Chapter 18: Because That One Suits Me Best
Craving something you can’t have is a foolish thing.
That was how I felt when I saw the massive setup in front of me.
So out of reach.
Wasn’t that the perfect phrase for my current situation?
‘How much does all that cost…….’
Roughly punching numbers into my mental calculator, it had to be worth at least several hundred million won.
The price of an apartment? And not just any apartment.
It wasn’t so much envy as it was fascination.
How did they get all this?
How much money do you have to make to buy equipment like that?
And yet, I found myself thinking about success, that formless goal.
How successful do you have to be to buy something like that?
What if. Just what if.
If I ever achieved something called success through music, could I buy that?
While I was entertaining those thoughts.
“A photo? You saw this and thought about taking a photo?”
“Uh, is that not allowed?”
CEO Kim Minsoo kept asking.
As if something terrible would happen if I didn’t touch it.
So I said,
“No. Well, it’s not like I can actually have this, and I can’t come here every day anyway.”
“You might not own it, but you can use it freely. And there’s no need to come every day. Just drop by when you feel like it, right?”
“CEO. I……”
“Yeah, yeah. Speak freely.”
How should I put this?
No matter how rich someone is.
Buying something like this for yourself and easily offering it to someone else are two completely different matters.
Especially since only people in music really understand the heart of another musician.
Price aside, ‘my’ equipment is always precious.
Even if it’s some secondhand piece of junk, it’s still the tool that represents me—someone else touching it? No thanks.
At least for me, that’s how it is.
Even if it looks like a common piece of junk to someone else, to me, it’s a treasure.
And this was equipment worth a fortune.
You have to have a conscience.
How could I just casually touch that?
I tried to phrase it as carefully as possible and continued.
“I can’t work here. I wouldn’t even feel comfortable using it.”
“Why not?”
“You said no food or drink here, right? But I have to snack while working.”
“Excuse me……? That’s important enough to give this up?”
This guy doesn’t get it.
“You see, to do good work, you have to be comfortable. You grab some snacks, maybe make a mess, wipe your mouth with a wet tissue, that kind of thing.”
“Why…… would you go that far?”
“Because even eating feels like a waste of time?”
“Hah…… seriously.”
Wow, that worked?
What’s with that thoughtful face?
Even I wouldn’t forgive someone eating snacks in a studio like this.
What if I had something like pie or sticky rice cakes?
Ugh…… but come to think of it, I wouldn’t want that either.
“Kimbap is acceptable.”
“Sorry?”
“Anything beyond that is pushing it.”
CEO Kim Minsoo replied with such resolve, as if making a huge decision.
I barely held back a laugh.
I was trying to be subtle, but he took it literally.
So I said it again, this time without the humor—serious.
“CEO, I bet you don’t know this.”
“Excuse me?”
“The fall-off effect.”
“Hmm??”
“Humans are fickle—with their ears, hands, and hearts. Once you use good gear, even slightly inferior stuff feels depressing.”
“Ah…… I get it. Like when I use cheap earbuds sometimes, it feels weird.”
“That’s exactly it. If I work in a studio like this, I won’t be able to go back to my level.”
“That makes sense.”
Thankfully, he wasn’t a completely closed-off person.
Still, I didn’t want to walk away heartlessly.
After all, he was also the (real) owner of Club Sierra……
“But CEO, you’re the head of Kim Entertainment, right?”
“Oh, yeah? You just figured that out?”
“Wow. So it’s true. I heard your grandfather was rich, but he wasn’t just rich—he’s part of a conglomerate.”
“Well, I guess so.”
Maybe not one of the top three agencies.
But he’s still the head of ‘Kim Entertainment,’ which has multiple singers under it.
Now it all made sense.
“Then instead of working here, can I at least touch that?”
“Oh, of course. Go ahead. Want me to take down the guitar up there? It’s a limited edition. Hold on, hold on. Let me set up the PC first. No, I’ll bring a chair. You need to be comfortable sitting. Wait just a moment.”
I only said one sentence, but how many did he shoot back?
“No, no. That one.”
I pointed at the synthesizer in the corner.
A Moog One model.
Probably the cheapest thing here.
Still, it’s a dream synth for musicians.
Said to produce warm, rich tones and layered sounds.
If Han Yujin’s album does well, maybe this could be within reach……
If I go for a slightly cheaper line, I might get it for around ten million won.
CEO Kim Minsoo asked curiously.
“Why that one, of all things?”
I answered without hesitation.
“Because that one suits me best? I’ll try turning it on now. Wow, I’m excited.”
The moment Taeyoon created his first synth sound.
Everyone in CEO Kim’s studio widened their eyes.
They couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
His hands floated over the synthesizer like it was second nature.
His eyes were focused, immersed in the work.
Unbothered by everyone’s reactions, Taeyoon wore his headphones backward and stayed locked in.
No need for a long explanation.
If I had to sum it up in the style of a viral internet post:
‘Turns out the small-time club DJ from the suburbs was actually a genius at beat-making.’
That would be an accurate summary.
That’s exactly how it was.
He picked virtual instruments with care.
But he didn’t spend too long choosing.
Tracks piled up steadily.
‘Seriously? He’s this fast?’
Yoon Seonghan glanced around and whispered softly so as not to interrupt Taeyoon’s work.
“CEO, close your mouth. You’ll catch flies.”
Even Kim Minsoo.
