A&R team leader Ju Usik let out a heavy sigh as he listened to the demo tracks.
“Haa…”
‘If it weren’t for that bastard, I wouldn’t be going through all this…’
It had started a few days ago in the conference room.
It was a meeting held in preparation for the launch of Shock Entertainment’s new boy group, “Inus.”
Under normal circumstances, it would have been a meeting where only Shock Entertainment’s working-level staff—Planning Team, A&R Team, Visual Direction Team, and the like—gathered to talk.
“I guess it’d be better not to have a worldview, right?”
“Yes. Since they’re a survival show debut lineup, songs with mass appeal are definitely better.”
“Exactly. A worldview is good for securing a fandom, but once they’ve already gained popularity, nothing beats public appeal.”
But that day, unusually, the directors had also attended.
That was how much interest the higher-ups were showing in the new boy group from the very beginning.
“A worldview? Don’t most other boy groups usually include one?”
“Yes, that’s true, but in their case, most of them are self-producing idols, so that kind of color naturally comes through.”
And sure enough, the director strongly pushed his own opinion.
“Hmm… Is that so? Come to think of it, wasn’t there a member debuting this time who can produce? How about working together with him? You can just help him from the side.”
“Yes, of course we could collaborate with the composers, but… for now, we’ve set the debut for early November. Since the schedule is tight, I think it’ll be difficult this time.”
“No, no. We can just push the debut back and go for late November. Why do you think other boy groups are doing so well? We should learn what we need to learn too. What do you think? Okay?”
This company always talked about eliminating hierarchy and pursuing a horizontal atmosphere, but it was always like this.
“…Yes, understood. Then we’ll conduct interviews with the Inus members and try to build something new…”
Of course, the director’s statement itself wasn’t wrong.
Having a worldview made it easier for female fans to immerse themselves.
There would be a slight loss in public appeal, but that was a difference in direction.
It would just become a little troublesome, since they’d have to newly select and arrange songs to fit the freshly devised worldview and concept.
‘Still, since the debut is a single album, two songs should be…’
But the director’s remarks did not stop there.
Then came the Planning Team’s wrap-up.
“Then for now, we’ll also try to postpone the showcase schedule to match the debut.”
“Ah, showcase, showcase… Hold on a moment.”
After pausing for a moment at the Planning Team leader’s words, the director snapped his fingers and declared confidently.
“Aren’t showcases too common now? Instead of that, how about going with a showcase concert? At Gocheok Dome, no less.”
He was saying they should hold a debut concert.
“A concert?”
“Ah, is Gocheok Dome too big? The LE staff predicted that with Inus’s level of recognition, they could fill it easily.”
“No, Gocheok Dome can be filled, but…”
If it were held for just one day, they could definitely fill it.
But the problem wasn’t Gocheok Dome.
“I think we won’t have enough songs to hold a concert.”
A single album had, at most, two songs.
That was nowhere near enough to fill this concert.
“We can just use the songs from the survival show.”
“I still think it won’t be enough.”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
After thinking for another moment, the director smiled and offered a solution.
“Then let’s release a full-length album.”
“…Pardon?”
And the director rapidly poured out his thoughts.
“The debut’s been pushed back anyway, so you can prepare it. We can choose the B-side tracks quickly. If we don’t trust the A&R Team that scored three consecutive hits with Seven, who are we going to trust? Everyone, let’s give it our all!”
‘I should either quit this damn company or transfer somewhere else…’
“Understood…”
The result was the A&R Team, who had been holding meetings for days and nights on end, choosing B-side tracks.
The sound of air being sucked through a straw came.
‘Looks like I finished my coffee…’
He took out his card and handed it to the youngest staff member.
“Hyeona, go out and buy some coffee. Get one for yourself too.”
The youngest staff member staggered up from her seat.
“Yes, sir… Iced Americano, right?”
“Yeah, an iced Americano. You can get yourself something expensive, so take your time. Clear your head a bit.”
“Yes…”
And as the youngest member of the A&R Team was leaving the conference room, she opened the door and was startled.
“Oh, you scared me.”
“Ah, I didn’t spill it.”
A girl was standing there with her arms full of coffee and desserts.
“Hello~”
It was Seven’s youngest member, Dohee.
“You bought all this for us to eat? Why did you bring so much?”
He got up from his seat, returned Dohee’s greeting, and took the coffee and desserts from her.
“They’re office workers’ necessities~”
They had just run out of sugar and caffeine, so she was unbelievably welcome.
Dohee definitely had an adultlike side that didn’t match her age.
She was polite like this too.
Above all, her face was extremely polite.
Thanks to her, the gloomy A&R conference room instantly brightened.
“So what brings you here alone?”
If a Seven member had come by at this time…
“Ah, it’s because of the tour? Why, are you thinking of doing a new song in Yokohama?”
“No, it’s not that.”
If not that… Ah, it was almost the end of the year, wasn’t it?
“Then an awards ceremony stage? Right, it’d be good to prepare in advance. But as you know, Dohee, we’re pretty busy right now, so it’ll be difficult. I think it’d be fine to prepare after the tour ends.”
But seeing her lips twitch, that didn’t seem to be the answer either.
“What is it? Tell me.”
Dohee hesitated for a moment, wavering, but finally opened her mouth.
“The truth is… I want to move our comeback up a bit.”
