Chapter 175
Chapter 175
It was two days ago when I first learned that the General Manager was being replaced.
"Again?"
"I know, right! I thought he’d at least finish out the year."
According to the rumors trickling down, it seemed that as the industrial espionage case reached the T1 headquarters, several discussions had taken place between the Approval Bot and the higher-ups.
Whatever agreement they reached resulted in the Approval Bot resigning to move to a subsidiary, and a new General Manager being appointed in his place.
"I heard the new GM isn't coming from T1 this time. Apparently, some famous professional CEO is taking over!"
"I'm looking forward to it."
I wasn't looking forward to it at all, but since there was no harm in playing along, I nodded to the staff member.
For the record, this conversation happened during a meeting regarding the concert.
"Then I'll submit the plan for Moon-dae’s solo stage as confirmed."
"Yes. Thank you."
At that moment, I had no idea that two days later, during a reality show meeting, I’d be hearing about an unexpected trip to America.
"America?"
"I love it! Let's go to America!"
"Ah, Yu-jin, hold on a second. America sounds great, but what about the costs and our schedule? We barely have any stops in the US for the tour."
As soon as the words 'This reality show will take place in America' were uttered, Keun Se-jin smoothly brought up the practical issues.
He’s spot on.
When we said we were getting a decent response in the US, it merely meant we had gained enough recognition among K-pop enthusiasts to be considered a domestic A-list group.
While we did gain some traction in subculture circles thanks to the interest from that game talk show, it was still on a minor scale.
It wasn't at a level where we could expect a large-scale tour, so naturally, the US leg of our concert tour was just for show.
"Ah, they said they’ll coordinate the flight schedule with the South American tour dates. As for the costs, well, Tnet said they’re willing to invest this much since it’s TeSTAR."
"Ooh~"
"We’re grateful, but I wonder if we might end up in a situation where we can't recoup the production costs..."
A few of the more innocent members looked bashful at the staff's flattery.
Something’s fishy.
Going to America out of the blue—the cost-efficiency just didn't add up.
To gauge the staff's reaction, I deliberately asked point-blank.
"Is there a specific reason it has to be America? Did Tnet suggest it first?"
"Ah, well... the General Manager suggested it, actually..."
"...The new General Manager?"
"Yes."
I only heard about the change two days ago; I’m already getting a bad feeling about when exactly he made such a proposal.
"Did he give a reason when he mentioned it?"
"Well, I wasn't there to hear it directly, so... Um, he said that since they’re aiming for a simultaneous global release, they chose a setting that would be familiar to a worldwide audience."
An abstract answer with a built-in escape hatch. That meant something was bothering them.
Should I dig a little deeper?
Before I could speak, Ryu Cheong-woo followed up with the next question.
"A simultaneous global release?"
"Yes. We’re discussing releasing this reality show directly on WeTube for countries outside of Korea!"
Cha Yu-jin chimed in.
"Do a lot of Americans watch it??"
"...! Oh, yes. There’s been talk about that, but..."
Seeing the staff member's flustered reaction, it was clear Cha Yu-jin had accidentally hit the nail on the head.
Don't tell me they're targeting the English-speaking market.
Trying something like this for a single reality show wasn't necessarily a bad idea, but the problem was that it revealed the new GM's tendencies.
Instead of thinking about creating content to appease domestic fans during the overseas tour to prevent them from leaving, he was focused on somehow expanding the overseas share.
And not in a country where K-pop was already familiar, but in the 'prestigious-looking' United States.
Let's cut this short for now.
It would be better to check if they’d be cautious if the group showed they weren't exactly thrilled.
I looked around at the members and spoke up.
"Could we talk amongst ourselves first and let you know at the next meeting?"
"Yeah~ I think that would be best!"
Keun Se-jin provided backup, but the staff member's response trailed off.
"Ah, of course! However, while TeSTAR's opinions will carry a lot of weight, the final decision will ultimately be made by the production crew after considering various practical factors... I’m very sorry, but we ask for your understanding on that point."
In other words, even if we said we didn't want to go to America at the next meeting, they were going to send us anyway.
Shit.
It seemed the decision was already halfway made because someone internally was pushing for it quite hard. Still, they were clearly walking on eggshells because of the industrial espionage incident.
"Then we'll see you next week."
"Thank you~"
After that, we chatted briefly about what kind of content we wanted to do for the reality show before leaving the meeting room.
"What do you guys think? America."
"Let's go! I'm going home! There are many delicious restaurants! My mom wants to see you guys!"
"Ah, that would be wonderful~"
"I-I’d love to say hello to them."
Cha Yu-jin was a fierce supporter, and the other members seemed to think it was a given.
I guess it can't be helped.
They probably wanted to take any opportunity to meet his family, since he had fewer chances compared to the other members.
He must be homesick, too.
If we were going anyway, I figured it would be better for the content to visit Cha Yu-jin's house.
But I should set the tone before that.
Given how much they were walking on eggshells earlier, I expected the company to make some kind of gesture before the next meeting.
And sure enough, the very next morning at the company practice room, we received a new schedule from the manager.
"Hey guys, the new General Manager said he wants to see you."
"Ah, the General Manager."
"...Right now?"
"In about an hour? He said it won't take long!"
Bae Se-jin's face looked grim as he asked.
And for good reason.
There goes our break.
We were just enjoying a brief moment of rest in the practice room, a rare gap in our busy schedule.
"Understood..."
"Um, okay!"
The responses weren't exactly enthusiastic.
Nevertheless, an hour later, TeSTAR headed to the General Manager's office for the first time in a while.
Seeing even Seon A-hyun, who had recently taken up French embroidery or something as a hobby, glancing back at his pile of fabric with regretful eyes, it was clear the GM had already botched the first impression.
