Chapter 102: Changing Future (2)
It was finally April 15th, the day Cherry Blossom's music video would be released.
I had been eagerly waiting for this day to the point of nearly dying of anticipation. By defeating Uncle Music and foiling the debut of the formidable new girl group, Girlfriend7, I had brought together lyricists, composers, and choreographers who would lead Cherry Blossom to success.
On my team were the unfortunate yet brilliant composer, Bang Seon-Woo, the quirky lyricist hailing from a web novel background, Jang Ye-Bin, and Park Seon-Nyeo, who was destined to become a world-renowned choreographer. It would be strange if the song created by this team didn't become the number-one hit.
However, we were faced with another formidable opponent—Petite More. TK Entertainment's top girl group, Petite More, had intentionally mirrored Cherry Blossom's schedule—from the date of their music video release to charting the music tomorrow and even their comeback show on April 25th.
It was a blatant declaration of war aimed at crushing us.
[Girl group Petite More to return with their 5th mini album Masquerade]
[April 15th, Petite More's new music video will be released on their official MeTube channel!]
[Petite More up for the challenge to dominate music charts again!]
[Girl group Cherry Blossom releases new music video]
As the articles continued to be posted online, the atmosphere in the meeting room turned chaotic.
Lee Dong-Min frowned and asked the team lead of the publicity division, "Team Lead Sung, can't we spend a bit more on publicity? No one will even know our girls' music video is out at this rate."
"We've already spent what we could on publicity, but it's just not noticeable because we're up against Petite More."
"So we're just going to sit back and do nothing?"
Sung Min-Suk calmed the agitated Lee Dong-Min down. "Of course not. The publicity division is currently meeting with some reporters, so we should have some good news soon."
Lee Dong-Min pleaded with his hands clasped together, "You know how hard the Cherry Blossom girls have been working for the release of this new album. Let's give them a proper boost this time, okay?"
"Understood. I'll do my best as well."
Upon hearing Sung Min-Suk’s assurance, Lee Dong-Min looked at me with a relieved expression and asked, "Assistant Manager Jung, is the official fan club website all set up?"
"Yes, sir. It's been set up."
"Can you ask the admins to put in some extra effort as well?"
"I was just about to ask them."
Following Sung Min-Suk's words, I left a message in the admin group chat of the official fan club website, 'Cherry Blossom Family.’
[Group Chat: Official Fan Club Website. Cherry Blossom Family Admins]
[Talent Agent Jung Yoon-Ho: Hey, guys. Are you online?]
[Han Kkot-Nim:[1] Mr. J! We've finished decorating the website. Come take a look~. (Link: Nave 'Cherry Blossom Family' - Cherry Blossom Official Fan Club Website)]
[Park Han-Byul: Hey, Kkot deungsim[2]! Why are you getting so cutesy all of a sudden!?]
[Han Kkot-Nim: Hey! Bull! Why are you calling me by my nickname? Mr. J, Han-Byul's nickname is bull by the way!]
[Park Han-Byul: Oh, you are so dead tomorrow when I see you at school! I'll teach you a lesson!]
[Han Kkot-Nim: LOL, then I'm not going to school tomorrow.]
[Yang Ji-Woo: Kkot-Nim and I are volunteering at a festival tomorrow, so don't bother looking for us.]
The girls from Hoengseong Girls' High School, whom I had coincidentally encountered at a Hoengseong concert last year, readily agreed to become the admins of the official fan club website upon my request.
The fandom's name was 'Cherry Blossom Family.' The plan was to promote the girls who were currently in their last year of high school to the board of the official fan club after they graduate next year.
The girls addressed me as ‘Mr. J’ as they found it awkward and distant to address me as ‘Assistant Manager,’ and thought that I was too young to be called 'uncle,' while 'oppa' was too cringy.
[Talent Agent Jung Yoon-Ho: Let's focus less on local broadcasts. With Petite More making a comeback on the same day, can we get some more support?]
[Sung Ji-Yeon: LOL, of course. Don't worry, we're already publicizing Cherry Blossom in various communities.]
[Talent Agent Jung Yoon-Ho: Thanks. Then let's keep up with that and meet at the MBS main entrance on April 25th at 5 PM. Be careful on your way there and call me when you arrive at the entrance.]
[Han Kkot-Nim: Okie.]
[Park Han-Byul: Oki doki!]
[Yang Ji-Woo: Don't worry. I'll take good care of the girls.]
