The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 105

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“No good?”

When Rayden asked back, Mun Ah-rin answered sheepishly.

“I originally had almost no interest in the idol side of things. Actually, I was puzzled myself about why I participated in this competition. As far as I know, this kind of achievement-oriented stuff isn’t really something I… well, I don’t particularly like it…”

Mun Ah-rin trailed off.

The A&R team leader clicked his tongue and muttered.

“It happens quite often. People who look down on this industry. They think classical music is aristocratic culture while idol culture is just cheap entertainment or something.”

“Oh, no. That’s not what I meant.”

Mun Ah-rin hastily denied it, but it only looked like she was making excuses to protect her friend.

“But I was quite surprised this time. The song she originally prepared was really good too. She could have aimed for victory with just that song, but she suddenly changed songs during the live performance.”

Mun Ah-rin lowered her eyes then raised them again.

“If not for that, she wouldn’t have been eliminated. I don’t understand why Seol suddenly acted so impulsively either.”

Though she said she didn’t know, looking at the context, her intention was easy to infer.

The conference room atmosphere grew slightly heavy. The team leader let out a hollow laugh.

“Are you saying she did it on purpose?”

Rayden’s voice remained calm. Mun Ah-rin frantically waved her hands.

“Oh, no! That can’t be!”

Yet her subtle tone continued.

“It’s just, she’s not usually the type to act like that. I was a bit surprised, that’s all.”

Mun Ah-rin looked at Rayden with a slightly troubled expression.

Her eyes seemed to say, ‘I don’t want to upset you, but I should probably let you know anyway.’

“This is just my speculation, but, um, I think Seol never intended to win the competition from the start. That’s what I think. Otherwise, there’d be no reason to break the rules in the finals when elimination was obvious.”

The team leader nodded at her cautious tone.

“That makes sense. If she wanted to work with us, she wouldn’t have done something like that.”

In the team leader’s mind, Seol was already branded as a classical supremacist filled with prejudice to the bone.

“Hmm.”

Rayden leaned back in his chair and tapped the table with his fingers.

Neither smiling nor frowning. With an expressionless face that revealed nothing of his thoughts.

A brief silence passed.

To Mun Ah-rin, that time felt like an eternity. She tried hard to read any emotion from Rayden’s face, his eyes, his fingertips.

“Alright.”

He finally opened his mouth.

“Then forget it.”

He dismissed the entire situation with one phrase.

Only then did Mun Ah-rin exhale. She belatedly realized she had been tensing her entire body.

The team leader glanced at Rayden and continued speaking.

“Then we’ll proceed with just the grand prize winner, Ms. Mun Ah-rin…”

“Handle it yourself.”

Rayden waved dismissively as if annoyed.

“I showed my face, so that’s enough, right?”

“Hey, you always do this…!”

“I’ll be heading out first~.”

The chair legs scraped loudly against the floor. After getting up from his seat, he waved his hand without looking back.

“Good work, everyone.”

Rayden added one more comment while pulling up his hoodie.

“Well then, I’m off.”

Thud, thud.

His sneaker soles made dragging sounds against the conference room floor.

Click.

When the door closed, the team leader let out a deep sigh and offered an apology to Mun Ah-rin.

“Sorry about that. Our producer tends to be quite self-centered. Don’t take it too personally.”

“Oh, not at all. I’m just a student with no experience, so I’m grateful he even took time to see me.”

When Mun Ah-rin smiled gently, the team leader looked moved.

“You’re the first person to say something like that.”

“Haha. Really?”

“These days, young people are all busy asserting their rights. Especially composers are so sensitive. They complain about being disappointed, about poor treatment…”

The team leader clicked his tongue.

“There aren’t many people who understand like you do, Ah-rin.”

“I’m grateful just for this wonderful opportunity. There are so many people much more talented than me. It’s an honor.”

“Oh no, not at all. You were selected entirely based on skill. Our A&R team reviewed all of your songs. The internal response was quite positive too.”

