Conditions for Becoming a Perfect Idol Leader

“Hey guys, wait here for a moment.”

Manager Do Sa-jin, who was saved as “Manager” on Gyeo Yeong’s phone, spoke as he looked around at the Zero One members.

“I’m sorry. I should have picked you up earlier… I was too busy adjusting your afternoon schedule. I’ll drive you back to the dorm later.”

Do Sa-jin continued to wipe the sweat off his brow, glancing anxiously at the Zero One members. It wasn’t that Zero One had done anything wrong; it just seemed that Manager Do’s personality was like that.

‘Do Sa-jin… From what I remember, he must have been managing for quite some time.’

When exactly did he quit? He must have been with them for a while since his name was familiar, indicating either a long-standing relationship or some involvement.

‘Hmm, it’s not really important right now.’

“It’s okay. Go ahead.”

Gyeo Yeong-in decided it was better to let the manager go quickly. He looked quite apologetic, as if missing the morning pickup was a huge deal. If it was that urgent, there was always a road manager.

“That’s right. Don’t worry about us. Just go.”

Cheon Sa-yoon also spoke to the manager with a mature demeanor. Only then did the manager leave, repeating the same words of reassurance several times as he went.

The dorms could only be accessed by the manager or the road manager, who had just vanished, and the practice rooms were shared, so there was a good chance another team was using them. There weren’t any free rooms.

So now Zero One was sitting on the round table in the lobby.

“……”

After everyone sat down, they either fiddled with their phones or closed their eyes in meditation… in any case, they were all doing their own thing. It had been 15 minutes of complete silence with no conversation.

‘…This is dreadful.’

The silence wasn’t awkward. It was just that he realized once more that it was this serious. In fact, since the status window appeared, Go Yeong-in didn’t really speak unless the status window told him to.

‘Seeing this now, they really don’t seem to be close or interested in each other at all.’

I’ve been here for quite some time now, and it’s such a lonely place. Of course, it wasn’t easy when I had more years of experience than now, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it was always like this.

How had things been before?

Gyeo Yeong-in became serious again. Was he also like that in the past, doing only his own thing?

Whether it was because the status window made him see things clearly for the first time or because it was his first reset since their debut, everything felt strangely unfamiliar.

One with a problematic personality, one who was careless, one who didn’t communicate well, and one who was still figuring things out.

To be honest, he only knew fragmentary aspects of the members’ personalities.

Why had they caused so many incidents in the future? Was it really their fault? What were they thinking? What were their personal circumstances? He knew none of this.

Even their personalities seemed strangely different from what he remembered. Zero One members were much more unpredictable in many ways compared to what Gyeo Yeong-in had known. Or had he misunderstood them?

‘Even with the status window… I have to stay alert because I never know what they might do next, even if I don’t want to.’

Gyeo Yeong-in quickly resolved to change his mindset.

‘No, wait. There’s already one outcome that’s different from before. Even if I can’t change everything, I’ll try to prevent major incidents. If things deviate from what I planned, I won’t let them deviate smoothly, you guys.’

Just you wait, status window bastard. Let’s see who wins. And the leader? I don’t know what a leader does, but if I roughly follow Cheon Sa-yoon, something should come of it.

While Gyeo Yeong-in was mentally rallying himself when he heard a voice.

“Gyeo Yeong-in.”

Lim Se-bin, who had been sitting with his eyes closed in silence, was now staring at Gyeo Yeong-in. 

‘When had he started looking at me?’

Lim Se-bin, the oldest member of Zero One, was also the last member with whom Gyeo Yeong-in had not yet had a proper conversation since returning to the past.

In Gyeo Yeong’s memory, Lim Se-bin was a very quiet person who rarely spoke first. Other than that, he couldn’t remember much. Maybe he was a bit meticulous?

It was surprising to hear Lim Se-bin, someone who wouldn’t normally start a conversation, call out his name.

“Yes?”

“Why did you say that?”

“…Which part?”

Lim Se-bin suddenly scolded Gyeo Yeong-in. Not knowing what he was being scolded for, Gyeo Yeong-in was understandably confused and had to ask for clarification.

“Why did you say those things earlier?”

The annoyance in Lim Se-bin’s low voice made him sound overly sensitive. His piercing gaze was intimidating, but strangely enough, his eyes looked somewhat wistful, making him seem more sad than scary. At least, his voice conveyed clear frustration.

Gyeo Yeong-in could tell there was some dissatisfaction causing Lim Se-bin to be irritable, but he had no idea what the root cause was.

The only thing Gyeo Yeong-in could think of was the discussion he had with CEO Kwon Daedo about the album.

‘Oh, damn…’

Could it be that mentioning Zero One’s music was the issue? Was Lim Se-bin unhappy with the idea of someone questioning their group’s music? Given that Zero One was a group of people with no real sense of belonging at the moment, it wasn’t entirely out of the question.

“There was no other meaning. I just… meant exactly what I told the CEO.”

Gyeo Yeong-in answered, but it seemed like his response wasn’t having any effect on Lim Se-bin’s expression.

“……”

What exactly had triggered this reaction? Gyeo Yeong-in had no idea, but it looked like Cheon Sa-yoon and Kyeon In-woo had a rough understanding of what Lim Se-bin was talking about, which only added to his confusion.

What the hell was going on?

Seeing that Gyeo Yeong-in was obviously clueless, Lim Se-bin clicked his tongue in frustration. Then, he sighed dramatically and spoke in an irritated tone.

“Why make unnecessary trouble when you could just do what you were told?”

“If change was needed, then it’s necessary.”

It might have been easier to just do as he was told. Sure, if people were interested in idols, they would think, “Oh, they’re doing well.” That was the case before real controversies arose.

