Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: A Taste of Success
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Unlike Answer’s title track, which was packed with numerous tracks, Lee Yoo-ah’s song, with its simple live session, calmed the excitement of the cheering audience. However, their expressions showed no hint of confusion or boredom.
Yoo-ah’s warm aura, vocals, and performance had the power to put people’s hearts at ease, filling them with a sense of peace.
♪♬
I came to you as promised.
I'll stand here as promised.
Aren't you proud of me?
I grew up well, right?
You know it's time to catch me, Right?
♪♬
The rap Ro-si had performed in Answer’s title track was reborn within the percussive beat of a guitar body.
“Ooooh.”
The rap, similar yet different from Ro-si's, drew small gasps of admiration, as if people were thinking, ‘She’s got skills.’
Then came the chorus, bursting with a sense of desperate sorrow.
♪♬
Mom, I'm sorry
I was going crazy
Because I miss my mom
This is the only way to feel my mom
Aren't you proud of me?
I grew up well, right?
You're relieved now, right?
♪♬
The audience was taken by surprise when the hook burst out in English instead of the expected Korean.
Her smooth pronunciation and sweet vocal tone, a perfect match for pop music, blended in perfect harmony.
“Woaaah!”
Even though they were Answer's fandom, the cheers were just as loud as those for the main group, and a moist glint sparkled in Lee Yoo-ah's eyes.
An even better reaction was expected when the mashup project was officially introduced on music shows.
Not a single person in the audience was listening half-heartedly now. Everyone was focused, as if they were the first to hear a massive hit.
After finishing the song, Lee Yoo-ah put down her guitar and stood up.
-Hello. I'm Lee Yoo-ah, a singer-songwriter debuting from JD Entertainment.
“Waaaah!”
While the audience applauded in welcome, the broadcast officials were quickly jotting something down.
-Thank you. For our seniors, Answer…
Yoo-ah seemed to have a lump in her throat; she swallowed hard before speaking.
-I was so worried that I might be a burden at my seonbae-nims' showcase.
“The song was great!”
“You’re so pretty!”
The comments from a few audience members softened the atmosphere, and Yoo-ah bowed her head again with a happy expression. I recalled the funeral portrait of the Lee Yoo-ah from my first life, the one that had awakened my senses.
She was a kid who could have shined so brightly.
I suddenly felt a surge of emotion, and my ill feelings toward Gyeon Sang-jin welled up again.
After briefly introducing herself, Yoo-ah looked backstage.
-Now, I will bring back today's stars and take my leave. Please, give Answer Seonbae-nim lots of support.
The members of Answer, now changed into their follow-up song outfits aimed at the summer season, came up on stage. It was early April, and I worried they might be a bit cold in sleeveless tops, short skirts, and shorts, but they didn't seem chilly at all, perhaps from running around so busily.
Seol-ah grabbed the wrist of the departing Yoo-ah and pulled her to the center of the stage with them.
“Woah!”
Answer belatedly heard the cheers from their title track's finale.
“The song is so good!”
“It’s amaaazing!”
-Thank you.
Their eyes were still brimming with tears, as if they had been crying while changing outfits.
Was their success finally becoming tangible to them?
-As you've seen, Lee Yoo-ah is a true singer-songwriter who not only composes but also plays instruments at an expert level. And she's so kind she can't even promote herself properly.
Yoo-ah gave Seol-ah an embarrassed smile.
-For those of you who have given us your love and have any left to spare, we would be grateful if you could share some with our Lee Yoo-ah!
“Woohoo! We've got lots of love!”
Yoo-ah exited, and the Answer members began their stage again with sparkling eyes and smiles.
First came the performances of their B-side tracks, each highlighting a member's individual charm. Finally, when they performed their follow-up song, destined to sweep the summer charts, the fans were thrown into a frenzy. Just from the half-verse that included the hook, they could already sense it would be a huge hit.
Among all the hits, summer songs were undeniably the ones that stayed popular the longest. After all, old releases would climb back up the charts every time summer came around.
