Chapter 1109: Lemon Boys... Jump with all your might! (1)

By the time we finally arrived back in Korea, I announced a new ambition to my underlings.

"Huh?"

Ri Hyuk blinked.

"You're going to retake the CSAT?"

"Yep."

I chuckled to myself.

"Don't you think it'd be a huge help with songwriting? If I study for the CSAT as a hobby, I'll get all stressed out and frustrated. Then writing songs will feel even more fun by comparison."

"..."

"And that's not all. It's a win-win. Imagine having a hobby, and at the end of it someone hands you a university admission letter. Isn't that incredible?"

"..."

"...Why is everyone so quiet?"

Jiho, who had been silently listening, rubbed his eyes.

"Guys... I don't think I've woken up yet. Wooju hyung is saying crazy things."

"Jiho. I'm perfectly sane."

"Have you ever seen a crazy person admit they're crazy?"

At Ri Hyuk's comment, everyone silently nodded in agreement.

Biju cautiously offered his opinion.

"...Studying is great and all, but looking at our schedule... do we even have time to go to college?"

"I know. That's why I'll study little by little for five or six years. Then, when things calm down in my thirties, I'll enroll."

"..."

"Oh, that reminds me. Biju, want to study together?"

I looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"A study group?"

Biju deliberately looked away.

Even our main dancer, who loved doing everything together, reacted like this.

Ri Hyuk nodded and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Go ahead."

"See? It's a good idea, right?"

"No."

"Huh?"

"You wouldn't listen even if we objected."

"...That's true."

When I accepted that without argument, Ri Hyuk shook his head.

"We're not against it. We're worried you'll push yourself too hard. Your schedule already looks like something that could make you collapse at any moment, and now you're adding studying on top of it."

The others nodded.

Junghyun spoke thoughtfully.

"He's right. Even plants die if you water them too much instead of blooming. I'm just worried you'll overdo it... Ah, wait."

He suddenly stopped, rubbing his chin.

"Then again... if Wooju hyung were a plant, he'd probably be purple nutsedge. So... maybe he'll be fine?"

"Purple... what?"

"It's a weed. Once it gets into a field, it's almost impossible to get rid of."

"..."

Junghyun continued muttering to himself while stroking his chin.

Leaving our resident nature enthusiast lost in thought, I looked back at the others.

"Anyway, as long as you don't suddenly overwork yourself because of studying, we're all for it."

"Me too."

Biju smiled.

"Honestly, I've always thought it was a shame."

"What was?"

"That you never got to take the CSAT. You said your mock exam scores were really good."

He was right.

It had always remained one of my lingering regrets.

If I'd chosen not to go myself, I probably wouldn't have cared as much.

But circumstances had prevented me from even sitting the exam.

Even if I never went to college, I'd always wanted to experience taking the CSAT at least once.

"So I want to cheer you on, hyung."

"Thanks, Biju. But seriously, this is just a hobby..."

I explained that it wasn't some life-or-death goal.

Just a personal dream I'd like to fulfill someday after my entertainment career settled down.

The underlings nodded with expressions that seemed to say, Go give it your best.

I wasn't entirely sure how this had turned into a situation where I needed their permission, though.

"Whoa."

As we walked down the corridor from the private jet toward the airport terminal, Jiho stretched.

"I just thought of something that gave me goosebumps."

"Hm?"

"If Wooju hyung had taken the CSAT back then... you never would've met us."

"...!"

"Imagine we traveled back in time and made sure you took the exam successfully."

He pointed back at the private jet.

"The plane would just crumble into sand... all those reporters waiting outside would disappear... everything would be gone."

"What are you talking about? You guys would've succeeded without me."

"..."

None of them looked convinced.

Pulling my suitcase, I shared my own version.

"I probably would've met you eventually as a songwriter and producer. Before I met all of you, my goal was to become a successful producer."

"Hmm..."

Junghyun shook his head.

