When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar - Chapter 205
# 206
Last minute (2)
***
A building in Gangnam where the V TV Korean branch is located. The conference hall was crowded with many people. There were so many people that it was impossible to close the conference room door.
KK’s press conference was about to begin.
Today’s press conference by KK was supposed to mainly discuss stories related to V TV’s ‘COME HERE’ broadcast, which aired last night in the United States and this morning in Korea.
It was KK who received death threats during her first performance. Since it was his first time back in Korea after that incident, the interest of Korean fans and the public was bound to be high.
Even if there had been no separate incident, interest would have been high. KK was, in name and reality, the best output produced by the Korean music industry.
In addition, it was unusual for KK to hold a press conference in Korea.
In fact, KK’s ‘Continue’ activities were far outside the framework of existing singers’ activities. This was the case when they completely refused to appear on music broadcasts and made a comeback through a new medium called the me app, performing guerrilla performances here and there.
Afterwards, he immediately performed on stage in various cities in the United States.
Since they performed all over the place, they actually reached out to offline fans and the public directly, and even when they went to the U.S., they interacted well with fans through social media.
However, since there were no Korean broadcast appearances or interviews, general broadcasting and media companies could feel that communication with KK was lacking.
That is why Hit Entertainment gave it the unusually grandiose title of press conference. This press conference was an opportunity to quench the thirst felt by media companies in Korea.
It was also a gesture showing that Hit Entertainment is not neglecting the domestic media.
“In 5 minutes… we will start on time. “Please tidy up the space a bit.”
Anyway, nominally it was a promotional event for ‘COME HERE’ and the press conference was hosted by V TV.
The assistant manager of the public relations team of V TV’s Korean branch quieted the noisy space like the market floor. KK members were already preparing for a press conference in the conference room next door.
It was irrelevant to say that it was V TV officials, not the members, who were nervous ahead of the large-scale press conference.
Although it was clear that they would be bombarded with questions as it was their first time appearing in the domestic media for a long time, the KK members were already very accustomed to being in the spotlight.
But not V TV officials.
Although V TV was a large broadcasting station with branches all over the world, as well as its US headquarters, the Korean branch was only responsible for adjusting the time zone of programs sent from the US and editing them to suit Korean standards.
It was not our first time hosting such a large event as we had never launched our own program before.
“It was a branch that the headquarters didn’t pay any attention to, but thanks to KK, we were treated well…”
“I think the effect of promoting the channel in Korea is also huge.”
“I always see foreigners, but watching a show with a Korean as the main character makes me feel good.”
Aside from being nervous, V TV officials were in a very good mood.
I felt like I had finally arrived in Seoul after working in the outskirts.
Five minutes passed while the officials were talking. The assistant manager of V TV’s public relations team opened the back door of the conference room at the exact time and called in the KK members.
Members dressed in suits began to walk through the door one by one.
“Ugh.”
The assistant manager of the public relations team, who was experiencing something like this for the first time, frowned and groaned softly.
That’s how many flashes poured out all at once. The hall, which had been quiet for a while, became noisy again.
The KK members waved their hands very skillfully and found their seats. ‘hello!’ And they did not forget to greet those who came to cover them energetically.
Even though the KK members were seated, there were constant requests here and there to smile and wave to the members.
The assistant manager of the public relations team quickly went to the emcee’s seat and spoke into the microphone.
“Uh… Today’s scheduled time is about an hour. Don’t think too hastily…”
The assistant manager’s tone soon became soothing. Despite this, there was a reporter with a camera who recklessly shouted at me to look at it.
It was an extremely rude shout, but instead of frowning, the KK members smiled slightly.
“Come on, reporters! Let me start by taking questions. “I’ll have a photo time later before I leave!”
Hyungseo Ahn said in a playful voice. V TV’s assistant manager also quickly added to Ahn Hyeong-seo’s sensible response.
“yes. Uh… I’ll go in the designated order.”
The first questioner was a reporter from Kimin Ilbo.
“First of all, I would like to ask you about your thoughts on the first broadcast of ‘COME HERE’, which aired last night in the United States.”
Jeong Yoon-gi grabbed the microphone and began to joke.
“It hasn’t been broadcast in Korea yet. They said the response to the first broadcast in the US was quite good. When we came to V TV, the people involved welcomed us so much… haha. It feels good. It’s so good. It was an honor and a burden at the same time to have our program in the U.S. It’s still just the beginning, but the results are good… It feels like a bit of a burden has been lifted and we’re flying by. Feel.”
The KK members had smiles on their faces at Jung Yoon-gi’s answer.
It was only when the KK members arrived at the press conference that they heard from V TV officials that the real-time viewership rating in the U.S. was 9%.
It was an incredible record considering that the viewership rating of America’s most influential and popular audition entertainment program was in the low 10% range.
Considering that it will be broadcast simultaneously not only in the United States but also around the world today and tomorrow through the V TV channel, it was a broadcast that was even more anticipated in the future.
Next, reporters asked about the difficult moments during the performance of ‘COME HERE’, how they felt when they received a death threat, etc.
KK members took turns answering questions. It was a friendly atmosphere.
