Chapter 21

Chapter 6. The Song Will Rise

One week after the release of the song.

In the midst of my usual daily routine, I was sitting in the second-floor recording studio, receiving a lesson from Mr. Jo Gyu-hwan.

Break time.

Mr. Jo Gyu-hwan, who brought coffee, smiled at me.

"You look a bit down."

"Me?"

"Is it because the song's performance isn't as good as you expected?"

"No, it's not."

I waved my hand with a smile, but deep down, he was right.

Human hearts are so fickle that even though I believed the process was more meaningful, I ended up focusing on the results.

Continued chart failures.

Perhaps this result meant our song wasn't good. If so, was our effort misplaced? Such thoughts had been piling up lately.

As if understanding my mood, he smiled and said,

"Don't worry."

His next words made my ears perk up.

"Your song will rise."

"Really?"

"I think your song will rise."

If someone else had said it, I might have laughed, but when he said it, it carried weight.

Jo Gyu-hwan.

A copyright owner with nearly 300 songs and the Midas touch of Lemon Entertainment.

That's why I couldn't help but be surprised.

"Have you heard of DTD in baseball?"

"No."

"It means 'The team that is going down will go down.'"

Mr. Jo Gyu-hwan explained.

"The music industry is similar. A song that is meant to rise will rise. That's the natural order of things and what I've experienced so far."

"Thank you for your words, but to be honest, this time—"

"It's not just a gut feeling."

The composer continued.

"The song itself is good."

"Is it?"

"Yes, it's well-made."

For some reason, it felt good to be acknowledged.

"The distribution of the duet parts is good, and the overall color of the song is great. The melody is fresh, and it's a medium tempo, making it perfect for the upcoming spring season. Most importantly, the charts are currently wide open."

"Open?"

"Sixty Seconds, with their incredible fanbase, have fallen. They had about 10 songs in the charts."

"Oh..."

"Girls on Top is also on a break. TNT is coming back soon, but they're an exception. Otherwise, there's no real competition. If you do well, you can sweep the charts."

Mr. Jo Gyu-hwan, who was scanning the charts on his smartphone, said,

"From what I see, the song is good, and the environment for it to rise is set. If only we had a good trigger..."

"A good trigger."

I repeated the words and asked him,

"Then how can we create that trigger?"

"Huh?"

"If I do something..."

Before I could finish, Mr. Jo laughed. Then he burst out laughing.

Confused, I asked,

"Why are you laughing?"

"You're cute."

I had heard plenty of compliments about my looks, but being called cute was a first.

"Why are you worrying about this?"

"Huh?"

"I know you're the leader, so you're always thinking about how to make the team succeed, but your main job is to be an entertainer."

"Oh..."

"Why do we have a management company? It's there to tell you to focus on practicing and not worry about other things. If you do everything, we won't be able to make a living."

He looked at me with a proud smile and said,

"Don't worry. Mr. Yun is going around the broadcasting stations, promoting your song."

"Really?"

"He said he hasn't been seen much lately?"

I could imagine Mr. Yun Seok-hwan bowing and pleading with people to play our song, despite his back pain from a herniated disc.

Seeing my thoughts, Mr. Jo Gyu-hwan smiled reassuringly.

"You just need to flap your wings. We'll give you the wings."

* * *

Perhaps it was thanks to Mr. Yun's efforts.

Sometimes "Something" would play on the radio, and occasionally it would enter the top 100 charts.

While the overall low performance was disappointing, it wasn't entirely fruitless.

After all, our recognition increased.

The views on our choreography videos, end-of-year evaluation practice videos, and collaboration videos with Jang So-won on the company's YouTube channel started to rise steadily.

Most of the views came from people who subscribed to the Lemon Entertainment account, but occasionally, people who heard "Something" would search for us.

It might only be in the hundreds, but...

How should I put it?

Like people who deliberately seek out hidden alleys in tourist spots to find good restaurants.

- I really enjoyed "Something"!! Supporting New Black!

- I heard the song and searched out of curiosity. Everyone is so handsome.

- I'll keep an eye on you. 😄

Even though there were only 5-6 comments, they were a big boost for us.

