“Does anyone have any groundbreaking ideas?”
Silence and stillness descended.
“I heard that S Broadcasting’s current affairs program completely hit the jackpot by getting Park Chan-ho. How long do we plan on wasting time? You guys have been in the broadcasting industry long enough, yet your imagination is so poor. At this rate, our flagship program will end up being Animal Kingdom!”
The director’s nagging started pouring out warmly from the morning.
Who wouldn’t want to create a golden goose-like program with high ratings? However, the always lacking manpower and modest production budget don’t even meet the basic conditions.
A true professional doesn’t make excuses?
What a load of nonsense.
Anyone who has worked in broadcasting even a little knows how crucial wages and production costs are as foundational stones.
To exaggerate, unless you’re an alchemist who can turn lead into gold, creating a top-notch program is a distant dream.
“Producer Kim, what do you think?”
“Yes?”
“You’re usually so talkative, why can’t you understand today? I’m asking if you have a way to break through this crisis.”
Oops, the director’s arrow has flown my way. I hastily send out an SOS signal, but the other producers just avoid eye contact, relieved they weren’t chosen.
As I turn to face forward, the director’s bulging eyes come into view. It’s like looking at an angry English bulldog.
“I have an idea!”
“Stop making excuses all the time. What do you have?”
“Yes, I have a way to break through this crisis.”
The director and my colleagues turn their heads in curiosity. Well, nothing to lose by trying. If I back out now, I’ll be bitten and chewed by the bulldog-like director for weeks.
The director has always nagged us to be imaginative, and now it was time to fully show that imagination.
“We should get violinist Kang Hyun.”
“Kang Hyun?”
“Yes, you know the boy who became famous for conducting at the British Royal Family event. My sister works as a music journalist, and there are rumors that Kang Hyun and pianist Baek Jung-hun will be conducting together. It’s already a widely known rumor in the industry.”
Kang Hyun was already a figure of national interest.
He was the one who started the classical album syndrome in Korea, a barren land for classical music. No need to say more.
Moreover, pianist Baek Jung-hun also had a substantial fan base.
“But their appearance fee is the problem. Their terms are likely to be quite strict. Especially for violinist Kang Hyun, who rarely appears on broadcasts or gives interviews, maintaining a mystique akin to Seo Taiji. However, if we can make it happen, it would result in tremendous ratings.”
The dice have been cast. My colleagues are left speechless. They never expected the name Kang Hyun to come up.
Well, S Broadcasting has Park Chan-ho, so it makes sense for us to bet on someone like Kang Hyun.
But it was a proposal likely to be rejected. As mentioned, we couldn’t afford their appearance fees. Just then,
“Producer Kim, can you make it happen?”
“What?”
“If you can meet the appearance fee and conditions, can you make it happen? I’ll go to the president’s office and even kneel if I have to get approval.”
The director’s eyes were burning with competitiveness.
“A documentary?”
It was an unexpected proposal. He had initially avoided media exposure and interviews. But now, facing a TV camera?
“The broadcasting company has made quite a good offer. It could be a gift to your fans and might help revive classical culture in Korea in the long run.”
“Representative, but a documentary shoot is a bit much.”
Do they think there’s no script just because it’s a documentary?
Having learned from a previous documentary shoot at the judicial training center, I knew not to trust broadcasting companies. They had us reshoot the same scenes multiple times and even gave scripts for trivial daily conversations.
If you think a documentary is 100% raw footage, you’re mistaken.
“The filming team won’t interfere directly. They just want to capture the days you and Jung-hun prepare for the concert. They even promised to stop filming if you don’t like it at any time. Honestly, I’m worried because you’re maintaining too much of a mystique.”
Hadn’t I vowed to live a life of contentment? In my past life, I wasted time chasing material desires and power, so I resolved to live this life seeking fundamental happiness.
However, as I pursued music, it seemed I was gaining more attention and success than in my past life.
“Oppa, what do you think?”
“I think it’s okay. You’re so famous, but it’s true that many musicians struggle to fill seats at solo concerts. It would be great if this sparks a classical music boom in Korea.”
Baek Jung-hun agreed with the broadcasting shoot out of a sense of duty. It was true that lesser-known musicians struggled to fill seats even for free solo concerts.
“Alright, but I have conditions.”
“Conditions?”
“I want the broadcasting company to produce programs that promote unknown musicians. And I want my appearance fee to be donated anonymously. We need to help each other in tough times.”
At that moment, Baek Jung-hun, next to me, also expressed his intention to donate his entire appearance fee.
Im Hyera, the director, smiled faintly. She didn’t expect me to make such a proposal.
“And this is something I need to discuss with Jung-hun oppa, but I also want to donate all my earnings from this concert.”
“Really?”
“I trust you will find a good place for the donation, director.”
Im Hyera was surprised for a simple reason. The earnings from solo concerts and other performances far exceeded what an average person could imagine.
