Chapter 37 - Then Let's Begin

“What traitor? I'm no traitor.”

Choux-pop's main vocalist, Joo Ga-hee.

She spat out in a chilly voice, sweeping up her black hair.

“Why do I have to hear that kind of talk?”

“You...!”

Laura's eyes shot open.

The atmosphere was as if she was about to lunge at her at any moment.

“Laura, calm down.”

“So-yeong unnie, do I look like I can calm down?”

Kim So-yeong tried to stop her, but Laura openly showed her hostility.

“Because of her, Newstarz has suffered so much damage...!”

“That's…”

“You too, So-yeong unnie, have been suffering all this time because of that traitor!”

“……”

Kim So-yeong was also a person who had suffered damage due to Joo Ga-hee's withdrawal.

Because she had no choice but to take on the main vocalist role to fill Joo Ga-hee's empty spot.

Kim So-yeong spent nearly 3 difficult years doing the role of main vocalist, which didn't suit her aptitude.

“You're treating all sorts of things as my responsibility.”

At that moment, Joo Ga-hee said in a vicious voice.

“Are the things that happened after I quit also all my responsibility? You guys should have handled it well on your own.”

“It's something that happened because you quit in that shitty way!”

“Then you guys should have quit too, right? If you had made a scene in front of CEO Baek Yeon-ah like me, you could have terminated your contracts too.”

“……!”

Originally, you can't just quit whenever you want just by saying you want to.

Because to terminate an exclusive contract midway, there must be an agreement with the agency.

For that reason, if Haram Entertainment had just made up its mind, it would have been possible to keep holding onto Joo Ga-hee.

However, Haram Entertainment ultimately let Joo Ga-hee go.

This was because the trust with Joo Ga-hee had been completely shattered, and they had reached a state where they could no longer work together.

The atmosphere within the group had also become a complete mess, so there was nothing good to be gained from debuting Newstarz in that state.

In the end, at Baek Yeon-ah's judgment, they terminated the contract.

“You guys stayed at Haram Entertainment because you liked it, so why are you saying this to me? You're so pathetic.”

“W-What did you say?”

“It's the same this time. Why are you putting out so many articles about me quitting Newstarz and going to Choux-pop?”

Joo Ga-hee frowned.

“There are a lot of bastards spouting bullshit on the online communities these days, so it's pissing me off. Why are you selling me out to get attention?”

“Hey...!”

Laura got angry and tried to lunge forward.

However, there was someone who grabbed her arm.

It was Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Hyeon-woo oppa! Let go! I'm going to... Mph!”

“Don't use such rough language.”

If someone was filming this situation, it would be a huge problem.

Baek Hyeon-woo said, covering Laura's mouth.

“Joo Ga-hee.”

“Who are you, mister, to keep cutting in?”

As Joo Ga-hee snapped at Baek Hyeon-woo like that, Kanade burst out laughing.

“Ah, mister, pfft, she called him mister...”

“Kanade, read the room.”

“Agh.”

Seo Na-eun poked Kanade in the side, telling her to be quiet, and Kanade hurriedly covered her mouth.

“I'm the manager in charge of Newstarz.”

“So you're that Baek Hyeon-woo, mister?”

Unexpectedly, Joo Ga-hee knew of Baek Hyeon-woo.

“If you left your former agency after spreading shit like that, you should also accept the consequences. Isn't that right?”

“What did you say?”

At Baek Hyeon-woo's words, Joo Ga-hee's eyes shot open.

“If you didn't want this kind of thing to happen, you should have parted ways on good terms. It might be different if you were moving to a completely different industry, but do you think you can be free from your past while continuing to be active in the entertainment industry?”

“Don't speak so carelessly when you don't even know. We parted ways after a huge fight, so how could we part on good terms?”

“At the very least, Haram Entertainment was as considerate of you as possible.”

It's true that there was conflict between them.

However, the reason things got ugly until the very end was entirely Joo Ga-hee's fault.

“The reason our CEO-nim terminated your contract was because she didn't want to block your future path. If the CEO-nim had been malicious, she could have held onto you for the full 7 years without even debuting you.”

“……!”

Generally, an exclusive contract is for 7 years.

That's why there are not a few celebrities who change their agency after their 7-year contract ends.

If Baek Yeon-ah hadn't terminated the contract, Joo Ga-hee would not have been able to debut with Choux-pop at DP Entertainment.

“If you received that kind of consideration, you should be grateful. You should have been bowing your head saying you're sorry for everything, but instead, I hear you made a total mess until the very end before leaving?”

“That's…”

“I even heard you said some provocative things to your former colleagues?”

The reason Laura is furious at Joo Ga-hee is not simply because she thinks the withdrawal itself was a betrayal.

It's because Joo Ga-hee showed too much of a dirty side in that process.

