Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: The Stolen Dance
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“Yoo-jun, a delivery is coming to the dorm. They need to use a ladder truck for the fourth floor. I'll send you 100,000 won, so withdraw the cash and take care of it for me.”
-Okay. Right now?
“They said they'll arrive in an hour. Get a receipt from the ladder truck driver if you can.”
-Yes. Understood.
Even by the time Answer and I were halfway through our meal, CEO Park Jae-yong’s chatter hadn’t stopped.
“CEO, what brings you here?”
“…Oh? Ah… I came to eat, of course. Just happened to see you all were filming. Hahaha!”
“I see….”
“Oh my! Please, enjoy your meal. I'll go eat over there.”
Once CEO Park Jae-yong moved to a corner table, the production crew resumed eating.
“This is so delicious. The combination is great, isn't it?”
“Heek? Seul-bi, you finished the octopus and now you're eating the spicy pork?”
The male PD asked with wide eyes.
“Hey. This unni stole some of my soft tofu stew, and she ate half of Rosi-unni's spicy pork too.”
Yi-na tattled on Seul-bi to the production crew.
“How does all that fit in that body of yours?”
“…I'm always hungry.”
Counting the leftovers she finished from the other members, Seul-bi had eaten nearly three full portions.
The filming proceeded naturally, and I could hear CEO Park Jae-yong on the phone in a corner.
“Let's eat together, Sun-ah…. Damn it… Ugh… Then get Director Ji… What? Why today of all days.”
Even after being on broadcast for so long, he still had that damn greed for screentime.
I figured he'd been waiting along the film crew's route and rushed over the moment he heard we were at a restaurant.
He'll definitely try to butt in during the shoot at the company later, too.
“That was a good meal.”
“CEO, please finish your meal. We'll head up first.”
“Ah! I'm done too. I'll be right there, Team Leader Min!”
“Yes, Daepyo-nim.”
“Geez. We're on camera. Call me 'Head Producer.'”
“The camera's not rolling.”
“…Their mouths must be burning. Treat them to some ice cream too.”
“Yep.”
Outside, I handed the production crew a few of the simple receipts I got from the restaurant.
“Oh my. Thank you.”
The two crew members' faces lit up at the receipts, which would allow them to expense a portion of their meal.
For people who'd been running around since early morning without getting paid for early attendance, this at least let them cover some production costs.
PD Hwang Beom-seok couldn't possibly do all the editing himself, so if these guys had a good impression of us, it would be reflected in the final cut.
Just as the CEO suggested, we went to an ice cream shop.
For Answer's share, I ordered the largest size, a 1.2kg half-gallon.
The production crew's faces filled with astonishment.
“If the concept is too over-the-top, viewers will say it's staged….”
The PD commented, likely thinking this was pushing it.
“I bought it for them to eat all of it. You won't need to cut the footage; you can just fast-forward it.”
“……”
Unlike the disbelieving production crew, Answer's faces were filled with pure joy.
Let's eat a lot and exercise a lot.
“'Answer, who went all the way to an ice cream shop for the production crew. But that was just an excuse. After a full meal, they devoured a huge amount of ice cream.' If we make captions with that kind of concept, it'll make for a great insert shot, don't you think?”
“We'd be grateful.”
It seemed that feeding them well made the ideas flow.
“I'll be honest with you. We really didn't expect Answer to win. We're supposed to film everyone, but with the broadcast schedule….”
I actually preferred seeing the crew speak so openly, as if they felt a sense of camaraderie with us.
“I understand completely. I've been in this industry… no, the people at my company have been in this business for a long time. I've absorbed their experiences, so I get it.”
“Yes. Thank you. That's why we need some establishing shots.”
I knew exactly what they wanted. I decided to say it first to put them at ease.
“So, shots of Seol-ah's vocal concept meeting and practice for her Part 1 win, and the Decalcomania dance meeting and practice for Part 2 should work, right?”
“Yes, yes, yes! You're very knowledgeable about this stuff, Manager-nim!”
The crew's faces not only relaxed but also brightened.
The filming began.
“This is the recording studio, the pride of JD Enter….”
