Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 362



Only Noblemtl

Episode 362

“Huh… … .”

Jin So-yu stretched and yawned refreshingly. Then Ginger, who had been excited and chattering here and there, became quiet.

“Are you tired, Sister?”

“uh.”

“… … .”

Today is actually a day off.

After the busy promotional period for KARS’s album, it’s finally time to take a break.

Jin So-yu had planned to arrive right on time for the concert to start, but Ginger wasn’t there.

‘I have to go and buy some goods quickly!’

At the same time, he expressed to the members of KARA that they had to go to the concert hall quickly.

The entrance time is 6 o’clock, but goods sold only at the concert hall can be purchased much earlier than that.

It was already hard to get up early in the morning, but it was even more troublesome to have to disguise myself so that people wouldn’t find out I was Caius.

But Ginger wasn’t bothered at all.

Rather, she felt a refreshing excitement as if she were going on a date. She hummed Jo Ara’s solo song, ‘Dance With Me’, the whole time she was getting ready to go out.

“Hwaaam.”

When Jinsoyu yawned again, Ginger’s shoulders slumped.

“I’m sorry, Unnie… … .”

It was embarrassing for a 20-year-old to do this, but Ginger was scared of going anywhere alone.

Korea is a foreign country to her, and when she was receiving training at her company, she was told not to travel alone if possible.

As the years passed, Ginger became someone who was afraid to go out alone.

So I needed someone to come with me, and that person was Jin So-yu.

“Yeah, I should apologize. Fatigue is the enemy of the skin. You shortened my idol life by a few days.”

When Ginger started to cry, Jinsoyu finally smiled.

“So, from now on, you have to be independent. Okay? How long are you going to hold your sisters’ hands?”

It was comforting from Jinsoyu’s perspective, but it sounded sarcastic to Ginger.

Ginger accepted Jinsoyu’s caressing of her head with fear.

“Oh, sis.”

Ginger tried to change the subject.

“I’m glad I was able to get a ticket.”

The members of KS failed to get tickets on the first day and hung the team leader at the entrance of the KS Entertainment building.

But fortunately, Team Leader 1’s life was saved.

Garo Enter had scheduled a performance for the next day.

Team leader and the manager team put their all into securing seats for the members of KAIST.

“It’s a fun sword.”

“I guess so.”

Jin So-yu wouldn’t get bored even if she stared at Jang Ha-yang’s face for hours.

But what if you see a show with Jang Ha-yang in it? It can’t be boring.

Of course, it would be a bit boring if Jang Ha-yang didn’t appear on stage… … but if you think about it as saving up for something delicious, it’s not unbearable.

“But there are a lot of people.”

Jin So-yu looked at the long line of people waiting to buy goods.

Jin So-yu, who was mixed in the middle, was able to closely observe the people chatting happily.

“But is that true? That Hayang flew during the performance? How did she fly?”

“I don’t know. Shouldn’t we do something about it?”

“Well, if it’s white, I guess I can do something about it.”

Jin So-yu pricked up her ears at the conversation she heard right in front of her.

Jang Ha-yang is coming?

Is this a metaphor?

“Aren’t you going to buy a magnetic photo book?”

“Oh. The photo book alone costs over 30,000 won. If you add the price of the magnetic photo card, it’s too expensive… … .”

“It’s a pity you’re standing in front of the line.”

“Right. I heard that the goods sold out really quickly yesterday. Should I buy some if there are any left when it’s my turn?”

“Buy. You’ll regret it if you don’t. If you buy this now and resell it a few years later, it’ll really cost hundreds of thousands of won.”

“Are you buying goods with the intention of reselling them?!”

This time, I was focused on the story I heard behind me.

What is a magnetic photo book?

Are there any photo cards that can be collected separately?

‘I should buy some Ha-Yang goods too.’

Jin So-yu rummaged through her padded pocket. When she took out what was inside, all she found were a hand mirror and a cell phone.

I also looked through the padded lining pockets.

All I had was a concert ticket.

“May.”

“yes.”

“Lend me some money.”

“yes?”

“What’s with that look on your face? Are you afraid I’ll steal it? Do you think I’m a thief?”

“Oh, no. No, I, I brought it just to fit the budget… … .”

Ginger shivered as if she had been called by some thugs in an alley.

Jin So-yu narrowed her eyes and looked around. And as soon as she found the man… … .

