Currently, Kim I-seo’s mind was in complete turmoil.
Who is Ham Ah-yoon?
The winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition.
This is fundamentally different from the fake contests that borrow the name ‘competition’ just for show. This is the dream stage held in Leeds, England, every three years, a place Ham Ah-yoon has conquered.
“…My head hurts. This situation is nothing like what I expected.”
Go Tae-min had previously mentioned Ham Ah-yoon, but Kim I-seo had assumed that clear boundaries were drawn between Ham’s team and them. However, she never expected Ham Ah-yoon’s side to want Kim So-hee’s role to this extent.
The problem is that Ham Ah-yoon is too influential.
From the beginning, the reason Ham Ah-yoon was a solo artist’s management company was slightly different.
Typically, a solo artist management company lacks three things: money, power, and connections.
However, as these three things are gradually acquired, most solo agencies eventually grow, expand, and transition into larger companies. For everyone, a solo agency is seen as a stepping stone.
But Ham Ah-yoon’s solo agency was a different concept.
“She might as well be on par with Director Go Tae-min.”
Ham Ah-yoon had already reached the pinnacle in her respective field.
If a variety show ever aired a “Master Special” and seated Go Tae-min in the director section, it wouldn’t feel strange to seat Ham Ah-yoon right beside him in the piano section.
Therefore, Ham Ah-yoon herself was a walking corporation. When she decided to start acting, she simply realized the need for her own agency and created it for herself.
AWA Entertainment no longer needed to grow stronger—it was already far too powerful. Moreover, they had no reason to take on more artists because Ham Ah-yoon alone was enough.
“The situation isn’t good… but crisis is often opportunity.”
Kim I-seo pushed aside her worries for now. As the CEO, she began to swiftly think of a brilliant strategy to turn the current situation into something advantageous for Sua.
It wasn’t difficult; Kim I-seo had her own standards—standards that had helped her survive in this competitive industry.
What allowed her to stay afloat was ‘process.’
Even in complex situations, if she established the right sequence, she always found a way out. Her brain quickly revved up.
“Anyhow, Director Go Tae-min has already chosen Sua. It’s a big advantage. So the current best move is…”
To step back.
“At this moment, we’ll appear humble and inexperienced to our rivals. Later, Director Go might propose another role for Sua. And when that happens…”
A lightbulb in Kim I-seo’s mind lit up.
“If we pull back now, the crisis will turn into opportunity. Participating in Director Go’s film, avoiding conflicts, and gaining a filmography that rivals Ham Ah-yoon’s—what a ridiculous benefit!”
From tomorrow, there would be plenty of roles available in Crescendo. Once they gave up the Kim So-hee role, Sua could safely collect all kinds of advantages. There was no reason not to.
“This is why the process is important.”
One must carefully weigh what to let go of, because sometimes the sacrifices allow you to ultimately achieve your goals in the long run.
This was the principle that had quietly kept together actors like Seo Yeon-joo and Kim Sun-il. It was the reason Kim I-seo had survived in this industry.
So, she told Sua to stop.
She planned to explain it step by step once they returned to the van, but—
An unexpected variable appeared.
“I want the Kim So-hee role too.”
Sua’s words struck like lightning in Kim I-seo’s ears.
Sua declared that she would not back down from the Kim So-hee role. Along with it, Kim I-seo’s carefully laid plans crumbled without warning. Why was Sua being so stubborn?
Kim I-seo stared at Sua with wide eyes.
However, the situation moved forward without giving her time to interject. Sharp debates flew back and forth like swords clashing.
“You cannot match this level of playing, even if it’s your turn. Do you know that? Ah-yoon is a competition-winning pianist. There’s no point in trying, considering the difference isn’t something you can assess just by comparing.”
“The director has yet to give any clear affirmation, right? All we have is support from the production team. How about we let the two of them face each other fairly?”
It was already something entirely different from Kim I-seo’s original plan.
It deviated significantly from her theoretical strategies.
Kim I-seo believed in flexibility over solidity.
Flexibility allowed you to sway with the storm and endure, while maintaining rigidity would cause you to suffer more damage. Most importantly, in times of great danger, you risked breaking completely.
‘This is troubling…!’
Yet, when Kim I-seo glanced at Sua, she appeared impossibly resolute. She understood immediately. Sua was the kind who might break but would never bend.
Kim I-seo hastily deliberated.
“What should I do? Should I intervene and try to stop her now?”
Despite Sua’s strong determination, going head-on wasn’t what Kim I-seo considered a great choice. It wasn’t only about making enemies—it was also about the disadvantage Sua would find herself in by arguing music with Ham Ah-yoon, given that Sua had only competed against actors with acting skills until now.
“Of course, the timing is wrong. I should definitely stop her now.”
Piano skills.
Until now, Sua had only competed in acting, so she was fine. But debating music with Ham Ah-yoon? That would put her in a terribly disadvantageous position, wouldn’t it?
Then a thought grabbed Kim I-seo’s ankle.
‘…fragrance.’
That short, unforgettable moment when Kim I-seo was captivated by Sua’s unique presence.
It was Sua’s unshakable allure. Suddenly, Kim I-seo paused her logical thinking and began reminiscing about why Sua was special.
