Chapter 256
Chapter 256
The evening the Chuseok holiday ended, back at the dorm.
The members began returning one by one.
I actually thought Bae Se-jin and I would be the first to arrive, but someone had beaten us to it.
"Oh?"
"Oh~ Moon-dae’s here! Welcome back, welcome back! You too, Se-jin hyungnim~"
Keun Se-jin, whose family home was close to the dorm, had returned early and was sprawled out on the living room sofa. He was watching the special commentary episode of TeSTAR’s Island Life.
From what I heard, he’d spent his holiday like a true top-tier idol, handing out autographs to his excited cousins.
Before long, sightings and proof of those autographs from Keun Se-jin’s relatives would probably flood social media.
"How was our cold-hearted Moon-dae-Moon-dae? My mother was so~ disappointed she didn't get to see you in person!"
He sure had a lot to say for someone who’d even gone to visit his great-uncle’s house.
"Right. I should give her a video call sometime."
"Haha!"
Keun Se-jin chuckled.
I wasn't sure if he was just happy to rest or if seeing his popularity confirmed in real life put his mind at ease, but either way, it was good to see him relaxed.
Now I can squeeze every last drop of energy out of them when we make the album.
"Ah, a lot of you are already here."
"I-I’m back...!"
Ryu Cheong-woo and Seon A-hyun arrived almost at the same time. Seon A-hyun said he’d gone on another family trip, and he’d even brought back souvenirs from a small island in the South Sea.
I accepted the goose-shaped bread Seon A-hyun held out. It was filled with green tea cream.
"I-It was near that island we went to! My parents said they... wanted to visit it once..."
Even after seeing how much we suffered there...?
I didn't get it. But since he said he had fun, I let it be.
"Did you all have a comfortable holiday!"
And Kim Rae-bin, who arrived carrying a bundle of things... looked a bit plump.
It seemed his grandmother had fed him a massive amount of food to make up for his hardships this year, from her hospitalization to his car accident.
"Hyungs?"
"......Um, welcome back."
"Yes!"
Well, it should be fine. It was the off-season, after all. It wasn't like it was a health concern... and once we started preparing for the album, he’d naturally return to his original weight.
Besides, it turned out his case was mild compared to what came at dawn.
The one who had undergone the most radical image transformation appeared last.
"Yahoo! Everybody say hello~ like Hello!"
"Cha Yu-jin!!"
It was Cha Yu-jin, who had flown in from Los Angeles in the early hours of the morning.
This guy... his skin was patchy.
To put it nicely, he looked healthy; to put it bluntly, he was a walking sunscreen failure.
He must have had a hell of a holiday at the beach.
The stylist is going to have a heart attack...
They’d probably lock him indoors and force-feed him Vitamin D supplements.
"Hey! You! What happened to your face!"
Kim Rae-bin was the first to react in horror, smacking Cha Yu-jin on the back.
"Oof! No! I look healthy and cool!"
"No, you don't! This isn't a healthy tan; it’s just an uneven burn from a total lack of maintenance!"
"Kim Rae-bin didn't exercise either! You failed too!"
"...! N-No, I will recover my muscle loss through exercise immediately—"
Anyway, it was only after that chaos subsided that I could bring up the main point.
It was 2:00 AM.
"Tomorrow... no, around noon today, I’m planning to head to the company."
"Huh?"
"W-Why...?"
"Moon-dae, you're such a workaholic. Take a break. You were working even at Se-jin hyung's place, weren't you?"
"No, just listen for a second."
They all chimed in the moment I said a word.
I pressed my hand to my forehead and spoke.
"I thought it would be a waste to let the litigation materials we gathered—especially the ones Bae Se-jin hyung collected—go to waste, so..."
I began to explain the plan I had leisurely mapped out over the holiday.
"Hmm."
While Bae Se-jin, who had already heard it once before we left, simply nodded without much reaction, the others went from surprised to wearing expressions of deep contemplation.
"I-Is that really possible...?"
"...It is. I asked a lawyer."
Following Bae Se-jin’s answer, Kim Rae-bin raised his hand.
"Is this by any chance an illegal act?"
"No, it’s not."
After that, a fairly productive discussion and a series of Q&As followed.
Eventually, Keun Se-jin shrugged.
"Well, we've already reached an agreement on everything we want, right? I think it could work."
"Right. Then should we all go together for the meeting tomorrow?"
I shook my head.
"No, I think it’s better if I go alone."
"Huh?"
A guy like the General Manager would actually find a secret one-on-one meeting more intimidating. If a whole bunch of young guys showed up, he’d probably just see it as a bunch of subordinates trying to stage a mutiny.
