[After debuting a year and a half ago, we interviewed The Dawn, who just celebrated a successful end-of-the-year stage and received the Discovery of the Year award. Despite their dazzling performance, they still seemed unaccustomed to it, shyly smiling and continuously expressing their gratitude.]
“…Ugh.”
The leader of the planning team grimaced as he sat in the meeting room, flipping through a magazine that quickly published their recent interview with The Dawn.
As he skimmed through the interview that focused on each member, he stopped at a page filled with Seo Hoyun’s photo.
Wrapped in a dark navy knit that contrasted with his pale skin, Seo Hoyun held a mug as big as his face with both hands and sported a gentle smile.
[It seems like you’ve been running non-stop for the past year. What’s the secret to your success?
– Hoyun: It’s largely due to the help of those around me. I’m just grateful to the seniors who paved the way for us.]
At least five people got screwed over.
If sending not only male idols but also several officials to rock bottom, thus relatively boosting his own popularity, counted as “help,” then Hoyun’s statement was indeed correct.
[It seems like the chemistry among the members is really good.
– Hoyun: I’m always thankful to the members. We always trust and rely on each other.]
It would be more accurate to say that they tired of his insane antics and gave up.
[What are your goals for the new year?
– Hoyun: To be with those I’m grateful for.]
It was a way of saying he didn’t want to work with incompetent fucks.
[What will you be doing in three years?
– Hoyun: …I hope to have returned to my original resolve.
It seems you could be a bit more ambitious. (Laughs)
– Hoyun: I’m being ambitious enough. (Laughs)]
“I wish he would stop looking for his ‘original resolve’….”
The planning team leader muttered under his breath.
However, either the magazine interviewer was thoroughly charmed by Seo Hoyun’s detestable demeanor, or they simply wanted to save the magazine’s face by any means, the praises were unending.
[We met with Seo Hoyun, who remained humble throughout the interview and never lost his kind smile. It’s hard to believe he’s only 24, given his mature and considerate demeanor that left the staff in awe throughout.]
…Awe-inspiring, indeed.
Just then, Seo Hoyun entered the meeting room and greeted everyone.
Just then, Seo Hoyun entered the meeting room to discuss the Japanese concept and, after briefly scanning the proposal, smirked.
“Wow…”
“…”
“How did something like this even get approved?”
Witnessing the blatant derision from someone who didn’t even bother to hide it anymore, the planning team leader felt a dull ache in his stomach.
“Well, Mr. Seo Hoyun, we’re a bit short on time…”
“No time?”
“It’s just that a few dramas have started filming recently, and there are several movies set to premiere around the same time… so a lot of our manpower has been redirected towards the actors…”
He tried to stutter out an explanation, but Seo Hoyun didn’t listen, instead flicking the proposal with one hand and heaving deep sighs.
That expression and posture of Hoyun.
There was no way the team leader did not recognize it as an attempt to crush the planning team’s spirit.
And indeed, the leader of the planning team felt as defeated as a weed stricken by drought.
“Is it a matter of money?”
“…”
“It’s not like our company hasn’t made a fair amount of money.”
“Well, we’re a bit short on staff…”
“Should I help out then? If the issue is not having enough people to do the work, I can juggle idol activities, attend events, record, and now plan as well, right? Maybe I should discuss this with the management team?”
Fuck.
The team leader quickly lowered his trembling fist under the desk.
Hoyun had a knack for infuriatingly good comebacks.
Yet, he couldn’t say a word.
Although he had an awful personality, his feedback after just a quick glance at the proposal was better than that of many planning team members, not to mention his own.
This nasty piece of work…!
Why the hell would an idol keep meddling, not just with the planning team but also with the management team and the A&R team?
Normally, it would end with receiving the plans and expressing a few opinions.
“Haah…”
Seeing the team leader’s face that looked as if he had been wronged, Hoyun deliberately let out a loud sigh and shook his head.
The team leader, whose spirit was already crushed from the start, could only curse inwardly.
Is this guy serious? An absolute joke??
It would have made more sense to attribute such exaggerated titles to stars plagued with star disease.
The word “humble” didn’t exist in the dictionary for a person named Seo Hoyun, the team leader thought angrily, grinding his teeth, when the meeting room door opened.
It was Lee Jihyeon with a weary face.
“Ah, hello…”
“Hello, Ms. Lee Jihyeon.”
Only then did Hoyun’s expression slightly relaxed.
