Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Alternative
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SAH Entertainment President Seo Jae-hyun and the three singers scrolled through the comments on their smartphones, reading reactions to the leaked guide recording.
Seo Jae-hyun spoke up.
"Before copies of the guide recording spread everywhere, our only option is to record the official single fast and release it. So, who's going to sing it? Stop bickering about who gets it and just decide already."
The singer who had dropped the dice under the table turned to the others.
"You know, bad luck does seem fitting. I'll step aside."
The singer who had been yelling "bad luck" nonstop shook his head.
"No way. We've all slipped up or crashed hard at some point in our lives. And we clawed our way back up to where we are now. Can't just dismiss a dice roll on the floor. I lost."
The singer whose two dice added up to three chimed in.
"I'm dead last anyway, so I should bow out."
The three singers yielded to each other as if they'd never argued in the first place.
Seo Jae-hyun narrowed his eyes.
"You guys aren't the type to give in this easily. What's the angle?"
"Well..."
Seo Jae-hyun zeroed in.
"Because the guide leaked?"
The singer who dropped the dice on the floor gave an awkward laugh.
"At this point, the song's practically half-released already."
"But it's not an official recording."
"Exactly why it's a problem. Truth is, there's no way I'd sing it worse than the guide vocalist, right?"
"True."
"But I don't have the confidence to sing it better either."
Another singer nodded along.
"Spot on. If we drop an official album and it doesn't top the guide, we'd look like idiots."
The singer with the sum of three added,
"That guy's not even a proper debut artist, right? If we release something official and still lose to an amateur guide track, it'd be a lifelong black mark. 'Singer worse than an amateur guide vocalist.'"
Seo Jae-hyun got where they were coming from.
"So what do we do with this song?"
"That's for you to decide, President."
"You bastards. Always 'hyung' this and 'hyung' that until it's decision time, then it's 'President.'"
One of them suggested,
"Plenty of others dying to sing it. Give it to one of them."
Seo Jae-hyun was floored.
"You three don't think you can beat the guide, and you wanna hand it off and get embarrassed when they flop? Want people saying SAH Entertainment botched a great song?"
These three were the best in SAH Entertainment at singing this track. That's why they were in this meeting room. The others had lost out in the competition.
Calling in a reject and recording wouldn't likely beat these three.
The singer with the three piped up,
"Then give it to the idols and have them sing it..."
"Bury the kids who can barely afford rice on their paychecks? Didn't peg you for the ruthless type."
"Then what? Return it to Composer Kwak? Tell him to sell it elsewhere?"
Seo Jae-hyun shook his head.
"Nah, no way. Can't stand seeing another label thrive."
But just sitting on it wouldn't fly with Composer Kwak Chan-seok either.
Seo Jae-hyun said,
"Guess I'll have to meet with Chan-seok."
The leaked track had reached the ears of the PC bang trio too.
"Whoa, this song's killer."
"Who's singing it?"
Shin Eun-ha, listening beside them, spoke up.
"Huh? Why's Gang-in oppa's guide recording floating around the internet?"
She had tagged along when Na Gang-in visited Kwak Chan-seok's studio.
College student hacker An Seong-hwan looked shocked.
"Wait, noona. This is hyung singing?"
"Yeah, it's his guide. Stuff like this should stay in-house at the agency. How'd it end up here?"
Yoon A-reum clapped her hands.
"Whoa, Gang-in oppa sings amazing."
Shin Eun-ha beamed with pride.
"Gang-in oppa shreds on guitar too."
"Gotta ask him to sing for us sometime."
"Huh?"
"Why not?"
Shin Eun-ha grinned wide.
"Why didn't I think of that? Maybe we do a mini-concert just among us?"
"Can't we just hit up karaoke?"
"Oh. Right."
Seo Jae-hyun tilted his glass at the bindae-tteok house serving mung bean pancakes and assorted jeon.
They'd been friends since before debuting as singers. Back in Seo Jae-hyun's early flop days, Kwak Chan-seok struggled to sell tracks and commiserated right alongside.
Seo Jae-hyun downed his soju.
"Ahh. Back in the day, we'd come here and whine about why we couldn't make it."
It was because they'd suffered together back then that Kwak Chan-seok had signed over this track before even finishing it.
Kwak Chan-seok sipped his makgeolli.
"Even then, you'd stick to soju whenever we came here."
"And you'd insist makgeolli paired better with jeon."
Those days, they'd order just one kimchi jeon or scallion pancake as anju and nurse it. Couldn't afford two, so they'd ration bites until it went cold—happened plenty.
Seo Jae-hyun pressed his fingertips to the corners of his eyes.
"We'd bet on drinks back then—winner picks. Now we can order whatever we want. No more fighting over kimchi or scallion. Chan-seok, we made it, right? We're successful now, yeah?"
Kwak Chan-seok narrowed his eyes.
"What are you really after? Buttering me up before even getting to the point?"
Seo Jae-hyun averted his gaze.
"Uh... that obvious?"
"I know you too well. You pulled the same sob story here before signing that last contract. Spill—what now?"
Seo Jae-hyun set down his glass.
"About that song you gave me. No one's willing to sing it."
Kwak Chan-seok shrugged it off.
"They all passed? Fine, I'll shop it to someone else. Give it back."
"Whoa, pump the brakes. The guide turned out too damn good. And that file leaked."
Kwak Chan-seok knew.
"Yeah, Yu-seon tipped me off. Your company's great at song security."
"Sorry. Our label's full of artsy types—loose vibe. But that's not the issue. The singers who wanted it first? All backed out."
