I'll Protect My Man!

The broadcast, which had erupted with unexpected situations in more ways than one, finally came to an end.

Live communication!

If he had taken it lightly, he would have been in serious trouble.

Although he was completely drained from the stream, he still had to soothe his sulking girlfriend.

"Seola? Is it okay to talk?"

"...I'm sorry. I really didn't know the collaboration with Harang would happen so suddenly."

"Why did you get depressed?"

Oh... That was a tough one.

But putting himself in her shoes, he could understand. It was just the natural desire to want to do everything with your partner.

Feeling like there was no place for her in his world, Seola had been digging herself into a hole of self-pity.

"Seola. It's okay to feel that way. And that's not a bad emotion."

"What's wrong with that? And we can make music together."

"Let me give you a choice. Think about it carefully. Do you want to stand on the same stage and play at a high level like Harang? Or do you want to be the Seola who listens, sings, and plays by my side for the rest of our lives?"

"Why not? We can just do both. We're still young. Whether it's playing an instrument or singing, we can just learn."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Is music only music when you show it to others? Doing it together is what matters. Imagine this. The two of us travel to some place with beautiful scenery. And we happen to find an old piano. What if we play it and sing together?"

"Yeah. It might be an old piano with out-of-tune keys. But it'll still be fun if we do it together, right?"

"Right. That's the kind of relationship we have."

"Oh, my... What am I going to do with this crybaby? I wish I were next to you so I could pat your back."

"...Well, who told you to leave? You could always come back right now! Who knows? If you come now, I might, you know..."

"Ahaha... Did your tears dry up already?"

"Alright. I'll try to hold out."

"You worked hard too, Seola."

"Anytime, if you want."

"Good night."

Saebyeok stared at his phone for a long moment after the call disconnected, then sat down in front of his keyboard.

It was as if he wanted to leave behind a trace of the lingering feelings before they faded away.

A small smile bloomed on his face.

"...So, this is Moon Saebyeok?"

"Yes, Director."

As soon as the early morning meeting ended, Choi Seunga was watching the YouTube video on repeat.

"...He seems even better than our own artists, doesn't he?"

"Yes. Our subsidiary labels are in an uproar too. The casting team is still calling non-stop."

Choi Seunga tapped her index finger out of habit, her elegant brow furrowing.

"...For now, direct contact is forbidden."

"We can't block the authority of the producers. It's a good thing I contacted the casting team in advance, or they would have sent a dedicated scouting team already."

"I'll think about it a bit more. What about Chief Secretary Kim Jehak?"

"At first he declined, but when I mentioned it was about Moon Saebyeok, he said we should meet as soon as possible."

"Set up a meeting for this evening!"

"Yes, Director."

"Alright, you may leave."

Choi Seunga ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠replayed the video once more. How many labels did her company own, and how many artists were signed under them?

Having a deep knowledge of music herself, she recognized his talent instantly.

Why on earth... is he doing internet streaming? Is it a problem with the Moonwol family?

Knowing that worrying wouldn't solve anything, she immediately pressed speed dial 0.

The phone rang for a long time, but there was no answer.

"Why isn't she picking up?"

Just as she was about to press the speed dial again in frustration, the intercom buzzed.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Director, the youngest lady has arrived."

"...Send her in."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. It was exactly that situation.

Seeing her all dressed up so early in the morning looked highly suspicious. In Seunga's experience, whenever Choi Seola barged in without an appointment like this, it always meant a massive headache...

"Sister! I'm going to start a company!"

Just as she thought.

Pressing her temples with her index fingers as if a headache were coming on, Choi Seunga could only glare at her younger sister.

"Is it because of that Saebyeok guy?"

Choi Seola's eyes widened, and then she immediately flared up in anger.

"Sister! Did you run a background check on him again?"

"C-cough. Seola, that was..."

"I told you I really hate that! Have you ever thought about how it feels to be spied on?!"

"Th-that was for your safety..."

"Are they still tailing him?"

"N-no! I pulled them all back. Besides, why did you suddenly disappear and cause all this trouble in the first place?"

"Is this the time for you to be angry? I'm not a minor, how many times do I have to tell you I'm an adult!"

"...Alright, I get it."

Seola, huffing in anger for a moment, suddenly stood up and pressed the intercom button.

"Yes, Director."

"It's Seola. You come in too, Yeonju."

"Yes..."

Secretary Kim Yeonju, entering timidly, stood hesitantly in front of Seola.

"You're in on this too, aren't you, Yeonju?"

"Hey... what do you mean, in on this!"

"Stay out of this, Seunga."

The charismatic director was nowhere to be found; Choi Seunga averted her eyes like an old woman relegated to the back room.

Looking at her, Secretary Kim's eyes were filled with a sense of betrayal.

"Yeonju. You. Know. Right? How. Much. I. Hated. That. Do you. Remember. Or not?"

Knowing all too well that when Seola mixed formal and informal speech she was in a state of extreme rage, Yeonju quickly tried to make an excuse.

"Miss Seola, that is, well..."

"Forget it! I'm seriously going to pack up and leave for America."

"No! What are you talking about, Seola!"

"I only did it because the Director ordered me to! I had no choice!"

At Kim Yeonju's urgent confession, Choi Seunga stared at her blankly. This time, Yeonju turned her head away, avoiding Seunga's gaze.

"I'm really going to tell our eldest sister about all of this!"

"C-cough. Our eldest sister is busy with business..."

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"...I said I would."

"Yeonju!"

"Yes, Miss Seola! If the Director's sister-complex flares up again, I will report it to you immediately!"

Choi Seola finally gave a small nod.

"Fine. I'll trust you one last time. Yeonju, sit down here too."

Seola slapped the back of Choi Seunga, who was glaring at Kim Yeonju as she sat down in a daze.

