Expose
Jamsil C Concert Hall.
Three thousand fans who had gathered to watch K-Singer-Songwriter before the first live broadcast recording let out a thunderous roar.
“K-1, fighting!”
“Hyun-a noona, I love you!”
“Park Woo-sik! You have to keep going!”
“Park Ga-eul is beautiful!”
The first episode of K-Singer-Songwriter had drawn a 6.3 percent rating.
Then, over the eight prerecorded episodes that followed, the show never dipped once. Its ratings kept climbing.
The highest rating in those recent eight episodes was 10.3 percent.
And with eight live broadcast episodes still ahead, the final 16.5 percent rating I’d confirmed through the future text messages looked easy enough to surpass.
This is definitely the best variety show of the quarter, and maybe it’ll even end up as the biggest hit of the year.
But K-Singer-Songwriter was a competition show.
Unless you were the host or the producer, the ratings weren’t all that important from a contestant’s perspective.
After all, the whole point of going on variety is to promote yourself.
That applied to me too.
The reason I’d pushed Ga-eul into the show, taking on the risks that came with a competition format, wasn’t because of the ratings for K-Singer-Songwriter. It was to promote To.Any, the rookie girl group.
I turned my head and looked toward the audience seats.
“Park Ga-eul!”
“Kyaaaaa! Ga-eul’s doing her rehearsal!”
“Hang in there, Park Ga-eul! Don’t let them get to you!”
She couldn’t compare with K-1, the strong favorite to win, or Kim Hyun-a, the original female singer-songwriter, but quite a few Park Ga-eul fans were waving banners and To.Any’s triangle-star light sticks from the stands.
At this point, wouldn’t that put her third among the contestants?
Among the industry’s top singer-songwriters, she was the third contestant with the most fans on site.
That meant something.
When the first episode aired, Park Ga-eul had been only sixth in buzz.
During the prerecorded run, she’d steadily built recognition, and before I knew it she had become the third most popular contestant in the venue.
It was too early to call the victory, but hadn’t we already achieved the basic goal?
I was thinking that when a voice I both knew and didn’t know reached me.
“Team Leader Kwon.”
I turned around to find Kim Su-ji, the SAG team leader, leaning against the wall in a black suit and looking at me.
I dipped my head slightly. “You’re here early, Team Leader Kim. There’s still time before the live broadcast starts.”
“You came early too, Team Leader Kwon.”
“Ga-eul’s first on, after all.”
At my words, Kim Su-ji turned her head toward the audience.
Just as my gaze had gone to Park Ga-eul’s fandom, hers was fixed on K-1’s.
Kim Su-ji murmured slowly, “Do you know there’s a strange jinx with competition shows?”
Jinx?
Were there any jinxes this business didn’t have?
Still, a competition-show jinx did make me curious.
“Usually, the winners of competition shows are decided by how many fans they have in the live audience seats.”
As she spoke, the cheers from K-1’s fans swept across the concert hall.
Kim Su-ji looked at me with a confident smile, as if those cheers were carrying her on their backs.
I let out a snort of laughter.
“We’re just about to start live filming. Isn’t it a little early to be so sure of the win?”
“It’s stranger to be anxious when the hand is already clear.”
“That’s amusing.”
“Yes, it is. The show’s a hit, and it looks like we’ll be taking the win too.”
This time, Kim Su-ji looked at me with a teasing smile.
Normally, someone in her position would put on a mask and keep up appearances, but there wasn’t a trace of that in her.
Her unvarnished honesty was fresh. It was funny, too.
But what could I do about it?
Kim Su-ji believed she had the winning hand, but I was sorry to say the winning hand was mine.
I smiled inwardly and held out my hand to her.
“Let’s do well.”
“Yes, let’s.”
After a brief handshake, we headed off toward our respective artists’ waiting rooms.
Amid the busy staff moving back and forth, I spotted Park Ga-eul getting her makeup done.
I approached without a sound and tapped her shoulder.
“Ga-eul.”
“Oh, Team Leader?”
The instant Park Ga-eul saw me, she broke into a bright smile.
I stared at her for a moment and thought, Ga-eul, haven’t you gotten noticeably prettier lately?
Was it camera magic? Or a diet?
I didn’t know.
I’d been spending a lot of time with her lately because of K-Singer-Songwriter, but today she seemed especially pretty.
The theme of the competition show might be singer-songwriters, but Ga-eul’s essence was idol.
