Chapter 88: Job Competency Improvement Training (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: Job Competency Improvement Training (2)
Jeong Seong-bin laughed heartily for a long while.
After sniffling and even wiping away a few tears, he turned to me.
"Hyung."
"Yeah?"
"If you ever decide to sell it, I’ll buy at least one bottle of that Octagonal Negative Ion Carbonated Water from you."
"Don't you dare buy that crap anywhere. If you do, I’ll make you clean the bathrooms with it."
I gave him a stern warning before we stepped out of the emergency exit together.
A few days later, "Double Experience Week"—a name coined by Jeong Seong-bin, who claimed it was a common term used in PC bangs—arrived via the system. To mark the occasion, every single one of us practiced like possessed madmen.
I expected someone to question if we really had to go that far, but the moment they heard me, they all just nodded.
Is it because they’re the type to practice on their own even if left alone?
Or maybe they just don't have any questions for me anymore.
Ah, the Student Group did seem a bit disappointed.
'Can't we skip school and practice too?'
'Gi-yeon, don't make my blood pressure spike. Just go to school.'
I managed to coax them into attending. I suppose this is the struggle of a parent.
Because the schedule had become so tight, I had to divide my twenty-four hours with the precision of a 5-nanometer process.
To raise my proficiency by 3 points, my daily routine looked like this:
03:30 – Wake up
04:00 – Wash up and handle planning work
04:30 – Make toast and head to the practice room
05:00–10:00 – Dance practice (1)
10:00–16:00 – Vocal practice (including shower, lunch, and meetings)
16:00–19:00 – Dance practice (2)
19:00–21:00 – Training
21:00–23:00 – Dance practice (2)
23:00–00:00 – Return home, wash up, and monitor footage
00:00–00:30 – Worry and fret about the future
00:30 – Sleep
Thanks to the grit I honed at Hanpyeong Industry and the system’s Labor Support Service, I was practically grinding my body into dust. I never thought the day would come when I’d be grateful to those two things.
Of course, I didn't force the other members to live like this. They don't have access to Labor Support, after all.
As a result...
"If you've filled your hours, everyone go home."
"What about you, Hyung?"
"How many times do I have to tell you, Cheong-hyeon? I still have a long way to go, so I’m staying a bit longer."
"No, Hyung, you’re going to collapse at this rate!"
...We’ve been having this same argument for a week.
Do they think I’m that fragile? If I were the type to collapse from this, I would have keeled over back at Hanpyeong Industry.
"Cheong-hyeon, look around."
I said, placing a hand on Lee Cheong-hyeon’s shoulder.
It was currently 10:00 PM. It was the time when everyone had finished their dance training plus five hours of extra practice.
At this point, I was the only one standing upright.
The rest were all glued to the floor... No, wait, Choi Je-ho was at least sitting up.
Anyway.
"I’m the only one who’s fine, right? That’s why you guys need to go home."
"Where on earth does this hyung get his stamina?"
"I’ve already given up on trying to understand."
Kang Gi-yeon shook his head as he listened to Lee Cheong-hyeon’s dazed voice.
Regardless of what those two thought, I hurried them along so they would pack their bags and leave quickly.
Just then, Choi Je-ho, who was standing up with his bag, asked a question.
"Are you sure you don't want to leave with us? What if you run into Yu Han-su?"
"Nah, that guy left at 4:00 PM."
I’m exceptionally good at tracking my superiors' clock-out times.
So, telling them to just get back to the dorm, I pushed Choi Je-ho’s back and closed the practice room door.
Once they were gone, the practice room became quiet, as if the previous commotion had never happened. Only then could I let out a small sigh.
I touched my mouth a couple of times, trying my best to suppress the nausea.
To be honest, I wasn't in great shape. I was just 'less' exhausted than those kids.
I turned on the system and checked my cumulative fatigue.
+
.
.
.
Cumulative Fatigue Level: 35% (Labor Support Service applied)
+
The base fatigue was 35%. If I added the 20% currently being discounted by the Labor Support Service, my total fatigue was around 55%.
I’d had a nosebleed when it hit 40%, so I had to be careful not to let it rise any further.
I really wanted to avoid the situation of spraying a bucketload of blood from my nose in front of people and drawing unwanted attention.
To prevent that, I had to use every ounce of my cunning to find the maximum efficiency for rest.
But thinking about it now, it makes me angry. How great would it have been if I had this back at Hanpyeong Industry?
Though, Department Head Nam wouldn't have even blinked if I’d come crawling out of the bathroom on all fours while vomiting.
'If I don't want to end up re-employed at Hanpyeong Industry, I just have to shut up and work hard...'
I drank some water, feeling half-resigned.
The one saving grace was that the members hadn't been causing any trouble lately.
If those guys were running away from home, fighting, or getting sick like they did before the debut, my fatigue level would have jumped another 20% from stress alone.
Yeah, I should be grateful they’re practicing quietly.
I decided to applaud the boys for their sense of timing—knowing when to cause trouble and when not to.
However, as if mocking this peace, a massive boulder was immediately hurled into the lake of my heart the very next day.
"You’re saying the comeback has to be pushed back?"
Jeong Seong-bin asked. It was because of what Min Ju-gyeong had told us after gathering everyone together.
