episode_0124

#124

“Alright. These are the kids who’ll be debuting in the new group we’re launching. Take a look at this first.”

“Yes.”

I took the paper the CEO handed me.

It was the trainees’ profile data.

“Jin Harin. 10th grade. Seven months into training… Her monthly evaluation scores are outstanding.”

“Right? They say no one beats her when it comes to diligence. She’s the one who stays in the practice room the latest. She started training later than the others, but she’s already consistently ranking at the top in monthly evaluations.”

“She’s definitely someone worth keeping an eye on, sir.”

“Her visuals are good too… I’ve had my eye on her since she auditioned for our company. Honestly, she’s not quite at debut level yet, but the group we’re planning now is set to launch after about a year of preparation. She’ll have time to improve by then.”

The planned debut year was 2019.

There was still about a year and a half left.

“Let’s take a look at the others too.”

“Lee Eun-chae… 9th grade. Ah, I know this one. I’ve seen her around a lot.”

“She’s been with the company for a while. Her training period is pretty long too. It’s about time we debut her. And her visuals are the best, right? Good enough to be the main center. But her personality…”

“I’ve heard from the staff that she’s at the peak of her rebellious phase.”

“Still, deep down, she’s a good kid. She grumbles, but she does what she’s told. If we pair her with someone who can keep her in check, she’ll be manageable.”

“So Harin is…”

“That’s part of it too. Harin’s still new as a trainee, but if we make her the leader, she’ll do well.”

“I’m a little worried about putting a high school freshman in charge, though.”

“The goal is to debut them the year after next anyway. We deliberately picked younger kids. The others are even younger.”

“Sarang… 8th grade. Sea… 7th grade… Yeah, these two definitely aren’t ready to debut right away.”

“Right. With all the talk about protecting underage celebrities these days, broadcast stations are pushing for groups to be made up of members at least 15 years old.”

“Ah. So that’s why…”

“Yeah. Sea’s birthday is early, right? You’ll get it once you see the debut date.”

It meant they’d debut Sea, the youngest, as soon as she turned 15.

The CEO already had everything planned out in his head.

“The overall producing will be handled by me and the professionals… But I want you to take charge of managing the kids.”

“Me…? You mean me?”

“Yeah. You’ve been a road manager for six months now.”

That was far from enough experience to oversee everything.

“What? Feeling the pressure?”

“No. I’ll do my best.”

“I knew you’d say that. Well, even if you’re in charge, for now, you’ll just be overseeing their training… Picking them up from the dorm and practice rooms, managing their meals, making sure the kids in their rebellious phase don’t go off track… You get what I mean?”

In short, I’d be acting as a caretaker for the middle schoolers who’d now be living in the dorm and training as the debut team.

“You’ll learn the ropes along the way. Once they debut, you’ll be managing their schedules and accompanying them everywhere.”

It meant he was offering me the position of team manager for the group.

“…Are you serious?”

“We’ll see how you do.”

The CEO chuckled and got up from his seat.

He said it like that, but… Entrusting this to me, with only six months of road managing under my belt, meant he must’ve thought highly of me.

This… was an opportunity.

A chance to debut and manage a girl group with my own hands.

“Has the group name been decided?”

“We’re still using a placeholder, but I have a name in mind.”

“What is it…?”

“ .”

I later looked it up—it referred to a faded, nostalgic color tone often used in old films for flashback scenes.

*

“One, and two, and three, and four…! Sarang! Move your feet faster!”

“Yes!”

“Sea! You’re too stiff! You were doing fine earlier! Don’t tense up just because the manager’s watching—do it like before!”

“Yesss!”

To the trainer’s shouts and the music, the kids moved their feet diligently.

The members of the provisional , selected from the trainees and confirmed for debut.

Watching them practice from behind, it was clear why they’d been chosen.

Especially Harin, the leader… Despite having the shortest training period, her skills were far above the rest.

Even with the fast tempo and complex choreography, Harin moved effortlessly while singing.

“Ahh!”

*Thud!*

“Oww!”

“Ouch…”

Sea and Eun-chae collided while changing positions.

“Stop! Stop!”

At the trainer’s shout, I quickly turned off the music.

The trainer and I rushed over to the fallen girls.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah… Yes! I’m fine!”

“Oww…”

“Eun-chae! Sea! You almost bumped into each other earlier too. Don’t you remember me telling you to be careful?”

