LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 15 - We Must Win
Recently, Baek Yerin has been living a very busy life.
It was thanks to a composer who made an incredible proposal at RT Entertainment’s regular meeting at the end of last year.
Thus, Baek Yerin ended up recording an absurd number of twenty-five songs.
On top of that, she had to juggle the schedule set by RT Entertainment and her studies, so Baek Yerin was so busy that each day was dizzying.
Nevertheless, the entire process was frighteningly smooth.
“You’re a real genius, a genius. People would be shocked if you told them you only started properly learning to sing a few months ago.”
It was like that when she received vocal training to learn the basics.
“Even your expression acting is too perfect? This is the first time a music video shoot has gone this smoothly. As expected, a genius singer is different from the start.”
It was the same when she went for music video and photo shoots.
And people took it for granted that things were going smoothly.
Simply because the girl named Baek Yerin was a genius.
Due to this unchanging truth, she ended up living with constant praise.
Especially after her official debut, this tendency became even more pronounced.
“Yerin! Your songs are really so good. I’ve added them to my playlist and listen to them every day.”
“Me too, me too! But… can you give me an autograph?”
“Hey, I’ve been a fan since your festival performance, so I should go first!”
The school was buzzing with talk about her, and just looking at the news or articles, it was all about her.
Moreover, when she visited RT Entertainment’s headquarters after school ended, something had arrived for her.
“What’s all this?”
“These are all gifts from fans for you. I didn’t expect this much when a fandom hasn’t even been formed yet…”
Baek Yerin fell into deep thought as she checked the contents of the gifts one by one.
Among them were many letters containing messages of support.
You sing so well, you’re so pretty, I want to see you sing live soon, and so on.
Whenever Baek Yerin saw phrases with words of encouragement, she thought:
That she must be a person with really good luck.
So, amidst all this praise, attention, and love, what she had to do was clear.
Work hard and do well.
To repay their hearts somehow…
However, at this time, Baek Yerin didn’t realize.
That something was gradually taking root in a corner of her heart.
* * *
Music shows are not places where you just stand when you release an album, but opportunities that artists’ managers obtain by running around until their feet sweat.
Every Monday morning around 10 AM. The coffee shop in front of KBB, one of Korea’s major broadcasting stations, is bustling.
This is because managers from major entertainment companies to small agencies often called ‘nobodies’ all gather.
And the reason they gather is only one.
It’s to have an audience with the PD of ‘Music Save’, KBB’s longest-running music program.
For reference, the PD always arrives late at the cafe, using the excuse of being busy with morning meetings and meeting various producers.
As a result, managers usually wait for 3-4 hours.
Moreover, what kind of country is Korea? Even if you arrive early, there’s something called seniority. It means senior managers meet the PD first.
But even after waiting like that, the meeting time is only about 5 minutes. Even major agencies are no exception.
To the extent that there are cases where they visit ‘out of courtesy’ even though their appearance has been confirmed, as if the broadcasting station is superior.
Unfortunately, it can’t help but be that kind of structure.
Unless it’s a special case, there’s no other way for rookies to promote through TV if they don’t have music shows.
It’s not for nothing that there’s a saying that music shows arrange blind dates between viewers in the audience and rookie singers.
But today, two unusual events occurred at the coffee shop in front of KBB.
One is that the PD of Music Save didn’t arrive late. Rather, he arrived about 10 minutes early.
And the second is…
“Excuse me, who is the manager for Ms. Baek Yerin?”
The PD who entered the coffee shop started looking for someone in a loud voice.
The manager of none other than a newly debuted rookie singer.
At the PD’s call, a woman in office attire sitting quietly in a corner of the coffee shop slowly raised her hand.
“That’s me. Baek Yerin’s manager.”
“Oh… I thought it would be a familiar face, but I didn’t expect it to be you.”
The woman’s name is ‘Lee Hari’.
She’s a veteran manager with quite a few years of experience and is quite famous in this industry.
That’s because she had experience as the manager of Crystal, currently known as Korea’s most popular girl group.
“I heard you wanted to take a break as your contract period ended…”
“Yes. I’ve been running too hard all this time. But I couldn’t refuse the current CEO’s offer.”
“Haha. Even I wouldn’t be able to resist being the manager of a rookie singer who’s surprising the world. And if they assigned Manager Lee, it seems CEO Kang is really pushing Baek Yerin.”
“You flatter me. And it was a reasonable offer for me too. One cute and kind middle school girl is much easier than a noisy four-member girl group full of E personalities.”
