-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Appearance of a Competitor (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After hearing Jeong Seongbin's story, our lives didn't change much.
The most we could do, after all, was for me to throw a fit about quitting and yell, "That son of a bitch is the one to blame!" and that was about it.
‘Though I'm more than confident I could make a huge mess.’
Instead, we decided to compliment the next person in line by age, once a week.
The idea was to encourage each other, since our self-esteem had taken a hit.
Impressively, it was 'the' Park Juwoo who first suggested it.
‘Though the fact that Choi Jeho was the one who had to compliment Jeong Seongbin was a bit concerning...’
If he has any sense, he'll watch what I do and follow my lead.
Oh, I did mention it once in the office when I went to return my phone to the manager.
‘Manager, our company doesn't have things like hazing from seniors, right?’
‘Of course not. We'd be in big trouble if we did!’
‘Really?’
‘Definitely. You trainees don't have anything like that among yourselves, do you?’
‘No, we don't. I was just wondering if there were certain things to observe between seniors and juniors.’
‘Basic etiquette is important, but there's no bullying or anything. You'd be blacklisted if you did.’
The office where we had this conversation was used by the management division. Meaning, I said it in a space with more than a dozen listening ears.
And about the sensitive issue of power abuse in the entertainment industry, no less.
Jeong Seongbin's face had gone pale, as if he thought I was about to expose Jang Junhu right then and there.
But since I didn't say anything in the end, Jeong Seongbin let it slide without a word.
It might seem like nothing now. But someday, someone might appear who understands the context of these words I'd blurted out of nowhere.
If nothing comes of it, so be it, but it'd be great if it blew up. For now, I'd planted it as a form of insurance.
And so, while the group's membership training was unintentionally proceeding due to a series of events I hadn't exactly hoped for, the first group meeting with all the trainees was scheduled since I joined the company.
The project to develop the debut team had officially begun.
* * *
UA's meetings were more civilized than the ones at Hanpyeong Industries.
For starters, there was no shouting, and pens weren't flying across the desk.
What were the meeting rooms like at the company I'd been a part of just a short while ago?
‘Who asked for a perfectly legal and moral solution? Bring me a loophole, a loophole!’
‘The ones who said they're not coming to the hiking club are all new employees, right? Get me a list of their names. No, tell them all to come to my desk right now.’
‘Management said to do it, so what can you do? You all don't want a career? If you don't, then write your resignations and get out.’
No matter how I think about it, I should have quit back then.
If I had, at least I wouldn't have had to go light Department Head Nam's cigarette every fifteen minutes.
Even though the entire UA building was non-smoking, just thinking about those days made me feel like my clothes reeked of stale cigarette smoke.
In an atmosphere far more fragrant than my previous life, I once again heard about the group's initial concept, which I'd heard to death while being forced to be a fan of Spark.
“The management team said you all have that cold, handsome look. So we're thinking of incorporating a 'winter boy' feel into the album, group logo, and so on.”
That's why they shot the debut music video in a field where all the grass had frozen to death.
Wait a minute.
Then why was the group named Spark?
Don't you usually pick a name that reflects the team's image?
Not that I have any room to talk, having changed my name to Kim Iwol just because I was born in February.
In any case, it was a bit of a contradiction to have a fiery team name while going for a 'winter boy' feel.
“The company has four potential group names in mind for now: Spark, Flake, Glint, and Flame. We're always open to ideas, so if you think of anything, feel free to speak up.”
The candidates were all simple and flashy. Just hearing the names was dazzling and made me cringe.
I'd almost forgotten. This company was obsessed with by-the-book idols.
The ridiculously flashy names reeked of an attempt to cram in symbolism and mass appeal all at once, with the intention of sorting it out later.
This is why a proposal should be written by one person. If there are multiple writers, the content goes off the rails.
Personally, I wanted to stick with the original team name. It was only proper to preserve Spark's intended path as much as possible.
However, the conversation didn't go as I'd hoped.
“If we're going with a fire theme anyway, doesn't Flame sound stronger and better than Spark?”
“If we want to go for a strong image, shouldn't it be something like Blaze?”
Because the staff's passion for the new group was burning brightly in the group name suggestions.
Of course, there was a rational person among them.
“Um, didn't you say we were going with a 'winter boy' concept...?”
But in a crowd, the intellectual is always lonely.
The trainees, myself included, could only watch in silence as the group name turned into a pillar of fire.
“This is the direction we're heading in. Any opinions?”
The CEO asked.
I answered with a bright smile.
“We'll discuss it at the dorm and share our thoughts with you through our manager right away!”
First… I had to end this pointless discussion!
When the CEO gave an okay sign at my words, Jeong Seongbin, sitting across from me, let out a small sigh of relief.
Yeah, you probably thought putting on a fire show with the group's name was a bit much too.
After that, the usual cautionary notices followed.
“I know you're all diligent, so I won't say things like 'practice hard.' Instead, you need to be much more careful with every single one of your actions from now on.”
On this point, I completely agreed with the CEO.
Especially when I remembered how Park Juwoo was torn to shreds for not minding his expression when greeting a senior group.
“And we'll be adding more classes soon. We're thinking of foreign languages and fitness, but which one did we say was first?”
“Foreign languages, CEO.”
