This Area
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` treatment.CHAPTER_TITLE: On This Turf
I had run until my breath was lodged high in my throat.
Just as my lungs started to ache, the SBC Show! Music stage set came into view.
I wiped the cold sweat running down my neck.
Not so hurried that I looked frantic.
But with my expression set to look desperate enough, I headed for the stage set.
"Today’s an outdoor live broadcast, are you kidding me? If they got into an accident and the van can’t move, we should be putting them in a taxi and sending them off! Where’s the Explore manager? Tell him to take my call right now-!!!"
Chief PD Choi Ho-cheol’s furious voice from SBC cracked like lightning in my ear.
The Show! Music staff were blocking him off.
"P-PD-nim, please calm down! We called, and even if making the live time is impossible, they said they’d get here somehow anyway..."
"How is that impossible? So they’re just going to blow off the live broadcast, then!?"
"For now, they said they’d come as fast as possible, but even so, it’ll still be thirty minutes..."
"Aigoo, what bullshit. In thirty minutes it’ll be time for the ending encore, so what exactly are they planning to do by showing up then?"
The corners of my mouth lifted.
Explore is at least thirty minutes late?
At least for now, it looked like all that running had been worth it.
After catching my breath, I gave Choi Ho-cheol PD’s shoulder a light pat.
"PD-nim."
"Who the hell... Kwon Star?
"I came to greet you, and this place is a mess. What happened?"
One of Choi PD’s brows twitched.
"How did you know?"
"Know what?"
"Don’t play dumb. Where’d you hear that Explore’s live slot got blown?"
I let out a small internal gasp.
Choi PD really isn’t just any music show PD.
He had spotted at once that I’d come here for a reason and was already pressing for an answer, which sent a chill down my spine.
But after coming all this way, I couldn’t turn around empty-handed.
I lifted the corners of my mouth and put on a smile.
"I happened to hear about it, but doesn’t the situation here look similar?"
"What?"
"It was two years ago, right? I was Star Road’s manager, and back then... didn’t Highteen miss their live slot?"
Choi Ho-cheol PD gave a dry laugh.
"So what, you want me to hand the special stage over to the rookies you’re managing?"
"Wouldn’t that be perfect for killing time until Explore gets here?"
"Hey, hey, Kwon Star... no, Chief Kwon."
"Since it’s an outdoor stage, AR correction is bound to be shaky. The rookies who aren’t confident in their skills won’t even be able to step up there... and the ones with real name value won’t want to go on as a replacement."
"Let me say..."
"In that case, wouldn’t it be better to plug the gap with rookies who have no recognition at all? PD-nim?"
Choi Ho-cheol PD stared at me, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
His expression practically said, What kind of bastard is this?
Well, I had been pressing him without giving him a chance to speak.
Still, I smiled without a trace of shame.
If you thought about Choi Ho-cheol PD’s temper, it wouldn’t have been strange if he had thrown me out without another word.
In the meantime, Choi PD let out a heavy sigh.
"Ha... Half of what you’re saying is bullshit, so now I don’t even know where to start tearing it apart."
He answered bluntly.
"No. Go back."
"..."
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? No matter how much this is just a stopgap to kill time, how are you supposed to put rookies on a special stage?"
He was right.
Honestly, even from where I stood, the request was almost absurd.
So I changed tactics.
Instead of persuading him, I appealed to his feelings.
"I helped you two years ago, didn’t I?"
"!"
"This time, could you think of it as helping me and at least give us one chance, PD-nim?"
Choi Ho-cheol PD’s expression wavered.
I did not waste the opening.
"It’s a special stage, sure, but in the end it’s just a filler to buy time. There’s nothing strange about rookies standing there. If anything, since they’re rookies, Explore’s fans might let it slide."
"..."
"And you know as well as I do that fan wars in the idol world are no joke, right? If we put anyone with actual name recognition on that stage, war would break out immediately. In that case, isn’t it better to put up complete rookies instead?"
When I finished, I watched his face.
Did I get him?
I couldn’t tell.
If this still didn’t work, then I’d have to give up on the special stage.
And yet, for some reason, even though nothing had been decided, I had a strange feeling that we’d still make it onto that stage.
Maybe I’d been too lucky lately.
That had to be it.
