Chapter 61 - An Unconventional Idea

The next day.

Baek Hyeon-woo personally revealed the plan to recruit Ha-ryeong in the company's CEO office.

“Ha-ryeong-ssi's exclusive contract period with UBX does not have much time left. She has no intention of renewing, and she says she is considering moving agencies.”

“Hmm…”

“This is a matter I confirmed by speaking directly with Ha-ryeong-ssi on the phone after receiving her message yesterday.”

In the CEO's office, it wasn't just Baek Yeon-ah; Director Choi Tae-hyung was also there.

This was because contract-related matters are handled by the director level.

“I haven't confirmed it directly with Ha-ryeong-ssi, but Ha-ryeong-ssi was being ostracized within N.A.N.”

“Is that really true?”

“Their relationship was not good from the start, and it seems to have worsened as her contract expiration approaches.”

“Well, I'll be...”

Baek Yeon-ah groaned while sitting in her seat.

“That's shocking. To think N.A.N had a bullying problem.”

“Still, it is something that could plausibly happen.”

Choi Tae-hyung made a bitter expression.

“There was a similar bullying problem at the company I was at before. The company used its influence to cover it up right before it was reported in the media.”

“Then what happened to the kid who was being bullied?”

“I heard she quit the entertainment industry and is doing a shopping mall business.”

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

“Assistant Manager Baek, so are you suggesting we bring Ha-ryeong to our company?”

“Yes, that's right.”

Baek Hyeon-woo said, nodding his head.

“The solo songs that Ha-ryeong-ssi has released have always been well-received. Even if she leaves N.A.N and makes a new start as a solo artist, she will surely be able to gain popularity.”

“Yeah, it might be a different story for the other members, but if it's Ha-ryeong, it's worth taking a shot as a solo artist.”

Debuting as a female solo singer from the start is not an easy task.

However, if it's a singer who has built up recognition through girl group activities transforming into a solo artist, there's a sufficient chance of success.

On top of that, Ha-ryeong possessed S-class vocal ability and had been consistently releasing solo songs and gaining recognition for a long time.

She was a talent worth trying to recruit at Haram Entertainment.

“But Assistant Manager Baek, how on earth did this happen?”

Choi Tae-hyung asked cautiously.

“It's understandable that she's trying to leave N.A.N and depart from UBX. But why is she considering moving to Haram Entertainment? There are many bigger and better companies than this one...”

“Director Choi? You seem to have had a lot of complaints because it's a small and unimpressive company?”

“Ah, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant...”

As Baek Yeon-ah glared at him, Choi Tae-hyung gave a fake cough.

“I don't even understand why she's contacting you in the first place, Assistant Manager Baek. How on earth did you get to know Ha-ryeong?”

“It seemed her body wasn't well, so I took a look for her.”

“During 'The Idol' recording?”

“That's right.”

“No, no matter how well you treated her, Assistant Manager Baek...”

Choi Tae-hyung had an expression of complete disbelief.

Because for the main vocalist of a popular group like N.A.N to contact a mere road manager and sound out an agency transfer was an unrealistic thing.

“Hyeon-woo-ya, did you by any chance intend this from the beginning?”

At that moment, Baek Yeon-ah asked cautiously.

“You knew that Ha-ryeong kid wanted to move agencies, and you approached her to make her come to our company?”

“I didn't particularly approach her according to a plan.”

Baek Hyeon-woo answered calmly.

“However, it's true that I was hoping she would consider transferring to our company.”

After hearing the story from Eun-joo, who was well-versed in the internal rumors of UBX, Baek Hyeon-woo came to think that he wanted to bring Ha-ryeong to Haram Entertainment.

This was because, as it was, he had been thinking that he wanted to raise Haram Entertainment's status.

‘For Haram Entertainment to get bigger in the future, it can't be done with just Newstarz.’

Choi Tae-hyung is preparing a new group, but separate from that, they need to recruit an artist with name recognition and increase their size.

If it's Ha-ryeong, who was the main vocalist of the popular girl group N.A.N, she is a talent worth recruiting.

If Ha-ryeong was thinking of not renewing with UBX and moving agencies... he wanted to make her choose Haram Entertainment.

“Of course, I am still merely a road manager and do not have the authority to recruit a celebrity from another company. Still, I wanted to instill a good image of Haram Entertainment in her.”

“So you thought that if you instilled a good image, she might consider coming to our company later?”

“Yes, that's right.”

