Conditions For Becoming a Kind Idol Leader - Chapter 87

Frowning and rubbing his forehead, Nam Ki-hyuk came over carrying a drink tray that must have been bought sometime earlier.

"Iced tea, right?"

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

Go Young-in took the drink from him and dipped his head politely. Nam Ki-hyuk handed him the beverage first, then picked up his own coffee and sat down across from him.

"Drink while I explain. You probably heard some of this in the meeting, but this album is important for another reason. Of course, it's Zero One's first full-length album, so it's important as a chance to show it to the fans—but from the company's side, this album will decide our business direction."

That was a little abrupt.

Business direction?

"Yes. It's still under discussion, but the company is starting to prepare for an IPO. It's a long-term project, and we're still only in the discussion stage, but just keep it confidential. Don't go talking about it anywhere."

An IPO...? What was this, some family's dog’s name? He didn’t remember hearing this in the previous timeline. Setting aside whether the review would even pass, was the company actually qualified for that? So that was why CEO Kwon Dae-do had shown up with a golf bag for once—he’d been running around trying to sell the company to investors.

"Investors want exact data and visible results, so this album will be our chance to see whether they're willing to put money in or not."

Nam Ki-hyuk’s expression was serious.

"You have to do well."

His voice stayed solemn as he went on.

"The CEO will look at Zero One's revenue for the first half of this year and decide whether to increase investment in the group or hold back."

From the company’s point of view, that was only natural. Zero One was just one business line among many.

But then why call him aside separately? Why not just tell all the members together?

As if he could read that question on his face, Nam Ki-hyuk continued.

"The reason I'm giving you a heads-up is because I've seen the CEO for a while now. The senior groups who debuted before Zero One... you know what happened to them."

Hmm... come to think of it, yeah. Are they even still active?

"Most of them haven't released songs in ages. And as you know, the reason is the CEO."

Nam Ki-hyuk looked like he had a terrible headache just saying it.

So, according to his explanation, the only idol group currently active in any real sense at Double D Entertainment was basically Zero One.

The others either had only a few members still working, had disbanded, or had gone completely quiet.

For all his clownish behavior, once CEO Kwon Dae-do decided something was wrong, he drew the line with absolute precision.

"If it's a group under his company, the CEO thinks they should naturally be more proactive than anyone else about their music and be more artist-like. That's why, from your last promotion onward, he had you handle the songs directly. He probably thought two years was enough of a grace period."

It didn't sound entirely unbelievable.

Zero One in the previous timeline had been buried because of the members' own screwups, but if he thought about it carefully, the gap between comebacks had already started to widen and their music-related activities had begun to shrink before the full-blown social-media articles hit.

"The last special album did better than expected. If it hadn't made money, he wouldn't have had us hand things back over to you—but the fact that he's having you participate in this album too says plenty."

"Did the CEO say that?"

"Yes. He said that for this title track, from the genre and concept to the composers involved, he wants to reflect as many of your opinions as possible, so talk it through properly. Honestly, from the company's perspective, raising the members' involvement and cutting down on in-house staff is a gamble. Specialists aren't specialists for nothing. We're the ones stuck holding the bag if we pour in all that money and it blows up in our faces."

So behind closed doors he’d been saying that, while in front of everyone else he just made vague, lofty noises? CEO Kwon Dae-do turned out to have a surprisingly calculating side.

Go Young-in already knew what he had to say.

"I'll work hard."

"I'm counting on you.... It's your first full album, so please take good care of it. And don't just think about the title track—consider getting involved in the album as a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠whole. If it doesn't seem right, the professionals will cover for you, so don't worry too much."

Nam Ki-hyuk gave Go Young-in a light pat on the shoulder.

"Young-in, please summarize everything properly for the other members too. You're the leader."

"...Understood."

He didn't need to tell them everything he'd just heard. Go Young-in had enough sense to know that. Not that the members would even blink if he did.

Still, Nam Ki-hyuk seemed dissatisfied with his answer.

"You understood me clearly, right?"

Go Young-in blinked. Was he really that untrustworthy? Nam Ki-hyuk seemed embarrassed at having asked twice after saying he'd believe him, so he awkwardly pushed his glasses up and changed the subject.

"How are you feeling? You don't need to keep going ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to counseling?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Fine?"

...I don't exactly have insight into it, though.

Nam Ki-hyuk muttered under his breath. Did he look that strange? The status window hadn’t said anything.

"For now, all right.... If anything seems off, tell me immediately. We're only going to get busier from here, so keep an eye on yourself too."

After offering what was supposed to be encouragement, Nam Ki-hyuk stood. Go Young-in tidied his own things up as well, then followed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him out after he opened the door.

No sooner had they stepped outside than Pyo Jae-ho was standing there with Baek Geon, both of them loitering like they had nothing better to do. What was this—why were they waiting here instead of leaving?