Moreover, Gyeo Yeong-in was someone who knew that if things continued this way, nothing would come of it.

‘Since I’m at it, it’d be better if we could part on good terms without cursing each other. It’s not like I want to be causing a fuss here. Even if I try my best, if you all keep messing things up, it’s all for nothing anyway.’

Even knowing that he still tried to make a change, but seeing such reactions made him feel somehow disheartened.

Well… Damn it. The members don’t know what’s been going on. It’s turned into something that only I know about. From their perspective, seeing me suddenly trying to make things work might seem ridiculous. So it’s not strange for them to think that way.

So this is just me feeling a bit down for no reason.

Whatever. It’s not the first or the last time. He shook off the pointless thoughts. Thinking more about it would only be a loss. Through this conversation, Gyeo Yeong-in only learned that Lim Se-bin was extremely sensitive.

“Change? Are you seriously saying that? Are you joking?”

Lim Se-bin’s cold tone seemed almost like a reprimand towards Gyeo Yeong-in. What he was being reprimanded for wasn’t clear. It just felt that way.

“…Is what I’m saying really that strange?”

“Of course.”

Suddenly, Cheon Sa-yun, who had been listening intently to the conversation between Lim Se-bin and Gyeo Yeong-in, butted in.

“Did you eat something weird or are you out of your mind?”

Cheon Sa-yun then spoke rudely without changing his expression.

‘This crazy.’

Gyeo Yeong-in looked around. There was no one else sitting around the table in the lobby except for the members of Zero One.

‘Ugh… What a lunatic.’

Fortunately, there was no one passing by near Zero One. Although a few people walked by the lobby occasionally, they were far enough away that it seemed unlikely they would overhear the conversation.

‘That damn mouth!’

“Sa-yun, this isn’t the dorm, it’s the company.”

“I’m not like you. Of course, I’ve checked the surroundings.”

What kind of confidence is this? How has he managed to hide his personality until now? Cheon Sa-yun was truly someone who could save the world with his face and bring disaster with his mouth.

“Even if I understand why Se-bin is acting this way, I’m still curious about why you are suddenly thinking like this.”

Cheon Sa-yun continued speaking calmly.

“Isn’t it unlike Yeong-in to suddenly suggest some silly family game now? Right?”

So basically, they’ve been ignoring each other and letting things drift along, and now suddenly he wants to care about the group?

If he really hadn’t cared about the group, it wouldn’t be so unfair. Well… if asked whether he had that much interest in the members, honestly, he wouldn’t have an answer…

Lim Se-bin’s expression darkened noticeably. While he internally agreed with Cheon Sa-yun’s words, he clearly didn’t like that Cheon Sa-yun had intervened in the conversation.

So, it was expected that he would say something, but unexpectedly, another person joined in.

“Have you still not fixed your way of speaking? Is there anyone here who can match you, other than Pyo Jae-ho? Damn, who’s being ridiculous?”

Kyeon In-woo, who had been playing a mobile game until now, was suddenly making sarcastic remarks towards Cheon Sa-yun. Why, Kyeon In-woo? What’s the problem? Why the sudden outburst?

“Haha. I guess the only thing you have to show off is your age. Will you only do that?”

“At least I don’t go around fawning over people, unlike some others. What’s the use of pretending to manage your image only in front of others?”

Kyeon In-woo’s face showed a faint disgust. They hadn’t even started a proper conversation, yet it was clear they intensely disliked each other.

“Isn’t what’s inside you trash? Isn’t that right?”

Even though Kyeon In-woo directly insulted him, Cheon Sa-yun didn’t change his expression at all. Instead, he smiled pleasantly, squinting his eyes as if enjoying Kyeon In-woo’s irritation.

“What you’re talking about is basic manners and social skills. Since you don’t do it properly, I have to, what can I do? Do you know what social intelligence is?”

During this exchange, Cheon Sa-yun didn’t back down and openly mocked Kyeon In-woo for being dumb. Was he really the leader before? How could he manage to be a leader with such behavior toward the members?

Gyeo Yeong-in thought that both Kyeon In-woo and Cheon Sa-yun were equally problematic, but he kept this opinion to himself, knowing it would only lead to more arguments.

“So stop making a fuss here and go take care of your social skills with those who like you. It’s your specialty, right? Making people’s mood worse with your political maneuvering.”

“If you say it like that, do you think I’d want to go? Staying here makes your mood worse.”

“Oh, damn.”

Cheon Sa-yun didn’t care about Kyeon In-woo’s reaction. Instead, he widened his eyes as if genuinely curious.

“Why? Isn’t it common for people to criticize each other behind their backs? Are you trying to overlook it just because you can’t remember properly?”

Kyeon In-woo, who had been responding calmly until now, suddenly contorted his face into a fierce scowl.

He glanced at Cheon Sa-yun, who was now looking back with a significant smile. What was it?

Kyeon In-woo’s face twisted even more. With his already intense expression, the atmosphere turned extremely tense.

“This fucking bastard.”

[Rule 23│A kind idol leader must also be able to mediate conflicts between members.]

‘In this situation? The fire has already burned, and it’s a mess…? Does this mean it wasn’t even a fight until now? I don’t even know why they’re fighting in the first place.’

Damn it. Gyeo Yeong-in saw that Kyeon In-woo had clenched his fist. The sound of the tension was too clear. This is crazy. The veins bulging on the tightly clenched fist were too pronounced.

‘Crazy, that fist could kill even with a glancing blow.’

Cheon Sa-yun’s face still had a bright smile. An excessively cold silence hung between them.

Kyeon In-woo and Cheon Sa-yun treated each other as if they weren’t even human. They regarded each other as insignificant as a piece of trash on the roadside.

Damn it, are you guys fighting dogs or what…