Chapter 422
Chapter 422
Strike while the iron is hot.
In any field where money is made, this formula holds true, but it’s especially potent in the entertainment industry.
Even with the same content, whether it blows up or flops depends entirely on whether you’re riding the current of the times.
And yet, right now, when the tide of variety show popularity is rushing in, the company wants to delay an album that the sub-label has already planned and produced on its own?
"The current? It’s important, of course. But TeSTAR has already moved past the level of needing immediate buzz. You are a top-tier idol group, through and through."
"……."
"Hmm, now that I think about it, I heard the previous director caused quite a stir by forcing TeSTAR to self-produce their debut album in just one month."
"Yes."
And that turned out to be a massive hit, you prick.
I stared at the board director as he spoke with a slick, nonchalant face.
Since the previous general manager got wrecked during the label’s independence move, it was quite interesting to see a different guy suddenly call us in to run his mouth.
"Back then, it was important to debut quickly and capitalize on the impact of the broadcast, but now TeSTAR is a brand in itself."
Sure.
"So, I thought it would be a move more befitting TeSTAR’s status to pay more attention to the quality of each track and refine the details. That was my thinking."
The director offered his advice with an intellectual air, and Kim Rae-bin immediately raised his hand.
"However, the current plan isn't excessively tight compared to our previous schedules."
At the remark from the workaholic who had once produced a movie OST draft in a single week, the director simply shrugged.
He must have expected this.
"But if you have more time, you can discover new areas for improvement or additional points to develop, right?"
"Hmm… that is true!"
Kim Rae-bin was instantly convinced by the rational argument. Cha Yu-jin, in a rare moment, looked like he was about to stare at Kim Rae-bin with dead fish eyes.
Having cleared one hurdle, the director continued in an even more peaceful and polite tone.
"Of course, if our TeSTAR members insist on releasing the album now, the company will do its best to support you."
Is that so?
"It’s just an opinion that this path might be more appropriate."
"Is that your personal judgment, Director?"
"Well, rather than that, it’s actually a point that came up after discussion in the executive meeting. The CEO himself directly agreed as well."
Oh. Passing the buck.
Since the general manager had been burned before when TeSTAR gained label independence, this guy wasn't wagging his tongue at us like we were subordinates.
He was acting like a formal, polite business partner. Like he was presenting a hand to persuade investors.
"After all, TeSTAR is this company’s most symbolic and highest-grossing artist. We’re giving you this advice after much deliberation."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. It’s only natural for an agency to do its job."
He even cracked a light joke before presenting the new plan with a serious face.
"Of course, I’m not saying we should throw away the variety show buzz. We’ve received a proposal to broadcast TeSTAR’s live concert tour on a major network, and we’re thinking of moving forward with that."
The director explained the plan quite plausibly, as expected of someone originally from the entertainment side.
The members listened intently.
The atmosphere wasn't bad.
"First of all, thank you for the kind words. Would it be alright if the members discussed this among ourselves a bit more?"
"Of course."
At Ryu Cheong-woo’s words, the director readily let us go, as if telling us to take our time deciding.
Consequently, once we returned to the dorm, the atmosphere turned into this:
"…I don't think that was something he needed to call us in so urgently for."
"I am grateful that they are seriously considering the perfection of the new album, but I believe we have been working with sufficient support recently!"
One was muttering suspiciously, while the other took it in a positive light. And both were wondering why a high-ranking official had bothered to summon them.
However, the one who had actually grasped the situation was standing to the side with a bitter smile.
"Ah~ I guess they’re starting to feel like they don't want to give us as much."
"What?"
"The album. Releasing that is all… an investment, you know?"
Exactly. This was the core of the agency’s talk.
—We’re not giving you an album.
At Keun Se-jin’s blunt words, Bae Se-jin’s eyebrows shot up.
"…This company has plenty of money."
"Well, even if it’s not necessarily money… high-quality manpower and promotion ideas are limited, right? It’s like that~"
Just as the question mark on Bae Se-jin’s face was about to turn into an exclamation point, I delivered the conclusion.
"From the company's perspective, it’s more profitable to just keep us on tour and invest in growing the groups that still have a lot of time left on their contracts."
"……!!"
His eyes looked like they were going to pop out.
No, looking again, it wasn't just Bae Se-jin; Kim Rae-bin and Seon A-hyun had similar expressions.
"Then if things keep going like this…."
"Yes."
This is the reality for first-tier idols whose contract expiration is approaching.
"From now on, the company will start moving toward extracting as much spending power as possible from the fans we’ve already gathered, rather than focusing on new albums."
"…!"
"As for an album… they might give us one early next year depending on the vibe of the contract renewal."
It was actually a relief that we didn't have an album contract in Japan. Otherwise, they would have just run us ragged over there.
