(T/N: Ttukbaegi (TOOK-beh-geeh) is a black or brown earthenware pot. It is commonly used in Korean idioms, which we will see in this chapter.)

Once the music video shoot wrapped up, we finished recording with LOAN and completed the album cover photoshoot as well. With the solo debut date confirmed, there was just one last thing to do before appearing on music shows: recording a radio segment.

Since we couldn’t secure a regular spot, we planned to appear on different radio shows to create awareness and promote ourselves. Luckily, the stations were enthusiastic about having us. Hee-yeon and Yoon-jung’s past headlines Blue Sherbet members likely worked in our favor. 

People were curious and wondered, ‘What will the other Blue Sherbet members be like?’

Before recording, we entered the radio studio and greeted the production team.

“Hello! I’m Jin-ah Choi from Blue Sherbet! I look forward to working with you!”

“Oh, sure. I look forward to working with you. I’ve heard great things from President Kang. He said you’re very talented?”

“Uh… just a little? Hehe,” Jin-ah replied, scratching the back of her head in a shy, playful manner. 

The producer responded with a big, dad-like smile. To think she got that reaction like that out of a producer who had seen countless pretty and cute female celebrities. That was impressive.

“This is a visual radio show,” the producer explained. “While the radio itself will be a pre-recorded and edited, we’ll stream live online. Don’t worry if your sentences get cut off in the middle. We can edit out a 3-second pause or redo any mistakes. Just speak comfortably.”

“I’ll keep that in mind!”

Even though the producer probably knew I had already explained everything to her, he went over it again just to be thorough. 

Jin-ah nodded energetically with a smile.

“Sometimes Hye-jung might tease a bit, but don’t be too surprised.”

Hye-jung Yoon. She was today’s radio host and a popular idol from TKK Entertainment, a major agency separate from HS Entertainment. She had been in the industry for seven years now. It wasn’t easy to stay consistently loved for so long, but she managed to do it, thanks to her emotional singing, laid-back personality, and good looks—everything the public adored.

Even though the producer warned us about her playful teasing, everyone, including the public, Jin-ah, and I, knew it was all in good fun.

That was exactly why I chose this radio show for our first appearance. It would help Jin-ah relax and show her variety sense.

“I absolutely love Hye-jung sunbae! I won’t be nervous at all!”

(T/N: Sunbae is someone more experience in something.)

“Oh my! What a booming voice. Full of energy, aren’t you?”

We turned our heads toward the voice filled with laughter. It was Hye-jung Yoon, wearing a smile so warm that it could brighten anyone’s mood. She gave us a small wave, and Jin-ah, startled, covered her mouth before bending into a deep, polite bow.

“Oh my gosh! Hello! I’m Jin-ah Choi from Blue Sherbet! Nice to meet you!”

“Haha! That voice is… wow. I’m glad to meet you too. And it’s been a while, President Kang. You’re looking sharp. Congrats on successfully going independent!”

See? I told you, I’m kind of famous around here. Naturally, I had crossed paths with idols from other agencies too.

“Thank you. Please take good care of Jin-ah today.”

“Of course! Your agency needs to keep growing, so I can move over there someday.”

“Haha, what kind words.”

“Oh? But I’m not joking. You wouldn’t believe how many people are keeping an eye on K Management these days. If your company keeps rising like this, all the artists with expiring contracts will flock to you—including me. I’ve only got a year left, so if you want to scoop me up, you’d better grow quickly. Haha!”

That was the first time I was hearing about that. People were watching us? They want to join our company? I felt a bit confused, but after thinking about it, it made sense.

If you just focused on the present—forgetting all the past timelines I erased—I might as well have had the Midas touch. I had been successful in everything except for that one failure with Blue Sherbet’s group debut. 

Still, would they really leave TKK for us? I played along with her joke.

“If we were aiming to grow as big as TKK, let’s see… You might want to renew your contract one more time and come to us after.”

She looked at me playfully, narrowing her eyes.

“I’m not joking, you know that? Who cares about company size? As long as it’s not too small to support me, it’s fine. As long as President Kang is there, it doesn’t matter how big the company is.”

Was that how it was? Had I been underestimating myself? Should I have been aiming higher? Ahem. I started to feel a bit excited.

On the other hand, Hye-jung spoke as if she was sighing.

