After some time, Jin-ah finally calmed down. Now that the moment was over, she seemed eager. Or maybe she was excited?

“President Kang, what concept should I go with? What about the lyrics? How about the choreography? What kind of song is it? What about the costumes? And the stage set? Oh! The music video! What about the music video?”

“Slow down. Let’s take it slow. We need to decide on the concept first before deciding anything else. How does it make sense to ask about the concept and the music video at the same time? We just decided on the promotion.”

“Oh, right. So, what about the concept? Do you have anything in mind?”

Normally, someone would say something along the lines of how we can start planning now – not me. I already knew of a concept that she could nail down to a T.

At the time, she had already become popular with the general public and gained a lot of love through variety shows. The moment she sang Beyoncé’s ‘If I Were A Boy’ was when she truly solidified her image as a singer.

After that, she began her career as a dancer-singer and tried various concepts. Among them, I clearly remembered the concept that suited her the best. It was also a concept the public absolutely loved.

“Warrior.”

Jin-ah’s expression instantly turned icy.

“What’s with the 90s techno vibe…?”

“Right. Stopping at the warrior concept would be too 90s. So, what about going a step further to Empress?”

“Empress…?” Her eyebrows twitched, showing her interest.

“Yes. An Empress concept that goes beyond a warrior. Overflowing charisma! A piercing gaze! An overwhelming performance that captivates the audience.” I continued to describe my memories of her performances that I had seen before my regression. 

Jin-ah’s eyes started to unfocus as she seemed to immerse herself in my explanation. She absentmindedly jabbed at the air, her expression a mix of concentration and daze.

“Did you misunderstand the concept?”

“Isn’t it something like this?”

Yep, it was because this little ditz put on such jaw-dropping performances that the public couldn’t help but be taken by her. 

Part of it was the thrilling contrast between her variety show persona and her stage presence. The other part was that even if you took out all those entertaining aspects, her performance alone was flawless.

‘She was a queen on the stage.’

The issue so far had been her appearances on music shows, but at this point, they shouldn’t be a problem anymore.

Those high-nosed producers wouldn’t keep listening to Director Park for longer without reason, even if he was the director of a large agency.

They interfered with Blue Sherbet’s debut. And since I didn’t go out of my way to see them with Hee-yeon, they could just say that I didn’t even have her appear.

That much was enough.

If our company had sunk, it would be a different story. However, we were steadily growing. On top of that, I heard wind of my name being mentioned in the industry, so there was no reason for the music show producers to keep playing lackeys to Director Park.

‘They’ll probably stand firm, saying they’ve done enough. ‘Those’ producers will, no doubt.’

Most of them weren’t majorly authoritarian, in my experience. There weren’t any producers willing to play lackey to Director Park to such an extent.

Therefore, music shows wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

If I made the rounds at the broadcasting stations to show my sincerity, I was sure they would accept our request to appear on their shows.

‘With the music shows nearly guaranteed, it might even be okay to do some radio appearances.’

Her name value had tanked after the group activities flopped. Going on variety shows would be too much, but considering our company’s growth trajectory, I should be able to get her on some radio shows.

If she performed well there, then what? She could win favor with the charm that came from the contrast with her stage persona.

Of course, not many people might listen to that particular radio show. Still, radio would be a pretty suitable option to hone her variety skills before she appeared on variety shows.

While I was mentally organizing my detailed plans, the sudden smell of sweat snapped me back to reality. I looked down, only to see Jin-ah clinging close and staring up at me intensely.

“Ahh! What the–!”

“President Kang. Have you already planned out my success?”

“!!!”

“You were a big shot at HS Entertainment. It was obvious. So, what’s the plan?”

“…You look like the Joker right now. It’s creepy. Either relax your eyes or drop the smile, but don’t do both.” 

I was over here, seriously telling her this with my hand over my startled heart, and she found it hilarious. She laughed, made a finger gun, and aimed it at my head.

“Tell me. Why did you do that to me? For ten years, I worked like a dog under you! Say something, anything!”

(T/N: A famous quote from a real Korean movie called “A Bittersweet Life.”)

“…Isn’t that Byung-hun Lee? Don’t do impersonations on variety shows. It’s cute, but not funny.”

“Cute or funny, as long as it makes people laugh, does it matter?”

Seeing her confident expression, I instinctively wanted to say ‘You’re right, but I don’t want to boost your ego.’ I was going to keep my mouth shut when a sudden thought made me smile. I decided to give her all the encouragement she needed.

“Exactly. That’s all it takes. Whether you’re cute or funny or both. You’ll pull it all off.”

“…What? Why are you acting so weird? It’s making me uneasy.”

Jin-ah looked at me suspiciously, sizing me up. She took a few steps back and covered her upper body. There really was nothing to see.

I spoke in the sweetest, most gentle voice I could muster.

“A visual radio show. You’ll do great, right? You’ve watched Yoon-jung’s streams, so you know what to do. It’s like an internet show where you can interact with viewers. It’ll be fun and easy for you. Oh! If you get nervous or stiffen up, the comments will be full of criticism, the ratings will tank, and the vibe will be ruined, but that won’t happen, right? Just be cute or funny, and keep the viewers smiling.”

“…”

“Sounds easy, right?”

“What…?”

“You’ll do great, won’t you?”

“What? Excuse me? What did you say?”

