Chapter 17
I had absolutely no idea what had happened for things to suddenly be decided like this again.
After apologizing to Luminous, Yoon Jung-hoo placed the car key and card key on the table. Then, without looking back, he walked straight toward the door.
The moment the supposedly talented road manager Yoon Jung-hoo, whom Director Choi had praised so confidently, stormed out of the situation without hesitation, the atmosphere in the training room fell into chaos.
As if he couldn’t let him leave like that, Mujin grabbed the car key Jung-hoo had left behind and ran after him. The rest of the members quickly followed Mujin outside.
Inside the fortress of his absolute authority, something like this had just happened.
To Oh Joon-sung, it felt humiliating and infuriating.
With just one sentence—Jung-hoo saying that this wasn’t something that could be done while showing it to this person and that person—even he, the owner of this place, had been reduced to someone irrelevant.
Oh Joon-sung ground his teeth.
But remembering his position and dignity as the company’s CEO, he forced himself to suppress his emotions.
All he could do was maintain a fake expression as he watched Director Choi approach him.
Behind his half-opened eyes, meant to hide his anger, a chilling glint of fury leaked out.
Standing in front of Oh Joon-sung, Director Choi Il-sun spoke quietly.
“I’m sorry things turned out like this. Let me organize things here first, and then I’ll come up to see you.”
“What else is there to say?”
Clearly already offended, Oh Joon-sung threw a sarcastic remark at him and quietly stood up from his seat, heading toward the door.
Director Choi followed beside him and continued speaking.
“You know me well, sir. There’s a reason I went this far. I hoped to show you during today’s training… but this can’t end like this.”
Oh Joon-sung had known Choi Il-sun for over thirty years.
After all, he had been childhood friends with Han Ji-hyuk.
Naturally, he had also been close to Ji-hyuk’s manager, Choi Il-sun, treating each other like brothers.
Even in Oh Joon-sung’s view, although Choi Il-sun could be emotional at times, he wasn’t the type to make important decisions based purely on emotion.
Oh Joon-sung was a psychopath who had murdered his friend, but at the same time he was a sharp-minded and capable businessman.
Following the business principle of separating personal feelings from work, he decided to set aside his unpleasant emotions for the moment and hear Choi Il-sun out once more.
“Fine. I’ll be upstairs. Finish up and come.”
After Oh Joon-sung left the training room with his secretary, Choi Il-sun called Manager Kim.
Then he told everyone else to return to their positions for now.
Once only the two of them remained, Choi Il-sun spoke quietly.
“We have to find a way somehow… In my opinion, this is Luminous’s last chance.”
“I think so too, but the situation is already…”
“I do have something in mind… but that alone isn’t enough… Ha… If the CEO had just seen the training even briefly, he would’ve realized—since he was a singer himself—that Jung-hoo is clearly qualified as a trainer.”
“Ah… perhaps…”
Manager Kim Jun-ho looked at Director Choi as if something had just occurred to him.
“What if we can’t show it in person… but through a video?”
“A video?”
“Yes. There should be footage. That Luminous training session… when Professor Oh Min-hee came.”
“Ah! That’s right. Official training sessions are always recorded.”
“Yes, records must be kept.”
“But that day there wasn’t supposed to be an assistant, so Yoon Jung-hoo filled in. Would Manager Yoon have recorded it?”
“That’s handled by the security office. All the CCTV is managed there.”
“Ah, right. Good. That might work. Go down and check immediately, and bring me the footage from that day.”
“Yes, Director.”
Manager Kim hurried out of the training room.
Left alone, Choi Il-sun sat down in a chair and fell into deep thought.
Even he didn’t understand why he was so obsessed with Yoon Jung-hoo.
Yes, the man had extraordinary singing ability despite being just a road manager.
And his diagnostic ability and professional judgment as a trainer were clearly exceptional.
But even so, Jung-hoo was still someone he barely knew.
A mysterious person who might act unpredictably at any moment—like today.
Even more unsettling was the fact that someone who sang that well had lived until the age of twenty-seven without ever pursuing singing.
He had no idea what kind of circumstances the man had.
Yet despite the lack of clear reasons and the many uncertainties, the powerful sense of conviction he felt only made him more certain that this was someone he absolutely must not lose.
If they could secure the footage, they could show Yoon Jung-hoo’s singing ability and training skills.
That would at least prove the capability that CEO Oh Joon-sung demanded.
But of course, that alone wouldn’t be enough.
Choi Il-sun was already considering the only method he could attempt as a last resort.
He stood up and walked around the empty room, steeling his resolve.
In the end… do I have to use that card…?
A short time later, Manager Kim returned from the security office with an excited expression.
“Director, I got the footage.”
“Oh? Good. No problems?”
“No. The sound is clear too.”
“Let’s go upstairs.”
“Yes.”
The two of them immediately headed up to Oh Joon-sung’s office on the top floor.
The secretary, apparently already informed, led them inside.
“What is this, Director Choi?”
