Chapter 23. A Plan that Overcomes Blanks (2)

Translator: Synopsis

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“Hey, hey, hey. Isn’t that Sedy?”

“Sedy? Whoa. What’s he doing here?”

The trainees whispered to each other while looking at Lee JunYeol who was sitting with crossed legs on a sofa. The light shining from the window emphasized his already handsome face, and it was all the rage, especially with the girl trainees.

‘Young ones. They’re cute.’

Lee JunYeol stayed in the lobby while giving out signatures and sometimes, advice, to the trainees. He spent time looking at the passerbys and playing games on his mobile phone. However, the person who said he contacted KangYoon didn’t appear.

“Is it not yet?”

“…He says for you to return.”

It was already the 10th time. Now, the lobby staff didn’t even contact KangYoon since they were fed up with it. At first, they called each time due to his looks and name value, but now that it was turning dark, their gazes turned into looks that were given to insects.

‘Ayy. Such an interesting guy.’

Lee JunYeol became curious about KangYoon. How could he meticulously ignore him like this? Of course, he was angry. However, his curiosity was bigger. He was curious that KangYoon said that he would fail despite living well until now.

“Ah, I’m doomed for today’s evaluation. SamSoon, how about you?”

“I failed too. And so refreshingly too. How about you, Jung?”

“…I’m Ailee, Jung is my surname.”

It was night, and the moon was already high when the last batch of trainees came out while chatting. It had been a long time since the lobby staff left work.

‘What is this? That guy’s still at work?’

Lee JunYeol was dumbfounded at the fact that KangYoon didn’t leave when even the trainees had left. But he didn’t want to return like this. He refused to yield, now that he came all the way here and he didn’t want to leave before seeing that face.

“…Sedy?”

It was only after a long while after the trainees left that the one who he wanted to see had appeared. It was KangYoon. This guy who didn’t even show himself even worked over time and left last.

“You…?!”

“You still didn’t go? I don’t have anything to speak to you.”

He was surprised that he waited until now, but KangYoon didn’t think much about it. He hadn’t the slightest thought that he would do a stage with him by changing that person. That only came out in books and movies. In this regard, KangYoon was realistic.

“I can’t get my head around it no matter how I think about it.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“It has no relation to me. And why are you so impolite, you’re younger than me.”

KangYoon also didn’t hold back. Some people crawled up when he stayed polite. Sedy was one of them.

Lee JunYeol was in the last stages of star complex, where he put everyone beneath his foot. KangYoon didn’t want to work with such a person. Lee JunYeol, who was looking at KangYoon for some time, laughed as if it never happened.

“Hahaha. You’re indeed interesting. Yes, Hyung. Cool. You say everything you want.”

“Just do your thing and embrace some girls. I don’t confront delinquents.”

“Keke. Delinquents, eh.”

He was severely insulted, but Lee JunYeol only laughed. KangYoon didn’t see the value to confront him.

‘He’s crazy. It’ll become bad if I confront him anymore.’

KangYoon wanted to leave the place as he was worried that he would get caught up in something strange. There wouldn’t be anything good if he talked with the meticulously self-centered Sedy anymore.

However, Lee JunYeol said something out of his expectations.

“Hyun. Let’s do a concert together.”

And he said something absurd to KangYoon.

“What?”

“Please make my comeback stage.”

KangYoon was dumbfounded. He didn’t know what he had just heard.

“What did you just say? Comeback?”

“Yeah. Comeback.”

KangYoon was dumbfounded. When he looked at Sedy’s face, it was full of playing around as he was smirking the whole time. KangYoon suppressed the fire in his heart once and turned serious.

“I refuse. No, I respectfully decline. If you have a comeback right now, you will fail with 100% chance, so I don’t see the necessity to waste my energy on you.”

“Fail? Me?”

“Absolutely. Your voice changed so how can you not fail?”

Grab!!

