Chapter 3

No way. I’ve been preparing for today for so long.

"Brother is thirteen years older than me."

At my words, Kim Hyun-jo sighs.

"Then, Jeong Seon-woo must be the youngest and the baby of the family. Being the youngest and the baby, you must have been really pampered. This job might be a bit tough for you..."

It’s always the same prejudice.

You must have been treated like a prince. Everyone must have spoiled you. Just looking at you, you seem like a rich kid. You probably don’t have any perseverance.

These are the kinds of things I hear. I even heard them in the military.

But I feel wronged.

"I was in middle school when my brother got married."

"Huh?"

"The next year, my sister-in-law got pregnant and went to the gynecologist, and they said there were quadruplets in her womb."

"Wow?"

I remember the day the family was turned upside down. My brother, who was always quiet and dry like dried fish, had a face that was hard to tell if he was laughing or crying.

Father, mother, quadruplets, heh heh heh heh... heh...

Kim Hyun-jo and Choi Geun-yeong look at me with wide eyes.

"My sister-in-law planned to quit her job and focus on raising the children, but with four, she couldn’t. They had to work as a dual-income family just to afford the diapers."

"Right, right. With four kids, the cost of diapers and formula must be a lot."

"Ultimately, my mother took on the responsibility of raising the four nephews, but even she couldn’t handle it alone."

"Ah... I see."

"So, I helped out. In middle school, I changed diapers and soothed crying babies. In high school and college, I was almost a babysitter. I even had a nickname, 'Jeong Jumma,' because I smelled like baby milk. Haha."

"Uh..."

"So, I am the youngest and the baby, but I never got any special treatment."

"Wow... You must have had a tough time. Raising four kids and changing their diapers, you must have been more than capable of handling the backstage work for a girl group."

It went according to plan.

This way, I avoided being chosen at first sight, just like in my dream. In a way, it’s a stroke of luck. If I hadn’t had the dream, my mind would be filled with nothing but 'disaster, disaster, disaster, what do I do?' right now.

And it really would have been a disaster.

Being assigned to a girl group is still shocking and surreal. But I can’t just quit because I don’t like it.

W&U is the best company I’ve looked into.

Compared to other companies, the salary is good, and it’s a company that continuously explores overseas markets despite repeated failures, so there’s a lot to learn.

Most importantly, the system for advancing from a road manager to a management position is systematic and stable. This is the biggest advantage. I’ve heard that in some companies, you might drive for years without any advancement.

I’m not sure if I can find a better job than this, and it’s not a bad idea to experience the music and variety show industries first. Actors also appear on variety shows, so if I build my career managing a girl group, I’ll soon have opportunities to work with actors.

I will... damn it.

I picked up the Neptune profile.

Girl group. The pronunciation rolls off my tongue strangely. The girl groups I know by name are only a few famous ones and those I naturally came across during my military service. And those who appeared in dramas or movies.

None of them are called Neptune.

Neptune (네ptune).

After propelling the boy group Blackout to stardom, Neptune is W&U’s second idol, a four-member girl group. They debuted two years ago.

Their outstanding appearance is their strong point, to the point where all members could be considered visual lines.

Looking at their profile pictures, they are indeed beautiful, each with a distinct charm. I looked at them for a while, hoping to recognize a face, but it only made my eyes hurt. I carefully read through the last page and put the profile in my bag.

The dream comes to mind again.

Even if it’s a premonition, can it be this accurate? I haven’t received divine inspiration or anything. Even if the girl group part could match, the debut year and group name being the same is too eerie.

Wait. Could it be?

When I searched for articles about W&U, I might have seen the name Neptune and the debut year in passing.

It might not be in my conscious memory, but it could have stayed in my subconscious and appeared in my dream. At least, this seems more plausible than a premonition.

Still, thinking about my successful self, a premonition isn’t all bad...

"Mr. Seon-woo, have you finished reading the profile?"

"Yes, I have."

Thanks to the story about the quadruplets, Kim Hyun-jo’s tone is softer than before.

"Our Management Team 3 is the toughest team at W&U, physically, mentally, and emotionally. After a little work, you’ll get a feel for who will stay long and who will quit soon."

The atmosphere was tense, so I straightened up.

