Chapter 26
“You… Is that something you should say to a fellow trainee? And is that something you should say to me? You’re just a trainee, and I’m a director of this company.”
Hmm.
That’s a typical response when an old man is at a loss for words.
“If you don’t want to broadcast that video, isn’t it a matter of editing?”
“That can’t be done, Trainee Yoon Cheong.”
Then, PD stepped in.
“I’m a very fair person.”
“….”
“If there was a scene where Trainee Juseon was the victim, shouldn’t there also be a scene where Team A trainees are the victims?”
I didn’t answer.
Because it was the reaction I had expected in the first place.
Fairness my foot.
They probably just don’t want to let go of an interesting subject.
“I see.”
Although I couldn’t agree with the statement that Juseon was the victim in the first place, I pretended to agree reluctantly.
“So, why did you call me here? As you said, I’m just a trainee.”
Director Kim now looked absurd.
Probably.
The Yoon Cheong you knew and the Yoon Cheong now must be quite different.
In the first place, it’s not easy for trainees to stand up to a director like this.
“I guess the reason you called me is that. Let’s quietly move on from this incident.”
But do you know?
A person who has been the head of a small and medium-sized company’s girl group can’t see anything.
“Well, it’s true that I called you to check.”
PD slipped a word.
Check.
Obvious.
“Oh, did I record it?”
“That’s right.”
PD looked amused.
Writer Kang was quietly looking around between Director Kim and PD.
“Of course, I recorded it.”
“!”
Director Kim’s face crumpled.
“And in the recording, it’s all captured that Juseon is scared of Ryeo-yu. Did you want to check this?”
“You, you’re really a funny kid.”
Director Kim let out a hollow laugh.
“Is that how you come out to adults, you. You haven’t even debuted yet-”
“Since I haven’t debuted yet, there’s nothing particularly scary. If I leave this company and take the college entrance exam and decide to walk a different path now, it’s not particularly scary to expose one agency.”
Yoon Cheong is 20 years old.
It means that it’s not too late to find a new path from now on.
And there are many people in the entertainment industry who are just starting out like this.
“But I agree too.”
“!”
“I agree very much with covering everything up and moving on.”
But I was also in a position where I couldn’t resist.
Because I have a promise with that strange lump of cotton.
“So, it would be nice if we could cover it up cleanly, both of us.”
***
The agreement that was not pleasant for both sides ended.
The editing went all the way in without either side blushing.
Director Kim called me a crazy woman several times.
But I didn’t particularly answer.
Crazy woman, whatever….
As soon as the agreement was concluded, I said goodbye and left the office.
I have to go back to practice tomorrow.
Where would I have the energy to waste here?
“Hey, Trainee Yoon Cheong.”
But PD caught me, who was trying to leave nicely.
“I saw you again, huh?”
Ew.
“Are you afraid of young people these days?”
“Oh, yes.”
What’s so scary about living well?
PD pointed at me and said.
Oh, it’s really disgusting.
“This time, I covered you, huh? You know that?”
“Oh, yes.”
Only a soulless answer came out.
Anyway, it was true that PD had helped me.
Of course… it was for his own benefit.
PD wanted to press down Director Kim, who was clashing with everything, and I just happened to be the means for that.
“No, when she asked to install cameras in the practice room, I thought she just had a lot of broadcasting ambitions. But there was all this scheming?”
“I didn’t really aim for it.”
“Sure.”
Really.
I didn’t know he would talk so smoothly.
“Anyway, thank you.”
“No, no. Huh? I’m going to watch you closely from now on. Try it once.”
PD seemed to think I was on his side already.
Not at all.
This time, we just used each other out of necessity.
I sighed and said goodbye to PD.
“Goodbye, PD.”
You won’t know.
That you should be thankful to me.
“Oh, well, go well?”
Because I just didn’t threaten you with your weakness.
***
“….”
Shiver, shiver, shiver.
I could hear the sound of legs shaking.
Whose legs, you ask?
Of course, it wasn’t my legs.
It was Juseon’s legs.
“Did you see everything?”
“Huh… How….”
“PD was watching.”
I quietly swallowed the words that I had asked PD.
All of this had to be backed by PD, not me.
“They said they were going to broadcast this.”
“No way, did you install a camera in the practice room…!”
“Juseon.”
I stared straight at Juseon, who was trembling.
“Don’t you understand the situation yet?”
“…!”
Juseon’s eyes began to fill with fear.
Fear of me.
It seems to be slowly sinking in.
“I could have just asked them to broadcast it.”
“….”
“But I asked them to cover it up.”
“!”
Now her eyes were slowly filled with surprise.
“Why… why?”
“Because you’re also our team member. Team members should cover each other’s faults, right?”
At the word ‘team member’, Juseon’s face turned pale.
Yeah, this would be more creepy.
“Do you think so too, Juseon?”
“…Yes.”
Yeah.
That’s what I think too.
We should cover up ‘a bit’ of each other’s faults.
‘A bit’ of cooperation is a bonus.
“Do you still not like the concept?”
“…No.”
