Chapter 2

Seah’s cold voice made Hyesoo answer quickly.

“Yeah, I’m working on it. I just need to polish it a little.”

• “It’s the one you let me hear a little of before, right?”

Seah’s voice softened after hearing Hyesoo’s reply.

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

• “That’s perfect for the title track. I already told the company to expect something great. So you better finish it properly, okay?”

Seah’s firm tone made Hyesoo smile bitterly.

But she answered right away.

“Okay. You’ll get to hear the final version tomorrow.”

• “You said tomorrow.”

Seah repeated Hyesoo’s words.

• “Don’t break your promise.”

Then she hung up.

Hyesoo stood there, holding the phone to her ear, still in a daze.

“Final version…?”

“…!”

“What final version are you talking about?”

Startled, Hyesoo turned around and saw a man standing behind her.

The moonlight shining through the window made his face look mysterious.

Sharp eyes, a perfect nose, and red lips that almost looked seductive under the moonlight.

His light brown eyes made him look even more mysterious.

Hyesoo stared at him for a moment, then quickly bowed her head.

“Hello, I’m Ji Hyesoo, manager of Lee Seah.”

The man in front of her was none other than Heo Danwoo, the CEO of SWAT Entertainment.

Hyesoo bowed politely without thinking.

“I believe I just asked you a question.”

Danwoo reminded her.

“Answer me. What’s the final version?”

His voice was forceful, and his eyes didn’t leave her.

Hyesoo’s mind was racing.

‘Does he know something?’

Was he asking because he knew something?

Or was he trying to test her?

She tried to read his expression but couldn’t.

As she hesitated, Danwoo spoke again and began walking.

“Come with me.”

Hyesoo followed him with a heavy heart.

They went into his office. As she stood awkwardly by the door, Danwoo walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled something out.

He walked back toward Hyesoo.

“…!”

The closer he got, the louder Hyesoo’s heart pounded.

It was because of what he held in his hand.

‘That’s…’

Danwoo held it out to her.

“Is this yours, Ji Hyesoo?”

It was her music notebook—the one where she had written the songs for Seah’s upcoming album.

Hyesoo quickly looked away.

“No, it’s not mine.”

“But it is.”

Danwoo’s voice was full of certainty.

“You didn’t even look at it. How can you be so sure it’s not yours?”

“…!”

“You’re speaking as if you already know what’s inside.”

His sharp question made her neck feel cold.

When she briefly looked up, she saw his piercing gaze.

Hyesoo closed her eyes tightly.

‘How did he get that notebook?’

She didn’t understand how Danwoo had it.

“I saw it fall from your bag four days ago.”

While she tried to remember, Danwoo continued.

His words made her recall that day.

‘Did you lose your mind? How could you lose it?’

That day, she had brought the notebook to hand over a song to Seah.

But it disappeared somehow. Seah had gotten really angry, even slapped Hyesoo.

‘What if the song leaks before the album release!’

That was Seah’s biggest fear.

Hyesoo stayed up all night searching for it.

‘But I couldn’t find it that night…’

And now, it was in Danwoo’s hands.

“I was going to return it right away, but you disappeared. Then, two days ago, Lee Seah submitted a song she said she wanted as her title track.”

“…”

“It matched exactly with the song in this notebook.”

Hyesoo’s world felt like it was collapsing.

“Now, answer me.”

“…”

“What’s the ‘final version’ you mentioned earlier?”

His words were sharp, and Hyesoo’s lips trembled.

What should she say?

How could she get out of this?

“Are you talking about this song?”

Danwoo flipped to the last page of the notebook and showed it to her.

[ Placebo Effect ]

It was the song Hyesoo had spent months composing.

Just like he said—

‘The final version.’

The one Seah had been excited about for her title track.

Danwoo’s face demanded an answer. Hyesoo finally opened her mouth.

“I… I was just helping pack Seah’s things, and…”

“Do you think I’m stupid, Ms. Ji?”

His sharp voice cut through her rambling.

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

No matter what she tried to say, she couldn’t fool Danwoo.

With no way out, Hyesoo dropped to her knees.

“I’m sorry, sir. I just wanted to help Seah, she’s been working so hard. Just this once… I helped her, just this once.”

She lowered her head to the floor.

Danwoo frowned at the sight.

“You know how busy Seah is. There wasn’t enough time for this album…”

“Why are you apologizing to me?”

Danwoo interrupted.

“The one who should be apologizing is Lee Seah—for lying and calling your songs her own.”

Hyesoo had no reply.

“She says all the songs on her album are her own, and that she’ll live proudly as a singer-songwriter.”

“…”

“That’s what she’s always said since her busking days.”

Danwoo’s words were all true.

“A singer who sings songs they didn’t even write…”

“…”

“Can you really call that a singer-songwriter?”

Five years ago, Seah started busking, saying she wanted to sing songs with her own style.

Back then, she was full of confidence and determination. Now she was a global star.

People loved her pretty looks, her clear voice—and especially the songs she ‘wrote.’

[ ‘Seah’ is a genre. ]

That kind of praise always followed her.

But the truth was…

‘I wrote all of those songs.’

Every song Seah was praised for had actually been written and composed by Hyesoo.

Even back during her busking days, Seah only stood out because of her looks and voice. Her songs didn’t match her image—they felt too gloomy.

Then she met Hyesoo.

Hyesoo wrote a song that matched her voice and vibe.

The day she sang it while busking, everything changed.

Someone uploaded a video of that performance online, and it went viral.

That led to her signing with SWAT Entertainment and becoming a top star in just five years.

While Seah soared higher and higher, Hyesoo stayed in the shadows—her hidden songwriter.

Now, looking back on the past five years, Hyesoo gave a bitter smile.

And yet—

‘I exist… only because of you, unnie.’