Chapter 227

[Whats going on?]

As soon as he arrived at the office, KangYoon asked President Kojima, who had a dark expression .

He made a puzzled expression before explaining .

[The JAN expressed an objection . Their reason was that no rookie enka singers made their debut from last Winter to this Summer . They said that they, as seniors, werent able to help their juniors, so they said that it was unacceptable for an artist of another country to take that opportunity away . ]

[JAN? The j.a.panese a.s.sociation for Enka, huh? What do they think the current era is to be so nationalistic?]

KangYoon did not understand .

There had been instances of individual celebrities expressing their dislike towards Korean artists and culture or foreign singers in general .

However, an organization objecting to an individual singers stage like this was unacceptable .

Moreover, they werent upfront about it, but discreet .

He was worried that he didnt have any power, but KangYoon looked at the situation rationally .

[I believe that its too risky for the a.s.sociation to make movements like that . I think that theres someone thats making a profit by doing this . ]

[I believe so as well . We practically had everything planned a.s.suming that Todays Enka went as planned . I was sure that the enka industry would thirst for new talent, whether from the country or outside the country . But now theyve gone and done this]

Although this was an unpredicted situation, KangYoon calmly thought of solutions .

[So we have two options now . One is to delay the debut to Autumn or to change stages . I think that the risks will get bigger if we delay the alb.u.m . Moreover, wed be giving them the impression that were weak against pressure . At times like these, we wont be able to do anything by giving in to their whims . I think we need to be stronger . ]

KangYoon strongly voiced his opinion, but President Kojima disagreed .

[President KangYoon . I think its the opposite . In the enka industry, or heck it, the music industry in general, you cant ignore JANs power . Most of the people that belong to them are seniors of the current artists . They may act against us on an organizational scale . Moreover, enka artists that do not join the JAN will have a tough time contracting music distributors . If we go against them this time, we might be stamped as rebels and be kicked out of the industry altogether]

However, KangYoon put his hands on President Kojimas shoulders and persuaded him .

[They cant be upfront about anything . At best, all they can do is to have someone block our path . At most, they will prevent us from contracting music distributors that they have their hands on . ]

[Thats whats scary about this . Where can you find something that is not influenced by them? President, rather than going against them, why dont we try to please them? The state that the JAN is in right now also angers me but what can I do about it? We dont have any power . ]

President Kojima gave a practical reason .

Going against the currently-formed order would be an arduous and painful process . It was also a trait of the j.a.panese people conforming to their traditional culture .

However, KangYoon shook his head and gave his opinion .

[I believe that distributors of enka alb.u.ms and distributors of idol alb.u.ms do not intrude on each others areas . ]

[Thats indeed the case but no wait, are you?]

His eyes widened .

Break the norms of the industry .

Understanding KangYoons intentions, he widened his eyes .

[W, wait right there . This is dangerous . Letting an idol alb.u.m distributor take care of distributing enka? We cant damage a whole other industry just because we made losses]

[Businessmen are supposed to take into account what makes money and what doesnt . ]

What did he mean?

The words were rather sudden, but President Kojima listened to KangYoons words .

[Well use Yuris skills, and our promotion and have them come to us . The enka distributors wont approach us because they have to follow JANs wishes, but the other companies will . ]

[Hah]

President Kojima looked dejected .

KangYoons strategies were all dangerous . However, each step of his plans had the power to break the norms .

Is there no other way?

Above all, President Kojima wasnt able to come up with something better .

Not give into JANs pressure and break the customs?

KangYoons daringness moved President Kojimas heart .

[Lets try then . Ha, ha a rollercoaster of events like this is a first for me . ]

KangYoon shook hands with President Kojima, who was willing to follow his plan .

[Lets make the alb.u.m succeed . ]

[You dont say . ]

KangYoon then discussed recording the music video .

In MoonHee was in good condition, and he sighed in relief after hearing that the music video team wasnt JANs influence .

After distributing work to both of their companies, KangYoon left the office .

President Kojima muttered to himself after seeing KangYoon leave .

Its like a storm has just swept past .

Energy drained from his body as he expected a harsh journey .

***

JAN, or j.a.panese a.s.sociation for Enka, was located in one of the buildings near Tokyo Tower, a famous landmark in Tokyo .

It was in an excellent location where the Tokyo Tower could be viewed to its fullest .

In the chairmans office in the trendy building, hearty laughter could be heard .

[Hahaha . Tell the branch president that I said thanks . Yes, yes . Of course . No matter how good they are in Korea, they dont have any power here . Hahaha . ]

The body of the man with the hearty laughter was as hearty as his voice .

He told the other party several times not to worry before finis.h.i.+ng the call .

[Richard hes a perfect man, but sometimes hes a bit stifling . Why does he want us to use a knife for a cow to kill a chicken? He wants us the JAN to move because of a random rookie from Korea? Well, Im okay since Im getting an investment for my next alb.u.m . ]

After mocking the caller just now, JANs chairman, Haruki Subaru, stretched his arms out with a refreshed smile .

