Chapter 8
Damn old man. Executive Kim cursed inwardly, but on the surface, he wore a smile and stepped back.
“Executive Kim.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“You know this becomes your responsibility if Director Yeon messes it up, right? You’re the one running this project. Director Yeon made the proposal, but who approved it?”
“…I did.”
“Right. Then you understand whose responsibility it will be, don’t you?”
“It will be my responsibility, Chairman.”
“Exactly. So what should you do?”
The old man was truly damned.
Grinding his teeth, Executive Kim replied, “I’ll make sure it succeeds, Chairman. Without any controversy.”
“Good. That way, your future will look brighter.” Only then did Chairman Yeon seem satisfied.
He waved his hand.
It was a signal to leave.
“Oh my. Did our Chairman really say all that?” Se-rang cupped her cheeks with both hands, feigning shyness.
“That’s right, Director Yeon. The Chairman told me to ensure this project succeeds without a hitch.” Executive Kim let out a deep sigh as he spoke. Just looking at her now, she seemed like a reckless brat.
Would this program… really be okay?
“So, Director Yeon. I’ll assign someone good with scripts to help you. Don’t say anything else. Just follow the script exactly as written—”
“Oh my goodness, Executive Kim!” Se-rang waved her hands dismissively, her face impossibly bright.
“H-huh?”
“What are you talking about? A script? Reality is everything in a survival show.”
“No, broadcasting is always done with a script. Even reality shows are scripted.”
“You don’t trust me, do you? Right?”
Of course I don’t trust you! Who do you think you are? Yeon Se-rang, the notorious madwoman! Executive Kim hurled endless curses in his mind, but outwardly, he smiled calmly.
“No, I trust you, Director Yeon. I do. It’s just… this is your first time appearing on a broadcast. So I thought I’d offer some help—”
“I don’t need help, Executive Kim.” For the first time, Yeon Se-rang spoke with the smile gone from her eyes. “I’ll handle it myself. Ah, of course… you don’t need to worry.”
For a moment, seeing that expression on her face, Executive Kim felt his heart drop with a thud.
Because— “I’ll make it succeed. No matter what.”
The reckless Yeon Se-rang of today—When she says she’ll do something, she makes it succeed.—overlapped, for just an instant, with Chairman Yeon Kang-ho in his prime.
I had boldly declared that I would make everything succeed, but—
“There will be a briefing regarding the broadcast recording schedule, Director. If there are any conflicts, we’ll adjust them immediately—”
“…The entire broadcast schedule just because of me? Are you insane? I should move my schedule.”
“We’ve received the profiles of the trainees sent by each agency. Should I give you a summary? Or just names and photos—”
“Are you kidding me? The more detailed, the better. Compile everything, including all their social media. If any of them have something weird in their student records, tell them to get lost on their own. And tell them that if anyone ruins my show, they won’t even be able to set foot in the entertainment industry.”
“Director, this agenda item—”
“Director Yeon, the PD side—”
(Translator’s Note: PD — Korean broadcasting shorthand for producer-director, a production staff role responsible for managing program direction and filming.)
“Director, what about the styling—”
“Should we instruct them to apply this level of retouching? We’ll send your optimal angles to the camera director in advance—”
…Seeing this mess, I almost regretted saying I would do it.
“I’m not an idol, you know! Why are you worrying about my face angles?! You don’t need retouching. Am I going on there as a trainee? I’m going as a judge!”
Every person knocking on my office door seemed to think I was going on Project Idol as a main trainee rather than as a judge and producer. It was deeply unsettling.
What was I supposed to do with good screen presence there? Would the stock price go up or something?
“Director, we’ve received prior evaluation reports on the trainees from each agency’s trainers. Should I upload the materials?”
At least Secretary Cha was doing her job properly. She seemed to be the only one who believed I would actually judge fairly.
…Well, having even one person was something.
“Yes. I’ll take a look right away.”
While Secretary Cha explained the trainees, I searched my memory.
This was what you would call the “filtering” process.
