Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Shunji's Discovery
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"Oh, the house is so warm. The floor's warm too. Right, this is ondol. Japanese architects are all morons. Do they really think a house colder than the outdoors in winter makes any sense? Oh, is that the legendary kimchi fridge I've only heard about?"
Shunji wandered around Yeonwoo's family home like he owned the place.
"Were you in the middle of preparing dinner? Come to think of it, it reminds me of that kimchi jjigae you made back in the States. Remember? Even those damn Yankees pinched their noses at first, but later they were begging for more."
"Cut it out. Why are you here, old man?"
At those words, Shunji looked at Yeonwoo and said,
"It's the moment the genius of the century falls into my arms. Why would I leave it to the underlings? We need to sign the contract together, take some photos. In fifty years, those pictures will be worth hundreds of millions of yen."
"So it's money after all, with you."
Shunji just chuckled at Heo Ok's words laced with faint contempt.
"What's wrong with money? It's better than those days when we had to split half a slice of pizza."
Recalling those truly tough early days in America, Shunji sat down at the table.
"What are you doing?"
"The rice is ready. Were you really the type to be so stingy you wouldn't feed a guest a single meal?"
Heo Ok debated giving a scar to the other side of his forehead too before sighing and setting a place for Shunji as well.
"No booze?"
"Just eat."
"I don't eat without alcohol... Got it. I'll stop."
Shunji kept teasing her because Heo Ok's ice-cold expression from the old days always showed up without fail, but when he sensed the killing intent, he immediately stopped and shrank back.
"By the way, what has our little Yeonwoo been up to lately?"
"Kindergarten."
"You mean... preschool? Right, yeah. He's six, so he should be going."
Shunji chuckled heartily and began devouring his food ravenously.
"Hm? We have a guest?"
While the four of them were eating dinner, Jihoon came home from work and entered the kitchen.
Jihoon spotted the unfamiliar old man and looked at Heo Ok.
"This is Datemura Shunji, the president of the Japanese record label investing in Yeonwoo."
"Ah, I see. Konnichiwa?"
"Do you speak English by any chance?"
"Ah, yes. Your English is excellent."
"Skip the 'for a Japanese person' part. I've lived in the States so long my pronunciation's no issue."
Shunji and Jihoon shook hands.
After they all ate together, Jiyeong and Jihoon started talking business with Shunji.
The overall structure was that JOP would establish a Korean branch, with SSHIN as a label under it.
The details built on what they'd discussed verbally beforehand.
After that, they'd have lawyers and legal experts review it before finalizing the contract.
"Yeonwoo, now Shunji Grandpa's company will help you and Aunt Jiyeong. What do you want to do first?"
At his dad's question, Yeonwoo opened his mouth without a second thought.
"I want to make a singer!"
"A singer? Right, yeah."
As Jihoon nodded, Jiyeong spoke up.
"Yeonwoo, making a singer sounds great, but the problem is we don't have anyone to become one right now. Once JOP sets up the Korean branch and starts training trainees, then it'll be possible."
"No, there is someone who can be a singer!"
"No way... Teacher Chae Hayeon?"
"Yep!"
Yeonwoo had seen the potential through Shunji's fairy, but Jiyeong, unaware of that, wondered if it was just childish whimsy.
Still, she couldn't dismiss it entirely—it was Yeonwoo, the genius who could even correct Hadas's vocals without explanation.
Maybe he'd spotted Chae Hayeon's potential in her eyes, having grown another level after learning from Himari in Japan.
Leaving the puzzled Jiyeong behind, Shunji, who had heard Yeonwoo's words relayed to Jihoon, spoke up.
"If you're going to nurture singers, you need a good eye for talent. Shall we go see if our Yeonwoo has that sharp vision?"
"You?"
"I'm curious too. Is this kid just musically gifted, or can he spot musical talent in others?"
"Does it matter?"
"If it's just writing songs and producing records, no. But Yeonwoo said it himself—he wants to discover and raise singers."
"Hmm... In that case, going to see wouldn't hurt."
If nothing else, Shunji's eye for talent was undeniable.
After Japan's top agency collapsed in a massive scandal, there was panic that Korean wave music might swallow the Japanese scene whole.
In the idol sector, Korea had indeed taken over, making their fears reality.
Amid that, Shunji's company had filled Japan's idol-dominated music world with other genres, becoming the pride of Japanese music itself.
He'd achieved it all through foresight for the future and an uncanny eye for people.
He'd connected Yeonwoo with a guitar teacher, but now it seemed Yeonwoo might end up learning something else from Shunji.
Well, that wouldn't be bad either.
"Then tomorrow afternoon, pick up Yeonwoo with me and we'll check her out."
"Sure. By the way, it's our first meeting, son-in-law—any booze around? It'd be nice to have a drink and chat."
Heo Ok considered actually cracking his skull open but held back since Jihoon's opinion mattered, and asked him.
Jihoon readily agreed.
But only after Yeonwoo went to sleep.
And so, after Yeonwoo headed to bed at the set time, the adults' time began.
* * *
Chae Hayeon's days were all the same, like a wheel spinning endlessly.