“Groan…”

Baek Yeon-ah groaned.

“If what you say is true, Hyeon-woo, then it means you really did instill a tremendously good image. To the point that she would contact us right away like this.”

“How on earth did he win her over...”

Choi Tae-hyung also shook his head, dumbfounded.

“Assistant Manager Baek, even so, she's not going to transfer to Haram Entertainment with just her connection to you alone, Assistant Manager Baek.”

“Yes, I think we will have to present conditions that will satisfy Ha-ryeong-ssi.”

Ha-ryeong is not a rookie idol about to debut.

She is a popular celebrity with name recognition overseas as well.

Naturally, we have to present conditions befitting that.

The problem is that Baek Hyeon-woo knows nothing about these kinds of things.

For this part, he has to receive the help of the director-level manager, Choi Tae-hyung.

“It seems Director Choi will have to step up for this one.”

Baek Yeon-ah said, nodding her head.

“Hyeon-woo-ya, ask her if it's okay for Director Choi to go along and talk. That way, she can also talk about things like the contract fee and profit-sharing ratios.”

“Understood.”

As Baek Hyeon-woo nodded, Baek Yeon-ah gave an instruction to Choi Tae-hyung.

“Director Choi, grant whatever she requests, within reason. Since she's moving to a small-to-medium-sized agency like ours, you'll have to concede a lot.”

“Understood. Unless she requests something too outrageous, is it okay to say OK on the spot?”

“Yeah, I'll leave it to you, Director Choi, so handle it well.”

“Then… ah, wait a moment.”

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

“Assistant Manager Baek, there's one thing that's bothering me...”

Baek Hyeon-woo noticed what he was worried about and immediately opened his mouth.

“I understand that Ha-ryeong-ssi is free from the smoking issue.”

“Really? Then that's a relief.”

Even when the talk of smoking came up last time, Ha-ryeong had no big change in her Mental Condition.

Unless she possesses a steel mentality that is unshaken by anything, it must be true that Ha-ryeong does not smoke.

“Good, then let's get this going.”

Choi Tae-hyung showed his motivation.

“If this goes through well, other celebrities will also consider transferring to our company.”

N.A.N's Ha-ryeong transferred under good conditions and is satisfied.

If such a rumor spreads, other celebrities will also become interested, thinking, 'Does Haram Entertainment really treat you that well?'

It could become an opportunity for Haram Entertainment's size to grow.

……

Meanwhile, at DP Entertainment, they were contemplating making Baek Hyeon-woo transfer to their side.

“If what you say is right, then the reason N.A.N showed such a poor performance in the first mission must be because of Baek Hyeon-woo.”

Director Seong Soo-ho frowned after hearing Seong Hae-won's story.

“After obtaining information that there were smokers in N.A.N, he put on a show with Director Choi Tae-hyung. N.A.N needlessly shot themselves in the foot and had their mental state shaken.”

“Right. It seemed like that.”

During that time, Seong Hae-won had been observing Baek Hyeon-woo and his surroundings intently.

Therefore, she had also noticed that N.A.N had lost their own pace while being wary of Baek Hyeon-woo.

“That Baek Hyeon-woo person, as expected, he doesn't seem to be a simple road manager. Even at the episode 2 recording, Baek Hyeon-woo was the only one who had come into a place where managers couldn't enter.”

“What did he come in for?”

“I don't know that far. But he must have gone in because PD Seo Dong-cheol-nim allowed it, right?”

Seo Dong-cheol is not a person who would give special favors to a specific group.

For what reason on earth did he let Baek Hyeon-woo in.

“And looking at them this time. Those Newstarz kids, they're completely smitten with Baek Hyeon-woo.”

“Really?”

“I told Seo Na-eun that I wanted to take Baek Hyeon-woo, you know? And she glared at me with incredibly fearsome eyes. Saying she would never hand him over.”

“Hmph…”

Seong Soo-ho nodded.

“If Baek Hyeon-woo leaves, their mental state will completely shatter.”

“Yeah, he seemed like their mental pillar of support.”

“If only for us to make a comeback on 'The Idol', I have to snatch Baek Hyeon-woo away quickly.”

Seong Soo-ho had wanted to bring Baek Hyeon-woo to DP Entertainment for a long time.

He had planned to set up a separate meeting and make a formal proposal, but he was busy with overseas business trips and other things, so there was no opportunity.

However, he could no longer postpone it.

