Ch.35 Project Girl Group?
I walked through the night.
Just like that, I had sex with Harang and also took care of Shin Jae-hyun so he couldn’t mess around, but somehow I feel bitter and empty.
I didn’t realize I was this vicious.
Snickering while stealing someone’s woman and satisfying my desires with someone else’s humiliation.
These days I don’t feel like myself.
After receiving sexual hospitality, I can’t escape from women’s thighs like someone who’s just stepped into nightlife culture.
It’s sweet, so my hands keep reaching for it. Even though I know it’s wrong, I can’t stop moving my hips.
Have I completely fallen?
The me who purely liked idols is now gone.
“Tsk.”
Alone, I clicked my tongue at this useless self-reflection.
It was hypocritical to be like this when I’d already enjoyed everything and had no intention of stopping.
I hoped talented idols would freely show their individuality and skills on our broadcast.
I wished to capture their shining youth on screen and for viewers to smile brightly as they watched.
Should I call this a founding philosophy?
Idols who show dreams and fantasies… But now those stamped with my semen are prioritized.
“…..”
But… But I chose carefully who to sleep with.
I only slept with and promoted those who would make the public think ‘That’s why they’re idols’.
Harang and Si-hyun from Lize. Girls who were already verified, having reached the top of the second-tier.
Im Da-hyun, an adult idol who makes men aroused.
Above all, Sua.
Probably next week, the music show with Seria will air.
Then the online communities will definitely be buzzing with reactions, completely immersed in a freshness they’ve never seen before.
It wasn’t exactly an unfair deal.
Recognizing those who would satisfy viewers and opening the way for them… Isn’t that right…?
While rationalizing my tainted self, suddenly I heard singing.
It’s a song that has become all too familiar.
A song I want to hear again and again. Or more precisely, is it the voice of the person singing that I want to hear again?
Anyway, as if entranced, I followed the sound and at the end of it was, of course, that black woman.
Today too, she’s performing a busking show alone.
The singer illuminated softly by moonlight was literally singing tonight.
I thought she looked like a masterpiece painting in this dark street.
“Your breath flowing in the wind…..”
When this cold and haughty-looking but fatal woman puts lyrics to her beautiful voice, it feels like I’m about to become a believer.
Enticed by the beautiful hymn and drawn to this night service, I suddenly had this thought.
‘I wish she would come on our broadcast… And sing.’
If I were a producer, I would definitely have used her as the main vocalist.
I even felt like I didn’t want to lose her to someone else. What am I, some kind of producer…
Oh? For a moment, something seems about to occur to me.
But just then the music stopped, and it seemed that was the last song. As I always feel, I swallow my disappointment that it was the last song.
Unaware of my inner thoughts, she just silently, like a goddess of darkness, elegantly and gracefully began to tidy up.
She looks young… Is she a student? But seeing her do this alone every day, she seems like an adult.
At most, she might be twenty.
Should I talk to her?
“Excuse me.”
Before I knew it, I put my thought into action.
“Yes.”
“….Are you an aspiring singer?”
“Yes.”
“You sing well. There’s a longing in your song that makes it impossible to turn away.”
“Yes.”
“…..”
Instead of saying thank you, she just slightly bowed her head and continued packing up her things.
Her manner of speaking was as cold as her appearance and atmosphere.
It’s a way of speaking that makes the other person feel cold, but for her, it’s probably not intentional, just her natural way of speaking.
Anyway, being an aspirant means she doesn’t have an agency yet.
If she had an agency, they wouldn’t have let her perform on the street.
For some reason, I didn’t want to let her go, so I spoke to her again.
“It seems you don’t have an agency… And you look like talent too good to waste here. Could I get your number?”
“…..?”
She tilted her head and looked at me coldly.
“Ah, I’m this kind of person.”
I handed her my business card with the clear text: NSS Broadcasting Station Director Kim Han-seo.
“…..”
My business card revealing my identity made her eyes narrow further.
She probably thought I was some scammer with a fake business card up to something sinister.
“No, I’m not a suspicious person. Just to be more certain… Ah, look at this.”
This time I showed my employee ID card as proof.
“….Hmm.”
“I’m really who I say I am.”
“Yes, but why do you want my number?”
