Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Korean BBQ Diplomacy
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“(You're remembering it wrong, it wasn't a flyer.)”
“(Then what was it?)”
“(It was a fan with a picture on it.)”
“(Oh, dear. It was a fan?)”
The two continued their conversation in English, seemingly delighted to see each other. CEO Park Jae-yong, who hadn't used English for a while, stammered at first, but his words gradually began to flow more smoothly.
“(But you were Della's manager. Don't tell me you've climbed to a high position in just a few years?)”
“(I was Della's business manager at the time. I've since moved to an agency called Billboard Holdings.)”
“(I forgot. I know the management system is different from our country's, but I still make that mistake sometimes.)”
Suddenly, the CEO looked at me and spoke.
“Min-jun, you probably don't know, so I'll explain. The management system in the U.S. is different. Artists form their own management teams, and there are separate agencies that handle promotions. There's no trainee system like we have. You have to train on your own, prove your own skills…”
The opposing lawyer translated CEO Park Jae-yong's explanation to me for his clients, adapting it for their understanding.
I already knew all this, but with everyone watching, I had no choice but to listen quietly.
“Do you know why there's no trainee system?”
I was planning to just listen, but when the CEO asked a question like, “Do you know why A doesn't exist?”, it meant a long story was coming.
I had to cut him off.
“Because legally, agencies can't also be producers.”
“!”
Speechless, the CEO blinked.
“It's because if all systems were concentrated in one place, they could use their market dominance to push their own artists, which is considered unfair competition. Right?”
“You knew?”
“On the surface, it seems very fair, but it's inefficient. Talented people don't know how to develop their abilities, and there are limits to the genres they can produce. It's also difficult to form groups of skilled individuals like in K-pop, which makes it hard to create amazing group performances.”
“What the… You should have said so sooner.”
The CEO turned away, looking deflated. The contract managers, who had heard our conversation through the lawyer, looked amused.
“You know our system well, right?”
“I think this level of knowledge is necessary to become a celebrity manager in Korea. Because the Korean market is too small.”
At my words, the contract managers nodded and smiled.
The warm conversation between the CEO and the manager resumed.
“(Jay, forgive me for not recognizing you at first. You were much heavier back then.)”
“(That's right. I gained a lot of weight from stress. I'm about to start some high-intensity training.)”
“(It was really impressive to see the CEO of a fairly successful Korean management company come out to promote his team himself. I was genuinely rooting for you.)”
“(The whole team worked hard, but the results weren't great. The company almost went bankrupt.)”
The CEO said with a bitter smile.
“(Oh, but it's lucky we get to meet again like this, isn't it? Congratulations.)”
“(This friend here put in a lot of effort.)”
The CEO smiled, putting an arm around my shoulder as he spoke.
“(When I first saw him, I thought you'd brought one of your idols, but he's a really capable young man.)”
“(He's also my most cherished disciple.)”
Wow… that bluff of his. Calling me his disciple is a bit much, isn't it?
The CEO, having called me his disciple, looked incredibly proud.
“(Jay, you have a fine disciple. By the way, how is that girl who got startled by a bug and fell on stage back then?)”
The contract manager asked with a reminiscent smile, and the CEO paused for a moment before suddenly clapping his hands and laughing.
“(My goodness! She's our company's CFO now.)”
“(Hahaha! What a fun connection. Why didn't she come with you?)”
“(She's busier than I am with company work. In fact, you could say she's my boss.)”
Whatever had happened in the past, they were sharing their own memories, creating a heartwarming atmosphere that was hard to explain even for those watching.
“(It seems we've been talking only about ourselves.)”
“(You're right. It's because I was so happy to see you, Mason. I hope you'll understand.)”
Once the trip down memory lane was over, Mason's expression turned serious. He had switched back to contract manager mode, true to his purpose.
“(Your proposal is sound. However, the American management business is very complex, with many things to attend to. This is especially true for musician Lee Yoo-ah, who is expected to get a great response. We agree to all the conditions, but 20% is excessive. Let's make it 18%. Any higher, and we cannot sign.)”
