Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: An Unfit Concept
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Thwack.
The moment Answer's performance began, I couldn't help but slap my forehead. I was instantly certain I knew why they couldn't get popular. I'd thought Gyeon Sang-jin's interference was the biggest reason, but that wasn't it either.
Why on earth did they plaster a sexy concept all over these girls who are supposed to be pure and innocent?
A Moombahton-infused house intro that captured your attention, a verse that built anticipation, a bridge that heightened the tension. And finally, a perfect conclusion that neatly resolved the buildup.
Taken on its own, the song was a masterpiece, clinging to you with its sultry vibe. But the choreography and music, which emphasized sexiness, clashed with the members' innocent image, creating a counterproductive effect.
Also, while I hadn't noticed it as much at the salon, the outfits, which forced a sexy look, became jarring once they were on stage.
Whose idea was this? Is the A&R team completely incompetent? Don't tell me... because Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong produces the songs himself, they don't even have an A&R team, do they?
A chill ran down my spine. Before the performance ended, I went backstage.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
The Answer members bowed to the staff as they came off the stage.
“What did you think, Oppa?”
Seul-bi asked in a friendly tone.
“...You did well.”
Their expressions showed they wanted the truth, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. A single honest word from me could have completely crushed their morale. I quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, does our company have an A&R team?”
“A&R? What’s that?”
Yi-na's question made me dizzy. Seul-bi and Seol-ah opened their mouths, then firmly shut them again. It seemed they had a rough idea but found it hard to explain.
“...It varies a bit from company to company, but... they're the people who find songs that fit an artist's concept, decide on marketing strategies, think about stylists for the outfit concepts, and handle all sorts of production-related work. Does our company not have a team like that?”
“...I think our Producer Daepyo-nim, Siljang-nim Ji, and Isa-nim Lee Sun handle that kind of work.”
So they don't have one. What era are we living in, producing music without an A&R team? It might be better for their future to wrap up promotions for this debut song quickly.
* * *
“It's Bubble Rain, Fairy Tale Girls, Pink Edge, R-Type, Seven Arrow, Reverse Light, then Odin, in that order?”
Seol-ah told the members.
I followed the members as they went to greet the senior groups in their waiting rooms.
“Hello! We're Answer, the new group from JD Enter!”
“...Yeah.”
Was it so hard to offer a single word of encouragement? Some groups just looked our members up and down with indifferent eyes and gave a short reply, a silent dismissal.
Displeased, I checked their stats.
Vocal: 44/66
Dance: 65/72
Rap: 55/78
⁝
No talent, but full of attitude.
You're on my list now.
“Hello! We're Answer, the new group from JD Enter!”
“Yeah. You kids are pretty. You worked hard to debut.”
“Thank you, Seonbae-nim!”
In contrast, the top-tier idols offered short words of encouragement to lift the members' spirits. It could have been a matter of innate character, but it might also have been the composure of a victor.
The difference between a group that has already reached the top with nothing to fear, and one that has yet to secure its spot and must be wary of rookies climbing up from below?
I was briefly surprised by the large beds in some of the waiting rooms, but my mind was already filled with things I wanted to suggest when I got back to the company.
Will they think I'm arrogant?
I might not even get a chance to speak. It was clear Isa-nim thought of me as special, but the difference in our positions was that of a three-month intern and the company's number one executive.
After finishing our greetings, we returned to the shared waiting room with the members. In the meantime, something must have happened, as a member of some nameless girl group was sniffling. It seemed she'd been chewed out for a mistake during rehearsal. Trying to ignore it, the youngest, Yi-na, plopped down in a chair and said,
“Ah, I wish we could use a waiting room with a bed, too.”
“You will. I'll make it happen.”
Seul-bi said with a faint smile, crossing her legs.
“...For some reason, I really trust our manager oppa.”
It seemed their trust in me had grown significantly after I revealed my connection to Fire Emblem.