"I don't think so. Even if you'd gone to college, I think you still would've become a singer."

"Why?"

"Just a feeling...? I can totally picture you entering some huge national audition show as 'Singer-songwriter Sun Wooju.' By now you'd probably be holding solo concerts at Gocheok Sky Dome or the Olympic Stadium."

"Well... maybe."

I shrugged with a laugh.

"But if we keep thinking like that, it'll never end."

As always, hypothetical scenarios didn't seem particularly meaningful.

If I kept following those alternate paths, maybe I'd have convinced my parents not to go overseas, and we'd still be living together.

Maybe I'd have entered the piano competition I'd missed and become a classical pianist.

Maybe I'd have debuted in TNT and lived alongside Taehyun, Hanbin, Jihoon, and the others.

Or maybe, just like the guys had said, I'd have gone to college and experienced an entirely different life.

But just because I walked a different road back then didn't mean I'd necessarily have been happier.

"Who doesn't have regrets? But what's passed is already gone. I think what matters is the present. And..."

I looked at the younger members.

"...the fact that we met. That we're together now. That's what matters most to me."

There wasn't much point imagining a world where we'd never met.

Because we had met.

When I said what mattered was who we were now, the others slowly nodded after tossing around a few more what-if scenarios.

Biju smiled.

"You're right."

"I only brought it up because I didn't want you guys thinking I'm still hung up on missing the CSAT back then."

Ding.

Everyone's attention shifted to my phone.

"What is it?"

"Oh. The CSAT prep books I ordered just shipped."

"...This isn't becoming serious, right?"

"I told you, it's just a hobby."

"Then... how many books did you buy?"

I scratched my cheek and looked away.

"...About twenty?"

"That's not a hobby!"

After returning to Korea, we finally enjoyed a proper break.

We ate plenty of beef, practiced a little, and indulged in the luxury of seven full hours of sleep every night.

"Heaven..."

Back at the company, I checked my phone's schedule.

[Important] Finale Concert!! ★

NewBlack's Travel Diary III

Help promote Junghyun's solo album

Sound of the Sun promotion

Nice and light.

Honestly, it was the easiest schedule we'd had in months.

The finale concert would simply be something to enjoy.

The travel diary was practically a vacation.

Helping promote Junghyun's solo album mostly meant supporting him on social media.

The only demanding item was Sound of the Sun's promotional campaign.

Other than that, my schedule was almost completely open.

"...Feels like something's missing."

I nudged the person walking beside me.

"Hey. Think about it. Am I forgetting something?"

"Hmm. I don't understand why you're asking me..."

Tall, elegant, and looking like a young aristocrat, Hanbyul lowered his long eyelashes while thinking.

"Now that Overcook is out, won't overseas shows start inviting you? Stuff like, 'Wow! We have the star of Overcook with us today!'"

"I'm saving those trips for Sound of the Sun promotions. We can promote both the movie and Overcook together."

"Hmm... then..."

I'd only asked as a joke, but Hanbyul was taking it completely seriously, making me laugh.

Then he said,

"You forgot the most important one."

"Hm?"

"Help promote your adorable little brother Jang Hanbyul's solo album."

"That one's obviously on there."

I scrolled down and showed him.

Hanbyul immediately broke into a huge grin.

Laughing, I asked,

"How's recording prep going?"

"I've prepared a lot. I have. But... I'm nervous. It's been a really long time since I've properly sung."

"You've recorded group songs."

"I barely had any parts in our Korean songs. Chairman Park Taejoon would always go, 'Hoho~ Hanbyul needs to save his voice for China~ Hoho~,' and cut all my lines."

Watching him fulfill his daily quota of complaining about Chairman Park Taejoon made me laugh.

"You'll do great."

"I have to."

We reached the recording studio at the end of the hallway.

The spacious studio on the second floor was equipped with the latest equipment, where the producing team and A&R staff were waiting.

