Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: First Aid and Forethought
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“Tae-in. Can I namedrop you real quick?”
-Of course, man. You never do it even when I tell you to. What's up?
“It's nothing big, just the girls I'm managing…….”
-Oh! Answer? I caught a bit of it. They beat Your Girl, right?
Tae-in, Fire Emblem's lead vocalist, said, sounding impressed.
“You saw it?”
-Yeah. Honestly, I thought Your Girl would win since they're so skilled. But Answer was no joke. They were amazing. Ah, sorry for cutting you off. So, how are you gonna use my name?
“Actually, I'm here to film this week's episode of *Best Idol*.”
-Huh? The broadcast is only a few days away. Why are you filming now?
“They said they had to match the resort's schedule.”
-Sounds like they're pushing it...
“Since the resort isn't officially open, there's nothing to eat or drink. The only place to get food is probably the construction workers' cafeteria.”
-Oh man... everyone must be having a rough time.
I acted like I didn't know a coffee truck was coming under Fire Emblem's name, but Tae-in didn't know either. Just as I suspected, Gyeon Sang-jin must have handled it on his own.
“Yeah. So I was thinking of calling a coffee truck, but it wouldn't look cool coming from their manager.”
-Hey, if that's the case, I'll send one. That investment you told me about hit the jackpot, so I was thinking I should do something for you anyway.
I was laying the groundwork to help the members of Fire Emblem escape Gyeon Sang-jin's grasp at the critical moment.
The most important part of that, no matter what anyone said, was money. A full wallet gives a person courage and strength.
“No, it's fine. If you just give me permission…….”
-Forget it. I'm not that close with the Your Girl members, but I can include them too. Something like, 'To my friend Min-jun's group, Answer, and to Your Girl—cheering you on for a great competition and an entertaining show! Fighting!' That should work, right?
“Yeah, that looks great. Thanks, Tae-in.”
-Don't thank me. We're the ones who are grateful. We're always keeping in mind what you warned us about, so don't worry.
I hung up with Tae-in.
“Wow. Hyung, were you just on the phone with Tae-in from Fiblem?”
It seems like people started shortening Fire Emblem to 'Fiblem' at some point.
“Yeah. He said he's sending a coffee truck.”
“Whoa... You guys really are close...”
“...Did you think we were fake friends?”
“No... it's just that when people get famous, they sometimes act like, 'Who are you?' even to their best friends.”
Choi Yoo-jun quickly came up with an excuse.
A notification popped up in the long-standing Fire Emblem group chat.
-Just sent it. It should arrive sometime after lunch. I sent some snacks too, so eat up.
-Thanks. I'll pay you back later.
I used to think I'd lived a truly unfortunate life in my past, but now I was starting to think that just knowing the guys from Fire Emblem was a great blessing in itself.
The production crew came over to explain the first scene.
“We'll start with the entrance scene. When you arrive, the members of Answer will take these suitcases and go to the designated spot.”
Our first shoot was for an insert shot.
We moved the car again to a spot with a wide-open view of the resort. The car stopped, and the Answer members ran, pulling identical brand-name suitcases.
Swoosh, crash!
“Wow! It's the ocean!”
“Hello, ocean!”
“The ocean is so pretty!”
Beyond the railing, the blue ocean waves crashed against the rocks, creating white spray.
It was a scene directed by the production crew, but looking at the refreshing early spring sea, the Answer members were genuinely delighted.
“Please wait in the car for a moment.”
“Okay!”
Despite the crew's instruction, the Answer members didn't return to the car and continued to admire the sea.
Choi Yoo-jun, the Answer members, and I freely gazed at the ocean, taking deep breaths in and out.
The sight of the waves breaking on the rocks made it feel less like a filming location and more like we were on a trip.
“Wow. This resort is at the edge of the land. The property value must be insane.”
“I know, right? The ocean-view rooms must be amazing.”
“You think they'll assign rooms to us, too?”
“I wouldn't get your hopes up.”
