Chapter 51: Collaborating with a Human Disaster (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51: Collaborating with a Human Disaster (1)
In that brief moment, a thousand thoughts flashed through my mind.
From ‘Was my planning really that amateurish?’ to ‘How much was the cancellation fee for the music video location?’—my thoughts spiraled endlessly.
A suffocating silence dominated the table, making it difficult to even pick up a single side dish.
Only the Representative and Yu Han-su remained unfazed.
“Why? Don’t you like the current one?”
“It’s too weak and common. Using a high-teen youth concept for a debut is far too cliché these days.”
At first glance, his words held weight. It wasn't as if only one or two groups debuted with a youth concept.
However, I had clearly presented points of differentiation in the proposal. I had even included potential concerns and their respective solutions.
‘Did he only read the first page of the proposal?’
It was a distinct possibility. That was exactly how Department Head Nam used to work. That piece of trash.
Whether I was cursing him out internally or not, Yu Han-su didn't care and continued his passionate speech.
To summarize, he argued that Spark should debut as a talented ballad boy group that emphasized a mature sensibility.
It seemed he had picked up and read some discarded early concept draft for Spark from somewhere. It felt as if the Frozen Lawn Fairy Graves were all boarding an express train and hurtling toward us.
I couldn't even touch my stone pot rice when someone poked my leg. It was Lee Cheong-hyeon.
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s face was rapidly cycling between pale white and bruised blue.
‘Hyung, say something!’
His face practically screamed those words.
He had composed a song where fifty or sixty brass fanfares explode, and now the direction was shifting to "Winter Boys"? He must be losing his mind.
Still, I couldn't just open my mouth recklessly.
Setting aside bothersome issues like age or hierarchy, there was an insurmountable wall between Yu Han-su and me: the gap between a non-specialist and a field professional.
Even if Yu Han-su spoke nonsense ninety-nine times, if he was right just once, that point needed to be accepted. Knowledge gained on the field was on a completely different level from studying through books.
Furthermore, Yu Han-su seemed to intend to arrange the concept that the UA staff had originally brought forward in his own way.
If that was the case, I couldn't afford to ignore his opinion even more. I had to always remember that I, too, could make the wrong choice.
‘Let’s just watch for now.’
I could always create an opportunity to intervene later. I’d keep a close eye on him, and if he started talking utter nonsense, that’s when I’d shut him down…
“I’d also like the outfits to be unique. Something like so-called ‘fashion ahead of its time’? A modern look with specific points of interest would give off a sophisticated vibe.”
Fuck.
Maybe I should just flip the table right now.
After the meeting with Yu Han-su, the atmosphere among the Spark brats was incredibly gloomy.
Seeing them all with ‘I’m troubled’ practically written on their foreheads made my own mind feel complicated.
“Hyungs, what did you think of the new PD?”
Lee Cheong-hyeon asked. But no one answered.
“No, why is everyone so quiet? Am I the only one who thinks this is serious?”
I could guarantee that I was the most serious person here.
If the plan got scrapped, I might have to vomit up all the proficiency and experience points I gained from the planning task. Thanks to that, my hands were literally trembling.
“Let’s wait for now. He said he has a proposal he’s been thinking about.”
“Everyone at the company said they liked the concept Iwol-hyung decided on, so why is he…”
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s emotions were becoming increasingly heated.
To prevent things from escalating further, I gave Lee Cheong-hyeon a moderate warning.
“Lee Cheong-hyeon, didn’t I tell you not to badmouth others carelessly?”
“But it’s just us right now!”
“It’s the same even if it’s just us. It’s always best not to talk about others if you can help it.”
I understood his frustration, but nothing good ever came from talking about people within the company while still inside the company.
Lee Cheong-hyeon looked dissatisfied, but he seemed to agree with my point as he clamped his mouth shut.
“The Representative said the planning team, the PD, and I should have a meeting soon, so I’ll check the atmosphere then. Until then, don’t worry too much about the concept.”
“…”
“I know it’s not something you can just ignore. If it seems like the conversation is heading in a weird direction, I’ll stop it somehow.”
When I spoke, they all looked at me. Among them, Park Ju-woo asked.
“…How?”
“There are plenty of ways. I could get on my knees and plead, or lie down in front of the door and tell him he’ll have to step over me if he wants to choose that plan.”
Then Choi Je-ho chimed in.
“Does that actually work?”
“If I get stepped on once and then go to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, it’ll have an effect even if it didn't before.”
After sharing a tip I had learned while rolling around at Hanpyeong Industry, I fell into thought.
I was thinking about how I could extract only the practical experience from Yu Han-su.
However, all of this was a waste of thought.
Because a few days later, the exhausting presentation Yu Han-su gave completely changed my mind.
Yu Han-su, who had requested the materials I used for the concept planning, called the planning team and me together exactly two days later.
The title of the PPT was grand. It was titled: ‘Re-proposal for the Planning of Rookie Group Spark.’
I thought that his proactive nature was at least something worth emulating… or so I thought.
“Considering the image of the agency UA, we need to emphasize the fact that they are ballad idols more.”
“To give the impression of a talented idol group, it is inevitable that we focus on vocal capabilities. Currently, the proportion of dance practice is too high.”
For forty minutes, everything Yu Han-su said stayed within this range.
When did we ever say they were ballad idols?
I hadn't heard such a thing once since I set foot in UA. If that’s what he wanted, he should have locked me in a vocal practice room from the start.
And what, only vocal skill counts as talent, and dance skill doesn't? Was he planning to put six chairs on a music show and have them sit and sing every single day?
My blood pressure rose the entire time I listened.
However, the planning team was listening to Yu Han-su’s opinion quite seriously.
I understood. Yu Han-su’s side of the argument was effective in making Spark look like ‘UA-style idols.’