“Aren't you acting like this because you have a guilty conscience? A moment ago too, you were secretly watching us, and when it seemed like you'd get caught, you ran away, didn't you?”

“Who was secretly watching and ran away? Don't say such strange things!”

Joo Ga-hee raised her voice.

However, it was an undeniable fact that she had been watching the Newstarz members joking around with Baek Hyeon-woo, and tried to leave when she felt Baek Hyeon-woo's gaze.

“You're so fucking annoying, really...”

Joo Ga-hee glared as if she were sick and tired of it.

“Why are you picking a fight with us just because you're failing? Fucking unlucky.”

“Who's failing?”

“Come to think of it…”

Joo Ga-hee turned her head and glared at Yoo Jeong-ah.

“You were the kid they newly picked, right?”

“……!”

Yoo Jeong-ah is a former trainee of DP Entertainment.

So she was acquainted with Joo Ga-hee.

“There was even talk of putting you in Choux-pop. To think that in the end, you couldn't even get into Black D and went to a place like Haram to debut with Newstarz... your life is really twisted.”

“……!”

“Yeah well, you losers do your best together.”

After saying that, Joo Ga-hee immediately tried to leave.

However, Baek Hyeon-woo said a word to her departing back.

“You talk so grandly. Haven't you watched too much manga or anime?”

“Fucking annoying...”

Joo Ga-hee grumbled and left.

After confirming her retreating back, Baek Hyeon-woo turned his gaze back to the members.

“She said for us losers to do our best together.”

“……”

“Anyway, it seems that's how the Choux-pop side sees you.”

Baek Hyeon-woo asked Yoo Jeong-ah.

“Joo Ga-hee said your life was really twisted earlier, do you agree?”

“No.”

Yoo Jeong-ah shook her head.

“I don't think I'm twisted. I don't have that thought in the slightest.”

“Yeah, that's right.”

Baek Hyeon-woo smiled and nodded his head.

“What do you guys have to be worse than Choux-pop? Those kids were just a little faster than you.”

It's a fact that Choux-pop is an amazing idol group.

Joo Ga-hee alone possesses more outstanding abilities than the Newstarz members.

However, that's only the story at the current point in time.

The potential of the Newstarz members surpasses Joo Ga-hee's.

This is a fact he confirmed with his ability.

“If they're ahead of you, all we have to do is catch up and overtake them.”

“……!”

The gazes of the five members became even clearer.

A much stronger sense of unity than before was connecting the five of them.

While sharing a single goal, all five of them were currently showing their best Mental Condition of all time.

“Let's see just how their expressions will change when we overtake them.”

***

The second day of the Night-Bomb Festival.

Finally, the day for Newstarz to go on stage had come.

Baek Hyeon-woo, who had finished all preparations, was waiting for the main stage with Park Yeong-ho.

“Assistant Manager Baek, submit this and come back.”

“Understood.”

After delivering the final confirmation items to the event management, Baek Hyeon-woo tried to return to his position.

However, there was a voice calling from behind him.

“Assistant Manager Baek Hyeon-woo-nim?”

When he turned his head, he saw a man with a strict impression.

It was Team Leader Jeong Do-woon from DP Entertainment.

“Newstarz is appearing today too, right? I hope you do well.”

“Thank you.”

Although he expressed his thanks formally, Baek Hyeon-woo was wary.

Because his attitude was different from when he had seen him at TVX last time.

“Choux-pop is appearing too, you know that, right?”

“Of course I know. But I didn't see you during the rehearsal earlier.”

“We just delayed our rehearsal a bit because of another schedule.”

“I see. You must be very busy.”

Baek Hyeon-woo tried to continue on his way, but Jeong Do-woon followed him and spoke.

“Actually, I've heard a lot of rumors about you lately, Assistant Manager Baek-nim.”

“Rumors?”

“The rumor has already spread throughout the industry that you're a capable manager.”

“I don't recall doing anything amazing enough for rumors to spread, though.”

“I heard you've made a connection with Trainer Tae Jong-soo recently too.”

“……”

I thought his attitude was different from when we first met... it seems he's heard this and that.

“Haram Entertainment, how is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard you came here after working in the hospital field. If you go to a small company like that after working at a hospital, isn't it really bad? There must be many parts that are disorganized.”

“Well. Hospitals aren't very systematic either.”

“Do you have any thoughts of moving to DP? You'd be able to get much better treatment than at Haram.”

“……”

Baek Hyeon-woo looked at Jeong Do-woon for a moment.

“You're being very sudden.”

“Because I hate beating around the bush.”

Jeong Do-woon said with a shameless expression.

“No matter how much you're the CEO's nephew, they probably can't give very good treatment to a rookie manager, can they?”

“I wonder.”

“I heard that Haram doesn't have much money, so they're extremely stingy. That they don't even buy expensive things at company dinners.”