Bae Se-jin’s face went cold.
"…I don't understand. We even set up a label… and we’re going to stay if we renew, so why are they doing this? No, what if we say we’ll renew right now?"
That wouldn't work. It would create a flaw in the contract terms.
The side that bows first is always the one that loses out.
Besides, even if the terms were good, that was its own problem. Keun Se-jin shook his head and spoke up.
"Ayy, when you renew a contract, the profit distribution ratio is usually adjusted so the artist gets more~ So from the company’s perspective… the return on investment drops!"
"……!!"
Exactly. The better the singer’s payout, the more the company loses.
Furthermore, there was a more realistic issue.
"Even setting that aside, I think we’d still be pushed back in terms of album investment."
"Why??"
I acknowledged it.
The painful reality.
"We have to enlist in the army, too."
"……."
I told them VTIC wasn't exactly a story of the distant future.
We debuted at an older age than them, after all. We could still hold out for a few more years, but still.
I waited for the person who would have to go first to process the shock before continuing.
"And from the perspective of growing a company, investing in a rising group looks more attractive than investing in one that has already peaked."
"…Is that so?"
"Yes. Shareholders like it when there’s a new business with a good outlook. The higher-ups like it too because it makes them feel competent."
This would be especially true for the board of directors, who were currently being hyped up by the business-obsessed general manager.
Since we even signed a contract telling them to stop interfering with the company because we’d make them money, the moment a junior group blows up, TeSTAR becomes nothing more than a cash cow.
The conclusion was:
—From a business standpoint, we want to use the money we squeezed out of TeSTAR to grow a new group!
"Phew…."
"Aigo, Hyung, take a deep breath."
Bae Se-jin’s face flushed red and then pale before he finally managed to calm down.
I should probably give him some good news too.
"Still, Hyung, it looks like you’ll finally be able to focus on acting work in earnest."
Since they’ll be slowly diversifying us into individual activities instead of albums.
I raised both fists in a cheering gesture.
"Fighting."
"I’ve already done plenty…!"
Muttering about playing a psychopath four times in a row, Bae Se-jin sank gloomily into the sofa. It seemed the acting experience he gained in the system’s fake world hadn't gone anywhere.
Ryu Cheong-woo smiled somewhat awkwardly and made a suggestion.
"Still, they said they wouldn't stop us from releasing an album, so should we start preparing?"
"They won't stop us, and they’ll act like they’re going to give us one, but the schedule will keep getting pushed back and delayed due to 'sudden company circumstances.'"
"……."
Even if a sub-label plans independently, the company ultimately sets the release schedule.
‘There are plenty of excuses.’
Overlapping with another artist in the company, the timing being bad….
Then, if you’re lucky, you barely manage to release one before the contract renewal, and even then, the promotion is lackluster… isn't that the typical route?
"Well, I actually expected this much."
Since it’s the season, I had anticipated this development from the moment I heard those bastards wanted to delay the album.
But there was one more thing.
"They’re really not going to mention it until the very end, huh."
I chuckled. Kim Rae-bin, who had been staring blankly with his mouth open as if denying reality, asked in disbelief.
"Is there… more?"
"Yeah."
I brought my laptop from my room. A few of them followed me like ducklings, though there was no need for that.
Anyway, I pulled up a file and opened it.
"This is our company, T1 Stars’, plan for the fourth quarter of this year."
"Wait, Moondae-moondae, where did you get something like this?"
"They announced it at the shareholders' meeting."
Where else? All you need is the contact information of an employee with access to the company’s document archives.
Anyway.
"If you look at the monthly plan there… yes, October."
Right in the slot where we were originally going to release our album.
"……!!"
"This."
I nodded.
"It’s Spacer."
[Mid-October - Spacer 1st Full-Length Album Release / Goal: Increase International Sales Volume]
That’s right. They blocked TeSTAR from eating up the existing release plan for Spacer’s album.
And that wasn't all.
"So, if you look at how the picture connects…."
I took my hand off the mouse and spoke.
"Remember how we were booked for a concert broadcast on a major network instead of a comeback album earlier?"
"Yeah."
"Once that actually materializes, they’ll definitely say something else."
Like, broadcasting the entire concert is difficult due to copyright or VOD sales rates, so let’s only do a few stages.
…And let’s fill the empty time with other groups instead.
For instance, this agency’s rookie boy group.
Spacer.
"They’ll expand our concert broadcast into a 'Label Special Part 2,' slot these guys in, and have them make a comeback using that buzz."
"……!!"
In short, it was a tie-in—the start of a generational shift maneuver, hoping that fans would switch over to Spacer during our hiatus.
At that moment, Bae Se-jin, who had regained his senses, shouted out.
