Chapter 46

Someone's influence.

Day by day, the quality of our stage performances improved. I heard that the number of people joining the fan cafe was steadily increasing.

We kept receiving praise from the music show PDs and related staff, but it didn't translate into tangible results.

If you already expect to see visible results, it might be greed. After all, we are just fledglings.

“I thought our schedule would be packed after debut.”

I was afraid that my schedule would be so full that my condition would be a mess. But I later realized that this only applies to a very small number of cases.

To have a packed schedule, you need to have pre-ordered the album before debut or gained recognition by appearing on an idol survival program.

Or, you need to have done preparatory activities over a long period to secure fans in advance.

We didn't do any of those. If we had debuted under one of the big three agencies, we might have received more attention. But just being able to meet the current members was enough for me to kick out all three agencies. Anytime.

Well, I had already kicked out one of them.

“With a relaxed schedule, we can properly celebrate. Try to be positive.”

“I’d rather have a schedule than a birthday gift.”

Without a schedule, we would go straight to the practice room. But today is special because it's Ora's birthday, so we came out for a meal. All the members were looking forward to today, as they had been eating only grass.

We didn't throw a big party or make a loud celebration. We just bought a cake and had a meal together.

The manager joined us today. His hair was dyed in various colors, making it obvious that we were idols, so we needed a bodyguard.

“But Ora, isn't spicy chicken feet a bit much for a birthday meal? We came here because you wanted to.”

“They also sell braised ribs here. Let's have that.”

“But those are spicy braised ribs too….”

Ora was obsessed with spicy food. He loved it so much that he ate it well. He said that his stress only went away when his lips were numb from the spiciness, which was an extreme level of spiciness for most people.

At least today, with the manager around, he restrained himself and didn't order the spiciest level.

From my experience of trying it before debut and failing, I decided not to talk about enjoying spicy food anymore.

“Let's order the least spicy braised ribs.”

Even the least spicy was still quite spicy, not mild at all. The other members, except Ora, could eat spicy food to some extent. And the restaurant's food was excellent, so we wanted to come back.

We hadn't had much time to come here because of practice, dieting, and preparing for debut, so we had only been here twice.

“Manager, you should eat too! We can have cake and coffee for dessert after eating.”

Pakha was already salivating at the thought of having sweet desserts after a long time. Although she didn't often eat desserts, she couldn't miss the opportunity to consume sugar while dieting. Everyone was waiting for the manager's approval.

“It's okay today. You've been doing well with your diet, and sometimes a cheat day is necessary.”

“Ooooh.”

“Dessert! Dessert! Cake! Vanilla latte!”

I felt embarrassed by the members' excitement and covered my face with one hand. I wanted to pretend we weren't together, but our appearance clearly showed we were a team.

Even with hats, the bright hair colors couldn't be hidden. Brown might have been less noticeable, but Ora's silver hair with a blue tint was a color most people wouldn't dare to try. Being an idol allowed it, but if a regular person walked around like this, they would attract a lot of attention.

“Happy birthday, Ora. I'll enjoy the meal.”

“Happy birthday! Ora!”

“Happy birthday, Ora.”

“Happy birthday, Hong Ora.”

The voices of the members and the manager echoed through the restaurant. The partitions helped block some of the gazes.

“Now that we've celebrated, let's eat. Manager, you too.”

The braised ribs, marinated in a bright red sauce, looked appetizing. I wondered how they achieved such a vivid red color.

I placed a piece on the steaming rice and took a bite, savoring the unique aroma of beef and the spicy kick on my tongue.

I picked up a mushroom and chewed it, and then I heard a violent cough from the side.

“…Manager?”

“Are you okay? Here’s some water.”

“Auntie! Can we have a Coolice here?”

The manager's face was turning the same color as the braised ribs. He couldn't handle spicy food. I realized this for the first time, even though we had eaten together before, but each of us ordered different dishes.

I guess that's why he chose menus like gimbap, tteokbokki, and egg stew. He had never ordered ramen either.

“If you can't handle spicy food, why did you eat it without saying anything? No one forced you.”

While scolding him, Ora put a frighteningly red chicken foot in his mouth. The manager coughed again, seemingly affected by the sight alone. It was surprising that spicy braised ribs could bring down a tall, strong man.

“I'm, cough, fine, cough, fine now.”

“You don’t look fine. You look like you’re dying.”

“Joonhyun. Between pork cutlet and cold noodles, which is better?”

We had known each other for a few months, but I hadn't realized this. I had been indifferent to the manager. He quietly stood by us and offered a hand when needed.

Managing six unique individuals was no easy task. The manager, while not touching us in a personal way, was always attentive to whether we were sick, uncomfortable, or lonely.

Even if it was just a job, having a manager who cared to this extent was a stroke of luck.

