Chapter 178: Corporate Theme Song (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 178: Corporate Theme Song (1)
Just as Ha Seo-myeong had predicted, an offer arrived at UA shortly after. The production team for the drama currently filming with actor Kim I-wol requested that a member from his group record an OST track to be introduced starting from episode 6.
It was exactly what I had hoped for, but I hadn't thought it was possible. I had expected them to use a proven, established singer at the very least.
‘But Jeong Seong-bin really blew up in the meantime.’
Through his appearance on My.Singer's.Genre, Jeong Seong-bin had his skills recognized even by "muggles." That likely influenced this offer.
The problem was how much Park Ju-woo would continue to step back from vocal activities.
‘Between the vocal position battle in Idol Dynasty Annals and now this, if the turn goes to Jeong Seong-bin again, Park Ju-woo will have missed out on three opportunities despite being a fellow main vocal.’
I agreed that opportunities should go to those with talent. I also knew that opportunities aren't distributed equally to everyone.
However, whether it was right to "give an opportunity earned through Jeong Seong-bin’s talent to Park Ju-woo" was a different matter.
‘He’s already giving up so much...’
I had given Choi Je-ho, Kang Gi-yeon, Lee Cheong-hyeon, and Jeong Seong-bin plenty of chances to stand out.
But I hadn't been able to do the same for Park Ju-woo. Because the situation wasn't right, because of the way things flowed, or just because that's how it happened.
That was why, ever since I heard about the offer from Ha Seo-myeong, I had been loitering in the UA office.
As soon as a related call came in, I pleaded, "I'll talk to the kids about this first! Please, don't just gather them all and announce it!"
After booking a meeting room, preparing two cartons of milk, and summoning Park Ju-woo behind Jeong Seong-bin’s back, the stage for our conversation was finally set.
“...Is something wrong?”
Park Ju-woo asked, clutching a milk carton with both hands. He looked incredibly anxious.
“It’s nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to you.”
I poked a straw into my milk carton and took a sip. My throat still felt dry.
“Ju-woo, I’m asking because I’m genuinely curious.”
“Yeah.”
“Back during the position battle in Idol Dynasty Annals, I ended up going. Did you feel any regrets back then?”
Though he had a quiet personality, Park Ju-woo wasn't the type to walk on eggshells around others.
In a face-to-face setting, he was probably as sincere as Kang Gi-yeon, if not more. In that sense, it was better to be direct with him.
As expected, Park Ju-woo answered simply.
“I didn't.”
“Really?”
“I was sad I couldn't join in for 『New World』... but as for not going as the representative for Spark, I have no regrets.”
As he spoke, Park Ju-woo slowly peeled the plastic off his straw.
“Then what about when Seong-bin went on My.Singer's.Genre?”
“It was the same then.”
Park Ju-woo smiled slightly. It was a smile of relief, realizing that this wasn't a meeting to interrogate him.
‘I’d actually prefer it if you felt a little bit of bitterness here...’
How was I supposed to release this innocent soul into the harsh world of idols?
“The drama I’m filming... In My Office... they sent a proposal to UA for an OST participation.”
Park Ju-woo didn't show much of a reaction. He just slowly poked his straw into the carton.
“It’s a typical ballad. Since I’m an idol, the offer came to Spark, and they probably have Seong-bin in mind for it.”
“That makes sense. He’s been a hot topic since My.Singer's.Genre.”
“I think this job should go to Seong-bin as the first priority. But if you feel that’s unfair as a fellow main vocal, I think I need to hear that out, too.”
At my words, Park Ju-woo swayed his body slightly from side to side. Then he closed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought, and when he opened them, he stared blankly as if processing something.
Back when I was a proxy fan, I would have thought that was a sign of not paying attention at all, but now I knew. This was just how Park Ju-woo organized his thoughts.
As expected, Park Ju-woo soon nodded.
“Mm... I’ve sorted it out.”
“Okay, take your time and tell me.”
Park Ju-woo took a sip of milk and spoke.
“First, I think it’s right for Seong-bin to take the OST. If you thought of Seong-bin as the first priority, Hyung, there must be a reason.”
“No, you don't have to consider my perspective...”
“Your thoughts are a criterion for my judgment, too.”
Park Ju-woo was quiet but firm. True to his nature, he didn't assert himself often, but when he did, he was always clear about what he wanted to say.