Whenever practice got tough, I would read such comments to feel better, which became a new habit.

Of course, the biggest gain was something else.

Me: [Grandma, how do you like the song my grandson released?]

King God Kim Deok-soon: [It's good.]

King God Kim Deok-soon: [If you have a cassette, send it to me. I'll play it in the store.]

Me: [Where would I find a cassette these days? Everything is digital.]

Me: [Just wait a bit.]

Me: [A windfall might be coming soon. ^ㅇ^]

King God Kim Deok-soon: [You're amazing.]

How could my grandma be so kind?

King God Kim Deok-soon: [I thought you'd say that, you brat.]

King God Kim Deok-soon: [Stop slacking off and practice hard.]

Seeing her full of curses, my heart felt at ease. It seemed I wasn't entirely normal either.

Still, despite her words...

I could see how much she must have bragged about us to everyone around her.

Thinking about my grandma promoting us, saying, "My grandson is a singer! An idol singer! He just released a song!" made me feel proud.

We haven't achieved anything yet, but it felt good to give her something to be proud of.

"Brother."

Biju poked me from the side.

"Yeah?"

"Jiho is waving to calm them down."

"Oh."

I looked down and waved back.

In the crowd of middle school students in their uniforms, our youngest member was waving and smiling brightly.

February 13th.

The day before Valentine's Day, it was Jiho's middle school graduation ceremony.

* * *

"What are they?"

"They're entertainers. Entertainers."

"Have they been on TV?"

"Mom, they're not entertainers, they're trainees. Like interns at a company."

"Our So-yeon knows so much."

"Mom, even elementary school kids know these days."

"They're so handsome."

"The one in the middle, doesn't he look diligent? He's handsome and looks like he's good at studies."

Yes, thank you. Ma'am.

"You're so naive. Idols are idols, why would they be good at studies?"

"No, I mean he looks like it."

"Still, it's good that they don't look like typical entertainers. I thought they'd be all flashy and stuff."

Whispers about us could be heard from all around.

We pretended not to hear and leaned against the railing with a relaxed posture, but we heard everything.

Every time someone said we were handsome or cute, my cheeks would twitch.

Ah, I'm so happy.

I love attention. We love attention.

"Really, it feels like we're getting some treatment now that we're out of the company."

"Right."

Biju replied.

"It's been a long time since I heard someone say I'm handsome."

"You?"

"They say you're a face that could fit in the entertainment industry."

"Those people don't even look in mirrors."

Still, our youngest member is really handsome.

In a hall with over a hundred people, his face stood out.

There were plenty of girls observing Jiho's every move.

Whenever Jiho waved, they would glance at us and giggle, whispering to each other.

Well, they probably weren't saying anything bad.

On the other hand, the boys would glance at us and snicker after seeing the girls' reactions.

I couldn't help but smile.

I could guess what the kids at that age were thinking. It was also clear from their expressions.

They really are just kids.

Their fair skin and lively atmosphere were refreshing.

"Still, being young is the best."

"Here you go, talking like an old person again."

Lee Hyuk, who was scolding me, pointed with his finger.

"Jiho's parents are there, so we'll go greet them in a bit."

"Where?"

"The group of four women over there."

"Wow."

Jung-hyun's exclamation reflected everyone's thoughts.

Three sisters, I think.

A middle-aged man with a dignified presence, a middle-aged woman with a gentle face, and three young women in their 20s with model-like postures.

The power of genes is truly great.

There were many people glancing at Jiho's family, filled with handsome and beautiful people.

But I was focused on Jiho's father.

He had a presence that reminded me of a corporate executive, and he was dressed in a designer suit from head to toe.

"Jiho's father."

"Yes?"

"Didn't you say he was a chicken restaurant owner?"

Biju laughed awkwardly.

"He is. Why?"

"He looks like a corporate executive. I had an image in my head from the last year-end evaluation, but seeing him in person, he looks similar to President Park Tae-joon from TJ Entertainment."

"Brother."

Lee Hyuk interjected.

"Stop beating around the bush and just say it."

"What?"

