Chapter 11
“Wait a moment! Let me check the route!”
A staff member shouted.
“Phew…”
Dabin exhaled deeply. Then she quickly lifted her head and glanced around. She worried whether the other members had seen her. As the leader and eldest sister, if she appeared anxious, everyone else would feel anxious too.
“Hayoung. The effervescent vitamin you mentioned… you’re taking it before going on stage, right? But just one, okay? It’s strong and could upset your stomach. Wait a second… Nari, the hem of your costume seems a little torn. What do you mean it’s fine? What if it tears more during the performance? Get it fixed immediately.”
Dabin’s eyes kept returning to Hyunjae. The Music Tomato rehearsal had started early in the morning, and Hyunjae hadn’t taken a single break since then. He wasn’t alone—JM had assigned a temporary assistant manager—but he had handled everything himself.
He continuously checked on the members, brought towels, water, vitamins, reported the situation to the team leader, and even when it seemed like there was nothing to do, he still watched over the site. Even if others ignored him, he would say things like, “The lighting looks great. Thank you for your attention.”
Hyunjae seemed like someone used to working humbly. Seeing that, Dabin thought anew:
“This person is the real deal.”
At the barbecue restaurant, she had overheard a phone call. She learned Hyunjae had 1.5 billion won in cash. Knowing that, she felt a twinge of loneliness—thinking, “Ah, then he doesn’t need us to stay, huh?”
She felt slightly melancholy. She wanted someone equally desperate to be by her side. Dabin’s family wasn’t well-off. If Nova Girls didn’t succeed, she’d have to help her father at his shop or work part-time. Opportunities to challenge themselves were limited. It always felt like walking a tightrope.
Thinking that Hyunjae’s life had a safety rope, she felt envious. She repeated to herself, “Don’t be jealous. That oppa gave you all these opportunities; being jealous is garbage. Do your best!” Then she learned the news: Hyunjae had refused to become Lim Yujoo’s exclusive manager.
Whether he had 1.5 billion or not, why would he refuse the offer? It seemed like an obvious benefit. Trust was usually just empty words; people act according to their own interests.
Yesterday, Dabin had asked Hyunjae, secretly, when no other members were around:
“What if we mess up? It’s live…”
“What do you mean? You just do it. They’ll think it’s cute.”
“What if we sing worse than in practice…”
“You were too good in practice. Even at 90%, it’ll be fine.”
“Won’t you be disappointed? You even refused Lim Yujoo senior’s manager offer.”
“Oh, you heard about that? Why would you tell the kids… But what does that have to do with disappointment?”
“It feels like a waste. Like, maybe we should have accepted it.”
“Not at all.”
“Really? Even if we do terribly?”
Hyunjae answered again when Dabin asked:
“Yes. Refusing that offer doesn’t mean it was right if you do well and wrong if you don’t. I made the right choice, no matter what.”
“…….”
“You must be nervous, huh? Don’t worry about anything else. Just think about the viewers who will support you.”
“The right choice no matter what”—that’s how Hyunjae described not leaving Nova Girls. And now, he was bowing to the staff.
Before the live broadcast began, Dabin muttered inwardly:
“90% is enough? Absolutely not. How could I face Hyunjae oppa like that?”
She thought of Lim Yujoo, who was still in the waiting room. As a top star, her performance order was last. Nova Girls, who had been relatively unknown before, were second.
“Even Lim Yujoo will win. We have to do better than her. Damn it, somehow, we have to pull it off!”
The MC asked:
“After President Kim Seok-gu mentioned last weekend, your songs have climbed the charts. How do you feel?”
“Thanks to our fans, we’re so happy to be on stage again!”
Mina spoke first, followed by Nari and then Hayoung. Finally, the MC pointed the mic at Dabin.
“I…”
“Have you contacted that guy, Hyunjae?”
Doo-cheol asked.
“I sent a message, but he said he’s busy. No time to rest.”
“Of course, managers with low seniority have it rough in the 3D industry.”
Kwak Doo-cheol, Lee Hojin, and Hyunjae sat down with the TV on, planning to watch Music Tomato while eating chicken and beer.
“But that guy’s luck seems to be turning. How did Lim Yujoo…?”
“Peurumera’s maintenance fees are insane, right? For similar-sized apartments in Dogok-dong, it’s about 900,000 won per month. Can Hyunjae handle Peurumera’s fees?”
“He must get bonuses if his artist succeeds. Then he can manage.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. But Nova Girls debuted only 15 months ago… Should we start with beer?”
“Cheers.”
The three had been close friends, at least until high school. But as they got older, relationships twisted. Who earned what, whose house had what assets… you start caring about that.
In that sense, Hyunjae was a button that triggered their insecurities. Tall and handsome? So what if his circumstances are tough? Still, the guy is good, doesn’t go the wrong way, and works hard. But how will he survive with that money?
The older you get, the more you mask your worries.
“But honestly, there must be a reason they haven’t succeeded in 15 months. Plenty try for idol success, but only the talented rise.”
“Hyunjae always asks blunt questions about uncertain futures. If your circumstances are tough, you should think carefully.”
“I should buy him meat sometime. At this age, can’t shake the hipster habits—”
Doo-cheol paused mid-sentence. Nova Girls appeared on Music Tomato. They were unbelievably pretty—like someone had handpicked only gorgeous girls.
“Last weekend, after President Kim Seok-gu’s mention, your songs have surged in the charts. How does it feel?”
