A week after their interview, the article in Sound & Seoul magazine was released. It was a masterpiece of journalism, a beautifully written feature that perfectly captured the spirit of Aura Management. Kim Ji-soo had skillfully woven together the story of their international success, Ahn Da-eun's vulnerable-yet-powerful narrative of overcoming her past, and Han Yoo-jin's clear-eyed mission to build a new kind of entertainment company. The piece was a resounding success within its sphere of influence. It solidified their status among Korean indie music fans, music critics, and university students. "My Room" climbed to the top 10 of the domestic indie music charts, a small but significant victory on home turf.
But the great wall remained. The mainstream was still deaf to them. Yoo-jin spent the week making the rounds, calling the music show PDs and radio programmers again, this time armed with a glowing domestic feature article. The answer was always the same: a polite but firm no.
"The lineup is just too packed right now, CEO Han."
"We're focusing on artists with more established broadcast histories."
"It's a great story, truly, but our demographic leans more towards upbeat dance tracks."
The excuses were varied, but the message was singular. Director Kang's blockade was holding strong. The real levers of power in the Korean music industry—the major broadcast stations—were still firmly locked.
"It just doesn't make any sense," Go Min-young said, her voice laced with a frustration that had been building all week. They were gathered in the office, looking at another polite rejection email. "The article was amazing! Everyone who reads it loves us! 'My Room' is number eight on the Bugs indie chart! Why won't they let us on a single show? Not even a late-night one?"
"Because Director Kang's influence isn't with the press, it's with the broadcasters," Yoo-jin explained grimly, the harsh reality settling on them. "The magazines and blogs are small fish. The broadcast networks are the whales. That's where the real money, the real advertising deals, the real power is concentrated. He's letting us win the battle for indie credibility while making sure we lose the war for mainstream success. He's containing us."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sharp, insistent ringing of Yoo-jin's phone. He glanced at the screen. The caller ID was blocked. A prickle of unease went down his spine. He gestured for the others to be quiet and answered the call.
"Is this CEO Han Yoo-jin?" a crisp, professional female voice asked.
"Speaking."
"Please hold for Chairman Choi of Top Tier Media."
Yoo-jin's eyes widened. The team, hearing the name, froze. Top Tier Media wasn't just a company; it was an empire. They were one of the biggest investors, content producers, and distributors in the entire country. They were rivals to Stellar Entertainment, but on a scale that made Stellar look like a regional player. To receive a call from their Chairman was like a parish priest getting a direct line to the Pope.
A moment later, a warm, charismatic, and deeply powerful voice came on the line. "CEO Han! A pleasure to finally speak with you. I'd like to arrange a meeting. As soon as possible. Are you free this evening?"
Yoo-jin, stunned but trying to sound composed, agreed. The Chairman suggested a private dining room at the Signiel Hotel, one of the most luxurious and exclusive establishments in Seoul. After he hung up, the office was silent.
"Top Tier Media?" Min-young whispered, her voice full of awe. "Chairman Choi himself?"
"What do they want?" Da-eun asked, her natural suspicion kicking in. "People like that don't call people like us for no reason."
Yoo-jin looked at his two young partners, seeing their mixed excitement and trepidation mirrored in his own heart. Was this it? Was this the big break they had been waiting for? A powerful ally to help them shatter Director Kang's blockade? Or was it something else? He felt a knot of unease form in his stomach. This felt too easy.
That evening, Yoo-jin found himself in a lavish private room on the 81st floor of the Signiel Hotel. The view of Seoul's glittering expanse was breathtaking, a testament to the kind of power that could command such a perspective. Across the table sat Chairman Choi. He was a man in his late fifties, dressed in a beautifully tailored suit that was understated yet screamed wealth. He radiated an effortless, friendly charm, but his eyes were sharp, analytical, and missed nothing.
Yoo-jin instinctively focused his ability, needing to understand the man he was facing.
[Name: Choi Tae-hwan (Chairman Choi)]
[Overall Potential: SSS (Business Mogul)]
[Key Strengths: Ruthless Acquisition, Identifying Market Trends, Masking Threats with Charm, Long-Term Strategic Planning]
[Critical Weakness: Views Artists as Interchangeable Assets, Deeply Pragmatic to the Point of Amorality]
[Current Thoughts: This kid is a nuisance to Kang, which is a useful side benefit. The girl has genuine talent and a marketable story. I can acquire them for cheap, strip them for their useful parts, and use the girl's indie credibility to launch my new global idol group. A smart, low-cost investment with a massive potential upside.]
Yoo-jin's blood ran cold. The man's friendly smile was a mask. This wasn't a rescue mission. It was a corporate raid.
"CEO Han, a pleasure," Chairman Choi began, pouring Yoo-jin a glass of whiskey that probably cost more than his monthly rent. "Please, drink. Let me first say, I've been following your story. It's magnificent! A true David versus Goliath tale. Your artist, Ahn Da-eun, is a rough diamond. And your guerilla marketing strategy has been… inspired."
He took a sip of his own drink, his eyes twinkling. "But let's be frank. You've hit a wall. A very predictable wall named Kang Min-hyuk. He has you boxed in. You can't grow. You can't get on television. You can't truly monetize your success. You have critical acclaim, but you have no real power. So, I have a proposal."
He slid a thick, leather-bound folder across the polished table. "Top Tier Media would like to acquire Aura Management. We won't swallow you whole. We will give you your own sub-label. Your name, your brand. We will provide a massive budget—ten times what you are operating on now. And most importantly, our full distribution and broadcast network support. Every music show, every radio station, every variety program… their doors will swing wide open for you. All your problems with Director Kang will simply… vanish."
It was a dream come true. A perfect, golden lifeline. It was everything Yoo-jin had been fighting for. But he knew, from the cold, hard text of the system, that it was a deal with the devil.
"And what would Top Tier Media want in return for this generosity, Chairman?" Yoo-jin asked, his voice carefully neutral.
"A partnership, of course," Choi said with that same disarming smile. "A synergistic collaboration. We would, naturally, have final say on all creative and marketing direction, to ensure a return on our significant investment. We feel Ahn Da-eun's potential as a solo artist is… limited. Niche. However, her indie credibility would give our new global girl group a unique edge in the Western market. She would be a perfect leader for the project we are launching next year."
There it was. The trap, elegantly laid. They didn't want Ahn Da-eun, the solo artist who sang of her pain and defiance. They wanted Ahn Da-eun, the marketable asset. The indie-flavored centerpiece for their next big idol product. They wanted to take his black diamond, recut it, and set it in a gaudy, commercial crown. They wanted to absorb Aura Management, strip it of its soul, and turn it into a slightly more interesting, but ultimately identical, version of Stellar Entertainment.
Chairman Choi leaned back in his chair, the picture of magnanimity. "This is a one-time offer, CEO Han. A golden bridge. You can continue to be a small, irrelevant fish in a giant, hostile ocean, getting nibbled to death by sharks like Kang. Or you can join the winning team and become a shark yourself. The choice is yours."
Yoo-jin looked down at the contract on the table. It was a golden ticket that would solve all his immediate problems. It would give him victory over Director Kang. It would give his team the resources and recognition they deserved. But the cost was their soul. The cost was the very principle upon which his company was founded. He was trapped between a rock and a hard place, facing a decision that would define not just the future of Aura Management, but the future of his own integrity.