“Sorry!”

“Oww… S-sorry.”

Before they could even get up properly, the scolding had already started.

It was unfortunate, but getting reprimanded was common for trainees.

Especially for the debut team, now receiving the company’s full support… It was only natural they’d be pushed harder.

I helped the girls up. As soon as they stood, they clasped their hands and endured the trainer’s lecture.

I approached the trainer.

“Dance instructor.”

“…What is it, Manager?”

“I’ve been watching, and the part where they turn and change positions—they can’t see each other coming from opposite directions. Maybe reducing or removing the turn would help.”

“……Hmm.”

The trainer gave me a slightly annoyed look.

Of course, as someone who wasn’t a dance expert, my input on the choreography probably didn’t sit well.

But it was a valid point.

In fact, since I was watching from the back, I could see issues the trainer, facing them, might’ve missed.

“Well… I’ll think about it.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed politely, careful not to seem rude.

Even though we were colleagues, trainers and managers had different ranks and treatment.

But now, I had to speak up when necessary.

’s general manager. Team leader (Jin).

I had to act the part.

When I turned my head, the girls mouthed silent thank-yous at me.

Harin… just stared at me with slightly widened eyes.

After that, Harin’s practice sessions grew longer, and I often found myself taking her home late at night.

*

“Team Leader. You’ve worked hard.”

Harin, wiping her sweat with a towel, handed me a drink.

“Thanks. And I’m not officially team leader yet.”

“But you’re doing the job. You’ll be promoted soon anyway.”

“…Just don’t let others hear you.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

This kid…

Harin plopped down beside me, leaving just enough space between us to place the drink.

“Sorry. I’m all sweaty…”

“It’s fine. It just means you worked hard.”

“It’s still not enough. I have a long way to go to catch up to the others’ training time.”

“But you’ve been training nonstop for a year since the debut decision. I know how hard you’ve worked.”

“Ah… You always leave the latest because of me, don’t you…?”

“It’s fine. I don’t have family to take care of. Or a girlfriend.”

At the word “girlfriend,” Harin flinched slightly.

“Team Leader. I…”

“Harin. Look at that.”

The TV in front of us was playing a popular trainee survival audition show.

Trainees cried or celebrated as they faced elimination.

“Wow…”

“Jealous?”

“They get attention on TV even before debut. It’d be a lie to say I’m not.”

“We got an offer to appear too. But…”

“I know. The CEO turned it down.”

“If only some of you got picked, the plan would’ve fallen through.”

“Right… They’re only taking 12, and there’s no way all four of us would make it. But since it’s public voting, wouldn’t we have a chance if we stood out? …Probably not, huh?”

“Probably not.”

As we watched the show blankly, I couldn’t help but think the girls had every right to feel envious.

But there was more to it that I didn’t tell Harin.

Rumors said some agencies made deals… or had underhanded arrangements.

The offer we got… was also conditional on “entertainment.”

The CEO refused outright, saying he couldn’t do that to .

But to stay on the broadcast station’s good side, he sent another trainee as the company’s representative.

“Luna’s not on anymore.”

“She got eliminated early.”

“If they’d just shown her once, she might’ve made it…”

“Right. How could they not give her a single close-up?”

If Luna had gotten screen time on that well-lit stage, she’d have gone viral online.

But with no big names to offer and refusing to play along… The station spitefully didn’t give her a single shot.

Harin hugged her knees and lowered her head.

“It’s tough. Being an idol…”

“The ones who make it will debut around the same time as us.”

“They’ll get all the attention, won’t they? Naturally.”

“Probably. It’s a group handpicked by agencies with broadcast connections, after all…”

“……”

“Should I ask to change our debut date?”

“No. We should face them. It’s not like we’re debuting on the same day… And if we change it, it’ll look like we chickened out because of them.”

“True.”

“We’re confident in our skills, singing, dancing, visuals—everything.”

“That’s some confidence, including visuals.”

“We’re idols. We have to be bold.”

“Right.”

“Team Leader, don’t you think we’re prettier than them?”

“……You’re prettier.”

I meant it.

“Right?”

Harin seemed to smile faintly.

It was the first time I’d seen her smile.

“I hope we make it… We will, right?”

“We have to. We will. I’ll make sure of it.”

I’ll make sure we succeed.

But the following year, the debut album we’d prepared for over a year flopped miserably after just a few stages.

was stumbling from the start.