Chapter 6
No matter how many times I listened to it, it got better each time.
‘Is this the song you just composed?’
– It’s a song I made a while ago thinking it would be for a girl group, but I modified it to match the tones and vibe of Lovely’s members.
‘Even to my ears, it seems like it’ll suit Lovely well.’
– The god of music made it with intent, so isn’t that obvious?
‘Stop showing off.’
– This song will sweep all the domestic charts, so look forward to it.
‘Only domestically?’
– For the sake of achieving enlightenment, I’d like to sweep the world charts, but that depends on luck, so I can’t guarantee it.
‘Why does enlightenment come into it?’
– My condition for enlightenment is to release 7 mega-hit songs that are loved worldwide, beyond Korea.
‘Worldwide—you mean the Billboard charts?’
– Yes. I have to reach number one on both the domestic and Billboard charts.
‘Seven songs? That won’t be easy, will it?’
– With my abilities, it’s enough if I have time, but the studio was built 73 years ago, so it wouldn’t be strange if it was demolished tomorrow. Every time I think about it, even in my sleep…
‘You’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you? To soften me up.’
– That’s not it.
‘I’m absolutely not falling for it, so don’t try to sell me a story. How are we going to do the lyrics?’
– I already have some lyrics I thought of earlier, so I’ll write them right away. The song title is [Black Excitement].
《… In the black night, the day I hid myself
You, to find me
With painful tears and longing
Piercing through the darkness of despair under the red moonlight
That promise you made to come find me
That day’s excitement
High lai lai lai
High lai lai lai…
Do you remember anything about me?
You, to find me
With painful tears and longing…》
Even the lyrics were completed in just a few minutes, as expected of the “great genius.”
– How is it? Good?
‘Different emotions come through depending on how you interpret it?’
– That’s what I was aiming for.
‘How are we going to do the arrangement?’
– We need to rent a studio and finish the guide recording too.
—
* * *
—
The next day. As soon as I got to work, I accessed the company’s internal business program. While organizing the corporate card expenses from the previous day, Lee Woo-seong arrived. He said Lovely was in the practice room and that we should go greet them first. We already knew each other from the few times I’d filled in, but since I was now their manager, it was only polite to formally greet them.
I went down to the basement floor with Lee Woo-seong. There were eight practice rooms on the basement floor, and Lovely was in the innermost one. Entering through the back door, I watched them practicing choreography and gently emitted spiritual energy to bring up their status windows. Even in that moment, my foolish heart pounded wildly.
[Kwon Ji-a: Lovely]
Sub Vocal, Lead Dancer, Maknae.
Personality: Cheerful. Lots of aegyo. Stress-induced overeating. (Evil < Good)
Special Notes: Worrying about a 2.5kg weight gain (especially double chin).
<<Appearance: 91/94, Acting: 48/71, Singing: 92/95, Dance: 91/94, Rap: 45/53, Wit: 69/88, MC/Hosting: 82/94, Charm: 92/95.>>
[Yoo Ha-neul: Lovely]
Main Vocal, Leader, Sub Rapper.
Personality: Strong sense of responsibility, generous. Tears easily. (Evil < Good)
Special Notes: Pessimistically worrying about the new song and comeback activities.
<<Appearance: 90/91, Acting: 31/58, Singing: 94/98, Dance: 90/92, Rap: 89/91, Wit: 47/58, Composition: 92/96, Lyric Writing: 91/93, Charm: 90/93.>>
[Hye-rin: Lovely]
Main Dancer, Center.
Personality: High self-esteem but considerate. Practice addict. Sleepyhead. (Evil < Good)
Special Notes: Left knee bruise (needs rest).
<<Appearance: 94/98, Acting: 85/96, Singing: 90/92, Dance: 92/94, Rap: 37/43, Wit: 49/63, Charm: 94/98.>>
[Airy: Lovely]
Main Rapper, Sub Vocal, Lead Dancer.
Personality: Fiery and easygoing. Doesn’t hold grudges. Gym rat. (Evil < Good)
Special Notes: Gradually developing visible muscles.
<<Appearance: 90/92, Acting: 52/66, Singing: 90/95, Dance: 92/96, Rap: 92/94, Wit: 36/68, Choreography: 93/96, Charm: 91/95.>>
I checked all four members’ status windows. All four members exceeded 90 in Singing, Dance, Appearance, and Charm. Even the other Blue Velvet members, excluding Yewon and Airin, weren’t at this level. With such outstanding abilities, they couldn’t succeed.
‘The company is definitely at fault.’
However, the stat categories weren’t all the same. Kwon Ji-a had MC/Hosting, Airy had Choreography, and Yoo Ha-neul had Composition and Lyric Writing as additional categories. It was interesting because they seemed to have exceptional abilities and potential in those areas. But for now, the special notes displayed on the status window were concerning. I especially needed to take care of Yoo Ha-neul, who was worrying pessimistically, and Ji-a, who was gaining weight.
After a while, the members’ practice ended and their gazes turned to me and Manager Lee Woo-seong.
