Chapter 59 - Can You Tell Me?

“P-Please let go of this.”

Ha-ryeong tried to shake off Baek Hyeon-woo's arm while swallowing her tears.

Being supported was something to be grateful for, but she couldn't receive help like this from the manager of a rival group.

“I have to go to the members now, so...”

“You can't.”

However, Baek Hyeon-woo did not let Ha-ryeong go.

Holding Ha-ryeong's arm with his large hand, he prevented her from moving from that spot.

“Right now, Ha-ryeong-ssi, you are not in a state to be able to practice.”

“D-Don't do this.”

If the UBX people had been here, they would have protested to Baek Hyeon-woo, asking if he was interfering with her practice right now.

For the manager of a participating group to grab a member of another group during a survival program and not let go, it was something that should never happen.

“I'm grateful that you supported me earlier, but you shouldn't be doing this. If you keep this up, I'll call the staff...”

“Do as Hyeon-woo-ssi tells you.”

At that moment, a composed voice was heard.

When she turned her head, she saw a middle-aged man in a turtleneck standing with his arms crossed.

“PD-nim…?”

PD Seo Dong-cheol.

The highest-ranking person on this program.

He was looking at Ha-ryeong with a calm expression.

“Are you planning on showing that side of yourself to the viewers?”

“Pardon?”

“I'd rather not have an overwork controversy on my program.”

In front of Ha-ryeong, who had widened her eyes in surprise, Seo Dong-cheol gave an instruction to Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Hyeon-woo-ssi, take her.”

“Understood.”

What on earth was going on.

Ha-ryeong followed Baek Hyeon-woo and moved, without knowing what was happening.

……

Baek Hyeon-woo guided Ha-ryeong to an empty room.

It was a room that had been left empty to be used as a break room or an infirmary.

———

[Ha-ryeong]

Vocal: S-

Dance: B-

Visual: S-

Potential: B

Body Condition: 30%

Mental Condition: 25%

– Pain and abnormal sensations are occurring due to a problem in the flexor retinaculum of the lower leg.

– Body Condition is greatly decreased.

– Mental Condition is greatly decreased.

– Minus corrections will be applied to Vocal, Dance, and Visual.

———

Ha-ryeong was someone whose Mental Condition hadn't shaken even when the talk of smokers came up before the last recording.

However, right now Ha-ryeong's condition was in a state of serious decline.

If a Newstarz member had been in this state, he would have forced them to rest.

“Her condition is very poor.”

“Yeah, it looks that way to me too.”

After seating Ha-ryeong on the cot, Baek Hyeon-woo exchanged whispers with Seo Dong-cheol.

“I couldn't really tell earlier, but looking now, she's definitely not normal.”

“She was probably managing her expression as much as possible in front of the camera.”

“It was a good thing I did as you said, Hyeon-woo-ssi. If things had gone wrong, something big could have happened.”

Originally, this was a space that managers like Baek Hyeon-woo could not enter.

However, Seo Dong-cheol had specially permitted it and let Baek Hyeon-woo in.

“Hyeon-woo-ssi, do you know what the most fatal controversy is for this kind of program?”

Seo Dong-cheol abruptly threw a question.

“Excluding rigging controversies, that is.”

“If you take out rigging... then it would be the overwork controversy.”

“That's right.”

Seo Dong-cheol nodded at Baek Hyeon-woo's answer.

“Hyeon-woo-ssi, this kind of survival program has an aspect of maximizing buzz by intentionally causing controversy. In other words, it's to intentionally draw aggro. They do things like 'devil's editing' for that purpose too.”

“……”

“But there are also controversies that are of no help to the program. The controversy that the production staff overworked the contestants and ruined their bodies.”

Seo Dong-cheol said with a bitter expression.

“One program held auditions while having the contestants lodge together, but the lodging environment was so poor that a considerable number of participants ended up suffering from respiratory and skin diseases, and even gynecological diseases. That fact was starkly revealed through investigative reporting, and all hell broke loose.”

“……”

“I don't want a program I made to be swept up in that kind of controversy.”

There had never been a single case where an overwork controversy erupted in a variety show made by the Seo Dong-cheol Division.

Because Seo Dong-cheol himself had continuously paid attention so that the performers did not shoulder an excessive burden.

“Imagine if N.A.N's main vocalist's ankle gives out during the program and she's carried away to the hospital. People will think her ankle gave out while performing a harsh mission. Then our program would be completely finished.”

“I know.”

Baek Hyeon-woo nodded.

“I thought so too, which is why I told you, PD-nim.”

If such a situation were to occur, Newstarz would also suffer great damage.