“You shouldn’t use your looks in places like this!”

Thanks to Ginger’s help, there is one less man who would be tempted by Jinsoyu’s looks and give her money.

‘by the way.’

Jin So-yu looked at the procession of people again.

They seemed to be wearing masks made of happiness. The joy never left their faces.

How can someone be so happy standing in the cold street this early in the morning for tens of minutes, hours?

‘This is the face of a fan.’

So this is what a fan is like.

To Jin So-yu, fans were people who had no special meaning. This was because even before she became an idol, she had seen many people who were no different from her fans.

Her face and body were a temple.

People idolized her and offered her praise and offerings as if she were a god.

I’ve lived that kind of life.

I used to think that fans were no different from those people.

‘Something is different.’

Observing from this close, I feel a different vibe from those who simply praised Jin So-yu’s appearance.

“Sister, it’s our turn now!”

Ginger said, trembling with excitement.

As soon as it was her turn, she jumped out like a bullet and stood in front of the counter.

Before the staff could say anything, Ginger grabbed the items with her fingers and said, “This, that, this.”

“It was worth coming early, Sister!”

“Some people are just watching because they don’t have money, but it’s so exciting. Are you kidding me?”

“Uh, ma, I can give you about ten thousand won… … .”

Ginger held back tears and put down Joara’s magnetic photo card set.

Yeah, the magnetic photo card is nothing special.

It’s just a photo card that sticks to a magnetic photo book… … .

“it’s okay.”

Jinsoyu turned her gaze away from the goods shop while rubbing Ginger’s nape.

As the saying goes, if you keep watching, you’ll end up borrowing poor Ginger’s money.

Instead, Jin So-yu focused on the fans of the Girls’ League.

Those who had already purchased the items were happily leaving, slowly checking out the goods they had purchased.

‘Will my fans be like that too?’

Would someone look so happy just because they bought something with their own print on it?

After finishing shopping for goods, Jinsoyu and Ginger spent some time near the concert hall.

When I came out at the appointed time, it was barely past 3 o’clock, but winter was already preparing to hide the sun.

“Owner, Ginger.”

Erica approached from a distance, calling out to them.

Behind him, Kim Min-joo followed with her face desperately hiding her anticipation.

“Sisters!”

Ginger ran towards them, yearning for freedom like an elephant escaping from a circus.

Erica smiled brightly and spread her arms.

Ginger ran past Erica to Kim Min-joo and hugged her.

Erica awkwardly tried to put her arms back in place, but then she saw Jin So-yu and spread her arms wide again.

Jin So-yu gently raised the corners of her lips.

“If you say, ‘I want to hug you, unnie,’ I’ll hug you.”

Erica dropped her arms without thinking.

While the two people expressed their ambiguous joy in their own ways, Ginger, who was hugging Kim Min-ju, buried her face in her chest.

“Why is a grown kid acting like this?”

Ginger was tall.

It was bigger than Kim Min-ju and Erica, and there was almost no difference between it and Jin So-yu.

Kim Min-ju couldn’t help but feel awkward when that kid bent his knees and rubbed his body like a child.

“I missed you!”

“Why is it like this today… … .”

Kim Min-ju looked at Jin So-yu, who was standing over Ginger’s shoulder. Jin So-yu smiled faintly.

‘I understand why you’re doing this.’

You were with Jin So-yu for 6 hours?

I can’t help but cry and run away.

“Let’s get in line quickly.”

Erika urged the members to get in line. Her emotions didn’t change much even though the Girls’ League concert was approaching.

‘When will it end?’

I didn’t really have any desire to see the Girls’ League concert. I just wanted to hang out with Ginger, Kim Min-joo, and Jin So-yu.

Meanwhile, the other three spent their waiting time talking about the Girls’ League concert.

Of course, I barely showed any signs of anticipation, except for Ginger.

Kim Min-ju felt the texture of the ticket in her arms.

‘You wanted me to see you so badly, so I had no choice but to come.’

Two tickets were touched.

One is a ticket to the third day concert that Shin A-reum sent, and the other is a ticket to the second day concert that Kim Min-joo bought herself.

‘Shin A-reum, just don’t do well in today’s performance. I’m definitely not going to see tomorrow’s.’

Jin So-yu stood there blankly, thinking of Jang Ha-yang’s face.

