Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 337



Only Noblemtl

Episode 337

What is the first thing you need to decide on when planning a concert?

Direction? Set-up? Stage layout? Seating arrangements? Effects? Set list?

All are important, but… … .

“I have to decide where to perform by tomorrow.”

The most important thing is the performance venue itself.

Once the location is decided, you can also consider the structure and equipment of the stage to be installed.

But Garo Enter postponed that decision until the very end.

“Now, let’s decide today.”

Morning executive meeting.

Hong Gyu-heon headed into the conference room, brought the whiteboard to the center, and wrote two words in large, clear letters.

[Olympic Hall vs. Olympic Handball Stadium]

“We need to reach a conclusion today.”

The people present at the meeting were CEO Hong Gyu-heon, Seong Pil, Son Hye-bin, and Han Gu-in.

The final decision-making authority lies with CEO Hong Gyu-heon.

However, since the number of directors is odd, they can achieve a significant majority result even if they vote among themselves.

“I’ve said this enough times, but let’s go over the issue again. Carefully, slowly. Let’s start with the Olympic Hall. Director Park.”

“yes.”

Seongpil looked through the Olympic Hall performance materials he had received from Jo Jinman. There was a lot of information written on it, but there was only one thing that was most important.

Number of seats.

“Olympic Hall has approximately 3,000 seats. According to President Cho, this can be increased depending on the stage structure.”

In addition to the A stage, which is a basic stage, if you create a B stage, which is a protruding stage connected to the audience seats, you will have to remove the audience seats.

To reduce the distance from the audience there, another C-stage is created on the left and right sides at the end of the protruding stage, further reducing the number of audience seats.

In this way, the number of seats and the size of the stage are inversely proportional.

“It’s a trade-off between audience satisfaction and our profits. The bigger the stage, the wider the range of performances our kids can show.”

First of all, since the audience will be able to see the Girls’ League up close, their satisfaction with the performance will skyrocket.

“CEO Cho is looking into building the B stage, which is a protruding stage. He said that he may also consider a C stage depending on the situation. As of now, I think it would be right to consider a capacity of less than 3,000 seats.”

“3,000 seats… … .”

Han Gu-in hummed softly.

If the ticket price is set at 100,000 won, one performance will generate 300 million won in sales.

“Director Park, do you usually start at this scale?”

“No. It’s an unusual first concert scale for a small girl group. Girl groups have low audience cohesion.”

So, the senior girl groups of the Girls’ League even held their first solo concerts in small concert halls with a capacity of 500 people.

The previous generation girl group from KS Entertainment, a senior to KAIST, even held their first concert at Olympic Hall, so it wasn’t hard to see just how successful Girls’ League was.

“Of course, you shouldn’t compare the past to the present on the same level, but Olympic Hall feels like an over-the-top venue for a concert debut.”

“But aren’t the Girls’ League members achieving unrivaled results among girl groups?”

Regular album pre-order sales reached 120,000 copies.

These are absolutely ridiculous numbers.

The reality in the industry was that if a girl group sold more than 100,000 copies, it was considered a huge success.

It’s a figure that only girl groups from the big three entertainment agencies can dream of.

“That’s true, but it’s not entirely our fault.”

“It’s not all thanks to the Girls’ League… … What do you mean?”

“The fact that our kids are good and that our company’s production strategy worked are important reasons for our success, but we can’t deny that we’ve caught up with the times.”

The legacy left behind by the third generation of girl group seniors.

Globalization and fandom of K-pop.

From this point on, new girl groups will be able to fully enjoy the legacy of their seniors.

For girl groups, popularity is the only way to survive.

Breaking that premise, girl groups also have a loyal fandom like boy groups. Of course, they are still no match for boy group fandoms.

“You shouldn’t compare Girls’ League’s success to the early third-generation girl groups. If we had come out a few years ago and achieved this success, the world would have been turned upside down, but that’s not the case now.”

“It’s still a transitional period.”

“Yes. It’s hard to tell whether album sales will translate into audience cohesion.”

Even though Seongpil had experienced a past life, he could not have predicted the ticket power of the Girls’ League.

