Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 777



Only Noblemtl

Episode 777

The long, long break ended when it was evening time.

Meals are taken care of by catering. Some of the girls’ league members always reside at the idol training center. So they have no choice but to be careful about their meals.

Bugbug brought a sumptuous meal to his plate and sat down at one of the dining tables.

A few tables away, Jo Ara and Jang Ha-yang were eating and chatting.

“What are the other mentors doing?”

Wakana ate her food greedily to fill her empty stomach from exercising.

“Rika, Seol-ha, I don’t remember seeing Mentor Areum here.”

“You must be busy.”

Miyoko said it as if it was a given.

Wakana looked surprised.

“Isn’t that all you do when you film a show?”

“These are people who earn millions of yen for a 30-minute performance. There’s no reason to waste time here. Even if Wakana were the president, she wouldn’t leave the Girls’ League alone in a rural filming location like this, right?”

“A few million yen… … .”

Wakana seemed to be entranced by the numbers she had never imagined. After a while, she let out a wry laugh.

“This is really the best. If you work for 30 minutes and have a few million yen, you can buy a car in 30 minutes. I wish we could do that too.”

I hope so.

Wakana’s mind remained at that level.

I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘I’ll make it happen,’ because I didn’t know how to make it happen.

Goals can only be set if you know how to achieve them.

How to make millions of yen in 30 minutes? Who knows? I couldn’t give a vague answer other than ‘you just have to become famous’.

“Oh, sir.”

Bugbug looked towards the Girls’ League when he heard the foreign language, Korean.

Seongpil appeared.

“What’s going on?”

“I came here after trying all the menus at a nearby restaurant. Wow, what is this? It’s good.”

“You have to do well because we are here.”

Seongpil sat at the table of the Girls’ League and talked. In Korean.

Bugbug wanted to know what they were talking about, but he had no way of finding out.

As everyone was focusing on their meals again, Seongpil turned his head to the table next to Bugbug.

Hana, who had been watching the Girls’ League until the end, made eye contact with Seongpil. Hana’s body froze.

Seongpil nodded with a smile. Then, when one of them froze, Seongpil turned his face back to the members.

One was watching Sungpil talking to Jo Ara and Jang Ha-yang.

What are you talking about?

‘Araya, how about Bugbug?’

‘I’m a beginner, after all.’

‘One, isn’t there a heterogeneous child mixed in?’

‘Ah, you mean Hana-chan? She’s definitely different.’

‘He shows talent. The producer’s intuition tells me. That kid will become a top idol.’

Or… … .

“Hmph… … .”

“Did you think of something funny? Let’s laugh together.”

“Uh, ah, no.”

After dinner, Bugbug decided to take an hour’s break and then gather in the auditorium.

As if it were a given, we all went into our dorm rooms together. Then we picked up our phones and searched for bug bugs on SNS.

It was the same for all of them.

After eating, it was one of the few times I could rest without feeling guilty.

‘The speed at which articles are uploaded has slowed down a lot.’

BugBug mentions are gradually decreasing.

In comparison, Girls’ League is a hot topic. It is getting more attention now than when it was first aired.

Should I say that the topic continued on and on? It was like an undying flame.

‘Because there are probably hundreds of thousands of fans in Japan and millions around the world.’

I wish.

With so many fans, you’ll never be bored.

Searching for your own name would be the best game. How happy would you be to live a life where everyone praises you?

“… … .”

One looked around.

What did I search for with my heart pounding?

[I hate Ara]

There were a few search results, but none of them were what I was looking for. It seemed to recognize ‘Ara’ and ‘I hate it’ separately. It also seemed like there was no such article in the first place.

This time, I searched only for ‘Ara’.

I looked through hundreds of tweets, but there were no particularly bad comments. No, they were all just praising Joara and posting pictures and videos of her.

Just in case, I searched for tweets up to a thousand.

There wasn’t any.

‘An idol who only receives love… … .’

It really exists.

Or did the swearing account get hit with a rock and disappear?

Or, are there any keywords that people who dislike the Girls’ League can search for separately? For example, is there a derogatory term called ‘Ara’?

