You’re the One, Aren’t You?
The day after the first broadcast of K-Singer-Songwriter aired, social media was on fire, especially Instagram.
Only one episode had aired, but maybe that was exactly why the familiar rhythm of a competition show felt so comforting.
Viewers kept theorizing about the next episode and arguing back and forth.
The strongest candidates for victory were the genius singer-songwriters K1 and Kim Hyuna, a veteran with more than ten years since debut.
After them came a vocalist from a band and the leader of a rookie idol group.
The first broadcast of K-Singer-Songwriter drew praise for the contrast between those two powerful contenders and the colorful supporting cast.
Baekhak’s PR team and TAN’s marketing team did not let the opportunity slip.
PR articles and marketing promotions poured out nonstop. Then, the next day, one headline took first place in the entertainment news rankings.
K-Singer-Songwriter had started with a 6.3 percent rating for its first broadcast.
For a first episode, it was the kind of launch that could only be called a huge success.
***
The day after the first broadcast of K-Singer-Songwriter, I stamped into work and headed straight for the PR team. Inside the office, where everyone was bustling around from early morning, the PR team leader spotted me, scratched at his trademark curly hair, and shouted,
"Team Leader Kwon! K-Singer-Songwriter is blowing up, isn’t it? Did you check the ratings?"
"Yes, I checked."
The PR team leader stared at me like I was unbelievable.
"You checked the ratings, so why are you acting so calm? A 6.3 percent rating for episode 1 is a massive hit, isn’t it?"
It was. It really was a massive hit.
Among today’s variety shows, which were all slowly heading down the road to collapse with the rise of NutTube, it had posted the highest first-episode rating.
But from my point of view, this was only the beginning.
The final episode rating of K-Singer-Songwriter would be 16.3 percent.
So why should I be satisfied with 6.3 percent? It was way too early for that.
Of course, that confidence was only possible because I knew the future.
The PR team leader looked at my calm expression as if he simply couldn’t understand me.
Suppressing a laugh, I said, "It’s only the beginning. It’s too early to get too excited. Besides, a competition show isn’t the kind of program you judge by ratings alone."
The PR team leader gave me a look like I was a pain in the ass.
"Ugh, is this what happens when you become a team leader? Suddenly you’re acting all proper?"
"I’ve always been a proper person. Anyway, Team Leader."
I held out the tablet PC I’d prepared in advance.
"I think this is enough promotion for K-Singer-Songwriter, so let’s change the direction a little."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"The show already has public buzz, right? I don’t think we need to keep promoting K-Singer-Songwriter itself."
As the PR team leader studied the tablet I’d handed him, he let out a low whistle.
"Oh? This data you’re showing me..."
"Yes. Since it’s a competition show where viewer voting is what really matters, the participating agencies are going to start flooding the media with articles."
On the tablet screen were trend rankings, public interest indices, and search-volume data for K-Singer-Songwriter across social media, communities, and fan pages.
Among those dozens of contestants, Gaeul was ranked a respectable sixth.
"If it’s going to turn into a promotion war anyway, let’s move now. Quietly push out some articles about Park Gaeul."
"So you don’t want to promote the program itself, but focus on Park Gaeul? Okay, got it. But..."
The PR team leader folded his arms and fell into thought.
"What if we switch over entirely and start promoting To.Any instead?"
"Oh? That’s a good idea."
"Right? If we promote To.Any, Park Gaeul’s exposure will naturally go up too. I’ll start firing out To.Any promotion articles today."
***
TAN Sangam Variety Studio.
The production staff of K-Singer-Songwriter, gathered for the live rehearsal, couldn’t hide their surprise.
"Wow, I think our show really blew up."
"I was shocked when I saw the ratings this morning! Good grief... 6 percent? What is happening?"
"Everyone predicted 3 percent, but it doubled. Is it because of K1?"
"No way, it can’t be because of K1 alone. Maybe it’s because Baekhak’s PR team wrote so many support articles?"
The first broadcast had pulled a 6 percent rating.
It was only episode 1, but it was a top-tier start.
Thanks to that, the staff’s faces were all bright, and the brightest among them was Jo, the assistant director for K-Singer-Songwriter.
Unable to hide his excitement, Jo PD rushed over to Hwang PD.
"PD Hwang!"
"Good grief, you’re going to make my ears fall off."
"They should fall off! Did you check the ratings?"
"I checked them live from the control room yesterday."
Jo PD blinked like an idiot.
"Then why are you so calm? Episode 1 got 6.3 percent, you know!"
"It’s only the beginning. Besides..."
Hwang PD dragged out the words, then lifted one shoulder smugly.
"Sorry, but episode 2 is more fun. Heh heh..."
