Volume 4 / Chapter 155
TL: LightNovelCafe
[TN: A bit of a longer chapter today 🙂 Let’s see what Isaac Stern has to say!]
Yoon Kwang Hun just thought that Jun Hyuk’s jazz album had become fairly popular in America. He thought he could tell why the old man had picked out Jun Hyuk and Stanley Clarke’s jazz album as soon as he came in.
“Then you’ll have to meet Jun. Why are you meeting with me?”
“I already met him once.”
“Did he reject the offer?”
“No. I wasn’t able to bring it up. Jun’s piano was so good and that I wasn’t in the mood to bring up work.”
Isaac Stern did not seem to be lying. That happy smile. He is thinking of the piano performance from that day.
“Even if that’s the case, I think this is something that Jun needs to decide.”
“Mr. Yoon. Even in America, parents intervene in issues like this. Sports stars who are far past the age of 20 discuss with their parents before signing onto a pro team. Jun won’t want to have the decision be completely up to him either.”
“But… Mr. Stern…”
“Just call me Isaac.”
“Alright. Isaac, it’s surprising that you came all the way to Korea to meet me. But Jun is still a student. There isn’t anything going on that would require that he has a management company. He just released an album by chance.”
Isaac Stern fiddled with his coffee cup. He realized that Yoon Kwang Hun does not know what is going on in Europe.
“Oh dear. I see you don’t know yet.”
“Excuse me?”
Yoon Kwang Hun thought of what he might be missing on. Did something new happen to Jun Hyuk?
“Jun is already a hot topic in Europe. Articles are coming out in America as well. CNN is probably preparing a report as well. Reporters in Germany or Austria will be chasing him around now.”
“What are you talking about?”
It has already been over 3 weeks since he spoke with Jun Hyuk. He knew that Jun Hyuk was to participate in the Salzburg Summer Festival. He was not contacting him because he assumed that Jun Hyuk would be busy with preparations. Yoon Kwang Hun had also felt annoyed when he was younger and his parents called when he was busy in America.
Isaac Stern explained the article that are circulating Europe. Yoon Kwang Hun quickly looked up the articles on Google and found out what was happening to Jun Hyuk in Europe.
When he heard about the symphony ‘Inferno,’ he knew at once which song it was. It is the song that Yoon Kwang Hun had only seen 3 pages of before shutting it.
“I see. So this happened. Well geez.”
Isaac Stern was confused while looking at Yoon Kwang Hun. Normally, parents become elated in situations like this. Could there be a parent who is not happy for his child when he has become a world renowned star?
However, Yoon Kwang Hun looked far from happy. He even looked as if they had been put in a difficult position.
“You should try calling him. He’ll be very surprised right now.”
“No, it’s okay. He’s not a child… And it’s not like something bad has happened… He’s experienced much worse than this. He needs to handle matters of the press now.”
Isaac Stern liked that Yoon Kwang Hun drew a line where necessary and kept it. He is a great adult.
“You don’t look happy even though Jun, who is like your child, has become a star.”
“Ah, sorry. It’s not really welcome news. I wanted him to be able to have a normal life while studying. Since it is his first time attending school, I wanted him to enjoy a common college life.”
The information that Isaac Stern had received on Yoon Kwang Hun from his company was not wrong in any way. A Korean who had once succeeded in the financial world. Instead of wallowing in anger, he had given everything up to enjoy a normal life. A music fanatic who recognized Jun Hyuk’s talent at first glance. If there is something that Yoon Kwang Hun wants other than to spend the 2nd half of his life with coffee, wine, and music, it is to develop Jun Hyuk’s talent and bring him happiness.
The report had said that in order to convince Yoon Kwang Hun, it is not through money but by showing him that they will support Jun Hyuk to help him find that happiness.
“I really feel it is a pity as well.”
Isaac Stern took a sip of his coffee and his expression became similar to that of Yoon Kwang Hun’s.
“Excuse me?”
“When I met him just a month ago, I had no idea that his name would become so widely known. If I had known, I would have brought up the contract… Ha ha. Since he is a star now, he’ll think that I am an opportunist.”
He is not an ordinary old man. Even his timing in using the truth is appropriate.
“But Isaac, I don’t know anything about your company Stern Corporation. I don’t know its scale…”
“You don’t have to know.”
Isaac Stern did not bring up the matter of money yet and did not talk about the scale of the company. Just by looking at his business card, it is evident that it is not a small-scale company that operates with a few musicians.
“I don’t need to know… Well.”
“Several companies are going to approach you anyway. You can compare the scale of our company then.”
“I guess you’re confident that there isn’t a company that will match up?”
“Not exactly, but we are fairly big in this industry.”
Yoon Kwang Hun silently admired the old gentleman sitting in front of him. The man had researched him and come all the way to Korea. He did not bring a single secretary and took a taxi here alone, as if he were going to convince him by chatting over a cup of coffee.
Yoon Kwang Hun did not want to just turn him away as he had taking a liking to him. He had guessed that something like this would happen one day, and it was just that the day had come sooner than he had expected.
Yoon Kwang Hun spoke seriously,
“Isaac. What do you personally think of Jun Hyuk?”
It is a sudden question, but Isaac Stern responded without hesitation. He knows that from now on, it is the real negotiation.
“A star who has suddenly appeared in the world of classical. It is only normal to be standing with other young stars, but he has been in hiding for a long time. If he decides to come out now, he’ll immediately be on their level.”
“If you do end up managing Jun, what do you intend to do?”
“If Jun agrees to… I would like to stop all activity.”
“What? Halt his activities?”
Yoon Kwang Hun could not hide his surprise at this unexpected response.
“Yes. Activities like concerts and album production.”
“Can you tell me why?”
“What Jun Hyuk is lacking, is experience.”
“Experience?”
“Yes. In my opinion, a little outside push is enough to make Jun create music. His playing the piano? Phew-”
Isaac Stern remembered Jun Hyuk’s performance and whistled.
“It is a perfect performance that does not need further effort.”
“What are you referring to by that experience?”
Yoon Kwang Hun’s heart started beating. He thought that the management company that he had thought of ideal is just in his imagination, but he started to have expectations that this man might be able to keep that for them.
“The intellectual bliss felt from reading a great book. The rapt admiration from looking at a beautiful or innovative work of art. The overwhelming emotion felt from looking at magnificent and mysterious nature. Jun Hyuk needs these kinds of experiences if he is to create greater music.”
Yoon Kwang Hun was genuinely awed by this wise old man. There are a lot of management agencies that coordinate full concert and album production schedules and demand constant activity so as not to lose out on any media opportunities. A management agency is meant to guard a star’s position so they do not lose it. The inherent job of an agency is to manage the fame and money.
Isaac Stern on the other hand, is matching his focus to helping Jun Hyuk create better music. It is the exact response that he had wanted.
“Of course we would like for him to have a lot of personal experiences. Love, the pain of farewells. We could expect nothing more if once he is older, he can experience life in other countries to understand their cultures.”
Yoon Kwang Hun nodded vigorously in agreement. Isaac Stern’s response was of such perfection that even though this is a business discussion, he could not hide his thoughts.
“Isaac. First, I’d like to say that I agree with all of your thoughts. But there is something that you do not yet know.”
“I’m listening.”