Chapter 80: A rowboat turned into a sailing ship.

Kim Yi-seo’s mind was in complete chaos.

Who exactly was Ham Ah-yoon?

She was the winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition.

Unlike the fake competitions that casually borrow the name “Concours,” this was on a completely different level. She had triumphed in the dream stage held in Leeds, England, only once every three years.

“…This is giving me a headache. The situation is completely different from what I expected.”

Although Go Tae-min had mentioned Ham Ah-yoon before, Kim Yi-seo had assumed he had clearly set boundaries with her. She hadn’t anticipated that Ham Ah-yoon’s side would be so determined to secure the role of Kim So-hee.

The issue was that Ham Ah-yoon was far too influential.

Even the nature of her one-person agency was different.

Most one-person agencies are limited in three areas: money, power, and connections.

Such agencies gradually acquire these resources and eventually grow large enough to leave behind their one-person structure. For most, a one-person agency is just a transitional phase.

But Ham Ah-yoon’s one-person agency was an entirely different concept.

“In essence, she’s on the same level as Director Go Tae-min.”

Ham Ah-yoon had already reached the pinnacle of her field.

If a variety show held a “Masters Special” and placed Go Tae-min in the director’s seat, it wouldn’t feel out of place to have Ham Ah-yoon sitting next to him as the master pianist.

In other words, Ham Ah-yoon was a walking enterprise in her own right. She had simply decided to start her own agency when she realized she needed one to pursue acting.

Her agency, AWA Entertainment, didn’t need to grow further.

It was already powerful enough. Nor did it need to recruit others—Ham Ah-yoon alone was more than sufficient.

“This situation isn’t great… No, a crisis is an opportunity.”

Kim Yi-seo set aside her initial panic. As a representative, she quickly began brainstorming a clever way to turn even this situation to Sua’s advantage.

It wasn’t difficult—she had her own guiding principle.

What had allowed her to survive in this industry?

It was the concept of “order.”

Even in chaotic situations, when she broke things down into a sequence of steps, there was always a path forward. Her mind started working sharply.

“At least Director Go Tae-min has chosen Sua’s side. That’s significant. So, the best course of action right now is…”

To take a step back.

“If we step back here, Sua will appear as a humble rookie to the opposing side. Later, since the director has taken an interest in her, he might offer her another role. And then…”

A lightbulb went off in Kim Yi-seo’s mind.

“…A crisis becomes an opportunity. She’ll participate in a Go Tae-min project without making enemies, and she’ll share a filmography with Ham Ah-yoon. That’s an incredible win, isn’t it?”

There were many roles in Crescendo Begins Tomorrow. If Sua gave up the role of Kim So-hee, she could still safely reap all kinds of benefits. There was no reason not to.

“This is why order is important.”

If you always try to grab what you want, you’ll end up wounded or risk losing everything. But if you give up what’s necessary, you’ll eventually gain what you desire.

This philosophy had allowed her to navigate this industry, nurturing figures like Seo Yeon-ju and Kim Sun-il. It was why she had survived.

So, she tried to stop Sua.

The plan was to explain everything in the van after withdrawing for now.

But an unexpected variable immediately derailed her plan.

“I want the role of Kim So-hee too.”

Sua’s words struck like thunder, echoing in her ears.

Sua outright declared that it had to be her who played Kim So-hee, shattering Kim Yi-seo’s carefully constructed plan without warning.

Seriously, you’re going that way?

Kim Yi-seo stared at Sua with wide eyes.

But the situation quickly spiraled out of control before she could intervene. Sharp exchanges filled the air like clashing swords.

“You won’t be able to play at that level, even if it’s your turn. Do you understand? Ah-yoon is a competition winner. There’s no reason to compare—it’s obvious who’s better.”

“The director hasn’t made any final decisions yet. Isn’t all this just the production team’s preference? Why not compare us fairly to see who’s more suitable?”

Everything had already diverged completely from Kim Yi-seo’s plan.

It was also deviating far from her usual methods.

Kim Yi-seo believed that flexibility was better than rigidity.

Flexibility allows one to bend and withstand storms, but maintaining rigidity only increases the likelihood of damage. More importantly, when faced with a major threat, there’s a risk of breaking entirely.

“This is troublesome…!”

However.

As Kim Yi-seo glanced at Sua, what she saw was not flexibility but unyielding determination. It was clear—Sua had no intention of bending, even if it meant breaking.

Kim Yi-seo began to deliberate quickly.

“What should I do? Should I intervene and stop her now?”

No matter how firm Sua’s resolve was, charging straight ahead didn’t seem like a wise choice. The problem wasn’t just that it might create animosity toward Sua.

“No, it’s only logical. I should stop her immediately.”

The issue was the piano skills.

Up until now, Sua had only competed based on her acting abilities, so she was fine. But to challenge Ham Ah-yoon in a discussion centered around music seemed like an incredibly disadvantageous position.

However, a sudden thought held Kim Yi-seo back.

“…The scent.”

It was brief but unforgettable.

The unique presence that had captivated Kim Yi-seo when she first encountered Sua.

It was the strong, resolute aura of Sua herself.

So, Kim Yi-seo paused her rational thinking for a moment. Instead, she reminded herself of what Sua meant to her.

“Whenever Sua acts this way, she always has her reasons. And not once has it ever led to a bad outcome.”

Additional clues surfaced in her mind.

