Chapter 21 - I Will Change It
“This is Baek Hyeon-woo from Haram Entertainment.”
“Yeah, come in.”
As Baek Hyeon-woo opened the door and entered, a subtle citrusy scent could be felt.
“Is it bergamot? The scent is nice.”
“I see you have some expertise in aromatherapy too?”
PD Seo Dong-cheol's workroom, set up at the TVX broadcasting station, was a stylish space that looked like it could be in an interior design magazine.
Seo Dong-cheol, who had been sitting in an expensive-looking designer chair, stood up from his seat and greeted Baek Hyeon-woo.
“You must be busy, thank you for coming.”
“Not at all. Fortunately, I had no schedule this afternoon.”
Baek Hyeon-woo visited TVX on the afternoon of the same day he received Seo Dong-cheol's call.
Seo Dong-cheol had just asked him to come by when he had time, but Park Yeong-ho, who was eavesdropping from the side, told him to go today.
Actually, Newstarz had a schedule this afternoon as well... but Park Yeong-ho's instruction was to take care of this first, as he would handle that.
“Sit down for now. I'll brew you a cup of coffee.”
“Thank you.”
As Baek Hyeon-woo sat on the sofa in the room, Seo Dong-cheol asked while brewing coffee from a luxurious coffee machine.
“Do you by any chance do something like Qigong?”
“Qigong?”
“You know, like alternative medicine. The kind that heals the body with mysterious energy.”
“I haven't particularly learned anything like that.”
Seo Dong-cheol nodded at Baek Hyeon-woo's answer.
“Honestly, I suffered a lot because of my wrist. I received physical therapy at an orthopedic clinic and got shots at a pain clinic, but it wouldn't heal well.”
“That must have been very difficult.”
“When I take the prescribed painkillers, there isn't much pain... but the feeling of my wrist being hindered remains, so it's really not great. Plus, my stomach gets upset.”
“Anti-inflammatory painkillers originally have digestive side effects.”
“And I can't even drink alcohol as I please.”
Seo Dong-cheol gave a bitter smile.
“So yesterday was really strange. It hurt again after sleeping overnight... but my wrist got better without any side effects.”
Saying that, Seo Dong-cheol placed the coffee cup on the table.
“What on earth did you do?”
“I adjusted your wrist bones.”
“Adjusted?”
Baek Hyeon-woo once again repeated the story he had told Kanade yesterday.
Of course, in more detail than yesterday.
“My wrist bones were misaligned, and you corrected that on the spot...”
Seo Dong-cheol, who had heard the explanation, nodded with a serious expression.
“So the hospital didn't know because it wasn't misaligned severely enough to be confirmed on an X-ray.”
“Originally, doctors tend not to prefer this kind of approach. Because it's a bit distant from orthodox medicine.”
“True, I also thought that twisting something until it makes a cracking sound was something they do at a massage shop, not a hospital.”
Saying that, Seo Dong-cheol looked at Baek Hyeon-woo's face.
“Then how did you come to learn this kind of skill, Hyeon-woo-ssi?”
“Actually, I've been working as a physical therapist.”
“A physical therapist?”
“Until a while ago, I was working in the physical therapy room of an orthopedic clinic.”
Seo Dong-cheol tilted his head in confusion.
“Isn't a physical therapist someone who treats you with electricity at a hospital?”
“Electrotherapy is only a part of physical therapy. The scope of physical therapy is quite broad, so manual therapy, which treats the body's imbalance by applying force with hands, is also a part of physical therapy.”
“Ah, manual therapy...”
“I have studied many manual techniques of that field. That's why I was able to adjust your wrist, Seo PD-nim.”
“So that's why your skills are good...”
It was Seo Dong-cheol who nodded with an expression of understanding, but he immediately threw another question.
“But why did you quit the hospital? When your skills are this good.”
“Because there was a large gap between the work I wanted to do as a physical therapist and the role I actually performed at the hospital.”
“But does that mean you quit the hospital and become an idol manager?”
“Surprisingly, the role of an idol manager turned out to be close to what I aspire to.”
“What is it that you aspire to, Hyeon-woo-ssi?”
To Seo Dong-cheol's question, Baek Hyeon-woo answered without hesitation.
“It is to guide people who are suffering in a better direction.”
“……”
“It's a goal I've had since I started walking the path of a physical therapist.”
Even now, working as an idol manager.
This thought has not changed.
“……”
Seo Dong-cheol didn't say anything for a while.
He was just staring intently at Baek Hyeon-woo's face.
“Your character is unique. Interesting.”
Only after a good while did Seo Dong-cheol slowly open his mouth.
“Actually, I was a bit intrigued since yesterday when you suddenly offered to look at my wrist. There are many people who flatter me to get on my good side, but there was no one who approached me so abruptly like that.”
“I'm sorry. I think I crossed the line.”
“No, it doesn't matter if you cross the line.”
Seo Dong-cheol shook his head.
“If nobody crosses the line, it's just a rude act, but if a person who is different from others crosses the line, it becomes a heart-fluttering stimulus.”
“……”
“Broadcasting is the same. It's fun because special people who are different from others make things happen.”
