IJLMT 39

Chapter 39

[ Nova Girls’ performance in New York, UN conference hall ]

• Views: 87,580,000

• Likes: 10,000,000

Before coming to the studio for “A Singer Is a Singer,” Yujoo watched Nova Girls’ UN performance video on YouTube. The view count was already approaching 100 million. The like ratio was enormous — that must mean so many people watched and were moved by the video, right?

Honestly, Yujoo didn’t usually listen to other people’s songs. She thought singing was a fight with oneself. You shape your honest inner thoughts into lyrics, lift them onto the melody you imagined… that was Yujoo’s creative philosophy.

This was the first time she’d taken an interest in someone else’s activity like this.

• Stare into the mirror, but I don’t know where I am.

‘Well written. The lyrics.’

So that meant she liked Nova Girls that much now? Did she especially favor the leader, Davin? Would asking that sound tacky?

Whether Heo Yujin felt threatened or not, there was no room in Yujoo’s head for anything else.

Lately one photo kept flickering in her mind — the photo of Seonari and Yoo Hyunjae, the two of them together.

[Finally smiling at ease, Seonari — manager’s face in view, a bright smile]

People focused on Nari’s expression: the relieved smile of someone who met her father after finishing classes.

But what Yujoo paid attention to was Hyunjae’s expression. In that photo, Hyunjae looked at Nari as if he was so proud of her he could hardly stand it.

Had Hyunjae ever made that face at Yujoo? No — he hadn’t.

So she kept sulking about it.

‘Am I not impressive enough yet?’

In fact, Yujoo watched the UN “Happiness Day” event video carefully too, focusing on Hyunjae. Then she saw it.

When Tina Grenny attacked Nova Girls, Hyunjae’s expression twisted.

‘Would this oppa (older brother) get this angry for me too? He’s my manager…’

Carrying that thought, Yujoo was standing in the studio.

“I will now reveal the managers!”

The host shouted.

‘Ah… so that’s how this works.’

Yujoo tried to hide her displeasure. This was one of the reasons she’d refused an appearance offer last year.

“A Singer Is a Singer” wasn’t simply a singing battle show. Managers — though called managers — actually teamed up with comedians who were effectively broadcast partners to think through stage concepts, arrangement direction, and so on. They comforted and encouraged when things were hard; showing the comedian-singer chemistry was also one of the show’s entertainment points.

Frankly, unless she worked with someone she really matched with, Yujoo would rather do it alone. The on-camera comfort and encouragement — she hated it.

“Im Yujoo’s manager is… comedian Park Bongwon!”

‘Ah….’

It was the worst.

Though she could never say it out loud, Yujoo disliked Park Bongwon the most among the seven comedians.

Park Bongwon, age 45, comedian from LaDoReMi Entertainment. Lately she hadn’t seen much of him doing stand-up.

The reason Yujoo disliked Park Bongwon was because he was a liar.

‘It’s okay to play! It’s okay to fall behind! Aren’t the older people responsible for the young people having a hard time? Don’t listen to their nagging. Life will work out somehow!’

He always said things like that. This is not a debate over whether those words were right or wrong. But when you met him on set, he barely answered the younger staff. He used gestures to boss them around.

A person who didn’t respect young people going around giving pep talks about supporting young people? That person would be helping and encouraging Yujoo’s singing? For the whole run of the show?

She hated it. But…

‘I came here to win. Whether I like it or not doesn’t matter. I have to do this.’

She wished Hyunjae had been her manager on the show.

She folded that thought into a quiet corner of her mind and fired up her motivation.

But after coming down from the stage…

“Hyunjae… oppa? Why’s your face like that?”
“Huh? What’s wrong with my face?”
“Just now…”

Hyunjae was glaring at Park Bongwon with a terrifying face. A tiny hope sprouted in Yujoo’s heart.

‘Maybe… he’s mad because Park Bongwon is my manager?’

“Team Leader Jo Minsu — no, Director. Are you moving your desk?”

Deputy Manager Kim Seungmok asked.

“No. I’ll just use it. I’ll only be out when the directors have meetings.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I thought we’d never see you again… anyway, congrats on your promotion to director!”
“…fine. You know what kind of appointment this is, so don’t make a fuss.”

Then Deputy Manager Yoo Jiwoo said,

“This is really touching. Manager Yoo Hyunjae… no, Director Yoo Hyunjae said he didn’t want to leave us and wanted to stay on Team 3, right? He’s such a loyal guy…”

Kim Seungmok joined in the exaggerated praise.

“That’s right. I’ve decided to die with this company because of the team leader. When will you be in the office? I want to give you a going-away gift.”

When Jongmuk first told Minsu about the promotion, Minsu was dumbfounded. It was something he had never expected.

Minsu didn’t have a lot of accumulated time off, nor had his performance been dramatically outstanding.

Ah, of course recently Team 3’s results had been unbelievably dramatic. But all that was because Yoo Hyunjae created those results; everything else was as usual.

But Minsu being made director? Would others accept that?

When he asked Jongmuk that way, this answer came back.

“I already told the managers of Team 1 and Team 2. They accepted it. It’s not their old positions being taken; it’s a newly created post. So what’s the problem?”

Minsu was puzzled. Team 1 and Team 2 — were they really that magnanimous? As far as Minsu remembered, those people were desperate for promotions….

“Even though everyone accepted it, you still don’t?”
“…honestly, yeah. It’s not me who’s remarkable — it’s Yoo Hyunjae. I’d understand if that guy got the director position instead….”
“Then let’s put it like this. You admit Hyunjae is remarkable, right? If that remarkable Yoo Hyunjae must respect Jo Minsu, then wouldn’t that make Minsu remarkable too? He made that remarkable person respect him.”
“…….”

