Episode 178
- Office Theme Song (1)
Just as Ha Seomyeong had said, it wasn't long before an offer came into UA. The gist was that, since they were at it anyway, they'd like a group member of actor Kim Iwol—who was currently filming the drama—to record the OST that would begin playing from episode 6.
It was what I had wished for, but I had thought it was impossible. I had expected them to use at least a verified, established singer.
'But Jeong Seongbin properly blew up in the meantime.'
Thanks to his appearance on *Naega Jang*, Jeong Seongbin had his skills recognized even by so-called muggles. That had probably influenced this offer too.
The problem was how much Park Juu would step back from vocal activities.
'It was the same during the *Awangsil* vocal position battle, and if this turn goes to Jeong Seongbin too, Park Juu would end up missing out on opportunities three times despite being a fellow main vocal.'
I agree that opportunities should go to those with ability. I also know that opportunities don't come fairly to everyone.
But the question of, "Is it okay to give Park Juu an opportunity earned by Jeong Seongbin's ability?" was a different matter.
'That kid is already giving up on so many things.......'
I'd given Choi Jeho, Gang Giyeon, Lee Cheonghyeon, and Jeong Seongbin plenty of opportunities to shine.
But I hadn't been able to do the same for Park Juu. Because the situation wasn't favorable, because the flow of things turned out that way, because it just happened.
So after hearing about the offer from Ha Seomyeong, I had been camping out in the UA office.
And the moment a related call came in, I begged, "Let me talk to the kids about this first! Please, whatever you do, don't gather them together and announce it!"
So I booked a conference room, prepared two packs of milk, and even secretly summoned Park Juu without Jeong Seongbin knowing—thereby setting the stage for a conversation.
"......Is something wrong?"
Park Juu asked, holding the milk pack with both hands. He looked incredibly uneasy.
"It's not like that. There's just something I want to talk to you about."
I stuck a straw in the milk pack and took a sip. Even so, my throat was parched.
"Juwoo, I'm asking because I'm honestly curious."
"Yeah."
"I ended up going out for the position battle during *Awangsil*, remember? Weren't you disappointed about that back then?"
He was quiet by nature, but Park Juu wasn't the type to watch others' moods too much. Face to face, he was probably similar to Gang Giyeon, or even more sincere. In that regard, it was best to be blunt with him.
Sure enough, Park Juu answered plainly.
"I wasn't."
"Really?"
"I was disappointed that I couldn't join in singing 'New World'...... but I wasn't disappointed about not going out as Spark's representative."
As he spoke, Park Juu slowly tore open the wrapper of the enclosed straw.
"Then when Seongbin got to go on *Naega Jang*?"
"It was the same then."
Park Juu smiled slightly. It was a smile of relief, realizing that this wasn't a place to interrogate him.
'I wish he'd feel at least some pressure here.......'
How do I send this softie out into the harsh idol world?
"The drama I'm filming... *In My Office* sent a proposal to UA for OST participation."
Park Juu didn't show much of a reaction. He just slowly stuck the straw into the pack.
"It's a typical ballad. Since I'm an idol, the offer came to Spark, and I think they probably made the proposal with Seongbin in mind."
"Probably. Because *Naega Jang* was a hot topic."
"I think this job should go to Seongbin as the first priority. But if you feel this is unfair as a fellow main vocal, I think we have to take that into account too."
At my words, Park Juu swayed his body slightly from side to side. Then he closed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought, and when he opened them, he stared blankly as if thinking about something.
In my days as a bystander fan, I would have thought that attitude had nothing to do with concentration, but now I know. It's Park Juu's way of sorting out his thoughts.
As expected, Park Juu soon nodded.
"Hm...... I'm done sorting it out."
"Yeah, take your time and tell me."
Park Juu took a sip of milk and spoke.
"First, I think it's right for Seongbin to take the OST. If hyung thought of Seongbin as the first priority, there must be a reason."
"No, you don't have to consider my perspective so much......"
"To me, hyung's thoughts are also a standard for judgment."
Park Juu was quiet but firm. He wasn't one to assert himself often, but he always said what he meant clearly. That was just like him.