"Wooju, hi! Hello, Hanbyul."

"Hello."

I sat beside Team Leader Na Sangyoon, who had written Hanbyul's Korean solo debut song.

I was serving as executive producer, but the composer was Team Leader Na.

There was a reason I hadn't given Hanbyul one of my own songs, and we both completely agreed.

The focus would become too one-sided.

It was fine if people said I had produced the album.

"Sun Wooju produced Jang Hanbyul's solo debut."

That was acceptable.

But if I also wrote the title track, things changed.

"People probably wouldn't pay attention to me at all. They'd only pay attention to you."

"Exactly."

Even if the song became a hit, or Hanbyul achieved excellent results, people might credit composer Sun Wooju instead of artist Jang Hanbyul.

That also conflicted with the direction we'd planned for Hanbyul's solo career.

A mainstream vocalist.

Taehyun already dominated the idol solo market.

Hanbyul had also already succeeded as a member of TNT.

Rather than becoming another successful idol soloist, he wanted to establish himself as a broadly appealing mainstream artist.

To do that, the public first needed to recognize Jang Hanbyul, since many Korean audiences knew little about his activities in China.

The goal was simple:

"There is a singer named Jang Hanbyul."

If he debuted with a song I'd written, I would inevitably overshadow the artist himself.

So instead of composing it personally, I had the producing team gather submissions from both inside and outside the company before selecting the best one.

The winning song was Team Leader Na Sangyoon's.

"All right."

I looked toward Hanbyul, who was warming up his voice.

"Ready?"

"Yep."

"Then let's do this."

Hanbyul casually entered the recording booth and loosened up his voice.

One of the A&R staff members sighed in admiration.

"Wow. He already sounds amazing."

"He's always been an excellent singer. TJ mostly had him focus on dancing because they thought singing alone wouldn't make him popular."

His warm voice flowed through the speakers.

Wearing headphones, he quietly hummed the lyrics while warming up.

With nearly ten years in the industry under his belt, his personal recording routine was second nature.

Click.

I pressed the talkback button.

"Just let us know when you're ready, Hanbyul."

"Yes."

After taking a deep breath, Hanbyul looked around the booth.

"I'm ready."

"Then shall we begin?"

"Before we do... may I say one thing?"

I nodded.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd point things out immediately whenever something isn't right. Even if it's only a little off. I know we've only been working together for a short time, so everyone might feel hesitant... but this is work."

He was speaking to the staff.

After all, Hanbyul was already a top star throughout Greater China, and the company staff couldn't help feeling somewhat cautious around him.

At his level, composers usually laughed things off unless something was seriously wrong.

It usually went something like this:

"Is it okay to leave that take, Producer?"

"How am I supposed to tell someone like him to sing it another thirty times? We'll just fix it digitally."

"But... it could've been better..."

Hanbyul clearly wanted to prevent that from happening.

I answered him.

"Hanbyul."

"Yes?"

"Don't worry. In about ten hours, you'll be the one asking me for special treatment."

"That's exactly what I was talking about."

Hanbyul laughed and agreed without hesitation, leaving the staff looking astonished.

"Most people panic when they hear 'ten hours.'"

"Hanbyul, Taehyun, and I used to be practice partners at TJ."

"Ah..."

Just then—

"But..."

Hanbyul hesitated.

"It isn't really going to take ten hours... right?"

"..."

I simply smiled.

He swallowed hard.

That day...

Together, we happily completed a masterpiece.

"You're insane. You and Han Taehyun are seriously insane."

"You're angry, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Good. That's it, Hanbyul. Now sing with that anger."

"%!#%!"

...Though I did end up getting cursed out in a colorful mixture of English and Chinese.

After successfully finishing Hanbyul's album, we decided to film something light before our encore concert while enjoying a bit more downtime.

[GO! BUSTERS—!]

It was the debut reality show for a rookie idol group launching under DNS Media, one of our affiliate companies.

