Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 85: I Just Won The Lottery.

We arrived at the cozy restaurant Gaeul wanted to visit.

However, since it was lunchtime, all the tables were occupied except for one.

Unfortunately, the only available table was a two-seater.

The waiter explained that since the table turnover was low, they couldn’t guarantee when another table would be available, except for the two-seater.

Hearing this, Gaeul looked troubled and said,

“What should we do? There’s only space for two.”

“We can just add one more chair. It’s fine.”

“….”

Oh James asked the waiter for an extra chair, sat in the middle, and we sat on either side of him.

As we sat huddled around the small table, I took this as an opportunity to promote Gaeul’s talent with a lengthy speech.

I hoped that if she made a good impression, she might even get a B-side ballad track.

After quietly listening to me, Oh James asked,

“How did you end up at TwoBear Entertainment, Ms. Gaeul?”

“…What do you mean?”

“I want to know why you chose TwoBear Entertainment out of all the agencies. According to Team Leader Seon, your talent is good enough to make the debut lineup at a major agency. So why take the risk at TwoBear, which hasn’t had any major success yet?”

…This guy sure knows how to hit with facts.

Well, other than the generous contract and taking care of Gahyeon, there wasn’t much appeal to TwoBear.

But this wasn’t something you’d usually bring up in front of others…

However, Gaeul seemed to think differently as she looked at me with a gentle smile and said,

“Is it okay if I talk about you, Taeyang oppa?”

“If you’re okay with it, Gaeul.”

“Then I’ll tell you the story of how I came to dream at TwoBear.”

Gaeul then began to tell her story in a concise manner.

Her tone was calm, but listening to her descriptions, I felt like I was either a prince on a white horse… or a cheesy hero from a B-movie.

Either way, it was an embarrassing depiction.

“No, Gaeul, it’s not like that. If you exaggerate too much, Composer Oh James might get the wrong idea.”

“I’m just telling the truth without any exaggeration.”

It seemed that the series of events leading to her joining was remembered as a drama or movie in Gaeul’s mind.

In reality, it was more like a gritty human documentary like Docu 4 Days or Human Theater.

“…And that’s how I was able to start dreaming at TwoBear Entertainment.”

Gaeul finished her story with a gentle smile.

Hearing that, Oh James, who had been eating shrimp pilaf as if drinking it, spoke up.

“Team Leader Seon is an impressive person.”

“…I’m not someone who deserves such praise. I’m just overly meddlesome.”

“It’s too much of an understatement to call it meddlesome. Who else would go that far for a stranger?”

Well, if someone had the ability to see a Status Window, they might do something like this occasionally.

I initially approached her because I saw her S-level potential.

Oh James continued to praise me, seemingly unaware of my embarrassment.

Gaeul watched us with a proud expression.

Her face held a warmth like a mother watching her son get praised by his teacher.

…Why does a high school freshman already seem so maternal?

He kept nodding and then said,

“As expected, would you consider working with me?”

“…What?”

Gaeul’s face hardened at his words, and she said,

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s nothing major, just that I think it would be nice to work with Team Leader Seon. Before, I made the offer based on talent alone, but after hearing Gaeul’s story, I also admire his character. It’s rare to find someone like him.”

Gaeul muttered something with trembling eyes.

“…Taeyang oppa at another company?”

I asked him the question I hadn’t asked the last time he tried to scout me.

“Composer Oh James, you’re a freelancer, right? Without being attached to a company, how would we work together?”

Could he be thinking of joining our company?

Hiring the top producer in the industry…

That’s crazy. I’d even give up part of my salary to make that happen.

“I run a small studio. Technically, I’m a freelancer, but with the amount of money I manage, it’s easier to have a registered business.”

…I got my hopes up for nothing.

“Sorry, but I’ll have to decline again. There are things I want to do at this company.”

“You can do managing and producing with me. I have the capital and the ability for that. As I mentioned before, I can also offer compensation above what you want.”

“You can produce?”

“Yes, whenever I want.”

…Wow, the assets and connections of an industry top dog allow for statements like that. There’s no way someone like him would join TwoBear.

I licked my lips in disappointment, bowed slightly to him, and said,

“I want to do that here with the people at TwoBear. So, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline your offer again.”