She recalled observing Sua during her visit to the sound team. Now that she thought about it, didn’t Sua show some musical inclination back then? Could she have some history with the piano as well…?

No, could she even be skilled at an instrument?

It sounded ridiculous. But when she considered that it was Sua they were talking about, it didn’t seem entirely impossible. Moreover, no one here expected Sua to match Ham Ah-yoon’s level.

“…What if she can play decently enough? That might be sufficient.”

Kim Yi-seo quickly made her decision.

“Fine, if no one else believes in Sua, I will. At least I can.”

This opponent was the biggest tiger yet, but Kim Yi-seo had already experienced climbing on the back of a tiger by following Sua before. There was no reason she couldn’t do it a second time.

Kim Yi-seo clenched her fists tightly.

With a heart full of faith in Sua.

AWA Entertainment, Ham Ah-yoon’s one-person agency.

The manager wearing the baseball cap was incredulous.

They had initially feared being undercut but remembered Ham Ah-yoon’s confidence in Director Go Tae-min. Even the manager agreed that Go Tae-min wasn’t someone who would resort to such tactics. With that reassurance, they had come here trusting the process.

However.

“No matter how I think about it, this feels like undercutting.”

Even if Director Go hadn’t intended it, others around him might have attempted it. And upon seeing the scene before them, the manager felt certain that their suspicions were correct.

The decisive factor was Lee Sua’s presence.

Her appearance carried a subtle sense of authority, enough to intimidate others. However, outward appearances alone were not enough to unsettle the AWA camp—they had a renowned pianist, Ham Ah-yoon, on their side.

Instead, the manager’s gaze shifted to Sua’s hands.

“…Is this even possible?”

Beautiful. Slender, pale fingers that looked like delicate glasswork.

The problem was that there were no signs of wear or calluses on them.

Hands like those couldn’t belong to someone who had ever practiced the piano seriously. A pianist’s hands would inevitably bear scars and marks, a testament to their struggles and dedication. Anyone who sought to master the piano had to pay that price.

The remaining clues fell into place easily.

The manager narrowed her eyes and looked at the petite representative.

“Kim Yi-seo of Mystic Entertainment—is she the mastermind behind this?”

The AWA Entertainment manager knew a bit about Kim Yi-seo. Rumor had it that she never made a deal where she ended up losing. Based on that reputation, it wasn’t hard to make some assumptions.

“This undercutting tactic must have been devised by her and the production team members aligned with her. They have nothing to lose.”

The logic lined up perfectly.

“If we don’t fall for the undercutting, Mystic probably plans to insert Seo Yeon-ju as an alternative. If we do fall for it, they’d see that as a win anyway…”

The manager let out a deep sigh.

This wasn’t the first time.

“Not the first, not the second.”

Ever since Ham Ah-yoon started acting, the other side had always faced difficulties. This was because no one seemed to know exactly how to price Ham Ah-yoon’s participation fee.

And now, this was a work by none other than the master director, Go Tae-min. The stakes were high, and the negotiations behind the scenes were exhausting. When the land is wide and fertile, territorial disputes are bound to be fierce.

Even so, the manager steadied her resolve.

This time, they absolutely couldn’t allow themselves to be undercut.

“…Hm?”

But soon, she was forced to brace for a shock.

Meanwhile, the minds of others were equally preoccupied for their own reasons.

Production team members who hadn’t visited the set of Special Task Force 808 wondered if there was any reason not to use Ham Ah-yoon. On the other hand, those who had seen Sua act were completely captivated by her.

Thus, the current scene unfolded.

Dahn—

Dahn—

Dahn—

At the moment when Ham Ah-yoon pressed three keys in sequence, her thoughts were preoccupied.

What was the meaning behind the expression Sua had shown during her performance? Could it be that she had deep musical insight? Or perhaps, like Ham Ah-yoon’s father, she had noticed something that even Ah-yoon herself hadn’t seen?

Or.

Was it simply the action of someone so ignorant that her reaction was being overanalyzed due to Ah-yoon’s own memories clouding her judgment?

In reality, Sua was focused on examining her special trait window.

• 001 – Kim So-hee (Grade A)
• 002 – Park Min-seo (???)
• 003 – Lee Seung-myung (Grade F)

She wasn’t sure why Park Min-seo’s grade was marked with question marks, but every role aside from Kim So-hee was graded F. It was clear—if she wanted to participate in Crescendo Begins Tomorrow, it had to be as Kim So-hee.

A master’s work is like a grand ship.

When the interests of individuals collide like this, it becomes a turbulent time.

Without a shared vision, the ship cannot move forward. It will either wither away slowly on the open sea or be destroyed by violent waves.

But then.

Bang—!

When Ham Ah-yoon stumbled and grabbed the piano keys.

“G sharp?” Sua had said.

“I heard an A and an F as well…”

“And the last one… Was it a D?”

At that moment, everyone turned their eyes to Sua.

Their expressions were ones of shock. It was only natural. Until then, the assumption that Sua lacked any musical aptitude had been deeply ingrained in their minds.

This was the moment when Sua shattered their prejudices and revealed new possibilities—proving that she possessed a natural musical talent.

The implications were profound.

The rowboat, propelled by the efforts of many, suddenly sprouted a sail. With the ship now transformed into a sailing vessel, there was no longer a need for oars. It could ride the unstoppable flow of the wind.

Crescendo Begins Tomorrow.

The once-shaky ship was finally finding its balance.