Choi Seunga was instantly silenced.

"Both of you are very precious sisters to me. Right?"

At Seola's words, the two women immediately broke into silly grins.

"So, with that in mind, I have a favor to ask."

Choi Seunga stopped smiling and quickly turned serious.

"Starting a company isn't something you should take lightly."

Seola snorted at Seunga's opinion and turned to Yeonju.

"Yeonju, you investigated him, so you know, right? Our Saebyeok's potential."

Seunga shrank back again, trying to mutter a timid, "O-our...?" only to be silenced by Seola's glare, looking aggrieved. Yeonju thought for a moment before replying.

"Does that mean you intend to recruit Moon Saebyeok as an artist, Miss Seola?"

"Seola! There's no need to give him such special treatment. Just put him in any of our subsidiary labels..."

"...What did you say?"

"Her sister-complex is flaring up again, Miss Seola. Let's ignore the Director and talk between ourselves."

"I knew I could count on you, Yeonju. Let's leave that idiot aside and talk for a bit, just the two of us."

The two of them consulted for a long time, with Seunga occasionally chiming in to disrupt them, only to get scolded by Seola every time.

"Hmm... Miss Seola, so it's a sort of hybrid MCN."

"Yeah. Actually, I thought about making it on my own, but I decided it would be better in many ways to be under the group's umbrella."

"Then, how far are you planning to take this?" Seunga asked, now chiming in with a much more serious tone.

"The Director is right. Creating an MCN company under us is nothing, but if you're considering collaborations, their pride might..."

"Hmph! Pride? I don't even want the help of producers or other artists. Just watch. The day will soon come when they'll be the ones begging Saebyeok."

Yeonju pushed up her glasses slightly and held her tongue, while Seunga still said what needed to be said.

"Seola. Of course, the class of people called 'half-celebrities' has been around for quite some time. But that doesn't mean all of them are recognized in the industry. As you well know..."

Seola, who had been nodding along as she listened, countered her sister.

"I agree with what you're saying, Seunga. But Saebyeok's direction is a bit different."

"What kind of direction?"

Seola grinned, then rummaged through her bag and pulled out a laptop.

"I put together a PPT presentation. Take a look and tell me what you think. You too, Yeonju."

Yeonju and Seunga looked at each other for a moment, quickly exchanging silent thoughts.

Director, the youngest lady is completely set on this.

There's no stopping her once she gets like this. Let's just take a look first.

The two of them meticulously reviewed the PPT Seola had prepared, while Seola, perhaps feeling a bit nervous deep down, kept sipping her water.

"Hmm... is this plan your idea, Seola?"

"No. I'm strictly a supporter."

"So Mr. Saebyeok is the one with this plan?"

In Seola's PPT, any mention of Saebyeok's project to active as 'Ed' was completely omitted.

Even though Seunga and Yeonju were unlikely to leak the information, Seola had no intention of telling anyone before Saebyeok brought it up himself.

"Yeah. All Saebyeok wants is distribution and copyright management."

"I don't get it, Seola. Does Moon Saebyeok—I mean, Mr. Saebyeok—have no ambition for the mainstream?"

"Yeah. I don't know if he'll appear if they contact him, but he doesn't seem to want to be dragged around by broadcasting stations."

Choi Seunga let out a hollow laugh.

It wasn't just confidence; it bordered on arrogance.

Did she think the countless other artists fell in line with industry standards because they lacked pride?

The industry cartels were powerful, and if you got on their bad side, you would be boycotted or thrown to the media wolves.

Yeonju thought differently.

"Tweety TV and YouTube are both foreign content platforms. There's no reason for him to be tied down by the domestic broadcasting market."

Seola slapped the desk, reacting instantly.

"Exactly! Yeonju, you catch on so fast."

Irritated by that, Seunga went full throttle.

"I understand that Mr. Saebyeok has an unrivaled foundation. His playing skills and voice are unique too. But how does he plan to promote himself without any help from a producer?"

"Sister. Saebyeok is a complete genius who can write lyrics, compose, and produce all by himself."

"That's ridiculous! He's only twenty-one!"

"Mozart did all of that too."

"Isn't that comparison a bit absurd?"

As the two bickered, Yeonju sighed softly and intervened.

"Director. If it's just publishing and copyright management, it's not a bad deal for the company either. There's zero risk. And Miss Seola, you've seen the potential in his music, correct?"

"I knew it! Yeonju!"

"...Seola, I'm against it. You might end up wasting your precious time."

"Yeonju? Could you connect my phone to the Bluetooth speaker?"

"Ah, do you happen to have his self-composed songs on there?"

Seola had saved a few songs after getting permission from Saebyeok to record them.

He had said they were unfinished drafts just to capture the vibe, but to her ears, they were so brilliant they sent shivers down her spine.

"Sister, don't be shocked when you hear this, okay?"

"Hmph, Seola. I may not be a producer, but how long do you think I've been in this industry? Home producing and a phone recording?"

"Want to make a bet?"

"What kind of bet?"

"If you're impressed, you help me out with no strings attached. How about it?"

Choi Seunga quickly grew serious, tapping her index finger on the sofa as she fell into thought.

Seola isn't one to bluff. She wouldn't act like this unless she was incredibly confident. Hmm... If it's really that good, he's a talent we should bring in anyway, so it's not a bad deal... But as her older sister, I can't just treat business lightly.

"Seola. A bet needs to have terms that appeal to me, doesn't it?"

"Fine! Yeonju is our witness. If I lose, I'll live at your place for three months. How about that!"

"C-cough... Half a year."

"Tsk. Deal."

"Seola. No backing out later."

"You too, Sister!"

Seola took her phone, which Yeonju had connected, and pressed the play button without hesitation.