"......I don't feel it's unfair either. If an opportunity that suits me well comes up, then my turn will come."
"You trust me that much?"
"It's not so much trust...... but because you promised."
Park Juu gazed somewhere on the desk. His fingertips tapped the pack rhythmically.
"Hyung kept everything he said. You kept the debut concept, and you performed first-place stages on *Awangsil* several times."
Park Juu's gaze turned back to me. There was a smile at the end of his unwavering eyes.
"So I'm waiting for my turn. Until the day we do a band together, and sing powerful songs."
"......"
"I can wait until then. It's not that I have no ambition or can't show ambition...... so don't worry."
"Oh, goodness."
Seeing Park Juu slurping his milk, a sigh escaped me naturally.
To think I'd have to keep entrusting killer high notes to this tiny little guy in the future too; I couldn't lift my head from guilt.
As I was sighing inwardly for about the thousandth time, Park Juu spoke.
"But more than that, hyung is naeronambul."
"What?"
"You don't know......? 'If I do it, it's romance.'"
"Hey, who told an idol to say stuff like that!"
Park Juu, looking at me flustered, produced a new word after deep thought.
"Then...... hm...... Hyung is naeyangnamho."
"What does that mean?"
"'If I do it, it's yielding; if someone else does it, it's acting like a chump.'"
"Who? Who used such a vulgar word like 'acting like a chump' in the dorm?"
"Jeho-hyung."
"Don't come to our room for a while. You'll only learn more weird stuff."
It was a headache. What should I use to shut Choi Jeho's mouth? Should I tape it all up with breathable waterproof bandages or something?
Park Juu, looking at me huffing, spoke.
"Hyung, you were worried about me having no individual schedule, right?"
"Huh?"
"......When hyung actually hates standing out."
I had somewhat expected that Park Juu would guess. Because he and I have similar parts. In terms of personality.
"Because if I can step up for the team, I have to step up."
"Right."
Park Juu murmured.
"Right......"
And he repeated the same words. Deliberately.
I shook the two milk packs to check if anything was left.
After picking up even the plastic trash and trying to leave the conference room, Park Juu called me to a halt from behind.
"Hyung."
"Yeah, what?"
"I really remember promises."
The corners of Park Juu's lips were slightly but distinctly turned up. It was a gentle smile.
"So don't forget."
And so, it was decided that the latter-half OST of my drama would be sung by Jeong Seongbin.
***
Filming a drama took far, far more time than I had thought. There were times when I wondered, 'Are we really filming all this in one day?' and other times when it dragged on forever.
Today was the latter. The waiting seemed endless, perhaps because the rooftop scene filming for the two lead actors just wouldn't end.
During lunch, you see people on building rooftops just smoking all the time. It seems My Asset Management's rooftop is a non-smoking area.
'After this is the scene where the Team Leader throws a huge tantrum and storms out.'
There was no peaceful day at either Hanpyeong Industries or My Asset Management. Right, it'd be disappointing if UA weren't mixed in here too.
No. Idle thoughts while working are forbidden. Focus, focus.
The current situation is this.
In the middle of a severe clash of opinions between the Team Leader and the Assistant Manager, Team Leader Ji said, "Assistant Manager Seon, follow me right now!" and went to the rooftop.
What action should the team members take until the two return?
'What else? Block your eyes and ears and pretend to work.'
I pulled up a virtual company's disclosure documents made for filming on one side of the monitor. It was one of the images I had been told in advance to keep on screen during work scenes.
But this.......
'They made this better than I thought?'
The numbers on the statement of financial position matched up perfectly, as if it hadn't been made sloppily. The income statement was the same.
At this level, market cap is a given, and I could even draw a few graphs.
'It's a dual monitor, so if I split each roughly in half and put up disclosure documents, web spreadsheets, news images, and KOSPI images—four screens total—then.......'
A screen layout that even a furious boss would see as an employee working hard—complete! I was sincerely proud.
I was drawing graphs with functions for the first time in a while when a corner of the set became noisy. It seemed the two leads had finished their rooftop filming and come down.
"We'll go into the office cut in 10 minutes!"
The assistant director shouted. It was time to once again put on the act of a dead-eyed office worker.