Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: BREAKING NEWS(1)
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MBS Variety Department.
The massive building, boasting the prestige of one of the nation's top three broadcasters, showed no signs of dimming even on a Friday evening.
Kim Hong-woon PD, who had been giving the footage set to air tomorrow one final check in the editing room, stretched his arms out long and rolled his neck.
'This should do it.'
The video, polished by the editing staff, was of high enough quality to easily pass muster.
With a satisfied smile, Kim PD rose from his seat.
Tomorrow he had a pre-meeting with the next episode's guests and some light recording scheduled, so he figured he'd head home, get some solid sleep.
Just then, the sound of someone rushing down the hallway reached his ears.
'Someone's sending the rookies on another urgent errand, huh.'
Kim PD pressed the shutdown button on the editing room computer with a bored expression. Or at least, he tried to. At that moment, the editing room door flew open with a bang!
"Kim PD! Kim PD!"
"Huh? What's up?"
Bursting through the door was Park Soo-yeon, the writer assigned to Kim PD's program.
Catching her breath, Park Soo-yeon thrust her phone at him.
"Check this out!"
"What's this about?"
Kim PD took the phone from Park Writer without much thought.
On the screen was a single news article.
Stroking his stubbly, unshaven chin, Kim PD peered at the screen. The moment he saw the headline, he froze solid.
[Breaking News] Idol Group 'HOLY-BOY' Member 'Yoon Han' Exposed for Premarital Pregnancy and Pressuring Abortion
An idol with a premarital pregnancy and pressuring an abortion. That alone was shocking enough.
But what was even more shocking was...
"Damn it! Recording's tomorrow!"
The idol group in the article was the very one scheduled to appear on his program tomorrow.
Kim PD tore at his receding hairline from stress and bellowed.
He whipped his head toward Park Writer.
"Have you contacted HOLY-BOY's agency, Park Writer?"
"No... I can't get through. Looks like they've pulled the plug on their lines."
"Argh, this is insane."
They had a pre-meeting and recording tomorrow, and now this massive scandal blows up.
It was enough to drive anyone mad.
'Still, it's not the worst-case scenario yet.'
If they'd already started recording, it'd be a nightmare, but they still had a full day. Ha! Hahaha! Haha... haa...
Denying reality with forced laughter, Kim PD let out a deep sigh up to his chin and stormed out of the editing room. Park Writer hurried after him.
They reached the conference room in quick strides. Kim PD pointed at the messy pile of documents on the desk and asked Park Writer.
"Park Writer, are the profiles we've received so far in there?"
"Yes, PD. Give me a sec. I'll pull them out. I sorted the idols separately."
Kim PD sat down, watching Park Writer rummage through the papers. Then, someone slammed open the conference room door.
"Hong-woon hyung! Argh, took me forever to find you."
"Hey, Myung-chul."
It was Choi Myung-chul PD, the assistant director on the program. Choi PD slammed the desk and asked.
"You saw the article?!"
"Yeah. Park Writer rushed over to tell me."
"Ha... what do we do? Recording's tomorrow!"
"What do you mean, what? We hustle and book another group ASAP. We've still got a day left."
"This is nuts."
Choi PD adjusted his cap, his eyes darting anxiously.
"...But what if we can't book anyone?"
"...There better not be a 'what if' like that."
Kim PD's eyes looked strangely soulless as he said it.
Just then, Park Writer laid out a few sheets of paper in front of them.
"These are the candidates I picked out. I excluded anyone with uncertain schedules."
"Alright, let's see."
Kim PD lined up the two profiles Park Writer handed him side by side on the desk.
A second-year boy group and a rookie boy group.
Looking over the profiles, Choi PD pointed at the second-year one and asked.
"Prime-A. How's their skill level, Park Writer?"
"Just your standard, safe level, from what I know. Decent recognition too."
"Yeah? Hmm..."
"So, should we go with them? Seems the safest bet. What do you think, hyung?"
When Choi PD asked, Park Writer picked up her phone.
"Want me to call?"
"Hold on."
Kim PD, who had been reading the second-year group's profile, picked up the rookie one's.
He pointed at one member.
"Go Eun-young? I've heard this name before."
"Yeah, Go Eun-young? That's her. The one from that old Noah show."
"Yeah, that's why I included her even though she's a total rookie."
"Man, she sings great. When did she debut? Didn't even know. Hyung, these guys could work too. With Go Eun-young, she's better than most soloists. Stage quality should be solid."
Kim PD shook his head at Choi PD's words, tapping the paper with his finger.
"But it's a group. What's the point if only Go Eun-young's good? What about the other members?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure beyond that... I just added them for her..."
"Anything else come up? Stage videos or something?"
"Yeah. I'll find some right away."
Park Writer grabbed the tablet on the desk.
In the meantime, Kim PD examined the rookie boy group's profile more closely.
Affiliated with UJ Entertainment.
UJ was the agency founded by composer Oh Woong-jae himself.
'Come to think of it, those Redby girls were pretty good too.'
Recalling the stage by the girl group Redby from about a year ago on the program, Kim PD nodded.
Choi PD scratched his cheek and asked Kim PD, who was scrutinizing the profile.
