Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 127: Sudden Rise.

“No, I really don’t think ‘Girl Revolution’ is the right choice.”

Surprisingly, the name that received the majority vote from the staff at TwoBear was the one suggested by Gyeoul—‘Girl Revolution.’

I wasn’t too surprised that my suggestion, ‘Four Seconds,’ didn’t win, but out of all the good names, for ‘Girl Revolution’ to have the majority was hard for me to understand.

As I pondered seriously whether this was really okay, Oh James spoke up.

“Think of it positively, Team Leader Seon. ‘Girl Revolution’ isn’t too bad. It’s memorable, and it sounds easy, right?”

“The sound… If we shorten it, it becomes ‘So-Hyuk.’1 Is that really okay?”

“Isn’t it better than ‘Revolution Girl’?”

“……”

When I reversed the words, it had become something that could no longer be considered a girl group name.

“Thinking about it that way, ‘Girl Revolution’ actually sounds okay.”

“Right? There are names like ‘Assault Shield Group,’ but ‘Girl Revolution’ is a pretty mild name.”

It’s unfair to bring up a top male idol group in this conversation…

As we were having this conversation, plagiarism-accused composer Oh Jinwoo opened his mouth without any awareness.

“Isn’t Alcest the best choice?”

“Isn’t that the name of the girl group SS is preparing?”

“As far as I know, the trademark hasn’t been registered yet. So if we claim it first, it’s ours. Whoever grabs the good stuff first owns it.”

…Does this guy even have any sense of decency?

Oh James, without hesitation, slapped the back of Oh Jinwoo’s head and said,

“Look at how you’re speaking, you brat. Did I teach you to act like that?”

“Ugh! Bro, wait… It’s not like I’m wrong.”

“What do you mean it’s not wrong? How will you deal with the aftermath?”

“I’ll just say I didn’t know after we’re successful.”

“You did your sampling plagiarism with that same mindset, and now look at you getting beaten up for it.”

“Ugh! Bro! Those studded gloves are a weapon! Stop…”

Oh Jinwoo, who became unemployed after Flower Entertainment collapsed, ended up on the blacklist in the industry after some of his work was revealed to be plagiarized.

Oh James asked Cheon Aram to hire him, saying he would make sure Jinwoo did his part even if he had to force him to.

Oh James had mentioned that it would be fine not to pay him at all, but because of labor laws, that wasn’t possible, so Cheon Aram got Oh James’s permission and hired him as a part-time worker for the minimum wage.

Despite his career being ruined, Oh Jinwoo, who couldn’t let go of his arrogance, occasionally muttered complaints, but each time, Oh James would personally slap him to remind him to keep his promise.

As I let the image of Oh Jinwoo falling apart pass, I brought up the question I had been wondering since I entered the studio.

“So, why is Isabella here?”

“Huh? Didn’t you already know, Team Leader Seon? Isabella is working with us at TwoBear. She has already signed a contract with President Cheon.”

“…This is the first I’m hearing of this.”

Why would a big shot like Isabella suddenly work at TwoBear?

If Oh James is a giant in the field of K-pop, then Isabella is a world-class choreographer who doesn’t limit herself to any specific genre.

She is one of the best choreographers in the world, constantly receiving requests from stars whose tracks automatically rise on the Billboard charts.

She hadn’t worked in the K-pop scene yet, but in the future I experienced, she collaborated with domestic agencies three times, and all the choreography created in those collaborations received rave reviews, becoming a sort of syndrome.

It was strange, but I could chalk up Oh James joining TwoBear to a fortunate schedule, but I never expected someone like Isabella to join.

After all, I hadn’t been involved with her in the past or even in this current life.

“Excuse me, but why would a world-renowned choreographer like Isabella Silvestri choose to work at a new company like TwoBear?”

“…Well, honestly, I’m not sure either.”

As Isabella sighed softly while looking at Oh James, he scratched his head slightly and spoke.

“Didn’t I mention before that I run a small studio?”

“Yes, you mentioned there were about three people in the team.”

“One of them was Isabella.”

“……”

“The other friend laughed and said they would let me go to the company I wanted to join, but Isabella said she couldn’t let me go. When I said I still wanted to join TwoBear, she said she’d come along. She didn’t tell me why, though.”

Isabella looked at Oh James as if asking, “Why doesn’t he understand?”

“How long have you two known each other?”

“We’ve known each other since I came to study in Korea, so it’s been about ten years and two months.”

“Huh? Has it really been ten years already?”

“……”

Looking at Oh James, Isabella sighed deeply and said she was going out to get some fresh air before leaving for the training room.

