The Maknae Has to Be an Idol

I told Yoo Won-Dong my reason for coming to this meeting.

“So, to summarize, you want to propel an investment withdrawal to block Bleshu’s debut? Haha…” Yon Won-Dong summarized my plan in one sentence. This was the plan that I came up with to shatter Bleshu’s debut after talking to Han Do-Young. It was to stop Bleshu’s debut by increasing the probability of an investment withdrawal.

Even if Yoo Won Dong didn’t immediately make an investment withdrawal happen, he just needed to make room for it in the future. My reasoning behind this plan was simple. According to Han Do-Young, it wasn’t the whole company, G&B Entertainment, that was the problem but its director. Thus, I needed to find a strong method that could control the director’s actions.

Someone who invested in a small company like G&B Entertainment would probably be someone who has been in the business for a long time; and if that was the case, there was a high possibility that Yoo Won-Dong knew who that investor was. Though Yoo Won-Dong hadn’t worked in management before, he was someone who had been employed by the nation’s biggest entertainment company named JI ENM for a while.

Thus, I thought Yoo Won-Dong could use his connection to pressure the director of G&B and ultimately, push Bleshu’s debut to a later date or make it null. I knew I was asking for a lot. It wasn’t like Yoo Won-Dong had some magic lamp to find an investor with just a rub. Yet, I didn’t think the possibility was 0%.

‘I’m sure he will be able to find the investor in the end.’ Even if there wasn’t one in Yoo Won-Dong’s immediate connections, someone related could pop up after reaching far enough. After all, it wasn’t like this entertainment scene was that large, and I had confidence in Yoo Won-Dong’s connections. Thus, I didn’t think it would be that difficult for Yoo Won-Dong to find G&B Entertainment’s investor.

Yoo Won-Dong placed the menu sheet in the corner and stared at me quietly. I knew I was making quite the outlandish request and visiting him out of the blue to stop Bleshu’s debut. Most bosses might have told me to stop uttering nonsense and piss off. They would’ve scolded me for acting too boldly for my age and asked me where I came up with such strange ideas.

Yet, I wanted to believe in Yoo Won-Dong a bit right now. Though my first impression of him wasn’t good at all, and I couldn’t say his actions improved much after that, I wanted to give him the benefit of doubt because of recent incidents. I didn’t think Yoo Won-Dong would simply brush me off; and if he provided me a suitable reason for refusing or another solution to my problem, I was fine with him disagreeing with my request too. I looked at Yoo Won-Dong expectantly.

As if he was trying to meet my expectations, Yoo Won-Dong began, “First of all, let me say that I understand what you are trying to say. Since achieving Triple Crown All-Kill is an important part of our plan, it’s understandable that Bleshu’s debut bothers you.” Yoo Won-Dong didn’t begin his speech by making light of my concerns. Yet, of course, it wasn’t like he readily agreed with me either.

“Yet, even if I utilize the individual investors or investing corporations in my connections, it will be almost impossible for me to usher an investment retraction for another company.” Yoo Won-Dong used quite firm word choices such as ‘impossible’ to refute. He continued, “There has to be a very strong basis to retract an investment that is already in progress. Yet, what we have right now is too weak.”

‘Our basis is too weak?’ I wanted to point out how strong plagiarism is as a basis, but Yoo Won-Dong spoke first.

“Of course, plagiarism is a big issue, yet it isn’t enough to use that as a reason for investors to retract their investment. There isn’t enough time and irrefutable data to convince investors that this issue would lead to significant sales and profit loss. This is the basis that I’m talking about—an objective marker that can be written in numbers.”

Because Yoo Won-Dong explained the issue so clearly and succinctly to me, I didn’t know how to reply. Was this the skill of a corporate manager? No, perhaps, this was the perspective of an average company worker. It was a realm I wasn’t familiar with since I had never worked at a company. Anyways, I realized I had thought too lightly of the matter and Yoo Won-Dong had a point.

‘But it’s not like we can do nothing.’ Investment withdrawal was simply one of the several possibilities that I thought of. If it didn’t work, we needed to think of a more plausible and immediate way to put pressure on G&B Entertainment’s director. Perhaps, Yoo Won-Dong sensed that my thoughts were deepening, and he began to say his own opinions.

“I get that you are concerned about Bleshu’s plagiarism, but I personally think we have to wait things out a bit longer. This industry isn’t so morally corrupt that it would consume an album with plagiarism issues. I don’t think you will have much problems with achieving Triple Crown All-Kill.”

‘Hold on.’ I stared quietly at Yoo Won-Dong. It was then I suddenly came to a realization what kind of person I was sitting in front of. Yoo Won-Dong was a man in his mid-fifties. He was a student at a prestigious law school and was a member of a big national corporation, JI ENM. JI ENM was a place that held almost an omnipotent level of power in the entertainment world. It was a fearsome place where if they wished for it, they could easily take over a mid-sized company.

‘Ah.’ That made me think of a much simpler and realistic solution. It was so simple that I blamed myself for not having thought of it earlier.

“Director,” I called Yoo Won-Dong. Yoo Won-Dong looked at me to go on, and I began to brief him of the idea that just came to my mind. “This is an idea that I just thought of based on the expression, ‘Keep your friends close but your enemies closer…’

Yoo Won-Dong looked at me puzzledly at first but eventually, he nodded rigorously in understanding. “That will be much cleaner. It has a much higher possibility of success too,” He even commented in the end.

“I just thought of it at the moment. I’m glad you think it’s plausible.”

