Chapter 114
Rat-a-tat-tat- Tat-tat-
In the quiet, unlit office, the sound of Anna's typing echoed.
[And so, Weirs surpassed everyone's expectations with their skills and earned the recognition of the Fighters fans. Especially the surprise stage in the final performance, which was accompanied by the Fighters' band...]
Anna briefly recalled Weirs' final stage.
The sudden appearance of the Fighters members. And the seamless fusion of rock music and K-pop, something never seen before.
The flashy dance performance, which is now rare to see in pop music. And the unwavering live skills even during the performance.
As she typed out each letter, Anna doubted whether she could really explain this stage in words.
[Aaaaaah! I'm done!]
Having finished all the typing, Anna stretched vigorously.
It was an article she didn't necessarily have to write today, but because of an inexplicable pounding in her heart, she ended up writing an article in no time.
No, there was still one more thing to do.
[Then now I have to decide on a title... Hmm.]
What title could express this excitement?
Unlike writing the article content in one go, Anna, who had been pondering for a long time, carefully wrote down a few letters.
['The new pop star of this era' No! This is too cliché. 'The descendants of Jackson from the East' Ugh! It's too cringey, absolutely not!]
Repeating the process of writing and erasing, Anna eventually let out a sigh and took her hands off the keyboard.
[I don't have to decide right now anyway...]
Saying that, as Anna was getting up from her seat, she suddenly seemed to think of something and added a 'subtitle'.
'Weirs, proven through the stage.'
***
It had been a week since the Fighters' concert ended.
Unlike the flashy stage of that day, Weirs was spending some quiet time for a while.
While the surprise joint stage of Weirs and the Fighters was slowly spreading along with the reviews posted by the Fighters fans.
A video was uploaded that would surprise the Fighters fans.
A video uploaded on the Fighters' official account.
Regardless of the video's content, the Fighters fans were astonished.
-Crazy, a video of another singer, not a Fighters stage, is uploaded on the official account?
-They say it's a joint stage, but the main character seems to be Weirs.
-There's no way Paul allowed this... Am I seeing this right?
-Actually, isn't one of the Weirs members a hidden illegitimate child of a Fighters member?
-No, this is hacking. Fighters would never do this.
It was a highly unusual event for the Fighters, who had never uploaded a collaboration or joint stage video with another singer on their official account, to post a stage with another singer on their official account.
And a video where Weirs, not themselves, was the main character.
It was too huge an incident to just say they uploaded one concert stage video.
While the Fighters fans were surprised like that.
-I've never heard the name Weirs before, but standing on the opening stage at a Fighters concert, they must be a pretty famous K-pop singer.
-I'm not sure who they are, but the song is really good?
-Wow... This is the most intense stage I've seen recently.
-There have been hardly any singers showing this kind of performance lately. What an amazing stage.
-Can't I listen to this stage as an audio track?
-Can't they release this live video as an audio track? I want to listen to it every day.
Weirs' video started spreading rapidly.
The video, which was initially only shared on SNS, was soon uploaded to various K-pop related communities and created hot topics.
In an instant, the name Weirs rose to the site's popular search term rankings.
K-pop fans who didn't know Weirs also spared no praise after seeing the concert stage video.
And the interest wasn't just in Weirs.
The second title track 'Challenger', which had received relatively less attention compared to the first title track 'Better', started to get more attention triggered by this stage video.
In particular, there were many favorable reviews for the live video that had a different feel from the existing audio track. The rock version of 'Challenger' was so popular that comments asking for a new version of the audio track to be released were attached to every related post.
While interest in Weirs was heating up through the stage video like that.
On the contrary, the atmosphere in the Weirs dorm was considerably subdued.
***
As always, the members sat in a circle in my room.
But unusually, the members were just watching each other's faces for a while, sparing their words.
As the awkward time was passing, the first one to open their mouth was Kang A-jin.
"No matter what... We'll have to do as the company says, right?"
"Ugh."
"Haa..."
Sighs and groans poured out as soon as Kang A-jin finished speaking.
And the silence continued again.
Then, unable to overcome the frustrating atmosphere, Woo Jung-woo suddenly started to rampage.
"No!!! Things are just starting to go well, so what's with telling us to suddenly come back? Doesn't this mean there won't be any US activities in the future either?"
"After the Korean activities are over, we'll prepare another album..."
"They said we'll do another Asian tour after the Korean activities are over. After the Asian tour is over, it's the end of the year again, and after we frantically prepare for the year-end stages! Then it's right next year, and next year, our contract won't have much time left... Ack!"
When I gently massaged the shoulders of the rampaging Woo Jung-woo, his rampage stopped for a moment.
Slightly ignoring Woo Jung-woo who was looking at me with an aggrieved gaze, I opened my mouth.
"The contract period... there's still a lot left. And Korean activities and the Asian tour are important things too. If we become more popular in Asia, we'll naturally advance into the US again."
After finishing my words and looking at the members' expressions, was it just my feeling that they seemed even darker than before?
Actually, I know as well. The reason why the company wants to focus more on the Asian market and start the Asian tour again.
It's all because of money.
Weirs was originally just a project group, and the people who really believe we will succeed in the US market... except for the fans, the company absolutely wouldn't.
