HTMB 14

Chapter 14

Sui, who never backed down when it came to singing, cleared her throat.

She had once hit 4 octaves—would she still be able to do that?

Since it was practice, she thought it would be good to sing an easy song, so she spoke to Ki-hyun.

“Park In-hee’s <Between Longing People>. Cue.”

Ki-hyun tilted his head and asked back.

“What song is that?”

Ah, it’s a 70s song, so he wouldn’t know. It was a song Sui’s mother had loved very much, so she’d said it out of habit.

Sui thought carefully once more and then selected a somewhat more popular song and spoke.

“Ah, then Nondujeong Batdujeong’s <Attic>. Cue.”

“Nondujeong Batdujeong—you should look for that in the rice paddies, why here…”

“…You don’t know The Onions either?”

“Go to the market for onions, noonim.”

‘Wow. They don’t know these masterpieces. How is the world even turning? What happened to the world during the 25 years I wandered the nine heavens?’

No matter how much she’d wandered the nine heavens for 25 years, there was no way she could be aware of trends in the world. She had swum meaninglessly with muffled ears and blurry eyes as if underwater.

A life lived again… She wanted her memories to be sympathized with, but her memories seemed to have become history that belonged in textbooks now.

While Sui was in a bit of shock, Na-eun looked at the clock and spoke.

“Hey. Just sing anything. I have to go to Gwangdo Church in Gwangdo-dong for the 6:35 AM Wednesday dawn service tomorrow. They’re giving out towels for the 34th anniversary this time.”

…Unnecessarily specific. Yeah, well, towels are precious, so.

Sui looked around. She saw a few acoustic and electric guitars.

“Can I play that acoustic guitar over there?”

“It’s decorative, but probably okay to play?”

“You play guitar too?”

At the mention of guitar, Na-eun asked as if surprised.

Guitar is basic—why are these kids so surprised?

“I don’t know recent songs well, and the songs I know, you guys don’t know. I’ll do the accompaniment myself. Should we try singing whatever you want?”

Sui grinned and began tuning the guitar.

***

Tae-hoon, who had been exhausted from a long meeting just moments ago, gently closed and opened his stiff eyes and looked at the clock.

It was already past 10 PM.

Having been grilled by the executives all day, he couldn’t help but be tired.

He hadn’t known that recruiting Im Yuna would become the subject of such a serious meeting.

Until now, Hwaja Entertainment had worked hard to match the luxurious, skilled image of its actors and artists. Also, Tae-hoon never even glanced at someone if they had no potential.

For Tae-hoon to suddenly recruit a B-grade actress was not just puzzling—it was a shocking choice.

During the three-hour meeting, Tae-hoon heard about Im Yuna until his ears were worn out.

They said she had no potential for growth and her image was too worn out, so it would be difficult to go forward with Im Yuna.

Just like CEO Lee Hwan-su said, everyone was saying the same thing.

It was decided that if no special results were seen after one month as a trainee, they would discuss expulsion. It was also the most stable contract from the company’s side and a commonly used method.

Then the phone rang. It was Kim Ki-hyun, assigned as Im Yuna’s manager.

“Yes.”

[Executive Director Kang! Hello. This is Kim Ki-hyun.]

“Go ahead.”

[I’m calling in advance because Yuna noonim seems like she’ll be practicing late into the night starting this evening. She’s still on the 5th floor shouting and practicing right now.]

“I see…”

[She’s impatient to audition for the ‘Jenny’ role as soon as possible. Even today, she got picked on here and there like a soccer ball and was flaring her nostrils in anger. Oh my.]

“…I see.”

[Still, the seniority hazing among trainees is no joke, but she’s enduring really well. She’s working hard and staying strong, so don’t worry, Executive Director.]

Worry?

Tae-hoon tilted his head with a puzzled face.

The hazing of Hwaja trainees was already famous. There were many trainees who got into Hwaja Entertainment through tremendous competition only to leave because they couldn’t endure the excessive practice hours and hazing.

If it were the Im Yuna he knew, rather than worrying, he might have been timing when she’d storm out.

But the current Im Yuna was different. He was secretly even anticipating how much higher she would go.

“How is the situation around Im Yuna?”

[For now, both CEO Lee and her mother are quiet.]

“Don’t let your guard down and keep watching closely.”

[Yes! I will devote my loyalty.]

There was no way CEO Lee Hwan-su of The Allim would leave Im Yuna alone. No matter how much Tae-hoon had bluffed and semi-threatened, the effect wouldn’t last long.

‘Should I step forward first?’

Im Yuna’s surroundings were swarming with nothing but annoying and tiresome people.

Perhaps in today’s meeting, the executives’ protests were louder because they were already aware of these risk factors surrounding Im Yuna.

But the reason he recruited Im Yuna despite all these risk factors was solely because of her potential.

So why was no one aware of Im Yuna’s potential?

At this point, it meant that no one had properly heard Im Yuna sing. If they had heard her sing, such words wouldn’t have come out.

Im Yuna’s voice, which overwhelmed people and even sent shivers down their spines, was shocking enough to make her existing image not come to mind at all.

What exactly was it? No matter how much he thought, it was ironic.

While Tae-hoon was lost in thought, the door opened.

There was only one person who entered his room without knocking like this.

It was his younger brother, Tae-hyung.

“I told you to knock before coming in.”

Tae-hyung plopped down on the sofa as if it were his own house and spoke.

“I knocked twice, didn’t I? What are you thinking so hard about?”

“…What brings you here? Wasn’t there an overseas fan signing?”

