The Material for a Broadcast Hit
"Alright, that wraps up homeroom. Those of you who signed up for night study, head on over. Everyone else, get home quick. I know third year is tough, but hang in there, all of you!"
With the new homeroom teacher's pep talk, the final bell rang and I slung my bag over my shoulder, stepping out of the classroom.
A few days had already passed since I'd signed the exclusive contract with Hyeongje Entertainment.
In the meantime, I'd only been halfheartedly practicing vocals and dance through YouTube.
Come to think of it, the boss said he wanted to meet today. Should I call him first?
For the record, no friends walked out of the classroom with me.
And of course they didn't… my cold impression meant no one ever approached me in the first place.
I was always too busy with part-time jobs to make time for friends anyway… and more than anything, having been a man in my previous life made adjusting to an all-girls high school anything but easy.
A few girls had tried to get close just because of my looks, but I'd filtered those out on my own.
So I walked out of the building alone, crossing the schoolyard as I dialed the boss's number.
Riiing—.
"Hello?"
"Yeah."
"Yes, Boss. You said you wanted to meet today. Where should I go?"
"No need for you to come anywhere."
"…Excuse me?"
"I'm already here."
"……?"
I was still trying to make sense of that when a stir rose from the front gate.
"Wh-what the… those ajusshis…?"
"They're scary…."
I followed the frightened voices of the high school girls with a half-expectant look—and there they were.
"Oh, hyung-nim. There she is."
"Yerin-ah, over here."
Kang Hyeongman and his subordinate, both in black suits and sunglasses, had parked a black sedan right in front of the gate and were waving at me.
The moment Kang Hyeongman raised his hand in greeting, every pair of eyes among the surrounding girls swung toward me.
"They're here to pick that unnie up…!"
"Holy crap, she's gorgeous…. Who is she?"
"Isn't that Senior Yerin from third year? She's famous! Even the guys from the boys' school next door come in packs just to see her."
"Whoa, no way."
Whispers everywhere.
The stares grew so intense that I flushed and dropped my head.
Among them were voices like these:
"But aren't the guys calling her gangsters?"
"I heard she was a yakuza's daughter—guess it was true."
"No wonder she always seemed scary. She's got that blank face and ice-cold vibe all the time."
Afraid of what else I might overhear if I stayed any longer, I hurried over to Kang Hyeongman.
"…Boss, you didn't have to come all the way to school…."
"That so? Sorry. Running short on time."
"No, it's fine. Thank you for coming anyway."
"Alright. We're short on time, so hop in."
I took the right side of the back seat; the boss took the left. The subordinate who'd come with him slid into the driver's seat.
"Hyung-nim, then we'll be off."
"Yeah."
The luxury sedan—utterly out of place at a high school—pulled away from the gate. Before long, Kang Hyeongman spoke.
"You quit all the part-time jobs?"
"Ah… yes. I talked it over with everyone. It's all settled."
The shop owners had looked reluctant when I suddenly announced I was quitting, but they'd let me go without any friction.
"Come to think of it, I never told you why I wanted to meet today. We're headed to the broadcasting station right now."
"…Excuse me?"
I couldn't help but freeze at Kang Hyeongman's words.
The station already…? I'd clearly been told there was still a little over a month until the first recording.
Reading the look on my face, Kang Hyeongman continued.
"I hear it's some kind of pre-shoot. Just a simple interview, so no need to get nervous."
"Ah…."
He said not to worry, but the word "shoot" alone made my body lock up.
"……."
He watched me for a moment, then casually held something out. A warm Americano.
"Don't fret too much. We're going with you for this shoot."
"Ah… yes. Thank you."
His words, plus a sip of the Americano, actually seemed to loosen the tension.
Why did it feel that way? Carrying that inexplicable sense of ease, I arrived at the broadcasting station.
The moment we stepped out of the car and headed inside for the pre-shoot, I felt eyes beginning to gather.
Two gangsters and one beautiful girl—an unfamiliar combo, so of course people stared.
Knowing we were being watched brought back the anxiety I'd thought I'd put to sleep.
It only grew worse the deeper we went into the station.
"Over there. The production staff should be waiting…."
"…Um, Boss. Would it be alright if I stopped by the restroom first?"
Whether it was the nerves or the coffee I'd drunk in the car, I suddenly needed to go. I pointed toward the restroom, and Kang Hyeongman nodded.
"Sure. I'll head in first, so take your time and come in when you're ready."
"Yes, I will."
I watched him go ahead, then made for the restroom myself.
I planned to settle my nerves a little before walking in.
"Ah… maybe I should wash my face."
Nothing calms you down quite like cold water.
I stepped up to the sink and turned on the faucet.
"Ugh… I'm dying."
Shin Gihyeon, main PD of My Idol Academia—or NAA for short—slumped bonelessly into his chair and asked the junior writer beside him,
"Haven't slept in days… I'm wiped. Where's today's meeting?"
"We've finished with all the major agencies. Today is… you know. That one."
"…That one? Ah… that one."
There was only one agency the NAA staff referred to as "that one."
