Episode 152. Verifying the Results (1)
Idols have plenty to do besides appearing on music shows.
They have to go on variety shows, attend events, film self-produced content.
Among those, what fans preferred above all were variety shows and solo self-produced content. And ones with proper staff attached, at that!
Spark didn’t have any so-called natural comedians. A no-jam group that was only good for a laugh visually but boring at everything else—where could they possibly go? Perhaps that was why Spark hadn’t had many variety appearances in the past.
*Still, nothing beats variety shows for bringing in new fans.*
To win first place on a music show, they had to go on every program they could. What good was it if I Cheong-hyeon made great music? People had to actually listen to it.
I slowly scanned the list of programs that had sent appearance offers. Perhaps because food variety was the trend, there were an unusual number of eating shows.
“Choe Je-ho, can you eat a lot?”
“If I eat, I eat.”
“How much?”
“Probably more than you guys.”
That guy wasn’t the type to gain weight from eating, so even if he ate a bit more, it wouldn’t do much harm. So you’re assigned to the cooking program.
There was also a program whose main content tested human endurance… Gi-yeon had volunteered for this, saying he wanted to go. I did tell him he could quit if they made him eat bugs or anything without HACCP certification.
There was a familiar program, too.
Challenge! Experiencing Life – 1 Night 2 Days
The production crew of *Life Experience* seemed to like us quite a bit, seeing as they wanted to take us on another 1-night-2-day trip.
“It won’t be a café again this time…?”
Bak Ju-u said. Anything was fine; he just hoped it wasn’t making bingsu. When his sister had worked part-time at a café, she had lost her mind every bingsu season.
“If it’s something summery, maybe fruit picking? We pick lots of peaches and grapes.”
“They probably did an orchard special not long ago. Maybe pulling weeds in a rice paddy.”
Gang Gi-yeon and Choe Je-ho racked their brains. Pulling weeds in a rice paddy in the middle of summer. Already dizzying.
Still, being called back by a program they’d appeared on before was a good thing, so they decided they would definitely appear on *Life Experience* again.
There was also an unexpected program: a singing program called *My Singer’s Genre Departure*.
A show where various singers performed songs outside their main genre; since you could see a different side of your favorite singer, it was a program many people watched in clips.
“How did we get an offer from ‘M.G.J.’?”
For this type of program to get attention, a singer familiar to viewers had to appear. Even if an unknown singer challenged a different genre, it wouldn’t be anything new to the viewers.
That was how high the bar was for appearing on *M.G.J.* While trot singers or vocalists with vastly different techniques often appeared repeatedly, it was rare for more than three idol teams to appear in a season.
The answer lay somewhere completely unexpected.
“Senior Nyuri recommended us. She got an appearance offer, but her schedule didn’t work out because of an event, so she pushed for us instead.”
To think this was all thanks to a senior’s full support. I’d heard the entertainment industry ran on connections, but experiencing its power firsthand was truly something. For once, I didn’t even envy MYTH.
“Seong-bin, want to try going on this?”
“Me?”
Jeong Seong-bin was startled.
“You didn’t get to go out for the position battle either. Go show off your skills.”
“But….”
Jeong Seong-bin’s face clearly showed hesitation.
Naturally. Bak Ju-u hadn’t been able to go out for the position battle either.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have abruptly demanded Jeong Seong-bin appear.
But at this point in time, with this kind of program, I just couldn’t not send him.
“Getting an apology is one thing; revenge is another area altogether.”
“…!”
“I realized after paying someone back once. You have to blow off steam before you get sick from anger.”
Jeong Seong-bin’s face went pale as he caught my meaning.
“Hyung, are you serious?”
“Since coming to UA, I’ve never once not been serious.”
I thought of Jang Jun-hu, who had groveled before Jeong Seong-bin, yet was letting his guard down thinking that was enough.
“We have to show him a lesson. Right?”
Seong-bin’s pupils trembled. Then he soon found his calm and composed his breathing.
“But you have to do well. If you do well, Ju-u can go next time. We have to let Ju-u sing a rock song.”
“I trust you…!”
Jeong Seong-bin, watching the back-and-forth between Bak Ju-u and me, smiled brightly. He looked like a man with nothing left to worry about.
* * *
As soon as Jeong Seong-bin’s appearance on *M.G.J.* was decided, I headed to UA.
And I wandered endlessly around the agency. The pretext was that I was looking for something to help with, but at this point, no staff member would actually give me work.
The one I was really waiting for only showed his face around the time a staff member was pleading, “I Wola, you don’t have to do anything, so just sit down and drink a soda…!”
“Hello, Senior!”
A thunderous greeting echoed through the office. Everyone inside turned their eyes toward me.
Jang Jun-hu, on the receiving end of the polite greeting, wore a bewildered expression.
Like true professionals, the staff immediately turned back to their monitors.
But the drastically reduced noise and heads slowly rising above the partitions indicated that everyone’s nerves were focused on us.
