Translator: Chamber

  Editor: Illidan

  It had been a few days since Namhoon asked KangYoon for the stage.

  He was asked to evaluate the rearrangement by KangYoon and headed towards World Entertainment.

  “Oho.”


  Namhoon exclaimed while looking at the small, yet cozy and neat studio. It may be small, but the facilities were good and above all, the acoustics were clean. However, that only lasted a moment.

  His eyes became sharp while listening to the rearranged version of his song, ‘Friend’. When he first heard that his song would be edited, he didn’t have any good impressions.

  However, when he heard the finished piece, his expression became a lot brighter.

  “Oho?”


  The ‘color’ of the song was perfectly suited for a stage on Music Land. Although the original version was a trot song, the finished version didn’t have any traces of it. Despite that, it still had the color of ‘Namhoon’ and could say that the song was his. Moreover, this was slightly faster than the original which made it more rhythmical.

  There was something on his mind though.

  “I think the bridge part has a guided voice. Is that rap?”


  “Yes.”


  “Huh… this fella… Aren’t you regarding me too highly?”


  When KangYoon didn’t deny that, Namhoon couldn’t hide his panic. He had never done anything close to rapping in his 40 years of a singing career.

  However, KangYoon smiled and replied.

  “It’s not you that’s going to rap, sir. Of course, we’re going to use someone else to feature in it.”


  “Featuring? Huh, looks like things are getting big.”


  “Well, I had to come up with something that can fit your reputation.”


  At KangYoon’s response, Namhoon laughed in satisfaction.

  “Hahaha, that’s good. Then, what am I supposed to do then?”


  “You will have to ask someone, a singer, that fits your style to feature in this. As long as he can rap, it doesn’t matter who.”


  “I’ll look into that then.”


  Namhoon also told him that he’ll give a reply in a few days before standing up to leave.

  After he left, KangYoon called a few companies to prepare the things for the stage.

  Since Namhoon had a dance team ready, KangYoon focused on the facilities. KangYoon’s job was to smoothly connect the TV station and Namhoon’s entertainment company and end the stage in a success.

  Since the rearrangement was done, KangYoon didn’t have many more things to do. KangYoon went back to the office and started taking care of his own company’s matters.

  His current most important piece of work was to finish up Jung MinAh’s activities.

  ‘I’ve regained most of the financial losses as much as I could. If sir Namhoon’s work goes well and JiMin’s activities finish up, I can take back all the money I invested for the showcase.’


  The unexpected use of funds for the showcase was considered a loss.

  Although the most efficient way for him to work, as the CEO of a company, was to focus on his company, he couldn’t be free from financial restraints. Actually, KangYoon himself could be considered a cash cow as well.

  KangYoon wrote up some documents and took care of his work. Since it was nearing the end of the first quarter of the year, he had a lot of things to finish up.

  ‘JiMin’s achievements are surprisingly good. I’ve pretty much regained all the money that was invested into her, and now, we’re pretty much in the green. To think that a mini-album could have such results….’


  KangYoon was flabbergasted when he added up the income from various TV shows, events, and album sales related to Kim JiMin. The power of this not-yet twenty-years old girl was frightening. Meeting her on an audition program was a great stroke of luck for him.

  After taking care of everyone else’s matters, KangYoon went over to Eddios’s.

  ‘I think I just have to wait for the 2nd quarter to end. It was still a long time, though, investing in MinAh was definitely worth the effort. Above all, the effects of collaborating with Sace is quite good. If I can get Eddios to show up on Sace as well, I can probably see more effects. If that happens, I’ll be able to promote their album on both the internet and through TV.’


  Although there was some friction between him and the TV stations, the results were still good. KangYoon tidied up the achievements for the first quarter and fell into contemplation.

  ‘Now, Ailee and HanYu have their activities as well. Hm, I should promote JooYeon, who was the first to show up to the public, a little more. It looks like that will need more money. What a cycle… This… do I need to pick up more stage jobs?”


  KangYoon contemplated. His side job creating stages actually earned him quite a lot of money. Rearrangement, contacting subcontractors, as well as stage directing required a lot of work on his part so his pay was very high. However, there were risks involved considering that it took a lot of time, and it meant that Lee HyunJi would have to take over his role in the company for the duration of him working on the stage. It required a lot of thinking.

  With the materials provided by Lee HyunJi and Jung HyeJin, he was generalizing the achievements of the first quarter, and it soon became 7 p.m, way past working hours.

  “I’ll take my leave first.”


  When Jung HyeJin stood up from her seat first, KangYoon waved at her goodbye. There was no reason for her to stay since she finished her work.

