Chapter 224
Chapter 224
After the vacation ended.
"You're back?"
"Yeah."
As soon as I returned to the dorm, I relayed the specific details regarding Kim Rae-bin’s remote work arrangement.
In truth, I had told Kim Rae-bin that he was the one taking on a difficult task, but preparing two different versions of our activities depending on his presence was no small feat for the rest of us either.
Actually, it’s backbreaking labor.
It was obvious what it would take to pull this off while keeping the comeback schedule unchanged. It meant that even if the others protested that the conclusion the three of us had reached arbitrarily was unfair, I wouldn't have had a leg to stand on.
Of course, I didn't think these guys would protest, and they didn't.
"...So, we've finalized the plan for Rae-bin to work on the songs from home and participate in the album preparations remotely."
"Ooh."
"Good job, phew."
As I gave a brief report to the group gathered in the living room, sighs of relief broke out here and there. They hadn't been able to ask openly during the vacation, instead checking in on him indirectly, but it seemed they had all been racking their brains in their own way.
"Th-then Rae-bin can... stay by his grandmother's side the whole time."
"I know, right? What a relief. So, we'll be giving feedback on Rae-bin's work every Monday and Thursday at 9 PM?"
"That's right. And for intermediate communication, we'll try to stay in touch in real-time as much as possible."
It was a compromise that satisfied both those who were focused on Kim Rae-bin’s peace of mind and those who were worried about his absence.
"The method is just a bit different; the work itself hasn't changed. Let's all work hard to make this album great together."
"Let's do this~!"
"F-fight... fighting...!"
In the process, the increase in the workload was naturally pushed down the priority list, as working ourselves to the bone was nothing new.
At that moment, I had a hunch.
The staff's reaction will probably be similar...
I realized I didn't even need to think of an incentive to lure them in.
...I should probably check if the company is paying them proper overtime, though.
However, there was one exception. One member's face had gone pale.
"...That's good for Kim Rae-bin."
Naturally, it was Bae Se-jin. His reaction came a beat late, after the topic had already moved on.
His words seem sincere enough, though.
It was just that the prospect of having to memorize two different sets of choreography formations had clearly made his world go dark.
Still, his recovery was surprisingly fast. Let's look at what Bae Se-jin said immediately afterward during the discussion about the choreography formations.
"Then, shall we talk about the choreography first?"
"Oh~ Since the number of people is different, how about we ask them to design entirely separate formations?"
"Hmm... but wouldn't it be better for the vocal members to have as little movement change as possible?"
Ryu Cheong-woo kept it vague, but there was no one who didn't know who he was trying to be considerate of.
And the party in question reacted like this:
"...No, there's no need for that. Do it the same way."
"Sh-should we?"
"...Yes!"
"Whoa! That's cool!"
"Ahem."
I could see Bae Se-jin secretly enjoying Cha Yu-jin's enthusiastic response.
...I think I get it.
I knew why that guy had gained a tiny bit of confidence. It was likely thanks to his recent reputation.
I recalled seeing him right before the vacation, tucked away in a corner of the living room, secretly watching a WeTube video titled 'Bae Se-jin's Escape from Being the Weak Link.'
[As if the controversy during <Idol Inc.> was a lie, Bae Se-jin has shown incredible step-by-step growth since his debut.]
[Beyond simply not standing out in the group dance, he surprised fans by not missing a single choreographic detail from start to finish, even in his fancams.]
[Isn't he the prime example of what a 'growth-type' idol should be?]
Even though he was wearing Bluetooth earphones, the subtitles on those kinds of videos are so huge that I could see them clearly. Most of the comments seemed surprisingly favorable, too.
Yeah, I also remember Bae Se-jin's face as he stealthily pressed 'like' on comments like that, unable to control the corners of his mouth.
Anyway, since his public reputation has been on the rise ever since the reality show where they made hotteok, it seems he’s been positively motivated.
He’s probably... determined to pull his weight properly this time and put a definitive end to any re-evaluations.
Still, it'll be a problem for me if he overexerts himself unnecessarily.
I can't have him burning out during the promotion period and affecting the tour, so I should help him relax those stiff shoulders a bit.
"Then, we'll proceed with the choreography request without any special comments..."
"I'd prefer it if you did."
"Huh?"
"I'd like it if the movement changes were kept to a minimum. I appreciate the consideration."
I intentionally looked back and forth between Bae Se-jin and Ryu Cheong-woo. What? I'm a vocal member too, aren't I?
Ryu Cheong-woo bowed his head as if organizing his thoughts, clearly suppressing a smile.
"Hmm... right. Then Se-jin, would it be okay if we just put in a simple request? Since Moon-dae put it that way."
"...I-I guess so."
"Alrighty~ Let's go with that then~"
Keun Se-jin caught my eye and gave a quick shrug with his eyebrows. He seemed to be asking why I was looking out for him instead of just leaving him be; that guy is remarkably consistent.
"Did you contact the company?"
"Yeah. I asked for a double filming schedule..."
I rubbed my chin.
"Now... we just need to hurry up and flesh out the album concept."
"......The timeframe for that is probably..."
"A week, to be safe?"
"Yeah."
A sense of grim determination filled the living room. With Kim Rae-bin gone—someone who got better at Excel the more experience he gained—his absence was suddenly felt.
Moreover, this concept was intended to stand out particularly strongly in the overall flow of our activities. Clear organization was essential.
"Let's check in with the stakeholders today and start in earnest tomorrow."
"Sounds good."
"I-I'll do my best...!"
And so, the final work on the album began.