Lee JunYeol violently grabbed KangYoon’s collars. He was playing around when he said that. But he didn’t know that KangYoon would poke him where it hurts so directly. He was an always-smiling Sedy, but his face turned fierce in an instant.

“You, you, you dare…!!”

“Do you think that the people won’t notice? It’s over with a star when the delusion breaks. Transformation? Transformation is when something changes to become better, and you think your voice changing is a transformation? That’s not a transformation but a disfigure. Why don’t I use a better word? It’s mutation. It’s not progress but regress.”

“Uuu…”

KangYoon said all those harsh words without blinking. However, Lee JunYeol couldn’t argue against it. The hands that grabbed KangYoon’s collars trembled. Sedy, who carefreely spoke until now was long gone.

“But even after that, you don’t put in any effort, and you’ve immersed yourself in women and smoking. And you want me to make a stage for you? If it was the God of Music here, I don’t know. Selling albums after a comeback in 3 weeks? Not possible.”

“……”

In the end, Lee JunYeol let go of KangYoon’s collars with trembling arms. However, all energy had long since left his body. Lee JunYeol, who acted carefreely, was long but gone.

“But if I have any advice for you, that is to quit smoking. Smoking is the worst thing for a singer.”

KangYoon left Lee JunYeol. Lee JunYeol already seemed to have lost all his strength as he plopped down. It was his complete defeat.

‘He won’t come again, right?’

Arrogance drags a person into hell. Although he won’t work with Sedy, he wished that Sedy would put an end to his arrogance. He purely wished for good singers to go well. Of course, the choice was his.

‘Lee KangYoon. Lee KangYoon……!!’

Lee JunYeol glared at the lobby after KangYoon left while grinding his teeth. With a trembling body and bloodshot eyes…

***

“HanYu, let’s see. You do not lack anywhere.”

“Thank you.”

A personal interview that happened once a week. KangYoon was drinking a canned drink while talking with Seo HanYu who was drinking coffee. Of course, the drinks were without sugar.

Seo HanYu was nervous while looking at the graphs that evaluated her.

“I think you are looking at the fruits of your hard work. Singing, Dancing – you do not lack anything. The trainers’ evaluations are also good.”

“Thank you.”

“But this part, about the “eye-catching.” She isn’t very eye-catching but does her role. What does this mean?”

“……”

When KangYoon asked about the star quality, Seo HanYu became silent.

“HanYu. I want you to be a little more enthusiastic.”

“Enthusiastic?”

“I’ll explain it in simpler terms. First, let’s put singing training and dancing training to the minimum and do other things. I will set a schedule for training outside as the basis.”

When she heard the word ‘outside,’ she stiffened. She didn’t like the outside that well. However, KangYoon didn’t bother about it and kept writing. In the end, a special schedule outside was created especially for Seo HanYu.

After creating the schedule, KangYoon asked.

“Are you doing well with the unnis?”

“Yes. I’m doing well.”

“You shared a room with Christie, right? Do you think you can get along?”

“…If you exclude the fact that she snores at night, then yes.”

KangYoon almost burst out laughing, but he suppressed it. Being too honest was also a problem in itself. To think she snores with that face of hers… KangYoon thought that he should bury it somewhere in his heart.

KangYoon sent Seo HanYu away, and he approved some of the budget reports. These were to be taken to the President’s office.

‘It’s going well. But there’s less used budget then I thought for this month. I think I can use it somewhere else.’

And when he finished writing the report, it became night. KangYoon stretched his arms and hurried home.

But then…

“Hyung!!”

When he went to the lobby, there was a voice which called him intimately.

“Sedy?”

“I came here to see you. Hi?”

It was Lee JunYeol who even grabbed his collar. However, such a figure was gone. It was if as he had bipolar disorder as his expression was full of smiles.

“What is it again?”

“Hey, we’re done being polite with each other right?”

“……”

KangYoon had a headache. To think he came back after all that insult… While KangYoon was grabbing his head to think of a solution to send him away, Lee JunYeol spoke.

