Chapter 9

09

"Sure. I brought it today. I'll send you the sample later."

"Did you two know each other? Well… that’s not really important."

He seems to be accepting it more easily than I thought.

"Originally, we should release a song according to the plan, but in this case, I think we should do the opposite. I want to re-plan everything to fit the song."

"Your song wasn’t that great, though."

Oh, we’re getting along better than I expected.

At the same time, it annoyed me. You know the song is bad, but you just pushed it because you were too lazy to deal with it, right?

"I want to start the meeting right away today. We don’t have much time."

"Hmm… okay. I’ll talk to the planning team again. Since we don’t have much time, the members must have some ideas, right?"

"Yes. I’m confident we can lead it in a good direction."

We haven’t come up with anything specific yet, but it’s a matter of adjusting with the planning team.

The representative nodded approvingly.

"There won’t be any additional budget."

'Shit, I knew it.'

"At least we need to choreograph the dance. Even if we do the planning internally… what about the company’s choreography team?"

"We’re an acting agency. We don’t have one."

"…Then what about an external choreography team?"

"No additional support."

This damn company…

"Maybe you can adjust to an existing choreography, or there’s Seohyun, right? Seohyun dances really well. You could ask him."

Dancing well and choreographing are completely different things, you idiot!

No matter how much you hear and see, this is a company that has produced idols, and the representative is incredibly ignorant. If there were an option for a subordinate to defy a superior, I would have chosen it without hesitation.

"…I understand for now."

I’ll have to remember to revise the members’ contracts all at once later. I sighed.

"Then, let’s just stamp it."

"Sure. Hoyun, here’s the contract."

"Ah, about that."

"…?"

The manager, thinking the conversation was over, nodded enthusiastically like a car dashboard doll, picked up the contract, and tried to take me out. I pulled the contract from the manager’s hand and held it up.

This is why I came here alone.

"There are two revisions."

"What are they?"

"First, please rewrite the profit-sharing ratio."

80% for the company and 20% for the idol? That’s ridiculous.

No matter how short the contract is, this is unacceptable.

The representative and manager were taken aback and asked.

"Our profit-sharing ratio isn’t that bad… really bad places don’t even share profits if they don’t break even. Debts just pile up. Other places do about the same."

"Haha, just hear me out. So, what do you think?"

The representative, quickly composing himself, laughed. I smiled and said,

"70-30."

"You sound so serious, but you’re being timid. I’ll think about it. If the company gets 70%, other companies would…."

What are you talking about?

"No, I get 70%."

Everyone’s mouths shut tight. An awkward silence filled the representative’s office.

The representative took off his glasses and pressed his brow.

"Hoyun."

"Yes."

"Are you… joking with me?"

"No."

"Seo, Seohyun!"

The manager urgently pulled my arm.

Manager, you’re supposed to protect the artist, not act like this. Well, the representative is the one who pays your salary, so I can understand.

"You seem really proud of yourself for getting one song. Initial investments are really tough, Hoyun."

I know. In fact, from the company’s side, you’re just not capable, but the profit-sharing and respect for the artist are sufficient.

You didn’t immediately drop our hopeless group after a year of activities, which is a point in your favor. To be precise, it’s more like you neglected us.

"You might not succeed with just one song… it needs to be a topic."

"Yes."

"But unfortunately, there’s no member in Deden with that kind of recognition. Suji… might know some people from her training days at a major company, but not you, right?"

You’re being direct while pretending to be gentle.

You’re right.

If I weren’t here, you’d be right.

It’s time to make my move.

I waited silently, and the representative smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to interpret my silence.

"I’ll think about the profit-sharing. Don’t be too down…."

"Representative!"

Suddenly, the door to the representative’s office opened, and someone who looked like a staff member rushed in. The representative frowned at the sudden intrusion.

"Why is everyone acting like this today?"

"I’m sorry, but it’s urgent… Ah! Seohyun is here too."

"Coincidence?"

'Here we go.'

I smiled and nodded. They recognized me. The signal has arrived.

