“Did you buy the right ones?”
“Yes! The director’s is a two-shot Americano, the team leader’s has hazelnut syrup…”
The newest hire on the planning team at Top East, which had been rapidly expanding its staff, was getting checked by her senior.
It wasn’t as if she had joined Top East just to run coffee errands.
‘Today’s fine!’
It was the first meeting she was attending since joining the planning team.
And she had even heard it was for Debonair’s next album!
No matter how thoroughly entertainment companies screened out fans of their artists during open recruitment, even an ordinary person couldn’t help but be interested in a group as widely successful with the public as Debonair.
‘Right, this is what I joined for!’
The new hire was running all sorts of simulations in her head, indulging in fantasies.
Like timidly offering an opinion in front of the director, only for it to be adopted for Debonair’s album, and becoming a promising rookie employee.
“Hurry in and give the director hers first. She’s already there.”
At her senior’s urging, the new hire went in and diligently placed the coffees according to the seats.
“You’re the new Yeongji, right? Thank you.”
“Ah, yes!”
Just as the rumors said, Director Sohyeon, Debonair’s director, really did have an expressionless face.
Though her voice was gentle.
“Everyone’s here, so let’s get started quickly.”
And at last, the new hire was able to touch the documents she had been glancing at since earlier, unable to ignore them but lacking the courage to flip through.
‘Huh, this… weren’t we deciding on it today?’
It was a proposal summarized briefly in three pages.
“Director, did Dohui make this one again too…?”
“She’s already writing the next song? No, even then, promotions run until tomorrow, so she must still be busy.”
At the team members’ probing questions, Director Sohyeon smiled as if she were immensely pleased.
“Dohui sent it this morning. She said she’s just roughly laying down beats on her laptop according to the concept there.”
The new hire didn’t know much, but she could now tell that a strange thrill was contained in the director’s calm voice.
Even though it was something that had already been confirmed through broadcasts, facing the scene directly made it finally feel real.
‘So it’s true that Lee Dohui really plans while writing the songs…’
“Everyone, check it now and see what you think. Does this concept seem like it’ll work to you?”
The new hire glanced at her senior, then followed the team leader as he turned to the next page and began to read through it slowly.
There, the album theme that had continued like a series until now was written once again.
The new hire knew it very well too.
It wasn’t particularly because she was a planning team employee.
‘This trilogy is something anyone with even a little interest in idols knows.’
It was a story that had been spreading quietly through K-pop communities.
But recently, it had spread through Shorts and Reels enough to work even on the general public.
With this album, it was clear that the image of the group Debonair was no longer simply that of idols.
‘Right now, four of the songs in the top five on the music chart are Debonair’s… This is seriously an insane record, the first of its kind in Korea…’
The new hire thought to herself that if Debonair belonged to one of the Big Four entertainment companies, they would already have been marketed everywhere as national singers.
But that train of thought was quickly cut off.
“Wow, I knew Dohui was a genius, but still.”
“I never would’ve thought of this. Her ideas really are on another level.”
“She was like that last time too. She’s a different species, seriously.”
“Just looking at this kind of wordplay, Dohui definitely has talent with language… Well, she speaks four languages, so I guess that’s obvious.”
“She’s already writing all the lyrics too.”
Unlike her, who had been reading the proposal closely, the employees who had skimmed through it quickly were already letting their excited voices roll around the room.
‘What, what is it?’
The new hire hurriedly looked at the last page where the main point was written.
“T-this, this is so good!”
And she was moved just from the phrase.
“The new hire says so, Director.”
“That’s right. Among us, she’s looking at it the most from an ordinary person’s perspective, so if she reacts like this, it must be really, really good.”
She was a little embarrassed because she had shouted so loudly.
But she couldn’t help it.
Because it was incredible!
The feeling that came rushing in was so very Debonair.
‘So, so Lee Dohui. Completely!’
It was even more intuitive than the last album.
The very maximization of an idol.
‘Seriously, how can just the song title and album concept make my heart tremble…?’
Of course, the team members voiced some shallow concerns too.
“But Director, what I’m a little worried about is that even within hip-hop, boom bap… isn’t common for girl groups.”
“True, aside from Chiyo, the members aren’t exactly strong in hip-hop, so wouldn’t boom bap feel a bit unfamiliar?”
But the director’s answer was comfortable from start to finish.
“Boom bap being uncommon for girl groups is an old story, and Dohui even wrote ‘idol-like boom bap’ there, so she’s probably planning to bring it in with the feel of a dance track anyway.”
It was a level of trust that made it seem only natural.
“And even if it were traditional boom bap, Dohui’s sense of rhythm is probably better than most rappers’, so there’s no need to worry too much. Do you think she’s a pianist for nothing?”
But the new hire had a question.
‘But if the proposal is already decided like this, then why are we holding a meeting today?’
Looking to the side, she saw that her seniors seemed to understand.
