Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 355



Only Noblemtl

Episode 355

Morning practice break.

Joara cooled her sweaty body by fanning herself with the collar of her loose-fitting top.

On the way to the bathroom, Joara greeted many people walking down the hallway.

‘There are more people now.’

Compared to when I first entered Garo Enter, it’s a world of difference. Back then, it felt like a startup company, but now it feels like a well-established company.

Joara suddenly stopped and placed her hand on the second floor railing. Then she looked down.

Some employees were taking a break or having a business chat.

‘I…….’

No.

‘Are we, the Girls’ League, responsible for all these people?’

The Garo Enter is going back to the name of the Girls’ League. That means the Girls’ League is feeding the 20 people in this building.

If the Girls’ League collapses.

If Joara collapses.

‘If I break down.’

The horizontal enter ends it.

The weight of twenty people was lifted onto Joara’s shoulders. She found it hard to believe that dozens of lives were dependent on her gestures and songs.

Joara stopped her thoughts and went into the bathroom. She washed her face, placed her hands on the sink, and looked in the mirror.

“… … Hmm.”

Joara turned her face around.

I remembered what Rika had said a few days ago.

‘Ara-chan is a super pretty boy!’

Adonis…….

‘Am I that masculine?’

Of course, his face has distinct angles and lines, and in the past, his friends often told him he was ‘handsome’.

‘You look like a man… … .’

No matter how much he was called a ‘pretty boy,’ Jo Ara didn’t like it. He probably would have felt the same way if he had been called a ‘pretty girl.’

Joara did not want her identity to be confined to dichotomous frames such as male or female, big or small, strong or elegant.

Because the either-or mentality is too violent.

If you belong to one side, people will automatically assume that you also have the characteristics that the other side has.

‘Yeah, I look like Joara… … no.’

It’s strange to think of yourself as someone who looks like you.

‘I am Joara.’

Joara smiled what she thought was the most lethal smile she had ever seen.

“What, he’s pretty? He’s also a very handsome boy? Even among idols, he’s pretty… … .”

Joara flinched and looked at the person standing next to her in the mirror, at the entrance to the bathroom.

It was Jihye Kang from the public relations team. She was holding her cosmetics pouch neatly and was at a loss as to what to do.

“I’m not being self-indulgent.”

Joara made an excuse.

I was so embarrassed that I had been caught on tape learning the confidence-building techniques from a Korean.

Every morning, Koreans stand in front of the mirror and say, ‘I am neither German, American, nor Korean. I am Korean.’

It seems that by doing so, you are strengthening your own identity and boosting your self-confidence.

“Just, wait, I’m practicing for when the people start making noise during the live broadcast… … .”

Kang Ji-hye didn’t hear Jo Ara’s words. Instead, she was thinking about Jo Ara’s brand image.

‘Ara wants the image of a pretty boy!’

I have to report this to the visual team right away and ask them to take note of it! Kang Ji-hye disappeared without even listening to Jo A-ra’s excuses.

“… … .”

For some reason, Joara had a feeling that today would be a tiring day.

That premonition came true about 30 minutes later, when I got a call from Ginger.

“Joara, I told you to put your phone on silent mode when you practice.”

As soon as the vibration rang, Shin Areum started nagging. As soon as Jo Ara tried to retort, “Who are you?”, Shin Areum hid behind Baek Seol-ha.

“The teacher said so.”

Irrefutable.

After asking for Baek Seol-ha’s understanding, Jo Ara picked up her cell phone.

[Ginger]

As soon as I saw the name, the pressure I felt on my way to the bathroom became even stronger.

My shoulders are heavy.

“Teacher! I think Ara-chan’s boyfriend called!”

As Joara was putting off answering the phone with a troubled expression, Rika immediately started joking.

And as if waiting, Jang Ha-yang was pranked.

“Are you C-Ace senior Kyuyoung?”

“Hahaha… … .”

