[VERSE 1]
‘Should I add the sound of water to the intro? No, then it’ll feel too much like a seasonal song.’
The idea that came to me while watching water pour into the white sink was deleted almost immediately.
When I was eating, when I was lying down, even when I had my hands under cold water until my fingertips turned red, the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about the song meant the work was completely blocked. There had been no point in faithfully showing up at the studio for months.
If someone saw me wiping the water on my jeans and sighing like the ground itself was collapsing beneath me, they would probably try to comfort me by saying this:
‘It’s not like you’re in a hurry.’
That was exactly the problem.
When album preparations weren’t right around the corner, and my bank balance wasn’t empty enough that I had to write something immediately, work could only move as sluggishly as a well-fed hippo taking a walk.
Actually, even that assumption had a flaw.
My bank balance, empty?
Baek Hanje.
The youngest member of Young Ace, the group that represented K-pop, and the producer-member who held the copyrights to every title track and B-side.
Because of that, my bank account had been overflowing ever since the group became a massive hit.
Nine years ago.
When everyone, even the members of Young Ace themselves, had begun losing hope in the group’s activities—
Perhaps because my desperate wish to survive had reached the heavens, a mysterious translucent window appeared before my eyes.
Wish “Young Ace standing in the brightest place onstage” has been registered.
Establishing quests required to achieve the goal...
Beginning Quest Scenario: .
Rewards will be granted upon successful completion of each quest, and penalties will be applied upon failure.
To carry out the merciless flood of quests, I used to make beats and scribble lyrics on my phone even in the car between schedules, and even in waiting rooms.
During that one year, there were more days when I collapsed in front of my MIDI keyboard with my headphones still on than days when I fell asleep in bed.
The more quests I completed, the more clearly I could feel hope settling over Young Ace’s future, which only made me more desperate.
In the end, Young Ace succeeded.
Even after the quest window disappeared, the group used its first success as a springboard and leapt even higher.
The album released the following year broke South Korea’s first-week sales record. Even during our break, we held the very top of the charts and completely captured mainstream popularity as well.
It was truly a dazzling underdog comeback legend.
From the year after that, every time we released an album, we dominated not only Korean charts but global charts as well.
As the overseas fandom grew, the mid-sized company, bewildered but thrilled, ran itself ragged arranging tour schedules.
And so, after three years as a flop group, one year of soaring upward, and eight years spent at the top, Young Ace now had a total of twelve years behind them.
It had already been more than two years since they last released an album.
I understood the reason perfectly well.
‘A new album sounds good. But honestly, it’s kind of scary.’
‘What is?’
‘At this point, the fall below us is deeper than the sky above us.’
Once people started attaching modifiers like “K-pop legend” to us, we could no longer release albums with nothing but the old spirit of challenge.
On top of that—
‘Yeban is a ten-million-admissions actor, Bangwon has established himself in the hip-hop scene, and the others are doing things they never got to do over the past ten years.’
Not only had they achieved things as idols, each member had opened a new path of his own and was active in other fields.
The more that happened, the harder it became for all six of us to gather and promote together.
Because by then, every member had done more than enough, to the point that there was no longer any need for “sacrifice for the group” like there had been before.
To put it coldly, we were already in our thirteenth year, and it was something to be grateful for that not one of the six had caused a scandal involving alcohol, drugs, fraud, nightlife, or anything of the sort, and that everyone was working hard in his own place.
That was probably why Young Ace remained an even sturdier legend.
I knew it was a smooth life.
“...Don’t leave only the producer behind...”
Even now, my mind still wanted the thrill of grinding bone and flesh into dust to complete a song. The kind of feeling people might call the spirit of a debt-ridden artist.
To raise my creative drive without any sense of lack, I needed a muse to appear. A lovable subject who would make my passion flare up, making me want to create the perfect song for them.
Like Young Ace used to be.
‘Could one just fall from somewhere? A rookie who works so hard it hurts to watch, someone who makes me want to pour every song I have and don’t have into them. Someone I wouldn’t regret producing for even if I stayed up for nights on end...’
I think the translucent window I met ten years ago was a kind of miracle.
A miracle born from the desperation of all the members, including me, manifesting before the eyes of the producer-member.
“If you happen to have any wishes left, please send me a muse this time.”
...Although I said that, if something really did come to grant my wish, I might refuse the miracle and tell it to go to someone more desperate.
That was how much this was merely the wish of someone who had too much.
Just then, an unfamiliar voice came from the end of the empty hallway.
“Grandma. Please don’t worry about the heating bill. You said Sua has signs of a cold. ...If you try to save a little on that, you’ll just end up paying more in hospital bills. No, it’s okay. I’m fine, so don’t scold Suhyeon for calling me. Yeah...”
A low sigh followed.
“If I work hard here, I can pay off all the debt. Turn on the boiler, and use the heated blanket too. You know I got into a good company. Okay?”
Ah, damn.
Even by coincidence, this was not the sort of thing I should be eavesdropping on.
Tap. Tap.
