K-Producer C49 Keep up with the demand

Byul-ho squinted at his laptop screen, its brightness stinging his eyes. In the darkness of his room, the soft glow made his face look even more tired than it felt. Beside him, the digital clock on his bedside table blinked 3:27 AM.

He searched for answers to an onslaught of endorsement offers with rapid keystrokes. Among some K-pop forums and news sites, a blog post caught his eye.

"K-Critics," he murmured, leaning in closer. The name was unfamiliar but the impact was undeniable.

He clicked on the link and found himself on a sleek website bustling with activity. The traffic counter in the corner of the screen steadily ticked upwards: over 60,000 visitors in the past 24 hours.

His eyes widened when he saw that Ascend's name was featured so prominently in today's top post.

The blog post itself was surrounded by a swarm of comments, likes, shares – Byul-ho’s gaze went straight to the rating at the top of the review: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

As he scrolled through the comments section below, there was excitement and curiosity from K-pop fans mixed with skepticism; many expressed interest in checking out Ascend's music while others shared fancam links from their concert.

Leaning back in his chair, Byul-ho ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

He looked at all his notes from last night’s SM Entertainment meeting piled up messily on his desk – then back at this glowing screen announcing Ascend’s meteoric rise to fame.

Another email from Gaeul about another potential endorsement deal pinged onto his phone’s screen.

Standing up and stretching his stiff muscles, Byul-ho walked over to where tall windows framed one wall of his room. He looked out over Seoul’s quiet pre-dawn streets – and knew that he wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. Too much to process. Too much to plan.

***

The clock on his desk ticked quietly, its hands inching towards 6:00 AM.

A gentle knock on the door broke the silence. “Young master?” a voice called out.

“Come in, Seon-woo,” Byul-ho responded without looking up from his work.

The door creaked open and Seon-woo stepped inside, eyes widening slightly at seeing Byul-ho still at his desk.

Seon-woo approached, brow furrowing as he took in the dark circles under Byul-ho’s eyes. “Young master, have you been up all night?”

Byul-ho glanced up with a tired smile. "There's work to do, Seon-woo."

He stretched, his joints popping as he stood. "Is it morning already? I must get ready – could you prepare my clothes?"

Seon-woo nodded and moved toward the wardrobe. "Of course. Your jogging attire, I presume?"

"No – a suit actually. I’m heading to the company."

Seon-woo’s hand paused on a hanger. “The company? But it’s so early, young master.”

“Something came up.” Byul-ho said simply as he headed for the bathroom door. “I’ll explain later.”

As the bathroom door clicked shut behind him, Seon-woo stood in the middle of an otherwise empty room – a puzzled expression on his face. His eyes darted between the closed bathroom door and the treadmill in the corner, unused this morning for the first time in months.

***

Byul-ho emerged from the house, his suit crisp and his hair still damp from the shower. He strode purposefully towards the sleek black car parked in the driveway - his deceased father's possession.

As he reached for the driver's side door, Seon-woo's voice called out from behind him. "Young master, wait!"

Byul-ho turned to see Seon-woo hurrying down the front steps, a look of concern etched on his face.

"Young master, you can't drive," Seon-woo said, slightly out of breath. "You don't have a license. Let me take you instead."

Byul-ho's hand paused on the door handle. For a moment, he seemed to struggle with something internally.

"It's alright, Seon-woo," he said finally, his voice calm. "I can handle it."

Seon-woo's brow furrowed deeper. "But sir, you've been up all night. It's not safe. And without a license-"

"I appreciate your concern," Byul-ho cut in gently, "but the company needs me right now. I'll be fine."

Before Seon-woo could protest further, Byul-ho slipped into the driver's seat and closed the door. The engine purred to life, and Byul-ho's hands moved confidently over the controls.

As the car backed out of the driveway, Seon-woo stood rooted to the spot, his mouth slightly agape. He watched as Byul-ho smoothly maneuvered the car onto the street and drove away.

Left alone in the driveway, Seon-woo's puzzled expression deepened. He shook his head slowly, muttering to himself, "When did he learn to drive like that?"

***

The elevator doors slid open, and Byul-ho stepped into the hallway of Golden-Star Entertainment. A few early-rising employees bowed their heads in greeting as he passed, their eyes widening slightly at his unexpected early arrival.

As he rounded a corner, he nearly collided with Yeon-seok, who was carrying a stack of sheet music.

"Oh, Byul-ho hyung! Good mor-" Yeon-seok began, but Byul-ho merely nodded and continued past him, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Yeon-seok's cheerful expression faltered, replaced by a concerned frown as he watched Byul-ho's retreating back.

Byul-ho pushed open his office door to find Ga-eul already waiting, dark circles under his eyes mirroring Byul-ho's own. Stacks of papers and an open laptop cluttered the usually tidy desk.

"Sir," Ga-eul began without preamble, his voice slightly hoarse from lack of sleep. "I've compiled reports on all the endorsement offers we've received so far."

Byul-ho nodded, settling into his chair and reaching for the nearest file. As Ga-eul rattled off figures and company names, Byul-ho's eyes scanned the documents, his brow furrowing in concentration.

After a few minutes, Byul-ho leaned back, rubbing his temples. "These are... surprisingly good offers," he murmured.

Ga-eul nodded eagerly. "Yes, sir. But..." he hesitated, "you can't possibly meet with all these companies yourself. There's just too many, and time is of the essence."

Byul-ho's gaze sharpened, focusing on Ga-eul. "You're right. We need to delegate. Ga-eul-ssi, I'm entrusting you to meet with these representatives. Review their offers, negotiate where necessary, and secure the best deals for Ascend."

Ga-eul’s eyes widened, surprise etching across his face. “Me sir? Are you sure about that?” He shifted his weight uncomfortably. “Also, I can’t handle all of this by myself.”

Byul-ho leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together. “No, not alone. Take a team with you. Pick whoever you think will be good at negotiating.”

Ga-eul blinked as the information settled in his brain. “So… I’m basically heading a team?” he asked cautiously.

A small chuckle escaped Byul-ho’s lips as he stood up and rounded the desk to give Ga-eul a light pat on the back. “Yep, but,” he grew slightly more serious, “the stakes are higher this time around so you’d better prove yourself or it’s back to scrolling through social media comments for fan reactions.”

With determination sparking in his eye, Ga-eul straightened up. “I won’t let you down sir.”

Returning to his seat Byul-ho nodded. “Good now go get your team together we have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Ga-eul turned to leave with excitement bouncing off each step mixed with nerves. As he reached the door Ga-eul glanced back at Byul-ho who was already engrossed in another file; taking a deep breath Ga-eul stepped out ready to prove himself.

Ga-eul walked into the coworking space and looked around.

There were about thirty employees spread out across the room, faces lit up by computer screens. Some furiously typed away while others gathered in small groups to discuss marketing strategies or edit videos. The air hummed with the sound of keyboard clicks and hushed conversations.