Second Try Idol

As the controversy involving Goh Yoo-Joon's father started to die down, we finally got around to planning our first solo concert.

"Since it's our first, let's theme it around the universe we've built over the last year and a half," one of the staff suggested and showed us several virtual stage setups on a computer. There were about seven drafts, each reflecting the theme of our previous albums.

"We will call the concert ‘Flamma,’ after the track from ‘Phantom Spirit.’"

"Oh, Flamma? I really like it."

Goh Yoo-Joon shot a sly look at Supervisor Kim and said, "I thought our company was so into parades that they'd name it something like THE parade." He smiled, showing signs of recovering.

He used to be such a people guy, but he had been retreating and feeling too guilty to joke with us. Since we resumed concert preparations, he had been getting back to his old self thanks to all the members who kept pulling him into conversations every day and the Rings who fully supported him.

We hadn't really gotten an apology from Supervisor Kim for his outburst when the scandal broke, but we'd made peace with him somehow. What could we do, right? Whether we liked him or not, Supervisor Kim was the head of our A&R team, and we were the company's top artists to him. Sometimes, you just have to overlook the complexities of work relationships.

Anyway, Supervisor Kim was back to working hard for us after Goh Yoo-Joon's father's issue was resolved. "Also, before the concert, we are planning to release Jin-Sung’s, Hyun-Woo’s, and Joo-Han’s solo tracks."

"Oh, that's great, but aren’t they not ready yet?" Joo-Han lifted both hands, signaling he had no finished songs yet.

The planning manager grinned, aware of this. "Everyone knows you are working on a song for Jin-Sung. When will it be ready?"

"Uh, my track, hyung?"

"It's nearly done, but Producer Do needs to fine-tune it. I haven't even started on mine."

"Wait… you are not seriously thinking of officially releasing ‘Kang Joo-Han,’ are you? Oh, please don’t." Goh Yoo-Joon raised his eyebrows in skepticism, prompting the manager to quickly shake his head.

"No way. We've definitely arranged for another composer. Besides, Hyun-Woo already has a solo track made by Joo-Han, but it's not even officially released yet. More importantly, we need a song he can actually perform solo during the concert."

"Hyun-Woo isn't just a vocalist. The fans really look forward to his dance performances too."

I recalled the solo track proposal that Su-Hwan mentioned last time. It was called "Sirens" or something like that.

"Anyway, we will soon receive the tracks for Hyun-Woo and Joo-Han, and I will let you know as soon as Jin-Sung's is ready. We can revisit the topic of solo tracks later."

"Got it."

Supervisor Kim and Su-Hwan’s notebooks flipped back in unison. The conversation then shifted to the concert's visuals, planning, marketing, investments, recruitment, and discussions about which tracks should be staples in the setlist. Ṟ𝔞𐌽ŎᛒЁș

"So, we will conclude the concert-related topics here. Hyun-Woo, you are almost done with the last shoot for the variety show, right?"

"Yes," I answered, and Supervisor Kim circled something in his notebook by adding a note.

"After that shoot wraps up, the album we collaborated on with Reina will be released. It should have been out already, but it was delayed due to some issues with the album jacket design."

"Ah, yes."

"There won’t be any additional schedules related to that." Supervisor Kim briskly turned another page in his notebook. "And here is some good news. You guys are having your first advertisement shoot."

"...An advertisement shoot?"

Supervisor Kim snapped his notebook shut and showed us his phone. "Right here. Tinta Electronics is launching a new phone, the Slim S Rainbow 8. They've decided to use Chronos as the model."

He let out a deep sigh and glanced around at us. "It was settled a while ago, and they even asked for investment in the concert as a condition for the modeling contract. I thought we had completely messed it up when the controversy started."

"Supervisor Kim, you really don’t need to mention losing investments to the kids."

"Why? Manager Lee, here you go again. The kids need to know how much effort I've put in. I’d feel unappreciated otherwise. You guys should really be thankful to Manager Lee as well."

"Supervisor Kim."

