The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 168
Only Noblemtl
The Malicious Member Returns! Episode 168
* * *
During the Arrows days, the members and I only won the rookie award once, but we never actually won first place on a music show.
What does it mean for a male idol to win first place on a music show?
It was a time when there were no female idols who had such a strong presence on the music charts, and it was hard to believe that there were no seniors who boasted overwhelming album sales.
In a word, you need to have some luck on your side.
However, although the timing of our debut was good, the period after that was a bit disappointing.
It’s not like they didn’t do very well, but many great faces are making a comeback ahead of the year-end music festival.
Each and every one of them was extraordinary, but if we were to pick out the people of interest…
[Wiz, who made a splash with ‘Monochrome’, returns with more intensity… “Repackage Album Preview”]
[“Never Stop, Go Straight” Big Rookie Wiz’s Follow-up Activities Without a Break]
Unlike us, who released a repackaged album after a short break following the ‘Hide and Seek’ promotions, problematic rival groups like Wiz went on to promote follow-up songs right away.
[9 Mermaid Princesses’s Loan Attack… Serenia’s Reasonable Image Transformation]
[“Female idols who come out in the second half of the year don’t have good grades?… That can’t be!” Serenia comes out to dispel the myths of the music industry]
Our seniors, Serenia, who debuted with , the most confident work of their previous careers.
And above all else… .
[ “1.2 Million Pre-Orders” Why the Regular Album of a Triple Million-Seller Male Idol is Anticipated]
[Strong as a unit, stronger together? The charts are already shaking… Sladix’s previous songs that are starting to ‘line up’]
“This week’s number one is… Sladix’s ‘Dream Corridor’! Yes, congratulations!”
“Ah, thank you. Well, first of all, I’m so grateful to my agency family… I need to thank the person who wrote the song, but he’s right here!”
“Ahaha… Thank you, Yeonwoo hyung!”
Even Sladix, who boasts an overwhelming tier 1 male idol group that is difficult to even describe.
They are burdensome opponents even if they only come out once a quarter, but they are pouring out like this.
Therefore, Director Shin’s plan to make a comeback on a faster schedule even if it meant accepting a slightly lower quality wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
It is an unchangeable fact that you have to row when the water comes in.
However, no matter how high the quality of an album is, if the timing is bad, it will be swept away.
The person who knew this fact best was someone who had a keener eye for calculations and performance than me or any of the other people.
This is someone who was brought in from outside by CEO Do Jae-chan to revive AG, and in the process, he tried to use tricks to get ahead on his own, but got hit in the back of the head, and because of that, he became very sensitive.
“… That’s nonsense.”
Director Shin, who tapped the conference room desk with a ballpoint pen, continued speaking quickly with a frighteningly cold face.
“Does it sound like a joke to me to proceed with work according to a fixed schedule? At least, Moon Yoon-ha shouldn’t do that. Come to your senses.”
Director Shin’s eyebrows were raised so high that it was visible to the naked eye, perhaps because he was very annoyed by the two people talking to him without prior notice.
… Are you feeling very upset?
“Oh my, that’s why I barely made it to the release date of my debut album. Tsk.”
And since the person sitting at the top of this conference room had that kind of attitude, everyone else had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.
“… … .”
I rolled my eyes as I watched the slightly nervous atmosphere in the conference room.
It wasn’t just me who noticed this change in atmosphere, the members also had embarrassed looks on their faces.
I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and I don’t know what to do.
If this is what it’s going to be like, I wonder why they called us and made us sit here.
[ㅁㅊ Why is it like that, I really want to go to the dorm quickly ㅠ]
“…turn it off.”
I pretended not to see the sentences Mars was scribbling with a ballpoint pen and desperately tried to suppress my laughter.
He seems like a funny guy.
However, unfortunately, we couldn’t get to our accommodation quickly today.
To clear the surprise mission that X sent me as a bad symbol, and for our T.O.Z to get good results with this repackaged album.
This meeting needed to be a little longer.
And one of my trusted confidants was someone who was very good at that.
“her….”
Director Moon Yoon-ha, who had her long hair tied up in a ponytail again today, looked at Director Shin with a calm expression and slowly opened her mouth.
“Why are you in the military like such an ignorant old fart…?”
It was a strong statement despite his calm expression.
“Huh… .”
“Hey, Director Moon. Say something…!”
Thanks to that, the ones who were left in a state of confusion were the other people working under Director Moon Yoon-ha.
They desperately expressed, ‘If the director gets cut, we’ll all get cut too,’ but our aesthetic fanatics were relentless.
“What, did I say something wrong? I worked hard, too. You guys, too, right? The ‘Hide and Seek’ album came out well. It’s my masterpiece. But what, the person who had been paying overseas all this time suddenly showed up and started making a fuss… .”
“…her.”
The atmosphere in the conference room took on a strange tone due to the sudden, not-so-serious, fight.
Some people feel uncomfortable because of the old farts who suddenly appear and interfere with their work, and others frown as if they don’t understand what they just heard.
“Hmm….”
And in the midst of all that, I continued to have a serious expression, hiding my satisfied feelings.
… This is it.
“You’re going with this? Really? If that’s the case, then why did you say you’d give me full authority? Are you kidding me?”
“Uh, anyway, the person in charge of the Arrows project itself is Director Shin… I think what the president said was just giving a lot of money… .”
