82 - Upki Girl

< Only I Can Hit You! > "This isn't right." Kim Sang-in's expression crumpled in frustration. "I'll call the writer, so for now, don't go inside and just wait." Addressing me, he began searching for the crew's phone number while moving towards the emergency stairway. No matter how little you know about the situation, how does it make sense, even from a commonsense perspective, to put a former member and the existing team in the same waiting room? Without any prior notice, no less. "Why? Are we changing waiting rooms?" Yona asked. "We should." "I don’t mind, though..." You might not mind, but there are other things to consider. Like Han Se-won or Aliya, for instance. Especially Han Se-won, who divides everyone into allies or enemies. Her binary view of human relationships warrants caution. If EyeContact or CEO Kim Seok-won were to make even the slightest remark or sarcastic comment about Yona, Se-won would immediately straighten up and draw the situation to the extreme. Plus, there's no way Kim Seok-won, who suffered a crushing defeat in the previous fan service battle, would keep quiet. Indeed, Se-won was already frowning at the sight of EyeContact's name on the door. She even seemed eager for a fight, a belligerent look on her face. After the cookie battle with Hong, the atmosphere had been so peaceful that she must be itching for some action. “I don’t want to see that CEO jerk’s face. Let’s just move,” I tried to dismiss it as if it were my discomfort. “Can’t we just go in? Aliya did a lot today, her legs hurt.” Aliya's plea only added to the pile of issues. “Or, Bbak Manager, could you go to the car and get my chair for me?” My title seems to change daily. Today, it's Bbak. “Oh, I'll get it for you,” Hong offered. “No, when Hong brings the chair, it’s uncomfortable. The chair tastes best when Bbak Manager brings it.” “All right, and Aliya tastes best when she’s getting hit, right?” Eunbi quipped, wrapping her arms around Aliya in a playful back hug. “Sorry." “But why should we move? There's nothing to be ashamed of, right?” Se-won interjected. The kids chimed in with their thoughts. “It’s weird. CEO Kim Seok-won usually doesn't follow us to music shows,” Yona wondered aloud just as another cacophony of greetings filled the corridor where we came from. “Hello, this is EyeContact! We’ll work hard!” Ah, what timing... It seems today we’re destined to have a showdown with them. The wave of greetings, first heard faintly, approached and soon positioned them directly before us. Five members of UPKEY Girl, nine of EyeContact, and their respective staff gathered. EyeContact noticed their name next to Yona’s on the waiting room door. "Wow, we're sharing a waiting room with Yona!" "Really?" “That’s great. Better than using it with others." "Yona, let’s go in and take a picture together!" Their false sincerity was so convincing that even I, who knew their true intentions, was briefly perplexed, wondering if they might actually be good people. CEO Kim Seok-won wore a surprisingly calm expression but soon frowned upon recognizing one face among us—a former karaoke waiter, Lee Jang-woo. “Ha, what’s this... huh? So they’ve been planning to poach you from the beginning, huh. I figured as much.” Many ears were listening, so he refrained from cursing, but internally, there's no doubt he’d already cursed us numerous times. Anticipating a lengthy exchange, I neither denied nor confirmed his words. In response to the CEO's displeasure, EyeContact’s nine members exchanged nervous glances, their spirits visibly dampened. It was evident how Karma usually treated the kids. “What are you doing, not going in?” As if it were his living room, Kim Seok-won beckoned EyeContact and their staff into the waiting room. He then scanned our members one by one before smirking at me. “I guess your company doesn’t teach manners? When they see seniors, they should greet them. Yet, all I see is them standing around. For Yona, fine, but aren’t our kids seniors to the others?” Reluctantly accepting his correct point, I rebutted. “They haven’t debuted yet, so why should they?” “Oh~ do trainees not need to greet? Learned something new today.” “We’ve decided to move waiting rooms, so don’t hassle us.” “Oh, so it’d sound like we kicked you out?” “Isn’t it uncomfortable for both sides? I’m uncomfortable.” “Why are we uncomfortable? The side with something to hide would be uncomfortable. And because there’s a lack of waiting rooms, I asked the junior writer to place us together.” “Why? Without even consulting us?” “Between using it with strangers or acquaintances, isn’t the latter better? Besides, over two years our kids have shared meals. If you’re unhappy, just standby in the hallway.” Now the mystery was solved. It turns out you were the instigator of this chaos. "Sharing meals" my foot, you likely just wanted to