Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: The Director's Inspection
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The live broadcast of *Best Idol* began.
To make the most of my limited time, I started shadowboxing while I watched.
Ever since the system appeared, my body had become abnormally strong, to the point where I didn't need to work out. Still, for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to stay idle.
Maybe it was because I’d learned the value of time, but whenever I was doing something that didn't require my full concentration, I felt compelled to do something else. I especially felt an inexplicable thrill from the taut feeling of my muscles contracting as I exercised.
“Kopi luwak? That sounds fancy.”
The scene cut to the breakfast buffet, where Yi-na appeared.
Seol-ah looked like she was about to stop Yi-na, but Seul-bi could be seen mouthing 'Screen time, screen time!' to hold her back. Seul-bi's words were displayed on screen with CG text.
“Wow, this tastes amazing. It's way better than Arabica Yirgacheffe.”
“What's it like?”
As Seul-bi asked playfully, Ro-si covered her forehead with her hand, trying to hold back her laughter.
“Hmm... It's not bitter, kind of sweet? The aroma is rich, too. And the acidity is just right compared to Yirgacheffe.”
Yi-na was trying her best to describe it.
“Must be because it's a fermented coffee. It lives up to its reputation.”
“…But why aren't you guys drinking any? It's delicious, try some.”
“Ugh. I have a weak stomach, so no thanks.”
Seul-bi shivered as if she had goosebumps.
Yi-na finally looked at Ro-si and Seol-ah with suspicion. Ro-si burst out laughing and covered her face with both hands.
“Ah, what is it! Why are you acting like that?”
“Cat poop.”
“…Whatever.”
Not believing her members, Yi-na searched on her phone, and her face quickly turned pale.
“Ugh! Ah, damn it!”
Yi-na shot up from her seat, losing her temper without any regard for the cameras.
The Answer members burst into laughter for a moment before following Yi-na as she fled the dining hall.
I paused for a moment to check the online comments.
-Blegh hahaha
-Seriously, who doesn't know about kopi luwak?
-It's possible not to know. You think you know everything?
-LMAO, finding out after you drink it must be a huge shock.
-My stomach hurts from laughing. Her members are so mean.
-A sacrifice for screen time hahaha
-Of course, screen time comes first lol
-That's too much. They should've told her beforehand, haha.
-Seul-bi and Yi-na's characters are really distinct lol
-The best part was Yi-na pretending to be a coffee connoisseur hehehe
-I'm dying. Answer seems really charming.
I felt a little bad for Yi-na, but managing to get a laugh out of the viewers was a huge accomplishment.
The screen changed to the morning mission, the blind choreography challenge for "Glass Fox," and I resumed my shadowboxing.
A heartwarming scene showed the mixed-up members of Answer and N-Pink helping each other practice the choreography, and the viewers' reactions were just as warm.
“Hook! …Hoo-hoop!”
I pictured Gyeon Sang-jin as I threw a hook, channeling power from my core, then an uppercut. My breathing grew ragged.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
My physical abilities were so great that Timjang-nim Park's punches looked like they were in slow motion. If I really put my mind to it, who could I beat in a fight?
The top fighters earn billions of won in prize money. Couldn't I do that too?
I ran the numbers in my head and let out a chuckle.
Even if I had that level of skill, the process of earning that kind of money would be anything but short. It would take far too long to prove myself. In that time, managing my bank account, which had already grown to over two billion won, was more important.
As I dismissed the thought, *Best Idol* had already moved on to the seashell mission.
-Seashells were used as currency? That's so cool.
-We all learned this in school, why do so many people not know? lol
-Is this the group that's famous for brawling?
-Is the group that beat up their mentor here?
-When Answer was counting their shells, Your Girl was shooting lasers from their eyes. Must be the glare from the sun?
-lol Is that a backhanded compliment?
-Just like last week's broadcast, Answer is serious about everything.
-But I get this weird feeling that the show is pushing Your Girl?
-I know, right? It seems like they're framing Answer as the strong ones and Your Girl as the underdogs to get people to root for them.
-Oh, Answer won again, haha.
-Did they fight with their mentor because they were pissed about losing so much? (No subject mentioned)
-Ah, but why aren't they showing the emergency from last time?
-Right? The editing is so clever. They made it seem like the emergency was next, but now they're suddenly on a lunch mukbang mission.
The viewer comments were favorable toward Answer and full of people trying to pick a fight with Your Girl.
