We Hit the Jackpot
We arrived at a charming restaurant with the perfect cozy atmosphere, the kind of place that made you long for autumn. But because it was lunchtime, every table was taken except for one. Unfortunately, that last remaining table was a two-seater. The server explained that the restaurant had a low table-turnover rate, so he couldn't promise when another spot might open up.
Hearing this, Gaeul said with a troubled look, "What should we do? There are only two seats."
"We can just pull up another chair. No big deal," I replied.
"...."
James Oh asked the server to bring an extra chair, then took the center seat while we settled on either side of him. Crowded together around the small table, I saw this as the perfect PR opportunity for Gaeul and launched into a full-blown speech about her talent. My real hope was that if he took a liking to her, he might toss us even a B-side ballad track.
James Oh listened quietly to my pitch before asking, "Miss Gaeul, how did you end up at Toobear Entertainment?"
"...What do you mean by 'how'?"
"I'd like to know why you chose Toobear out of all the agencies out there. Like Team Leader Sun said, your talent is strong enough to debut at a major company. There's no reason to gamble on Toobear when it hasn't produced any results yet, right?"
This guy is really hitting me with the facts.
Truthfully, without the exceptional contract terms and the way we looked after Ga-hyeon, Toobear didn't have much to offer. Still, this wasn't the kind of thing you casually brought up in front of others....
But Gaeul seemed to see it differently. She looked at me with a soft smile and asked, "Is it okay if I talk about Taeyang oppa?"
"If you're comfortable with it, Gaeul."
"Then I'll tell you. The story of how I started dreaming at Toobear."
Gaeul began to condense the long story into something concise. Her tone stayed calm, but the way she described everything made me sound like a prince riding in on a white horse.
Or maybe the lame hero from a B-grade movie. Whichever it was, her portrayal made it impossible to lift my head.
"Hey, Gaeul, it's not quite that dramatic. If you exaggerate too much, Composer James Oh might get the wrong idea."
"I'm only speaking the truth, without any exaggeration."
It seemed the chaotic events surrounding her recruitment had been romanticized in Gaeul's memory into something like a drama or film. In reality, it had been closer to a grounded, humanistic documentary like Four Days or Human Theater.
"...And that's how I came to dream at Toobear Entertainment."
Gaeul finished her story with a gentle smile. James Oh, who had been shoveling down the shrimp pilaf that arrived midway through the tale as if he were drinking it, said, "Team Leader Sun is truly impressive."
"...I'm not the kind of person who deserves that kind of praise. I just tend to stick my nose where it doesn't belong."
"What you did is far too remarkable to be brushed off as mere meddling. Who would go that far for a complete stranger?"
Well, if someone could see the status window, maybe people like that exist. Even I had only approached her at first because I saw that S-rank potential.
Whether or not James Oh noticed my embarrassment, he continued praising me in that same calm tone. Gaeul watched the two of us with a proud expression, her face filled with the warm tenderness of a mother watching her son receive praise from a teacher.
Why does a first-year high schooler already look like she possesses maternal instincts?
He kept nodding, then said, "As I thought, won't you consider working with me?"
"...Pardon?"
Gaeul's face stiffened at his words. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"It's nothing complicated. I just realized again how good it would be to work with Team Leader Sun. I definitely offered recruitment based on talent before, but after hearing Miss Gaeul's story, I find myself personally drawn to you as well. People like that are rare, aren't they?"
Gaeul muttered something with trembling eyes.
"...Taeyang oppa joining another company?"
I asked him the question I hadn't been able to voice during the previous scouting attempt. "Composer James Oh, you're a freelancer, correct? Since you don't belong to any company, how exactly would we work together?"
Could he actually be joining our company? Recruiting the top producer in the industry right now... That would be crazy. I'd cut my own salary if that's what it took.
"I run a small studio. I'm technically a freelancer, but with so much money to manage, registering a business entity makes things easier in many ways."
I got my hopes up for nothing.
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline again. There are things I want to accomplish at this company."
"You could handle management or producing with me as well. I have more than enough capital and capability for that. As I mentioned before, I can offer treatment well above whatever level you desire."
"You'd be able to produce tracks?"
"Yes. If I decide to, I could start immediately."
Wow. The assets and connections of an industry leader really let someone talk like that. There was no way someone like him would ever join Toobear.
Feeling a pang of regret, I smacked my lips, bowed my head to him, and said, "I want to do those things with the people here at Toobear. So I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline your offer once more."