Jo Ara looked at Jang Ha-yang, smiling as if she was bored. Jang Ha-yang didn’t take the joke and clenched his fist.

“Fighting, True Love!”

“Senior Gyuyoung has a girlfriend.”

The members opened their eyes wide.

Joara covered her mouth.

“Oh, I told you not to say that… … .”

“How close are you with Senior Gyuyoung that you even know that?! You contact each other often, right?! You contact each other every day, right?! That’s called fishing!”

Baek Seol-ha shook Jo Ara’s shoulder with a serious expression.

“I told you to avoid guys who have girlfriends and contact women frequently just because they’re friends!”

“Where?”

Yeah, on iTube.

At that moment, the loud vibration stopped.

“It’s disconnected. I’ll go out and make a call.”

“Senior Gyuyoung is more important than practice?!”

Joara didn’t know the exact reason, but Baekseolha’s cries seemed to be filled with jealousy and impatience.

“It’s ginger.”

“ah.”

Joara came out of the practice room and called Ginger. Ginger answered the phone shortly after.

[Hello, Ara!]

“Oh, sorry I couldn’t pick it up right away. I was practicing.”

[Ah… … So, are you busy right now, Mr. Geummi?]

“No, not really.”

[I’m sorry.]

Since Ginger is an idol too, she knows how disheartening it is to have a break from practice.

Even just taking a short break can cause the breathing that has built up to become distorted.

[I should have called Director Park first.]

“… … .”

[Ms. Ara?]

… … Who are you to call that old man so casually?

“No, sir, aren’t you a working man? You have work to do too. It would be better for you to do it to me.”

[Now that I think about it, that’s true.]

“If you have any questions, feel free to call me.”

[Open, relax. Got it!]

Ginger’s voice brightened noticeably, but soon she returned to her characteristically over-the-top tone.

[Is it true that Ara is making a comeback?]

“What? Who said that?”

[Our company employees said that!]

“… … ?”

[When will you make a comeback! If even I know about it, then the rumors must have spread already! When will the official information come out!]

KS Enter has information about the comeback of Girls’ League that even Garo Enter doesn’t know?

“What are you talking about? Are we making a comeback?”

The album work itself isn’t happening.

[Ah, it was a flyer… … . I had high hopes for nothing… … .]

After that, we chatted for a while and then the call ended.

From Ginger’s perspective, it was a very meaningful and happy time, but for Joara, it was a time of piling up pebbles one by one in her stomach.

Joara felt uneasy every time she received a call from Ginger.

But this time, that feeling was slightly less intense.

‘Are we making a comeback?’

What on earth are you talking about?

They say the entertainment industry is a field of rumors, and it really is.

Joara thought it was nothing and tried to go back into the practice room. Then she found Seongpil coming up to the second floor.

Joara ran to Seongpil, who was heading to the office, and slammed her shoulder into his back.

“evil!”

When Seongpil turned around in surprise, he saw Jo Ara smiling like a devil.

“‘Evil’? Are you that surprised?”

“What is it, it’s the super pretty boy Ara.”

“I’m really going to turn around.”

Of course, it’s the public relations team.

As soon as Kang Ji-hye heard the information, she started promoting Jo A-ra’s self-deprecation throughout Garo Enter.

He is a one-of-a-kind talent in the world.

“mister.”

“I’m busy. Let go. Don’t hold me back.”

“I didn’t catch him or detain him. But are we making a comeback?”

“what?”

“No, I just got a call from Ginger asking if we’re making a comeback? She said the KS Entertainment staff told her.”

“… … ???”

Seongpil ran into the office without looking back and told the fan management team and the public relations team to immediately investigate what had happened.

But there was no need to investigate.

Kim Seung-wook, a member of the fan management team, said with his characteristically absent-minded expression.

“It started spreading on Twitter early yesterday morning. I was going to report it today, but… … .”

“You were tweeting until dawn?”

“Yes? Yes. I use all kinds of social media.”

