IJLMT 43

Chapter 43

Today was exactly one week before the first round of the “GaGa Singer” competition.

“Oppa!”

Hyeonseo shouted when she saw me. Her round bobbed hair, her large, curious eyes—her frightened glances around the terminal screamed “country girl” to anyone watching.

When Hyeonseo saw me, her expression softened, and she came running.

“Oppa, what about the Nova Girls? Where are we meeting them? It should be somewhere with no people, right?”

And with that, she immediately started looking for the Nova Girls.

“Weren’t you here to see me?”
“I just saw you. You’re fine.”
“Well, alright then.”

It was a coincidence. Me, abusing my authority as team leader to show my little sister the Nova Girls? That’s not something I’d ever do. Yet our schedules overlapped. Today, Saturday, Hyeonseo had suddenly come up to Seoul.

• I have to make sure my son is living properly.

Under my father’s instructions, Hyeonseo was acting as a scout. But today just happened to be the day the Nova Girls members returned to Korea and were planning to meet up.

My original plan was to have Hyeonseo eat lunch with me and then meet the Nova Girls for dinner.

However, when I explained why we needed to meet in the afternoon, the Nova Girls responded like this:

• Mina: Can’t we just see her together?

• Nari: Your little sister? She must be super cute! Let’s meet her together!

• Ha-Young: When’s her birthday?

• Da-Bin: If we send her off early, she might feel left out. Let’s just meet her together.

So in the end, we all decided to meet together and rented a nearby party room.

“What are you doing?”

Hyeonseo suddenly grabbed my arm, so I asked.

“This is weird… nothing seems different. How did you fend off that attacker?”
“Somehow, it just happened.”
“Hmm… you’re so different from the Yuhyeonjae on TV. Does living in Seoul for so long make you like this?”

That was when it happened.

‘Didn’t she just say Yuhyeonjae?’
‘Now that I think about it, that person…’

Two young women at the terminal whispered to each other, then approached me.

“Excuse me, are you Manager Yuhyeonjae? I was really moved after watching your video! Could we take a photo together?”
“You’re really handsome! Here, we just bought these cookies—please, take them if you like!”

Honestly, I was caught off guard. Well, considering all the media coverage, this was understandable. I was just unused to this since I usually spent my time moving around in cars.

“Ah, thank you.”

The two women bowed and passed by. Hyeonseo’s eyes widened at the cookies I received.

“Oppa… I knew you’d gotten famous, but this much?”
“What are you talking about? Let’s go.”
“Ugh… this is so strange. You’re strange, Oppa.”

I took Hyeonseo’s hand and led her to the parking lot. But she fussed over everything.

“This… this is your car? Really? Isn’t this only for real rich people? When did this…?”
“It just happened. Let’s go.”
“…You’d only make me lunch, and now you’re eating grilled meat for dinner instead of me…”

Hyeonseo fidgeted in the car. The funniest thing was when she carefully wiped the seatbelt with her handkerchief while getting out.

“Hyeonseo, you don’t need to be so careful.”
“No, sir. How could I not be careful when riding a Benz?”
“Yoo Hyeonseo. Tone back to normal.”

‘Ah, just like siblings.’

She was probably overcautious because this was beyond her status. Awkward, hesitant, apologetic…

‘Later, I’ll take her around the department store before sending her back.’

With that thought, we entered the party room where the Nova Girls were waiting. The moment we stepped in, Hyeonseo covered her mouth.

“Ah, the perspective…! The space is warped! I’ve become a little octopus!”

She muttered in a voice only I could hear, constantly bowing her body.

“Th-thank you for meeting me. I can’t believe such amazing people are working with my oppa…”

Hyeonseo’s personality was like a small dog. With family and friends, she was loud and uninhibited, but in front of strangers, she shrank completely—especially when they were impressive.

“Oh, so cute!”
“Oppa’s face looks just like him. His eyes are the same.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“We wanted to see you…”

Even shrunk down, Hyeonseo couldn’t hide her happiness at meeting the Nova Girls. She kept smiling and eventually started chatting comfortably, even using informal speech.