"Hyung, you like these guys?"
"Hmm..."
"But wouldn't Prime-A be safer? Rookies probably don't have much stage experience."
"True."
But if everyone only wanted veterans, where would rookies like these get experience? Kim PD thought as he set the profile down.
Choi PD was right, objectively. They needed someone fast and stable. But...
'Something about them feels right.'
As a variety PD, he had a gut feeling it wouldn't be bad. Plus, the members' visuals were solid.
Just then, Park Writer set the tablet in front of them.
"Here, EverPlanet's Music Around stage video."
"Let's watch."
Kim PD hit play, and EverPlanet's stage video started.
After watching the whole thing, Choi PD opened his mouth in surprise.
"Oh, the other members aren't bad either?"
"It's decent. But this is probably all agency-choreographed song and dance. Anything else?"
"Oh yeah, they have some cover videos uploaded separately. Here."
Park Writer played the next one: a blond boy dancing, followed by Go Eun-young and a cat-like boy singing.
After the three videos in a row, the three exchanged glances.
Park Writer jumped in quick.
"Should I call right now?"
"Yeah. Ask if tomorrow works."
"Gems, total gems. Been a while since we snagged a solid idol stage, huh, hyung?"
Kim PD nodded with a faint smile at Choi PD's words.
A crisis turned opportunity, as they say.
This sudden mess might lead to something even better.
On Kim PD's name tag, the words 'Hit Song Bonanza' gleamed especially bright.
* * *
A rare day off.
After endless music show runs and schedules, a proper break at last.
And I was spending that sweet day off... holed up in Kim Kwang-myeong's studio all day.
I'd been dragged there first thing in the morning by Kim Kwang-myeong, who insisted we go.
'Ji-pyeong hyung's coming today too...'
Couldn't say no to that.
Before I knew it, I was sitting in the studio chair, working on arrangements.
'Still, once you get into it, it's definitely fun.'
Just then, a voice came from behind me as I worked.
"Whoa. HOLY-BOY scandal just broke."
"Why?"
"Premarital pregnancy."
"What?"
"And he pressured her for an abortion too."
"Crazy."
Why would a nutjob like that even want to be an idol?
Couldn't comprehend it.
'...Not that our kids are any better.'
Of course, it hadn't happened yet, but that thought brought back all the incidents they'd caused.
'No. Our kids wouldn't go that far.'
Looking at them now, no one would believe they'd ever pull something like that.
They were such good-natured, kind guys.
Plenty of room for reform... no, pure enough that they hadn't even needed reforming yet.
Just then, ding! A system alert rang out.
[Wild Self-Justification for Members... No, Rationalization! Intelligence +1]
I glared silently at the empty air. So damn annoying.
Beside me, Hwang Ji-pyeong sipped his coffee and shook his head.
"Don't pull crap like that, you guys. I know you wouldn't."
"Of course. If any of them secretly gets a girlfriend behind my back, I'll set them straight."
Hey, Kwang-myeong. You're the biggest problem. Watch yourself.
...Wanted to say it bad, but held back.
A bit later, I hit save on my work and stretched.
Hwang Ji-pyeong smiled and asked.
"All done?"
"Yeah."
"Let's hear it."
He rolled his chair over, played my file, and focused on the sound from the speakers and the screen.
When the song ended, Hwang Ji-pyeong clapped lightly.
"You're getting good at arranging now, Jae."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You've got real instinct, Jae. And it's only been a short time..."
Why didn't you have me do this sooner? he added, replaying the track I'd touched up.
Feeling oddly embarrassed, I scratched my head and recalled the recent alert.
[Passive Skill 'Producing' level has risen to Intermediate 1. Composition and lyric senses leap forward with the skill grade increase.]
Kim Kwang-myeong's crash course was paying off.
Proof: I could barely spell "producing" before, and now I handled the software like a pro.
With the skill bonus, even I thought the results weren't half bad most times.
Oblivious, Kim Kwang-myeong looked smug and lifted his head.
"All thanks to my great teaching."
"Such a show-off, Kim Kwang-myeong."
"Yeah, acting all high and mighty, Kwang-myeong."
Hwang Ji-pyeong chimed in, pointing at one part of my arrangement.
"But Jae, why'd you add this part?"
"Uh..."
It was a section I'd thrown in myself.
"That part had a guitar melody line for an acoustic feel, but the lyrics are 'like white cotton candy in the sky.'"
"Yeah."
"So I thought a cuter sound would fit, pulled the chorus bass note."
"Ah, so glockenspiel for the instrument?"
I nodded. Hwang Ji-pyeong let out a short sound of admiration, like he got it.
"Nice. Volume's balanced perfectly too... Good job. Gotta show this to CEO Oh."
"...To the CEO?"
Somehow way too embarrassing... I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
Just then, my pocket phone rang.
[UJ Go Eun-young]
It was Eun-young. What's up? I answered, and Go Eun-young's voice boomed louder than usual through the speaker.
-Hyung! Jae hyung! Big trouble!
"What? Why?"
-Not something for the phone. Hurry to the dorm with Kwang-myeong hyung. Hurry!
...Something shocking was waiting for us.