brag about how well you’re doing lately. Hey, I’m not doing this for my benefit. I’m trying to protect your kids here. Is it okay if the waiting room turns into a bloodbath? “Bbak Manager, do you owe them money?” It was too late already. Kim Seok-won’s strong provocation had provoked a response from our side’s attention-seeker. “I haven’t borrowed any money.” “Then why act so subservient? You look like a debtor meeting a creditor. I didn’t raise Bbak Manager to be weak like this.” “Why do you care how I was raised…” “Wow, this company is a messy patchwork!” Aliya and my conversation seemed to amuse Kim Seok-won as his eyes gleamed with interest. "This doesn't seem like a friendly relationship. Isn’t it a bit radical for a trainee to be on casual terms with a manager of your level, acting like a superior too, am I right?" Of course, she'd be above me. She's the investor. "Well, our company’s situation is none of your concern..." "Manager Bbak, that guy seems unpleasant. Can’t you tell him to go away? Just breathing the same air feels like it's polluting Aliya’s lungs. I feel like I'm going to get a respiratory disease. Warning, warning.” "Are you talking to me right now? This is chaos. Who are you, are you from abroad?" "Aaah, this is unpleasant, Manager Bbak! Tell him not to talk to me, hurry up! I feel like I'm catching vulgarity!" "Aliya, that's enough. This isn’t the place for that." Yona tried to intervene, but Aliya’s mood was clearly twisted. Instead of whimpering as usual, she shot back with unexpected determination. "Isn't that the CEO who wronged you, unnie? Is he a gangster? Aliya really hates gangsters. Hates with a passion!" Phew, it’s blown up. The ticking time bomb has exploded. Kim Seok-won was left speechless, visibly thrown into confusion. Yes, that's the normal reaction. It's normal not to understand any of this. "Manager Bbak, what are you doing? His lips are twitching. Tell him to leave before he talks to me!" With Aliya’s antics, other singers and managers gathered around us, forming a semicircle. Great. Just great. We’ve drawn attention even before debuting. However, the real confrontation was just beginning. Our ever-helpful attention seeker kindly relayed Aliya’s message to Mr. Kim. "Excuse me, our youngest says they feel like they're catching vulgarity, so please don't talk to them." "What on earth? Are you kids insane?" "Ugh, this is frustrating... Manager Bbak, let's not move the waiting room. Why should we? The more I think about it, the angrier I get." Sewon-ah, then maybe stop thinking about it. "Wow, are you guys out of control? Are you on drugs? Are you picking a fight with me?" "Oh, what a surprise. Why are you yelling? Do you think others aren't yelling because they can't?" Due to her father’s influence, Sewon, like Aliya, also harbors a distaste for middle-aged men. From a third party’s perspective, it would seem as though we were the villains. Kim Seok-won seized this opportunity to sway public opinion in his favor. "Wow, imagining these kinds of girls pretending to be nice in front of cameras and fans is chilling. Don’t you realize people like you make us look bad too?" Though unjust, the situation isn't favorable. Yet, it wasn’t at its worst. Our Han Se-won had not even started. Before things could get dire, I warned Se-won with an earnest, dignified expression. "Han Se-won, that’s enough." In earlier times, she might have retorted with something like, "Sure, I'm always the bad guy." But thanks to continuous counseling, she refrained. Thankfully, she ended it by simply glaring daggers at the CEO. But then… "Oh wow, for a third-rate company, you sure have a lot to say. Anyone would think you’re KU or 3S-level. What did you say your agency’s name was? Garma Entertainment? That name’s a joke." Today's explosion was from Number 5, not Number 2. I can’t handle her. We're polar opposites, and if I interfere, she'll only blow up more. "Manager Bbak, just don’t engage with him anymore. Seeing you being undermined bothers Aliya." "Hey, who's being undermined..." "What, couldn't even get a word in and just whimpered? Do you think you can survive in the tough entertainment industry like that? I thought you were capable, but I guess I misjudged. My mistake." I dislike you more than Kim Seok-won. Her remark, sounding like a superior chastising a subordinate, earned snickers from the managers observing. No, no. They don’t know who she is. Despite appearances, she's the real owner of the Oscar Hotel—a platinum-level elite who’s only ever led people her whole life. "What's going on here?" Fortunately, Manager Kim Sang-in appeared. Kim Seok-won seemed to recognize him. Despite everything, he extended his hand to greet him. "Oh, aren’t you the Manager of the Planning Media Management Department?" "Yes, that’s correct." "I'm Kim Seok-won. We met back at the Snow Land