Chapter 17 - You Will Be Able to Get Revenge
“We'll take a 20-minute break and then go into the recording for Part 2!”
As the voice of the broadcasting station's assistant director echoed, Baek Hyeon-woo, who had been watching the filming, immediately came forward.
“You worked hard on the Part 1 recording, Kanade-ssi.”
Today, Baek Hyeon-woo was at the studio of TVX, a general entertainment channel.
This was because it was the day that Newstarz's youngest member, Kanade, was appearing on the variety program 'Idol Weekly'.
“Ah, y-you worked hard too, Manager-nim.”
The girl with the round eyes saw Baek Hyeon-woo and bowed her head.
Her real name is Sonoda Kanade, and she is of mixed Korean and Japanese descent, born to a Japanese father and a Korean mother.
The place she was born and raised was Japan, but she has lived in Korea since high school, so she is also fluent in Korean.
“Ugh, I think I looked like a fool because I misspoke earlier...”
“It was funny, though? The other staff were laughing while watching, too.”
‘Idol Weekly’ is a variety program that airs every Sunday on TVX.
They invite various idols as guests and proceed with several segments.
Kanade was a regular guest on this 'Idol Weekly'.
“As expected, it seems you have a talent for variety shows, Kanade-ssi.”
“R-Really? I do have a bit of talent. Hehehe...”
Kanade, who had been dispirited until just a moment ago, scratched her head and giggled foolishly.
Normally, Kanade's position in Newstarz is main rapper or sub-vocalist, but in truth, you could say her role as the one in charge of variety shows is larger.
Giving off a friendly image with a ditziness as if a screw were loose was Kanade's greatest talent.
“Part 2 starts filming in 20 minutes, so you can rest in the waiting room until then. Let's go.”
Baek Hyeon-woo was thinking of taking Kanade to the waiting room and then letting her rest by herself.
This was because he knew that she preferred to spend her break time alone, playing games on her phone.
“Ah, but… Manager-nim.”
“Yes?”
“W-Wait a minute.”
The hesitating Kanade tugged on Baek Hyeon-woo's sleeve.
Without knowing why, Baek Hyeon-woo was dragged to the end of a deserted hallway.
“What's the matter?”
“Manager-nim…”
After checking that there was no one else around, Kanade carefully opened her mouth.
“Lately, it seems like you've been having some kind of secret talks with the other unnies. Is something going on?”
“Ah…”
Recently, Baek Hyeon-woo had been in discussions with the members about recruiting a fifth member for Newstarz.
A while ago, he had gotten a positive response not only from Seo Na-eun and Laura, but from Kim So-yeong as well.
However, he hadn't been able to bring up the topic with Kanade yet.
“Is it something I'm not supposed to know?”
“No. Actually, I was planning on telling you as well, Kanade-ssi.”
“Really?”
As it was, he had been thinking about talking to her today.
“Will you have time after the recording is over? I'll tell you then.”
“Ah, can't you just tell me now?”
“It's a rather serious topic... I think it would be better to talk about it slowly after everything is finished.”
Kanade might show a negative reaction.
Considering that aspect, it would probably be better to tell her after all of today's schedules are finished.
However, Kanade immediately shook her head.
“J-Just tell me now.”
“If you hear the story now, you might get distracted and it could affect the Part 2 filming.”
“Not hearing the story will distract me more. I'll be so curious about what it is that it'll actually have a bad influence on the filming.”
“Um…”
Kanade was clenching her two fists and looking up at Baek Hyeon-woo.
It seemed like a gesture that said she would hear the story here and now, no matter what.
“Understood. Then for now, please watch this video.”
“What?”
Baek Hyeon-woo took out his phone and played the video.
It was the video of Yoo Jeong-ah singing 'For you', the one he had also shown to Kim So-yeong.
“This is a person named Yoo Jeong-ah-ssi, who auditioned a while ago.”
“Uh…”
Kanade's eyes widened at Yoo Jeong-ah's vocal ability.
Following that, when Baek Hyeon-woo also showed her Yoo Jeong-ah's dance video, her eyes got even wider.
“Wh-Why are you showing me this...?”
“Actually... we were discussing a plan to accept this Yoo Jeong-ah-ssi as a new member of Newstarz.”
“……!”
This time, even her mouth fell wide open.
This variety-dol, as expected, her reactions are rich.
“A n-new member?”
“I have already heard a positive response from Na-eun-ssi, Laura-ssi, and So-yeong-ssi. So...”
Now, all I need is Kanade's opinion.
It was when he was about to say that.
“Haaah...”
Thud.
Kanade, her legs giving out, collapsed right on the spot.
“A-Am I finally being kicked out?”
“Huh?”
“It means you're kicking me out and recruiting that person named Yoo Jeong-ah in my place!”
For a moment, Baek Hyeon-woo couldn't understand what she was saying.
Meanwhile, Kanade trembled and muttered.
“It's true that I'm last place in both singing and dancing skills in Newstarz, and it's true that I was picked with the thought of expanding into Japan later but that fell through so I became completely useless, and it's true that for the youngest member I have a personality without any cutesy charm so I'm not doted on by the unnies, so I guess being kicked out like this can't be helped, but still, still...”
“Kanade-ssi, just a moment.”
“B-But still, I don't want to quit!”
Kanade clung to Baek Hyeon-woo's pant leg.
“M-Manager-nim! Can't something be done?! You're the CEO's nephew, so using that power, somehow...!”
“Kanade-ssi, please calm down first.”
“How can I calm down! If I quit being an idol, how am I supposed to make a living! I decided to make a living as an idol so I didn't study at all in high school...!”