Oh Joon-sung casually spoke when Choi Il-sun entered first.
But upon seeing Manager Kim follow in, his expression hardened before quickly returning to a polite mask.
“Sir, I apologize again. But please watch this first.”
Manager Kim quietly opened the laptop and inserted the USB containing the footage.
Soon, the training video from two days earlier began to play.
Watching the screen with a serious expression, Oh Joon-sung found himself surprised.
The precise diagnoses and directions given by an ordinary road manager were difficult to believe.
And Jung-hoo had made those assessments after hearing only a single phrase of vocalization from each member.
But what truly shook him was Yoon Jung-hoo’s singing.
It was beyond imagination—an entirely different level.
However, what shocked him even more was the song Jung-hoo had sung.
It was a famous pop song often sung by Han Ji-hyuk, the man he had killed.
Memories surged back—along with the jealousy he once felt toward the public praise that Ji-hyuk’s version was even better than the original.
Oh Joon-sung’s face gradually flushed red.
His emotions became tangled.
Objectively speaking, Jung-hoo was unquestionably excellent—both as a singer and as a trainer.
But why had he sung that song—Han Ji-hyuk’s favorite?
There was no logical reason to feel uneasy.
Yet an inexplicable sense of discomfort crept over him.
He felt strangely unsettled.
“This… song…”
Oh Joon-sung murmured faintly.
Director Choi nodded as if he understood.
“Yes. Han Ji-hyuk’s—”
Before he could finish, Oh Joon-sung abruptly raised his hand to stop him.
Choi Il-sun assumed that hearing the name of his deceased friend had upset him.
He never imagined the real reason.
So he avoided mentioning Han Ji-hyuk again.
“What do you think?”
After a moment of confusion, Oh Joon-sung decided to erase thoughts about Han Ji-hyuk.
This 27-year-old man and the singer who died thirty years ago had absolutely no connection.
Trying to find one was ridiculous.
He forced himself to reach that conclusion.
Finally, he spoke.
“Honestly… it’s good. But…”
Seeing him hesitate, Choi Il-sun gestured for Manager Kim to leave.
Once they were alone, Oh Joon-sung spoke bluntly.
“You know my personality, Choi Il-sun. I can’t entrust work to someone who’s that rude.”
“I understand. But I believe it came from his sincerity as a trainer. And we run a company, don’t we? Practical judgment is more important than emotions.”
That reasoning was logical even to Oh Joon-sung.
But the unpleasant feeling remained.
The insolence.
The memory of being humiliated in front of others.
Seeing the hesitation in Oh Joon-sung’s eyes, Choi Il-sun spoke firmly.
“CEO, please give me full authority over Luminous’s next album. In exchange…”
The phrase “in exchange” caught Oh Joon-sung’s attention.
“If the album fails… I will transfer all my shares.”
Oh Joon-sung’s eyes widened.
Choi Il-sun currently held 20% of the company’s shares.
To Oh Joon-sung, who wanted absolute control, that stake had always been an eyesore.
This proposal was irresistible.
If Luminous succeeded, great.
If they failed, he would gain Choi Il-sun’s shares.
It was a win-win situation for him.
“Hahaha! You’re really obsessed with this guy, aren’t you?”
From that laugh, Choi Il-sun immediately understood.
Oh Joon-sung had already made up his mind.
“Fine. Do it. But it’s not because of your shares. It’s because I trust you. We’ve known each other for over thirty years, haven’t we?”
Of course, it was a lie.
Just empty words from a hypocrite.
But Choi Il-sun had achieved his goal.
He now had full authority.
After Choi Il-sun left the office, a greedy smile spread across Oh Joon-sung’s face.
A deal with no losses.
Now he only had to wait.
If Luminous succeeded, good.
If the album failed, he would finally obtain Choi Il-sun’s shares.
Meanwhile…
After hanging up the phone, I was completely bewildered.
But I didn’t have time to think.
The trainees were staring at me with sparkling eyes.
I had to say something.
“Well… the director said there’s something he needs to sort out…”
Juha suddenly said calmly,
“Oppa, are you stupid?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you know people can hear everything when you talk on the phone indoors? Especially with your volume turned up like a speakerphone.”
Apparently everyone had heard the entire call.
The trainees suddenly erupted in cheers.
“Then you’re coming back, right?!”
“This is amazing!”
“After storming out like that, they’re calling you back?!”
I was still stunned.
Then Miren laughed and said,
“Oppa, are you actually a genius? You stormed out, but your treatment got better instead. Did you plan this?”
I hadn’t.
But somehow… it turned out that way.
Mujin added quietly,
“Looks like you’re not an ordinary person.”
Juha summarized the situation neatly.
“You started as a road manager. Now you’re a trainer and team leader. You refused to do something unreasonable and left… and now you’ve gained full authority over the album.”
Thinking about it…
That was exactly what had happened.
“Alright,” I said.
“No more drinking.”
Juha immediately looked disappointed.
Today’s events…
I’d probably understand them eventually.
