Chapter 167 : The First Meeting with Blackhole
Chapter 167: The First Meeting with Blackhole
I waited nervously for the start of the “Orbit Project.”
You’re not supposed to jump to conclusions too easily.
Especially not with a big project like this.
A few days passed.
Before Hyung left for work, I thought it’d be nice to have breakfast together for once and walked out into the living room.
“Hyung, what’s going on?”
“You want breakfast?”
……Was this really my hyung?
He’d been acting like a different person lately.
He was dressing up, and his hair even had a glossy shine.
Ever since he started hanging around with CEO Kim Minsoo, he’d become kind of ridiculous.
Why was he suddenly so into his looks?
He used to look like a bandit leader. Now? Maybe more like the deputy?
I guess this proves how important the people around you are.
“Hyung?”
“Yeah? Did you just wake up, or did you not sleep at all?”
“I just woke up. But… what’s with your face?”
“What do you mean?”
“You look gaunt.”
“It shows?”
I thought he’d be doing better after switching jobs.
But he looked even busier than before.
“What the heck, is KIM Entertainment a toxic company or something? It’s grinding you down.”
“What are you saying? A toxic company, really?”
Ugh, why did he get all serious about it?
It was just a joke. But he took it pretty seriously.
“Starting a new label means there’s a lot to take care of. I’m also signing contracts with composers.”
“Oh, with who?”
“That’s still a secret. You’ll see when the articles come out.”
Every time this happens, I realize again—Hyung is a real professional.
He could totally drop a hint or two, but he never does.
And that only made me more curious.
Do you get a bonus or something when you pitch songs and land a contract?
When I asked, he calmly explained his company’s system.
It wasn’t much. He said there were no such bonuses.
They give out performance bonuses at the end or beginning of the year depending on the company’s growth.
Since I’ve never worked at a company, it all felt pretty new to me.
“Still, there’s satisfaction. It’s fun. Fulfilling. Going around signing contracts, stamping seals, everyone doing their part. That’s the best part of working in a company.”
“I see.”
“It’s especially exciting when I get to sign someone I’ve liked for a long time. And our company’s offer is great. We treat people really well. You know CEO Minsoo’s personality. If I were a composer, I’d sign with Track Race too.”
“That good, huh?”
“It’s a place that doesn’t treat people like replaceable parts.”
A unicorn of a company with a unicorn employee.
People online are always complaining about their jobs.
I’ve often seen stuff like “the dream of every office worker is quitting.”
Anyway, seeing Hyung actually enjoy going to work made me feel relieved.
He looked like a dried-up rag back when he was at Tomorrow Entertainment.
“Hyung, everything’s great and all, but make sure you’re eating properly.”
From my point of view, there was one downside.
He was so busy he barely had time to eat a proper breakfast before rushing out.
The sandwiches he used to pack were delicious. Lately, I hadn’t gotten to eat one, which was a shame.
While I was thinking that, Hyung poured milk into my cereal and asked,
“You look worse than me. Something bothering you?”
“It’s not really a problem. I’m just nervous about filming the Orbit commercial.”
At my answer, Hyung gave a little chuckle and asked again.
“Why, are you worried?”
“Not worried, exactly. It’s just that I haven’t gotten much feedback yet.”
“Sorry, I should’ve been on top of that. Everything’s been settled though, so just wait a little longer.”
I paused, setting down the spoon I was about to raise.
“Are you my handler?”
“Yup.”
“From now on too?”
“Yeah. As long as you’re working with us.”
“Ah……”
I took a moment to think.
The idea of working with Hyung going forward.
Just imagining it made me happy.
Since we were kids, there hadn’t been anyone who understood me musically or personally like he did.
“Why aren’t you eating? Tired of cereal? Want me to toast some bread real quick?”
See? Someone who worries this much just because I eat a light meal—that’s my hyung.
With a hyung like this, I knew I could trust him completely.
There was no reason to hesitate.
I spoke with a determined look.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re so lucky.”
“What are you talking about now?”
“Because you’re signing another contract with a composer.”
Hyung’s eyes sparkled at my words.
Was he that happy?
“Oh, are you introducing someone? You know a composer? Honestly, you’ve got more connections than people think.”