“Your voice is too precious to be wasted on the street. I have something I’m planning, and I think there might be an opportunity for you.”
“…..”
Actually, this is a project idea that just came to me.
But the impression is so clear that I’m determined to push it through with my authority.
I’m doing this because I think it would be interesting if this girl worked with me.
“If you still can’t believe me, come visit the broadcasting station sometime. I’ll prove to you that I’m the director.”
“NSS Director…? Is that true?”
“Yes, a broadcasting company specializing in idol content. Someone your age would know it well, right?”
“….Yes. Come to think of it, I might have seen you in photos… In news articles.”
Her eyes were still suspicious, but she seemed to half believe me now.
“Then since you seem to trust me somewhat, may I ask for your number and name again?”
“Hmm…”
“You have nothing to lose anyway. I’m not asking you to go somewhere with me right now.”
“…..”
After hesitating briefly, she finally spoke again.
“It’s Ayul. Min Ayul.”
“Ayul. That’s a pretty name.”
“My number… I’ll type it in for you.”
“Haha, yes, thank you.”
Ayul’s number is entered into my phone.
Ayul, seemingly unfamiliar and embarrassed by this situation, gave a quick bow after typing her number and then hurried away as if escaping.
She acted cold at first, but she has that cute side to her too.
Having obtained Ayul’s number, I also headed home looking forward to tomorrow.
***
“Secretary Shin! Secretary Shin!”
Monday, after arriving at work, I immediately called for Secretary Shin.
“Yes, I’m right here. What is it?”
“Schedule a morning meeting in 30 minutes! With managers from the operations team, planning team, marketing team, and so on! Oh, and call the PDs too!”
“Yes, sir.”
Secretary Shin, seeing the enthusiasm in my eyes, returned to the secretary’s office and hurriedly sent out notices.
“I’ve scheduled the meeting. But why so suddenly?”
“Secretary Shin! Just know that you’ll need to go on field trips with me frequently this week.”
“Oh.”
“?”
I don’t know why she’s happy about it, but at least it’s fortunate she doesn’t mind going out for work.
Having gathered everyone in the conference room, I began to make my announcement, accompanied by appropriate PowerPoint slides.
“Thank you all for responding to this clumsy director’s call so early in the morning. I’ve gathered you all to introduce and seek advice about a program I’m planning to produce independently.”
Applause erupted at these ordinary words. Everyone nodded as if they were excited, even though we hadn’t even started yet, it’s simply because the director was speaking with such enthusiasm.
Although I spoke grandly, it’s actually a concept that has already drawn popularity multiple times.
“Think about it, don’t we broadcast all the idol programs as if it’s our exclusive domain? That’s why all the entertainment companies focus on our station. Conversely, I’m thinking of creating an entertainment company as a subsidiary amongst all of this. Not just a paper company, but a real agency that properly manages, trains, and debuts idols.”
Establishing an entertainment company under our broadcasting station and producing our own group.
It’s not a novel idea, nor is it unprecedented.
Large conglomerates create subsidiaries to generate synergy, and we’re following that model.
“Excuse me, Director. But wouldn’t there be strong backlash from the entertainment industry? If we create, nurture, and broadcast our own idols, wouldn’t some entertainment companies go bankrupt?”
“Ah, I skipped a step. It’s not about taking work away from agencies. Here, this is it.”
I moved to the next slide in the presentation.
It has the answer to why we should establish an entertainment company.
“A survival program…?”
“Yes, it’s nothing extraordinary, but it’s a genre that’s been popular since before our broadcasting station was established. Since we’ve monopolized all idol content, isn’t it disrespectful to viewers not to have an idol survival show?”
Then PD Ahn, who had been watching with a smile the whole time, raised his hand.
He seemed to have already grasped my intentions and was speaking to amplify my message to everyone present.
“So, the trainees selected through the survival program will debut under our subsidiary entertainment company? As a project girl group. Being under our company, they’ll receive incredible promotion, and agencies will be drooling to send their trainees to debut through this. Is that right?”
“Exactly, PD Ahn.”
“The voting will be viewer votes as usual?”
“Yes. But the selection method won’t be 100% viewer votes.”
“Then what?”
“It’s a selection method that includes a 30% expert opinion as a safeguard against disasters.”
Of course, that expert is me.