We’ve seen cases where album sales and concert power don’t match up, so there was no way Girls’ League wouldn’t end up like that.

“To be honest, I was anxious from the beginning when I first chose Olympic Hall. I also wanted to start safely at Blue Square, which has less than 2,000 seats.”

However, the Girls’ League’s dazzling success has peeled away a layer of Seongpil’s caution.

I wondered if we could start with the Olympic Hall. That desire gradually arose, and eventually the Olympic Hall was included as a candidate.

“Ultimately, what I’m saying is, don’t be complacent, but it seems a bit complacent to have chosen Olympic Hall as a safe bet.”

As Seongpil smiled shyly, Son Hyebin took the baton.

“It is right to be proud, since the Olympic Hall’s competitor is the handball stadium.”

Olympic Handball Stadium.

Seating capacity: approximately 5,000 seats.

If sold out, sales will reach 500 million.

“I think this is what we should consider.”

Son Hye-bin walked over to the whiteboard and made a note under the name of the performance hall that Hong Gyu-heon had written.

After finishing her writing, she put down the maca.

[Olympic Hall]

“Are you trying to save face by achieving results that are close to selling out?”

[Handball Stadium]

“Would you like to take on the challenge to make it clear that the Girls’ League is the trend?”

News spreads that the Girls’ League will hold its first concert at a handball stadium? Then the idol world will truly feel the power of the Girls’ League.

People have a desire to follow the trend.

More than just wanting to cheer for the underdog or look hip, they want to be the trend.

“A girl group in their second year, a girl group from a small agency, is holding their first solo concert at a handball stadium? That’s a huge deal.”

Even those who are not fans of Girls’ League may want to become fans after seeing the growth of Girls’ League.

These are the results in just two years.

So it will get even bigger in the future. I want to join you on that miraculous journey.

That kind of psychology definitely comes into play.

“Instead, I guess I’ll have to give up the profit aspect.”

“That’s right. Of course, renting a handball stadium costs more. Because it’s bigger, you have to set up a bigger stage, more lighting, more equipment. If you don’t sell out, you’ll lose a lot of money. Even if you can get 3,000 people, which is the number of people in the Olympic Hall, it’s not profitable to only attract that many people to a handball stadium.”

“… … I guess the members are also feeling uneasy.”

If 2/3 of the handball stadium seats were filled, how would the members feel when they stood on stage?

How heartbreaking it would be to see one third of the audience seats empty.

“If boy groups sold as many albums as ours, they would just go and shoot a handball match.”

Hong Gyu-heon said that out of frustration.

Her lament contained the worries of all the executives. It would have been better if they had been in a situation where they could choose with ease.

“Didn’t President Cho say that?”

A Korean person said.

“In terms of games, Korea is the home of the Girls’ League. Its prominence in the home league cannot be underestimated by other countries.”

The days when the K-pop business only looked at domestic indicators when predicting business demand are over.

We need to understand both the domestic and global contexts.

However, even though it is globally popular, it cannot completely ignore its home country, Korea.

Although the opposite is true in some cases, in most cases, popularity in Korea is reflected in the world.

“So, how about we make it a handball stadium, even if it means going all out? We might achieve such great results that it would seem foolish for us to worry.”

“Gambling. That’s not like a director.”

“I know it’s irrational, but I want to give it some hope.”

Han Gu-in imagined a sea of ​​fans filling the 5,000 seats. Just imagining it made his heart swell.

“In Korea, the first thing you do is gain honor.”

“Even if I hand out a lot of invitations?”

“… … Yes.”

What if all the seats aren’t occupied?

Invitations are distributed as an event.

This is a method of distributing concert tickets and attracting audiences through events hosted by sponsors or partners.

Many idol groups have achieved concert attendance figures that exceeded their capabilities through this method.

“It seems like it’s better to choose reality overseas and ideals in Korea. Why, isn’t public relations also important in increasing a company’s brand value?”

The CEO dances at the New Year’s business meeting, or gives a strange presentation.

Although they usually explain their business normally, large corporations are no different in that they go to great lengths to attract attention and response.

As an entertainment company, Garo Entertainment’s reputation is more important than that of a regular business.