Despite Su-Hwan’s chiding, Supervisor Kim continued without pause. "If Manager Lee hadn't sorted out the issue with Yoo-Joon's father properly, we would have lost the Tinta Electronics model deal and our major investor, which could have jeopardized the concert. You have no idea how hard I worked to keep the guys at Tinta happy."

"We’re grateful, Supervisor Kim. To you and Su-Hwan."

Joo-Han managed to maintain a smile toward Supervisor Kim somehow.

But had Supervisor Kim always been like this? Though he always tended to focus on himself and saw the members in terms of monetary value, he seemed to have maintained some decorum in the past.

Right now, he seemed to have let go of whatever mental restraint he had held onto as a professional.

'Has he been struggling?'

Well, it must have been tough. He had been the scapegoat for anything that goes wrong in the company since the days of Allure, and I had heard from someone that during the ordeal with Yoo-Joon's father, he had received hundreds of threatening messages a day.

'He must have been under a lot of stress. It looks like we will have a tough time with Supervisor Kim from now on,' I thought to myself.

Supervisor Kim sighed deeply and looked at us. His expression was a mix of complexity, regret, and relief. "Today’s meeting is over, but there's something I need to tell you guys."

"Why do you sound so ominous?"

"Reflecting on the recent incident, I've had several discussions with the CEO. I am not sure how you, who have seen me around since before your debut, will take this."

"What is it?" Jin-Sung asked nervously.

Supervisor Kim had always been seen as a supportive figure to everyone except me and Joo-Han because he had been responsible for guiding them since their trainee days. Now, it seemed he had some regretful news.

"Because of this incident, I’ve lost your trust, and the CEO really approved of how Manager Lee handled things."

"Oh, um…"

"Originally, the company was set up to focus on solo artists, so managing an idol group has been challenging."

What exactly was he trying to say with such a long buildup? Judging from how he kept explaining in detail, it seemed like he was preparing to say he was too overwhelmed by the criticism to continue managing artists.

‘Eh, really?’

What could we have possibly done wrong to deserve being abandoned like this?

However, Supervisor Kim usually made better decisions than I worried he might do. "So, I suggested to the CEO that it might be better to create a separate label just for managing idols."

"...A separate label?"

"With the current YMM system, managing you guys just isn't working out. Objectively, this is true. We are also not good at handling crises. So the plan is to first move Allure and Chronos to a newly created label under YMM and then form a team that will manage only you guys."

"What? For real?" Jin-Sung asked incredulously.

Supervisor Kim bluntly answered, "Of course it’s for real. Do you think I'd joke about something like this? Allure and Chronos are growing in popularity. If we’re going to separate, we need to do it quickly to establish this system."

What was this? It sounded like a pretty solid plan, but maybe because I hadn’t heard the specifics yet. Everyone knew YMM wasn’t great at managing idols, so it was good to expect that a team dedicated to managing just idols could be beneficial.

From the incidents involving fans to the issue with Goh Yoo-Joon's father, it appeared our company had finally recognized the need for better management of idol groups and their fandoms.

"Ah, really? So, is moving to the new label confirmed for us?" Joo-Han asked.

Supervisor Kim hesitated with an ambiguous expression on his face but then nodded. "Once the label is established, the move is confirmed. Of course, album activities and support will improve significantly, so there won’t be any inconvenience."

Supervisor Kim pointed to Su-Hwan. "If the label launches, there is a high chance that Manager Lee will take over as the CEO and overall head. Keep that in mind."

"Huh?"

"What the..."

"Su-Hwan hyung as the CEO?"

"Wait, then what about Su-Hwan hyung’s current job…?" Joo-Han murmured, surprised.

Su-Hwan calmly responded, "If the label is launched, I will be managing you all more broadly rather than just as a manager."

The members seemed more surprised by the possibility of Su-Hwan no longer being our manager than by the potential change of the label affiliation. It appeared Su-Hwan was much more trusted by the CEO than I thought.

I honestly thought it was a pity, but it was a great opportunity for all of us. If Su-Hwan, who was probably the most competent staff in this agency, has more authority… And since Tae-Seong was also doing a great job, wouldn’t it be trustworthy to work under a label managed by Su-Hwan?

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