If only to resolve this situation where Choux-pop is losing to Newstarz on 'The Idol', he had to recruit Baek Hyeon-woo quickly.

“Uncle, then you're making Baek Hyeon-woo our dedicated team leader, right?”

“Yeah, and I'll just tell Jeong Do-woon to take charge of Black D.”

Jeong Do-woon was the team leader in charge of both Choux-pop and Black D, but he had been relatively neglecting Black D.

This was because he had favored the more popular Choux-pop.

However, now Jeong Do-woon will quit being in charge of Choux-pop and will only take charge of Black D.

Maybe he'll even be tasked with handling one or two more unpopular nobody groups.

“That Jeong Do-woon bastard, there's not a single thing he does properly.”

In fact, it wasn't that Jeong Do-woon was an incompetent team leader.

Rather, you could say he was on the more capable side than the industry average.

However, he didn't possess the unconventionality to smoothly pull off things that others couldn't, like Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Team Leader Jeong was a bit boring. I didn't really care before, but once I started comparing him with Baek Hyeon-woo, he seemed so dull.”

Seong Hae-won was also a person who felt intrigued by that unconventional side of Baek Hyeon-woo.

Her interest grew even more after experiencing 'The Idol' site this time.

If they bring Baek Hyeon-woo over, Choux-pop's activities will become much more interesting... she was lost in such thoughts.

“Uncle, but you can definitely bring Baek Hyeon-woo over, right?”

“Don't worry. I'll meet him at the next recording and make a formal proposal.”

Seong Soo-ho answered in a confident voice.

“That Baek Hyeon-woo bastard... in my view, he's an ambitious guy. If I tell him I'll make him a team leader right away, he'll have no choice but to react.”

Generally, to become a team-leader-level manager, you have to accumulate about 5 years of experience as a road manager.

If he can become a team leader right now, it means Baek Hyeon-woo would be shortening that time by that much.

If Baek Hyeon-woo has any thought of succeeding in the entertainment industry, he will definitely try to grab the team leader position at DP Entertainment.

“There isn't a single place that would give the team leader position to a guy who hasn't even been a manager for a few months. That Baek Hyeon-woo bastard won't try to miss this opportunity either.”

……

“What should I do about this?”

Choi Tae-hyung was lost in thought alone at his home.

“That Ha-ryeong woman... how can she make this a condition?”

Today, Choi Tae-hyung had met Ha-ryeong with Baek Hyeon-woo.

Just as Baek Hyeon-woo had said, Ha-ryeong was feeling skeptical about her N.A.N activities and was in the middle of trying to part ways with UBX.

Ha-ryeong had been hoping to steadily build her track record as a solo vocalist for a while, and she revealed that if they could respect her wishes and support her, a common-sense level for the contract fee and ratios would be enough.

However, Ha-ryeong put forward an additional condition that he hadn't even considered.

“To ask for Baek Hyeon-woo to be her dedicated manager...”

They say that in their last meeting, Ha-ryeong received a great impression from Baek Hyeon-woo.

She was Newstarz's competitor, but it seemed she was moved by the sight of him treating her with such care, dripping with sweat, without paying any mind to that.

So after asking Seo Na-eun what kind of person Baek Hyeon-woo was and hearing a few things... it seems she also came to think that she would like Baek Hyeon-woo to be in charge of her.

“That Baek Hyeon-woo bastard, just how well did he treat her...”

If this had been any other manager, he would have done as Ha-ryeong wanted.

The problem was that this was Baek Hyeon-woo, the mental pillar of support for Newstarz.

Because even Choi Tae-hyung knew how important Baek Hyeon-woo was to Newstarz, he couldn't change Baek Hyeon-woo from being in charge of Newstarz to being in charge of Ha-ryeong.

“But it's not like I can tell Baek Hyeon-woo to be in charge of both Newstarz and Ha-ryeong at the same time...”

A road manager is incredibly busy.

To act as the road manager for both Newstarz and Ha-ryeong is next to impossible.

Even if Baek Hyeon-woo were to say, 'I'll do it,' he couldn't permit it.

“No, wait a minute.”

As he was groaning and contemplating what to do.

A thought suddenly popped into Choi Tae-hyung's mind.

“Couldn't we just promote Baek Hyeon-woo to team leader and have him manage both the Newstarz and Ha-ryeong sides at the same time?”

Promoting Baek Hyeon-woo, who hasn't even been a manager for a few months, to team leader.

An unconventional idea that ignores the common sense of the entertainment industry came to mind.