MOP Entertainment’s welfare benefits were definitely on another level.

Starting with a snack bar where employees could freely grab snacks, all the way to an in-house café overflowing with SNS aesthetics.

“This isn’t even the end. Our food is good too.”

“We used to come here to eat all the time when we were trainees.”

The neighbors thumped their chests confidently as they boasted.

I wondered just how good it could be, and the moment we arrived in front of the cafeteria, a magical smell drifted toward us.

“Th-this is....”

The maknae flared his nostrils and exclaimed.

“This is at least 1++ grade Korean beef being grilled.”

“Korean beef...!”

I was just admiring, thinking they must have made a lot of money from Teen Spirit and Serenity—so this is what one of the Big Four agencies is like!—when Ri Hyuk pointed at the nutrition chart on the menu board in front of the cafeteria.

“It says it’s from the U.S.”

“.......”

“.......”

The Teen Spirit members twitched their lips and snickered.

Realizing that highly advanced American beef and Korean beef were hard to distinguish, we stepped into the cafeteria.

“Huh...?”

“It’s NewBlack!”

Murmur murmur.

People who made eye contact with us and quickly bowed in surprise, people who started to wave before awkwardly stopping, people who glanced over from a distance after hearing someone whisper our name.

Amid the various reactions, we smiled brightly and greeted them.

“Hello. Is everyone enjoying their meal?”

“Yes, yes.”

“We came to freeload a meal!”

The maknae stuck out the MyTube camera and asked,

“Is the food good?”

“It’s good. The best welfare at our company is the food.”

At one employee’s thumbs-up endorsement, my anticipation rose on its own.

After exchanging greetings with the people who gradually gathered to take photos and videos, we immediately grabbed trays and darted forward.

“Wow....”

They really had reason to boast.

The glossy rice puffed out clouds of steam, and the seasoned vegetables glistened just right with oil.

And the pre-grilled meat... .

On top of that, it tasted good.

“Hohohohoho.”

It tasted so good it could give you company loyalty you didn’t even have before.

Across from us, the pretty boys who had been chewing on chicken breasts or sipping only Americanos brightened their eyes.

“So? It’s good, right?”

“This doesn’t taste like cafeteria food. It tastes like something you’d go out to buy. It’s seriously good.”

The Teen Spirit members’ shoulders began to rise like Mount Halla.

Hahyun, who had been crushing ice in his coffee, asked proudly,

“Among the Big Four agencies, ours is the best, right?”

“Hmm....”

“You’ve all been to each one at least once. TJ and KM.”

“We haven’t been to SNH though.”

At the Teen Spirit members’ request for a taste comparison, the hands of the MOP Entertainment employees who had been busily moving their chopsticks froze.

When I looked around, their eyes were full of pride and expectation.

“Hmm....”

After a brief moment of thought, I asked,

“Objectively? Or subjectively?”

“Objectively. Really without holding back! We don’t like fake compliments.”

“If that’s the case....”

I turned to Junhyun.

“Our Gomchelin.”

“Yes.”

“As a Gomchelin critic, how would you rate the agencies’ food?”

The bear smiled warmly and said,

“Overall, they’re all good. But if we had to rank them, KM Entertainment has the best meat, TJ Entertainment has the best kimchi. As for vegetables and side dishes, MOP Entertainment is the best.”

“So that’s how it is.”

“It’s better than ours?”

At the indignant voices, the maknae added,

“At KM Entertainment, the chef grills the meat right in front of you.”

“.......”

The MOP Entertainment employees who had been happily eating their meat slowly put it down and sank into thought.

“And at TJ Entertainment, they signed with a famous kimchi house that won a Korean cuisine broadcast competition last time. Their kimchi is really good.”

“.......”

The MOP employees looked at their own kimchi and fell into thought once more.

The mood dipped slightly.

Biju and I quickly stepped in.

“But the side dishes here are the best.”

“Wow, this is amazing. The vegetables....”

Sparkle.

Flowers began blooming again on the faces of the employees and the Teen Spirit members. Their pride in their company’s food was impressive.

I exchanged glances with the younger ones.

“The employees look really bright.”