Watching Isabella, I realized that the feelings she had for Oh James weren’t typical. And it was highly likely that her reason for joining TwoBear was related to those feelings.

He had a face full of intellectual charm, a slightly high pride, matched by impressive abilities and a polite demeanor—he was a very attractive man. It would be strange for women not to be drawn to someone like Oh James.

“Oh James, you really are a man with many sins, aren’t you?”

“…? What did I do?”

“Because you’re so attractive to the opposite sex, it’s dangerous.”

“I don’t really think so, but I really don’t want to hear that from you, Team Leader Seon.”

“…Why me?”

Anyway, Isabella’s joining was like winning the lottery for TwoBear.

It was like scratching a lottery ticket and instantly winning first place again.

While Lee Hyerin had shown good potential for laying the foundation, she lacked the ability to bring out the members’ genius with original choreography. Isabella would perfectly fill the void.

I erased all the choreographers’ names I had written on the tablet. It had become unnecessary.

The list I had compiled from the past was of the best talent TwoBear could hire at the time, but with Isabella, an S-class talent, joining now, there was no need to actively recruit anyone.

In fact, there was no one among them who was better than her in terms of skill.

As I reviewed the sorted list of personnel and considered the responsibilities for the music video director and costume designer, the door suddenly burst open, and Seo Soo-yeon called me with a frantic expression.

“Team Leader Seon. You need to check this.”

“Hmm… It makes me a bit anxious when you say it like that, Soo-yeon.”

“It’s not negative, but it’s quite unexpected.”

“Unexpected…? What’s going on?”

“Yoo Gaeul’s video has gone viral through the algorithm.”

“Algorithm? Well, I guess it’s possible, but to say it’s unexpected…?”

“Which video?”

“It’s the first busking video with you and Yoo Gaeul.”

I took my tablet and opened AllTube, checking the views for the video.

“……”

I rubbed my eyes and checked the views again. I wasn’t sure if I was seeing it right, so I counted the numbers one by one.

“One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million…”

“……”

“Is this an error?”

“No, it’s not an error. If you look at the comments, you’ll see they’re from various nationalities. It seems like the video went viral on international algorithms too. I guess it’s due to the recent global buzz surrounding Gyeoul.”

“……”

“Gaeul has gone viral?”

I knocked politely and, after receiving permission, opened the door to the President’s office.

“Oh, Team Leader Seon? You must be working hard lately. Let me make you a cup of tea; sit down for a moment.”

“Ah, yes, thank you.”

Cheon Aram smiled as she saw me bow slightly and started boiling water in a pot as she spoke.

“I’m sorry for making you carry such a heavy load, from planning to management to administration. You have to deal with things like this, and I make people avoid others based on their smell… You’ve really had a hard time working with such a strange president like me.”

“It’s not a problem. I’m happy to work because you trust me. Actually, the reason I’m here is—”

“Thanks to you, Team Leader Seon, I’ve been able to create a production team that can stand among the best in the world. I also saw the new recruits in the PR department. Especially Park Miso’s knowledge of fan culture is no joke! She’s definitely a great talent, but her approach to media and the official promotional methods seem a bit off, like something from an alternative style. So, I decided to call a friend of mine to help. Don’t think it’s because I don’t trust you, Team Leader Seon; it’s just that I wanted to get an extra hand, so please understand.”

“I don’t think that at all. Why would a president ask for a team leader’s approval for hiring? By the way, about Gaeul—”

“Ah, the ticket that Gyeoul got as a prize, there’s not much time left, right? It seems like she’s looking forward to it. It would be awkward if you resell it or send her alone, and since she doesn’t have many connections in Seoul, I’d like for you to take her along. I’ll be on paid leave that day…”

I interrupted Cheon Aram, who had been rambling, despite it being somewhat impolite.

“President.”

When I spoke in a serious tone, she stopped talking and looked at me.

“Hmm?”

“Let’s move up the debut plan.”

“Debut plan? I thought it’s already fast enough. Are you worried about the company’s funds being leaked as the debut gets delayed? Oh, that’s not a concern…”

Instead of speaking more, I pulled out my smartphone and showed her the video.

[The manager plays the piano too well—TwoBear trainee Yoo Gaeul’s busking.]

[Views: 12,481,904]

“…What’s with these views? Is this an error?”

“No, it’s not.”

Cheon Aram rubbed her eyes and started counting the units on her fingers.

“Gaeul has totally blown up.”

It was exactly the same reaction I had.

ED/N: A common Korean name that may imply ‘Small Revolution’ or have no fixed meaning depending on context. ↩️