Genius Idol’s Strategy to Conquer the Entertainment Industry

Chapter 223

After the broadcast of the PD’s Incident Notebook, the real-time search terms included the names of several young celebrities such as On Raon, Gyun Seong-ha, and Gyun Ha-ram.

Orca, which had two members appearing on the broadcast, and Hunted, which had gained notoriety for unsavory reasons, also briefly showed their faces.

– “I wasn’t the only one who cried at the end, right?ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ This kid is genuinely an idolㅠㅠㅠ”

– “A bucket of tearsㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Thank you for not giving upㅠㅠㅠ Let’s walk on the flower path from now on since this is just the beginning.”

– “I’m not a fan, but seeing the kid I’ve watched since Pick Heart saying that made me cryㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ”

– “(GIF) Even in this situation, how can Rang-gu still look so pitiful?”

– “Our Seong-ha and Raon always work hard no matter the situation, so please support them a lot!”

– “On Raon is only nineteen in Korean age, but I respect his mental strength. Cheering for you.”

– “This time, we should be comforting you, but once again, I find myself being comforted by you… As always, thanks to you, I live another day, Raon.”

– “(Photo) I’m worried because Raon looks too thin compared to the Ten to Ten daysㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ”

– “I don’t care if there’s no new content or anything, I just want the kids to rest well.”

– “Raon, I love you. Please see only good things and meet only good people from now on… If anyone tries to hurt you, we’ll tear them apart.”

Through the resolute final interview scene, the name On Raon was completely imprinted not only on idol fans but also on the general public as someone who never gives up and always strives.

As some time passed after the incident, the attempted murder case of Oh Hyun-jin, which had somewhat faded from public interest, resurfaced.

This was akin to delivering a final blow to True, who were preparing for a hopeless battle.

* * *

The day after the broadcast of the PD’s Incident Notebook.

I met Muk Hye-sung after a long time.

I got into Muk Hye-sung’s car, which I had also ridden during the Ten to Ten shoot, and closed the door. The cool air from the air conditioner cooled my flushed cheeks after running up the stairs.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

Muk Hye-sung, who responded to my greeting, handed me a mango strawberry frappe with condensation on the cup.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Thank you.”

Since it was hot, I accepted it with a grateful heart without declining.

“How was your trip?”

As far as I knew, Muk Hye-sung had just returned yesterday after filming a healing reality show where the members went on a European trip to celebrate their 20th debut anniversary.

His skin seemed slightly tanned compared to when I last saw him, probably from spending a lot of time outdoors during the trip.

Muk Hye-sung, who was looking at my face with a gaze not much different from how I looked at him, seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

“I’m okay.”

In this situation, any words would have been awkward, so I took the initiative.

“I’m not hurt at all. The manager hyung who saved me is also doing much better, and those guys won’t have any impact on my life anymore. Oh… There are many people who are helping and supporting me. Thanks to that, I got to see my family’s faces after a long time.”

Seeing Muk Hye-sung’s expression, I thought it might have been better not to say the last part, but I had already said it, so there was no turning back.

“Anyway, everything is fine now.”

“Are you really not hurt anywhere?”

“I’m not. Have you lived being deceived all your life? Seriously, if I get worried about now, I’ll feel embarrassed. If you came here just to worry about me, you’re too late. I don’t know if you know, but timing is everything in life.”

Muk Hye-sung, who had been serious all this time, slightly opened his mouth and laughed as if he found my flood of words ridiculous.

“Okay. Then I won’t be late next time.”

“Are you saying something will happen to me again that would make me need your concern?”

“……”

“Just kidding. You’re not late. You contacted me as soon as you heard the news despite being overseas. Thank you for worrying about me.”

Muk Hye-sung, who said there was no need to thank him for such things, told me to take out a shopping bag neatly placed in the back seat.

“Wow, what’s this?”

I asked in a daze as I peered into the paper bag.

“Herbal tea. The green one is good for the throat, and the lavender one is good for stress and sleep. Try it when you can’t sleep. If it suits you, I’ll order more. And there’s chocolate at the bottom, it’s delicious, so share it with the members.”

A souvenir gift.

Somehow, I could almost taste the sweet scent of unopened chocolate in my mouth.

“Uh, thank you. I’ll definitely buy you a souvenir when I go abroad.”

Although I have never even been on a flight to Jeju Island, going abroad still feels a bit vague.

Because of the music show specials or award ceremonies that take place abroad, there might be a chance to go at least once within this year.

“Is there no time for a meal?”

“No. I just came out for a bit… I’m sorry for making you come all the way here.”

Muk Hye-sung, who calmly said it was fine, took out a box of cookies with chocolate chips from the console box and gave it to me.

He doesn’t seem like the type to eat these, but he carries them around.

“Can I eat a little before I go? I still have some time, and I’m curious about how your European trip was.”