After the lively chat with the 'Cherry Blossom Family,' I put my phone back in my pocket. The girls were so high-energy that I was sweating bullets without even doing much. My fingers felt like they were about to burst from responding to their rapid-fire messages which must be hitting 500 characters per minute.
"But Sang-Bong, why didn't you introduce yourself earlier? You'll have to manage them from now on."
Despite being in the same group chat, Jung Sang-Bong didn’t type a single word and only scratched his head.
"Well, I don't really have much experience talking to girls."
"You'll get used to it as you do it more. Practice makes perfect."
Jung Sang-Bong explained he was shy around women and sighed heavily, looking like he was about to die.
But three months later, Jung Sang-Bong would have his own fan club named 'Golden Boy.' It would be a fan club dominated by women in their 30s and above, and Sang-Bong would end up becoming almost indifferent to women because of the club's obsessive behavior that even surpassed that of Petite Angels.
I couldn't help but burst into laughter thinking about such a future.
"Well then, Mr. Lee, we'll head straight to the Cherry Blossom girls."
"Alright. Take care!"
Leaving the busy Lee Dong-Min behind, I headed to Cherry Blossom’s dorm with Jung Sang-Bong.
***
When we arrived at Cherry Blossom’s dorm, everyone was gathered for dinner.
Sae-Ri was slumped on the sofa, Eun-Ah was sitting upright in a formal posture watching TV, Woo Yeon-Hee had just showered and was drying her hair, and Yang Eun-Bi was engrossed in something on her tablet.
But everyone looked like they had lost half their weights due to the rigorous practice for the comeback.
Woo Yeon-Hee greeted us warmly, "Oppa, how are you?"
After exchanging greetings, I immediately informed the four of them about the creation of Cherry Blossom's official fan club website.
"We have an official fan club website now?"
Despite having released their second album, Cherry Blossom did not have an official fan club website until now. Woo Yeon-Hee was so surprised that she stopped drying her hair mid-way, causing a few drops of water to fall from her wet hair.
At that moment, Yang Eun-Bi suddenly bombarded us with rapid-fire questions. "When did you create a fan club website without us knowing? And who are the admins?"
"They are the girls we met in Hoengseong."
Sae-Ri, who had been lying down on the sofa, instantly jumped up. "Really? That's awesome!"
Sae-Ri said that the Hoengseong High School girls were worth a hundred and began to dance joyously with her fists pumping up and down and her hips swaying as if dancing like an old grandma.
'Sae-Ri, you've been properly practicing the dance for this song, right?'
Eun-Ah managed to calm down the excited Sae-Ri.
"For now, the publicity division will provide each of you with separate accounts so don't join with personal IDs. There might be some unpleasant posts."
The Cherry Blossom members nodded continuously and exclaimed, "Okay!"
"Oh, by the way. This is the first time you're meeting Sang-Bong, right?"
When I called Jung Sang-Bong who was standing idly by the entrance, he approached us and bowed like an idol.
"H-hello! I'm the new employee at Hoop Entertainment, Jung Sang-Bong!"
Seeing Jung Sang-Bong's face, the Cherry Blossom members tilted their heads with puzzled expressions.
"I feel like I've seen him somewhere before..."
"Probably from the Olympic replays or when the national anthem was played after regular broadcasts."
Sae-Ri clapped her hands at my remark and responded, "Oh, he’s the Taekwondo guy who did the spinning kicks during the national anthem!"
"Huh? Really?"
“Whoa, seriously? Uncle, please move your hand so we can see your face properly! Oh my gosh, you’re right. It’s him!”
Jung Sang-Bong's face turned red as the girls gathered around him.
‘But did they just call him uncle?’
Despite his mature and sharp looks, he was only 24 this year—and 24 wasn’t really an age to be called ‘uncle.’
"Sae-Ri, don't call him uncle. Sang-Bong is actually three years younger than me."
Sae-Ri quickly bowed her head in apology, "I'm sorry! Mr. Taekwon!"
"It's-it's okay."
Listening to Sae-Ri's apology, Yang Eun-Bi giggled and asked, "Since you both share the last name Jung, can we call you Mr. Taekwon from now on?"
"U-um. T-that's fine with me!"
And so, Jung Sang-Bong's nickname became Mr. Taekwon.
"Come on, everyone. Let's eat. Assistant Manager Jung and the new guy, come take a seat as well." Lee Ju-Yung, who was helping with household chores along with the housekeeper, Lee Mi-Ja, called us to the dining table.
It was essential to feed the girls a hearty dinner as there were lessons later in the evening.