There's the option of fitness, but they're starting with foreign languages?
That's ridiculous. Muscle built during your teenage years can last for a decade.
It's not like Spark was going to debut overseas right away. They debuted in Japan in their fifth year, so what was the rush with foreign languages?
Besides, all the Spark members were still in their growth period. If they made good use of this time, they might even grow a few centimeters taller than in the past. Neglecting their physical frames was a clear loss.
‘Anyway, Lee Cheonghyun already knows English, so foreign languages aren't that urgent.’
As I recall, Jeong Seongbin was pretty good at Japanese too.
He might not have learned it yet, but considering how fluently he used it during his active years, he might just have a knack for learning languages.
If worst comes to worst, I could just show off my '100 Essential Business Phrases for Office Workers'.
I thought the last time I'd study English in my life would be when I crammed for the TOEIC Speaking test right before graduation to get a good score.
The mere thought was dreadful, but it couldn't be helped.
“Alright. Let's aim for basic conversation, reading, and writing in English and Japanese. Jukyung will give you the details later.”
I quickly took about a hundred deep breaths in my mind.
Contradicting a decision made by the higher-ups? At Hanpyeong Industries, a binder would have come flying at my head immediately.
But…
‘If the worst that can happen is me getting chewed out, then of course I have to prioritize their average height.’
When I pictured Kang Giyeon, who was the only one sunken down when the members stood in a line, I couldn't help but feel a sense of duty.
“CEO!”
I took a deep breath internally and called out to the CEO.
In the distant future, even if everyone accuses me of being a freeloader, you, Kang Giyeon, better not.
“Yes?”
“I'm sorry, but would it be possible to have the fitness classes first?!”
This isn't a request. Grant it now.
This is all for the growth of your company's children.
My desperation must have gotten through, because the CEO responded positively.
“Iwol, you wanted to work out? Since he wants to do it so badly, should we sign up for fitness first?”
“They'll be starting a month apart, so it won't make a big difference if we start with fitness first, CEO.”
“Then let's do that. Just report the expense processing to me later.”
“Yes!”
And so, my objection to secure fitness classes concluded peacefully, without a single object flying my way.
Though processing expenses seems more my aptitude than building muscle.
* * *
On top of securing the fitness classes, there was more good news.
“Hyung! Hyung!”
“What?”
“I finished the song!”
Lee Cheonghyun had completed the song he'd been working on for weeks.
I don't know how long it usually takes to compose a song, but to create something from scratch in this amount of time seemed pretty amazing.
Especially since Lee Cheonghyun had produced something even better than before, despite having no memory of his past work.
One shouldn't carelessly dismiss another's effort as mere talent, but it truly was an incredible ability.
“Is it much different from before?”
“It's mostly the same, I just tweaked the ending a bit.”
As he said that, Lee Cheonghyun fumbled for his earphones. Kang Giyeon, who was watching, asked.
“What. Hyung, have you heard it before?”
“The one before the revision? Yeah. Cheonghyun let me hear it.”
“What the hell, Lee Cheonghyun? Why haven't you let me hear it yet?”
“I was going to let our dear Kang Giyeon hear it when it was finished!”
Lee Cheonghyun asked if he was pouting and kneaded Kang Giyeon's face like sujebi dough.
I told him not to touch their faces because it could cause trouble. He just lets my words go in one ear and out the other.
Anyway, it was surprising that Kang Giyeon hadn't heard the song either. With Lee Cheonghyun's personality, I'd have expected him to gather everyone twice a day and demand they listen to his song.
‘Has he really not played it for anyone but me and the A&R team?’
Unaware of my puzzled stare, Lee Cheonghyun held out the wired earphones plugged into his laptop to Kang Giyeon.
“So?”
“Hold on. It's only been thirteen seconds.”
While Kang Giyeon listened with his chin in his hand, Lee Cheonghyun stood beside him with an incredibly anxious expression, like watching a small child approach a flock of pigeons.
And after about four minutes.
“It's good.”
“Really?!”
Lee Cheonghyun's face lit up. Kang Giyeon, still with an indifferent expression, answered seriously.
“Yeah. For real.”
Then, Kang Giyeon turned to Choi Jeho, who was dozing on the sofa, and asked.
“Hyung, you want to try choreographing something together later tonight?”
“To what?”
“To Lee Cheonghyun's song.”
Before, they would glare daggers if their eyes so much as met in mid-air. This was tremendous growth.
I was so moved I considered upgrading their dynamic from 'prickly pair' to 'lovey-dovey duo.' For about two seconds.
While the two members of the dance line were making constructive practice plans, Lee Cheonghyun, who was putting away his laptop to go to bed, let out a cry.
“Huh?”
On the laptop screen, I caught a glimpse of the unchanging pink UI of an entertainment news site that hadn't changed in years.
“What's wrong?”
Jeong Seongbin, who had been drinking water, walked over to Lee Cheonghyun's side, saw the article, and made a strange face.
“...It says MYTH is launching a boy group.”
That's right.
The guaranteed top-tier group that would dominate the rookie boy group scene for the next three years.
The group that would engage in a grueling chart battle with Spark—who were notoriously bad at timing their comebacks—for years.
And the group that won that battle every single time. The debut plans for 'Parte' had just been revealed.