As the atmosphere was getting warmer, a new question came from an entertainment reporter.
“What are your future activity plans? “Many fans are also looking forward to our next activities.”
“We are thinking about releasing a full-length album at the end of this year or early next year. However, I plan to continue to actively engage in personal activities. As you know, Taehyung is appearing on Dancing Dancing… and you can also see our Kim Won acting as an MC on V TV in the United States.”
The reporters’ hand movements became faster as Ahn Hyeong-seo’s quick answer came out.
The news about Kim Won as MC was also new news. Kim Won laughed mischievously, drawing a ‘V’ shape with his finger at the barrage of flashes that exploded in his direction.
Hyungseo Ahn continued speaking.
“Solo and unit music will be released soon. Really soon! Also, Jihoon and I, Ahn Hyeongseo, have plans for activities, so please look forward to it!”
At Hyungseo Ahn’s words, a little laughter erupted from the press box.
They were happily saying that they were only taking a short break from group activities and that they had no plans for individual rest.
“And we have a fan meeting next month. This is a fan meeting for fans in Korea. “Hyungseo, you didn’t tell me the most important thing.”
Ahn Hyung-seo rolled his eyes at Seok Ji-hoon’s announcement and diss. The news of the fan meeting was one of the news that fans were most happy about.
The reporter who had asked the question nodded and asked back. It seemed like what I actually wanted to ask about wasn’t the activity plan.
“But will future activities also exclude domestic broadcasting activities? Since he is not appearing at all except for certain broadcasting companies… there is a lot of talk about whether there is a conflict…”
It was a very sensitive question.
For a moment, there was tension in the press conference room.
However, because it was an expected question, Dowook took the microphone.
“Not at all. It is true that due to promotional strategies and schedules… I was less able to broadcast during the ‘Continue’ promotions than other times, but there were no conflicts… or anything like that. We are always grateful to all the places that call us.”
No one here knew that KK had protested because the broadcasting companies did not treat KK properly due to pressure from large entertainment companies.
However, the broadcasting station had already raised the white flag due to the great success of the me app performance.
Production director Kwon Heung-jo’s ears were sore as he heard from broadcasting company executives that they would always do their best for KK’s performance during the next activity. For a while, there was a reception every day.
Broadcasting companies were now not only paying attention to Ara Entertainment, but were also trying to join hands with Hit Entertainment.
So, it was time for KK to give up and move on. It was because we couldn’t pretend to be with the broadcasting company forever.
In response to Dowook’s answer, a reporter from an entertainment program raised his hand and asked.
“Would you like to appear on our live broadcast?!”
Dowook smiled and responded to the reporter’s clear voice.
“of course. “Please call me anytime.”
After that, other good questions continued.
Reporters also did not ask unreasonable questions to attack KK or write provocative articles. KK had truly become a hero who brought glory to Korea, comparable to sports stars. In this atmosphere, writing a flawed article would only result in criticism.
After successfully completing the question period, the KK members had a photo time in front of reporters as promised.
It looked comfortable, but in fact, the members were a little nervous, fearing they would make a mistake.
Do-wook thought while posing in front of the camera with a face that looked like it had been painted.
As the brief press conference ended, the thoughts that had been in Do-wook’s mind since yesterday resurfaced.
‘At once…. You have to send it all at once. I can’t throw away this opportunity clumsily.’
I was worried about how to effectively send Director Seo Joong-won away so that he would never set foot on this floor again.
And the methods quickly passed by with a flash exploding in front of my eyes.
***
Director Seo Joong-won’s number for Valentine’s Day was Man to Man’s Chae Eun-ho.
Now that Man to Man’s stock price has soared, the plan to feature Chae Eun-ho, who is the most popular among them, as a solo artist was also included in Ara Entertainment’s annual plan.
Of course, Valentine’s presence in Chae Eun-ho’s solo activities was part of Ara Entertainment’s strategic strategy of ‘selling new talent.’
Originally, the timing was set for when Valentine would release his second single. But there was no time. If things continue like this, Valentine’s Day could be completely eaten up by the girls.
In that case, Director Seo Joong-won could have been reduced to an incompetent person whose projects were lost to small and medium-sized agencies twice, including Man to Man and Valentine’s Day.
For that reason, Director Seo Joong-won brought forward the release of Chae Eun-ho’s solo album.
Valentine was also able to be listed as a performer on many music broadcasts and entertainment programs in which Chae Eun-ho will appear.
The plan was to maximize Valentine’s awareness before releasing his second single.
In that situation, I thought that if I released my second single, I would be able to somehow turn around my record with the girls.
Chae Eun-ho’s music release date has been brought forward like that.
Chae Eun-ho’s comeback show, which was broadcast live on the me app, also included a Valentine’s stage.
Dowook had already figured out those plans. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who is an acquaintance at Ara Entertainment, quickly figured out the schedule.
Inside Dowook’s room at KK’s accommodation.
Dowook went to the music site and checked the music rankings.
1 – LUV Chae Eun-ho
2 – Girls of Our Time
.
.
Chae Eun-ho’s solo album ranked first on the music charts upon its release.
Dowook checked the time. It was soon time to broadcast