Chapter 5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 5
Blue Tiger, real name Im Hyeon-su.
A genius composer with rock-solid fundamentals who stayed ahead of every trend. Recently, she had even branched out into songwriting, and her reputation had soared even higher thanks to her witty, sensible lyrics.
She was a walking guarantee of success, with money piling up steadily in her bank account, but…
‘What the fuck does any of that matter right now?’
Currently, she was in a foul mood.
She was in the middle of writing the title track for the next comeback of White Cherry, a top-tier girl group that dominated the charts in both Korea and the US.
The problem was the hook. She couldn't produce a chorus she actually liked, so she kept scrapping everything and starting over.
Whenever this happened, Im Hyeon-su became extremely sensitive, and the studio staff made it a point to avoid her at all costs.
But today, of all days.
“Hey, didn’t I tell you not to let outsiders in?”
An outsider was sitting right there in the middle of the studio!
The staff member trembled, glancing at the man sitting in the studio lobby. The man, who looked to be in his early twenties at most, had an expression that seemed every bit as prickly as Im Hyeon-su’s.
He was handsome enough to be a celebrity, but no matter how hard the staff member looked, they couldn't recall seeing him on TV.
“Hello. I’m Seo Ho-yun.”
“Who?”
“Seo Ho-yun.”
The man greeted her with a brazen smile. The staff member shuddered.
Im Hyeon-su had never heard the name. She gave him a cold stare before turning back to the staff.
“Get him out of here.”
“Ye-yes, ma’am.”
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
Where did he think he was going? I spoke up, stopping Im Hyeon-su as she turned away. She looked back at me, her face twisted in irritation.
“Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m busy right now.”
“Yes, I know. That’s why I won’t take up much of your time.”
“I’m telling you, I don’t even have that much time.”
Im Hyeon-su’s temper was as fierce as ever. I looked at the system window floating above her head.
[Im Hyeon-su, Genius Composer.
Sometimes doubles as a lyricist.
Note: Has a very, very, VERY foul temper.]
I know, I know. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve worked with her? I’ve lost count of how many times she’s cursed me out to my face, telling me I do a shit job.
Seeing the way she looked me up and down with pure loathing, it was clear she really didn't remember me. Realizing once again that I truly was inside a game, I held out the shopping bag I had brought.
“What’s this?”
Im Hyeon-su looked flustered by the sudden offering. I didn't miss the opening.
“Composer, I heard this is your favorite among the Hokkaido sakes. I did some digging and managed to track it down.”
“Huh? This… this is hard to find in Korea.”
Hyeon-su pulled the sake out of the bag and turned it over in her hands. Her face flushed slightly; even if she didn't say it out loud, I could tell she was thrilled.
Well, she should be. It wasn't easy to get.
Though she remained wary of me, she accepted the gift without a fight. She seemed to suspect I’d use it as leverage to ask for a favor, which she clearly disliked.
“Why are you giving me this?”
“Composer, I’ve intruded on you quite suddenly… the least I could do was prepare a small token of my sincerity.”
“Ahem.”
I offered a smooth smile, greasing the wheels. My usual business style seemed to be working. Whether it was the flattery or the sake, Im Hyeon-su hesitated, glanced at the bottle, and finally sat down in the lobby.
“It must have been a hassle to find. It would be rude to just kick you out now. I can give you five minutes.”
“Thank you.”
Perfect. Well begun is half done.
“So, why did you come looking for me? You are…?”
“Seo Ho-yun.”
“Right, Mr. Seo Ho-yun. What do you do?”
I knew this question was coming.
“I’m an idol. I’m currently preparing for a comeback.”
“Ha!” Im Hyeon-su let out a dry laugh.
“Right, an idol…”
The wary look she’d given me earlier was now laced with subtle mockery. I’m sure I wasn't the first person to show up unannounced like this.
Im Hyeon-su was a guaranteed hit-maker. There were countless idols desperate to even catch a glimpse of her coattails.
“Seo Ho-yun, you said? I’ve never heard of you.”
“I’m with Daepasung Planning. Since it’s an actor management agency, their push into the idol industry has been lacking. It’s only natural that you haven't heard of me.”
“I see. Sounds like you’re having a rough time.”
She said the words, but she was already dismissing me. Im Hyeon-su slowly crossed her legs and looked at me.
“So, why did you come to see me?”
I have to say, I always liked how Im Hyeon-su got straight to the point.
I smiled.
“I’d like to ask you for a song.”
“Hahaha!”
Im Hyeon-su burst out laughing. It was exactly the reaction I expected. I waited silently for her laughter to subside.
“Goodness, idols these days are something else. No manager, no contact through the agency—you just come straight to the source…”
“Doesn't that just prove how captivating your music is, Composer?”
“Look here, Mr. Seo Ho-yun. I don’t know what kind of delusions you have in that head of yours, but do you think having a bit of nerve is enough to make things happen? You’re not the only one who’s tried to hunt me down like this.”
I just listened quietly. As if deciding I was a waste of time, Im Hyeon-su stood up, clicking her nails against each other.
“You’ve watched too many dramas. You should leave now.”
This was as far as I had predicted. But what came next was something even Im Hyeon-su couldn't have anticipated.
“Would you like a drink?”
“What? With me?”
“No. I’m talking about your song title.”
I wasn't suddenly losing my mind and asking her out for a drink.
‘Would You Like a Drink?’ was a song Im Hyeon-su had released a year ago that swept the charts. For her, it had a fairly standard beat and melody, but it hit number one regardless, earning her more praise as a 'genius composer.'
But the reality was different.
