When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar - Chapter 53
# 53
One-time glory (3)
“It’s been a while, bro.”
“Does your face look good?”
When Do-wook found out that Jo Jung-min left the agency and became a back dancer for Man to Man, he hoped that Jo Jung-min had decided something differently.
I hope you stop bothering someone and have a new mindset.
However, from Jo Jung-min’s expression and tone of voice, Do-wook realized that his wish had not come true.
Jo Jung-min irritated and tapped Do-wook on the shoulder.
Do-wook looked at Jo Jung-min wordlessly. Jo Jung-min frowned. Behind Jo Jung-min, the back dancers were whispering among themselves as they looked at Jo Jung-min pretending to know Kang Do-wook from KK.
“Where are the other kids?”
“It’s in the waiting room.”
“Park Taehyung, how is that bastard doing?”
“…….”
“Have you become mute?”
Do-wook no longer wanted to talk to Jo Jung-min.
‘Human nature doesn’t change easily…’
Even after going from a trainee who was about to debut to a back dancer, Jo Jung-min still seemed unable to come to his senses. It wasn’t that the back dancers were bad. Jo Jung-min was not a professional back dancer but a prospective trainee at Ara Entertainment.
Ara Entertainment was a large entertainment company that produced many popular idols. Because it was an agency known as the gateway to stardom, the competition to become an official trainee was enormous. There was even talk that becoming an official trainee was as difficult as debuting.
In order to become an official trainee of Ara Entertainment, Jo Jung-min applied himself as a prospective trainee as a back dancer for Man to Man.
If Do-wook had been in that situation, he would have been busy quietly going his own way.
‘It’s not like you’re going to start a fight.’
Dowook sighed briefly. Jeong-min Jo, who was agitated by Do-wook’s sigh, tried to say more but swallowed it.
This was because from behind, the back dancers could be heard greeting the Man to Man member passing through the waiting room hallway.
“We’ll see how long this goes well.”
Jo Jung-min clenched his teeth and muttered lowly. Dowook didn’t even pretend to hear. I no longer felt it was worth giving advice.
“Do-wook! “It was here.”
It was Obin who approached Dowook while saying hello to the back dancers. Obin, who was going to the bathroom, found Do-wook standing with his back dancer and ran to him.
“I heard that KK is also coming out, and this is what it looks like!”
“That’s right, bro. How you doing?”
“then. Have a nice day! But do you know each other…?”
As both of them vaguely postponed their answers, Obin did not ask any more questions.
Jo Jeong-min bowed towards Obin and stepped back. Do-wook shook his head slightly as he watched Jo Jung-min blend in with the group of back dancers again.
Because the results of the ‘Rendezvous Project’ were so good, ‘Rendezvous Project’ guerrilla performances were also held once or twice as an event.
Therefore, I had the opportunity to meet a couple of times even after the commercial filming was over, and I especially became closer to Obin, who was working in the same industry. Obin’s friendliness also played a big role.
Obin was purely enamored with Dowook’s sincere and serious humanity, which he felt while filming the commercial.
Do-wook felt a little uncomfortable about becoming close with ‘Man to Man’. Man-to-man was an opponent he had to defeat. It was also a revenge opponent.
But I soon changed my mind.
Beating Man to Man and reaching the top of the music industry was a goal I had to have anyway once I became a singer. It was the same just looking at the other KK members.
Although Man to Man was not their opponent and they did not have any personal feelings towards them, they often said that they had to beat Man to Man as they were nominated together for the Rookie of the Year award and were continuously pointed out as a rival group.
‘Once you debut, it’s like an instinct to want to be the best.’
Obin probably felt the same way, but he showed no such expression at all. Rather than saying they had a plan, they were clearly distinguishing between a rivalry that they wanted to win in the group or at work and a personal relationship.
Obin just smiled and sometimes seemed insignificant compared to his size, but Dowook respected Obin for that.
‘My revenge opponent is Seo Kang-jun, not Man-to-Man.’
Thinking like that, Do-wook opened his heart to Obin to some extent.
Obin looked around to see if he had something to say. In the hallway where the back dancers passed, Obin and Dowook were the only ones.
It was a ‘hesitation’ that a normal Obin could not imagine.
“Bin hyung?”
“ah. Should I talk? “Now that Dowook sees your face like this, I feel like I have to tell him.”
With a groaning sound, Obin grabbed the side of his head.
“What is it?”
“Anything from your company?”
Obin’s face became even more desperate as Do-wook’s face showed that he knew nothing. If Dowook had known, it would have been easier because he didn’t have to say anything.
“I don’t know the details either. “It’s strange because the company keeps saying that the Rookie of the Year Award is of course ours.”
There were still about two weeks left in the online voting period, and the album tally was the same. It was a situation where nothing was taken for granted.
“Honestly, I’d be happy if we received it. But I don’t like feeling uncomfortable.”
Dowook nodded slowly. I felt like I knew what he wanted to say. Obin brushed off the side of his hair that he had pulled out and tidied it up.
“You know our company.”
It was a word with many words.
***
Seo Joong-won, head of Ara Entertainment. The insiders knew publicly that Seo Kang-jun’s father was Seo Joong-won.
Seo Kang-joon didn’t debut thanks to Director Seo Joong-won.
Although he wasn’t the best singer or dancer in terms of ability, Seo Kang-Jun already had the best face.
Seo Kang-joon boasted a truly ‘flowery beauty’ that made it hard to believe that he was the biological son of the rugged-looking director Seo Joong-won.
Therefore, there was no backstory until he became an official trainee at Ara Entertainment and debuted.
However, the problem began after Seo Kang-jun’s debut.
The capital invested by Director Seo Joong-won into Man to Man was significantly more than that of other groups. Although Ara Entertainment already had sufficient capital and it was clear that Man to Man was a group worth investing in, there were times when it was too much.
