Chapter 42. First artist (2)
"Welcome to Mango Entertainment!"
That was the first thing Lee Hyun said to Minyuk as soon as he came out of the isolation booth.
"Ah? Just like that."
"Do you want to go through more tests before joining?"
"N-no. Thank you, President."
Kang Minyuk waved his hands and quickly bowed towards Lee Hyun.
He was a bit surprised that he passed the audition too quickly. Other agencies would surely hold an interview and go through a selection process before deciding on someone to sign.
But Mango Entertainment was different.
"You can talk formally with me here. I'm younger than you anyway. Just call me President outside."
"I understand."
"Oh! Yeah, one more thing…"
Lee Hyun suddenly remembered something and looked over at Minyuk carefully. He can be wrong, but there was a thing that was troubling him.
"Is there some problem?"
Minyuk asked, noticing Lee Hyun's expression.
He wondered if he had done something wrong, but Lee Hyun's words surprised him a lot.
"Are you eating well?"
"Huh? What?"
"I'm asking if you are eating well these days. You look strangely thin to me."
That was something Lee Hyun had noticed. Minyuk looked strangely thin. To Lee Hyun, he looked like someone who was just surviving on instant noodles.
It was also the reason his complexion looked slightly pale. Minyuk was looking less handsome because of that.
"I, I am eating well."
"Really?"
'He's lying and he's certainly bad at it.'
Lee Hyun thought inwardly.
Mikyuk flinched seeing Lee Hyun's gaze on him. He was really a bad actor who can't even lie properly.
Grrr!
As Lee Hyun was thinking of probing more, a sound came out of somewhere. It was the sound of a stomach crying for food.
All the gazes in the room focused on Minyuk. Harin was even giggling, staring at him whose lie was discovered in just a second.
"You are really not eating well, right?"
Lee Hyun sighed as he asked that and Minyuk still didn't reply truthfully this time.
"Uh, I'm just eating less."
"What did you eat before coming here?"
Lee Hyun slightly glared at him and Minyuk flinched again.
"Instant noodles…"
"What did you eat yesterday?"
"... Instant noodles."
"The day before that?"
"Cough, instant noodles…"
It was like Lee Hyun had thought. Minyuk was really a person who was surviving on instant noodles.
"Do you like instant noodles that much?"
"No, I don't! They are even tasteless to me now."
"Then, why are you eating them?"
Minyuk began silent on that question. Lee Hyun didn't have to think about the release Minyuk was eating instant noodles everyday.
'He's situation is worse than I thought.'
Lee Hyun shook his head thinking that. Lee Hyun had heard from Im Sungho that Minyuk's situation was dire, but it was worse than he thought.
If he left him alone like that, then he would probably collapse.
"You know that you would probably collapse if you kept eating instant noodles."
Minyuk again stayed silent.
He didn't know what to say here. Lee Hyun was definitely younger than him, but his atmosphere was overwhelming, probably because he was the president.
Lee Hyun was about to open his mouth again, but Kim Dongsu quickly patted his shoulders and said,
"Now, let's calm down and you…!"
"Yes!"
Kim Dongsu looked at Minyuk who was clearly nervous.
"You want your singing to be good, right?"
"Ah, Y-yes!"
"Then, remember one thing. You can't sing good songs if your stomach is empty."
Kim Dongsu laughed and put his hands around Minyuk's neck. He felt the 'huge weight' of Kim Dongsu, but he didn't say anything.
"You are now a part of Mango Entertainment and I can't let one of my singers be hungry."
Lee Hyun said as he calmed himself down. Minyuk was a part of Mango Entertainment now and he has to take care of him as the president.
He took out the company's credit card from his pocket and handed it to Kim Dongsu.
"Let's order some food."
"Yeah, I'm sick of eating fast food too. Let's order some sushi."
Kim Dongsu was only drinking coffee and eating burgers and pizzas these days. He also wanted to eat some tasty food.
"You don't have to do all this for me."
Minyuk tried to refuse, but Lee Hyun shook his head.
"You are now part of Mango Entertainment. I don't know how it was in your previous agency, but we do care for our singers here. So, just get used to it."
Minyuk silently nodded his head after hearing that.
He recalled how it was in his previous agency. That agency didn't care about him. The CEO just sent him into clubs and bars to sing.
He said that he would make an album with him, but there was nothing even after 3 years.
That's why he filed a lawsuit against him.
'It's really different.'
Minyuk didn't feel that it was a bad change. He felt that his time in Mango Entertainment would be better than he had imagined.
"Thank you!"
"You don't have to say thank you. I'm going to work you hard anyway. So, eat well."
Minyuk smiled hearing that.
After that, he and Kim Dongsu left the studio to take care of the contract procedures. He also ordered sushi in the meantime.
'Now, only Harin is left.'
Lee Hyun turned towards Harin who was standing in the corner.
He wanted to take care of her contract himself and he also wanted to talk to her about somethings like the girl group project.
"Let's sit down first."
"Okay."
Both of them sat down and Lee Hyun brought out the contract that he had already prepared before.
"I wanted to talk to you about something before you sign the contract."
Lee Hyun spoke when Harin was reading through the contract.
"What is it?"
Harin was not nervous around Lee Hyun. It was because she trusted him and there were some feelings involved too (?).
"Minyuk, we are planning to release a mini album for his debut."
Harin's eyes shined when she heard the words 'debut' and 'album'. It was also her dream to have her own album and stand at a stage for her debut.
But Lee Hyun's next words crumbled her imagination.
"But you are not at his level yet."
It was a cold and hard truth that Lee Hyun had poured down on her, but it was true too.
"I, I know that."
"It would take you at least two years before you can make a solo debut, but that's too much time. Not only that, you also need stage experience and learn how to communicate with the audience."
Harin nodded her head with a bit of worry.
She knows that she can't debut instantly, but two years were still a lot of time for her. She wanted to quickly stand on the stage and have her own fans.
"That's why, you won't make a solo debut."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Harin asked in a shocked tone.
"Solo debut is a long road ahead for you, but there's a way through which you can have your debut in just a year."
"W-what is it?"
Harin asked, somewhat impatiently and Lee Hyun answered with a smile on his face.
"Have you thought about being a part of a girl group?"