“I thought about it a lot yesterday. Yes, your words are all correct. My voice changed, and I didn’t put in an effort. Smoke? I smoked like crazy to forget all that. People say that you should control evil with evil so I even believed in an absurd thing like smoke can make me better. But the result is this.”

“……”

KangYoon narrowed his eyes. He didn’t understand what Lee JunYeol was saying right now. Is he confessing his sins or something? However, he calmly listened.

“In the end, I started doing things as I wanted. My throat was becoming worse, but I had loads of money. Playing around was fun. Women? I played around to the point of being fed up. Meeting women was so easy when I had the money. Rubbing and rolling around – I did everything I wanted to do at that time. But you know? The more I played around; I thought strange things. I’m a singer, a singer. I’m supposed to be singing but what is this? – Things like that. And so I even recorded things.”

“What is it that you want to say?”

“I did record things, but the stages were all not to my liking. No, to say it correctly, I was afraid now that I was going to sing. My changed voice, wouldn’t people say something about it? Will it be alright? My heart was pounding. I was scared. My entire body trembled in fear.”

“……”

“However, a man should have face. How can I say this? And so I rejected all of them. I won’t do it. And I met you.”

“Then don’t do it. I’m not a Catholic priest who listens to confessions.”

KangYoon felt like he was talking with a drunk man. He asked himself, and he answered himself. He got excited by himself – Lee JunYeol was like that. KangYoon felt that he didn’t need to listen anymore and turned back.

But Lee JunYeol desperately clung to him.

“Hyun. I was wrong. Please make my stage.”

“……”

KangYoon doubted his ears. He blinked his eyes while thinking what he had just heard.

“Nobody has ever said things like that to me. In fact, I also thought that I was probably a little worse than before, but I never thought that I would fail. I just vaguely thought that this was wrong. However, you told the entire truth to me. I was angry at first, but when I thought about it, your words were all correct.”

“……”

“I’m scared to stand in front of my fans with this voice. However, if it’s you if it’s you who told me about myself clearly and looked into me, helped, I think it’ll be possible. Help. I beg you.”

Lee JunYeol kneeled towards KangYoon who had his back towards him. He was serious. KangYoon was surprised at Lee JunYeol being so serious, but he didn’t show it on the surface. KangYoon calmly spoke.

“I already said yesterday. I don’t want to invest my time and effort in something that has no possibility. And this industry is not as easy as you think it is, you won’t succeed just because you’ve changed your mind, you should know this, right?”

“Hyuuung…”

“Perhaps the God of Music could do it, but it will be difficult for me. If you have truly changed, then you will be able to do well even by working with other people.”

KangYoon tapped Lee JunYeol’s shoulders and left for home. With the kneeling Lee JunYeol behind him. He did feel bad, but KangYoon did his best to ignore it.

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“Oh my god…”

“I, isn’t that Sedy?”

“Whoa, what is up with that?”

The next day.

As soon as the employees of MG Entertainment came to work, they saw an amazing scene. It was a scene where Sedy was kneeling in the lobby. He wasn’t taken away since he wasn’t in the way of the entrance, but everyone whispered to each other.

Chairman Won JinMoon and President Lee HyunJi also found this absurd after they got off the black sedan.

“Interesting things sure keep happening nowadays, miss HyunJi.”

“Indeed.”

They ordered their secretaries to look into it and went to their respective offices. It was all chaotic after that too. All the trainees and employees talked about Lee JunYeol. Predictions and rumors that he was proposing or he was the secret illegitimate son of the chairman swept across MG Entertainment.

“Lee JunYeol…”

“Hyung, you came?”

And finally, the source of the problem had arrived.

KangYoon sighed when he looked at Lee JunYeol who greeted him in the same clothes as yesterday.