While I was only seeing posts like ‘I’m giving away Ara’s photocard’, ‘I’m giving away the Girls’ League album’, and ‘I made a photo of Ara-chan being proposed to by 100 brides’, a certain video caught my eye.

The video was about 10 seconds long.

It caught one’s eye in an instant.

‘With mentor A-reum… … .’

Some idol is dancing.

The two were like mirrors, looking at each other and dancing perfectly in sync.

I don’t know what kind of dance it is, and the music isn’t on so it’s quiet, but it definitely caught my attention.

It’s so absurdly beautiful.

One of them pressed the mute button to play a sound. Then, one of the phones started blasting out loud music.

Her heart sank and she closed Twitter.

“Z, I’m sorry.”

Everyone looked at one and then turned their eyes back to their phones.

Except Miyoko.

“Have you been watching BBS?”

“yes?”

“That song just now, it’s ‘Louder’ by B.I.S.”

“What is BIS?”

I know the name of the group. I remember listening to a few of their songs, but I don’t remember ‘Louder’.

“You might not know it because it’s a Korean song. B.I.S. releases songs separately in Japan.”

“ah…….”

One searched for ‘Arum Louder’ on iTube.

A video just came out.

It was a special stage for a Korean music broadcast program. The performers were Shin A-reum of Girls’ League and Kim Min-joo of KAIST.

I clicked on that video and for 3 minutes, I couldn’t take my eyes off it for even a second.

The latter half was especially great. They both danced while looking at each other instead of the camera, and Shin A-reum even turned her back to the camera.

Another camera quickly captured their side.

‘think.’

This is the part.

They dance exactly like a mirror.

No, isn’t this just a mirror?

It is an avant-garde stage composition.

It was a stage that could easily have looked strange, but it wasn’t strange at all.

One felt like his heart was being squeezed.

‘So what.’

A flashback came back to me of something I had heard from a friend a few years ago.

‘It was a compromise.’

One of them squeezed his eyes shut to rid his mind of the image. Then, instinctively, he jumped up from his seat.

“I, I, my sisters… … !”

The members looked at her in surprise.

“I, I actually learned how to dance… … .”

“I know.”

“Hey, is this your first time saying this?!”

“I heard it from Miyoko.”

One of them expressed his feelings of betrayal to Miyoko.

This declaration was supposed to be a glorious moment, announcing her hidden power to the world. But you already knew that?

‘ah.’

Now that I think about it, I got the timing wrong.

‘Originally, I should have revealed it when everyone was having a hard time keeping up with the assignments… … .’

Then the sisters would have treated Hana like a savior. It would have been a very dramatic scene, both in terms of broadcasting and in terms of human relationships.

‘I suddenly remembered a dark history and impulsively decided to erase it… ‘

I want to turn back time to one minute ago.

“so?”

Miyoko asked Hana what the problem was.

“You learned how to dance?”

“I, I don’t think we can go on like this… … .”

“What are you talking about, Hana-chan?”

“You’ve all seen Mentor Ara’s dance. I don’t think the results will be good if we practice like this with a blank slate.”

Ah, the timing is right.

Now is the time!

One of them raised his head, which had been bowed, and his eyes lit up.

“Unless someone is there to help you 24 hours a day.”

“who?”

“Isn’t that obvious?! I, I learned how to dance!”

“Hana-chan, are you okay?”

Miyoko asked a question. It was a question that only she and she understood.

Miyoko advised Hana to hide her skills. She told her to act as ‘Hana whose skills are steadily improving’, not as ‘Hana who learned dancing in the past’.

“I don’t think this is the time to be concerned about image.”

“… … .”

Instead of answering, Miyoko looked at the members as if asking for their opinions.

“What, wouldn’t it be better if one person helped?”

“That’s right. If you’re going to learn, you might as well learn quickly.”

“If it’s okay with you, Hana-chan.”

One of them glanced at Miyoko, looking as if he was in high spirits. He didn’t have the courage to look at her directly.

This is a major event.

He rebelled against Miyoko, the leader he had always revered as a god.

No one could have dared to predict how Miyoko, who reigned as an absolute being within Bugbug, would act.

You might get dragged to the warehouse behind the building and beaten up (which never happened). But there are cameras all over the building, so you won’t get any serious revenge.

