# Chapter 66
“I understand.”
Hyung, who had been stepping back and leaving it to me, agreed willingly.
“Going to see Crop Five’s concert was quite spontaneous, but I think I’ve been lucky to come to such a good place because of it.”
After such conversations, hyung and Ki Hyunshin finally exchanged contracts. They shook hands, saying they looked forward to working together.
Whether they would regret this decision or remember it as fortunate, no one could know yet.
* * *
Ki Hyunshin and Crop Five were all invited to hyung’s house.
Not only was he close with Crop Five, but now he was also friendly with me and hyung, so Ki Hyunshin comfortably enjoyed being with us.
In the meantime, he also did personal broadcasts with Crop Five, and the enthusiastic response from Ki Hyunshin’s fans was unforgettable even as time passed.
There were fans who sent gifts to Grand Tamer, asking us to take good care of their oppa.
There was even a fan who said they would fight alongside us whenever Grand Tamer artists were criticized if we would just release Ki Hyunshin’s new song.
“Our hyung makes good cocktails.”
Crop Five had already tried hyung’s cocktails several times, but since this would be new to Ki Hyunshin, I explained it to him, and he made a surprised expression.
“You don’t look like you would. Ah…! I don’t mean that in a bad way. Now that I think about it, it seems to suit you.”
“I didn’t say anything, why are you so scared?”
Hyung glanced at him once and then coolly continued mixing ingredients.
Whenever I saw that, I wondered if Ki Hyunshin would regret becoming friends with hyung.
“Can you teach me too?”
Ki Hyunshin was really not a sociable person, but for someone like that, he was getting along well with hyung.
“I learned in a slapdash way, so you shouldn’t learn from me. If you want to learn, learn properly. I just make things according to my taste. And I like making them according to what each person likes.”
With that, he made my exclusive cocktail as if to show off.
The Crop Five members each received cocktails full of their individual preferences and sat in their favorite spots.
I had never dreamed that hyung’s house would become our hangout, but enchanted by the cocktails, we were visiting there frequently.
Hyung had prepared various kinds of chairs everywhere so that we could sit comfortably anywhere.
While we rested in a perfectly free, relaxed, and peaceful atmosphere, music was playing.
Before, when music played, I just listened thinking, oh, music is playing.
But now, I would think about the singer’s recent news or personal life, and wonder what they were up to these days.
I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, as Crop Five was already talking about it.
Ki Hyunshin was still wandering beside hyung, perhaps unable to find a cocktail that perfectly matched his taste, and hyung continued to offer him tastings, changing combinations and ratios with the determination to elicit exclamations from Ki Hyunshin’s mouth.
“Wow. This combination is incredible. Two grandsons of the Seyoung Group chairman, Hyunshin sunbae, the star of stars, and Crop Five too. Saying it like this, Crop Five seems like the least significant.”
Jeong Chan nodded at Cha Yeonwoo’s words.
“But aren’t our CEOs at a level where their own names are now more prestigious brands than the title of chaebol chairman’s grandsons?”
When I raised my hand at Seo Irun’s words, he came over and gave me a high five.
“As expected, Irun has good sense. Good sense.”
“Hyung, what was it? The best-looking man among super-rich people? They say you’re number one now, right?”
At Lee Dagyeong’s words, people from here and there said that it was about time, and who would be his competitor, but then suddenly became quiet.
They seemed to have belatedly remembered that hyung had lost that title and was heartbroken for a while.
Han Sijin acted quickly and suddenly started a broadcast.
At times like this, Crop Five’s teamwork was amazing, working together perfectly even without prior discussion.
“Well! Everyone. You didn’t know we were going to suddenly broadcast, right? I don’t know how long we’ll broadcast, but we just turned on the broadcast without any plan because we were thinking of you. Where is this? Ta-da! Yes! We’re at our senior CEO’s house. Wooow!”
When Han Sijin cheered, Crop Five members applauded in response.
Hyung and Ki Hyunshin didn’t show interest, perhaps thinking Han Sijin was just joking around.
Thinking they might say something inappropriate for broadcasting, I spoke loudly to caution them.
“Hyung. We’re broadcasting now. I’ll make sure only we appear.”