Jang Ha-yang’s smile and glossy lips that seem to spurt out sweet honey, eyes that hold stars and double eyelids that extend outward dizzyingly like smoothly sharpened knives, eyelashes that fall seductively like curtains of the night reflecting the stars, and smooth eye tails that shimmer like dreams…

“Sister, what’s there?”

“I was watching because there were a lot of cars driving by.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Ginger ignored Jin So-yu, who was no different from usual, and took out her phone. Then, she looked through the photos of Jo Ara saved in the gallery one by one as if they were precious treasures.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you dance, Ara.’

I’m looking forward to it.

And another thing to look forward to is.

‘A concert produced by Director Park as a producer.’

Ginger was very curious about what kind of world a person like Seongpil would create.

I’m looking forward to it.

No, I’m excited.

Today, Ginger was going to see a cross-section of Seongpil’s personality.

“Seonju-ya.”

Yoo Yong-tae spoke from a row slightly ahead of Caius. Lee Seon-ju, who was watching Twitter next to him, gave a vague answer.

“Why, oppa?”

“Don’t those people standing behind you look like Caius?”

“hmm?”

Lee Seon-ju glanced back and snorted.

“What are you talking about? They don’t look alike at all.”

“No, they all wore sunglasses and masks as if they had made a promise. Aren’t they celebrities? The number of people is the same as KAIST… … .”

“Oppa, I’m a youth, right? Even if Caius wears special makeup, you can still recognize him.”

“… … .”

Yeah, if that’s the case with Youth, then that’s what it must be.

Yoo Yong-tae ignored those who looked like Caius and focused only on the Girls’ League concert.

‘Beautiful, you are amazing.’

It was worth supporting them since their debut.

I can’t believe you’re having a concert this soon.

Yoo Yong-tae looked at the concert hall with uncontrollable excitement.

* * *

Third day performance.

Jeong Ho-hwan went to the Olympic Hall with the ticket that Rika had sent him.

“Heh heh.”

When I saw the long line, I felt weak.

Jung Ho-hwan went to the back of the line, buttoning up his coat. The line was so long that it was hard to believe it was the third day of the show, and it was a very difficult path for the old Jung Ho-hwan.

‘3 consecutive performances at Olympic Hall.’

If that were possible, a concert at a 10,000-seat venue would have been a success.

‘It’s an unbelievable achievement for an idol from a small agency to have achieved this in just their second year since debut.’

The Girls’ League was a miracle.

They seem to be loved by the times.

It is sucking up all the nutrients that K-pop has accumulated so far and making it bloom in a splendid way.

The Girls’ League shouts to the world that they are the pioneers of their time.

Jeong Ho-hwan became out of breath as he walked to the end of the line. He took off his hat and stopped for a moment to catch his breath.

‘The darling of the era. The forefront of the era. The representative of the era.’

That’s what KS Enter has always been aiming for.

I don’t know who created it, but idols are divided into generations.

1st generation, 2nd generation, 3rd generation, and 4th generation.

KS Entertainment has always produced a peak in every generation. No, because there were so many outstanding groups, there was no peak that no one could dispute.

‘Except for the second generation Darkest.’

This time, Jung Ho-hwan really wanted to create the pinnacle of the era. The pinnacle of K-pop girl groups.

‘But… … How cruel.’

Jung Ho-hwan’s biggest enemy did not come from SMS Entertainment or YJS Entertainment.

It came from a small to medium-sized agency, not a large agency.

Of course, the Girls’ League is an enemy of Caius, but they are not rivals.

Caius has always won overwhelmingly against the Girls’ League. Given enough time, they will be able to win overwhelmingly in the future as well.

But why is that?

‘Will my victory continue?’

Jeong Ho-hwan felt a sense of uneasiness as he looked at the line surrounding Olympic Hall.

This scene has been repeated for three days… … .

“Since the seats are already assigned anyway, what does it matter if you come early or late?”

An irritated voice was heard.

Jeong Ho-hwan knew the owner of that voice.

Without panicking, I wiped the sweat from my forehead, put my hat back on, and looked in that direction.

Two men are heading towards the end of the line like Jeong Ho-hwan. One of them stops. Then the man following him stops too.

Jeong Ho-hwan smiled faintly.

“PD Yoon Sang-yeol, it’s been a while.”

A deep look of embarrassment appeared on Yoon Sang-yeol’s face. The man next to him, Kim Tae-hoon, recognized Jeong Ho-hwan and immediately became humble.

