Top Management

“Sunwoo, come here for a sec!”

“Sunwoo, how long has it been? Why aren’t you on TV anymore?”

“Do you remember Junbeom? The youngest son from the Ulsan uncle’s family. He’s a fan of Neptune. Hey Junbeom, ask your older brother for an autograph from Neptune.”

I’m not sure if I’m at a relative’s wedding or my own.

It seems there are more people looking for me than for the bride and groom.

How many times was I stopped just while trying to fill my plate at the buffet.

“Hey, Sunwoo!”

“Hello, Uncle.”

So, the third cousin of my grandfather’s brother... anyway, a relative elder I’ve always addressed as Uncle. His face was flushed, perhaps from a drink, as he gathered other elders with a gesture.

“This is Sunwoo, our nephew. You know him, right?”

“Of course, of course, he’s on TV too. Oh, he is so handsome.”

“Is he married?”

“Not yet…”

Before I could finish my response, Uncle’s eyes narrowed.

“No matter how busy you are, it’s late already. In the old days, you’d have two kids by your age. If you delay any longer, all the good women will be married. How about I set you up? My friend’s daughter is available…”

Barely resisting the persuasion to meet her, I sat down at an empty seat. It was a corner table where my cousins were gathered. I set down my battered plate and took a shot of cold water first, making my cousin brother chuckle.

“We’ve all been caught once or twice. What did they say to you? But do they even have anything to nag about? You’re the pride of the Jeong family these days.”

“They told me to get married.”

“Ah, can’t avoid that.”

Roars of laughter followed.

“Oh, the twins got caught.”

I turned around while putting a beef rib in my mouth. The twins had been grabbed by Uncle. Soon, the kids with sour faces ran towards us.

“They left Winter alone, the other three came.”

My cousin sister clicked her tongue.

“Did they say anything to you?”

“The same old lecture. You must study hard; your dad would have been someone big if it weren’t for you kids. He gave up his career for making money because of you... What is this, the Joseon era?”

Summer grumbled.

“Why did you leave Winter alone?”

“She asked Grandpa for allowance if he was going to lecture.”

The bustling chopsticks halted.

Someone actually said that?

As everyone looked at Summer with that expression, Winter, who had just escaped from Grandpa, approached, waving a fifty thousand won note like a trophy. The twins’ eyes widened.

“What, you actually got the allowance? Fifty thousand won?”

“No, one hundred and fifty thousand.”

There were actually three fifty thousand won notes.

“I told him I’d study better than dad and become a prosecutor, so he gave it to me.”

The rest of the twins set down their chopsticks and stood up.

“I’m going to be president.”

“Me too.”

“Me too.”

The kids swarmed out. Watching their backs, my cousin sister muttered, “I really can’t keep up with these kids nowadays. Right, Sunwoo, didn’t you take uncle and auntie for a round at the department store last time? Even with the twins?”

Meaningful glances poured my way.

“Oh, I heard, I heard. The rumor has spread to every house.”

“You have no idea how much mom nagged me because of that.”

“Seriously, if you’re going to do such an event, you should at least create a group chat to give us a heads-up. Then we could also buy a bouquet or something as a face-saving measure. I’m always being compared to you.”

Each cousin had their say until my cousin brother whispered.

“Are you going to be more famous?”

“What?”

“Are you appearing on any reality shows? Like being a judge on a survival program?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you’re planning to become a real celebrity, please let us know in advance. I need to clean up my past embarrassments if I’m aware that I’m a relative of a celebrity.”

“Ah, right, this is important.”

My cousin sister chimed in.

“If anyone else is going to become a celebrity or a politician, give us a heads-up. I have a lot to lose.”

“Like there’s anyone among us who’s going to do that. I still can’t believe Sunwoo has become this famous. I still get surprised every time I hear his name outside.”

“Hey, Sunwoo. But about that Jeong Sunwoo list,”

“It’s just a rumor.”

Now it was almost automatic. Press a button and the response pops out.

That damn Jeong Sunwoo list didn’t seem to be dying down. It was now reaching beyond the online realm

.

The cousins at the table started to worry on my behalf.

“Is it really just a rumor? There are so many kids online saying they’ll go watch 'Hong Gil-dong' because they trust you. What if they go and it’s not fun?”

“Everyone would come blaming Sunwoo then?”

“How is that his fault? It’s the fault of those who didn’t believe him.”

“People aren’t always rational, you know. What do we do about this? Should I post a clarification on SNS? I’m Jeong Sunwoo’s cousin, and that Jeong Sunwoo list is all rumors?”

“Don’t show off, just shut up. I’ve never seen anyone come out as a celebrity’s relative on SNS and end up looking good.”

“That’s true. Better keep quiet.”

Listening to my cousin sister, my cousin brother thumped my back.

“Sorry I can’t help, man.”

“Just staying quiet is helping.”

“Yeah. I’ll try to help as much as that way.”

I picked up a piece of octopus sashimi, lost my appetite, and just put it down.

Again, CEO Baek Hansung’s words came to mind.

Am I really that mentally strong?

“…”

Lost in thought, my phone vibrated.

It was Itaehui.

“Hey, Taehui.”

-You’re not at the office right now. Busy… ah, ah, it’s the weekend. That’s why there’s no one at the company. Sorry to bother you while you’re resting.

“It’s okay. What’s up?”

-That’s over.

Could it be.

“That?”

-The carol.

I immediately stood up from my seat.

It was a rare feeling.

Like finding a sparkling thread in a dark place.

Following that thread seemed to lead to something incredible.

“Wait. I’m coming right now.”

Itaehui was in the company’s producing room.