“There’s this composer who really wants to work with Track Race. And the A&R manager has to be Team Leader Seo Dongyoon.”
“Huh, they specifically asked for me? Who is it?”
I paused for dramatic effect, then answered.
“There’s someone named Stay.”
“……Huh?”
Clatter.
Hyung dropped his spoon and his mouth hung open.
“I want to work with you and CEO Kim Minsoo. You’ll take me, right?”
“Wait, are you doing this just for me…….”
“You know that’s not how I am. I’ve thought this through objectively. It’s time I settle down, and Track Race seems like a place where I can just focus on music comfortably. I don’t have to work exclusively with KIM Entertainment artists, right?”
It was only natural.
If I had to find a base somewhere, of course it would be KIM Entertainment.
Now that Hyung had joined one of its sub-labels, there was no reason to hesitate anymore.
“Composer Stay.”
“Ahh, stop it!”
Ignoring my protest, Hyung jumped up from his seat.
He gave a respectful bow and said to me,
“Composer Stay, we will do our utmost to support you so that you never regret signing with us. Thank you!”
So this was how he worked.
I couldn’t just sit there doing nothing.
I jumped up too and replied,
“I’m really looking forward to working with Track Race. I hope we’ll do great things together.”
Then I reached out my right hand.
A large, thick hand soon enveloped mine.
Ah……
“……Ew, your hand’s all sweaty. Let go, Hyung.”
“Hey, we’ve got to seal the deal. This is business.”
“What business, it’s just us. Let’s just skip to the essentials—ow! That hurts! Loosen your grip!”
“Geez, build some hand strength.”
“Sob, I’m telling CEO Kim that my manager crushed my composer hand.”
And like that, we supported each other in our own way.
Time flew by.
After I’d expressed my intent to sign the contract with Hyung—
I sat face-to-face with CEO Kim Minsoo at an absurdly expensive restaurant just two days later.
Whenever there was good news, or when there was something important to discuss.
Kim Minsoo always called me to a place like this.
Today was probably both.
There was someone sitting next to him whom I didn’t recognize.
He was a man with a smart-looking appearance, wearing silver-rimmed glasses.
The man introduced himself as the attorney in charge for KIM Entertainment and Track Race.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. I’ve been listening to your songs as well.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“CEO Kim praised you endlessly. I can see why.”
I shifted my gaze to CEO Kim Minsoo sitting across from me.
He shrugged his shoulders and scratched the bridge of his nose.
After the brief greetings, we got straight to the point.
A thick stack of documents was placed in front of me.
[ Exclusive Composer Publishing Agreement ]
[ Contracting Parties ]
[ Publishing Company: Track Race (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Company’) ]
[ Composer: Seo Taeyoon (Stage Name: STaY, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Composer’) ]
I carefully reviewed the contract.
I had signed many contracts so far.
When I worked part-time at Club Sierra, and when I did per-project work with entertainment companies, I’d always skimmed through and signed without much thought.
But today, for some reason, it felt different.
It felt like I had truly become an industry insider. And with that, the weight on my shoulders grew heavier.
Being affiliated somewhere and fulfilling responsibilities—this definitely wouldn’t be easy.
“Take your time reading it. If you’d like, you can seek advice elsewhere before deciding.”
“No, it’s fine.”
I had already heard all the cautions from Hyung.
Since my handler was my own hyung, moments like this were convenient.
From both the standpoint of a company representative and an older brother, he’d given me calm, level-headed advice.
There were three important things, he said.
The contract period, profit distribution, and the signing bonus.
Everything was written exactly as promised.
The term was one year, profit distribution was 8:2.
All property rights of the works belonged to the composer.
What caught my eye was none other than the signing bonus.
Right above the signature line.
A single number printed thickly.
“The signing bonus…… is this correct?”
It was an amount that made me want to rub my eyes.
Hyung had hinted that it would be a considerable sum.
According to what he said back then……
A considerable amount? How much are we talking?
Hard to say. It’s confidential, so even I don’t know exactly, but if you say it’s a lot, it’s usually somewhere between fifty to seventy million won.
Wow, just as a signing bonus?
The highest one I’ve seen was sixty million.
