Chapter 13
“All New Luminous.”
The name of the project carried the intention of presenting a completely transformed Luminous.
Director Choi Il-seon clapped his hands once, sharply.
“All New Luminous! Yes, that’s very good!”
You’re excited, Il-seon…
Director Choi showed clear enthusiasm and strongly supported the project name I had proposed.
But naturally, the expressions of the others in the room were far from pleased.
“Director, even so… making a road manager suddenly the TF team leader for a new album production?”
Choi answered Kang Hye-ju’s complaint firmly.
“Don’t you know that I believe what matters is competence, not what someone used to be or how old they are? That’s exactly why you’re here too.”
Then Director Choi looked around at everyone again and spoke.
“Honestly, among the people here, is there even one person who has calmly and objectively assessed our Luminous over the past few years?”
He had hit the nail on the head.
Right—no one had. That was exactly why things had reached this point.
“I consider it fortunate that someone has finally appeared who can properly diagnose the situation of Luminous. Instead of treating Team Leader Yoon like this, everyone here should reflect on the shortcomings you’ve shown in that regard.”
When Director Choi spoke so firmly, Manager Office Chief Go Han-min redirected his frustration toward his subordinate, Team Leader Kim Jun-ho.
“Kim Jun-ho! How exactly did you do your job to let things get this far? What kind of absurd situation is this?”
Though it sounded like a scolding directed at Kim Jun-ho, in truth it was an indirect expression of dissatisfaction toward Director Choi.
Kim Jun-ho spoke up.
“Chief, I understand that you must be shocked. But…”
As if making a decision, he closed his eyes tightly and then continued.
“To be honest, if the Luminous kids improve their singing and become better artists like Yoon Jung-hu—no, Team Leader Yoon—said, isn’t that a good thing? You know how much stress we’ve suffered because of their vocals. Other departments might not care, but from the perspective of the manager’s office, we should understand that. If anything, when I think about the years we spent doing nothing without finding a solution, I just feel sorry for the kids.”
Kim Team Leader’s stand.
“What? You really…!”
Just as Chief Go seemed ready to continue his scolding, Director Choi stopped him.
“Now, now, Chief Go. Kim Team Leader is right. Aren’t managers supposed to take care of their artists? And you know well that care doesn’t just mean arranging schedules.”
Next to speak was Ahn Jun-gyu, Team Leader of Strategic Planning from the Management Division.
“Director, delaying the album release will require the CEO’s approval, so we’ll need to report it to the Head of the Management Division first. Honestly, it doesn’t look like it will be easy.”
“Yes, I know that well,” Director Choi replied.
“I’ll talk to the Management Director first and then speak to the CEO myself.”
The CEO…
The murderer, Oh Jun-seong.
A memory that I had tucked away in a corner of my mind suddenly resurfaced, and my face heated instantly.
So in the end, I was doing all this to help the singers under that murderer succeed?
No.
That would only be a side effect.
Success as a singer and success as a trainer—those were real achievements.
Any business success that followed was none of my concern.
Right. Separate things clearly. For now… that will be better for me and for the future.
After all, I had no intention of taking petty revenge by sabotaging his business a little.
Whether it succeeded or failed had nothing to do with my revenge.
My revenge would not be something half-baked and lukewarm like that.
“Alright, let’s end the meeting here,” Director Choi said.
“The TF team leader has been decided. Team Leader Kang Hye-ju, it may be troublesome, but please join the TF team as well. Since you know the internal circumstances better than anyone, it would be best if you served as the deputy leader.”
“Ah… yes, Director.”
Kang Hye-ju’s expression now wasn’t exactly displeased—more like she was stunned.
She had surely worked with Choi Il-seon long enough to know he wasn’t the type to make absurd decisions.
That blank expression probably meant she was wondering: What kind of person is this guy to make such a decision happen?
Director Choi continued giving instructions to her.
“You’ll be in charge of assembling the team. Select appropriate members from within the Production Division. I’ll issue cooperation instructions to the other teams beforehand. The Performance and VC departments will join later when the time comes… anyway, handle the TF team formation yourself. Of course, final approval will come from Team Leader Yoon.”
“Yes… understood.”
Kang Hye-ju still seemed slightly dazed.
“And Chief Go, the manager’s office will just have Kim Team Leader involved. Of course, if your office needs to provide any opinions, feel free to do so.”