The fan management team is one of the departments managed by Min Kyung-seop.

They are responsible for fan marketing, fan communications, and serve as a link between fans and artists.

And team member Seungwook Kim became an employee of Garo Entertainment by submitting dozens of portfolios showing his idol fandom from the age of 11.

He was living proof that if you do your fandom to the fullest, it can become your spec.

“I’ve organized something. Let’s take a look.”

Seongpil’s expression became serious after reading Kim Seungwook’s summary of reactions.

‘This isn’t just something that spread, is it?’

It’s a total frenzy.

‘It’s like this because the gap period has been over 10 months… … .’

Seongpil is a fan of the group KAUS, which has a particularly long album preparation period.

That’s why I know the value of the occasional bait. It’s like a drop of rain in a drought, hand cream in the winter, or an air conditioner in a library in the summer.

The People, the Girls’ League fandom, are finally getting excited after getting tired of the long hiatus.

‘I thought that since there was a Japanese debut in the middle, there were more things to enjoy.’

As expected, a Japanese debut or comeback was just an additional event for Korean and global fans.

They are looking forward to a comeback in their home country, Korea, much more than their debut in Japan.

‘Of course, debuting in Japan itself felt like a bonus… … .’

This cannot be left as is.

Seongpil immediately requested a meeting of executives.

Hong Gyu-heon, who received the report, spoke directly without asking for further explanation.

“Let’s announce the concert plans as soon as possible. The sooner we get feedback, the better.”

There were no executives on Saturday.

“If we leave this alone, they’ll think we’re positive about a comeback. And then… … .”

Hong Gyu-heon’s expression as he looked at the tablet was serious.

In it, the people’s fanatical reactions were organized by Kim Seung-wook.

“After the concert, I have to start working on the album as quickly as possible.”

If we delay any longer, protesters may arrive in front of Garo Enter.

* * *

Yoo Yong-tae. 28 years old. Male. Not a fresh graduate anymore.

He had become bored with his hobby of fandom. He would occasionally watch the live broadcasts of Girls’ League members or just search for video clips on iTube.

Even that isn’t done much these days.

‘Sigh, I’m tired.’

It wasn’t because the Girls’ League’s hiatus was long. I was slowly establishing myself as a member of society, so every day was incredibly tiring.

After work, he sat down in front of his computer at home, pulled his chair back, and sat lazily.

His eyes caught sight of a wide monitor he had spent a lot of money on.

He chuckled.

‘I bought this to properly watch the Girls’ League music video and stage footage.’

Yoo Yong-tae put his hand on the mouse to do something, but he quickly lost his strength due to the fatigue spreading languidly.

After work, the time that I can devote to myself is only about 2 or 3 hours.

‘I guess the love has cooled down now.’

Liking an idol means giving your energy and heart to them.

It is about considering the success of idols as your own success and cheering them on sincerely.

Yoo Yong-tae didn’t have the energy to do that. If he didn’t have the strength to love himself, it would be difficult to love others.

‘I guess I’ll just lie in bed and rest.’

Here was a self-portrait of a lonely and tired modern man. At that moment, Yoo Yong-tae’s cell phone rang.

[Kim Chae-hyun]

She is a high school student who developed a relationship with me through her past fandom as a member of the Girls’ League. Although we rarely talked on the phone, we kept in touch.

There is a group chat called ‘Not Lonely Soviet Room’, and it contains Yoo Yong-tae, Kim Chae-hyun, and her friends Lee Seon-ju and Baek Su-hyeon.

They often post pictures of Girls’ League members there and show off.

These days, there are a lot more contents supporting Baek Soo-hyun who appeared in Project For You Season 2.

Yoo Yong-tae received a phone call.

“What the… … .”

[Oppa, did you see the new bait that came up?!]

“Huh? No.”

[What the hell is this guy doing without checking his messages every day!]

