<Episode 42>
“Good morning, sir.”
As morning broke, I headed back to the company again.
“Good morning.”
I noticed that Composer Han Youngjoo’s desk had been completely cleared. Her workspace in the basement had finally been completed.
“Sir, should we remove that desk now?”
“No.”
“…Pardon?”
“That spot already has a new owner.”
The employees looked at me with eyes full of expectation, wondering if a new hire was coming.
“Sorry to disappoint, but it’s not a new hire.”
“Ah…”
“I figured. Just thought maybe.”
Their shoulders slumped.
“Then if it’s not a new hire, who’s coming?”
“You all know actor Kang Woojin, right?”
“Of course.”
“Who doesn’t know Kang Woojin?”
“Exactly. It’s not like we’re people who don’t have internet access. And we all work in entertainment.”
None of them even considered the possibility that Kang Woojin would be the one taking that seat.
Which was only natural.
Like I said yesterday, it made no sense for such a huge actor to come to a small agency like ours.
Unless it was some kind of variety show penalty where he had to temporarily join… and even that would require a coordinated project between broadcasters and agencies.
“Kang Woojin will use that desk.”
I said it lightly, gesturing with my chin.
“Come on, sir. That’s too much of a joke.”
“You’d have more luck lying about a new hire.”
As expected, no one believed me.
“Hard to believe, right?”
“Honestly, our company is rising thanks to Spade Joker’s recent album, but this isn’t about a rookie actor. A star like Kang Woojin coming here? That’s just impossible.”
One employee answered immediately without even taking a breath.
“Sir, you’ve been on variety shows… you’re becoming an entertainer yourself.”
“You’re joking, so we don’t feel lazy after resting yesterday, right? You don’t have to. We’re in great condition.”
At this point, no matter what I said, they wouldn’t believe me.
‘Let’s just wait for Kang Woojin to show up.’
I decided to keep quiet, knowing they wouldn’t believe me until they saw him in person.
“Good morning.”
At that moment, Composer Han Youngjoo entered, greeting everyone.
“Why are you here? I heard from Han Suseok that your basement studio is finished.”
It was only natural to be surprised; she had no reason to come up to this floor anymore.
“I just stopped by because I had something to tell you. I also checked the studio, it’s really great. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it. What did you want to tell me?”
“You remember I mentioned another composer before?”
“Yes.”
“He said he’ll come to the company today. Would that be okay?”
“Of course. Please tell him any time is fine.”
“I will.”
It was welcome news.
There was no downside to having more songs.
‘If we have enough songs, we can include them in the next full album.’
“Then I’ll get going. I just got a new idea.”
“Alright.”
After a brief exchange, Han Youngjoo headed back to her studio.
“Sir, why aren’t you going into your office?”
An employee asked curiously as I stood by the door instead of going inside.
“Now that I think about it, Team Leader Han hasn’t arrived yet.”
“I asked him to handle something, so he’ll come in later this afternoon.”
I had asked him to arrange a meeting with the music video director Kang Woojin recommended.
“I see. Then I’ll start working.”
The employees returned to their desks one by one.
I checked the time. Only about three minutes remained until 9 a.m., the official start of work.
‘Honestly, it’d be better if he didn’t come today.’
As if to crush that small wish, the office door opened… and Kang Woojin walked in.
“Good morning.”
Unlike yesterday, his voice carried a heavy presence.
The employees, who had been turning on their computers, stared at him in shock.
“What…?”
“Sir, you weren’t joking?”
“I thought it was a joke since you stopped mid-sentence.”
They all spoke at once.
“They say seeing is believing.”
The employees kept glancing at Kang Woojin.
“I’m actually quite close with the CEO.”
Kang Woojin lied calmly. We had agreed not to mention anything about mergers or transfers.
“Really?”
“Wow, I had no idea.”
Of course, they didn’t.
It hadn’t even been a week since I met him.
‘Then why does he keep insisting on joining our company and making things difficult…’
All I could do was hope that after seeing the company himself, he would change his mind.
“Our company building is having a small issue, so I’ll be staying here for about a month. Please take care of me.”
“We should be the ones saying that.”
“Yes.”
After greeting the employees, Kang Woojin looked at me.
“You see that empty desk over there?”
“Yes.”
“You can sit there.”
“Alright.”
He went to the desk and started unpacking his bag.
At least it didn’t seem like he planned to follow me around all day. I let out a sigh of relief internally.
“Mr. Kang Woojin.”
“Yes.”
“If you need anything, come to my office.”
“Alright, I will.”
He replied with a bright smile… one that could easily captivate anyone.
But to me, it only looked like the smile of someone with ulterior motives.
Pushing aside the uneasy feeling, I went into my office and sat down, starting by organizing today’s tasks.
‘Even though promotions are over, there’s still a mountain of work.’
We had to prepare for the next album immediately; there was no time to rest.
I first reviewed the list of venues and dates Han Suseok had compiled.
‘More than I expected.’
Since we hadn’t decided on scale or timing yet, the list was inevitably long.
Too big was a problem, but too small was also a problem.
Finding that balance wasn’t easy.
Though after several trials and errors, I had developed a decent sense for it.
‘This place looks good.’
I shortlisted three venues.
They had decent accessibility, reasonable size and rental costs, and the timing… three months later was perfect for hosting an event where fans could hear the title track before the comeback.
After narrowing that down, I reviewed the fan meeting proposal.
We also needed to produce fan meeting merchandise and decide on a name and concept.
[Kids Spade]
It played on the fact that Spade Joker’s title track “I” is pronounced “아이” (ai), meaning “child” in Korean.
‘This concept got the best fan response in previous timelines too.’
There was nothing more to consider.
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and an employee entered.
“Sir, the composer introduced by Han Youngjoo has arrived.”
“Please show him into my office.”
“Yes.”
I quickly tidied my desk and stood up.
‘He came earlier than expected. I thought it’d be afternoon.’
Soon, the door opened, and the composer walked in.
He wasn’t someone I recognized.
“Hello. I’m composer Choi Minjun.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m John Raid Lombardi, CEO of Ramos Entertainment.”
After a brief handshake, I gestured for him to sit.
“Thank you.”
“Would you like something to drink?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Choi Minjun waved his hands, clearly uncomfortable in this kind of setting.
“Anyway, I heard about you from Han Youngjoo.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from her, too. She said you’re a great person to work with and that I wouldn’t regret it.”
The atmosphere wasn’t bad.
“She insisted I come in person.”
He said with a slight smile. They seemed quite close.
“Ah, I’m her senior from university.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, you should listen to the song.”
“Yes.”
Choi Minjun took out his phone.
“I’m a bit nervous.”
He fiddled with it and swallowed nervously.
A beautiful piano melody began to play.
“Oh, the lyrics are still in guide form.”
I nodded.
[NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA]
The soft, murmuring falsetto stood out.
‘A completely new song.’
Songs like this were all or nothing.
Either a hidden masterpiece, or something that wouldn’t be welcomed anywhere.
‘Hopefully it’s the former.’
[NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA]
The intro was long.
[Open your eyes wide
Nod your head
When my gaze
Meets yours]
The moment I heard the first line…
I knew this song was definitely the former.
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