Before ‘High-Class Music Show’ aired, a certain rumor was slowly circulating the entertainment forums.

“I guess people are starting to talk about Yumi. We got some reaction when Yoon-jung posted her videos before, but it looks like the solo fans are starting to come out now.”

The situation was evolving and still wasn’t a big deal, so Team Lead Na didn’t pay it much attention. Instead, he shifted his focus to monitor other forums instead.

While working at HS Entertainment, he had seen countless of baseless rumors. If he had to compare it to something, it was like seeing smoke rising without the fire. Reacting to every little rumor would be endless work, and that was why he didn’t consider taking action.

“Give me a moment. Let me check something.”

However, I had a different perspective. I was on high alert since I was expecting Director Park to make a move once Jin-ah’s promotions began.

After witnessing the stunt he pulled with Hee-yeon last time, I learned a lot. If it hadn’t been for Yoon-jung’s stream, the situation would have been a much bigger deal.

“Do you think this is Director Park’s doing? Even if it is, this seems a bit…”

“Like he’s giving us more than enough time to respond?”

I moved to Team Lead Na’s deskspace, took control of the mouse, and scrolled down.

“Sure. We know the situation, but it’s easy to see how fans and the general public might think like that. Hee-yeon’s getting ready for a comeback, and Yumi hasn’t shown any sign of activity. If this were Director Park’s work, wouldn’t he have started something more attention-grabbing, like snapping a photo of Hee-yeon? Like last time.”

The post on the monitor was from someone who seemed to be Hee-yeon’s fan. They were venting. It was the typical solo fan complaint that was meant to stir things up within the group.

The comment called for Yumi to be cut from the group and suggested that the other three should promote without her or go solo altogether.

“Doesn’t this look like a solo fan? We’ve seen this a thousand times. This type of thing usually pops up around this time,” Team Lead Na commented.

“That’s the important part. This is the time when this kind of thing usually pops up. Think about it from Director Park’s perspective. If you were in his position, what would you do to hinder a group in a situation like ours?”

Na seemed to think over the severity of the situation a bit more seriously. It was a common, almost mundane type of sabotage. However, if you looked at it more seriously, there were countless of possible scenarios. Sweat collected at the brow of Na’s face.

“Hmm. The best method would be to keep riling up the solo fans and provoking our regular supporters, not just the extreme solo fans. It would be both complex and chain-reactive, assuming there was a clear target.”

We exchanged glances. As professionals with years of experience in management who nurtered stars at a major agency, our thoughts were on the same track.

Na straightened his posture and continued.

“Spreading rumors that Yumi is holding back the Blue Sherbet members and fanning the fire until controversy grows. Then, pushing out a story about bullying. That would put the whole group in a hot mess.”

After pausing to think, he met my eyes with a determined look.

“We see this kind of situation all the time, so maybe it’s just overthinking… but it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Being prepared wouldn’t hurt. But we already have a response, don’t we? Yumi? Lacking in skill? Ha! She’s got the most potential. The moment we reveal her identity, it’ll be handled instantly. Our Yumi is THE Yumi.”

I smiled knowingly. Na raised an eyebrow at my expression.

“Got a good idea?”

“Yes. We just do what we’ve always done.”

“Just do what we’ve… Oh!” He snapped his fingers in realization, genuinely pleased.

“Using the noise to our advantage? Haha. I’ve seen up close how much Director Park freaks out over this kind of thing. He’ll be thrilled, especially with this… He won’t see it coming. If he knew Yumi was THAT Yumi, he wouldn’t even think of starting this. He’s probably convinced she’s truly untalented.”

“Of course, we can’t be sure it’s Director Park’s doing yet. Still, we can take advantage of the commotion since it’s there,” I responded.

“So, got any specific ideas?”

I nodded, returning his eager look.

“Patience.”

“Patience…? Like waiting it out?”

“Yes. Even if this isn’t Director Park’s scheme, he won’t be able to resist if he sees us ignoring the commotion. He won’t be suspicious, and then he’ll fan the flames to make things more chaotic. All we need to do is sit down at the feast already laid out for us.”

Team Lead Na burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.

“Now that’s a plan I can get behind. Should I ask Manager Jang to take a picture of Director Park’s expression?”

***

After Yoon-jung finished streaming, Yumi took her usual seat in front of the computer.

“As much as I can. Whenever I can. Don’t think about anything. Just do what I want.”

Yumi repeated these words several times, as if chanting a spell. She began to rearrange hip-hop tracks to fit her taste, shifting away from EDM.

In contrast to her last EDM project, where she obsessively studied Daft Punk’s entire catalog, she really worked without a plan this time.

She began with DJ Shadow’s iconic debut album [Endtroducing…], a near-sacred pillar of instrumental hip-hop. Then, she moved to Travis Scott, a trendsetting artist who inspired other artists. Her last stop was Snoop Dogg, a living legend and one of the rappers who helped bring American hip-hop into its golden era.

Yumi’s YouTube channel now had a whopping 2.5 million subscribers after Daft Punk shared her track on SoundCloud. It had built an enormous following.

