Episode 87
—…I’m lacking confidence. I’m a loser.
Burgundy- Hahahahahaha! Is this commentary insane?
Bingdari- Who was the one that called that guy a loser earlier? The loser cut is on the rise these days. LOL
Mild Seven- But isn’t it rude to say that when there are seniors lined up? Am I the only one uncomfortable with this?
ZEZE- So they start off with a bully vibe and then switch to loser mode.
zin-A park- For real.
Wuchuchoi Gangmimorona- Who do they think they are, looking down on the other trainees? What a hopeless person.
Male Mosquito- But they have a pretty face, so isn’t it okay?
sin07- Nah, if they talk like that and have weak skills, they’ll get terrorized on ENSTAR.
CYAN- I’ll just do it. Show me the coordinates.
598mm- I don’t know about ENSTAR terror, but I guess they’ll get stuck in a meme soon.
Adapokgyeokgi- Facts. Those types will be buried instantly and won’t even make it into a meme.
Seven Sword- They might get used because they’re pretty.
As Cheon Aram read through the flood of comments, she said:
“I don’t think they actually like them, do they?”
“All the other contestants say they’re confident they can win, and from the fans’ perspective, it’s hard to see it positively, right? Considering that, I think this reaction is pretty mild.”
“…Is that a warning of ENSTAR terror?”
As if recalling a trauma, Yeoreum grabbed my collar, trembling slightly, while Gaeul held my hand, slowly scrolling down.
“Go lower, lower! After the stage!”
I followed her words.
And then, the comments briefly calmed down before exploding at some point. It was after Gyeoul finished their stage.
ZEZE- …Wow
Special One- They were confident.
zin-A park- For real.
Sky Blue Lover- So that’s A, huh?
Mild Seven- …Yujin, I’m sorry. You’re probably a B.
Double Cheese Bagel- I’m deleting James Oh’s ENSTAR link. The K-pop knowledgeable judge indeed!
Judgment- The terror already happened, though?
Insect Kick- Then delete it, you brat.
Male Mosquito- It’s decided, they’re my number one pick.
sin07- But their personality seems a bit off.
Chalolong- Sounds like your personality is worse, considering you leave those types of comments.
Seven Hour- Looks like we already have one fangirl.
T-Ball C- Hahaha! Add one more here. With a pretty face and dancing and singing skills, they should have some pride. Gyeoul, say everything you want to say!
“Hey, add one more. With looks and those dancing and singing skills, she should definitely have some pride. Gyeoul, say whatever you want!”
MingmingSsu – “Watching this for the 19928938928th time, she’s so pretty. ㅠㅠ”
ColorScience – “How can I watch it for the 19928938928th time when only a minute of the broadcast has passed?”
zin-A park – “Shut it, for real, lol.”
SevenSword – “For real, lol.”
IceBridge – “For real, lol.”
Jeong In-kyu – “This feeling, it’s definitely love.”
The messages kept flooding in, so much so that not everyone could keep up.
Gyeoul’s genius and Kim Seon-ye’s character focus seemed to have captured attention appropriately.
“Team Leader Seon, this is a positive response, right?”
“When considering it’s the first broadcast, it’s explosively positive and beyond what we could hope for.”
“…Wow, we did it. Gyeoul!”
Lee Hyerin, who had taken out her smartphone to rewatch Gyeoul’s stage, fiddled with her nose and said,
“Honestly, it wasn’t that great, but as her teacher, I feel a little choked up. I’m really grateful to Gyeoul for doing such a great job.”
“If you say that, it’s a bit embarrassing from a business partner’s perspective. It feels like we didn’t earn our salary, right? I did do tremendous vocal training though.”
“…Aren’t you supposed to just let the moment be touching?”
Seo Soo-yeon, who had been expressionless the whole time, smiled softly while checking the comments when Cheon Aram asked me,
“The arrangement was done by Team Leader Seon, right?”
“Yes, it’s the same as the audio I played for you back then.”
Cheon Aram must have remembered the first time she heard that audio, as she chuckled and said,
“…Honestly, when I first heard that audio, I thought, ‘Isn’t this a bit excessive?’ I mean, the track was separated to make ‘Dress Up’ more flashy and distinctive. Even though I’m not an expert, I knew it was a risky approach.”