“When it’s time for my contract to end, the agency probably won’t treat me the same. I’m still doing okay, but there are a few who already see me as washed up. If that’s how they see me, imagine how they view others.”

Hye-jung, washed up? That was ridiculous. From what I remembered from my previous life, you only kept rising. But, of course, I couldn’t tell you that.

With a subtle smile, she continued softly.

“But you’re different, President Kang. You’ve helped people who just renewed their contracts with HS Entertainment, people those who lost their popularity, and even those who haven’t received any attention. You were the best then, and you still are.”

Hye-jung pointed her chin towards Jin-ah. Jin-ah, who had been quietly fuming at hearing Hye-jung call herself washed up, blinked her eyes in surprise.

“Even though Blue Sherbet’s debut didn’t go well, you’re still working to give each member a chance to shine. It’s like you’re determined not to let anyone fail. Of course the artists would trust you.”

Hye-jung had been speaking with exaggerated gestures, but she suddenly lowered her voice.

“Oh! And HS Entertainment’s idols are really eager too.”

“…Are they?”

Before I came back to the past, President Park’s interference made it impossible for me to promote even the artists under my care. The whole situation was a sinking ship. Because of that, even the artists I was close to at HS had no thoughts of joining my company.

In truth, it wasn’t their fault. It was entirely my own shortcoming.

If I had laid the proper groundwork to support them, they would have come to be on their own. Even if I had been the one to promote them at HS, I couldn’t use that as an excuse to demand their loyalty.

But now, as I slowly built a solid foundation capable of fostering stars, they want to join me rather than stay at the much larger HS. 

How times have changed!

“Especially the ones you managed, President Kang. They’re complaining that they feel lost, like their guiding light has disappeared. It’s funny, really. Some people always expect to coast through life. They’ve got a real freeloader’s mindset, thinking success will come easily.”

They thought they would succeed easily if they worked with me? Hm. I liked that standard.

It didn’t offend me. In fact, it filled me with pride.

Hye-jung nudged me with her elbow.

“That’s why people are eager to join your company, President Kang. They want to follow in that path you’ve set. I mean, even I do, haha. Isn’t it nice to have a freeloader’s mindset sometimes?”

With that, Hye-jung turned her attention back to today’s script.

Jin-ah shot me a pointed look, but I simply gestured at the script with my eyes, telling her to focus on her work. Reluctantly, she shifted her gaze to the script, and I stepped out of the studio.

“HS artists…”

How could I not have lingering feelings? They were the ones I raised with care, and they all trusted me deeply. Among them, there was one who stood out the most in my memory.

“Is she… going through a rough patch right now?”

Sung-ah Kim. The actress who every major actor praised for her godlike acting skills. No matter what role she took on, she delivered 100% more than expectations with a versatility that was unmatched.

She was HS Entertainment’s reliable cash cow. At least, that was how she was described when I managed her.

To be precise, that was the case until after I left. She ruined both a movie and a drama. By now, she had probably messed up one more project.

“Well… she’ll manage. She’s not my responsibility anymore.”

People couldn’t be successful all the time. She was just in a slump right now, but her talent wasn’t going anywhere. She would walk down that path of success again.

So, I would not worry about her. I barely had enough time to focus on the artists we had now. That was where my biggest emotional connection lied — regret, guilt, and gratitude, all wrapped up together.

“Let’s keep pushing forward. Until every single one of our artists becomes a top star.”

I decided not to let myself get distracted by anything else.

***

“Miss Jin-ah, the show is starting. Go ahead and greet our viewers.”

Visual radio typically began by gathering viewers like this before starting the pre-scripted radio show.

Jin-ah sat at the table, watching the incoming flood of viewer chats. As expected from a radio show hosted by a popular idol. The number of viewers was rising quickly.

“Hello! My name is Jin-ah Choi from Blue Sherbet!”

The incoming chat started to speed up.

“Oh! Everyone’s welcoming you! Do you all know who I am?”

“Well, Blue Sherbet is pretty hot right now. Anyone who knows Hee-yeon or Yoon-jung would know about you too,” said Hye-jung.

It was as she said. 

Even though Blue Sherbet didn’t do well as a group and Jin-ah was just now making her solo debut, anyone familiar with the idol world knew who Jin-ah was. As an idol of seven years, Hye-jung’s fanbase was filled with such people.