“Ah, yes… Director.”
Even Chief Go Han-min had no choice but to accept the situation now.
“And regarding broadcast schedules—even if they’re booked, let’s remove as many events as possible except those already confirmed.”
At that moment, Ahn Jun-gyu from Strategic Planning spoke again.
“Director, that also needs to be reported to the Management Director. I think you’ll need to discuss it with him separately. Honestly, that won’t be easy either.”
“Yes, I’ll talk about that too.”
After saying that, Director Choi turned to me.
“Team Leader Yoon, do you have anything to add?”
Since things had already gone this far, of course I had something to say.
“Yes, Director. Just a few points.”
I looked at Kang Hye-ju.
“Team Leader Kang, I look forward to working with you. To briefly explain, we will soon determine the exact vocal ranges and colors of each Luminous member. After that, I will share opinions about melodies and harmonies that suit each member, as well as the overall mood of the songs. Please coordinate with the composers we work with based on that. Of course, receiving songs from rookie composers is also welcome.”
“Ah, yes… yes.”
“One important thing: I haven’t listened to the existing songs, but we’ll discard them all.”
The statement immediately caused a stir.
“What? Without even listening to them?”
“No need to listen. Songs composed without properly understanding the singer’s voice are predictable.”
“Ah… well… alright.”
The phrase “for now” bothered me a little, but this wasn’t the time to argue, so I moved on.
“And the visual concept—in this album we’ll strictly match it to the voice colors. The choreography as well. Four colors united as one… it’s a slightly contradictory concept, so it may not be easy to produce a complete result. That part will require considerable planning, so please keep it in mind when assembling the team.”
“Ah… yes.”
“The album design and promotional points will be the same. The concept is a completely reborn Luminous. The design will also be built entirely from a new concept.”
After I finished speaking, Kang Hye-ju glanced at me and narrowed her eyes slightly, nodding to herself.
Thinking I had finished, Director Choi spoke quietly.
“Team Leader Yoon, let’s talk for a moment.”
Of course. I needed to speak with Choi Il-seon as well.
I couldn’t confront him fully about today’s events… but still.
“Yes, Director.”
Outwardly polite, despite what I was thinking.
What choice did I have?
Leaving the still-confused people behind in the conference room, Director Choi and I stepped into the hallway.
“Let’s go to my office.”
I didn’t say anything while walking with him.
In this situation, no words seemed particularly meaningful.
I had already become an accomplice in his unilateral plan.
Now I was in the same boat with him.
To be honest, I had a lot to say.
Il-seon, it’s me—Ji-hyuk. Oh Jun-seong killed me. I was reincarnated. Nice to see you again. But what the hell are you doing? Blah blah…
But obviously I couldn’t say that.
Instead, walking beside him made me think that perhaps this situation wasn’t so bad.
In a way, this is an opportunity. From the early stage of reincarnation, I can enter the K-pop world properly.
Even for becoming a singer, it would be far better than starting out as just a road manager.
I had been dead for thirty years.
Songs are inseparable from trends.
Rather than simply singing blindly, entering the industry like this and understanding the atmosphere first made more sense.
Then I could begin my life as a singer from a much more advantageous position.
We entered Director Choi’s office on the 25th floor.
The moment we stepped inside, he asked me directly.
“Are you confident?”
What?
He pushed me onto a stage with live cameras and caused a huge scene, and now he’s asking that?
Did I ask him to do that?
I had been planning to cooperate quietly, but he was unbelievable.
Still, I understood that his question came from anxiety after making such a drastic decision, so I responded calmly.
“To be honest, I can’t even guarantee success when working alone. So I can’t talk about confidence when it’s something involving everyone.”
Choi Il-seon nodded slightly as if he understood.
“But as I’ve said before, it’s true that they’ve been walking the wrong path until now. And now we know which path to take. Even if we don’t know what’s at the end of it, we still have to walk it.”
A satisfied smile appeared on Il-seon’s face.
And strangely, that expression brought back memories from thirty years ago.
Back when he had been my manager—loyal, hardworking, almost like a younger brother to me.
Maybe… the emotional bond I still felt toward him was why I had willingly joined his reckless move.
“Hearing you say that actually reassures me,” he said.
