"You have no idea how long I've waited for you!"
Hugo had almost unwittingly rubbed his throbbing temple. That eccentric Grant had gotten fixated again.
"Ah, really me?"
Because he was staring fixedly at the woman who had just entered with a gaze filled with a very strange fervor.
Not knowing Eastern etiquette was one thing, but such an overt stare would make anyone feel awkward, so Hugo cursed Grant inwardly dozens of times.
"I've also been looking forward to today's meeting very much. Let me introduce myself properly. I'm I Do-hui of Devonear."
But what came back was the woman's eye-smile, brighter than a fluorescent light, as if she were used to such encounters. Perhaps it was the professionalism of someone who worked with the public.
"You may proceed now."
And the other party's president smiled a strange smile and nodded. Hugo came to his senses at that smile.
"Yes, I'm pleased to meet the artists like this."
Right, the appearance of artists with looks that could captivate the world regardless of East or West had certainly been enough to shake him momentarily, but in any case, the contract clauses, now with only the final stage remaining, would not see any major changes.
"Then I will explain again in detail our adjusted clauses and future vision."
Hugo reminded himself of that and calmly looked only at the documents.
"We at Warner Records prioritize reliability and fairness above all so that your talents and efforts can be evaluated justly—"
Not because he was particularly too embarrassed to face the members! Because staring fixedly like that old geezer Grant would be an enormous discourtesy.
"Don't do that."
But Hugo couldn't finish his sentence.
"Shall we set aside the boring talk for a moment?"
Grant's senility had finally pushed aside the documents he had been looking at without warning.
"Do-hui, I heard that you planned and produced this album yourself."
Again, again, he seemed unable to contain that strange fervor.
"I want to talk about such things first. Wouldn't that take priority in our vision?"
They could have had a Q&A session after the contract. But since Grant had already blurted it out, there was nothing Hugo could do.
"Ah, that's right. Have you perhaps listened to our album?"
"Of course. An album that sings emotions matched to dates! It was an album of such excellent and elegant quality!"
Despite how he looked, Grant was Warner Records' long-time CEO. He was someone whose authority could not be lightly disregarded at the negotiation table.
"Actually, I learned about it through an issue that was quite heated in Korea recently, but it was very interesting. Was it perhaps a matter of differing opinions between a music critic and a YouTuber who does producing regarding the album's interpretation?"
Eventually, Grant's questions toward Do-hui naturally shifted the atmosphere of this negotiation over there, into a conversation between the two of them.
"Of course, I also agree with the YouTuber's opinion! But I wanted to meet the producer of this excellent album today and ask directly. Do-hui, is that interpretation of the album correct?"
"Ah, ah... well."
And the member named Do-hui was twisting her body around, apparently very flustered.
"Should I say it's roughly correct? Actually, it is, right? Not one hundred percent, but hehehe."
Ah, so she likes it.
"As expected!"
Moreover, caught up in that fresh smile, Grant's lips also loosened into a soppy grin.
"My coming all the way here was worthwhile!"
This senile old man seemed to have forgotten that until just now, he had been putting on airs claiming he had stopped by on a business trip to Korea.
"Good. Very good!"
But all Hugo could do was curse Grant inwardly as he ruined the contract moment by moment. The two's Q&A had no choice but to continue.
"Then, do you perhaps have a concept plan for the next album? Ah! Of course, if it's confidential, you don't have to reveal it."
"Uh, nothing has been exactly laid out yet, but..."
While everyone was looking at Do-hui, Do-hui looked at the director beside her.
[You can talk about it if you have one. They won't leak it.]
She seemed to receive some kind of permission.
"That makes sense. Actually, if the flow from our debut album to this album was ultimately a series expressing what kind of group Devonear is, then the completion of this series would, regardless of all outside attention, ultimately be what song Devonear wants to do. Or more simply, I think it might be the song I want to do."
"The music Devonear wants to do! Just hearing that makes me really look forward to it. Then what about the genre?! What genre will it be!"
"Hm... I don't know either? It could be punk, disco, or electronic house, or R&B, or really classical, couldn't it?"
I Do-hui evaded the answer this time.
"Well, whichever it is..."
The unclear tail end of her words somehow sounded like a declaration that no genre was impossible and she was confident in all of them.
"Okay! Actually, if I were to contract with Devonear, I really wanted to push this album very hard."
Grant, gauging the reaction a bit more, picked up his pen and finally shouted as if making a declaration.
"But promoting this album's storyline perfectly will absolutely not be easy. This album's emotion was most intense on the release day, and if Devonear were positioned as the top artist in North America, the whole world would have paid attention to this album's perfection, but as things stand with current North American recognition, only each individual single is being prioritized."
Grant's hand gripping the pen doodled wildly on the documents in fancy cursive as if organizing his thoughts.
