Chapter 25. A Plan that Overcomes Blanks (4)

Translator: Synopsis

When KangYoon signaled Lee JunYeol to end it, Lee JunYeol came out of the booth while wiping his sweaty forehead.

It seemed as he was tired after singing so many as his shoulders were dropping a lot.

“Hyung? Is it alright to not do anymore?”

“How about we go with this?”

“This? You mean that this is the best, right?”

“In my opinion, yes. Although, you’re the one who’ll decide…”

He talked like that, but in fact, there was no way that Lee JunYeol, who became KangYoon’s follower, would go against KangYoon’s words.

President Kim TaeHoon and Manager Yu SeungCheol were just there for show.

“Good. I put this towards the back since it was easy to sing. It’s good for me.”

“……”

It was to the point that President Kim TaeHoon, who was standing behind KangYoon, seemed pitiful. If a star became too dominant, then this became frequent. When KangYoon saw President Kim TaeHoon, who looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t due to Lee JunYeol being so happy, KangYoon pitied him.

Now that they changed songs, they had to go over the concert again. Stages changed according to the characteristics of the song, so there would be a lot to change. Of course, the order of sequence that KangYoon received wouldn’t change, but there would be a lot of shifts in the stage production. Thanks to that, KangYoon became busier.

“Then, practice hard.”

KangYoon called for a meeting with the Production Team via phone and stood up. He didn’t have a lot of time, so as he felt that he would get busy, he felt hurried.

“Hyung. Thanks. I will do my best.”

“Work hard.”

KangYoon left Duka Entertainment and headed to his office. He had to process the work he couldn’t do while he was held up with Lee JunYeol.

As soon as he arrived at the company, KangYoon headed towards the meeting room. When he arrived, the Production Team was already waiting for the materials prepared.

“Good day to you, Team Leader.”

“Good day to you. Shall we begin?”

KangYoon first told the Production Team of the changes in the song. Then, all of them repeatedly listened to the modified song until they were used to it. Lee JunYeol made KangYoon in charge of all the stage related things, and thanks to that, the Production Team had to know the song well. When one was in charge of a lot of things, a lot of responsibility would follow.

“The finale would be important.”

Staff Lee JaeJin, who was good with special effects, spoke. He thought up of the timing to put in special effects as he was talking.

“How about we do a confetti cannon after the second chorus ends and the key changes?”

At the word ‘confetti cannon,’ vice-chief Kim ChanSoo retorted.

“It’s a place with a lot of wind. If we do a confetti cannon, then too many confetti may fly towards the audience. How about an inflatable tube arch?”

“But if we’re aiming for a concentrated effect, the confetti cannon is…”

The two’s discussion about the special effect became long. KangYoon was listening for a short while before interfering.

“L-World concert stage is indoors, but it’s a wide area. Considering the space, an inflatable tube arch would be better aesthetically. But the noise is the problem. Let’s go with a confetti cannon.”

KangYoon’s role was organizing. The team members would freely talk about their own opinions, and when the stage director does the 1st organization, KangYoon did the final approval. There weren’t any cases where people suppressed each other by saying that each other was wrong nor were there cases where people tried to teach the other. The meeting that KangYoon wanted was also this kind of meeting.

The production meeting continued for a long time. It was a short 5-minute performance, but an enormous amount of preparation was needed. At the scene, and at the office – KangYoon needed a vision that can take both of these into account. To have this vision, the ten years of failing in his ‘past life’ and the seven years as a manager played a major role.

When his daily schedule was over, the moon was already high up in the skies.

‘HanYu is always late these days.’

While clearing up his office, he looked at the trainer’s report, and there was something which caught his eyes. It was the part where it was written about Seo HanYu being late for three continuous days. Being late or absences were strict as even trainees may have to leave the company due to those. And this was about three continuous days.

‘Let’s ask tomorrow.’

The trainees would all have finished before this time anyway. KangYoon checked Seo HanYu’s documents before leaving the office.

As he was about to go down the elevator, the elevator stopped at the 3rd floor. KangYoon was about to press the close button quickly when he saw that a practice room had lights on. It was the practice room that the project team was assigned to.

‘Is there someone?’

It was already very late. Although the dorms weren’t far, to think that someone was still practicing. KangYoon slightly smiled smugly. He quietly approached the training room and peeked inside through a small window.

‘Seo HanYu?’

However, it was Seo HanYu, who was late for three days, was there. She repeated the song practice today again, and again.

