Chapter 138
Chapter 138
Translator: Penny
Chapter 138
While I focused on why I hadn't come to Come to My Universe, the members, unaware of my past, focused on something else entirely.
"That guy? CEO, why are you using such a familiar term for the composer?"
"Exactly! It sounds like you've known him for ages. Don't tell me... Even if he's an acquaintance, getting a song like that from him is a bit much."
"Well, he's the nephew of a close hyung, and I heard the jerk could compose a bit... It was so hard to find a composer back then. This industry is full of scammers. I even heard about a composer who ran off with the money from one of my acquaintances. So I figured someone I knew would be more trustworthy..."
Under the relentless questioning from Ryu Jaehee and Kim Dobin, the CEO scratched his head and trailed off.
"Haha, I was worried the CEO had been ripped off, but it turns out it was all for nothing."
"He didn't buy a song for 3 million won—he just gave a job and allowance to his Hyung's nephew!"
"And he risked our future on it! CEO, I'm so disappointed!"
"Exactly! Yoon Eden could have composed it too! And the quality would have been better! Hey, Yoon Eden! Say something!"
"Oh, so the source of that 3.5 million won alarm clock song was right here. Since it was just an allowance, it probably didn't help you wake up on time."
Reve erupted in chaos when they learned the source of those terrible songs was the corruption of nepotism.
The situation was so dire that even Seo Yehyeon, who usually avoided speaking up in such settings, raised his voice in anger.
Even the employees who had been with Reve since its dirt-poor agency days seemed unaware of the truth, their gazes toward the CEO tinged with unease.
Only the Planning Director maintained a serene expression, as if he alone knew the secret. That man's the real problem, too.
Objectively speaking, the song the CEO had brought this time was quite decent. But it seemed to have been penalized for "disloyalty."
In a near-unanimous decision, Come to My Universe, the song I had composed, was chosen as the title track.
Setting aside the fact that the composer was the nephew of the CEO's close hyung, I tapped my desk with my fingers, still pondering the unresolved mystery.
Who took it?
Was the composer famous? No.
Then was there another sucker like the CEO out there? Even that seemed unlikely. Without the CEO's level of luck, they would have gone bankrupt long ago.
Before the regression, when One Chance had made him a sensation, it might have been different. But in the present, he was just another nobody.
All of Reve's title tracks were my compositions, and his only self-composed title track, "Come to My Universe," was practically a taboo song.
Could it be that I sold songs to rookies from small-to-medium-sized agencies early in my career, like Reve?
It's hard to be certain. If you had to choose between Reve's album tracks and a rookie's title track from a smaller agency, most would pick the former.
Another possibility is that a group of similar or higher caliber than Reve bought the song. But why would such a group need to purchase a song from an unknown composer?
"Eden, the meeting's over. Aren't you leaving?"
Gyeon Hajun's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.
"Ah, right. I should go."
I decisively severed my train of thought and rose from my chair.
Whatever the truth, it will naturally come to light once the work is released to the world.
"Hello, Ilmongs!"
"Hi, Daydream! Today, our Maknae Line has planned a special project. We're calling it the 'Let's All Be Happy' Project!"
I clicked my tongue as I watched the Maknae Line waving and making cute faces at the camera, which was propped up on the table in the agency's recording studio. I swiveled my chair around and sat down.
Ugh, what a cheesy project name.
If only Dobin's skills and Seo Yehyeon's talent were even half as good as Gyeon Hajun's, everyone could actually be happy.
Gyeon Hajun was sipping lukewarm water to soothe his throat, while Seo Yehyeon sat beside him, studying the sheet music with an intensity that seemed like he was about to bore right through it.
"Hey, Eden Hyung, look over here!"
I turned my head at the tap on my shoulder and felt a finger poke my cheek.
"Ugh, you got caught with such a classic!" Kim Dobin covered his mouth and laughed gleefully beside Ryu Jaehee, who was still poking my cheek.
Ryu Jaehee kept his finger pressed against my cheek, prodding it repeatedly like testing undercooked meat.
"So soft..."
"Jaehee, are you having fun?"
"I want to take my hand off Hyung's cheek, but the texture is just too addictive..."
When I firmly grasped his finger, Ryu Jaehee reluctantly pulled his hand away.
"By the way, why did you bring the camera? You've memorized the lyrics and melody, right?"
"Of course I've memorized them already. The camera's for filming a vlog of our recording process—a surprise gift for the fans!"
"A special project to make Hyung a little less... prickly in front of the camera!"
Ah, so this is their plan: to put me in front of the camera and squeeze out some "gentle" words, just like when we recorded the Christmas song?
I smiled kindly at the grinning duo and asked, "Dobin, Jaehee, guess what Hyung brought?"
"Did you bring chocolate too, Hyung? Oh no, that would be a duplicate...!"
"Chocolate? Why would we need that?"
I dramatically placed the Ranger Training Assistant Instructor's cap—a striking crimson red—on my head.
Kim Dobin and Ryu Jaehee huddled closer, trembling.
"Are we doing the Project, Hyung?"
