Chapter 109
★
“To all my lovely Everblue!! >< I’m so excited to call your name for the first time, what should I do!!!!! Thank you for our first #1 today♥♥ I promise to never lose my original intentions and to always!! be with you, Everblue, forever!! #SteelBlue #SteelBlue #Everblue #Juhong #JUHONG #Blue”
“Everblue Everblue~~ We got #1~ Thank you so much! I’ll cherish the love you’ve given us and tonight I’ll unfold it and use it as my blanket~~ Goodnight! Thank you for our first #1 and let’s always be together! #SteelBlue #SteelBlue #Everblue #Geum #GEUM #Blue”
“Did everyone see us get #1 today, Everblue? It’s our first #1, so I’m still in shock and my heart is pounding. It’s a night filled with joy because we achieved this together. I love you, Everblue! #SteelBlue #SteelBlue #Everblue #Bora #BORA #Blue”
“Dear Everblue! We got #1ㅠㅠ Thank you so much. I can’t believe we made it this far thanks to you, Everblue… I must be the happiest person in the world! I’ll continue to show you only the best. I love you!! #SteelBlue #SteelBlue #Everblue #Baekyoung #BAEKYOUNG #Blue”
“Everblue! Did you see us today? I cried so much it was funnyㅠㅠ I hope it brought a smile to your face… Thank you for the precious and valuable #1. Some of you might have been shocked to see me cry so much, but I promise I won’t cry again! I love you, thank you! #SteelBlue #SteelBlue #Everblue #Cheong #CHEONG #Blue”
“Oh guysㅠㅠㅠㅠCongratulations, I love youㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ #1 right after debutㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ”
“Congratulations to our Steel Blue for being the fastest girl group to get #1!!”
“20XX1202 Oh our Steel Blue’s encore was hilariousㅋㅋㅋㅋ They couldn’t stay still for a secondㅋㅋㅋㅋ Juhong, are you excited?!”
“Look at Cheong Leader, who vowed never to cry but ended up cryingㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Now keep your promise, Cheong♥”
“Yoon-bl was sobbingㅠㅠ She said she wouldn’t cry because the members would, but she couldn’t hold back her tears until the end of the encoreㅠㅠ This is why we get them #1”
“Look at the group photoㅋㅋㅋㅋ Yoon-bl’s nose and eyes are so red, it’s too cute, I’m dying.”
“I thought Seo Baek-young would cry the most, but she didn’t and stayed composed. I realized she’s really the older sister. So, where do you live, unnie?”
Click.
A spacious private office on the second-highest floor of Colors Entertainment headquarters.
A person sat in the shadow, alone, in a place where the light from the large windows streamed brightly.
On the desk by the office window, there was a nameplate that read:
Colors Entertainment Director Kim Mokyung.
Director Kim put down his phone.
The obligatory monitoring seemed sufficient.
“So, that kid said she wants to release a solo song?”
Director Kim was talking to someone over the phone.
“The KBM Wednesday-Thursday drama OST? I had already tossed that to Burn Ash. The news already went out before I could touch it?”
He had heard that the girl had gotten #1 today.
Pushing her into the remaining hell.
She clawed her way up, deceiving everyone like that.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
And a solo song on top of that?
The disdain that rose to his throat made it impossible to let it go smoothly.
-Yes, but it seems Dan Ha handed it over to Yoon Cheong because he had no time to compose due to the upcoming album and overseas tour.
“Excuses. He just offered it up as an apology for this comeback. Dan Ha is so foolish and naive. That’s why even after rising like that, he’s still playing in Director Sung’s palm. And Hong Yeonseo is equally stupid. Why did she hand them over to Director Sung…”
Director Kim was very dissatisfied with CEO Hong for handing Burn Ash over to Director Sung.
In fact, it was their debut album that raised Burn Ash to the top ranks.
The very album Director Kim was responsible for from beginning to end.
However, CEO Hong decided that Director Kim’s influence had grown too much and gave all the male idols to Director Sung.
And handed only the girl groups to Director Kim.
Knowing full well that the biggest source of revenue for the company came from the male idols, she made such a decision.
It was something that made Director Kim grit his teeth.
The only reason he endured was because of Kim Ryeo-yu.
Since he was now in charge of the girl groups, he thought he could let Kim Ryeo-yu freely pursue her dreams.
That was the only reason he held on.
You shouldn’t do this, Hong Yeonseo.
After taking away all my limbs, are you trying to cut off my head too?
-…What should we do?
Do you think I’ll just sit still?
“Who composed it?”
-Kim Geum did.
“Really? But how did it end up with Yoon Cheong singing it?”
-Pardon?
Director Kim leisurely turned his chair and looked out over the nighttime view of Seoul.
“I understand Kim Geum composed it, but does Yoon Cheong really have to sing it?”
-The production team already approved it.
