Chapter 55 - The One Who Picked a Fight First

TVX Seo Dong-cheol Division's new variety show, 'The Idol'.

It's a survival-format program where seven girl group teams participate and compete with their skills.

Unlike the commonplace idol selection auditions, it was a format where actively promoting girl groups compete against each other to be ranked, so it received great attention right after its announcement.

Of course, it wasn't all favorable reactions.

In particular, the fans of the existing girl groups showed a sensitive reaction.

Because if things went wrong, a result could come out saying that the group they like is worse than another group.

Originally, the battles of nerves between idol fandoms are severe.

They even estimate how much money was spent on music show sets and compare each other.

And they make a fuss, saying that the agency or the broadcast gave them discriminatory treatment or a disadvantage.

For that reason, when the groups participating in 'The Idol' were announced, the internet communities boiled over.

“The Newstarz fans are cursing at our company. Asking why we're participating in something like that.”

As Baek Hyeon-woo said while checking the internet communities, Park Yeong-ho, who was next to him, made a bitter expression.

“From the ardent fans' perspective, the agency sending them out to a survival program is itself a stress. Because it's forcing a difficult competition on the idols.”

“There certainly is that aspect to it.”

“However, it's an undeniable fact that the promotional effect of this kind of program is huge. Everyone watches every episode while cursing at it. Rather, the programs that get a lot of hate tend to be more successful.”

The Seo Dong-cheol Division is outstanding at making programs that succeed while getting cursed at like this.

The reason they consistently include games where guests compete on 'Idol Weekly' was also to aim for this effect.

“It all helps the idols. Because the more of a topic it becomes, the more promotional effect they get. Besides...”

Park Yeong-ho added with a laugh.

“If their favorite idols get good results on a survival program, from the fans' perspective, there's nothing more thrilling.”

“I suppose so.”

The only way to repay the fans who are anxious right now is for Newstarz to get good results on 'The Idol'.

“But the N.A.N fans are relatively relaxed.”

“Of course. They think that N.A.N can overwhelm all the other mediocre groups.”

“If Newstarz defeats such an N.A.N, then that would be the most thrilling thing of all.”

Baek Hyeon-woo looked at Park Yeong-ho and nodded.

With N.A.N's participation, the game had gotten tremendously bigger.

Making it so that Newstarz takes those stakes was what Baek Hyeon-woo had to do.

……

The first day of 'The Idol' recording.

Baek Hyeon-woo took Newstarz and headed to the studio.

“Hello, sunbae-nims! We are Heart Drum!”

"Bling bling, we are Bling Baby! Please take good care of us!"

Girl groups who had debuted later than Newstarz came over and greeted them.

They had often received greetings from junior idols before, but it felt like their attitude had become much more respectful.

It was probably thanks to Newstarz's status skyrocketing after going through the Night-Bomb Festival and the 'Music World' set pre-recording.

“Wow, I can't get used to this.”

Laura shook her head at the changed attitude of the junior girl groups.

“In the old days, there were many kids who would just ignore us and pass by.”

“Tell me about it. Their attitude has definitely changed.”

Seo Na-eun said with a pleased expression.

“It must be the result of all of us working hard together. Still, let's not get arrogant and continue to work hard in the future.”

“Yeah, Na-eun is right.”

Kim So-yeong nodded.

“Our Newstarz has gotten more popular than before, but there are still many idols who are ahead of us. On this program too...”

Should I say, speak of the devil.

Choux-pop could be seen coming this way with their managers.

And a little distance away... N.A.N, accompanied by even more managers, was also approaching.

“H-hello, Sunbae-nims!”

“Please take good care of us!”

The junior idols who had been greeting Newstarz ran over to Choux-pop and N.A.N.

They showed an especially more enthusiastic side toward N.A.N.

“……”

However, separate from that atmosphere, a distinct battle of nerves was unfolding between Newstarz, Choux-pop, and N.A.N.

For example, N.A.N's Ryu-hwa had been continuously glaring at Kim So-yeong for a while now.

“Why is that person staring like that?”

“Because she has a complaint with me.”

Kim So-yeong answered Yoo Jeong-ah's question with a bitter expression.

At that moment, Ryu-hwa began to approach them, maintaining a stiff expression.

“Even if they provoke you from over there, don't react. I'll deal with them.”

Baek Hyeon-woo said to the members in a low voice.

“The cameras are already filming.”

“……!”

Everyone is thinking that there's still time left until the recording.

However, Baek Hyeon-woo had already noticed that the cameras were filming them.

