Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The New Manager and a Company Tour
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After lunch, the four of us, excluding Jung Eun-woo who had prepared the meal, took care of the dishes and cleanup.
We were sitting in the living room, chatting and relaxing, when the doorbell rang.
'Who could that be?'
No one was supposed to be coming to the dorm, so I was puzzled.
“I’ll get it.”
I was the closest to the front door, so I got up.
“Who is it?”
“Hello! I’m Yoon Sang-cheol, RE-V’s manager!”
Since we were filming, I figured it wouldn't be a strange person, so I opened the door.
“Hello.”
A man who looked to be in his mid to late twenties greeted me, the corners of his mouth pulled up into a wide smile.
“Hello. Please, come in.”
“Yes, thank you.”
When we entered the living room, the members, who had been lounging on the sofa and floor, were already on their feet, having heard my conversation with the manager.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all! I’m Yoon Sang-cheol, and I’ll be RE-V’s manager from now on.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”
Haru extended his hand toward the manager.
The two shared a brief handshake.
“If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to let me know. And I’d appreciate it if you just called me hyung.”
“Okay.”
“Did you come all this way just to introduce yourself?”
“That, and a few other things.”
I looked at the manager, my eyes asking what he meant.
“Today, you’ll be taking a tour of the company with me.”
Come to think of it, I had never been to the company building before.
'The most I'd seen was the exterior of the building from an internet search.'
Normally, you'd know what the company was like after auditioning, doing a camera test, and signing a contract there, but our situation was unique.
Our contracts were finalized through the audition program, after all.
“Do you need some time to get ready?”
“We can go as we are.”
None of us had changed into pajamas, and since we were just staying in the dorm, we were already in comfortable clothes. There was no need to change.
“Then let’s head out right away.”
We took the elevator down to the underground parking garage with the manager.
“This will be the car we’ll be using from now on, so take a good look.”
“Whoa.”
“Is this really our car?”
As soon as we saw the car, exclamations of awe escaped everyone's lips.
The shiny, brand-new black van had a design that screamed ‘celebrity vehicle’.
“Yes, of course. For your information, RED CUBE provided this for you.”
“RED CUBE did?”
I glanced at the staff to confirm if it was true.
The camera director gave a thumbs-up.
It seemed RED CUBE really had provided the car.
“Thank you.”
In response to our thanks, the camera director waved his hand as if to say it was nothing.
“Please, get in.”
“Okay.”
Once we were inside the car, another round of amazed gasps followed.
“Wow.”
“This is so nice.”
It was even better than it looked from the outside.
Not only was the interior spacious, but there was also a small table for putting things on.
For me, cars had always been a suffocating space.
Packed with people and luggage in a cramped space, it was hard to even stretch my legs. Being with uncomfortable people on top of that made my chest feel tight and my head ache, as if I had motion sickness.
'I never thought I'd get to ride in a car like this.'
“Please fasten your seatbelts.”
“Okay.”
We did as the manager said and buckled up.
“Alright, we’re off.”
Perhaps because it was a nice car, the ride was incredibly smooth.
With my body and mind at ease, I found myself humming a tune.
The company wasn't far from the dorm.
A five-minute drive.
On foot, it would probably take about fifteen to twenty minutes.
“We’re here.”
Getting out of the car, I was struck once again by how large the company was.
The underground parking garage alone was several times the size of my old practice room.
I had been a trainee at a major agency called Stunning, but that was so long ago that seeing such a large company building felt unfamiliar.
“Let’s start the tour from the first floor.”
“Okay.”
The manager expertly keyed in the passcode.
“I’ll text you the company passcode. They’ll usually open the door for you on sight, but just in case.”
“Understood.”
“On the first floor, we have the in-house café and the dance practice rooms. You get one free drink a day at the café, so feel free to grab one when you come to the company. Shall we head straight to the practice room?”
“Yes.”
The company's interior was simpler than I expected.
That’s not to say it looked shoddy or cheap.
It just had a simple, minimalist interior, with nothing unnecessary in sight.
“This is the practice room you’ll be using.”