“Let’s Go to the Moon.”
“Wh-why are you…?”
“Between You and Me, Let’s Stop Now, Be the Monster, and so on…”
I continued to rattle them off. To anyone else, these titles would mean nothing. And unless you were Im Hyeon-su or me, you wouldn't understand the significance.
However, Im Hyeon-su’s face was turning pale.
“These songs have three things in common. First, they were all composed by Blue Tiger, Im Hyeon-su. Second, they all reached the top five on the charts.”
I held up a third finger.
“And finally, they were all products of streaming fraud.”
“Wh-what are you talking about?”
Oh, look at that. Im Hyeon-su was trying to back away.
But I wasn't about to let her go.
“Ha, wow. You show up out of nowhere and start talking nonsense…”
I pulled out my tablet. By some miracle, there was data left on it that was separate from my deleted save files. I slid it toward her with a smile.
“These are the bank transaction records between the artists—or their agencies—and the chart-rigging brokers. Oh, dear. It looks like there are even a few direct transactions with you, Composer.”
Im Hyeon-su took the tablet with trembling hands. Soon, she was gritting her teeth.
“How do you have this?” she asked quietly. It was as good as a confession.
“Does that really matter?”
“Ha, haha… You’re something else, aren't you? What, do you have a reporter in the family or something?”
Im Hyeon-su’s lip curled into a sneer, though she was still shaking. She hadn't lost her nerve yet. She glared at me for a long time.
“Why did you resort to streaming fraud? You were talented enough without it.”
“……So?”
Well, look at her.
“So what? What are you going to do about it?”
“……”
“I just got caught up in it by bad luck.”
Oh, she’s acting tougher than I thought. I rested my chin on my hand and looked at her.
“I’ll give you credit for having guts. I don’t know how you dug this up, but… streaming fraud? I don’t even know how that works. And even if it were true, it wouldn't be that big of a blow to me.”
She tilted her chin up defiantly.
“Do you have any idea how many singers act like nothing happened even after getting caught for chart rigging? You think I’m the one who’s going to have a problem?”
She had a point. Im Hyeon-su glanced around to see if I was recording. Once she realized I wasn't, she waved her hand dismissively.
“Just get out. Stop being a nuisance.”
“I’m afraid I’d like to be even more of a nuisance.”
“What?”
You should always listen until the end.
“Did you really think I only brought that one thing?”
Im Hyeon-su froze at my words.
“Swipe to the next screen on the tablet.”
“……”
“Hurry up now.”
I gestured to her with a friendly smile. Though she was fuming, her curiosity got the better of her, and she swiped. A song began to play.
It was a boy group song that had also hit number one last year. Composed by Blue Tiger.
“This song was really well-made, wasn't it?”
The moment I said that, Im Hyeon-su smashed the tablet against the corner of the desk. She swung it with such force that the screen shattered instantly, making the device look like a piece of junk from a decade ago. This woman really has no respect for money.
“My tablet.”
“You… you f-fucking… this is…”
Im Hyeon-su’s face turned ghostly white. I watched her, spinning around playfully.
“How do you have this?!”
The song that had just played from the tablet wasn't a song Blue Tiger had actually written.
“It was composed by an anonymous indie band guitarist.”
That’s right.
Im Hyeon-su had committed plagiarism.
“You… you…!”
“You met that composer for drinks a few times, didn't you? Was it in Hapjeong? You met at an izakaya there two or three times and even received a USB from him.”
As I rattled off the details as if I had been there myself, Im Hyeon-su trembled as if she were seeing a ghost.
“Streaming fraud… sure. You could pass that off as nothing, or act like you were just caught up in it.”
“……”
“But what about plagiarism? The moment this goes public, anyone who isn't tone-deaf will recognize it immediately. And then everyone will say…”
“St-stop it.”
I clapped my hands.
“Aha! Blue Tiger committed plagiarism!”
Im Hyeon-su looked like she was about to strangle me.
Ah, how satisfying.
I never thought my time working on investigative programs would pay off like this. I was so glad I had been an assistant director for a segment on streaming fraud. And I was even more glad that Im Hyeon-su was still the same person in this reality!
[Are you a piece of trash?]
‘Don’t ruin the mood.’
This was a gift from God, who must have taken pity on me and sent me this opportunity to blackmail the trembling, clueless Im Hyeon-su.
[Excuse me, but there’s an actual victim of plagiarism here?]
Sorry, but I’m in a hurry too.
I lowered my eyebrows as if I were truly sympathetic. I carefully chose words that would needle her.
“What are we going to do, Composer? I heard you’re working on a song for White Cherry right now. And a few ballads too… If a plagiarism scandal breaks out, you’re going to owe a lot of money in penalties.”
Now, how will she react?
Will she scream at me to get out? Will she try to bluff her way through? Or will she actually try to strangle me?
I didn't care either way. Though if it’s the last one, I should probably call the police.
But no, I knew Im Hyeon-su well.
I clicked my nails together just as she had done and asked softly.
“You’ve gone awfully quiet…”
Three.
“Should I be going now?”
Two.
“I’m sure you’re very busy.”
One.
Just as I was about to stand up, Im Hyeon-su grabbed my arm.
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“What do you want?”
Ah, this is why I like Im Hyeon-su.
She’s quick to accept reality. I gave her a wide grin.
“Oh, come on, Composer. You’re trying to make this too easy. Do I really have to spoon-feed you the answer?”
“……”
“You should think about it yourself. Don’t you think?”
Ding!
[Seo Ho-yun, are you a devil?]
I was a bit annoyed about my broken tablet, so I decided to play hard to get for a moment.