“Sua always had her reasons when acting this way. And it never led to bad outcomes.”
Additional pieces of information surfaced in her mind.
When they had visited the sound team, Sua had shown keen observation. Perhaps Sua did have a natural musical sensibility. Could she have had past experience with the piano?
No, wait—could she also be skilled with instruments?
It was an absurd idea, but when she thought about it being Sua, it suddenly didn’t seem impossible. Besides, no one expected Sua to play as well as Ham Ah-yoon. If she could handle it competently…
Maybe it could work?
Kim I-seo quickly made her decision.
“Right. I should trust Sua. I, at least, should.”
This opponent was a larger tiger than ever before, but Kim I-seo had ridden a tiger with Sua before—why not do it again?
Kim I-seo tightly clenched her fist, determined to trust Sua.
…
AWA Entertainment, Ham Ah-yoon’s solo agency.
The senior manager wearing a pressed cap was astonished.
He had worried about foul play but had trusted Go Tae-min when Ham Ah-yoon had assured him that Go wasn’t the type to do such things. The manager had agreed with her words and decided to trust the situation, coming here.
However,
“This is undeniably foul play, even if Director Go Tae-min didn’t intend it.”
Even if Go Tae-min didn’t mean to play tricks, those around him certainly could. The moment the manager looked at the scene, he was certain that his initial suspicions were correct.
The most telling clue was the presence of Sua itself.
An appearance that appropriately intimidated the opposition. Of course, the AWA Entertainment manager didn’t feel threatened because they had the world-renowned pianist Ham Ah-yoon on their side.
Instead, his gaze fell toward Sua’s hands.
“…Is this plausible?”
Beautiful. Sua’s hands were so delicately pale and elongated, like fine glasswork.
The issue was that they showed no signs of calluses.
Anybody who had played the piano seriously would never have such pristine hands. The fingers would be scarred and marked, a testament to the battles fought to master the piano.
The clues all fit together easily enough.
The manager narrowed his eyes, focusing on the small representative of Mystic.
“Kim I-seo of Mystic. The mastermind of this, perhaps.”
The manager knew Kim I-seo to some extent. Rumors mentioned that she had never lost a negotiation, and it wasn’t hard to deduce why.
“This foul play, it seems to be devised by Kim I-seo along with the rest of the production team. They don’t lose anything from this.”
Everything seemed to fit.
“They must be planning to insert Seo Yeon-joo into the role if the foul play doesn’t work on our side. And if it does, they’d think it would only be advantageous for them regardless.”
The manager sighed deeply.
This was not the first time—no, it wasn’t.
Since Ham Ah-yoon began acting, everyone who dealt with her faced difficulties. The reason was mainly because none of her opponents truly understood what Ham Ah-yoon’s fee or acting potential should even be.
And this was a masterpiece by the veteran director Go Tae-min. The under-the-table maneuvering was relentless and tiring. Of course, fierce battles over territory happen on vast fertile lands.
Still, the manager quickly composed himself.
This kind of foul play could not stand.
“…Huh?”
Of course, he was about to be shocked even more.
…
Meanwhile, other people’s minds were occupied with their own reasons.
Those who hadn’t visited the Special Mobile Unit 808’s filming set didn’t see a reason not to use Ham Ah-yoon. Those who had experienced Sua’s acting were fascinated by her.
Thus, presently,
Dang—
Dang—
Dang—
At the point when Ham Ah-yoon sequentially pressed three notes.
Ham Ah-yoon was curious.
What was the expression on Sua’s face as she listened to her performance? Could it be that she had deep musical sensibilities? Or maybe, like her father, she had seen something unknown about Ham Ah-yoon?
Or,
Could it be that the action seemed meaningless due to sheer ignorance, and the only reason it stuck out was because Ham Ah-yoon herself was fixated on it out of nostalgia?
At the moment, Sua was actually inspecting the features.
001 — Kim So-hee (A grade)
002 — Park Min-seo ( ??? )
003 — Lee Seung-myeong (F grade)
Park Min-seo’s grade being a question mark was puzzling, but all roles except Kim So-hee were entirely F grade. That meant if Sua wanted to be in Starting Tomorrow, Crescendo, she would have to take the Kim So-hee role.
A master’s work was like a grand ship.
With everyone’s intentions colliding this way, it was chaotic.
Without shared purpose, the ship couldn’t move forward—it would only die slowly in the vast sea or be smashed into pieces by violent waves.
But then,
Crash—!
At the moment Ham Ah-yoon fell and rested her hand on the keys,
“Sol sharp?”
When Sua spoke that,
“La, and until Fa I heard…but…”
“Maybe the last note was Re?”
Suddenly, all eyes turned to Sua, each person gripping their oars.
Shock filled their expressions. Of course, they had all firmly believed that Sua had no musical knowledge at all.
So, this was a moment that shattered everyone’s preconceptions, revealing Sua’s newfound musical potential.
It was significant.
It was as though a sail appeared on the ship that had been rowing forward slowly. Now the ship turned into a sailboat, no longer needing oars, simply relying on the winds of destiny to carry it forward.
Starting tomorrow, Crescendo.
The unstable ship slowly found its center of gravity.