“Ah…”
The atmosphere inside the conference room, which had brightened because of Dohee, froze over again.
***
“Did you get approval from the higher-ups…?”
Of course I did.
From the director, who was a higher-up.
When I brought up the album, he welcomed it enthusiastically.
—An album? Ah, that’s great~ Let’s do that.
Even first-week sales alone would probably be a million copies by default now.
There was no reason for the money-loving director to refuse.
“What about the members?”
For now, I nodded.
What were they going to do if they didn’t agree?
The team leader let out a deep sigh and began speaking gently.
“Dohee, of course I want to help you. Who here wouldn’t? Right?”
That was true.
I was someone who drew in goodwill.
“But because Inus is debuting with a full-length album this time, most of the usable songs have gone into Inus’s B-sides, so there aren’t any title-track candidates. Title-track candidates. I’m telling you, they swept all the songs clean.”
No, hold on.
We haven’t even done a full-length album yet?
“And can we prepare new songs for you? That’s difficult too… We’ve just chosen their songs, now we have to find arrangers and work with them… When would we even do the recording?”
“Imagine Seven coming out with some weird song. We’d be sad, the fans would be sad, and you’d be sad too.”
“Ah, and I’m also not sure whether our Planning Team or Management Team would be able to take care of your activities. We’re short on manpower overall…”
Well, either way, I had expected this much.
The mood within the company had been completely focused on Inus.
So from the start…
“Then, team leader. Could you perhaps send me the list of remaining rejected songs?”
I had no intention of dumping work onto the A&R Team.
***
I had always believed that people became the most relaxed, and the nicest, when they were eating.
But it seemed that didn’t really work when the matter was serious.
—Clink.
“You want to move our activities up to next month?”
Hana unnie put down her spoon.
“Ah, Jeon Harang is dying. I’m dying. Kwon Hana is dying under Lee Dohee’s tyranny!”
“…Yeeun is dying too! Gack.”
The two of them were throwing tantrums on the sofa.
“Dohee is so cute I’m dying…”
Um… okay.
“Dohee, I understand what you’re saying. But you know too, right? We have to practice for our tour. Starting from the Tokyo tour, we’re adding new stages right away.”
In the middle of this chaos, only Chaerin unnie approached the matter calmly and logically.
“That’s fine. It won’t be too late to practice for the new album after the tour ends. Of course, it’d be better if we practiced before then.”
“Then what about the year-end stages? We have to prepare for awards ceremonies too. We’re definitely going to win awards. You know we can’t half-ass that either.”
“Um… that can be after the tour too.”
“Dohee, this time we’re not just performing one song like last year. The stages will be harder than last year too. The preparation process will take longer as well.”
“Still, if we mix in some ballad covers, wouldn’t it be okay…?”
Chaerin unnie let out a sigh.
“Whew… Let’s say that’s true. Then what about the most important people, the A&R Team? They must be busy. Did they say they’d help?”
I took out my tablet and showed it to her.
“So… I got a list of songs. If we choose from here ourselves and improve them a bit…”
“Who will? Us? Our fan song took months and days.”
“This time, if we collaborate with external composers, it can go faster. Even if you and I aren’t great with the programs, we had good ears.”
Unnie moved the tablet aside and pulled on both my cheeks.
“So what about you? Can you participate in composing and arranging while we’re on tour? It’s not like we’ll have no schedules at all when we’re in Korea. We have to shoot ads and pictorials right away too. Come to think of it, didn’t you say you had an individual ad next week?”
“Thash why I’m ashking you to help, unnie.”
I’d cut down on sleep too.
Though I’d have to cut down a lot.
“…Sigh, fine, let’s say that’s possible. Living with you all has cut down my sleep a lot too anyway. Fine, that part is okay. It doesn’t seem like there’s no way. All right, let’s say we’ve gotten this far.”
Unnie turned her head to look at the sofa.
“Aaaaaaah!!! Jeon Harang is on the verge of assassination! I’m dying!”
“Yeeun is dying…!”
…Ah.
“I’ll do whatever Dohee wants…!”
“Girls, still, our youngest is asking us to work hard so we can all win a Daesang together, huh? We should all go, ‘Let’s do this!’”
Having Hana unnie, our leader, support me like this at least gave me strength.
“Uaaaaaah!! Only four days off all year! Just kill me instead!!”
“Gack…!”
Fuck, if the youngest says to do it, just quietly follow along.
So we decided to simply put it to a majority vote.
Write “agree” or “disagree” on a slip of paper and put it into this container. That was it.
“All right, I’m opening them.”
I pulled out the slips of paper and unfolded them one by one.
—Agree!
Anyone could tell it was Hana unnie’s handwriting.
—Agree
Was this Chaerin unnie?
—Agree… (˶⸃ ⴰ⸃˶)♡
Um… this must be Sera unnie…?
—Agree. They say if you listen to Dohee, rice cakes appear even in your sleep!
Whew, the brainwashing had worked well.
—Surrender…
This was Harang unnie.
—No.
Crazy bitch.
When I raised my head and looked at Kim Seoyun…
It seemed she hadn’t intended to hide it from the start.
“What, it’s opposition for opposition’s sake. Got a problem?”
Of course, she probably did it because she expected all the other members to agree.
That meant she trusted the members that much, but…
‘Maybe I’m just indulging in wishful thinking.’
“I said, got a problem?”
“Hey. Bring it.”