But hadn’t I already lost my desire for money? To exaggerate, even the investment returns from VH Company alone were enough for three generations to live without worry.
By the way,
“When does the filming start?”
Just then, Im Hyera pointed her finger at the ceiling. Transparent LCD cameras were installed on the ceiling of the representative’s office.
It was the moment a good story about violinist Hyun was being created.
Swish―!
The golf ball flew gracefully in a parabolic arc.
At the picturesque Gapyeong Country Club, only Chairman Wang and Kim Sang-guk were playing a round.
Chairman Wang handed the driver to the caddy and looked at Kim Sang-guk.
“I feel like my skills improve whenever I play golf with you.”
“Aren’t you just good at putting, Chairman? Considering your age, even semi-pros can’t casually compete against you.”
“You’re a cheeky one. Have you learned how to flatter people from hanging out with Kang Hyun? You used to be as stiff as a robot.”
He wasn’t just saying it. Kim Sang-guk, who once boasted a chiseled jaw and intense eyes, now had a gentler face.
But the sharpness still lurked within his gentleness.
“Are you getting a lot of calls these days?”
“Yes, ever since the meeting at the Seungjeongwon, not just the top 5 domestic companies but even the Blue House has been contacting us. It’s something I never experienced even when I was in the Strategic Planning Office, so it’s quite bewildering.”
“What does Hyun say to do?”
“He said to let things flow naturally. Honestly, I was surprised. Not only did he decline the investment delegation from Barbara Group, but he also rejected various investment proposals from the top 5 companies outright.”
Kim Sang-guk was shocked for a simple reason. Everyone knows how powerless people are in the face of money. But Kang Hyun was an exception.
He had flatly rejected massive investment proposals from both Barbara Group and the top 5 domestic companies. At that moment, Kang Hyun looked almost like a monk who had renounced worldly desires.
“Can I ask about the investment performance of VH Company? As you know, besides Chairman Yoo, I also have a stake in VH Company.”
“Just as the top 5 company heads were astonished at the Seungjeongwon, there have been visible results. Even I, who spent over ten years in the Strategic Planning Office, found it hard to believe, so others would probably think they saw a ghost. Especially President Son Il-sun called me separately to ask if I had coached Kang Hyun’s investment strategy.”
Which was absurd. If Kim Sang-guk had coached Kang Hyun’s investment strategy, he wouldn’t have been in the Strategic Planning Office but likely the head of a company.
Kim Sang-guk also found Kang Hyun’s investment strategy new every time. It was thrilling how everything fit together like a puzzle.
“I’m PD Kim Do-hyun. Please take care of me!”
The producer bowed excessively, making it impossible not to feel burdened.
Not only the camera director but also the producer followed Kang Hyun like bodyguards.
Luckily, there was no script, but the cameras were always watching Kang Hyun and Baek Jung-hun, as if they didn’t want to miss a single moment.
“Let’s do it again.”
The orchestra performing at the concert was the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
Though they were familiar with Kang Hyun, perhaps due to the broadcasting cameras, the members looked visibly tense. This only pushed them to work harder on the rehearsal.
At that moment, the fingertips cutting through the air on stage came together.
“Again.”
Catching wrong notes was the conductor’s job. Managing the members’ timing and breathing was the same. Before they knew it, both the conductor and the members were so immersed in the performance that they forgot the cameras were even there.
“Again.”
Mistakes showed up without fail. There could never be a perfect performance. But striving for the best was an unchanging rule.
Baek Jung-hun, sitting in the audience, also watched the stage with a tense face.
“Violin―!”
At that moment, Kang Hyun’s eyes met those of a member who kept missing notes.
The member was still young. Just by looking, it was clear he was a recent graduate of a music school. It was certain he had swept through domestic competitions to join the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
“Do you know where you went wrong?”
“I, I’m sorry.”
“The second violin, responsible for harmonies, keeps missing notes. You’re also following the concertmaster’s signal half a beat late.”
He looked like a strict teacher. The members were speechless at the sight of Kang Hyun.
It was no wonder, as even veteran members with over ten years of experience in the orchestra were amazed by Kang Hyun’s pinpoint accuracy.
If it were an ordinary conductor, they might not have even caught the mistakes of the recent violinist.
“Would it be alright if I demonstrated for a moment?”
“What?”
“Isn’t it better to see it once than to keep hearing theoretical explanations?”
Kang Hyun took the violinist’s instrument.
He quickly assumed a proper stance, placing the baton on the music stand.
The violin flowed onto his shoulder, and the bow touched the strings.
Kang Hyun flawlessly played a part of the symphony they had just performed, astonishingly in two versions.
“The first is the correct melody, and the second is the melody with the mistakes you made. Do you see the difference?”
The member nodded repeatedly like a mute with honey in his mouth. Those watching had eyes filled with awe and admiration. It was incredible how Kang Hyun could perfectly replicate the mistakes in passing.
At that moment, the broadcasting cameras captured every bit of the scene without missing a beat.
