Chapter 40: My Singer (5)
“Good choice.”
Lee Ha-yeon clapped with a smile, her eyes fixed on the contract.
One copy was tucked away in her drawer, while the other was handed back to me.
The moment felt like slow motion.
There was no turning back now.
At least for the duration of my contract, I was officially Letter’s exclusive producer.
Sensing my lingering tension, Lee Ha-yeon spoke.
“Oh, by the way, I heard you rejected all the offers from other agencies? Word is, you’re quite picky.”
“…Huh? Oh, it’s just that none of them really fit my conditions. I wouldn’t say I’m picky.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“…Is that so? What conditions were you looking for?”
“I needed to meet with the artist before making a song. To discuss things together.”
I answered simply.
However, Lee Ha-yeon seemed to struggle to understand.
“Hmm… Why?”
“I just want to hear their voices.”
“You can do that with recordings too, though.”
“There’s a big difference between a studio track and a live voice. At least for me. And meeting in person lets us talk freely about the concept.”
A recorded track couldn’t fully capture the nuances of a singer’s voice—or the potential hidden within it.
My color perception ability worked best when the artist was physically nearby.
But that was just my approach.
“…Only for female artists?”
Her question carried a weight of unspoken meaning.
“…No. Male artists too.”
“Ah, I see.”
Judging from her reaction, I had a feeling I knew why this had come up.
Now that I thought about it, all the offers I had received were for female artists.
Probably because my last chart-topping song had been for a female singer.
“Well, in any case—congratulations on joining Letter.”
Lee Ha-yeon extended her hand with a bright smile.
I shook it.
Her hand was cold.
Just common poor circulation, maybe—but the director’s words flashed through my mind.
“Don’t trust Lee Ha-yeon too much.”
“…So, can I ask my questions now?”
“Of course. Just don’t go around blabbing.”
I nodded and got straight to the point.
I asked about Lilac’s solo projects—why Kim Yoo-jung was going solo first, and what was happening with Lee Yeon-ji’s solo debut.
“Well… It’s a bit complicated. For a solo debut to succeed, it has to happen while the group is still relevant. But we just signed a major artist.”
“…Ha Ye-ri?”
“Oh? You already know?”
“I just ran into her.”
That was all I needed to hear.
It was clear what was happening.
When a company lands a big name, they naturally allocate more resources and better opportunities to them.
But resources are limited.
Which meant that during Ha Ye-ri’s promotional period, other artists in the company would receive significantly less support.
“Our original plan was to have both girls debut solo by June at the latest, but now that Ha Ye-ri’s album is set for April, things have changed. Since different teams are handling the projects, we can’t even adjust the schedule.
So, between Kim Yoo-jung and Lee Yeon-ji, one of them had to be cut.
And our team believes Lee Yeon-ji has a higher chance of success.”
“…Ah.”
In other words, Kim Yoo-jung was being sacrificed.
A disposable card—something the company could point to and say,
‘See? We tried.’
I didn’t like it, but there was nothing I could do.
I wasn’t stupid enough to stand up and fight a battle I couldn’t win.
This industry was just that ruthless.
Then again, it wasn’t just the entertainment industry—this was the way of the world, no different from any other workplace.
If you don’t want to be treated unfairly, you shouldn’t expect special treatment either.
But those who reach the top do expect to be treated as special—because they worked for it, because they wanted it.
And so, inequality never disappears.
The only thing I could do for Kim Yoo-jung now was simple.
Give her the best song I possibly could.
“Feeling a little better now?”
Lee Ha-yeon asked.
I nodded.
February 26.
I was sleeping in, enjoying a rare morning without stress, when my phone suddenly rang.
It was Yoon Seong-woo.
– “Hey. Something’s going on with Lilac.”
“…The hell are you talking about?”
Even as I muttered that, my eyes snapped open.
Bad feelings were rarely wrong.
I had a sinking suspicion that this time would be no different.
I immediately checked the portal sites and the music charts.
There wasn’t much happening in the news, but the charts…
The charts had changed drastically.
Lilac, who had been floating between first and second place, had suddenly dropped to fourth.