“Chae-Hyeon… … . You may not know because you’re 9 years younger than me, but social life is hard, so it’s hard to find time to do fandom… … .”

[frame.]

“Thank you for blocking.”

[No, no, just wait!]

“How are you calling in the first place? Isn’t it midnight?”

[Is the palm tree the problem now?!]

Is it really true that Kim Chae-hyun is a student who will take the CSAT in a year? What are her hopes for the future?

Yoo Yong-tae couldn’t help but be worried about her.

[The Soviets… … !]

Kim Chae-hyun took a deep breath.

[The Soviets are holding a concert together!]

As soon as he heard those words, Yoo Yong-tae’s heart, which had been cold and dry, began to beat.

The heart filled with blood and turned into a refreshing red color. The essence that contained life gave life and strength to Yoo Yong-tae’s eyes and hair.

Things I thought would wither, dry up, and rust away.

Love has bloomed again.

[Are you going?]

Yoo Yong-tae smiled without realizing it.

“I have to go. Of course.”

After ending the call, Yoo Yong-tae continued watching the Girls’ League stage video.

From the legendary ‘Ani’ debut stage to ‘Long Four’, ‘Arabesque’, and ‘Purple Tulip’, and even ‘The Queen’ which was the signal for their comeback in Japan, we watched it all.

‘I can’t get tired of looking at it.’

Even just watching the video, you can feel this aura, but what if you have the chance to see it in person?

‘I can’t not go.’

Yoo Yong-tae was not cold.

I was just waiting for it to boil.

* * *

From the moment Jo Jin-man entered Garo Enter, his face was in full bloom.

Seongpil could tell why he was in a good mood without even having to ask.

“The response was amazing.”

“I guess the people were waiting for the concert.”

Garo Enter was worried that the announcement of the concert plan might pour cold water on the excited people.

The people were happily imagining all sorts of things, saying, “Our kids are coming back!”

To them, saying, “This isn’t a comeback, this is a concert?” was definitely worrisome.

“It feels good for us to see so many reactions of anticipation.”

There was no reaction as feared.

The community and SNS were once again heated up with comments like, “Concert? I like it.”

Of course, not everyone was excited. People overseas were quite disappointed that the news was a concert and not a comeback.

‘Usually, the first concert is held once in Seoul and then it’s over.’

The reaction was reversed again.

It has been revealed that Girls’ League’s concert is an overseas tour. Not only domestic but also overseas K-pop communities could not hide their excitement at the news of Girls’ League’s concert.

“The reaction from overseas was particularly strong.”

“It can’t be helped. Your favorite artist comes from far away to find you.”

Usually, after three years, they slowly build up their overseas fandom and then cross the ocean.

But, for an idol group that has only been in the second year, and that is affiliated with a small agency, to go on an overseas tour, the people overseas must feel like they received a Christmas present.

“okay.”

Jo Jin-man folded his arms and looked anxious. Seong-pil thought that he was worried about how many seats would be sold.

Even if the atmosphere on SNS or in the community is good, it is impossible to find out the number of fans who directly buy tickets.

I made a product, but how many will I sell? Jo Jin-man was always worried about the same thing that all sellers face.

“Oh, I came to give you this.”

Jo Jin-man suddenly woke up from his reverie and took out the envelope he had neatly stored in his bag.

He got up from his chair and politely handed over the envelope. Seongpil also accepted it politely enough to not be defeated by him.

“This is an invitation.”

The first printed ticket granting admission to a Girls’ League concert.

“Thank you. I, here… … .”

“Of course you can take them out. You should also check that the quantity is correct.”

Seongpil opened the envelope with trembling hands and took out an invitation.

An indescribable ecstasy came over Seongpil.

This small piece of paper was the embodiment of Seongpil’s dream that he had been holding onto for years, no, for decades, including his entire life.

“Tickets, concert, tickets… … .”

Idols are a collection of dreams.

It is an illusion that cannot exist naturally, created by bringing together the universal standards of beauty held by countless humans.

