Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: A Heartfelt New Year
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“…Is that a Royal Cubic, by any chance?”
It was Seul-bi, asking in denial.
“I think that’s a pink sapphire and a diamond, though?”
Everyone’s gaze shifted from Ro-si’s mouth back to me.
“Noona, lemme see, lemme see.”
“…We know what a manager makes. This is too much.”
While Seol-ah was speaking, Ye-jun poked the sparkling jewel with his finger, fascinated.
“I may not look it, but I’m a pretty successful producer.”
“But it must be expensive…”
“Thank you for following an inexperienced manager so well.”
It was true that I had shown some extraordinary abilities, but if the members hadn't followed me so well without being difficult, we wouldn't have gotten on track this quickly.
“…Sniffle.”
The eyes of Yi-na and the other members, who had seemed so carefree just a moment ago, grew moist.
“I’ll keep working hard!”
Ro-si replied energetically, her eyes glistening.
The necklaces were fastened around the members’ necks.
“Hehehe.”
Ye-jun beamed at the brilliant light of the necklace.
I wanted to give Ye-jun a gift too.
“Ye-jun, do you know how to do the New Year’s bow?”
“Yeah!”
“Then give me a bow. Hyung will give you some New Year’s money.”
As if he understood money well, Ye-jun shot to his feet, clasped his hands together, and flattened himself on the floor like a swimming frog.
“Ahahaha! Ye-jun!”
At the sight of Ye-jun's adorable antics, the teary-eyed members burst into laughter.
Ye-jun scrambled up, grinned, and held out both hands.
“Ye-jun, listen to your mom and sister, and grow up strong and healthy, okay?”
I took out ten 50,000 won bills and held them out.
“Gasp!”
Seul-bi and Yi-na were startled to see the wad of cash, and a flustered Seol-ah blocked Ye-jun from taking the money.
“What are you doing, really.”
“That’s right! You’ll spoil him!”
Even their mother, who had just finished washing the dishes, stepped in to stop me.
“Ma’am. Please let me spend some money. I’ve worked hard to earn it, but I have nowhere to spend it.”
“Oh my! You’ll need a lot of money later to get married and buy a house. Put it away.”
“I have a house, too.”
“What.”
Amid everyone’s surprised faces, the money I offered was placed in Ye-jun’s tiny hands.
“Ye-jun, you have to say thank you.”
“Fank yoo… But how many ten thousands is this?”
Everyone laughed cheerfully at Ye-jun’s question. But soon, Yi-na’s expression turned serious, and she bowed deeply to me.
“To our respected manager and producer, Min-jun oppa, may you live a long and prosperous life!”
“Oh, me too! Bow!”
“Ah! I love you too? No, that’s not it. May you receive many blessings.”
Following Yi-na, Seul-bi also bowed, and then a flustered Ro-si did a clumsy frog-like bow.
Only Seol-ah stared blankly at her groupmates.
“I’m not giving you any money even if you bow, Seol-ah.”
“Wh-who said I was going to bow? I wouldn’t do it even if you paid me!”
As Seol-ah snapped, the members of Answer, who had raised their heads, giggled.
“Min-jun oppa is crossing the line. Hehe.”
Was it because receiving New Year's bows from beautiful women felt surprisingly good? I found myself in higher spirits than usual.
But even Seol-ah, who had been blushing, soon had a smile spreading across her face.
For the first time in a long time, we were genuinely happy.
* * *
“Yi-na. Call me before your mother and Ye-jun leave.”
“Yep! Oppa, I wuv you!”
Yi-na shouted happily, waving the 500,000 won she had received from me. Seul-bi and Ro-si were also clutching their money with pleased expressions.
“Oh, you really don’t have to! Why would you take care of us too, Manager-nim? It would be nice if you could watch TV with us, though.”
“I’d like to, but there’s still a lot of time, and I have to go pay my respects elsewhere.”
‘Best Idol’, the show where Answer had won the first round, was a four-week special organized for the Lunar New Year, airing once a week. It was scheduled to be broadcast during primetime in the evening.
“Goodbye.”
For some reason, the sight of Seol-ah giving a piggyback ride to the cute, waving Ye-jun seemed much prettier than usual.
