Episode 127
“…No way, I really don’t think ‘Girl Revolution’ is it.”
Surprisingly, the majority vote from the TwoBear staff went to the ‘Girl Revolution’ that Gyeoul mentioned.
I could accept that my suggestion, ‘Four Seconds,’ didn’t make it, but of all the good names, how did ‘Girl Revolution’ end up winning the majority? My senses couldn’t comprehend it.
As I grabbed my head and seriously pondered whether this was okay, James Oh chimed in.
“Think positively, Team Leader Seon. ‘Girl Revolution’ isn’t too bad. It definitely sticks in your mind, and it’s easy to say, right?”
“Easy to say, huh…. If you shorten it, it becomes ‘So-hyuk.’ Is that really okay?”
“Still better than ‘Revolution Girl,’ right?”
“….”
By swapping the words around, it had become something so far from a girl group’s name that it was hard to call it anything at all.
“Now that I think about it, ‘Girl Revolution’ doesn’t seem too bad.”
“Right? At least it’s milder than a name like ‘Assault Shield Squad.'”
The current top male idol jumping into this conversation feels like cheating….
As we were having this discussion, the plagiarizing composer Oh Jin-woo opened his mouth without a clue.
“Isn’t Alcest a good option?”
“…That’s the name of the girl group SS is preparing, isn’t it?”
“I know they haven’t registered the trademark yet. So, if we grab it first, it’s ours! Good things go to the one who gets them first.”
…Does this guy even have any sense of ethics?
James Oh, with a swift smack to the back of Jin-woo’s head, said, “This guy, look at how you’re talking. Is this how I raised you?”
“Yikes! Bro, come on… that’s not wrong, is it?”
“What do you mean, ‘not wrong’? How are you going to deal with the aftermath?”
“If we just act like we didn’t know after we succeed, it’ll be fine.”
“This guy really sampled and plagiarized with that mindset, and see where that got you?”
“Ugh! Bro! That studded glove is a weapon! Stop….”
After Flower blew up, Oh Jin-woo found himself jobless, and part of his work was revealed as plagiarism, landing him on the industry blacklist.
It was James Oh who asked Cheon Aram to take him on, saying he would make sure Jin-woo works hard.
James Oh mentioned he didn’t even need to pay Jin-woo, but legally, that was impossible, so Cheon Aram sought James Oh’s permission to hire him at the bare minimum wage as a part-timer. Despite his career being in ruins, Oh Jin-woo still couldn’t let go of his arrogance, occasionally spewing nonsense complaints, but each time James Oh, determined to keep his promise, personally dealt with him.
I hired him as an employee earning the bare minimum wage. Despite his career being in shambles, Oh Jin-woo still couldn’t let go of his arrogance, occasionally spouting complaints. But each time, James Oh, with a firm resolve to keep his promises, personally knocked some sense into him.
As I casually brushed off the sight of Oh Jin-woo turning into a rag, I decided to voice the question that had been nagging me since entering this studio.
“So, why is Isabella here?”
“Huh? Didn’t Team Leader Seon already know? Isabella has decided to work with us at TwoBear. The contract was already finalized with President Cheon.”
…This was news to me. Why on earth is a big name like Isabella working at TwoBear?
If James Oh was a big shot known as the best composer in K-pop, Isabella was a global choreographer of immense renown across all genres. She was one of the top choreographers who constantly received requests from A-list stars whose tracks skyrocketed to the Billboard charts as if it were a given.
Though she had never worked in the K-pop scene before, in the future I experienced, she collaborated three times with a domestic agency, gaining unprecedented acclaim for her choreographies that created a frenzy.
It was strange enough that James Oh joined TwoBear, something I could chalk up to good luck since I had crossed paths with him. But Isabella joining TwoBear was a complete surprise.
After all, I hadn’t had any interactions with her in the previous life, nor in this one.
“Excuse me, but what kind of merit does a world-renowned choreographer like Isabella Sylvestri see in joining a fledgling company like TwoBear?”
“…Well, to be honest, I don’t know myself.”
Isabella let out a small sigh at James Oh’s response, and he scratched his head before continuing.
“Did I mention I run a small studio?”
“Yes, you said there were about three members.”
“One of them was Isabella.”
“…”
“The other friend laughed and let me go when I mentioned a company I wanted to join, but Isabella said she couldn’t let me go. When I said I still wanted to join TwoBear, she said she might as well come along. She didn’t tell me her reasons, though.”
Isabella stared at James Oh as if to say, “Why don’t you know this?”
“How long have you two known each other?”
“I’ve known her since I came to study in Korea, so it’s been about ten years and two months.”
“Really? Has it already been ten years?”
