freenovelworld Chapter 187 : Not a Plan, but an Opportunity
Chapter 187 : Not a Plan, but an Opportunity
In the past, the peak of Korean nightlife culture was undeniably the “nightclub.”From the 1990s to the early 2000s.
Who was more successful, who had more money, who had better connections…
Nightclubs were the places where people lined themselves up in childish hierarchies like that.
Businessmen with money, celebrities, athletes, sons of wealthy families—everyone flaunted their wealth at nightclubs.
And beyond simple entertainment venues, they were also spaces for social networking.
But were all nightclubs the same?
Not at all.
Nightclubs had their own “class system.”
There were the roadside signboard nightclubs.
And then there were the hotel nightclubs located inside luxury hotels.
On top of that, there were regional differences as well.
Hotel nightclubs, in other words, were places where money and formality coexisted.
Juliana, Boss, Mul, Hilltop, Cooty, Sidus…
Now they existed only in someone’s memories, but their reputations had once been tremendous.
Luxurious hotel buildings.
Staff members who behaved like butlers.
And heavy schemes unfolding inside the club.
Music was merely background.
Fast house music or remixed pop songs played by the DJ, expensive liquor circulated around, and someone would slip business cards into the mix.
The fame of the nightclub often represented the prestige of the hotel itself.
“Oh? That hotel with the XX nightclub?”
“Mul has the best crowd. Juliana.”
“For nightclubs, Itaewon or Gangnam is the place!”
Inside those places, no one actually listened to the music.
Because the volume of relationships was louder than the volume of the music.
What mattered more was how expensive the drinks were, how good the crowd was, and how many celebrities came and went.
But no trend lasts forever.
Entering the 2010s, the direction of nightlife began to change.
The waiters shouting about bookings in nightclubs, the older guys showing off their money in front of VIP rooms.
All of that became a tacky scene of the past.
The generation had changed.
Social media, YouTube, EDM, festivals.
The trend left the suffocating hotels and spread into the streets, underground scenes, and overseas.
Hotels also joined the change.
As the underground club scene emphasizing individuality grew, hotels demolished their nightclubs and replaced them with stylish rooftop bars or clubs featuring carefully selected DJs.
Nightclubs were reborn as modern clubs.
And at the center of all those changes was always the DJ.
An era where music was no longer background but the main character.
More glamorous than before, and far freer.
DJs began proving their value.
DJ mixing flowed through hotel lounges.
And DJ festivals were held where nightclubs once stood.
The fame of hotel nightclubs had disappeared.
But the luxury of a five-star hotel still remained.
For that reason—
The KW Gangnam Hotel had to become a place where a brand stayed, not just a place of entertainment.
And to achieve that, everything from A to Z had to be rebuilt.
‘Ordinary won’t even get you a seat at the table.’
That was why Kim Jinsoo placed Blackhole at the center.
---
“A Gangnam hotel club…”
The calculator inside Kim Minsoo’s head began spinning rapidly.
Making money? He wasn’t interested.
How flashy the hotel club renovation would be? Even less interesting.
There was only one word filling his mind.
Blackhole, the protagonist of the Gangnam Hotel Project.
If Blackhole stood on the stage of a luxury hotel club, the impact would be impossible to predict.
His older brother, Kim Jinsoo, must have been aiming precisely for that.
‘He’s someone who’s quick with calculations.’
The image boost the entire KW Group hotel chain would gain through Blackhole’s name value.
The rediscovery of K-POP songs Blackhole would mix.
And most importantly—
The anonymity that stimulated the public’s imagination.
The Kim Jinsoo he knew was not the type of person to make such a proposal just to earn a little money.
‘He always wanted to be someone ahead of the times.’
At this point, it would practically be the Gangnam Hotel riding on Blackhole’s brand.
Because the KW Gangnam Hotel club was currently no different from being closed.
Despite carrying the name of a five-star hotel.
Its past glory was fading like an old incandescent light bulb.
Trendy rooftop bars were popping up everywhere.
Amid fashionable underground clubs.
The old KW Gangnam club was no longer a symbol of luxury.
Rather, it was seen as a relic of nightlife from a previous generation.
Kim Jinsoo had seen exactly that.
If he could place Blackhole at the forefront—
If that led to the creation of a new kind of club never seen before—
Then the KW Gangnam Hotel would lead a new club culture.
And soon, articles like this would appear.