“Everyone, you already know Su-ho, right?”
“Of course! We’ve been together many times, there’s no way we wouldn’t know. Su-ho-oppa, is your body okay? I heard you were totally amazing!”
The youngest, Ji-a, spoke in her nasal voice and greeted me warmly, pretending to be close. While this pretty girl, whose one nostril had a small mole that made her exude cuteness, was making a fuss and acting friendly, the other members naturally approached as well.
“I heard Super Heroes all made it through safely thanks to you, oppa!”
“We’re sorry we couldn’t visit you in the hospital after hearing the news.”
Since Super Heroes’ popularity was so huge, my situation had become known, and Lovely also knew I had been hospitalized. After exchanging a few words about the accident that day, which had prevented a secondary collision, I naturally informed them that I was now their new manager. All the members were happy and delighted. In the meantime, Lee Woo-seong received a call from the Management Team 1 leader and went up to the meeting room.
I wished I could only say pleasant things, but now that I was their manager, I couldn’t do that.
“Ji-a, you’ve been snacking a lot lately, haven’t you?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“What do you mean no, just by looking at you, you’ve gained over 3 kilos compared to before.”
“What 3 kilos, it’s 2.3 kilos!”
“Lose the weight. If a camera catches you now, you’ll have humiliating photos following you around for life.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Yes, it is. You’re very chubby. You can hide other things, but you can never hide belly fat and chin fat.”
“2.3 kilos is enough to lose within a week if I set my mind to it.”
“Alright. Starting today, Ji-a, let’s check your weight every day.”
“Oppaaa~ I’m not a rookie about to debut; I’m a 5-year veteran. Isn’t that a bit too tight?”
“Do you want to regret it after you get a double chin? You know that a new line is slowly forming, right? With the activity period approaching, your body…”
“That was a brutal truth bomb. Okay, okay. I’ll do it.”
“Thank you for saying you’ll do it. And from now on, when you feel frustrated or lost, don’t relieve it with food—come talk to me. I guarantee you guys have shining talent and will definitely succeed.”
“Hngh! We already know that.”
For a current girl group member, 2.3kg is a shocking number. Perhaps that’s why the other members silently supported me. But knowing where the youngest’s stress-induced overeating came from, I added a word and told them they would definitely succeed. A hint of moisture seeped into Ji-a’s voice as she coolly replied that she already knew.
“Hye-rin, your left knee seems really bad. Practice lightly for a few days.”
“It’s not that bad.”
All Lovely members are good-looking, but among them, Hye-rin was the best. Elegant with a touch of high-class sexiness. Even standing still, she was an atmosphere killer. Every expression of hers looked like a pictorial. Hye-rin, true to her easygoing personality, answered nonchalantly.
“Oh! Su-ho-oppa, how did you know Hye-rin unnie’s left knee was hurt? You wouldn’t have seen it because we’re wearing training clothes!”
“I noticed it from the subtle differences in her movements.”
“Kya~ Despite your looks, you’ve got sharp eyes, huh?”
“Ji-a, that truth bomb is killer.”
“You’re not denying it, so you have at least a shred of conscience?”
“I’m conscience itself, aren’t I?”
“Quack!”
After a few more exchanges with the fussy Ji-a, I looked at the leader, Yoo Ha-neul. She had a baby face and was known as the “idol top glamour,” a true and genuine bagel girl (baby-face+glamorous body) rare in Korea. Unlike the other members, I’d never had a personal conversation with Yoo Ha-neul, so it was still awkward.
“Ha-neul-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“We’ll find a good song soon, and this activity is guaranteed to be a huge hit, so don’t be too impatient.”
“I heard we still haven’t found a good song even though the comeback date is getting closer…”
“I think it takes time to find a really good song. If you, as the older sister and leader, are anxious, the other members will be shaken too.”
“Ah…! I hadn’t thought that far.”
For Yoo Ha-neul, 24 years old and in her 5th year since debut, this opportunity was truly her last. It was natural for her to be nervous and anxious.
“The manager and I will do whatever it takes to find a great song, so please trust us and wait.”
I wanted to play “Black Excitement” for them right away, but I held back. We hadn’t even signed a contract yet, and regardless of that, I wanted to show them the properly arranged version first.
“I will. But why are you speaking so formally to me?”
“That’s right. Su-ho-oppa, why are you like that? Are you discriminating against people?”
“It’s not that…”
“Oppa, speak comfortably to me too.”
“Alright, I will.”
I took a step closer to Yoo Ha-neul, who had been slightly awkward.
“You definitely promised.”
“What?”
“You said you’d find us a good song!”
“Yeah, I promise.”
“Unnie, you heard that, right? If it’s Su-ho-oppa, who saved Super Heroes, he’ll get us a hit song too!”
“Oppa, we trust only you.”
Starting with Ji-a, I pinky-swore with the other members like children. Even in the midst of all that, Airy never stopped doing squats. Squats were her secret to maintaining her coke-bottle figure, hidden under her baggy clothes, that even black people couldn’t match.
