Devil’s Music

With the addition of Yoonjung and Jinyeon to Fantagio, a flood of articles poured out. Unaware and feeling like criminals, Yoonjung and Jinyeon were summoned to the office of Director Son Lin at Fantagio, their hands trembling as they read the articles on their phones.

[Kei's Cinderella! Korean Musicians Yoonjung and Jinyeon Join Fantagio]

AM 08:11 Reporter Kim Jiyoung

Last weekend, Director Son Lin of Fantagio held a sudden press conference to announce the selection of Korean musicians Yoonjung and Jinyeon as new artists for Fantagio.

One might wonder what's so surprising about a talent agency signing new artists. However, these two were Kei's Cinderellas.

Scheduled for release at the end of November, Kei's new album differs from the usual single albums—it's a full-length album containing four tracks, and Yoonjung and Jinyeon will be featured in one of the songs.

What's truly surprising is Kei's research into Korean dance music and selecting these two as musicians who would synergize with her album.

This highlights a potential in the duo that differs from what was previously showcased by their original girl groups. Yoonjung belonged to Black Girls, a rookie dance group four months post-debut, whose song "Like the Last Song" couldn't break into the top 30 of the Korean charts. Jinyeon's group, B to C, also in their third month post-debut, ranked 41st in the Korean charts with their song "The Laughing Man."

Despite not achieving significant popularity in Korea, why Kei saw potential in them and recruited them is drawing attention, and videos of their past activities are gaining views on YouTube by the tens of thousands every hour.

As Yoonjung started YouTube, hot clip videos of Black Girls and B to C appeared, along with a montage of their activity videos and clips from their variety show appearances.

Especially, their individual fancams had only a few thousand views before the articles, but just three hours after the articles were published, the views skyrocketed to seven million.

Feeling as if they had gone from hell to heaven, Yoonjung tremulously set her phone on the table and muttered in a trance-like state.

"How can this be happening?"

Jinyeon, unable to regain her composure, still clutching her phone, asked,

"Are we... really part of Fantagio? The CEO said he would release us from our contract with Fantagio without a penalty. That doesn't sound like him."

Yoonjung sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know. I don't understand what's going on..."

Jinyeon looked intently at Yoonjung, then set her phone down and crossed her arms. She pinched her cheek while tears welled up in her eyes.

"It doesn't hurt? Is this a dream? Yoonjung, pinch my cheek. Hard!"

Yoonjung pinched Jinyeon's cheek, making a face as if she was about to cry.

"Doesn't it hurt? Even now, even now? It should hurt, silly girl, say it hurts."

"Ouch, ouch!!! Oh, it hurts!"

As Jinyeon's cheek turned red from the pinching, Yoonjung offered her own cheek.

"Now pinch me."

"Ugh! Come here!!"

"Aaagh!!! Oh! It hurts!! It hurts!! Ehehehe!! It hurts!!"

Anyone seeing them might think they were acting crazy, but the two began to laugh together.

As they were joyously tearing up, the automatic door opened and, without needing to be prompted, they both sprang up and rushed to hug Geon, who was standing there with an expressionless Rin and smiling. 𝔯

"Brother~~!!! Huhuhu!!!"

"Brother, brother!!! Sorry, and thank you!"

Tearing up, the two clung to each arm of Geon, who smiled and stroked their heads.

"Now this is your new nest. I'll help you until you're on track. Let's do well."

The two, tearfully nodding incessantly, caught the attention of Rin, who motioned for them to sit.

"Let's sit down and talk."

As the overwhelmed girls hesitated to move, Geon nudged them into their seats.

Still not moving away from Geon, who was now sitting between them, the automatic door opened again, and Clara entered with a thick stack of documents.

"Director, everything is prepared."

"Thank you," Geon replied.

Clara bowed and exchanged a glance with Geon before leaving. Rin flipped through the documents.

"These are the original contracts of the two. From YDN."

As the subject of contracts came up, Yoonjung and

Jinyeon swallowed dryly, intently watching Rin, who read the contracts with a frown.

"These are unfair contracts. A ten-year duration with an agency profit split of eighty-twenty? This is practically a slave contract. Why did you agree to this?"

Yoonjung and Jinyeon struggled to respond, prompting Rin to specifically ask Yoonjung.

"Ms. Yoonjung? Please answer."

Compelled to respond, Yoonjung cautiously said,

"In Korea, trainee periods are long. We get a little money for meals and activities, not a salary but enough for transportation, and this is also an investment by the company. And the initial marketing costs that go into early activities are also investments, so most contracts are made this way to recoup those investments."

