Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Roar of the Return
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"No, this guy's a real lunatic."
Kim Beomsin was stunned as he checked the Mango chart on his smartphone.
Park Sangcheol, who was beside him, jumped in surprise and replied.
"Whoa, you scared me. Why the sudden cursing? What's going on?"
In response to Park Sangcheol, Kim Beomsin showed him his smartphone screen.
"It's Yoo Jaehyeok. Look at this rock song—it's number two on the Mango real-time chart right now. He's probably going to snag first place soon, too."
"I listened to it, and the song's pretty good. It deserves first."
"Hey, you idiot. Rock. Rock. Does it make any sense for rock to hit number one in this day and age?"
Park Sangcheol replied indifferently.
"Well, it's out of fashion, sure. But good songs always end up at number one anyway. You got treated like a has-been too, but look, you hit number one with Cold Night."
"What? Has-been? Don't say such hurtful things."
Park Sangcheol ignored Kim Beomsin's words and opened his smartphone.
While Kim Beomsin constantly checked the Mango chart, Park Sangcheol preferred browsing portal site entertainment articles.
"Huh? There's an article about Yoo Jaehyeok?"
"He did an interview? That guy? Wow, back when he was active, he barely did any interviews to keep up his image... What'd he say?"
"Something like, 'Kim Beomsin hyung is number one, but I'll give it a shot too'?"
"You son of a...!"
Kim Beomsin shot up from his seat. He seemed genuinely pissed, grinding his teeth before turning to Park Sangcheol.
"Hey, this won't do. Call Jiyeong."
"What for?"
"We're putting out a full album, so tell her to have Yuin handle all the producing and tracks."
"...They're busy right now."
Kim Beomsin leaped to his feet.
"Of course I know they're busy! I'll adjust the schedules, so tell them to do the album together. But why are they busy?"
"Well... I heard they're prepping a drama OST? And Chae Hayeon’s mini-album too."
"OST? Can't I do that?"
Park Sangcheol shook his head at Kim Beomsin, whose eyes gleamed with greed.
He still hadn't gotten over the thrill of tasting number one after so long.
* * *
Yeonwoo was burying his face in his own bed for the first time in a while.
Jiyeong leaned against the doorframe, watching him, then spoke.
"Yeonwoo, sulking won't make it happen."
"...I know."
"It's a late-night broadcast—kids aren't allowed. What can we do?"
"I know."
"Then why are you pouting?"
"I'm not pouting!!"
Yeonwoo lifted his head and yelled at his aunt.
But that pouty face made it obvious to anyone that he was sulking.
"You can go when you're older, right?"
"Going when I'm older defeats the purpose! There's no guarantee Uncle Yoo Jaehyeok will still be on there even when Grandpa's age!"
"No, then what? Should we go to Chae Hana and beg, 'Our Yeonwoo's just a kid, but please let him attend'?"
That was the situation.
Yeonwoo had been invited by Yoo Jaehyeok to Chae Hana's Late Night, his first broadcast appearance since his comeback, but since it aired in the late-night slot, kids weren't allowed at all.
Yeonwoo was sulking over it.
Bad adults.
Not only did adults have their own complicated circumstances, but they also had exclusive spaces that kids couldn't enter.
Kids cafes were for kids only, yet adults could go there. So why couldn't kids go to a late-night show just because of that?
Adults were truly incomprehensible.
"Stop pouting and let's play. Wanna go to a kids cafe?"
"No!"
"Really? That's too bad. I was thinking of trying a new one we haven't been to yet."
At those words, Yeonwoo, who had his face buried in the pillow, snapped his head up.
"No way... Hi Bangbang?"
"That's right. The Hi Bangbang with that massive trampoline in the middle, even bigger than ours."
Yeonwoo bolted upright.
He had already forgotten about not being able to go to Chae Hana's Late Night.
Right now, Yeonwoo was Hi Bangbang's slave.
He wouldn't go to Chae Hana's Late Night even if they begged him on their knees, if it meant going to Hi Bangbang.
"Let's go, Aunt."
He switched attitudes in an instant and rummaged through the closet for clothes.
His favorite ones that he saved for special occasions.
It was like how Jiyeong dressed up for the club in her twenties.
"What are you doing, Aunt? Let's go!"
What was this? It felt like he'd been played.
Like she built up the Late Night frustration just to get him to go where she wanted?
Nah, couldn't be.
"Auntie!"
"Y-Yeah. Let's go."
* * *
Meanwhile, Yoo Jaehyeok truly felt how much the world had changed.
Back when he was active, appearing on weekend prime-time music shows was essential.
If you didn't go on broadcast TV, there was nowhere to promote your music.
But not anymore.
Just singing a song on YouTube drew massive crowds, and shorts on YouTube or SNS spread everywhere, promoting it automatically.
