Chapter 255: A Recruitment Proposal
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 255: A Recruitment Proposal
On Friday evening, Min Ju-gyeong hurriedly wrapped up her work and sprang from her seat.
"I'll be heading out now!"
"Oh, right! Get going!"
Her colleagues, having already heard about her alumni reunion, waved her off, telling her to hurry.
Ju-gyeong practically ran down to the first-floor lobby, where she ran into Im Chan-yeong and Kim I-wol. Seeing as they were heading into the building, they were likely on their way to the practice room.
"Ju-gyeong, leaving for the day?" Chan-yeong asked.
Ju-gyeong nodded vigorously. I-wol bowed politely.
"Get home safely. Have a great weekend."
"Oh... yeah, you too!"
Even after seeing him for over a year, this side of Kim I-wol always felt a bit surreal.
She wanted to blurt out, 'I-wol, you don't have to be so formal! You know that!' but she didn't have the time. If she were any later, she’d be forced to down a "latecomer’s shot" or give a formal toast despite her age.
Left with no choice, Ju-gyeong simply told them both to have a good weekend and bolted. Her weary office-worker legs were already trembling.
*
The inside of the pub was as boisterous as ever.
"Ju-gyeong! Over here!"
A familiar face stood up and waved. Ju-gyeong ran over with a bright smile.
"It’s been so long! How is everyone?"
"Just busy making a living, you know how it is."
"Tell me about it."
The conversation between working adults is always the same. Life is just that harsh day-to-day. Still, moments like this washed away the fatigue of the week.
"What do you want to drink, Ju-gyeong? Beer?"
"Draft beer for me!"
As soon as she answered, her friend pressed the call bell.
While the friend placed various orders with the part-timer who came to the table, Ju-gyeong scanned the attendees.
Diagonally across from her sat a face she hadn't seen in a long time.
"Pyeong Dae-yeon? Right?"
"Yeah, long time no see."
"Man, how many years has it been?"
Ju-gyeong couldn't hide her surprise. She was genuinely glad to see the friend who had always declined invitations, saying he couldn't make time because of work.
Dae-yeon smiled as he took a beer glass from the server and placed it in front of Ju-gyeong.
"I quit my job. So, I've got plenty of time now."
"You quit?"
Dae-yeon had worked as a driver for a large cram school for quite a while. She recalled him saying he also drove a daycare van in the mornings. Since the daycare driving hours were short, the job he quit must have been the one at the academy.
"Didn't your academy have a ton of students?"
"They switched to a boarding system. They already had the arts high school students, and now that the transition to a dormitory is complete, I ended up leaving."
A few friends nearby chimed in, asking if he planned to keep working as a driver or if he had other plans. Dae-yeon waved them off with a smile.
"I just like driving. I think it suits my temperament."
"Still, if you go through a temp agency, you never know if there'll be work from one day to the next."
"I'll have to look for a place with longer driving hours. If all else fails, I might look into freight."
Ju-gyeong took a sip of her cold beer.
If he’d spent years driving kids for a major academy all over Seoul, he’d be great at managing schedules.
He was diligent enough to double as a daycare driver in the mornings.
And even while everyone else was drinking, he was sticking to cider.
"Pyeong-dae, smoke break?"
"No. I quit a while ago."
"Why?"
"It’s not good for the kids if the daycare van smells like cigarettes."
Beyond just not smoking, he had an excellent professional ethic.
"Dae-yeon."
"Yeah?"
Ju-gyeong called out to him.
"Do you have a moment after the first round?"
The surrounding friends reacted with wild enthusiasm, but Ju-gyeong didn't care about their fuss at all.
*
When Ju-gyeong asked where he wanted to go for the second round, Dae-yeon chose a franchise cafe. The two engaged in polite small talk until their drinks were ready.
When the pager buzzed, Dae-yeon returned with two cups of Cafe Mocha.
"You know, Dae-yeon."
"Yeah."
"I'm suggesting this very carefully because I don't want it to come across the wrong way..."
At Ju-gyeong's serious opening, Dae-yeon set down his drink.
Ju-gyeong squeezed her eyes shut and asked.
"Would you be interested in applying to my company? We're looking for a manager!"
What if it looked like she was pitying him? Her company wasn't exactly some legendary firm. All sorts of thoughts flashed through Ju-gyeong's mind.
Peeking through one eye, she saw Dae-yeon’s face was full of question marks.
"...Didn't you tell me before never to even set foot in the entertainment industry?"
When he asked if she had a grudge against him, Ju-gyeong denied it vehemently.
"That's true! But our company's salary levels have gotten really good!"
"How much?"
It was the expected question. Ju-gyeong stated the amount without hesitation.
"For a manager?"
A look of surprise crossed Dae-yeon's face. Ju-gyeong didn't miss the opportunity.
"We already have one road manager, and once the probation period is over, both the recommender and the new hire get a 500,000 won bonus."
"You know the companies that give 'employment celebration bonuses' are usually the most dangerous, right?"
"Ah, this was just implemented recently!"