“Did you hear that from Joo Ga-hee?”

“Do you think Joo Ga-hee is the only one who was at Haram and then quit?”

People in the entertainment industry originally change jobs frequently.

The reason Baek Hyeon-woo came to Haram Entertainment was also because employees had resigned all at once, creating a sudden staffing shortage.

“The more I looked into you, Assistant Manager Baek-nim, the more I came to think that you're not someone who should be at a small company like Haram.”

“So you're telling me to move to DP Entertainment?”

Baek Hyeon-woo shook his head.

“I'm the CEO's nephew, I can't do that.”

“CEO Baek Yeon-ah is a generous person.”

Jeong Do-woon said, crossing his arms.

“If her nephew says he's moving to a bigger company, she'll cheer for him.”

“Like she did with Joo Ga-hee?”

“Well, yes.”

A dry laugh escaped.

Why are the people at DP Entertainment so shameless.

“You're treating my aunt like a complete pushover.”

“Pardon?”

“Come to think of it, it seems you're treating Newstarz that way too.”

Baek Hyeon-woo looked straight at Jeong Do-woon and asked.

“Cutting in line before Newstarz... isn't that a strategy to raise Choux-pop's status using Newstarz as a stepping stone?”

“It seems you're having some misunderstanding. We just went in as She's On's substitute.”

Jeong Do-woon played innocent.

“Well, I did think it would be interesting. Since Newstarz is the place where our main vocalist used to be. I hear that Newstarz has recruited a new main vocalist... so a comparison is inevitable.”

“It seems you think your main vocalist is better.”

“Well, of course.”

Saying that, Jeong Do-woon made a bitter expression.

“Yoo Jeong-ah... she does sing well, but she had absolutely no charm. Her expression was stiff too.”

“……”

“For a place like Haram, it's difficult to secure worthy aspirants, so I suppose it couldn't be helped.”

Are you trying to recruit a person, or are you trying to provoke a person?

Baek Hyeon-woo laughed in disbelief.

If Baek Hyeon-woo were in a situation where he felt dissatisfied with Haram Entertainment and Newstarz, he might have been swayed by such words.

However, that was not the situation in the slightest.

“There are many talented kids at DP. Later, when you rise to a high position, Assistant Manager Baek-nim, among those kids, you can freely...”

“Team Leader Jeong.”

Baek Hyeon-woo cut off Jeong Do-woon's words mid-sentence.

“Do you know why I quit the hospital?”

“Yes?”

“It's because I wanted to do as I please without compromising anymore.”

Jeong Do-woon made a caught-off-guard expression.

“At Haram, they grant a lot of authority to a rookie like me. Well, since it's a small company, it's probably because many parts are run by the rule of thumb.”

“……”

“It wouldn't be like that if I joined a big company like DP Entertainment, would it? Since a system would be in place.”

Baek Hyeon-woo shrugged his shoulders.

“Unless DP Entertainment were to give me a Team Leader or Director position right now, it's not very appealing.”

“A Team Leader or Director... talk sense.”

“Then there's no need to bother going to DP Entertainment.”

Becoming a Team Leader or Director at DP Entertainment is a clear step up.

Then a new ability might appear.

For that reason, if he had been promised a Team Leader or Director position, he might have been tempted, even for a moment.

“Assistant Manager Baek-nim, you are mistaken.”

Jeong Do-woon shook his head.

“There's no future for you even if you stay at Haram. Do you think Newstarz, who are approaching their 3rd year since debut, can become a popular group now? I hear the new group that Director Choi Tae-hyung is preparing is also being delayed because he can't find any kids worth using. The future is very dark right now.”

“Thank you for taking an interest in a small agency like ours, Team Leader.”

Baek Hyeon-woo retorted with a composed expression.

“However, what the future will be is not something you can know, Team Leader Jeong.”

“No, it's obvious...”

“You don't even know how today's stage will turn out, do you?”

“What?”

Leaving the bewildered Jeong Do-woon aside, Baek Hyeon-woo strode back to where he was originally.

There, Newstarz, who had finished all their preparations, were waiting for Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Manager-nim!”

“Hyeon-woo oppa!”

Baek Hyeon-woo met the eyes of all five of them.

Their gazes, their expressions, were the best he had seen so far.

And... the stats he could confirm on their status windows as well.

“Good.”

Earlier, Jeong Do-woon had said that Newstarz's future was dark.

As an industry veteran, that was probably a remark he made with his own basis.

However, Jeong Do-woon's prediction for the future was completely wrong.

Because Baek Hyeon-woo had already fixed that fate.

And, very soon, everyone in the world would find out.

“Then let's begin.”

Newstarz, reborn under Baek Hyeon-woo.

The time has come to crush Choux-pop and soar.