Doo-cheol and Hojin realized:
“If they can’t succeed despite being this beautiful, there must be something seriously wrong.”
On the TV, leader Dabin spoke:
“I… want to repay those who believed in our charm.”
What’s that?
Doo-cheol rubbed his arm secretly, shivering. The words were simple, yet she spoke with such gravitas, as if preparing for a battle.
“She’s… not that intimidating in person, but… wow.”
Hojin felt the same. The screen shifted to the stage. They didn’t even touch their beer or chicken.
They had always thought Hyunjae was beneath them, consciously or subconsciously seeking reasons to belittle him. Now, Doo-cheol especially felt this. He had rented a 30-pyeong apartment in Sampeong-gu, Seoul at 27. But with Hyunjae, it didn’t feel impressive.
Girl group? Nova Girls? How impressive could that be? Their songs weren’t even that good. They just got media attention because of President Kim Seok-gu. A politically-linked idol? Predictable.
Just minutes ago, they were talking like this, yet now they silently watched the TV.
I’ve never seen the world with my own eyes.
The lyrics stuck in their ears. Using a lens that distorts everything, they were sad, angry, jealous, arrogant, scared… but once the lens was removed, life felt happy and free. No envy, no pride, no need to assert superiority.
The stage ended in an instant—or at least, that’s how it felt.
“Hmm… not bad, I guess…”
Doo-cheol raised his beer, unable to say more.
“…I don’t know. People like us just can’t understand idols…”
“Exactly.”
In truth, many thoughts had crossed Doo-cheol’s mind: choreography was lacking? Expressions awkward? Singing or lyrics not great? But he didn’t say it. Instinctively, he knew it would sound forced.
Non-experts can only say “good” or “bad.” By that measure, this performance was overwhelmingly good. It left a feeling like watching a well-made movie. But he couldn’t say, “Wow, amazing!”
Why? Because his pride wouldn’t allow it. Hyunjae, whom he despised, had received a 2 billion won apartment from Lim Yujoo, now managed a monstrous idol, and was clearly going to succeed. Also, he was the only one who recognized the value of previously overlooked kids. Annoying!
“Then next—”
Doo-cheol picked up the remote.
“Turn it off?”
“…Yeah.”
They agreed quickly. Watching the other idols would make them compare, and they didn’t want to do that. If they thought about it, they’d only recognize how amazing Nova Girls were.
“How’s the stock market these days?”
That day, they never mentioned the name “Yoo Hyunjae.”
I was mesmerized by Nova Girls’ performance. It was insane. I expected it to be insane, but even so, it surprised me. Especially Dabin—what is she? Was she blessed by the gods today? Watching her stage made my chest throb.
But I couldn’t leisurely comment as a viewer; my anxiety was too high, my heart pounding.
Even with 1.5 billion or a 2 billion apartment, this timid, anxious guy wouldn’t grow any bolder.
“This week’s Music Tomato chart TOP 5!”
The MC shouted.
During the ranking announcement, all the performers gathered backstage.
I checked the members’ expressions. All were stiff.
It had only been last weekend that, by chance, they surged due to President Kim Seok-gu. Just being able to appear on Music Tomato was already great. Even if they didn’t rank, showing a good performance would help them grow gradually… I had repeated this hundreds of times before today.
But why are they like this? I told them to manage expectations, yet they act like they must rank no matter what…
Was placing in the top 5 possible? It was tough. The Music Tomato chart was calculated as follows: 60 points digital score, 20 broadcast score, 10 album sales, 5 social media mentions, 5 real-time viewer votes—total 100 points.
Nova Girls were disadvantaged in broadcast score, which is based on how often their songs were used in other broadcasts. They had only been noticed for a few days, so how could they score high? Album sales were similar.
So expectations were kept low. They shouldn’t be shocked…
“Wow, unexpected results. 5th is Luminol Boys, 4th CanCanCandy, 3rd Nova Girls! And the grand 1st place is…”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Did I mishear?
Music Tomato was a one-hour live broadcast. They quickly announced 5th, 4th, and 3rd place, saving time to compare 1st and 2nd. I thought I misheard.
The chart on screen showed:
1st: ???
2nd: ???
3rd: Nova Girls
4th: CanCanCandy
5th: Luminol Boys
“Huh…”
All four members looked stunned. No, it was only Dabin, staring at the screen like she wanted to devour it.
What is that expression?
“Oppa.”
Mina approached and said:
“Oppa, that… we… um…”
She hesitated, then finally said:
“Oppa, you’re not a fool!”
“……?”
What’s she talking about?
At that moment, my phone rang. I stepped out backstage to answer.
“Yes, team leade—”
[Oh, Hyunjae! How are the members? Everyone excited, right? Be careful they don’t get hurt. I need to check with them about the upcoming schedule, but they’re probably too distracted right now, so check later.]
The content was fine, but the voice was extremely excited and rapid. With that speed and diction, he could be a rapper.
“Understood. They’re not overly—”
[Yes? Oh, this one too? That’s better. Okay, let’s do that.]
Minsu’s voice faded; he seemed to be talking to someone else.
[…Hyunjae, take the members back to the dorm, then come to the office for a bit.]
“Yes, let’s do that. But… why? Isn’t the broadcast reaction good?”
[It’s great.]
Minsu hung up briefly and shouted: [Yes, we’ll have him come immediately!]
Then he said:
[…It’s too good, it’s a problem.]