With everyone on their phones doing SNS and YouTube, it was incomparable to broadcast TV.
To really feel the popularity, you had to walk through Hongdae or any bustling street.
Seeing your poster plastered huge on record shop walls in every corner, sold-out signs for Yoo Jaehyeok's new album on doors, or hearing your song blasting from shops—that's how you knew.
But even that had changed.
You could feel your popularity from YouTube views or Instagram alone, and check real-time rankings on streaming platforms.
No need to hustle to music shows for promo anymore. No need to scour streets or charts to gauge fame.
And yet, Yoo Jaehyeok still wanted to appear on Chae Hana's Late Night.
-Yes! After a long wait, let's hear Invincible's song, Roar, with senior Yoo Jaehyeok!
As MC Chae Hana spoke, Yoo Jaehyeok took the stage with the members, took a short deep breath at the mic, and looked ahead.
Yeah, this is it.
Dozens of cameras on him, and behind them, the audience watching with eager eyes.
The vibe here was different from a concert stage.
He loved it.
And above all, right here in this studio, this spot, he'd done his final stage before retiring.
'I'm back.'
He wanted to officially announce his return as singer Yoo Jaehyeok, rocker Yoo Jaehyeok, from this very place.
"Alright, let's go!"
Yoo Jaehyeok roared toward the audience that had waited for him.
* * *
"Yeah, this is it."
Writer Yoon Jina clenched her fist watching Chae Hana's Late Night.
The roaring Yoo Jaehyeok set her heart ablaze.
Some said this song of his stirred men's hearts.
No.
It made anyone's heart race.
"Anyway, Yuin really knows how to tug at people's emotions."
She brought the dew-covered beer can to her lips, marveling after a long time out.
'Keep Going Today' had tapped into office workers' feelings, and now this song set people on fire.
What about his previous ones?
Dass's 'Fly High' yearned for freedom, 'Cold Night' sang of breakup.
The synergy with the singers amplified it, but still, Yuin was a composer who mastered hearts.
"Our drama needs this."
No, precisely the band members in that drama.
Those kids needed individuality and stories, uniting like Invincible's members.
More accurately, the drama had to show that process.
It was a story of a band's birth, told to teenage girls for whom those high school memories were current.
Lost in thought, she paused.
"What if... we give the actors stories too, for immersion?"
Why would actors performing need stories?
Only one way.
"Auditions."
Newbies or unknowns selected through auditions, practicing together to build their narrative.
Just like the drama's members.
That could hook viewers with immersive acting.
Yoon Jina immediately called Park Seongguk.
-What, another late-night idea burst hitting you on this show?
"Wow, PD-nim, you read me like a book?"
-Every night you call saying an idea popped up. What’s to read? Every day, seriously every day!
"No, listen."
Yoon Jina explained her audition concept to Park Seongguk.
-So, open auditions for casting?
"Right?"
-Anyone, newbie or unknown?
"Yes."
-...Sounds good.
"Right? How about posting the notice and starting right away?"
-Casting's tough anyway, so I'll prep from tomorrow.
Yoon Jina got excited, but then asked worriedly.
"But... what if no one applies?"
-Hmm... I don't think applicants will be an issue.
"Why?"
-Full-bellied ones won't care, but the desperate will grab any straw. Even with our company's survival trilogy rep, promising a lead role will draw every acting major in the biz.
"Really?"
Yoon Jina couldn't fully relate. She'd written her drama on a whim without training and succeeded from the start, thinking she'd do better than others.
But she vaguely knew breaking in here was harder than landing a big corp job, so she didn't refute Park Seongguk.
-The problem's us. Risky picking newbies or unknowns for leads—we can't ignore that. PPL won't touch us either.
"That's Avalon anyway..."
-Ahem, ahem.
Park Seongguk, whose PPL chances had plummeted to star-picking levels after the survival trilogy, cleared his throat fakely. Yoon Jina swiftly changed topics.
"Anyway. So auditions for casting, okay?"
-Yeah. Let's do it.
"Then..."
-Ah, wait. How about inviting our music director and composer Yuin as judges?
"Both?"
-Band's the core. I judge acting, you visuals, they judge musical talent.
"Sounds great."
Yoon Jina's eyes sparkled.
She'd been uneasy about the failed production company at first, but this PD made that worry fade.
They just clicked.
The next day, thrilled, she got a call from Park Seongguk.
"Yeah, PD-nim. Posted the audition notice?"
-About that. Yuin wants recruitment and judging after mid-March, and non-face-to-face for herself.
"Non-face-to-face? She really hates showing her face, huh? But why after mid-March? Can't we do early March sooner?"
-Yeah. Not a big schedule difference, so we'll go with it. Okay?
"Yes, sure."
They didn't know.
March was the new school year start.
That Yuin—no, Yeonwoo—had cleared early March for elementary school enrollment and adjustment.