Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols
SS Chapter 49: Dystheism (1)
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TL: FoodieMonster007
Tea time continued until the warm tea had cooled.
"How can I hold onto a talented person like Seongbin for life?"
"He'll think twice about leaving if you make a ton of money, right?"
"Chaejun."
My great seniors' insight was, as expected, extraordinary. They had a perfect grasp of what holds power in a capitalist society.
What should I do to make more money than I do now? It looked like I'd have to revive our rookie mindset and have five comebacks a year. Jeong Seongbin was a responsible guy who loved his job as an idol. If I shoved fan letters in his face and persuaded him to repay the fans with even greater affection, he would obediently release more solo albums and cooperate with the five-comebacks-a-year plan.
"I'll go make money so I can capture Seongbin's heart!"
"Yeah, fighting!"
Tea time finally ended after we exchanged goodbyes. They were jokes until the very end, yet they felt full of sincerity.
I guess I'll have to do one of two things. Either make a ton of money or get my act together.
I had to protect my own position, regardless of the company's cooperation. With new idols debuting every day, losing fans was inevitable as the years passed. Whether we would be helpless and fade into the background, merely prevent the outflow, or attract new fans depended entirely on what the team did.
This time, we senior male idols had succeeded in our defense with a stage crafted from experience, but we couldn't let our guard down. The position of a freelancer was just that precarious.
My phone rang as I contemplated the group's future and our plans. The eternal leader of spArk was looking for me. Afraid I'd get scolded for being late, I quickened my pace.
The stylists had poured their souls into preparing the outfits for the final broadcast. They shone brilliantly under the waiting room's fluorescent lights, so glamorous they were dazzling. This was the result of placing a high-end bid order, the kind usually reserved for year-end stages or concerts.
I figured a devoted lover doesn't necessarily have to exist only in a modern genre.
So, we decided on aristocratic-style manhwa outfits for the last music show. There's a difference between "manhwa-esque" artistic liberties that look good for content and what actually looks good in real life. We had in-depth discussions and even removed a duke's cape that would hinder the choreography.
"Anyone watching would think this is our finale stage."
"It is the finale, according to the schedule."
"I'm speaking figuratively, Jeho," he retorted.
The other guys chimed in as they admired the well-tailored suits. The outfits looked even better on actual people. Instead of pushing that cyborg concept, my agency before my regression should have just shamelessly pushed a romance-fantasy prince concept. If they had, would the results have been a little better, or maybe not? There's a fine line between historical costumes and a masquerade, so we might have just been ridiculed for a different reason.
The all-black suits and bead decorations rivaled high-end jewelry and were perfect. The choreography was second nature to us, so no one made a mistake. The cheers were the best, as always. From winning the first-place trophy to the very end with the scattering silver confetti, there was nothing to fault.
"You all worked so hard!"
"Good work, guys!"
The flood of greetings from our managers and staff as we returned with the award truly signaled that our promotions were over. With the project finished, everyone's tension eased. The waiting room instantly became noisy and bustling.
"Joowoo, you have to go to the radio show!"
"Yes…!"
"Lee Cheonghyeon, are you going to the company instead of the dorm?"
"Yeah. I decided to go to the studio in Euion's car. Anyone else going to the company besides Cheonghyeon?"
"Euion, I'm not going to the company, but drop me off at the gym on the way."
"Okay, Jeho!"
"Isn't everyone tired?"
I felt the same way as Jeong Seongbin. Weren't they tired? They used to collapse from exhaustion after just a few practice sessions, but now their stamina had improved.
Manager Chanyoung shut down Choi Jeho's heavy weightlifting and Kang Kiyeon's plan to practice. He explained that they had been dancing throughout the entire promotion period and needed to rest. Any more exertion could lead to injury. Considering how hard they had pushed their bodies performing the intense, movement-heavy choreography, the manager's point was perfectly reasonable.
"I'll call the trainer, so just go and do a light cool-down. Nothing more. Got it?"
"Okay."
"Cheonghyeon, you too. Finish up only what's urgent and go straight to the dorm. Understood?"
"Okey-dokey~"
Following Park Joowoo, who had left in a hurry, the members working "overtime" disappeared after saying their goodbyes. Jeong Seongbin and I went back to the dorm and shared our thoughts on the final broadcast through a casual live stream.
After finishing the live stream, I sent a flurry of BubblePop messages and then turned on my laptop. It was time to plan a celebration event for Park Joowoo's collaboration. An article about the official contract signing had been released a while ago, so I couldn't postpone the preparations any longer.
≫ Came in here wondering why Lit-Ram is collaborating with an idol, but then I saw it's Rok Juwoo. That changes everything.
≫ Our master singer Reed Bunting… has become too world-class…
└ Joowoo, you're the world's best Chinchilla.
≫ Is Lit-Ram coming to Korea for this???? Miracle Card, work your magic.