Encouraged by Yoonjung's words, Jinyeon added,

"Whether we're popular or not, the duration is the same. It's rare for a girl group to last ten years in activity, so we transition to events or acting to endure ten years before we can earn real money. It's a form of respect for the company investing in us."

Listening, Geon tilted his head.

"Hmm? Investment means an investor puts money into a promising business item and receives a share of the profits if it's successful. Why should the musician bear the risk of the investment?"

Since debut and activity in Korea were taken for granted issues by Yoonjung and Jinyeon, they found no reply to Geon's question and fumbled for words.

Watching them, Rin sighed and tore the contract in half.

As the two stared blankly at the torn contract, Rin handed them a new one, indicating with a nod.

"The negotiation for the invalidation of your original contracts is complete. This is your new contract, take a look."

Reverently taking the new contract as if it were sacred, the two gingerly turned each page, worried they might tear it.

After flipping through the initial pages, which were no different from the original contract, Jinyeon's eyes widened, and she looked up.

"Um... Director. It's a seven-three contract... Isn't there a typo? It says we take seven..."

Rin looked at Jinyeon quietly before responding.

"It's not a typo. Kei takes eight, and you will take eight three years after your debut."

Shocked, Yoonjung quickly flipped through the contract to the profit-sharing section and asked with widened eyes,

"Is... Is it really okay to make such a contract?"

Rin shrugged and leaned back on the sofa.

"It's not about whether it's okay to make such a contract; your original contracts were the problem. A talent agency is a place that makes money by using musicians. To use them, they spend their own money. This investment happens because they judge the potential value to be greater than the investment cost. It's a kind of gamble.

When it fails, the risk should be borne by the investor, not the artist doing the art."

Before their debut, while they were eagerly sweating in practice, trying to impress the higher-ups, and eagerly anticipating a decision on their debut, the two had tearfully thanked YDN officials after receiving confirmation.

They had believed the words of those who said they could make big money later, even if they didn't earn much over the ten years, as long as they endured as celebrities. Yoonjung, who had never heard or considered such thoughts as Rin's before, carefully set down the contract and asked with a trembling voice.

"Wouldn't this... increase the company's risk too much? We... can't even say we were successful in Korea. Can we compete in the global market, Director?"

Rin pulled a high-quality fountain pen from his pocket and gestured to Geon.

"Isn't there someone here who will make sure you succeed no matter what?"

Yoonjung and Jinyeon simultaneously looked at Geon, who was sitting in the middle, smiling warmly just as when they first met. Tears hanging from their eyes, they clung to his arm.

"Brother..."

"Sniff, brother..."

Geon pulled his arms free and patted their backs.

"If you've read it all, you should sign. You're not mine until you sign."

With wide eyes, the two rushed to sign the contract, and Rin stood up, extending his hand.

"Welcome to Fantagio, Ms. Yoonjung, Ms. Jinyeon."

Yoonjung and Jinyeon stood and grasped Rin's hand with both of theirs, bowing deeply.

"Thank you very much, Director, and thank you very much."

"Thank the Mister. You two will be assigned to the basement second-floor practice room. Oh, and since recording will be on Mister's floor, I'll have security adjust your access cards to include the Kei floor. Mister? Could you show them the practice room?"

Geon stood and wrapped an

arm around each of their shoulders.

"Shall we go see where you'll be practicing?"

As they happily moved toward the elevator to go to the practice room, they encountered Clara on the third floor, who didn't enter the elevator but smiled and handed something over.

"It seems the contract is concluded, Ms. Yoonjung, Ms. Jinyeon. Please take this."

Clara handed them two small envelopes and smiled at Geon.

"Are you heading to the practice room? Then you'll explain this?"

"Yes, Clara, I will. Go about your business."

"Ha ha, thank you."

As the elevator doors closed, Yoonjung and Jinyeon opened the envelopes. A black credit card slipped out without any explanation, and holding the card with puzzled eyes, they looked at Geon.

Geon smiled with his eyes and pulled out the same card from his wallet.

"This card is for you to use for anything you need. There's no limit for now, but try to use it reasonably. Don't overuse it, and since Clara is currently looking for a place for you, contact your home in Korea to send any necessary items."

Holding a card identical to theirs in his hand, Yoonjung and Jinyeon held their cards dearly, their eyes filled with gratitude.

Of course, they didn't realize that Geon's card limit was a thousand times higher than theirs.

>

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