Spending that much on a signing bonus that might never be recouped. I thought even thirty million would be amazing.
That’s what I thought.
[ ₩100,000,000 ]
The contract clearly stated one hundred million won.
The payment date was the day of signing.
Honestly, I’d expected around ten million.
It was already surprising that composers even got signing bonuses—there was no way they accidentally added an extra zero, right?
Seeing my expression, Kim Minsoo asked,
“Why, is it too little?”
“No. No.”
Even though I knew he was joking.
I panicked and waved my hands.
No matter the amount, I’d planned to accept it gratefully—but because it was so large, I hesitated instead.
“It’s also a show of sincerity from the company. And encouragement to do well.”
Sincerity. Encouragement.
Between the two, the word that lodged itself deeper in my mind was…… encouragement.
You can’t truly express your heart with money.
But I could clearly feel the expectations and trust packed into that number.
And I was confident I could repay that encouragement and faith.
I picked up the pen.
Seo Taeyoon. In the brief moment it took to write those three characters, a swirl of complex emotions surged through me.
Among them all, the strongest was exhilaration.
There were people who believed in me this much.
It felt like I could do anything, show anything.
After I finished signing.
Kim Minsoo, now fully in CEO mode, politely bowed to me.
“I look forward to working with you, Composer Stay.”
I replied with equal sincerity.
“I will devote all my passion and effort so that choosing me will never be something you regret.”
And with that, the contract was finalized.
Only CEO Kim Minsoo and I remained at the restaurant.
After stamping the seal, he looked a little different.
Before, he’d felt like the reliable CEO of Club Sierra.
Now, he looked like the captain of the same ship as me.
Someone I’d have to weather any crisis with together.
Perhaps he felt the same.
Kim Minsoo smiled gently and spoke as if making a vow.
“It’s one year for now, but I’ll do my best to support you so we can work together for five years, ten years. So, Taeyoon. Don’t worry about anything—just make the music you want, show the music you want. And if you need anything at all, make sure to tell me.”
After finishing, Kim Minsoo extended his hand.
I reached out as well and grasped it.
The tension I’d been holding melted away.
Kim Minsoo’s hand was warm and comforting. Just like my hyung’s.
I was still moved when—
Kim Minsoo immediately handed me another task.
It was none other than the Orbit Phone CF contract.
“Alright, Attorney Kim, whom you met earlier, has checked everything. Since this was freelance before, you were the one signing, but now we’ll re-contract on our end, so just check the amount. Once you confirm this, let’s eat quickly. Whew, I’m starving. I guess I was nervous too.”
“Yes.”
I took the contract casually.
And after checking the amount—
“Ghuuuuaaaah!”
I ended up shouting at an amount far larger than before.
Three hundred million won for a one-year contract?
There were way too many shocking things happening today.
I barely managed to resist the urge to pinch my own cheek.
As I stood there speechless, staring only at the numbers, Kim Minsoo gave a brief explanation.
For major corporation advertisements, since TV, YouTube, digital ads, outdoor ads, and even global campaigns were all carried out together, the ad fees were naturally high.
So this was why people kept saying “major corporations.”
“And you know the fee for Stay’s song is separate, right?”
Oh my god.
What do I do, I seriously feel like I’m going to pass out.
STaY wrote the song, and Blackhole took on the role of the model.
The Orbit Phone advertisement was proceeding smoothly.
All contracts and planning were complete.
With only the filming left.
At KW Electronics’ marketing department, heated debates were in full swing.
The topic was none other than, ‘Can Blackhole reveal his appearance?’
“I heard Blackhole doesn’t look that great.”
“Isn’t that just a rumor? The comments I saw said he’s handsome.”
Because of Seo Dongyoon’s offhand remark about “supporting,” the rumor that Blackhole was ugly had spread almost as if it were fact.
“Well, we’ll know once we see him today.”
“If he shows up wearing a mask, it’ll be obvious. I’m not expecting much.”
“His face won’t be shown in the ad anyway, so does it matter?”
“I guess not.”
With one hour left until the first meeting with Blackhole.
The Orbit Phone advertising staff waited for the industry’s hottest figure, each holding their own expectations.