Chapter 54 - As If Plotting a Conspiracy

“A chance to win big?”

Director Choi Tae-hyung and Team Leader Park Yeong-ho.

Both of them had their eyes wide.

Because Baek Hyeon-woo's view was outside the realm of common sense.

“If N.A.N participates, the program's level of attention will grow even bigger. There will be controversy over whether it's right for a group of that status to participate, but the bigger the controversy gets, the bigger the buzz will get too.”

Seo Dong-cheol is a PD who likes creating issues.

Whatever UBX's intention was, he would have welcomed N.A.N's participation itself.

By now, he must be formulating a strategy to utilize N.A.N as much as possible and arouse people's attention.

“Then all we have to do is get on board with that.”

“Assistant Manager Baek, but still, considering N.A.N's status and skill, aren't we at too much of a disadvantage?”

“So what if we're at a disadvantage?”

Baek Hyeon-woo said with a cold demeanor.

“We have nothing to lose. If we can win against N.A.N, it's a jackpot, and even if we lose to N.A.N, we have nothing much to be ashamed of. Because as you said, they are an opponent far ahead of us in status and skill.”

“Is that so...?”

While Park Yeong-ho was unsure, Choi Tae-hyung nodded his head.

“He's not wrong.”

“Director Choi...”

“This isn't a program where their debut is on the line, and winning or losing isn't that important. What's important is appearing on the program and appealing the group's charm to the people, and if you can achieve victory on top of that, it's the icing on the cake.”

A total of seven groups are appearing on this 'The Idol'.

Then does only the final winning group gain, and the other six groups lose?

That's not it. They appear because they think they can gain even without winning.

“There is only one situation to be worried about.”

“What is that?”

“Losing disgracefully.”

Saying that, Choi Tae-hyung looked at Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Assistant Manager Baek, are you confident you won't lose disgracefully?”

“Newstarz is not a group that would show such a side.”

Baek Hyeon-woo asserted in a cold voice.

“My goal is to lead them to a spectacular victory.”

“Hmph…”

Choi Tae-hyung nodded.

“Well, just handle it well. In any case, since your team is in charge of Newstarz's matters, I guess I don't need to worry about it anymore.”

“If you'd also help us a bit, Director Choi...”

“What is there for me to help with?”

Park Yeong-ho tried to ask pleadingly, but Choi Tae-hyung shook his head.

“It would be a different story if PD Seo Dong-cheol and I were close, but these days, you're closer with him, aren't you, Assistant Manager Baek? There's no reason for me to step in.”

“Hmm…”

“Director Choi.”

Baek Hyeon-woo looked at Choi Tae-hyung and opened his mouth.

“There is one favor I'd like to ask.”

“A favor?”

Choi Tae-hyung frowned and crossed his arms.

“I have a bad feeling about this for some reason. You're not trying to make me do something troublesome, are you? Last time with 'Music World' too, I spent several days...”

“No. It's something simple.”

Shaking his head, Baek Hyeon-woo smiled.

“I would like you to call one person for me.”

……

“Are these UBX bastards crazy?”

N.A.N is participating in 'The Idol'.

Hearing that news, DP Entertainment went into an uproar.

“N.A.N is cutting in on 'The Idol'? How can this happen so suddenly!”

Director Seong Soo-ho became furiously angry.

Originally, DP Entertainment had been planning to overwhelm the rest of the groups with Choux-pop's status.

But N.A.N, whose status is even higher than Choux-pop's, had suddenly cut in.

“N.A.N is a popular group that's in the top five among domestic girl groups! They're not of a status to be appearing on this kind of variety show, so what on earth happened?”

“It seems PD Seo Dong-cheol is trying to raise the status of the program itself.”

Seong Hae-won, the leader of Choux-pop, who was sitting on the Director's office sofa, stated her opinion.

“There used to be many survival programs where top-class singers appeared, right? Isn't he trying to make it into a program where even the heavyweights appear?”