Thinking about the ridiculous streak of success I’d been riding, it didn’t seem especially weird that Choi Ho-cheol PD might actually be swayed by my bullshit.
And that hunch of mine was exactly right.
"Ha... fuck."
"!"
"You said To.Any can do a live?"
"!!"
"No. I should see it myself. Where’s the waiting room?"
I clenched both fists hard.
"This way, PD-nim."
I led him toward To.Any’s waiting room at my fastest walk, checking now and then to make sure Choi Ho-cheol PD was keeping up before I opened the door.
The To.Any members, sprawled across the sofa, startled and sprang up.
"Chief Manager? Who’s the person next to you?"
"That’s Show! Music’s Choi Ho-cheol PD."
"!"
Ga-eul, looking dumbfounded, gestured to the others with a little wave.
To.Any, who still seemed half-baffled by the situation, straightened up into a line at her signal.
"Hello, PD-nim! We’re the rookie girl group To.Any!"
Choi Ho-cheol PD, who had been catching his breath behind me, stepped forward.
"Cut the greetings. Can you sing right now?"
"!"
"I’m short on time, so can you answer a little faster? Can you sing right now?"
The sudden request shocked me, and it shocked the To.Any members too.
What? Even so, is he really telling them to sing this abruptly?
I was just about to step in and mediate when Ga-eul, wearing a grave expression, suddenly stepped forward and said,
"Do you not need to see the choreography, PD-nim?"
"?"
"We can do the choreography a cappella too, so could we show you that as well?"
...Huh?
Ga-eul’s audacious remark made me suck in my breath in surprise.
Apparently Choi PD felt the same.
His lips moved a few times before he let out a dry laugh.
"The manager fits the idol, I guess."
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Choi Ho-cheol PD’s mouth.
"Whatever it is, choreography or dance, just show me quickly. I don’t have time."
***
With my arms folded, I thought, Who knew their first stage would be an a cappella one...
This was something I had genuinely not expected.
But sometimes unexpected variables produced the best results.
I flicked my eyes sideways and stole a look at Choi PD’s expression.
"..."
It was complicated.
But one thing I could tell for sure.
Choi PD’s expression after watching To.Any’s stage had changed.
I leaned close enough to whisper in his ear.
"It’s a live a cappella stage, and they’re already this good. Doesn’t that make them decent enough?"
"..."
Choi PD muttered,
"They’re pretty good."
"These kids are built for the stage. If we send them up, they won’t make a mistake."
"You can guarantee that?"
"I’ll take responsibility."
Choi PD let out a long breath.
After a long while of scratching his greasy hair raw, he suddenly shouted,
"Get the kids ready and have them head to the outdoor hall right now."
"!"
"Tell the field PD to help set up the stage."
Suppressing the urge to cheer out loud, I kneaded Choi PD’s shoulder.
"You should eat beef after the stage, PD-nim."
"Look at you, stop talking nonsense and get moving. I might change my mind."
With a grin, I turned to the To.Any girls.
Their faces were still blank with confusion as they blinked at me.
Seol Chae-i quietly raised a hand.
"Chief Manager... what is going on?"
"I’ll explain on the way."
After quickly grabbing only the things they needed, we left the waiting room.
As I explained the situation on the way to the outdoor stage, the To.Any girls gasped in shock.
"Huh! Then we’re the special stage?"
"Yes. You know how important that stage is, right?"
"O-of course! It’s a music show special outdoor stage!"
A music show special stage was something only the top three idols of the current generation could usually stand on.
Even if this was only a filler meant to buy time, it was an opportunity far too good for rookie idols.
Because of that, To.Any’s expressions looked a little unsettled, but I believed they’d do well.
The To.Any I had seen at the showcase were built for the stage.
After a late-arriving stylist checked their makeup and hair, I sent them straight up.
"Do well out there. I’m counting on you."
The To.Any girls nodded with stiff faces.
And just as I’d sent them onto the stage, Lee Ye-ji, who had arrived late, looked at me and asked cautiously,
"Chief Manager... what on earth happened?"
Ah. I’d forgotten about our Ye-ji.
I lifted the corners of my mouth and said,
"You were great today, Ye-ji."
"...Huh?"
"Keep doing exactly that from now on."
"??"
A question mark bloomed across Lee Ye-ji’s face.
With a snort of laughter, I turned my head.