└ Even if they come, I probably won't get a seat. How am I supposed to get a ticket…
└ Ticketing is already a bloodbath, and now idol fans will swarm in too.
└ Just be grateful there's a chance Lit-Ram will come. Stop your entitled whining.
≫ Korean rock is reviving like this. The slump was so long I thought it was deemed unrecoverable, but that never-die spirit is amazing.
└ Please, you posers who listen to rock as a fashion statement, stop spouting nonsense about how Korean rock is dead or the lineage is broken after hearing just a few songs…
└ So how many rock bands hold even one concert a year right now? lol. How many times do I have to say that just because one or two bands are popular doesn't make it a major genre? You think Korea is called a barren land for rock for no reason???
└ You bastard, you've never even been to a rock festival, have you? lol Just go.
└ If people are making this much of a fuss just because an idol is piggybacking on one song, then it's definitely a slump. ㅇㅇ
≫ What the hell is up with your schedule? UtopiA, are you crazy????? Stop overworking them;;;
└ I didn't want to find out about our boys' great stamina this way.
≫ Is spArk's international recognition that high…? The foreign accounts are going crazy. There are plenty of idols whose domestic and international popularity aren't proportional, but I never really felt like they were that popular overseas, so this is surprising.
└ Their fandom is big for a group that entered the overseas market late.
└ Their recognition probably started rising when CJH and LCH became ambassadors.
The news of Park Joowoo's collaboration, revealed the other day, caused a massive sensation. This was because the other party's status was unbelievably huge. They were, quite literally, world stars. We almost fainted ourselves when we heard that the powerhouse band, famous for their unique pop-rock sound, had made the offer.
Park Joowoo had wanted to delay the press release until after our final broadcast, but with the song's release date just next month, there was a limit to how long an embargo could hold. The kid had to get on a plane the day after tomorrow for the recording. When were we supposed to promote it?
For this reason, spArk's new happy occasion was revealed ahead of the final broadcast. I could clearly picture Park Joowoo on his radio show, doing nothing but reading texts saying, 'DJ, congratulations on the collaboration!'
Maybe I should send in a text message too.
I needed a touching message that would make it obvious to anyone that I was fervently cheering on DJ Joowoo's new challenge. After several revisions, I finally came up with a letter I was somewhat satisfied with. All those years of honing my writing skills by contributing to rolling papers and birthday cards had paid off.
After proudly giving it a final check, I checked the internet. If some ominous breaking news had surfaced, it would be better to send the congratulatory message later. An idol can't possibly act with knowledge of every single piece of news in the world, but avoiding potential risks had become a habit. It was also a profession where being cautious never hurt.
I plugged earphones into my laptop and turned on Park Joowoo's radio show. The main segment was just about to end. As I listened to the closing remarks, I quickly scanned the current issues on my phone and saw my name in the entertainment news.
≫ Did Hellas Transfer Through Tampering… Conversations Through Prior Contact Become the Main Issue
It was an article claiming that Hellas had improperly contacted the former UA before their contract with MYTH had expired. Looking at the time it was posted, the article was only two minutes old.
Absurdly, it even claimed that I was the one who had brought Hellas to the company. It was obvious a MYTH affiliate had provided the source, so I was just puzzled as to why they bothered using the phrase "an anonymous informant."
Besides, even if they tried to stir up trouble, there was nothing to find. It wasn't true. The idea that a great senior idol group, known by the entire nation, would be swayed by the sweet talk of a junior group that hadn't even been around for five years and transfer while ignoring proper procedures was just common sense-defying. Was Hellas stupid? As if they couldn't make such a basic judgment.
In the first place, the members of Hellas were planning to establish their own company after their contract ended. Regardless of who they were talking to, there was no way they would have had a conversation that could be edited to make it seem like they negotiated with UA through me.
Why release such a baseless article now of all times?
Unlike before, I didn't panic at an attack from a large agency. I was just annoyed that this situation was preventing me from sending the heartfelt congratulatory message I'd written.
If the goal was to block Hellas's activities, it was a bit late. Hellas was already successfully releasing albums under UtopiA.
If they wanted to pick a fight, they should have done it much earlier. We were putting a lot of effort into preparing the next album, so if they brought up legal disputes, it wouldn't be completely without impact. However, if that was the case, before dealing with MYTH, I'd first have to hunt down the leaker within UtopiA who had leaked our comeback plans.
It was also hard to see this as an attempt to check Park Joowoo's collaboration. I was the one embroiled in the tampering controversy, so what effect could it possibly have on Park Joowoo, who was going abroad to release a song for an overseas market?
Shouldn't they present at least one piece of plausible evidence when raising suspicions? Just as I was becoming dumbfounded, two photos attached at the bottom of the article caught my eye.
The rear of Polo's car just as it was crossing a large bridge, and a picture of me getting out of that same car in the parking lot of Mr. Yuur's building.
The photos were taken on the day I went to the Han River.