Just as Seong Hae-won said, in the past, there were many survival programs where a ton of singers representing the Korean music scene appeared.

However, as cases of being embroiled in controversy and having their image plummet continued, top-class singers came to avoid appearing on survival programs.

Since they appear on survival programs for the promotional effect anyway, and top-class singers don't really have a need to go that far.

“Survival programs these days have also dropped in popularity compared to before. To create a buzz, you have to cast high-status singers.”

“So that's PD Seo Dong-cheol's strategy?”

“It hurts my pride a bit. Because it means that our Choux-pop wasn't enough.”

Even while saying that, Seong Hae-won was smiling as if things had gotten interesting.

“Um, Director.”

At that moment, Team Leader Jeong Do-woon, who had been quiet with his mouth shut, opened his mouth.

“There's a rumor I've heard.”

“A rumor?”

“There's a drama being filmed at HBS, and it seems it was fixed in advance for N.A.N's Ryu-hwa to take one of the main roles.”

Jeong Do-woon cautiously continued.

“However, after going through the audition... I hear that Ryu-hwa failed and Newstarz's Kim So-yeong got the role.”

“What?”

Seong Soo-ho furrowed his eyebrows.

“Then are you saying they snatched away the drama role that UBX had secured?”

“Yes, so UBX is said to be grinding their teeth at Haram Entertainment...”

“……”

A moment of silence flowed.

With his arms crossed, Seong Soo-ho was lost in thought for a good while.

“Then are you saying UBX made N.A.N participate in 'The Idol' to get revenge on Haram?”

“This 'The Idol' appearance must be very important for Newstarz. It's probably the main item of their promotional strategy, and if N.A.N participates and stomps all over that... from Haram's perspective, it will become very difficult.”

“……”

Seong Soo-ho, who had been lost in thought, called for Seong Hae-won.

“Hae-won-ah.”

“Yeah, Uncle.”

“This is a really pride-hurting story, isn't it?”

“Right?”

Seong Hae-won laughed, swinging her legs as she sat on the sofa.

“It means our Choux-pop isn't even on their radar. Our pride is bound to be hurt.”

“Sons of bitches.”

Veins stood out on Seong Soo-ho's neck.

The atmosphere was as if he would beat someone up at any moment.

“D-Director, what should we do?”

Jeong Do-woon asked, cowering.

“What do you mean, what should we do?”

Seong Soo-ho retorted in a voice full of dissatisfaction.

“Even if our pride is hurt, it can't be helped. If PD Seo Dong-cheol has permitted N.A.N's participation, then it's already as if N.A.N is the main character.”

“Ah, then...”

“We go with the 2nd place strategy.”

“2nd place?”

“It's okay to yield the win to N.A.N.”

Seong Soo-ho said with an expression as if it couldn't be helped.

“Instead, you have to show a clear difference from the rest of the groups. That way, we can give the impression that N.A.N and Choux-pop were the 'two-top'.”

“Ah, I see.”

N.A.N and Choux-pop were different from the rest of the nobodies... if they can gain that kind of image, it's a win for Choux-pop.

If they do well, they might even be able to give the impression that they're on the same level as N.A.N.

“Of course, the one we have to crush most definitively is Newstarz. You know that, right?”

“Ah, I know.”

“Good. Let's do that.”

They had decided to appear to get revenge on Newstarz, but the matter had gotten bigger.

It would be good if things proceeded well according to Director Seong Soo-ho's plan, but if things get twisted in the middle, the blow will be huge.

“……”

Suddenly, Jeong Do-woon recalled what Joo Ga-hee had said last time.

At that time, Joo Ga-hee had gotten very annoyed, asking why he didn't know that nothing good would come from getting involved with Newstarz.

Why was that?

He had a thought that maybe what Joo Ga-hee said had been right.

……

“Hello, sunbae-nims.”

Eun-joo, who had been officially selected as a member of the new girl group, came to the practice room.

It was to greet the Newstarz members and also to observe their practice.