"W-Wait, Park Moon-dae, you said last time that the company wouldn't try a generational shift yet…! Because we’re going to renew our contracts!"
"Yes, I thought so, but they’re doing it."
"……"
…I thought that since we had built a good relationship, they wouldn't try something like this for fear of losing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
But since we moved to an independent label where they can't interfere, it seems the effect is wearing off and dissatisfaction is piling up.
‘These bastards are actually trying to pull a "transfer" stunt.’
And so blatantly, too.
"Booo!"
"…Isn't this a violation of the principle of good faith? I think we can argue against this, or pressure them somehow……."
"Hmm. I think that would be difficult."
It seemed Bae Se-jin’s options had broadened significantly after he made the CEO of an acting agency prostrate himself in apology.
But it’s hard to start a dispute with a company over something like this.
"In the first place, this isn't something we can fight the agency on."
"…Then?"
"They’re just delaying the album. We’ve just been pushed down the priority list."
In fact, this is a natural flow for any agency growing rookies. It doesn't mean this agency is particularly villainous.
"……."
Bae Se-jin sat back down on the sofa with a sunken face. Others around him also chimed in with bitter smiles.
"It’s tough."
"I know, right?"
"…I didn't think we’d be worrying about this after coming back from such a… supernatural experience."
"Even heroes who save the world have their own issues. We just have to win again!"
Cha Yu-jin shrugged.
It could be disillusioning to realize that after all that hard work to succeed, there are only people swarming around trying to exploit you, but isn't that just capitalism?
The atmosphere improved slightly at the clean-cut remark, fitting for someone from the heart of capitalism.
"Yeah, another… way will turn up."
"Right, we have Moon-dae."
"…?"
Anyone listening would think I was some kind of magic wand.
Of course, I had no intention of just sitting back and waiting until next year for a new album. Improving the album quality isn't bad… but that’s not their goal, is it?
They’re just trying to suck the sweet nectar out of the existing fans as if they’re harvesting a crop.
‘Do these bastards think they made us famous just because they provided the funds?’
It was just as I was clicking my tongue inwardly.
"Um."
"Hmm?"
Seon A-hyun raised his hand. And he spoke quite firmly.
"Couldn't we, uh, just do better than the Spacer members?"
"…!"
"Ooh."
"If… if we do better and show a cooler stage during the live broadcast. Then. Maybe the company people will change their minds. Because it won't work…!"
It was a fairly radical statement coming from Seon A-hyun, but it was the standard approach. It was also the method we had frequently used.
A head-on confrontation to crush them, regardless of rank.
But this time, the case was a bit different.
"Spacer would still benefit, though."
The reason was simple.
‘Because we’re not in the same weight class to begin with.’
Compete with them?
It’s a given that we’re better. This is a situation where we only break even if we’re overwhelmingly good.
Conversely, since we’re under the same agency, they could pick up other demands by riding the halo effect of being the 'direct juniors of such a talented group.'
"Mmm…."
"I-I see. I’m sorry…."
"Heh, no~ It was a cool and refreshing idea, though."
"That’s right! It was cool!"
"Yeah."
While Seon A-hyun was being encouraged, Ryu Cheong-woo asked the members point-blank.
"Then do you want to refuse the live concert broadcast altogether?"
"Hmm."
Since they were pissed off, quite a few were actually agonizing over such a radical option.
But not everyone felt that way.
"Wait a second! Our thoughts are leaning too far to one side right now. Why don't we each think about it a bit more before talking? We can just keep preparing for the album anyway~"
"Ah, right."
Good cut.
When our eyes met, Keun Se-jin gave a slight, helpless shake of his head, but his words worked well regardless.
The meeting concluded there for the time being.
"Let’s get some rest."
"Yes."
The members left the area, each looking deep in thought….
"Hmm."
I stayed seated and rested my chin on my hand before making a call.
There was actually a way to handle this in the cleanest possible manner without further conflict.
‘Eliminate the alternative.’
By getting rid of Spacer.
A way to erase the options so they have no choice but to invest only in TeSTAR.
—…….
"……."
—…Uh, Hyung-nim. Should I use my wish coupon now? Do I have to!?
"No. Save it."
Over the speaker, I heard Kwon Hee-seung of Spacer let out a long sigh of relief.
I had called to ask if he knew about the concert broadcast appearance, and he was quick on the uptake.
‘…I do owe this guy, too.’
Thinking about it, it would be better to take a longer-term view.
Since this agency will likely snatch up every group that comes out of a Tnet survival show in the future, there will be plenty of investment options even without Spacer.
‘I’ll have to approach this from a different angle.’
That was the conclusion I reached.
And in the meantime, the agency began to show a schedule that was exactly as expected.
"They said they’re probably going to add more tour dates?"
That was the first step.