Chapter 173
Chapter 173
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Invitation
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-That was a truly magnificent performance. It was a side of you we could never have imagined. There’s something our viewers should know. We would like to officially state that the stage you just witnessed was in no way scripted or directed by our production team. What did our judges think?
-It was a house dance fused with classical string synths, wasn't it? The steps were incredibly tight and fast, which speaks to an immense amount of practice. I was thoroughly impressed. On top of those difficult steps, you added waacking. Even while your lower body was so busy, your feel for the beat and melody, catching each movement, was just masterful. Sundy, how did you come up with this composition?
Hearing the judge fail to recognize her waacking, Sundy let out a bitter smile. But not everyone was oblivious. The face of the choreographer who had beaten her with waacking last time was frozen in shock.
“The waacking was the exact same dance performed by Ash Track, my opponent in the competition I lost.”
-Ah! Was it really?
At Sundy’s calm words, the mood among the judges and Ash Track grew heavy.
They realized this performance was a form of protest, proving that she could perform the exact same waacking routine while executing even more difficult steps.
-W-well then, let me ask Seul-bi. How on earth did you dance as if you were copying Sundy? That wasn't a level you could just follow after watching for a moment.
“Everyone on this stage has reached this point through immense practice and effort. I respect you all.”
Seul-bi continued with a seemingly unrelated statement.
“It weighed on my mind that Sundy Unni, who has worked so hard and is so talented, would be eliminated so unceremoniously. So I watched her practice very carefully. I arrived two hours early myself, but she was already here, practicing.”
-…
At Seul-bi’s words, the judges and the MC kept quiet, glancing at the production staff.
Seul-bi wanted to escalate things further and call out the production team for creating such an unfair elimination, but she decided to tone it down, thinking it could harm her and Answer.
“She practiced for two hours straight, so I practiced along with her. I figured if this was going to be the end, we should go out with a bang! I thought we could create a scene of a teacher teaching a student how to dance.”
-So, you mean you came up with this on the spot in that short amount of time because you wanted to show the viewers something amazing?
“Yes.”
“Whoa.”
Though there were some uncomfortable aspects to the performance, genuine gasps of awe erupted at Seul-bi’s overwhelming talent.
-We have to hear from Sundy as well. How did you feel about having your choreography copied on the spot by Seul-bi?
“I’m now in my seventh year since my debut. I’m incredibly happy that Seul-bi gave me such a spectacular send-off for what might be my final stage. I practiced very hard personally, and I’m looking forward to seeing how cool the two-shot of me and Seul-bi turned out.”
Sundy’s candid response cast a solemn mood over everyone. They had all subtly kept their distance from her, sensing the gloomy aura of someone about to leave the entertainment industry.
-Judges, please make your choice!
In the end, the victory went to Seul-bi, but it was Sundy’s face, not the winner’s, that shone brighter.
* * *
“Great work, everyone!”
“You worked hard!”
The recording ended, and the sun was slowly setting.
With a grim expression, Sundy scanned the crowd for the idol from the other agency her CEO had mentioned. She couldn’t just go from car to car asking, “Were you the one who was supposed to drive me to Baekseok Station?”
Most groups had only sent their main dancer to participate, but as luck would have it, the group Sundy was looking for had two other members in the audience. The situation was bound to be twice as embarrassing.
“Good work today, Seonbae-nim.”
“Uh, yeah.”
Thanks to Seul-bi’s lecture that morning, Crush Girl greeted Sundy. But for Sundy, who needed to hitch a ride, the greeting wasn’t entirely welcome.
The three idols moved toward their car, and their manager stepped out to greet them.
“?”
When Sundy followed behind them, the Crush Girl members looked at her with puzzled expressions.
Just as Sundy’s heart sank at the thought of having to explain her situation, a voice called out.
“Sundy! Sundy!”
Choi Yoo-jun came running from the studio, calling her name.
“Go on. I’ll wait.”
Crush Girl’s manager, who knew the situation, said quietly. Sundy offered a grateful nod.