CEO Park Jae-yong interjected from time to time, but while the production crew got their insert shots, we were able to capture great footage of Answer brainstorming, researching, and practicing hard.
To the crew, they were just establishing shots, but for us, it was an incredibly welcome opportunity to show the viewers Answer's hard work, which might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
“Thank you for today. We're in charge of editing the contestants' insert shots, so we'll take responsibility and make sure they look good.”
Unlike when they arrived, the production crew returned to the station with warm expressions.
It was certain that we would get footage we were happy with.
***
We arrived at the dorm and were climbing the stairs.
“That was so good. It's been a while.”
“I used to hate the smell of doenjang and cheonggukjang, you know? Haa, but today was no joke. I think I'm getting old.”
Yi-na chimed in after Seul-bi's cheerful comment.
“Jeez... you're full of it.”
The other members giggled at Seul-bi's jab at Yi-na.
I didn't unlock the door until all the members had come up.
“Why?”
Seol-ah asked, blinking her large eyes.
Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep.
Click.
“It's a little late, but this is from the company. From now on, please let me know immediately if there's anything inconvenient.”
I raised my hand and pointed inside.
“…Ah!”
“Aah!”
“Kyaa!”
“Keh.”
Seul-bi and Yi-na pushed Seol-ah aside as they rushed in.
“Kyaa! A sofa, a sofa!”
Seol-ah's expression, briefly annoyed at being pushed by the younger members, brightened completely, and Rosi also stuck out her tongue and went inside.
“Welcome, artists.”
Choi Yoo-jun came out of the bathroom holding a cleaning rag.
“Whoa, whoa! Don't sit down yet. I need to wipe it down.”
The reason the dorm didn't feel very warm was that the balcony door was wide open.
What a good kid,
“Ah! Did Yoo-jun Oppa wipe it down?”
“The new sofa had a strong chemical smell. I wiped it a few times while airing the place out.”
Choi Yoo-jun puffed out his chest as if to say, 'Praise me all you want.'
“Wow, king of good sense.”
“Good work.”
“Haha! Thank you for recognizing my efforts.”
Starting with Rosi, the members grabbed new, unopened cloths and wiped the moisture from the sofa.
“Thank you for the sofa.”
“I just placed the order.”
When I acted humble in response to Seol-ah's words, Seul-bi grinned and spoke up.
“Aigoo, they only bought it because you told the company to, Oppa.”
“For real.”
“Should we sit down now?”
“Yeah!”
Yi-na replied cheerfully to Seol-ah's suggestion, and the four members plopped down on the floor, leaning their backs against the sofa.
“Wow, so damn comfy!”
“?”
The faces of the Answer members, each with an arm resting on the sofa as they leaned against it, were filled with satisfaction.
Wait, why aren't they sitting on the sofa... why are they just leaning against it?
***
The monthly meeting for team leaders and above was held at JD Enter.
“Hey! Min-jun.”
“Hello, Team Leader Choi.”
“Good work.”
Team Leader Choi, who was in charge of two singer-songwriters, said, patting my shoulder.
“Hey, Team Leader Choi. What's with 'Min-jun'? You should call him Assistant Manager Min or Team Leader.”
“Aish... Hyung-nim.”
Director Ji's expression soured.
“Ah, fine. Assistant Manager Min. Happy now?”
Team Leader Choi, looking disgruntled, opened his phone and began to prepare.
“Hello, Director.”
Instead of a reply, Director Ji gave my shoulder a nonchalant 'pat,' and I felt like I understood his sentiment.
Team Leader Lee, who had caused a scene last time, avoided my gaze and sighed.
The monthly meeting of the three team leaders, the director, the executive director, and the CEO—six people in total—began.
A beaming CEO Park Jae-yong spoke first.
“Before we begin, as you all know, let's have a round of applause for Team Leader Min-jun, the hero of the first round of *Best Idol*! Woohoo!”
CEO Park Jae-yong hyped up the atmosphere, encouraging a response. Team Leader Choi, who had the most seniority after Director Ji, clapped cheerfully, and even Team Leader Lee joined in with a bitter smile.
Executive Director Lee Sun spoke, conscious of Team Leader Lee.