  Not long after he was left alone in the office, KangYoon saw an end to his work as well. It was thanks to the clean jobs that his employees did.

  “Shall I get going too, then?”


  It was nearing 8 o’clock in the evening.

  KangYoon left the company with light steps.

  ***

  Directors Meeting Room at MG Entertainment.

  Director Moon GwangShik scolded Director Kim JinHo with his unique rough voice.

  “Director, I think there’s a problem with the activities of Hello Tint this time. Placing first only once on a cable TV show, and not even once on other TV stations?”


  “….”


  Director Kim JinHo also made a dejected expression as he didn’t have anything to retort.

  Hello Tint was a new girl group put out by MG Entertainment to replace Eddios. They were a new group that wasn’t even a year old yet.

  Director Jung HyunTae also chipped in.

  “I must ask you how the song selection process happened this time. What happened to the title song that it’s doing poorly on all of the music charts?”


  “What do you mean poorly? That’s going overboard.”


  Director Yoo GyungTae denied those words. However, Director Moon GwangShik scolded him and the dispute intensified.

  In the end, the board meeting lost its original objective.

  ‘What a mess.’


  Director Lee HanSeo, who stayed quiet as he always did, shook his head. He had nothing to ask for in this company anymore so he was able to objectively observe everyone’s actions.

  Director Moon GwangShik started to bring up Eddios in the dispute to scold the other party.

  “If I knew this would happen, I should not have agreed to send Eddios out and backed them up as much as possible… Do you know what reactions MinAh had in her short 2 weeks of activity recently? Even that puny company made so much out of her.”


  “Why does it come to that?”


  He attacked Director Kim JinHo’s pride.

  The dispute became louder and louder as time went on. They were almost about to throw their nameplates.

  ‘They can’t act their age.’


  Director Lee HanSeo just forgot about them and started playing a game on his phone. It was one of the latest games created by a foreign creator, which focused on running a teahouse.

  ***

  Two days after he asked Namhoon to get a singer (rapper) to feature in the piece.

  KangYoon heard that the singer was ready and headed to Hoons Entertainment, the company Namhoon belonged to. The building which was the fruit of his 40 years of career, was a 5-story building that was quite small, yet neat.

  Inside the studio, which was located underground, KangYoon met with Jung TaeSung, the featuring rapper for the show. When he met Jung TaeSung, his eyes widened.

  “Hello? I’m Lee KangYoon.”


  However, he didn’t get flustered and extended his hand. Jung TaeSung also expressed that it was good to see him.

  Jung TaeSung was one of the top solo dance singers in the country.

  ‘TaeSung, huh? They’re investing a lot into this. I thought he’d get someone from his own company.’


  As a top-tier singer, it was expensive to hire him as well. Of course, for KangYoon, he couldn’t ask for more.

  Jung TaeSung didn’t have any opinions since he had already listened to the rearranged piece.

  The three started talking about the stage performance.

  The first to speak was KangYoon.

  “We have a bit less than 5 minutes in total. The two of you can do whatever you wish to show to the audience on stage. In my opinion, sir Namhoon should go up to the stage by himself for the first verse, and Mr. TaeSung should appear from the featured part to show the audience a twist.”


  KangYoon’s opinion made the others nod. Jung TaeSung added.

  “Secrecy will be a big thing in a collaboration stage like this. We should seal any leaks.”


  KangYoon agreed to that opinion.

  “Yes. The twist is the biggest part of this stage. A blow to those that think that trot is boring, as well as a blow to those that the old cannot join the young. That is the highlight of this stage. If we reveal that you’re going to appear, Mr. TaeSung, the effects of the twist will be quite low.”


  Namhoon added as well.

  “That sounds good. A twist, huh. It looks like we should get our employees to seal their lips. Well, then. What’s next, cap’n?”


  Jung TaeSung and KangYoon lightly laughed at Namhoon’s way of calling KangYoon. Due to the good mood of the godfather of the industry, the atmosphere was quite good.

  KangYoon explained to them the plans he had thought up. He took out the papers containing diagrams that he had brought.

  “The SBB public hall in Deungchon-dong isn’t actually that good as a stage. The advantage is that it’s wider than most other stages that are provided by other TV stations, but the disadvantage is that there will be just as much empty space and that the facilities are quite old. What we must utilize is the wide stage. We’ll fill the wide stage with props and people, and hang up mirror balls to make it feel like a nightclub, which is more familiar to the younger generation.”


  “Oho.”


  The two of them became absorbed by the stage designs that KangYoon had brought. The diagram contained the exact structure of the public hall in Deungchon-dong, as well as the stage plans, and even the necessary people.