“So you're Eun-joo. If you have anything you're curious about, feel free to ask.”

“Yes, Na-eun sunbae-nim.”

After exchanging greetings with the sunbaes, including Seo Na-eun, Eun-joo quietly observed from a corner of the practice room.

Just like at the last interview, her eyes looked sleepy, but if you looked closely, you could tell that she was properly concentrating.

‘Unlike her outward impression, she seems to have a diligent personality.’

From the side, Baek Hyeon-woo checked Eun-joo's status window once more.

—————

[Eun-joo]

Vocal: C

Dance: A+

Visual: C

Potential: S

Body Condition: 80%

Mental Condition: 90%

– Mental Condition is very good.

– A plus correction is being applied to Dance.

—————

Her Mental Condition was in a much higher state than when they had met last time.

Was it that she became more motivated after passing the interview and officially becoming a part of Haram Entertainment?

As he was having such thoughts, Eun-joo felt his gaze and looked at Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Is there something on my face?”

“No, it's just that you seemed to be concentrating hard.”

“Hmph?”

Eun-joo looked at him with slightly provocative eyes.

Normally she looked lethargic, but occasionally throwing a mischievous gaze like this was Eun-joo's charm.

“But Assistant Manager, why do you keep using formal speech?”

Eun-joo asked, maintaining her provocative eyes.

“You speak informally to the sunbaes, but it seems strange if you only use formal speech with me.”

“Um… I originally used formal speech with the Newstarz members too.”

“You're so polite?”

During his hospital days, he never used informal speech just because a patient was young.

There were people who used informal speech even with elderly patients to form a friendly relationship, but Baek Hyeon-woo wasn't that type.

“If it's uncomfortable, I'll speak informally.”

“I'd appreciate that. It's uncomfortable to hear formal speech from a mister who's more than ten years older than me.”

“Mister...”

As Baek Hyeon-woo was mulling over Eun-joo's expression, Eun-joo spoke to him again.

“Assistant Manager, by the way.”

“What?”

“I heard that the reason I was picked was because you strongly recommended me, Assistant Manager?”

Eun-joo asked, looking at Baek Hyeon-woo's face.

“Is that true?”

“I did tell the Director that he had to pick you.”

“Why did you recommend me?”

“Because I felt your potential.”

Following that, Baek Hyeon-woo said, turning his gaze toward the practicing Seo Na-eun.

“I also liked that you have a proper grasp of what type of idol you are.”

“……”

Eun-joo possessed a dance-specialized ability, like Seo Na-eun.

He liked the fact that she herself had properly grasped that, and that she had confidently appealed it.

“Anyway… thank you.”

Eun-joo said, bowing her head.

“If you hadn't recommended me, Assistant Manager, I would have failed.”

“……”

“Thank you for calling me today and making an opportunity for me to observe... and for taking care of me in many ways. Even though you're not my dedicated manager.”

Saying that, Eun-joo looked at Baek Hyeon-woo.

“If I succeed later, I will definitely repay you.”

“……”

That gaze was more serious than usual.

He could feel that she was speaking from the heart.

“Do you have to repay me later?”

“Pardon?”

“Can't you repay me now?”

Eun-joo blinked at Baek Hyeon-woo's question.

“What is it that you want?”

“It's nothing strange, so don't worry. I just want to hear a story.”

“A story?”

That's right.

The reason Baek Hyeon-woo had asked Choi Tae-hyung to call for Eun-joo was because he wanted to hear her story like this.

“Because I'm curious about the internal affairs of UBX.”

“……!”

Eun-joo was originally a trainee at UBX.

She had been at the same company as N.A.N.

“Actually, it seems we'll be facing off against N.A.N in the survival program that starts recording next week. Have you by any chance heard any rumors?”

“With N.A.N...?”

Eun-joo, who had her eyes wide open, again made a mischievous gaze.

And leaning her body toward Baek Hyeon-woo, she whispered in a playful voice, as if plotting a conspiracy.

“You want to know their weaknesses, right?”