Chapter 159: Celebrities Live Off their Image (2)

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

{TL/N: I guess I should say this chapter gets a little dark.}

“I sincerely apologize for this embarrassing incident.”

I was waiting for General Manager Jo in the lobby of IBC.

Producer Choi Byungsoo quietly sat across from me and apologized,

“Still, I hope you would understand that I tried hard to persuade General Manager Hwang…”

Oh, really?

I barely managed not to snort.

Although he was apologizing, it was all an act. His true thoughts were ‘Since I’ve apologized like this, let’s just forget about what happened in the past. You’re going to keep doing Good Friends anyways. Since we’re on the same boat, let’s just quickly make up and row together.’

That was true if we only thought about the business side of things.

It wasn’t like I could act rashly because I didn’t like him when IBC was working hard on the reality TV show. I also had to appear on Good Friends’ long-term project because a verbal contract was still a contract.

Punching in all the numbers, it would be best to erase Producer Choi’s faults and make him pay more attention to our girls. So I should make a sour look right now but accept his apology at the right opportunity.

I knew this, but…

“Chief, since you’re already here, why don’t we discuss our long-term project…”

This man was too detestable to just gloss over his actions.

“I don’t think I can right now. I came to meet with General Manager Jo. We decided to meet once he was finished with his meeting with the director.”

“Pardon? General Manager Jo is in the director’s office right now?”

Why was he surprised?

“Yes, he went to discuss the reality TV show’s timeslot.”

“General Manager Hwang also went to the director’s office not too long ago.”

What?

***

“I’ll take Good Friends out so you can go in there.”

The director of the Entertainment Department said.

Before General Manager Jo could reply, General Manager Hwang jumped up.

“You’re going to take it out? Didn’t you say that you were going to trust Producer Choi a bit longer during the restructuring meeting? He’s been working hard preparing for the long-term project proposal he showed you! If you do this now, then…!”

“Who said we’re ending it? Since the format is going to change, just publicly say that we are preparing for Season 2 and tell the staff and cast members to wait. During that time, we’ll air the reality TV show.”

General Manager Hwang’s shocked demeanor calmed slightly.

“Understood, then I’ll tell Producer Choi to prepare for the next season…”

“I told you to tell him to wait.”

The director cut him off.

“It’ll depend on how Yoo Sooyoung makes the reality TV show. If it’s good, we’re going to change out Good Friends’ main producer.”

General Manager Hwang stiffened like he was struck by lightning.

General Manager Jo was also surprised.

“You’re going to hand it over to Producer Yoo?”

“You said that she had good ratings in the Documentary Department.”

“It’s not like her skill is going anywhere.”

“Are entertainment shows and documentaries the same? Director! Yoo Sooyoung hasn’t had an entertainment show for three years! She must have lost her touch from caring for her baby and leisurely filming documentaries, so how can we suddenly assign a regular program to her?!”

“What’s sudden? I told you we’ll see her results.”

The director frowned.

Loud noises continued for a while inside the director’s office.

Then, not long after, the two general managers got on the phone as soon as they left the office.

***

Carbonation rose up inside me. It swept through my frustration like a tsunami.

General Manager Jo’s words on the phone were as sweet as a heavenly trumpet. My lips curled on their own. On the other hand, Producer Choi, who was sitting across from me, looked like he was about to drown. I could hear General Manager Hwang’s shouts from here.

My heart rate quickened as I took in the sight.

Was this a mental orgasm?

I hung up after we decided to talk details in his office. Then I stood up without any hesitation. Producer Choi Byungsoo, who was still on the phone, staggered up with his hand outstretched, as though he was trying to grab me.

I lightly shook his hand before letting go.

I tried to make my bright smile seem sad as I said,

“I guess we’ll have to delay our meeting.”

“Wait, Chief Jung. General manager, wait, chief, umm…!”

“General Manager Jo is urgently looking for me right now, so I’ll see you next time.”

Though I didn’t know whether there would be a next time.

*

How long had it been since things had gone so smoothly?

When something was resolved, another problem arose. When two concerns were settled, two more would pop up. These would occur on the daily, but now I was calm like I had finally achieved inner peace.

Yeah, there need to be times like this in life.

My life had been too eventful until now.

Alive quickly exceeded ten million viewers and was competing for the record. After Nam Joyoon had a photo shoot and did an interview, he was becoming known as one of the talented rookies recognized by Chungmuro^{1}.

