I Decided to Become a Perfect Girl

“It seems that, as expected, the response to the T-shirt album is the best. The design itself turned out well, and many commend it as good value for money at around 50,000 won including the components.”

Seated at the head of the conference room, Jung So-hyun was checking the reports from the staff displayed on her tablet screen.

“Especially, the demand for this T-shirt album is increasing in the U.S. Unfortunately, our best position on the Billboard 200 chart is second, but since it coincides with NND’s period, the prevailing opinion is that it’s practically first.”

The logo of the little devil “DEB” debonaire, drawn in graffiti, was featured in the music video.

“You’ll see that there are many requests to sell T-shirts separately at the debonaire pop-up store… Given that the members were seen wearing them together in the music video, it seems that demand has naturally arisen even from outside the fandom.”

The demand estimate graph for the logo T-shirt sales was significantly higher than previous predictions.

“Considering just the demand from those who want to emulate Do-hee’s outfit…”

Still, while jotting down notes, Jung So-hyun put her pen down and swiped the tablet screen to the next page.

“We’ll keep the order quantity as is. Right now, it’s just the right amount for casual wear outside, aside from fan sentiments.”

Given that it’s a printed T-shirt, if the design becomes too common, its practical value would likely diminish, plus the core strategy behind the packaging was to enhance album sales.

“Instead, start planning the debonaire pop-up store from next week. Besides T-shirts, let’s have a variety of items like track tops and outfits. Joo-ho, coordinate with the VC team on the schedule and compile a brief report on the design concepts.”

“Ah, understood.”

Also, it’s already the last week of debonaire’s activities.

“Next, we’ll go over the domestic monitoring trends for each member.”

The debonaire dedicated team, organized under Jung So-hyun, was small but there was still a lot to report.

“First, regarding Chiyo. The malicious rumors that had been brewing especially in comparison with Jeon Ha-rang, the main rapper, have significantly diminished. However, it seems there’s a shift in direction suggesting her tone while speaking and rapping is different and questioning what kind of concept that is. This had been mentioned last year but given Chiyo’s playful and natural image, I think positive opinions will quickly overshadow the negativity.”

Most of this is typical.

Since the malicious rumors directed at Do-hee have not gained traction since last year’s awards ceremony, the focus has instead shifted to more blatant attempts to sow discord among members or belittle other members in community discussions.

“Is there any other issue?”

“Ah, Chiyo mentioned in passing to the manager team that she hoped to get a chance to perform live. It seems she feels a bit disappointed since they missed first place in music shows due to NND, which means they couldn’t do an encore… Hip-hop is a genre where she can showcase her strengths, so it seems she has personal aspirations. I think Chiyo’s fans probably wish for something similar as well.”

“Then check the schedule and see if we can set up a radio live schedule for the members together. In the recording behind the scenes, edit Chiyo’s rap parts to reveal them cleanly. Especially, focus on the wait, wait parts that are prominently mentioned as her killing part. Make sure to capture the songwriting process and key points there.”

Thus, it’s crucial to flexibly adjust the direction by comprehensively considering community and fandom opinions as well as members’ tendencies during active periods.

“And the behind-the-scenes video of Jeon Ha-rang and Chiyo filming the challenge together has been released on the Beat Rin side.”

“Really? How did it turn out?”

“Since Chiyo met Jeon Ha-rang through Seo-yoon a few times, they seemed quite close, and the scene of them playfully joking with Seo-yoon has sparked community discussions suggesting those members should film a variety show together. After all, all three have a tendency to do well in variety shows, and the majority of the public still misses the camaraderie of Seven.”

“—Hmm, but that can be dealt with later. Rather, contact Haru Entertainment and hint at the idea of having Jeon Ha-rang and Chiyo collaborate on a year-end stage together. With a rap-centric hip-hop song. Since Chiyo also wants such a stage. They’ll likely welcome it since there’s much to gain.”

Of course, appropriate checks on other groups are necessary, but since debonaire already secured a leading position, all that was needed was to steer the direction correctly.

“Next up, is Woo-ah?”

“Yes, Woo-ah’s key point seems to be the brief breakdancing showcased in the music video. The buzz from that shorts scene is currently one of the highest among the things that have gained attention positively from the public. Fundamentally, what has been planned is… behind the scenes of the debonaire music video, but we’re planning to emphasize that scene in the upcoming upload.”

“Alright, proceed with that.”

This is how detailed image management for the members is carried out.

“Um… Director, we’re considering leaking a video of Woo-ah practicing breakdancing in the practice room before her debut for viral marketing purposes. Last time you said that if it seemed too obvious, it might elicit a negative reaction, so I think we need your approval before proceeding.”

“This time it’s fine. Just in time, Woo-ah is finishing her ambassador contract and is set to be officially reported, so the image will transition smoothly without negative feelings. However, rather than the community account, choose a few good-natured Home Mamas with many followers and leak it anonymously as a spin-off.”

“Ah, got it.”

Of course, strategies to determine how much to push and monitor trends continued in detail.

“For this activity, I don’t think it’s necessary to emphasize Na-eun and Seo-yoon’s vocal lines more than required. Seo-yoon has shown a different tone in her melody rap during activities, and Na-eun went out for ‘live service,’ which has positively highlighted her vocal side…”

The YouTube fan channel videos played in sequence.

There was a clip edited showing the playful moments when they rapped in a self-content session during the Seven days.

[Yo! Hana Kwon? Let’s have a drink~?]

[Do-hee, cover your ears…!]