Jin-ah looked at the supportive comments in amazement as her lips relaxed into a soft smile. Since there wasn’t a single hateful comment, she found watching the chat enjoyable.

If it were some other online platform, it might have been different. Here, though, most of the viewers were Hye-jung Yoon’s fans, so there weren’t any troublemakers trying to stir things up.

“Sunbae (senior), can I respond to the questions here? Some people keep asking.”

“Asking what?”

“They’re asking if I’m doing a solo debut.”

“You can’t!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

At Hye-jung’s stern response, Jin-ah shrank back as her eyes widened and her lips pursed – the very picture of someone who was intimidated.

“Save anything important for the broadcast. Don’t give it away beforehand.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“But don’t be too scared.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I said don’t be scared! Do I look like I’m going to eat you? Now I look like the bad guy.”

The chat filled with LOLs, and despite her words, Hye-jung’s face was all smiles.

“Then, Sunbae, please speak more comfortably.”

“How can I relax when the broadcast is just starting?”

“Ah. Yes, ma’am.”

“Geez!”

Hye-jung grinned as she and Jin-ah played off each other, teasing back and forth as a warm-up to entertain the audience.

-; Their chemistry is legendary lolol

-; Isn’t this Blue Sherbet’s first variety show?

-; nah they’ve been on radio shows before. Just not many people noticed.

-; hey Haechun Lee also did a variety show remember? lol Yeol’s Music Notebook

Hye-jung Yoon felt a good vibe in the air. Today, it felt like she could take things up a notch with her playful teasing.

“Should we start now?” Hye-jung asked the producer, wanting to keep up the good vibes. 

As the producer gave the okay, the recording began immediately. The two synced so well from the opening that the producer gave a thumbs-up.

“President Kang, this girl doesn’t seem nervous at all. I was a little worried, but maybe it’s because she’s been on radio before during the group’s debut?”

No, it was just Jin-ah’s nature. Plus, she had talent.

“Jin-ah could easily do this regularly.”

“It’s a shame the regular guest spots are full, but I’ll definitely keep this friend in mind for when it opens up. Oh! But by then, she might already be a huge star and hard to book!”

She mixed in that little joke for fun, but I just smiled and kept my thoughts to myself. The producer noticed the meaning behind my smile.

“Hm? If President Kang is that confident, she must have what it takes to be a Death Star, no?”

“I believe so. And it won’t take long.”

“Ooh! What’s your plan to make that happen?”

“I’m taking the straightforward route. I’ve always done it that way. Any drama or noise… those just happened by chance.”

Despite my words, the topic became gossip fodder. It started from the women who were in the studio, reading people’s stories and discussing. 

“This time, we’ve got a story here from someone who says, ‘I just started a new job with high hopes, but I already feel like I’m losing my mind because my bosses keep picking on me. I don’t think I did anything wrong, but they nitpick and attack me on a personal level. They even belittled me based on where I went to school. What should I do?’ Hmm, that’s a tough one. Sometimes you run into people like that at work.”

Hye-jung gave Jin-ah a look, and Jin-ah quickly responded.

“I haven’t experienced that kind of thing myself since I’m part of an agency, but it must be really hard. I can only imagine how awful it would feel if my members or our President picked on me. Oh, wait… Actually? Our President does tease me sometimes.”

“What? President Kang does? I can’t imagine him doing that.”

“He makes fun of me for not showering and nags me about cleaning up my snack crumbs. He lives to give me a hard time!”

“Oh, ahaha. What kind of bullying is that?”

“Anyway.”

Hye-jung Yoon pondered a moment to think of a good example. An idea jumped out at her.

“Jin-ah, your upcoming music show is your first one, right? What if, while you’re backstage, the senior idols give you a hard time?” She asked.

“Well. I’d just have to endure it. How could I fight with my seniors?”

“Even if they tease you about President Kang?”

At that moment, the smile that had been glued to Jin-ah’s face vanished.

“…I’d ttukbaegi.”

“What?!”

“I’d go ttukbaegi on them.”

(T/N: If someone says they’re gonna go ttukbaegi on someone, it means they’re going to smash their head in. Like they would smash a ttukbaegi 😊)

—

<< Previous Chapter | Index | Next Chapter >>