Black Label [EN]: Chapter 136

Black Label 135

136. Music video (3)

With eyes barely open, I checked the time the article was posted, and it was only about 30 seconds ago.

It was literally a brand new article.

As I was blankly staring at my smartphone screen, Seunghee started chattering away, asking all sorts of questions.

“Oppa [Korean term for older brother, used by females], this is amazing! What is it? Are you really appearing in Kwon Jihoon’s music video? Were you guys really close? Since when? Why didn’t you tell me? Since you’re close, can you get me his autograph? Huh? Huh? Please…!”

I raised my palm as if to stop her, then immediately took out the smartphone I had put in my pants pocket.

Sure enough, the phone, which was set to silent, was flashing brightly to let me know that Director Song was calling.

“Director, did you see Kwon Jihoon’s official statement? How did this happen? Without a single word of agreement…”

Just as Jaeseung was about to continue speaking,

Director Song began to speak in a calm tone, as if she already knew what was going on.

– Huh? What? The article hasn’t even been up for a minute, and you’ve already seen it?

“My sister saw it as soon as it was posted… No, no. Wait a minute. What is it? Did you already know?”

– I think so, but I don’t know what to say.

“Excuse me? What do you mean? Did you know or didn’t you?”

Director Song then spoke in a low voice, carefully enunciating each word.

– Well, I have a guest here right now? Take care of your business comfortably, and then come to the office slowly.

“A guest at this hour? No, Director. How can I be comfortable in this situation…?”

– First, don’t forget to turn off your phone immediately after you finish talking to me. You probably have the personal numbers of a few magazine editors and reporters, right?

I took the smartphone away from my ear and checked the screen, and sure enough, calls were coming in one after another.

I sighed once and replied, “Okay,” and Director Song continued to speak.

– Ah! And one last thing! I don’t have a proper reception area, so I’m going to borrow the president’s office for a bit. Is that okay?

Before I could even answer, Director Song added, “Then I’m hanging up!” and unilaterally ended the call.

I was dazed.

First, I mechanically moved my hand to remove the battery from my phone, then stood there blankly for a moment.

Seunghee brought her face close to mine and asked with a curious expression.

“Oppa? What is it? What happened? I’m dying to know! Tell me!”

“I don’t know either.”

Just as Seunghee frowned and asked, “What?” Jaeseung added again with an awkward smile.

“I really don’t know anything.”

* * *

First, before heading to the restaurant, I went to an electronics store nearby.

From stepping into the store to finishing the payment, everything was over in less than 3 minutes.

“Give me the highest-spec model among the models released this year.”

After finishing shopping so quickly, I headed straight to a Japanese restaurant nearby.

Since the purpose was to celebrate Seunghee’s college acceptance, I chose a place that focused on Seunghee’s taste and preferences.

“Wow, amazing…”

Seunghee trailed off, then immediately swallowed hard and picked up a slice of thickly sliced sashimi with her chopsticks.

The sashimi, slightly tinged with incandescent light, seemed to be showing off its glossy sheen.

“You worked hard. Eat as much as you want.”

“Awesome! Itadakimasu-! [Japanese phrase for ‘I humbly receive’]”

Seunghee said in a lively tone, then immediately put the sashimi in her mouth and started fiddling with her smartphone.

She took a picture of the plate with the sashimi arranged nicely, then a picture of the large box containing the new laptop, and then a selfie.

I tilted my head slightly and asked quietly, “Aren’t you too busy?” and Seunghee smiled brightly and replied.

“Oppa! Don’t you know the saying that tigers leave their skin, and people leave ‘proof shots’?”

“There’s such a saying…?”

“Tsk tsk. Even if you’re busy, you should still look at the internet.”

After speaking, Seunghee handed me her smartphone and naturally added a word.

“While we’re on the subject, take a picture of me.”

“Huh? Okay…”

Not long after, my father, who was working near Yeonnam-dong due to a lease agreement issue, also joined us.

Because of this music video offer, I didn’t know if the food was going in through my nose or my mouth, and I silently ate a few slices of sashimi for a while. Soon, I was assimilated into the cheerful atmosphere.

‘I don’t know either.’

Anyway, if I go to the office after finishing the meal, wouldn’t all the curiosity be resolved in just a few minutes?

I forgot about work for a while and focused on enjoying the moment and happiness.

* * *

As soon as I took a step into the president’s office, Director Song, who was half-lying on the sofa, quickly got up and opened her mouth.

“Oh, you’re here?”

But, how should I put it? She seemed quite exhausted.

Director Song, who swept her face with her large hands a few times, added in a tired tone.

“I’m really drained. Sit down first.”

“What the heck is going on?”

Director Song, who spoke in a teasing tone, slid the documents on the side table with her fingertips and continued.

“We first talked around early evening, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“As soon as I hung up, Kwon Jihoon’s agency called.”

I expected this much.

But.

“I was actually very surprised. I thought it would be a high-ranking person from the public relations and marketing department at best, but the CEO called directly.”

Director Song, who was fiddling with her messy beard, added in a playful tone, “He seemed very urgent?”

“So?”

