Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: The New Building and a Tempting Proposal
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As Yeonwoo wished, they immediately set out to buy the building he had mentioned.
The building couldn't exactly be called cheap, but considering it was a structure with two underground floors and seven above ground, it was remarkably affordable.
Its location wasn't great, and it wasn't on a major boulevard. Plus, the owner had taken out a massive loan to build it and was now struggling to pay the interest, so they were eager to sell it off quickly.
Fearing the owner might jack up the price upon hearing Yeonwoo's name, Jihoon snapped it up like beans frying in a lightning fire.
"Honey, location isn't what matters for us. The more I look at it, the better this building seems."
After purchasing it, the whole family came right away to tour the place. Jiyeong gazed at the facade of what was now Yeonwoo's building and spoke up.
"I chatted with the owner for a bit, and apparently, a pretty famous architect designed and planned it."
"Oh, really? No wonder it feels so sleek. All the other buildings around here are rundown."
The interior was the same.
No one had moved in yet, so it was spotless. Honestly, a full building-wide cleaning might make it ready for the entire company to occupy.
"Then maybe we don't overhaul everything—just do the essentials?"
"Yeah, partitioning offices, plus a recording studio and practice rooms, stuff like that."
As Jihoon nodded along with Jiyeong, he turned to Yeonwoo.
"Yeonwoo, this is your building. Got any special requests?"
Yeonwoo nodded with a serious expression.
"A restaurant."
"A restaurant?"
"Our country's biggest agencies have restaurants. I want one too."
"A restaurant..."
"The first floor has shops—we can remodel one into a restaurant, right?"
"Yeah, I was thinking the same as Auntie. And it's free for employees!! Free for Yeonwoo too!! Delicious menu every day!"
A staff cafeteria was the one thing they absolutely wanted in the building.
It was such a Yeonwoo thing to think of.
Olivia Snow, listening to O Jaehoon's real-time interpretation, asked,
"If it's a restaurant Yeonwoo would be satisfied with, shouldn't it have a famous chef?"
Jiyeong replied,
"Nah, for a staff cafeteria, don't we just need a nutritionist?"
Yeonwoo stepped in.
"No need for nutrition. Yeonwoo wants the absolute best chef!!"
Who in the world would come work in a staff cafeteria...
"There's someone. Pay them well, and it's possible. With Yeonwoo, it's totally doable."
"Right."
Jihoon and Jiyeong were speechless again.
Yeonwoo had tons of money.
He was probably raking it in like crazy right this moment.
"Alright, let's do whatever Yeonwoo wants."
With that, Jihoon led the family to the long-awaited 6th and 7th floors—their living space.
A dedicated elevator for just those two floors opened straight into the home's entrance.
Opening the inner front door revealed a bright, spacious house welcoming the family.
It faced south, and with the nice weather, the sunlight was almost blinding.
The family stood in awe for a moment, marveling at it, when Olivia Snow said,
"Oh, the house is cozy and nice."
"Cozy?"
"You've seen my New York place, right? Compared to that, it's cozy."
"Sis's house is too big—feels impersonal. Hard to even see the family there."
Olivia Snow burst into laughter.
"Right? I could leave the house and no one would notice."
"Come on in. Oh, it hasn't been cleaned yet, so shoes are fine."
At Jihoon's words, the family entered the house.
It was a duplex: the first floor had a living room, dining area, kitchen, two bathrooms, a master bedroom, and two additional rooms.
The moment Yeonwoo saw the master, he told his grandmother,
"This is Grandma's room!"
"This is Yeonwoo's house—should this old lady take the master?"
"Yeah, Grandma's the eldest!!"
Heo Ok smiled silently at that.
Yeonwoo headed straight to the other room across the hall and looked around.
Sunlight poured in nicely, but something felt off.
While the rest of the family toured the first floor, Yeonwoo dashed up to the second.
The second floor had a small living room, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms.
Yeonwoo eyed the small living room, sizing it up.
"This is perfect for the piano."
No worries about noise complaints, and with all that sunlight, it'd be great for playing here.
He checked out the three bedrooms. He figured inwardly the second-largest should go to Dad, then inspected the remaining two.
"Ah."
Yeonwoo flung open a window and stood there blankly—the view overlooked mountains.
This one.
Thinking that, he raced back downstairs, shouting to everyone,
"Yeonwoo picked his room!!"
"What? No fair! I wanna pick too!"
As Jiyeong yelled, Olivia Snow, hearing the translation from O Jaehoon, demanded a room too.
"I want one on the first floor!"
"I'll take that master-like room on the second!"
"Auntie, no! That's Dad's room!"
"Ah, why?!"
"Dad's the second-eldest in our house!"