As Miyoko slowly opened her lips, Hana instinctively made an excuse to avoid being hit.

“I’m being sincere… …! I, I really want to do well!”

“okay.”

It’s a refreshing acceptance that I had been waiting for.

“If Hana-chan helps me, I’ll be happy too.”

“ah……!”

“Then, it’s a little early, but shall we go practice?”

“yes!”

Bugbug headed to the auditorium.

There were two cameras set up in the auditorium and one staff member guarding them.

The staff said that if he was going to practice, he would do it in front of the camera. Then he leaned back in his chair and played with his phone.

Bugbug must practice for hours a day, so it’s impossible to film them all with all your heart.

“What should I do first?”

One thing that came to mind was the technique Joara had taught me.

Pop, isolation, wave. And there are basic moves that Joara didn’t explain.

Even the simple choreography that put all this together was something that Bugbug had to do.

“I’ll start with pop music. Pop music is… … .”

One was conscious of the camera and popped his chest.

Are you all watching? Are you all listening?

This perfect pop of mine!

“This is how you do it!”

“Uh, so, how?”

“Huh? Uh, contract your muscles, relax, quickly… … .”

If you do it… … it will work… … .

‘How do you teach this?’

Doing and teaching are different skills.

One did not know this simple thing.

I thought I could teach if I could. In school, you can also be taught by your classmates who are good at studying.

“Contraction and relaxation… … applying force and then releasing it… … .”

The members kept giving and taking strength.

Unfortunately, it didn’t have a pop feel.

“Faster… … ? Don’t think about it as applying all your strength, but rather in an instant… … .”

The members seemed unsure.

Wakana tilted her head.

“Can you give me strength in my chest?”

“… … Ah! It’s not about putting strength into your chest!”

“Is it okay for you to be Mentor Ha-yang?”

Everyone looked at Nishino.

“How does Nishino know that?”

“I touched it during exercise time.”

“… … .”

“what.”

“… … .”

“Why? It’s a girl, so what?”

“… … .”

Anyway, it doesn’t give strength to the chest.

“Basically, it should look like a pop. Then you can use other muscles nearby.”

One slowly demonstrated.

“Like this, with your shoulders and back tilted back.”

As I explained, I realized that I was using my body in a lot more diverse ways than I had thought.

One thing I realized was that up until now I had only a very superficial understanding of dance.

‘Did Ara Mentor learn to teach separately?’

I think we heard the saying, “Use your surrounding muscles” in class today. It just happened so quickly and casually that no one remembered it.

Maybe it was because I thought that dancing was about using the body and that practice was ultimately important.

‘Thinking back, I think he explained it to me very kindly and gently.’

Wouldn’t it be better to recall the advice Joara gave rather than teaching herself?

When that thought occurred to me.

“i get it.”

Miyoko said.

“Hana-chan, if you see anything strange in what I do, tell me.”

Miyoko kindly explained to Wakana while touching her body directly.

“Move in order. Back. Right, good. Then shoulders, right. Body, too, a little. Yeah. Do that all at once. Again, yeah. Something like that.”

After Miyoko gave her a few pointers, Wakana became a chest popping machine.

“I can shake it all day long!”

Miyoko looked at Hana with a smile.

“One, is this correct?”

“Ah, yes… … .”

“First, let’s go over it directly, like you and I did with Wakana. Okay?”

“……yes.”

Thanks to Miyoko and Hana’s guidance, the Bugbug members were able to at least imitate the form of pop.

Getting the feel for it is a big factor. It will be easier to learn the movements using pop.

“Next is isolation!”

One of them became more enthusiastic after learning tricks from Miyoko. It may be because he thought he had been taken away from Miyoko.

By 10 p.m., Bugbug was able to perform three basic movements to some degree.

When one of them declared okay, Bugbug stretched out his arms. Even without saying a word, everyone seemed to be aware of the camera.

I was proud of practicing hard, and it was three times more satisfying to see my hard work captured on camera.

Wakana laughed heartily and joked.

“Aren’t I actually a dancing genius? What if I just sign with a major label and become an artist?”

“That, that won’t happen… … .”

Of course Wakana-nee can do it, hehe.