  The two of them added what they thought was necessary. KangYoon wrote down what he deemed necessary and applied their opinions.

  A few days later.

  The day of Namhoon and Jung TaeSung’s collaboration stage was here.

  ***

  SBB Music Land’s recording began.

  “Yes, thank Nine Tales for their splendid stage. Mr. WooHyuk, it’s nearing a year since we hosted this show together. How do you feel? Aren’t you nervous or anything?”


  Host Hyun ChaeWon asked her partner Moon WooHyuk in a cheerful voice. Moon WooHyuk replied with his unique deep voice.

  “Oh, not at all. Whether it’s the first time or now, I always get nervous whenever I stand here.”


  “Whether it’s the first time or later, standing on stage is always a nervous thing. Just like us, there are people who have prepared this stage with nervous hearts.”


  “Who are they?”


  At Moon WooHyuk’s question, Hyun ChaeWon replied as though revealing a mystery.

  “Don’t be surprised. But it is none other than the Mr. Namhoon.”


  “Mr. Namhoon, nervous? No way.”


  When Moon WooHyuk denied her, Hyun ChaeWon elaborated.

  “No, no. He told me he was very nervous because he had prepared something special this time. Why don’t we have a look?”


  The camera switched to show the stage.

  The lights on the stage turned on and the mirror balls hanging in the air started spinning. The LED panels installed at the back also switched on and off to add to the fanciness of the stage.

  At the center of the stage, Namhoon walked out with his dancers in tow.

  “Aaaaah—aaaah”


  Along with a fast-beat intro, Namhoon’s ‘curving’ style of singing came into play. The two distinct sounds made a strange combination. When he shook his shoulders along with the rhythm, everyone started getting a little excited.

  KangYoon was watching the stage from the back of the stage.

  “We’ve waited and waited – we are fated – – the moment we see – you are already a friend -”


  Even the youths, which made up the majority of the audience, became immersed in the excitement. The tempo was fast, but Namhoon’s stage manners were so smooth and the back dancers that weren’t very common these days which caught their attention.

  “A friend like no other – So we get crazy every time we meet –”


  KangYoon’s eyes also saw an array of beautiful music notes. He wasn’t able to change a lot of the song. However, he did succeed in changing the overall feel of the song entirely by speeding up the song a little and adding a few effects here and there. The strong white light was proof of that.

  Like that, the 1st verse ended, and the instrumental accompaniment came out again. Along with a few drum beats, the music halted for a moment.

  At the same time, a rap suddenly started.

  “My friend, the time we spent – it all changed, we are getting aged -”


  The screen and behind the stage suddenly rose and a man showed up. It was Jung TaeSung. Due to his sudden appearance, the audience, especially the women, suddenly shouted out loud.

  “Kyaaaak!”


  “It’s Jung TaeSung!”


  The audience who were waving thunder sticks without singing along were also shocked by the sudden twist. Moreover, when Namhoon and Jung Taesung danced together on stage everyone showed a passionate reaction.

  “Waaaa—!”


  This was a short instrumental accompaniment so Namhoon shouted in the mic.

  “Shall we do it together? My friend —”


  “Friend–”


  The audience started singing along. This was quite hard to see from a public concert hall. Namhoon proficiently pointed the mic towards the audience from time to time and ruled over the stage.

  Behind the stage, KangYoon was already at ease.

  ‘Now that’s what I call experience.’


  Over 40 years of career couldn’t be underestimated. Since KangYoon created the stage, Namhoon practically had the audience playing on top of his palm. KangYoon was awed by the dignity that Namhoon showed on stage.

  “Aaah—”


  “Aaah—”


  Eventually, the song neared its end. Until the very end, the audience waved their arms while singing along. Jung TaeSung also seemed to be having fun and was smiling.

  Like that, the stage came to an end after the instruments faded out.

  “Thank you.”


  “Thank you!!”


  “Waaaa——!”


  The voices of Namhoon and Jung Taesung rang out and the collaboration stage came to an end.

  ***-

  The collaboration stage with a twist. There will be no other like it-

  The meeting that transcends generations. There won’t be any more? Why?-

  Now that’s what I call a stage.

  ***

  ‘Nice reactions.’


  KangYoon was smiling while looking at the articles on the internet. He was worried that he may have done badly since it had been a long time since he had made a stage, but fortunately, nothing like that happened.

  ‘It’s nearing time. The foundations for Eddios are steadily getting built. It’s also about time White Moonlight goes on stage as well…’


  KangYoon steeled his mind while looking at the calendar.

  It was about time he did something big.