All those subscribers were probably certain Yumi’s next track would be EDM. Why wouldn’t they be? All her previous uploads were EDM tracks. Switching genres out of the blue could easily cause confusion and disappointment, and even cause some followers to unfollow.

However, Yumi had taken President Kang’s words to heart. She wasn’t the least bit worried.

‘I just need to trust him.’

The first track Yumi rearranged was DJ Shadow’s ‘Stem / Long Stem.’ As soon as she finished the arrangement, she uploaded it to both YouTube and SoundCloud without hesitation.

With such a large audience waiting in anticipation, reactions poured in almost immediately. At first, people only left speculative comments without listening and by looking at the title alone.

Some excitedly wondered if she had reworked it as an EDM track while others expressed worry or anger, concerned she was messing with something an EDM artist shouldn’t touch.

Yumi read through the comments with a blank expression. After enough time passed for listeners to digest the track, a fresh wave of reactions appeared.

-Please don’t tell me she’s moving to hip-hop. Don’t say it’s so 🙁

-I thought she might have reworked it into EDM…guess I was worrying for nothing. Yumi really is an actual GOD!

-So she started EDM with Daft Punk and now she’s starting hip-hop with DJ Shadow? You’re the real deal, aren’t you?

-Everyone needs to chill! Yumi is an EDM artist okay? She’s just exploring instrumental hip-hop. You can totally feel her style in it.

-Reworking DJ Shadow’s music is going to be a huge foundation for her future projects. I can’t wait for Yumi’s next original track. 🙂

The reactions were still mixed. After quickly scanning through the comments, Yumi turned off the internet and got started on her next remix.

This time, she chose ‘Who Am I (What’s My Name)?’ from Snoop Dogg’s legendary debut album [Doggystyle].

“I wonder how they’ll react to this one.”

No matter the response, she was determined to follow President Kang’s advice and do what she wanted, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit excited.

“They’ll probably be surprised.”

Although DJ Shadow’s style aligned closely enough with EDM that experimenting with his work made sense, Snoop Dogg was an entirely different story. A mischievous grin spread across Yumi’s face.

“Time for some fun.”

***

Yumi’s music started being used in various places, beginning with an Adidas commercial. You could even say it started happening before the Adidas ad had even aired!

If Daft Punk were here in front of her, she would probably bow to them and throw a feast that would last three days and nights.

(T/N: In Korean culture, important events were often celebrated for several days to show deep respect. Daft Punk is being revered right now, haha.)

“Our financial worries are finally easing up. At least for now.”

Just knowing that money would be coming in made the world seem more beautiful. The sun in the gloomy monsoon sky looked as if it was wrapped in a plush blanket of clouds. Even when my shoes became soaked from stepping in a puddle, I couldn’t help but hum happily.

It wasn’t just financial issues that were working out well. Jin-ah had been doing great on other variety shows, too. Even though ‘High-Class Music Show’ hadn’t aired yet, her fandom was growing and our music ranking was gradually climbing.

“If only every day could be like this. No, no. What am I saying? We’ve got to aim even higher than this.”

Especially today. Today was a big step toward greater success. It was the day Hee-yeon would finally start her recording.

I picked her up from the dorm and headed to Hae-yeol’s studio. LOAN and Hae-yeol were waiting there and greeted us with eager, intense expressions. As they looked at Hee-yeon, they looked as if they were a bunch of five-year-olds waiting to tear open a Christmas gift.

“Hee-yeon, are you ready?” Hae-yeol asked.

Hee-yeon responded with a short but confident nod.

“Yes.”

Her determined gaze made Hae-yeol so excited he could hardly sit still on the sofa as he bounced up and down. LOAN rubbed his palms together, smacking his lips in anticipation.

‘Musicians are…’

Shaking my head with a small smile, I replied, “Should we start with the recording?”

“That’d be great.”

“Let’s do it.”

As if they had been waiting at my words, Hae-yeol and LOAN jumped up. Hee-yeon, who was seated next to me, gave me a small smile. It was the same look she had back in the dorm when she determinedly said that ‘she was ready.’

“I’ve been wanting to show you what I can do. Thank you for believing in me again. I wanted to live up to that trust.”

There was nothing more to say. I returned her smile and patted her on the head. As we shared this warm moment, I felt a pair of piercing eyes from the side.

I turned my head to see Hae-yeol glaring at me, as if silently demanding I hurry up and get moving. Though, the glare was aimed only at me, not at Hee-yeon.

“Haha. Let’s go, Hee-yeon.”

“Okay.”

Hee-yeon entered the recording booth. She was calm and composed despite the intense stares directed her way.

“Shall we run through it once first?” Hae-yeol asked.

She nodded, and the instrumental track began to play. Displayed on the monitor was the sequencer program filled with their hard work. There were easily hundreds of tracks layered together.

The sight alone was dizzying. The sheer dedication behind it all was about to reach its peak with Hee-yeon’s singing. No wonder Hae-yeol and LOAN were brimming with anticipation.

Despite the multitude of tracks visible on the screen, what struck my ears first was the sound of a grand piano with a subtly altered effect. The instrumental began to carry weight, followed by the drumbeat that added a sense of depth and rhythm.

Then, a distinct bass line entered that grounded the piece. Finally, Hee-yeon’s voice flowed.

—

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