"Episode 2 is more fun?"
"Yeah, you punk. What did we even show in episode 1? We just introduced the contestants and revealed the next mission, and the ratings still hit 6.3 percent. Once the next episode airs, the viewers are probably going to lose their minds."
At Hwang PD’s words, Jo PD tilted his head.
"What exactly happened in episode 2 again?"
"How are you an assistant director and you can’t even remember the edited cut?"
"Come on, we edited nearly eight episodes’ worth of material!"
"Forget it, punk. What am I even expecting from you?"
"...You weren’t expecting anything anyway. So what was in episode 2?"
The corners of Hwang PD’s mouth slowly rose.
"The mission-song showdown. Just watch. Viewers are going to be stunned. They’ll be saying, ‘K1 was that aggressive?’ Heh heh...!"
***
The next day.
Instead of going to Baekhak headquarters, I headed to TAN’s variety studio in Sangam.
As soon as I stepped inside, I went straight to Hwang PD and exchanged greetings.
"PD Hwang."
"Oh, Team Leader Kwon! You’re here?"
"Yes. Did you check the ratings?"
"Of course I did. We’re getting plenty of help from Baekhak’s PR team."
Hwang PD lowered his head slightly and whispered,
"It already pulled over 6 percent from the first episode, so when episode 2 airs, things are going to get even wilder. The edit came out brilliantly."
"What’s going to be in episode 2?"
"There’s a song-grab mission to check the contestants’ vocal skills, and it turned out exceptionally well."
My eyes widened a little.
"So that means..."
"It means the viewers are about to start pumping out dopamine like crazy! Especially K1. That guy came in with a ton of energy this time, so the whole setup is really entertaining."
K1 was coming in aggressively?
Hwang PD’s words made a picture form in my head.
Given K1’s image, an article about him having a double relationship probably wouldn’t trigger that huge a reaction.
Depending on the situation, it might even get brushed off as nothing more than a harmless lapse from a clean-living genius singer-songwriter.
But what if this variety show appearance changed that image entirely?
Letting the corners of my mouth lift, I took Hwang PD’s hand.
"We’ll send over support articles from Baekhak as well."
"Oh, that would be a huge help. I’ll be looking forward to it."
"Ah, I heard today’s the live rehearsal. By any chance... has MC Kim Donghun arrived yet?"
"MC Kim Donghun?"
Hwang PD nodded.
"He should be here. He’s probably in the guest waiting room by now."
"Thank you, PD Hwang."
"Not at all. Are you going to meet MC Kim Donghun?"
"Yes. He’s the stage MC, so I figured I should greet him properly with Gaeul."
Hwang PD glanced around and lowered his voice.
"I mentioned this before, but MC Kim Donghun’s reputation isn’t great. If possible, I’d stay away from getting tangled up with him."
I brushed off Hwang PD’s warning with a faint smile. After receiving a few more details, I headed straight for the guest waiting room.
When I opened the door, Gaeul, who had been talking with Lee Ye-ji, spotted me and called out,
"Team Leader!"
"Ah, Gaeul."
"When did you get here?"
"I just arrived."
I glanced around. The contestants were seated in small groups all over the room.
But in the most isolated corner, one middle-aged man was alone, staring intently at the cue sheet.
MC Kim Donghun hasn’t changed much.
That easygoing face, those round horn-rimmed glasses.
The most successful national MC in my memories looked exactly the same, even ten years later.
I walked toward him slowly.
"Hello, MC Kim Donghun."
Kim Donghun, who had been staring at the cue sheet, looked up in surprise.
"Ah, yes. Hello. And you are...?"
Instead of answering, I handed him my business card. Kim Donghun took it, then raised his eyes slightly. In the meantime, I gestured Gaeul over. When she came to my side, she whispered in a small voice,
Team Leader, who is this man?
He’s MC Kim Donghun, the host for today’s stage.
Gaeul’s eyes widened, then she greeted him in a bright voice.
"Hello, senior! I’m Park Gaeul from To.Any!"
"Ah, yes, yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Donghun."
Kim Donghun awkwardly shook Gaeul’s hand.
His face clearly said he couldn’t understand why a Baekhak team leader and the leader of a girl group had come to greet him.
There’s no need to rush.
We had plenty of time anyway.
And there was a lot I still needed to learn.
I decided to leave things at simply getting acquainted today, and smiled faintly.
"Since you’re the MC, please take good care of our Gaeul, MC Kim Donghun."
Kim Donghun still looked awkward as he answered,
"What could I really do for her?"
"Haha, she’s a rookie idol. Even one line from you will be a huge help."
"If that’s all it takes, I’ll do my best."
That was where the conversation ended. I bowed once more, then returned to my seat with Gaeul.