“It wasn’t a fan signing, it was a commercial shoot in Thailand, okay? Show some interest in your younger brother.”

Tae-hoon smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

“Anyway, it seems like you’re the one who needs rest, hyung. Still can’t sleep properly?”

Tae-hoon had suffered from insomnia for a long time. Without sleep aids, he couldn’t sleep at all.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he’d spent half his life on sleep, having tried everything from folk remedies to psychiatric treatment.

Out of a whole week, he probably only slept two or three hours total.

Yet seeing him handle everything perfectly, sometimes Tae-hyung thought his brother might not be human.

Tae-hyung, whose body wasn’t enough even with two of him due to his packed schedule, also found it hard to keep up with his brother’s mental strength.

“It’s not something you need to worry about, so just say what you came for and go.”

“I’m going to get some acting coaching from Director Lee. The character for this drama is a bit difficult.”

“You’re saying you kept Director Lee here at this hour?”

“What else am I supposed to do? I don’t have time.”

“It’s good that you want to analyze the character, but you seem to be clinging only to Director Lee. Stop bothering someone who’s busy.”

“You’re too much. How much money do I bring in, and you can’t even support me this much? If you keep this up, I really won’t renew my contract this time.”

“That’s welcome news. I’ll support you wherever you move your agency.”

Tae-hoon said as he ruffled Tae-hyung’s hair as if he were cute. It was the action Tae-hyung hated most.

“Don’t ruffle my hair!”

“Is Director Lee on the 5th floor?”

“Yeah. He’s always there.”

“If you’re going down, let’s go together.”

“Do you have business with Director Lee too, hyung?”

“No.”

“Then?”

Tae-hoon said as he put on his jacket.

“I just want to check out the 5th floor.”

Tae-hyung tilted his head, but Tae-hoon left the door first without saying anything else.

“Don’t do anything tomorrow and rest. I’ll adjust your schedule.”

Tae-hoon said as he pressed the 5th floor button in the elevator. As soon as he heard that, Tae-hyung’s drowsy eyes quickly regained life.

“Really?”

“I said rest, not go out and play with friends. Be careful with your actions. The stock price goes up and down because of you alone.”

“You got my hopes up for nothing. But hyung. I heard something strange while filming the commercial?”

“…What did you hear?”

“I heard Im Yuna joined our company? No, right? That’s nonsense. Right?”

Tae-hoon gently closed his eyes. Hearing the same topic he’d been bombarded with at the meeting from his younger brother made his already tired body even more exhausted.

“What’s so nonsensical about it?”

“She doesn’t match our company’s image, does she? Did you allow it, hyung? Why? Why her?”

“Even if you’re at the same agency, you won’t run into each other, so why are you like this?”

“Don’t even say that! Do you remember, hyung? My first debut work was with Im Yuna and it got ruined? Wow, just thinking about it makes me grind my teeth. No, seriously, how did she even get cast in another historical drama after that?”

Come to think of it, Im Yuna seemed to have had many opportunities early on due to her characteristic innocent appearance.

But she took those opportunities without being properly prepared, and the public’s standards were higher than expected.

Just being pretty or handsome wasn’t enough, so her image would have hit rock bottom immediately.

“She shouldn’t act. No, she shouldn’t sing either. Whatever she does, she ruins it, that one.”

“Don’t judge a person’s potential carelessly. No one knows how things will turn out.”

“So tell me. Did Im Yuna really join Hwaja Entertainment? Hyung, are you sure you haven’t gone crazy from lack of sleep? If so, I really won’t renew my contract!”

Tae-hyung was even trembling, as if just thinking about that time made him grind his teeth.

When the elevator doors opened on the 5th floor, a lit practice room entrance was visible in the middle of the dark hallway.

From 10 PM, only a few practice rooms were open. Tae-hoon guessed that Im Yuna was probably in that practice room.

He’d come down following Tae-hyung with the intention of briefly running into her before leaving work.

An unexpectedly soft guitar sound flowed out.

“Oh, the guitar sounds good. Did Executive Director Choi come?”

“……”

“Wow… The voice is good too.”

Tae-hyung, who had been noisy the whole time, murmured with narrowed eyes as if entranced.

“I know this song. It’s <I Will Give You Everything>, right?”

A 70s song, the chords simple, but it was a desperate and sorrowful song for a loved one.

However, it was being sung as fusion jazz. With a smoothly flowing rhythm, matching the fast beat that didn’t feel intrusive, showing off technique with guitar playing and even percussion.

While appropriately building excitement, the sorrowful feel of the song was left intact. The lingering feeling was deep enough that it was a shame it was ending.

“Who’s singing? Did we have a singer like this in our company?”

This voice was Im Yuna’s.

It matched the voice that had first sung for Tae-hoon.

Her guitar skills were also quite clean. No, at that level, it wouldn’t be strange at all for her to be active as a professional.

‘She knew how to do this too.’

When Tae-hyung, unable to contain his curiosity, was about to run straight to the practice room, Tae-hoon quickly grabbed him.

“Hurry and go to Director Lee.”

“Just let me see who’s singing! I just got really excited!”

“Director Lee waited late again today because of your schedule—do you want to make him wait more?”

“Ah, I’m so curious. Then just tell me who’s singing, okay?”

“What are you going to do if I tell you?”

“Eh? It seems like you know, hyung? Who is it! Who!”

If Tae-hyung found out the owner of that voice was Im Yuna, he’d be horrified—what kind of reaction would he make if Tae-hoon told him it was her?