Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 576



Only Noblemtl

Episode 576

The Russian music market size is in the early 10th place in the world. Even though it is in the early 10th place, it is only about 1 trillion won.

But this is the same in Korea.

It is not for nothing that KS Entertainment put its life on the line to enter the Japanese market in the early days of its establishment.

‘Even if you succeed in Korea, you can never become a large corporation.’

That’s what Jeong Ho-hwan said to the chairman a dozen years ago. That’s true.

Even though we have certainly joined the ranks of economically advanced countries, the market is still small, so how much smaller must it have been in the past?

However, this does not mean that the Korean market can be ignored.

How can we ignore a market that is ranked in the top 10 in the world?

The same goes for Russia.

‘There has been no way until now.’

Russia is a sleeping market with a population of 150 million.

But there is no way to break through.

The only people who make it through are probably European rock stars or musicians from the golden age of J-pop.

The so-called vested interests of the music industry.

‘If we were to set foot on Russian soil, the best we could do was to get some help from the government.’

We had no choice but to insert our name into a music industry fair hosted by the South Korean government or to delve into an event commemorating the 00th anniversary of Korea-Russia diplomatic relations.

By the way, Girls’ League, which has a huge overseas fandom, is said to be setting foot on Russian soil.

This would be a similar situation to the historic advance of KS Entertainment into Japan. At least that’s what Team Leader 1 thought.

Team Leader 1 is a managerial position within KS Entertainment, and is fully aware of the company’s history and achievements.

‘When KS Entertainment said it was going to enter the Japanese market, everyone treated me like I was crazy.’

It had to be that way.

At that time, Japan’s culture was treated as a sin in Korea.

It was only after the second, third, and fourth rounds of Japanese cultural opening in the new millennium that sales of J-pop albums were permitted.

Moreover, Japan was clearly more culturally advanced than Korea at the time. Japan was the second largest music industry at the time, and Korea could not catch up with the sophistication that came from its size.

In that situation, talking about advancing into Japan could only sound like nonsense.

But all that nonsense and madness came true.

KS Entertainment has become a legend.

Is there any law that says that in present-day Russia, that can’t happen?

Those who say, ‘It won’t work…’

They are all just ordinary people.

Most people cannot see ahead.

In particular, culture is not something that can be resolved through majority rule.

This was the KS Entertainment spirit that Team Leader 1 had acquired.

In his opinion… … .

‘There’s definitely something going on with the Girls’ League.’

Team leader 1 glanced at the other management team leaders sitting around the table.

They will probably feel the same way as Team Leader 1.

‘The Girls’ League has conquered Japan.’

It’s literal.

It’s hard to believe that in the next few years, a girl group will emerge that can match the status that Girls’ League holds in Japan.

It is a success that deserves to be called a legend.

The Girls’ League, affiliated with a small agency, literally rose from the ground up and conquered Japan.

That left people in the industry feeling closer to astonishment than admiration.

‘I thought they’d just suck up the fandom money like they do in Japan anyway… … .’

The Girls’ League has established another headquarters in Japan.

It has created quite a legend.

‘Why not Russia?’

To sum up, there are two reasons why team leaders want to show up at this event by any means necessary.

First, to suck up the value of the Girls’ League’s name.

Second, if Girls’ League had succeeded in building a homegrown fandom in Russia following Japan… … .

‘It is possible that the Russian K-pop market itself has reached a significant size.’

I hope that others will also take advantage of the market that the Girls’ League may have pioneered and may have pioneered.

In the US, they say WTP is responsible for introducing people to K-pop. There are a lot of people who became interested in K-pop after listening to WTP songs.

In Russia, the Girls’ League might be like that.

‘Our children and Caius must go.’

Guys, cheer for me.

Team leader 1 closed his eyes tightly and thought of the faces of our lovely children.

Erica, Minju, Soyou… … Ginger is out.

“No, team leaders, this is really too much! I was the one who asked first… …!”

