Chapter 89

#089

The second group name selection meeting begins!

The location is the break room, and the time is lunch.

Everyone was holding takeout food in their hands.

“What’s with ‘Girl Alliance’? Does it mean an alliance of girls? An alliance for what?”

“An alliance for the world.”

“For what purpose?”

“Fighting against the harsh world… something like that?”

“That’s weird.”

“Then how about ‘Girls’ Age’?”

“Mr. Park, ‘Girls’ Age’ is a foul. What if it becomes the top name for the second-generation girl group?”

“Isn’t the name ‘Girls’ Age’ strange enough?”

“…….”

That’s what names are like.

When you first hear them, they might sound funny, but as time passes and they settle in your mind, they combine with the surrounding reputation or image.

The name Yi Sun-sin, for example, feels dignified thanks to his achievements and historical background.

But if you remove the context and just look at the name ‘Sun-sin,’ it would likely seem strange.

“I think ‘Girl Alliance’ has meaning and can attract people’s attention.”

“If that’s the case, why not ‘Girl Soviet’?”

“It would become ‘Goso’ if shortened! That’s weird!”

“‘Soviet’ is even weirder…….”

Hong Gyu-hyun put down his bowl of jajangmyeon as if he were tired.

“Mr. Park, you were serious. Okay, I’ll keep ‘Girl Alliance’ in mind. Does anyone have any other ideas?”

Son Hye-bin raised her hand.

“What about ‘Bias’? It’s a name that’s been stuck in my head.”

“Is the team name ‘Prejudice’?”

At Han Goo-in’s question, Son Hye-bin laughed loudly.

“In English, ‘bias’ means ‘favorite.’ For example, if you say ‘Han Goo-in is my bias,’ it means ‘Han Goo-in is my favorite.’”

“I see. It’s a name that sounds a bit arrogant but also conveys a bold ambition. It means the members want to become people’s favorites.”

“Yes. It also has that meaning, and it’s a four-letter word.”

There’s a superstition in the entertainment industry.

Group names should be four letters!

Many successful groups have four-letter names.

Is it because they are easy to pronounce and often come up in conversation, or because they attract attention, or do they really have some supernatural power?

Currently, all top-tier girl groups have four-letter names.

“To be honest, I don’t think names need a lot of meaning. As long as you can simply explain, ‘Oh, that’s what it means,’ it’s enough. The most important thing is that it sticks in people’s mouths.”

While Son Hye-bin was speaking, Min Kyung-sub’s expression was not good.

Reading his mood, Son Hye-bin stared at Min Kyung-sub with a terrifying look.

“Mr. Min, don’t you like it?”

“No, no. It’s not that… I think there might be a problem.”

“Why? What’s wrong with it? What don’t you like about it?”

“Sis, stop it. Kyung-sub is scared.”

Min Kyung-sub spoke about what was bothering him.

“When foreigners search for our group, there might be a problem. There are groups with names that are everyday words, making it hard to search for them.”

“Oh, right. If we get an international fan base, it might be hard for them to find information.”

If an American types ‘bias,’ all the information about the group might be buried under other results.

“Isn’t that just a happy delusion? How many international fans will we really get, especially from the English-speaking world?”

“Are you ignoring our kids, Mr. President?!”

“I’m not ignoring them… but you know.”

It might be an excessive worry to think about international fans when it’s uncertain if they’ll even succeed in Korea.

“Anyway, I’ll keep ‘Bias’ in mind. Does anyone have more suggestions?”

Han Goo-in timidly raised his hand.

When he expressed his opinion on the production, everyone looked at him with great interest.

Feeling embarrassed, Han Goo-in averted his gaze and spoke hesitantly.

“What about ‘Near’? It means being close to the fans. Pronounced differently, ‘Nia’ could also be a good name… I think.”

“Oh, that’s classic.”

Han Goo-in’s face brightened at Hong Gyu-hyun’s praise.

He felt encouraged and shared all his thoughts.

“Actually, I thought of this name as soon as I saw the production plan Mr. Park wrote. The main values Mr. Park emphasized were the group’s creativity as artists and genuine communication with fans. I think the name ‘Near’ emphasizes that communication.”

A collective “Oh!” echoed through the break room.

Feeling embarrassed, Han Goo-in only nodded in gratitude.

“It would be nice if there was a hidden meaning in each letter.”

“Actually, all the members’ names contain the letters of ‘Near.’”

“What? Really?”

Haya‘n’g. Haya.

S‘e’olha. Seolha.

Rik‘a’. Rika.

A‘r’a. Ara.

“……No, this is too contrived. If it was the first letter, it might be okay, but having them in the middle makes it feel forced.”