“Sedy…”

Morning rush hour. There were many people inside the lobby. In the middle, Lee JunYeol was kneeling in front of him. People’s gazes focused on him, and people started whispering to each other. KangYoon was the current hot icon of the company. Lee JunYeol was once a well-going singer. One was kneeling while one was receiving, so it was, of course, chaos.

“Did you actually spend the night here?”

“Yes. I waited for you.”

“Ha…”

KangYoon thought it was absurd. Due to the characteristics of an entertainment company, there were a lot of cases where people had to work overnight, so it was indeed open 24 hours a day. Of course, security was meticulous. KangYoon grabbed a guard who stayed overnight and asked. When he heard that it was indeed true, he could only be dumbfounded.

“But why?”

“I said it, didn’t I? Help me.”

“I think you heard what I said yesterday. Don’t do useless things like this and return.”

Although he was surprised that Sedy stayed the whole night, KangYoon was cool-headed. Even while looking at KangYoon scanning the ID card to enter and going in the elevator, Sedy shouted loudly.

“I’ll wait for you!!”

KangYoon thought it was absurd as he sighed. This kind of recklessness was a first for him. But he did slightly pity him.

There was a somewhat absurd trouble, but KangYoon’s day was ordinary. He approved, and he got things approved, and he held meetings, and there was nothing special.

The problem occurred at night.

“Haa…”

He finished early, so he was about to go home when he saw Lee JunYeol still kneeling in the lobby. The people whispered to each other as they passed by, and the lobby staff seemed to have given him something to eat, as Kimbab and bread was placed in front of him.

“Haha…”

When he looked at Lee JunYeol waving at him, only a dry laugh came out of his mouth. He thought about Lee JunYeol a lot since the night before, but he couldn’t decide on a direction due to the risk and the profit. He thought that he wouldn’t be here today, but he was here today.

“You’re here?”

“You are amazing; I give you that…”

“Didn’t I say? That it won’t do without you.”

“I should have refused. Even if you’re like this, it won’t work.”

“Then what should I do for you to do it? Am I hopeless? Because my voice changed? Will the people really not accept me like this? I’m over just like that?”

“……”

“Whether it was the people at my company or the people I worked with, they all said this: You’re Sedy, your singing will work. However, you’re saying different things. And so, I’m worried. And I think that if you say I can do it, I can really do it. I believe that if you say I can do it, I can definitely do it.”

“…I should tell you why you really can’t do it.”

KangYoon plopped down to sit in front of Lee JunYeol. He felt the curious gazes of the people around him, but KangYoon didn’t bother with it.

“Your voice is a significant element of worry. However, you didn’t try to overcome that element of worry or use it. You escaped it all and fell into abyss. Smoking, alcohol, women. It’s good to enjoy these moderately, but you couldn’t control yourself. I can’t work with such…”

“I will stop them all.”

“What?”

“I will stop them all. Smoking, alcohol, women, and everything. I will just do as you say.”

The resolution could be seen inside Lee JunYeol’s eyes. And KangYoon also felt it. However, he was worried. It was easier said than done.

‘In the end, Sedy didn’t do well. Is there a reason I should do this despite all that?’

There was no need to take risks. Work will keep coming his way anyway. Moreover, he had already reported to President Lee HyunJi that he wouldn’t do it. However, he did change JooAh’s future for the better, and he was changing the trainees’ future as well. Even if it’s Sedy, wouldn’t that be true? Wasn’t there a value worth challenging?”

Due to KangYoon, the album which should be settled around 10th place on the Oricon Chart topped it and was sweeping money from Japan. Even if it wasn’t to this point, couldn’t he change the future?

KangYoon who pondered for a long time spoke with lights in his eyes.

“First. Let me hear your voice before I decide.”

“Really? Then…”

“Voice first. Let’s go.”

Lee JunYeol rejoiced like a little kid. KangYoon meant that he would consider it even if it were just a little. KangYoon told him to stand up, and Lee JunYeol tried to stand up. But as he was kneeling for such a long time, he couldn’t straighten his legs easily. In the end, KangYoon had to help him up.