SJ Enter must have been desperate, as they even released an article stating there would be no leniency for those spreading false rumors. In situations like this, not responding is the best strategy. They must have been really pressed.
The broadcast ended. I thought it would be biased, but it wasn't too severe. Answer had simply done too well.
Evening turned to night. It was time to return to being the composer Beat Room—no, the Rhythm Saber map maker, Beat Room.
The release date was just around the corner, after all.
***
I went to see Isa-nim early in the morning to discuss something about Ro-si. With Answer's growing recognition and Isa-nim landing a regular spot on a show, it wasn't easy to get a moment with her.
“Did the contract signing go well yesterday?”
“It did. Things have been going well for us since you joined, Assistant Manager Min.”
“It's all thanks to your hard work finally paying off, Isa-nim.”
“Pfft.”
Isa-nim smiled pleasantly.
“Have you eaten?”
“I haven't really been eating breakfast lately.”
“Want to get coffee and a sandwich at a café?”
“Yes, that sounds great.”
But instead of heading to the underground parking lot, Isa-nim walked toward the practice rooms.
After peering into the boys' practice room for a long while, her expression soured the moment she looked into the girls' room. Suddenly, Isa-nim threw the door open.
“!”
Several snack bags were scattered on the floor where the girls were sitting in a circle.
“…Ah! You're here!”
The girls scrambled to their feet and bowed deeply to Isa-nim, but they couldn't bring themselves to lift their heads, their eyes fixed on the floor.
“…You all.”
Her low voice made me flinch.
“Bring the boys in here too.”
“Yes, Isa-nim.”
At my call, the boys entered the girls' practice room, their faces tense.
“Of all places, you're eating snacks on the dance floor?”
Isa-nim spoke in disbelief. The girl who seemed to be the ringleader lifted her head.
“…You haven't been coming by much lately...”
“Is that supposed to be an excuse? Are you saying it's okay because I haven't been around?”
“...”
“Lee Yeon-seo... You've gained a lot of weight since I last saw you.”
The boys, who had been dragged in for no reason, shot resentful glares at the girl named Yeon-seo.
“Actually, I was planning on going to the doctor because I think there's something wrong with my thyroid...”
“Don't give me that nonsense about your thyroid.”
Her voice was low and quiet, but it felt as sharp and chilling as a well-honed blade.
“Are you some ten-year veteran idol? You're a trainee, ten months in. Thyroid? Does everyone with a thyroid problem gain weight like you?”
“But the hormones are increasing my appetite...”
“You can't control what you eat just because you have an increased appetite? Even with a bigger appetite, it's your own fingers that pick up the food.”
Isa-nim had been in such a good mood.
Yeon-seo's excuses only fueled her anger.
“Yeon-seo, how much do you weigh?”
“...”
Lee Yeon-seo glanced at the male trainees and remained silent, a look of discontent on her face.
“Should we do an InBody test right here? Should I go get it?”
“No! Fifty...”
Horrified by Isa-nim's words, Yeon-seo's voice trailed off.
“Ha... Over 50 kilograms? A trainee?”
In truth, Yeon-seo's figure, even at over 50 kilograms, didn't look overweight at all. In fact, among regular people, she would have a perfect body that no one would find fault with.
But on camera, standing next to other female idols who were on the skinnier side—under 40 kg—it was a completely different story.
In the blink of an eye, a meme of her with a double chin or a picture of love handles spilling over her waistband while sitting would be born.
“I'm sorry.”
The color drained from Isa-nim's face.
Was the timing good or bad? Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Lee Yoo-ah was about to enter the practice room with a bright smile but froze when she sensed the strange atmosphere.
I gave Yoo-ah a look that said, 'Run away, now,' and she carefully tiptoed away, making sure her footsteps couldn't be heard.
“All of you, bring me your homework.”
“Haaaah...”
The trainees moved quickly, letting out sighs. Soon, they gathered again, each holding two notebooks.
“Seong-chan, where are your notebooks?”
“…I-I took them home to work on them and forgot to bring them back.”
The irregular flicker in Seong-chan's aura suggested he was likely lying.
“You were planning to rush through everything you haven't done at home, weren't you?”
“!”
“Bring them to me at this time tomorrow.”
“I was wrong!”
*Thud!*
Seong-chan dropped to his knees with a loud thud. As expected, Isa-nim's perception was on another level.
“Why are you kneeling?”
“I'm sorry for lying. Please forgive me.”
“Get up.”
It seemed Isa-nim was determined to set them straight today. So much for coffee and sandwiches.
