Chapter 6

In front of the broadcasting station, fans still swarm around. The cheers behind the fence burst out, as if a popular idol has arrived.

"Who is it? Cheer up today. Don't starve and eat something delicious. I'll support you... "

There is no profession without light and shadow, but the entertainment industry seems to have a particularly dark side because the bright part is so dazzling.

Well, they are who they are. We looked for a coffee shop and walked around the broadcasting station.

A cold wind seeps into my dress shirt. Wiping my arms with both hands doesn't help much. Damn. Why did I wear a suit thinking I would enjoy a movie? If I were going to have a premonition, I wish it had told me not to wear a suit.

"Ugh... It's cold. It's October, but the weather suddenly got colder."

"Yeah, it is. We should take out our winter clothes now."

Choi Geun-yeong huddles his shoulders and sticks close to me. He looks kind and his actions are warm. We met in the early morning, but it feels like we've known each other for a long time.

Well, it's better to be friendly than to waste energy by keeping each other in check. I'm glad he doesn't seem like the type to cause stress while working together.

"Are you going to keep working?"

Choi Geun-yeong asks out of the blue.

"Why?"

"I want to work together for a long time. I think we match well. When I did part-time work for Blackout, I didn't get along with the other managers and it was tiring."

Even a guy who seems so sociable has people he doesn't get along with.

I couldn't answer right away and hesitated. My thoughts are complicated. I'm still in a daze, to be honest. But the members seem to have good personalities, and my seniors, Kim Hyun-jo and Choi Geun-yeong, don't seem bad to work with. I'll have to see how it goes, but my first impression is good.

From what I've heard from friends who got jobs first, every company is full of weirdos and is tough. Thinking about that, this isn't a bad environment.

"I have to keep working. But to be honest, I originally wanted to be an actor."

"An actor?"

"Yeah. I had no interest in being an idol manager and knew nothing about it... If I get a chance to move to the actor team, I'll move right away."

"Oh... That's a shame. Let's do our best until then."

"Sure."

"Who knows, you might find the idol team more fun as you work."

"Haha. I'm a principled guy."

"Let's find a coffee shop quickly, principled Jung-ah."

"Hey! That was my middle school nickname."

Laughing and chatting, we soon found a coffee shop. It's popular, and the outdoor terrace is full. There are also bread, cookies, and sandwiches that girls would like, so we ordered a variety.

While waiting for the order, I heard two men at the next table whispering.

"Have you heard about BYG? They asked for an extra minute to add a performance in the middle of their title song?"

"Wow. What? They're also doing a special stage with a new girl group from their company as a condition for being the first to perform at K-Popcon this time."

"Sugar Cat?"

"Yeah, them. But they also asked for an extra minute on top of that?"

"That's true. So a new group that was booked got canceled because of the time shortage."

"Really?"

"The manager of the canceled group spent a whole month sending gifticons to the PD and begging to get the slot."

"Wow. What a bunch of scumbags. I wonder how well they eat and live."

"They probably live well."

Why is this happening today? It's like they're targeting me. It's my first day at work, and I already feel like I've learned the survival of the fittest in the entertainment industry. A one-hour music show, with a 1-2% rating, and all sorts of things happen behind the scenes.

What are those newbies, who were looking forward to appearing on the show, doing now? If I were that manager... I'd probably be drinking soju.

We split the coffee in boxes and snacks in bags and also stopped by a convenience store. I put in sausages, salads, puddings, fruits, and anything I thought girls would like without checking the prices. I wonder if this counts as buying sensibly...

When we returned to the waiting room, the Neptune members were already up. A few of them were making gestures and movements. Are they practicing choreography? They were nodding off like sick chickens earlier, but now they're all full of energy.

"I bought coffee and snacks!"

Lee Song-ha approaches first. He was holding an ice cream tub this morning, so he seems to like eating.

"It smells delicious. What snacks do you have?"

"Bagels, sandwiches, and I swept the convenience store clean."

They like it. They really like it. What is this sense of satisfaction? It feels like I'm taming them with food.

Lee Tae-hee and Lee Jae also drink their hot coffee and search for snacks. But there are only three of them. While the three of them eat ham and cheese sandwiches and spread cream cheese on bread, Im Seo-young only sips her coffee.

She only ate salad while the others were eating lunch at the shop earlier. Isn't she hungry?

I deliberately took out something I bought for Im Seo-young from the bag.

"Is this low-fat yogurt and zero-calorie pudding? Can't you even eat this?"

"Zero-calorie?"

Im Seo-young shows interest. She carefully checks the calories of the yogurt and pudding, and her face brightens up.

"This is good. Is it new?"

"It says it's a new product."

"It must be delicious. I'll eat it well, Oppa."

Im Seo-young tears open the yogurt and hurriedly eats it. Choi Geun-yeong looks at her, not understanding.

"You don't need to diet... "

"I'm the shortest and have the biggest bust among the four of us."

