CH6

I made eye contact with my older brother, Yoo-Geon.

His eyes were moist.

Worried his emotions might be revealed, Yoo-Geon quickly wiped away his tears.

He must be envious.

Even though he's my older brother, he's only thirteen. An unmistakable child.

It wouldn't be strange if he rebelled, asking why he alone had to sacrifice despite us being siblings.

But Yoo-Geon didn't do that.

Perhaps he thought now was the time to bless his younger sibling.

Smirk.

He forced a mature smile.

Because of his prematurely aged heart, perhaps?

Yoo-Geon's face looked truly poignant.

'Wait a minute.'

Who am I feeling sorry for right now?

Yeah, in his childhood… he might suffer a bit, but he's the guy who will eventually inherit Hyungang.

'I should worry about myself.'

Even as I said that.

"..."

I felt a sense of shared destiny with Yoo-Geon.

If things go as planned, he will enter Seoul National University, graduate from Harvard Graduate School, and then inherit Hyungang entirely.

I had no dissatisfaction with that future.

In fact, I sincerely wished he would grow up and become a wonderful successor.

But what if, by any chance…

'Because of my debut… what if he gets unnecessary ambitions?'

Sure, for now, he's holding on with a good heart.

But what if he thinks, why can my younger sibling, but not me…!

If he happens to rebel during adolescence?

And if he immerses himself in hobbies, neglects his studies, and that changes the succession structure…!

'Ah, that must never happen!'

What should I do?

To ensure the future doesn't change.

'I have no choice but to manage his mental state myself.'

Having found the answer, it's best to act quickly.

"Mom, excuse me for a moment."

I said as I walked briskly towards Yoo-Geon, slipping out of Song Soo-hee's embrace.

"Can I sleep with my brother?"

"Huh?"

Song Soo-hee finally looked back.

"Yoo-Geon was out here."

"Mom, I'll play and sleep in my brother's room. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

"Brother, is that okay with you?"

In response to my question, Yoo-Geon awkwardly nodded.

***

Yoo-Geon's room.

The first thing that caught my eye was a large globe.

On it, clocks set to different times were lined up.

Seoul, New York, London, Moscow, etc.

They were set to check the times of major cities.

'It's unlikely Yoo-Geon wanted this.'

It must be a gift(?) from Chairman Park with the meaning to embrace the world.

'Just looking at it makes me dizzy.'

Fortunately, there were also places reflecting Yoo-Geon's taste.

The wall was plastered with posters.

The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Prince, Michael Jackson.

'They're all Black artists.'

Below them was a bookshelf packed with LPs.

Maybe because he looks like a model student.

I thought he liked classical music.

But all the records were Black music?

The interesting part was that he had three copies of Michael Jackson's first album.

"Brother, why do you have so many of the same album?"

Just moments ago, Yoo-Geon was wiping away his tears.

But what's this?

"Oh, that?"

Yoo-Geon's face lit up with excitement as if it never happened.

"Ji-hoon, have you heard of the Jackson 5?"

"Yeah."

"The kid from that group just debuted as an adult singer."

Yoo-Geon quickly took out the LP.

"This is his debut album."

I knew it.

'Off the Wall.'

It's one of the most famous albums in pop history.

"Although it only ranked 4th on the Billboard year-end chart this time… the next album will definitely top the annual chart."

Yoo-Geon's prediction was spot on.

Michael Jackson would rise as the King of Pop with his second album, 'Thriller.'

But at times like this, it's only polite to feign ignorance and ask again.

"How do you know that, brother?"

Sure enough, Yoo-Geon eagerly started talking.

"You can feel a sort of determination in this album."

"Determination?"

"A resolute will to carve his name in pop history! This album is brimming with that energy. Thanks to that, the listener feels awakened too."

"Is that why you bought three copies?"

"Yeah. One for collection, two for playback. LPs tend to get damaged with continuous play, you know."

"Brother, can I listen too?"

As if waiting for this moment.

"Of course! Definitely."

Yoo-Geon quickly took out the record.

Though he's the third generation of a chaebol family, his audio system was nothing special.

Just a standard beginner's setup.

But Yoo-Geon treated it like a treasure.

Especially when he placed the LP on the turntable.

"Hoo."

On the spinning record.

"..."

He placed the needle with utmost caution.

He was so serious that it seemed almost sacred.

A moment later.

Thump, da-da. Thump, da-da.

The warm sound unique to LPs flowed from the speakers.

Yoo-Geon soon looked at me expectantly.

It's good, right?

He looked as if he wanted to ask that immediately.

But worried it might disturb my listening, he swallowed his words.

Thanks to that, we sat side by side and listened to the first track.

When the second song started, Yoo-Geon cautiously asked for my opinion.

"How is it?"

"It's so exciting."

"Right? Do you want to listen to this too? It's by Stevie Wonder, an amazing musician."