“Oh, shit, seriously. I’m not joking… .”
During the Arrows era, Director Moon Yoon-ha was unable to exert her power as Director Shin was able to successfully debut Liu Wei.
Because Director Shin didn’t suddenly go on a business trip abroad, and he just stuck by Arrows and interfered with every single thing Director Moon did.
However, things were completely different then and now.
Director Shin, who failed to debut Liu Wei, has returned from a business trip to the United States for some reason, and in the meantime, Director Moon, who has received a lot of trust from President Do Jae-chan, is now in charge of our debut album.
“Ha, you remember that I am the ultimate decision maker for this album, and you’re saying that? It seems like you don’t understand the situation very well.”
“So, you’re going to cut it? I don’t think that’ll work. I don’t know about Director Shin, but President Do likes me quite a bit. I’m sure he’d absolutely be against it.”
When fighting so openly, there was no way Director Moon would be pushed back like before.
“You say you’re a skilled person. You say you pursue perfection. Isn’t that what August is all about? But why are you acting so desperately like you need money all of a sudden? I’m not asking for a lot of time. It doesn’t make much difference whether it’s three or four weeks.”
“Is there really no difference? There is a limit to what you can say without knowing. What’s important is to keep the topic going once you’ve established it.”
“Yes. It will be a momentary topic of conversation. However, the quality of the album will drop. I don’t really want to do an album like that with my name on it.”
“Huh, really?”
“Yes. ‘That kind of thing.’ If you’re going to sell it for money, you should make it properly, really.”
“Ah, you two, please calm down… The Tiozes are here too, right?”
“Are you saying that I am excited right now? How on earth does Ms. Moon Yoon-ha manage the division to be so rude?”
“Don’t suddenly start talking about my kids just because you have nothing to say. Wow, are you really an old fart? But I’m an old fart who takes care of my kids.”
“I’m the director…!”
Fight, stop, stop, fight again.
The atmosphere in the conference room was becoming increasingly tense, but for me, it couldn’t have been better.
Unlike Arrows, in order for our current team to somehow win first place on a music show even once, it was essential to properly prepare an album, even if it took some time.
And, if there is someone among them who insists on the position that ‘we must make a perfect album’, it would be the icing on the cake.
“…after.”
I scanned the people in the conference room and quickly circled the number 1 I had written in the corner of the meeting materials.
If the corner I believed in had tanked so much, it was time for me to make my next move.
“Brother Jaeha, can we not go to our dorm? It seems like it won’t work if we stay here…!”
“Mars, shh. It’s our album… .”
Now, when everyone’s eyes, including our members’, are fixed on the two people who are in sharp conflict, is the best timing.
Bam-
“Oh my, the pen….”
I pretended to drop my pen under the desk, then went down to the conference room table and touched Logan’s arm, who was sitting next to me.
“Me, Logan.”
“… Huh?”
Logan opened his eyes wide like a puppy startled by my sudden behavior, lowered his head under the desk, and muttered.
“God, Chun-yong hyung. Are you feeling burdened by the current situation? I’m also so scared of the current atmosphere, I want to run away… The meetings weren’t like this before…!”
“Shh, shh. Be quiet and listen to me.”
I grabbed the crying guy’s arm tightly and whispered quickly.
“You, do you think it would be good if your song could be included in this album?”
“…yes?”
This is the main point.
Logan blinked his eyes for a moment, looking bewildered at my words, then cautiously asked me back.
“Um… What do you think, Chun-yong? I told you about it before. I was thinking of recommending it.”
“I honestly want to put it on. I like what you made better than the songs the A&R team suggested as candidates.”
“Oh, you think so? That’s a bit of a happy thing to hear…!”
At my confident words, the large dog briefly waggled its invisible tail, then quickly regained its composure and whispered in a small voice.
“If I could put it in… I don’t think there’s anything better than that. But, I’m not sure if that’ll work because they’re fighting so much.”
“…okay.”
This is enough.
“Then, whatever I say now, agree with me. Okay? Then you can put it in.”
“Um, mate. I told you earlier, but I don’t think it’ll be easy… .”
After picking up my pen, I sat back down in my seat and quickly whispered my last words into Logan’s ear.
“I had a dream about a dragon.”
Dragon dream.
I’ve never actually had a dream, but since my name includes the word ‘dragon’, when I dream, people always insist that it’s a dream about a dragon.
When filming , I used that to push my opinion forward despite my teammates’ opposition.
“… Oh.”
Although he was actively working as a YouTube influencer from afar, the meaning of the ‘dragon dream’ that Gao Yan told Logan seemed to be still deeply embedded in his heart.
Thank you, Gao Yan.
One way or another, this is how you help people at crucial moments.
“after….”
I took a deep breath, checking Logan’s determined expression as he raised his thumb.
…let’s go and see.
“Oh, Logan. That song your family liked? It’s too bad we can’t include it!”
“What?!”
Logan looked visibly flustered and flustered as the completely unexpected sentence came out of my mouth.
And that voice was heard with absolute clarity by everyone in the conference room… .
“…what?”
“hmm?”
Even the person at the center of the fight heard it.
Someone who had lost the trust of Chinese investors and had gone on a long business trip to the US to find a new path… .
For someone who was waiting for time to create a more perfect album.