I deliberately stepped on the white marble floor hard enough to make a sound as I walked. At the sign of my presence, the voice on the phone hurriedly moved away.
A new employee?
‘Right. Miracles are needed by people like that.’
I turned back and caught the elevator in the central corridor.
My finger hovered over the panel for a moment, then pressed the button for the third floor instead of the seventh, where my studio was. Before going back to that pitch-black studio, I wanted to clear my head.
<K-Dom CAFE>
K-Dom Entertainment had grown into one of the top three entertainment powerhouses in the country on the foundation of Young Ace’s success.
As a result, the company that had once rented space in a shabby commercial building had expanded enough to construct its own headquarters.
Inside the new headquarters, there was even an in-house café that took up half of an entire floor. Compared to the days when water had dripped from the ceiling of the practice room, it was a change great enough to feel like the world had been remade.
To reach the café entrance, you had to pass through a long corridor. On the corridor walls were posters of debut album covers from every idol group that had debuted under K-Dom.
On the outermost side was Newton, the boy group that had debuted two years ago. Next to them was Ieum, the girl group that had debuted five years ago.
With each poster I passed, the outfits and hairstyles grew more outdated, and the image quality became murkier.
And once I reached the door of the café—
“Ugh.”
Six men appeared with avant-garde hairstyles, white cyberpunk uniforms far ahead of their time, and angel wings attached to their backs.
Even twelve years later, my impression that it had been ahead of its time remained the same, so it was clear that an era when that concept would be reevaluated would never come.
“We were young. So young.”
But by now, even the days when I had been embarrassed by my own presence in that reckless album felt long since meaningless.
“Baek Hanje. You’re still more than young enough.”
Oh.
At the voice from behind me, I turned around gladly.
The man standing there wore a suit over a firm, tall frame. Instead of greeting me, he jerked his chin toward the café door, telling me to go in.
I trailed after him, then rested my chin on his shoulder as he stood in front of the counter.
“Big bro, I want an iced vanilla latte.”
Kwon Taeyoung replied without even turning his head.
“These days, they say copyright holders rank above building owners. You really have no conscience.”
“You’re a director, though.”
At that, the face that was far too young and handsome for a company executive gave a faint laugh.
“The salary of an honorary director who used to be an idol still can’t keep up with the money Young Ace brings in.”
“Come on, that’s harsh. We built this building for you. You should be secretly skimming some slush funds or something.”
“I can’t, which is why I’m still running around on my own two feet. Hello. Could you please add one iced vanilla latte to the phone order I placed earlier?”
“Wow, our brother is so cool. Right?”
“Huh? Yes! Wow, Young Ace...”
“Please don’t mind him.”
The café employee must have seen celebrities to the point of exhaustion, but apparently meeting people who were practically living fossils of the company was something new.
Even after we took the vibrating pager and moved to a corner, the gazes of the people inside the café kept glancing this way.
It wasn’t only because of the value of the name Young Ace. People whose job had been to stand before the public for more than ten years had a power that drew attention even without trying.
Whether they wanted it or not.
And by now, both Kwon Taeyoung and I had developed nerves thick enough to continue a conversation casually under that attention.
“Hanje, if you’re going to hole up in your studio, write your own solo song. Your lifespan is still far too long for you to work only as a composer.”
“Come on. We’re in our thirteenth year. We’ve already milked this for all it’s worth. Wouldn’t it be shameless for people like us to squeeze in between our juniors and shove my schedule onto the calendar?”
“You may have seniority, but you’re only twenty-six. I mean it when I say it’s a waste.”
“Then not a solo. I want to dance onstage.”
“Dance, then. But practice hard. I’ll assign you plenty of dancers.”
“...Never mind. I meant I wanted us to make a comeback together. Who said I was upset because you wouldn’t give me enough dancers?”
“Of course I knew that. I changed the subject because I had nothing to say.”
“......”
I pressed my forehead against Kwon Taeyoung’s shoulder over and over, pretending to be hurt.
“But what brings you all the way here?”
“Ah... I have a meeting because the song for a new debut candidate is about to get scrapped.”
“Why? Did they cause trouble?”
“The person in question didn’t, but the situation is... hm.”
Kwon Taeyoung looked at me as if something had just occurred to him.
“Since I ran into you, come sit in on the meeting too.”
“Director, goodbye, and I hope you have a powerful day!”
I shot to my feet and bent at the waist in a perfect ninety-degree bow.
As expected, brothers had to maintain an appropriate distance for affection to survive. I really shouldn’t interfere in such private matters.
In the end, though, an iced vanilla latte was forced into my hand, and I was dragged to the meeting room.
“Ah, I have a bad feeling about this. I can tell it’s going to be seriously annoying!”
***
The moment the meeting room door opened, a gloomy energy rolled out from the entrance.
‘Well, these are all familiar faces.’
When Kwon Taeyoung rose to a management position in Division Five, most of the people who had worked with Young Ace moved with him.
I exchanged casual greetings with them since we were familiar enough, but there was one person who sprang up from his seat and bowed deeply.