Choi Yoo-jun looked extremely disappointed.
“We have to stay overnight too, so let's ask later. It's better to sleep here, even if we have to pay for the rooms.”
“That's a great idea. We need to be close by to take care of the artists.”
* * *
“You know about evil editing, right? A single bitter smile can be inserted anywhere, so always keep a bright smile on your faces.”
“Got it!”
“We'll keep that in mind!”
Worried about a bitter smile slipping out, I warned them, and the Answer members nodded in agreement.
Filming began, and we moved to a spot far behind the production crew.
Most of the other managers didn't seem to feel the need to monitor, as they each went off to find a place to rest.
However, Your Girl's manager, just like us, took up a position where they could monitor their group.
In the resort lobby, seven girl groups stood in formation, each with a suitcase in front of them.
“To the seven teams of *Best Idol* who passed the first round, welcome.”
“Hello!”
“Nice to see you!”
All the groups bowed their heads in greeting to the MC.
“Your first-round performances were fantastic. Even though I already knew the results, I still watched the full broadcast.”
“...”
Everyone just offered awkward smiles, afraid that if they hastily said 'thank you,' they'd be seen as trying to stand out.
“And so, we've prepared this for you. We've brought you all to this brand-new resort where the land meets the sea.”
“Woooow!”
“It's so nice!”
“Thank you!”
Many of the groups showed genuine delight.
“I'm glad to see you're all so happy. To be honest, we put a lot of thought into choosing this location.”
“?”
The members of each group put on their best curious faces, acting truly intrigued.
“We wondered, isn't there something we can do to contribute to society? Something related to the sea... and the water's edge...”
“Hmm?”
Your Girl feigned pure curiosity, shifting their bodies eagerly.
“'Contribute to society,' my ass. They're just trying to promote Your Girl or slip in some product placement.”
Choi Yoo-jun grumbled.
“And so, we've prepared another thing! The room assignment mission!”
“Aah!”
“Lately, the importance of safety education has become a hot topic, hasn't it? There was even that case where a famous celebrity saved someone in critical condition with the Heimlich maneuver and received an award. To prepare for accidents that could happen anytime, anywhere, we're going to learn various first-aid techniques.”
“Ahhh.”
“Wow... first aid.”
“First aid... how original...”
Your Girl clapped confidently and nodded as if it were a meaningful endeavor, but a few other groups just repeated the words with bewildered expressions.
It was obvious Your Girl had already mastered first aid.
“Didn't they tell only them about this again?”
Choi Yoo-jun grumbled with a look of discontent.
“It's just the room assignment mission.”
Since I already knew what the main mission was, I wasn't too worried. It was a mission we could afford to lose without any major consequences.
“We hope you'll watch with the understanding that we're trying to contribute, even in a small way, to a safer world. Watching our contestants learn may provide our viewers with both interest and knowledge.”
“Ooh!”
“Sounds great!”
The Answer members, who had almost let a bitter smile slip at Your Girl's over-the-top reactions, broke into bright smiles and played along.
They must have remembered what I told them before filming started.
“You all look uncomfortable, unable to unpack your bags. We'll proceed right away. The evaluation will begin immediately after the training. The first-place team will be given a royal suite with a great view that all the members can use together.”
“Wow! A suite!”
“The second-place team will receive the next best suite.”
“Aahh! Awesome!”
“Up to third place will get to share a room with their members in a spot with a good view, but everyone after that will be split up into various rooms without team divisions for the next two nights and three days.”
At the mention of a suite, their broadcast-ready joy was replaced by genuine anticipation, which made me smile.
Even if Your Girl took first place, second and third were still worth competing for.
“But it wouldn't be fun if that was all, right? To spice things up, we'll have you nominate an opponent for a head-to-head evaluation.”
“Aaaah!”
The contestants shuddered, showing their nervousness.
“To lead the training and evaluation for this room assignment mission, we have Fire Officer Cha Jeong-hwa from the Gangwon Fire Station.”