After watching them practice for about 50 more minutes, I went back up to the office. Manager Lee Woo-seong was scowling deeply. He was letting out heavy sighs, looking like a man who had lost his country. On the other hand, Manager Park Hyeon-su across the way was giggling as if something was amusing him. I went over to Lee Woo-seong and asked what was wrong.
“Su-ho, what do we do? A decision has been made to reduce support for Lovely and shorten their activity period.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Officially, it’s to not waste money since there’s not much chance of success, but ultimately it’s to focus more firepower on Blue Velvet.”
“How much was reduced?”
“A 35% reduction overall, much weaker broadcast pushes, and the activity period was shortened to 7 days.”
“That’s basically telling them to flop, isn’t it?”
“That’s what I’m saying… Actually, there was talk of disbandment too, but they barely got past it by considering the company’s image.”
“Hoo, this is a big problem.”
With reduced costs, the quality of the song, choreography, music video, stage outfits, and everything else would drop. For a flop group to succeed, it’s hard even with the best of everything. Now that I’d finally made a great song, this decision came down—it was frustrating. That was when the head of the singer division called me in. Probably about last night’s incident.
—
* * *
—
J-Entertainment’s 6th floor, Director Seon Woo-cheol’s office. In his mid-40s, Director Seon Woo-cheol exuded a warm handsomeness like a celebrity. He is J-Entertainment’s chief producer and the head of the singer division. The head of the singer division is the person responsible for coordinating and managing all activities of J-Entertainment’s singers. In other words, he’s the one who would take responsibility if Blue Velvet got caught up in a plagiarism scandal, and also the one with the duty and authority to prevent such things from happening in the first place.
As soon as we shook hands, he mentioned the Jayco incident and expressed his gratitude. For a division head, it would have been enough to sweep it under the rug for the sake of dignity, or just mention it to the management team leader below. But he admitted his own negligence and bowed his head, expressing his thanks. I was surprised by his sincere attitude, but unable to contain my curiosity, I subtly emitted spiritual energy. I was curious about what stats the chief producer and singer division head of a major entertainment company had.
[Seon Woo-cheol: Singer Division Head]
Composer, Producer.
Personality: Sincere about music. Loyal. Strong organizational commitment. (Evil < Good)
Special Notes: Has a severe conflict with Kim Joon-soo (opposed Yewon and Airin joining Blue Velvet and argued for delaying their debut). If Blue Velvet succeeds, expects a considerable weakening of his position both internally and externally.
<<Appearance: 71/75, Acting: 41/56, Singing: 83/86, Dance: 12/36, Rap: 35/68, Wit: 67/71, Composition: 86/90, Arrangement & Producing: 88/91, Song Selection: 90/92, Charm: 81/87>>
The content of the status window was interesting. I’d heard that Blue Velvet was receiving full support from General Management Head Kim Joon-soo. But I didn’t know such a complex dynamic existed between Seon Woo-cheol and Kim Joon-soo regarding Blue Velvet’s success. What was even more surprising was that he genuinely appreciated last night’s incident, even though Blue Velvet’s success would work against him. It seemed his stats—sincere about music and having strong organizational commitment—were accurate. That was probably why he had opposed Yewon and Airin joining Blue Velvet.
‘He has arrangement and song selection abilities too.’
Arrangement was natural for a producer, but I was a bit puzzled about what “song selection” meant. It probably referred to the ability to pick hit songs.
– I agree. As far as I know, he picked several hit songs that helped J-Entertainment grow steadily.
‘That’s what I thought. Oh! Can you see the status window too?’
– I could see Lovely earlier, and I can see this one too. You’re lucky to have abilities like this. If you add spiritual energy like when you taught that plagiarizing bastard a lesson last night, you could live comfortably without fearing anything in this world!
‘Using spiritual energy on people accumulates karma if not used justly, so I can’t use it recklessly. If I don’t want to go back to hell later, I have to be careful.’
While exchanging a few words with Hwang Jae-hu, Seon Woo-cheol asked what he could do for me in return. Since it was what I’d been hoping for, I asked for support for Lovely.
“Division Head, Lovely may have failed so far due to bad timing, but all of them have outstanding talent and charm…”
“For celebrities, luck is also an ability. Lovely has already missed several opportunities. Giving them more support is… The reduction of support for Lovely has already been decided.”
Seon Woo-cheol said they’d already given them plenty of opportunities and drew a clear line. In this situation, continuing to ask would only be pathetic. Just as I was about to give up cleanly, Director Seon’s Song Selection ability of 90 came to mind. Perhaps…!
“Division Head, I’m not asking for unconditional support. Please listen to the song first, and if you’re convinced it will succeed, then help us.”
“I heard you haven’t found a song yet. Was that wrong?”
“I received it a little while ago. If you, Division Head, are not confident it will succeed, I’ll give up cleanly as well.”
“You’re so confident that I’m curious. Can I listen to the song?”
“Of course. It’s ready.”