“They do.”

Among the agencies we’d visited so far, this place seemed to have the best welfare. And fittingly, the employees eating here looked happy.

Jiho mumbled through a mouthful of meat,

“I learned in a management class this semester that productivity goes up when employees are happy.”

“That’s true.”

“When we move into the new building, should we build a cafeteria too?”

Just as we were reacting enthusiastically to Biju’s idea—

“What~”

Yeonhu laughed.

“Lemon Entertainment doesn’t have a cafeteria?”

“No.”

The MOP employees’ shoulders began rising again.

“Then where do you eat lunch?”

“At a barbecue place.”

“...?”

“At a barbecue place. Each person orders a serving with soybean stew... there aren’t many home-style places nearby.”

The shoulders that had risen slowly drooped back down.

“Who eats lunch at a barbecue place?”

“We do.”

“But then do you all pay out of pocket?”

“No, the company covers it all. Employees just pay about as much as cafeteria prices.”

“Wow....”

Huiyeon adjusted his cap and asked,

“Isn’t the area around Lemon Entertainment’s building Newridan Street? There are tons of famous restaurants there.”

“Really?”

“My sister went there. She said there are a lot of great places.”

Since it turned into Newridan Street, I hadn’t really walked around much.

Even just stepping outside the company, group tourists and visitors would shove cameras in our faces.

I’d heard that Chinese tourists had decreased recently, so I thought it might be quieter—but not at all.

Anyway... .

“Welfare, huh.”

After eating at MOP Entertainment’s cafeteria, the keyword welfare came to mind.

It’s true that you work on the strength of good meals.

If you eat well, employees can work more energetically.

As I thought about what else we could do for our company staff, a good idea popped into my head.

“Then how about a pleasant team dinner with the producing team....”

“The moment you go, I think we’d have to remove the word ‘pleasant.’”

At Ri Hyuk’s comment, Jiho added,

“The composers’ meat would go up their noses. Snrrrp.”

“Hyung, at the last dinner didn’t you keep asking how far the work had progressed while eating? And whether they could meet the deadline...?”

“Reason company dinners are fun: you’re the superior.”

At the henchmen’s suggestion that I should just send money and let them eat by themselves, I muttered that I got it.

Still, feeling reluctant, I asked the henchmen and neighbors,

“But wouldn’t it be fun to talk about music together during a dinner?”

“Hey.”

The Teen Spirit members called out to me seriously.

“Hyung.”

“What?”

“Restrain yourself.”

“.......”

The henchmen burst into applause and laughter.

“Producer Spaceship! Loyalty, loyalty!”

“Thank you!”

Through the video call, Team Leader Na Sangyun’s gaunt face appeared.

“Wooju. It’s such a shame you’re not here.”

“Are you serious?”

“No.”

The composers who had turned the barbecue place into a drinking party burst into giggles.

“It’s so good!”

“Producer! We welcome this kind of dinner!”

“Yes, yes. Enjoy your food....”

It was annoying how happy they were that I wasn’t there, but they had the right.

From the song camp to working on tracks for Street Boys and Teen Spirit, they had been running just as breathlessly as we had.

When I told them to drink and enjoy themselves to their hearts’ content, the composers shouted.

“Did he hang up? Did he hang up?”

“Wait.”

“Let’s do a toast! Since Spaceship isn’t here?”

“Sounds good~!”

“I didn’t hang up.”

“Hic!”

Smiling at the hiccupping composers and telling them we’d see each other later, I ended the call.

“Then we’ll head off too, hyung.”

“See you later.”

I waved to the younger ones.

While I was recording, the henchmen were going to film content titled “Big Four Agency Exploration III – MOP Entertainment ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Edition.”

Since I wouldn’t be there, the younger ones...

“Since Wooju hyung is gone, we can ask who’s the most handsome now!”

“Jackpot!”

Watching the henchmen walk away, I turned and entered the recording studio.

“Stay strong, hyung. Isn’t this what it means to be the head of the household?”

“Thanks....”

Leader Huiyeon patted my shoulder with a sympathetic expression.

The sadness lasted only a moment.

