15. Member (3)
After a little hardship, I was able to confirm Ahn Jung-woo's skills.
The result was very satisfying. I understand why CEO Son Dong-young allowed this guy.
'You didn't debut this kid and send him away? Has Lux finally lost its touch?'
Ahn Jung-woo was a different type of vocalist than Lee A-ram, who sets the mood with his beautiful voice, or Seol Yi-soo, who has a clean, high note.
He has a wide range of vocals with his attractive voice. He is exactly the type of vocalist I like.
"Look at that satisfied expression. The newbie is completely out of his mind."
"I was so scared when I first got hit."
"...At that time, I really felt like my soul was being ripped out. Yeah."
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Jungwoo."
"I feel like crying."
Why are you being so noisy? I just wanted to know about our new friend. I left the noisy guys behind and grabbed Ahn Jungwoo's shoulders.
Unlike before, Ahn Jungwoo had a blank look in his eyes.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No, no. We got beaten up too.'
Hwang Bo-kyun pressed Ahn Jung-woo in a hurry. Someone will misunderstand if they hear it. He tilted his head, controlling his eyebrows that could have been shaken.
"What do you mean you got beaten up. I just wanted to know what the members who would be joining us in the future were, what they could and couldn't do."
"The problem is that you tried that on someone you had never met before."
"Anyway, I meant no harm."
Lee A-ram clicked his tongue and crossed his arms. Ahn Jung-woo kept his mouth shut, as if he wasn't used to this kind of conversation. It was obvious from the way he rolled his eyes that he was feeling awkward.
"Relax. I'm not really harassing you."
An Jung-woo finally relaxed his body. He looked around and let go of his shoulders.
He had a good appearance that would not be outdone even by the members, and he had the manners of someone from a large family. He was the best material in terms of skill.
'This time, I have no choice but to acknowledge Director Kwak In-hyuk.'
He's not the type of person I'm used to, but he certainly seems capable.
Well, CEO Son Dong-young doesn't seem to be the kind of person who would take in someone who doesn't have the ability, even though he may seem sloppy. Having a good eye also means being picky.
'That's why I'm saying it's a shame.'
In the last meeting, Director Kwak In-hyuk was simply described as 'skill-centered, safety-oriented'. He was a different type from CEO Son Dong-young. That's why he must have had many complaints about me. Just looking at the word trainee producer, isn't it a really unstable combination?
On the other hand, the advantage is that people like that are easy to make allies if they just keep up with the grades.
'Next meeting, let's try a little harder.'
I don't think I'll be recognized right away, but I think I'll be able to get a good impression.
When I took a step back, Ahn Jung-woo took a deep breath. Baek Han-gyul didn't miss the opportunity and sat next to Ahn Jung-woo and chattered.
"By the way, how did Jung-woo hyung get cast by Director Kwak?"
Baek Han-gyul trembled and recalled what happened earlier.
"Director Kwak In-hyuk seems like a scary person. He looks even more fierce than when I first saw him at Lime Entertainment. We were talking about the same thing......"
"Wait. Have you met Director Kwak before?"
"Yes! It was on the day of character education... I attended the interview that day when I ran into hyung in the hallway."
I covered my mouth and rubbed my chin. I remember that time too. I met Baek Han-gyul on my way to the character education after meeting with the person in charge.
'The only thing that Baek Han-gyul and I have in common is that we have the rap position.'
At that time, the three people who were in the label were Seol Yi-soo, Hwang Bo-kyun, and Ryu Hyun-seung... The rapper position is empty.
Let's slowly look back on the past and realize one thing.
Director Kwak In-hyuk had no interest in me from the beginning. He had no intention of bringing me to the label.
I don't know what it's like now, but that was certain.
'When I see him interfering with other teams' work, he seems to be the type who needs to take care of everything himself. If that kind of person didn't ask any questions to the trainee he was about to bring in, I guess he has no interest at all.'
When I let out a hollow laugh, Baek Han-gyul rolled his eyes, looking at my expression.
"What's the problem...?"
Baek Han-gyul asked with trembling eyes. I shook my head and shrugged slightly.
"No. There's no problem. But how did you really get cast?"
"Ah......."
The members' eyes turned to Ahn Jung-woo. He sighed and reflected on his memory.
"I was preparing to debut at Lux, but I got eliminated right before and was about to go back to my parents' house."
"Huh? You got eliminated from the debut group?! Hyung?"
"Yeah. But the director gave me a business card and told me I could debut right away, so I followed him."
It's surprising that Lux let Ahn Jung-woo go, but he got eliminated from the debut group...?
There are really two reasons. Lux is either crazy, or there's a problem with the debut member.
'It's not Ahn Jung-woo's problem. If that were the case, Director Kwak In-hyuk wouldn't have brought him.'
If I recall correctly, there was no episode where Ahn Jung-woo debuted. It makes no sense that he couldn't debut with this kind of skill. There was a reason why Director Kwak In-hyuk confidently brought him in.
If Ahn Jung-woo achieved results with his outstanding skills, it would be Director Kwak In-hyuk's credit. Just like CEO Son Dong-young benefited from casting Ter's Nine.
However, I didn't intend to leave it that way. If that happened, Director Kwak In-hyuk's influence would grow. I am sure that Director Kwak In-hyuk would somehow use this as an excuse to create an opportunity.
