Top Management

Chapter 12: Start with Entertainment, Next K-Star (2)

TL by Myoni

Edited by Myoni & Yoni

The comment section contained more than two thousand comments. Most the comments were criticizing Lemon Girls and Yoolam, but I found a few about Next K-Star. Most were saying that it was good that the staff’s reaction was quick.

Luckily, there weren’t many mean comments aimed at Neptune. Not many gave them any attention.

Like they were going to wait and see since the producer said they had potential?

If it was under normal circumstances, there would have been plenty of mean comments on how Neptune pushed out Lemon Girls for the spot, but the trouble Yoolam caused was so big that it seemed that the majority of the mean commenters were focused on her.

When I searched for Neptune, I saw some articles with Neptune in their headlines.

[Who is ‘Neptune’ who is replacing Lemon Girls on Next K-Star?] [Neptune joins [Next K-Star’, who are they…]When I clicked on the article, it was about their profiles, their failed album and their current activities related to their new single. There were even new pictures of the members. At the bottom, it said it was provided by W&U.

Looking at the comments, there were quite a few complimenting their appearance. As I was saving each one and reading it, I saw some unbelievable comments.

-I guess they’re there for their looks. Since it’s a competition program, they’ll probably just leave them at the bottom.

-Huge advantage for the other teams. Kekekekeke

There were tens of people agreeing with them. I was speechless.

I logged on to reply, but a keyboard warrior had already entered the fray. It was under the nickname ‘Neptune Mom’ and when I examined other comments, the person had already replied to a huge number of them, mostly protecting and supporting Neptune. Although the person wasn’t swearing, his fighting strength was at max level and the mean commenters were dropping off one by one.

Was there already a fan of Neptune?

While carefully reading these articles and comments, my sleepiness went away. Instead, I was flooded with feelings of excitement and delight. Hyunjo’s words were correct. The feeling of watching a new group grow in popularity and be acknowledged… This really was addicting.

Well, it wasn’t like I took care of them myself. However, as I contributed to this incident, I definitely had the right to feel satisfied. Of course, of course.

The subway stopped shortly. It was my stop. As I arrived at the company listening to Neptune’s songs, I got a call. It was Hyunjo. It was 7:53 right now. Safe!

“Hello?”

-You on your way?

This person, why is he constantly going back and forth between formal and casual speech? So inconsistent.

“I am right at the door. What floor should I go to?”

-The management team is on the 4^th floor. Come to meeting room B. Don’t come empty handed, there’s a coffee shop in front of the company so buy some coffee. Two hot cups of Americano…

I promptly pressed the record button.

-One vanilla latte, one café mocha with whipped cream… wait, Gunyoung, what did you want… one cappuccino and get whatever you want.

“Yes, I will.”

-Did you remember it all?

“I recorded it.”

-Hey, good job.

I never imagined I would hear a compliment for getting coffee.

I went back outside. As soon as I crossed the street, I saw a 24-hour coffee shop. I placed the coffees in a box and held it with both hands.

Although I wasn’t worried about being late, I hurriedly returned to not let the coffees cool down.

“Ah, crap, what floor was it?”

I forgot.

To call again after hearing that I did a good job was a bit… it just so happened there was a man already on the elevator so I quickly went on.

“Excuse me, what floor is management team 3 on?”

“On the fourth floor. Would you like me to press it for you?”

“Thank you!”

His voice was killer. Was he an employee?

When I looked to the side, I was surprised. It was the movie star, Sung Dowon.

He was the top actor representing 20-year-olds. Very tall with wide shoulders of a swimmer, even if he wore rags, he was blessed with a body that would make even the rags look good. His good looks couldn’t even be covered by sunglasses.

However, Sung Dowon wasn’t an actor known just for his good looks. His acting skills were equally great. He even had an influence on box office sales.

His drama was a big hit in China and his two recent movies even reached 10 million and 6 million viewers respectively, raising his value in the Chungmuro District daily.

I remembered reading how W&U lured him in with a huge payment and a chance to move onto Hollywood when he ended his previous contract, but I never thought I would see him so soon.

Well, since this was fate, I should ask him for a handshake… as soon as I thought that, the scene in front of my eyes faded out.

Was this the future?

However, it was a bit different this time.

Like a screen with a signal that kept dropping, my surroundings were hazy. What was this?

Also, until now, the futures I had seen took place during an interview with Director Park and Reporter Song, but I was sitting in front of a man in an unfamiliar office. It looked like there were other people around us, but it was too hazy to make them out and I could only just barely make out the face of the man in front of me.

Huh?

It was Sung Dowon. It was Sung Dowon smiling without his sunglasses on. He didn’t look any older. It was the same face I saw just a few moments ago.

Really, what was this?

While I fell into a state of utter confusion I could hear Dowon’s voice.