Something was definitely off.
No major artists were set to debut for at least three more days—so what the hell happened?
“What is this? What’s going on?”
– “Check your fan café. They probably know more than I do.”
“Alright, I’ll call you back.”
I hung up and logged into the fan café.
Sure enough, the situation there was even more chaotic than the charts.
And, of course, the culprit was none other than that bastard Chan-hyeok and his Instagram.
[The happy memories, the time we spent together… They only bring me pain now. I guess this is goodbye. It’s sad, but I have to accept it.]
Along with that cryptic message, Chan-hyeok had posted a whole bundle of photos—pictures of him and Yoo Ah-ra together.
Because of that, despite the fact that the post was only a day old, countless fans were in turmoil, saying they couldn’t even focus on streaming.
Knowing Yoo Ah-ra as well as I did, I couldn’t believe how wildly people were over analyzing this.
But the real problem was that rumors had already spread like wildfire across various online communities.
Articles were popping up, claiming that Yoo Ah-ra and Chan-hyeok had been dating.
Most of them came from minor, less reputable news outlets.
But at this rate, it was only a matter of time before a major publication picked up the story.
“…Damn it. Bad feelings are never wrong.”
I immediately called Lee Ha-yeon.
– “Hello?”
I skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point, asking if she was aware of what was happening.
– “Oh, that? Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious.”
Her voice was completely calm.
I couldn’t understand her reaction at all.
“I’m just concerned.”
– “Pfft.”
A small, mocking laugh slipped through the receiver.
For a split second, my spine went cold.
– “Why are you so worried? You’re not staff. You’re not her manager. The song already did well. Your job as a producer is done. Everything else is up to the artist and their team.”
A heat spread through my ears, frustration rising.
But I didn’t respond.
Because, at the end of the day…
She was right.
– “And even if you are worried, you should be careful about what you say. We do keep an eye on these things, you know. There have been cases before.”
Before I realized it, my fists had clenched.
Even if her words were logical, my mind refused to accept them.
Grinding my teeth, I ended the call without another word.
The date on my phone screen read February 26.
Today was the day of Lilac’s music show appearance.
The day they had hoped would bring them their first-ever win.
But now, their moment was being overshadowed by a completely unwarranted scandal.
What kind of emotions were they carrying as they headed to MBS?
None of them had contacted me—neither Yoo Ah-ra, nor Kim Yoo-jung, nor Lee Yeon-ji.
Not that they had any reason to.
And I had no real reason to reach out to them either.
Like Lee Ha-yeon had said, I wasn’t their manager.
I wasn’t their boyfriend.
And I had no intention of becoming either.
“…Hah.”
But
As long as they sang my songs—
As long as my work was in their hands—
Lilac was my singer.
If being a producer simply meant writing a song and calling it a day—if after that, everything that happened to them was none of my business—
Then I would have never become a producer in the first place.
I grabbed my coat, threw it on haphazardly, and rushed out of my apartment.
I sprinted down the main road.
Luckily, a row of taxis was waiting at the nearest intersection.
I hopped into the first one and said,
“Take me to Sangam MBS, please.”
“No entry beyond this point without authorization.”
I had walked in with full confidence—
And got stopped at the entrance.
A security guard, built like a brick wall, stood firmly in my way.
It was a music show filming day, meaning security was especially tight.
“No entry beyond this point without authorization.”
“Ah, I’m Lilac’s producer, actually—”
“No entry beyond this point without authorization.”
He repeated the phrase like a programmed response.
“Seriously? I am authorized! Look, here’s my business card.”
I flashed my Letter business card.
No reaction.
Hoping he’d at least recognize my name, I even pulled up my profile on a portal site and showed him.
Still nothing.
How the hell do I get past this guy?
As I racked my brain, a familiar voice called out from behind.
“Oh? Producer-nim?”
The guard’s eyes went wide in surprise.
Curious about his reaction, I turned around.
“…Huh?”
It was Cindy.
The idol who had been friendly with me during the Travel Log.
Dressed in full stage attire, she clicked her heels against the pavement as she approached.
“What are you doing here?”