"By that logic, I'm third-eldest, so I should pick before you."
"Nope, I'm the owner of this building."
"Wow, leaves me speechless."
Jiyeong grumbled but didn't push further. Truth be told, she was so swamped lately she barely slept at home anyway.
Olivia Snow claimed a first-floor room, and Yeonwoo nodded casually.
It wouldn't be exclusively hers, but it'd serve as a guest room or something.
And so, with the house toured and interior work rushed along, the original Heo Ok building—home to SSHIN Studio—halted all construction and reverted to its original state.
It cost money and felt wasteful, but with the new company building nearby, there was no need to keep this one.
Instead, they put it on the market. Once word spread through real estate channels that this was where Yeonwoo started his music, buyers clamored to snap it up above market price—enough to recoup the wasted construction costs and then some.
Amid all this, an unexpected visitor came to Korea to see Yeonwoo and Olivia Snow.
No idea how he found out, but he showed up at JOP's Korean branch: none other than Damian Cruise.
"How did you know to come here?"
Olivia Snow rushed to the company with Yeonwoo at the news of his visit and glared at him as she asked.
"I saw the news. About you and this kid getting attacked. I had to come once I heard you were here—with this kid, Yuin."
"I clearly turned you down, though."
"Hard to believe if it was your decision or Yuin's. So I came to ask directly. Did you really turn it down?"
Yeonwoo nodded at Damian Cruise's words.
"Yes."
"...Why?"
It was beyond Damian Cruise's comprehension.
As a genius director who'd reached the top of the world, few turned down his offers.
And yet, rejection.
Fine, rejected it is.
"Whatever. You'll make the music for my movie."
"I said no."
"So why?"
"I'm not interested in movies. And I hate anyone interfering with my music."
Damian Cruise looked at Yeonwoo.
On the surface, just a small, pretty child—but also the century's genius.
Yeah, same breed as me.
Realizing that, he could see why Yeonwoo rejected him.
A fellow genius would hate outside interference more than death.
Damian Cruise originally despised anything slipping his control.
He controlled actors' ad-libs, even dictating exact movements.
But even he made exceptions sometimes.
When a peer genius offered a fresh perspective or approach, he'd acknowledge it and let them run wild.
Music should be the same, right?
"Alright, how about this: Make whatever music you want, as long as it fits the story. Sound good?"
"Hm."
Yeonwoo pondered briefly.
But soon shook his head.
"Even so, I don't watch movies, so no interest."
"You'll find it fascinating. Might have to tackle genres you've never touched."
"What do you mean?"
As Yeonwoo asked, Damian Cruise leaned close to the reception table and told him.
"My latest film's about the great conqueror Genghis Khan's life. Centered on Mongolia, when East and West—barely connected—started mixing."
Genghis Khan?
"I know him, Genghis Khan."
Yeonwoo, who occasionally read biographies or history books these days, knew of Genghis Khan.
Opinions varied, but any list of world historical figures had to include him—no way around it.
"Mongolia..."
What piqued Yeonwoo's interest was Mongolia.
Since discovering classical music, he'd studied Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Southeast Asian music too.
But Mongolian music?
Yeonwoo, obsessed with music as he was, had never even heard of it.
Yet, thinking about it, it was the nation of a man who conquered the world.
What music did they listen to, create back then?
Could he draw inspiration for something new?
Yeonwoo thought it over, then said,
"I'll look into it and get back to you."
"Does it have to be that much thought?"
"Keep nagging, and I might just look and pass."
At Yeonwoo's firm words, Damian Cruise backed off a step.
"Fine, you win. But please look into it seriously and give me a proper answer."
Yeonwoo nodded.
Hearing that, he stood up and left immediately, as if no reason to linger.
Olivia Snow stared at the spot where the whirlwind visitor had vanished, then asked Yeonwoo,
"Master, you really gonna do it?"
"Mongolia, huh? Kinda sparks my curiosity. I'll check it out—if I like it..."
"Not working with a madman..."
"He said he'd let me do it my way. Should be fine, right?"
Olivia Snow thought for a moment, then nodded.
Yeah, weird genius or not, she'd never heard of him going back on his word.
But.
"Feels like once you're in, he'll keep pulling you back..."
He made creative films but was extremely conservative with collaborators.
He even formed fixed teams with the same cinematographer, composer, and variable-prone staff, maintaining the lineup unless absolutely necessary.
If he liked Yeonwoo's music, he might keep using it in his films.
Wouldn't that get tiring?
"If I don't like it, just say no next time."
Ah, right.
She'd forgotten.
This little genius, once stubborn, never backed down to anyone.
"Yeah, do whatever you want, Master."
Olivia Snow suddenly understood why Yeonwoo's family just let him have his way without a word.