Minsu lost the words to answer.

“Did Hyunjae say that?”
“Yes. He said thank you for caring about Nova Girls, and for paying attention to him after he’d just been moved into his post.”
“Huh….”

His chest felt hollow. Hyunjae thought that way?

‘No, you can’t. This company is performance-based. Caring or whatever doesn’t mean anything.’

Though he mumbled that inside, he couldn’t hold back the swell of emotion. After all, what a ridiculous thing it would be to preach performance-based principles in front of Hyunjae.

Hyunjae was always right. If Hyunjae respected Minsu, then maybe Minsu was right too?

He was grateful that Minsu cared about Nova Girls?

Society is inherently cold. Efforts that don’t yield results have no meaning. If you say your heart aches because you tried but the result didn’t come, society replies, “So what are you going to do about it?”

Because everyone anxiously lives trying efforts with no guaranteed result. Men, women, young, old — it’s normal!

So the private pain boiling in Minsu’s heart didn’t need to be especially respected. Honestly, even if Hyunjae sneered at him, Minsu wouldn’t have had a comeback.

‘Even hearing “Why did you bring such remarkable kids and only produce this?” — he’d still have nothing to say!’ But Hyunjae respected Jo Minsu.

Old memories passed through Minsu’s mind.

• Why aren’t they taking off? Was my effort insufficient? Did I set the wrong strategy? Am I dumb? Am I unfit for this position? I’m responsible for these kids’ lives — why can’t I make them shine?

“…I will work hard.”
“Are you convinced?”
“Yes. I will never disappoint you.”
“Ha ha… that sounds like you’re talking to Hyunjae, not to me…”
“…….”

Jo Minsu did not deny it. Representative Jongmuk smiled and nodded. With that the matter closed, and Minsu left the CEO’s office. Carrying the title of director, he returned to the office with none of the excitement of promotion — only one thought.

‘I’ll prove that you were worthy of respect.’

How long after that did it take? Yoo Hyunjae walked into the office. The moment Minsu saw his face his chest swelled. Team members made a fuss congratulating him on the promotion.

“Team Leader Yoo Hyunjae. You…”

But Hyunjae strode straight up to Minsu and said bluntly,

“Director, do you know any reporters? Someone reliable, quick to act, and desperate enough about performance to willingly take risks.”
“Reporters? Ask the PR team.”
“Please introduce me. It’s urgent. Preferably this morning…”

Urgent?

“Okay. This morning?”

Jo Minsu, without asking questions, immediately phoned the press office.

“I’ll have someone within thirty minutes.”

Near the JM Enter building, a private-room café.

“Hello, I’m Manager Yoo Hyunjae from JM.”
“Nice to meet you! I’m Reporter Jung Seonwoo! I’ve actually wanted to make a connection with Team Leader Yoo — I can’t tell you how honored I am you sought me out first!”

When I greeted him, Jung Seonwoo rose from his seat, bowed, and offered his hand. He seemed young — maybe early thirties?

“Ever since President Kim Seokgu showed up at the 3HunBi event, I’ve been watching Team Leader Yoo. There’s no legend greater than that. I’d love to write an article titled ‘Legendary Manager Rules the Entertainment World!’”

To me, Jung Seonwoo seemed very good at pitching. Right away he laid on compliments about my deeds and recounted them, signaling that he was someone who knew the industry well.

Was he cunning? Probably not. He wore a mature musk scent like a layered onion.

“You asked me to find a reporter willing to take on dangerous material and persist with it. Did you hear that?”
“Of course. I can confidently say I’m the right person.”

There was a touch of self-mockery in Jung Seonwoo’s smile. His gaze was oddly fierce.

“I was ruined — I chased a politician’s alleged sexual scandal, but we lacked evidence and things stalled; my bosses beat me up and they forcibly moved me from political reporting to entertainment. Ha ha ha… but I love to stir things up. If I can land someone, I go at it headfirst.”

Words popped into my garlic-onion bracelet.

• Re. ven. ge.

• Re. fud. ged. (a sense of being aggrieved)

‘This person — he may be light in words, but he’s not light in heart.’

Choosing someone willing to take risks meant someone with courage and will. If the job ran properly, no one would be harmed.

“All right. Reporter Jung, there’s something I want you to look into.”
“What is it? Who are you fighting?”

I remembered what happened in the “A Singer Is a Singer” studio.

• Im Yujoo’s manager is… comedian Park Bongwon!

At that moment, the garlic-onion bracelet gave off an awful smell.

From the pink flower that bloomed on the onion ring a video flowed in. In the video, Yujoo said:

• “So Park Bongwon was involved? If things were going to turn out like this anyway, I wish it had been revealed sooner…”

• “When we filmed ‘A Singer Is a Singer,’ Park Bongwon kept bothering me strangely. He said this concept was wrong, the audience wouldn’t like it, the song was bad… always picking at me. If it weren’t for him, I might have gotten better results… is that just an excuse?”

Seeing in advance what future media might chatter about, I swallowed.

‘They were bastards.’

Hiding my anger, I said,

“Reporter Jung, what do you think of LaDoReMi Entertainment?”
“Suddenly? Hmm… I don’t like them much.”
“Why?”
“I can’t say for sure, but… LaDoReMi kept interfering in a case I was chasing. I couldn’t catch the tail, but the smell was bad.”
“I see.”
“Are you going to have a fight with an artist from LaDoReMi?”
“No.”

I answered Jung Seonwoo.

“It looks like we need to break the company LaDoReMi itself.”