Conditions for Becoming a Perfect Idol Leader

15 minutes passed.

It had already been 30 minutes since they came out to the lobby, yet these crazy guys were still tirelessly exchanging unheard-of insults with each other in the back.

Is this what they call a fight between two equally strong opponents? I don’t care; I just want them to stop.

[Article 13 | A kind idol leader also has excellent patience.]

What does kindness have to do with patience? Ignoring the system’s constant notifications, Gyeo Yeong-in rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath. Ugh…

“Seriously… Both of you are so damn noisy and annoying. Either shut up or leave.”

Eventually, completely fed up, Lim Se-bin spoke up. Gyeo Yeong-in found solace in knowing he wasn’t the only one among the members disgusted by their behavior. Damn it.

Pyo Jae-ho maintained a calm expression as he watched them fight. Gyeo Yeong-in tried talking to him.

“I don’t care whether they fight or not.”

Pyo Jae-ho’s indifferent eyes briefly met Gyeo Yeong-in’s.

“Just don’t interfere with my music activities.”

After saying that, Pyo Jae-ho didn’t say another word. It seemed like he was talking to both the fighters and Gyeo Yeong-in.

It was astonishing, if not absurd, that they managed to speak without raising their voices. So, they still cared about their public image, huh?

Crazy guys, is there no way to avoid fighting? Do you really have to fight like this?

[Article 11 | A kind idol leader deals with members with broad understanding.]

Do you think that understanding applies here? You crazy status window… How am I supposed to understand this… Thanks for at least being considerate enough to fight while being mindful of the surroundings…

[Article 23 | A kind idol leader knows how to mediate conflicts between members.]

How am I supposed to medierate this?

[Article 23 | A kind idol leader knows how to mediate conflicts between members.]

‘Alright. I’ll do it. …It’s not like I’ll end up fighting too, right?’

Gyeo Yeong-in steeled himself and straightened his upper body.

From the beginning, the two had insisted on sitting apart from each other, so Gyeo Yeong-in found himself sandwiched between them like a breakwater. He spread his hands on the table to get their attention.

“Hold on, both of you. Can you at least tell me why you’re fighting? Initially, it was just me and Se-bin Hyung talking, so why….”

He boldly started speaking, but there was no attention from either of them. Both were too engrossed in their glaring contest to even glance his way. With a shameless smile, Cheon Sa-yoon, who wasn’t even thinking about what he had said, spoke up.

“I just stated facts, but that side got angry. I didn’t intend to fight.”

One corner of Cheon Sa-yoon’s mouth slightly lifted. It was clear that even that slight sneer was intended to be seen.

Kyeon In-woo, glaring at Cheon Sa-yoon as if to kill him, suddenly stopped responding, rubbed the back of his neck, and let out a deep sigh.

“Ha… I’m the idiot for dealing with him.”

“In-woo, calm down.”

Kyeon In-woo, just this once, hold it in. Please, just let it go, okay? If you start fighting again here, there’s no coming back from it. Gyeo Yeong-in desperately sent telepathic messages as if he were in some animal show he had watched once.

‘Maybe the real fighting dog is not Kyeon In-woo but Cheon Sa-yoon?’

“I didn’t start the quarrel. Don’t you think Hyung is secretly siding with him? Because they went to the same school?”

“……”

Kyeon In-woo looked like he wanted to say something but closed his mouth. It was clear he was holding back his rising anger.

Why is he suddenly bringing up something like school ties and favoritism?

And it’s true that I went to the same school as him, but we barely interacted there, so why bring that up now?

Just as he was about to explain that he wasn’t taking sides—

“Oh…”

Cheon Sa-yoon suddenly lowered his eyes and tilted his head slightly, mimicking a sorrowful expression.

‘What the hell is this?’

Gyeo Yeong-in was dumbfounded by Cheon Sa-yoon’s sudden change in demeanor.

“I’m sorry. Thinking about it, I was rude. I’ll stop talking about it now.”

The slightly trembling eyelashes with each word showed that he was indeed a successful actor. Wow… It’s always surprising to see.

Kyeon In-woo, seeing that, scoffed and turned his head away completely. It seemed he was avoiding looking at Cheon Sa-yoon to prevent himself from cursing again.

“Anyway, I think Yeong-in Hyung’s idea is good. Change is good. If we can create an image that we’re directly involved in producing the album, it’ll be beneficial for us and the company.”

Cheon Sa-yoon smiled softly.

“Right, Manager?”

‘Right…?’

Gyeo Yeong-in’s face naturally turned in the direction of Cheon Sa-yoon’s gaze. Slowly turning around, he saw Do Sa-jin, their manager, approaching. Thankfully, it seemed he had just arrived and hadn’t heard the details of their conversation.

“Oh? Uh, yeah, that’s right. I was just talking to the CEO, and he’s very positive about it. He’ll accommodate your wishes as much as possible. Congratulations, guys. Think of this as practice, and do your best.”