“I’m glad. Can you choreograph? We’ve lost a day and a half. Is it still a bit overwhelming?”
“I can… do it.”
“We’ll help too. Let’s do everything together. We’re team members.”
“Yes….”
Finally, a satisfying reaction came out.
“Thank you, Juseon. Then I’ll call our team members. It will take some time to catch up with other teams. We have to hurry.”
“…Yes.”
Juseon couldn’t say anything but yes, yes in response, like a possessed person.
“Oh, by the way, tell Ryeo-yu well.”
“Me, me?”
Oh, she might freeze here.
Kim Ryeo-yu must be really scary.
“Then who does it, Juseon? Me?”
“No….”
“Yeah. We agreed to cooperate. You spoke very well in the practice room earlier. Wouldn’t it all be solved if you used that eloquence on Ryeo-yu?”
“….”
Hmm.
I’m finally feeling a bit relieved.
I know.
Kim Ryeo-yu must have heard everything by now. From none other than Director Kim.
It’s obvious if you think about that guy’s temper.
But I wanted Juseon to tell Kim Ryeo-yu directly with her own mouth.
Because then she would feel something.
“Oh, by the way, Juseon.”
“Yes?”
“PD said never to mention the existence of the video.”
“Yes…?”
“So don’t mention the existence of the video, just say you’ve changed your mind.”
“But then Ryeo-yu unnie will never listen.”
“Oh, really? It must be really hard.”
I empathized with Juseon’s feelings as much as possible.
I have to give her the sympathy she wants, even like this.
“But what can we do? PD said not to say it. What power do I have.”
“Sister…!”
“If PD thinks you’re talking about the existence of the video, he might feel left out. It’s a bit like that if you and Ryeo-yu are close, right?”
“…!”
“So let’s be careful with each other.”
I held Juseon’s hand tightly.
Fight on.
***
“Juseon unnie… came back?!”
Yeon Juhong’s eyes, which were already big and round, widened even more.
Why are your eyes so round?
“Yeah.”
“And… she said she would do as if nothing had happened?!”
“No. The scene where Juseon was harsh on Juhong at the clothing market will be broadcast.”
Even if we cover it up, we have to peel off what we have to peel off.
I could cover up what Juseon said to me at my discretion, but I had no intention of covering up what she did to Yeon Juhong.
I think she should take responsibility for that kind of behavior.
“And she apologizes to us?!”
“Yeah. That will also be broadcast.”
Yeon Juhong was jumping around excitedly.
Kim Geum still looked flustered, but on the other hand, she looked happy.
“No, sister. Are you a magician?”
“Or maybe a kindergarten teacher?”
“…?”
“How did you educate Juseon…! Eup eup…!”
Yeah. I had a hard time educating the child.
“Anyway, Juseon has never left our team. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“So let’s get along as if nothing happened.”
“Yes!!”
They’re chirping like birds.
I feel like a mother bird raising baby birds.
“But… will Juseon unnie cooperate well?”
“She’ll cooperate very well. Trust me on that.”
If she doesn’t cooperate, I’ll have to tell her that there won’t be another chance.
“…No, what’s the real secret? Juseon’s stubbornness is no joke, how did you break it?”
Kim Geum had almost reached the point of doubt.
“If you know too much… the mystique breaks.”
“No! What, you’ve already debuted?”
Eung-eung.
I did once.
Anyway, I had no intention of telling her the method.
From the moment I say something… I was sure they would be scared of me.
Even though we can live together, there’s no need to start with fear.
“Anyway, we’ve lost a day and a half. Let’s move on quickly.”
I winked at Kim Geum.
Then, Kim Geum took out her laptop.
It’s almost a golden egg-laying laptop.
“Geum-ah, how far have you gone with the composition?”
“I’ve almost done it.”
“Really?”
Even in the midst of mental breakdown, she had done all the work.
It was admirable.
“I’ll play it for you. Both of you, please give your opinions.”
“Yes.”
“Yeah.”
Yeon Juhong and I focused on the melody that Kim Geum played.
Since the lyrics were not yet completed, Kim Geum hummed the melody roughly.
But even so-
“Awesome.”
“…It’s amazing?”
The song was very good.
Much better than the song I composed.
“Just a little touch-up will do. But we need to start attaching the lyrics soon….”
Kim Geum looked at me.
“Sister, the lyrics….”
“I already have something in mind, so don’t worry.”
“!”
Kim Geum’s face was almost moved.
No, it’s not that great.
If I just tweak the lyrics I wrote in my previous life.
I had already written some of it next to Kim Geum, who was busy composing.
“Sister, even though you were busy solving the problem, you even thought about the lyrics? Do you have 48 hours a day by yourself?”
Yeon Juhong also stuck out her tongue.
Hmm, not that much.
“No matter how I think….”
“Yeah?”
“We must debut together.”
“No, me? Kim Geum. Me?”
“You just try a little harder. I might be able to squeeze you in.”
“No…! No…!”
“You’re about 80 points. Develop.”
“No!”
“This instructor is not satisfied yet.”
They really seem like baby birds.
I casually ran away watching the two of them bicker.
I need to fix the lyrics.