"Everyone who comes into this industry has grand dreams of becoming the CEO of a major company, but out of ten, eight or nine quit within a year. The higher-ups say that today’s kids lack the basics and that it was harder in the old days, but... honestly, it’s understandable. Most people come in with a college education. Did I spend over a decade studying to be a driver for young girls and buy them kimbap? Of course, they would think that way."

"..."

"Plus, the pay is low, you can’t take care of your meals and sleep, so your body deteriorates, and there are countless people who bully you. We have to bow and scrape to PDs, writers, and directors every day. You might think about quitting dozens of times a day."

Choi Geun-yeong and I listened in silence, like mutes.

Is he telling us to quit because this industry is so tough and success is hard to come by?

I jumped into this because I really wanted to, but I didn’t just chase after illusions. Who doesn’t know that being a manager is an extreme job? I’ve heard a lot about how dirty and despicable the entertainment industry can be.

"Why am I telling you this on your first day?"

We looked at each other and then answered.

"Because you’re our senior, to give us advice..."

"To help us understand the reality..."

"Just quit if you’re going to quit."

"Excuse me?"

"If I’ve taught you everything and you quit, what does that make me? I’d have to go through the same process with a new recruit. So, if you think you can’t do it, quit as soon as possible and find another path. Don’t drag it out for two weeks or a month and make it more tiring."

Wow. This is a first-day experience for the ages.

Not every new employee hears this, right?

"If you’re going to do it, do it well. Okay?"

"Understood."

"Yes."

I haven’t even started, but I’m already drained. It feels like a heavy stone has settled in my chest, making me feel suffocated. We drove for about five more minutes without a word.

"We’re here, that’s the villa."

The minivan stops in front of the villa. I thought the idol dormitory would have something special, but it looks ordinary from the outside.

Choi Geun-yeong asks as he gets out of the car.

"It’s very different from Blackout’s dormitory."

"You can’t compare them. They have sasaeng fans. If they lived in a place with such a lax security system, it would be chaos."

"True... Sasaeng fans are scary these days."

"They’re terrifying. Someone said that after finishing a schedule and going home, they found a sasaeng fan hiding in their closet. There are a lot of psychos."

I looked around and asked.

"Does Neptune have such fans?"

"No. They don’t even have regular fans, so how could they have sasaeng fans? But even after girl groups become popular, they don’t have the same sasaeng fan issues as boy groups. Occasionally, some crazy guys try to touch them at fan meetings or events. They’re perverts."

Kim Hyun-jo shudders and enters the villa. Choi Geun-yeong and I follow closely behind.

Our eyes meet, and I feel a slight sense of camaraderie along with the awkwardness. We both smile. Choi Geun-yeong’s dimples are deep, and his face looks friendly. I wonder what my face looks like. I hope I don’t look like a jerk.

I extend my hand first.

"I’m twenty-seven."

"Huh? Me too. I’m from the 08 batch. We’re the same age, so can we speak informally?"

"Sure."

I’ll have to see more to know, but so far, he seems like a decent guy.

We take the elevator to the fifth floor. Kim Hyun-jo opens the door lock with a password without ringing the bell.

Clunk.

The living room is still dark. We fumble to take off our shoes and enter. It feels like invading a foreign world, being in a dormitory where only girl group members live.

I’m a bit nervous, and it’s not just me; Choi Geun-yeong, who follows behind, also looks tense.

When Kim Hyun-jo turns on the lights, the living room brightens up.

The house isn’t that big. It’s much better than my studio apartment, but it feels cramped with four people living together. The round, cute sofa, the character cushions and dolls scattered on it, the cream-colored rug—all of it screams 'girls’ space.'

"Girls! Get up and get ready! We have to go to the studio by five!"

Bang bang!

Kim Hyun-jo knocks on the doors twice.

The first door to open is the one on the left side of the balcony.

"Brother, you’re early."

Wow.

Wow...

Sometimes, when watching a movie or drama, the screen suddenly becomes vibrant, and the female lead looks incredibly beautiful. It’s like the director uses a special filter or heavy editing to make a scene stand out...

Right now, I’m seeing such a scene in front of me.

ⓒ Jang Woo-san

Oh.