“Final results…! Let’s see them now!”
As the excited voice of Tomorrow K-Star host Song Hanmin rang out, the main screen began to display the contestants’ scores.
Moments later, the audience erupted in cheers, far louder than Song Hanmin’s voice.
“Ah, it’s over 900 points! A stage scoring over 900 points in the first round of the finals!”
30% judges’ score.
60% viewer text vote.
10% pre-online vote.
Tomorrow K-Star used its own unique scoring system that converted those three indicators into a total score out of 1000.
This method had been in place since Season 1, and among the countless performances in the past, only a rare few had ever broken the 900-point mark.
What’s more, the few performances that had scored over 900 were either from the finals or the semifinals.
That meant those performances had a large voter base simply due to the high attention the show was getting.
If today’s stage had taken place during the finals or semifinals, Hye-mi and Su-rim’s “Autumn Leaf” might have even had a shot at a perfect score.
That’s how overwhelming their performance was.
- Jung Su-rim, Cha Hye-mi – 917 points
- Shin Wooyoung, Kang Mireu – 735 points
- Ryu Chanyeol, Goo Se-hee – 688 points
- Ryu Hail, Oh Hanbit – 671 points
.
.
Despite predictions that no matter how good their performance, they wouldn’t be able to beat the Kang Mireu team with its powerful fanbase, the results smashed those expectations.
The moment first place was announced, three cameras simultaneously focused on Cha Hye-mi and Jung Su-rim.
Their faces were filled with surprise and joy.
Where are they looking?
The director of Camera 3, who was capturing a front zoom shot for contestant reactions, tilted his head in confusion.
It seemed like Cha Hye-mi and Jung Su-rim kept glancing down from the stage.
- Camera 3 director! Please grab close-ups of the eliminated contestants!
Snapping out of his thoughts at the PD’s voice, the camera director smoothly turned the lens to focus on the eliminated contestants.
Meanwhile, Song Hanmin announced the updated digital release schedule, offered his blessings for the eliminated teams’ future paths, and smoothly guided the show to its conclusion.
“Next week, we’ll be back with the Top 8 performances!”
And with that, the first round of Tomorrow K-Star, full of unexpected twists, drew its curtain.
Thus ended the prelude of Han Seon-ho’s leap into the showbiz world.
Session 7. Interlude
After a golden weekend, a new week began—along with the usual Monday blues. But the employees of MOK Entertainment didn’t feel any such slump.
Everyone was too busy chattering about the hot topic sweeping through the company.
The subject of their gossip? “Cha Hye-mi” and Autumn Leaf.
“Wow, it’s still at number one.”
“Nowadays, even a one-day chart-topper is impressive. But it’s been three days now, hasn’t it?”
“Isn’t this the first pure-blooded number one we’ve seen in a while?”
Right now, the song title Autumn Leaf was proudly displayed at the top of every music chart. Right next to the number one ranking.
Released at midnight on Saturday, Autumn Leaf had shot up to first place by 1 a.m.
And now, on Monday, it was still holding strong.
“It’s not easy to even make a number one on the aggregate charts… if this happened without any push, it’s huge.”
“Pretty sure it was all organic? I didn’t hear anything about them pushing it.”
Songs from audition programs often made it to the top of the charts, but just as easily fell off.
Once the buzz around the show faded, so did interest in the song.
So for Autumn Leaf to dominate the aggregate chart for three straight days without any promotion was something truly incredible.
And judging by the momentum, it looked prepared to hold that spot for a while.
“The A&R team must be thrilled. Bet they’ll be treating themselves to a beef dinner with the company card.”
“Actually, I heard A&R didn’t produce that track.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yeah. A friend of mine in A&R said Cha Hye-mi rejected the main PD’s song.”
“For real? Then who made the song?”
“Pre… something?”
One male employee tilted his head, then opened a music site and clicked on the track info.
