Chapter 5
The executive director and the department heads—
All of them were silently cursing inside.
The meeting had been extended just to listen to Yoo Tae-oh’s song, and they were all fed up.
“It’s going to be garbage again, obviously.”
“Why is Mr. Song defending that guy so much?”
“Has Mr. Song lost his touch too? Why else would he waste time on one of Yoo’s tracks…”
“Ugh, what a waste of time. I’d rather be drinking soju with grilled intestines right now.”
Their faces were twisted in annoyance.
They waited with visible irritation as Song Joon-shik played the track from his laptop.
♩ ♪ ♬ ♬
A steady dance beat began.
The backing track filled the meeting room.
But their expressions didn’t change—they looked as bored and unimpressed as ever.
“See? I knew it. It’s the same lame stuff as always.”
“Why did we have to delay the meeting for this?”
“Mr. Song’s really lost it. Guess that’s why he’s stuck at a tiny company like Arme Entertainment.”
The executives sighed heavily.
Listening to what they were sure was another worthless song just made their blood boil.
But then—
♪
The first note of the main melody played.
And suddenly, everyone’s expressions changed.
Because the quality skyrocketed in an instant.
♩ ♪ ♪
The melody continued—smooth, bright, and full of energy.
The executives blinked, startled.
The melody layered over the simple backing track so beautifully that it made them forget how bland the arrangement was.
♩ ♪ ♪ ♩ ♪ ♬ ♬
The dance melody flowed effortlessly, filling the entire room with life.
The atmosphere changed completely.
The topline—completely unexpected—was stunning.
It shattered their low expectations and grabbed their attention immediately.
♪ ♬ ♬ ♪ ♬ ♬
As the melody kept unfolding, their jaws slowly dropped open.
It was that good.
By the time the final notes of the synthesizer faded, the entire meeting room was silent.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Then—
Clap… clap…
One manager started clapping, dazed.
The applause spread like wildfire.
Clap clap clap clap clap!
They were wide-eyed, clapping without even realizing it.
Finally, someone spoke up.
“M-Mr. Song… what is this song? Why is it so good?”
“Wait, you said this was made by Composer Yoo Tae-oh?”
“No way. It has to be your song, right, Mr. Song? Be honest.”
The song was incredible.
But none of them could believe that Yoo Tae-oh had written it.
Still, Song Joon-shik just smiled and shook his head.
“No. This really was written by Composer Yoo Tae-oh.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. You can ask him yourself if you’d like.
There’s no way I could’ve written this.
This melody is beyond my level.”
The room fell quiet again.
The executives’ eyes trembled with disbelief.
Their mouths hung open.
They were completely stunned.
“Unbelievable… that Yoo Tae-oh wrote this?”
“I trust your word, Mr. Song, but still—this is shocking. It’s that good.”
“Yeah. It doesn’t even have lyrics yet, but it’s already amazing.
If we polish it properly, it could definitely be a hit.”
“Honestly? This is better than half the songs in the top ten charts right now.”
“Agreed. The topline’s insane. It’s refreshing—it just opens your ears.”
They couldn’t stop talking.
And Song Joon-shik smiled proudly.
For so long, he’d pitied Yoo Tae-oh.
But now, seeing everyone recognize his song—it made him genuinely happy.
“M-Mr. Song.”
It was the executive director, speaking from the head of the table, looking even more shocked than the others.
“You’re sure this was written by Composer Yoo Tae-oh? Not you?”
“That’s right.”
“…Unbelievable.”
His mouth hung open for several seconds.
He was completely dumbfounded.
“No way…”
He’d been in the entertainment industry for decades, and yet—
this song was one of the best he’d ever heard.
“Mr. Song, are you certain it’s not plagiarized?”
“I checked it myself. I even ran it through detection software.
It’s 100% original.”
“Good lord…”
The director nodded slowly, still dazed.
If it was Song Joon-shik saying so, it had to be true.
He’d been composing for decades without a single plagiarism scandal.
“What’s the song’s title?”
“It doesn’t have one yet. It’s still in the sketch stage, as you heard.”
“I see…”
The executive director was silent for a long time, lost in thought.
Then, with a look of firm resolve, he said:
“Mr. Song.”
“Yes, sir?”
“We need to play this for the CEO.”
* * *
Ever since my “awakening,” I had been working non-stop.
Actually, I was working even harder than before.
It made sense—if hard work led to higher levels,
then higher levels would mean better songs.
