Chapter 87. The Princess of World (2)

Translator: Synopsis

***

Although it was Saturday evening, KangYoon and Lee HyunJi remained at the company without going home. The importance of an employee was different to that of an employer. Jung HyeJin had already gone home, but these two still had some things to do regarding the contract with Kim JiMin.

Drinking bitter coffee, KangYoon turned his eyes to the papers.

“She lives with just her grandmother?”

KangYoon couldn’t hide his surprise after hearing about Kim JiMin’s family situation from Lee HyunJi. Looking at her address, he saw that it wasn’t far from where he used to live. KangYoon was speechless.

“That place… they even share the toilets….”

“What? Such a place still exists?”

“It’s just around the corner of where I used to live. There aren’t many toilets, so they are practically shared. I didn’t know people still lived there….”

“…I’m more surprised by the fact that you used to live there.”

“Now that I think about it, it hasn’t been that long since I started getting hot tap water.”

Lee HyunJi was surprised at KangYoon instead. She did once see KangYoon’s resume, but she didn’t know that he went through all sort of suffering in a place like that.

KangYoon thought that Kim JiMin had to have a stable lifestyle first. Although more hunger calls for more desperation and better quality, that didn’t work in an era like this. However, there was a problem; money.

“…We can get a small house. It will be better than a shack like that one.”

Fortunately, Lee HyunJi’s answer was a positive one. She also thought that their first trainee shouldn’t stay in a shack like that. However, there was a problem.

“I’m not worried about the money since you’ll earn it back, but this won’t be a vain investment, right?”

Her worries lay with Kim JiMin. Although they got a proper trainee, the matters of the world were mysterious.

KangYoon agreed with her worries but still calmed her down by saying that he would make it happen.

“I’ll have to do my best. Now, we’ll be family.”

“That’s true. You always moved for a just cause like that. It’s not just one or two people that fell for that charm of yours.”

“Hahaha.”

KangYoon shrugged his shoulders.

Eventually, the two came to an agreement that they should get Kim JiMin a dorm where she could live with her grandmother. They also decided that she should practice everyday after school, Lee HyunJi went off to look for trainers, and KangYoon agreed.

Like that, matters about Kim JiMin were finished. Next was Lee HyunAh.

“…Lee HyunAh? Here?”

Hearing that from KangYoon, Lee HyunJi crossed her arms. Is a band easy to succeed with? Her opinion was that it was very hard.

“What did you reply with?”

“I said that I will think about it. A band is a very hard item to succeed with. I can’t just accept them on behalf of friendship.”

“She must have been disappointed. She might have thought that you were a high-pass.”

“Work is work.”

Lee HyunJi nodded at KangYoon’s words. Running a company wasn’t a joke. Accepting an entire group on behalf of friendship was a hard thing to do.

“In your opinion, do you think Lee HyunAh and her band have a chance to succeed?”

KangYoon didn’t voice out his opinions that easily. Lee HyunAh definitely had her own charms. She was going beyond the ‘Hongdae goddess’ position in the indie band world. Moreover, she could even write songs as well. As an individual, she was a very talented singer-songwriter. The problem was the band. Can the individuals of the band succeed as a star? Can they succeed as a band in the major world?

Considering all that, it was hard for KangYoon to come to a decision. Lee HyunJi also seemed to notice his worries and added.

“A band is definitely difficult. A lot of people came out as a band in the past and screwed up. Moreover, they are of mixed gender, so it will be hard to gain fans.”

KangYoon agreed with her. However, there was something that tugged his heart.

‘A band, huh… a band, in the end, gains profit through performances…’

He could just give up on them. But something just didn’t seem right.

KangYoon’s worries didn’t settle.

***

Kim JiMin felt that everything was a dream.

Lee HyunJi came to her school and processed documents about early leave for every day as she would become a trainee. As this all had the agreement of her guardian and had legitimate documents about her from the company, the school allowed it without much hassle. Though, they found it slightly disappointing since it was a small company.

“JiMin! Did you really become a trainee? That’s awesome!”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“My friend is a celebrity now?”

When rumors spread, Kim JiMin became a hot issue among the students. Despite that, she maintained good relationships with her friends.

The next change that came to her was the dorms. Kim JiMin had lived in shacks for all her life and was not able to believe the two-room studio apartment in front of her eyes.

“…Wow….”

It wasn’t that big, but it was very neat and tidy. Everything felt as though it was a dream. There was everything necessary with beds and a computer.

“My dear, president. I cannot thank you enough.”

Kim JiMin’s parents grabbed KangYoon’s hands dearly. She did hear that her granddaughter had become a trainee or something, but she never imagined that she got her a house as well. KangYoon also grabbed her hands back.

“JiMin will bring you to a better place in the future. She’ll give us even greater things, so this is not much.”

“Thank you, thank you so much.”

Kim JiMin’s grandmother was just thankful.

With the matters with the school and living done, they took care of most things. What was left was training. And today was the historic first training.

“Hello.”

Kim JiMin finished just the morning classes and headed to World Entertainment. She greeted Jung HyeJin and headed to the basement studio.

“Welcome.”