“Aren’t you Director Jeong Ho-hwan? I’m Success Enter’s CEO Kim Tae-hoon.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Kim Tae-hoon approached him gently. Jeong Ho-hwan responded in a businesslike manner and then looked at Yoon Sang-yeol again.

Yoon Sang-yeol was still confused.

It seemed as if he had never expected to encounter Jeong Ho-hwan here.

“PD Yoon.”

The moment Jeong Ho-hwan opened his mouth gently, Yoon Sang-yeol strode past him without any warning.

“Sangyeol, you… …!”

Kim Tae-hoon watched Yoon Sang-yeol moving away, fidgeting, then bowed to Jeong Ho-hwan and hurriedly chased after him.

“You are so rude to him… … .”

Yoon Sang-yeol opened his eyes wide and glared at Kim Tae-hoon.

“That could be the case haha.”

I stood at the end of the line of two people.

When Kim Tae-hoon saw that Yoon Sang-yeol was in a bad mood, he tried to lighten the mood by bringing up various stories.

What is Yoon Sang-yeol’s current appearance?

‘It’s similar to when I woke up the kids at dawn and scolded them.’

That day was definitely… …the day when the final pre-order sales for Girls’ League’s regular album were tallied.

Yoon Sang-yeol’s feelings were similar to that time, and he didn’t seem to be worse.

“You said we should postpone our listing. I think that was a good decision in the end. I have already made some money in business, and I don’t think there will be any good things if I sell more.”

In addition, singers and actors who were affiliated with Success Entertainment have been expressing their intention not to renew their contracts one by one.

Kim Tae-hoon judged it to be a transitional situation that Success Enter was experiencing as it continued to grow.

We moved to a new, fancy building, increased staff, and revamped our business division.

In the process, artists who are unable to adapt will fall behind.

“If it had gone public and come to this point, the stock price would have fallen considerably. It would have almost been subject to unnecessary interference.”

Kim Tae-hoon praised Yoon Sang-yeol’s opinion, although in the past he had thought of it as stubbornness rather than an opinion.

Yoon Sang-yeol had been persistently opposing the listing of Success Entertainment and its explosive expansion in business areas.

The agency argued that we shouldn’t lose our roots and that it’s right to focus on music.

‘I also wonder what Seongpil would say in times like this.’

Yoon Sang-yeol didn’t even blink an eyebrow at Kim Tae-hoon’s praise. He didn’t really intend to ignore Kim Tae-hoon or make him feel bad.

A torrent of thoughts flowed through Yoon Sang-yeol’s head.

‘Jung Ho-hwan is coming to see the concert?’

Jeong Ho-hwan is a leader in the industry.

History proves that he is the greatest human being as a producer.

Although Yoon Sang-yeol thinks he is an old, worn-out swindler with historically insignificant achievements that have been exaggerated, he does not ignore the public’s evaluation of Jeong Ho-hwan.

‘That Jeong Ho-hwan?’

Why would an industry leader come to see another workplace?

Because Jeong Ho-hwan is a fan of Girls’ League?

That can’t be true.

Since he has been working in the industry for so long, he probably has lost any love for the industry long ago.

To Jung Ho-hwan, idols are a way of life. Like a section of a cliff that will fall if you let go, it’s something he has no choice but to hold on to.

If that’s the reason he would come to an idol concert that he’s already seen…

‘Because I have to see it.’

Because I thought it was worth seeing.

That’s why I came.

That fact was hard for Yoon Sang-yeol to bear.

‘What you need to be wary of is not the Girls’ League or the Shitheads.’

Park Sung-pil, this is not a group of ragtag people who have extracted all the wisdom from the uneducated, high school graduates.

There is no need for the human who created Caius to be interested in the Girls’ League.

I don’t think so.

‘Why did you come?’

Before he knew it, Yoon Sang-yeol had entered the concert hall. He was sitting on the second floor, looking at the stage lit only by dim lights.

Before he knew it, the central screen lit up and the Girls’ League members in the video explained performance etiquette.

‘Why did I come?’

Yoon Sang-yeol, who had been thinking only about the absurd situation in which Jeong Ho-hwan came here, suddenly asked that.

‘Why me?’

The answer came straight away.

‘To laugh.’

To make fun of Sungpil, who ran away from Success Entertainment after a pointless fight.

Yes, yes, that’s what I came for.