‘Finally, a somewhat decent human being has arrived.’
His face blatantly showed his thoughts, making the team leader seethe, but Jihyeon simply sat down in an empty seat without any reaction.
“I’m sorry for being late.”
Her face was the epitome of hitting rock bottom.
Seeing Jihyeon, the planning team members, including the team leader who had been rolling around in frustration, sighed in relief.
“Ah… Ms. Lee Jihyeon, why were you so late?”
Fuck! Don’t start!
“Don’t you keep time?”
As if they wanted to vent the stress accumulated from dealing with Hoyun on an innocent subordinate, one of Jihyeon’s senior threw a remark her way.
But it only made the planning team leader even more pale.
No!! Not in front of Seo Hoyun!!
Lee Jihyeon was the only person Hoyun acknowledged in the planning team!
However, Lee Jihyeon just quietly nodded her head.
Normally, she might have fired back with “Oh, yes, I’m terribly sorry.”
But maybe due to continuous overtime and exhaustion, she just kept her mouth shut.
Hoyun watched her quietly, then twitched his eyebrows slightly,
“…”
He let it pass.
…Huh??
‘If you’re going to come early and still not solve anything, just filling a seat, you might as well not have come.’
That was what Hoyun would usually say, wrapping it in a pretty package with a smile, but his demeanor was different from usual, leaving the team leader puzzled.
What’s going on?
“Anyway, I’m counting on you for the Japan project.”
…Has Seo Hoyun decided to just leave Lee Jihyeon alone?
While verbally agreeing, the team leader quickly did some mental calculations.
But after that, as always, he acted like a night demon and stormed through the planning team, stirring them up thoroughly.
“Ah. Right.”
“…Yes?”
“About the self-cams we shot last summer. I want to dig through the hard drive. Could you look up the data for me?”
…Suddenly?
However, once Seo Hoyun voiced a matter, there was no choice but to at least pretend to look for it.
The foul-tempered guy was the same in front of the CEO, and for some reason, the CEO seemed to be intimidated by Seo Hoyun as well.
“Well, it’s okay if you do it when you have time.”
“…I’ll try to look for it.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Seo Hoyun didn’t give Lee Jihyeon a single glance, just nodded his head and left the meeting room.
“Good work.”
“Yes.”
As the team leader racked his brain, he realized something at that moment.
…Wow, fuck.
Then he opened his mouth.
Is he doing this on purpose?
While it might feel refreshing to help her out in front of her coworkers, who knew what kind of backlash Lee Jihyeon would face after the foul-tempered Seo Hoyun left.
Especially since Lee Jihyeon, currently standing on the edge of a cliff, wouldn’t be able to withstand that kind of a check.
Crazy, an idol specialized in political maneuvering….
The team leader looked at Seo Hoyun’s back with a disgusted expression but still felt uneasy.
Could Seo Hoyun really just endure this?
Impossible.
The team leader, thinking highly of his own ability to read people and situations, could swear on all his years of experience.
That bastard would never just endure.
This moment felt strangely like the calm before the storm, making the team leader very uneasy.
“…Lee Jihyeon.”
“Yes.”
“Shall I go down and buy you a coffee?”
The team leader, not wanting to lose the competent Lee Jihyeon nor face this dangerous storm, decided to play his best move.
That was, to treat Lee Jihyeon well.
.
.
.
“Lee Yeol…”
I stroked my chin.
“There’s a reason he climbed up to be a team leader.”
Although he did just enough work, he possessed incredible quick wits.
As I stood on the second floor’s railing, sipping on lemonade through a straw, I eyed the café across the building where the team leader was buying coffee for Lee Jihyeon.
Lee Jihyeon was gulping down the coffee with a dazed expression, not moving her lips.
She definitely has her resignation letter right now.
It was obvious.
In a place where even ordinary employees stored their resignation letters in hidden folders, it wouldn’t have been strange for her to be keeping one, given her expression.
I expected her to hit such a reality check around this time, and sure enough.
While I poked at the ice with the straw and looked at the planning team leader and Lee Jihyeon, I turned around and organized my thoughts.
Alright, the bait has been successfully thrown.
Now, the question was who would bite.
I recalled the planning team employees I saw today.
The CEO recently stepped back from the frontlines and only signed off on final decisions, while management handled tasks rather swiftly.
The A&R team was doing well, with Kang Ichae communicating slickly without crossing any lines.
The PR team had been decent enough, with some experience in actor management…
The planning team is the most problematic.