Good. It was very good.

Royal Family’s ratings exceeded 35%. It was Lee Songha’s debut onto the public network so there were rumors PBS was considering which award to give her at the award ceremony. The majority thought she had the rookie award in the bag.

It was hard for things to be better than this.

All that was left was Neptune’s official album and Pretty Girls’ single project.

Maybe it was because I was immersed in my inner peace, but I didn’t think that we would fail.

This thought was further reinforced once we started filming the reality TV show.

Neptune and Pretty Girls’ goldfish’s first meeting. The day Neptune showed the goldfish around W&U’s practice room and recording studio like museum curators.

Producer Yoo Sooyoung grinned when she saw the goldfish following them like elementary schoolers. She was blinding. Within the few days of returning to entertainment shows, she started to shine.

“I think we can edit Pretty Girls’ screen time with our feet.”^{2}

“That’s a compliment, right?”

“They are young, cute, and sad. If we can maintain that image, there’s nothing more we need to do. The viewers will support them, hoping they become popular. If we promote the idea that the viewers need to stay interested in Pretty Girls and that listening to their new song is important, then they’ll also have the mindset that they’re helping Pretty Girls succeed.”

Producer Yoo Sooyoung said as though she was predicting the future.

“Then what about Neptune?”

Pretty Girls were important, but Neptune members’ image was also important. Since we decided to roll up our sleeves and work together, our goal was to increase each member’s image in a positive light as best we could.

“Neptune is already popular, so it’s important we decided how we proceed.”

Producer Yoo Sooyoung suddenly called a production assistant over.

“How was Neptune when you met them in person?”

“They are pretty.”

The male production assistant gave her two thumbs up.

“Besides that.”

“Uh, besides that?”

The production assistant glanced at me, so I nodded at him with a smile. I was indicating that he didn’t need to feel any pressure, but he seemed to feel even more pressure. Anyways, it seemed he was more scared of Producer Yoo Sooyoung than me, so he said,

“It looks like they are aware of the viewers’ reactions so it seems they are holding back?”

Holding back?

“But, since Neptune is already popular unlike Pretty Girls, it’s normal for them to worry about their image. They can’t help but be cautious. Only Im Seoyoung looked like a fish in water? She didn’t seem to be overly concerned by the cameras and acted very naturally.”

Producer Yoo Sooyoung looked at me.

“That’s what he says. What about you, Chief Jung?”

“It’s the opposite. In my eyes, the girls seem to be acting like normal, and it seems that Seoyoung is overly aware of the cameras.”

Producer Yoo Sooyoung seemed to ponder over something at my words as she rubbed her chin.

Then she asked the production assistant,

“What do you think of when I say ‘Lee Taehee’?”

“Leader, singer-songwriter. She makes her own songs.”

“And Lee Songha?”

“Incredibly beautiful. A divine actress. Uh, an acting genius.”

“How about LJ/”

“Boxing. There was a scene where she sparred on Good Friends. She looked like a complete pro.”

“And Im Seoyoung?”

“… Breasts?”

The production assistant read my expression as he said in a drawling voice,

“I’m sorry. I don’t really have an interest in girl groups…”

We used social media, interviews, among others to try to showcase each member’s distinct character, but maybe their fandom was the only one that was aware of that. So their public image had only reached this level.

Still, wasn’t ‘breasts’ a little too severe?

I stared at him, and he crumbled up even more.

I told Producer Yoo Sooyoung, who asked me for my opinion,

“I may be biased, but there are a ton more to them than that.”

“Then we’ll see it. All of it.”

From that day on, cameras were installed in Neptune’s residence. Of course, they were even set up in my minivan.

Then, a few days later, the production assistant, having checked the footage, quietly came up to me and confessed that he bought Neptune’s album with his own money and asked for their autographs.

Footage continued to pile up every day.

The program’s title was also set, ‘Making Film’ or ‘Ma-Fil’^{3} for short.

Thanks to the PR Team regularly fueling reporters, the public’s interest of Making Film didn’t cool and instead burned steadily. The internal team acted quickly while Producer Yoo Sooyoung and the production staff worked.

Things progressed smoothly like we were flying on a tailwind.

Then, as we were beginning to focus on the recording and choreography of Pretty Girls’ single…

“We need to decide. We can’t keep waiting.”