“Is that so…….”

“And where is Shin Ah-reum?”

Han Goo-in still often thought there were only four members.

It was hard for him to include Shin Ah-reum in his mind because he had spent so much time with the four of them.

But this time, it was different.

“Shin Ah-reum’s name also contains all the letters of ‘Near.’”

No, it wasn’t.

When Shin Ah-reum’s name is written in English, it contains all the letters of ‘Near.’

“This is a bit creepy…….”

There are 26 letters in the alphabet, so it’s not common for a person’s name to contain specific letters.

Son Hye-bin rubbed her shoulders as if she were in a cold place.

“Isn’t this like fate? It feels like we should use the name ‘Near.’”

“No. I don’t think so. I still prefer ‘Girl Alliance.’”

Ignoring Seong Pil, Son Hye-bin asked Min Kyung-sub.

“Mr. Min, do you have any ideas?”

“I thought of the name ‘Labs.’”

“Laboratory, right?”

“It can also mean ‘Labor Party.’”

“Mr. Han. Realistically, it can’t be the Labor Party…….”

“Oh, right. It would be ‘Laboratories’ then. And ‘Laboratories’ as well.”

“……It’s an acronym for ‘Look at the bright side.’”

Unable to bear his suggestion being torn apart, Min Kyung-sub explained the meaning first.

“I want the group to be one that shows the bright side to fans. The meaning of ‘laboratory’ is also good. I don’t have anything specific in mind, but it could also mean ‘Lapse’—bad things pass by, something like that.”

“The two-letter name is good, but the meaning of ‘laboratory’ is a bit off. It’s not really tailored to the group’s image.”

Hong Gyu-hyun’s criticism made Min Kyung-sub shrug. It didn’t seem like he was particularly attached to the name.

“Then, Mr. President, do you have any ideas?”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not really interested in the group name. The previous group name was also created by Mr. Han.”

This was the first time they heard this story.

“The previous group name was ‘Supress.’ What does it mean?”

“It means ‘to suppress.’ The alpha meaning was that the group would be so strong that it would suppress the music industry…….”

But the one suppressed was Garo Entertainment.

“Good. So far, we have ‘Bias,’ ‘Near,’ and ‘Labs.’”

“What about ‘Girl Alliance’?”

“Right. We have ‘Girl Alliance’…… but doesn’t it really sound strange?”

“It’s like a beautiful Korean flower among English names. We should love our language. Isn’t ‘Girl Alliance’ that strange? There are names like ‘Waterproofers’…….”

Waterproofers (防水團, WaTerProofers).

A top-tier boy group that literally means ‘waterproof.’ It symbolizes blocking out the harsh recognition and criticism from the world, whether it’s waves, rain, or a downpour.

“They changed their name to WTP, though.”

“They’re still called ‘Waterproofers.’”

“I remember the media making fun of them when they first debuted. I even saw an article about a water-proofing company sending them a bouquet for their showcase. It’s good they succeeded now.”

Hong Gyu-hyun was silent for a moment.

She tapped her thigh with a pen and then suddenly grabbed her head.

“Ah, I’m going crazy. ‘Girl Alliance’ really sounds good. It keeps echoing in my mind.”

“Mr. President, you too? Me too. It’s funny and catchy…….”

“It’s the primacy effect. The first thing you hear is the easiest to remember.”

“I thought ‘Girl Alliance’ was fine from the beginning.”

Seong Pil and Min Kyung-sub seemed to have similar tastes, perhaps because they had worked together for a long time at Seccess Entertainment. Seong Pil had already been brainwashed.

“Since we have time before debut, let’s all keep thinking about it. Ah, the noodles are done. Mr. Park, you brought up ‘Girl Alliance’ suddenly, so we couldn’t even eat.”

“Why do you make it sound like it’s my fault?”

While eating the cooked noodles, Hong Gyu-hyun kept muttering ‘Girl Alliance.’

* * *

“Joa-ra!”

Seong Pil burst into the practice room.

“My heart is going to fail because of you, really…….”

“Get in my car.”

“Eh?! A drive? Take me too, please!”

Seong Pil pushed Rika away like a cicada and took only Joa-ra.

“Cheater! The tire might blow out on the way! I don’t mean an accident, just a flat tire!”

“I’ll try.”

Seong Pil was silent even while driving.

At first, Joa-ra accepted his attitude playfully, but she gradually became anxious.

“What did I do wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know.”

“Really, what’s going on?”

They arrived at Yoo No Dance Academy.

Seong Pil led the bewildered Joa-ra into the academy.

He stopped in front of a practice room and lowered his voice as if expecting something.

“Ara.”

“What?”