“I’ll try to persuade the Management Division and the CEO somehow. In the meantime, Team Leader Yoon, please find the best possible methods for this project.”
“Yes. At this point, there’s really no other choice.”
He nodded slightly, took a breath, and then changed the subject.
“And now… we should talk about you. Honestly, I think this might be the more important matter.”
Just as expected—the topic Kim Team Leader had hinted at earlier.
“First, I want to ask one thing. Why are you working as a road manager?”
The same question as yesterday.
Why someone who sings so well would choose to be a road manager.
From Il-seon’s perspective, it was a natural question.
If I answered honestly, though…
“I don’t know.”
I hadn’t chosen it.
So I simply said,
“It just kind of happened.”
For me, that was the best possible answer.
“Life just turned out that way, huh… Tell me, Manager Yoon. You do intend to become a singer, right?”
That question complicated my thoughts.
Becoming a singer wasn’t just a wish—it was something I absolutely had to do.
But how I answered now could drastically affect my future.
“I think I need some time to think about that.”
After a brief pause, that was the answer I gave.
“I see. There must be a reason why someone who sings like you hasn’t even tried and is working another job.”
That’s because I’ve only been reincarnated for three days.
“I believe you absolutely should become a singer,” he continued.
“I’ve been in this industry for over thirty years. I’ve seen countless singers. What you have isn’t just good singing—it’s something special.”
My ears perked up at his words.
Not because he said my singing was special.
But because he said he’d been in this industry for thirty years.
Ah.
This might be my chance.
So I steered the conversation.
“Director, if it’s been over thirty years, that’s really a long time.”
“It certainly is.”
“How did you start working in this industry?”
I already knew the answer.
But to hear about Si-yeon, I had to lead the conversation this way.
Director Choi chuckled.
“Ha ha, actually I started as a road manager too—just like you.”
Yes, I know.
My road manager.
You had begged me endlessly to hire you, even without experience.
“Oh, really? Whose manager did you start as?”
His expression darkened.
Sorry, Il-seon. I know it’s not a good memory for you.
But the person involved—me—was standing right here cooperating with your reckless plan.
So please understand.
“His name was Han Ji-hyuk. You’ve probably heard the name before.”
Finally.
My name appeared.
“Ah… the singer who won the grand prize and then that same day…”
I trailed off.
I couldn’t bring myself to say committed suicide.
Because it wasn’t true.
“Yes, you know about him. It was something I still can’t understand. Honestly, I still can’t believe it.”
Don’t believe it.
Because it wasn’t true.
I didn’t kill myself.
The CEO you serve now—Oh Jun-seong—killed me.
“Why would someone like that…?”
“That’s the thing. He was never the kind of person who would do that, and there was no situation that would push him to it. But a suicide note appeared. And the handwriting was clearly his. I confirmed it myself.”
Il-seon’s expression remained heavy as he spoke.
But I had to continue asking.
Naturally, as if I were simply curious.
“The family must have been shocked… Was he married?”
“He had an elderly mother. And he was about to marry a popular actress at the time. I was very close to her too—I even called her sister-in-law.”
Finally.
My heart began pounding violently, pushing blood to the very tips of my nerves.
To hide my trembling hands, I clenched my thigh tightly.
“And… what happened to them?”
Fortunately, Il-seon didn’t ask why I was curious.
Instead, he sighed deeply and answered.
“His mother passed away ten years ago.”
“Ah…!”
My mother was gone.
A violent wave of grief surged up inside me.
Pain so intense it couldn’t be controlled.
And because I couldn’t cry here, the sorrow twisted even more fiercely in my chest.
“I visited her often while she was alive, in place of Ji-hyuk. It was the only way I felt I could repay him. When she passed away, there were no relatives, so I even served as the chief mourner… She always missed her son. Until the end, she never believed he committed suicide.”
Of course she didn’t.
No one knew my personality better than she did.
If only she were alive now…
But she had already been nearly sixty back then.
Expecting her to still be alive thirty years later had never been realistic.
Still… Il-seon.
You truly did everything you could for me.
I wanted to thank him so badly, but I couldn’t.
Il-seon… I’ll say it in my heart. Thank you. Truly.
As my grief slowly subsided, his next words reached my ears.
“And his girlfriend, Jung Si-yeon…”
Finally.
The story about Si-yeon was about to begin.