[Why, why… Why aren’t you covering my ears…!]

There was also the poor expression from a few days ago when their lyrics regarding ‘the shortest in the team’ were mentioned on a public broadcast variety show.

[Not that I care much now, but when I go to another team I’m actually tall, you know? I’m 165 cm. That’s above average height. No, I mean, I really don’t care much. I really don’t care.]

Na-eun was rarely showing a sharp expression, feeling embarrassed due to the magical girl image being revived from the pre-released music video.

[That… I’m… huff…]

“Yes, the fans are also creating secondary and tertiary issues themselves, so as long as we highlight only the positive characters…”

“Alright, then let’s maintain both as they are for now and have Na-eun finish her advertising contract, bringing back the report by next week.”

“Yes, understood!”

As the meeting proceeded, Jung So-hyun inevitably found herself giving new instructions, and the dedicated team surely had to put in overtime again today.

Yet their expressions were bright.

Thanks to the bonus they would receive this time.

Album sales had skyrocketed exponentially, and this time they surpassed 1.9 million copies for the first time in girl group history.

And while she certainly played a part in that…

Jung So-hyun blankly checked the continuing reports.

“It seems like the saying that a true star drives the audience crazy really rings true. There are countless trending posts, and all sorts of talks have emerged.”

Ultimately, the success of the songs created by member Do-hee and her generated image were the largest contributions.

“First, naturally there’s a lot of talk about the songs and lyrics. From how critics rate this track to surpassing 30 million followers… And also out of nowhere, there’s a stirring rumor about a discord with Na-eun. It’s probably about the distribution of the lyric parts…”

As Jung So-hyun pondered where to begin, she decided to emphasize just one thing.

“Now, is there any mention in the community about Do-hee being unwell?”

“Ah, no. There weren’t any posts like that. So instead, we were considering having our staff release a lighthearted piece in the form of ‘the member who performed on stage despite being sick’… or should we not?”

“Yes.”

They must be careful not to overshadow a child, who despite being unwell still diligently carried out the schedule and smiled on stage worried that the staff might misinterpret it.

“Since they are things she doesn’t want, just leave it be. Confirm with the management team whether Do-hee is definitely okay, once more.”

“Ah, understood.”

Of course, while Do-hee had been responding that she was fine during the week when asked about her condition, it was hard not to worry.

“Um, Director, there’s one thing mentioned coming from Do-hee’s fans on page 7…”

“Something mentioned?”

Jung So-hyun asked back and flipped to the page.

“Actually, even now, within Do-hee’s fandom, there are quite a few comments expressing disappointment about why only Do-hee isn’t appearing on variety shows. There’s a sentiment that Topist is blocking her to support the other members, and since this album has also successfully entered Billboard, it seems like that’s mediating it for now…”

The page highlighted that unlike the other members, Do-hee hadn’t appeared on any variety shows since her debut.

“Especially since Do-hee hadn’t even participated in any talk shows before her debut, it seems to accentuate that.”

Of course, that was true.

It wasn’t that they were intentionally excluding her.

“It’s unavoidable. You can’t force someone who doesn’t want to go to go. I’ll talk to Do-hee separately after this activity concludes.”

Managing all of that simultaneously was indeed a busy and crucial time for the group debonaire.

Since a metric Jung So-hyun has been subtly keeping an eye on was about to come up.

“Have all the major foreign name accounts been sorted?”

“Yes, we’ve organized from the fan club to translation circles, and…”

Especially the name translation accounts were crucial.

They translated debonaire’s Korean activities into English.

That follower count was a clear numerical interpretation of how many overseas fans were curious about every move of debonaire.

“Since the last album, it has increased by four times. While the Billboard rankings are indeed impressive, I think it’s also due to the American cultural atmosphere, where once you enter the charts, you start gaining recognition as an artist.”

As the new album was just now on the Billboard, and progressively changing ranks, we could assume there would be even more potential fans.

‘The two tracks entered Billboard at 76 and 83, so I’m not sure if it will update career highs…’

Still, Jung So-hyun’s instinct felt without a doubt that some awakening was occurring.

Based on origins that couldn’t be found within the reports.

“Was it this week that Do-hee is filming a challenge with NND?”

“Ah, yes, they decided to adjust their schedule to return to Korea tonight. It should be tomorrow.”

It was overly predictable yet surely likely.

* * *

“What’s that? Did you know I was coming and wait for me on the first floor?”

With her eyes slightly narrowed and a subtle smile, Do-hee greeted.

“No, it was really a coincidence…”

With her consistent appearance still holding onto her strawberry latte, Joo Seung-bin felt inexplicably nervous.

“Oh really, indeed! But you know, running into you here by coincidence also makes me glad. Are preparations for activities going well?”

“Ah, yeah… but I’m older…”

“Come on, what a bother. A three-year age gap is like being friends in society.”

“No, I just…”

With a blank mind, she couldn’t figure out how to respond.

“Ah, Team Leader Young-ho, hello.”

So she avoided Do-hee’s gaze, which seemed to be staring at her intently.

“Oh, yeah, Seung-bin, how long has it been? Wow~ but your shoulders are broader? Looks like you’ve been working out?”

“Ah, yeah, I’ve raised the intensity a bit…”

Team Leader Young-ho, the manager next to him, seemed overly delighted and distinctly reacted.

“Young-ho, you should work out too. I heard you got a girlfriend.”

“Oh really? He hasn’t been working out for quite some time.”

“No, I’ve been busy with composing and studying, so… I’m actually down a bit in weight, so what?”

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