“Today, I’ll help you achieve your dream.”

When he opened the door, Baek Min-jeong was stretching alone in front of the mirror.

She met Joa-ra’s eyes in the mirror and smiled.

“What’s going on, teacher? Why are we here…….”

“Ara!”

“Really, are you all trying to scare me? Why are you all shouting…….”

“Do you want to create a choreography with me?”

Joa-ra’s eyes widened. She looked at Seong Pil with an eager expression.

Seong Pil nodded kindly.

“Go.”

“A, Uncle.”

“What?”

“If I hug you now, will it be crossing the line?”

“Can’t help it…….”

When Joa-ra hugged Seong Pil, he couldn’t resist her strength and fell to the ground.

He should have taught her judo instead of being an idol.

“Hello!”

Soon, three more dancers arrived.

Since Baek Min-jeong needed to create a choreography for a five-member group, she needed five dancers.

“Is it okay to film?”

“Yeah. Big brother, you have to make me look pretty.”

“Don’t be too conscious of the camera.”

Seong Pil filmed the choreography creation process.

Besides Joa-ra’s participation in the choreography, it was also significant as a collaboration between a teacher and a student.

‘Only Min-jeong can do this.’

Garo Entertainment had asked other choreographers to create choreographies, not just Baek Min-jeong.

If another choreographer had been asked to include Joa-ra, they would have likely refused.

Only Baek Min-jeong, who knew Joa-ra’s experience and learning, accepted the proposal.

Of course, it wouldn’t fully reflect Joa-ra’s ideas. Baek Min-jeong was also participating to improve her student’s skills.

Joa-ra changed into a tight-fitting outfit that revealed her figure and stood in front of the mirror.

When creating choreography, dancers often wear tight clothes to clearly see their body lines.

“Uncle, are you filming me well?”

Joa-ra struck a seductive pose with a playful expression.

Seong Pil felt infinite respect for Joa-ra’s personal trainer.

‘This should be saved as a photo…….’

Seong Pil placed his phone on a stand.

“Yeah. Start.”

“OK, OK!”

Seong Pil had only heard about the choreography creation process but had never seen it.

So he was excited to be here today.

Exploring an unknown world is always enjoyable.

“Hmm…… It’s arrogant.”

“This part is a bit scattered.”

“Let’s just tidy up the hands?”

“Yeah, like this.”

Joa-ra and the other four dancers sat in a circle, moving their hands and arms gracefully.

Ten minutes had passed since they started.

“…….”

It’s boring.

I want to play a phone game.

But that would be rude, so Seong Pil tried to maintain his focus.

“Okay. Let’s stop here.”

The five danced in sync, but at a slightly slower pace than the original beat.

They danced a bit, made adjustments, and then made more adjustments.

Sometimes they took notes and played the song dozens of times to create the choreography.

“Where should we raise our hands?”

“Should we stop at shoulder height?”

“I want them to be bigger. Boom boom.”

“Whoosh.”

What does that mean?

Are they understanding each other’s thoughts through these onomatopoeias?

“Let’s try this part from the beginning.”

“Okay!”

Three hours had already passed, but Joa-ra wasn’t tired.

Seong Pil watched the dancers reflected in the mirror.

Unlike before, everyone’s eyes were much more serious.

The first verse of the dance was presented in a perfectly refined form.

Seong Pil was completely absorbed in watching their dance without realizing it.

‘It’s amazing.’

It felt like a dance created for the song ‘No’……

Indeed, it was created for ‘No.’

In any case, it was really amazing.

The highlight was the end.

The five dancers changed their paths, moving several meters while only moving one leg up and down and keeping the other foot on the ground.

“What?!”

Seong Pil was surprised and exclaimed.

“Huh? Why, big brother?”

“Ba, what was that just now? How can you walk with only one leg moving……? The other foot is always on the ground…….”

Was it some alien physics?

Or had God changed the laws of physics without him knowing?

“Oh, this? It’s a basic move. A variation of the T-step.”

“What’s a T-step variation?”

“You can do it if you learn a bit. Do you want to try?”

He couldn’t.

Seong Pil’s hips made a creaking sound from moving too much, and he was too scared to try again.

“But it’s really amazing.”

“Right? It would look even better with five people.”

Seong Pil was excited to see the members perform this dance.

Just imagining it made his breathing heavy.

“Why are you like that, Uncle?”

Joa-ra wrinkled her nose, looking disgusted.

Seong Pil didn’t know what he looked like, but he knew it wasn’t normal.

“Ah, I want to move on to the styling phase quickly……. Ara, how about a short bob? A neat short bob. Ah, what about a rock chic style?”

“I don’t know