“Yes, I understand. Then, I will try to push things in the direction you proposed.” Considering Yoo Won-Dong’s personality, it appeared he was telling me that my proposal would go through without many difficulties. I finally felt like I could breathe. Perhaps, Yoo Won-Dong noticed how my face brightened and remarked.

“You look much more satisfied now,” he said.

“Ah, yes. I had been grappling with the matter for the past days and it feels like it has finally been resolved.”

“I’m glad I was able to help. Then, let’s eat now,” Yoo Won-Dong said and ordered two expensive lunch sets. A twelve-dish set with well-cooked marinated beef was soon prepared on the table. Yet, all I touched was a salad side dish with Yuzu dressing.

“Aren’t you going…to eat the meat…?” Yoo Won-Dong asked me.

“…But I’m in the middle of our activities period…?”

Having marinated beef while I was in my activities period would be insane. Yet, Yoo Won-Dong simply stared at me in bafflement.

***

Bleshu’s leader, Han Do-Young, sat in his dorm’s living room and stared blankly at the calendar hanging on the wall. His eyes hovered at the area decorated with a big red circle with the words, ‘Debut day!’. When they had first drawn that circle on the calendar, he wished for the day to come sooner.

“Haa.” Yet, now, it felt as if that day was his prosecution date. The rest of the Bleshu members were also all out in the living room, doing their own tasks. There was a heavy silence between them. Ever since they got caught up in the plagiarism scandal, the team’s mood was growing heavier and more solemn.

“It’s about time to eat dinner…what should we have guys?” Han Do-Young thought he still couldn’t starve his members and suggested eating something.

“I’m fine.”

“…Me too.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Same…”

It seemed nobody had an appetite.

“You still have to eat something. Let’s not think about dieting and eat something tasty. Hm?” Han Do-Young tried to brighten up the mood, but no one responded to his efforts. He looked at the members surrounding him in the living room. Everyone looked down and in low spirits. Even he, the leader, felt like everyone would point fingers and reprimand him if he went out right now, so it was probably no different for the members.

‘The plagiarizing group’— it was one of the worst keywords that a debuting singer could gain. No matter what kind of song they released or what kind of award they received in the future, it appeared there would be no honor for Bleshu. Those three words would follow them everywhere like the scarlet letter. It was then one of the members spoke.

“Do-Young...will it really be all right for us to debut…?”

“…”

The living room became more solemn with that question. But soon afterward, as if a dam blocking the waters broke, the members began to pour out their thoughts at once.

“Will it really be any good for us…to debut with something like this…?”

“It will be our faces everyone will know…only we will be marked as the plagiarism singers.”

“What if people only know us from this? It won’t be easy if we try to get back to normal life…”

“I’m scared to debut…”

Do-Young stood in front of the kitchen table and clenched his teeth. There was nothing they could do.

“We will be breaching the contract…if we don’t debut…”

They weren’t confident in winning a case against the company either. If they breached the contract, they would have to pay a great amount of compensation fees. In the end, they had no choice but to force themselves on this path with no glory or honor. Upon this realization, the members felt all the energy from their bodies leave them.

Whoosh— Perhaps, it was all the stress he had been getting these days but Do-Young felt his body tilt.

“Do-Young!” All the members rushed to catch Do-Young.

With the members’ help, Do-Young leaned his body against the chair. All he could do in reply was, “I’m sorry…guys…”

He should’ve refused the very first moment he heard the song and its concept. No matter how strong the company’s stance was, they should’ve also stood their ground firmly. Then, they wouldn’t have come all this way. Because he didn’t step out as the leader, all his members had also stayed quiet. Guilt and a sense of responsibility chained Do-Young’s neck and constricted him.

“If only I had refused properly in the beginning…” Do-Young reprimanded himself and one of his teammates hugged around his shoulders.

“No, that’s not true…”

“Nobody here thinks you are at fault.”

“Do-Young…please don’t say that…”

At the members’ kind words, Do-Young burst into tears. He had told himself to not cry in front of his members and quickly wiped his eyes.

“Thank you. I will try not to think like that.” Do-Young said, trying to appear more cheery.

Zing—! His phone on the kitchen table vibrated then. Do-Young saw the name on his phone screen and murmured, “Director…?”

“Huh?”

“Why at this time?”

Gasp…!

It was from the director of G&B Entertainment. Do-Young quickly cleared his throat and accepted the call.

“Yes, it’s Han Do-Young.” Whenever he talked to the director, Do-Young felt his insides twist and his breath knocked out of him. He wished for the call to end quickly as soon as he accepted it.

—Haa…those Jaeil group bastards…

The director cursed as soon as the call started. Do-Young felt out of breath already.

—Hey, you guys’ debut date is going to be pushed back to this winter. Don’t make a fuss and wait until you are told what to do.

“…Sorry, sir?”

—I said your debut date is pushed! Don’t make me repeat it! You want to also get on my nerves when I’m already pissed off?

“Ah, no. I understand. I will share the news with my members.”

—Okay then. End the call.

“Yes, thank you, sir.” Do-Young ended the call. Though it was a very one-sided, unpleasant conversation inundated with cursing…

“Do-Young?”

“Huh?”

“Do-Young!”

As soon as the call ended, he placed his face on his palms and cried. The tears this time were of a different kind from just before.

“We aren’t going to debut…!”

“Really?”

“What?”

“That’s awesome!”

Though they were a debut group whose debut date just got canceled, Bleshu members' faces couldn’t look brighter.