Since I’d put a lot of focus on today’s recording, we were given a studio filled with flashy equipment.

Looking at the console and speakers with satisfaction, I called out to the Teen Spirit members sitting on the sofa.

“Hahyun, you go in first. Then Eungyeom next... we’ll go in order according to the part distribution.”

“Yes.”

Hahyun entered the booth, put on his headphones, and began warming up his voice.

“Mm.”

“What’s wrong?”

Hahyun pointed at the recording mic.

“The mic position feels a bit uncomfortable.”

Before I could even ask how to adjust it, the Teen Spirit members sprang up like a swarm of bees.

“You arrogant punk!”

“If it’s uncomfortable, adjust your posture!”

“People with no skills always blame the tools. A master with a knife can cut radish!”

At the uproar, Hahyun stuck out his lips.

“Ah... you guys chatter so much. Just adjust it.”

Watching them bicker, I looked down at the lyric sheet.

The song title was .

It had been chosen between “All In” and “Throw.”

Teen Spirit’s album concept this time was casino and gambling.

Every time every day

I bet everything

Even the title track had that kind of feeling.

The message they wanted to convey in this album was about betting everything at every moment and doing your best.

, a B-side supporting the title track, carried a similar message.

“Don’t overthink it. At least once, try throwing everything you’ve got.”

A cheerful, “let’s go for it~” kind of song.

Well, that was the message and concept created by MOP Entertainment’s planning team.

Unlike the track I’d written thinking of Sbo, focused more on technical aspects than on theme.

“We have our worries too.”

A serious conversation I once had with Huiyeon over grape juice.

“When we debuted in 2012, our average age was fifteen, right? Now it’s twenty... but we still have this kid-like image. We want something deeper and more mature.”

If their average age was approaching twenty, it wouldn’t do to keep feeling boyish forever.

And there were worries about vocals too.

“Since it’s our sixth year, our desire to be acknowledged for skill has grown stronger.”

“What are you talking about? You’re amazing on stage.”

“Thank you, hyung. But people acknowledge our dancing... not so much our singing. Being pretty-looking probably contributes to that prejudice.”

Teen Spirit was an incredibly skilled team.

All six members were talented dancers, capable of handling acrobatic choreography with ease.

I even remembered watching them on TV during my military service, stunned at how insanely well rookie idols Teen Spirit performed high-difficulty choreography.

They were a team with great visuals and excellent dance... but as Huiyeon said, their vocals didn’t receive much spotlight.

The first two were so outstanding that the vocals, slightly below them, went unnoticed.

That was why I wrote this song.

“It would be nice to have a mature vibe.”

The song moves along in a cheerful, bright atmosphere, but the low parts are written with impact to stimulate the listener’s ears.

The composition considers the members who have many mid-low tones despite their boyish appearances.

If Teen Spirit’s previous songs were bright, high-note-stimulating tracks that went “Siiiii—!”, this one was more like “Swoooor~,” an adult feel.

“We want to show off our vocals to the fans too....”

The task of showcasing vocals was solved by giving impactful low sections while incorporating a wide range of registers.

So perhaps this is how Teen Spirit’s fans would feel when listening.

The flashy lights of a casino.

Spinning roulettes.

Laughter and noisy, chaotic energy.

In the midst of it, boys who usually wore T-shirts appear in suits, hair slicked back.

And they tell their story through varied vocal ranges.

“Ah, hyung, let me warm up my throat a bit more.”

“Take your time.”

After nodding to Hahyun, I checked whether the recording setup was ready.

Focusing on technical details, I reviewed the checklist.

“Hmm....”

It needed to be different from Sbo’s recording.

For Street Boys, who already had plenty of focus on skill, I directed mainly based on the song’s feel.

For Teen Spirit, who wanted technical inspection, I gave detailed direction regarding vocal skills.

“Hyung, I’m ready.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

The recording started immediately.

Matching his slightly lowered tone compared to usual, Hahyun smoothly began the song.

“How was it?”

“It was good. It was good, but I think you can raise the tone a bit more than that.”

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

I had been slightly worried since they were usually stubborn and didn’t listen much.

Seeing him agree right away felt surprising.