After about 30 minutes of dogfighting, Team Leader 1 left the conference room without any results.

And then I went straight to the practice room to find Ginger.

“Ginger, it’s work.”

“It’s a break period.”

“It’s your day off, so why did you come to work?”

“What does it matter where I am on my personal time?”

“You are right.”

Team Leader 1 knows how to win an argument. He tells the person who is not communicating, “You are right,” and then ignores them.

“Anyway, something came up.”

“What is it?”

Team leader 1 explained the situation.

“You understand? You’re close with Director Park and Ara from the Girls’ League. Go and tease her a bit.”

Team Leader 1 asked Ginger to use her special ability: to utilize the tangled web of Guanxi.

“… … .”

But Ginger’s expression was not good.

“Isn’t that… a personal request?”

“Why are you hesitating on this when you’ve asked the directors for so many favors up until now! Asking Director Park is a real favor. But isn’t it Ara? Aren’t you two friends? And you also appeared in the Garo Entertainment new recruiting promotion video? Isn’t this a give-and-take rather than a favor?”

In fact, Team Leader 1 wanted to say this.

‘How much have we done for the Girls’ League so far!’

It’s not like I did it on purpose.

Garo Enter has been using KAUS in the marketing strategy of the Girls’ League. This is the rivalry between the Girls’ League and KAUS.

A girls’ federation that rose from the ground up.

Born into the nobility, Kaius comes from a large entertainment company.

People cheered for the Underdog Girls League, and as a result, they achieved unprecedented fandom cohesion.

Of course, I don’t know if Garo Enter used this strategically or proactively.

‘It must have been so.’

Team leader 1 guessed with confidence.

Garo Enter must have spent a lot of money to highlight the rivalry between the Girls’ League and Caius.

You could probably throw hundreds of millions of dollars at a viral company. Or you could run a comment army at the company level.

Of course it’s a delusion.

Team Leader 1’s reasoning was somewhat unfair.

I hoped that Garo Enter would feel a sense of debt, as I thought that the Girls’ League had grown thanks to Caius.

When Erica ran away, I think Sungpil went to look for her because of that sense of guilt. Maybe that’s why he participated in Erica’s mixtape as a producer.

“… … .”

Ginger sighed and answered timidly.

“I’ll tell Director Park.”

“Uh, to Director Park? Is that okay?”

“Yes. Rather, Director Park is more comfortable.”

But Ginger couldn’t press the ‘call’ button for a while while holding the phone in her hand.

“What’s wrong? Do you have a cramp in your finger?”

“Before, the last time I contacted Director Park, I was a bit rude… … .”

“What? Did you curse in Chinese?”

Ginger showed me the text messages she had with Seongpil.

The last one was the ‘Aoa’ video posting date.

[Seongpil: Oh, I saw it]

[Seongpil: Ginger, you’re so cool]

[Ginger: Is that so?]

“No, this is crazy, it’s so scary. What does ‘is that so’ mean?”

“… … .”

Team leader 1’s expression became serious.

“Did Director Park do something bad to you? Said something bad to you?”

Team Leader 1 has seen many people like this.

People who flirt with young celebrities just because they have some money. Regardless of gender, they are people whose ugliness shines from the pores on their faces.

Was Seongpil that kind of person too?

“I was the only one angry at Director Park.”

“what?”

“That, in Aoa… … .”

Ginger sighed deeply.

“No, that’s not it. Forget it.”

Are you angry?

Team leader 1 looked at the text message again.

[Ginger: Is that so?]

The one with the period was especially scary.

Seongpil also didn’t reply, perhaps because he was scared.

Even the team leader would have been scared.

“Why are you angry? What exactly is the reason?”

“Oh, why are you so persistent! Didn’t I tell you to forget it!”

“What, this can’t be right? Director Park is supposed to be a fan of KARA, but he liked Ara’s stage better during filming? I know, I know. I know how it feels to have your fans stolen. I’ve never been an idol, but I know.”