Lee Hyerin and Song Johan, who were checking the final draft for Gyeoul’s stage, nodded. They seemed to have been thinking the same thing.
“But now that I see it in the video, I think I understand the intention Team Leader Seon had with that arrangement. It was all arranged for Gyeoul.”
“After all, it was a reckless attempt chosen because she was a beginner. But I think the end result turned out well enough to ask for the President’s approval. Looking back, I’m glad we did.”
“I had asked for approval up to that point. Looking back now, I think it was a good decision.”
After giving it more thought, I felt that enlisting my own talents, empowered by the power of compensation, would yield better results than forcing a mediocre arranger to work with us. Judging by James Oh’s reaction, it indeed seemed that way.
Gaeul, who had been quietly listening to my conversation with Cheon Aram, brightened up and said to her, “Brother Taeyang is a musical genius! I hope he helps us produce our song!”
Cheon Aram looked at Gaeul, finding her cute, and replied, “Well, now that you mention it, I also felt Team Leader Seon’s instincts were something special during the ‘Memories of Leaves and the Sea’ project… How about I help you learn formally and give it a shot, Team Leader Seon? I’ll cover the equipment and training costs.”
“I really appreciate your kind offer, but I must politely decline. I want our kids’ official album to be entrusted to the best specialists, not someone like me.”
That’s all about cashing in on rewards.
No joke, if I directly produce an album without any rewards, our TwoBear will go under!
Or I’d have to endure until rewards come up, waiting for an uncertain amount of time.
“…Really? That’s disappointing. But if you change your mind, just let me know anytime.”
As soon as Cheon Aram finished speaking, Lee Hyerin, who was still reviewing Gyeoul’s stage, chimed in, “The more I look, the more it seems like a really well-structured stage. From song selection to arrangement and coordination, the quality is so high that I didn’t even realize it before. This all came from Team Leader Seon’s influence, right? That’s impressive.”
“Right? Whoever the producer we’ll hire for our official album, they better be prepared because if they show any weakness, Team Leader Seon will come up in conversations more and more!”
That was an overly inflated evaluation.
Speaking of which, with the talk of officially producing the album, I remembered I hadn’t reported what happened during lunch when Gaeul and I were busking.
“Oh, I forgot to mention. I secured a track from composer James Oh this time. He told me to contact him when we start our album.”
Cheon Aram looked stunned and asked, “…James Oh?”
“Yep, James Oh.”
“That James Oh who put aside his pride to request collaboration from SS?”
“Yes, the same James Oh serving as a judge in Girl 100 right now.”
“That James Oh is the judge.”
I handed the business card I had received from him earlier to Cheon Aram, who was tilting her head as if she couldn’t believe it.
“…It’s real.”
“Oh, if it’s him, I also saw him. He seemed to have a really good impression of Brother Taeyang.”
“Since Gaeul is saying that, it must be true. …Sorry. It’s not that I don’t trust Team Leader Seon, it’s just that this James Oh is notoriously picky, which raises doubts. Back when I was working at SS, I tried to recruit him once and ended up getting burned.”
I understood Cheon Aram’s reaction. I couldn’t believe it myself, after all. …Well, something has to happen for me to expect it.
“I get it. I also couldn’t imagine that he would show such goodwill. It seems he was really impressed by Gaeul’s busking.”
Cheon Aram shook her head and said.
“No, it must have been Team Leader Seon’s influence too. That’s the kind of person I know James Oh to be.”
After saying that, she looked around the room and announced.
“Our Team Leader Seon has successfully accomplished so much this time. Can everyone give a round of applause?”
Then Lee Hyerin, Song Johan, and all the employees and trainees from TwoBear joined in with applause and cheers.
“TwoBear’s treasure!”
“A genius producer!”
“He’s so handsome!”
“Wait, objectively, isn’t he not that handsome?”
“…I absolutely do not agree with that opinion!”
“Gaeul, you’re the teacher! The teacher!”
Amidst the awkward shower of compliments and encouragement, I scratched my head sheepishly.
Honestly, it felt good. It felt like every effort I made was finally being rewarded.
In the unprecedented warm atmosphere after TwoBear Entertainment was established, Gaeul suddenly spoke up.
“Oh! By the way, that composer James Oh said he wants to scout Brother Taeyang. He even mentioned doubling the salary.”
“……”
The warm atmosphere instantly turned icy.
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