Just then, Jo PD, the assistant director, shoved open the waiting-room door and came in.
"We’re starting filming! Contestants, please come out!"
Park Gaeul immediately stood up again.
"I’m off to film, Team Leader, Ye-ji unni."
"Yep, fighting!"
"Go do well, Gaeul."
Gaeul followed the assistant director out of the guest room. I watched her back until she disappeared, then slowly sat down. Lee Ye-ji, sitting beside me, asked,
"Team Leader, would you like some coffee?"
"Ah, I’d appreciate that."
"The usual big iced Americano, right?"
"Yes, please. Use the company card."
Ye-ji hummed to herself and left the waiting room. Left alone, I fiddled with my smartphone and drifted naturally into thought.
Once filming ended, wouldn’t the next schedule be a meeting with Director Choi Jeong-eun at Baekhak headquarters?
K-Singer-Songwriter was, after all, a competition show, and because its central theme was lyric writing and composition, there would be plenty the headquarters could support.
I could even refine Gaeul’s original song while consulting with Director Choi right away.
In one sense, it was a shortcut. In another, it was the proper road that absolutely had to be taken.
In the end, the only people remembered in this industry were the ones who succeeded.
Results mattered more than process, and I wanted to prove those results any way I could.
Of course, I had no intention of plagiarizing anything like K1. As a manager, all I wanted was to use Baekhak’s solid backing to support my artist.
As I was shaping out what kind of meeting I’d have with Director Choi today, the waiting-room door opened.
At first I thought Ye-ji had already come back with coffee, so I looked up, but it wasn’t her.
"Team Leader Kwon?"
Hwang PD, who should have been back at filming by now, was calling my name with cold sweat on his face.
Startled, I got to my feet and said,
"What is it, PD Hwang?"
"I... well..."
Before Hwang PD could even finish, someone strode forward. I flinched and took an involuntary step back.
At that moment, the clean scent of cologne brushed past the tip of my nose.
The man standing beside Hwang PD, with slicked-back hair, held out his hand to me.
"Team Leader Kwon?"
"...Ah, yes."
"It’s a pleasure to meet you."
He gestured with his chin, silently telling me to shake his hand.
That gesture snapped my mind, which had gone briefly off balance from the sudden situation, back into place.
"And you are?"
My voice came out lower than usual.
The slick-haired man looked at me steadily, then gave a small snort of laughter and handed me a business card.
I took it without a word, then immediately widened my eyes.
...What?
This slick-haired man was...
Park Su-chan, the CEO of SAG?
"Mm, Team Leader Kwon?"
Startled again by Park Su-chan’s voice calling my name, I looked up.
He withdrew the hand he had offered me and, wearing an odd smile, made a proposal.
"I’d like to have a brief conversation. Could you spare a moment?"
At Park Su-chan’s words, the corner of my eye twitched faintly.
The CEO of SAG is asking me to spare him a moment?
No, more importantly, why was the CEO of SAG here at all?
Did he really come all the way here just to meet me?
And I was a team leader at Baekhak?
I couldn’t make sense of the situation. But one thing was clear.
...
SAG, one half of the entertainment empire that shared the industry with Baekhak.
At the appearance of Park Su-chan, the head of that SAG empire, every guest and staff member in the waiting room had already turned their attention to me.
***
At that same moment, in the CEO’s office at Baekhak headquarters.
Looking out the window, CEO Baek slowly turned her head.
"That concludes the important briefing for now, Representative."
"Yes. Good work, Director Park."
Director Park Yu-hyeon rose from his seat and made a careful suggestion.
"If you don’t have dinner plans, would you like to eat together?"
A quiet smile spread across CEO Baek’s lips.
"No, I already have plans."
"Ah, you do?"
"Yes. I think he’ll be here soon..."
As she trailed off and looked toward the office door, the firmly closed door to Baekhak’s CEO office flew open as if by magic.
Startled, Director Park Yu-hyeon frowned and turned his head.
"Who opens the CEO’s office door like tha..."
His reprimand faded little by little.
At the same time, the wrinkles around his eyes trembled hard once.
Watching the scene leisurely, CEO Baek burst into a quiet chuckle and said,
"You’re early."
To that, the top-star actress leaning against the doorway answered in a proud voice,
"You called like that. How could I not come?"
Lee Ha-eun, Baekhak’s flagship star.
She passed the frozen Director Park Yu-hyeon and walked toward CEO Baek Ji-won.
The two women naturally locked eyes and stared at each other for a long moment.
Then Lee Ha-eun tilted her head and said,
"What did you call me in for, CEO Baek?"
At that, a strange smile appeared on CEO Baek’s lips.