“What the hell do you mean? Stop it. I was an idiot for telling Team Leader 1.”

Ginger pressed the call button as if trying to hide her embarrassment. Her tightly shut eyes showed a look of frustration.

‘Ugh, really.’

Team leader 1 let out a hollow laugh.

‘Oh my god.’

* * *

“This kid speaks our language?”

As Plekhanov was walking through the makeshift barracks, he heard a soldier speaking in a cheerful tone.

The soldier was standing near the prisoners who had just been transported with his comrades. He was standing in front of one of the men and wagging his foot threateningly.

“Everyone I catch in this town says something different.”

“I heard that they originally used Korean here too.”

“okay?”

The soldier made a threatening gesture toward the prisoner.

“But you’re so cocky. Say it again, what did you say?”

The prisoner was shivering so pitifully. It made me think that a person can tremble like that when he is gripped by fear.

The prisoner spoke with trembling lips and tears in his eyes.

“A cigarette… just one… .”

“This crazy guy… … .”

“stop.”

Plekhanov stopped the soldier from beating the prisoner.

The soldiers saluted when they saw Plekhanov.

“What are you doing?”

“This kid doesn’t smoke.”

Plekhanov let the prisoners go.

He was wearing a military uniform. He flinched every time he breathed. It seemed like he had broken a bone somewhere in his body.

I was in pain and terrified.

Yet he asks the soldiers for cigarettes.

It seems like he had a premonition of what would happen to him.

“Take the others with you. I’ll take this one.”

“Are you really going to give it to me?”

The soldier’s eyes became fierce.

“This guy shot Ivan!”

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

“… … .”

The soldiers stared at Plekhanov for about three seconds and then saluted. Plekhanov accepted it vaguely.

The prisoner looked at Plekhanov, still fearful, but also hopeful.

Plekhanov took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, along with a light.

He took a drag on his cigarette.

He desperately held the cigarette to his lips and took several deep breaths.

Smoke billows away.

Finally he began to sob.

“The dream.”

Plekhanov asked.

If Major Axelrod had seen him, he would have used physical force to stop him.

A soldier must not perceive his enemy as a human being. The moment he does, he will fall faster than anyone else.

During the Vietnam War, an American soldier who was searching a house where the enemy was hiding cried and fainted because there was an Elvis Presley album in the house.

The fact that his enemy was a human being who listened to the same song as him was an unbearable shock to him.

“Do you have a dream?”

Plekhanov asked the prisoner about his dreams.

It is a basic human condition.

The prisoner answered, still sobbing.

“Barista… … .”

Plekhanov nodded.

I didn’t even ask for his name.

* * *

Plekhanov swallowed the tranquilizer with water.

The propagandist smiled bitterly as he looked at it.

“Are you still eating that?”

“It’s proof that you’re healthy.”

Plekhanov answered briskly. The corners of his mouth rose.

“Isn’t it said that soldiers who don’t suffer from PTSD are deformed? I mean, I’m a perfectly normal human being. I’m healthy.”

“So, am I a personality disorder? Am I not in my right mind?”

“perhaps.”

The propagandist laughed and looked around.

It was Plekhanov’s cafe.

After finishing business, he pushes all the tables to the corner and uses it as a practice room.

Eventually, Rosa and the people decided to participate in a K-pop dance cover competition. Naturally, Rosa was the instigator, so she also supervised the practice.

“Come on, everyone, wake up!”

As Rosa applauded, the exhausted people stood up one by one. They all had tired expressions on their faces.

Of course.

After finishing their work, they came back and practiced dancing again. And since Rosa was such a strict teacher, everyone was drenched in sweat.

Rosa was also good at dancing, even dances that muscular people would find difficult.

“Let’s start over again! We can’t show our shortcomings to the Soviets! We have to impress the Soviets!”

Rosa stood in the center and the people lined up.

“Okay, let’s begin.”

A spark appeared in Rosa’s eyes.

“‘Arabesque’.”