He should have just used the remaining time during the meeting.
By rushing to set this up, he had only managed to earn a subtle sense of resentment.
I entered the GM's office, suspecting that another person who was terrible at their job had arrived.
However, I was slightly surprised by the unexpected sight.
"Ah, TeSTAR. I'm sorry for calling you so suddenly. Please, have a seat."
The General Manager was waiting with refreshments laid out.
It wasn't just a light spread for appearances; he had brought in everything from chicken to waffles. It looked like a spread for an event.
It was at the level of an academy orientation designed to lure kids in, but at the very least, it was a clear expression of intent.
It was his way of saying, 'I made this space to get along with you.'
"I called you while you were resting, didn't I? I felt bad because I know how busy you've been lately, so I prepared a little something. Haha!"
"Oh, it's perfectly fine, General Manager!"
"Th-thank you."
"Shall we talk while we eat?"
The GM picked up a piece of chicken first.
Seeing him just take a bite and set it down, it didn't seem like he actually wanted to eat it. It felt more like he knew the others would feel uncomfortable eating if he didn't start first.
Oh.
He seems to have some experience working closely with staff. He’s also much younger than the previous GMs.
The GM engaged in some small talk, waited for the members to eat a bit, and only then moved on to business.
"The first reason I arranged this meeting was simply to see your faces and introduce ourselves. I look forward to working with you."
"Ah, we look forward to working with you as well!"
Light handshakes were exchanged.
"And the second reason... I believe you've already heard. It's regarding the US location for the reality show."
The GM laced his fingers together with a serious expression.
"I'm drawing up a roadmap to target the US market, not just for this time, but from a more long-term perspective."
"Pardon...?"
Oh, boy.
"Before I took this position, I reviewed all your albums and activity history."
With a serious face, the GM rattled off TeSTAR's activities and shared his analysis.
"...And it's clear what America likes. Underdogs, social messages, pride in one's roots, and individuality. What do you think, Yu-jin? Am I right?"
"Oh, you're right!"
"Exactly. And TeSTAR is a team with a style that satisfies all three of these conditions. That's why I believe you will definitely succeed in a larger market."
"Oh...!"
Nonsense.
First of all, those three conditions were a massive stretch. Cha Yu-jin was just excited because he’d eaten something delicious, so he just agreed when the guy who bought it asked him something.
Above all, there are as many groups as there are stars in the sky who satisfied all three of those conditions but failed to make it in America.
He's dreaming.
The problem was that this guy was convinced of his own analysis and had full confidence in it. He seemed to trust his own abilities immensely.
Ryu Cheong-woo barely managed to speak up.
"Um, thank you for the kind words, but rather than targeting a specific country or demographic... we've built the team by focusing on consistently releasing good albums."
"Of course! You just need to keep making good music. What I meant was that the company will work harder to figure out how to promote and manage that good music effectively."
He was quite the smooth talker.
"To be honest, I think T1 Stars' support has been severely lacking until now. Far from sharing a vision with you, they were just struggling to keep up."
The GM's eyes were earnest.
"Take the scale of the Japanese tour for this concert, for example. I heard that Idol Inc. had a great response from the very first episode in Japan. If that's the case, they should have been quick to increase the tour scale, set up additional schedules, and analyze Japanese needs, but they did nothing."
Oh, that was actually some fresh news.
I’d been too busy lately to look up the reactions in other countries, but thinking about it, he was right—that was something the agency should have looked into long ago.
Still, doing nothing is better than doing something half-baked and taking things in a weird direction.
For instance, if this guy had been in the Approval Bot's place, we would probably be doing the rounds on Japanese music shows for no reason right now.
However, the GM seemed deeply immersed in his own analysis, speaking so passionately he was practically spitting.
"So, what's the result? While Idol Inc. became a huge hit in Japan and TeSTAR's value skyrocketed, the agency was sitting on its hands regarding Japanese activities."
"Um, is that so?"
"Is the upward trend that distinct in Japan?"
At the remarks from a skeptical Ryu Cheong-woo and a curious Kim Rae-bin, the GM, excited to show off his knowledge, pulled out a tablet.
With a smart gesture, he flicked through the screen.
"Have you seen this?"
On the screen was a slide from a PPT made with a trendy modern template.
And the content... was a screenshot of a Japanese auction listing. There was nothing unusual about it other than the astronomical price.
However, Seon A-hyun's face was clearly visible on that product.
It was a photocard that had been given away in very small quantities as an event prize for some broadcasting station's public interest campaign earlier this year.
It was probably taken backstage at the request of a station staff member right after that stage where Seon A-hyun's in-ear monitor fell out and he covered it with a somersault.
The circumstances were uniquely special.
Moreover, it had turned out exceptionally well for a photo Seon A-hyun took himself. I remember the original photo data being posted on the station's SNS because there were so many requests for it.
Even so, I thought the few cards released during the initial event had a decent premium attached to them, but I didn't realize they had made their way to Japan and reached such a price point.
"Right now, this is going for almost 500,000 won. It's very impactful evidence that the demand for TeSTAR is increasing significantly in Japan. In particular, the response to Seon A-hyun has been incredible."
"Ye-yes..."
Seon A-hyun's face turned beet red. The GM shouted passionately.
"Therefore, it's time to attack the overseas market more aggressively and proactively. Since we broke into Japan so easily, I'm sure we can achieve sufficient results in America as long as we find the right route and commit to it."
"..."
Now I get it.
Was 'That sounds right' returned to me as an A-grade just so I could deal with this guy?
My theory is proven once again.
I suppressed a sigh and opened my mouth to speak.