“Is there really a need for a pre-release at this time?”
-Then… what should we do?
“Pre-releasing it now would just heighten unnecessary buzz. Just tell them to launch it properly with the drama.”
-But… it would require reversing the decision with the production team….
The voice on the other end of the phone trembled slightly.
“That’s something you need to handle. Just inform Yoon Cheong that it’s a no.”
-…Yes, I will do that.
“And.”
Director Kim turned his gaze to the computer monitor, glowing faintly blue.
It was a report on Steel Blue’s performance.
Initial sales of 380,000 copies.
#1 on the music charts.
Numerous advertisement deals.
All these tremendous achievements were becoming Director Kim’s.
Even though he had done almost nothing for this album.
It should have been a situation where he screamed with joy.
It was such a favorable situation.
But Director Kim didn’t feel particularly happy.
It was as if he had lost the bet against that cocky kid.
However, he wasn’t particularly displeased either.
The achievements and profits brought in by Yoon Cheong were—
“How is the casting for Ryeo-yu going?”
-Mnet has accepted it. But they require a clear agreement and an apology statement to be announced first.
They were becoming Director Kim’s power.
“We’ve reached an agreement. Release an article saying it was a misunderstanding and conflict among young girls. Within two weeks.”
“Yes. The program recording starts in a month, so it should be fine.”
“They are aware that Steel Blue will be appearing simultaneously, right?”
“Yes. They actually seemed to welcome it.”
“And they agreed to put Shin Yuhwa in as an MC?”
At the mention of Shin Yuhwa, a brief silence fell between them.
“Convincing them wasn’t easy, but… yes, they accepted.”
Despite the reluctant tone, Director Kim remained calm.
“Excuse me, Director. But why did you… put that person in as an MC? As you know, they don’t have the best reputation.”
The voice on the other end hesitated before asking.
“So? Is it causing you any trouble?”
“Director…”
“Mind your own business. Do you think I pay you your salary and bonuses for you to ask such questions?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t overstep again.”
Director Kim abruptly ended the call.
It was worth pouring money into Mnet.
Everything was going as planned.
Only then did Director Kim smile contentedly.
Yes, Yoon Cheong.
Swallow the whole world as if it’s all yours.
At the moment you think you’ve taken it all.
I’ll swallow you whole.
***
“Goodnight, everyone!”
“Yeah~ Goodnight, Juhong.”
“Goodnight.”
“Sleep well too, Bora, especially tonight. We got first place, after all.”
“…You should get some good sleep, unnie. Stop having nightmares.”
Huh.
How did she know that, she’s not even my roommate.
Did Seo Baek-young tell her?
Scratching the back of my head, I headed to the kitchen.
I thought I’d have a glass of bellflower root juice before bed.
“Cheong.”
Just then, the manager called out to me.
“That… OST you mentioned yesterday.”
“Oh, that. Did we get approval?”
Why an OST all of a sudden?
[<Release a solo song!>
Reward: 500 points per song]
It was to earn points by completing this quest.
Logically, there was no way a newly debuted girl group member could release a solo song just a week after their debut album release.
So, I came up with a trick.
The quest asked for a solo song, not a solo album, right?
So, I thought I could sneak it in as part of a drama OST album.
It was the OST Dan Ha had requested earlier.
Of course, with the drama launching in three weeks, it wasn’t easy to release the OST immediately.
But, I used my brain one more time.
Drama OSTs were often pre-released for promotional purposes.
So, I had proposed this to the production company through Lee Sol.
“A drama OST? Suddenly? You want to pre-release it? At this timing…?”
“Yes. I really want to do it.”
“I understand your intention, but, Cheong… isn’t the timing a bit off? Doing the OST is fine, but pre-releasing it…?”
Naturally, Lee Sol was puzzled.
She seemed to wonder why I wanted to release it when we were already so busy.
“I want to change my existing image a bit.”
“!”
“There’s still a strong image of me being Kim Ryeo-yu’s victim. But in the long run, I know that image won’t benefit the group. So, I want to use this opportunity to solidify myself not as the victim Yoon Cheong, but as the main vocalist of Steel Blue.”
After my words, Lee Sol remained silent for a while.
I just waited patiently for her.
Director Kim wouldn’t understand me.
He’d probably say, ‘Who are you to claim to be a victim?’
But Lee Sol was an idol.
As an idol, she would know.
How much you want to shed an unwanted “image.”
“Okay. Let’s try it. I’ll try to convince the production company. They will probably like it. After all, you’re the one with the most buzz right now.”
Lee Sol somehow succeeded.
When I first got paired with Lee Sol, it was an inevitable choice.
But Lee Sol turned out to be a much better producer and mentor than I expected.
Anyway.
Back to the present.
The manager’s expression looked strange.
I had a bad feeling.
“No… it was cut from above.”
“…What?”