Because taking a leap to a higher place through 'The Idol' was Baek Hyeon-woo's and Haram Entertainment's strategy.

Besides... even if we beat an N.A.N with their main vocalist missing and take first place, it wouldn't look good.

Because disparaging opinions like, 'They only won against an N.A.N that wasn't a complete group,' would always follow them.

The reason Baek Hyeon-woo stepped forward himself was in consideration of these points.

“As expected, there's no one as reliable as you, Hyeon-woo-ssi. I'll be sure to repay this debt.”

Seo Dong-cheol smiled and patted Baek Hyeon-woo's shoulder.

And he turned his gaze to Ha-ryeong, who was sitting on the edge of the cot, resting.

“This friend here, he's no ordinary manager. He's a former physical therapist who worked at a hospital, and his skills are amazing.”

“A physical therapist…?”

“Ask him to treat you for a bit. I'll talk to N.A.N.”

If Seo Dong-cheol, the person in overall charge of the program, speaks like that, Ha-ryeong can't raise any more objections.

Ha-ryeong looked at Baek Hyeon-woo with trembling eyes.

“Ha-ryeong-ssi.”

Baek Hyeon-woo lowered his body next to the cot.

And he said while meeting Ha-ryeong's eye level.

“In the past, there was a time when Newstarz's Seo Na-eun's ankle hurt so much it was difficult for her to go on stage. At that time too, I gave her emergency treatment and sent her on stage.”

“……!”

Hearing the story about Seo Na-eun, Ha-ryeong's eyes widened.

“I'm not doing this with some other intention. It's because I wish for the program to proceed normally, so please entrust this to me.”

“M-Manager-nim…”

Ha-ryeong asked cautiously in a trembling voice.

“My foot really hurts right now... by any chance, could my ankle ligament tear like She's On's Yuri's did?”

“She's On's Yuri-ssi tore her ligament after doing an intense dance in a state where her ankle ligament was already worn out.”

Baek Hyeon-woo answered, recalling Yuri whom he had seen before.

“However, Ha-ryeong-ssi, you have no problem with your ankle ligament.”

“What…?”

Yuri was in a state where her anterior talofibular ligament, which supports the ankle, was damaged, but Ha-ryeong's ankle ligament is fine.

Ha-ryeong's pain is coming from somewhere else.

“Ha-ryeong-ssi, do you feel a tingling or burning sensation all the way to the sole of your foot?”

“Th-That's right!”

“As I thought.”

When Baek Hyeon-woo first treated Seo Na-eun's foot, she didn't have such symptoms.

Because her pain had only appeared due to her ankle being irritated by a problem with her shin muscle.

The fact that an abnormal sensation is appearing like with Ha-ryeong means there is a problem with the nerves.

“Right now, Ha-ryeong-ssi, you are in a state of having developed Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome.”

“T-Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome?”

“You've heard of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, right? Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome is when that appears in the foot.”

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition where the nerve going to the hand is pressed in the carpal tunnel, causing the sensation in the hand to become abnormal.

There are various causes, but it often occurs from using the wrist a lot.

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome is similar.

“On the inside of the ankle, there is an area called the flexor retinaculum, which holds the foot muscles. The space below the flexor retinaculum is the tarsal tunnel, and if the flexor retinaculum swells and the tarsal tunnel space narrows, the nerve gets pressed and symptoms occur.”

“Ah…”

“I'm going to touch the inside of your foot for a moment.”

Baek Hyeon-woo firmly pressed below Ha-ryeong's medial malleolus.

At that, Ha-ryeong was in so much pain that her whole leg flinched.

“I-I felt a tingling sensation. And a burning feeling too...”

“The symptoms were reproduced because the nerve was pressed inside the tarsal tunnel.”

This is a different type of condition from Yuri's anterior talofibular ligament rupture or Seo Na-eun's peroneus longus and brevis muscle strain.

Because it appears due to a nerve being pressed, abnormal sensation appears as the main symptom.

“Your ankle tendon won't tear or anything because of this. However, if the nerve is stimulated when doing certain movements, it will become difficult to dance.”

“……!”

If Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome becomes too severe, you have to have surgery to incise the ankle and reduce the pressure.

In the case of surgery, rehabilitation takes a long time, like with Yuri.

Therefore, it must not just be left alone.

“Ha-ryeong-ssi, I will give you emergency treatment.”

“Th-Then, can I be cured?”

“This is only emergency treatment.”

Holding Ha-ryeong's ankle, Baek Hyeon-woo said in a calm voice.

“I will adjust the ankle joint and loosen the surrounding muscles to temporarily create some space in the tarsal tunnel. However, after a few hours, it will return to its original state.”