“...And I don't feel it’s unfair. If an opportunity that suits me comes along, then it’ll be my turn.”
“You trust me that much?”
“It’s not so much trust as... it’s because we made a promise.”
Park Ju-woo stared at a spot on the desk. His fingertips tapped the carton rhythmically.
“You’ve kept everything you said you would, Hyung. You kept the debut concept, and we’ve had several first-place stages on Idol Dynasty Annals.”
Park Ju-woo’s gaze returned to me. There was a smile at the end of his steady look.
“So I’m just waiting for my turn. Until we can do a band concept together, or do a powerful song.”
“...”
“I can wait until then. It’s not that I don't have ambition or can't be greedy... so you don't have to worry.”
“Oh, man.”
Watching Park Ju-woo sip his milk, a sigh escaped me involuntarily.
To think I have to keep assigning soul-crushing high notes to this little guy in the future—I felt so guilty I couldn't even lift my head.
I was sighing a thousand times internally when Park Ju-woo spoke up.
“More than that, Hyung, you’re a total hypocrite.”
“What?”
“Don't you know...? 'Romance for me, affair for you'?”
“Hey, who told an idol to use phrases like that!”
Watching me panic, Park Ju-woo thought hard and offered a new term.
“Then... mm... Hyung, you’re a 'Sacrifice-Sucker'.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“If I do it, it’s a sacrifice; if others do it, it’s being a sucker.”
“Who was it? Who used such an unrefined word like 'sucker' in the dorm?”
“Je-ho Hyung did.”
“Don't come to our room for a while. You’re just going to learn more weird things.”
My head throbbed. How should I shut Choi Je-ho’s mouth? Should I just seal it shut with those breathable waterproof bandages?
Watching me fume, Park Ju-woo said, “Hyung, you were worried because I don't have any individual schedules, right?”
“Huh?”
“...Even though you hate standing out yourself.”
I had somewhat expected him to guess. He and I were similar in some ways. In our temperaments and such.
“I have to step up when I can for the sake of the team.”
“Right.”
Park Ju-woo muttered.
“Right...”
And he repeated the same word. Pointedly.
I shook the two milk cartons to make sure they were empty.
I was picking up the plastic trash and about to leave the meeting room when Park Ju-woo called out to me from behind.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“I have a really good memory for promises.”
The corners of Park Ju-woo’s mouth lifted slightly but clearly. It was a gentle smile.
“So you mustn't forget.”
And so, it was decided that Jeong Seong-bin would sing the OST for the latter half of my drama.
Drama filming was something that took much, much more time than I had imagined.
Sometimes I’d think, ‘We’re filming all of this in one day?’ while other times, it felt like time was just crawling by forever.
Today was the latter. Perhaps because the rooftop scene with the two lead actors wouldn't end, the wait became infinitely long.
When I look at the rooftops of buildings during lunch hour, everyone is just smoking. It seemed the rooftop of My Asset Management was a non-smoking zone.
‘After this, there’s a scene where the Team Leader gets really angry and storms out.’
There was never a quiet day at Hanpyeong Industry or My Asset Management. Right, it wouldn't be complete without UA getting involved too.
No. I shouldn't let my mind wander while working. Focus, focus.
The current situation was this:
While the Team Leader and the Assistant Manager were having a severe disagreement, Team Leader Ji said, “Assistant Manager Seon, follow me right now!” and they headed to the rooftop.
What should the team members do until the two of them return?
‘What else? Close your eyes, plug your ears, and pretend to work.’
On one side of my monitor, I pulled up the public disclosure documents of a virtual company created for filming. It was one of the images I had been given beforehand to display on the screen during work scenes.
But this...
‘It’s better made than I thought?’
It wasn't just thrown together; the numbers on the balance sheet balanced perfectly. The same went for the income statement.
With this, I could calculate the market cap and even draw a few graphs.
‘Since it’s a dual monitor, if I split them into four screens with the disclosure data, Web Cell, news images, and KOSPI images...’
The perfect screen for an employee working hard even if a furious boss saw it! I felt genuinely proud.
I was even drawing graphs using functions for the first time in a while when the corner of the set became noisy. It seemed the two leads had finished the rooftop shoot and come down.
“We’ll start the office cuts in 10 minutes!”
The assistant director shouted. It was time to showcase my acting as an office worker with dead eyes once again.