Dayo was already inside the room when Min-Jae walked in.
He was seated casually on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, phone in his hand, scrolling through sothing without much interest. The room was quiet, the kind of quiet that only existed in private company offices—soundproofed, expensive, deliberate.
Min-Jae shut the door behind him.
"Bro," he said, dropping into the chair opposite Dayo. "What’s up?"
Dayo glanced up. "I’m good," he replied simply. "You dragged in here, though, so I’m guessing this isn’t a social visit."
Min-Jae smirked. "Straight to business as always."
"That’s why you called ," Dayo said. "So what’s going on?"
Min-Jae leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "There’s an artist. Female. She’s giving a headache."
Dayo raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"
Min-Jae didn’t answer imdiately. Instead, he reached into his bag, pulled out his tablet, and handed it over.
"Look."
Dayo took the tablet, glanced at the screen, and froze for half a second.
"...I rember her," he said.
Dayo ca to Korea on his usual annual visit and saw her video and he checked her stats she had potential to be an SS- artist so he advice to sign her.
Min-Jae nodded. "Exactly."
"I was the one that told you to sign her," Dayo continued. "I rember telling you not to hesitate."
"And I didn’t," Min-Jae said quickly. "That was a good call, by the way."
Dayo handed the tablet back. "So what’s the problem?"
Min-Jae exhaled. "She just finished the competition."
Dayo leaned back slightly. "Let guess. She won."
"She took first," Min-Jae confird. "Clean win. No controversy or manipulation."
Dayo nodded. "That explains the hype."
"That’s the problem," Min-Jae said. "There’s hype everywhere. Interviews. Social dia. Fan pages popping up overnight."
"So ride it," Dayo said. "Drop music."
Min-Jae scratched his head. "We tried."
Dayo paused. "Tried?"
"The songs in the catalogue don’t work," Min-Jae admitted. "They’re good songs. Well-produced. Marketable. But they don’t fit her."
Dayo tilted his head. "Explain."
"They sound like they were written for soone else," Min-Jae said. "Anyone else. Not her."
Dayo nodded slowly. "Voice fits. Soul doesn’t."
The case remind him of Valery but hers was she was an evolving artist who needed a new style.
"Exactly," Min-Jae said, pointing at him. "That’s exactly it."
Dayo let out a short breath. "That’s fixable."
Min-Jae relaxed visibly. "That’s why I called you."
There was a brief silence.
Dayo stared at the ceiling, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest.
Min-Jae watched him. "You’re thinking."
"I always am," Dayo replied With a smile.
Another pause.
Then Dayo straightened slightly a crazy idea popped inside his head.
"You know," he said, "I’m not doing anything serious for the next month and a half."
Min-Jae blinked. "You’re still in post-production."
"Exactly," Dayo said. "Editing doesn’t need every second."
Min-Jae frowned. "Where are you going with this?"
Dayo turned to him. "Why don’t we create an album?"
Min-Jae froze.
"...What?"
"An album," Dayo repeated calmly. "For ."
Min-Jae stared at him like he’d just spoken another language.
"Wait," Min-Jae said. "You an—"
"Yes," Dayo said. "A full project."
Min-Jae leaned back slowly. "Bro... are you serious right now?"
"Completely."
"You want to drop an album," Min-Jae said, disbelief creeping in, "while you’re already doing movies?"
"I have ti," Dayo replied. "And access."
Min-Jae shook his head. "Your brain scares sotis."
Dayo smiled faintly. "People say that a lot."
"No, I’m serious," Min-Jae continued. "Sotis I feel like you’re not human."
Dayo laughed. "Here we go again."
"I’m telling you," Min-Jae said. "You sure you’re not an alien?"
Dayo leaned forward. "Do I need to remind you that you once tried to check my head for a chip?"
Min-Jae grinned. "I was drunk."
"You brought a flashlight," Dayo said.
"And you let ," Min-Jae shot back.
"Because I wanted to see how stupid you’d look," Dayo replied.
"You can still check it if you want to satisfy your curiosity again." Dayo teased.
They both laughed.
After a mont, Min-Jae sighed. "Okay. Alien jokes aside. How does this help her?"
Dayo beca serious again. "I feature her."
Min-Jae’s smile faded into focus. "On your album?"
"Most of it," Dayo said. "Not all. But more enough."
Min-Jae leaned forward again. "So you’re saying her introduction to the industry won’t be standalone singles... it’ll be through your project."
"Yes."
"That’s risky," Min-Jae said.
"It’s strategic," Dayo corrected. "She borrows stability. I borrow freshness."
Min-Jae nodded slowly. "That’s... actually smart."
"And I bring in other artists too," Dayo added. "Different sounds. Different markets."
Min-Jae let out a low whistle. "You’re using one album to plant flags everywhere."
"Exactly."
Min-Jae stared at him. "I really don’t know how your head works."
Dayo shrugged. "You’ve known that for years."
"And you’re doing all this in Korea," Min-Jae added.
"Yes. But one of the reasons I am doing this is also to study her style and I would be able to co up with sothing for her after we are done with the album."
"You’re insane."
"Productive insanity," Dayo said.
Min-Jae laughed. "Fine. I’m in."
Dayo smriked. "Good of course you’re IN"
Min-Jae paused. "...Wait. In?"
"You’re featuring too," Dayo said casually.
Min-Jae froze. "?"
"Yes."
"No," Min-Jae said imdiately. "Absolutely not."
"You are," Dayo replied.
"I refuse."
Dayo leaned in. "I’ll cut your salary."
"You can’t cut my sala-"
"I own the company." Dayo interrupted hom with a smrik on his face.
Min-Jae groaned. "I hate you."
"You love ," Dayo said. "Sign the verse."
Min-Jae shook his head. "You’re so annoying."
"And you’re still featuring."
Min-Jae sighed deeply. "Fine. But I’m blaming you when people laugh."
"They won’t," Dayo said. "And if they do, I’ll laugh louder."
Min-Jae chuckled despite himself. "You’re impossible."
Dayo stood up. "Co on."
"Where?"
"We’re eating."
"Now?"
"Yes."
Min-Jae smirked. "You’re paying."
"Obviously," Dayo said. "I’m richer than you."
"You brag like hell."
"You can’t deny facts."
"God, you’re unbearable."
They walked toward the door to eat sothing.
Halfway there, Dayo stopped. "Wait."
Min-Jae turned. "What now?"
"Call her," Dayo said.
"Now?"
"No ti to waste."
Min-Jae pulled out his phone. "You really don’t rest."
"That’s why things move," Dayo replied.
The call rang.
And the project officially began.
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