Although he was the chairman of the a.s.sociation, he didnt do any work .

If there were any work, it would be the pivot of all the other enka singers using the fact that he was their senior artist .

He picked up his phone to call his company .

[Call me as soon as you get the money from Ericton . I will definitely make this alb.u.m succeed . ]

Speaking with confidence in his company, he straightened his shoulders .

***

After the rearrangement was done, Park SoYoung sent the song to KangYoon .

Im free!

The feeling of liberation after work was incomparable to anything else .

She stuffed her luggage inside a bag and headed for the door .

But then, her phone started vibrating .

Sorry, I dont think the part connecting to the first verse from the intro sounds natural . Ill send it back to you after marking it on the score . Please change it .

As she spent two days and two nights without rest working on the song, this message was like a thunderbolt .

She wanted to rest just a little, but the spartan KangYoon made her teary-faced .

Uaahhn .

Meanwhile, HeeYoon also received a similar thunderbolt message not long after she sent her rearranged song .

The first verse is too small for a song that doesnt even have an intro . Please give it more impact .

Oppaaaaaa!

She sent the song after working on it to the best of her abilities!

In the end, sleep wasnt happening .

HeeYoon would usually obey every word from her brother, but today she had a different idea .

Should I turn off my phone?

However, it only lasted a brief moment .

She sat back down and immediately started worki

Hyuuuuuuung!

HeeYoon sighed after hearing the mans shout that pierced through the soundproofed walls .

So he got rejected too huh haah

This alb.u.m was a rollercoaster in many ways .

***

24 hours a day was insufficient for KangYoon .

He finished rearranging his song in merely a day before falling asleep, waking up 4 hours later .

After that, he started working on distributing the alb.u.m by going to places around Tokyo and Narita .

Looking at his style of work, Producer Tsukasa became worried .

[Im glad that youre working hard, but youll break your body at this rate . ]

Hearing that on his visit to the company to get a car key, KangYoon smiled and shook his head .

[Im fine . ]

[Youre going to a TV station as soon as you find a distributor? You can have some leisure, you know . ]

She spoke softly, but KangYoon left the office after getting the key, saying that he was alright .

Thanks to KangYoon and President Kojima personally doing the work, they could find a distributor for the music .

Although it was a small distributor, they decided on accepting the offer after listening to In MoonHees music .

Incredible! Ill sign it immediately .

This was a gamble for them as well .

However, they decided after thinking that they would see big profits with music like this .

The people of A-Trust and President Kojima looked into In MoonHees potential debut stage by visiting various TV stations while KangYoon signed a contract with a distributor .

However, it wasnt easy .

Not to mention programs where enka singers appeared in, even standard singing programs had some form of influence from the JAN . As the singers had complicated relations.h.i.+ps with the hierarchy of seniors and juniors, the TV stations could only try to appease them .

The song is perfect though

Most music producers did not permit Yuris debut stage even after expressing that they liked the song .

I want to do a showcase, but it wouldnt be effective now that everyone knows about us . The JANs influence is larger than I thought if they can pressure the TV stations using their connections

After getting a call that even their last hope, NPI, was no good, KangYoon buried his face on the wheel .

A place free from the influence of singers . A free palace . . haah .

Feeling frustrated, KangYoon parked the car and turned on his DMB .

While browsing through the channels, KangYoons hand stopped in a channel t.i.tled YAMESE .

Whats this?

On his phone, a TV show where a female celebrity was splitting watermelons using bamboo practice swords wearing bikinis .

This is an entertainment-focused channel, isnt it? And wait a minute this is rated 12?

The show had so much stimulative content, but it wasnt cla.s.sified as an adult only due to the different standards of rules here .

KangYoon leaked a laugh while watching the j.a.panese TV show that had several s.e.xual jokes in it .

This TV station focuses on shows like these . The entertainers that show up are diverse, but they dont have any relations.h.i.+p with the singers wait .

At that moment, a light bulb switched on inside KangYoons head .

They arent related to the singers? Entertainment shows can host any type of shows . If thats the case

KangYoon started up his car and drove towards Yamese TV station .

On his way, he called up A-Trust and asked them to schedule a meeting with a producer who had the slightest relation to music .

Hell be waiting for you on the 11th floor .

[Thank you . ]

[What?]

KangYoon was confused, but President Kojima didnt elaborate, saying that hed find out once he got there .

Arriving at Yamese TV, KangYoon took the elevator to the 11th floor .

When he arrived at the place where they had to tag their IDs, he saw someone unexpected waiting there .

Haelloo . Thankkkks for comin .

He greeted KangYoon with an awkward Korean .

He was Producer Yokozeki, who used to produce Music Station on Asai TV .

He was the one who grudgingly permitted JooAhs debut in Music Station but did not hold back his support afterward .

KangYoon extended his hand .

[h.e.l.lo, its been a while, producer . ]

[Hahaha . You look good . Maybe its because your business is going well?]