Track Info
Artist: Jung Su-rim & Cha Hye-mi
Album: Tomorrow K-Star Finals Round 1 Performance Track
Release Date: 2017.10.07
Label: MBN
Genre: Ballad
Details
Lyrics: Kim Dong-han – Original
Lyrics: Jung Su-rim, Cha Hye-mi
Composer: Kim Dong-han – Original
Composer: Prefer
Arrangement: Prefer
“Here it is—Prefer. Apparently Cha Hye-mi picked up a rookie composer named Prefer.”
“But I heard it was her manager who scouted the composer?”
“On the show, it looked like Hye-mi picked them herself.”
“Well, I heard the manager brought it in and Hye-mi gave the final approval.”
“Is that so? Sounds like her manager has some connections. By the way, is this Prefer guy a complete rookie? Was this his debut?”
“Yeah. Autumn Leaf was his debut track.”
“Wow, what a breakout debut.”
“No kidding.”
As the conversation continued with murmurs about Prefer, someone suddenly brought up another name.
“Hey, that manager of Cha Hye-mi they mentioned earlier—wasn’t he the night shift ghost who used to hang around the sleeping quarters? What was his name again?”
“Han Seon-ho.”
“Oh, right. Han Seon-ho. Then he hit the jackpot too. He started off as the damage control guy, and now he’s suddenly managing the artist with the number one song on the aggregate chart.”
“Exactly.”
Listening to his junior staff chat, Deputy Team Lead Jang Wonho commented,
“In this industry, no matter what anyone says, luck matters most. Who would’ve guessed Hye-mi would blow up like this?”
“Seriously.”
At that, Yoo So-yeon, a female employee from Team B who had passed Han Seon-ho’s name along to Park Cha-myung thinking he was an idol, chimed in.
“Still, I think Han Seon-ho might be pretty capable? From what I heard, on site he—”
“Eh, that’s all just rumor.”
“I heard it too, but it’s just a baseless rumor. You know how exaggerated the gossip is in this field. Besides, that guy’s good-looking, so it spreads even more.”
“Still, it seems like Han Seon-ho really did direct Oh Hanbit’s performance, right?”
“They say it was just because there wasn’t anyone else around to do it. Han Seon-ho studied music a bit, so they just had him do it.”
“And apparently Han Seon-ho already knew Oh Hanbit. Maybe they spent some time together as trainees or something?”
“With that face? Yeah, wouldn’t be surprising. Oh—then did he meet the composer ‘Prefer that way too?”
“Ah, that might be possible.”
Most of the employees expressed scepticism about the rumors involving Han Seon-ho.
Not because they were jealous, but because the rumors themselves were too hard to believe.
Things that would’ve been impressive even if accomplished by a veteran like Park Cha-myung with 13 years of experience—hearing that a rookie manager pulled them off just didn’t make sense.
“Still, I heard Cha Hye-mi follows Han Seon-ho around a lot. Always calling him ‘oppa’ and such.”
“Really? Then doesn’t that mean she might move with him if she leaves the company? It’s not unheard of for managers and artists to switch companies together if they work well together.”
“It’s rare for singers, but yeah, could happen.”
But a female employee who had been listening nearby shook her head firmly.
“Come on, what company would take in a rookie manager? They’d just hire someone new.”
“Well, Hye-mi might bring him along and pay him out of her own pocket.”
“Right now, they’re close because he has no allies in the company and they’re similar in age. Once the contract’s over, it’s just business.”
Like she said, it was very common for entertainers and managers who had been working together for years to go their separate ways once the contract ended.
“More importantly, do you think the company will let Hye-mi go? She’s on fire right now—just needs a little push and she’ll blow up.”
“Even so, with the CEO’s personality, I doubt he’ll try to hold her back.”
“Still, given how this turned out, the CEO must feel kinda awkward…”
At that moment, the door opened and someone walked in.
“You’ve been here nearly two hours and you’re still chatting? Huh? Loud enough for the whole floor to hear?”
It was Team Leader Park Cha-myung.
As he glared, the employees flinched and rolled their chairs back to their desks.
But one cheeky employee piped up, and the office got noisy again.