Producer Yoo Sooyoung started the conversation.

Everyone in the meeting room nodded as they looked at Chief Lee Taeshin.

We still hadn’t heard from Jung Jae. Chief Lee Taeshin and a cameraman looked around everywhere for her, but it was all for nothing. She only called her parents to tell them not to worry, so they didn’t even know where she was.

“There’s no way she doesn’t know when it has become such a big topic. She must know that Chief Lee has been searching for her as well. Seeing as she’s been quiet all this time, it seems she has no plans on appearing.”

Team Leader Park said.

“The past members, who were they? Yoon Bora and Park Hyojin? You said they called to support them? Why don’t we settle their relationship on good terms and give up on Jung Jae? Won’t we mess up this good mood if we forcefully bring a girl who doesn’t want to do it?”

Jung Jae’s future I saw and the short call I had with her stuck to my throat like a bone, but I was also thinking the same thing.

We mentioned that Pretty Girls were a four-member team when we made a press release, and Jung Jae was still considered a member on their profiles. Seeing as she still hasn’t contacted us, it seemed like she had no thoughts of joining us like Team Leader Park suggested.

We didn’t have time to wait any longer.

“What should we do?”

Producer Yoo Sooyoung asked as she turned to look at me.

The moment I opened my mouth to answer, my vision went dark.

Was this the future?

My vision was dark. It was late in the night.

My insides were churning. I felt like I was about to throw up.

I was sitting in the passenger seat of a familiar van. Heavy rain fell on the windshield. The wipers moved nonstop but the road quickly became blurry. Static faintly filled my vision around it.

The van was quickly driving through the rain. I couldn’t tell where I was and where I was going.

My eyes were fixed on a phone rather than the window.

DMB?^{4} A video was playing on the screen. Ah, this. It was a program that reported on provocative celebrity news. It seemed like the reporter was narrating something, but I couldn’t hear it properly. Instead, subtitles appeared on the screen with a clip and audio recording.

Yoon Bora (20) / Former Pretty Girls member

I heard that our unni went to a drinking party with investors. I was scared and terrified that they would make us do something like that too. I could endure any hardship and was desperate for success, but I didn’t want to do that. That’s why I left.

What the heck was this nonsense?

She said this on a broadcast? While mentioning another member and a drinking party?

A new scene played on the screen.

Internet articles painting Yoon Bora and Park Hyojin as victims and the netizens’ uproar. They framed the three members, who were still-high schoolers, as shrewd women and even insinuated that some sort of exchange occurred for me to choose Pretty Girls.

Then W&U’s rebuttal and NK’s reply.

What a shit show.

If Yoon Bora and Park Hyojin were planning on gaining the public’s sympathy to spread their name, then it was a success.

Though, I wouldn’t let this happen for real.

I was wracking my brain when a profile picture suddenly appeared. Although her face was blurred, I could instantly tell. It was Jung Jae.

Then the netizens’ comments rushed in the chat.

-I found the Pretty Girls member who went to those drinking parties.

-Hot damn, her body’s amazing. I bet she slept with those investors?

-I bet both my cheeks that she slept with them. There’s no doubt. She even looks very risque.

-How much would you have to pay to sleep with a woman like her?

-Why did a girl who attended these things not land a single commercial? Were her skills in bed that bad?

Oh my god.

Jung Jae was done for in this situation. Not just as a celebrity, this would follow her around her entire life.

“Chief, we arrived…”

I heard Lee Kwanwoo’s voice from the driver’s seat. The van had stopped at some point.

My future self turned the phone off. Then I looked up.

A hospital? Why was I at a hospital?

Just as I thought this.

Something forcefully hit the van’s window. It wasn’t the rain. It was a hand. A man wearing a poncho was banging the window. With that as a start, dozens of reporters rushed to the van. They pointed their mics and cameras at us.

Cameras flashed like lightning in the dark.

Someone shouted,

“Mr. Jung Sunwoo! Do you think that you arepartly responsible for Ms. Jung Jae’s suicide?!”

^{1} Chungmuro – mentioned before for its film festival

^{2} It’ll be good no matter how they edit it.

^{3} The actual name in the raws is ‘Making Film’. In Korean, the shortened name would be pronounced more like ‘MayPil’. I will mainly be using the full name.

^{4} DMB– Digital Multimedia Broadcasting