The Weight of Old Faces
“Ugh… I’m drained. Hyung, mind driving for a bit?”
Jo Wonhyung eyed the slumped figure beside him as they climbed into the car, a low chuckle escaping him. “Even so, you pulled through somehow.”
“I was on the edge back there. Hyung Jaemin—why did he have to jump in like that?”
“You really thought it’d end up like this? Thank god Taejin’s got a steady head on his shoulders. Everything just piled up, that’s all.”
“Yeah… it really did go smoother than I expected.”
“You should think about Onjeong Entertainment.”
Jang Namhun turned his head, surprised. “Huh?”
“You’ll need an agency when you start working again, right?”
“Aah…”
“You can see for yourself—this isn’t some cutthroat company. It’s like family. Not huge, sure, but the finances are solid and they’ve got industry clout. Night shifts are the bread and butter for unknown trot singers, you know. The scene out there’s messy as hell. But who’d dare mess with Jaemin Hyung?”
“His dad’s one of the Trot Four Heavenly Kings and a former athlete too.”
“And he’s basically a ghost in the underground circles—no one crosses him.”
“It felt pretty chill when I walked in.”
“I’m not saying rush it. Take your time. There are plenty of agencies out there.”
The two men who’d already been burned by an agency knew better than to gamble. Caution was mandatory.
“Got it.”
“That aside… what now?”
“What do you mean?”
“We still have half a day left.”
Jang Namhun squeezed his eyes shut, the weight of the day pressing down like a year. “I guess I really do need to start job hunting.”
“Job hunting?”
“You mentioned that vocal trainer spot, right?”
“Aah. Yeah… I’m wiped out.”
“Wiped out or not, you can’t back out. I set that up for you.”
“Damn. I’m not even in showbiz yet and the schedules are already brutal.”
“That’s just how it is when you’re trying to make a living.”
“Yeah… it’s all about making a living.”
The image of his three younger siblings flashed through Namhun’s mind and he forced himself upright.
* * *
By the time they reached Mapo-gu from Cheongdam-dong, it was already almost six in the evening.
“Here we are.”
“You’ve basically driven us around Seoul once today.”
Mapo-gu was packed with small-to-mid-size agencies like this.
“Still better than being far away from home.”
Leaving Gangnam meant a long drive, but Yongsan and Mapo were practically next door.
“I picked this place on purpose. Plenty of agencies.”
“As expected of you, hyung.”
That kind of thoughtfulness spoke volumes without needing words.
“This is a small agency, so it’s freelance. But they’ll need you on short notice. Still, the pay will be a big jump from the academy.”
In truth, Namhun had never been the top earner, even when he placed first. Money had never been the goal—it was just for recovery.
Now he could practice in a proper studio with full equipment, instead of just borrowing time from the academy.
“So what’s the name again?”
“D-Sync Entertainment.”
“Oh, right next door.”
Jo Wonhyung was stunned. “That’s the parking lot for this very company.”
“They even have their own parking lot… this place is bigger than I thought.”
“They run two idol groups, so…”
“One boy group, one girl group?”
“Yeah. And there’s a third one in the works.”
“Heard there aren’t that many trainees, but they’re probably scouting dropouts from other places once debut time comes.”
That was standard practice for smaller agencies—they filled out the roster by bringing in finished acts.
“Running three groups? They must be serious about breaking out of the small-fish category.”
“Exactly. They’re trying to grow.”
“So why hire me? You didn’t put in some hidden pressure, did you?” It would be unfair if they’d built up his hopes too high.
“No. The boy group is brand new—only three years—and the girl group is still in its first year. But their vibes feel off, so I’m watching the next group closely.”
“Off?”
“Yeah. A live-stream drama blew up and they need an experienced vocal trainer.”
Namhun realized he was stepping in as a firefighter and couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. His own future was still dark.
“Hold on—that means there’s no time to slack, right?”
“Exactly. The pay is decent because of it.”
“…”
“Double the pressure.”
“But the CEO is someone I know. They can probably work around your situation a little.”
“Someone I know?”
“Yeah. Someone I know very well.”
Faces flashed through Namhun’s mind—none of them classic singers, not really. A broadcast executive as CEO? That didn’t add up.
‘No one I’ve been close to has that kind of wealth…’
D-Sync Entertainment looked impressive from the outside.
Inside, it felt completely different from Onjeong Entertainment—sleek design, a proper info desk, and walls lined with bromides and posters of the boy and girl groups.
A large screen on one lobby wall showed a boy idol’s music video.
‘Flan One? Their idol looks are on another level now.’