“The club and DJ culture of Korea in the 2020s changed starting from the KW Gangnam Hotel… At the center was the mysterious DJ known as Blackhole…”
The benefits Kim Jinsoo would gain from this were clear.
The stagnant stock of KW Tourism Development would rise, and with it his position as the next successor would become even more solid.
Yes.
To put it bluntly—
Kim Jinsoo *needed* Blackhole.
In nicer words, it was a win-win situation.
In crude terms, he was planning to benefit from Blackhole—greatly.
Although they had clinked glasses earlier to signal agreement with the proposal.
Thinking about it like this made one thing concerning.
So before giving a final answer, Kim Minsoo wanted to confirm one thing.
“Hyung.”
“Yes.”
As Kim Minsoo poured sake into his brother’s empty glass, he said firmly,
“Blackhole isn’t an advertisement model. He’s not a product either.”
Kim Jinsoo raised his head.
How should he interpret those words?
Was it excessive affection? Or groundwork for a larger demand?
He couldn’t tell.
Instead of replying, he slowly swirled the full glass.
A gesture telling him to continue.
“Blackhole. No—Taeyoon. He might refuse.”
“…Refuse?”
That word was unexpected.
“If he says he doesn’t want to do it, there’s nothing I can do.”
This time Kim Minsoo swirled his own glass while looking at Kim Jinsoo calmly.
Five-star hotel or not.
If someone didn’t want the position of Governor of Pyeongan Province, it meant nothing.
Kim Minsoo was someone who kept his promises.
When he first worked with Taeyoon at Sierra.
When Taeyoon signed with KIM Entertainment.
He had promised one thing.
– All decisions related to music will follow your opinion.
Kim Minsoo cherished Taeyoon’s talent more than anyone.
Now not as a club owner and his affiliated DJ.
But as one music listener to another.
He didn’t want Blackhole’s brilliant talent to become clouded by commercial pressure.
Kim Jinsoo looked deeply into his younger brother’s eyes.
What he saw there was not simple business calculation.
It was respect for Blackhole.
Almost like the way he himself looked at his younger brother.
A deep affection.
“I didn’t know you thought that much of him.”
Kim Jinsoo’s question made Kim Minsoo chuckle.
“I have no intention of using Taeyoon for business. Everything will depend on his decision. But even if Blackhole doesn’t join… the thing you want… what should I call it, the ‘KW Gangnam Hotel Revival Project’? Yes. I’ll still take responsibility for that until the end. Of course it won’t be easy.”
Hoo…
Kim Jinsoo let out a short sigh.
When had his younger brother become this sharp?
There wasn’t even a trace of bluff or exaggeration in his words.
It was simply the strong confidence of someone who truly knew the musician named Taeyoon.
Kim Jinsoo drained the sake in one gulp and asked,
“Why do you care about Blackhole that much?”
He was genuinely curious.
What exactly had transformed the once careless Kim Minsoo into someone this solid?
He had already confirmed Blackhole’s skill through advertisements and performances.
But that alone couldn’t explain it.
Just like Blackhole’s beat.
It felt like his younger brother had developed his own rhythm as well.
That rhythm seemed to have planted a firm core inside Kim Minsoo.
Without realizing it, Kim Jinsoo straightened his back.
There must be a special reason.
But contrary to his expectations—
“I promised.”
“…A promise?”
“Yes. To respect all of his opinions.”
“Ha!”
He almost burst out laughing.
For such a trivial reason?
“That’s it?”
“What more do you need?”
“Haha…”
Kim Jinsoo sighed and leaned back in his chair.
On his way to reaching this position.
He had met and studied countless people.
He believed he could read people just by looking at their eyes.
And in fact, he often could.
His instincts were so accurate they almost felt supernatural.
The reason he hired Blackhole as an advertisement model was based purely on that instinct.
Others might say he judged everything like a robot based on numbers.
But it was a principle he had always followed.
Yet right now—
The younger brother sitting in front of him was completely unreadable.
Instinct, nothing.
His mind went blank.
Why?
Why go that far for someone who wasn’t even blood-related?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Kim Minsoo asked,
“You don’t understand either, right?”
“Hm?”
“Well, what can I do? I don’t understand it either. Why I like that guy this much.”
Then he gave a small smile and winked.
“If I had to force a reason… responsibility? I brought him into this field, so I should see it through to the end.”
“So you’ll make sure he succeeds?”