* * *

[Honestly, I don’t know what to do.]

Seongpil sensed anxiety and fatigue in Meyer’s voice on the other end of the phone.

[No one, not even me, expected that things would get this big. That K-pop stars would be lining up to ask to participate… … .]

Seongpil didn’t expect that either.

[The higher-ups are also starting to take notice. If all the idols who said they would come out come out, all the accommodations in Moscow will be full, including the day of the event.]

Hundreds of people gathered for the event.

No, hundreds of people.

Transportation for thousands or tens of thousands of people?

What kind of traffic chaos will this cause?

Also, what about accommodations for other tourists not involved with this event?

A cultural event that would otherwise go unnoticed cannot cause inconvenience to Muscovites for several days.

Not only citizens but also tourists will suffer from inconvenient transportation and crowded accommodations.

[It was so, so sudden. The accommodations that had already caught on have started to offer premiums.]

“You must be very tired.”

The fatigue in Meyer’s voice may be due to the sudden influx of administrative work.

According to her, if this was done carelessly, Meyer and several lines above him would be completely broken.

[ah.]

Meyer spoke urgently, as if he had realized his mistake.

[I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to complain about my situation… ]

“Is there something you wanted to ask me?”

[Yes, I’m shameless, but I’d like you to pick the idols that will be the judges. I’m only interested in Girls’ League, and I don’t know the status of other idols. It would be difficult if you only picked famous groups.]

That’s probably it.

For example, if Girls’ League, KARA, and PTR-17 all come together, Moscow will be filled with K-pop tourists.

In particular, fans from Eastern Europe, where it is difficult to meet K-pop idols in person, will flock here in droves. Even fans from Western Europe will flock here.

Since a star who is usually hard to meet is coming to a nearby country, it is only natural that you would want to meet him.

‘I’m in trouble too.’

I wonder if Sungpil’s choice could cause administrative fatigue in Moscow.

Perhaps, this moment may be the peak of Seongpil’s career. His choice may affect the daily lives of millions of people.

Will there ever be another event with this much influence in the future?

‘Isn’t this something we can no longer do?’

There may be other places that are sharp as well.

[I won’t blame Director Park. I would just appreciate it if you could pick members from groups with lesser name recognition than the Girls’ League.]

“Well, then, yes. Okay. I understand.”

[Thank you. I really appreciate it.]

Meyer expressed his heartfelt gratitude.

From the beginning, executing this plan must have been a huge burden for Meyer.

If she or other team members had chosen the judges alone, it could have taken several days.

Because fandom and influence can’t be simply compared to things like album sales.

The work was probably done cautiously, like a blind man groping an elephant’s leg or walking on thin ice. The result, of course, could not have been smooth.

“But how are the contestants selected?”

[We will do the preliminary screening. There are already a lot of teams that have expressed their intention to participate… … .]

“Is there anything overseas?”

[Actually, we recruited several overseas K-pop dance cover teams during the early planning stages of the project.]

There are channels that maintain tens or even millions of subscribers solely through K-pop cover dances.

Meyer probably thought that including such teams would help raise awareness and ensure the quality of the competition.

[In addition, several overseas teams have expressed their intention to participate. This must be thanks to the Girls’ Federation. The quality of the competition will probably exceed expectations.]

The significance of the general public’s participation may fade, but it will be fun to watch.

[I’m sure Mr. Hayang won’t be bored either.]

After ending the call, Seongpil checked the groups that had expressed interest in participating as judges.

‘There really are a lot.’

There are many famous groups, but there are more groups that aren’t famous.

These are groups that somehow want to have their names listed alongside the Girls’ League in the article.

Seongpil has already received many private messages. Some of them were on the verge of crying. It may seem like he is exaggerating, but Seongpil understands their feelings.

‘Because even the smallest thing can help raise the group’s profile.’

And there were many groups that were thirsty for something like that. If Sungpil was in that situation, it would have been natural for him to cry and he would have gone to see him and knelt down and beg him.