“My oppa… never had an eye for people. Even when someone clearly disrespected him, he’d just laugh and let it slide…”
“No, Hyeonseo. That’s because your oppa has a huge heart. He knew they were being disrespectful, but it just looked cute to him.”

Nari explained.

“Even when people openly mocked him, he wouldn’t get mad. Like, ‘You can’t play badminton? Just watch!’”
“That’s because your oppa has a strong heart! He doesn’t get hurt by attacks.”

Mina added.

“…Have you all been brainwashed by my oppa?”
“Brainwashed? We’re just speaking the truth. Hyeonseo, you know it too, right? What kind of person your oppa is, when he gets angry.”

Ha-Young responded.

“Hmm… only once. When a senior took my money… Well, come to think of it, he’s never gotten angry over his own stuff.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed listening to this, I suggested ordering dessert. While looking at a delivery app, Hyeonseo said:

“But he really has no eye for women! Everyone knows because of the radio. I told him several times that Shin Sora isn’t right for him, but he wouldn’t listen!”
“That’s true.”

Da-Bin responded. Hyeonseo perked up and started talking excitedly.

“I asked him why he even dates, and oppa—”

I quickly interrupted her.

“…I’m trying to order a 5-fruit set lunchbox. Tell me which fruit you want first.”

Back at the terminal, carrying all the items bought at the department store, Hyeonseo asked:

“Oppa, out of the four sisters, which one do you like the most?”
“That’s not something to ask. Does it make sense for a manager to rank their artists?”
“No, not in work terms. Just personally, your preference. Living with four such beautiful sisters who totally respect you—couldn’t you have thought about it once?”

Ah, high school juniors. Their main concerns: college and dating. I waved my hand.

“Hyeonseo, I’m twenty-seven. Those girls are around twenty. If I cared about that, I’d be crazy.”
“What’s crazy about it? Only Mina is twenty. Da-Bin’s only five years older than me. How old is DiCaprio’s wife?”
“That’s DiCaprio. Stop talking nonsense and pack your things.”
“I’m not joking. Da-Bin really likes you, oppa.”
“What?”

Hyeonseo’s eyes sparkled. The imaginative exaggeration of a high school girl is overwhelming.

“Your face twitches the moment Shin Sora’s name comes up.”
“I know the story with Sora, so I could have reacted unpleasantly.”
“No, that’s not it! Ugh, frustrating.”
“Whatever. Let’s go. Bus time.”

Hyeonseo smiled.

“Still, they’re really good sisters. They don’t rely on your ability—they understand exactly why you’re so talented. Not many people realize that.”
“You knew?”
“Of course.”

Good kid. Probably because of the age difference, she follows me even while sulking. Before getting into the car, Hyeonseo whispered:

“Anyway, remember! I don’t care which one of the four becomes your wife!”

Good grief. If she says that during holidays, I’ll have to scold her.

There’s much to discuss about the right song for the right singer. Some singers can sing anything well; others only a particular style. That doesn’t mean the former is better. Often, the latter succeeds more. A clear style persuades the audience.

Yujin thought Lim Yuju was the latter type.

A singer is a singer. As the first round approached and it was Yuju’s turn, Yujin thought:

Lim Yuju is a singer who paints pictures. Scenes that appear when experiencing first love: cherry blossoms falling on a university bench, waiting for a loved one, fidgeting with your phone out of excitement…

Her sweet appearance matches her pretty songs—songs young people would like. If she succeeds with that, fine.

But now that Yuju was in GaGa Singer, Huh Yujin couldn’t help feeling annoyed. She wanted to add a comment:

“You lack depth. How can you understand the feelings in that song?”

Yujin’s song, A Person Who Doesn’t Exist, was written by her composer husband, who understood Yujin’s heart. It’s not pretty—it’s raw, emotional, almost whining.

To Yuju, it wasn’t a song she could sing well. It wasn’t just style—it was her personality. She had walls; everything ended where it could still look cute. She never expressed sadness or pain.

In an ordinary setting, she might get applause for skill alone, but in front of masters, a song lacking understanding is hard to convey.