Back when he was active, the industry still borrowed too heavily from Japan—everything felt exaggerated.
Today’s K-pop was sleek enough to compete globally.
‘This trot world is so different.’
Of course. The scale of funding was completely different.
A bitter smile tugged at his lips. ‘That’s why they told me to dress up nicely today.’
While Namhun was lost in thought, Jo Wonhyung headed straight for the info desk.
One of the staff members who was about to head home spotted him and greeted him like an old friend. “Hey, Composer Jo. What brings you here this late?”
Seeing the staff recognize him instantly made Namhun jump. ‘What? Is he actually that famous?’
But when Wonhyung approached the info desk and spoke in casual tone, it clicked—they knew each other. “Sera, long time no see. Something came up, so here I am. Is the CEO in?”
“He said he’d be staying late today. Was there a meeting?”
“Yeah, something like that. Staff have set hours, but the CEO and I are self-employed—we don’t clock in.”
“You make a killing, huh?”
“Haha, the CEO makes the big money. I’m just scraping by.”
“You’re kidding.”
After a moment of playful teasing, the staff member glanced at Namhun, then stood up. “Come with me. I’ll show you the way.”
“Huh? Why so friendly today, Sera? Usually you’re glued to your chair.”
“I’m rushing you through so I can go home early.”
But the way she kept glancing sideways made it clear she wasn’t an idiot.
‘Looks like she’s got some superficiality issues.’
Jo Wonhyung suddenly remembered a long-buried dark chapter. The first fan-signing event for Evil Spirits, when only Elixer’s line was packed while the rest were empty.
‘That’s why we changed everything after that—lined them up, made everyone sign.’
Maybe that incident had been the turning point. It was what finally woke Myeong Ujin and Woo Minsu up to reality. Wonhyung had never cared much, but the other two had.
* * *
Inside the elevator, Sera pressed the card to the button and shot Wonhyung a sideways look. “So… is this gentleman a new idol?”
“Idol? This guy’s twenty-eight.”
Sera’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? He looks so young… so you must be the actor starring in the web drama Plan One is filming, right? And you’re doing the OST too, Composer Jo.”
“What kind of actor talk is that? Hey, Baeksoo.”
“Huh?!”
“Sera, remember what you said when I first showed up two years ago?”
Sera avoided his gaze. “It was two years ago… you’re still bringing it up?”
“That shocked me a lot.”
Her face flushed crimson. Wonhyung’s voice stayed even as he called out, “Hey! No civilians allowed in here!”
“Sorry…”
The elevator doors closed with Sera still inside. Namhun turned to Wonhyung. “That tail really lingers.”
“Kid, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Wonhyung scanned Namhun top to bottom. “Damn… I shouldn’t have told you to dress up.”
* * *
In the CEO’s office, the person waiting was someone Wonhyung had known for a long time—and someone completely unexpected. “Er… Changsu Hyung?”
It was Kim Changsu, Evil Spirits’ former road manager. They’d worked together for a year and a half before the group disbanded and he quit right away. It had been nine years since Namhun last saw his face.
As his manager, Wonhyung knew him well, but honestly, Namhun had forgotten him completely.
Kim Changsu studied him with a complicated expression, then managed a quiet “You… you really are Namhun. Wow… you’ve grown so much in the time I wasn’t looking.”
He pulled Namhun into a firm hug. “Wonhyung told me everything. You’ve been through a lot. Sorry I couldn’t make it when your parents passed. I was back home at the time—I had no idea what was happening in the industry.”
“…It’s okay.”
Yeah, now it all clicked. He had said he was going home. The sudden disbandment had hit hard for everyone, especially Kim Changsu, who had been Evil Spirits’ first manager.
Memories came back in waves. At debut, Namhun was seventeen, Wonhyung twenty-five, Myeong Ujin and Woo Minsu twenty-three, and Changsu twenty-one. They were all brand-new adults stepping into the world together.
While the other three had a total-manager, Changsu had been basically Namhun’s personal handler. Age difference or not, they talked like equals. The year-and-a-half they’d shared—short, but they’d done dorm life together—had built a deep bond.
“I said yes the second Wonhyung mentioned the vocal trainer spot. Who knows someone better than me?”
Wonhyung watched the reunion with a smile. “How about we sit and talk? My legs are killing me after all this walking.”
“Ah, sorry. Come on, hyung. Let’s have a drink first and catch up.”
“Not alcohol, right?”
“If we start drinking, none of us will make it home.”
Wonhyung pointed at Namhun, grinning. “Then I’m out. He has to get home.”