Today's filming involved us, as major shareholders, helping promote a battle between Lemon Entertainment trainees and DNS Media's debut team.

Which naturally raised the question:

If the trainees were battling each other, what role were we playing?

"This is the judges' table."

"Ah, okay."

The KNet staff politely explained the shoot.

"We'll film your entrance first, and if you have time, we'd also like to do a brief interview..."

The PD glanced at us cautiously.

I nodded.

"That's fine."

"Thank you so much!"

"Of course. We'll leave the rest in your hands."

After exchanging a quick handshake, I watched the staff excitedly setting up cameras throughout the large practice room on the second floor.

Jiho pouted.

"I'm jealous. I want to be a judge too."

"Want to?"

"Nope. Honestly, I don't really like scoring and evaluating people. I'd rather just be the cool senior cheering the trainees on."

Everyone would make a brief appearance, but only Ri Hyuk and I would actually judge today's performances.

Only two members from Street Boys had been invited, and those happened to be Hanjo and Giwon.

Leader plus main vocalist.

After reassuring the slightly disappointed Biju, I looked around.

"So where are the trainees?"

"I think they're talking with the CEO. He wanted to encourage them before today's performance."

"I see."

I accepted that casually before asking,

"By the way... is CEO Lim Hyunsik from DNS coming today?"

"I think so."

"...This is going to be exhausting."

Just imagining filming a broadcast with two CEOs who were famous throughout the industry for being bitter rivals was already draining my energy.

TJ Entertainment.

Employees eating lunch in the company building across from Lemon Entertainment began murmuring.

"What's going on over there? Are they filming something?"

"Looks like it."

Cameramen had gathered outside Lemon Entertainment.

Thinking it might be another NewBlack content shoot, the TJ employees watched with growing interest.

Pedestrians stopped as well.

"Huh? They're filming something."

"Is it NewBlack? NewBlack?"

"Whoa."

Just then, two large vans pulled up outside Lemon Entertainment.

"Waaaaaaah... Huh?"

"Waaah?!"

The cheering abruptly faltered as the doors opened.

...Who are they?

A colorful group of idols stepped out, but none of them looked familiar.

Then one face stood out.

A cute-looking rapper with fluffy cotton-candy-colored hair.

"It's Hongju!"

"Who? Gye Hongju?!"

The runner-up from the famous hip-hop survival show Next Mission.

While everyone reacted with impressed murmurs, the rookie idols bowed deeply to the gathered crowd.

"X! BUSTERS!"

"Hello! We're rookie idol group X Busters!"

Holding their phones, the onlookers watched as the debut team nervously bowed, swallowing hard and awkwardly trying to greet everyone.

They were still unsure what to say when another vehicle arrived, triggering another wave of cheers.

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

Because Hanjo and Giwon from the famous idol group Street Boys had stepped out.

Giwon smiled brightly.

"Hello! We're here to judge a rookie idol debut evaluation today."

"Our company's trainees are competing against Lemon Entertainment's."

As they helpfully provided exactly the sort of sound bites people would post on social media, someone standing behind the crowd felt a tap on their back.

Tap.

"Hm...?"

People instinctively stepped aside.

A short man in a suit with the face of an angry bulldog looked up toward the top floors of Lemon Entertainment's headquarters.

One window glittered more brightly than the others.

Just wait, Baldy.

DNS Media CEO Lim Hyunsik let out a sinister chuckle.

Today our debut team is going to crush yours completely. Hwahahahaha!

And...

Watching him from the top floor of Lemon Entertainment was another man.

Come and try it, Hyunsik, you rascal. Heh heh heh...

Park Gyuho smiled like an evil Shaolin monk.

As the two men engaged in a fierce staring contest—

Sparkle.

The graffiti carved into the wall of Lemon Entertainment's building gleamed beautifully.

Gyuho ♡ Hyunsik.