“Myeong-jin.”
“Yes...”
This time, it was the girl who hosted the 'Hot Debut Song of the Week' segment on a music show.
“…Why haven't you been writing in your journal?”
“…The broadcast appearance...”
“Is that TV appearance some kind of high honor? Are you too busy to write in a journal? Did you officially debut or something?”
“…Hng.”
“What's so unfair that you're crying?”
“Nothing's unfair. I'm sorry.”
Next, she took a male trainee's notebook.
“What is Gogh's achievement?”
(What were Van Gogh's achievements?)
Isa-nim's English, with its sudden emphasis on the Korean pronunciation of "Gogh," was peculiar. Her accent wasn't like a native speaker's, but it was clear enough to get the meaning across.
It must have been from her overseas activities when she was an active idol.
“Uh... umm...”
The trainee was flustered by her sudden question, but he seemed to realize he had to answer in English and was trying to form a sentence in his head.
“He is the father of music… and he is called the best musician with Beethoven.”
(He is the father of music. And he is called the best musician along with Beethoven.)
The trainee's lips twitched, seemingly pleased with his own response, which made both Isa-nim and me sigh.
“The father of music is Bach. Gogh was a 19th-century impressionist painter.”
“Pffft!”
Despite the serious atmosphere, a few trainees burst out laughing. The embarrassed trainee buried his head in his hands.
“Don't laugh. At least he's keeping up with his English homework.”
A heavy silence fell again at Isa-nim's drawn-out reprimand.
Isa-nim went through every single trainee's notebooks and notes without exception.
“Your image can be ruined in an instant. Unless you're going for an ignorant concept, the image you've spent so long building can shatter in a single moment.”
Seeing Isa-nim aware of all their assignments—the common ones like journaling and general knowledge, as well as their specialized individual homework—made me feel proud of her all over again.
“The company is busy because of the project. Our artists have more individual schedules now. Do you think you can use that as an excuse to slack off like this?”
“...”
“Every single one of you has the potential to shine, and I'm going to make sure you debut in the best possible condition.”
“...”
“If you can't trust me or the company, just say so. I'll terminate your contracts.”
“We're sorry.”
“We were wrong, Isa-nim.”
It's amazing how such charisma could come from a voice as clear and gentle as Isa-nim's.
Isa-nim looked at Yeon-seo, the root cause of this whole mess.
“Instead of thinking about whose fault this is, let's just do better.”
“Yes.”
“Are we going to blame others, or not?”
“We're not!”
“Is it your fault, or my fault?”
“It's my fault!”
There was a strange, captivating energy in Isa-nim's words, and the tension on the trainees' faces began to ease.
“As you all know, our project is doing really well these days. That's why I've been busy too, you get it?”
“Yes!”
“Good. Our company is getting better and better, so work hard. I'm telling you to be ready to properly receive the push the company gives you. Got it?”
“Yes, Isa-nim!”
The gloomy atmosphere of the trainees, who just minutes ago were resentful of someone, was suddenly filled with energy.
She can change the mood just like that?
“I'm trusting you all. Dismissed.”
The trainees scattered, and Isa-nim and I stepped outside as well.
“…Hoo. I can't take my eyes off them for a second.”
“Shouldn't we consider hiring a dedicated trainee manager? It seems like too much for you to handle alone, Isa-nim.”
“…Should we?”
The fact that she agreed so easily suggested she'd been feeling the strain for a while.
Contrary to my worries, Isa-nim and I headed to the café as planned for our early morning coffee.
The rich aroma of coffee and the savory scent of toast baking in the oven lifted my spirits.
“Ah, this is nice. I've really come to love the smell of coffee here lately.”
As Isa-nim sat down and stretched, her smile had the bright energy of a young girl.
“You're really amazing, Isa-nim.”
“Hmph. I'm past my prime compared to how I used to be.”
Her lips twitched as she spoke. It was hard to believe this was the same stern director who had just been scolding the trainees.
“Not at all. Even compared to Answer—no, you have an aura that the members of Answer could never possess, Isa-nim.”
“Ah... I'd forgotten about Answer.”
What was this sudden chill running down my spine? What? I was definitely complimenting her.
“Tell Answer to come to the office tomorrow before their schedule.”
“…Why?”
“I monitored the broadcast. It was quite a spectacle.”
“...”
Isa-nim's brow furrowed as if Answer's flaws were replaying right before her eyes.
Please change back from the witch to the girl, Isa-nim...