That’s why I’m more worried.

‘A group member with lower name recognition than the Girls’ League but qualified to be a judge?’

……for a moment.

‘Could this be Mr. Meyer’s consideration?’

In some ways, this is a huge competition for vested interests.

Seongpil has the authority to distribute the rights.

‘It’s just a problem for Mr. Meyer, but we can use it as a weapon, right?’

I don’t know if Meyer really thought that far ahead and gave Sungpil the authority. But Sungpil was able to use this authority, or rather, this privilege.

Fair selection is impossible in the first place.

How can you judge the qualifications of the judges? You can’t even open an audition program with idols.

‘There is only one condition that Mr. Meyer has proposed.’

It will probably be less well-known than the Girls’ League.

Then the rest is Seongpil’s arbitrary judgment.

‘What can I gain from this?’

… … .

does not exist.

Seongpil was very angry.

‘An idol with lower name recognition than Girls’ League… What could Girls’ League gain from a company with such an idol?’

Perhaps it’s just a way to save face by giving opportunities to acquaintances.

There is already a name for the boy group ‘Waypercent’ that Yoo Ha-eum is in charge of.

They still haven’t sold 100,000 copies of their album. I think it was like this a year or two ago too.

They are amazing for keeping the 100,000-won mark, and the fans who constantly support them from behind are also amazing.

It means that there are almost no dropouts, so is there a secret?

“……for a moment.”

This might work.

A while ago, Hong Gyu-heon announced that he would bring two or three groups to Garo Enter. One of them is said to be Ieum Enter, which Woo Hyo-min belongs to.

‘If we’re going to be a family anyway, it’s better to give it to Hyomin.’

Seongpil quickly wrote down Woo Hyo-min’s name.

And next.

‘Way percent.’

This group is called the 100,000 Wall of Tong-un.

A group with almost no entry or exit.

That company is going under now. There have been bad signs since long ago.

‘Ha-eum often asked me to be her manager’s stand-in. She said the managers kept running away. On top of that, she didn’t even give Min-jeong the choreography draft. Because of that, Min-jeong asked me to get paid on her behalf.’

There is a reason for that. The company is run by people who are no different from thugs.

Yoo Ha-eum said that Waypercent’s success is nothing short of a miracle.

However, the CEO and his subordinates, who believed that miracle was their own ability, launched a girl group.

It’s ruined.

And the company is barely surviving by using Waypercent as an ATM.

“I’m going to sell it… … .”

If Garo Enter wants to buy the company, the company will be sold. No, it has to be sold.

If you think about it, there are many benefits.

‘Because I can bring the know-how of boy group management.’

No producing know-how is required.

It’s a miracle that those humans succeeded in producing. You can’t ask them to recreate that miracle.

Yu Ha-eum, I keep hearing that friend’s lament.

‘I’m stuck here because of the kids. The kids keep telling me not to go. They say they’ll die without me. I’m scared because it seems like that’ll really happen.’

They say that they are already tied to a contract, can’t sleep, and are only busy with their schedules.

Sungpil recalled the time when he was Waypercent’s road manager before Girls’ League even debuted.

‘Everyone was standing there.’

Yubin, the youngest, even openly picked a fight with Sungpil. She apologized right away when Sungpil revealed that she was a substitute for him.

For them, the company is not their home.

Since Yoo Ha-eum and the members are her only colleagues and trustworthy friends, she naturally puts up thorns towards the outside world.

‘I know how I’m treated at work.’

The company has no intention of continuing or developing Waypercent’s success. They just see it as a money pit.

If horizontal enter can bring it… … .

‘But is it possible to do a merger or acquisition or purchase shares that quickly?’

Seongpil ran up to Hanguin and asked him.

“It is possible. If we can come to an agreement. It can be done even tomorrow.”

“Oh, really?”

Seongpil ran to Hong Gyuheon.

“Way percent? 100,000 barrier?”

“Yes, I think now is the right time. So, if we can get it done within two or three weeks.”