[You flatter me . ]

Producer Yokozeki shook hands with KangYoon and smiled .

He had an a.s.sistant director brew some tea before leading KangYoon to the meeting room .

As he knew the outline of the situation, he spoke in a serious voice .

[Ive heard of your circ.u.mstances . The rumors about the JAN arent good at all . However, we cant deny that they have a significant influence on the music industry with their connections .

[Ive been taught that as well . Theyre preventing us from having a stage no matter what the means . Despite that though, we managed to contract a music distributor, and well also start shooting the music video soon .

[I knew it, you are different after all . ]

Producer Yokozeki clapped .

Silence flowed for a while .

It was about time to speak about the important things .

KangYoon put down the teacup and started speaking with a calm tone .

[Ive heard that you would produce a music show, and a pilot program is already in the works, I believe . Please allow Yuri to have her debut stage there . ]

Producer Yokozeki groaned .

[HmI have trust in you, Team Leader KangYoon, but I wish to know what the singer is like first . Is that alright with you?]

[Of course . ]

KangYoon took out a USB and plugged it into a computer that was there .

Soon the music file started laying, and Producer Yokozeki closed his eyes .

A while later .

After listening to it, he started speaking with a blissful expression .

[Miss Yuri, was it? I dont think the recording process is finished but her voice is immaculate . Its the first time Ive heard an enka with such a good voice . Your artists sure are different . ]

[You flatter me . ]

After that, KangYoon signed the contract brought by the a.s.sistant director, and it was decided that Yuris debut stage would be on the pilot program of Today will be an ALL NIGHTER .

As this was a pilot program, Producer Yokozeki was under a lot of pressure, but since the song was so good, he wasnt feeling worried .

[Thanks for trusting me . ]

After the contract, KangYoon stood up from his seat and politely took a bow .

Seeing that, Producer Yokozeki restrained him .

[Please dont do this . Im only doing this because I see the potential . ]

After that, the two of them headed towards the lobby on the 11th floor .

Producer Yokozeki personally pressed the b.u.t.ton on the elevator before looking at KangYoons eyes .

[I feel good since I feel like I will get to see the JAN in a tight spot soon . ]

[Is there a reason for that?]

[Hahaha . You have something prepared, dont you?]

Producer Yokozekis sharp eyes met with KangYoons .

[]

The elevator arrived, but KangYoon did not get on board and kept his silence .

In the end, the elevator went down again with no one on board .

When KangYoon pressed the elevator again, Producer Yokozeki tilted his head in confusion .

[Thats strange . I thought youd be prepared for that]

Producer Yokozeki kept uttering strange things, but KangYoon only smiled and did not give back a clear answer .

The elevator arrived again, and KangYoon got on board while waving his hand .

[Ill see you at a later date then . ]

[See you in a few days . ]

After KangYoon went down, Producer Yokozeki tilted his head .

Did he not hear that the JAN singers had their fees to pay the a.s.sociation to rise from 3% to 6%? Hmm

Producer Yokozeki fell into contemplation before returning to his office .

KangYoon, who got into the car in the parking lot, looked over his papers again and thought .

The doubling of fees for the people in the a.s.sociation . The voices of complaint within the a.s.sociation should be quite prominent . If MoonHees alb.u.m succeeds this time, we can shake their roots if it is possible to be successful as an enka artist without JANs power . After that, would the artists feel the need to stay in the JAN? Theyll be shooting their own foot .

Heading to A-Trust, KangYoon thought about the JAN and bit his lips .

***

The daily routine of the chairman of the JAN, Haruki Subaru, was rather simple .

After tasting failure for five straight years worth of alb.u.ms, he spent his time in the JAN rather than his company .

He fooled around with the lady secretary, went around playing golf with the people in the industry, and put his effort into things that werent music .

Once, he was a famous enka singer who sold one million copies of music, but right now, he was nothing more than a businessman .

[Today was a good day . ]

Haruki Subaru placed his golf bag in the corner of his room and stretched his arms out .

[Although its still early, shall I go home for today?]

He had a look at the time and saw that it was 4 in the afternoon .

It was still working hours .

However, the JANs highest man was going home, so no one was there to pick on him .

He was about to leave with a refreshed mind when he got a phone call .

Mister Haruki, its me, Richard .

[Oh, branch president!]

Haruki Subaru even took a bow towards empty air to express his politeness .

However, unlike his politeness, the voice from the outside of the phone was very serious .

Do you know whats happening in Yamese right now?

[Yamese? Why do you mention a TV station with such low-quality programs?]

Hearing that, the other party became angry and raised his voice .

That low-quality TV station is going to host a DEBUT STAGE for a World artist!

[What!?]

Turn on the TV and switch to Yamese right now!

Haruki Subaru turned on the TV and switched to the Yamese channel which he usually didnt even spare a thought .

When he did, he saw a commercial for the t.i.tle Today will be an ALL NIGHTER Enka singer from Korea, Yuri .

What is!

Speechless, his voice started shaking .