“Thank you for today.”
A heavy sincerity seeped out of Seol-ah’s simple words.
“Let’s continue to be happy!”
I closed the door to the dorm before even hearing a reply.
Is spending money this enjoyable?
In fact, I felt an even greater rush than if I had spent the money on myself.
Perhaps it was because I felt sorry for the members, who had only received an allowance instead of a proper settlement, as the money was reinvested into the project.
I went to Choi Yoo-jun’s house.
“Hyung! What’s this?”
“A New Year’s gift.”
“Ah! I didn’t prepare anything!”
“I have plenty of money, man. Just take good care of our Answer and Yoo-ah.”
“Team Leader! I saw the article!”
It was Choi Yoo-jun’s sister, Choi Yoo-kyung.
“Well, I’ll be going now. Have a happy New Year…”
“Ah, where do you think you’re going?”
“You can’t just leave like this!”
Although it had only been an hour since I’d eaten rice cake soup and jeon, the Choi siblings grabbed my arms and pulled me in.
“Uh… uh oh. I should take my shoes off… Okay. I’ll come in.”
They pulled with such earnestness that I almost stepped inside with my dress shoes still on.
“Then I’ll just sit for a moment and go. I’m really full…”
“You can’t just leave like that. Yoo-jun, you can eat more, right?”
“Of course. How could I let Hyung eat alone?”
“……”
I couldn't bring myself to refuse people who were willing to eat again just for my sake, even though they had already eaten.
“You fry the jeon while I serve the tteokguk.”
“Okay… My sister’s personality is what it is, but her cooking is decent.”
Choi Yoo-kyung glared daggers at Choi Yoo-jun.
“Team Leader, you seem to have gotten even more handsome.”
“My hyung is the complete package. He’s already perfect.”
I sat blankly at the table, chatting with the two, as Choi Yoo-kyung’s swift hands placed various side dishes, tteokguk, and a squid and green onion pancake on the table.
“Thank you for the food.”
“Eat up!”
Looking at the large bowl of tteokguk, which seemed to be at least 20 centimeters in diameter, a sigh escaped me unconsciously.
Still, it was a high-quality tteokguk, topped with seaweed flakes and egg garnish.
I mixed the seaweed and egg garnish evenly, then put a piece of rice cake in my mouth along with some broth.
“Does it not taste good?”
I hadn't even started chewing yet.
“…No. It’s delicious.”
“Yay! What a relief!”
Choi Yoo-kyung’s face looked genuinely happy.
Because the siblings were watching me with sparkling eyes, I ended up eating a ton of the tteokguk from the huge bowl and the squid and green onion pancake.
Wow, I’m so full.
The amount of food I’d eaten this morning already exceeded the total for three meals a day. But the fact that there were now people who genuinely welcomed me made me happy, unlike in my past life.
“That was a great meal.”
“The show will be on later, why don’t you hang out a bit longer…”
“No, I have to stop by somewhere else.”
“Tch. Alright. Get home safe, Hyung!”
Leaving Choi Yoo-jun’s house, I headed for Lee Yoo-ah’s family store, when a sudden fear struck me.
Don’t tell me I have to eat again?
But on second thought, it was unlikely a chicken place would be open on Lunar New Year’s afternoon. Even if they were, it would be in the evening.
I can just leave the gift at the door and send a text. People in our country don’t touch things like that.
I arrived in front of Lee Yoo-ah’s family store.
-Left some nutritional supplements for your parents in front of the store. Wishing you a big hit in the new year and global expansion!
I got out of the car and placed two bottles of supplements neatly in front of the store door.
*Jingle.*
“?”
The door I thought was locked opened, revealing a pair of white sneakers and skinny-jeaned legs.
“Why the supplements?”
Why was I breaking into a cold sweat when I hadn't done anything wrong?
When I looked up, I saw Lee Yoo-ah, her expression a mix of joy and curiosity.
“…A New Year’s gift. But you’re not taking the day off?”
“No. We were just about to head home after finishing up some pre-orders.”
“It’s Min-jun!”
Following that was the voice of Lee Yoo-ah’s mother.
“Happy New Year, Ma’am.”
Lee Yoo-ah bit her lip, a pleased look on her face.