Imagine if a scene of them having a rough argument with vicious expressions got filmed.

PD Seo Dong-cheol, who prioritizes buzz, would air it without any editing.

‘So even if they pick a fight, I have to be the one to respond.’

They probably wouldn't bother airing a scene where a manager gets swept up in an argument.

Because no one would be interested in that kind of scene.

“It's been a while, So-yeong-ah.”

Ryu-hwa, who had approached with the other members, spoke to Kim So-yeong.

“This is the first time since we met at the HBS audition, right?”

“Yes, that's right.”

As Kim So-yeong answered in a stiff voice, Ryu-hwa smiled using only the corners of her mouth.

“I didn't know you were that good at acting, So-yeong. You should have told me beforehand.”

“……”

“What's the secret? I'd like you to tell me too.”

It was a sarcastic voice, filled with the grudge of having her role of Wol-hwa snatched away.

However, Kim So-yeong kept her mouth shut and stayed still, just as Baek Hyeon-woo had instructed.

“Ah, that's right.”

Ryu-hwa's gaze turned to Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Now that I see you, you're the manager I saw back then, right? Have you been well?”

“Yes, I've been well.”

“What was the secret to So-yeong passing the audition back then? Please tell me, hmm?”

Ryu-hwa was hastily assuming that Kim So-yeong had passed the audition through improper means, and that Baek Hyeon-woo was also involved.

“I'm a bit curious too.”

Right at that moment.

A man who was near Ryu-hwa stepped forward.

He had already heard the story from Choi Tae-hyung, so he could tell right away who it was.

It was Director Kim Do-gyun of UBX.

“You're Assistant Manager Baek Hyeon-woo, right? The rumors about you are quite something these days.”

“……”

According to Choi Tae-hyung, Kim Do-gyun's personality is just as shitty as DP Entertainment's Director Seong Soo-ho.

However, Kim Do-gyun's style was different from Seong Soo-ho's.

If Seong Soo-ho was the gangster type who seemed to go around beating people up, Kim Do-gyun was the asshole type who went around tormenting people with all sorts of power abuse.

“I hear you're close with the HBS PD-nims too? What's the secret?”

“Well...”

He had tried to prevent the members from getting caught up in an argument, but before he knew it, Baek Hyeon-woo had become the target.

The other girl groups, who didn't know the situation, were tilting their heads, and only Choux-pop was watching intently with their mouths shut.

“Whoops, I'm a bit late.”

Right at that moment.

There was someone who came in, out of breath.

Kim Do-gyun made a surprised expression at the sight.

“Oh, Director Choi?”

It was none other than Director Choi Tae-hyung.

He had kept saying that he wouldn't help with anything this time, but in the end, he showed his face at the site like this.

“Ah, Director Kim, it's been a while.”

“Yeah, it's been a while. Is this the first time since you moved companies?”

Kim Do-gyun's attention shifted to Choi Tae-hyung.

He had probably judged that dealing with a director-level person was more worthwhile than a mere road manager.

“It seems Newstarz is doing well these days, was it all your doing, Director Choi?”

As Kim Do-gyun asked, Choi Tae-hyung immediately shook his head.

“No. I'm not really involved in Newstarz's matters.”

“Really?”

“I'm making a new group right now.”

Kim Do-gyun reacted immediately to those words.

“I heard you took Han Se-ri last time?”

“Uh… you knew?”

“I'm aware of at least that much.”

Han Se-ri, whom Choi Tae-hyung had brought before, was a former UBX trainee.

“It seems it's hard to find worthy kids these days, huh? To the point of poaching our trainees.”

“……”

It wasn't a particularly accusatory tone.

Rather, it was close to a mocking tone.

He was looking down on them, as if to say, 'Your Haram Entertainment is a place that only takes the scrubs who couldn't even debut at our UBX'.

“But I heard that after going to the trouble of taking her, you kicked her out again. What happened?”

“Ah, that... is because she was smoking.”

“Smoking?”

Kim Do-gyun chuckled.

“Ayy, you kick someone out for something like that? Can't you just talk to her and make sure she doesn't smoke in the future?”

“She came to the company to give her first greetings after having smoked that day.”

“What? How did she get caught doing something like that?”

In front of Kim Do-gyun, who was making a dumbfounded expression.

Choi Tae-hyung sneakily turned his gaze and looked at Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Assistant Manager Baek over there caught her right away.”

“He caught her?”

The attention that had been focused on Choi Tae-hyung for a moment turned back to Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Assistant Manager Baek came here after working at a hospital, so he can figure out anything just by looking at a person's face.”