“Where did your manager go?”

“Vacation. I can’t show him such an uncool side of me, right?”

“…You’re something, alright?”

While looking at Lee JunYeol who was going to the underground floor with the help from KangYoon, people who were leaving work whispered to themselves. While going through those whispers, KangYoon and Lee JunYeol headed towards the underground studio.

“Wow, to think I’m entering the studio of the renowned MG.”

“Is this place that famous?”

“Of course. This is one of the big three studios. It’s renowned for its sound quality being good.”

“The conditions are good. But are your legs alright?”

“I’m alright. I can do it sitting.”

Lee JunYeol sat down after limping. KangYoon turned on the machine and sat in front of the mixer and configured the settings. He matched the settings to match his voice. Lee JunYeol’s music wasn’t there, so he had to go with a recording of a famous song.

Just a little faster ?? Just a little ??

A thick and pleasant voice rang throughout the studio. It was the low voice that the fans liked. However, the problem came after that.

But ??my love ? is still??

The higher the pitch became, a strange change happened. Sedy was someone who exploded out at a high pitch after grabbing their hearts with a low voice at the beginning, but power was insufficient in the high parts. Of course, it wasn’t a big change. One had to be conscious about it to notice it.

‘It’s getting weaker.’

The Sedy reflected in KangYoon’s eyes was shining brightly with white light at the beginning. However, as the song progressed, the white light became fainter, and at the end, its density became a lot lower.

After the song ended, Lee JunYeol carefully spoke to the microphone inside the studio.

-How was it?

KangYoon thought for a bit.

“It isn’t as good as in the past.”

-As expected, is that so.

“You worked hard.”

Lee JunYeol, who heard a not so good evaluation came out nervously. KangYoon sat in front of him.

“I’m not as good as I was in the past, it seems. Is it really difficult? Ah, I’m craving for a cigarette.”

Lee JunYeol took out a cigar from his pocket as he always did but he put it back in the end. A habit sure was a frightening thing. KangYoon clicked his tongue as if it was absurd.

“You said you’d quit.”

“Sorry, forgive me for just this time. Really.. Bad, bad hand, bad hand!!”

“…Okay. Let’s pack up.”

“Then we’re really doing a concert together?”

KangYoon kept pushing Lee JunYeol away, but the thought that it wouldn’t do without KangYoon pervaded Lee JunYeol’s mind. He thought that, if it was him, he could do other things for him other than just setting him on the right path.

“A significant risk always bring together a significant profit.”

KangYoon thought about it. If the reactions of Sedy’s comeback stage was good, then he will be able to receive better work after it. Although albums were a bit of a stretch, KangYoon decided that he would do something if it was just the concert.

“I’ll think about it more for the next few days. First, keep what you said last time.”

“Yes.”

This referred to smoking, women and other things like these. Lee JunYeol nodded his head like a little kid. KangYoon emphasized again as if it was still worrying.

“Words are easy. Especially smoking. Quit it unconditionally. If you smoke even once while preparing for the stage, then the project is over.”

“Okay, okay.”

“I will put this in the contract.”

“Huh?! Then…”

“Didn’t I say I will think about it for the next few days? Quit smoking by next week. Let’s talk then. Now return. I’m scared that people will spread rumors about me if you keep kneeling like that in the lobby.”

“Thank you, thank you.”

Lee JunYeol finally smiled brightly and hugged KangYoon. However, it was a man’s, KangYoon hated it.

“Let go!!”

“Hahaha!! Thank you, thank you.”

“Go away.”

KangYoon was a man who preferred the soft embrace of a woman rather than a hard embrace of a man.

***

Until 2nd year, HeeYoon’s school life wasn’t that enjoyable.