I just couldn’t get a read on them.
Even though it was an entertainment company specialized in actors, watching them continuously make mistakes was just astonishing.
I wondered how they could blatantly leech off their salaries without getting caught.
Anyway, I had no intention of easily letting go of Lee Jihyeon, the only gem within, even if she wanted to resign.
Would I just let go of a pumpkin that has rolled in?[1]
“Hmm.”
Originally, in a mom-and-pop shop-like company, the system made it tough for anyone with talent, regardless of being a newbie or whatever, because of haphazard management.
We can just establish a position and create a rationale.
Now, having entered my second year since debut, speaking out risked being seen as overstepping my bounds, potentially causing backlash.
Neither the planning team nor even the CEO was likely to listen, so I had to tread carefully.
“Hyung, hyung!”
“Uh.”
“What, you finished early??”
Jeong Dajun, who had become an adult but wouldn’t change overnight, was as bright as ever today.
I opened the door for Dajun, who was bouncing towards the recording studio.
“Be careful with your head, Little Bouncy.”
“…Oh, yes.”
Dajun, buzzing with excitement, rolled his eyes at me and mumbled something as he stood at the door.
“…What?”
“What?”
Inside the recording studio, I could see the members already listening to the recording of our new Japanese debut cover song.
“Ah! Did you also go to the café, Hoyun?”
“Eh~? Where’s your sense? Why didn’t you buy mine?”
“Hey, what do you expect from Seo Hoyun.”
Kang Ichae was sprawled on the sofa. He then sat up and dramatically threw his cap as he spoke.
Seemed like that guy was just trying to provoke…
“I’ll buy it on the way.”
As I replied nonchalantly, the members who had been noisily adding their comments all shut their mouths.
Among them, Kim Seonghyeon blinked in disbelief before confessing something.
“…Actually, I can’t drink caffeine.”
“Didn’t you drink Red Bulll yesterday, Seonghyeon?”
“…Hmph.”
His bluff was quickly called out.
Seeing Kim Seonghyeon sneakily avert his gaze, Seong Jiwon handed me a piece of paper.
“Anyway, Hoyun. This is the translation of the lyrics. We sorted out what will be included in the new tracks, can you check?”
“Give it here.”
I slurped on my straw next to Kang Ichae and skimmed through the paper.
Honestly, it was much better than the trashy proposal I had seen earlier, so I gave my honest opinion.
“It’s beautifully written.”
“…”
“Who did this? It’s neat.”
And there was silence again.
“Did you just call it beautifully written garbage?”
“No, I just said it’s beautifully written.”
“Oh…”
Regardless of their reactions, I pulled the straw from my cup and crunched on the ice.
Seeing this, Kim Seonghyeon covered his mouth with both hands.
“I’ve been thinking this since before, Seo Hoyun….”
What?
“Why…”
“….”
“…Why have you suddenly become so kind?”
“Waaaaaah!!!”
Jeong Dajun genuinely freaked out and scurried to a corner of the recording studio.
“Don’t, don’t, don’t say it out loud!”
“Such things! Keep such thoughts to yourself!”
Damn…
“A kind Seo Hoyun…? Is that even possible?”
“Seeing a word I’ve never seen before….”
What was wrong with these guys?
After giving Jeong Dajun a noogie for suggesting “whoever wronged Hoyun-hyung should confess quickly” and pounding on the table, I sunk deeply into the sofa.
“Is this the same Seo Hoyun who used to talk about filial impiety?”
“Is he the same person who didn’t blink an eye while sarcastically asking if being unnoticed felt good?”
“I sometimes miss the Hoyun-hyung who screwed up his character at the beginning….”
“Just shut it, sing the first verse….”
“Phew, eek! Peace!”
Kang Ichae smiled broadly and brushed his chest.
Worry not; I’ve messed up enough already.
It’s a mess even when I try to be nice, seriously.
I had intended to treat them better before I left.
“Your prickliness is your charm~.”
“I know, you little shit.”
I had cleanly given up on my New Year’s resolution to be nicer to my dongsaengs and reverted to my usual self.
“Give me the work, Kang Ichae.”
“Kyaa~.”
Despite being scolded, Kang Ichae chuckled away and pushed his laptop toward me.
“Hyung~ give it a shot~.”
It was our new debut song for Japan.
[1] An idiom that expresses the luck or fortune of unexpectedly gaining something valuable without much effort. It implies that one would not easily let go of such a fortunate find.