Sundy moved a little toward Choi Yoo-jun.
“Hoo, hoo.”
Having run at full speed, Choi Yoo-jun was catching his breath.
“Seul-bi… hoo… is held up by the director. Hoo.”
“She is?”
“If you have time, she was wondering if you’d like to have dinner downtown. It’s her last schedule for the day, too.”
Sundy was momentarily bewildered, but she realized it was a thousand times better than bumming a ride from the Crush Girl members.
“Oh, then just a moment.”
Sundy went over to Crush Girl’s manager, explained the situation, and retrieved her sneakers to change into.
Choi Yoo-jun and Sundy headed back to the studio together, and soon Seul-bi appeared.
“Unni! I’m so sorry! I was getting an earful from the director. Hehe.”
Seul-bi said with a bright smile.
“It’s okay. But why dinner all of a sudden…?”
“I was rude earlier, wasn’t I? I didn’t ask your opinion, and it wasn’t part of the plan.”
“…You were the one with the choice.”
“Still, that wasn’t right. I’d like to treat you to dinner as an apology.”
Sundy couldn't bring herself to be fully happy, managing only a bittersweet smile.
“Thank you, Seul-bi. And you too, Manager-nim.”
“I’m just glad you’re not upset, Unni.”
“Huh? I didn’t do anything.”
Sundy felt a sting in her nose and fought back tears again. The car carrying the three of them headed toward Sundy’s dorm without any traffic.
* * *
“Director Lee, gather the kids. Let’s have a company dinner!”
With Lee Yoo-ah’s contract practically sealed, the CEO was in high spirits and boomed the moment he entered the office.
“Did it go well?”
“Hey, who do you think I am? The king of global connections, J-Dragon!”
The director gave me a skeptical look, as if to say, ‘I bet Min-jun had more to do with it than the CEO. Am I right?’
“What? You don’t believe me? Ask Min-jun. Am I lying?”
I let out a small laugh and changed the subject.
“The person in charge of the contract seemed to know you too, Isa-nim.”
“Me? From Billboard Holdings?”
The director looked baffled.
“Remember Mason? The opening act at our Della concert a long time ago.”
“!?”
A mixture of recognition and reluctance flickered across the director’s face.
“…Mason was a manager, wasn’t he?”
“Looks like he moved to Billboard Holdings after that. He’s on the negotiation team.”
“He must be at least an executive director by now, then.”
The director said, impressed.
“Yeah. Probably.”
“Well, it has been a long time.”
“So? Anyone have plans tonight?”
“I do!”
“Me too!”
Our company didn’t have regular company dinners, but we had them spontaneously like this from time to time.
Compared to other companies, our staff was bound by a sense of loyalty and passion, so they tended to welcome these dinners rather than avoid them.
After all, to last this long in the notoriously low-paying entertainment industry, you had to have at least a bit of a fan in you.
“If you really can’t make it, that’s fine, but you can bring your plus-ones.”
“I have four people!”
“F-four?”
The CEO glanced at the director, who gave a slight nod.
“Okay. Bring them all.”
“Woooah!”
The employees started making calls.
The director sighed softly and spoke up.
“Everyone, post your headcounts in the group chat. Even those who can’t make it, so we can get a total.”
“Yes!”
“And make this clear to your guests. Any unauthorized photos will be met with a civil lawsuit.”
“Yes!”
A few employees began making calls with joyful faces.
“…Finding a place is going to be a pain…”
The director let out another small sigh.
“Let’s just go to Mr. Gu’s restaurant. It’s spacious.”
“Should we?”
I called my artists.
“Sung-hoon Hyung, we’re having a celebratory dinner tonight. Want to come?”
-Agh… It’s a little lame for me to go, isn’t it?
“Okay.”
-Hey, hey! You punk! Have the decency to ask twice.
“Are you pulling the celebrity card on me now?”
-Just kidding. What time should I be there?
“7 o’clock. On your way, please pick up Ro-si and Seol-ah from the address I’m sending you.”