Professionals really were professionals.

As I was thinking that, the older engineer sitting next to me whispered in wonder.

“Hyundal doesn’t usually listen that well.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Whenever we talk about recording, he always adds a comment. Says it’s different from what he thinks. And sometimes he’s right, so he’s pretty stubborn.”

Hearing how unusual it was for him to listen so obediently today made me feel surprised too.

“Hahyun.”

“Yes?”

“Get some kimchi from the fridge over there.”

“Hyung, you get it.”

Weren’t these the same guys who would complain lazily when they came to our place to eat meat?

Yet today, they were unusually docile during recording.

And moreover...

“Hyung, have some water.”

“Oh. Thanks, Yeonhu.”

People say if Street Boys have LB, then Teen Spirit have Yeonhu.

Even Yeonhu carefully handed me bottled water, treating me with utmost consideration.

“...?”

Strange.

They weren’t originally like this.

Teen Spirit had a belief.

“I don’t listen to someone stronger or weaker than me. I only listen to what’s right.”

If someone suggested or persuaded them, they moved only if it made sense to them.

That was why they were picky during recording.

They had to be convinced why a song needed to be the way it was.

“We don’t have talent for producing.”

Unlike Street Boys or NewBlack, they didn’t have members who wrote songs or had a strong producing sense.

If the company suggested something, they just chose among the options.

But they had judgment.

A sense of whether something would work or not.

That was why persuasion was important.

If they themselves weren’t convinced by a concept or plan, how could fans be?

Because of this attitude, they used to be criticized early on for “not listening at all!”

But after achieving success, no one said anything anymore.

So they often asked for explanations.

“Why?”

Yet even the mighty Teen Spirit were quietly following the words of an external composer now.

Because he currently occupied one-seventh of the charts?

Because he was handsome?

Because he looked scary when angry?

None of that mattered. Well... maybe the last one a little.

The reason they recorded without arguing against what NewBlack’s eldest said was simple.

“Okay....”

Sun Wooju’s voice came out slightly cracked.

His hand trembled slightly as he wrote something with a pen.

And beneath his eyes were dark circles.

“He looks like he’s about to cough up blood.”

“Two recording sessions in one day? He’s not sane.”

“Who practices choreography in the morning on a recording day?”

Spaceship looked like he might collapse at any moment.

Since they lived next door, they knew his schedule well.

“Did he buy a Harry Potter time-turner or something?”

He didn’t have a time-traveling clock, yet he studied and worked as if he had two lives.

The reason former rookies who had now risen to the top past them didn’t feel jealousy—

They couldn’t live like that.

“Even if you gave it to me, I wouldn’t do it.”

Even for simple tasks, Spaceship made countless plans.

He must have reviewed recent stage videos, analyzed each member’s vocal traits, strengths and weaknesses before today’s recording.

And on top of that, he looked incredibly exhausted.

There was no way they could say “Why?”

“Hyung, have some snacks.”

“Oh, thanks.”

“If you’re tired, do you want to sleep on the sofa for five minutes? We’re pulling an all-nighter anyway.”

“I’m fine. I’m not tired.”

They heard Sbo’s recording alone had taken five straight hours, yet he focused on the booth with sharp eyes.

The Teen Spirit members felt guilty for no reason.

“We should do something for him.”

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to sleep comfortably later.

As they felt a mix of guilt, gratitude, and sympathy, something suddenly came to mind.

“Ah.”

They remembered the only moment that day when Sun Wooju had smiled.

“That’s it!”

The Teen Spirit members’ eyes sparkled.

That evening.

An employee at a high-end massage chair brand blinked.

“Hm?”

To the address labeled “Lemon Entertainment,” NewBlack had requested delivery of twenty-five massage chairs under their individual names.

And now an additional order had come in for the same address.

Do Huiyeon [LDX-5900] — 10 units.

Ten more on top of twenty-five.

To the same address.

The employee stared blankly into the air.

“What is going on today?”

As he debated whether to call about the total order of thirty-five massage chairs, his eyes caught the request note.

[Please wrap them nicely ^^]

“Should we... tie ribbons on massage chairs?”

The employee sank into distress.