"Jiho's father is the CEO of a chicken franchise."

As I blinked, Biju typed "Wang Hyun-tak" into the search bar and showed me.

- Born in 1957, businessman.

- CEO of HoHo Chicken.

HoHo Chicken is one of the top three chicken franchises, isn't it?

"..."

No wonder the things Jiho uses are not ordinary.

When you say "chicken restaurant," you don't mean just any chicken restaurant.

The faces of my juniors, who looked at me in disbelief, showed that they had the same reaction when they first found out.

He really is the son of a wealthy family.

It was the first time I had seen a junior tycoon, and I couldn't help but look at Jiho's father with curiosity.

Rustle rustle.

The eyes of the people who were looking at us shifted to another direction.

Naturally, my gaze followed.

At the entrance of the hall.

A group of cameras appeared with the sound of shutters clicking.

A face we had forgotten.

Gil Chae-kyung, the youngest member of Girls on Top.

It seemed like it had been a while since we last saw her after the controversy.

"Really, she looks so innocent."

"She's the one. Our son talks about her excitedly every time he comes to school."

"I thought she'd look like a fox, but she's pretty. She looks like our daughter."

"She's much prettier. Ye-seo looks like you."

"You should shut your mouth more often. You make me angry every time you speak."

Gil Chae-kyung's appearance was enough to draw favorable reactions from people.

She glanced at Jiho, who was waving at us, and then turned her gaze to us for a moment.

Then she smiled.

It was a smile that seemed to have some hidden agenda.

"Is she going to sit next to Jiho?"

"What?"

"There are plenty of seats, so why there..."

What's going on? What's her plan?

* * *

Gil Chae-kyung was extremely annoyed.

It was because the attention was focused on Joo Hana, who was pointed out as Joo Wan's girlfriend during the controversy.

The excitement of seeing the gathered reporters quickly faded.

Most of the questions were extremely unpleasant, like "How is Hana doing?" and "What are your thoughts?"

'Ask me about my graduation ceremony.'

At least for today, she should have been the main focus.

She was also upset that her sisters couldn't attend the ceremony due to the controversy, and that the reporters kept asking strange questions. Most of all, she hated seeing Wang Jiho happily greeting his seniors.

'I can't stand it.'

What's so funny that he's smiling?

Because she couldn't stand it, Gil Chae-kyung deliberately sat next to Wang Jiho.

I'll make him eat some humble pie.

She smiled brightly at the classmates who were staring at her with wide eyes.

"Hi, Ji-eun and Yeong-seon."

They had only seen each other a few times a year, but the fact that she knew their names excited them.

Thanks to this, Gil Chae-kyung could easily lead a friendly conversation.

'They're just kids.'

For Gil Chae-kyung, who had been in the entertainment industry since middle school, it was an easy task.

She quickly won over her peers, who had idolized her, and then moved on to her plan.

"Hi, Jiho. It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has."

"We see each other at the company, but it's strange to see you here."

Her words made the others excited.

"Wow, you're in the same company?"

"No."

"But how did you meet at the company?"

Gil Chae-kyung spoke in a gentle tone.

"Jiho came to our agency to get a song from one of our seniors."

Technically, it was a collaboration, but contradicting her would only make Wang Jiho look bad.

Gil Chae-kyung smiled and said,

"By the way, didn't you release a song recently?"

"Really? Jiho, you didn't tell us."

"A bit embarrassed..."

However, her scheme didn't seem to be working.

Instead of blushing, Jiho was grinning like a puppy.

"What's the song? No, what's the group name?"

"It's not very famous, so it's a bit hard to say..."

Gil Chae-kyung, who had been listening, quickly answered,

"New Black."

"New Black?"

"Right, Jiho?"

Now was the time for the "Who are they?" reaction.

But the situation took a different turn.

The mention of "New Black" made the atmosphere around them momentarily freeze.

'What?'

An unknown silence spread, followed by whispers that rippled through the crowd.

"New Black?"

As the whispers spread throughout the hall, Gil Chae-kyung was stunned.

'What?'

What is this?

It feels like I accidentally gave them a huge promotion.