‘Please take a look.’

Suddenly, Yoon Sang-yeol tightly closed his eyes.

“It’s noisy… … .”

During the waiting time before the show started, the music video for Girls’ League’s “Arabesque” was shown on the screen.

Thousands of fans chant in unison.

They sing along to the song without making a single mistake in the lyrics. They sing along so loudly that it seems like it is their duty.

The voices of thousands of people rang like thunder in Yoon Sang-yeol’s ears.

“It’s so noisy I could die… … .”

I had my eyes closed so I didn’t have to see this mind-boggling sight, but I couldn’t block out my hearing either.

The Globe members appeared in a pitch-black vision without any light. Their expressions came to mind clearly.

The day when they checked the Girls’ League’s album sales and music chart rankings. The way the Globe members looked at Yoon Sang-yeol was clearly different than usual.

They still approach their Creator with fear, but there is a hint of arrogance in them.

An impudence that cannot be overlooked.

Yoon Sang-yeol couldn’t stand it because it was so annoying.

‘Those women who can’t even fulfill their duties.’

Yoon Sang-yeol opened his eyes wide as if watching the performance was an excuse.

‘This is why you ignore me. Look at this crappy show.’

After seeing a performance like this, would you dare compare yourself to a person like Seongpil?

Yoon Sang-yeol became desperate to find a flaw.

‘Do you look at me like that because you miss the person who created this result?’

Yoon Sang-yeol has already come to a conclusion.

The Girls’ League’s concerts will be poor. At least they won’t have the aura to sell hundreds of thousands of albums.

‘The success of the Girls’ League was nothing more than a chain of events that happened by sheer luck. It just happened to hit me.’

Like the name of this show, ‘Domino’.

The dominoes of the Girls’ League will soon fall.

Yoon Sang-yeol came here to see the moment when Seong-pil’s failure began.

‘Jung Ho-hwan, the Girls’ League isn’t that great that you should care about it, it’s not that great that the Globe four-year-olds should envy it… ‘

Yoon Sang-yeol’s heart sank.

All the lights in the concert hall went out.

And what flows out is.

Waaaa …

The legendary debut song of the Girls’ League.

[no]

Even now, that sound, which was ahead of its time, pierced Yoon Sang-yeol’s ears like an awl sharper than any noise.

* * *

The first day of the concert.

The Girls’ League members gathered in a circle backstage, putting their arms around each other’s shoulders.

It stayed like that for a while.

“Hey guys.”

Snow White said.

“We took a shortcut. We took a shortcut and achieved success so quickly that no one in the world could understand it. It’s a miracle.”

[30 seconds!]

“But this is just my feeling, but I feel like the real miracle hasn’t even started yet.”

[20 seconds!]

“Let’s go see the beginning. And since it’s the beginning, let’s take the first step well.”

[15 seconds!]

Snow White strengthened her arm around his shoulder even more.

The members were like that too.

A moment when we tried to overcome our anxiety by relying on each other’s warmth.

“girl!”

Rika shouted loudly.

“Hey, Federation!”

Snow White followed suit reflexively.

“fight.”

Joara recited with a trembling voice.

“liberation.”

Jang Ha-yang spoke in a voice dripping with tension.

[5 seconds!]

Shin Areum let go of everyone’s shoulders and pushed them towards the stage. They hurriedly climbed up the iron stairs and headed towards the stage.

Shin Areum declared clearly, watching their backs rising up through the light.

“victory.”

* * *

“It comes out.”

Seongpil held the cheering stick tightly as if it would break.

In response, the cheering sticks shaped like torches turned into bright red flames and lit up the surrounding area.

Soon, the audience seats turned red like a wildfire spreading, and eventually the entire concert hall was engulfed in flames.

Crunch.

The lights moved simultaneously, shining light on the center of the stage, where the members appeared.

A burning red flag appeared on the screen.

[People!]

Baek Seol-ha stretched her clenched fist forward.

The flames in the audience seats waver splendidly as if responding to Snow White.

[Are you ready!]

What comes back is a deafening roar.

Baek Seol-ha brought her outstretched fist to her chest and hugged it. Her chest swelled with deep breathing, and soon she took a step forward with burning eyes.

[The first song!]

Seongpil answered blankly.

“‘no’.”

Girls’ League’s debut song.

The dominoes began to fall. A red wave that wouldn’t stop until the world was turned upside down.