I didn’t have anything particularly important to say, but since Muk Hye-sung seemed to have something more to talk about, I decided to stay a bit longer.

However, after that, Muk Hye-sung really only talked about his European trip.

Listening to stories about the strong-willed Chronicle members was interesting in its own way, and I had asked him to tell me about his trip in the first place.

But wasn’t there something else he wanted to discuss?

In the end, it was time to go back to the company without hearing anything else.

He told me to take the unfinished cookies, so the half-eaten cookie box joined the shopping bag I received from Muk Hye-sung.

“Thank you for today. I’ll enjoy these,” I said.

As I tried to gather my things and get out of the car, Muk Hye-sung called me.

“Raon.”

“Yes?”

Finally, the main point.

“Now is a time to speak and act more cautiously than usual. You’ll handle it well, but be more mindful of your words and actions and pay attention to your surroundings.”

This was advice I had already heard from Jena and Director Joo Yeol-eum when we contacted each other after the incident, but it didn’t hurt to heed the advice again from a senior who managed to debut and survive 20 years without any scandals.

I nodded, saying I understood, and was about to close the car door when Muk Hye-sung called me again.

“And.”

Ah, this must be the real point.

“I’m on your side.”

“Pardon?”

“No matter what.”

“Pardon?”

“How many times are you going to say ‘pardon’?”

“Paaardon?”

“It’s hot. Hurry up and go inside.”

Maybe it was because of the hot and heavy air, as Muk Hye-sung said, but my body felt weightless in a very different way than before as I walked into the company building after closing the car door.

* * *

Back at the company, I handed out the chocolates to the members.

“What’s with the chocolates?”

“I picked them up on the way.”

“Are you giving me something that fell on the ground?”

“Ha… I’m annoyed, but I’ll let it slide because I’m in a good mood right now.”

“But our nice maknae always gets a pass while I don’t.”

“Who do you think you are?”

“Why do you care?”

For a while, the fierce sounds of Kang Ji-woo and Ban Yo-han squabbling filled the room.

“Why are they like that?”

“You guys shouldn’t fight.”

“Yes, hyung… Why isn’t Raon responding?”

“Well, usually you do something to deserve the fight…”

“Hey!”

“Guys, stop fighting.”

After sweating it out with some pointless scuffling, we quickly ate the lunch boxes we had ordered and then went straight into the meeting room.

“Hello.”

“Hi. Did you enjoy your lunch?”

“Yes. The new lunchbox place is really good.”

As we exchanged pleasantries, everyone, including the members and staff, fell silent as Joo Yeol-eum, who had been quietly looking at her laptop, stood up.

“Today, as previously announced, we will select the title track for our 3rd album and discuss the detailed concept. It would be great if we could finalize it.”

There was a tension in the meeting room following Director Joo Yeol-eum’s explanation.

“Considering how hard everyone has worked, I’d like to suggest taking a long vacation…”

A vacation? The workaholic Director Joo Yeol-eum’s half-hearted joke elicited only dry laughter from the weary staff.

“There’s no better time for Orca than now. We initially planned a summer and winter comeback, but given the Christmas carol release and the strain of a third comeback in a year, we’ll focus entirely on this 3rd album.”

The staff nodded enthusiastically.

“Director, is there any plan for a full-length album?”

“A full-length album?”

If I was focused on less certain goals like winning a rookie award, Kang Ji-woo was more interested in concrete goals like solo concerts and full-length albums.

A full-length album, with its numerous tracks and extra attention needed inside and outside the album, was a significant burden for the company.

In the past, releasing a full-length album was considered a marker of success for an artist.

Nowadays, with idol activities taking many forms, it doesn’t carry the same symbolism, but it’s still crucial for a career.

It was CEO Ban Ga-eul who answered Kang Ji-woo’s question.

“If this one does well, we’ll likely release a full-length album next time.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But for now, let’s focus on the immediate task at hand.”

“Yes!”

There was a brief explanation that the title track would be selected by blind vote, just like with the 1st and 2nd albums.

“I heard we received a flood of songs in the past few days.”

“Given your current image, public response, and trend indicators, the chances of this activity succeeding are high. That’s why we’re preparing for a quick comeback.”

We were well aware of this.

Among the groups that had attracted the most attention this year outside of music, Orca was at the top.

Luckily, everything ended well, and our image remained good.

We just hoped that interest would carry over to our album activities.

“The people who looked into it saw your current image and took a chance by submitting some of their shelved songs.”

“Just like before, the CEO, Director, and I reviewed the songs and narrowed them down to about seven candidates.”

Team Leader Choi Bora, who handles overall album production at Seed alongside CEO Ban Ga-eul and Director Joo Yeol-eum, said.

I swallowed involuntarily.

The goal was, of course, the title track, but first, I needed to have my song among those seven.