Ju-gyeong protested indignantly. Seeing her reaction, Dae-yeon chuckled.
"But are you sure you're okay with this?"
"With what?"
"You've been at that company for a long time. Your reputation could take a hit because of me. Is it okay to just recommend me like this?"
"If you screw up, I'll just go down with you and leave the industry. I've worked long enough anyway," Ju-gyeong said solemnly. You only live once; what was there to fear?
Stirring his drink with a straw, Dae-yeon smiled.
"I'll think about it."
And a few days later.
A text from an unknown number arrived on Ju-gyeong's phone: 'It's Pyeong Dae-yeon. Is it okay if I use the standard Human In resume format?'
*
"...Then we'll finalize this as the main concept?"
"Yes!"
Finally, Spark's last title concept for the year was decided. I was satisfied because the ideas I’d suggested were implemented better than I’d expected.
I’d have to see the drafts from the Art Team to be sure, but I had a feeling we’d get a music video that perfectly suited the end of the year.
"And there was an internal discussion regarding the items for the pre-release track's music video."
This time, Spark decided to drop a pre-release track for the first time. It was a calculated move, as the quality of the album tracks was exceptional, and we figured we could generate enough buzz with a pre-release now.
I had only two opinions on this.
First, it should share the same key themes and core structure as the title track's music video.
Second, it should give an impression that contrasts with the title track's music video.
And what appeared on the screen was...
[The Cobbler Grandfather and Little Fairies]
...Fairies. And little fairies at that.
Fuck, are you kidding me? Why are these goddamn fairies so obsessed with visiting UA? I finally kicked out that goddamn Frozen Lawn Fairy, and now it's little fairies? Are these guys even at the age to be playing "little fairies" anymore? Spark is big enough to be the cobbler's main pillars; even making the youngest, Kang Gi-yeon, a fairy is pushing it.
My blood pressure spiked. I felt a sudden urge to just lie face-down on the floor.
While I was agonizing over how to exorcise these lingering spirits, Lee Cheong-hyeon shouted.
"Oh, cute!"
Cute? That?
"What kind of concept is it exactly?"
Choi Je-ho was also asking with a serious expression. For a moment, I wondered if I was the only one who had read the words correctly.
The Team Leader's explanation continued with the next slide.
The moment I heard it, I realized.
Not all fairies are created equal.
Depending on the company's vision, a fairy could be a guide to the afterlife or a "victory fairy."
*
Ahead of the launch of their cosmetics advertisement, Spark began filming self-produced content. It was the "What's In My Bag" type of content where you dig through their bags.
Indenia had offered to let us use their building's studio, but UA decided to film in the company office, taking my condition into account. My body was pretty much back to normal now, but I agreed.
Since all the members carried their own bags anyway, there was nothing special to prepare. If they were the type to carry things an idol shouldn't, I would have scheduled a 1:1 interview to ask them if they thought life was that easy.
The only regrettable thing was Choi Je-ho's dust bag.
This guy had asked Lee Cheong-hyeon if he could have a dust bag Cheong-hyeon was about to throw away, and he’d been using it as a bag ever since. Since he’d been doing this since his trainee days, even the fans knew that Choi Je-ho's bag = dust bag.
Spark's selling point was honesty, so it would be weird to buy a bag now. No matter how sophisticated a bag Je-ho might carry, the only thing that would circulate on social media would be memes of 'the male idol who leaves his luxury goods at home and only carries a dust bag.'
So, unfortunately, Je-ho was stuck with the dust bag again today. Seriously, nothing ever goes normally with these guys.
Except for Je-ho, everyone had backpacks. However, the shape, color, and style varied slightly depending on the member.
Jeong Seong-bin, the "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" type, carried a lightweight hiking backpack. During his trainee days, he used to carry a bag in a bizarre shade of purple, but by the time they debuted, he’d apparently been forced by Jeong Seong-jun to switch to a dark gray one.
What was it that Seong-jun had said back then? 'Don't get photographed with that bag while you have my face!' or something like that? Anyway, I think it was a move that showed great aesthetic sense.
On the other hand, Park Ju-woo, who only carried exactly what he needed, used a white mini backpack. He took such good care of it that it remained pristine, without a single speck of dust.
Lee Cheong-hyeon, a pack-rat rivaling Jeong Seong-bin, used a 24-liter backpack often recommended as a camera bag. He used it as a school bag too.
It was so incredibly heavy that I’d lost count of how many times I’d carried it for him, worried the kid wouldn't grow. Thanks to that, I was the only one walking around with a bag on both my front and back.
Kang Gi-yeon brought a black sports brand backpack that fit his back perfectly. He said he’d used it since his trainee days, and indeed, it was worn out in places. Though no matter how worn it was, it couldn't compare to Choi Je-ho's fraying dust bag.
"Who should go first? I-wol hyung, since you're the oldest?"
Seong-bin asked. Everyone's eyes turned toward me.
My gray laptop backpack—the one that had been with me since my days at Hanpyeong Industry, and which I’d bought again as soon as I regressed—was moved to the center of the table.