She pretended to be confused, mixing in some casual language, but I decided to let it slide.

(T/N: Casual language in this case is like speaking to someone who is equal to or lower than you in the cultural hierarchy.’)

***

The plan was set, so now it was time to execute. Since we roughly decided on the ‘Empress’ concept, Jin-ah and I immediately contacted LOAN and visited his studio.

With my and Hae-yeol’s help, we registered his corporation and set up the systems in the studio. Even though it was just a small studio and a cramped office right now, LOAN was going to rake in money here in the future.

“Hello! I’m Jin-ah Choi from Blue Sherbet! I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m sorry I’m only introducing myself now!” It felt like she was greeting a respected senior.

I was too tired to even shake my head, so I just watched as LOAN smiled warmly. LOAN was still in his 20s, so there shouldn’t be much of an age gap between him and Jin-ah.

“Haha. Is it her this time? I’ll do my best, President Kang.”

“Yes, I trust you. But are you not busy? I thought you’d be swamped with Hee-yeon’s work and wouldn’t be able to come right away.”

“No, I put everything else on hold. K Management is my top priority.” LOAN spoke nonchalantly, as if he were saying something obvious.

I didn’t know how to respond, so I stayed silent. I wasn’t sure how he took it, but LOAN shook his head with a hardened expression.

What did that mean?

“I rejected all the offers from HS Entertainment. You don’t have to worry.”

“…How did you know?”

LOAN smiled gently.

“I guess I’m part of the industry now. It’s kind of an open secret.”

“President Hae-yeol told you, didn’t he?”

“Well… yes.”

“He’s the one person you’ve met on a regular basis. I don’t mind. It’s not really a secret anymore.”

It seemed Hae-yeol thought it would be better if LOAN knew, and I was grateful for that. The Team Lead on HS Entertainment’s publishing team was now completely on my side, catering to my needs and turning away from HS Entertainment.

I looked at LOAN with a new appreciation.

“Please take good care of Jin-ah.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll do my best.”

That was how we got started without any delays, though I felt a bit sorry for the others who were eager to work with LOAN.

And, as expected, he lived up to his reputation.

Whether it was because of the experience he’d gained or what he had learned from Hae-yeol, LOAN was effortlessly producing melodies. He was even more skilled than when he worked with Hee-yeon the first time.

“Great. Do you want to try singing to this? Just sing comfortably, without thinking too much.”

“Sure! Can I sing it a bit more wistfully this time? Like when I sang that ballad earlier?”

“Wow, that’s strong. Can you sing it as powerfully as possible?”

LOAN’s work progressed smoothly until all of a sudden, he stopped and stared at Jin-ah’s face and sighed.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“No. That’s… Um. You said this was going to be a dancing song, right?”

“Yes, we’re going for an Empress concept.”

LOAN continued carefully, “I’m just… wondering if it’s okay to have this many high notes. It might be difficult to combine the two.”

He was right. This was something that should be considered when creating idol music. Should the music be tailored to the member’s limited abilities, or should the music itself be the priority?

However, that was not the case when it came to creating music for ‘Jin-ah Choi.’

“As long as it’s within Jin-ah’s vocal range, you can include as many high notes as you want. Just imagine she’s singing without dancing. Even if it’s composed like that, her live performance won’t falter.”

“Haha. Is that so? I guess I worried for no reason. I’m sorry.” LOAN immediately turned his chair around and resumed working on the master keyboard.

Jin-ah’s eyes started trembling wildly. Her face began to turn pale, and she pounded her chest as if something was stuck in her throat.

Seeing my calm expression, she swallowed back the words that were about to escape her lips. Even if she reacted like this now, she would perform perfectly when it was time. 

She would do so as if the burden was never there, regardless of whether it was on a variety show, on radio, or on stage.

***

Producing the song didn’t take long. Since the lyrics weren’t done yet, we only finished the demo. On the way back to the dorm, Jin-ah spoke up. 

“Please take me to the practice room.”

“You worked on the song today, so you should rest a bit.”

Jin-ah glared at me sharply from the passenger seat.

“Who’s the one who made it so I can’t rest?!”

“Is it because of what I said earlier? About how your live performance won’t falter?”

“Yes!”

I laughed softly.

“You’re already skilled enough. I wouldn’t have said something like that so carelessly if you weren’t. So don’t overwork yourself. Right now, what you need to do is maintain your condition with the skills you already have. Resting from singing today is a given, and you can practice dancing when the choreography is ready. Until then, just focus on maintaining your stamina. Got it?”

Jin-ah fumbled for words, caught off guard by the unexpected compliment.

“Huh…? My vocals aren’t completely stable, though.”

Her eyes flittered around without a destination. In the end, she pouted her lips and turned her head to stare out the window.

An awkward silence settled in the car, and just as I was about to break it by turning on some music, I heard her say something in a soft whisper.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I’m the one who should be thankful for your hard work. I mean it.”

“…I’m more thankful. For bringing me here… and for taking care of us so much.”

“That’s something I’m supposed to do. But I’m grateful that you’re so diligent. I honestly feel that way.”

“…No, I’m saying I’m thankful.”

“And I’m saying I’m thankful.”

“I’m more thankful!” Her voice started to rise.

So did mine.

“Why are you getting mad?”

“When did I get mad?!”

“Right now! You’re getting mad right now!”

We slowly continued toward the dorm like that.

—

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