“Congratulations, Team Leader!”
“As expected of you, sir!”
“What are you even congratulating me for, you punks?”
“What else? Hye-mi topping the integrated chart, of course!”
“She your friend or something? You don’t even add honorifics when you talk about our artists?”
“Right! Congratulations to Hye-mi ssi for topping the charts! Oh, and congrats on the 2K win too!”
“Aren’t we having a company dinner? She’s part of the B Team line after all!”
Park Cha-myung waved him off.
“What dinner? We didn’t do anything.”
“Aw, come on. We’re one team, right? If you did it, then we did it too.”
“That was all Han Seon-ho, idiot. He’s the one who handled things on the ground.”
“Wow, even being humble! That’s our team leader!”
The staff burst into laughter, thinking he was just being modest.
Can’t blame them for not believing it.
They all thought he was the one who planned the stage, ordered production, and signed the arrangement contract.
But he wasn’t.
He just stood at the front.
The one who actually did everything was someone else.
A guy whose face was too handsome to be stuck as a manager.
Actually… not even that much of a waste anymore.
Buzz.
Just then, his phone vibrated, snapping him out of his thoughts.
I’ve arrived in the lobby. Where are you, Team Leader?
It was the message he’d been waiting for—from Han Seon-ho.
Park Cha-myung replied that he was coming down and got up from his seat.
“I’m heading out. Get your work done. I’ll be back after lunch, so eat on your own.”
Han Seon-ho looked at the restaurant with a puzzled expression.
He had ridden with Park Cha-myung, and now they were standing in front of a high-end Korean fine dining place that looked absurdly expensive.
“Team Leader, is there some special occasion today?”
“Of course there is. Hye-mi placed first in the competition and topped the charts. We’ve gotta celebrate that at least once, don’t you think?”
“We already had a dinner over the weekend using the corporate card—with Hye-mi and Su-rim. Who do you think didn’t show up?”
“You little punk, you expect me to drive from Busan at dawn just for a dinner?”
“If I were the team leader, I would’ve come at dawn.”
Park Cha-myung let out a chuckle at the increasingly cheeky Seon-ho.
As the staff guided them to a private room, the sliding door closed softly behind them.
No sooner had they sat down than Seon-ho spoke up.
“You’ve got something to say, right? Something you don’t want others hearing?”
“Huh?”
“I’m pretty quick on the uptake.”
“Wow… you damn ghost. How’d you know? I was gonna wait till we were eating.”
Then Park Cha-myung suddenly waved a hand.
“Hey, don’t get me wrong. I really did come to congratulate you. Otherwise, I’d have just picked a quiet café.”
“I know. So what’s going on?”
“There was a department head meeting this morning. There’s something I need to pass along to you.”
“Please go ahead.”
Park Cha-myung paused, thinking for a moment before speaking slowly.
“Swing by Legal after you get back to the office.”
“Legal? Why?”
“Congratulations. As of today, you’re no longer on a contract. You’re full-time now.”
Earlier that morning, the company had finalized the decision to convert Han Seon-ho—who had joined on an 18-month contract—into a permanent employee. His ability to support Hye-mi solo had been acknowledged.
Park Cha-mying had expected Seon-ho to be delighted, but instead tilted his head in confusion.
“What’s with the lukewarm reaction?”
“It’s not lukewarm. I’m just happy to feel recognized.”
Seon-ho took a sip of water as he said it.
In truth, the difference between contract and permanent status didn’t mean much to him.
Before he was confident in his own talent, he had thought about growing his skills through MOK’s structured engineering system. But now, that wasn’t the case.
He was convinced that what he needed were free time and free experiences.
Still, he was happy.
Being acknowledged by someone was always a good feeling.
But the reason he didn’t look all that thrilled… was because of the expression on Park Cha-myung’s face.
“This is the prologue, right? What’s the real message?”
“Damn, you really are a ghost.”
After downing a glass of water, Park Cha-myung said,
“Your assignment is going to change. It’s for manager training.”
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