Of course, if that happens, my royalties will go up too. An arranger is a legitimate copyright holder, after all.
Seeing the amazed expression on reporter Shin Dong-min's face, from Answer's performance all the way to Yoo-ah's, put me in a very good mood.
The showcase ended successfully.
Back home, I opened a music streaming app.
First place was a foregone conclusion, anyway. So why was I so nervous? I covered the rankings with my palm and scrolled up from 20th place, one spot at a time.
It was nothing, really, but it was incredibly thrilling.
And the moment it flipped from second to first place, I could finally let out a breath I'd been holding. It was the first time an Answer song had hit number one since their debut.
But my back hurts.
When I went into the shower and took off my shirt, I saw several red marks that I could only guess were handprints from one of the Answer members.
I guess even muscles can't defend against handprints.
* * *
The next day, as soon as the members got in the car, I brought up the topic they were waiting for.
“You all saw our song hit number one, right?”
“Yes, we saw!”
“And you know today is the official payday, right?”
“Waaaah!”
The Answer members cheered with joy. Seol-ah's excited expression was especially poignant yet heartwarming. She, more than anyone, had a strong desire to succeed for her younger sibling and mother.
The person she was busily texting right now was, in all likelihood, her mother.
“I'll say it again, you all did so well at the showcase yesterday.”
For a moment, a cute sort of malice flashed in the Answer members' eyes. They were thinking, ‘You're the one who made us cry.’
“…As your manager and producer, I am simply guiding you down the fastest and safest path to success.”
“…You didn't have to trick us on purpose. Do you know how devastated we were watching the video of the empty seats?”
“Yeah, yeah! That was so mean.”
“It was so bad that Ro-si even hit your ba—mmph! Ooh.”
Ro-si, her face pale, clamped a hand over Seul-bi's mouth. Was one of the stinging hands I'd felt on my back Ro-si's?
I couldn't help but chuckle as I imagined the scene from yesterday.
“Ah! No! I… hit Yoo-jun Oppa…”
“Hey, don't lie—mmph! I saw it all!”
Ro-si clenched her jaw and kept her hand firmly over Seul-bi's mouth. She looked more desperate than ever.
It was a relief to see that Ro-si seemed to have regained some of her self-esteem.
“I was truly sorry. But with the recent incident, I thought a show like this was absolutely necessary. I wanted to appeal to the pure charm of our artists, something you don't see much these days.”
As if they had never been angry, the Answer members suddenly let out calm sighs.
“So, how much are we getting paid? Oppa, you have a rough idea, right?”
“I don't even know how much I'm getting.”
“Aish, come on. Honestly, it's our first paycheck. Even if it's not ten million won, it has to be over seven million, right!”
“I don't know the exact amount. Even if I did, company policy prevents me from saying anything.”
“Saying you don't know *exactly* means you *do* know.”
Seul-bi narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
I might not know my own salary, but I did know that Answer's payout would be over 15 million won per person.
But why 7 million won of all numbers, not 5 million?
Even Seol-ah, who was reviewing the script for the variety show they were appearing on today, seemed to be subtly hanging on my every word.
“But, you know Ro-si's payment might be a bit different, right?”
“O-of course. Her debut time was different, the investment was different... I'm well aware!”
Ro-si, her face still red, spoke as if she would understand completely even if she didn't receive a single won. It seemed she was still bothered by having hit me.
It's fine, really. It only stung a little. Just a little.
We arrived at the salon in Cheongdam.
“Hello.”
“Hello!”
The staff at the front desk greeted us very warmly.
-The dewy Answer's Seol-ah has arrived.
“Seol-ah!”
Several staff members rushed over with happy faces.
“We saw the articles and knew right away it wasn't true. Seriously, we were talking amongst ourselves about whether we should request an interview with the reporters.”
“Thank you.”
“Heard you had your showcase yesterday?”
“Yes. We couldn't come here because you were fully booked, so we went to Miso instead.”
“We know!”
Surrounded by staff, the Answer members moved to their seats.
“You don't have to wash your hair before coming anymore. You must barely have time to sleep.”