-Wh-what?
“Please. I have to go get Yi-na.”
-Hey! I’m bus—
Okay, Sung-hoon Hyung is in.
Next, Choi Yoo-jun.
“You’re done with your schedule, right?”
-Yes. We just finished and are on our way to the dorm…
Choi Yoo-jun mumbled something.
“We’re having a company dinner to celebrate Yoo-ah’s overseas deal. You and Seul-bi should come.”
-Oh! Tonight?
“Is something up?”
-Seul-bi made dinner plans with Sundy, who she had a schedule with today. We were on our way there.
“All of a sudden?”
-…It’s a long story.
From his evasiveness, I could tell there was some history there.
“It might be awkward, but ask her anyway. If she can come, she should. Tell her everyone would welcome her.”
-Ah… Okay.
I knew a little about Sundy. I’d seen her while monitoring Seul-bi’s show and felt it was a shame that someone so talented got almost no screen time.
Moreover, she was now past her mid-twenties, and it seemed like she was on the verge of being pushed out of the industry.
This could be a good chance to get to know her and hear her story.
Just then, the director, who seemed to have booked the venue, glanced at the clock. There were still about ten minutes left of work.
“If you’re done with any urgent tasks, shall we head out?”
At the director’s words, the employees rose with happy faces.
* * *
Sizzle.
The smell of grilling samgyeopsal rose from several tables.
Even though I had eaten pork belly with the people from Billboard Holdings just a few hours ago, I wasn’t sick of it, mainly because I’d only had a few pieces then. When you’re with a client, hosting comes first.
If anything, I was looking forward to seeing what this place’s samgyeopsal tasted like.
“So I’m looking at the contract manager, and his face seems familiar. So I go, ‘Didn’t you manage Della a long time ago?’ Just like that.”
“Wow! Della, the queen of Billboard? The one who sang ‘You Look Like Someone’?”
CEO Park Jae-yong was regaling the newer employees with his tales of glory, mixing truth with a healthy dose of exaggeration.
“Wow, you’re amazing!”
“Hyung-soo, you were born too late to know, huh? Ask around. Ask them who they have to thank for K-pop today.”
The CEO’s ego was inflating by the second, while the director was talking to Yi-na.
“Yi-na, you always need to watch what you say. If you make a mistake by talking the same way you do with your friends, it’ll ruin Answer’s entire image.”
“I understand, Isa-nim. I’m grown up now. I’ll be a demure idol.”
“……”
Yi-na’s tone, after being scolded by the director several times, had certainly changed. It also felt like she was trying to act more grown-up to match her changed physique.
The director looked at Yi-na with the expression of a mother whose daughter was going through a cringey teenage phase.
“Woooah!”
Suddenly, the employees cheered and clapped.
A disgruntled-looking Kim Sung-hoon had walked in with Seol-ah and Ro-si.
Sung-hoon Hyung dropped the expression, waved his hand, and sat down near my spot as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Hey, don’t you think you work your hyung too hard? Treating a celebrity like me like a road manager? Wow, seriously. This kid is too much. Right, Noona?”
“You earned some money, didn’t you?”
The director said nonchalantly, and Sung-hoon Hyung flashed a dumbfounded smile.
“…Wow… even Noona isn’t on my side.”
“Sorry, Hyung. Yi-na was in the opposite direction, so I couldn’t help it. And it’s not like the Isa-nim could have gone instead of you.”
“…Haa… You’ve always got an answer for everything.”
“Anyway, sit down. I have something to tell you.”
“Huh? What, what? Is it something secret?”
Sung-hoon Hyung leaned in close, probably thinking it was about the investment fund.
He had put in a significant two billion won, so he was naturally concerned.
“Hyung, your panic disorder seems to be all better. How about you start promoting again in earnest?”
Sung-hoon Hyung’s face contorted.
“Ugh. Hey, no way. I like how things are now.”
“No. You have to.”
“Why!?”
Because if you work, my 25.95% stake in JD Enter makes money.
Work, you slave.