“Now! Before we show Lim Yuju’s stage, let’s watch a video of Manager Yoo Hyunjae preparing with her!”

I thought, Filling time unnecessarily… but couldn’t dwell on it for long.

• “Yuju, that part just now—wasn’t it a bit flat?”

• “Oh? I sang it really sadly, I think.”

• “It only sounded sad, that’s all.”

• “Huh?”

Yujin got goosebumps. Even if she were there, she’d probably give the same feedback as Hyunjae in the video. Coincidence?

• “When my dad’s business failed, my parents served eggs, rice, and kimchi stew to us, and shared a single ramen themselves. Thinking back now, it’s sad and grateful, but I wasn’t thinking that at the time.”

• “Really?”

• “I was angry. I hated feeling sorry. Eating ramen together while being hungry is better than a heavy heart. I just wanted a chance to share hunger, not feel guilty.”

It wasn’t a coincidence.

‘…What? Hyunjae isn’t just good at business. Does he have a literary side? No, that’s not enough.’

How can a manager say that? Hyunjae’s words captured the essence of the song:

“Why didn’t you give me the chance to struggle with you?”

Most wouldn’t even notice the song’s falseness if sung superficially. You need a very sensitive ear!

• “…I understand. I know what you mean. My dad also failed his business, and our house had red tags all over. But if this airs, won’t our dads be mad?”

• “Eh, whatever. Hahaha.”

Had Yuju ever spoken like that on broadcast? Looked at someone with such eyes?

• “How about now?”

• “Oh, this feels right. Totally different. As expected, Lim Yuju…”

• “I recently felt something similar. Someone came at me with a knife—”

• “…uh, if that airs—”

• “The PD said it’s fine. Watch.”

The two laughed in the video. Seeing this, Huh Yujin felt unbearably envious of Yuju.

This wasn’t like other participants joking with their managers; this was different.

• “Keep it up, you’re doing well, how about trying this on stage?”

They weren’t just ensuring broadcast time—they genuinely understood the artist and the song.

‘If only I had a manager like that… no, if only someone like that existed…’

She thought of her husband, who had died in a traffic accident five years ago. Only he truly understood her heart.

Is Hyunjae especially close with Yuju? At the last concert, he seemed close to the Nova Girls. Does he understand all his artists like this?

“Now, let’s welcome Lim Yuju to the stage!”

Yujin thought, watching Yuju on stage, that this Yuju might be different from the one she knew.

[ JM also probably contacted you, but our Valhalla will give 1.3 times that offer. ]
“Hmm… JM hasn’t discussed contracts specifically yet, just greetings.”
[ Really? They’re less greedy than us, it seems. After the LaDoReMi incident, they must be in turmoil. We want to bring An Yeonhong of the rock band ‘Jamankyeong’, whose dreamy lyrics captivate audiences, to Valhalla.]
“I’ll think about it.”

Yeonhong hung up.

“Ugh, awkward.”

At 34, An Yeonhong, leader of the rock band ‘Jamankyeong’, began getting attention only at 33. Before that, she survived with part-time jobs.

She’s earning now, but still needs savings and marriage funds. 1.3 times pay? Good. But something feels off.

• “Dreamy lyrics that captivate the audience—”

Yes, that’s it. That phrase makes it all sound like lies.

‘Because my songs don’t appeal.’

Last year, she started getting attention for covering songs. Even now, her cover songs get more views than originals. Funny, right?

Two songs in karaoke top 10 under An Yeonhong are covers. Her originals don’t even chart. Captivating the public? Hardly.

Sitting on the sofa, Yeonhong mindlessly turned on the TV, not knowing the shock it would bring.

• “When my dad’s business failed…”

‘Who is this person? Everything he says is spot-on!’

The more she thought about it, the more shocked she became.

‘No way… how does this person know how this song should be sung? What does he even do?’

She wondered how Hyunjae would respond to Yeonhong’s song, and if he could tell her how to move forward.

‘JM… Hyunjae… let’s see how Lim Yuju sings first. If this stage is amazing…’

And with that thought, Yeonhong fixed her eyes on the TV.