"That's how it originally is. In terms of mass appeal, a whole album cannot be prioritized over a single."
The contract documents were being ruthlessly bent.
"Nevertheless, I believe very much in this album and also in the quality of each individual track. If we proceed with promotion from now on and appear on radio and talk shows, I expect that breaking into the Billboard 100 will be an extremely easy matter."
Hugo ultimately couldn't hold back and abruptly cut in, tapping Grant's side and giving him a hint.
"Actually, I already see that level of momentum, and this is something I've already intuited through conversations with many producers."
There was no hesitation in Grant's hand gestures until the very end.
"This is a common tactic in these parts. Emphasizing the other party's positional weakness to gain the upper hand. Surely that's the attitude of a businessman."
He turned sharply.
"But before being a corporation, I love the purity of music. Being captivated by excellent artists is unavoidable. Right now, as a pure fan of music, I am showing the utmost respect that I can show."
He set down the pen tip.
"I believe this album making it onto the Billboard charts only remains to serve as the flint that ignites the spark. Our production can help with that very easily."
He patted his own shoulder and laughed it off entirely.
"This album is... yes, if a K-POP artist gains recognition on the level of Coral Blue, I assert that this album will certainly be remembered as a masterpiece."
And Grant turned the documents to show the members' side.
"But I want to make one proposal. Do you think merely entering the Billboard 100 is so important?"
On the contract that had now become scrap paper, only cursive doodles like scribbles filled the page, but a single word was visible.
"Don't you have any desire to aim for a Grammy? I know there hasn't yet been a singer who received a Grammy in K-POP. Even NND, which hit Billboard number one countless times, was only nominated but didn't win a Grammy, right? Of course, I don't dare belittle the nomination since it is also an enormous honor."
Grammy Awards.
"However, I have come to evaluate your musicality, including your mass appeal shown in this album, very highly. That should be advantageous to the essence of the Grammys, which values musicality above mass appeal."
Grant stared fixedly at I Do-hui.
"The most glorious Grammy main awards. Yes, I'm talking about the grand prizes. Do you have any intention of aiming for one of them, the Best New Artist award?"
I Do-hui was making a bitter smile, but her answer was surreptitiously full of spirit.
"Our goal was Billboard number one in the first place..."
Grant soon withdrew his observing gaze and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, very well! This is what I think. Let's leave this album to flow as it is. Talk shows in North America? Don't do them. Radio promotion alone should be enough to rise onto the Billboard 100. Although since it's not the easy-listening genre, going higher might be difficult, but the fandom will definitely expand."
He even stamped his feet.
"Instead, with the next album, it's Billboard 100 from the start. The emergence of a notable newcomer. That will be enough if the fandom is ready and we have our support. Of course, you'll have to appear on North American TV programs as well. Though I leave that choice to the top artists here."
He was really speaking impromptu.
"However, what I expect is music, the album. Please do the music you really want to do on the next album. And I hope you'll release a full-length album next year too. K-POP groups usually release a full-length album in their third year anyway, right? Yes. The first full-length album next year exactly. With that album, the Grammy. Wonderful."
* * *
On the way out of the office building after finishing the contract.
"What are you so happy about? The contract is completely ruined."
Hugo glared at Grant, who had returned after somehow having another one-on-one with Do-hui.
He wanted to spit on that grinning face.
"What are you talking about? It went according to the contract I'd planned."
That shamelessness was absurd.
"You were thinking I'd unnecessarily raised the ratio."
"Of course. No matter how favorably you look at it, does a ratio adjustment that far exceeds the current scale make any sense?"
What came back was Grant clicking his tongue.
"But we extended the period by one year."
"Only one year."
"We're entrepreneurs, but we're a record company. To survive in the industry, we need to exchange opinions directly with producers who love music."
Grant, all traces of laughter gone, spoke up at once.
"It's a conclusion I reached after synthesizing their opinions. That additional year we extended at the end will bring in profits far exceeding the existing projections. Moreover, won't the impression we've planted now persist until the recontracting?"
"Aren't there many times when such inferences are wrong? That's why stability is the virtue of management."
His voice was deliberately gentle, but it had force.
"Of course, when you open the lid, many turn out to be empty inside. But it didn't seem like it would be much of a loss, did it?"
Truthfully, Hugo only had a grudge against Grant for turning the contract he had led perfectly into foam, and since he had been won over by the short meeting, he couldn't flat-out deny it.
"Sigh, very well. So what else did you talk about during that one-on-one at the end?"
"Nothing much. The existing main Grammy categories were four. Record, Album, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist."
A hint of anticipation flashed across Grant's face.
"There are the newly added songwriter and producer awards. I just subtly pressured her by saying wouldn't it be quite interesting if a nineteen-year-old girl ended up receiving them."
* * *
"What did you talk about at the end?"
"Dunno, he called me a genius."