“Director Park, trading is not that easy. The other party wants to sell the product at a high price, right? Then they will try to find a way. It will be even more so in a company. The period of trying to find a way will naturally exceed several weeks.”

“Waypercent’s contract renewal season is in two years. There’s no way they’ll renew their contract! The company is on the verge of bankruptcy. Then, wouldn’t they accept it if you ask for more than Waypercent’s net profit for two years?”

“How do we know their net profit for the past two years?”

Seongpil called Yoo Ha-eum and asked her.

Yoo Ha-eum answered so easily.

There were surprisingly few.

“No, that’s all you can earn? Don’t boy groups earn much more than that?”

“Because the A&R system wasn’t working properly. In the past, we would just recklessly release albums, and fans would throw eggs at our agency’s windows and paint them. That’s why we had to be careful with our skills, but we would release albums and continue our activities. That’s how we ended up wasting a lot of money.”

“They are real boy heads.”

“And they can’t do business as systematically as we do. I guess that’s the limitation of a company that operates on a fist-fighting basis.”

“The company could be like that.”

Hong Gyu-heon, who said that, paused for a moment.

“That could be the case… … .”

Perhaps he was reflecting on past failures.

No matter how much money you have or how well-known your group is, maintaining and developing that success is a whole other story.

“But Director Park, no matter how well the circumstances are aligned, buying a company isn’t that easy. I told you earlier, right? I’m going to have to see for myself. Unless someone threatens me with a knife and demands that I sell the company, I don’t think I’ll readily say ‘I’ll sell it’ in a few weeks.”

“Um… … For example, let’s say the main house burned down and we need to quickly build a new house?”

“Why are you using such a scary analogy? Are you going to set fire to the representative’s house?”

“I just thought of something. I’m more scared of a CEO who directly brings up arson. But Waypercent is a group with real potential. The 100,000 barrier is the same. Even if the company is not doing well, they maintain their fandom with the strength of the group alone. I think that’s a really rare thing.”

To that extent, we must assume that Waypercent members have a pheromone that attracts fans. A pheromone that makes it impossible to escape once you taste it.

“… … Director Park really doesn’t know anything.”

“yes?”

“If you want to buy something, the other person has to be willing to sell it to you, right?”

“Uh, right?”

“And when it comes to a company, it’s hard to know the specifications unless the other party is trying to sell it to you. The financial status, the number of employees, the management system, etc. are the specifications of the company. So what Director Park is saying is, when you want to buy a computer, you don’t know exactly what the specifications are.”

“Excuse me, doesn’t your company publish IR (Investor Relations)?”

IR is a kind of corporate promotional material aimed at investors. Garo Enter has also been posting IR on its homepage since before Girls’ League.

In Garo Enter, this is the responsibility of the Korean people.

Securities ownership status of executives and shareholders.

Report of company stock holdings.

Report on acquisition of company assets by contract.

Notice of general shareholders meeting, results of general shareholders meeting.

Company-level explanation of rumors, etc.

And then there’s the all-important quarterly report.

By writing a few words in the Seongpil-do report section, such as ‘Expectations of future prospects for company executives,’ I have a rough idea of ​​Horizontal Enter’s IR.

‘I wasn’t deeply involved in my previous life, but I also had a success.’

Since it is also a horizontal enter, Waypercent’s agency will also upload IR. Even if you don’t know the company’s intimate details, you will be able to know the ‘basic product specifications’ that Hong Gyu-heon mentioned.

“We are special.”

Hong Gyu-heon said.

“We were able to do it systematically because we had one director. I don’t know for sure, but when we go public, we will be able to secure a lot of credibility. We have IR that has been organized systematically for several years. I don’t think Waypercent has anything like this.”

Seongpil took out his phone and went to the homepage of Waferset’s agency. As Hong Gyuheon had said, there was no IR or anything like that.

There was a notifications page, but it only had really basic notifications.