The practice room was incredibly spacious.
It was large enough to accommodate not just us but also backup dancers without feeling cramped.
Moreover, it was equipped with an air conditioner, an air purifier, a water dispenser, a mini-fridge, and even a sofa.
'It has everything.'
“What do you mean, the practice room *we’ll* be using?”
“It’s your dedicated practice room.”
“What?”
A dedicated practice room.
Not even every artist at major agencies had one.
“So only we get to use this room?”
“Yes.”
“Wow.”
“This company is amazing…”
At the mention of a dedicated practice room, the members looked completely dazed.
The benefits were so different from our previous promotions that we were finally understanding what it meant for something to feel like a dream.
“If there’s anything else you need, feel free to bring it in.”
It didn't seem like we would need anything else, but I said I understood before we left the room.
Next, we looked around the offices on the second and third floors before heading to the fourth.
“The fourth floor has the recording studio and vocal training rooms. You’ll mostly be using the first and fourth floors.”
“Okay.”
Our tour of the recording studio and vocal training rooms was brief.
“Lastly, let’s go to the rooftop.”
“Why are we going to the rooftop?”
Haru asked as we followed the manager up the stairs.
“Aren’t they usually off-limits?”
“Rooftops are off-limits?”
The manager asked us in return.
“It was for me.”
“Me too.”
None of us had ever been allowed on the rooftop before.
“I’ve only ever worked as a manager at JR, so I wouldn’t know. The rooftop here is always open.”
“It’s probably because a lot of trouble happens up there. I’ve heard things like smoking, drinking, or fighting are common. Oh, and dating, too.”
“Ah.”
The manager nodded in understanding at Jung Eun-woo’s explanation.
“I’ll open the door.”
As the manager opened the door, a cool breeze swept through my hair.
“It’s a park?”
“Yes.”
The rooftop wasn't an empty space but an outdoor garden decorated with flowers and trees.
“When work gets tough, people come up here to get some fresh air. If you ever feel stuffy while practicing, you should come up here, too. It’s always open.”
“Oh? You’re RE-V, right?”
A group of men in tracksuits with their caps pulled down low approached us warmly.
It was Creatin, the group that debuted last year from JR Entertainment.
They were currently in the most ambiguous position at JR Entertainment.
While other idol groups were hitting number one as soon as they released an album, Creatin couldn't even make it onto the charts.
'That's why Creatin's fans were wary of RED CUBE.'
[No way. JR???? Am I seeing this right? Not a girl group, but a boy group? And not just any survival show, but a re-debut survival show? Wow... this is ridiculous. My head hurts so much my vision is swimming.]
↳Same. Our boys are still rookies, and they’re already debuting another boy group...
↳I can already see our boys getting pushed to the back burner.
↳I know you’re upset, but the boys would be sad if they saw this... Let’s not talk about this where they might see it.
'Now that I think about it, what happened to Creatin?'
I quickly racked my brain, but nothing came to mind.
'They must have ended without ever finding success.'
I was reminded of my own past and felt a pang of sympathy, but it wasn't a problem I could do anything about.
“Hello, seniors. We’re RE-V.”
“Ah, no! If anything, we’re the juniors.”
Creatin waved their hands, looking uncomfortable with our greeting.
“We’re a team that hasn’t even debuted yet.”
To be honest, it was an ambiguous situation.
In the entertainment industry, where the senior-junior relationship is strict, re-debuting often messes with the seniority based on debut year.
It doesn't matter when a group member goes solo, but when they debut in a different group, each member's years of experience can vary.
'Especially since we met through a re-debut survival show, the most experienced member is Haru-hyung with six years, while I'm the least experienced. Still, I technically debuted a month before Creatin.'
I had been an idol for six years, but having returned to five years in the past, my experience was now only one year.
“S-Still.”
Creatin smiled awkwardly and scratched their cheeks.
“Ah. Congratulations on your debut.”
“Thank you.”
An awkward exchange of greetings passed between us.
“Well, we’ll see you around.”
“Okay.”
After that brief greeting, we went our separate ways.
'I hope things go well for them, though.'