In the studio were KangYoon and professor Choi ChanYang. Kim JiMin nervously greeted towards the professor.

After a brief introduction, the three sat down and went to the topic.

“JiMin, the professor will take care of your vocal training starting today. You have a lot to learn, but singing is the basics of the basics, so you must work hard, okay?”

“Yes. I’ll do my best.”

Kim JiMin’s eyes were full of enthusiasm. Professor Choi ChanYang smiled in satisfaction.

“No, take care of me too. This will be the first time I train someone too.”

Kim JiMin’s eyes trembled, but KangYoon explained.

“He’s a professor in Hallyeo Arts University. It’s the first time he’s doing vocal training, but he teaches composing. This opportunity is quite rare. Also, the vocal skills you’re about to learn can’t be learned from just anywhere so do your best.”

“A pro…fessor… hi?.”

Kim JiMin gulped in nervousness. Then, professor Choi ChanYang smiled and made her relax.

After she relaxed a little, KangYoon continued to explain.

“It’s called SLS vocal method, and it originated from vocal music, but it can handle pop or classic, as well as all other genres of singing.”

She wondered if there really was such a magical singing method, but trusted KangYoon. When her eyes sparkled, KangYoon continued.

“It’s hard to see effects for people who already learned another vocal method. But I thought that you should be able to learn it since you don’t have experience learning any other things. This is quite effective for people who don’t have habits in singing. Not anyone can teach it without the proper licenses. So, do your best to learn it.”

“Yes.”

KangYoon spoke no more. He pushed away the tables in the studio while Kim JiMin sat down.

“Here, do as I do. Ah~.”

“Ah—“

Professor Choi ChanYang started from the basics. Kim JiMin sang as she did normally. Then, the professor shook his head.

“Think as though you’re doing it more naturally. Listen to me. Aaah—-“

KangYoon sat down and focused his ears on their voices. The professor repeated the same ‘ah’ sound. The prior sounded like a scratching sound, and the latter sounded more comfortable.

“What is the difference between the two?”

“I think the first one was more difficult to voice out. The second one sounded more comfortable.”

“Good. You have good ears.”

The compliment made Kim JiMin happy.

“That’s where the importance of SLS lies. Comfortably and clearly. If you perfectly digest this voicing method, then you’ll be able to voice out even the high notes.”

“Oh….”

Kim JiMin exclaimed. She didn’t even think about that.

“Let’s do it then. Aah—“

“Aaah—“

“The sound is still a little awkward right? It’s because your larynx is too low. The important thing is to find the right place for the larynx. Again. Aah—“

“Aaah—“

Kim JiMin’s vocal training started with the basics. Seeing that the lesson was taking off, KangYoon quietly left through the door.

In the office, Lee HyunJi was hard at work while grabbing her head. KangYoon sat down as to not interrupt her.

‘Band, what do I do with a band?’

The band problem was very difficult. How to produce profit out of them, this was a big question. Even if they acted as a unit, the problem of sharing profit was obviously a big hindrance. There was a reason Yerang wanted Lee HyunAh alone.

‘But no one has done it yet. The merit of being the first success is definitely there. Moreover, her skills are already approved. Increasing the number of performances and proper marketing should make her a good card.’

There was definitely merit if he could package the band well. Moreover, there was the foundation that she had piled up in Hongdae (Hongik University District). If the music could be turned a little more mass-public-oriented while maintaining the originality of the band, then a good reaction could be expected.

‘If I do decide to accept her, then the important part will be to produce a profit. But it’s not like HyunAh has talents in acting or TV shows, and there’s no way the others do either. In the end, it will be about music…. Music, music, huh. Music… Oh.’

At that moment, something flashed in KangYoon’s head.

The main source of income for a band is a concert. Lee HyunAh’s foundation is an indie band. Why did I only think about large-scale concerts? Concerts with less than 100 people audience is still a concert. Hahaha.’

Thinking about it, Lee HyunAh was already earning money as an indie band. However, there was a difference between doing it through a company and doing it as an individual or a team. Moreover, he could also expect an increase in quality as she would be able to focus solely on music.

‘With a band, I could earn profits through indie stages, and get popularity through TV shows. Once there are enough fans, a large concert to sweep it all? Like that, shouldn’t there be quite a lot of profit, though, not as much as an event?’

He thought about a part he forgot about. These people weren’t the typical celebrities. They were indie singers. The advantage of indie singers was that they had manias – die-hard fans. If he could provide a fan-service for these specific group of fans, and increase their numbers, then there would eventually be a frightening mass of fans. The profit too would be…

“That’s it!”

KangYoon subconsciously shouted out loud. Lee HyunJi, who was focusing on her work on the side, was surprised and looked at him.

“Did something happen?”

“Oh….”

KangYoon momentarily became embarrassed.

***

To strike the iron while it was hot, KangYoon immediately called for Lee HyunAh. She quickly came to the office of World Entertainment upon call.

Drinking the coffee Jung HyeJin gave her, Lee HyunAh asked.

“What did you call me for?”

Lee HyunAh’s question had both expectation and worry. Before, KangYoon did not give a proper answer. However, she still expected something from KangYoon, thinking that KangYoon would be different.