The staff member, with a face of confusion or something, stared at me intently and said urgently,

"The company’s phones are down."

"Huh?"

"Why?"

The manager tilted his head. It’s a small company, but there’s no actor popular enough to cause the phones to go down.

"Did someone have an accident? Did Jiheon start a romance? Or take drugs?"

"No, no… nothing like that."

The staff member quickly waved his hands. Then he glanced at me.

"Specifically, it’s related to Seohyun…."

Ah, Joo Sung did a good job.

Thanks, Joo Sung.

I smiled calmly, but the representative and manager looked bewildered.

"Joo Sung and Seohyun are collaborating… or is Seohyun joining a new project? Joo Sung’s fans and investors are suddenly flooding the phones."

"Joo Sung? The Black Call? What does he have to do with Hoyun?"

"Three hours ago, a video of Joo Sung and Seohyun together was uploaded to Best Star, where Joo Sung said Seohyun is a precious, well-mannered, and perfect younger brother…."

"Phew."

Ding!

[You’re in trouble!]

Did you really add such an embarrassing comment? I clearly decided the content and video to be uploaded….

'You’re a tough nut to crack.'

Joo Sung must have felt his pride was hurt. I shivered and rubbed my arms, then continued.

"What’s going on? Are you close to Joo Sung?"

The manager asked, flustered.

Close? No way.

Of course, it’s all a setup.

I recalled Joo Sung from a few hours ago.

He mumbled reluctantly when I brought up my request this morning.

'…Upload a video together on Best Star?'

'Yes. Please upload a few with a close younger brother concept. I’ll let you know the upload time separately.'

'Is that all you want?'

No, there’s more, Joo Sung.

I wouldn’t use such a valuable asset as you for a one-time use and throw you away.

'Yes, that’s enough.'

But I pretended otherwise.

Let’s get to know each other slowly.

I answered confidently, and Joo Sung hesitantly accepted the proposal.

'I see. I thought you wanted something huge.'

'It is huge.'

Well, it’s good for you. You just need to press a few Best Stars instead of money.

But it wasn’t just a personal Best Star. It was Joo Sung’s, who ranks 14th in followers. One post was worth millions.

'Work hard,' just one phrase could make the platform’s entertainment news say, 'New Year’s resolution…' and so on.

It doesn’t end there. Fans react even more strongly.

Fans already know everything about his personal life and close friends. Some even follow the accounts of his friends to see more of his photos.

But suddenly, if someone unknown appears on Joo Sung’s Best Star, which usually only has ads?

'Of course, they’ll look up who it is.'

I didn’t want to pretend to be close to Joo Sung, but he happened to have a cat. I waved a catnip toy a few times, and we had a video ready for Best Star.

'Oh, my kitty likes Hoyun.'

'He likes me more.'

'…You’re overstepping.'

Joo Sung acted well, and when we monitored the video, it looked like Joo Sung and I had known each other for ten years.

I also looked good, thanks to professional grooming and the effort I put into my charm. It was an important point.

While monitoring, I praised Joo Sung.

'Joo Sung, you act well.'

'Really, I should bow to you…'

I ignored Joo Sung’s dejected muttering and headed to the entrance to go back to the company. I petted the cat near my ankle as if saying goodbye. Joo Sung seemed to feel betrayed.

'What? You didn’t do that for me?'

Joo Sung becomes an idiot when it comes to cats. I didn’t have time to deal with more idiots, so I left and came to the company.

That’s how it happened.

"How do you know each other?"

"He’s a close senior, and I’m a junior."

But I didn’t plan to reveal everything.

The staff member, unsure of the awkward office atmosphere, hesitated and then spoke again.

"So, Seohyun suddenly became a topic among Joo Sung’s fans. It’s also being discussed in the community. Whether Seohyun is a trainee or joining Deden as a member… if a member, when will they come back? Of course, there are also protest calls from fans…."

Fans are furious, calling to ask who Joo Sung is pairing with. I anticipated such reactions.