That was the philosophy Seo Dong-cheol held as a content creator.
“A young man who worked as a physical therapist and then changed careers to become an idol manager, but his conviction remains unchanged whether he was a physical therapist or an idol manager... what a unique theme. Can I make this into a drama?”
“Do you make dramas too?”
“It would be my first challenge.”
Saying that, Seo Dong-cheol shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
“Half of it is a joke, but half of it is serious. Because it's true that I find you interesting, Hyeon-woo-ssi.”
“Thank you for seeing me in a good light.”
“To be honest, you're more interesting than Newstarz.”
“……”
As their dedicated manager, it was a remark that made his heart slightly heavy.
“The Newstarz youngest... was it Kanade? That kid is quite fun. She goes up and down, so you don't get tired of watching her.”
“Kanade-ssi's mood swings are a bit severe.”
“But the rest of the kids... especially the two in the older pair, are no fun.”
When you say the older pair in Newstarz... it's referring to Seo Na-eun and Kim So-yeong.
“You know why? Both of them are too much like model students.”
“Model students...”
“Their sense of responsibility to work hard and show a good side is too strong. Kids like that are really boring.”
That was in line with what Baek Hyeon-woo had thought while looking at Yoo Jeong-ah.
In Seo Dong-cheol's eyes, Seo Na-eun and Kim So-yeong also looked that way.
“The trouble they experienced when they debuted probably had a big influence. To raise up a group that had been shaken once, there must have been a heavy pressure on them as the eldest to work hard.”
“……”
“Well, I acknowledge their efforts... but I suppose in variety shows, they're not much fun.”
Befitting a PD who had made his mark on Korean broadcasting history with singer and music-related variety shows, Seo Dong-cheol's gaze was sharp.
“If this aspect is improved, they'll be able to gain more popularity.”
“……”
This was Seo Dong-cheol's own way of returning the favor.
Since he had called Baek Hyeon-woo all the way here for a personal matter, he was giving him advice on Newstarz in return.
And this was also him giving a hint.
If they could satisfy this aspect, he might cast Newstarz on his variety program... he was letting him know this subtly.
Considering Seo Dong-cheol's usual attitude toward other managers, this was an exceptional case.
To that extent, Seo Dong-cheol was taking a liking to Baek Hyeon-woo.
“PD-nim.”
However.
Baek Hyeon-woo was not moved by Seo Dong-cheol's favor and didn't bow his head saying, 'I will work hard in the future!'
Instead, he held his head straight and opened his mouth.
“Newstarz is scheduled to become interesting from now on.”
He met Seo Dong-cheol's eyes and said in a clear voice.
“We will show a different side from what we've shown until now. You can look forward to it.”
“Seeing what Haram Entertainment has done so far, it's hard to have high expectations.”
Seo Dong-cheol answered coldly.
“Is the newly joined Director Choi Tae-hyung planning on making some kind of change? I don't have high hopes, since Director Choi Tae-hyung is a person who only churns out mass-produced idols.”
“It's not Director Choi who will be changing Newstarz.”
“Then?”
Baek Hyeon-woo answered without hesitation.
“I will change them.”
“Interesting.”
A smile appeared on Seo Dong-cheol's lips.
“Try giving a presentation.”
“Will that be alright? I came here today to take another look at your wrist, Seo PD-nim.”
“That's right.”
The reason he called Baek Hyeon-woo today was because of his wrist pain.
However, before he knew it, the talk of his wrist had been pushed to the back burner.
“But right now, there's something more important than my wrist.”
An interesting item worth using for a broadcast.
His interest in that was taking priority over resolving the wrist pain that had been a headache for two months.
“So try to explain it well. I'll listen and then judge.”
Seo Dong-cheol smiled, interlocking his fingers.
“Let's see each other for a long time.”
***
As Baek Hyeon-woo came out into the hallway, Park Yeong-ho, who had been waiting, urgently approached him.
“Hyeon-woo-ssi, what happened?”
Park Yeong-ho had been waiting the entire time Baek Hyeon-woo was meeting with Seo Dong-cheol.
He had heard the circumstances from Baek Hyeon-woo, but he was worried things might go wrong.
If any problem arose from today's meeting, he was planning to immediately run to Seo Dong-cheol, prostrate himself, and beg for forgiveness.
“It went well.”
“It did?”
“Yes, I adjusted his wrist one more time, and I also told him what he should do from now on.”
At Baek Hyeon-woo's answer, Park Yeong-ho let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, it seemed to have wrapped up well without any particular problems.
“Hyeon-woo-ssi, it's a relief that this matter was resolved well, but... please be a bit more careful from now on.”
Recalling the glare of Director Choi Tae-hyung, who seemed to say not to create any troublesome matters, Park Yeong-ho admonished Baek Hyeon-woo.
“For now, don't think about anything else and just treat Seo PD-nim well. Seo PD-nim isn't the type of person who will give us a huge favor for something like this, so don't needlessly overstep your bounds again and...”
“Ah, and.”
Right at that moment.
Baek Hyeon-woo said with a nonchalant expression.
“I've secured a spot for us on a new program being scheduled at TVX for the next quarter.”