Chapter 141 : Admiration Rising from the Core
Chapter 141: Admiration Rising from the Core
“Instead of flailing at thin air trying something new, how about managing the idols we already have properly?”
That was the only way to survive in this convoluted music industry.
Surprisingly, that was the main thrust of Seo Dongyoon’s proposal.
Just like the title, the content was simple.
It specifically pointed out the issue of ‘overdoing rookie development’, and that was it.
Kim Minsoo shifted in his seat.
He uncrossed his arms and legs.
As if he was genuinely intrigued.
“Oh ho?”
He didn’t forget to let out a groan of admiration from deep within his core.
It was a proposal unlike any other before.
No sparkling ideas, no flashy vision, no promises to apply current trends.
It also didn’t excessively mimic KIM Entertainment to stand out.
That was what made this proposal special.
Instead, it calmly, gently—
Tapped on Lumière’s weaknesses.
“It’s simple, yet clear.”
He flipped the proposal back to the first page.
Kim Minsoo reread it from the beginning, slowly.
Such a clear reaction was rare.
That’s how unprecedented this direction was.
These days, when the entire industry was all-in on “discovering new rookies”—
This proposal argued, “Let’s utilize the assets we already have.”
It wasn’t aggressive, but it was clear.
It wasn’t cold, but it sharply pierced reality.
“……”
“……”
The staff, having already read the proposal, couldn’t ask Kim Minsoo anything.
They felt the same.
So this was…
Like a home-cooked meal made with humble ingredients amidst hotel cuisine bursting with exotic delicacies.
There were no grand ambitions to change everything.
No arrogant attitude claiming Lumière’s current direction was outdated.
Just one thing.
Maybe we’ve been so greedy for too much that we’ve missed what’s truly important?
That one question pierced every page like a thorn.
Eventually, one person came to Kim Minsoo’s mind.
He murmured,
“Stay…”
“Sorry?”
Everyone at the table widened their eyes at the sudden mention of Stay from Kim Minsoo’s mouth.
“Why did Stay come to mind?”
So our CEO really does cherish Stay.
I mean, sure. Understandable.
But wasn’t this the session to review blind proposals?
No matter how big a success Doubline had been, he shouldn’t just substitute everything with Stay.
This was random even for random’s sake.
As everyone’s expressions silently screamed that thought—
“Ah! What’s there to think so hard about?”
As if something clicked—
Kim Minsoo sprang up from his seat like a spring.
Then marched straight to the whiteboard.
Seeing that, Yoon Seonghan thought,
‘Here we go again…?’
Once he opened his mouth, it was guaranteed to be at least an hour.
This and that—
Explaining what sparked the thought, what he believed—
He would ramble on endlessly, sucking the soul out of you.
Not that he was ever wrong.
It was just exhausting having to nod along with “Right, yes” to the storm of commentary.
“...!”
But today was different.
[ Han Yujin – Super Ride ]
[ UTAR – More Than Time ]
[ Signum – Avalanche ]
He conveyed his point succinctly.
He even marked a big asterisk next to “UTAR – More Than Time”.
“This much should tell you, right? Why I brought up Stay.”
Only then did the staff start to understand the flow.
When they first read the proposal—
They were definitely seized by a strange sense of déjà vu.
—Focus on clearly presenting what we already have, in the way we do best.
That sharp planning direction had always been Stay’s strongest weapon.
And the person who wrote this proposal—
Applicant No. 17 was saying something very similar.
Lumière was like Signum.
They often lost their way in the spotlight.
And Applicant No. 17 had boiled it all down into very simple words.
[ Let’s show the group’s core weapon clearly. And only then, let’s bring up the next chapter. ]
Somehow, that message brought to mind the lingering echo of Stay’s early draft for <Avalanche>, printed in some magazine.
“But there’s something really odd.”
Tapping the proposal with his finger, Kim Minsoo continued.
“The core plan itself is hidden away. That really makes you curious.”
Stroking his chin, he scanned the room.
“This kid—we gotta meet them, right?”
Yoon Seonghan responded,
“Maybe they just haven’t finished the proposal yet? Not that they’re subtly teasing us, but they made this big pitch and are now pulling their hair out trying to come up with it.”
Though said half-jokingly—
There was some truth.
There were people like that sometimes.
Long justifications for their proposal, but when you actually look, there’s no substance.
Frantically preparing right before the interview time.
Either way—
If someone could stir up this much curiosity, that was a skill in itself.
In this industry, being able to “pull aggro” was a pretty strong advantage.
Kim Minsoo said, almost like a command.
“Whatever the case, I have to meet them. Right away. A candidate who radiates this much Stay essence—it’s rare.”
Then, he scribbled down a simple summary of Seo Dongyoon’s plan.
– Win not with overly original ideas, but with planning instinct and a deep perspective!
– Originality over gambling.
“…Didn’t you like gambling, CEO?”
“You wanna get smacked?”
And just like that, Yoon Seonghan sent a text to Applicant No. 17.
[Hello, this is Track Race. We’re pleased to inform you that your proposal has passed the document screening for the new employee recruitment process….]
These days, my hyung would often lock himself in his room and let out shrieks.
Just like this.
“Uaaaaargh!”
His voice was so loud it pierced through his headset.
…And I was listening to loud EDM, mind you.
“Oh yeah, oh yeah.”
He even started making bizarre noises and stomping around.
I couldn’t take it anymore and walked out into the living room.
Ah, damn.
I saw something I shouldn’t have.
What got him so excited?