Whose contract is being extended, whose album is being released, a lawsuit for spreading false information is in progress… … .

I feel the greatness of the Korean people once again.

It’s unthinkable that most companies have been managing this on their own since long ago.

The story has returned to its origin.

“I guess so. We probably don’t know much about your company’s circumstances… … .”

“For example, what if one of your members is suffering from severe mental illness and needs to leave soon? Or what if no one wants to renew their contract? Or what if the company’s debt is so large that it can’t be sold? We don’t know anything about the state of the company.”

Seongpil became gloomy.

Hong Gyu-heon patted his upper arm as if to comfort him.

“I understand what Director Park said. If you look at the group called Waypercent, it’s a group of people that you want to bring in by any means possible. Well, it also fits the purpose of our Garo Enter. Then the experts should step up.”

“Are you an expert?”

“huh.”

The academic cartel of Garo Enter, which was formed recently.

One of them.

“Are you Manager Kim Deok-pal?”

“No? He’s a director?”

“Why did you bring up the academic cartel?”

“It’s funny. There’s a private organization in the company. It’s fun. It’s like some kind of secret organization.”

Hong Gyu-heon looked really happy as he said that.

“I’ll ask Director Han to contact you. Director Park, please gather information on that side in your own way. Did you have a friend there?”

“Yes, it’s Yu Ha-eum.”

“Then it will be easy.”

“But can you make a decision without even having a meeting?”

“I’m just looking into it. I have to go shopping anyway. I have to update my shopping list.”

Update your shopping list.

It fits the situation.

Hong Gyu-heon will have to shop around for one or two groups and companies in the future, like Eum Entertainment, which Woo Hyo-min belongs to.

To do that, I need to update my shopping list.

“But, is it confirmed that Ieum Enter will become a family?”

“I’ll go and check it out myself. I’ve seen the general situation, but it’s just so-so. So, what else do you want to say?”

“Thank you for your time.”

“Anytime, for Director Park.”

Seongpil gathered his thoughts as he left the president’s office.

‘Hyomin… … Considering her relationship with Myungwoon hyung, we’ll put her on the judges list. We’ll put Waypercent on hold for now.’

Girls’ League Jang Ha-yang.

Love’s emergency rescue worker, Woo Hyo-min.

And one member of Waypercent.

This way, we will have a good mix of judges.

If Way Percent doesn’t work out, then you can find someone else.

‘I guess I’ll be getting a lot of calls from here and there from now on.’

Not knowing that Seongpil’s mind was already made up.

As if he had been waiting for that moment, Seongpil’s phone rang.

“hmm?”

It’s a completely unexpected name.

“Mr. Ginger?”

[Hello, Mika, Director. It’s been a while.]

It’s been a really long time.

This is almost the first time since KAIST made a comeback and sent me a message asking, “Director Park, how was our comeback song? Did you shed any tears?”

The reason I said it was almost the first time was because the contact right before that wasn’t that good.

[Seongpil: Oh, I saw it]

[Seongpil: Ginger, you’re so cool]

[Ginger: Is that so?]

The period at the end was so scary.

Seongpil looked gloomy as he thought, ‘Ginger doesn’t want to be my friend anymore… ‘

I guess so.

You wouldn’t want to be friends with a 35 year old man.

Last year, you said, ‘Director Park is my benefactor. I mean it. I don’t take this relationship lightly’…

Still, I’m glad you contacted me first.

Maybe you were in a bad mood for some reason last time, or maybe you were busy with something.

If I had known this would happen, I would have kept in touch instead of being scared and backing out…

[Can you please ask the Russian competition organizers to include Caius’ name?]

Was it a request?

Seongpil became sad.

Because it seems like Ginger is using Sungpil’s fandom as a tool. No, it really is like that… … .

[Director Park?]

There was a hint of reluctance in Ginger’s voice.

‘Mr. Ginger, how did this happen… … .’

Should I really give up on being ‘youth’ and just live as ‘Some’s number one’?