James Oh looked at me with a satisfied smile and said, "You have a romantic spirit."
"It's conviction."
James Oh burst into bright, loud laughter. "Hehe, ah, really. It seems like it would be so much fun to work together. What a shame... Still, I'll be cheering you on. For Gyeoul, for Miss Gaeul, and for you too, Team Leader Sun. I'm already excited to see what kind of group you'll create at Toobear."
With that, James Oh wiped his mouth with a tissue, stood up, and added, "If you officially form the group and need a song, please contact me. I'll ignore any reservations or schedules and give it my best shot."
Holy shit. We hit the jackpot!
A track from a heavyweight composer like him couldn't be bought with money alone. The company needed real name value, and the group needed proven quality before he'd hand over a song. Since his own name—his brand—would be attached to it, he would never give a track to an unreliable rookie group.
In that sense, James Oh—the current top composer—saying those words was no different from scratching an instant lottery ticket at a corner store and hitting first prize.
I shot up from my seat, bowed at a perfect ninety degrees, and said, "Thank you! We'll prepare the highest possible quality so we won't fall short of the expectations you've placed in us!"
"Ah, but there is one condition."
"I'll do anything!"
How much does he want? We have plenty of investment funds!
"You'll have to help me during the production process, Team Leader Sun."
Aigoo, I knew seeing that back then would come back to bite me as compensation. He'll definitely be disappointed if we work together.
Still, since he's offering a song, I'll find some way to get at least one reward out of this. I don't know when that might be, though.
System, please just throw me one composition-related reward! Even if you tell me to beat up one more person, I'll really follow through!
"...I'll do my best."
James Oh gave a small, satisfied nod at my answer, said his goodbyes, and left the restaurant.
Once he was gone, reality came crashing back in the opposite direction.
"Gaeul, this is huge! You did amazingly! We got a song from that James Oh thanks to what you showed him today!"
While I was making a big fuss in my excitement, Gaeul wore a gloomy expression. Didn't she know who James Oh was? Why did it feel like only I was happy?
Gaeul, who had been fiddling with the hem of my clothes as if James Oh didn't matter at all, looked at me with a somewhat desperate face and said, "...Taeyang oppa. If... if you ever leave the company."
"...Huh?"
"Please take me with you. Anywhere."
I'm not going anywhere.
That evening, even though quitting time had long passed, every member of the Toobear family gathered in the conference room equipped with a state-of-the-art screen. Today was the first broadcast of Girl 100, the survival show Gyeoul had joined.
When I finished my work and entered the conference room a little late, Cheon A-ram was personally adjusting the screen and arranging the chairs in a tight cluster. As if that weren't enough, she had brought snacks like popcorn and various drinks and was serving them herself.
"Mr. Song Yohan wanted lemonade, right?"
CEO, what are you doing? This is making everyone uncomfortable.
It wasn't just me who felt that way. Gaeul, Yeoreum, Lee Hyerin, Song Yohan, and Seok Hyeonwu all stepped forward, insisting they would handle it and trying to stop Cheon A-ram. Still, she paid them no mind and brought over a bucket of ice, sliced lemons, and glasses from somewhere.
"You really don't need to do this yourself, CEO. Just ask me or Suyeon."
With two willing slaves already here, why was she moving her own body?
At my words, Cheon A-ram scratched her head with a sheepish smile and said, "Sorry. This is my first time watching something together like this as a group, so I got excited and acted a bit silly."
Thinking about her unique sense of smell, it made sense that she probably hadn't experienced this kind of group activity in her life. It felt a little heartbreaking.
"...If something like this comes up again, let's gather all the employees."
"Really? ...No, never mind. We should respect work-life balance. Let's limit this to today only."
Even as she said that, Cheon A-ram couldn't hide the sparkle of anticipation in her eyes. Her overwhelming first impression had vanished; now she just looked like a lonely person starved for connection.
How could I leave her like this? Fine, let's pull an all-nighter, everyone.
"Confirming and researching our affiliated artist's broadcast is an extension of our work. It's something we should naturally do."
"...Oh, is that how it is? Then I guess it can't be helped! Still, since this counts as work, I'll make sure everyone gets their night differential!"
"...Friend fee."
"Pardon? Did you say something, Hyerin?"
"No! I didn't say anything!"
With the channel set to Mnet, we all took our seats. Cheon A-ram sat in the middle, munching popcorn with clear excitement as the first broadcast began—the one where Gyeoul received an A-class and delivered an unrivaled performance.