The Cherry Blossom girls’ faces were beaming with smiles like fully bloomed flowers because dinner was the only time they could have a proper meal in a day due to their strict diet in preparation for their comeback.
Although the main dish at the center of the table was bulgogi mixed with soy sauce, more than half of the other dishes were vegetables. But this was more than enough for an idol's diet.
"It’s beef! Auntie! Is it someone's birthday today?"
Lee Mi-Ja put down the side dishes with a kind face and replied, "Today’s the day your music video is released, right? I made this to cheer you on. Come on, eat up."
"Wow, I'm touched. You’re the best," exclaimed Sae-Ri as she hugged Lee Mi-Ja from behind.
Lee Mi-Ja gently patted Sae-Ri's small head and Sae-Ri giggled like a child.
"You've all worked hard for this moment and I’m so proud. You’ve got this!"
"Yes!"
Jung Sang-Bong and I also pulled out chairs and picked up our chopsticks. At that moment, my phone buzzed with the pre-recorded Cherry Blossom's new song ‘Hurry Up!’
『Hands up high! Hurry~ Up!』
When I picked up the phone, I heard Lee Dong-Min's voice.
-The music video will be uploaded on MeTube and Nave at 8 PM. Make sure the girls don't get shaken by the comments.
"Yes, sir."
I ended the call after receiving a few more instructions.
But I noticed that Cherry Blossom members were looking at me with sparkly eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You’re making me nervous."
Woo Yeon-Hee smiled warmly and asked, "Did you already set our song as your ringtone?"
"Yeah."
"I'm so touched that I might start crying," said Sae-Ri as she pretended to cry.
"What's there to be touched about? This is the least I could do. And stop overacting, Sae-Ri."
Sae-Ri pretended to be upset playfully. "I'm not overacting, hmph!"
‘She is going into the ninth grade this year but still acts like a child.’
We hurriedly finished our dinner and sat around the living room table, opening a laptop and anxiously waiting for the company's official MeTube channel to upload the music video.
When about ten minutes passed, Yang Eun-Bi and Sae-Ri, who were dressed for dance lessons, clung to my side.
“Oppa, has it been uploaded yet?"
Woo Yeon-Hee and Eun-Ah also approached us, insisting on watching the music video uploaded to MeTube before leaving for their lesson.
I reassured them and gently rested my finger on the laptop's F5 key. "Not yet. It's 7:59 p.m. now, so it should be uploaded after one more minute. Just wait a little longer."
Woo Yeon-Hee's tone was filled with fear and tension. "I hope it goes well."
"Of course it will. The song is great, the lyrics are great, and the choreography is great too. The company is also putting a lot of focus on marketing this release. We did the best we could, so don't worry."
"Even with Petite More as our opponent?"
"Yes, even with them as your opponent."
Woo Yeon-Hee nodded. Then, she cautiously placed her hand on my right shoulder. "Oppa, just let me stay like this for a bit."
Woo Yeon-Hee's hand on my shoulder was trembling gently. Yang Eun-Bi followed suit and placed her hand on my left shoulder as well. "Then I’ll take this shoulder."
Sae-Ri clung to my back as if I was giving her a piggyback. "His back is mine."
Then, Sae-Ri, who was clinging onto my back gestured to Eun-Ah behind her. "Eun-Ah unnie, come here. Quick!"
Eventually, Eun-Ah also approached and grabbed the hem of my suit jacket.
'Well, if that makes you all feel better, go ahead.'
I could feel the trembling in the fingertips of all four girls holding onto me. Memories of obstacles from Lee Gi-Cheol, the interference from Singer Division 1, and even the times they were forced by the trainers to use the underground performance hall instead of practice rooms all flashed through my mind.
But those days of hardship were now behind us. If ‘Hurry Up!’ reaches number one on the music charts, the way people treated Cherry Blossom would drastically change.
I reassured the worried Cherry Blossom members confidently. "It's okay. Everything will turn out great."
‘...even though we ended up competing against the industry-leading Petite More on the same day and at the same time.’
My reassurance made them nod in agreement, affirming their own hard work.
"It'll be okay. Everything will work out fine."
As we chanted this almost magical incantation together, it soon turned 8 o'clock.
"Oppa, press the button!"
"Okay."
When I pressed the F5 key to refresh the company's MeTube channel page, Cherry Blossom's new song ‘Hurry Up!’ appeared at the top of the channel.
"It's up!"
But the rate at which the views of the music video were increasing was different than what I had expected.
1. Kkot ? is flower in Korean ?
2. A type of rib-eye steak that is rolled and skewered ?
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