The Scandal-Proof Producer

Two days after Director Kang's public immolation, the industry was still reeling. The shockwaves had destabilized Stellar Entertainment, sent ripples of fear through Top Tier's allies, and, most importantly, created a power vacuum. Han Yoo-jin had thrown a massive stone into the stagnant pond of the K-pop world, and he was now watching the concentric circles expand. The news reports were a constant presence in the Aura office, a grim but satisfying wallpaper of their invisible victory.

He was in the middle of a meeting, discussing the logistics of a small club tour for Ahn Da-eun, when his personal phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. The name that flashed there made him freeze mid-sentence.

It was Yoon Ji-seok.

The enigmatic Executive Director of Stellar Entertainment. Chairman Nam's right-hand man. The company's quiet, ruthlessly efficient fixer. In all his years at Stellar, Yoo-jin had spoken to the man maybe five times. Yoon Ji-seok wasn't a public-facing executive; he was a creature of the shadows, a master of backroom deals and silent, corporate power plays. A call from him was never a casual occurrence.

Yoo-jin excused himself from the meeting, his heart rate kicking up a notch. He stepped into his office and closed the door before answering.

"Yoon Ji-seok," he said, his voice a carefully modulated, neutral tone.

"Han Yoo-jin. It's been a while." Yoon's voice was exactly as Yoo-jin remembered: calm, dry, and completely devoid of emotion. It was like listening to a legal document being read aloud. "I imagine you're enjoying the recent news."

The statement was a probe, a baited hook. Yoo-jin refused to bite. "I'm sure I don't know what you're referring to, Director Yoon. We've been quite busy with our own projects."

A short, dry chuckle came from the other end. It was the most emotion Yoo-jin had ever heard from the man. "Of course not. Your focus is admirable." A beat of silence. "Regardless, a… vacancy… has unexpectedly opened up on a rather important project. A project you were once tangentially involved with. I'd like to discuss it with you. In person."

An hour later, they were sitting opposite each other in a private, soundproofed room in a traditional tea house in Insadong. The air smelled of old wood and roasted barley. Yoon Ji-seok, dressed in a simple but impeccably tailored dark suit, got straight to the point. He did not waste time on pleasantries.

"Stellar Entertainment is hosting the Starlight Festival in three months," he began, setting his teacup down with a quiet click. "As you know, it is our annual flagship concert. The jewel in the corporate crown. Director Kang was the lead producer. With him… indisposed… the project is in chaos."

He looked at Yoo-jin, his eyes like polished stones. "The festival's failure would be a public relations and financial disaster. We need a producer with a strong, modern vision. Someone who understands the Stellar brand but isn't afraid to innovate. We need someone who can handle immense pressure and deliver results."

He let that hang in the air for a moment before delivering the punchline. "Stellar Entertainment would like to offer Aura Management a production partnership for this year's festival."

Yoo-jin kept his face a perfect mask of neutrality, but inside, his mind was reeling. A partnership. With Stellar. It was unthinkable.

"Specifically," Yoon continued, "we would like Aura to take over full production of the 'Indie & Rising Stars' stage. It's a secondary stage, but it receives significant media attention and serves as our pipeline for future talent. A complete, turnkey operation. You would have a substantial budget and a prime-time slot in the festival's broadcast schedule."

It was a massive, wholly unexpected olive branch from the very company that had cast him out. Suspicion coiled in Yoo-jin's gut. This made no sense. Companies like Stellar didn't forgive; they crushed. He needed to understand the angle. The real angle.

He focused on the impassive man across the table, activating his Producer's Eye.

[Name: Yoon Ji-seok]

[Overall Potential (Corporate Strategy): S]

[Key Strengths: Extreme Discretion, Unwavering Loyalty (to Stellar Chairman Nam Tae-seop), Master of Leverage]

[Critical Weakness: Views all relationships as purely transactional; Incapable of understanding artistic motivation]

[Current Thoughts: The boy is dangerous. Unpredictable. Which makes him useful. Kang's removal was Choi's move, an attempt to install his own man. This public humiliation has weakened Choi's influence on our board. Bringing the boy in creates a buffer. It sends a clear message to Choi that Stellar is no longer his playground. This isn't an alliance; it's a strategic repositioning. His upstart artists get mainstream exposure; we get a disposable weapon against a common rival. A mutually beneficial transaction.]

The information flooded Yoo-jin's mind with perfect, chilling clarity. This wasn't about him. It wasn't about his talent or Aura's success. He was a pawn. Chairman Nam of Stellar was using him as a pawn in his own cold war against Chairman Choi of Top Tier.

Director Kang's disgrace had created a power struggle between the two giants, and Yoon Ji-seok was making a brilliant strategic move. By publicly partnering with Aura—Top Tier's most hated and visible enemy—Stellar was signaling a formal break in its unspoken alliance with Choi. They were drawing a new battle line, and they wanted to place Aura Management directly on the front.

It was a poisoned chalice. The offer was incredible. A stage at the Starlight Festival would give Aura a level of mainstream exposure they couldn't dream of affording. It would be the perfect, high-profile platform to showcase not just Ahn Da-eun, but to give Lee Seo-yeon and Kevin Riley their first major public performances. It was a shortcut to the big leagues.

But accepting it meant willingly painting an even bigger target on their backs. It meant being caught in the crossfire between two warring corporate titans, their small company a dinghy in the path of two battleships.

For a moment, Yoo-jin considered refusing. It was the safe move. The smart move. But then he thought of his artists. He thought of Da-eun on a stage that size, of Seo-yeon's voice reaching tens of thousands of people. The reader's criticism from the other day echoed in his mind. Always reacting, never on the offensive. This was an opportunity to go on the offensive, to seize territory he had no right to hold.

He looked at Yoon Ji-seok, the man who had once coldly overseen the termination of his own contract. He would make a deal with his old demons. But this time, it would be on his terms.

"I accept," Yoo-jin said, his voice firm. "But with conditions."

Yoon raised an eyebrow slightly, the first sign of surprise he had shown.

"Aura gets full and complete creative control over our stage," Yoo-jin stated. "The lineup, the song choices, the visual concept, the running order. Everything. There will be no notes from your board, no sponsored segments, no forced collaborations. My stage, my rules. You are buying my product, not my obedience."

He expected a negotiation. A refusal. But Yoon Ji-seok simply gave a thin, almost imperceptible smile. "That seems acceptable. A producer should have control over his own production."

The deal was struck. Yoo-jin had just steered his small, independent company directly into the heart of the storm. He had stepped back into the very system he fought so hard to escape, surrounded by the corporate monsters he despised. But this time, he wasn't a disillusioned employee. He was a king of his own small patch of land, and he was determined to be the one holding the cards.