Chapter 361: A Place for Senior-Junior Exchange
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 361: A Place for Senior-Junior Exchange
“Could we hear why you want to face off against Spark, Onde?”
Yur passed the microphone to Do-a, the youngest member of Onde, who had been frantically waving his hand from his seat.
“I’ve watched every single one of Spark’s cover performances! I haven't missed a single one!”
“It’s true. He watches them constantly at the dorm,” his housemates chimed in, offering their testimony. As we bowed our heads in thanks, Do-a pointed toward us and continued.
“Looking at last season, it seemed like there was only one song-swap stage, so I decided to be bold and step forward. I really want to see Spark cover one of our songs!”
His proactiveness was impressive. He surely knew that wanting a senior group to cover their song could come across as having low self-esteem, yet he didn't hesitate.
Was what he said during the pre-interview actually true?
We’re this interested in the program. We have the kind of personalities that get along well with other singers.
Beyond just wanting to appeal to those points, I could feel that he sincerely wanted Spark to perform their music.
“However, the choice lies with Spark. I’m sure Spark has put a lot of thought into which opponent to choose for the 1st Competition. What does our Spark think?” Yur asked kindly.
Not that we really had much of a choice, though.
“We’d love to!”
A junior group had called us out; of course we had to accept graciously. There was no "choosing" involved.
*
Parte naturally ended up in a group with Slay. The filming concluded with a request for everyone to prepare well for the next competition.
As I was saying my goodbyes to the other teams and preparing to head out, Polo called my name. He then gave his phone a little wave.
Once I returned to the waiting room and checked my phone, I saw a message from him.
[Hellas Polo Sunbae-nim]
[I-wol.]
[Do you have plans after this??]
[If not, want to grab a bite~]
[As thanks for filling in on the radio!]
The timing was a bit awkward for a meal. And if it was a "thank you" for the radio sub, that had happened last year. It was also the first time he’d ever set up a meeting so abruptly.
While the MC didn't have voting power, it was still strange for him to call out a competitor from a survival program featuring his own agency's junior group. Someone with Polo’s years of experience wouldn't fail to realize the potential fallout if this meeting were discovered.
The fact that he was calling me out despite that meant there was a reason.
[Me]
[Won't the fans be waiting for your commute home, Sunbae-nim?]
[Hellas Polo Sunbae-nim]
[Everyone probably went home after seeing Yur-hyung leave.]
[Only the production team knew I was appearing today ㅠㅠ]
After confirming there wouldn't be any issues, I informed my manager in advance and headed to the parking lot. Polo was waiting for me in the driver's seat.
“Do you like sushi, I-wol? There’s a great place nearby.”
“I do. If it’s alright with you, shall we go there?”
“Sounds good. Let me just make a quick call to the restaurant before we head out.”
It seemed to be a regular spot of his, as Polo secured a reservation instantly. True to its reputation as a luxury vehicle, the car moved so smoothly I barely felt it start.
We engaged in light conversation during the drive, mostly catching up on how we’d been.
“Do you have a license, I-wol?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I guess that makes sense. Spark isn't at the stage where you have time to go out for fun yet, right?”
“Of course. We have to work hard!”
Polo laughed loudly. My answer must have sounded a bit too rehearsed. I desperately needed to check my external attitude score.
After leaving me feeling thoroughly flustered, Polo skillfully finished parking. In front of us stood the kind of restaurant I used to look up only when Department Head Nam was booking a family dinner.
“Sushi…”
“Yep, a sushi place.”
“Isn't there a significant difference between 'sushi' and 'omakase'?”
“Just think of it as interest added because the appointment was delayed!”
Polo spoke with such ease. All I could do was squeeze my eyes shut.
We were led to the innermost room of the restaurant. Once the door closed, Polo took off his coat.
“Sorry for calling you out so suddenly. You must be tired from filming.”
“Not at all. You worked much harder, Sunbae-nim.”
“How could the host be more tired than the performers? Besides, Yur-hyung did most of the heavy lifting. I had it pretty easy.”
He seemed accustomed to deflecting credit or speaking humbly. Yet, it didn't feel like he was excessively putting himself down.
‘It’s not a matter of you bowing too much because people look down on you.’
‘Then what?’
‘Self-deprecation has become a habit for you.’
Perhaps it was because I remembered what Choi Je-ho had said, but I found myself reflecting on the difference between the man in front of me and myself.
Even for a common social occurrence—buying someone a meal for doing a favor—I was the one being cautious and suspicious.
Just as I was pondering how to accept kindness, the appetizers arrived at the perfect time. Polo took a spoonful of the chawanmushi and asked,
“How is it being on ‘Idol Dynasty Annals’? Is it a lot of pressure?”
“There’s only one answer I can give to that!”
“Was that an inappropriate question for the program’s MC to ask?”
Polo laughed heartily. I, on the other hand, couldn't bring myself to laugh. Are you trying to get me canceled…
“The reason I wanted to see you today… it’s about the radio thing, but also…”
Polo set his spoon down. I straightened my posture even further.
“I found out about something today that’s been sitting wrong with me. I called you because I wanted to tell you about it.”
Polo reached for his steaming cup of water. I wondered why he was hesitating so much.
