“How about the concept of a sensitive genius producer?”
“That’ll probably create ten thousand antis and troll fans.”
“Then how about the role of a silent and reliable leader?”
“Impossible since you’ve already earned the title of ‘Rank breaker.'”
“Ah, Seriously, should I just go with the kitten thing?”
“Let’s think about whether that really suits you.”
[The forbidden phrase “Ah, seriously” has been detected.]
[Initial Intention -1]
Dammit.
Faced with constant opposition to every suggestion, I began to doubt whether I could complete the quest before our next activity.
Not knowing what penalties might be imposed, I couldn’t just give up. And what if I ended up coughing up blood again?
“What concept should I push for? How do people perceive me? Is there a gap between my public image and reality? What is my purpose?”
Lost in thought, reflecting on myself, Ryu Jaehee waved a hand in front of my face and offered advice.
“You already know the answer. Just show the fans what they want to see. It’s not about what you want. You’ll find out by monitoring.”
“Alright, kitten.”
“Let’s not sacrifice mass appeal to cater to niche tastes.”
Resolving to focus on the mainstream, I resumed monitoring.
-Yoon Eden with that face saying ‘Stay healthy and well’? The gap is amazing.
-Expressionless vs. Smiling. I prefer his smile, but the gap between his usual and smiling self is what makes it good, so just smile occasionally, Eden.
-Guys like Eden are 90% likely to love cute things and be scared of horror movies.
└What’s that called? Strong in daylight, weak at night?
└Outer strength, inner tenderness lol. Not ‘strong in daylight, weak at night.’
The most frequently mentioned thing when searching my name was the gap.
Between my expressionless face and smiling face, fans speculated about my tastes and preferences, etc.
The last part didn’t particularly fit, but should I at least pretend to love cute things and be scared of horror genres?
While pondering, I continued scrolling and saw an incoming call from an unfamiliar number on my phone.
Deciding whether to answer or ignore it, I picked up.
“Hello-”
-Hey, you bastard! If you change your number, you should contact people! Just because you’re famous now doesn’t mean you can ignore people, got it?
Raising an eyebrow at the unfamiliar yet irritating voice that cut me off mid-greeting and accused me, I asked directly.
“Who is this?”
-What? Who is this? Whooo iiiissss thisss? Don’t you recognize your brother’s voice? It’s Joonbum!
Ah, Kim Joonbum. Hearing his name brought back memories.
He was someone I knew from my underground days.
A guy who loved flaunting his connections, I never particularly liked him.
He looked down on people based on their success and tiered them, so I cut ties when I changed my number after debuting.
In my previous life, I remember he first contacted me about three years later.
Not exactly someone who should talk about people ignoring others.
Seeing Ryu Jaehee peeking at me curiously, I got up from the couch and walked out of the dorm, responding nonchalantly.
“Hey, hyung. Long time no see. How have you been?”
-I’ve been great. Except for the hassle of finding your new number, which was a pain. You can’t treat people like that, kid. I helped you so much in the underground scene, and you just wipe your mouth clean and ignore me.
Kim Joonbum continued his needless chatter (mostly berating me for not contacting him) for a while before getting to the point.
-Interested in doing a featuring?
I was about to politely decline any collaboration with him, but Kim Joonbum continued before I could respond.
-You know Seoraon, right? She’s making a comeback next month, and her featuring fell through.
Seoraon is a top female solo artist celebrating her 10th debut anniversary this year.
Next month means October this year. If it’s a song for her 10th anniversary…
‘Holy, I need to grab this chance!’
“An Ending.” It held the top spot on the charts for three weeks.
Even after that, it was considered a classic, becoming a frequently played steady seller.
The rap featuring was by an idol rapper, and while the rap was seen as a weak point compared to the song, it helped raise the group’s and his name.
He also appeared on music show stages a few times, which was a bonus.
The guy who was supposed to feature must have backed out due to scheduling conflicts.
So they’re looking for an idol rapper now, just like before.
-The producer there is a close buddy of mine. When he needed a last-minute replacement, I recommended you. I played him your group’s song, One Chance, and some of your underground stuff, and he immediately said okay. Aren’t you grateful? This isn’t an opportunity you get every day.
Yes, dude. I acknowledge you’re a nice jerk.
This opportunity came because I’ve somewhat shed the nugu status and garnered some recognition.
Though I felt proud, I also felt a bit bitter.
“Oh, I’d be delighted. Thanks to you, I get to feature for Seoraon.”
After throwing in some flattery, I heard his characteristic annoying laugh on the other end.
Still the same annoying laugh.
-So, should I tell them you’re in?
“But I don’t have the final say. Instead, please contact our agency and relay the offer.”