“The first concert was held at the handball stadium. This record will remain in the history of the Girls’ League forever.”

For a small agency, this unbelievable record will go down in history and shed light on the Girls’ League.

“Personally, I think safe bread is better.”

Son Hye-bin poured cold water on Han Gu-in’s ideals.

But Han Gu-in did not actively defend his opinion.

The virtue of a company is challenge, but the purpose of a company is survival. Since survival is important, it is natural for a company to choose safety.

The reason big companies don’t fail is because they have a much higher rate of choosing safety over challenge.

“Director Park?”

Hong Gyu-heon asked.

“I am…….”

A situation where everyone’s attention is focused.

Seongpil loosened his serious expression and smiled faintly.

“Since the decision is due today, can we postpone it until later?”

“You still don’t have an answer?”

“Yes. Sorry.”

“What is there to be sorry about? Then, just make up your mind until President Cho Jin-man comes in the afternoon.”

“All right.”

“It’s not just Director Park.”

Hong Gyu-heon looked around the audience.

“It seems like the two of you have already decided, but consider everything until the very end. Keep reversing and contradicting your own thoughts, and when you still can’t shake them, then make your choice.”

She was speaking about her position as a director.

The directors are in a position to decide the direction of the company. They have more power and responsibility than rank-and-file employees.

You must take responsibility for your decisions, prepare insurance in case those decisions fail, and constantly strive to prove your worth.

Hong Gyu-heon hoped that the directors would be faithful to their roles in this selection.

“Meeting over.”

4 hours until decision.

* * *

“Yeah, you’ve worked hard.”

drawing room.

Seongpil gave a friendly smile to the male trainee sitting across from him.

Today was the last day of the ongoing trainee counseling. The last trainee to finish the counseling stood up straight and bowed.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Okay. Practice hard.”

The trainee backed away towards the door without turning his back. Whoever taught him this, he showed excessive courtesy that was unusual for an 18-year-old.

Seongpil watched him leave with a wry smile and then hurriedly called him over.

“Samuel.”

Samuel Kim turned around before opening the door.

“Yes, sir.”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t ask this. Why did you decide to join our company?”

“CEO Hong Gyu-heon recommended it.”

Kim Samuel belongs to a daycare center where Han Gu-in regularly volunteers.

So I vaguely thought that Han Gu-in had recommended it, but it turns out that Hong Gyu-heon had personally persuaded him.

Seongpil nodded and waved his hand.

Kim Samuel gave another overly polite greeting and left the reception room.

‘Starting as an idol trainee at 18. It must not have been an easy decision.’

Kim Samuel is quite old compared to the average age at which trainees start training. Hong Gyu-heon must know that, but seeing Kim Samuel’s talent, he couldn’t possibly pass it up.

‘He’s so unbelievably handsome.’

Nowadays, with so many idols experiencing success and failure, there are some faces that are generally expected to be able to gather fans.

He’s the ideal handsome guy for idols.

Many agencies select stereotypical types of handsome men based on their marketability.

However, Samuel Kim is handsome enough to shine despite his appearance being different from that stereotypical one.

‘If Samuel debuts, he could become a new visual stereotype.’

Everyone might be desperately trying to find a face like Samuel Kim.

After checking the trainees’ profiles one last time, Seongpil gathered up his documents and tried to leave the reception room.

But then the door opened cautiously.

It was Rica who came in.

“Is it only you, Mr. Director?”

“Oh, it’s just me. Why are you coming in so carefully?”

“You said I shouldn’t talk to the male trainees! Atashi (I) don’t want to be punished!”

Rika sat down on the sofa opposite Seongpil.

“How presumptuous. How dare you try to steal Director Garo’s time without permission?”

“This is an interview request from the artist! Please accept it obediently!”

“Then there’s nothing we can do.”

“No, I’m asking to talk as a friend!”

“say it.”

Rika took on a rough stance like a gangster in a noir film. She crossed her legs and stared at Sungpil with languid eyes.

“I heard you rejected our leader’s offer!”

The tone was not noir at all, and Seongpil laughed without thinking.

“Are you coming to my house?”

