“Whether title, follow-up, or B-side, that doesn’t matter. What I care about is having my song expressed exactly in the direction I designed.”

Toward the bewildered Go Minseo and the team leader,

Taeyoon leaned forward.

“From beginning to end. This song must be one that shows off ‘Signum’.”

Finishing, Taeyoon smiled lightly.

Go Minseo and the team leader exchanged strange looks.

Those words were clearly—

‘You didn’t give producing to Busan Goblin, right? Give it to me.’

……It was practically the same as saying that.

‘Wow…….’

‘So all that build-up was for this?’

Writer Stay, just as rumored, really was……

A gambler who made moves no one could predict.

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