“You’re my savior. If it wasn’t for Mr. Sunwoo, I would have been caught in their trap and my life as an actor could have been over. And because of this…”

Saviour? Me? What was this trap now?

“I hope that Mr. Sunwoo could become my manager.”

…!

“We’ve arrived at the fourth floor.”

The same voice overlapped. As I woke up from my previous state, Dowon was pressing the open button on the elevator.

“Th-thank you.”

I exited the elevator in a dazed state.

“I hope you have a great day.”

“…Hope you have a great day.”

The elevator went up carrying Dowon. I was dumbly looking at the closed elevator doors.

What was that just now?

It was definitely different from the future I saw yesterday. The hazy surroundings and the time I experienced the future was short. Above all, it didn’t seem like a distant future.

When would this happen? There just weren’t enough hints.

He said I helped him? So, would there really be an incident in the future? Would there?

For Sung Dowon to ask me to be his manager… If I could answer, I would have said okay right away.

Although I did think about Neptune briefly and although I was starting to learn the pleasures and satisfaction of taking care of a new group, as expected, I still wanted to be an actor’s manager. And it was even Sung Dowon.

“What are you doing over there? Hurry up.”

A familiar voice brought me back to reality. Facing the elevator was meeting room B. The traitor’s upper body was sticking out of the half-opened door as he gestured with his finger.

Let’s leave the future that I am uncertain when will happen and focus on the present, the present.

After checking that the coffees were fine, I hurriedly entered the meeting room.

“Hello! I brought the coffee.”

“I’ll give you the money for the coffee later.”

It seemed like Hyunjo has decided to speak casually. I told you to do it before.

Besides Hyunjo and Gunyoung, there were two women and a man in the meeting room. As I was greeting everyone, I was startled when I saw Hyunjo’s outfit. Jeans and a loose man-to-man t-shirt. It was the same clothes as yesterday.

Don’t tell me he didn’t go home after the bar, but to the company?

“This here is the new recruit, Jung Sunwoo and they are members of the PR team.”

I matched their faces to their names in my mind. The skinny woman with no makeup in her 30s was Team Leader Park of the PR team. And the pair below her seemed to be the same age as me.

Although I failed to leave a good first impression yesterday, today I will!

“I am Jung Sunwoo. Pleased to meet you all.”

“Coffee!”

“Let’s talk after drinking some coffee. I think I’m going to die.”

I lost to coffee.

I took my share of the coffee and crammed into an empty seat.

Honestly, I had some expectations for my first meeting. I imagined a scene of men in suits and women in white blouses and H line skirts sitting with their legs crossed seriously discussing matters.

When they got tired, they would relax with a cup of coffee… Well, although it wasn’t to that point, I did expect something similar.

Hahaha. Useless expectations.

This place looked more like PC bang[1] than a meeting room. There were laptops and paper spread all over the table and the people looked like game addicts drinking coffee after just finishing an all-nighter gaming session.

“You’re Team 3’s Lucky Charm, right?”

Team Leader Park looked at me and asked abruptly.

“Pardon?”

“Aren’t you the Lucky Charm of Management Team 3? The one who grabbed a big fish on his first day. Congrats.”

“I guess there really is something like beginner’s luck, team leader.”

“How did he get such a fortunate encounter? Did he save a nation in his past life?”

“He did what we couldn’t do in 2 years in a day… what a cruel world.”

The trio of the PR Team took me as an appetizer as they conversed about me.

The traitor looked uninterested and Hyunjo was busy on his phone. I didn’t know who kept trying to contact him, but his phone was vibrating nonstop.

Team Leader Park glanced at Hyunjo’s phone.

“Looking at how busy Chief’s phone is ringing, it seems like Neptune will be busy from now on.”

“Looks to be that way. It seems like work will finally be enjoyable.”

“You have to row when the tide comes in. Toss us anything that looks article-worthy about Neptune. Both of you new recruits as well.”

“Yes.”

I didn’t know what she was going to do, but I answered anyways. Fortunately, Team Leader Park explained right away.

“Just record anything that seems like it would get a decent reaction. The girls playing with each other, what they are eating, even them tripping while walking. It doesn’t matter if we end up using them or not, the more we have the better.”

She explained that if there were decent pictures, they would upload them on Neptune’s official social media accounts and use them for articles and they would keep funny stories of their daily life for talk shows or interviews.

They said it was better to start gathering them now, than using boring stories that would get edited out or making them up on the fly later on.

“I heard Seoyoung thought Producer Joontae was a fan and wanted to give him her autograph. Stuff like that.”

“Oh? How did you know that?”

The ones who knew that were Seoyoung, Producer Joontae and myself.

“We’re the PR team.”

She smiled cunningly.

[1] PC bang is a Korean LAN gaming center, where people pay to play games on computers. ($0.43-1.27 USD per hour)