“Yes! That’s an irrational decision! Since ancient times, the best way to get ideas is to look at the results of your seniors!”

“I brought a bunch of Blu-rays from my seniors’ concert today. I’ll give them to you, so let’s all go to the dorm and watch them together.”

“The old TV in the dorm is no good! I need the big TV that Director Park bought with installments!”

“I didn’t pay in installments.”

“Eek?! You bought it for millions of won in one lump sum!”

“I’ve never bought anything on installment in my life, except for a car.”

“Wow, an unexpected sense of money! I’ll have no trouble with household finances! I’ll get 10 more friend points!”

“How many points is full marks?”

“5 points! You’re already more than just best friends, you’re Silvertown mates!”

“My tongue is itchy today. No matter how much I beg you, you can’t come to my house.”

“This is too much!”

Rika grabbed Seongpil’s wrist and shook it violently while throwing a tantrum.

“We are not asking you to visit our director’s house lightly! We want the best experience for the best concert! We want to vividly engrave the brilliant achievements of our seniors on our retinas!”

“Wow, Rika, you really write Korean well. I’ve never heard a Korean person say, ‘I want to engrave it vividly on my retina.’ Your ability to rhyme with the ‘ee’ vowel is crazy. Do you want to learn rap seriously?”

“Oh, really? Hehe, don’t beat around the bush with admiration!”

Rika jumped up from the sofa and caught everyone’s attention like Steve Jobs presenting a new Apple product.

“Do you understand, Director? Of course, Atashi (me) and the other members have hardly ever seen a concert! That’s why I don’t want to have my first concert experience with a screen and speakers of dubious quality! First experiences are important!”

“I’ll take back what I said about you being good at Korean.”

“I need a vivid experience! I want to enjoy the excitement of the concert to the fullest! Even for our professional performance!”

Although Rika was a great speaker, it was difficult to change Seongpil’s mind.

Seongpil even imagined taking the TV out of his house and entrusting it to a transportation company to have it delivered to his lodgings.

In his opinion, the liveliness and excitement of a concert did not matter whether it was viewed in a small or large way. Energy was transmitted regardless of the medium.

“Rika, even if you say that… … .”

But soon, Seongpil’s thoughts changed.

“Because in order to receive love from fans, you have to first see them being loved!”

love.

The word was deeply engraved in Seongpil’s mind, giving color to each and every current flowing into his head.

“……love?”

“Hi (yes)! I want to see what the fans like! I want to feel even the smallest cheers or admiration! And I want to absorb all the know-how of my seniors… … .”

Will be loved.

I want to be endlessly loved by the fans who fill the concert halls, who only see and love Girls’ League.

“The teacher said that! It’s not just about knowing how to love that’s important, but also knowing how to be loved! So… … .”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“yes?”

Seongpil got up from the sofa.

When he suddenly tried to leave, Rika was quite flustered.

“Hey, Director?”

“I’ll go.”

Seongpil left the living room.

And Rika.

“… … .”

I was shocked.

He had never been so tired of talking to Rika that he blatantly walked away.

‘Did I push myself too hard…?

There was a time when Seongpil playfully said, “Stop bothering me!” and ran away.

But never has it disappeared without a trace like it did just now.

‘I… … really bothered you… … ?’

Rika sat on the sofa blankly for a while.

* * *

As the third floor of Garo Enter was opened, the rooftop was naturally opened up.

This saves smokers the trouble of having to walk to the smoking area outside the building.

“Phew.”

Seongpil found the rooftop.

He quit smoking, so it wasn’t for the sake of smoking. After lunch, he found a quiet place to collect his thoughts.

“Hello, Director.”

“hello.”

After briefly greeting the staff who occasionally came up, I put my arm on the railing again and looked out at the scenery outside.

After standing there for several dozen minutes, I started to get the general idea.

“Director Park.”

A familiar voice, it’s Jo Jin-man.

Seongpil checked his wristwatch.

“There are still 20 minutes left until the meeting, but you’re early.”

“Arriving early is my virtue.”

Jo Jin-man smoked a cigarette next to Seong-pil.

After a brief moment of silence, Jo Jin-man spoke in a subtle tone.