When KangYoon saw this, he became confused.

‘Is she doing extra practice since she couldn’t catch up with the rest due to being late?’

As he knew her, Seo HanYu was from the effort faction. She was an honors student who would quietly practice until she became able to do it if she considered that she didn’t do well. However, she lacked the charm to appeal to the people, so there were talks about other trainees becoming jealous of her.

KangYoon quietly went inside.

“Ah…!”

Seo HanYu stiffened when she looked at KangYoon who popped out from nowhere.

“T… Team Leader.”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“No, it’s nothing. Good evening.”

“Are you doing personal training?”

“Oh…Oh, yes. I…I think I…I have insufficient practice.”

Seo HanYu was a shy girl. When she stood in front of KangYoon, she couldn’t speak well. There was the thought that KangYoon was the highest person who was in charge of her so that nervousness became even bigger.

“Why are you trembling so much?”

“N, no. What trembling.”

“I’m not here to scold you or anything. Practice is a good thing. Just don’t overdo it. But HanYu.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“You were late a lot these days. Did something happen?”

“……”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Seo HanYu became silent. No, she opened her mouth, but she didn’t say anything. It was clear that she was hesitating whether to speak about it or not. KangYoon realized that, and he shook his head.

“Tell me if something’s up. Don’t keep being late. Okay?”

“Yes… I’m sorry.”

“We’re on the same team already. We’re going together until the end. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

KangYoon noticed that there was definitely something up with Seo HanYu. Hospital, late, and even extra practice. He didn’t know exactly, but he definitely knew that something bad was happening with her. Her actions were too different from her actions normally.

However, rather than forcing her to talk, KangYoon decided to wait.

“Take a taxi.”

“Team Leader, it’s alright. This…”

“Then I’ll get going.”

KangYoon handed her more money than the taxi fee needed to go to the dorms. With words that even though the dorms weren’t far, it wasn’t good for a girl to walk alone at night.

“Thank you.”

When KangYoon left, Seo HanYu didn’t feel real. It was a good intention that she didn’t expect. Moreover, she thought KangYoon as a scary person that evaluated her, so she didn’t even imagine that KangYoon would show her such affection. Seo HanYu briefly stared dumbfoundedly at the door that KangYoon left via.

***

“As expected!! This is what I wanted!!”

Lee JunYeol was delighted at the technical rider(refers to a document with details about the stage preparation) that KangYoon brought.

“Wow, what’s an electronic violin? Lee Se’Eun? I heard this person was hard to scout.”

“I put some effort. Don’t hit on her, okay?”

“I’m not the me from the past, sir saint.”

Lee JunYeol was delighted like a little child while looking at the documents that KangYoon brought. To think it was an open radio broadcast where he would have his comeback stage, it was too grand. There was no need to speak about the devices, and there was even a special orchestra. Moreover, he could estimate how much effort KangYoon put in as this was done with a small amount of budge.

“…Hyung. You aren’t going to request more money, right?”

“I’m not that shameless. It’s also my first work, so I need to do well.”

“That’s true. If I do well, then everybody becomes happy.”

Lee JunYeol was simple-minded. KangYoon didn’t know whether to label him as pure or what. But it was a character that he couldn’t hate.

“Then are we rehearsing right now?”

“You’re right. We will be going through it for the final time when we’re at that place so practice hard.”

“Don’t worry. Who do you think I am?”

“It’s because I know who you are that I’m worried.”

“Ayy, I said just believe in me. I’m Sedy, you know?”

KangYoon left the Lee JunYeol with brimming confidence and left Duka Entertainment. When he thought that there wouldn’t be an occasion he would go to that shabby 2nd floor again in the future, he felt both refreshed and disappointed.

‘Now, it’s for the real stage.’

KangYoon resolved himself as everything would be decided on the day itself.

.

.

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A few days later.

L-World Outdoor Concert Stage.

A special stage for the open radio broadcast was installed, and a technical rehearsal was underway, According to the set lights, the engineers checked the sounds, and they checked the various stage devices and were preparing for the open broadcast.

“Wow. I’m nervous, alright.”

At that time, Lee JunYeol was inside the tent made as a temporary waiting room. While making a record of arriving 3 hours earlier on the scene, which was unthinkable for the past him, Lee JunYeol had a look at the technical rehearsal, greeted the staff and just looked around the stage leisurely.

“Hyung. Are you really JunYeol-Hyung?”