“You came at the perfect time. We were just about to leave, so come in and have a bowl of tteokguk before you go.”
“No! I’ve already eaten a lot!”
My voice boomed unintentionally.
“Even so, it’s not polite to just leave like this! Come on in.”
“…I’m really full…”
“Would we feel at ease if you just left like this?”
It was clearly a reaction to my having mentioned that both my parents had passed away.
The words ‘You have to eat the tteokguk your mom made!’ were written all over their faces.
The tip of my nose tingled.
In the end, I took an indigestion pill I bought from a convenience store and was invited into Lee Yoo-ah’s home.
* * *
This time, the bowl was 15 centimeters. It was narrower than the one Choi Yoo-kyung had served, but it was relatively deeper, so the amount was about the same.
“Hehehe…”
An image of my stomach bursting popped into my head, and a foolish laugh escaped my lips.
“I’ll eat well!”
I declared boldly and started eating the tteokguk.
“Are there a lot of girls prettier than our Yoo-ah at the company?”
It was Lee Yoo-ah’s father, sitting in his wheelchair.
“W-well, of course, Dad. All celebrities are pretty…”
Even as she spoke, Lee Yoo-ah seemed to be waiting for my answer.
Her mother was the same.
“…Lee Yoo-ah is…”
In that moment, I could feel Lee Yoo-ah, her parents, and even her younger brother swallow hard.
Wow… the pressure is insane.
“Even in the entire entertainment industry, she’s in the top tier…”
“Ahem! I don’t think our daughter is quite at that level!”
“Hahaha! I agree. You’re praising her too much.”
Lee Yoo-ah lifted her bowl of tteokguk, pretending to be unfazed, but I could see her hands trembling.
After eating the tteokgguk and various side dishes, I could barely even breathe.
“If you’re curious about my room, you can take a look… though my equipment is pretty shabby.”
“…Is that okay?”
I ended up agreeing, worried it would become awkward if I refused.
“I’ll go cut up some fruit. You two talk.”
“Ah!”
*Click.*
Why did you close the door on your way out… Ah, really.
The two of us were left in an awkward atmosphere.
But soon, thanks to Lee Yoo-ah starting to show me her work, I was able to escape the suffocating tension.
As I watched Lee Yoo-ah’s bright face while she talked about music, a pleased smile spread across my own face.
I returned home.
It had been a day where I worried my stomach might actually burst from all the eating.
It felt like stomach acid would flow back up if I lay on the bed, so I leaned against the sofa.
“Hooo.”
*Bzzz.*
It was a call from Choi Yoo-jun.
“Yeah. What’s up?”
-Nothing. Just wondering if I could come over since you’re home.
“Sure, come on.”
-Should I buy some beer?
Though I was painfully full, a smile crept onto my lips.
Perhaps I had tried to live a busier life to forget my loneliness. As if my sole purpose was money, I would make beats whenever I had a spare moment and think about new ways to earn.
But today, I clearly felt that I wasn't such a lonely person after all.
Because there were many people who needed me, who loved me.
In fact, I had even been forced to decline Director Lee Sun's invitation to a meal due to time constraints.
I took a shower and changed my clothes.
It was an hour before Best Idol would air.
*Ding-dong, ding-dong.*
How long had it been since my doorbell rang?
I rarely even ordered delivery, so the sound of the doorbell itself felt novel.
*Click.*
“Did you teleport here or something?”
“Actually, I called while I was on my way.”
In Choi Yoo-jun’s hands were a pack of canned beer and some snacks.
“What would you have done if I wasn’t here?”
“There are no good games to play these days, and it’s the day our Answer artists win. How could I watch that alone?”
“You have your sister.”
“She went to work.”
Are clubs open on Lunar New Year’s?
I took the beer, put it in the fridge, and handed the remote to Choi Yoo-jun.
“Hang on a sec. I need to check the scheduled tube uploads.”
Choi Yoo-jun watched me intently as I operated my laptop.
I had scheduled a sequential release of fancams and interview clips I had been filming on and off, timed to coincide with the broadcast of Best Idol.
“But wouldn’t it have been better to upload those videos in advance? I feel like it would’ve been better to get some fans beforehand.”