“Ah…”

“However, you should be able to proceed with today's recording in a passable condition.”

“……!”

The reason Seo Dong-cheol had entrusted Ha-ryeong to Baek Hyeon-woo was ultimately for this.

Baek Hyeon-woo's job was to help so that, at least for today, the filming could proceed with her in a good condition.

“Ha-ryeong-ssi, I am only looking after you today. From now on, please talk with your agency and get separate professional treatment.”

“With my agency…?”

“Because I am Newstarz's manager. I cannot continuously look after an idol belonging to UBX.”

“Ah…”

It's an obvious thing to say, but the UBX side would also show its disapproval.

The reason Baek Hyeon-woo can look after Ha-ryeong right now is also because this is a place where they can avoid the eyes of the UBX managers.

“You will also have to ask your members for their understanding. Since you need to rest as much as possible, there will be many times when you'll have to be absent from N.A.N's group schedules.”

“That's…”

Ha-ryeong's complexion darkened another shade.

Her reaction was worse when she heard talk of the members than when she heard talk of the agency.

This wasn't simply a reaction of worrying about causing trouble for the other members.

‘As I thought, is her relationship with the other members not good?’

Ha-ryeong is being ostracized within the group.

That was the second weakness of N.A.N that Eun-joo had tipped Baek Hyeon-woo off about.

There had been conflict due to various factors like her solo activities for a long time, and they say that it gradually intensified, and she eventually came to be an outcast.

On top of that, since only Ha-ryeong's contract expiration date is different, there's also the contract renewal issue... so it seemed she was in a completely isolated state within the group.

‘So that's probably why her Mental Condition is so bad too.’

Confirming Ha-ryeong's Mental Condition, which had dropped to the 20% range, Baek Hyeon-woo opened his mouth again.

“Ha-ryeong-ssi, for now, I will do my best to treat you.”

“Manager-nim…”

“Think about what comes after later, and for now, please just think about finishing today's recording well.”

Baek Hyeon-woo also decided to forget the complicated circumstances for now.

Now is the time to do his best for the patient in front of him.

“I will do my best to help you.”

“……”

Ha-ryeong's eyes wavered for a moment.

And she gave a small nod.

“I'll be in your care.”

“Please leave it to me.”

Baek Hyeon-woo's treatment began.

……

“Hey, what took you so long!”

As Ha-ryeong returned to the practice space, the other members showed a sharp attitude, as expected.

It was a good thing the cameras were rolling; if it had been a place without others' eyes, they would have spat out a string of curses.

Still, Ha-ryeong's heart was more at ease than usual.

It was the effect of her physical condition getting much better after receiving Baek Hyeon-woo's treatment.

‘My ankle is so much lighter. The sole of my foot is comfortable too.’

Ha-ryeong checked the condition of her foot while trying various movements.

It seemed much better than usual after Baek Hyeon-woo's treatment.

‘If I'm in this state... I'll be able to show a better performance than last week.’

After the practice time ended, Ha-ryeong headed to the stage for the judges' evaluation.

On the way, Ha-ryeong ran into Newstarz.

“Seo Na-eun.”

“Yes, sunbae-nim.”

As Ha-ryeong called her, Seo Na-eun answered with a calm demeanor.

“By any chance, did you receive ankle treatment from your manager before?”

“Yes, that's right.”

Seo Na-eun nodded.

“Manager-nim is my savior.”

“……”

In Seo Na-eun's gaze as she spoke, a deep trust for Baek Hyeon-woo was contained.

Watching that, Ha-ryeong felt a sense of envy.

While being affiliated with UBX for 7 years, Ha-ryeong had never felt that kind of trust from anyone.

Because to the people at UBX, including Director Kim Do-gyun, idols were nothing more than a tool for making money.

Giving special favors, being considerate, was all ultimately for their own moneymaking.

She had never once had a sense of trust in such people.

“……”

The other Newstarz members who were next to her were also nodding with expressions of agreement at Seo Na-eun's words.

Suddenly, Ha-ryeong recalled the episode 1 broadcast from last time.

According to the broadcast's content, it seemed that originally, Newstarz also wasn't on very good terms with each other at first.

However, now they were in a state of being so tightly united that it made Ha-ryeong feel envious.

According to what Seo Na-eun had said on the broadcast, it seemed that was also thanks to Manager Baek Hyeon-woo.

How on earth could that be.

What on earth is different from the people at UBX...

“Seo Na-eun.”

Ha-ryeong asked, lowering her voice.

While feeling a curiosity about what it would be like to work with a person like that.

“About your Manager-nim, can you tell me in detail?”