-Okay. But if this goes through, you better treat me. Don’t pretend you don’t know me later.
“Yes, sir! Take care!”
I bowed deeply into the air, only to awkwardly straighten up when I bumped into Seo Ye-hyun who had just come out the dorm door.
“…What are you doing?”
Answering his awkward question, I slowly straightened my back and slipped my phone into my hoodie pocket, humming.
“I’m now the breadwinner of REVE.”
“Why is he like that?”
I’m the bus driver too.
Until REVE is known as Yoon Eden’s group, I’ll keep pushing forward.
Ignoring Seo Ye-hyun’s bemused look, I went back inside the dorm.
Two hours later.
I was summoned to the CEO’s office.
“YDC Entertainment contacted us about a featuring offer for you. They said it’s for Seoraon’s title track coming out next month, but I wanted to hear your thoughts before giving them an answer.”
His voice was so indifferent as he delivered the news that I got anxious.
Knowing his personality, if he was interested in the offer, he’d be all excited about me featuring for Seoraon.
And my unease was spot on.
“Do you really have to do it? What I mean is, with REVE’s comeback prep, do you have time to feature for someone else?”
Wow, he’s really considering passing up this opportunity. I knew he lacked intuition, but this is beyond clueless.
“CEO, you should avoid stocks and never touch gambling.”
“Excuse me?”
He looked baffled at my sincere advice.
Seriously, how can someone this clueless still not have failed? Must have all his stats in luck.
“I mean, we’re going to be quite busy with our comeback preparations, so the song has to live up to expectations. Have you heard the song they’re calling the title track?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I nodded my head.
I hadn’t received anything directly from Seran, but hearing the completed version with someone else’s voice featured was as good as hearing anything.
“That song, it’s definitely going to blow up, right?”
“99.9%. Do you doubt my vision for making it the next big hit after One Chance?”
I left that 0.1% for variables like me being the one to replace whoever they originally featured.
“Do we really need to do this? I mean, aren’t we busy enough with our comeback prep?”
The expression on the representative’s face suggested deep contemplation.
I tried to ease their worries a bit with my confident response and a subtle reference to a past job.
“Since it’s not a collaboration and just a feature, it won’t take up too much time. It’s a chance to promote Reve alongside me. The song title will feature ‘Feat. Yoon Eden of REVE,’ so it’s good exposure for us.”
“Okay then, give it a shot.”
Finally, they gave their approval. Still, the representative added one more thing, with a slightly awkward expression.
“Just don’t push yourself too hard and end up in the hospital.”
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. Not because it was too hard, but because of the penalties.
—
“We’ve received the first draft of the choreography.”
Entering the practice room with the tablet received from the manager, the members who had been lounging on the floor gathered around eagerly.
Placing the tablet in the center, we all sat around it in a circle, ready to watch the video, when Kim Dobin suddenly took a deep breath.
“Oh, wait. Let me mentally prepare for this.”
“This isn’t some cosmic choreo you brought, is it…?”
“I don’t know about the rest, but I just hope it’s at a level I can follow.”
“If it’s at that level, isn’t it more of a rhythmic movement than a dance?”
What did I say wrong? Avoiding the sharp gaze of Seo Yehyun, I played the video.
The overall vibe of the choreography matched the fast beat of the dance genre, powerful yet cheerful.
The verse parts had a strong sense of freedom rather than strict choreography, while the hook parts were unified and well-coordinated.
Compared to the choreography of the junior group I worked with before the regression, it didn’t fall behind at all.
“After watching it, what do you think?”
“I agree. If we tweak a few places, it’ll flow even more naturally.”
With a brightened expression, Kim Dobin continued to watch the video and give his opinion.
As the one who played a leading role in overturning the dreadful choreo for ‘Come to My Universe,’ I expected such a reaction.
“By the way, they couldn’t hire a performance director this time due to budget constraints for a famous MV. So they asked me to handle the choreography.”
Given that the members had previously developed their own choreography during the activities, they seemed relatively relieved about the performance aspect.
“Planning agency that leaves the choreography directing to an 18-year-old. My agency is really hopeless.”
“Ugh! It’s disgusting, it’s making me work!”
Kim Dobin rolled on the practice room floor, pulling his hair out.
The response from Kim Dobin was unexpected as Gyeon Hajun handed him ice water to cool off.
“Rather than the music video, we need to focus on the song to win. Why did the budget director save money on the music video?”
“Did someone threaten the CEO again that if he makes a low-budget music video, they’ll come after him with a baseball bat?”
I replied back grimly while inwardly smiling proudly.
Phew, it was worth printing out all those criticisms of the ‘Come to My Universe’ music video and anonymously sending them to the CEO’s office!
***
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