"Well, we should at least try, right? Otherwise, this vlog content will just become 'Fun Ranger Training Recording with Ranger King Eden Hyung'...?"
I smirked crookedly at the whispering pair.
"Depending on how you record, I can be either a devil or an angel. Understand?"
Seo Yehyeon let out a loud sigh, clearly for my benefit.
"We shouldn't have sent him."
"If you're so dissatisfied, why didn't you volunteer to go before I stepped in?"
Muttering under his breath, he adjusted his Ranger Training Assistant Instructor hat and jerked his chin toward Kim Dobin.
"Enter the recording booth. Execute."
Despite my command, Kim Dobin remained rooted to the spot, lost in thought as if trying to recall something.
My brow furrowed slightly. Ryu Jaehee, unable to bear the sight any longer, was about to shove Kim Dobin into the booth when Kim Dobin finally spoke.
"I noticed the Assistant Instructors use honorifics too."
"You want honorifics? Fine. I'll give you exactly what you want."
I had only intended to wear the hat and set the mood, but if he insisted on a perfect recreation, so be it.
"Entering, let's begin."
Kim Dobin, who had entered with a smile after hearing my polite words, was now...
"Again."
"Do it properly. Have you even mastered the pitch?"
"Keep the rhythm."
"I said keep the rhythm! When you're in front of the camera, you should be trying harder and showing your best effort. What's with this attitude of wanting to make Hyung's work style toxic?"
"How can you sing for just five seconds with such shaky pitch? What did you even learn in vocal lessons? Did you even take them?"
On the verge of tears, he stormed out of the recording booth.
"Hyung, just do it like you always do! I miss the real Hyung so much, waaaah!"
Kim Dobin, still sobbing, shifted his focus from me to Ryu Jaehee, who was frozen beside me.
"Youngest member, what are you doing?! We've already planned out the whole project!"
"Hyung, do you think you could actually put chocolate in Eden Hyung's mouth in his current state?" Ryu Jaehee demanded, his voice bristling with indignation.
"Why would you put chocolate in my mouth?"
"It's for an experiment. We want to see how much giving Eden Hyung something sweet while he's in his 'Minor Rage' state will lower his anger gauge."
"You think it'll actually work?" I asked with a disbelieving laugh.
Before I could finish, the Maknae Line members swiftly ushered Gyeon Hajun into the recording booth, declaring it their next experiment.
"Let's see how much Hajun Hyung, with his voice perfectly tailored to Eden Hyung's tastes, can lower Eden Hyung's anger gauge!"
Gyeon Hajun, watching me through the recording booth window, spoke into the microphone, his voice tinged with amusement.
"Eden, it's a little unnerving having you watch me like that with that hat on. Now I understand why Dobin was so nervous earlier."
"Ah, is that so? Then I'll take it off."
As I removed the Assistant Instructor's hat without hesitation, the Maknae Line members behind me began to whisper among themselves.
"Just like the saying goes: it's the sunlight, not the wind, that makes a traveler shed his cloak."
"Why would you take off your clothes?"
"Hyung, you seriously don't know the Aesop's fable...?"
Ryu Jaehee was stunned by Kim Dobin's clueless question.
He turned to Kim Dobin with the same expression as Seo Yehyeon, and when their eyes met, they both sighed simultaneously.
What are we going to do with this guy? Seriously.
Gyeon Hajun's recording session went smoothly, as always. Thanks to his vocal lessons, his skills had become even more refined, leaving me with no specific feedback to give.
I was smiling contentedly when Gyeon Hajun emerged from the recording booth. I immediately slapped the Assistant Instructor's hat back on.
"I thought you weren't using that anymore?"
The next in line, Seo Yehyeon, urgently asked, "No? You just took it off because Hajun said it made him uncomfortable?"
"I'm uncomfortable too. Take it off for me."
"You haven't even gone into the recording booth yet. Go in first and then ask."
As soon as Seo Yehyeon entered the booth, put on the headphones, and stood before the microphone, he said, "Eden, it's making me uncomfortable. Take off that hat."
Normally, he would have said, "Hey, Yoon Eden! Take off that hat right now! It's making me uncomfortable!" But since we were on camera, he softened his tone. This made me realize the value of having a camera present.
Of course, even if he had used the harsher tone, Yoon Eden probably wouldn't have listened anyway.
"Who dares address the Instructor by his first name so casually?"
"Don't make this already hellish recording session even worse!"
"I warned you beforehand that depending on the recorder's attitude, this Instructor could become either an angel or a devil."
"Aaaah!"
"Save your voice for more important things."
As I sat propped up on my elbow, issuing instructions, a soft, pink blanket was draped over my shoulders.
"What's this now?"
"It's called Pink Therapy. They say seeing pink reduces aggression."
I nudged Ryu Jaehee, who was handing me a pink mug filled with strawberry milk, and whispered in his ear, "Jaehee, you're next. And with the heat, my aggression is only rising. You know what to do."
Ryu Jaehee shuddered, immediately yanked the blanket off my shoulders, and chugged the strawberry milk in one gulp.
Why didn't you just buy pink sunglasses and make me wear them, huh?
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny