Prologue (1)
When people are posed with the question, 'Did you live life to the fullest?', how many people can say 'Yes!' with confidence?
Only a person that had spurned the hand of negligence and indolence could answer in such a fashion. These were the people running toward the goal of happiness.
In a way, they were on the right path.
However, this was a difficult question for many people. It was common for a person to yell 'I want to live my life to the fullest!', yet it was rare for one to stick with it to the end.
This was why many called such a motto a short-lived resolve.
With that in context, Lee Hyun wouldn't hesitate to answer, 'Yes!' when asked, 'Have you lived your life to the fullest?'.
This was the reason he thought he had been leading a happy life.
A man can only ask for three things in his life. They were money, fame, and women.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Lee Hyun had achieved all three of them in his life.
He was a millionaire with too much money in his bank account. It was an amount that just keeps growing.
When it comes to fame, he was regarded as the best music composer in the whole entertainment industry with a record of several consecutive hit songs.
It was to the point that people call him the 'Midas of music'.
As for women, he was happily married to a former idol. She was the person he fell in love with and he wanted to give her the most happiness in the world.
Above all that, he had achieved his dream.
The dream of making his music renowned across the world. He had achieved that fairly early in his life.
A dream was a thing that all people have but not many people would be able to achieve it. That was why Lee Hyun was proud of this fact.
Hearing all that, people would think that Lee Hyun was living the perfect life.
He used to think like that in the past.
He had achieved everything he wanted in the world. There was nothing left to achieve.
Then, why? Why did he feel so empty?
"Huuh."
Lee Hyun took a deep breath as he thought about that question that was constantly ringing in his mind.
Was it because he was selfish? Was it because he abandoned his father's dream to complete his dream? Was it just karma?
He was not able to understand that and the empty feeling inside of his heart was just eating him away.
It felt like he was dying from inside. Like someone had taken out his soul and now, he was just an empty shell.
A shell with no meaning.
"You had heard it right. Top Entertainment has terminated your contract. From now on, you are not the exclusive composer of Top entertainment."
"Huh?"
Lee Hyun came back from his thoughts when he heard those words that seemed to pierce his chest.
For a second, he even thought that the man in front of him was joking but seeing the expression of the man in front of him, Lee Hyun was sure that he was not joking.
The man in front of him was not someone that liked to joke in the first place.
Lee Hyun was standing on the topmost floor of the high-rise building. This was a room that normal people could only see in dramas or movies.
The furnishing made it quite obvious that this was the president's office. The room was large, and there was a luxurious sofa and a coffee table that could be used to greet customers.
An executive desk and chair was placed in front of the large window.
An expensive nameplate that was made of gold was placed on top of the desk. It had the president's name and position engraved on it.
The man leaned against the desk and his slightly upturned eyes were looking particularly cruel today, at least to Lee Hyun.
"You are terminating my contract even after what I have done for this agency."
"Don't say it like you are the reason that Top Entertainment has become one of the top four agencies in Korea."
The man, no, President Bae Hyusung said in a cold manner.
His current image was completely different from the image Lee Hyun had gotten familiar with.
"You are ending my contract just because of some flop songs?"
"Some flops? In the last two year, you have given 57 flops and just because of those songs of yours, the albums of many singers have flopped. We have taken huge losses."
A bitter smile formed on Lee Hyun's face when he heard that.
It was because what Bae Hyusung was saying was right. He had indeed given that number of flops in the last two years.
He, who was known as the Midas of music, had given that much flop songs. It was unbelievable for him too.
But Lee Hyun had understood well that he was in a hole right now. No matter what he did, he was only making flop songs.
But was that enough for Top Entertainment to cancel his contract?
"Did you forget about the several hit songs I have given in the last twenty years? I have contributed toin making Top Entertainment the giant it is today."
"Maybe. But it is also true that you are of no use currently. Just look at your appearance."
Bae Hyusung pointed at Lee Hyun's clothes in disgust and even Lee Hyun knows that his current appearance was unsightly.
His hair was greasy as if he hadn't showered in many days.
It had grown long, making one wonder when he had gotten his last haircut. His beard was also unkempt.
His appearance was a visual representation of his current mental state.
At least, he was wearing branded clothes, but even that was dirty and wrinkled. He looked like a homeless person.
If someone saw him, one would distance oneself from him. He was beyond looking bad.
Even Lee Hyun knows that well but it was just the result of him copping himself in a room for a month, just making music and he was not even successful in it.
When he had come out, he had heard about the contract termination.
It was shocking news to him.
"I can still make music."
"Haha, that was a good joke. Don't you already know that you have squeezed out all your talent? You are not a music prodigy now."
"You…!!"
Lee Hyun wanted to say many things when he heard that.
The man he had thought of as a friend had betrayed him and he was getting fired from the company he was working for the last 20 years.
It felt surreal to him.
"Now, get out of my office!! You will get the contract termination fee soon."
Bae Hyusung shouted as he gestured to him to leave. Lee Hyun also started walking towards the door.
He knows well that everything has ended but his steps suddenly stopped when he heard a soft mutter.
"Like father, like son. Both of them are useless after a while."
"What did you just say?"
"Haha, do I have to say it out loud? I said that both you and your father are just useless after a while. At least your father died… Kwak!!"
Before Bae Hyusung could say anything more, Lee Hyun had already turned back and punched him in the face.
It was a hard punch filled with rage.
"Don't you DARE say anything about my father!!!"
Lee Hyun screamed as he continued to punch his face.
"Gwack…! W-why are you being so sentimental about it when you didn't even fulfil your father's last wish… Aghh…"
Another punch landed on Bae Hyusung's face.
Lee Hyun thought about stopping after seeing Bae Hyusung's bloodied face. He had taken out all his frustration on him but…
Bae Hyusung was still smiling after all that.
It was a smile that one will show after a big victory. A cruel smile that was enough to make him more enraged.
That's why Lee Hyun kept hitting him until the security guards came and dragged him away.
"Ahhhhhh…"
His scream rang throughout the building of Top Entertainment that day.