Oh James smiled, seemingly satisfied with my response, and said,

“You’re a romantic.”

“It’s conviction.”

Oh James laughed heartily in response.

“Hehe, honestly, I think it would be fun to work together, but it’s a real shame… But I’ll be rooting for you. For Gyeoul, for Gaeul, and for you, Team Leader Seon. I’m already looking forward to seeing what kind of group you create at TwoBear.”

After saying that, Oh James wiped his mouth with a tissue and stood up.

“When you officially form a group and need a song, contact me. I’ll disregard any reservations or schedules and give it a shot.”

Holy shit. I just won the lottery!

You can’t get a song from such a top-tier composer just with money. The company needs a strong reputation, and the group must have quality to receive a song.

Since his name, his brand, was on the line, he would never give a song to an unproven, unreliable rookie group.

In that sense, Composer Oh James’s offer was like winning first prize in a scratch-off lottery.

I jumped up from my seat and bowed at a 90-degree angle.

“Thank you! I’ll ensure we meet your expectations with the highest quality and come to you!”

“Ah, but there’s one condition.”

“I’ll do whatever you ask!”

How much do you want? We have plenty of investment funds!

“When working, Team Leader Seon must help.”

Ah, all you saw back then was thanks to the perks. You’ll definitely be disappointed if we work together.

…But since you’re offering a song, I’ll somehow get a perk for this. I don’t know when, though.

Status Window, please give me a perk related to composing!

Even if you ask me to beat up another person, I’ll do it!

“…I’ll try my best.”

Oh James nodded slightly, satisfied with my answer, then bowed and left the restaurant.

As he left, reality started to set in.

“Gaeul, this is huge! You did so well! Thanks to what you showed today, we got a song from Oh James!”

Unlike me, who was ecstatic, Gaeul looked gloomy.

Does she not know who Oh James is? Why am I the only one excited?

Ignoring Oh James, Gaeul fiddled with my sleeve and then looked at me with a somewhat desperate expression.

“…Taeyang oppa, if you ever leave the company…”

“…Huh?”

“Please take me with you. Anywhere.”

…I’m not leaving.

That evening, even after work hours, everyone from TwoBear gathered in the conference room equipped with a state-of-the-art screen.

Today was the first broadcast of Girl 100, where Gyeoul was a participant.

When I entered the conference room a bit late after finishing my work, Cheon Aram was personally adjusting the screen and arranging the chairs.

As if that wasn’t enough, she also brought and served popcorn and various drinks.

“Mr. Song Johan, you wanted lemonade, right?”

Boss, why are you doing this? It’s making everyone feel pressured.

It wasn’t just me feeling that way; Gaeul, Yeoreum, Lee Hyerin, Song Johan, and Seok Hyun-woo were all trying to stop Cheon Aram, insisting they would do it instead.

But Cheon Aram, undeterred, brought a bucket of ice, sliced lemons, and glasses from somewhere.

“There’s no need for you to go this far, Boss. Just ask me or Soo-yeon to do it.”

There are two willing volunteers, so why do it yourself?

Cheon Aram scratched her head sheepishly at my comment and said,

“Sorry, this is my first time watching something with a group, so I got a little excited and went overboard.”

Thinking about her heightened sense of smell, it made sense that she hadn’t had many group activities in her life.

I felt a little sad for her.

“…If something like this happens again, let’s gather all the employees together.”

“Really? …No, we should respect work-life balance. Let’s just do this today.”

Even as she said that, Cheon Aram couldn’t hide the anticipation in her eyes.

The overwhelming first impression she gave off was gone, and now she seemed more like a lonely person craving companionship.

How can I just leave her like that?

Screw it, let’s work overtime, everyone.

“Checking and researching our artists’ broadcasts is an extension of our work. It’s something we should be doing anyway.”

“…Oh, really? Then I guess we have no choice! But since it’s still work, I’ll make sure everyone gets overtime pay!”

“…Friendship allowance.”

“Sorry? What did you say, Ms. Hyerin?”

“Nothing! I didn’t say anything.”

With the channel set to Mnet, we all took our seats.

Sitting among us, Cheon Aram crunched on popcorn as we all eagerly watched Gyeoul’s first broadcast, where she made a standout performance and received an A-class rating.