Chapter 11
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 11
“Guys, I love the bonding, but it’s time to join the planning team meeting.”
At the manager’s words, Kang Yi-chae nodded.
“Right. I was so shocked by Ho-yun hyung’s dancing that I completely forgot.”
“You want to die?”
When I asked, Kang Yi-chae chuckled and followed the manager. I was being serious, but I guess Yi-chae took it as a joke.
Seong Ji-won followed behind them, giggling as well.
Ding!
[Quest Arrived!
‘Persuade the Planning Team!’
Seo Ho-yun, you’re doing well. Though your dancing is a bit concerning…
Try to persuade the planning team.
Persuade Planning Team (0/1)
Success: Dance +10
Failure: Dance -100]
Is this system nice or not? I’m starting to get confused.
But these guys… I wonder if they’ve actually come up with a good plan.
It weighed on my mind that we hadn't been able to discuss the concept even once because we were so preoccupied with the choreography.
That anxiety became a reality the moment we sat down with the planning team.
“We want to do a monster concept.”
“Oh, no. A high school club concept.”
“Huh? Wasn’t it an intelligence agent concept?”
Everyone clamored, pushing their own opinions. These idiots really were so distracted by the dance that they hadn't discussed the plan properly. As the members looked at each other in confusion after speaking, the planning team leader gave an awkward laugh.
“Um… it seems you haven't reached an agreement?”
He was smiling, but that was a sign that he was pissed off. I sat beside them, keeping my mouth shut and watching him.
“We heard you were scrapping the previous plan, so we assumed you had a clear vision.”
“We’d like to coordinate slowly with the planning team.”
I cut in quickly. The planning team leader’s eyes widened as he looked at me.
“Ah, right. You’re Seo Ho-yun, aren’t you? You were quite ‘hot’ today, I hear.”
= You were being a nuisance today, weren’t you?
“Yes, thank you.”
= Whatever.
When I accepted it so readily, the planning team leader raised an eyebrow. His gaze seemed to say, ‘Look at this guy.’
Since they were the ones who came up with the ‘Pineapple’ plan, I didn't think they’d be much, but he seemed more formidable than expected. But he picked the wrong opponent.
Psychological warfare was my specialty.
Perhaps sensing this, Seong Ji-won sat next to me with his fists clenched, giving me a small cheer.
“We were grateful for the last plan. Releasing a song centered around fruit is certainly a trendy concept that would be popular. We could feel that a lot of thought went into it.”
= That trend is dead. Did you even think when you made it?
“Haha, thank you. As you know, The Dawn is so popular, after all. We made it to meet the fans' expectations.”
= You guys aren’t popular. You have no right to complain even if we make it half-assed.
“Yes, we truly felt, ‘As expected of the planning team.’ We are following your lead with trust, seeing your delicate consideration and passion in everything you do.”
= What is the planning team even doing if they aren’t planning? Are you guys just paycheck thieves?
“……Ahem.”
Whether my words got through or not, the planning team leader shut his mouth. Anyone with a bit of context or intuition would realize that even though we were laughing, we were locked in a battle of nerves.
In fact, every member except Jeong Da-jun was watching us with tense expressions.
“We’re really grateful!”
Except for Jeong Da-jun, who bowed with a bright smile. Da-jun was likely being sincere, but it landed as an unexpected counter-blow to the planning team.
Nice, you oblivious puppy!
“There are just a few very minor parts of the plan we’d like to adjust, so I’d like to ask for your help. First, please listen to the song.”
I pushed forward the moment the planning team leader was staggered by Da-jun’s counter. As the song played, the eyes of the dazed planning team and the members began to sparkle.
When the song ended, the planning team leader nodded.
“The song is good.”
“It’s a Blue Tiger track.”
“I knew it…. I could feel the vibe immediately.”
“Yes, we were lucky enough to receive it. As you can hear, the current plan doesn't suit the song, so we’d like to request a revision.”
“Hmm. I see. Do you have a direction in mind?”
Of course. I pulled out the printouts I had prepared.
“In the entertainment industry, where new groups pour out every day, you have to establish a clear direction for the group to stand out. What do you think is the most important thing for a rookie group that hasn't seen good results yet?”
“Haha, a sudden question? Hmm… I don’t know, public appeal?”
The planning team leader laughed. But one team member next to him kept her eyes sparkling.
It looked like she had something to say. When I glanced her way, she suddenly spoke up.
“May I answer?”
“Of course.”
I tend to be generous toward proactive people. When I nodded, the woman, who looked like the youngest member of the planning team, spoke excitedly.
“I think… it’s the otakus.”
Oho.
I smirked. There’s always at least one person with good instincts.
“Exactly. Otakus—that’s the answer.”
The members didn't seem to grasp it yet and waited for my next words without opening their mouths.
“In the beginning, you need core otakus to build a foundation. And what do you need for that? A fresh setting, a deep worldview, and a constant stream of crumbs for them to dig through.”