In the end, during the remaining contract period, the company will try to use us to make as much profit as possible.
It was a very obvious story.
'If we show results that surprise the company in this activity... I thought we could change it then.'
Eugene Kim's runner-up on Masked Singer. Entering the Billboard Hot 100. And the opening stage of the Fighters concert too.
From the company's perspective, it would ultimately be smaller than the profit they could get from the Asian market.
So eventually, the schedule notified to us was an Asian tour immediately after the activities in Korea.
And what the company asked of me was.
'In case the members might have complaints, as the leader, please pacify the members well...'
Yes, the position of a leader was originally this kind of position.
A position where you have to say things you don't want to say and things the members don't want to hear on behalf of the company.
"If we work hard on our activities, another opportunity will come in the future."
This was what the company wanted from me.
And I accepted it.
"Do you really think so, hyung?"
I naturally nodded at Eugene Kim's words, but for a moment my mind went blank.
Was whether I really thought so such an important thing right now?
I was just doing as the company told me to...
Bzzzt- Bzzzt-
A vibrating sound that broke my reverie was heard.
The phone buzzing on the desk was exactly my phone.
I reached out and brought the phone over.
"Who is it?"
"Could it be the company?"
"Is it the CEO? It's the CEO, right!"
"No."
There was no way the CEO would contact me at this late hour. I looked at the unfamiliar name floating on the screen and answered the phone.
[Hello?]
[Oh! Long time no see. No, the concert was last week, so it hasn't been that long? Anyway, how have you been?]
[Yes... I've been well, but wait a moment.]
'Who is it?'
'It's the company, right?'
I couldn't properly talk on the phone because the members in front of me kept asking who it was with their lip movements.
[I'm with the members right now, can I put you on speakerphone?]
[Of course!]
So I switched to speakerphone.
[Hello Weirs kids. You haven't all forgotten my voice, have you?]
[Chris Ward?]
[That's right, that's my name.]
It seemed to be an unexpected person, as the members' surprised expressions were visible.
While the members were surprised like that, Chris Ward spoke in his unique playful voice.
[It's rather good that you're all gathered together. I've prepared some good news. Are you by any chance interested in a competition program?]
[Yes? A competition program?]
A competition program, it was a story I hadn't expected at all.
[Yeah, it's a program where rookie singers gather and compete on stage to see who is the best rookie. The title is King's Road. The King's Road, doesn't that spark a little interest?]
King's Road?
It was the first time I heard the name. It seemed like a program that was starting for the first time.
[But do you know when it starts?]
[Hmm, I'm not sure exactly, but seeing that they're urgently looking for the last participant, I think it'll probably start soon. How is it? I strongly recommended you guys. I told them a very interesting rookie appeared.]
The members' eyes sparkled as they listened to Chris Ward's words.
I continued speaking faster than the members who seemed like they would say they'd do it unconditionally right away.
[It's a shame, but we're scheduled to return to Korea. We also have to prepare for the Asian tour. So I think it'll be difficult to do the competition program.]
[Is that so? The Asian tour is good too, but it's a good opportunity. That's too bad.]
[Yes, still, thank you for helping us. Next time there's another opportunity...]
[Wait a moment!]
When I was about to finish my words, Eugene Kim, who had been listening without saying a word until now, stopped me.
[We definitely want to do it. So could you tell them that?]
[Wait, then the company will...]
[Hmm...? It looks like your opinions are different, is that okay?]
[Yes, it's fine! Please tell them we'll do it unconditionally.]
I tried to stop him, but Eugene Kim was relentless. At his appearance, which was so different from his usual self, I couldn't help but be taken aback for a moment.
[Alright! Then let's see each other again next time.]
The call ended.
The dorm fell into silence.
'What should I say?'
Should I get angry, or since it's already happened, should I say let's try to persuade the company together?
While I was agonizing over it, the first person to speak was Eugene Kim.
"Please let me tell the company."
"What?"
"Since I acted arbitrarily, I will take responsibility too."
Listening to Eugene Kim's words, for some reason, my head started to hurt.
In the midst of the confusion, I postponed the decision.
"First of all, it's too late today, so let's talk again tomorrow."
"That would be good!"
"Right, let's talk again tomorrow."
At my words, the other members who were watching the situation between me and Eugene Kim spoke hastily.
Soon, they left the room one by one.
And.
"I'm sorry."
The room where only me and Eugene Kim were left before I knew it.
Eugene Kim, who was about to leave the room, turned around and spoke.
"But if I didn't do this, I thought I would definitely regret it later. Not me, but you, hyung."
As Eugene Kim said that and left the room, I was finally left alone in the room.
"Regret it, huh..."
Left alone, I ruminated for a long time on what Eugene Kim had said to me.
***
Contrary to my expectations, the company received the appearance on 'King's Road' positively.
In the end, we became the last participants of the competition.
As a result, I ended up being wrong, but the members didn't reprimand me at all.
Even Sim Seong-ha and Woo Jung-woo, who would have playfully teased me if it were usual.
Did I look different from usual?
If so, that would be my fault.
'Status Window.'
There was no response.
Since when was it, that the 'Goal' window that was always visible before my eyes was no longer visible.
I repeated 'Status Window' a few more times after that, but in the end, the status window did not appear.