“Isn’t that a bit too cynical… …?”

“Uh, why?”

“Don’t you have any awareness?! Is my talent that destructive?!”

“to?”

One of them was out of his mind because he had used up all his energy teaching. He seemed twice as tired as the other members.

Wakana grumbled that the broadcast had changed the cute one, then changed the subject.

“How long did it take you to learn this?”

“I took one-hour lessons twice a week… How long did it take?”

“Are you aiming for a stupid character?”

“I, I really don’t remember… … .”

It wasn’t some terribly difficult technique, it was the most basic of the basics. It’s strange to remember how long it took me to learn it.

“Why did you learn dancing?”

“… … .”

One of them was fraying the front of the clothes.

“Well, as a hobby… … .”

“You learned dancing as a hobby? That’s interesting. Were clarinet shoes already popular back then? It was so long ago that I don’t know. I’m old too.”

“What if Nakayoshi gets old?”

Nana, one of the adult members, pouts.

“Should I prepare for retirement?”

“That’s what I mean… … .”

Age is a sensitive issue for idols.

Wakana quickly changed the subject to Hana.

“Should we hurry up a bit? We’ll win the midterm exam easily, right?”

“If I trim it tomorrow, yes, I think it will be fine.”

“Wow, you really practiced hard! I’ve never studied like this before!”

Everyone let out a low laugh.

It was just as Wakana said.

There was no member in this group who was good at studying. All of them had a deviation score (academic deviation score, a relative performance indicator in Japan) below the average.

In fact, it was rare for them to work so hard to achieve something. For them, today’s practice was definitely a faithful day that would remain on the page of their lives.

“I’ll work hard tomorrow too… … .”

That day ended like that.

Thanks to Jang Ha-yang, I worked out during the day and practiced moving my body until night, so I fell asleep quickly.

The next day, all members suffered from muscle pain.

But exercise should be done every day.

From the first thing in the morning, I was called by Jang Ha-yang and made to run, do push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups… no, hang from the horizontal bar.

Every workout was hellish because of the muscle pain.

“Mentor Hayang, my calves and thighs hurt so much… … .”

“Sit down. I’ll give you a massage.”

“Father, please… … .”

Jang Ha-yang carefully massaged Nishino’s calves and thighs. Her hands were delicate, as if she was stretching each muscle fiber.

Although everyone was suffering, Nishino looked happy. He indulged in Jang Ha-yang’s touch with a face filled with joy.

After finishing his workout and meal, Bugbug practiced in the auditorium. He continued learning the applied movements from yesterday and finally challenged himself with the choreography.

After practicing for several hours with breaks in between, the sun set.

After finishing the final check, Bugbug looked at Hana. Hana checked the choreography she had just taken on her phone and gave a thumbs up to the members.

“Yayhoo!”

The members shouted in joy.

I was so happy. I was so happy that the members became good at dancing thanks to my help.

‘I’m not only good at dancing, but I’m also good at teaching, right?’

But I couldn’t just be happy.

It was because of Miyoko. She only had a faint smile on her lips, and she wasn’t as happy as the other members.

Besides that, there was no other word during the entire practice.

One thing that felt like an unspoken accusation was the criticism leveled at Hana for disobeying Miyoko’s instructions.

The more it was like that, the more one strengthened his will.

‘Miyoko-sama said the same thing. The essence of this show is an audition. So you have to do well first… … .’

Slowly reveal your skills when the time is right?

You want me to keep 20% of my skills hidden?

‘That’s not the kind of world that works. If you don’t give it your all every moment, you won’t be able to win… … .’

One mustered up the courage to meet Miyoko’s eyes. His eyes sparkled in response to her gaze.

‘See, you did it in the end.’

It’s good to have idols who grow, but I also want to have idols who can do anything well.

Especially for oneself, such an image is essential.

‘Because I lack looks.’

You have to be recognized for your skills somehow.

Maybe Miyoko doesn’t like situations where someone gets more attention than her. That’s why she keeps her mouth shut like that.

A little after dinner, Bugbug finished practicing.

Before leaving, Miyoko approached the staff waiting near the camera. Everyone was curious about why she was like that, so they waited without leaving the auditorium.