So it can attract people.

If so, a concert is a dream world where idols can exist as dreams.

“Director Park?”

Jo Jin-man panicked and took out a tissue from his bag. Seeing the tissue, Seong-pil waved his hand.

“No, it’s okay.”

Seongpil didn’t wipe away his tears.

I looked at the ticket with blurred vision.

I wanted to feel this sight as it was. A ticket to the foggy vision filled with emotion, and the dream beyond.

“haha…….”

Seongpil held in his hands what had only been a dream in his previous life.

* * *

Seongpil distributed invitations to the members like they were handing out meal coupons.

“Check again to see if everyone’s numbers are correct.”

Seongpil checked the number of invitations the members had received with his own eyes again. In the meantime, he saw Baek Seol-ha with a puzzled expression.

“Seol-ha, are you still angry?”

“… … I’m not angry.”

Long ago, Baek Seol-ha asked Seong-pil for an invitation.

He said he was going to give it to his family.

At that time, Sungpil said, “It’s rude to ask for invitations out in the open.” But a few days later, Sungpil asked the members, “How many invitations do you all need?”

Snow White asked in embarrassment.

‘Is that what you’re giving me if I ask for it?’

‘Of course it’s your performance.’

‘But why to me…?’

‘Why?’

Seongpil laughed out loud as he enjoyed Baek Seol-ha’s dumbfounded face.

That day, Baek Seol-ha was so excited that she went crazy, saying, “Should I really kill one person?!”

It was a prank that took several days.

Until then, Baek Seol-ha had been groaning and worrying, ‘I wonder if I behaved in a way that was too rude to Director Park and the company…

Seongpil tried his best to appease Baek Seol-ha and somehow she got over it, but it seemed like something was still piling up.

“Seolha, it’s five, right?”

“……yes.”

Snow White counted the invitations again.

First younger brother Baek Su-hyeon, second younger brother, third younger brother, father, and mother.

Chapter five.

Suddenly, Snow White’s face darkened.

‘Give this to Mom… … .’

I still haven’t gotten over my past where I ran away from home saying I wanted to become an idol trainee.

Things seemed to have gotten even worse.

Baek Seol-ha, who had been in conflict with Kang Su-won and had become more assertive, suddenly gained courage and went to her parents’ house, perhaps because she was swept away by the magic of winter, the season that matched her name.

And after telling my mom everything I wanted to say, I ran away.

“… … Huh.”

Baek Seol-ha covered her face with the invitation and let out an embarrassing groan.

When I expressed my strong will in front of my mother, it felt like the world revolved around me.

He thought that he had been reborn and that he had forged a will that would never be broken by anyone.

But when I think about seeing my mother again, my face turns red with embarrassment.

“Seolhaya.”

At Seongpil’s call, Baek Seol-ha slowly lowered the invitation card with her face covered.

Seongpil was smiling.

“When are you going to give it to me?”

“Huh? Uh, um, not yet… … .”

“Let’s go together.”

“… … Yes? Let’s go together?”

“Come to think of it, I’ve never met Seol-ha’s parents before. Why don’t I take this opportunity to stamp my face on them?”

After hearing that conversation, Rika looked at the invitation in her hand.

Rika was planning to take a short vacation before the concert and personally deliver the invitations to her parents.

Somehow… … .

‘I feel like I’m at a loss!’

Isn’t it a huge privilege to have the producer personally accompany you to deliver the invitation?

Rika gently tickled Jang Ha-yang’s side to get her attention.

Jang Ha-yang looked at Rika with a smile.

“Isn’t this just favoring the leader? It’s discrimination!”

“Ahaha, is that so?”

“Meeting the parents… … !”

“It’s not a meeting.”

“to?”

“Admit it.”

“Hey, admit it?”

“Admit that it wasn’t a meeting.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Jang Ha-yang’s tone was so overbearing that Rika had to force herself to stop the prank she was about to play.