Chapter 156
TL: KSD
There are two types of industries: labor-intensive industries and capital-intensive industries.
In simpler terms, it’s about whether you grind people or capital to make money.
And in the distant past,
About 20 years ago, to be precise.
The entertainment industry leaned more towards being labor-intensive. Most entertainment agencies were half-thuggish operations, and their systems were run haphazardly. Success depended on how low a manager could bow in front of a TV station producer and how hard an entertainer could roll around to create better songs, choreography, and personas. It was an era when group members stitched together their stage outfits in a single-room studio with scissors in hand.
But today,
The entertainment industry has transformed into something closer to a capital-intensive business. Entertainment agencies have grown into large corporations, and the K-System has become a god. Stars are no longer born of talent but are created within a system. These days, idols sing songs planned by the A&R team, recite lyrics crafted through collaborations between lyricists, and dance choreography outsourced to professional choreographers. It’s the era of industrial dolls.
And naturally, such comprehensive management includes their private lives as well. Even an idol’s dating life is meticulously managed by the agency, discreet restaurants, routes carefully curated to avoid journalists, and even date schedules…
The alignment of interests between preserving fans’ feelings and protecting the company’s profits has led to such a bizarre situation.
When even dating is in the company’s grasp like this, “controlling school trips” isn’t particularly unusual.
“W-What? I can’t go?!”
“That’s right, Hyo-min. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.”
EP 10 – Starry Sky
The adorable youngest member of the girl group Benivis, Min Hyo-min, still Min Hyo-min even if read backward, was utterly shocked.
The tyranny of the company had gone too far! The world was collapsing into chaos, and righteous warriors needed to rise up, eliminate the enemy, and restore order!
In Min Hyo-min’s heart, resentment boiled over against the company that had robbed her of her precious school trip. She wanted to rally her group members, form a labor union, and launch a full-scale strike.
However, the team leader who had announced the “school trip cancellation” to Hyo-min remained perfectly calm.
In fact, they thought it was a matter of course.
Having spent billions to create them and now expecting them to bring in hundreds of billions more, how could they entrust these girls to someone else’s care for 2 nights and 3 days? Ridiculous.
One might think, “Can’t they be given just 2 nights and 3 days of free time?” But it only takes 10 seconds, not 2 nights and 3 days, for a solid image and fandom to be destroyed.
Saying something rash, acting rudely, showing an unflattering side, getting hurt, or even affectionately kissing some boy from another class…
The moment a 10-second clip of that kind of behavior hits the internet, the damage to the company starts from tens of millions of won.
Even if it’s all lies or misunderstandings, it wouldn’t matter. Even if the camera angle was weird or it was maliciously fabricated by a journalist, it wouldn’t matter.
The public is never a merciful judge, and even more so when it comes to fans that have turned into anti-fans.
That is why every single move of an idol must be controlled by the company.
And this is also a core reason why a significant number of underage idols choose to drop out of school.
The fact that Min Hyo-min is still attending school at all is only possible because Baekhak Arts Middle School is part of the Baekhak Group, and CEO Baek Seung-won’s policy is relatively lenient.
And yet she’s asking to go on a school trip?
It’s ridiculous to the point of laughing.
While some people their age work overtime drinking Red Bull to earn a few hundred thousand won monthly salary, these minors earning hundreds of millions per quarter asking for a school trip…
The team leader felt a slight pang of internal frustration, but fortunately, he was a professional dedicated enough not to let the darker sides of human nature show on the outside.
“The schedule was set this way, so what can a powerless team leader like me do… I’m sorry. Just let it go this one time, Hyo-min!”
“I… I see…”
“Instead, how about this: later, you and the other members can take a trip to Jeju Island! We’ll book a nice hotel! Go to some jaw-dropping restaurants! It’ll be way more fun than a school trip, don’t you think?”
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The team leader conveniently left out one detail: the variety show filming crew would be tagging along.
Min Hyo-min, lacking the experience to catch the omitted part, wholeheartedly believed the team leader’s words and returned to the practice room in high spirits.
However, just before she joined the unnies to start dance practice, a sudden worry crept into her mind.
“Ah.”