“What kind of nonsense...”

“Honestly, I was also surprised. I was introducing Han Se-ri to people, and Assistant Manager Baek suddenly pointed out to Han Se-ri, asking if she had come after smoking.”

Choi Tae-hyung said, making a fuss unlike his usual self.

“He even guessed right that she had smoked that morning.”

“Then did he smell the cigarettes?”

“No, he said he knew just by looking at her face.”

“Just by looking at her face?”

“It seems there's some kind of medical method.”

Saying that, Choi Tae-hyung quickly glanced around.

“Is there by any chance anyone here who smokes?”

“……!”

A moment of silence flowed.

There probably isn't a single idol who would answer 'I smoke' to such a question.

However, in reality, it was no different from them having answered.

Because Baek Hyeon-woo could see every idol's status window.

‘A reaction is coming right away.’

Among the many people in this spot, there were a few idols whose Mental Condition was fluctuating violently.

They were shaken by the words that he could figure out whether they smoked just by looking at their faces.

Meanwhile, the idols who had nothing to feel guilty about showed no particular change.

For example, kids like Choux-pop's Seong Hae-won or Joo Ga-hee were the same no matter how much he looked.

‘Does Choux-pop not have a single smoker? I heard that Director Seong Soo-ho manages his affiliated celebrities very strictly, it seems that's the influence.’

However, N.A.N was different from Choux-pop.

There were several members whose Mental Condition was fluctuating.

‘Thanks to Director Choi's cooperation, I was able to confirm it quickly.’

The reason Choi Tae-hyung had just talked about smoking in front of Kim Do-gyun was because Baek Hyeon-woo had asked him to in advance.

Saying to please bring up the Han Se-ri smoking story if UBX showed an aggressive attitude toward them.

‘It was their fault for picking a fight first.’

He had first heard the fact that there were smokers in N.A.N when Han Se-ri came before.

However, since it was possible that Han Se-ri had lied to justify her own actions, he also asked Eun-joo to get additional confirmation.

It turned out that Eun-joo was well-versed in the internal rumors of UBX.

They said her hobby was to gently coax the employees she was close with and hear internal information.

Because that Eun-joo had confirmed that there were smokers in N.A.N, he had spoken with Choi Tae-hyung with conviction and made preparations.

So that if the UBX side came out with an aggressive attitude, he could immediately counterattack.

“Ryu-hwa-ssi.”

Baek Hyeon-woo approached Ryu-hwa, who had spoken to him earlier.

“You said earlier that you were curious about the secret to So-yeong passing the audition, right?”

“……!”

Ryu-hwa flinched in surprise and stepped back.

While trying not to meet Baek Hyeon-woo's eyes.

“It seems you have a misunderstanding, so I'll explain.”

“N-No, it's fine!”

[*Mental Condition: 55%], [*Mental Condition: 54%], [*Mental Condition: 53%], [*Mental Condition: 51%]... he could see the numbers dropping rapidly.

Right now, Ryu-hwa was not in her right mind, worried that her smoking would be found out by Baek Hyeon-woo.

“If you don't mind, I'll briefly explain before the recording starts.”

“I said it's fine!”

Finally, her Mental Condition dropped below 50%, and even the message [*Mental Condition is greatly decreased.] was displayed.

Thinking this was enough, Baek Hyeon-woo moved his gaze, and the other N.A.N members also hurriedly stepped back.

‘Why are there so many smokers? Compared to these kids, Newstarz are really model students.’

Just as Baek Hyeon-woo was shattering the N.A.N members' Mental Condition with just his gaze.

A calm voice echoed in the studio.

“What's with the atmosphere? The recording hasn't even started, but aren't you creating too much tension?”

PD Seo Dong-cheol was coming in with a leisurely gait.

It was a sight of him completely playing innocent, even though he had already been filming with a hidden camera.

“Hyeon-woo-ssi, go easy on them.”

Seo Dong-cheol whispered to Baek Hyeon-woo as he passed by.

He probably wanted to secretly film the idols having a battle of nerves, but it was a situation that had failed because of Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Alright, then shall we slowly start the recording for episode 1?”

The master of survival programs, PD Seo Dong-cheol.

He smiled in front of the girl groups who would now begin a fierce competition.

“There won't be any eliminations in episode 1, but while episode 1 is airing, we'll conduct a viewer vote and rank you right away. The rankings from 1st to 7th will be starkly revealed, so everyone, get your act together and work hard.”