I could tell he was serious. These were the kind of people who would walk away cleanly if we tried to get even 0.1% more.
“This should be enough. We'll take a step back as well.”
“Let's do that. It's best when we both benefit.”
But it wasn't over yet. In exchange for sacrificing 2%, I planned to add a safety net.
This was because among the failed cases of overseas expansion, there were instances where artists signed a contract but received no proper promotion, wasting years without any activity.
“(Alright. In exchange for conceding 2%, we request an advance of 3 million dollars—1.5 million for Ms. Lee Yoo-ah's earnings and 1.5 million for our share, as a signing bonus. We trust the name of Billboard Holdings, but she is a valuable resource, so a minimal safety net is necessary.)”
“(Hmm… but isn't 3 million dollars a bit excessive?)”
Mason said with a troubled expression.
“(I've looked at the profits of musicians promoted by Billboard Holdings until now. I judge it's an amount you can recoup in a single quarter, at a minimum. Am I wrong?)”
The CEO said nothing, but a smile stretched from ear to ear.
“(There are already several cases in Korea of singers whose careers ended after signing an overseas expansion contract, only to be left inactive for years. This amount is necessary for musician Lee Yoo-ah to accept with peace of mind.)”
Mason seemed to recognize that I had come well-prepared for the contract, and his expression showed he had conceded.
“(Haha. Jay. You're really working with a young and competent talent. Let's do it that way.)”
They accepted our final condition.
“(Jay, we'll see you in three days, then. It was great seeing you today.)”
“(You too, Mason. I'll go and tell her about you right away.)”
We shook hands, and they left first.
The CEO, who had been maintaining a dignified posture, looked at me excitedly.
“This is huge.”
“He's someone you were happy to see. You should have treated him to some Korean BBQ.”
“Ah! I didn't think of that! Hey! Mason! Do you know Korean B.B.Q?”
The CEO chased after Mason and his group.
***
“I don't even like sushi, will this be okay?”
“If you don't like it, we can leave and go somewhere else.”
They seemed to be prejudiced against or unfamiliar with Korean food, creating a hesitant atmosphere, but everyone from Billboard Holdings followed along, moved by the genuine goodwill in CEO Park Jae-yong's invitation.
Pinkish pork belly, with a golden 7:3 ratio of meat to fat, was placed on the grill.
Sizzle.
“(How fascinating. Grilling meat on a stone plate.)”
The contract managers who came with Mason unknowingly flared their nostrils, taking in the sweet smell of the pork belly.
“(Korean BBQ has a primitive feel to it. Ah, but don't get me wrong, I don't mean that in a negative way.)”
Similar smiles appeared on everyone's faces at Mason's words. The sight of meat cooking on a stone plate over a fire was enough to evoke images of tribal life.
“(No, no. That's not right. Smoking was a method primitive people created to preserve hunted meat for a long time. Technically, your method is the older cooking style.)”
“(Haha! Jay, you haven't changed. You know so much.)”
Mason laughed cheerfully.
The pork belly, grilled by the CEO himself, was snipped with scissors, the pieces bouncing resiliently as they fell onto the grill.
“(It's amazing that you use scissors instead of a knife to cut the meat!)”
“(Must be your first time seeing it? I saw a Korean person use them in a cooking competition.)”
The CEO placed a piece of pork belly, lightly dipped in ssamjang, in front of each of the contract managers.
“Try it.”
Mason and one other, perhaps having eaten sushi before, managed to pick up the meat with their chopsticks, albeit with some difficulty. The last person used his chopsticks like a fork.
After examining the pork belly's appearance with interest, they popped the pieces into their mouths.
The domestic female pork belly, from pigs raised free-range, had no gamey smell at all. All that could be felt was a sweetness, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, like eating high-quality beef.
When CEO Park Jae-yong explained this, Mason and the others' eyes sparkled. The seemingly ordinary pork was now perceived as a high-class dish crafted with an artisan's touch.
And just as expected.
“(Oh!)”