The manager calmed down after drinking the Coolice. I subtly pushed the water cup towards him.

“Lee Won. You don’t need to feel guilty. I underestimated the mild spiciness, and that was my mistake.”

Did it show? In private settings, our expressions tend to be more honest. I had also heard before that my expressions often revealed everything.

“Manager. Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Do you have any plans to quit being our manager?”

Cough, cough?

Did we all get a cold at the same time? I tilted my head, waiting for the manager's answer, but I felt pricking gazes all over my body.

“Hey. What’s this….”

“No. I don’t plan to quit. It’s hard to find good kids like you. If I had to change my assignment, then….”

“Yes? No. I just wanted you to be our manager for a long time. And even if you quit, don't cut off contact.”

I was worrying about a breakup again. I had a bad habit of being afraid of separation, which made it hard to open up to people.

When forming relationships, you shouldn’t worry about breaking up first, but I couldn’t help it. So, I decided to accept the possibility of a breakup from the start, thinking that I would do my best until the end.

But if Joonhyun quit being our manager soon, it would be tough, so I asked. It seems there was a communication error.

Seohoon rubbed his chest, and Chorok drank cold water in large gulps. Jiyoon focused on his meal, and Ora, whose big eyes seemed even bigger, changed his expression indifferently.

“Surprise. I thought you were hinting that you wanted the manager to quit.”

“Me? If I wanted the manager to quit, I would say it directly.”

“Wow.”

Thud.

Ora's red, sauce-covered chicken foot fell back into the bowl. What’s the problem? I blinked, waiting for his next words.

“Would you say it directly? Like, quit right now? Wow. That’s really rude.”

“When have I ever been so….”

“Lee Won. To get along in society, you need to know how to speak indirectly. Otherwise, you might run into trouble.”

Chorok, the most social among us, made this statement, increasing its credibility. But it was hard to accept.

“I thought I was being direct, but it’s more than that.”

So far, there had been no issues. Since the day I started speaking my mind, I hadn’t used indirect language.

Twisting my thoughts and emotions to express them indirectly could lead to misunderstandings. It’s also tiring to grasp the underlying meaning and speak indirectly.

“Speaking indirectly and being considerate are different things.”

Even if you speak indirectly to avoid hurting the other person, is that the only intention?

By speaking indirectly, you can pressure the other person to do what you want without directly saying it, while positioning yourself as the good guy.

“…Right. I’ve never thought about it deeply, but speaking politely and speaking indirectly are indeed different.”

“Agreed. Lee Won doesn’t need to worry. Chorok.”

Being honest doesn’t mean I don’t choose my words based on the time and place. I’m not bad at reading the room. Perhaps….

“I misunderstood. I was so worried about how it would look on TV that I gave you misguided advice. Sorry, Lee Won.”

Chorok apologized, and Ora also briefly apologized for creating a misunderstanding. After saying it was okay, he picked up his spoon again.

“What’s this? Lee Won, you asked such an out-of-the-blue question while we were eating.”

“Lee Won. You might….”

“Let’s finish eating and go to the cafe. We have time, right, Manager?”

“We need to be there by 3 PM.”

I felt like Chorok had figured out why I asked the manager, so I quickly changed the topic. I avoided his gaze and grabbed a cup of water, and Chorok gave up and turned away.

We might talk about it later, but for now, I had successfully avoided it.

* * *

After Ora’s birthday, we appeared on a few more music shows. As we approached the one-month mark since our debut, the members of Theora and the company staff started to feel uneasy.

As newcomers, we expected that our recognition among show producers would be low, but it was unusually low to the point where we weren’t getting any additional schedules.

“The producers’ evaluations are positive, but it’s strange.”

“Manager, you feel the same way, right? I’m not the only one feeling uneasy, am I?”

I had only thought about it internally, never voicing it. If even the manager felt it was strange, it wasn’t a normal situation.

But there was no way to find out the reason, and even if we did, we couldn’t be sure we could solve it.

“Wait a moment. I’ll make a call and be right back.”

The manager seemed to be planning to contact an acquaintance to get more information. The members were lost in their own thoughts.

“We did well on the music shows! Our company is well-known in the industry, but we’re not getting any contacts. It’s unbelievable! I’m not asking for famous variety shows or music talk shows. Just a spot when a bunch of idols gather! Or even a guest appearance on an internet show! We just want Theora to be called….”

Pakha listed her complaints. Jiyoon, with a furrowed brow, tapped his fingers on the table, lost in thought.

Seohoon and Ora went out with Theora’s dedicated phone and came back, staring intently at Chorok, who had a deeply furrowed brow.

Unable to withstand their gaze, Chorok muttered seriously.

“Someone seems to be influencing things.”

…What?