Also, Seo Kang-jun’s cocky attitude, which had changed since his debut, was also a problem.
He upset other members with his completely self-centered and selfish attitude. However, it was not easy to express dissatisfaction. Because being hated by Seo Kang-jun meant being hated by Director Seo as well.
The internal situation was being discussed among the people inside. If they had accidentally leaked words, they would have been in big trouble.
“Director Seo, did you go to SVS last time to negotiate?”
“Oh, okay. Today is also entertainment golf. I heard you said they wouldn’t let you appear in Four Directions. What if I don’t give you the Man-to-Man Rookie Award?”
“Oh, so the rumors that were going around during the Pinky Girls Daesang Awards are true?”
“What can I say? “You must have been Pinky Girls’ Jihye, and she was very pretty.”
“Oh my…”
The two secretaries in front of the general manager’s office were busy whispering among themselves and talking about the general manager’s secret dealings.
“Secretary Kim, you know where you go and watch your mouth, right?”
“of course! What am I trying to do? But what if I’m careful? “I know, I know, there are rumors, so people will know.”
“but. “I don’t know where all these rumors come from.”
At that time, the door to the director’s office opened and Director Seo came out wearing golf wear. The two people who were whispering stood up with calm faces and greeted the head of the department.
“I have parked the car in the manager’s lobby.”
“Hmm, okay.”
While the manager briefly told the general manager about the next schedule, Secretary Kim quickly pressed the elevator button and made the elevator wait.
“I’m going to go straight to work after playing a round, so you can leave work on your own.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The reason why Director Seo was able to negotiate with SVS for the Man-to-Man Rookie Award was because the gap between KK and Man-to-Man was not yet large.
The Rookie of the Year Award was an award that any singer or actor was given only one chance to receive. It was that meaningful.
Of course, there were also cases where a person was not nominated for the Rookie of the Year award but later came up and received the grand prize.
However, it would have been a blemish on Ara Entertainment’s reputation that Man to Man, who had put the title of Ara Entertainment’s ‘rightful son’ on the line to continue the popularity of Sabang Shinhwa, missed out on the Rookie of the Year award.
As the head of Ara Entertainment, my pride was hurt, and it made no sense as I had invested capital into the man-to-man business.
In fact, it didn’t make sense for there to be a group that threatened Man to Man’s position like this. However, a group called KK was already threatening Man to Man.
‘To prevent further incidents from happening here, we must win the Rookie of the Year award.’
Director Seo’s idea was that only then could people perceive that Man-to-Man’s popularity was not inferior to, but rather superior to, K-K’s.
***
[Hello Do-wook oppa!!!
I don’t know if you’ll read this letterㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
I’m Jiyoung who loves my brother so much!!!
I’m saving up my pocket money, but I don’t think I can go to the fan signing event because it’s too expensive, and I
‘m afraid they won’t receive it if I send a letter to the company. I’m sorry.
But I really wanted to give you a letter and a gift.
It’s a thousand flowers that make wishes come true haha
I was so happy making this!
I really hope that KK gets the Rookie of the Year award.
I think I’ll be happier if I see her smiling after receiving the Rookie of the Year award…
That’s why I’m voting hard every day!
When I listen to your song, I sleep well, and when I see your face, I get strength…
You are my health medicine, nutrients, vitamins, and vitality of lifeㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
I love you so so much ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I can’t imagine my life when I didn’t know Dowook.
Please continue to sing good songs!
Oppa, you may be tired, but cheer up ㅠㅠ I’ll do my best too! I love you♡♡]
Do-wook was reading the letter he had just received in the car on the way back to his accommodation.
On the way back to the parking lot after the concert, a fan waiting in the parking lot broke through the cover of the manager and security guard and gave me a letter and gift.
At first glance, she was a young middle school girl wearing a school uniform.
It wasn’t an appropriate place to hand out letters or gifts, but he was a young student and knew that this was the case out of pure heart, so Do-wook also accepted the letter.
When I told the student who was being kicked out not to do this again, the female student nodded about 100 times and was dragged out.
As expected, the content of the letter was very cute. The gift given was also a thousand flowers folded from colored paper.
Luxury accessories, expensive brand clothes, electronic devices, and even health care products. Among the gifts that are mostly expensive, the ones that were prepared with great care felt rather special.
“Acquaintance, you are amazing. “Is it really a thousand?”
Hyungseo Ahn asked while looking at the flowers in the glass bottle.
“Would you like to count?”
Kim Won stepped forward to help Ahn Hyeong-seo. When I arrived at the accommodation, I was really going to count it.
Reading the fan’s letter again in the dark car, Do-wook recalled Obin’s words.
‘It is clear that Ara Entertainment is planning something. It can’t stay like this….’
Do-wook saw Oh Baek-ho in the front seat driving.
***
The next morning, Do-wook, who had organized his thoughts through early morning exercise, first talked separately with Oh Baek-ho.
Oh Baek-ho was surprised for a moment when he heard that Ara Entertainment was doing something, but then decided that it was a very possible story.
“If that’s the case… Director Kwon might know about it.”
“Director Kwon?”
“okay. “You know, but there may be no way.”
The afterword omitted that it still lacks power compared to Ara Enter. The mood of Do-wook and Oh Baek-ho calmed down.
At that time, Oh Baek-ho’s cell phone rang. It was a call from production director Kwon Heung-jo.
“Huh, did you have CCTV in your dorm?”
Director Oh Baek-ho muttered and pressed the call button.
“Yes, Director! “I still want to contact you…”
Do-wook quietly waited for the phone call between Oh Baek-ho and Director Kwon.
Oh Baek-ho, who had been listening to Director Kwon for a while, looked surprised and asked.
“yes? “Good news?”