With a bandit-like face, he was dancing clumsily, making a whole scene.
I was so dumbfounded I blurted out,
“...What are you doing?”
“You heard that? Nah, it’s nothing. Go back and do your thing.”
“You were yelling your lungs out—how could I not notice? What’s going on? Did you win the lottery or something?”
It was a joke.
He’s not even someone who buys lottery tickets.
But with a serious expression, he muttered “Lottery? A lottery…” then said to me,
“If it works out, it’ll be bigger than a lottery win. At least for me, it will.”
What kind of big deal could this possibly be for him to be acting like this?
It’s not like him being weird is anything new.
I was about to head back into my room—
“Wait, wait, come here for a sec.”
He yanked my arm.
There was no way I could resist that bandit-sized body. I was helplessly flung down onto the sofa like a paper doll.
Ugh, my poor back.
“Ugh, what now?”
“I’ve got something to ask you.”
I barely managed to sit up, leaning against the sofa.
“I’ve got to go to Sierra today. Make it quick.”
“No can do. This isn’t something that can be done quickly.”
“What now? Why’re you dragging it out…”
I grumbled, about to throw some sass, but had to shut my mouth.
I thought it was nothing, but this felt different from usual.
I sensed right away that this wasn’t something I could brush off.
I straightened my posture and sat properly on the sofa.
Then he slowly began to speak.
“The way I see it, you’ve got a unique eye.”
Oh boy, what kind of cringey line is that?
Still, I didn’t respond. His tone was too firm for that.
“Han Yujin and Signum—they change when they work with you. I want to know your secret.”
“Uh, hold on.”
That needed correcting.
I replied firmly.
“They don’t become someone else. Both their past and current selves—all of that still comes from Han Yujin and Signum. People don’t just have one side to them. It’s just that I...”
Even when I paused to see how he’d react—
He just kept staring at my mouth, waiting.
“It’s just that I help them reveal the side they truly want to show.”
“Their true selves, huh...”
“Think about it. Some people look strong but go home and cry. Others seem to live flashy lives but sometimes just want quiet. But everyone assumes what they see is everything. I try to hear the words they’re saying on the inside.”
“...You can hear that?”
“No, of course not.”
I’m not some psychic.
And I haven’t had a ton of life experience to read people with just a few words, either.
I just look for a long time, deeply, in my own way.
That’s all there is to it.
“That’s why I watch everything. All their variety shows, listen to their radio shows. I don’t miss even the smallest detail and I research everything. I talk with them a lot, and chat in casual settings, too.”
He looked clearly surprised.
“...Seriously?”
“Yeah. Why would I lie to you, hyung?”
“Unexpected, Seo Taeyoon. I thought you were a born genius, but turns out you’re a hard worker.”
“Don’t you know hard-working geniuses are the scariest kind?”
That’s what I realized when I looked at Dogibong.
I seriously thought Gibong-hyung was a once-in-a-generation genius.
Melodies just popping into his head while sleeping, or while eating, and he’d just jot them down in the DAW from sudden bursts of inspiration.
But that wasn’t it.
Gibong-hyung was the hard-working genius type.
Turns out geniuses work even harder.
Why? Because it’s fun when you’re good at something...
Anyway. I don’t know why he asked, but—
I gave away all my not-so-secret “secrets.”
“Hey, Seo Taeyoon.”
“Yeah?”
“Hearing all this just made me even more confused.”
...So what do you want me to do?
“See it for yourself. Whatever it is, you won’t understand unless you watch.”
“Okay. Then I’ll do it right now.”
In a hurry for who knows what—
He ruffled my hair and rushed back into his room.
Soon, a bright, cheerful female voice drifted from inside.
Sounded like a girl group variety show.
If Yeonhee-noona catches him, he’s gonna get scolded.
Oh well, he’ll manage somehow.
Seo Dongyoon trusted his younger brother quite a bit.
So he pulled an all-nighter watching every variety show, music video, and YouTube clip of Lumière he could find...
Basically, everything that was available.
But there was a slight problem.
“...I have no idea.”
That’s right.
Seo Dongyoon was Applicant No. 17, the one who’d captivated Kim Minsoo.
The meeting was fast approaching.
He needed to complete the part of the proposal he hadn’t shown yet.
‘This doesn’t feel right.’
He had indeed prepared a plan.
Dongyoon’s goal was simple: win over female fans and turn them into loyal supporters.
Lumière had been a group with a pure and bubbly concept.
So he’d thought it best to shift toward a slightly stronger character that conveyed confident femininity.
He prepared dozens of portfolio slides accordingly.
But something felt off—strongly so.
After hearing Taeyoon’s words...
He realized he didn’t know anything about Lumière.
No matter how many videos he watched, it was just shallow observation.
He wasn’t a natural genius like Taeyoon. He wasn’t quick-witted either.
Nothing about Lumière’s “true self” came to mind.
‘...What should I do.’
He clutched his head, thinking hard.
This was Track Race, a label under KIM Entertainment, after all.
He couldn’t show up with a half-baked proposal.
After racking his brain for a while—
A brilliant idea struck.
“Whoa, damn! Seo Taeyoon’s not the only genius—I'm pretty sharp too!”
And just like that, he deleted every last one of his prepared slides.
[ Delete file? ]
[ Yes ]
This wasn’t what mattered.
Instead of a flashy portfolio, Seo Dongyoon replaced his proposal with a single, simple sentence.
‘No need for length.’
The preparation was complete.
It was the day before the KIM Entertainment interview.