“Really?”

When Mun Ah-rin smiled with pure innocence, the team leader’s voice became even softer.

“The company liked your songs, which is why we decided to work together, so don’t worry. And if you have any difficulties in the future, please feel free to talk to me. I’ll help you as much as I can.”

“Thank you, Team Leader.”

When she smiled with her eyes crinkling, the team leader looked completely touched.

Mun Ah-rin inwardly twisted up one corner of her mouth.

‘Too easy. All of it.’

***

[Korea University Proceeds with Joint Project with MM Entertainment]

Scrolling down, articles that seemed to be written by the university for promotional purposes began to appear.

-A university-industry cooperation project with MM Entertainment is scheduled to proceed, centered around a student who recently won the grand prize in the campus composition contest. Through this collaboration, MM Entertainment will broadly review demos from new and external composers to nurture and discover talent…

It was definitely about Mun Ah-rin. When I put down my phone for a moment, Nuri climbed onto the bed.

Meow~.

Before I knew it, she had settled in my arms and started kneading, so I gently petted her.

“Nice, right? Being home together.”

After the competition ended, summer vacation naturally followed.

There was no need to rush around working two jobs, and no need to stay up all night struggling with assignments.

Thanks to spending more time at home, Nuri’s satisfaction was soaring sky-high.

“You like it that much?”

Meow!

“Good girl.”

When I chuckled and scratched her neck, she even started purring.

As long as you’re happy, that’s enough.

I had also overworked my body because of the competition at the end, so all my strength was drained, and I had to lie at home recovering for a full week.

‘How long has it been since I rested like this?’

Before my regression, I was struggling to keep up with Mun Ah-rin’s busy schedule, and after regression, I had to move breathlessly to adapt to school life.

It felt like ages since I had taken such complete rest.

‘This isn’t bad either. Lounging around all day with a cat and resting.’

Just as I was enjoying such peaceful time.

Buzz-.

The phone rang. Checking the screen, it was Min Chan-hyeok.

“Hello?”

-What are you doing?

“I was resting.”

-I saw an article. Something about a kid from your school who won some competition working with MM Entertainment?

“How did you know?”

-How do I know? The whole industry is buzzing with rumors about it.

Of course the rumors would be buzzing. As if reading my inner thoughts, Min Chan-hyeok continued.

-Do you know how amazing this is? You know how MM Entertainment sources their songs, right? Internal lines, publishers, song camps.

“Yes.”

-Now there’s one more route added to that. School competitions! They’re trying to source rookie songs cheaply and quickly. They want freshness.

Well, that makes sense.

As I was nodding half-heartedly, Min Chan-hyeok pressed on as if frustrated.

-This is an opportunity for you too!

“For me?”

-Yes. For YULE! You’re a rookie too!

“…Would MM Entertainment accept my songs?”

-Why not. What reason would they have not to?

Min Chan-hyeok chuckled.

-Anyone with ears would know that now is when your price is at its lowest. Even now your track record is no joke. You haven’t had a single failure, and if you build just a little more experience from here? From now on, you’ll be able to name your price.

I thought he might be exaggerating, but Min Chan-hyeok’s voice was completely serious.

-Actually, I heard MM Entertainment has started collecting songs right now. They’re gathering them up in droves. Rookies, veterans, external, internal – they’re taking everything.

It seemed like a major project was about to begin.

“I see.”

Hearing this story, I was starting to salivate.

-What do you think. Not interested?

“How could I not be.”

The corners of my mouth lifted on their own. Without me realizing it.

I knew well from rumors what it meant to send A&R demo tracks to MM Entertainment.

It’s a place where hundreds of demo tracks pour in every day. Because everyone wants a contract with them.

99.9% of songs just rot in the A&R team’s inbox.

Truly hellish difficulty.

But that made it even more intriguing.

“This should be fun.”

My heart was pounding for the first time in a while.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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