“No. It would lack the sense of immediacy. What would you rather watch? A video uploaded a few months ago with a few hundred views, or one uploaded just a few minutes ago?”
“…Point taken.”
Choi Yoo-jun was quick to agree.
The reason their last debut song failed had to appear to be a lack of promotion, not a problem with the members themselves. In fact, that was one of the actual reasons it had failed.
Otherwise, I thought they might follow the same path as that one girl group that started N Live with their half-baked popularity and flopped spectacularly.
* * *
-Hello, viewers. Welcome to the nation’s most popular variety show! The Best Idol, New Girl Group Special.
Best Idol began with the MC’s opening line.
The editing was completely different, including footage of the judges and the evaluation panel, making it feel like I was watching a different competition program altogether.
While each group’s introductory stage was shown, Choi Yoo-jun and I analyzed their strengths and weaknesses, sharing our opinions.
“Wow! That choreography is fresh.”
I felt a sense of pride watching Choi Yoo-jun diligently jotting down notes on his phone whenever something came to mind.
Right now, he was an immature kid who couldn't control his temper, but one day he might become the nation’s top A&R.
As long as you learn diligently, I’ll be the one to lead you.
A VJ clip showing Your Girl’s day-to-day life came on.
“Damn, those bitches are good at pretending to be nice!”
It was an act by Your Girl that would have surely angered me too, but with someone else getting angry beside me, I felt my own anger subside.
Your Girl’s trainee beginnings, their harsh training and diet, and a sad family story of questionable authenticity.
I recalled how they had hurriedly filmed an insert shot of our Answer members not long ago, and a bitter smile formed on my lips.
Right after the insert video ended, the focus shifted to the stage. Along with the lights that brightly illuminated the previously dark sub-stage, a strong brass beat began to flow.
As Your Girl’s performance began, we fell silent.
Your Girl's members, with visuals that didn't fall short even when compared to our Answer members and their harmonious outfits, would surely capture the viewers' attention.
♪♬
I know what you want.
You don’t need to hesitate.
I’m approaching you like this.
♬♪
The verse of the hip-hop EDM track started, and the song and choreography flowed out.
They were always good vocalists, but the broadcast edit, enhanced with audio effects, made them seem even more outstanding.
The live vocals, which had been unstable, and the high notes, which had been borderline, were now processed with autotune, reaching the quality of an official album.
“This is so damn annoying. Isn’t it too obvious that they’re hyping them up?”
“You have to consider the viewers’ perspective.”
I felt the same as Choi Yoo-jun, but I had to look at it from a more macro perspective.
Comments critiquing the contestants started to pop up one by one on the broadcasting app.
-First Fire Emblem and now Your Girl? Is SJ hitting the jackpot again? These girls are top-tier.
-I thought they were picked just for their faces, but their skills are above average at least?
-There are still a lot of groups left.
After Your Girl’s performance, a loud cheer erupted, and the comment reactions were quite positive.
A judge picked up a microphone.
-You’re called Your Girl, right? Is there another rookie group like this? You showed a perfectly balanced performance…
“Is that the guy who gets kicked out later? Kim Bong-gu or Bong-nam or something.”
“Yeah.”
I watched the program’s real-time message board. A stream of positive comments about Your Girl continued, whether from part-time posters or not.
During the broadcast, pre-written articles also began to flood the internet news sites.
That’s how much of a hot topic ‘Best Idol’ was, and it was certain that Answer’s future would be starkly divided into before and after today.
But the more Your Girl’s fans ran wild, the more I, who already knew Answer would win the first round, could only let out small smirks.
The audience roared for the talented rookies' competition.
As Answer’s main stage approached, a thirst crept up on me, and despite still being full, I started drinking a cold beer.
“Ahh. That’s good.”
Among the snacks was the high-quality beef jerky I had given as a gift.
The rump steak jerky, made only of lean meat without any tough sinew, tore easily along the grain and was perfect for relieving stress.
While watching TV, I occasionally checked Answer’s official channel videos.
From 0 subscribers, the views were 1, 5, 15… there was no significant increase yet.
Once Answer performs and receives the highest score for the first part of the first round, will their fanbase explode just as I think it will?