“No. It’s closer to making sure he doesn’t get corrupted by the wrong things.”
Trusting him and waiting.
That was Kim Minsoo’s way of treating Blackhole.
As always.
If Taeyoon didn’t like the idea, he had no intention of asking twice.
“Alright. Tell him first and let me know the result. I don’t want to force someone who doesn’t want it.”
“Sorry I couldn’t give you an answer right away after such a good proposal!”
“It’s fine. Go now.”
After finishing the conversation with Kim Jinsoo—
A week passed in worry before Kim Minsoo finally managed to bring it up.
But—
“Wooooooah!”
All that worry turned out to be unnecessary.
Taeyoon shouted in excitement.
---
The moment I heard CEO Kim Minsoo’s proposal—
“Wooooooah!”
I shouted immediately.
Because it was honestly an incredible opportunity.
“Let’s do it! I want to do it! Blackhole as the star of the newest club—I love it! Really!”
“…You’re agreeing this quickly?”
At Kim Minsoo’s stunned question, I answered without hesitation.
“If it’s a proposal from CEO Kim Minsoo, of course I should do it. You always analyze things thoroughly before suggesting them, don’t you?”
“Ah…!”
Kim Minsoo made a briefly impressed expression and grabbed my hand, shaking it enthusiastically.
Embarrassed, I scratched my cheek.
It wasn’t wrong, but why was he reacting so strongly?
And actually—
There was another real reason.
After visiting LA, my perspective had widened.
It wasn’t some shallow admiration like being intoxicated by America or thinking the scale had to grow bigger.
To be honest—
During that LA trip, it was the first time I had visited an expensive five-star hotel.
And the incredible club inside it.
People really need to experience things firsthand.
Watching them on YouTube was completely different.
The beat mixed by a DJ at a famous LA hotel.
Combined with the atmosphere—
It was truly intoxicating.
For the first time, I became a pure audience member.
Between the DJ on stage and the listeners, there was an invisible energy being exchanged.
I could feel it.
No one explained the music there.
They simply listened, moved, and went wild.
People holding expensive drinks.
Even famous celebrities.
In that place, they were just ordinary audience members.
So this proposal wasn’t merely a plan to me.
It was an opportunity.
Maybe this was a moment of destiny.
Because—
“CEO, actually…”
For the first time in my life,
I had gained a dream.
“Hm? Actually what?”
Someone once said—
Dreams are called dreams because they can’t be easily achieved.
And my dream was enormous.
To plan an incredibly huge and spectacular club.
And someday even run it myself.
A place I created where audiences and musicians would gather in crowds.
Performing every night, communicating, discovering shining new talents.
Just imagining it was thrilling.
Still, saying it honestly felt a little embarrassing.
Someone might dismiss it as unrealistic fantasy.
So I simply said it plainly.
“I found something I want to do.”
“What is it?”
“I want to perform in a bigger club. The KW Gangnam Hotel club would be massive, right?”
“Oh? Our Taeyoon has ambition?”
Ambition? It was a little different from that.
“More than that… Sierra started as a small club, so it’s unfortunate that audiences have to wait so long. These days tickets sell out and there’s even ticket scalping.”
“You can just say it honestly.”
“Huh?”
“That Sierra isn’t big enough to contain Blackhole.”
“Come on, that’s not it!”
If it used to be a hotel nightclub, it must be huge.
Then our audience could enjoy performances more comfortably.
“Oh, but if it’s a Gangnam hotel club, won’t the admission fee become too expensive? I hope it’s not too different from Sierra’s admission fee…”
“We can decide that later. I also want to avoid raising the admission fee just because we moved to Gangnam. So I’ll take that as agreement…”
“Ah, wait, wait a moment.”
I stopped Kim Minsoo as he was about to end the conversation.
Ending it like this would be boring.
This was the chance.
He said he would be the one in charge.
Maybe he could reflect some of my opinions.
Because an ordinary club would be boring.
So I shut my eyes and said it.
“Let’s make a special club!”
“A special club?”
“A club that’s never existed before. That’s what your older brother wants, right?”
“That’s right. What is it? You have a good idea?”
“CEO, by any chance…”
He probably knew already.
But I paused and asked.
“Do you know a place called Moon Night Club?”
“Huh?”
Kim Minsoo’s eyes widened.
Then color quickly returned to his face.
“How do you know about that place?”
The reaction wasn’t bad.