"Huh?"

Choi Geun-yeong looks at Im Seo-young's chest and then quickly looks up. I did the same. When Im Seo-young mentioned her bust, my eyes automatically went to her chest.

It's instinct. Like a knee-jerk reaction.

Anyway, what Im Seo-young says is somewhat true. Lee Jae has a similar volume, but she has long, sturdy limbs, making her figure balanced, while Im Seo-young is petite and slender with a large bust, making it look even bigger.

But what's the problem with that?

From an outsider's perspective, it's the biggest charm point, but is it different for the person?

"Because of my bust, even a little weight gain makes me look slow on TV. I gain weight just by drinking water, so I have to diet."

She clenches her small fists. It sounds like she's not talking to Choi Geun-yeong but to herself.

Lee Jae presses Im Seo-young's head and mocks her.

"You are the shortest, but you're not the one with the biggest bust. You're like a snake crossing the fence, trying to cheat."

"Hey, you and I have different genes, so you should consider that!"

They quickly start bickering like a cat and a dog. But thanks to Lee Jae, Im Seo-young seems to have regained her energy.

"Let's finish eating and go around the waiting rooms to greet everyone. They should be arriving soon."

Kim Hyun-jo stretches his neck and says. The members, who were briefly snacking, quickly stand up. I also stood up while eating a sandwich. I haven't even eaten properly yet...

"Hello, we are Neptune!"

The 'greeting' was a real greeting.

The members bow 90 degrees and greet everyone in the waiting room. It's like the self-introductions idols do on TV variety shows for the audience.

If the singer in the waiting room is friendly and talkative, the atmosphere is warm and full of compliments, but that's rare. Most of the time, the members just say "Thank you, we'll do our best" in response to a single word of encouragement.

Sometimes there are those who only nod their heads as if they have iron bars in their necks, and some who glance once and ignore you. I should write down their names.

I'm about to get upset, but the Neptune members don't even flinch. Their mental strength is really impressive.

I'm not just trailing behind the members. Kim Hyun-jo is leading the way, handing out business cards and greeting everyone. How can I just stand there?

Now I understand why he was stretching his neck earlier. He greets the singers, managers, staff, and journalists. "Please take care of us, Neptune" was said so many times. My neck hurts.

But the greetings are actually fine. The bigger problem is the awkwardness after the greetings. Choi Geun-yeong seems to handle the conversation smoothly, but I've been sweating all over my back. I really have nothing to say.

So I end up observing the other people. At first, they find it difficult to greet me. Maybe the suit I'm wearing makes me look like a high-ranking person, as Im Seo-young said.

When I reveal that I'm a new manager, they finally laugh and act more relaxed. Among them, there are those who smile but look down on me with their eyes.

The one good thing about this situation is... I get to see a lot of celebrities.

Whether male or female, they are all fully made up and sparkling. Some look like they jumped out of a comic book. I saw some famous solo artists I know amidst the idol flood, and I almost lost my mind a few times.

I used to sing a lot of this guy's songs at karaoke... I barely held back from asking for an autograph.

Even though I think the entertainment industry is dirty and despicable, when I see girls in apron skirts fluttering by, it feels like heaven... Wait, but is what they're wearing under the apron a school uniform?

Don't look.

"Hey."

Choi Geun-yeong kicks my foot.

"What?"

He points with his chin. Looking in that direction, I see a sexy female singer walking in a swimsuit-like stage outfit.

This is heaven.

I wander around like a lost child and lean against the wall in the hallway for a moment. Kim Hyun-jo is talking to someone on the other side, and Choi Geun-yeong is either talking somewhere or in the bathroom, as he's not in sight.

We've finished greeting everyone in the waiting rooms, so I'll take a short break. Poor my back. It's going to be ruined before I even use it properly.

While massaging my neck and back, someone taps my shoulder. Thinking it's Choi Geun-yeong, I turn around, but it's Lee Tae-hee. I'm surprised. He seemed very laid-back at first, but with stage makeup, he looks completely different. Maybe because he's the leader, he has a mysterious presence, and I haven't had a proper conversation with him yet. Even though he's the leader, he's five years younger than me, but his aura is strong.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Can you see Seo-young being cornered over there?"

Looking over Lee Tae-hee's shoulder, I see Im Seo-young surrounded by three girls in front of a waiting room.

"I see her."

"Go and get Seo-young. I wanted to tell Hyun-jo Oppa, but he's also being cornered by another team leader."

Is it a bullying scene?

I look closely, but it doesn't seem to be. The girls are all smiling, and the atmosphere is warm.

Then what is it?

"They are Sugar Cat, Seo-young's former trainee classmates."

Sugar Cat? The junior group from BYG's agency that is doing the special stage with them today?

"As they become more popular, they ignore Seo-young, who has been stuck for two years. They pretend not to know her, so it would be nice if you could bring her over."

"If we go, their self-esteem will be hurt."

Lee Jae chimes in