We had exchanged texts occasionally, but this was the first time I was seeing her since Travel Log.
So, she had started promotions too.
She looked even prettier than I remembered.
“And you?”
Cindy averted her gaze slightly before replying.
“Uhh… I, um… left something in the van.”
She was lying.
But I wasn’t about to question it.
Right now, she was my way in.
I turned to the guard with a smug expression.
Even if he didn’t recognize Cherish, the group Cindy belonged to, there was no way he could look at her outfit and face and not realize she was an idol.
“I can go in with her, right?”
“…Ah. Yes.”
Though reluctant, the guard finally stepped aside.
Thanks to Cindy, I made it inside the broadcasting station.
As we walked down the hallway, I glanced at her and said,
“Thanks. I owe you one.”
“Oh, come on, it’s nothing.”
“But you…”
I stopped myself mid-sentence.
Honestly, I hadn’t even realized Cherish had started promoting again.
But saying something thoughtless like that might hurt her.
Cindy tilted her head.
“Me, what?”
“Never mind. Let’s go.”
Just then, the elevator arrived.
I shook my head and stepped in, with Cindy following behind.
Ding—
The waiting rooms were on the third floor, so we arrived in no time.
I walked down the hallway, scanning the nameplates on the doors.
“This is us.”
We didn’t have to go far—Cherish’s waiting room was near the front of the hall.
And it was the smallest one.
That meant the whole group, plus their manager and stylists, were crammed in there.
I pushed down the twinge of sympathy I felt.
“Well, alright then. Thanks for today. It was nice seeing you—”
Just as I was about to say goodbye, Cindy grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door.
“Come on, at least say hello before you go!”
“What? Hey, wait—”
She called out cheerfully and flung the door open before I could protest.
“Oh, Cindy— wait, who’s this?”
The group’s manager, who had been standing near the entrance, looked at me in surprise.
“Oh, Manager Oppa! This is Lilac’s producer-nim. Remember? I told you about him during the Travel Log filming.”
“For real?”
The manager stepped forward with sudden enthusiasm.
He had a boyish face that, despite being a grown man, gave off an oddly puppy-like vibe.
“Nice to meet you! I’ve listened to your songs a lot. They’re really good!”
He extended his hand.
“Ah, thanks. Haha.”
I shook his hand, and he grinned from ear to ear.
“Oh, wait! Hold on just a sec!”
The manager dashed back inside the room.
A moment later, he returned, dragging four girls along with him.
“Girls, say hello. This is Lilac’s producer-nim. From left to right—Seo-yeon, Joo-hee, So-yoon, and Yoon-chae.”
““““Hello! We’re Cherish!””””
The four of them bowed in unison, then looked up at me with bright smiles.
Their beaming gazes made my face heat up.
“Ah, haha… Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you.”
“Aren’t my girls gorgeous? They’re amazing singers too!”
Cindy grinned, teasing lightly.
“Yeah, uh… sure seems that way. Ha, haha.”
To be honest, seeing them all together like this was kind of uplifting.
Cindy watched me with amusement before tilting her head.
“So, what brings you here?”
That short question snapped me back to reality.
I quickly adjusted my posture and answered,
“I’m here to see Lilac.”
“…Ah.”
Cindy nodded with a look of quiet envy.
But it seemed she didn’t know the details.
Maybe the chaos was still mostly confined to Lilac’s fan café.
“Well, I should get going. See you around.”
I gave Cindy and Cherish a polite nod, handed my business card to the manager, and turned to leave.
“Oh! Here, take mine too.”
The manager quickly handed me his card as well.
Kim Yoon-seok, Head Manager, SW Entertainment.
Might be useful to keep in mind.
“““Goodbye, Producer-nim!”””
A chorus of farewells rang out behind me.
A little embarrassed, I glanced back and gave them a final nod.
As I walked down the hall, I overheard whispers.
– “Wow, he’s really tall. He looks like a model.”
– “He’s way better looking in person.”
They were just being polite.
There’s no such thing as a 100-kilogram model.
Not that I minded the compliments—
But I had more urgent things to deal with.
I picked up my pace, heading straight for Lilac’s waiting room.
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