Of course, there was a reason for that sudden pitiful face. Cheon Sa-yoon was really something. It takes a lot to avoid getting cursed at despite having such double standards.

“The CEO said you don’t have to go back to the meeting room. Anyway, you have to go live soon, so let’s head up now. I’ve booked the studio.”

‘Let’s think positively. At least it’s resolved somehow.’

Everyone obediently followed Do Sa-jin manager to the studio. It seemed everyone was eager to leave this space quickly.

I’m already exhausted thanks to them, we haven’t even started yet.

* * *

What is this now?

On the table where the cake for the broadcast should have been, there was something else instead. It looked similar to a cake but wasn’t one.

It seemed to be a pie, but one he had never seen before. It was covered with whipped cream haphazardly. No, calling it haphazard would be an understatement. It was more like whipped cream was just lumped on top, with a cheap cake topper that read ‘ZER01’S 2ND BIRTHDAY’ stuck into it. The entire thing looked shoddy and poorly put together. Anyone could tell it was made hastily.

‘What’s with the condition of this thing?’

Gyeo Yeong-in blinked slowly. He felt like something similar had happened before. He hadn’t paid much attention back then, but with the constant pressure to be a kind leader and always on alert for the members’ mishaps, he was starting to notice these things.

Wondering if he was just being overly sensitive, he glanced at the other members. They tried not to show it in front of the staff, but they all seemed displeased.

“It keeps getting worse,” Cheon Sa-yoon muttered quietly. Pretending not to hear, Gyeo Yeong-in gently nudged him.

Next to him, Lim Se-bin, frowning subtly, spoke in a low voice.

“I can’t eat whipped cream… Does it matter?”

“Oh…! I’m sorry! Um, the cake we originally prepared got ruined, so we had to get this one on short notice… There wasn’t a proper bakery nearby. We’re really sorry. You don’t have to eat it, just cut it for the show.”

Lim Se-bin glanced at the staff member in charge of the live broadcast, who didn’t look happy. Even though his true feelings were unknown, Lim Se-bin knew nothing would change by arguing, so he outwardly accepted and stepped back.

Watching the situation unfold, Gyeo Yeong-in felt a certainty.

Things had managed to pass by earlier, but there was no easy solution for sudden situations like this. It seemed he’d have to note things down when they got back to the dorm after a long time.

‘I should organize my thoughts in a memo as much as I can remember. This time, it should be meaningful to write it down.’

For now, the most important thing was the upcoming second anniversary live broadcast.

Gyeo Yeong-in mentally reviewed today’s goal.

Complete the 2nd anniversary comeback live without any incidents.

Since he decided to write things down again, he thought he might as well try to hold onto his dwindling motivation by doing this.

Relying on seeing fans to regain his focus might be the most effective, but given the previous broadcasts, he felt it would be wrong.

The goal was quite vague and even a bit shabby. Maybe a more elaborate goal would emerge later. For now, he was struggling just to keep up with the unfolding situations.

As for the members…

He couldn’t think of an immediate solution.

‘Damn it… Are they even fixable?’

This seemed like a long-term project. Or maybe an impossible mission. It was clear they weren’t the type to listen easily.

Anyway, he was the most nervous right now since it had been a while since they met fans in real time. Ha, ha-ha… Why am I so nervous? Damn it. Calm down, Gyeo Yeong-in. You’re not an amateur.

[Article 7 | A kind idol leader doesn’t hesitate to encourage members.]

‘Encouragement? I’m the most nervous one here, what is this nonsense?’

Living life according to the status window was frustrating. Swallowing dryly, Gyeo Yeong-in put on a composed expression.

“Let’s try not to make any mistakes.”

There was no response, but it didn’t matter. It was like self-hypnosis.

They stood in line in front of the long table, from left to right: Kyeon In-woo, Lim Se-bin, Gyeo Yeong-in, Pyo Jae-ho, and Cheon Sa-yoon.

Even though it looked like they were standing randomly, Gyeo Yeong-in had calculated the arrangement. Perhaps because of the watchful eyes, fortunately, none of the members objected.

Recalling the incident in the lobby, Kyeon In-woo and Cheon Sa-yoon seemed ready to fight just by looking at each other, so he made sure they were the farthest apart. Thankfully, since these two talked more, they would probably manage their screen time, even if they were far apart.

Pyo Jae-ho could say something explosive at any time, so Gyeo Yeong-in stood next to him to try and contain any potential outbursts. Lim Se-bin, who rarely spoke, was placed nearby to help balance his screen time.

This seating arrangement was a desperate effort by Gyeo Yeong-in to prevent any broadcast mishaps. Whether it would work or not was uncertain.

No broadcast mishaps. No mistakes. Absolutely no mistakes. Let the members get through this without any issues. Please let this end smoothly, I beg you.

Thus began the much-talked-about and troublesome ZER01’s 2nd-anniversary live broadcast.