Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Suicide Squad
Even after arriving at work, I couldn't properly gather my thoughts.
Though calling it "arriving at work" was a stretch. All I'd really done was throw on yesterday's clothes and sit at my desk.
My clothes carried that uniquely infuriating yet strangely addictive scent belonging to four girls.
My breath still smelled like alcohol.
And my head hurt like hell from the hangover.
"Ah, my head is fucking killing me..."
It felt like someone was aggressively pounding drums inside my skull to the rhythm of Britpop.
Dudududududududu.
"Haa..."
The atmosphere in the president's office remained heavy as I reentered while clutching my splitting head.
Beyond the transparent glass partition, I could feel Secretary Shin Seoa's icy gaze directed toward us.
The aftermath of spending an entire hour kneeling side by side in the dormitory and listening to her lecture still hadn't faded.
"I didn't bring any beer, President."
"Why not?"
"Look outside. If we start drinking beer too, either the hangover will kill us or Secretary Shin will literally tear us in half."
"...Good point. Then drink this."
"Barley tea sounds good..."
I grabbed a bottle from the mountain of barley tea boxes stacked in the corner of the office. The president had impulsively bought them in bulk a month ago, and they were still everywhere.
I downed it in one go.
"Get me another one, PD Lee."
"Here."
President Park, sprawled across the sofa, chugged the barley tea and spoke in a voice that sounded half-dead.
"PD Lee."
"Yes, President."
"Before the transfer market really catches fire, how about we squeeze in a short-term project?"
I kept my eyes fixed on my monitor and snorted.
"A short-term project? President, every company from the biggest corporations to the smallest agencies is currently trying to squeeze every last penny out of the transfer market. Every decent prospect and available talent is tied up in negotiations. How is a short-term project supposed to happen right now?"
"The transfer market opened, sure, but we're still waiting on the big fish to make their moves. We don't have any immediate cash in hand. The company account balance is getting a little tight too."
"We literally sold people to BEEHIVE yesterday. I think our finances will be fine for a while."
"...Honestly, I just don't want to sit around doing nothing. I'm bored. I was thinking instead of prospects, maybe we could bring in some veteran idols who've already debuted and put together a quick project."
"Where exactly are we getting the money to hire S-rank or A-rank veterans for a temporary gig? Why would people at that level come crawling into a tiny agency project like ours? It all comes down to money. Stop dreaming and think about making the girls train harder."
"You think those girls can actually be trained harder?"
"No."
"Then—"
"That's Secretary Shin's department. Don't worry about it."
"Tsk."
With nothing left to say, President Park smacked his lips and picked up the remote.
Click.
The wall-mounted TV turned on, broadcasting a morning entertainment news program.
[Next up. Popular idol group ANGELS, which recently endured controversy after member Jo Eunha left the group over allegations related to her school years, has announced a comeback with their second full-length album as a five-member group. Attention is focused on their return following the bullying controversy...]
On the screen appeared a blurred graduation photo of Jo Eunha and screenshots of internet posts exposing her past.
Soon afterward, footage of ANGELS' five-member showcase appeared.
"Did Jo Eunha get kicked out because of bullying?"
"It was more of a delinquent issue than actual bullying. She smoked and drank while underage, cursed out a fan at a fan signing when some pig tried to grab her hand, and got into online fights with haters. ANGELS had an innocent, pure image, so she got cut immediately."
"She was one of their core members, wasn't she? They really dropped her fast."
"President Bang's probably got a headache. Without Jo Eunha, they honestly look a bit awkward."
When ANGELS had six members, Jo Eunha had been both the center and visual member.
The stage definitely felt emptier with only five.
As I absentmindedly watched the news while sipping coffee, an utterly ridiculous idea suddenly flashed through my head.
I could almost smell capitalism.
"...President."
"What now? Going to complain about money again? I already know."
"No. I just came up with an absolutely brilliant short-term project."
I stroked my chin and stared at Jo Eunha's blurred face on the screen.
"I'm not sure if it's morally or ethically acceptable..."
The moment the words morality and ethics came out of my mouth, President Park shot upright from the sofa.
His eyes widened.
The expression on his face clearly said he instinctively knew that any idea I considered ethically questionable probably smelled like money.
"What is it? Stop setting it up and just tell me."
I set down my coffee cup and leaned forward.
"What if we gather up a few female idols who got kicked out because of school violence scandals or delinquent behavior and create a temporary project group built entirely around that image?"
"...What?"
"Like an idol version of Suicide Squad. Call it the K-Delinquent Project or something. The name sucks, but we'd come up with something better later."
"Pffft!"
President Park nearly sprayed barley tea everywhere.
He coughed violently and shouted as if he wanted to grab me by the collar.
"Are you out of your damn mind?! You want to debut girls who got canceled over bullying scandals?!"
"Why not? They got kicked out because of personality controversies and scandals, which means they're unemployed now. But these are girls who already made it into debut lineups. Their looks, vocals, and dance skills are already proven at the top level. They're veterans."
"Do you seriously want me dragged into a government hearing?!"
"Only major agencies get called into government hearings. Nobody's summoning a seven-person trash-tier agency like ours. Those places are for stars. People like President Bang from BEEHIVE or the CEOs at DJP. We're too insignificant to get invited even if we wanted to."
"...That's true."
"And I won't be the one going anyway. You will."
"You little bastard."
I opened my laptop and rapidly searched public reactions online while continuing my pitch.
"Think about it. Once they run out of money, most of them will end up becoming internet streamers anyway, showing cleavage and doing donation reactions. Isn't it a hundred times better for them to try something in the industry again? They're probably desperate enough to grab onto any lifeline. If we offer them a little money for a short-term project, they'll probably cry and accept immediately. The cost-performance ratio is incredible."
"Forget cost-performance. Can we even survive public opinion? People will send protest trucks to the company. They'll attack our forums. Boycotts will start."
"Oh, it'll definitely be controversial. It might even make the news. But President, isn't entertainment an industry where hate comments are more profitable than no comments? The noise marketing alone would be huge. Besides, we're a company that debuts idols and sells them. We don't keep them forever. We can just sell them off afterward and walk away."
As President Park sat there speechless, I grinned and delivered the finishing blow.
"And honestly. Deep down, don't most men have at least one pathetic memory or fantasy about that beautiful delinquent girl from school? The one who stole their lunch money and treated them like garbage but still somehow made their heart race? Demand would explode. People would complain while watching nonstop."
"..."
"We make upbeat, provocative EDM. Shorten the school-uniform skirts and give them leather knee-high boots. The lyrics should openly say things like, 'You're going to hate me anyway, but you're happy looking at my face, aren't you?' That kind of shameless concept. Three months. Temporary mercenaries. We suck up all the attention in the entertainment industry during winter and disappear."
"What about our girls?"
"They're debuting next year anyway. We've got plenty of time before then."
When I finished my briefing, silence filled the office.
President Park stared into space while stroking his chin.
His eyes darted rapidly from side to side.
Then, slowly, a ridiculous smile began spreading across his face.
"...This is the dumbest fucking idea I've ever heard."
Even as he grumbled, the corners of his mouth had already stretched almost to his ears.
President Park slammed his hand onto the table and stood up.
"Let's do it immediately."