"Oh? You're out earlier than I thought."

"Were you waiting for me?"

There was no reason they should have been. Did they still have something to do here? And what was stranger was that Pyo Jae-ho wasn't here alone. Go Young-in trailed off as he looked at him.

"And Jae-ho is...?"

"Young-in, come with me to the studio first."

"Pardon?"

"I just barely managed to stop this punk from leaving. Hurry up before he runs again."

And so Go Young-in, none the wiser, was dragged off to Baek Geon's studio.

* * *

"So, it's my turn at last?"

As soon as they arrived at the studio, Baek Geon sat the two of them on the sofa, then grinned mysteriously and slipped a hand into his pocket. A moment later, he pulled out his phone, opened a music app, and hit play.

"Listen to this first."

The track began to play.

That came out of nowhere. Judging by the way he was playing it for them, was this a demo track? If it had been a demo, though, he would have shown it while everyone was together earlier, so Go Young-in couldn't see why he'd waited until just the two of them remained.

It was a very trendy song.

And, by some coincidence, its structure and rhythm used the kind of beat Go Young-in liked best these days.

The instrumentation and chord progressions felt familiar too....

Wait. Could it be...?

He had heard a song made in a similar style back at the last awards show.

Was it Pass Off? It seemed like the same composer.

"Whose song is this?"

Seeing Pyo Jae-ho ask that made Go Young-in think the boy had reached the same conclusion.

Come to think of it, he had watched that stage very intently too, hadn't he? It must have left a strong impression.

"Ohhh, Jae-ho. You like it? Take a guess."

Baek Geon turned the question back on him. What was this? Did Baek Geon know the composer personally? He looked oddly excited now.

Pyo Jae-ho stared at him in silence. It wasn't that he didn't know the answer, so why was he acting like that?

He wasn't the kind to talk much to begin with, but even he usually had something to say in a case like this.

No way. I guess I also have to learn cold reading now, not just play messenger?

He wasn't a carrier pigeon, for heaven’s sake. Apparently he needed to master cold reading on top of everything else.

Haa.... Go Young-in answered on Pyo Jae-ho's behalf, playing along with Baek Geon's question.

"The composer who made Pass Off?"

"Exactly! See, he knows! Wow, this Cha Sung-hwan guy really made it, huh? So? What do you think?"

What did he think? When Go Young-in said nothing, Baek Geon hurriedly made his case.

"He's my junior from university. He's good, isn't he? Seems like he'd be fine to work with, right?"

"Are we working with him this time?"

"If you two had said okay, I was going to bring him in right away."

Baek Geon laughed heartily, as if a little embarrassed.

"This is a bit... I mean, he said he'd love to participate if he ever got to make a song for you guys, so I told him to just wait for it, and then the CEO suddenly says he's going to put together a song camp and ask for your opinions before deciding anything. Can you believe that?"

He scratched the back of his head, looking awkward at having talked himself up so confidently only to end up embarrassed.

Damn, this company is run by acquaintances.

Still, if this was better than last time, then that was something to count as a gain.... In that instant, he remembered the jinx Na Woori had mentioned about Cha Sung-hwan. Hmm....

Besides, what kind of attitude was it to invite someone in first and only then ask for opinions?

"Shouldn't we hear what the others think too, first? Like the in-house composers...."

"Young-in~ I'm the oldest in the composing team here, aren't I? Everyone said it was fine."

Baek Geon said it playfully, then coughed as if embarrassed.

"Ahem. And, well... I've already invited him. The song's insanely good. As the senior here, can I really turn around and say one thing after another to a junior? Help me save some face here."

The excuses only got more pathetic.

Baek Geon's behavior wasn't all that strange, though.

Up to now, Zero One's songs had been made under Baek Geon and the company's lead. He'd probably just gone off and found the composer and the song himself, doing what he always did.

And on top of that, Pyo Jae-ho was going to be involved in composition again.

They couldn't even be sure they could stop the plagiarism scandal around Pyo Jae-ho, so what was one more composer, really?

They had already ruined the broadcast; they couldn't afford to ruin the comeback too.

Too many things had already gone wrong. Go Young-in's predictions no longer meant anything, and whatever he did, the things that were going to happen would happen anyway.

All he could do was prepare himself so he wouldn't be swept away by the current.

And so Go Young-in could answer honestly.

"Yes, I'm fine with it."

"See? I knew you wouldn't refuse, Young-in."

What was that supposed to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mean? Why did that sound so unsettling?

Baek Geon added that they'd meet the composer so many times in the future that he could introduce them later.

"Jae-ho, kid. If you don't say anything, I'll take it as both of you saying yes, all right?"

Just as Go Young-in nodded and was mentally writing down the short-term goals in his memo pad, Pyo Jae-ho, who had stayed silent until now, opened his mouth in a firm tone.

"No."