Thinking that she had to graduate high school at least, she dragged her weak body to school while receiving dialysis, but due to her weak body, it was difficult for her to hang out with her friends. Moreover, poverty made the other kids around her age not approach her, as they were at the ages where they liked to make themselves up. HeeYoon was always alone.

However, starting from her 3rd year, her school life became different. Her clothes were obvious and starting from the time that rumors that she was friends with JooAh spread around the school, evaluation about her became entirely different.

“Huh? It’s solved like this?”

“Yeah. If you look here, the limit value is…”

HeeYoon now had friend that she could ask questions that she didn’t understand too. Thanks to that, her school life became very enjoyable. The past that she didn’t want to talk about to KangYoon as she didn’t want to make him worry was gone.

“Thanks.”

“No, HeeYoon, I…”

“What is it? Do you have anything to say?”

The class leader who taught her a math question stuttered. The class leader seemed to have something difficult to say as she kept touching her glasses before speaking with difficulty.

“Y… you know, JooAh’s signature… Can I get one?”

“JooAh’s signature? Didn’t you receive one last time?”

“The line was too long…”

Even the rich would become fans if they saw a singer once. The bookworm class leader who said she had no interest in singers was the same. HeeYoon said okay and accepted it. The class leader said thanks and even copied the notes she took for HeeYoon.

When half of the afternoon classes were over, HeeYoon left early. It was to receive dialysis. She left school with her bag like normal, but a familiar person was waiting there.

“Oppa!!”

“Hello.”

KangYoon leaned on the school gates and greeted her.

“Oppa, aren’t you supposed to be working right now?”

“Today’s an early leave. You gotta go to hospital.”

“I said I could go alone.

As her brother was always busy, it felt bad to her to take his time away. However, she was also thankful that such a busy person was spending time with her. HeeYoon knew very well that KangYoon treated her as the number one.

After starting dialysis after arriving at the hospital, KangYoon sat in front of HeeYoon, and they talked about a lot of things. It was mostly about the trainees. HeeYoon enjoyed the story about her peers that KangYoon talked about.

“Pfft. So that MinAh girl keeps calling you ahjussi?”

“That’s what I’m saying. I keep telling her not to, but I don’t know why but she keeps doing that.”

“It’s probably because she likes you.”

“No way. Do you call a man you like ‘ahjussi,’ HeeYoon?”

“Uum… No, but I’m probably right. That MinAh girl is probably doing that since she likes you, oppa.”

“No way, not possible. Then should I call a girl I like ‘ahjumma’? HeeYoon-ahjumma?”

“Say that again, and you will receive a beating!”

The conversation inside the hospital was enjoyable, but it wasn’t long. The exhaustion due to dialysis made HeeYoon fall asleep, and KangYoon headed to the doctor to see the current progress.

The doctor said that there were no significant problems. KangYoon, who heard that nothing was different from usual, headed to the hospital entrance. It was because he craved for a smoke.

“Phew…”

KangYoon was refreshingly exhaling smoke when a familiar shadow could be seen distantly. It was a school uniform that wasn’t fancy, but it was a middle school girl with an eye-catching tall height.

‘Seo HanYu?’

To think that Seo HanYu was at the hospital when she should be at practice… KangYoon was confused. However, it was more laughable to tail her. He decided to ask her in the next personal interview.

After he finished smoking and waited for the smell of smoke to go away, KangYoon headed to the ward.

‘She’s still sleeping, eh.’

HeeYoon, who was still under dialysis was sleeping without a care in the world. KangYoon gently stroked her hair.

“HeeYoon. This time, I will definitely let you live for a long. Long time. I’ll let you marry, have kids, and live a happy life. Definitely!. You don’t have to worry about anything and just keep on living. Okay?”

KangYoon’s greatest wish. That was for her sister to live a healthy life like ordinary people and marry and live happily. His motivation to hold out despite failing every singer he put his hands on in his previous life, was HeeYoon.

While looking at HeeYoon’s calm face which was gently shined on by the sunlight, KangYoon smiled peacefully.

***