*
Planning the schedule for a busy freelancer is a more cumbersome task than one might think, with many factors to consider. You have to coordinate the schedules of various stakeholders while ensuring the freelancer themselves doesn't overwork.
And what if that freelancer is part of an idol group? The considerations multiply several times over.
That's why a management department is necessary, but...
Since those guys' work isn't quite up to my standards...
It was more peaceful for me to just oversee it myself. For instance, things like communicating with Kim Rae-bin.
[Title Track Work_Verse 2_ (1)]
[Title Track Work_Verse 2_ (2)]
[Kim Rae-bin: Today, I worked on the rap part of the second verse. Please listen and respond with the version that receives more votes.]
[Kim Rae-bin: Thank you as always.]
Kim Rae-bin sent his work exactly on time. I sent a reply.
[Good work. I'll send feedback quickly.]
I would then gather the members' opinions and get a review from the AR team, usually by the next morning. Then, I’d send that back to Kim Rae-bin in the evening, and more work would arrive on the next scheduled contact date.
Normally, I would have had Kim Rae-bin communicate directly with the AR team, but... given the circumstances, this was how it had to be.
After a moment's thought, I added another text.
[Let me know if you have any particular difficulties or concerns while you're there.]
Because of these issues, a certain amount of flexibility outside of work was necessary. Fortunately, a reply came quickly this time as well, without any hesitation.
[Kim Rae-bin: No special exceptional circumstances have occurred.]
It meant there were no signs of worsening or sudden recovery after his grandmother's surgery.
...Still, this period shouldn't drag on for too long.
While I was pondering a response, more messages arrived in quick succession.
[Kim Rae-bin: Thank you for always worrying about me!]
[Kim Rae-bin: (Image)]
The attached image... was a picture of roses with the text, 'The strength to live through today comes from a smiling face and courage^^' flashing in rainbow colors.
[Kim Rae-bin: My grandfather sent this to me, and the message was so good that I'm sharing it. I hope you have an energetic day.]
I chuckled.
The day is almost over, kid.
It was already 10 PM. Still, I took it as a wish to have a good day for the remaining two hours.
[Right. You sleep well, too.]
After checking Kim Rae-bin's polite reply, I turned off my smartphone screen. From in front of me, the loud sound of shoe soles sliding against the floor could be heard.
"Let's go one more time."
"Yes!"
The reason why no one except me had been able to reply in real-time, even though Kim Rae-bin had uploaded the files to the group chat, was right here. It was because they were in the middle of learning the 6-member choreography formations.
Since someone had to react, I had stepped out for a moment.
"Moon-dae Moon-dae, did you check Rae-bin's song? Which part is it?"
"The intro to the second verse."
"Okay~ That's it, right?"
He meant I should hurry up and rejoin the practice. I stood next to him before the chorus repetition began.
"Let's see Moon-dae do it once."
"Okay."
The overall structure of the song was complete, and since the arrangement and some recording-related work were underway, a roughly edited demo song was playing from the speakers.
For the record, I was the one who recorded it.
...I remember some punks bursting into laughter when I tried to mimic their singing styles so they wouldn't get confused when recording their parts.
I had a feeling they’d blab about it as an anecdote the next time we went on a variety show.
...Ugh, I'm getting annoyed again. Let's stop thinking about it.
I focused on the choreography movements.
"One, two..."
After checking my movements and formations, the choreographer nodded.
"You're dancing well. I especially like the way you lift your head."
"Thank you."
"And it might be a bit much for me to say, but the song sounds good to me, too. It's well-made."
It was the kind of praise any idol facing an album release would be delighted to hear. Bright responses came from all over.
"Thank you!"
Interesting.
For the record, this choreographer was the same dance trainer I had met during <Idol Inc.>. He was pretending to be natural, but his sharp-tongued attitude was gone, replaced by a much more cautious and kind demeanor.
Just look at how he didn't even ignore Bae Se-jin, let alone get irritated, even when Se-jin reacted slowly or made a mistake.
This is society.
He was almost polite to Seon A-hyun, whom he had showered with verbal abuse during the audition. While I wouldn't call this a particularly great way of doing things, there's no better 'etiquette injector' in the workplace than social status.
"...A-hyun, let's try turning around there one more time."
"Y-yes!"
Though Seon A-hyun himself doesn't seem to care.
Well, the choreographer had only acted overbearingly because of show business anyway, so there was no need to treat him as someone with an exceptionally bad personality in this industry. Besides, the most important thing—the choreography—turned out well.
There was a reason why we chose this choreographer's draft as the main one.
It's almost my first time doing this kind of style.
"End of Verse 1."
"Good work~!"
"Thank you!"
The guys collapsing here and there looked exhausted, but they didn't seem that anxious. It was thanks to the sense of stability that came from knowing that, despite being busy, things were progressing steadily.
Good.
"M-Moon-dae. Water."
"Thanks."
I drank the water while mapping out the remaining schedule in my head. Either way, there was no problem.
Still, it would be nice if we could go with the best-case scenario where Kim Rae-bin joins us.
The image of this album suited Kim Rae-bin so well, after all.
Having reached that conclusion, I made the most of my short break.
"10 minutes are up."
"Yes~"
However, there was one thing I failed to take into account in this process. The fact that I hadn't been monitoring the internet deeply for several weeks.
And beneath the surface, a post was already spreading through word of mouth.
[Looks like Kim Rae-bin is sitting out this promotion.]
Of course, it's not like I found out too late and ended up kicking myself.
"A-hyun."
"Yeah?"
Because on this day, I succeeded in persuading my roommate.
Which meant... the season of watching nothing but fluffballs on WeTube was over.