K-Prorucer C50 Securing four deals

Ga-eul took a deep breath, then clapped his hands twice. The noise cut through the office buzz, heads turning toward him.

“Can I have everyone’s attention?” Ga-eul’s voice shook a little but he kept going. “We’ve gotten multiple endorsement offers for Ascend. Byul-ho-ssi wants me to put together a team to handle negotiations.”

A wave of mutters traveled through the room. Some employees exchanged excited looks; others looked nervous.

“I need volunteers who feel confident in their negotiation skills,” Ga-eul said, his voice growing stronger. “This is an opportunity for you to expand your role and directly contribute to our company's success.”

He swept his gaze over the room, watching as various expressions flickered across people's faces. “I know that we’re all juggling many things already but this is vital for our company’s growth. Who’s with me?”

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, slowly, hands started going up. A young woman who usually handled social media stood up first: “I’m in,” she said firmly.

Another employee — known for his meticulous financial reports — raised his hand next: “Count me in, Ga-eul-ssi.”

As more hands went up around them, Ga-eul felt relief wash over him like a wave of energy shooting through his body. He nodded and let a small smile form on his lips. “Okay,” he said quietly and then raised his voice again: “Alright those who have volunteered meet me in the conference room in ten minutes.”

***

Byul-ho leaned back in his chair, his eyes drifting over the neatly stacked files on the corner of his desk. A small smile played on his lips as he thought of Ga-eul and his hastily assembled team.

They might not be Samsung’s employee level type, but they were quick-witted, hungry and suitable for his fledgling company.

He turned to look at the desktop computer with uncertainty before beginning typing. While he worked on this, there was a frown line between his eyebrows.

“Language tutoring,” he muttered under his breath while scribbling something down. “English, Japanese, Mandarin…”

He paused, considering the potential international reach of the group. His fingers danced across the keyboard again, outlining a rigorous training schedule.

As the morning wore on, Byul-ho's desk became cluttered with scribbled notes and half-empty coffee cups. He barely noticed the sun climbing higher in the sky, too engrossed in his work.

A soft knock on the door finally broke his concentration. He looked up, blinking as if coming out of a trance.

"Come in," he called out, quickly organizing the scattered papers on his desk.

***

The practice room was filled with the sound of heavy breathing as the members of Ascend took a much-needed break. Jae-sung leaned against the mirrored wall, wiping sweat from his brow with a towel.

"Hey," he said between breaths, "has anyone seen Byul-ho hyung today?"

The others shook their heads, exchanging puzzled glances.

Min-jae checked his watch. "It's already 1:00 PM He's usually here by now, especially on Saturdays."

Sung-ho stretched his arms above his head. "Maybe he's taking a day off? We did have that big concert recently."

"No," Yeon-seok interjected, his brow furrowed. "I saw him earlier this morning. He went straight to his office."

A moment of silence fell over the group as they processed this information.

Hyun-woo tilted his head. "That's... unusual. Did he say anything to you, Yeon-seok?"

Yeon-seok shook his head. "He barely acknowledged me. Seemed really focused on something."

Do-hyun leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Do you think everything's okay? It's not like him to miss our practice."

Hae-won, the youngest, looked worried. "Should we check on him?"

Jae-sung considered for a moment, then shook his head. "If he's busy, we shouldn't disturb him. He must have his reasons."

The members nodded in agreement, but their expressions remained concerned.

"Well," Min-jae said, standing up and clapping his hands together, "I guess we should get back to practice. Whatever Byul-ho hyung is doing, I'm sure he'd want us to keep working hard."

The others murmured in agreement, slowly getting to their feet. As they resumed their positions, each member cast a glance at the door, half-expecting Byul-ho to walk in at any moment. But the door remained closed, and they turned their focus back to their routines, the absence of their young boss hanging in the air like an unspoken question.

***

3:00 PM.

The phone on the desk of Byul-ho buzzed abruptly, breaking the silence of the afternoon. Before picking up his call, Byul-ho casually looked at the caller ID.

“What's the update, Ga-eul-ssi?”

The speaker came alive with Ga-eul’s voice that was full of excitement. “Sir, we have just received an offer from Shiny Locks. They want to pay us 19 million won for a two month endorsement.”

Byul-ho's brow rose slightly as he said “That's Interesting. See how far they're willing to go, Ga-eul-ssi. Don't settle just yet."

“Yes boss, we will bargain for more.”

As the sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows across the office, Byul-ho made his way to the conference room.

There he found his entire team including Ga-eul, exhausted but triumphantly huddled around a table.

Ga-eul stood as Byul-ho entered. "Sir, we've secured meetings with four companies today. The total offers amount to 120 million won."

A ripple of excitement ran through the room. Byul-ho nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Everyone has done marvelous work,” he said while scanning faces which were weary but proud over them. “This was above my expectations”

He approached Ga-eul by placing his hand on his shoulder. “You especially did brilliantly today.”

Ga-eul had blushing face with pride mixed with tiredness and joy in his eyes.

As Byoul ho left the conference room, he could hear excited talk behind him among members of the team.

He felt satisfied about what they accomplished so far. If the contracts checked out, 120 million won would be a significant boost for Ascend's future.

***

As night fell, Byul-ho's car pulled into the driveway of his home. He stumbled out, his suit wrinkled and his eyes heavy with exhaustion. Without a word to Seon-woo, who watched him with concern, Byul-ho made his way upstairs and collapsed onto his bed, still fully dressed.

Meanwhile, Ascend's popularity was surging in ways no one had anticipated. The group's songs digital downloads skyrocketed from 37,000 to 84,000, with numbers continuing to climb by the hour.

EP sales had been struggling at the bottom of the chart at around 40,000 copies but suddenly jumped up to 70,000. Even more surprising is that the music video DVD sales shot up from 28,000 to 48,000 units.

Mobs Club and Iniseu market teams have noticed an understated but clear increase in their sales numbers. It was not a huge rise but it caught their attention and led them to talk about the possibilities of working with Ascend.

***

Dong-hyul leaned back in his leather chair, his eyes fixed on the computer screen before him. The Golden-Star Entertainment social page was open, showcasing photos of Ascend's recent performances.

He scrolled through the images, his brow furrowed in concentration. "What am I mislsing?" he muttered, rubbing his chin.

Just another set of young men with carefully styled hair and coordinated outfits. He'd seen dozens like them on billboards and television ads.

"What is it about this group?" he muttered to himself, recalling Min-ji's enthusiasm.

As he scrolled into recent news articles and fan forums, his eyebrows raised slightly. The group's name was appearing more frequently, often accompanied by words like "rising" and "unexpected hit."

A link caught his eye - a blog post from "K-Critics." He clicked, and found himself reading a glowing review of Ascend's recent concert. The page view counter at the bottom of the post was climbing even as he watched.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in," he called out.

His secretary entered, holding a folder. "Sir, the latest report from Mobs Club, as you requested."

Dong-hyul nodded, taking the folder. As he flipped through the pages, his eyes widened slightly. The sales figures coincided perfectly with Ascend's rise in popularity.

He set the folder down, his gaze drifting back to the computer screen. The pieces were starting to fall into place.

"She saw it," he murmured, a small smile playing on his lips. "Min-ji saw their potential before anyone else did."

He stood up, walking to the window overlooking the busy street below. His reflection stared back at him, a mix of pride and admiration in his eyes.

"She really is smart," Dong-hyul said softly, shaking his head in wonder. "Maybe I should pay more attention to this K-pop thing after all."

He turned back to his desk, reaching for his phone. It was time to give his little sister a call and perhaps, he thought, to learn a bit more about this k-pop thing.