Min Hyo-min had coached Gu Yu-na (not really) on countless strategies to confess to Moon In during the school trip.
And among those strategies, there were, admittedly, some pretty embarrassing ideas, perhaps more than just a few.
But once words are spoken, they can’t be taken back. She had intended to stay by Yu-na’s side during the trip and offer detailed coaching on how to proceed.
“……”
But now…
Would Yu-na…
Be able to handle it alone…?
***
Min Hyo-min’s Heart-Pounding School Trip Strategy: Plan #11!
First, you absolutely must sit next to him on the bus!
“Hmm…”
Honestly, it wasn’t a particularly challenging task. In the Creative Writing department, students often traveled in group buses to participate in writing competitions, and Gu Yu-na was the type to always sit next to the teacher. If not Moon In, there was hardly anyone else who would sit next to her.
As a result, during most group bus rides, Moon In and Gu Yu-na would naturally end up sitting together.
But today, there was a problem.
“What’s wrong. Why are you sitting here?”
“Let’s sit together.”
Moon In said casually, settling next to Park Chang-woon.
“Hmm…”
Gu Yu-na stared for a long while at Moon In, who was sitting with the teacher in the front seat of the bus.
The kids passing through the narrow bus aisle didn’t dare ask Gu Yu-na to move aside, instead shuffling past her awkwardly in a crab-like sidestep.
Meanwhile, Moon In kept avoiding Yu-na’s gaze by looking out the window, making Yu-na think ‘why is he suddenly acting like this?’
For reference, Moon In was thinking the exact same thing about her. Perhaps this was proof of some karmic connection from the past life.
But this standoff was temporary. Once all the students boarded the bus, Gu Yu-na would eventually have to pick any open seat.
That left her about 15 seconds to solve this riddle.
Q: If Moon In sits next to Park Chang-woon, what’s the method for Gu Yu-na to sit with Moon In?
-Grab Moon In by the hair and drag him away.
-Knock Moon In out with a strike to the back of his neck and pull him out.
-Use chloroform to knock Moon In unconscious and drag him out.
Gu Yu-na chose option 4 here.
-Drag Park Chang-woon out instead.
“Can you give up your seat, please?”
“Wh-what…? Where in the world do you see people dragging an elderly man out of his seat…?”
Park Chang-woon looked at Gu Yu-na as if she were an assassin sent by Gu Hak-jun.
However, when Gu Yu-na explained with a bright smile, Park Chang-woon immediately stood up with enthusiasm.
“Oh, so you’re sitting with In-seop. Got it.”
“Ah, well, if that’s the case, I’ll move aside-”
Moon In, with a betrayed expression, grabbed Park Chang-woon, trying to hold him back. But Park Chang-woon shook him off with a laugh and moved to another seat.
Then, with an air of triumph, Gu Yu-na sat down confidently in the seat next to Moon In.
Watching this unfold, Park Chang-woon pulled out his phone and immediately sent a text to Gu Hak-jun:
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] (TL: Meaning ROFL or in general LOL)
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[ㅋ]
[ㅋ]
[ㅋ]
[What is it?]
[Are you drunk?]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[ㅋ]
[ㅋ]
[ㅋ]
***
Meanwhile, at Baekhak Publishing, another ordinary day was unfolding as usual.
On a warm afternoon, when employees were gathering in small groups, heading either to the cafeteria or to the famous stir-fried pork restaurant near the office…
In the CEO’s office of Baekhak Publishing were a cactus, fan palm, and Dieffenbachia ‘Tropic Snow’ basking in the gentle noon sunlight, along with Baek Seol.
“……”
The CEO sitting there in a daze and the air-purifying plants were perfectly focused on the same task.
Sitting still, soaking in the sunlight, and breathing.
Of course, the plants produced oxygen, while Baek Seol emitted carbon dioxide, so in terms of productivity, the plants could arguably be considered more useful than their boss.
Growl~
Baek Seol clutched her stomach and muttered, ‘Right, I should eat something…’ She then opened a delivery app on her phone, searching for a kimbap place that offered delivery.
And thus, the battle between plants that only needed water and Baek Seol, who required even kimbap, ended in a decisive victory for the plant team.
…Or so Baek Seol thought.