Then showing off that side of her could be part of the strategy for winning this competition too.
A faint smile spread across my face.
“You’re about to go into live filming. Nervous?”
“Hmm, not really?”
“Oh? What’s with that confidence? Planning to get nervous in the finals?”
“Hmm... well, that too.”
Park Ga-eul tilted her head slightly.
“I’m saving it for when I’m really scared and shaking later.”
Really scared and shaking later?
Did she mean when she stood on a place like the Tokyo Dome?
I was curious, but I didn’t dig into it.
Instead, I gave her shoulder a light pat.
“Go do your best.”
“Yes, but Team Leader.”
Ga-eul lifted her head and stared at me intently.
“Aren’t you going to cheer me on?”
I was slightly dumbfounded by the hopeful look in her eyes.
Was it really right for a singer about to step onto a live stage to care more about my cheer than the stage itself?
Laughing softly, I said, “All right. Park Ga-eul, fighting.”
At that, Ga-eul nodded with obvious satisfaction.
“Now that I’ve been cheered on, I’ll come back with a win.”
***
The first live round of K-Singer-Songwriter ended.
Out of the fifty contestants, sixteen survivors earned the right to advance to the live broadcast. Eight were eliminated, and eight remained.
The self-written songs from the eight surviving contestants took over the digital music charts. Riding that hot response, the K-Singer-Songwriter production team then unveiled the next mission.
The duet mission song.
During the preparation period, the contestants paired off into duets, collaborated to create their own songs, and then faced off with those songs in a head-to-head competition.
The viewers’ board heated up all over again.
With the arrival of such a provocative mission, each contestant’s fandom began focusing on their favorite singer’s duet partner.
Because this was a duet mission song, who you were paired with could decide the winner and loser of the round.
And for To.Any’s leader, Park Ga-eul...
She had been paired with K-1, the strongest contender to win this season of K-Singer-Songwriter.
***
Under the stage where the first live round of K-Singer-Songwriter had just ended, the eight surviving contestants began talking with mixed expressions of joy and disappointment.
“Wow, I’d heard competition shows were ruthless, but isn’t this a little too much?”
“They pair people up, make them cooperate, and then tell them one has to get eliminated?”
“Man, I’d only heard about this, but it’s kind of brutal... Jin-young, who did you get matched with?”
“I’m with Hwan.”
“Oh? You must be happy, Jin-young?”
“...Heh. Honestly, I’m thrilled.”
The singer-songwriters paired with lesser-known contestants wore smiles, while the singers paired with higher-profile singer-songwriters looked grim.
Then one singer-songwriter clicked his tongue and said, “Just looking at the matchups, that kid there’s the most pitiful.”
“Who?”
“That Park Ga-eul kid over there.”
At that, the singer-songwriters gathered in twos and threes turned their heads.
There was Park Ga-eul, silently staring at the electronic board beneath the stage.
The oldest singer-songwriter said with an expression of pity, “What a shame. For a rookie, she sings well and builds melodies in a pretty distinctive way, but of all people she had to get K-1 as her opponent.”
“Well, if a rookie is this good, that’s already impressive, sir.”
“If it weren’t K-1, she could’ve gone even higher.”
“Still, she must be satisfied. Honestly, for an idol to survive the first round is already amazing.”
While the K-Singer-Songwriter contestants were discussing Park Ga-eul, one of them did not join the conversation and instead walked over to her.
It was K-1, who had closed out the final performance of this first round.
“Park Ga-eul?”
Still looking at the board, Park Ga-eul turned her head.
With a friendly smile, K-1 held out his hand and said, “Looks like we’re dueting this time. Please take good care of me.”
Park Ga-eul bowed her head with an impassive expression.
“Yes, senior. Please take good care of me as well.”
“I was hoping I’d get to meet you later, but here we are.”
As he said that, K-1 casually looked her over.
His eyes trembled at her bobbed hair that brushed her shoulders, her snow-white skin, and that striking visual.
To.Any’s leader, Park Ga-eul.
From the moment he first saw her, he’d thought she was a real find, and lately she looked even prettier than before.
K-1 held back the excitement rising in him and said, “Do you happen to have time this week?”
Park Ga-eul tilted her head slightly.
“Friday is open, but is something going on?”
“Ah, nothing like that. We’re duet partners, right? We have to compete, sure, but we still need to work on a song together. It’d be nice to meet up, talk music, get a little more familiar with each other. And then...”