One representative was appropriate.
After explaining that part, I added one more thing.
"Cheong-woo hyung is the leader, so if he goes as the representative, the GM might mistake it for an official deal. I think it’s better if I go and catch him off guard."
"Hmm..."
Bae Se-jin spoke up with a frown.
"Still, considering things like retaliation or threats..."
"It’s fine. I don't plan on using such extreme measures myself."
"......?"
Why were they making those faces?
I was puzzled for a moment, then let out a dry laugh.
"Ah, you mean the General Manager toward me?"
"......"
"He won't be able to. He’s not that kind of guy."
A short while later, it was finalized that I would be the one to deliver the message.
Everything was going smoothly.
*
The third General Manager of T1 Stars had a reasonably decent holiday.
A crazy former employee had caused some headaches, but things had started to bounce back fairly well right before the holiday.
Still, his head throbbed when he thought about the damage to the company's image, the interference from the head office, and the losses from the canceled tour.
At least they recovered; that’s a relief.
The "relief" was that the TeSTAR member who had been in a coma didn't die, but he wasn't at all pleased with their subsequent moves.
A charity concert, of all things.
And on a platform associated with another agency, no less.
It was highly suspicious.
Are they trying to move to that agency or something?
He couldn't stop it given the public sentiment and atmosphere, but the General Manager—who was new to the entertainment industry and thought of an idol's agency more like a sports player's team—was even more displeased.
He thought they were testing the waters.
However, there were no signs of TeSTAR contacting that agency again, so he set his suspicions aside for now.
As soon as public opinion recovers, I’ll coax them into starting the tour first.
He planned to prepare the next album to coincide with the end of the tour for a global launch.
The thought of having to reflect the demands of those whining idols in the process was already stressful, though.
Those kids who didn't even go to college should just focus on being the pretty faces of the business.
Wasn't it because of the star marketing created to sell tickets in the early days of Hollywood that the industry ended up like this?
Clicking his tongue, he muttered that the entertainment business lacked system and dignity.
He had jumped in with ambition, but he was already losing interest.
I’ll just build up my portfolio for a few years and then launch a different business line.
Then, at lunchtime, he went to a pre-arranged meeting with a member of TeSTAR.
"Hello."
"Yes, come in."
Actually, this was also a bit absurd. Was he in a position where he had to schedule a meeting just because a signed artist said a word?
Still, he figured he’d listen, as he might be able to use this as a new card.
It was true that the company was in disarray because of the car accident.
Let’s see.
He looked at the TeSTAR member who had come alone, Park Moon-dae, and made a guess.
Is it a request?
He wasn't the leader, but the GM had heard that this was the guy who had contacted the head office last time.
However, he didn't think that was why a dedicated team for TeSTAR had been created.
He didn't even suspect that a "performer" who hadn't even finished high school would have that kind of brain.
Still, he intended to use him.
He looks like the type who won't be able to overcome his own greed if I egg him on a bit.
Since he had a voice in the team and seemed to have some ambition for success.
Why else would he come to see him so soon after recovering from a coma?
However, as soon as they sat down in the room of a sushi restaurant where a course meal was being served, Park Moon-dae pulled out some documents.
"These are litigation papers."
"Cough!"
The General Manager choked.
But the idol in front of him merely stared at him without moving a muscle.
His face was one of indifferent observation.
"......"
For a moment, the General Manager felt like his vision was turning red with rage, but he prioritized his interests first.
The documents.
And then he was horrified.
"......!"
"These are evidentiary materials regarding the agency's negligence concerning the former manager."
The documents were meticulous in a legal sense.
Furthermore, some specific details had been intentionally redacted, making it difficult for the company to create rebuttal materials even if they reviewed this paper.
Anyone could see that a professional’s hand had touched this.
Did they hire a lawyer...!
The General Manager took a discreet breath and set the papers down.
"So, why are you showing me this?"
"......"
"It doesn't look like you're planning to sue right away. Is there something you want?"
Park Moon-dae acknowledged it.
He’s got a bit of a brain, at least.
Well, this General Manager wasn't a "parachute" hire or a relative of an executive. He was just a superior with an inflated ego.
And because of that, it was actually easier to talk to him.
Moon-dae recalled his conversation with Bae Se-jin the night before returning to the dorm.
—...Park Moon-dae, you mentioned taxes during our first settlement. That it was the pre-tax amount, so a lot would be taken out later.
—Yes.
—You were right. It turns out entertainers aren't considered employees.
At the time of signing the contract, Park Moon-dae had also realized this based on the legal knowledge he’d gained through university and civil service exams.