Director Song, who replied briefly, tapped the documents on the side table with a satisfied smile.

“It’s a new contract with a few clauses added, including the music video cameo appearance.”

I immediately flipped through the new contract with urgent hands and began to examine the contents meticulously.

It wasn’t just a matter of adding a few clauses and ending it, but the existing contract conditions had also undergone a drastic upward adjustment.

As I was looking through the contract, Director Song quietly added a word.

“Hmm? You look like you don’t understand?”

“Yes, the contract conditions are too…”

It was so drastically adjusted that it would be strange if I didn’t have any questions.

In the first place, appearing in Kwon Jihoon’s music video is never a losing proposition. The number of fans subscribing to Kwon Jihoon’s SNS alone is close to ten million, isn’t it?

If it becomes known that Wallflower produced all the props put into the music video, and even makes a cameo appearance in the music video?

At the very least, 1% of them will definitely show interest in me and Wallflower.

Even that 1% is a whopping 100,000 people, isn’t it?

It’s not like I have gold trim on my face, so this is a business where I can show my face enough.

So, to put it simply…

If they had made an offer to appear without any separate changes to the contract conditions, I would have accepted it without hesitation.

In the first place, the essence and harvest of show and entertainment programs were different.

‘But why so much…’

No matter how big the bonfire that Time magazine is burning, the expiration date is not very long.

Not only Time magazine, but all gossip within the fashion industry is the same.

At best, it’s just a few days of gossip in Korea.

As I was immersed in such thoughts, Director Song smiled and continued in her unique gruff voice.

“President, have you looked at the reactions of overseas communities? You haven’t even glanced at it yet, have you?”

“No, not yet…”

“The reactions of overseas communities are really groundbreaking, as are the domestic communities.”

Jaeseung frowned and asked again.

“Even so, isn’t it too groundbreaking?”

“It depends on how you think about it.”

Director Song, who finished speaking, smiled brightly and added a few more words.

“They’re the kind of people who wouldn’t bleed a drop even if you stabbed them, so do you think they’d do a losing business? If you comprehensively calculate the synergy effect that the two people’s names will have, and the domestic and foreign marketing efficiency, they would have made this decision because it’s much more profitable.”

“Hmm…”

“And at first, there was no talk of changing the contract conditions. Because our president insisted that he would never do such a thing, it was a card that he hurriedly took out.”

“Excuse me? Really…?”

“Yes. After reluctantly agreeing to the contract, the article was posted in just 2 minutes. What does it mean that it only took 2 minutes to get through the desk? From the beginning, they had already written the article with the intention of somehow coaxing me.”

Just as Director Song finished speaking in a boastful tone,

Jaeseung let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded, and asked again in a low voice.

“Did you really say that?”

Director Song nodded once and replied in a nonchalant tone.

“Yes. I feel like I’ve become a great person because I’m having a tug-of-war with a great person? Anyway, the production side said they would send me the revised manuscript again as soon as they finish revising the treatment, so let’s wait.”

Suddenly, I thought that the position makes the person.

As Wallflower grows, everyone is undergoing positive changes. Director Song also seemed to be in that category.

Director Song, who finished speaking, chuckled once and added again in a playful tone.

“By the way, I won’t be able to sleep until I get the manuscript. I’m so curious about what role our president will play that I won’t be able to sleep?”

* * *

About two weeks passed, and it was already mid-February.

The fierce cold had subsided, and signs of spring were beginning to emerge here and there.

The filming start date for the music video was set.

– It’s scheduled to start on the last day of this month, February 28th. As soon as I finish the call, I’ll write down the detailed time and place and send it to you in a message.

Just as Jaeseung was about to reply, “Thank you,” to Kwon Jihoon, who was on the other end of the phone,

– Ah! And I checked the props. The quality is amazing, isn’t it? Everyone is full of praise. To be honest, I really think I made the right decision to work with Jaeseung.

“You flatter me. I did my best, but I still wish I had a little more time.”

– Oh, and the production side probably sent you the revised manuscript this morning. If you’re in the office now, can you check it right away?

“Of course. I happen to be in the office.”

It would have been a difficult task for the production side as well. They would have had to insert scenes carefully and naturally to avoid having to produce additional props or expand and rent additional sets.

Click. Click.

As soon as I pressed the mouse button in my hand a few times, the revised manuscript with the new content inserted appeared on the monitor screen.

“It’s here. I just opened the file.”

– You only need to check scene 22.

“Okay, I’ll check it right away.”

After replying briefly, I scrolled down the mouse for a while.

Jaeseung’s eyes, which had been fixed on the monitor screen, began to tremble like an aspen tree in front of the cold winter wind.

Even after a while, his face turned red.

“You, you want me to do this?”

To Jaeseung’s quiet question, Kwon Jihoon continued in a clear tone.

– Yes. It’s only a short appearance of about 10 to 15 seconds, so you don’t need to feel burdened. Maybe the other staff members will also be kind, considering that this is Jaeseung’s first time doing this kind of work…

He kept saying something, but it didn’t seem to register in Jaeseung’s ears.

He was just sitting there with a blank face, looking at the embarrassing (?) role he had been assigned on the monitor.