“Staff, we rested a lot, right? It’s not because of anything else, it’s because of muscle pain… … .”

“Huh? Oh, I know.”

The members looked puzzled.

It was the same for all of them.

‘Of course you know. Why are you telling me that?’

Miyoko bowed several times to the staff and then returned to Bugbug.

“let’s go.”

Tomorrow is the long-awaited midterm evaluation. Everyone headed to their dorms while talking about the evaluation they would receive tomorrow.

As we came out of the auditorium, one of our eyes turned to the sky.

Perhaps because there was no stray light, there were a lot of stars. It was a number of stars that could not be seen in the city. The starlight that filled the sky was like… … .

‘I feel like they’re cheering me on.’

It seemed like they were reflecting on themselves becoming stars someday.

* * *

Bugbug stood in front of Joara with a determined attitude.

It wasn’t an environment where there were just a few cameras like when we practiced. The cameras and the staff were all gathered in perfect condition.

It’s a perfect filming location.

Joara looked over the faces of the Bugbug members and asked in a relaxed tone, just like when they first met.

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

“yes!”

“Okay, can we start right away?”

As Miyoko nodded, the bugbugs lined up.

Anyway, it’s a movement made up of basic moves. There’s no position. It’s all about dancing without leaving the line.

The music started and the dancing began.

‘I feel good.’

One of them always danced on the outskirts of the concert hall. But this time it was different.

The members said that the one who danced best should stand next to Miyoko. Hana was humble at first, but eventually accepted.

So one seat is next to Miyoko.

Since we are a group of six, being next to Miyoko means… … .

‘center.’

Bugbug’s perennial 6th place.

There was no way to go up.

She couldn’t even make use of her special skill of dancing. Miyoko demanded harmony and told Hana to kill her technique.

I tried to gain fans through fan service and SNS activities, but it wasn’t easy. I didn’t even know how to win the hearts of my fans.

One has lived in the black mud, in the deep darkness from which there is no escape.

For her, this place was truly the stage of her dreams.

‘My battlefield where I can fight with my special skills.’

He was brimming with confidence. His movements naturally grew larger and his eyes became more powerful.

It wasn’t one of those that had shrunk until now.

Other people saw it too, and Hana herself felt that she had changed.

‘It’s a miraculous opportunity. A chance to get noticed… … .’

Sometimes I would blame myself for learning something as useless as dancing. If I had known I would have to hide it and despair like this, I would have just never learned it.

But now it’s different.

Be grateful to your past self.

Thanks to this dance.

‘Because I caught producer Park Sung-pil’s eye.’

This choreography is the most basic of the basics, consisting of only basic moves. However, one of them was performed with all one’s might.

Because it was the first battlefield he had encountered since becoming a bug bug, where he could make use of his special skills.

He who has eyes, let him see.

He who has ears, let him hear.

I.

‘One of the bug bugs… …!’

I will engrave my name into the memory of everyone who watches this broadcast.

“thank you!”

After the dance, Bugbug bowed to Miyoko’s command.

As I lifted my waist, I saw Jo Ara’s expression brighter than before. Hana’s heart pounded with anticipation.

“hmm.”

Joara scratched the bridge of her nose with her index finger.

“Dancing is all about evaluating yourself. It’s important to point out what you did wrong and what you did well. It’s not efficient to just keep repeating the same movements without evaluating yourself. In that sense, I’d like to hear how it was? Who wants to talk?”

No one stepped forward first.

Joara pointed to one with a smile.

“You were dancing the hardest, but is that the same name?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right!”

“How was it? What do you think?”

One of them looked at the members’ faces. Then, one of them realized one thing.

‘I’m satisfied.’

Everyone thought that they had done well to this extent.

Coincidentally, one thought was the same.

‘Idols need confidence in addition to humility.’

Normally, I would curl up like a bug and hide in a corner, but here, I had to express my confidence.

Because people are drawn to the shining appearance of idols.

Still, with a little humility.

“I, I think it’s okay to this extent… ….”

“Well, so-so.”

Joara let out a long, nasal sound of ‘um… ‘. She put her right hand on her hip and after much thought, she said this.

“Your meta-cognitive abilities are poor.”