Entertainers do not sign labor contracts with the company.
Therefore, they are classified as individual business owners rather than employees, and in many cases, they do not receive proper protection under the Labor Standards Act or the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The agency’s power is too great for them to be seen that way, though.
It wasn't something he could change right now, so he moved on.
Park Moon-dae’s thought was this:
If you think about it the other way, it means we can write the contract more freely, right?
It becomes a contract between business entities.
So, he made this proposal.
"Let’s add an additional clause to the basic contract. A penalty-cum-guarantee clause."
"A guarantee."
"Yes. It’s nothing serious; let’s just put it in as a sort of bet. The content is..."
Park Moon-dae smiled.
"If TeSTAR wins a Grand Prize at an annual awards ceremony within the following years, the company will provide full support for the establishment of a new independent label for TeSTAR."
"......!!"
"We’ll set the period at two years... Ah, of course, it will be in the form of a subsidiary. We can't just break the contract. We should remain under T1."
The new paper Park Moon-dae held out was filled with detailed specifications.
—'Annual awards ceremony' refers to an awards ceremony hosted by a digital music or physical album platform entity that reflects more than 70% of the sales figures in that year's music market.
—...During the period when said verification takes place, Party A guarantees Party B’s proactive and safe activities. In this clause, 'proactive' means...
In short, it meant: Don't interfere with us, we'll handle things ourselves, so just focus on giving us proper support.
And Park Moon-dae knew.
This guy has no connections in the entertainment industry.
What he did have were connections with the T1 head office board members, which were strong enough to land him this position. But he wouldn't be able to blab about this problem to his superiors because of his reputation.
Then he’ll have to keep it to himself.
No, actually, it didn't matter if he blabbed.
Because we have no intention of becoming enemies with T1; we’re just repeating our claim that we want to distance ourselves from this agency where you are the General Manager.
It was the same logic he’d used when requesting the dedicated team. Even if the deal was discovered, there was no reason for the head office to suddenly become hostile toward TeSTAR.
"......"
At that moment, the General Manager finished a similar calculation.
He realized that if he tried to intimidate them or come on strong, it would only trigger a bomb.
So, he laced his fingers together and spoke more seriously.
"I understand the artist's opinion, but... this isn't an item I can just say okay to, is it? I’m part of the working staff... I have to speak to the board and the CEO."
It was a lie. In fact, the CEO position was just a spot given to a T1 relative so they’d have a business card.
The General Manager was indeed the person who would practically discuss these contract amendments.
"Ah, I don't really know much about that."
Park Moon-dae didn't even blink.
"Just persuade them yourself, General Manager."
"...! What...?"
"I mean... since I don't know. If it doesn't work out, I think it’ll be easier for us to just sue. I’m sure the lawyer will take care of it."
Is he insane?
The General Manager was at a loss for words and stared intently at Park Moon-dae, but there wasn't a single flicker of agitation on that smooth face.
So he realized it too.
This guy was someone who would really go through with a lawsuit without batting an eye.
And persuasion doesn't work on a crazy person like this.
"A new season of Idol Inc. will start soon, and the people who debut there will also be under this agency. Our contract period doesn't have much time left anyway, so... a label should be fine, shouldn't it?"
"......"
"If we win a Grand Prize, you just have to set up a label for us. It doesn't seem that difficult."
And at sunset that day.
Park Moon-dae returned home with all seven copies of the contract, amended and stamped with seals and thumbprints.
Clean.
He knew this would happen if he pushed without giving him time.
If he’d given him a day or two more on a problem like this, the guy would have tried something useless.
Handling it quickly was the right answer.
And since TeSTAR’s performance was related to his own career anyway, he wouldn't be able to interfere and stop them from winning a Grand Prize they were capable of winning.
Because that General Manager was clearly a man with a massive craving for prestige.
Furthermore, just in case, he’d also added a double indemnity clause for any violations.
Park Moon-dae shrugged.
I couldn't create a legal precedent like Bae Se-jin wanted... but I hope he’s satisfied with this.
In any case, wouldn't their movements be completely free until next year, and even after that if they won a Grand Prize?
What if they didn't win a Grand Prize?
By then, there won't be much time left on the contract anyway, so it won't matter.
He shrugged.
Either way, there was nothing to lose.
"Shall I go prepare for the album now?"
He was ready to pour all his ample time into it.
This time, I’m going to make it right.
...And so, an extremely high-intensity training camp for album preparation began.
For the record, the first comeback stage TeSTAR planned was at the year-end awards ceremony hosted by T1.