With permission from the director—who was both her friend's mom and her boss—she filmed YouTube videos with Director Jo Soyeon, her colleague, friend, and the director's daughter, then headed to work.
Once she started looking after the kids, time flew by until pickup.
"Take care, moms! Have a good one, Yeseo!"
Today was wrapping up smoothly too.
Chae Hayeon turned around, letting out a short sigh as she glanced back.
Excluding after-hours care, just three more to go?
Luckily, no injuries, no illnesses, no complaining parents—pickups were going off without a hitch.
"Yewon's and Siyoen's guardians are here!"
Ah, down to two.
She hurried them off, and when she came back in, only Yeonwoo remained.
He's a bit later than usual today.
Chae Hayeon approached Yeonwoo.
The kid who spent almost all his time at the piano was staring intently at the toy drum set today.
Once Yeonwoo started playing piano, the other kids got interested in instruments too, so they'd stocked up on xylophones and toy instruments like this.
"Interested in the drums?"
At her words, Yeonwoo looked up at Chae Hayeon.
"Yes."
Yeonwoo had met the fairy of legendary jazz drummer Buddy Rich—alongside Wes Montgomery—through a YouTube video Grandma had shown him long ago.
But with no real connection to drums, Buddy Rich's fairy rarely appeared. Today, spotting the toy drum had brought the fairy out after ages, and he'd been watching.
"Do you know how to play drums, Teacher?"
"Hm? No."
"Ah, you're not good with instruments, are you, Teacher."
Yeonwoo glanced at the piano as he said it. Chae Hayeon scratched her head, remembering he'd called out her piano skills before.
Her playing wasn't that bad...
It was just that he was too good.
"Teacher, when did you start learning to sing?"
"Singing?"
"Yeah, you're really good at it. You learned, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. I think I started properly in high school. Went to an academy."
"Ah, I see."
Yeonwoo nodded, then looked at something briefly before turning back to Chae Hayeon.
"You know when you sing sometimes."
"Yeah?"
"That's not your real voice, is it?"
"What...? How did you know?"
Can geniuses pick up on that too?
"Just could tell."
Guess he really could.
"Teacher, sing with your real voice, please."
"Uh?"
Yeonwoo stood up and sat at the piano.
"Do you know this song, Teacher?"
The intro flowed from Yeonwoo's hands. No way she didn't—it was Kim Beomsin's Cold Night, which had dominated charts for ages.
She'd even done a cover recently, so she knew it well.
"Yeah, I do."
"Sing it! With your real voice! I'll play."
As Yeonwoo continued the intro and looked at her expectantly, Chae Hayeon hesitated before reluctantly opening her mouth.
When Chae Hayeon sang with her true voice, it came out in a low, androgynous tone utterly unlike her delicate appearance.
Yeonwoo looked at her with slightly widened eyes.
The contrast between her fragile, lyrical looks and the neutral voice was hugely unexpected.
Blue fairies burst forth wildly on her voice.
Then what about Kim Beomsin's fairy?
It was reacting in a way even Hadas hadn't seen.
Just as he was about to check Shunji's fairy last...
"Yeonwoo!"
Grandma's voice rang out.
Both Yeonwoo and Chae Hayeon stopped and turned.
"Oh, Grandma, hello!"
"Yes, hello."
Chae Hayeon greeted Heo Ok, then startled as she glanced aside.
An elderly man.
But with his rough features, forehead scar, and burly build, he evoked a gangster.
No wonder she jumped seeing this old man staring right at her.
"Oh ho ho."
The man who'd been glaring soon let out a peculiar laugh and looked at Yeonwoo.
"You've got a good eye."
Japanese?
Not a gangster—a yakuza?!
She had no idea what he said, but Heo Ok let out a short chuckle at the old man's words and called Yeonwoo over.
Yeonwoo ran to Grandma.
Heo Ok hugged him and said to Chae Hayeon,
"I heard the singing and came to listen—it was great."
"Thank you... Haha...."
Chae Hayeon bowed awkwardly, her head dipping.
Heo Ok gave a strange, knowing look before taking Yeonwoo and heading out for pickup.
On the way home from the kindergarten.
Datemura Shunji suddenly said,
"She reminds me of Nakagami Ayuna."
"Now that you mention it, yeah, she does."
Nakagami Ayuna.
Alongside Mitsuda Seiko, whose name and songs were known even in Korea, she had dominated Japan's 80s music scene.
If Mitsuda Seiko was hailed as the greatest idol in Japanese music history, Ayuna was the supreme—and first—song princess of the 80s.
Song princess—utahime—meant something like diva, but in Japan, it was a title reserved for the pinnacle of great female singers, even loftier than diva.
Datemura Shunji was comparing Chae Hayeon to the legendary singer who'd earned that title first.
"Her looks, her voice—they perfectly evoke her. Your grandson isn't just musically talented; he's got an eye for it too."
"I've been listening to some recent songs thanks to my grandson, but to make it in Korea, she feels a bit old-school. If it were back when Ayuna was active, maybe."
At that, Shunji tilted his head and said,
"Then have her perform where that style connects."
"Uh?"
Shunji's eyes gleamed with greed as he spoke.
The greed that had started with Yeonwoo now extended to Chae Hayeon too.