After that, Yoo-Geon brought out quite a few LPs.

We must have listened to music for at least 30 minutes.

Gradually, the brightness on Yoo-Geon's face dimmed.

Probably because the reality he had momentarily forgotten due to the music (the duty-laden eldest son's life compared to the relatively free younger son's) dawned on him again.

"Brother, do you like music?"

"Yeah. Just like you love books, Ji-hoon…"

"Do you ever want to just listen to music all day?"

"Yeah. Every single day."

"Can't you play it while studying?"

"Then it just becomes background noise… it's not the same."

"Why not background noise?"

"Because the albums are made with the artists' utmost effort, it feels respectful to listen attentively… as a courtesy to the creators."

By 2020, most people will listen to music on their phones.

It'll be an era where you can consume music through streaming without spending a lot of money.

Compared to that, Yoo-Geon placing the needle on the LP…

'It looked almost like a religious ritual.'

It might seem a bit excessive, but he's just a sixth grader.

Which means such purity can be a great motivator.

"Brother, you know."

Open wide.

Here comes the mental management hope circuit!

"When you start a business later. The first thing you'll do will be related to music, right?"

"Related to music?"

"Yeah. Like a music distribution company or an entertainment agency."

"That won't be easy."

"Why?"

"A big company… can't just jump into small things like that."

"What's small about it? It'll be on a global scale."

"…Global?"

"Yeah. Since it's Hyungang, it should naturally be on a global scale."

Scratch, scratch.

It seemed hard for Yoo-Geon to comprehend.

"Grandfather probably won't allow it."

"...?"

"Because it's not profitable."

At Yoo-Geon's words, I pointed to Michael Jackson's first album.

"How many copies of this album sold?"

"At least ten million."

"And it's not profitable?"

"That's because it's Michael Jackson…"

"If Hyungang steps in, we should at least bring in someone like Michael Jackson."

"…How?"

"Wouldn't it be possible if we acquired his record label?"

"Me-Maryland Records?"

Yoo-Geon shook his head.

He thought it would be impossible for Hyungang to acquire a giant American record label, no matter how great Hyungang is.

Smirk.

'You don't know.'

Later, Japan's leading electronics company, Sonos, will acquire Maryland Records.

In other words.

'As long as there's money, there's nothing Hyungang can't do.'

How difficult can it be for a 35-year-old to persuade a sixth grader?

Ten minutes is enough.

"In the future, content will dominate the world, not hardware."

"What do you mean?"

"Whether it's LPs or cassette tapes, they're just devices to play music. While the devices may change, the fact that people listen to music doesn't."

"Oh!"

"So in the long run, investing in content is essential. Grandpa will surely understand that and allow it."

"But Ji-hoon…"

"Yeah?"

"How do you know all this?"

"Oh, well."

I can't say I came from the future.

"…Books. Right, I read it in one of Grandpa's books."

"Books say things like that?"

"Of course."

"Wow."

He might neglect his studies if he gets too into reading.

"Brother, I love reading. I'll read and tell you everything."

"Really?"

"Yeah. But you have to listen to a lot of good music. So you can recognize good artists and bring them to our company."

"...!"

"First, let's start with the singers on your posters."

I pointed to Stevie Wonder and then Michael Jackson.

He was so happy just imagining it.

"Hehe."

Yoo-Geon smiled like a child for the first time.

Yes, he's a thirteen-year-old kid. He should smile like that sometimes.

"Thanks, Ji-hoon."

"For what?"

"I never thought about combining management and music."

"Really?"

"Yeah. At most… since Hyungang is in electronics, I vaguely guessed we might make audio equipment."

It's a long explanation.

But it means he's determined to study hard!

"I feel reassured having you, brother. Really."

"Hehe."

"It's late. I should go to bed."

Though he looked regretful, he soon accepted it, considering tomorrow's schedule.

"Good night."

"You too."

Leaving behind Yoo-Geon's shy smile, I quietly left his room.

The long hallway.

I have to pass two bathrooms to get to my room.

Thanks to that, I had some time to think as I walked.

'The music content business.'

It was a pretty good alternative for something that came to mind on the spur of the moment.

Sonos, which dominated the world, will face a severe slump in the 21st century.

They'll be overtaken by Hyungang in most electronics sectors, including mobile phones, laptops, and TVs.

The signal for Sonos' revival?

'Definitely thanks to content.'

In 2020, Sonos will make a new leap thanks to pre-acquired record and film companies.

Besides.

If we acquire a record company…

'We might get to meet famous musicians.'

It's not that I have any particular ambition in that area, but.

'Meeting Dr. Dre or Eminem… could be fun.'

Ahem!

Just if the opportunity arises.

Maybe because of these various thoughts.

'The music business… maybe it would be good if I did it?'

With a curious smile, I clicked open the door.

TL/N =

Sonos = Sony