She said the release of our second album, which had been scheduled for early to mid-May, would likely have to be delayed. It was a literal bolt from the blue.
"Why?"
Choi Je-ho blurted out, unable to hide his impatience.
"Nyuri is scheduled for a comeback in June. If you guys come out in May, the company won't have enough staff to support both. It would be a loss for everyone."
It meant our schedule was overlapping with the comeback of a famous ballad singer under UA.
She wasn't wrong, certainly. But there was a flaw in that logic.
"Ju-gyeong, may I ask why this is suddenly being brought up now?"
If they were going to say this, they should have said it much sooner. Not now, when we’ve already received the quotes for the album cover.
At my question, Min Ju-gyeong hesitated and avoided eye contact. Then, she spoke cautiously.
"Actually, Nyuri’s album was supposed to come out in April, but it got delayed a lot."
"I see."
"It’s her first comeback in three years, so the company really wanted to prepare it well. So..."
Min Ju-gyeong trailed off.
She must feel awkward having to tell us this. I understood.
Schedule delays are common in this industry.
Heck, a two-month delay isn't unheard of, even if it means about five managers are probably having mental breakdowns over it.
But something kept bothering me.
Would a company that claims to be meticulously preparing a three-year comeback be so lax with their schedule management that they’d push it back by two months?
To the point of delaying a group that needs to be pushed right now?
And... knowing our next album's concept?
My head was full of question marks.
But at the same time, a single keyword that could answer all these questions came to mind.
"Ju-gyeong, I’m very worried that I might be overstepping my bounds... but if it’s okay, could I ask one thing?"
"Huh? No, go ahead, ask anything!"
"By any chance, is Yoo PD working on Senior Nyuri’s project?"
At that moment, someone let out a sharp gasp. Glancing sideways, I saw Lee Cheong-hyeon covering his mouth.
Min Ju-gyeong gave a troubled smile.
"I-wol, you really are quick on the uptake. You’re right. Yoo PD is currently handling that side."
"Thank you for telling me. Ah, but could we still proceed with the regular meeting scheduled for this week as planned?"
"Sure. I’ll send out the word."
Then, Min Ju-gyeong made eye contact with each of the members one by one.
"But don't worry too much, guys. This happens all the time in the industry; it’s not even considered a big deal. The company isn't neglecting you, so there’s no need to feel anxious. Okay?"
They were warm words of comfort. It was moments like this that made me realize what a good person Min Ju-gyeong was.
And she was right. Even at Hanpyeong Industry, Department Head Nam once delayed an approval for three months and nothing happened.
But not this time. This is a big deal, and we are fucked.
If we don't make a comeback at the scheduled time, Spark will likely miss the chance to appear on the survival program airing in June. We don't have enough recognition yet.
Considering immediate buzz, nothing pulls in recognition like a survival program, yet we need a baseline level of recognition just to be cast.
It’s like asking for an entry-level employee with experience, but reality is cold and unfair. If we wanted to hit number one quickly, there was no other way.
I wondered why things had been so peaceful lately. I guess sleep is off the table now.
I lay on my bed and summoned the system.
And I thought:
'Is there no such thing as a company loan for employees? Like a stamina guarantee support or something.'
Then, the system popped up.
+
[SYSTEM] A work order from the 'Person in Charge' has arrived.
▶ Employees these days are so demanding. They don't think about working as hard as others, but they're hell-bent on getting every single benefit others get, aren't they?
+
That’s really unfair. What work have I not done?
Anger flared up, but I suppressed it. Right now, the priority was to somehow coax the system into giving me something more.
Then, it suddenly occurred to me that I had moved up the debut date before.
I immediately pulled out the scheduler. The date we had set for our next comeback was clearly written on the hologram scheduler.
'I wonder how far this can be pulled forward?'
The debut schedule had been moved up by as much as a year.
When I made a gesture as if pulling it forward, the schedule moved several slots and stopped at a date about a week earlier. It was the very beginning of May.
That meant the date could definitely be moved up.
The problem was, what kind of incident would be triggered this time?
You Department Head bastard... I mean, you System bastard. Is someone planning to run away again?
+
[SYSTEM] A work order from the 'Person in Charge' has arrived.
▶ It seems our department has finally entered a period of stability lately. At times like this, everyone should make sure not to ruin the atmosphere, eh? Let's all do our best in our respective positions.
+
The tone was as unpleasant as ever, but I had gained enough experience to extract hints from those words.
The conclusion was that no one was going to suddenly run away or get into a bloody fight.
If it wasn't a relationship issue, the rest would be at least slightly less of a headache. Without a shred of lingering regret, I chose to move the comeback date forward.
Immediately, the tasks I had received a while ago returned, refusing to stay dead.
+
[SYSTEM] A 'New Task' has been assigned.
▷ Secure manpower for the comeback
▷ Reward: Increased probability of a stable comeback
[SYSTEM] A 'New Task' has been assigned.
▷ Improve job competency
▷ Reward: Increased probability of a stable comeback
[SYSTEM] A 'New Task' has been assigned.
▷ Share secret stories with the members
▷ Reward: Increased probability of a stable comeback
+
And there were three times as many as usual.
Ah, fuck. Maybe I shouldn't have moved it up.