“I'll say this in advance, but a special bonus will be paid out as a reward. Team Leader Min-jun handled everything from the idea for the winning performance to the practice, so I assume there are no objections. Does anyone object?”
“……”
Team Leader Lee flinched and licked his lips.
One by one, they began to speak, starting with Director Ji reporting on this month's schedule.
“Answer's showcase is not far off, so we're rushing the plans for their single. Nothing's been confirmed besides the main choreography, but we're finalizing the music video synopsis based on that concept. We plan to confirm the location around next week.”
“Lee Yoo-ah's album just needs to be mastered. The advertiser seems to be fond of her, so most of her outfits will be sponsored. As per the Executive Director's suggestion, we're supporting Lee Yoo-ah's English education, and her progress has been remarkable. Answer's Rosi has been a great help. That is all.”
I was happy to hear the good news from Team Leader Choi, who was in charge of Lee Yoo-ah.
I hope things go well for her, so my meddling feels worthwhile.
Of course, it's definitely not because of the income I'll get from arranging a few of her songs. Though it would be nice if it came in.
“It seems Kim Sung-hoon's panic disorder is getting worse again.”
“What, again?!”
For a company focusing all its resources on Answer and Lee Yoo-ah, the condition of Kim Sung-hoon, our only real cash cow, was enough to make all of us tense.
“His dyslexia is getting progressively worse, making it difficult for him to perform on stage and act. It would be best to focus his future schedule on variety shows as much as possible.”
“Is it really panic disorder? Can't he just describe the same symptoms and get a prescription?”
Various opinions were exchanged, but everyone knew that there was no treatment for panic disorder as effective as rest. After all, excessive stress is what triggers it.
I remembered how he had asked me to work with him several times. He must have been desperate in his own way.
“Anyway, I understand. Next, Team Leader Min, you're up.”
CEO Park Jae-yong said, his serious expression relaxing.
“First, Answer says thank you for the sofa in their dorm.”
“Oh? Was that so?”
“…And we're scheduled to prepare for the second round of the competition next week. That includes recording the AR for the two cover songs and choreography practice.”
“That's for Part 1 of the second round, right?”
“Yes. We won't find out about Part 2 and the finale until we're on site.”
“…What are those guys planning now…”
CEO Park Jae-yong trailed off and pressed his lips shut.
I spoke again into the tense silence.
“First, we're scheduled to have a lesson for the main choreography today. Once they've practiced that, they plan to connect it with the rest of the choreography they came up with themselves.”
“OK. I've rescheduled the Elegang cover shoot for next month, so don't feed the girls any more. Tell them they have an InBody test next week.”
The Executive Director followed up on my report.
“Alright, everyone. The results of all your hard work are about to pay off, so let's all hang in there a little longer. Let's wrap this up.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
The perfunctory monthly meeting was over.
***
I went with Answer to Glass Fox Studio, whose choreography draft had been selected as the main one.
“Wow, we're getting choreography from Glass Fox-ssaem too. For real?”
Seul-bi's jaw dropped as she spoke; Glass Fox was a top-tier name among choreographers.
“If it hadn't been chosen, the draft fee alone would have been 1.5 million won.”
The fee for just 25 seconds of main choreography, from the bridge to the chorus, was 15 million won. Of course, since parts of it were repeated throughout the song, it amounted to nearly a minute of playtime. It was expensive, fitting for their brand name, but the result was a satisfying piece with fantastic formations.
We entered the dance studio, which occupied the second and third floors.
I scanned the room names as we passed, looking for our designated dance floor.
One, Two, Three… here.
♪♬
Thump.
At the faint sound of the beat, my heart suddenly began to pound.
[Trait 'Sixth Sense' has been activated.]
The aura of the beat flowed out, a thin, long line leading up to the third floor.
“Huh? Oppa, where are you going?”
“Stay here for a bit. I'll be right back.”
I followed the faint line up to the third floor.
The beat's aura grew thicker, pointing to one of the practice rooms.
♪♬
Today is the third day I'm meeting you
Will we meet again tomorrow, this 'some' of ours
Please know my impatient heart, you fool
♪♬
In the practice room where Answer's debut song was playing, the members of SJ Enter's Your Girl were practicing a dance to the beat.
Why are you practicing our Answer's dance?