“…”
Seeing James Oh’s reaction, Isabella let out a big sigh, saying she would step out for some fresh air and left the training room.
“I’ll just go out for some fresh air,” he said as he left the training room.
Looking at Isabella, it seemed her feelings towards James Oh were anything but ordinary. It was highly likely that her reason for accompanying TwoBear stemmed from those feelings.
With his intellectual charm and just the right amount of pride to match, James Oh was indeed a captivating man with proper abilities and polite demeanor. It would be odd if women didn’t flock to him.
“James Oh, you really are a man with a lot of guilt, aren’t you?”
“…? Why do you say that?”
“Well, you have a charm that could be dangerous to the opposite sex.”
“I don’t really think that, but I’d rather not hear that from Team Leader Seon.”
…Why me?
*
Anyway, Isabella’s joining was nothing short of a stroke of luck for TwoBear.
It was like winning the lottery and immediately scratching another ticket that also turned out to be a jackpot.
While she might have shown good foundational abilities, the vacancy left by Lee Hyerin would be filled perfectly by Isabella, highlighting the members’ genius through innovative choreography.
I wiped all the choreographers’ names off the tablet PC. They had become unnecessary.
The list I had compiled from the knowledge of previous episodes was meant for the best talent TwoBear could hire, but with the addition of an S-class talent like Isabella, there was no need to scout.
In fact, there was no one among them who had more talent than her.
As I reviewed the sorted list of talents while contemplating the music video director and costume assignments, the door swung open, and Seo Soo-yeon rushed in with a worried expression.
“Team Leader Seon, you need to check this out.”
“Uh… Soo-yeon saying that makes me a bit anxious.”
“It’s not negative. But it’s quite unexpected.”
“Unexpected…? What do you mean?”
“Yoo Gaeul’s video went viral.”
Viral?
Well, it’s not unheard of; could it really be that surprising?
“Which video?”
“The first busking video with you and Yoo Gaeul.”
I fiddled with the tablet I was holding, opened AllTube, and checked the view count on that video.
“….”
I rubbed my eyes and checked the count again. Not convinced, I started counting the numbers one by one.
“One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million….”
“….”
“…This isn’t a mistake, is it?”
“No, it’s not. Judging by the comments, the viewership is quite diverse. It seems to have gained traction from not just domestic but international algorithms as well. I suspect it’s related to Han Gyeoul, who’s been trending globally lately.”
“It seems like not just domestically, but also the overseas algorithms have taken notice. I suspect it’s the influence of Han Gyeoul, who’s been trending globally lately.”
“…..”
“Gaeul skyrocketed, huh?”
*
I politely knocked and, after receiving permission, opened the door to the President’s office.
“Oh, it’s Team Leader Seon! You must be working hard lately, huh? Let me make you a cup of tea. Have a seat for a moment.”
“Ah, yes, thank you.”
Cheon Aram, smiling at my slightly bowed head, started boiling water in the pot and said, “It must be tough with so many tasks from planning to management and administration. I feel sorry for adding more burdens. Using scents to mask things… wow, you must be having a hard time with such a weird boss.”
“Not at all. Rather, I’m happy to work because you trust me. The thing is….”
“Thanks to you, I feel blessed to have been able to create a production team that can be counted on worldwide. I saw the friends who joined the publicity department this time too. Especially Park Miso—her knowledge of fan culture is insane! Although she’s truly an incredible talent, her vibe feels a bit distant from the media reporters and official publicity methods, so I decided to call a friend I know. It’s not that I don’t trust you, Team Leader Seon, but I hope you understand?”
“I don’t think that at all. What team leader would seek understanding for a boss’s hire? By the way, about Gaeul…”
“Ah, the ticket that Gyeoul got as a product; isn’t there little time left for that? She seems excited, but reselling or sending her alone feels a bit off. Other than TwoBear, Gyeoul doesn’t have much connection to Seoul, so please take her along. I’ll take a paid day off that day…”
I interrupted Cheon Aram’s wandering thoughts, even though it felt rude.
“President.”
As I spoke in a serious tone, she finally stopped talking and looked at me.
“Hmm?”
“Let’s move up the debut plans.”
“…Debut plans? I think it’s already fast enough, don’t you? Are you worried that our funds will leak due to a delayed debut? Oh, come on…”
Without elaborating, I took out my smartphone and showed her the video.
[Manager plays the piano too well – TwoBear trainee Yoo Gaeul busking.]
[12,481,904 views]
“…What’s with this view count? Is it a glitch?”
“Nope.”
Rubbing her eyes and counting the digits with her fingers, Cheon Aram exclaimed, “Gaeul really skyrocketed!”
I had the exact same reaction.
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