He was the only person in the room I didn’t know.
The moment he lifted his head, I let out a quiet exclamation inwardly.
‘Oh...?’
A high school student? Or had he just become an adult?
He was a pretty-looking boy, exactly suited to the current idol market.
Among the features that filled his small face, his large eyes with their slightly upturned corners stood out the most.
In contrast to his fist-sized head, the shoulders beneath his sweatshirt were broad, and he was much taller than the other people in the room.
A talent with both a face and physique. Whether his position was vocal or rap, I could say with certainty that his role would be center.
But the fact that someone who looked like such a promising trainee had been called into a meeting room for “damage control” meant...
‘It was you, punk. You’re the one who made my brother suffer.’
Turning my admiration into resentment, I entered the meeting room. Shin Namwon, the team leader occupying one seat at the table, flicked his hand at me.
“Hi, Hanzel.”
“Long time no see.”
Planning Team Leader Shin Namwon had a habit of continuing to call singers who debuted under stage names by those stage names. It was true that after being called that for twelve years, the name felt like a second name to me, but considering most people close to me used my real name, it was still unusual.
I pulled out the chair beside Team Leader Shin and sat down. Meanwhile, Kwon Taeyoung went to the front and seated the problem child who had been standing all this time.
Then he himself remained standing, bending forward to brace his hands against the table.
“I assume everyone has a general grasp of the situation.”
“No? I was just dragged here.”
I answered proudly with the truth.
“Team Leader Shin, please explain it to him.”
Damn. As expected, that level of provocation wasn’t enough to help me escape.
At Kwon Taeyoung’s words, Team Leader Shin pulled his chair closer. Then he pointed at the problem child.
“You know who he is, right?”
“No? Is he a famous trainee?”
Eye-catching trainees often became rumored about even before debut. He had the kind of looks that would make that happen.
“You didn’t watch Debut Chart?”
“My heart is weak, so I can’t watch survival shows.”
“...You could just say it’s not your taste. What are you, some kind of...”
“Yes? What about me?”
“Don’t make that face, you brat. It doesn’t work on me. I’ve known you for more than ten years.”
“Ah, what a shame.”
Still, I knew of the program Team Leader Shin was talking about, <Debut Chart! 100>, because I had heard so much about it.
It had been famous for becoming an unexpected explosive hit while it aired, and also... because after the broadcast, it was discovered that the rankings had been manipulated and a massive amount of the budget had been embezzled, causing a nationwide uproar.
I heard that, in the aftermath, even the debut of the final lineup had fallen through.
“Anyway. He’s the kid who placed first there.”
“...Our company sent a trainee to an audition program?”
And one with visuals like that?
I briefly suspected the head of rookie development had developed early-onset dementia, but Team Leader Shin corrected me soon afterward.
“No. He went on Debut Chart as an independent trainee, and the company snatched him up afterward. I heard Director Kwon pushed hard for it.”
“Oh, Taeyoung did?”
“Yeah. He spent ages persuading them, saying Division Five would take responsibility and produce results. It must have passed after that. From what I can see, the kid really is good.”
K-Dom, now a large entertainment company, selected trainees through its own auditions and casting, then debuted idols from there. Bringing someone in like this was rare.
Kwon Taeyoung had probably faced far stronger opposition than the explanation I had just heard.
The fact that approval had ultimately gone through despite that meant the kid had potential beyond his flashy looks.
“Oh, right. He placed first fair and square, without manipulation.”
“An independent trainee did that in those circumstances? How?”
“Apparently, even after they shaved off votes, he was so overwhelmingly ahead that the producer had no choice but to give him first place. Rumor has it the prizes fans gave out for vote-promotion events cost enough to cover the first-place prize money dozens of times over.”
“Wow. Then his fans must be going absolutely insane right now.”
“Exactly. So we were planning to strike while the firepower was high and send him out with a digital single after a short preparation period.”
Team Leader Shin pushed the tablet in front of him toward me.
Male idol in his twenties crashes into middle school gate while driving drunk
“Huh.”
Which lunatic had shoved a liquor bottle into his frontal lobe this time?
Male idol in his twenties crashes into middle school gate while driving drunk
Meanwhile, Choi Songhyeon, twenty, was a contestant popular enough to rank eighth on <Debut Chart! 100>. After the project group fell through, he was scheduled to debut in a boy group under Maybe Entertainment alongside second-place Kim Eumyul, eighteen, and eleventh-place Shin Seobin, nineteen, but...
‘...Ah. So they were from the same program.’
“I get that bad news piled up around Debut Chart, but is this really serious enough for an emergency meeting?”
Holding someone collectively responsible just because they appeared on the same program was absurd.
It happened late at night and there were no casualties, so wasn’t it enough for only the guy who turned the steering wheel of his life in the wrong direction to be buried?
“If you start avoiding every little thing like this, when are you ever going to release an album? Just go with the image that this kid didn’t cause any trouble and has been working hard to prepare to meet his fans.”
“Our kid’s title track was called .”
“Ah.”
We were spectacularly fucked.
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