"Why?"
"Don't wanna drop a new track and get compared to the guide. Win, and it's expected—no gain. Lose, and you're done. Even 'close' reviews would sting."
Kwak Chan-seok nodded.
"Fair. It is sung well. I started as just a guide but got carried away and recorded it for real."
"Which is why."
Seo Jae-hyun topped off Kwak Chan-seok's glass with makgeolli.
"Introduce me to the guide singer. We'll release a digital single with him at our label."
"Huh? He's not even on your roster."
"We'll sign him. If he wants the release, he'll ink the contract."
Kwak Chan-seok bristled.
"You prick. That's exactly why I didn't intro him. He's Yu-seon's lifesaver."
Suddenly, Kwak Yu-seon's voice cut in from nearby.
"Right. Jae-hyun oppa, didn't think you were such a user."
Seo Jae-hyun panicked.
"Whoa? Yu-seon, when'd you...? Wait, was that a classy way of calling me trash?"
Kwak Chan-seok said,
"Told my little sis she was nearby, asked her to drive me home later. And yeah, you're trash. How do you exploit your friend's kid's lifesaver?"
Kwak Yu-seon piled on.
"Yeah. Guess you gotta be that cutthroat to run a company."
Under fire from the siblings, Seo Jae-hyun threw up both hands.
"Okay, okay! No need to join the label. Just drop the digital single."
That was Seo Jae-hyun's backup plan.
"Bought a killer track, but no one at our place thinks they can match the guide. The ones who do? Can't sing as well."
An official SAH Entertainment digital release flopping against the guide file would tank the whole company's rep.
"Scrapping it hurts you and me both."
Kwak Chan-seok pushed back.
"You just bought the song—did jack otherwise. Recording was at my studio with me."
"Redo the recording! Promo, sales, cover art—all on us."
"Hm..."
Songs don't sell just by uploading files. Even great tracks die without promo—people never even hear them.
"Hold up. Let's at least ask if he's game."
Kwak Yu-seon jumped in.
"Big bro, I'll check."
"Go for it."
Na Gang-in picked up Kwak Yu-seon's call. She gave a quick rundown.
Na Gang-in asked,
"Didn't that song already sell?"
- The president of the company that bought it proposed it himself.
"I'm not planning any broadcasts or live shows."
- We can work that out, right?
"Hm... I'll think it over and get back to you."
Na Gang-in hung up.
Shin Eun-ha and the PC bang trio were right there.
Shin Eun-ha asked,
"What's up?"
"That guide I did before. They want to release it officially."
"Whoa! Composer Kwak Chan-seok?"
"Nah, the company that bought the song proposed it."
Shin Eun-ha frowned suspiciously.
"Hmmm... This industry's crawling with scammers who'll rip you off."
"Skip it?"
"No way. We should do it. But let's check with a pro first."
Shin Eun-ha called her manager, Park Woo-seop.
"Manager Park oppa, got a favor."
- What?
After relaying what Na Gang-in had told her, Shin Eun-ha said,
"So, can you look into it for me, oppa?"
- Hey, I'm your manager, not Gang-in's. And he's not even with our agency.
Park Woo-seop managed SAH Entertainment's actors.
"So you won't? You've owed Gang-in oppa so many times!"
- Fine, fine. Just wanted some appreciation for my hassle.
"Thanks!"
- Thanks? Grab a tub of that mixed snack Gang-in made. My wife and kids are obsessed.
"I'll snag two."
- Deal. So, which company proposed to Gang-in?
"Dunno. The contact's with Composer Kwak right now."
Na Gang-in texted Kwak Yu-seon for the spot. Shin Eun-ha read it off.
Hearing the location, Park Woo-seop said,
- Close by. I'll swing over and scope it out. A label buying a Kwak track ain't small-time, but size doesn't stop backstabbers in this biz.
"Thanks!"
- Throw in one of Gang-in's dishes.
"Packed tight in a sealed container!"
Kwak Yu-seon said,
"Someone he knows is coming here to hear you out."
Seo Jae-hyun asked,
"Knows him?"
"Industry savvy guy. Ask Jae-hyun oppa yourself for details."
Seo Jae-hyun got a bit uneasy.
"Another label already? He said no agency."
"Far as I know, no. Heard actor agencies are sniffing around, though."
Moments later, Shin Eun-ha's manager Park Woo-seop walked into the bindae-tteok house.
Park Woo-seop spotted Seo Jae-hyun and froze.
"Whoa? President."
"Huh? Manager Park? Small world here. Chan-seok, first time? This is Shin Eun-ha's manager, Park Woo-seop. I'm waiting on someone, so handle your business."
"Uh... well."
Park Woo-seop had heard the meetup was with Kwak Chan-seok.
And there sat Seo Jae-hyun across from Kwak Chan-seok.
"President, the person you're waiting for... might be me."
"Huh? What're you talking about?"
Kwak Chan-seok caught on quick.
"Jae-hyun, he's tight with Eun-ha. She came along for the guide session."
"What?"
"That's probably why her manager's here."
Seo Jae-hyun reeled.
"Hold up. He's close with Eun-ha? Why?"
Shin Eun-ha's manager Park Woo-seop gave the official line.
"'Cause he saved her life multiple times..."
"So the guy we're talking about is Na Gang-in?"
"Yes, President."
"Na Gang-in sings too?"
"Heard he's incredible."
Seo Jae-hyun stuck out his left arm, bowed his head, and waved his hand frantically.
"Time out. Let me process what's happening here."