“Woooow!”
A paramedic in his thirties, wearing a cap, gave an awkward smile and bowed his head.
The training began, and some of the production crew started moving about more actively.
I approached a crew member who was tapping his neck with a cue sheet as he moved.
“Hello, PD-nim.”
“Yes... Can I help you?”
I couldn't tell if the person in front of me was a producer or a writer, but I had a habit of always calling them PD-nim until they identified themselves.
“Is it possible for the managers to use the accommodations as well? It seems the place isn't officially open yet.”
“Ah... I guess we didn't inform you. The resort's lodging facilities aren't available for use yet, so you can head home when you're done.”
'Head home,' my ass. It's hours back to Seoul.
Looks like we'll have to use the motel five minutes away.
“Instead, breakfast will be provided tomorrow, hotel-style, free of charge. Just so you know. For managers, it starts at 9:30.”
It was clearly a way to promote the resort's restaurant.
“Thank you, PD-nim.”
He nodded and walked away.
“...Ah, I was going to ask that. Why'd you have to ask, Hyung?”
“Does it matter who asks?”
“I wanted to try sleeping here. That's a shame.”
“I was secretly worried about how much the rooms would cost, so maybe it's for the best.”
“But it's the company card?”
“...”
At Choi Yoo-jun's age and with his level of real-world experience, he probably thought of the company card as a bottomless spring of money.
“That all becomes Answer's debt. It's not a 50/50 split with the company; it's all on them until they pay it off.”
“Ah! Aah... I knew that, I just forgot!”
“We shouldn't skimp to the point where it affects their activities, but there's no need to spend excessively on purpose.”
“Yes, yes! You're right, Hyung! I'll be more careful from now on.”
Choi Yoo-jun said, looking slightly embarrassed.
That wasn't much of a stick, but I should still offer a carrot.
“In that case, I'll treat you to a nice dinner and drinks tonight.”
“Ah! You don't have to do that...”
“Pick out something you want to eat.”
“Heheh.”
The guy immediately started searching.
This guy loves to eat just as much as anyone.
Surprisingly, the safety training was by the book. As if taking a test in school, the girls received evaluation sheets with multiple-choice and short-answer questions and filled them out.
There was even a practical evaluation using dummies.
“We nominate N-Pink!”
“Kyaa!”
Watching the other teams who took the practical test before Answer act all cutesy gave me the chills.
It was part of the variety show, and they were doing their best to get screen time, but there was something they were overlooking.
They weren't considering that failing to take a life-or-death matter like rescue work seriously could provoke a harsh reaction from viewers.
I wasn't worried about Seol-ah and Ro-si, who had a serious side, but I started to feel anxious that the playful Seul-bi and Yi-na might make a mistake.
I stared at Seul-bi and Yi-na, praying my thoughts would reach them. If only they would take a short break right now, I could warn them...
“Changing the memory card! We'll be back in ten minutes.”
The assistant director's shout gave me goosebumps.
“Wow...”
“Yeah, what is it?”
Choi Yoo-jun asked curiously at my unconscious exclamation.
“Oppa, water for us!”
The Answer members approached, their faces tense.
It seemed they were exhausted from keeping up their bright expressions.
“Perfect, I had something to tell you anyway. During the evaluation, don't show any hint of a smile. Be serious.”
“What do you mean?”
Seul-bi asked, her expression uncomprehending.
“Don't laugh playfully while learning lifesaving techniques or stick your tongue out if you make a mistake. Treat the dummy like a real emergency patient and be sincere.”
“...Ah, I think I know what you mean...”
Seul-bi nodded as if she understood.
“A lot of viewers take these things seriously. Never forget that.”
“Uh-huh! I think so too. Our oppa has… fore… foresight! I'm telling you!”
Yi-na, who had struggled to find the word, spoke with a proud smile, and the other Answer members nodded in agreement.
Just then, a face both unfamiliar and familiar approached us.