Watching Kanade ramble on about unnecessary things, Baek Hyeon-woo let out a sigh.
“There has never been any talk of kicking you out, Kanade-ssi. So please don't worry.”
“Huh?”
“And you, Kanade-ssi, are a precious member of Newstarz. You are a one-of-a-kind existence with the best variety sense and friendly image in Newstarz, so why on earth would we kick you out? Rather, we would try to hold onto you so you could never leave.”
Hearing Baek Hyeon-woo's explanation, Kanade blinked her eyes.
“A one-of-a-kind existence... really?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“A one-of-a-kind existence... ehehe.”
Kanade repeated Baek Hyeon-woo's words and giggled foolishly.
It was a sight as if she had even forgotten why she had been whining just a moment ago.
“I do have a personality that's a bit hard to replace. Shall we say, a mascot-like existence for Newstarz.”
“……”
This way and that, she was a really busy child.
Is it thanks to this personality that she's popular on variety programs?
“Hm? Then is Laura unnie being kicked out instead of me?”
“Why does Laura-ssi's name come up right away?”
“Because I saw her snapping at you a few times, Manager-nim. I was wondering if she was getting fired for the crime of being impertinent.”
“We don't kick out our affiliated idols for things like that. And I don't have the authority to do so either.”
“Aren't you powerful since you're the CEO's nephew?”
“Not particularly.”
At Baek Hyeon-woo's answer, Kanade tilted her head in confusion.
“Huh? Then is it Na-eun unnie or So-yeong unnie?”
“No one is quitting. Because the conversation is about adding Yoo Jeong-ah-ssi as the fifth member.”
Kanade now made an expression as if she understood.
“What, that's what it was? If that's the case, then that's great.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“What reason is there to oppose it? We were originally a combination formed to debut as five people, and it's great if a skilled additional member comes in so we can be active as a complete group.”
“It might get awkward if a new member comes in, will that be okay?”
“You don't have to worry about that. Because we're not that close to begin with.”
Saying that, Kanade crossed her arms and smiled.
“We're professionals who have gathered purely for business, ahem.”
“I don't know why you're acting all high and mighty, but... I understand.”
Anyway, with this, he had received a positive answer from Kanade as well.
Since all four existing members were positive, the time had now come to talk to the higher-ups and push it forward in earnest.
“But why are you, Manager-nim, the one going around talking about this, and not the Director or the Team Leader?”
“Because it's a plan that I am pushing forward.”
“Wow… the CEO's nephew, as expected. I was right that you have power.”
Kanade made a surprised expression and clasped her hands together.
“I plan to bury my bones at Haram Entertainment, so please take good care of me for a long time, Manager-nim.”
“No, that's not it...”
At that moment, he felt the presence of someone nearby.
When he turned his head, he saw the face of the performer who had been filming with Kanade until just a moment ago.
It was a female idol named Da-hee, who was the center of the mid-tier girl group 'Bolero'.
“Tsk, what's this?”
Da-hee looked at Kanade's face and openly scrunched up her expression.
And she turned her back and went somewhere else.
“Kanade-ssi, are you perhaps not on good terms with Da-hee-ssi? Seeing you during the recording earlier, it seemed like she showed a slightly prickly attitude at times.”
“Aargh...”
Kanade was making a frightened expression.
“Last time I went on another broadcast... that person got angry at me.”
“She got angry?”
“She got annoyed, saying that because of something I said during the recording, she ended up looking like a fool...”
“……”
He didn't know the full inside story, but it seemed she had gotten swept up in Kanade's eccentric talk and lost her own pace before.
“When I explained that I didn't do it on purpose, she got angry asking if I was messing with her and... she forcefully shoved my chest.”
Kanade gripped the chest area of her top tightly.
Seeing that her hands were trembling faintly, he could tell that it was an incident that had given Kanade a considerable shock.
“This is a story that cannot just be overlooked.”
Baek Hyeon-woo slowly opened his mouth.
“That is assault. I would appreciate it if you told me in detail.”
“M-Manager-nim, it wasn't to that extent. I was just a little surprised...”
Seeing Baek Hyeon-woo reacting seriously, Kanade spoke urgently.
“It wasn't something worth making an issue out of, so please don't be too angry...”
“……”
Hearing Kanade's words, Baek Hyeon-woo bit his lip.
In fact, Baek Hyeon-woo had also experienced that degree of physical contact a few times while working at the hospital.
Because there are a surprising number of patients who harbor complaints and cause a scene.
However, even when such things happened, he just endured it and let it pass.
Because he thought that if he reported a patient for something of that degree, it would become difficult to work as a physical therapist in the future.
Kanade's feelings were probably similar.
Still... Baek Hyeon-woo didn't want to just let it pass.
“Kanade-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“In Part 2, there's a part where the idols play a game, right?”
'Idol Weekly' has a segment where the guest idols have a game showdown.
In a little while, they would be filming that segment.
“Yes, that's right.”
Kanade nodded and made a gloomy expression.
“But today's game is a tennis game that I'm not good at, so I don't have much confidence. There's a high possibility I'll be completely defeated by Da-hee unnie, who has good athletic reflexes...”
“No.”
“What?”
“You can win, Kanade-ssi. So please do as I say.”
As he said that, Baek Hyeon-woo recalled what he had seen when he ran into Da-hee earlier.
The contents of the status window... that had been displayed next to Da-hee's face.
“Then you will be able to get your revenge on Da-hee-ssi.”
“R-Revenge?”
Revenge.
At that keyword, Kanade made a slightly excited expression.