“To lose to plants…”
She had earned an English Literature degree from Oxford, only to find herself defeated by plants. Truly a disgrace to her school. A failure as a human, and yet the plants had passed with flying colors.
Of course, she was worse than the plants not just because they emitted oxygen while she emitted carbon dioxide. Still, it would be nice if the plants ordered something too. After all, being a plant-like CEO was bad enough; to be worse than a plant was simply too much to bear.
Baek Seol glumly chewed and swallowed her kimbap with such thoughts.
Tragically, this was Baek Seol’s daily routine.
Sitting quietly among the plants, basking in sunlight, occasionally stamping documents that came her way.
She was the very definition of a puppet CEO, or more accurately, a plant CEO.
But this was an unavoidable reality.
Baek Seol’s greatest productivity didn’t come from her “work” but from her very existence.
Her mere presence in the CEO’s office of Baekhak Publishing was solid proof that the company was loyal to Baek Do-hyun’s faction.
This ensured Baek Do-hyun could trust Baekhak Publishing, and Baekhak Publishing could, in turn, remain loyal to Baek Do-hyun.
As a result, the political beasts scattered throughout Baekhak Publishing could perform their duties without worrying about internal betrayals. In other words, Baek Seol was a totem with a <Team Buff Effect> that increased the abilities of her allies.
But a totem is still a person, a human being.
It was natural for her to feel bored, lonely, and occasionally plagued by feelings of futility.
If she were as seasoned as the puppet ministers in government cabinets, the most professional puppet executives, she might have said, ‘Then why not skip actual work and play golf while networking?’ But Baek Seol, despite her qualifications as a major corporation subsidiary CEO, didn’t include high-ranking government official. If she was jealous, she should have studied harder to become a minister.
Anyway, as a novice-superior, Baek Seol tried to create tasks for herself by meddling here and there.
Unfortunately, every touch of hers unleashed cosmic horror upon her subordinates.
-Kyaaak! CEO-nim! We’ll take care of the water dispenser!
-We’re so sorry! We’ll replace it right away!
-Hey! Secretary’s Office! How could you leave the CEO’s water dispenser unreplaced for so long? What the hell have you all been doing?!
-We’re sorry! We’re sorry! It’s our fault!
-What kind of incompetence leads to the CEO replacing the water dispenser herself?! You lazy parasites!
-Please spare us! We promise to make sure the CEO never replaces the water dispenser again!
“Urgh…!”
Baek Seol’s heart tightened every time she recalled the <Water Dispenser Incident>, that had thrown all of Baekhak Publishing into chaos and fear.
There were other disasters of a similar nature, such as the <Copier Incident> and the <Snack Room Cookie Incident>. All were officially classified as dark chapters in Baekhak Publishing’s history.
Through these experiences, Baek Seol learned a valuable lesson: even the smallest gestures on her part could wield such godlike power that they could destroy the fragile mortal beings of the earthly realm.
Thus, this time, Baek Seol’s actions, driven by her inability to endure boredom, were far more meticulous and detailed than before. The first indication of this was the fact that she sought Lim Yang-wook’s advice.
“Ah, are things getting complicated in the U.S.?”
-Yes, CEO-nim. There’s a slight issue with Author Moon In’s schedule and the publishing company…
The brain of Baek Seol, holder of an Oxford English Literature degree, began spinning rapidly.
The U.S. uses English → Baek Seol is fluent in English → Every problem occurring in the U.S. can be solved by someone with an Oxford English Literature degree!
Having constructed this flawless syllogism, Baek Seol grabbed the phone, her face lighting up with confident determination.
“Leave it all to me!”
-Pardon?
“I’m coming over right now! I just booked a plane ticket!”
-W-Wait, you’re coming? To the U.S.?
“Hanging up now!”
-W-wait, CEO, hey! Baek Seol!
And with that, the plane carrying Baek Seol soared confidently toward Los Angeles.
A glimmer of lively energy returned to Baek Seol’s eyes, which had grown dull from exhaustion.
That joy wasn’t born from excitement about the upcoming trip to the U.S., but rather from the pure happiness of escaping the oppressive company she had been stuck in.
Indeed.
The CEO had escaped from the company.
*****
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