Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: The Company's Ploy
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[Our boys have the most amazing part distribution. Everyone gets a similar amount of screen time.]
↳Right. There was a video comparing their part distribution, and it's not biased toward any one member. And they always seem to get the parts that suit them perfectly.
↳This is what fairness looks like.
↳I wish other agencies would watch and learn.
↳But isn't this also because our boys are so talented? Any of them could release a solo album right now and it would be great.
[I love RE-V. They're so good. I mean, Eun-woo is a rapper, but he can sing too. And what's crazy is that Ho-jun is a sub-vocalist, but he can rap well. What's with these guys crossing over positions? Plus, Yoon-seul's high note today was insane. Have you ever seen such a genius puppy? (Photo of Seo Yoon-seul with cake on his mouth during a live broadcast)]
↳LOL, that picture is still so cute no matter how many times I see it.
↳He's cute, pretty, sings well—he does all the adorable things by himself.
↳Alright, everyone who said the RED CUBE performance wasn't live, come out. Everyone who said our boy's singing skills were fake, come out.
↳????Were there people like that?
↳It wasn't a huge deal, but those rumors kept popping up. Because his vocalization changed from when he was with GANGSTER-M. But he explained all that on RED CUBE. He said the GANGSTER-M title tracks required him to sing with a raspy voice, so he couldn't show his true skills.
↳Hearing Yoon-seul's high note, I thought for a second, "Am I at a concert?" I was mistaken. From the very first comeback stage, not only was it live, but he even threw in ad-libs. Perfect.
[This stage is really good. It feels like it brings out the members' charms. And the song is bright and upbeat, and easy to sing along to, so I find myself humming it without realizing.]
↳Me too, I keep humming the "It's like" part.
↳I think even people who don't like idols will enjoy this.
↳This album is guaranteed to be a hit. This is a winning stock. There's no way it won't succeed.
[Thanks to Yoon-seul, they proved their live skills perfectly. But guys, how are you even breathing? The choreography looks easy, but you're constantly moving, so it must be exhausting.]
↳Isn't this why you hire experienced idols?
↳Hahaha, for real. All hail the experienced pros.
↳There are almost no breaks, they're busy running and moving, yet they still manage to show off their charm. These are true professional idols right here.
The reaction to RE-V's performance was, of course, positive.
Even non-fans acknowledged RE-V's stage.
[Wow. I've never seen an idol group perform like that on a music show. And on their first comeback stage, too. No one can criticize their skills.]
↳It must mean they're that confident in their abilities.
↳Their fans must be so proud. Idols who are amazing at their main job rarely fail. As long as they don't cause any trouble.
↳I doubt RE-V will ever cause trouble. They've probably seen so many people around them ruin their lives by messing up that they've been automatically trained not to. LOL.
[????? What? They'll wear angel wings if they get first place? How can we miss this opportunity? Please, first place. First place. First place. First place.]
↳If they don't get first place today, I'm literally going to tear down my apartment building.
↳If they don't get first place, it's a BRAVE assembly.
↳Assembly LOL. Absolutely. We'll have to run along the Han River while listening to their songs as a group to reflect on our failure.
↳If they don't get first place? I won't consider anyone who didn't buy the album or stream the music a BRAVE.
↳Of course. Even if you can't buy the album because you don't have money, you have to stream. That's what being a fan is.
[I was wondering why Zero to the Boy suddenly moved up their comeback schedule, but surely it's not because of Yoon-seul, right?? You guys aren't that stupid, are you? The song concept reminds me of GANGSTER-M, and the main vocal's singing style is especially similar... It's a common concept, but given everything they've done, I'm a little worried.]
↳You too? Me too.
↳Wow. I thought I was just writing fiction in my head...
↳Hey, agency, do you really think we'll switch to Zero to the Boy just because you're doing this? Please, give them concepts that actually suit them. Didn't you learn anything from Creatin? Even talented guys like them failed miserably because their debut song didn't fit them, and they're only now starting to rise. You must know this because of Twisty Puzzle. The fans who left did so because of you, and they're not coming back.
↳GANGSTER-M is just their greatest achievement.
↳"Greatest achievement" sounds about right. Maybe they're obsessed because they can't create a group like that anymore. Weren't there some members there who were at least a little well-known?
↳There were, but they shone briefly and then disappeared. They never even became first-place candidates; their songs just got a little bit of recognition.
[I'm a Zero to the Boy fan, but seriously, what is LM thinking? Why do they keep trying to make our boys a knockoff of GANGSTER-M? I heard their manager is the same one from GANGSTER-M. The one who got annoyed and angry at Seo Yoon-seul... They should just let them follow their own path. If they were going to do this, why not just create GANGSTER-M 2?]