“But Jun oppa, why do you keep using formal...”
“Manager Min-jun, could we have some water?”
Seol-ah cut Yi-na off with a nudge to her side.
So they want to be treated like artists, at least by their manager? I chuckled and brought them some water bottles from a stack in the corner of the waiting room.
* * *
The broadcast recording was over.
It felt like a whole day had passed just for one music show.
Team Leader Park, who knows where he'd been, only showed up when it was time to leave. That wage thief.
We finished one more miscellaneous schedule that seemed completely unprofitable and then headed for the company. At this rate, they'd never even get close to the break-even point.
The company was going to go under before I could even get recognition for my talent as a producer.
“Drop me off at the company first, then take the girls to their dorm and come back.”
After we arrived at the company, Team Leader Park and Mi-ji went into the office. He was undoubtedly going to bad-mouth me about what happened today and try to spin the situation in his favor.
All I could do was trust in the rational Director Lee Sun.
“Can I open the curtains for a moment?”
At my words, I heard rustling as they shifted in their seats.
“...Yes.”
Swoosh.
The members had taken off their heels and were massaging their tired legs.
They'd been standing in high heels for more than half a day; the pain in the soles of their feet and their calves must have been excruciating.
“Tell me all the reasons why Team Leader Park should be fired.”
“What?”
“Speak freely, so it's easier for me to report it to the higher-ups.”
At first, the members hesitated, but as time went on, their words came pouring out. The non-stop accusations of his misdeeds continued until we reached our destination.
The dorm was an old four-story villa in a secluded spot, just as shabby as the company itself.
A broke company wouldn't get a nice dorm... But it must be a little scary for a group of girls to be living here alone.
“...Thank you for your hard work.”
“...You worked hard.”
Yi-na and Seul-bi said tiredly.
“You worked hard, too.”
For some reason, the members who got out of the car seemed to be exchanging glances. Finally, Yi-na spoke up.
“Um... could you maybe come up with us? It's a little scary.”
“I was waiting for you to say that.”
My words made the members' faces light up.
“It's not like you're playing hard to get. You could have just offered.”
Seol-ah gently chided.
“It's a sensitive matter, since it's where you ladies live.”
There was a security camera, but there was also an alley where no light reached, and despite it not being late at night, there were hardly any people around.
I got out of the car and went up the stairs.
Soon, the sounds of life could be heard from all around. The cry of a child, a scream from a movie, a couple arguing—it all came through vividly. Soundproofing was practically nonexistent in this neighborhood.
As I walked up to the fourth floor in the elevator-less building, I suddenly felt sorry for the delivery guys. We soon arrived on the fourth floor, which, unlike the noisy floors below, was shrouded in silence.
The eerie atmosphere was reminiscent of a scene from a thriller.
No wonder they were scared.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
Seol-ah pressed the six-digit passcode.
I felt a strange weight on my clothes. Turning around, I saw Yi-na timidly tugging at the collar of my shirt with the tips of her thumb and index finger.
Did something happen here?
The door opened, and an orange light turned on in the entryway. As expected of a house where only girls lived, the scent of cosmetics wafted out.
“Well, I'll be going now.”
“Wait, just a little longer.”
They might have been reluctant to reveal their living space to me, someone they weren't even close to, but Yi-na's hand was still pulling me inside by my collar.
I've never had a younger sister, but is this the kind of cuteness you only feel from one? It wasn't a bad feeling.
The members opened all four doors before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
“Did something happen at the dorm? Like a break-in?”
“Not exactly. But there have been a few times when it felt like someone had been inside.”
Seeming warm, Seol-ah said as she gathered her hair up.
“Did you report it?”
“Nothing was missing, and it was just a suspicion.”
“To the company?”
“......”
All three of them went silent at my question.
I could guess why. These members had such low self-esteem that they'd even follow Team Leader Park's absurd orders. At best, they probably reported it to him and were ignored. They wouldn't have dared to tell the company.