And sure enough—
“Wow… my melodies are completely different now.”
I kept pressing the keys, marveling at the sound.
Since my composition level rose to D, the melodies just flowed.
And not just any melodies—good ones.
Every single time.
“Only one level up, and the difference is this big?”
Originally, my level had been E.
So when it went up to D, I hadn’t expected much.
But that one jump made a huge difference.
Now I was sure—
if I reached C, B, or even A,
I could create truly extraordinary songs.
“Yeah. Hard work really does pay off.”
I smiled to myself as I worked.
After years of exhausting myself day and night,
it finally felt like my effort was being rewarded.
Just then—
Knock, knock.
Someone was at the door.
I paused the sequencer and turned my head.
Through the glass, I saw Song Joon-shik standing there.
I quickly stood and opened the door.
“Ah, sir! You’re here.”
“Yeah. Working again, huh?”
“Haha, yes.”
“You’re always working hard, Tae-oh. I like that.”
“Well, when you lack talent, you make up for it with effort.”
I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly.
That was how I’d always lived—
replacing what I lacked with persistence.
“That effort’s finally paying off.”
“Sir? What do you mean?”
I tilted my head.
He smiled.
“You remember the song you made a few days ago?
The one I said I’d play for the executive director?”
“Yes.”
“We played it at the department meeting—and everyone loved it.”
“R-really?!”
I practically jumped in surprise.
He nodded.
“Yes. The director was very impressed, and so were all the department heads.”
“…!”
I was speechless.
Everyone liked it? Even the director?
It didn’t feel real.
“Sir, they really said it was good? All of them?”
“Haha, yes.
To be honest, they even asked if you really wrote it.
Someone even joked that it might be plagiarism.”
“What? I’ve never plagiarized anything!”
“I know. I told them that too. I told them you’d never do that.”
“Oh… thank goodness.”
I sighed in relief.
I’d rather quit composing than steal someone else’s work.
“So… what’s going to happen to the song now?”
“The director said he’s going to show it to the CEO.”
“T-the CEO?”
My jaw dropped.
The CEO of Arme Entertainment—
my song was actually going to reach him?
That was unthinkable.
“Yes. It wasn’t even my suggestion.
The director said it himself—he wants the CEO to hear it.”
“I can’t believe this…”
“Congratulations, Tae-oh. It’s not a guaranteed success yet,
but this is a huge step forward. Well done.”
“Thank you, sir…”
“Keep it up, okay? You’ve worked hard until now—don’t stop.”
He smiled and patted my shoulder warmly.
I bowed again and again, my chest tight with emotion.
“My hard work finally paid off.”
For so long, I’d thought all my effort was pointless—
like pouring water into a bottomless jar.
No matter how many songs I wrote, no one listened.
But now—
my song had made it all the way up to the CEO’s desk.
For the first time ever, my work was being noticed.
“Si-on… Daddy did it.”
I thought of my daughter’s smiling face and felt my chest fill with pride.
This was the first time my music had ever truly shone.
* * *
The executive director of Arme Entertainment—Choi—
He had been feeling hopeless about the company for a long time.
It was small, unprofitable, and its CEO had no passion left.
He’d basically resigned himself to just collecting a paycheck until retirement.
But lately, something inside him had reignited—
a tiny spark of green in his dull, gray world.
All because of one man’s song.
Composer Yoo Tae-oh.
It had been years since he’d felt this kind of excitement.
Knock, knock.
He stood before a heavy wooden door.
The CEO’s office.
The CEO had finally shown up after being absent for two weeks.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
Choi bowed deeply as he entered.
The CEO—Kwak Ki-baek—
was setting down his golf bag and smiling casually.
“Oh, Director Choi! You’re here.”
He was dressed in a white golf cap and polo shirt.
He had literally come straight from the golf course.
“Yes, sir.”
“So, what’s this about? Want to grab a drink?
I’ve stopped drinking during the day, you know.”
He chuckled.
“No, sir. I actually wanted to talk about… work, for once.”
“Work? You? That’s new.”
Choi winced.
It was true—he almost never brought up work before.
But this time was different.
“A really good song came out recently, sir.”
“A song? Oh, did Mr. Song finally get inspired again?”
“No, sir. It wasn’t Song Joon-shik.”
“Oh? Then who?”
Choi took a deep breath and said clearly—
“It was written by Composer Yoo Tae-oh.”