↳My theory is, Yoon-seul's original purpose for that live broadcast was to apologize, right? For what happened to the members, LOL. It wasn't even his fault. Anyway! If he had just said he was sorry back then, instead of suddenly saying he couldn't apologize because he was wronged, I bet they would have attached the Zero to the Boy members to him and created GANGSTER-M 2.
↳I just got chills. This seems right, because they announced they were launching a boy group as soon as Seo Yoon-seul left.
↳...If the comment above is true, then LM really has zero respect for its artists. I mean, I already knew that, but I didn't realize it was this bad. Because that's just plain stupid. The group's image has been shattered for a long time, and they're trying to use that to drag them along?
↳I'm so disillusioned.
↳I'm so glad our Yoon-seul got out of there. Otherwise, it's obvious he would have suffered so much.
The fans, seeing just a few pieces of the situation, had perfectly deduced LM's intentions and plans.
* * *
“First of all, I'm sorry, but I can't film the challenge with you. The song Zero to the Boy is singing now was originally a GANGSTER-M title track.”
“What?”
“It's not just because they took my song. It's because I can clearly see the agency's scheme behind taking it.”
Zero to the Boy didn't seem to understand what I meant at all.
*‘Right. They probably have no idea how this industry works. That's why they're just taking the gaslighting from their manager and CEO at face value.’*
What they say is probably predictable.
“Doesn't the company tell you things like that? That you have to listen to them, or else they'll block you from going to any other agency after your contract ends—not that anyone would want to sign you since you're not popular anyway. You know, bringing up GANGSTER-M and telling you to do well if you don't want to end up like them.”
“How did you know?”
The members of Zero to the Boy stared with wide eyes.
“It's a common tactic companies use.”
I shrugged once and continued.
“When they were kicking me out after the live broadcast, they said, ‘So you're not going to be an idol anymore? Then what are you going to do? Do you even know how to do anything? What can you possibly start over at your age? If you leave like this, you'll just be a bum living off your parents. It's only because it's me that I'm offering to keep you around out of pity.’ That's what they said. Then they told me they'd hire me as a road manager because they felt sorry for me.”
“How could they say such awful things to a kid with a bright future ahead of him?”
Park Ji-ham, who had been listening to our conversation, said angrily.
“Their goal is to break your spirit so you'll listen to them.”
“That's some serious gaslighting.”
“Seriously. Most idols are in their late teens or early twenties. How can adults do that to young kids?”
The RE-V members clicked their tongues.
“Anyway. Then the member they kicked out suddenly becomes incredibly successful through a survival show. The agency gets pissed off. Because of all the money they could have made if they hadn't kicked me out.”
“Ah.”
“So they want to use the fans who liked GANGSTER-M. In other words, they want to take my fans. Or maybe they're targeting the people who used to like me but left the fandom. Moving up your debut schedule was part of that plan.”
The members of Zero to the Boy lowered their heads.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. It's the agency's fault. It's not like you knew.”
Despite my reassurance, Zero to the Boy couldn't say anything.
“For the sake of the fans who liked me but left because they were exhausted, I can't play along with their game. So give up on the challenge.”
“Okay.”
They answered, their voices drained of energy.
“And one more thing. It would be in your best interest to leave that agency.”
“The agency?”
“Yeah. If you stay there, you won't make any money, and you'll barely sleep.”
“But how can we leave?”
“Unfair contract. Take your contracts to a lawyer. And record the verbal abuse from the manager and the CEO. I can't officially help you. In exchange for not paying a penalty fee, I agreed not to say anything about LM.”
Even if I did say something bad about LM, they probably couldn't sue me.
They have too much to hide.
Still, I added that last part to distance myself from this situation.
*‘Right now, I'm too busy focusing on my own activities. Since I've been given a new life, I want to see how high I can go. Higher than I ever could have dreamed of before.’*
“How can we sue the agency? We'd definitely lose.”
Ji Hyun-soo said in a trembling voice.
He looked terrified.
*‘Is Hyun-soo nineteen now? I guess talking about lawsuits at nineteen would be a little scary.’*
“Then you just keep living like that.”
I said it with deliberate coldness.
“You guys are still young. You could probably get into another agency, even if it's not a famous one. So make your own choice. And tell them you couldn't do the challenge because JR Entertainment was dead set against it.”
Zero to the Boy looked extremely confused.
“Now, you should all go back. The other members can't even rest because of me. Oh, and the manager can't hit you. The most he'll do is probably shove you. The CEO won't stand by and watch a manager use direct violence. So don't be too scared of him. He's just a bluffing coward who raises his voice.”