“It’s embarrassing because it’s like spitting in my own face, but… it seems MYTH is planning to benchmark Spark quite heavily.”
“Ah, yes.”
For a massive corporation that already has everything, it was a truly petty move. Thinking about it again, it was so pathetic it almost made me laugh. I held it in, though, as it would be rude to do that in front of someone from MYTH.
“You knew?”
“Pardon?”
I was waiting for him to continue, but Polo threw a question at me instead.
Did he really think I wouldn't know? They were being so blatantly obvious about it.
“I only guessed because I know the internal situation, but you, I-wol…”
“I don’t know why we were the target, but it was noticeable.”
“Wow.”
Polo let out a small exclamation of admiration. It seemed he really had come just to tell me this.
“But why would you…”
I didn't finish the sentence with ‘tell me on purpose,’ but the intent was clear enough.
The conversation paused briefly as more food was served. Once the staff member’s footsteps faded away, Polo gave a bitter smile.
“I’m not trying to act like a saint. From the moment I realized the company was doing something wrong and didn't raise an issue, I’m just as bad as them. It’s a poor excuse, but Yur-hyung did bring it up once, though it seems the conversation didn't go anywhere.”
“…”
“But, well… Spark works so hard at everything.”
I was worried you might feel a sense of powerlessness if you found out later.
Polo laughed awkwardly.
In reality, it wasn't a situation where anyone could easily intervene. It wasn't as if Parte had stolen our unique IP; in the idol industry, there are almost no cases of successfully stopping "vague plagiarism" under the guise of a "similar concept."
If the excuse is "it just happened to overlap," there’s very little the victim can do. It’s like when someone subtly copies you—you’re the only one who feels the unpleasantness of the act.
Furthermore, how easy would it be for an idol responsible for a company’s stock price to turn against that company? Even in my case, I only fought back because I didn't have employees under me like Yu Han-su or Hong Un-seop; otherwise, I would have hesitated. Whistleblowing is never easy.
“You don’t need to worry about us.”
“Won't you be stressed? It’s incredibly annoying when someone keeps nipping at your heels.”
“It’s not like Parte is our only competitor.”
When I indirectly implied that we couldn't afford to focus only on their junior group and neglect other rivals, Polo covered his mouth, stifling a laugh.
“Nyuri-nuna is lucky. To have such strong juniors in the company.”
“Aren't the Parte members lucky too? They have you, Sunbae-nim.”
“Are you asking me to buy dessert too?”
“Of course not.”
Thanks to the smooth conclusion of that topic, we were able to enjoy light conversation during the rest of the meal. I couldn't exactly laugh off his comment about how Yur-sunbae was counting down the days until he could eat with me, but other than that, it was pleasant.
While waiting for Manager Chan-yeong, Polo asked a question while sipping the coffee served for dessert.
“What are you going to do once you get back, I-wol?”
“Today?”
What else would I do?
“I have to find a way to survive.”
I’m going to draw up 101 plans to crush your agency. I’ll tell the Spark guys not to even associate with Parte. If All-over was the target of my blockade last year, this time it’s your junior group. Just because I’m not reporting you to everyone doesn't mean I won't build a steel wall.
At my words, Polo made a chilling comment about how he’d renewed his contract with MYTH for nothing. Afraid someone might overhear, I double-checked that the door was closed and held the senior’s coffee cup with both hands, presenting it to his lips.
*
Spark wasn't particularly shocked to hear the news of Parte’s ‘Operation: Mimic Spark.’
“Why would they bother when they have an environment that lacks for nothing compared to us?”
…Actually, they were shocked. Just in a slightly different way.
“Maybe they felt they got schooled during the last ‘Idol Dynasty Annals.’ There was a lot of talk about Parte winning 1st place, after all.”
Kang Gi-yeon offered his own conclusion to a skeptical Lee Cheong-hyeon. Cheong-hyeon nodded stiffly.
“We’re going to push ahead with what we planned, but even if you feel fine now, it might hit you hard when you actually see our ideas being used right in front of us. Everyone, stay strong. Got it?”
“Yes!”
Only Jeong Seong-bin answered energetically. The others had souls full of rebellion in their eyes.
“If they even take Cheong-hyeon’s songs, I won't be able to stand it…”
“That won't happen. That would be actual plagiarism.”
By the time I’d finished soothing the quiet revolutionary Park Ju-woo, it was already dawn.
As I was shooing everyone off to bed, Jeong Seong-bin called me over quietly.
“Hyung. The script for the middle portion of the drama came in. I left it on your desk.”
Manager-nim usually handles drama-related deliveries, but since I’d returned late, it seemed Jeong Seong-bin had become the courier.
“Thanks. I’ll check it right—”
“…”
“—I’ll just skim it and go to sleep!”
“You’re not saying you won't read it. Go ahead and read it comfortably before you sleep. Just set your alarm a little later.”
“Yeah, goodnight.”
Thanks to the leader’s broad generosity, I was able to check the script before bed. I can't express how grateful I am that Jeong Seong-bin exercises flexibility when it comes to work.
I sat alone in the empty living room after everyone had gone to bed and read the script. Only the intermittent sound of turning pages echoed through the quiet space.
But that peaceful atmosphere was short-lived.
“…Huh?”
The rapid shift in the drama’s narrative left me utterly bewildered.