Then hyung said to include him too, and only Ki Hyunshin beside him seemed embarrassed.
“Hyunshin, if you don’t want to, you can opt out.”
“Where would I go if I opt out?”
“Stay in the room until the broadcast ends.”
“Wow, are you excluding me?”
“Then stay.”
Ki Hyunshin seemed to agree to appear on the broadcast by staying at the dining table where hyung was passionately working.
Sijin asked hyung if it was okay to film the interior, and hyung coolly gave permission.
“Everyone, you might be surprised by the house, but the point of today’s broadcast is elsewhere. It’s the people gathered in this house, right? First, since this is our broadcast, we’re obviously here.”
Sijin turned the camera to show each Crop Five member and then caught me.
“Our manager who returned to Grand Tamer.”
“Hey, it’s CEO.”
“Ah, I got it. Our captain. Since it’s confusing with our senior CEO, I’ll just call hyung ‘captain.’ And over there is our CEO.”
At those words, hyung laughed as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Han Sijin, you’re using me as a stepping stone to promote Seomin, aren’t you?”
“Oh come on. Our CEO knows everything.”
Despite hyung’s rebuke, Sijin continued without backing down.
“Ta-da-da-da-da-da!”
Jeong Chan even made drum roll sound effects with his mouth.
Ki Hyunshin had an awkward expression and waved his hand once at the camera.
He was doing it as work, but he didn’t yet seem comfortable enjoying it.
[When people were saying Crop Five is amazing, I didn’t budge or show interest, but Crop Five really is amazing. How can they film Hyunshin-nim so casually? I think I’ve seen more of Hyunshin-nim recently than in the past 7 years.]
[While I’ve been a fan of Hyunshin-nim, I’ve watched the same photos and videos hundreds of times because there was nothing new, but now I have no regrets even if I die right now.]
Crop Five fans had already allowed Ki Hyunshin fans to freeload.
After starting, we were having a random chat festival when I saw an enticing comment in the rapidly scrolling chat.
[Is there anyone among Crop Five members who can cover Ki Hyunshin’s “December”?]
Considering how fast the chat was scrolling, it was amazing that people had seen that comment.
I saw it too, so others could have seen it, but was there any reason to specifically bring up a passing comment?
[Wow, what did I just see? How can they look down on Crop Five like that? Do they think Crop Five are still those people who failed in that old audition program? How much do they disrespect world-class Crop Five to provoke by saying no member can cover “December”?]
[But honestly, isn’t Ki Hyunshin’s “December” a difficult song? There are quite a few male singers whose images have been ruined after trying to cover that song.]
[It’s not just their images being ruined; I bet there are several who actually died, just not publicly known. The breathing in that song is so long that if you sing it wrong, you might really cross that river.]
[I believe in Crop Five’s intelligence. Please don’t fall for such low-level provocations. Crop Five is good enough, so why should they cover “December”?]
It was quite exciting.
I watched it eagerly while also observing our members.
In my mind, I was quickly thinking about whether there was really a member among Crop Five who could cover “December.”
In “December,” it’s hard to find breathing points, and the vocal range itself is too wide.
The sections that drop low are difficult to make sound good, but considering the pitch rises later, you can’t recklessly raise the key either.
Even if sung in falsetto, “December” was an extremely difficult song that even good singers only received sympathy for covering.
But the original singer sang it so comfortably that listeners mistakenly thought they could easily follow along, only to give up after coughing blood – a legendary song.
Despite “December” being such a song, I thought our Crop Five might be able to do it.
“If Irun does the beginning and Sijin takes the high notes, we could do it.”
When I said that, the members burst into laughter.
“Hyunshin sunbaenim sang it alone though?”
“So what? You’re Crop Five. Five.”
“Still, that doesn’t seem meaningful. It feels somewhat unfair.”
When Yeonwoo spoke, Jeong Chan also nodded.
I looked at the other members.
But they seemed to be thinking without readily speaking.
Then Irun raised his hand.
“I think I can try it.”
“With a lower key? Then the first part will be difficult.”
“I think I can try it in the original key.”
The impact of those words was so tremendous that even the chat, which had been in a heated argument, fell silent.