Trailing off, K-1 said playfully, “We could have a drink too. How about it? Meet for a bit on Friday?”
Park Ga-eul did not answer his suggestion.
Instead, she just looked at him quietly with a strange expression.
Growing impatient under that gaze, K-1 hurriedly added, “If you’re worried about people looking, we can always meet in my studio.”
At that, Park Ga-eul’s tightly closed lips parted.
“Senior.”
“Yes?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think we should meet alone.”
“Ah, so your agency won’t allow it?”
“Yes, sorry.”
Park Ga-eul gave a small bow of her head.
Her words and actions said sorry, but there was no trace of actual apology in her expression or tone.
K-1 gave a dry laugh inwardly.
She really is full of herself.
Still, looking at that face, it made sense.
What did a woman like that have to gain by bending for anyone?
That’s exactly why I like it.
What would that proud face look like twisted by pleasure?
As he imagined it for a moment, K-1 suddenly felt blood rush through him and muttered, “What a shame. So the only time we’ll meet is during filming?”
“Yes, I think so.”
Normally he should have stepped back cleanly by then, but now he somehow wanted to linger a little longer.
Just as K-1 was about to hide that desire and speak again, he felt an unfamiliar hand seize his shoulder.
Startled, he turned his head and found a man with a cold, sharp air about him looking back with the corners of his mouth lifted.
“K-1.”
With mild unease, K-1 said, “Ga-eul’s manager?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
K-1 quickly composed his expression and let his gaze travel up and down.
Pretty tall for a manager.
A chilling face that made a strong impression.
But what caught K-1’s eye most was the smile hanging at the corner of Kwon Chan’s mouth.
The guy smiles like a psychopath killer.
No, looking at those eyes, psychopath seemed certain.
Suddenly getting a chill, K-1 shrugged off Kwon Chan’s hand from his shoulder.
Kwon Chan stepped back without resistance and tilted his head.
“Are we done talking?”
“What?”
“If you have nothing else to say to Ga-eul, may I take her with me? We’re a little pressed for time because of our next schedule.”
K-1 frowned.
“Hey. We’re talking as singers right now...”
Then Park Ga-eul joined in.
“Team Leader, let’s go.”
“Ah, are you done talking?”
“Yes. Let’s get going to the schedule.”
With that, Park Ga-eul passed K-1 and walked toward Kwon Chan.
K-1 stood there with his mouth hanging open like an idiot, then muttered in bewilderment, “Have those two lost their minds?”
Ignoring him as if he weren’t there at all?
Fuming, K-1 glared at Park Ga-eul and Kwon Chan with a harsh look.
The girl who hadn’t moved a muscle while speaking to him was now smiling like an idiot.
Seeing that, K-1 was baffled all over again.
“Ha, fuck. Look at this?”
She put up such a wall with me, and now I see she’s a fox with nine tails?
Snorting, K-1 pulled out his smartphone.
-Click!
He took a photo of Kwon Chan and Park Ga-eul disappearing down the corridor, then slowly lifted the corners of his mouth.
“You bitch, just wait.”
Let’s see how long you can keep acting high and mighty.
With a sinister laugh, K-1 walked in the exact opposite direction from the corridor Kwon Chan and Park Ga-eul had taken.
***
The day after the first round ended, Baekhak’s publicity team sprang into action.
K-Singer-Songwriter had breathed new life into the variety world after a long stretch, and now that the lengthy prerecorded run was over and live filming had begun, episode 9 of K-Singer-Songwriter had broken past an 11 percent rating.
That alone was an impressive number, but Park Ga-eul, who was currently appearing on K-Singer-Songwriter, was also gathering serious momentum.
Fans showered her with no small amount of praise after she finished the first competition perfectly.
That was a stellar start, but when the publicity team leader heard about the duet mission, she couldn’t help frowning.
“Damn, everything’s great except her duet partner is K-1?”
At her words, Kim, the assistant manager across from her, clicked his tongue in sympathy.
“If it weren’t K-1, she’d have a shot at the semifinals too. What a waste.”
“Ugh, her luck is terrible. Of all times, she had to run into K-1 now!”
Kim waved a folder and said, “By the way, Team Leader, how should we handle the lead for Park Ga-eul’s promo article?”
“If we focus too heavily on Park Ga-eul, it’ll feel way too much like viral marketing, won’t it?”
“True, but SAG’s publicity team already wrote headlines calling K-1 the obvious winner. Shouldn’t we at least put out a support piece?”