But that conflicts with the existing plan to make them a traditional idol group. Everything will return to nothing…
Tears were streaming down my heart. I could already hear the sound of my experience points being snatched away.
The Planning Team Leader, who had been listening quietly to Yu Han-su, placed the printouts on the table and asked.
“Then, PD-nim, what do you think would be best?”
At that, Yu Han-su turned the PPT slide, telling us to look at the screen first.
The white slide featured Jang Jun-hu’s current album cover and a graph showing a significant upward trend.
“As the planning team likely knows, I participated in the music video planning for Mr. Jang Jun-hu this time, didn't I?”
I wondered why that guy’s album was appearing here. This unexpected connection made the back of my neck go stiff.
“As you can see, the view count trend rises very steeply starting from a specific point. Considering that growth usually slows down over time unless something goes viral, we can see that effective concept planning contributed to the longevity of that content.”
How on earth did he connect those two things?
It seemed Yu Han-su thought anything that came out of his mouth was a valid point. There wasn't just one or two parts that made no sense.
It was true that unless something went viral, it was difficult for view counts to grow rapidly or for older content to show an upward trend.
But the premise itself was wrong. Jang Jun-hu’s music video had gone viral because of Choi Je-ho.
Even just looking at online communities, Choi Je-ho’s name could be seen quite often.
≫ Found out who the male lead in Jang Jun-hu’s MV is
He’s a UA trainee named Choi Je-ho
He’s twenty this year and a dance member
They say he’s the oldest among the trainees
└ Whoa, I thought he was an aspiring actor
For the record, during the monitoring process, I didn't see a single comment saying the new song was exceptionally good or that the music video direction was great.
Don't even get me started on the story. It was just a guy living a pathetic daily life after a breakup.
Therefore, that upward trend was entirely driven by Choi Je-ho.
‘How dare he try to steal someone else’s credit.’
Furthermore, Jang Jun-hu’s music video had been released quite recently to be used as evidence for whether a concept contributes to the longevity of content.
I had many other things to say, but I felt like I’d just be wasting my breath.
Perhaps sensing our silence as a sign of attentive listening, Yu Han-su continued.
“I believe that referencing successful cases as much as possible and adopting them correctly is a way to reduce the risks that can occur in a new business. That’s what I think.”
I was impressed. I guess you have to be that shameless to make a living.
How could he so confidently call such a mediocre story about the aftermath of a breakup a success story?
As the listener, I was in agony, but Yu Han-su, the person involved, was as relaxed as a professional. My head felt dizzy.
“That’s why I’m continuing to push for ballad idols. Please look at the next screen.”
With that, Yu Han-su flipped the slide.
The new screen showed a crude composite of a wide grassy field and a group photo of some unknown men.
Below the photo, a small title was written.
‘Emotional Boys, Lingering in Winter’… it said.
Yu Han-su said many more things after that. But I didn't take any of it to heart.
When I returned to the practice room after the meeting, the Spark brats swarmed around me.
The first one to speak was Lee Cheong-hyeon.
“Hyung! How was the meeting?”
Lee Cheong-hyeon looked at me with his hands clasped together.
Park Ju-woo, who looked back and forth between Lee Cheong-hyeon and me, muttered.
“…I don’t know for sure, but it must have been something serious.”
Instead of answering Park Ju-woo, I had them sit on the floor.
Then, I explained the situation as concisely and clearly as possible.
“…So, the conclusion is that we might become Emotional Winter Boys.”
When I finished speaking, silence hung over the practice room.
I knew exactly what you guys were thinking. You were probably thinking that the original ‘Winter Boy’ concept UA first proposed was better.
Once again, Lee Cheong-hyeon was the first to break the silence.
“Does that even make sense? It’d be one thing if there was a proper reason. Is being a boy group debuting in winter the entire reason for the plan?”
“From what I heard today, yes.”
“The planning is too weak. Then are we only going to be Spring Boys, Summer Boys, and Autumn Boys from now on?”
“Once you all become adults, he’ll probably release something like ‘Boy, Becomes a Man.’”
“Then at that point, we might become men every quarter…”
For once, Choi Je-ho said exactly what I was thinking. Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had been fuming, looked despairing after hearing my words.
Leaving the troubled Lee Cheong-hyeon aside for a moment, I looked at the other members and asked.
“What do you guys think?”
“Us?”
“Yeah. If you like it, be honest and say so. That way we can decide on our future direction.”
Choi Je-ho answered my question immediately.
“I hate it.”
“Why?”
“If we’re going as ballad idols, there’s no reason for me and Kang Gi-yeon to be in this team, is there? Instead of me singing, it’d be better for Park Ju-woo or Jeong Seong-bin to sing another line.”
“What, why are you dragging me into this?”
I could hear the fire starting again between our Sapodungis. Seriously, if they don't fight for even one day, they must get thorns in their mouths.
“I don’t think the concept itself is bad. But if you’re asking if the PD’s concept is better than the one you wrote, Hyung, then the answer is no.”
“…I also like the one you planned better, Hyung.”
Jeong Seong-bin and Park Ju-woo’s opinions were the same as Choi Je-ho’s.
It wasn't as if they were forcing themselves to say they liked my opinion just to please me. There was no reason for them to walk on eggshells around me, the greatest clumsy person in this area.
Finally, with Kang Gi-yeon also siding with me, Spark’s opinion was unanimous.
Regardless of the fact that I didn't like Yu Han-su’s PT, if the boys had wanted to be Emotional Winter Boys, I would have at least considered it positively.
‘Since it’s come to this, I’ll make sure those Winter Boys go into hibernation somehow.’
I hardened my resolve.
As if responding to my will, my vision brightened and the System appeared.