sooman & youngmin

i want to create a legacy

'“Youngmin-ah!”

The chatter once bursting from the mouths of employees silenced, the exclamation echoing off hollow walls. The quick freeze at the sound of a new voice had everyone's attention for a second, followed by the sound of chairs rolling back, scraping against the floor as they got up to bow.

“Lee Sooman seongsang-nim!” One of the female workers said loudly from the other side of the room in the midst of desks and office chairs, gaining the attention of the much older man. The woman was short and well-dressed, but noticeably tired. However she held a nerve of confidence as she walked quickly up to the founder with her hands clasped in front of her, navigating around desks, wayward chairs and people.

“If you’d follow me, I’ll take you to see Sajangnim Kim. He’s in the meeting room.” Her tone was clipped and above all, polite. Sooman nodded, laughing heartily at the much younger girl and motioned her to lead the way.

“New buildings are always a hassle to get around, aren’t they?” He stated the words quickly accompanied by a hearty chuckle and wide smile. The younger woman turned slightly before looking straight ahead down the neutral coloured, wide hall.

“I wouldn’t know, sir. I am new and this is my first job, so I cannot say I would know the feeling too well," she said honestly, sighing a bit as she turned down the last hallway. She turned to sneak a glimpse again of the much-revered man.

“You’ll do well then, your confidence is to be admired. Keep working hard. Hwaiting.” Sooman commented as they reached the heavy, glass-panelled door to the meeting room, where the woman finally stepped back and looked him in the eye before bowing.

“Of course seongsang-nim. Hwaiting!” She raised a fist, bowing again before walking back to her desk in the main working room.

It left Sooman alone in front of the room, door handle in hand as he opened the door to reveal the current CEO of his company. The room was darkened, save for a single light in the middle of the room that was rather cool compared to the slight warmth of the rest of the building.

“Youngmin-ah," he called, moving into the room and taking a seat next to the pensive man. “I have come to talk.” His words were foreboding as he lost any playfulness he had outside of the room.

“Seongsang-nim. It’s rare for you to want to talk to me urgently. What are you thinking about?” His voice came as a long drawl, eyes finally turning to look at the elder as he crossed his arms.

“I’ve come to finish my legacy, boy. I’m not getting any younger, so I want to make a new group. A girl group.”

“And you’ve decided to create a new girl group to finish your legacy?” Youngmin questioned with a single eyebrow raised as he stared down the founder.

Sooman just smiled widely, leaning back into his chair and feeling the skin moving into happy creases at the corner of his eyes. The silence existed for a single instance as the two men look each other over in a battle of mental wits.

“Youngmin-ah, it’s too easy for a boy group to become popular these days. Throw in some talented, good-looking boy and parade them around, they'll have fans flocking,” he started, looking off towards the abandoned window as he started his reasoning, “But if you put a girl group together, they have to be beautiful, talented, have personality and then some more. It’s more of a challenge and with it I can secure my legacy at making popular groups out of nothing.”

His reasoning was solidified at the sound of his utter determination and confidence that he’d be able to accomplish his wish as he told the younger CEO.

“We are already planning to debut Red Velvet, we can’t have another girl group for at least a few years.” Youngmin shook his head, waving off the idea at the sound of it as the room started to get cooler.

“Perhaps, but that is your group. Not mine,” Sooman retorted just as quickly, “I want a group I hand-pick from top to bottom. They will be my shining icons, with a legacy like S.E.S and TVXQ and the popularity of EXO and TVXQ at their height.” Youngmin scoffed a little bit.

“You paint a pretty picture, but how do you know we have those kind of trainees at your disposal?” he merely questioned, rolling the sleeves of his crisp white button-up to his elbows. Now Sooman was fully smiling as he continued to stare at the younger in a sort of merriment.

“Because I have spent the last two decades watching every trainees' audition, I know every last potential in this company. I know who will make this group.” At his words there was sigh of almost defeat from Youngmin as his face turned down into some form of slight disapproval. The room fell into silence as Sooman let Youngmin think over the proposal so he could convince him with a little thought of what good it could do.

“Have it your way, but you create them and pick each member,” Youngmin waved the elder off, “You can even pick the debut song. But if they don't do well, then your wish dies there.” 

“You worry too much. I wouldn’t have informed you if I hadn’t already thought everything out beforehand.” Sooman waved him off, staring at the man lightly with a relaxed grin.

Youngmin just stared at him, hands moving to readjust the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt. It was obvious that the way Sooman was brushing him off was bothering him, though he tried to remain civil in the face of his seongsang-nim.

“Of course you have. Tell me then, what exactly have you planned for your pet project already?” he sighed exasperatedly, shifting in his chair after he moved his hands from his sleeves.

“I called in a favour from Eastwest and his partners, they’ve offered to write and produce their debut song. I have several candidates for managers, and members. Though time will decide which ones I choose as the right candidates for this project-”

“Have you chosen a name? Or a concept?” Youngmin cut the elder off, wanting to skip what he saw as trivial and head straight into the main bits of the group he felt that he needed to know.

Sooman just laughed at him again, his impatience was amusing to see and he slowly started to get irritated by the jolliness of the older man and his will.

“Of course Youngmin-ah. AEON, the girls who will be eternal and hold my legacy long after I’m gone.” Sooman began, telling the younger of the name, “and they will be anything and everything I need. Cute but y; youthful but mature; they will be able to do everything.” This is where Youngmin snickered sarcastically as he leaned back into his chair, still staring Sooman down.

“And tell me how you will find people who can do all of this?” Youngmin started, “It’s not like we have hundreds to choose from,” he finished, waving his hands around a little bit as he punctuated his words to try and find sense in this so called ‘wish’.

At this point the room was charged with tension produced from the clashing personalities. Sooman merely got up slowly from his seat, the chair quietly rolling backwards as he looked down onto Youngmin.

“You yet again underestimate our trainees and our idols. Youngmin– understand that I will have my wish fulfilled, and that I know this company well. I know what can and cannot be done, and AEON will succeed.” Sooman finished, moving towards the door but stopping to turn back at the man with a bright grin on his face.

“And remember that we will be having our company dinner tomorrow; it’ll be fun.” And with that the elder left the room with a silent, brooding man sitting in the corner contemplating the words of his senior, particularly the underlying chiding of his words.

“AEON? The old man has it figured out doesn’t he?”

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