To.Any, who had landed their first music show stage as a special outdoor performance, were gripping their handheld microphones and shouting.
"...One, two, three. Two steps to the top! Hello, we’re To.Any!"
To.Any’s first music show stage had begun.
***
In the end, To.Any’s first music show stage ended without a single mistake.
"Whew... I can’t live because of you."
"You should eat beef, PD-nim."
"Forget it, you punk! Go tell the kids who ran out there on short notice today that they worked hard!"
Explore, who had blown off their live slot, finally made it to the stage late, and Show! Music wrapped up safely as well.
After that, I handed the rest of the schedule over to Ye-ji and returned to Baekhak headquarters.
I checked the reactions online to today’s music show stage on SNS and the communities.
The corners of my mouth rose a little.
"Not bad."
There were a few nasty comments from Explore fans here and there, but that was the reaction I had expected.
It was the fourth anniversary stage for their debut, and some nobody idol group had filled in for them.
If To.Any had been a known group instead of rookies, it wouldn’t have been strange for Explore fans to start hurling insults that would make your ears burn.
They had taken that risk for the sake of potential To.Any fans watching Show! Music.
Today’s outdoor stage had surely become the moment that firmly stamped To.Any’s existence into people’s heads.
To put it bluntly, it wasn’t common for rookies to appear on a special stage right out of their first music show performance!
As proof, the number of fans beginning to notice To.Any was slowly increasing.
The reaction was still lukewarm.
But considering they were a rookie girl group, it was a visible result.
Worth all the trouble.
This month’s fortune really did seem to be on the side of a huge run of luck.
How could everything turn out this well, no matter what I did?
Smiling to myself, I leaned back in my chair.
It was late afternoon, and the management office was quiet, probably because everyone had gone out to eat dinner.
Loneliness, ease.
I savored both and muttered,
"Maybe I’ll leave work early today."
It had been a day full of incidents.
The first music show, the variety-show tug-of-war with Park PD, and finally the special outdoor stage.
If I hadn’t been in my awakened state, it would not have been strange for me to collapse on the spot.
"Yeah, we’ve done enough. Let’s get off early today."
As a little celebration for having To.Any stand their first music show stage outdoors, I’d open a beer when I got home.
And the snack would be zico-bap chicken... or maybe just dried squid?
My mouth twitched at the thought of a pleasant trip home when I caught sight of someone I hadn’t been able to run into at the office for a while.
Management Team 1.
Team Leader Kim Seong-hun.
A low groan escaped my mouth.
"Ah."
Fatigue came crashing over me all at once.
***
The suddenly appearing Kim Seong-hun snapped at me.
"Why aren’t you greeting me?"
"..."
Rubbing the back of my neck, which had started to ache, I thought, Are we close enough to greet each other?
Or does he want a greeting as a direct superior in the same department?
I didn’t know what he meant, but I lowered my head anyway.
There was nothing to gain by provoking Kim Seong-hun right now.
But unlike my thoughts, Kim Seong-hun seemed in no mood to back off politely.
"Ha, this bastard. You get on my nerves every time I see you."
He strode toward me.
Watching him, my mind loosened drowsily.
The awakened state I had been holding for the past few days was slipping away.
With the heavy exhaustion finally rushing in, my voice dropped as well.
"What are you dissatisfied with, Team Leader?"
"Dissatisfied? You’re the one who’s dissatisfied, aren’t you?"
I was dissatisfied?
Not at all.
I didn’t care about him.
Then Kim Seong-hun glared at me and muttered,
"Fuck. Why don’t you open those eyes nicely?"
Look at this guy.
Did he really just say fuck?
I slipped a hand into my pocket without letting him notice.
Fortunately, I had brought my smartphone.
"That language isn’t appropriate, Team Leader."
"You say it too. You don’t like me either, do you?"
"I have no thoughts at all."
"That means you’re dissatisfied, you fucker."
"You keep saying fuck this and fuck that. It’s a little unpleasant to listen to."
Kim Seong-hun jabbed me in the shoulder.
The needless touch drove away the exhaustion that had been pressing down on me, and my mind sharpened again.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
"Why? Did I touch you a little, and now you’re getting mad?"
Kim Seong-hun smiled with a nasty look in his eye.