I could somewhat guess why the group had shrunk from seven members to four. And even then, it seemed one was already on her way out.
If my guess was correct, the current members of Answer came from less fortunate backgrounds compared to the ones who had left.
Otherwise, they would've run long ago.
A deep sigh escaped me. Looking at these members, who were like a self-portrait of my past and future, I felt a mix of pity and frustration.
“I'm not officially in charge, so I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but you'll probably see me again in a few days. I'll come back after studying up on how to be a manager.”
“Okay.”
“One last thing: don't be intimidated by Team Leader Park. Imagine the day you make it big and can laugh in his face.”
[The members' favorability toward you increases.]
Seeing the members' faces brighten lifted my spirits as well. I was sure that I had already become a reliable pillar of support for them.
* * *
They've probably already gone home by now, right?
As expected, when I returned to the company, only a few unfamiliar employees were left. I needed to talk to Isa-nim. But the atmosphere suggested I should just go home.
I was about to call but changed my mind and started typing a text message.
-I just stopped by Answer's dorm and am now at the company. I haven't received any further instructions. Should I head home?
I sent the text. The clock on the analog time recorder showed it was past nine.
I looked through the cards slotted into the recorder one by one. Seeing a card with my name on it, I grinned. It was the first time in my life I'd had a real job.
About a minute passed, but there was no reply to my text.
Is she busy? Should I just clock out and leave?
I was eager to see the 'time out' stamp on my card.
“Min-jun.”
Just then, I heard Isa-nim's voice from the planning office.
“Yes!”
Suddenly, I felt a sense of reassurance, as if I were no longer an outcast.
“What on earth did you do to Team Leader Park?”
Just as I'd expected, Team Leader Park must have been bad-mouthing me.
“He was verbally abusing the members with nonsensical remarks.”
In the planning office, Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong was having a serious conversation with another man.
“...If you're set on being a manager, Min-jun, you need to be tough. A manager isn't just a driver. You have to manage the artists, so you need to be firm sometimes.”
I waited for Isa-nim to finish before speaking again.
“It wasn't on that level. At the salon...”
“Enough. Min-jun, when did you join the company?”
My words caught in my throat.
“...Today.”
“If you were in my position?”
“I'd obviously trust the person who's been here longer.”
“There you have it. I'll ask the members about today's incident separately. When Team Leader Park isn't around.”
“Understood, Isa-nim.”
Even I had to admit I'd overplayed my hand.
Building real trust takes time and effort. It's not professional to handle official business based on pity and sympathy alone.
I'll trust Isa-nim.
“You can go home now. Good work today.”
But I wanted to hear more of the conversation between Daepyo-nim Park and the chief manager (a senior manager who handles PR, contracts, marketing strategy, etc.).
Because it was about Lee Yoo-ah.
“By any chance, is there a manual or something in the company for managers?”
“A manual?”
“Yes. I want to adapt quickly and pull more than my own weight.”
Isa-nim let out a dry laugh, but she seemed pleased.
“I'll give you points for passion.”
“How about I act as Answer's road manager? It doesn't seem like they have any important schedules that require a team leader yet.”
Isa-nim swiveled her chair to face me and crossed her arms.
“...Do you have a personal interest in the girls?”
A reasonable misunderstanding...
"I need to make a living, right now. And I have ambitions to climb higher. I'm living desperately, with the mindset that I could die tomorrow. How could I have time for personal interests?"
I was talking with Isa-nim, but my ears were focused on the conversation the executives were having.
“Daepyo-nim, I understand what you're saying, but we're going to be in deep trouble at this rate. We're already in a panic because it looks like the Answer members won't even break even, so how can we plan a debut for just one person, Lee Yoo-ah?”
It was an intriguing conversation.
The Daepyo-nim, who prioritized vocals, seemed to be completely smitten with Lee Yoo-ah.