“Then we’ll have to start preparing self-produced content again soon.”
The new hire’s eyes flashed open.
“Ah, right. What do we still have left to upload?”
“A few music show behind-the-scenes, the ad shoot behind-the-scenes, and the recording studio behind-the-scenes.”
“Director, then what’s the theme for this self-produced content?”
So that was it!
“The kids have been preparing the album since last year and promoting for nearly a month, so they’ve barely had any rest. Even if we send them on separate vacations, let’s make it so they can heal through the self-produced content too. The fans will like that more as well.”
Debonair’s self-produced content, which was said to rake in massive views whenever it dropped!
“Let’s do this. Self-produced content the members want to do. If we film one episode each based on what they individually want, they can each enjoy themselves and rest, so wouldn’t that be all right?”
“Wow, as expected of you, Director! It connects perfectly with the album theme too.”
“Then I’ll try putting together a schedule so the next album teaser goes up the week the self-produced content ends!”
“Should we contact the outsourced team that filmed the Gangneung episode last time? That one definitely got the highest views!”
The intention was good.
But it was the prelude to tragedy.
* * *
“I’m so happy to be able to work with all of you again!”
The producer who had been outsourced this time was the same one from our previous self-produced content team.
“Honestly, Debonair isn’t just good at music, you’re all born comedians too, aren’t you!? You have no idea how excited I am to film this!”
She had an extremely kind and proud-looking impression.
“For this self-produced content, the director told me first that you’ve all worked so hard, and that it would be great if you could freely film whatever content each of you wants to do.”
That made sense.
When you were delivering good news, there was no reason your expression would be bad.
“Then what if we say we want to go to Jeju Island?”
“There’s no trick to it. We’d just go right away! Immediate healing! We’ll book a pension, book a yacht, and have fun! Eat cutlassfish sashimi! Eat black pork!”
“Whoa, whoa! Then what if we say we’re going to New York?!”
“Uh, probably not that. Still, the budget…”
“What the heck.”
Mm, unnie, but us going to New York really would be a bit much.
Part of the budget comes out of our settlement, you know?
“Anyway, that would have to get the director’s approval! But she’ll permit most things! Besides, maybe because you’re Jjangbonair? I heard there’s a ton of PPL this time too~?”
“Oooh!!”
No, even if we get PPL, that’s not an “oooh,” you people.
If we go to New York to film self-produced content, we’re directly covering the plane tickets for dozens of production staff.
“Producer, would things like going on a temple stay to meditate and eat temple food be okay too?”
“Oh, of course! You don’t have to worry too much about views. Healing! Healing! Healing!”
As expected, Naeun unnie was the smart one.
She knew how to save money, hehe.
“Now then, everyone, please write it down here.”
The producer handed us questionnaires.
As expected, it contained this question.
“As I said, anything is fine.”
Q. What self-produced content would you like to film?
“If you say you want to go outside and do an impromptu busking performance, we’ll work hard to plan a guerrilla concert.”
“You want to go to an amusement park? You know, right? We can rent the whole place at night. We’ll immediately rent it out so you can ride as much as you want!”
“I want to go to a trendy café with the members in a simple way. Go! But I’d still prefer a fancy hotel staycation… then you’ll be going straight onto a yacht!”
“Oh, I hate all of that, I just really want to rest. I don’t want to do anything! Oh, then we’ll prepare everything from massages to phytoncides and aromatherapy so your fatigue can melt away faster.”
“Reeeally, anything is fine. All five of you, write down all the content each of you wants! We’ll actively proceed exactly as you write it! Because that’s healing!”
Looking at her, this producer had only gotten cursed at during our first meeting because she was trying to draw laughs from the situation. Her personality was cheerful, and she seemed to edit in a fun way too.
“Ooooooh!!! Me, me!”
But I didn’t know.
Why unease was creeping over me again.
“I’m gonna do that, that! Totally!”
Looking at that bouncing sour kimchi, I couldn’t help but whisper to Ua unnie.
“Unnie, come here for a second…!”
“Hm? Whyyy?”
“No, Kimchi over there hasn’t been watching wrestling or boxing these days, right?”
Just imagining it was horrifying.
“Combat sports? Nah, she hasn’t watched those in ages. Dohui, you know best. Recently, Chiyo got into romantic comedies and has only been watching dramas.”
“True…”
Certainly, she had stopped that damned thwack-thwack stand-up striking ages ago.
These days, if anything, she was needlessly confessing her love.
—I am tired of liking you alone. I am truly so tired I could die.
—Then die.
There had been times she tried to imitate a wall-slam kiss scene too.
—How much will it take? How much do you need?!
—Do you earn more than me?
Right, my worries were nothing but needless fears.
If I just finished writing down what I wanted to do on my questionnaire too—
“Ah, right.”
“…What.”
“It seems Chiyo’s started watching superhero movies these days…”
“Ah, fu—”