But I also didn't intend to throw out someone with such skills. In any case, there's a saying that goes, if you can't avoid it, enjoy it.
Ahn Jung-woo smiled awkwardly, watching our reactions. At first glance, he seemed to lack confidence.
'If I use it well, it will probably turn out to be a fun picture.'
I quickly came to a conclusion.
"You're preparing for your debut? Then have you ever tried this at Lux?"
***
'Ah....... I want to go home.'
The planning team member who moved from Lime Entertainment to O&M MUSIC looked around while washing his face dry. The employees who entered the conference room greeted each other and took their seats.
Despite this peaceful scene at first glance, the employee felt a strong desire to quit. It was understandable, because he was skeptical of this label.
'He gave the position of general producer to a trainee...'
What on earth are they going to do with a kid who doesn't know anything sitting in the conference room? It's hard to serve an incompetent boss.
The employee, who was worried about how long the meeting would last and how suffocated it would be, quietly glanced at Yoo Young.
Yoo Young's face had become even more refined than before, perhaps because he had been receiving a lot of management. Not only Yoo Young, but all the members.
If you include the child that Director Kwak In-hyuk brought a while ago, there are seven handsome boys of various kinds.
'It'll be hard to gather all those kids with such good looks in one group......'
They still haven't lost their baby fat and look young, but it was only a matter of time. If they get a little camera massage, their looks will heighten.
The employee who had selected a few examples of phrases to use in the press shook his head. Right now, he has to focus on work.
That determination was meaningless, but because of his dislike of working, his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
'Oh, that person seems to have been at a famous small entertainment company, but where was it.......
The employee who was looking around was amazed. Maybe because there were additional people who had been hastily hired, there were some people he had never seen before.
Since this is a job where people change jobs often, this situation wasn't awkward. There were a few familiar faces.
After a short round of applause, the meeting began in earnest. The one who started it all off was CEO Son Dong-young.
"As you all know, we decided to have an artist take charge this time. Mr. Yoo Young, do you have anything prepared?"
As previously announced, Yoo Young took the initiative, and a sigh of displeasure came out. In an instant, the conference room froze.
The employee took a deep breath without anyone knowing.
'...This is really pressuring.'
He also didn't like this situation, but he thought that they're pushing too hard on young kids who hadn't even entered society yet. What if he got scared?
However, contrary to his worries, Yoo Young stood up and started handing out documents that seemed to have been prepared in advance to the employees.
"Okay, please take a look at this first."
There were various types of documents. Analysis graphs on the current idol market, project proposals based on them, detailed concept plans, reference materials, etc. The employees were dumbfounded by the documents written logically and concisely according to the format.
'What is this........'
From the direction to the planning purpose, strategy, and plan, everything was consistent, and the clear introduction, development, climax, and conclusion emphasized the important parts separately, showing that it wasn't something that had been done once or twice. What was most surprising was....
'It looks like it was planned with the budget in mind.'
It shows that he meticulously considered whether it was feasible. The level was also neat, like someone who had been in the industry.
"If you turn to the next chapter, you will see the rookies released by each entertainment company from last year to the first half of this year......."
Even in the midst of all this, Yoo Young continued the meeting calmly.
In addition, when the selling point and even the album sales strategy were explained, he thought he was dreaming.
'Who helped you?'
It's not something a high school student who hasn't even entered society can prepare.
Coming up with a concept is something that anyone with imagination can do. However, this can't be explained unless he asked for advice or received help from another employee.
'Director Kwak In-hyuk only had the basic framework, so it can't be said that he consulted that.'
This was not the realm of the artist, but of the industry practitioner. In other words, from the employee's perspective, it must have been the same shock as seeing a newborn baby sitting in the position of the chairman of a large corporation and handling documents skillfully.
It was an impression that could be made because Yoo Young had Han A-won in his body, and he had been a workaholic who had to personally check and review work to feel satisfied.
The employee looked around the conference room. Director Kwak In-hyuk's face hardened.
But unfortunately, Yoo Young's antics did not end here.
"......So, I planned based on the previously suggested title song candidates, but I also prepared a new option separately because I thought it would be good to have one."
It just meant that Yoo Young had composed the song himself. It wasn't surprising since there are so many people learning composition these days. However, the tone of the words announcing it was subtle.
'It seems like he's trying to exclude the candidate song that Director Kwak Inhyuk gave rather than having a pure intention to include his song in the album.'
Whether Yoo Young composed the song or not, if the new choice he gave was better than what Director Kwak In-hyuk had prepared, it would be natural for him to be recognized for his ability, and it would also be fun to see.
The song played in a tense atmosphere. As soon as the song started, the employee tilted his head.
'Huh...? I've heard that voice somewhere before.'
The employee's gaze turned to Ahn Jungwoo. Ahn Jungwoo, a trainee from Lux that Director Kwak In-hyuk had brought in. The voice that he had heard countless times while checking the vocals stuck in his ears.
When Director Kwak In-hyuk first brought him in, he thought he was good, but his voice was even more charming when he heard it through Yoo Young's song.
Even though it was just a recording, it felt like the song came alive thanks to Ahn Jung-woo.
No, it felt like the song supported Ahn Jung-woo. It was as if Ahn Jung-woo's vocals tell us that we need to use it like this.......
'Oh, no way.'
He left the recording to that kid on purpose! Everyone who realized that could be sure of one thing.
Yoo Young is either a genius or a madman.
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