“Aha….”
Jeong Da-jun made a face as if he’d realized something. Furthermore, the planning team’s youngest member nodded so hard it looked like her head might fall off, seemingly in total agreement with me.
“Our song is electronic, and I want to attach that kind of setting to it. After analyzing current trends, the genre with the highest demand but relatively low supply among idols is the post-apocalypse genre.”
I spoke calmly, pointing at the printouts.
I wasn't an otaku myself. However, after producing so many programs and constantly identifying the shifting needs of viewers, this kind of trend analysis was a piece of cake.
As my explanation continued, everyone seemed to be convinced.
“I want to push forward in this direction. However, I still lack knowledge in this field, so I was hoping the planning team could add some details….”
It was just then. The youngest member of the planning team… suddenly went into overdrive.
“I! I want to do it!”
It was a literal outburst. Seeing her raise her hand and stare with shimmering eyes, not only the planning team leader but even I was taken aback.
She poured out words without stopping.
“I completely agree with what Seo Ho-yun said! Besides, the song is dark and electronic, so it fits the post-apocalypse vibe perfectly. Thinking about the apocalypse, we could use settings like SF, military, or even regression! And since there are five of them, if we roughly split them in half and create a conflict between them to showcase each member’s traits…!”
“…….”
Usually, otakus tend to babble about what they like even if you don’t ask.
A sudden silence filled the planning room. Slightly overwhelmed by her momentum, I nodded cautiously.
“Ah, yes…. Then I’ll leave it to you. Team Leader, this person seems to have a lot of ideas; would it be alright to let her take the lead?”
“Y-yeah. I’ve never seen her this excited before….”
I guess she was an employee with a lot of interest in this area. I made a note of her name.
Lee Ji-hyeon. I could put her to good use.
I turned around to seek the members’ consent.
“What do you guys think? Are you okay with this?”
I was going to push it in the direction I wanted anyway, but I intended to listen if they had any better ideas.
“Hyung.”
Kang Yi-chae called me quietly.
“What.”
“Hyung, did you hit your head somewhere? Why are you so good at handling people?”
“Is that a compliment or an insult?”
“Let’s go with compliment.”
At any rate, there were no objections. When I shrugged and looked around at the members, Kim Seong-hyeon, Seong Ji-won, Kang Yi-chae, and Jeong Da-jun all nodded in agreement.
“Then please proceed with that. I’m sorry, but because of the sudden revision, our preparation period is short. We plan to finalize the lyrics and record with the composer tomorrow afternoon. Can you provide the overall direction and a rough part distribution by then?”
“Tomorrow afternoon? That’s a bit difficult…”
“I can do the general direction!”
“……Ahem, cough, cough!”
The planning team’s youngest member gave me more support than expected. The planning team leader glared at her, but she pointedly ignored him.
Well, good luck.
It was a good thing to have someone full of passion.
“Thank you. Then I’ll send the song separately. Please get back to us once the plan is organized.”
Having said everything I needed to, I tapped the members.
“Let’s go back and practice.”
“Yes!”
As soon as I left the planning room with the members, I picked up my phone and texted Im Hyeon-su.
[Me: We’re going in to record tomorrow afternoon. Please help with the lyric revisions then too.]
[Me: The schedule is a bit tight, but I’m counting on you. I’ll send the overall plan now.]
Shortly after I pressed send, a reply came from Im Hyeon-su.
[Im Hyeon-su: You crazy bastard, you’re going to ignore me even if I say no anyway.]
“How did she know?”
As I chuckled, the planning team leader came out of the room. He glared at me for a moment, likely thinking about the overtime that had suddenly dropped from the sky, then let out a deep sigh.
“Seo Ho-yun. Good work today.”
“Yes, you too, Team Leader.”
“A person can change so suddenly. I guess you’re really sharpening your blade this time.”
“Haha, I have to work hard.”
If I didn't sharpen my blade, I’d never be able to clear this game. Who would slack off in this situation?
I had to go back and become a practice bug. The team leader nodded.
“It’s a tough schedule, but since you’re doing it, do it well. We were a bit concerned about The Dawn ourselves.”
He’s more mellow than I thought. It’s probably just professional courtesy, but it’s easy to have someone like this around. Seeing him talk, he didn't seem that closed-minded; he might actually be quite competent.
It was just that they had truly put zero effort into planning for The Dawn before.
“I’ll do my best.”
“That’s a refreshing answer. Fighting.”
As the planning team leader walked away, the youngest member bowed to me and followed closely behind him. It was a decent combination.
[Quest Completed:
‘Persuade the Planning Team!’
It feels like the planning team’s youngest member did most of the pushing.
But a success is a success!
Persuade Planning Team (1/1)
Success. 10 points added to Dance stat.]
[Special Gift for Newbies! A new system will be added.]
A new system?