“Should we leave K-Singer-Songwriter out of it and angle the article toward To.Any instead? If we focus too blatantly on Ga-eul, K-1’s fans are going to swarm in and coordinate a hate campaign.”
While the two of them were talking, the publicity team leader’s phone rang.
She raised her brows slightly and answered loudly, “Team Leader Kwon!”
“Ah, Publicity Team Leader. Sorry. I just checked KakaoTalk, but I’m out on external work today, so I don’t think I can make the meeting.”
“Oh, really? What a shame.”
“Did something happen?”
At the question, the publicity team leader shrugged and answered, “It’s nothing else. I was just going to ask how we should frame Park Ga-eul’s promo article.”
“Oh, the K-Singer-Songwriter piece this time?”
“Yeah. Since the opponent is K-1, I think we need to be careful about how we write it. What do you think would be best?”
After a brief pause over the phone, Team Leader Kwon answered.
“If we put Ga-eul front and center, the viral feel will be too strong, right?”
“Right. That’s why we’re stuck. If we push too openly for Ga-eul because the opponent happens to be K-1, anyone can see it’s a promo article.”
At the publicity team leader’s words, Team Leader Kwon made a natural suggestion.
“Then how about this?”
“What is it?”
“Let’s write the article about K-1 instead of Park Ga-eul.”
The publicity team leader’s eyes widened.
“Huh? About K-1?”
“Yes. Did you know K-1’s public sentiment is split pretty much fifty-fifty right now?”
“K-1’s public sentiment is split?”
Surprised by Kwon Chan’s unexpected remark, the publicity team leader quickly moved her mouse and opened the K-Singer-Songwriter discussion board.
As she quietly scanned the viewers’ posts and comments, she soon let out a small cry of amazement.
“Oh? Wait, really? K-1 has quite a few anti-fans now?”
“From what I saw on broadcast, he got overly confident about winning, maybe because he wanted more screen time, and he made quite a few remarks looking down on his opponents.”
“Good grief, he said things like that on a competition show?”
“Yes, and there were also K-1 fans stirring things up by looking down on other singers’ fans. Anyway.”
Team Leader Kwon’s voice stayed calm as he suggested,
“Let’s use this bad public sentiment while it’s here.”
“Oh? How?”
“We subtly drag K-1’s image down.”
The publicity team leader’s eyes flashed with interest.
“You mean build up K-1’s unlikable image?”
“Yes. SAG’s team is already putting out articles that subtly dismiss Ga-eul for being an idol, so there’s no reason we can’t do the same.”
The publicity team leader’s eyes went wide.
SAG attacked one of our company’s artists?
Look at that.
Annoyed now, the publicity team leader immediately searched for the online article.
The provocative headline and article content.
After checking the outlet and the reporter’s name, the publicity team leader let out a hollow laugh.
“Wow, SAG... when did they pull something like this?”
Suddenly burning with a fighting spirit, she said to Team Leader Kwon, “This is them picking a fight with us, isn’t it? Right, Team Leader Kwon?”
“You could call it a declaration of war. It’ll probably get worse once the live votes start.”
“I’m not the type to repay kindness I can’t return, but I do return grudges ten times over.”
“That makes us the same, then. So let’s not back down either and hit them with a public-opinion war, Team Leader.”
Team Leader Kwon whispered in a low voice.
“The publicity team that’s called the best in this business can’t just tuck its tail and run, can it?”
“Of course not! Leave it to me. I’ll tear them apart.”
After ending the call with Team Leader Kwon, the publicity team leader shouted, “Assistant Kim, get ready!”
“Yes, ready for what?”
“A publicity war!”
The corners of the publicity team leader’s eyes curled like a demon’s.
“Since those damn SAG bastards declared war, call everyone to Meeting Room One!”
***
After hanging up with the publicity team leader, I put down the smartphone I’d been holding.
Then I slowly lifted my head and looked at the woman across from me.
She looked like she had only just crossed into her early twenties.
A girl even younger-looking than To.Any’s maknae, Seol Chae-i, was crying her eyes out.
The reporter sitting next to me pulled out a few tissues and handed them to her.
Watching the scene closely, I let out a long breath.
“...I know you’re in pain, but I need to confirm this one more time.”
Forcing down the anger boiling inside me, I asked in a steady voice,
“K-1, that piece of trash, really did plant hidden cameras, didn’t he?”