The idol group formed through this show would debut by choosing one producer, either from the six agencies or Imperial’s own producer: me.
Which meant that if there was a high chance I would be in charge, these members would practically be holding my future in their hands.
No, “high chance” was an understatement. I had to make them choose me no matter what.
That made this extremely important.
If I failed to make a decisive move here, I would not just lose the successor position. My spot as a label director would be on shaky ground.
And then revenge, or anything else, would all go up in flames.
I can’t let that happen. This group will be my group. I’ll make it a perfect success.
This one was about to be dropped for lack of skill.
This one was nowhere near an ace, just a trainee who had joined recently.
That one later caused a personality scandal, so he was out.
That one got caught in a dating rumor with a sasaeng fan, so he was out.
(Translator’s Note: Sasaeng fan (사생팬) — Obsessive fan who invades a celebrity’s private life through stalking or other intrusive behavior.)
That one had a school violence issue. That one had a power abuse controversy.
This one made so many verbal slip-ups that people started saying it was not a mistake, but his true self.
“……”
What was this? Why were they all either disappointing or problematic?
Just as the thought crossed my mind that these agencies were sending people on air without checking skill or background, I realized something.
“Secretary Cha, wait a moment.”
“Yes, Director.”
“I’ve been thinking. Honestly, I’m not respected anywhere in this company, am I? Even in meetings before, everyone just casually calls me Yeon Se-rang, Director Yeon… you know.” Secretary Cha remained silent instead of answering. But for Se-rang, that was affirmation enough. “So I thought, if I start by showing respect first, maybe others will respect me too. I want to speak more formally to everyone. And I want to start with you, since you’re the closest. Would that be okay? I’d like to call you Secretary Cha.”
“I don’t mind either way. Please call me whatever is most comfortable for you.” Secretary Cha looked a little puzzled, but not uncomfortable.
That alone was enough for Se-rang. Honestly, calling someone she had addressed as Secretary Cha for years in a more familiar way made her tongue feel prickly.
“All right. Then first, are these really the agencies’ aces? They don’t seem like it.”
“…!”
At my words, Secretary Cha’s gaze shifted slightly. “I feel the same way. They’re trainees who lack skill, or… they have skill, but—”
“They’re all kids with bad rumors, right?”
“Yes. That’s how it appears.”
There it was.
They really did set this board up to screw me over.
Of course, I never thought there would be no interference, considering I had been confirmed for the program. If anything, this level was almost mild. The problem was—
“The Chairman told them specifically to send trainees carefully. Have these people lost their minds? Did they give up on the successor position?”
“I find that questionable as well. But perhaps this is what’s happening.”
“What is it?”
I might be good at producing, but internal politics were never my strong suit. If I were good at it, I would not have driven my own agency into the ground so spectacularly.
So I needed advice from Secretary Cha, who was far more versed in corporate maneuvering than I was.
“Could it be… collusion?”
“…!”
“If just one label sent bad trainees, that label would be dismissed. But if all the labels colluded to push Director Yeon out, even Chairman Yeon wouldn’t be able to cut them all.”
“Especially since it would be hard to eliminate all of my oppas at once, when they’re already strong candidates.”
(Translator’s Note: Oppa (오빠) — Korean term used by a woman for an older brother or older male she is close to)
“Yes. That’s likely why they’ve colluded this time, to push Director Yeon out. They’re preventing a new competitor from emerging.”
I see.
If I approved these trainees and they appeared on the broadcast, they would expose all the scandals of these disposable trainees and pin the collapse of the show on me.
Then I would sink alone, and that would be the end of it.
Even Chairman Yeon could not purge all the labels. He would just fire me and be done with it.
It made sense.
I was already at a severe disadvantage in the succession race.
No matter how much affection Chairman Yeon had for me, I could not rely on that alone.
“But you know… this isn’t perfect collusion, is it?” At that, Secretary Cha smiled faintly. “Perfect collusion doesn’t exist in this world.”
“Right.”
The two women smiled knowingly.
Fine.
We would think about exploiting that crack later.
First, let’s solve the problem at hand.