"Don’t pretend and act like you usually do, you bastard. You looked down on me too, didn’t you?"
At his words, I started to feel the whole situation was absurd.
No, is this actually happening?
Workplace harassment and abuse, the kind you only see on Nuttube?
That kind of thing happened in real life?
It was absurd, but I did what needed doing.
I turned on the recording function on my smartphone.
Meanwhile, Kim Seong-hun kept baiting me.
"Feels like your world these days, huh? So now you even look down on your department superior?"
"I’ve never thought that."
"Cut the crap. Your eyes are saying exactly that! You’re happy I got sent to hell, aren’t you?"
His voice suddenly started trembling.
"Do you... fuck. Do you know what kind of shit I went through because of Choi Su-hyeon?"
"..."
"Whenever I think about that incident, I still wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. But you know what’s even more unfair? Seo Tae-jun was supposed to come to me, and that bastard adulterer Choi Su-hyeon should have gone to your Team 5! Why the hell did the headquarters director hand Seo Tae-jun over to a trash team like yours? You pulled strings, didn’t you? Huh?"
I let out a dry laugh.
Why would Seo Tae-jun belong to Team 1?
Wasn’t he originally assigned to our Team 5 in the first place?
Wasn’t the one pulling strings actually Team Leader Kim?
And Choi Su-hyeon had been assigned to Team 2, but Team 1 took him purely because Kim Seong-hun was greedy, as far as I knew?
This was beyond illogical. It felt like watching a child throw a tantrum.
The next moment, my mouth moved on its own.
"That’s a pretty wild assumption."
"!"
"Wasn’t Team Leader to blame for taking Choi Su-hyeon? He was originally Team 2’s slot, wasn’t he?"
Kim Seong-hun’s eyes flew wide as he grabbed me by the collar.
"...What did you just say?"
"I said it’s your fault, Team Leader."
"Ha... you really know how to piss people off to the end, don’t you?"
The corners of Kim Seong-hun’s eyes twitched.
At this rate, he looked ready to swing a fist at me.
Should I hold back?
I should.
I couldn’t splash this sewage called Kim Seong-hun onto To.Any, who had just debuted.
So just as I began to regret the things I had said a little earlier, Kim Seong-hun muttered,
"Yeah. From the beginning, I never liked Lee Ha-eun and that crazy bitch either."
"!"
"Every time I got tangled up with her, it was a pain in the ass. Just looking at her was enough to make me furious."
One of my brows twitched.
Kim Seong-hun did not miss my reaction.
The twisted smile on his face was less frightening than disgusting.
"But what’s the deal between you two?"
He started crossing the line.
"Why does Lee Ha-eun care so much about you, huh? That bitch Lee Ha-eun changes managers like it’s a habit, but with you she even gave you Queen of Joseon brand-service."
From his bloodshot eyes, it looked as though reason had already flown out of him.
In the end, Kim Seong-hun struck at my weak spot.
"What method did you use to tame that crazy bitch?"
"!"
"Give me a tip too, Chief Kwon. I’ll try it myself. Or what... is that tip something I can’t use? Hm?"
All right. I’d had enough.
I clenched my fist hard.
"Could it be that you and that crazy bitch..."
I was going to have to shut this asshole’s mouth first and think about the rest later.
Just as I was about to lose my temper and make a scene,
a sharp shout, like glass shattering, stopped my fist in midair.
"Crazy bitch, what?"
I froze, and so did Kim Seong-hun.
The tense situation had dropped into a cold stillness.
It was a strange silence, as if time had stopped.
Within it, the click of high heels rang out.
"What was that about a crazy bitch?"
Click, click.
At the steady rhythm of those heels, my heart began to pound wildly.
Thud-thud!
It beat so hard that it felt like my ears were ringing.
Meanwhile, Kim Seong-hun’s face went pale as paper.
"W-well... that is..."
Mine was probably just as pale.
Given who the owner of that voice was, that made sense.
Then a slender hand came down and slapped away Kim Seong-hun’s grip on my collar.
The sweet scent of skin brushed the tip of my nose.
"Since the crazy bitch has arrived, why don’t you say that again?"
The crazy bitch of this territory had arrived.
"What did I do with Chief Kwon?"
Top-tier actress.
Lee Ha-eun.
A crooked smile curved at the corner of her mouth.