A brand-new company they'd been forced to give a slot to because of sponsor pressure.
Just thinking about it left a sour taste in Shin PD's mind.
How hard had the production team worked to launch NAA successfully?
They'd poured special effort into the cast list in particular.
Aces who would shine on the show, talents with massive growth potential, even long-term trainees who could be used as villains—every single one carefully chosen… and now they had to parachute in some no-name kid with zero information?
What era was this supposed to be?
Irritated for no good reason, Shin PD clicked his tongue and asked the junior writer again,
"What was that agency called again? Something ridiculously old-fashioned, right?"
"That one? Hmm… ah. Hyeongje Entertainment. The name was Hyeongje Entertainment."
"…Hyeongje Entertainment? What kind of name is that? Sounds like something nineties gangsters would come up with."
"The naming sense alone already reeks of cheap, doesn't it? Should we go with high, mid, or low for the interview questions?"
"What do you mean, 'should we'? Low. Make it low. You didn't prepare a lowest tier by any chance, did you?"
The thorough production team had already graded the pre-shoot interview questions into high, mid, and low tiers.
Resentment toward the parachute and zero expectations for a newborn agency meant the NAA staff had the low-tier question sheet ready and waiting.
And when the appointed time arrived….
Knock-knock.
"We're from Hyeongje Entertainment."
"Yes, come in."
The door opened with the knock.
Not a major agency—just a startup. No need to put on airs, Shin PD thought, remaining seated and preparing to greet them with open indifference.
But then….
"Pleasure to meet you."
"……Huh? Ah—yes…! W-welcome…."
The moment he saw the faces of the people who walked in, he shot to his feet on pure instinct.
Massive builds, black suits. One of them bald, with a scar running across his face.
What the… fuck. They really are gangsters.
They looked every bit the part.
A chill settled over the room.
No matter how high the production staff flew in the broadcasting world, every human being still carried primal instincts.
The sheer presence of the two Hyeongje gangsters made the temperature in the meeting room plummet.
"This is who we are. Please take our cards."
"Ah… y-yes, of course."
Even the business cards felt crude and hard, as if they might still have blood on them.
With trembling hands, Shin PD accepted the cards and sat back down; the Hyeongje people sat as well.
In the frigid atmosphere, Shin PD slowly read the cards.
One side is CEO Kang Hyeongman… the bald guy next to him is Director Han Sanggu… hmm?
Then….
"…But why did only the two of you come? Today was supposed to be with the trainee, wasn't it…?"
He finally remembered what the fear had made him overlook.
"Ah, the kid stepped into the restroom for a moment. She'll be here soon."
"Ah… is that so."
I'd need to piss every thirty minutes too if I were stuck with these two.
Understanding the still-unseen trainee's situation, Shin PD nodded—and Kang Hyeongman met his eyes and spoke slowly.
"Before our kid comes in, there's one favor I'd like to ask…."
"…Ah, yes. Please go ahead."
"This is her first time in a place like this, so she seems pretty nervous…. I'd appreciate it if you could treat her a little gently and put her at ease. You understand what I mean, right?"
"…Ah… yes. I-I'll make sure of it."
Kang Hyeongman spoke with perfect courtesy, yet some unnameable pressure made Shin PD nod at once.
If he didn't, he felt certain he'd end up inside a drum can.
"Thank you for understanding."
"…Yes, haha. Of course…. Looking after the cast's comfort is our job…."
Shin PD forced a smile onto his face, and then….
"……."
"……."
Cold silence filled the meeting room once more.
Damn it… someone, anyone, just get these gangster ajusshis out of here.
Any expectations he'd once held for the Hyeongje trainee had long since evaporated.
Shin PD simply wanted this suffocating meeting to end, no matter how.
And then it happened.
Creeeak—.
"Ah, I'm sorry I'm late."
The door opened again….
"……!"
"……!!"
This time, a shock the complete opposite of the one the two Hyeongje gangsters had delivered swept over Shin PD and the rest of the staff.
"Hello. I'm Ha Yerin from Hyeongje Entertainment…."
"……."
A beautiful girl with a proud, cold impression.
The neat school uniform, the demure posture, and the two gangsters standing on either side like bodyguards somehow made her feel like a carefully raised chaebol young lady.
On top of that, a single droplet of water trailing down her chin lent her an inexplicable air of pure freshness….
She was far too beautiful… wait… water?
Shin PD was staring at Ha Yerin's face when he noticed something odd and immediately asked,
"Um… Yerin-yang, was it? Did you wash your face before coming in here?"
"Yes? Ah… yes. I was so nervous I just did it in the restroom right outside."
Which meant the face in front of him right now was completely bare.
No makeup… and she still looks like that?
In that instant, alarm bells rang inside Shin PD's head. It was the razor-sharp instinct he had honed over more than a decade as a producer.
The moment he felt it, he casually turned his head toward the junior writer and whispered,
"Hey. Switch the interview to high. No—do we have a highest tier?"
He was certain: the girl standing before him was material that would make NAA a hit—whether for better or for worse.