“We at Atlas recommend the handball stadium.”

“5,000 seats.”

“Yes. We may have to issue too many invitations to secure a safe audience, but we decided that the benefits we would gain would be greater. Future reputation rather than immediate commercial success.”

“Is that so?”

“What do you think, Director Park?”

Before entering the meeting, Jo Jin-man wanted to find out the intentions of those with voting rights.

Seongpil answered him simply.

“I think Olympic Hall is better. No, it should be Olympic Hall.”

“… …Why?”

“Mr. Cho, this is your first concert.”

The scenery that Seongpil sees has changed.

Instead of a sprawling concrete jungle, the view was filled with the audience seats that the Girls’ League would see from the stage.

They will meet thousands of fans there.

‘Yeah, I have to meet the fans.’

First concert.

This is an event that will forever be remembered by the Girls’ League.

“I want to teach children what it feels like to be completely loved.”

“Completely… … .”

“Yes. No matter what you do on stage, even if you fall down, you are supported, liked, and encouraged. You only receive love, like the unconditional love you receive from your parents when you are a toddler.”

Therefore, there shouldn’t be many people sitting in the audience with invitation tickets.

In most cases, only those who paid full price to sit in the seats, and only fans of the Girls’ League should be present.

We only need those who have nothing but love to give to the Girls’ League.

“That experience will give them the strength to overcome any hardship, adversity, or pain they may face. When they learn that there are people, environments, and worlds that can love them like that.”

So, this will be a gift from the company and the fans to Girls’ League.

A gift that will remain in your heart forever and be treasured until you die.

Seongpil turned his gaze to Jo Jinman from outside the railing. Looking at Seongpil’s face, Jo Jinman thought.

“I want to give my children love. A love that will never be erased.”

Jo Jin-man thought that Seong-pil’s smile was truly pure.

“When CEO Cho was organizing our kids’ fan meeting, he said that, right? He said that the first time is important for anything. It determines the first impression of the event forever. The first impression I will give to the kids from the concert is a complete and intense love that they will never forget until they die.”

* * *

Rika told him that she had failed to persuade Seongpil. She also said that she had pushed him too hard, which resulted in him abruptly leaving the living room.

“I told you not to do that.”

“Gomennasai (I’m sorry)… … .”

Snow White seemed to blame Rika, but she comforted her warmly by rubbing her back.

“If you did that, wouldn’t it be a bit serious?”

Rika’s shoulders trembled.

“Araya, let’s not talk about that.”

“No, have you ever seen the uncle talk like that about Rika?”

“……no.”

“It’s serious.”

“Gosh, I knew you’d have an accident.”

Shin Areum stroked the back of Rika’s head.

“How much did I have to bother you for the team leader to say that?”

“Okay, I did it like I usually do… … .”

“I should have known from the moment you said you were Silvertown Mate. Rika, listen carefully. You and the team leader are the same age. Even if there is no wall, there can’t be no wall.”

“Eh, eh? No, there won’t be, uh, does that mean there isn’t? Does that mean there is?”

“There is a wall.”

“ah…….”

“If you treat me like a close friend, I’m sure the team leader will be in trouble.”

“right…….”

Rika bowed her head gravely.

While the same-age line gave Rika harsh criticism, the older sister line constantly comforted her.

“Ara, then what should I do…? How do I apologize…?”

“First of all, I should apologize for being so rude to you up until now. I won’t cross the line… … .”

“Hey guys!”

The door opened wide and Seongpil appeared.

“Are you free on Saturday? Do you want to come to my house and watch a concert then?”

“……to?”

The other members were surprised along with Rika.

No, it was ridiculous.

Just now, we were talking about how Sungpil was angry, how he finally couldn’t stand Rika’s arrogance and showed his true nature, and how the devil from Success Entertainment came back.

But then he suddenly appears and brings up the story of the house visit, which is why Seongpil was upset.

“For now, I have chosen these two.”

He even had concert DVDs and Blu-rays in his hands.

“One is for a girl group, and it was a concert held at a handball stadium. I chose it because it’s similar in scale to the stage you guys will be performing on. The other is for a boy group, Darkest, and it’s a Kyocera Dome concert. It’ll help you understand the flow of the concert from beginning to end… .”