Even the engineer CEO Kim brought along.
They could only gape in disbelief.
Even the late-arriving engineer, Director Cha Taemin, was no different.
The three men stood side by side, just watching Taeyoon in awe.
Director Cha asked in a daze.
“……Is this even real?”
Yoon Seonghan replied with confidence.
“I told you I’m no joke.”
“That Lunatic Beat—did that student really make it? Seriously?”
“I said yes.”
“You know I pushed back my recording session by 30 minutes for this?”
“You’re crazy.”
“No, no—I mean, you said you were a DJ. At CEO Kim’s shabby club. Wow, in the world. There’s a treasure like this in Ilsan?”
“It’s an honor just to be at our club.”
“CEO Kim’s connections are weirdly strong, I’m telling you.”
In the middle of their conversation, CEO Kim made a bizarre expression and cautioned them.
“I’m listening. You can say whatever you want about Club Sierra. But let’s keep it down. The seedling who’ll feed future Kim Entertainment is focusing.”
“Oh, yes.”
CEO Kim’s mind was painted in rainbow hues.
Foreign composers were flooding in, and at home teams of ten placed their names in credits.
Taeyoon’s skill was so exceptional that he made all that look trivial.
CEO Kim recalled a recent hit song.
The melody surfaced along with the face of a so‑called top composer.
Honestly speaking.
Kim Entertainment wasn’t yet strong enough to collaborate with such a composer.
Even if backed by a major group.
In this industry? A company’s name meant nothing.
What mattered was the artist that top composers wanted to write for.
Maybe we should take songs from foreign composers……
Or drastically lower license fees……
He wrestled with various worries, but no answer came.
But right nearby was this gem?
“Not only good at DJing. Plus, fast hands……”
Discreetly, he checked Yoon Seonghan’s and Director Cha’s expressions.
As expected, their faces were full of admiration.
Kim Minsoo nodded sagely.
“This guy was doing DJ gigs at a fringe club?”
“If only he were a few years younger, we’d set him up like a composing idol.”
“Wow. Our Kim Entertainment. We’re doing something big this time.”
“Track is unique. I want to listen to it fast……”
Everyone shared the same thought.
But unlike those merely marveling, CEO Kim considered practical plans.
“How should we prepare so this guy naturally integrates into Kim Entertainment……”
If money can’t do it, maybe there’s not enough money.
If money’s enough, maybe sincerity is what’s lacking.
What sincerity? That’s something to figure out later.
Even though it was the first time touching the equipment, it fit like a longtime friend.
Maybe the studio’s dim lighting helped.
Or perhaps the luxurious Jo Malone diffuser scent lingering.
I was entranced and hit the beat.
It felt like if I didn’t do it now, I never would.
The moment I realized CEO Kim Minsoo was head of Kim Entertainment.
Four bars flashed in my mind—
A powerful synth theme.
Tender melody unfurling around that theme.
I wanted to make a magnificent beat.
Kim Minsoo. He was someone suited to that kind of beat.
From his clothes to hairstyle—nothing about him was ordinary.
I sensed it from the club audition.
As if he were born to dress stylishly.
Care seemed to be in every detail.
“But what you see is not everything.”
A double life.
That phrase fit perfectly.
Outwardly he was a glamorous entertainment CEO.
A massively wealthy man. Even other men might glance at his neat appearance.
Yet……
“Why does he run a club?”
He ran a fringe club.
Wasn’t that double life so mismatched?
If it were a grand club in Gangnam or Hongdae, maybe I’d understand.
Why Sierra in Ilsan? No clue.
A mysterious figure.
Still intriguing as a person I wanted to examine.
That’s right. This theme was CEO Kim Minsoo.
I didn’t know his backstory or his feelings.
Based only on his public image, I created a synth theme.
A passionate, glamorous man with a secret no one knows.
A character with history—wouldn’t that be a hearty concept in this industry?
“Holy crap…”
I quickly contained the involuntary thought inside and checked the wall clock.
Wow… an hour had passed.
I organized the theme and instruments flowing in my mind.
I hurried a bit.
Memories aren’t eternal.
I couldn’t just type it neatly and send it to myself on KakaoTalk.
And it felt odd to say in front of all these people, “I need to record this idea for a moment. I’ll hum for a sec.” and use my phone’s recording—too awkward.
“Hmm?”
My scalp tingled.
A sharp gaze nailed me.
Something’s wrong, right?
I snapped my head around.
Of course. Three people stood like a backdrop, staring down at me.
As if watching something extraordinary.
“So fascinating. That synth theme is wild.”
“I’m telling you. It’s super slick. Looked like the EQ skills weren’t ordinary either.”
“Is it okay for a club DJ to be this good?”
“Honestly DJs have great rhythm and sense. I knew from the start he’d be good.”
“The bass tone is off the charts. He picked that virtual instrument there?”
What were they saying?
They hadn’t even heard the full song.
You don’t just feel it from looking at the track, right?
Thinking it strange, I asked.
“You heard it, right?”
“No?”
“But how did you know?”
“Been running business a day or two? Just watching how he selects instruments is enough to see it.”
Well, they’re in music, so maybe they could.
I lifted the headphones and switched to the speakers.
Shall I hear how Kim Entertainment’s people evaluate my song?
“I’ll play it right away.”
The synth theme flowing through premium speakers was indescribably perfect.
At least to me.