Chapter 453
Chapter 453
To those who hadn't noticed the warning signs, everything seemed to happen far too suddenly.
But it was inevitable.
Even when T1 was hit with corrective orders and Tnet received a warning from the Korea Communications Commission, people just clicked their tongues and moved on. After all, the company had never exactly had a clean image.
It was a time when even the trolls trying to drag TeSTAR into the mess couldn't get much traction. The general sentiment was simply: "T1 being T1 again."
Then, one day, a headline suddenly flashed across the news.
[Three T1 Stars Board Members Arrested on Stock Manipulation Charges... "The True Face of T1"]
The board members of TeSTAR’s agency were front and center.
At first, fans thought it was just a typical stroke of bad luck. The kind of situation where the agency gets trashed, and the fans have to endure the trolls targeting the artists for a while.
‘They’ll just swap out the board members in a bit and act like nothing happened,’ they thought.
However… the articles kept coming.
[<Stock Manipulation Controversy> Why Did T1 Create a Giant Entertainment Subsidiary?]
[T1 Suspicions... Prosecution: "Evidence of Collusion with Parent Company Found"]
The agency remained silent. T1 didn't even bother releasing proper counter-articles.
By this point, even fans who knew nothing about business began to notice… a foreboding sensation.
It was a calm yet anxious state, like being in the eye of a hurricane.
TeSTAR’s ambitiously launched comeback schedule was tentatively cut short after barely finishing two weeks of music show appearances. They completed the schedules that had already been set or announced, but there were almost no additional bookings. Even the unannounced schedules must have been canceled.
By now, most hardcore fans had realized the truth: the company was in such a state of emergency that they didn't even have the capacity to manage their flagship group, TeSTAR.
Various opinions flew back and forth, but as the silence stretched on, the likelihood that the situation was dire only increased.
Then, one day.
Out of nowhere, this article appeared.
[Tnet <Be My Girls> Fairness Allegations: Are Insider Testimonies True? Prosecution: "Nothing to disclose yet."]
It was an article carrying a strange nuance regarding Tnet’s latest hit survival show.
People clamped their mouths shut and turned their attention toward this fresh scandal. Tnet was hit head-on by the growing suspicions and reports, unable to do anything to stop them. They canceled several new programs they were planning to launch and quietly scaled back their aggressively expanding "Global K-Pop" business.
In the midst of all this, the story of TeSTAR’s agency had become yesterday's news, and fans were just beginning to feel a slight sense of relief.
But under the crushing pressure and with the broadcasting station on the verge of exploding, T1 Ent finally made a decision.
[T1 Ent Pushes for Subsidiary Independence; Agencies Begin Standing on Their Own]
Another announcement was made without any warning. The entertainment agencies under T1 Ent were going independent!
T1 Stars, which housed TeSTAR, Mirinae, and Spacer, was no exception.
The nuance of the article was strangely focused on the "active push by the subsidiaries," and since T1 Ent had been through so much turmoil lately, the public accepted it at face value.
The subsidiaries were fleeing T1! An exodus!
Of course, those who thought a bit more deeply shared sharper insights, wondering if T1 was just pretending to cut ties to save the subsidiaries—but that was as far as it went.
The important thing was that most people who heard the news assumed the subsidiaries would be happy about it.
The overall fandom atmosphere was strongly inclined toward seeing it positively. Especially on TeSTAR’s side.
They were already as famous as could be. If they were a group that hadn't established themselves yet, it would be worrying, but TeSTAR no longer needed T1’s halo. If anything, they were sick of T1 trying to bundle them into everything.
Rather than staying tied to them and hearing trolls talk crap about Idol Inc. being rigged, now might be the perfect time to part ways.
Yes, we have nothing to lose!
It was already irreversible. It was something they couldn't control. If that was the case, they might as well manage the mood. Fans quickly silenced any skeptical opinions and intentionally drove public sentiment in a positive direction.
Dreaming of a hopeful future for TeSTAR!
‘We’re screwed.’
I grit my teeth. Beside me, Keun Se-jin was scrolling through articles with a humorless expression.
“They dumped us, didn't they?”
“They did.”
T1 had cut off its entertainment subsidiaries. It was a signal to the political world: ‘I’ve taken this much damage, so please go easy on me.’
It was a signal of surrender and negotiation.
And what that meant was… these subsidiaries were now like kites with their strings cut.
‘There’s no way they’ll support us after cutting us loose.’
Even if only because they wouldn't want to see us doing better after the split. Any benefits this company gained from T1’s platforms were now a thing of the past.
Ryu Cheong-woo rubbed his chin, his brows furrowed in distress.
“Our contract renewal negotiations start next week.”
“We did have a positive conversation a few months ago, but…”
“It’s a no-go.”
“Absolutely not!”
The two men with the same name, who usually never agreed on anything, spoke simultaneously and looked at each other.
For the record, I completely agreed.
‘We have to run.’
If we stayed on this sinking ship, it was obvious what kind of fate awaited us. We were already branded as part of the T1 line, making it hard to jump to another side, but an agency dumped by T1?
‘It’s the end.’
No matter how much brand value we had, we wouldn't last long if we couldn't promote properly.
“We absolutely cannot renew our contract here.”
“…!”
If anyone had said they wanted to renew, I was fully prepared to stay up for three days and nights to persuade them otherwise. In fact, I had plenty of time for that now.
‘Since all our schedules have gone down the drain anyway.’
From the label staff to the managers, no one could get a proper hold of the company. F*.