“Aren’t you angry, sir?”

“Huh? Why me?”

Everyone looked at Rica.

Rika was just blankly staring, then she hit her own head with her fist like in a cartoon.

“Hehe!”

“Hehe, what the hehe!”

Shin A-reum pushed Rika over and knocked her down. Then Jo A-ra joined in and poked Rika here and there.

“Anyway, this kid can’t do anything but make a fuss.”

“Heh heh! Stop it, stop it!”

“I will never trust a word you say again.”

“Why! I don’t get tickled! Why am I ticklish!”

After living together for three years, Shin A-reum and Jo A-ra have become well aware of Rika’s weaknesses.

Even Ricardo, who was considered indestructible, had a weakness.

Rika was hit by two people and was left lying in the middle of the practice room like a plastic bag.

“Uh… …What happened?”

My sister’s line laughed awkwardly.

If I told Rika what she had misunderstood, she would probably get teased by Seongpil again, so I just kept my mouth shut.

“From now on, I will be the official diplomat of the Girls’ League!”

Before I knew it, Rika had regained her energy and stood up proudly.

“I guess I’m more influenced by Director Park than by Teacher Seol-ha!”

“I was moved to tears when I heard that Rika was hated by Director Park because she was annoying him so much.”

Baek Seol-ha confessed right away.

As expected, Seongpil laughed out loud when he heard that story.

“Rika, sometimes you interpret things too much.”

“The director is so inconsiderate!”

“Excuse me, sir.”

There was something that bothered Baek Seol-ha among the things Seong-pil had said earlier.

“When you were explaining the DVD, you said you chose something similar to the stage we’re going to perform on… … .”

“Oh, that’s right. It’s been decided.”

“Where is it?”

“Olympic Hall!”

Snow White was so startled that she trembled.

“Are you coming for three thousand minutes?”

“Wow, I guess we really succeeded.”

The members held each other’s hands and shouted “Kyaak kyaak.”

Looking at that sight, Seongpil felt like a fool for having been worried among the board members.

Seeing the members enjoying something made Sungpil happy too.

* * *

Saturday.

Seongpil woke up early in the morning and started cleaning.

Seongpil, a company slave, works out at the fitness center after working overtime and returns home late at night.

I don’t have much energy to do anything other than basic cleaning. So I tend to clean everything on the weekends.

‘I have to be more thorough today.’

It’s the day when the Girls’ League members visit Sungpil’s house to watch a concert.

After finishing cleaning, Sungpil looked around his small room. Judging by his eyes, there was enough room for each member to sit, but it was still cramped.

Suddenly, I remembered when I told this story to Hong Gyu-heon. She opened her eyes squintingly and spoke as if she had given up on something.

‘Yeah… … I hope this will be a teaching moment for the kids… … .’

Seongpil knows too.

This isn’t the typical distance between a producer and an idol. But what can I do, they’ve already become this close.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t any worries.

‘How much distance should I maintain with the members of the next group?’

In the past, Seongpil was deeply troubled by the fact that the distance between himself and the Girls’ League was too close.

Because they were so emotionally connected, the psychological fatigue from dealing with them was considerable.

I thought we should gradually grow apart, but as the years passed, we only grew closer.

‘……still.’

It’s not a bad thing.

The bond between producer and idol becomes the lubricant for producing.

At that moment, Seongpil’s phone rang.

[Director, they’re at our doorstep.]

“Oh, open it.”

Seongpil pressed the button next to the intercom.

Pressing this will open the door on the first floor of the building.

Seongpil checked the condition of the room one last time and stood in the hallway.

Then the phone rang again.

‘I guess the kids have arrived at the door.’

Seongpil opened the door while answering the phone.

“Hello guys… … .”

[Hello, Mika, Director Park.]

“Hello, Director.”

“Sir, your timing is amazing.”

“Weren’t you listening with your ear against the door?”

“It’s wiretapping!”

The girls’ league members outside the door simultaneously expressed their joy in their own ways.

and.

[It’s ginger.]

The voice of Kaius Ginger rang in Seongpil’s ears.