“(Amazing.)”
“(What an incredible taste!)”
All three spoke with expressions of admiration.
Pleased, the CEO showed them how to eat it in a lettuce wrap, and they were thrilled once again.
“(I'll show you an even more delicious way to eat it. If you grill some kimchi and eat it together….)”
“(I'm good on the kimchi. I don't like spicy food.)”
“(Same here.)”
The CEO, who was about to grill some kimchi for them, looked disappointed.
“Then let me try grilling this time.”
I placed the shredded green onions under the pork belly. The oil rendered from the grilling pork flowed onto the green onions, and as they sizzled and fried, a savory aroma rose up.
Drawn by another appetizing aroma, they watched me intently, even as they continued to eat their pork.
I flipped the green onions to ensure they cooked evenly to a brown color, then placed the scallions, glistening with pork fat, on top of a piece of pork belly and served one to each person.
Coated in the unique umami of the green onion oil, the pork took on the flavor of a different, more refined dish than the basic grilled pork belly, and the contract managers' faces once again filled with admiration.
“(My goodness!)”
“(The flavor is completely different.)”
“(Why on earth isn't Korean cuisine as famous as Chinese or Thai food?)”
The CEO and I watched their delighted reactions, as if they had discovered a new culinary world, and smiled with satisfaction.
Even in a business relationship, building rapport was important in many ways.
“(For your information, it's even more delicious if you grill kimchi and eat it together.)”
“(Now that you say that, I'd like to try the pork belly grilled with kimchi.)”
CEO Park Jae-yong immediately picked up the tongs.
“Prepare to be amazed. Kimchi-grilled pork belly!”
After that, the sounds of joy, admiration, and friendly laughter never ceased at the restaurant.
***
Seul-bi was on her way to the broadcast station's studio for the recording of the dance competition show.
“This is the last recording.”
“No, it's not… Min-jun Oppa said he'd decide after this week.”
Seul-bi found settling on a term of address for Choi Yoo-jun to be very awkward.
She and Choi Yoo-jun were only a few months apart in age, but her friend Ro-si called him Oppa.
“Ah, I thought Min-jun Hyung had already told them you were dropping out.”
“Still, I have to do what the writers have planned. If I suddenly drop out, it'll mess up the setup. I have to at least finish it like it's the end of the first season.”
The two arrived at the studio, which was a prefabricated structure.
It was overcast and chilly outside, but a few of the performers were diligently practicing the assignments they had prepared.
Among them, one person in particular caught Seul-bi's eye.
“Wow. They're all working so hard. I was confident I would have worked that hard if I had debuted.”
Seven years since her debut. She had outstanding dance skills and a diligent work ethic, and her group had even enjoyed a brief moment of popularity, but with a powerless agency and a shallow fandom, ‘Sunday’ had become a sacrificial lamb for the broadcast.
Judged by the show as lacking commercial appeal, Sunday couldn't get any screen time despite her exceptional skills. Even when she delivered performances better than the choreographers, she mostly ended up losing, and this was effectively her last appearance.
Seul-bi felt a pang in her heart. After six years of navigating the industry, Sunday must have already foreseen her fate, yet she was working harder than anyone. Seeing her senior like that was like looking at her own past self, struggling to survive.
As Seul-bi got out of the car, a junior who had been practicing approached and greeted her. Soon, other juniors who had been waiting in their parked cars rushed out as well.
“Seul-bi Seonbae-nim, hello!”
“Unni, you look so pretty today!”
“Seul-bi Unni, your leather jacket and boots are so cool today!”
Seul-bi felt a strange sense of repulsion watching her juniors, who had clearly been waiting in the parking lot, now swarming her with all sorts of flattery and cute acts.
“Did you guys greet Sunday Seonbae-nim?”
Sunday, who was practicing, seemed to hear her name called and glanced over at Seul-bi before turning her head away again.
“……”
At Seul-bi's question, the juniors who had been waiting in the parking lot waited for someone else to speak up, but no one answered.
Because not a single one of them had greeted Sunday.