“That's right. Just come here, relax, and sleep while we wash your hair.”
Seol-ah looked incredibly pleased by the makeup artists' warm welcome, and the other members wore proud expressions.
“Would you like some toast?”
Seul-bi and Yi-na glanced at me, trying to read my expression.
“No. They're actually on their way to work out.”
At my firm reply, I thought I saw a hint of a pout on the members' faces.
“We saw you too, Manager-nim. When you were on the news, you looked like a completely different person. The fire in your eyes gave me goosebumps.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as Seol-ah sat down, the sound of a hairdryer filled the air and things got busy.
“Hey, there's a promising rookie group over there. Want to receive their greetings?”
“…Us?”
Seol-ah looked at the other members with an awkward expression. The girls who, just six months ago, had been greeting their seniors hoping to be noticed were now on the receiving end.
“Are we really in a position to be greeted like that?”
“Aish, of course! Who doesn't know Answer these days? Even Your Girl, who SJ pushed so hard, wasn't this big.”
She meant it as a compliment, but the mention of Your Girl left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Soon, a staff member brought over a seven-member boy group from another area. They were a stunningly good-looking group, with nearly half of them having features so delicate they could pass for girls.
Is it plastic surgery, or were they just born with those faces?
Seeing the faint glimmer of success shimmering around them, visible even to my third eye, I could tell these kids had a very high chance of making it big.
“Hello, Answer Seonbae-nim! We are Seven Kids from Star Planet.”
The seven handsome male idols greeted Answer.
“When did you debut?”
“We debuted last month, Seol-ah Seonbae-nim.”
Seol-ah, asking while her hair was being dried, gave off a proper senior artist vibe.
“You're all handsome!”
“Thank you, Seul-bi Seonbae-nim!”
“Oh? You know my name?”
“Of course, we do! We know Ro-si Seonbae-nim and Yi-na Seonbae-nim well, too!”
Did they get veneers at such a young age? A killer smile radiated from their white, perfectly aligned teeth.
“I see. How long were you trainees?”
“Our youngest trained for four months, and as the leader, I trained the longest at five years.”
Even to me, they were a charming boy group, but to the Answer members, their killer charm didn't seem to register. They saw them only as juniors, asking ordinary questions and offering words of encouragement.
“Thank you, Seonbae-nim! We'll greet you again at the music shows.”
“Yeah. Keep working hard even when it's tough. Let's meet at the top.”
“It's an honor! We'll definitely do that!”
At Seol-ah's words of encouragement, touched smiles appeared on the handsome boys' faces.
Has our Answer already reached this kind of status?
The Answer members waved goodbye to the deeply bowing Seven Kids.
“They're handsome, but not particularly charming.”
“Uh-huh! Super handsome, but nothing about them is drawing me in.”
“Maybe our standards got too high because our managers are so handsome?”
“Shh. They'll hear you. Why are you suddenly judging their looks?”
As Seol-ah chided her younger members, Ro-si covered her mouth in surprise.
Seeing how our members react to handsome guys, it seems I won't have to worry about any scandals breaking out.
“Well then, Seol-ah, we'll be going now. Yoo-jun will be here in a little bit.”
Seol-ah's eyebrow twitched slightly.
“…It's an important program.”
Seol-ah muttered, so quietly that no one else could hear.
But today, Ro-si is more important. Sorry.
We left the salon with the members and got back in the car.
Perhaps because they'd been greeted by a rookie group, the Answer members' expressions were incredibly bright.
“Oppaaa!”
“What is it?”
“I wuv you!”
“Hey, I wuv our oppa too!”
“Hngh... me too.”
After Yi-na and Seul-bi spoke, Ro-si, not knowing what to do, shyly added her part.
That just makes it more awkward. Where did the young lady Ro-si who acted like a tycoon at the law firm go?
“Why are you all being so random?”
“…Oppa got all serious.”
“Yeah. No fun.”
“……”
Anyone could see it was random…
“I also truly, truly love our artists very, very much.”
“Awww…”
“Ehehe.”
“Pfft.”
What do you want from me…