“What? You.”

There was an accident where Manager Yu SeungCheol was too touched and pinched Lee JunYeol’s cheeks before getting beaten up, but Lee JunYeol had changed a lot. As he, a well-known delinquent, changed like this, the people seemed not used to this as they all had confused reactions.

“Look at everyone being surprised at my transformation. Right?”

“……”

Manager Yu SeungCheol raised both of his hands in defeat at Lee JunYeol who was enjoying this.

When the technical rehearsal ended, the pre-rehearsal to check the line of sight, began. The singers who arrived checked the microphones to see if it matched their voices, checked their line of sight and had time to adapt to the stage.

“Hyung!!”

Now it was Lee JunYeol’s turn. He found KangYoon while testing the microphone and waved his hand vigorously. At this mindless action, KangYoon grabbed his head.

“…Check the sounds first.”

“Yes, sir!”

Lee JunYeol, who answered every one of KangYoon’s questions, became a topic amongst the staff. Words about who he was for Sedy to listen to him like that became a rumor and spread around like a wildfire. Fortunately, or perhaps, unfortunately, no one connected KangYoon to JooAh.

What was left were the camera rehearsal and the run-through rehearsal. Although it was a radio, an open broadcast was accompanied by cameras. The camera moved along the line, and they checked if there were any errors, and the starting time was nearing.

At that time, KangYoon was inside Lee JunYeol’s waiting room.

“Is your condition alright?”

“Of course, it’s the best.”

“Today’s cloudy so the sound may get heavy. So bear that in mind.”

“Okay. You don’t have to worry about today, I think.”

“What’s your evidence for saying that?”

“I have a good feeling.”

“I saw many who failed while relying on their feeling.”

“You can trust my feeling. I will shock many today.”

“Please do. And do well.”

KangYoon tapped Lee JunYeol’s shoulders once and left the waiting room. Now, he had done everything he could. Preparing for the unforeseen while waiting at the back of the stage for the results – this was what he had to do now.

Lee JunYeol started talking to the coordinator who was making him up while closing his eyes for the foundation.

“HyeJi.”

“Yes, oppa.” (T/N: Not real siblings)

“How’s that oppa?”

“You mean Team Leader Lee KangYoon? He’s just… cool, I guess.”

Lee KangYoon, who set Lee JunYeol straight and made him sing again properly, was also popular amongst the ladies. The reason was that his manliness stood out. The coordinator wasn’t that much different,

“Hehe, hehehe. That’s right, isn’t it? Shall I introduce him to you?”

“No way, oppa. Really?”

“Of course it’s a joke… Hey, hey!! It’s hurting my eyes!!”

The coordinator who rarely made mistakes slipped her hand. Whether it was due to the lie or the embarrassment… Lee JunYeol had his eyes terrorized.

Of course, he reaped what he sowed.

.

.

.

“Welcome to ‘FM and walking’ open broadcast. Hello? I’m Jung ShinHye.”

“Waaaaaaaa——!!”

With the greeting of the actress Jung ShinHye, cheers erupted in the crowd, and the open broadcast started. Jung ShinHye was loved by the people due to the gentle voice, befitting of her careful image. Today was the same. She attracted the people’s gazes with a white one piece that didn’t show a lot.

“You can look forward to the people appearing today. The first…”

The number of people increased as time went on. People started gathering in the L-World. 300, 500, 1000. People kept gathering, and the heat of the open broadcast became hotter.

“Yes, thank you, people, from Echo. There’s a singer next, but while he’s preparing, why don’t we listen to a story?”

KangYoon, who was at the mixer, started becoming nervous while looking at the cue sheet.

‘It’s here.’

After the story, it’s Sedy’s stage. KangYoon’s throat started becoming dry rapidly. He prepared with his best, but a concert was always a chain of uncertainties. In the end, he could only drink water.

“…Unfortunately, this is the last stage.”

People’s disappointment filled the venue.

“However, we’ve brought a person who’s befitting of the last stage. I should say farewell as this is the last stage. Thank you, everyone, for coming today.”

The people’s clapping burst out. Jung ShinHye continued speaking.

“He’s a tough person to find. We didn’t know whether he ascended to the skies or disappeared into the ground, right? But he came back. The Crown Prince of Ballad. It’s singer Sedy!”

“Waaaaa–!!”

The biggest cheers until now erupted from the crowd, and Lee JunYeol’s stage began.