I gripped my smartphone so hard I thought it might shatter. One or two of the more soft-hearted members hesitated in confusion before nodding.
“Y-Yeah…”
“But… if that’s the case, shouldn't we all sign with another agency together? Should we start looking for a suitable one now?”
That was the problem. Not only was time tight, but it was also questionable if there was an agency capable of coordinating things so TeSTAR could continue promoting as we always had.
‘We need to find a place that won't just turn us into a cash cow by running us ragged on tours.’
I had plenty to say about the fact that we were about to leave behind the staff we’d carefully handpicked to build this label, but…
The biggest problem was this.
“And… there’s a high chance we won't be able to use the name ‘TeSTAR.’”
“…!”
“Ah… I-I see.”
TeSTAR was a group name created by Idol Inc., and this agency held all the relevant trademark rights.
‘The bastards at the company know this is their meal ticket.’
Whether out of custom, economic interest, or spite, they would never let it go easily.
“…….”
Naturally, the atmosphere grew heavy in the silence. It was impossible not to feel attached to a group name we’d used for five full years.
However, even in the midst of that, Cha Yu-jin shrugged.
“Even if we change the name, TeSTAR is TeSTAR. I’m fine with it. We can make a cool new name! A fresh new start!”
“Ooh.”
A few members nodded at his spirited words. Kim Rae-bin also agreed.
“That appears to be a definitive advantage. Indeed, there are times when Cha Yu-jin’s words are correct, and it seems this is one of those instances!”
“I’m always right! Kim Rae-bin just mistakenly thinks I’m wrong. That’s why Kim Rae-bin is wrong.”
“…?? …! I withdraw my statement! Cha Yu-jin is only right this one time!”
“Haha!”
Thanks to those two being their usual selves, the tension eased a bit. Like people who had been through all sorts of things since before their debut, they were starting to manage their mental state remarkably well this time too.
I let out a small smirk. Keun Se-jin clapped his hands.
“That’s right~ Our Yu-jin can just come up with a cool English acronym for us!”
“Yep~ I have lots of ideas!”
“Ooh~”
Keun Se-jin responded with a laugh.
But in truth, I’d seen that guy wearing a bitter smile earlier when the group name was mentioned. It couldn't be helped.
‘Yeah. If possible…’
If possible, I wanted to keep this group name. It was already a symbol. Brand value isn't something that can be easily rebuilt, and there are countless cases where the entire vibe changes the moment the name does.
‘In a business that sells images, it’s a significant risk.’
…I needed to think harder.
I massaged my hands, weighing the possibilities.
“First, let’s avoid making the company suspicious.”
And so, tasks began to be assigned to everyone.
First, Ryu Cheong-woo, as the group representative, spoke with a measured tone at the contract renewal meeting the company had barely managed to set up.
“Um, could we talk a bit more before we rewrite the contract? Things are quite chaotic right now.”
He intentionally expressed himself vaguely to buy some time. He made it seem like we were just scared because the parent company was in such an uproar.
‘We’re going to renew, but just give us a little time.’
Let’s go with that stance. Since Ryu Cheong-woo had such a trustworthy image, it worked well.
Bae Se-jin did a good job of squeezing out that extra time to hire a lawyer for any potential situations. Now, we just had to seriously check for other companies that might contact us… but.
Here was the thing.
‘…Normally, the other party is supposed to come to us.’
Have you ever seen a hot Free Agent on the market doing their own sales? The moment we go in bowing, it’s a shortcut to worsening our contract terms. Besides, if we got caught running around looking for a new company, it could cause unnecessary rumors.
However… even though TeSTAR was in their renewal season, almost no one was reaching out.
‘There are no contacts from other companies.’
The problem was that the rumor that TeSTAR would renew had already spread through the industry to some extent. Since it had been treated as a foregone conclusion ever since the label was created, few companies bothered to contact TeSTAR.
‘Even if there are any, they’re just bottom-feeders.’
Just the type who thought they’d hit the jackpot if they managed to snag us. But no matter how desperate we were, we couldn't go to an agency like Dream K, where Bae Se-jin used to be.
I recalled Bae Se-jin deleting KakaoTalk messages from people who were testing the waters as if he were breathing fire.
Eventually, the guys sprawled out in the living room even started saying things like this.
“Ah~ Should we just start our own company?”
“That… might actually be better…”
Seon A-hyun sighed. It was a rare sight.
“Is it impossible to just go independent with the people from the label…? I’m starting to want to try it, even if we have to change our name.”
“It seems impossible…”
“Right…”
Ryu Cheong-woo groaned at Kim Rae-bin’s words. This was also a rare sight.
‘Everyone is exhausted.’
I held back a sigh and picked up my smartphone. Fine, if there really were no contacts, there was no other choice. Since things had come to this, I’d prepare to poke a few decent places and gauge their reactions…
‘Hmm.’
But there was a text message on my phone. It wasn't an ad, a greeting, or a stalker.
It was… a congratulatory message.
[VTIC Cheong-ryeo Sunbae-nim: Congrats on going independent ^^]
It was absurd.
‘This guy… since when did he know?’
But the moment I read the next text, my thoughts came to a brief halt.
[VTIC Cheong-ryeo Sunbae-nim: It looks like you’ll need a new home.]
[VTIC Cheong-ryeo Sunbae-nim: What do you think?]
“…….”
…A new home?
‘Don’t tell me…… it’s LeTi.’
It was the first scouting offer.