*Moreover, the words “workplace harassment” were already stamped twice in these people’s heads.*
Once when they first learned of Jang Jun-hu’s harassment, and once when I reported Yu Han-su.
Having heard about harsh conduct in the company twice now, UA employees would surely associate even slightly suspicious behavior with harassment.
So what would people think if I greeted a senior who ate from the same pot with me like I was stating my full name and rank?
Jang Jun-hu stood there like a stone statue, not knowing what to do.
He must have planned to come to the office around this time as usual, latch onto a busy management-team staffer, and fish for compliments. Unfortunately, today he would have to talk to me instead.
“Senior, are you very busy today?”
“Why?”
“There’s something I really want to ask you! If it wouldn’t be rude, I was wondering if you could spare some time!”
Despite my words, several suspicious gazes remained fixed on us. Jang Jun-hu seemed to sense them too.
“…Fine. Is there an empty meeting room?”
A staff member guided us to a meeting room enclosed by semi-transparent glass walls.
They all seemed genuinely worried I might get hit. Jang Jun-hu had a bad habit with his hands, so I was more than grateful.
A glance showed that Jang Jun-hu’s face was severely scrunched up.
But this much was nothing.
For our leader’s sake, you’ll have to shed tears of blood, too.
* * *
Jang Jun-hu sat with his legs crossed and asked.
“What?”
“You only take that attitude with Seong-bin. I suppose you don’t think taking my phone and threatening me counts as harassment.”
“Sh….”
Jang Jun-hu stopped himself from cursing. He seemed conscious of the CCTV.
“So what? You want me to apologize to you, too?”
“No. I just need Seong-bin to get a proper apology.”
In other words, your previous apology wasn’t enough.
“What do I have to do, then?”
When Jeong Seong-bin was brought up, Jang Jun-hu calmed down a bit. He seemed to realize this wasn’t a situation where he could act up.
“It’s nothing much. Seong-bin is going on a music variety show soon, so I thought it would be nice if he had your invisible support. You’ve held him back all this time, so I’d like you to push him forward at least once.”
“Hey!”
“Senior. While I’m speaking respectfully to you, how about we talk human-to-human with mutual respect?”
I stared at Jang Jun-hu steadily.
“I’ve seen how it works with police involved—when testifying, there’s no such thing as a producer or a hierarchy.”
“….”
“We haven’t gone that far, and we won’t. Let’s talk nicely.”
Jang Jun-hu bit his lip. He ruffled his hair in annoyance and held himself back from slamming the desk.
I quietly waited until all those actions were finished.
“…What support?”
When Jang Jun-hu raised the white flag first, I brought out the story I’d prepared.
“Your debut song is a masterpiece, Senior.”
“Hey.”
“Wouldn’t it be meaningful and nice to have a cherished junior from the same agency sing it?”
“You little…!”
Jang Jun-hu was about to shout. Several figures could be seen flinching beyond the semi-transparent meeting-room wall. If things went wrong, they looked ready to burst in at any moment.
Unfortunately, UA today was different from the UA of before.
Yu Han-su, who would have ganged up on a junior with you; the production team leader who orchestrated behind-the-scenes while following Yu Han-su’s lead; the sycophantic staff who flattered you by saying everything you said was right—none of them are here anymore.
With the staff watching wide-eyed at my back, I stared straight at Jang Jun-hu and spoke.
“How about it, Senior?”
“….”
“Among the meager considerations you can offer, this seems like it would be the most worthwhile.”
Jang Jun-hu was silent. It was visible to the eye how complicated his thoughts were.
Of course he’d be terrified.
The current Jeong Seong-bin was more skilled than Jang Jun-hu had been at that time. Jang Jun-hu himself would know that fact better than anyone.
*That guy’s career will be ruined, though.*
For Jang Jun-hu, who had maintained his career on the reputation of his debut song until now, having that song’s legacy stolen from him was a huge problem.
Moreover, he was someone who would take a massive hit to his image with the title “orthodox balladeer who lost to a high school idol vocalist.”
“It would be great if you could cooperate up to an official music release. We’re in the same agency, so it will be easy to coordinate!”
Jang Jun-hu, his face bright red, glared at me and asked.
“You think that kid can properly sing my song on stage? According to your own words, he’s someone who spent years getting cursed out by me while singing.”
Yes, you gnawed away at the most important moments of that kid’s life. For years.
“Senior, you know better than anyone. Seong-bin is a kid who always does well.”
So he has to step on it and rise up at least once. Completely overshadowing your brightest moment.
“And you speak like I’m orchestrating some grand conspiracy… Seong-bin agreed to this, too.”
Jeong Seong-bin’s face as he smiled innocently was vivid, as if I’d just seen it. I nearly smiled with pride.
“So you don’t need to worry about him. He’s grown up very well.”
But of course. Because being the leader of Spark isn’t something just anyone can do.