KangYoon started to talk.

“You wanted to enter our company, right? With the rest of the band.”

“Yes.”

“I have something to talk about that. The conditions will be very bad. Is that fine with you??”

Yes. There was hope in KangYoon’s words. She sparkled eyes and nodded her head.

“Yes, yes! I knew it, you were….”

“Decide after you hear about everything. The terms aren’t that good. You will be sacrificing a lot.”

“Sacrificing?”

Lee HyunAh was confused by the negative word. However, she already considered not going to Yerang a sacrifice.

“That’s fine. If I was worried about sacrifices, I would have gone to Yerang.”

“Okay. Then I’ll start with the most difficult part for you.”

KangYoon talked about the distribution of profits. It was about Lee HyunAh’s individual income. KangYoon said that she would have to share some of her own income with the rest of the members. At those words, her eyes widened.

“What, my money?”

“Of course, the income from other members will also be shared in the same ratio. However, reasonably speaking, your income will be the highest. Meaning, you will be making some losses.”

When KangYoon talked about the money, she started hesitating as well. The reality concerning money and the thought of being together with the rest of the team was conflicting each other.

Lee HyunAh thought about it for a moment and eventually came to a decision.

“…Okay. Then if I sacrifice my portion of the income, then will I be accepted?”

Lee HyunAh threw a direct question. However, KangYoon still said that there were some things left.

“There’s still more. Decide after you hear about it. Honestly, if you enter, then I’d welcome you. This company is still in its initial stages, so rather than me doing something for you, you might feel like you have more family. So….”

“But it’s not like you’re going to abandon me, oppa.”

“Y…. yes, that’s true as well.”

“You’ll utilize the group somehow to produce income. If I come here, that is.”

She was right. She said that and urged KangYoon to speak properly.

“…I’ll clear it up for you. If you come here, you’ll be put through a lot of suffering. You might even earn less money for the time being than being indie. However…”

“However?”

Her eyes sparkled at this point.

“I can guarantee this. The number of performances you do will increase. But the real goal is….”

“Is?”

“10,000 people concert.”

Her eyes widened.

“10 thousand people!?”

Ten thousand may seem like not that of a great number, but it wasn’t such an easy feat. Even she had a hard time believing whether this was possible or not. However, KangYoon continued to calmly explain.

“Your fans until now, and the fans you’ll make through TV, your image you’ll make in the future. In total, I’m thinking around 2 years. Our company will also have to get ready to digest such a large concert by then. I won’t do something rude like asking you to spend your own money so don’t worry about that.

“Oh…. Hahahaha.”

Lee HyunAh smiled awkwardly. Looking at the current state of the company, as well as her own popularity as a band, this did not make any sense. However, KangYoon was the one to say it. She didn’t think that it was a lie. Moreover, if the entire band was going to be treated the same, then there was no need to talk anymore.

“I, I’ll come here. The others will come too.”

“You’ll be put through a lot of suffering. Like, a LOT. You might even resent me.”

“It’s fine. It’s fine. 10 thousand. Ten… thousand…’

She went absent-minded as though she was enchanted by the temptation of the large-scale concert. To a band, a large concert was like a dream.

Like that, Lee HyunAh’s band, The Formidables, nested themselves in World.

***

“President, you didn’t say a lot in the show.”

Today was the broadcasting date for the audition programme. Monitoring, Lee HyunJi jokingly complained to him.

“They said everything before me, so I had nothing else to say.”

“Pfft. You should have made up something. Look at Lee JaeHyuk, he’s making up all sorts of things. That applicant is really good too.”

Like what Lee HyunJi said, applicant number 209 had very cleaning singing, and his attitude was very good as well. However, Lee JaeHyuk kept asking him for more saying something was lacking. And that definitely made it through the editing. After that, Lee JaeHyuk said in the interview that he liked the applicant but thought that he could do better.

“Compared to the other two, you don’t appear that much. Perhaps because you aren’t that known yet.”

When Lee HyunJi jokingly said that, KangYoon shook his head.

“It was difficult to find a gem among the sand. There were people who had good voices, but it wasn’t that easy to find people with potential. I think that those two are just celebrities putting on a show.”

“Really? I think your standards are too high….”

“Maybe.”

KangYoon shrugged his shoulders. This was his first appearance, but he didn’t show that much of an impact, and he was slightly disappointed about that. However, there weren’t that many talented people either. Moreover, Kim JiMin was edited out, even though she was the true talent.

“Yes, hello? Oh, producer.”

While KangYoon monitored himself with a disinterested expression Lee HyunJi answered the call from a producer with a high-pitched voice. Reflecting her business attitude, she never stopped laughing and giggling while on the phone.

After the call, she sighed and spoke.

“President, we got a call from the producer of ONE STAR. It’s work.”

“Work?”

“Yes. He wanted you to do an arrangement of a song for one of the top 10.”

“Arrangement?”

“Yes, the costs will be handled by the TV station. You became quite popular with the rise of T&T, right? It’s about time you did something again.”

KangYoon accepted and smiled.