But it’s fine. For a celebrity who lives on recognition, being hated is better than being ignored.

"…Go out for now."

"Sure!"

The staff member quickly left. The representative looked thoughtful.

"Representative."

I decided to drive the point home.

"If you let me handle the planning, I’ll get Deden’s comeback song into the top three charts."

"What? Top three charts?"

The representative’s expression changed.

"Last time, you said it was getting harder to get into one of them…."

He seemed to know something, and the atmosphere turned awkward when the chart topic came up.

'Well, it has gotten harder.'

A year ago, the real-time chart system was changed to a 24-hour aggregate, making the rankings almost fixed. For new idols, it’s like reaching for the stars.

I stared intently at the representative.

'But I know one thing, and you don’t know two.'

"Yes, you know well."

But I swallowed my true thoughts and smiled at the representative, gently persuading him.

"I’ll get it into the charts. Don’t worry."

"…Is that just talk?"

"Representative."

"There are many who talk big. Many stars get a brief moment of fame. I need a clear indicator. …Is it possible within a day?"

"A day?"

The manager gasped, but I smiled. Here he goes again, trying to intimidate me…

"Yes."

Of course, it didn’t work. I held up the contract.

"I mentioned two revisions earlier."

"…."

"One is the profit-sharing ratio adjustment."

The second… I slowly turned my gaze to the representative and manager, and the manager swallowed hard.

He really seems like a good audience.

"The second is the penalty clause. If I fail to get the song into the charts within a day of its release, I’ll pay back twice the investment in Deden so far."

"Seohyun!"

The manager’s voice rang out sharply. The representative looked at me with a piercing gaze.

I pretended to be calm but knew I was taking a big risk.

With five members and a short training period, the investment over one or two years would be around 3-4 billion. Twice that would be at least 6 billion.

I didn’t need to go this far, but mentioning the penalty clause was necessary because I had to put something on the line. Asking to change the profit-sharing ratio without any stakes would be meaningless, whether I got the song or appeared on Joo Sung’s Best Star.

The representative seemed to understand my intention.

"He’s still in pain, talking nonsense…."

"Okay. The penalty will be twice the investment."

"Really?!"

The representative nodded and took back the contract.

"The profit-sharing, 70-30 is too much… let’s make it 60-40, company to you."

"60 for me, 40 for the company."

A moment of tension.

"50-50?"

"No, 60 for me."

Stalemate!

"55-45?"

"60 for me."

Stalemate!!

It was like a scene from an old drama’s negotiation king. The representative laughed bitterly.

"You’re stubborn."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"It’s not a compliment. I’ll adjust it for you, Seohyun. It’s not a losing deal for me, considering the penalty."

I knew you would, representative. Coming here alone without telling the members was a good move. Whether the contract is revised later or not, I’ve achieved my goal.

I nodded and stood up.

"Please call me when the revised contract is ready. I’ll stamp it."

"Hoyun."

"Yes?"

"We’re not that bad of a company. You can back out now. I might be caught up in your bravado… but if not now, you’ll have to take responsibility for your words from now on."

Well, you’re pretending to be soft, but you’re really saying that I’ll have to pay the penalty if I fail.

Maybe you’re also considering the possibility of an unfair contract or something.

"Haha. Responsibility…."

I’ve taken responsibility.

When I promised to make a star out of a participant no matter what, even as a ruthless PD. When I promised to take care of my younger brother at the funeral after losing my parents.

I always kept my promises, no matter what.

"Of course, I’ll take responsibility. What are you talking about?"

"…."

I bowed slightly. The representative’s skeptical gaze was directed at me.

I shrugged and left the representative’s office, and a system window appeared.

Ding!

[Quest Received!

Seohyun, you’ve crossed an uncrossable river.

Here’s your quest:

If Deden’s comeback song succeeds in charting: +100 Reputation, +20 Charm, +20 Dance, +20 Singing

If it fails: Consider filing for bankruptcy. It’s better than debt!]

"Damn."

I laughed at the last part.