They continued their conversation very familiarly.
As the saying goes, “A temple dog can recite poetry after three years,” this was natural for them.
“So, what order do you want? Let’s talk quickly since we’re both busy. You’re going to meet with the PDs of the weekend music shows right after this meeting, aren’t you?”
In that sense, the PD of Music Save asked directly.
Lee Hari answered with a slightly surprised expression.
“Is it really okay for a newly debuted rookie?”
“Of course, if it were an ordinary rookie, they would be pushed to a later slot. But Ms. Baek Yerin is no ordinary rookie, is she?”
Baek Yerin was currently the person causing the most buzz in Korea, beyond just the music market.
And this would be Baek Yerin’s first official broadcast appearance?
This is a structure that will inevitably raise viewership ratings.
With the development of the internet, as TV viewership among teens and twenties decreased, music shows no longer have the same firepower as before.
Therefore, from the PD’s standpoint, they had to confirm Baek Yerin’s appearance by any means necessary.
Even if it meant giving her tremendous preferential treatment…
The PD thought that ‘order’ would be appropriate.
Usually, music shows are typically arranged in order from rookies to seniors by custom. Of course, powerful places like the top 3 entertainment agencies sometimes have their rookies decorate the last stage.
In the end, it means the broadcasting station arranges the order as they please.
But the PD of Music Save completely handed over that choice to Baek Yerin’s manager.
“It’s because I have no intention of engaging in a power struggle. If you declare that you won’t appear on Music Save because of that, and Baek Yerin appears on another music show, there’s no answer from our standpoint.”
“I understand what you mean well. But there’s one thing you’re misunderstanding. I did come here to engage in a power struggle.”
“Pardon?”
At Lee Hari’s bold declaration, the PD of Music Save couldn’t help but wear a bewildered expression.
* * *
Lee Hari had been thinking recently that she made quite a good move transferring to RT Entertainment.
The reason was none other than Ryu Won’s existence.
Kang Beom-joon formally introduced Baek Yerin and Ryu Won, and they began attending regular meetings more frequently.
To the extent that the regular meeting time set for 10 AM was pushed back to 4 PM for their sake.
Anyway, Ryu Won’s voice was very powerful there.
Perhaps due to the influence of his outstanding talent that had to be acknowledged and his speech on ‘that day’?
And the topic of the regular meeting a week ago was about Baek Yerin’s appearance on music shows.
There, Ryu Won said with a furrowed brow:
“Come on, what era is this to go on music shows for promotion? Even the national anthem has higher ratings now.”
“Still, it’s good to show your face at least once. You know how excellent the promotional effect of music shows is, don’t you?”
“I honestly admit that. Hmm… CEO, then let’s just appear once, for real?”
“What…?”
“Let’s go ask the PDs. If Yerin goes through the trouble of appearing on music shows and brings them tremendous ratings, what can they do for us?”
With those words, Ryu Won looked towards Lee Hari, who was attending the meeting.
“Manager Lee, you understand what I mean, right?”
Lee Hari recalled those words and smiled bitterly.
She envied the boy named Ryu Won.
Lee Hari was also once the manager of a rookie girl group.
She had many humiliating experiences dealing with the PDs of broadcasting stations who were always in the superior position, and felt many things were unfair.
Yet she endured and persevered.
Because that’s just how the music show system was.
Thinking like that, she had no choice but to just let those situations pass.
But Ryu Won was a boy to whom such common sense didn’t apply.
To the extent that it felt clear even from the listener’s standpoint.
Therefore, Lee Hari actively agreed with Ryu Won’s idea, and slowly opened her mouth towards the Music Save PD sitting in front of her.
No.
More precisely, she conveyed these same words to all the PDs in charge of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday music shows:
“Our artist is a newly debuted rookie, and still a middle school student. Even so, there’s no problem in this industry… but the singer Baek Yerin is literally special to us.”
“What… are you trying to say?”
“For the artist’s health and fatigue reasons, we plan to appear on music shows only once this week.”
“Whaaaaat?!”
“I suppose the place that takes the utmost care of our artist’s convenience will be the top priority.”
In simple terms, this is what it means:
We don’t particularly care whether we appear on music shows or not.
But how about you?
Baek Yerin plans to appear on only one place, not the music show you’re in charge of, is that really okay?
Of course, it wouldn’t be okay.
So what they had to do was clear.
“We, we for Ms. Baek Yerin…!”
They must win no matter what…
To not lose Baek Yerin’s first music show appearance to another place.