She had been living there.

Blankets, pillows, and other household items were strewn about, and on the other side, beer, makgeolli, and cans of energy drinks were scattered around, clearly showing that she had been holed up here for more than a day or two.

“Have you been sleeping here recently?”

“No, I’ve been sleeping in the sleep room. The mattresses there are good.”

Good indeed.

But that’s not the point.

“How long have you been doing this?”

“At the dorm, I could feel the younger ones constantly fretting over me. If it gets worse, I might just start tiptoeing around. I find it easier to be at the office. Besides, when he visits, I can focus and get as much done as possible.”

“...He?”

Ah, did you say last time that a deity briefly visited?

“Is he still here?”

“Yes. He's right here now, around this area?”

Itaehui pointed near her right shoulder.

Of course, there was nothing there.

She doesn't seem to be in her right mind.

Brushing off the blanket, I sat down in an empty chair and said,

“...It's not a job you can finish in a day or two, so take care of your health and manage your stress. Don’t just hang around like a ghost tied to this place. We have enough company ghosts with Director Kim Hyunjo.”

“I'm not that bad. I manage my condition with these.”

Itaehui confidently opened the mini fridge.

Half of it was filled with alcohol, and the other half with ginseng roots, fruit juices, and high-protein health drinks. She took out a beer and a ginseng root, handing the ginseng to me.

“I’ve been managing my stress by smashing phones, but today I lost two hundred billion in a single go... Shall we listen to the track?”

Itaehui popped open the beer can, changing the topic.

Soon, music started playing.

The track was lively and exhilarating. The rich brass section and the catchy chorus instantly transformed the stark production room into a space filled with the romanticism of Christmas.

I suddenly craved hot chocolate.

Snowfall, snowfall...

“When did you record the guide track?”

“Inspired late at night, I just tried something. If it's finalized, the lyrics will be reworked with the others. Oh, the track’s title is 'Snowfall'.”

“You’ve already decided on the title?”

“While working, it just came to me.”

Humming along to the melody, before I knew it, the song had ended.

I spoke calmly.

“I didn’t expect it to be completed so quickly. I hope it hasn’t been a distraction from Neptune’s album work?”

“No, the melody came out right on the day. He must really like Christmas... Anyway, we’ve been focusing on the title track and occasionally working on this when we could. It’s been really fun, you know?”

“Is it?”

“It feels like goofing off while studying for a big exam.”

I rubbed my ear as we talked, unaware.

The melody seemed to linger as if stuck to me.

*

As soon as Monday came, I went straight to see the manager at World Art Pictures.

It was fortunate that this was before the release of 'Hong Gil-dong'. Afterward, the mood at World Art Pictures, and the manager’s, would likely turn sour.

But for now, it was still tolerable.

“Please, come this way, manager.”

“Thank you.”

“What would you like to drink? We have coffee, tea, juice, all kinds. If we don’t have what you like, I can go out and buy it.”

The manager was exceedingly polite.

He seemed to have quite a few things pricking his conscience.

“Our staff has mentioned Mr. Seo Seo-jeong several times while conducting SNS marketing. I’ve made sure to clarify that those rumors are false, directly to you, so there should be no issues moving forward.”

“Mistakes happen when you’re hard at work. That’s fine. How are you doing, sir?”

I greeted him warmly, and his complexion noticeably brightened.

“Well, even if the world ends tomorrow, we should still plant apple trees today.”

The fate of 'Hong Gil-dong' seemed to have already been sealed.

It was doubtful he could remain calm if it bombed spectacularly.

“Today’s meeting isn’t about the rumor. I have a personal request for you.”

“Yes, please tell me. If it’s a request from Manager Seo, we’ll do our best to accommodate.”

“About 'Let It Snow', the upcoming winter release.”

He blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected topic.

“This one?”

He pulled out a neatly folded note from his wallet.

It was a list of foreign films likely to succeed domestically that I had personally written down in Cannes.

“Actually, my staff has been quite abuzz about it. It's not just anyone but Manager Seo who ranked this film number one on the list, and the list includes several blockbusters, even an outworld series with a production budget exceeding 300 million dollars.”

As he continued, his tired eyes began to sparkle.

“I meant it as a bit of fun, but it caused quite a stir for a while, especially among the investment and import team. But why suddenly 'Let It Snow'?”

“Is the soundtrack work completed for that film?”

“The soundtrack?”

“Yes. If it’s still in progress, I’d like to send a track, as it might be quicker to go through a familiar distributor than for us to contact them out of the blue.”

I took out a USB containing Itaehui’s track.

A moment later.

With earphones on, the manager started nodding his head, soon to be humming the chorus, just as I was doing.

“This is good. Feels like Christmas already.”

“Itaehui from Neptune,”

“Yes, Ms. Itaehui.”

“She composed it herself. Thought it would fit well with 'Let It Snow'.”

The manager removed his earphones and looked at me intently.

“You must really think 'Let It Snow' will do well, seeing you go to these lengths. It reminds me of the time with 'City Jungle'.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It was not the same with 'Hong Gil-dong'.”

“…”

“I hope 'Let It Snow' will be a hit.”

He adjusted his glasses and smiled.

“So, Neptune will perform this song?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll send the track and see how the studio reacts. If things don’t work out with them, maybe we could collaborate domestically.”

“That sounds great. I appreciate your help.”

“Yes, I’ll look into it as soon as possible. Oh, but... this isn’t really it?”

“What?”

“Seo Seo-jeong’s list.”

He chuckled, looking down at the memo in his hand.

“In a way, this is also Seo Seo-jeong’s list, right?”

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