event, if you remember? We exchanged business cards." "Of course, I remember. You’re Director Kim Seok-won of KU Entertainment." "Oh, you remember." Realizing he was on our side, Kim Seok-won subtly inquired. "Did you switch companies?" "Yes, I’m currently the chief manager for Yona’s solo activities." "Oh, I see." Kim Sang-in's appearance took some wind out of Kim Seok-won’s sails. "Did the CEO say we could share the waiting room?" "Yes, well... it's comfortable since they used to work together..." "Oh, so that’s what it was." "Even after leaving, the kids keep in touch." It was hard to refute since it was true. Additionally, there was no reason to reveal discord in front of other company’s artists and staff. Manager Kim Sang-in, sensing the onlookers, opened the waiting room door and gestured to Kim Seok-won with a friendly smile. "Let’s go inside. We’re up second, so we need to prepare." With a settled atmosphere, we entered the waiting room where EyeContact had already made themselves comfortable. Upon entering the room last, Manager Kim Sang-in asked the stylists and makeup artists from both teams to step out briefly. Then he approached Kim Seok-won, who was sitting down, and, with a drastically changed expression, confronted him. "What exactly do you think you're doing with us?" "Uh...?" "Why do you decide on someone else's waiting room without consent?" "Well, the kids are friends, so..." "Do you not understand what I mean? Why is it your decision to make?" In terms of age and experience, Manager Kim Sang-in should have been at a disadvantage. Kim Seok-won, after all, had once been an executive director at KU Entertainment before becoming the CEO of his own company. Yet, Kim Sang-in was calm and assertive, firmly standing his ground and overwhelming Kim Seok-won. "You must know that a poorly chosen waiting room can affect the artists' condition, and I doubt you believe Yona and EyeContact genuinely get along. Yona didn’t leave your company on good terms either." "But the kids are friendly with each other…" "Let’s not play games here. You were an executive at KU, and this kind of cheap ploy just makes you look bad. We have nothing underhanded planned for Yona’s album, so let’s just compete fairly without stifling those working hard." That was exactly what I wanted to say. I felt a strong urge to learn from him and make him my role model. Before Kim Seok-won could muster a response, Manager Kim Sang-in turned to Lee Jang-woo. "Jang-woo, please let the staff back in." Just when it seemed like things would settle down, an unexpected development occurred. Se-won and EyeContact's leader, Su-mi, exchanged glares. Just as I thought Su-mi might be a force to reckon with, she smiled sweetly and said to Se-won, "I really enjoyed NoDue. You sing so well." "Thank you. I also enjoyed ‘Revenge’. The lyrics really resonated with me." "Are you debuting as a team with Yona?" "Yes. Yona’s our team leader." "Wow, Yona’s doing well, huh. Abandoning the members she struggled with was worth it, right?" A younger member from EyeContact butted in, stirring the pot. "Didn't Yona always want to be a leader?" "Oh, really? How did I not know? Yona, it’s great you got what you wanted. Congratulations." Despite Su-mi’s sarcasm, Yona maintained her composure. "It's not like that, and you know it. I hold no grudge against any of you, so let’s not do this." "Why are you being like this? I genuinely meant to congratulate you." Su-mi's facade of politeness cracked in an instant. Her face, once adorned with a rehearsed smile, turned icy cold. "Do you enjoy acting all high and mighty after abandoning your struggling teammates?" A low chuckle emanated from some of the EyeContact members. Phew, Yona took a deep breath, striving for self-control. Crack. The sound of patience snapping from the UPKEY Girl members. "Hong, do you hear the sound of a dog barking somewhere?" Se-won asked Hong as she playfully cleaned her ears. Hong feigned surprise and responded, "What? Was that a dog barking? I thought it was some unheard-of girl group leader making noise." The synergy of two 1997-born members, once at odds over cookie disputes, now united was heartwarming. "Wow, acting like they’re something so special. One’s a former outcast loner, the other's a bumpkin from Jeju Island. If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed to associate with them." Su-mi was no pushover either. She deftly turned the tables by bringing up the backstories shared in NoDue involving Se-won and Eun-bi. And then it happened. *Smack* Yona had stepped forward and slapped Su-mi across the face. It was the first time I’d seen such an expression from Yona. “Lee Yona, did you just hit me…” “Shut up, Baek Su-mi. You have no right to talk about my members like that. They are a million times better than you who think it’s fine to succeed by selling yourself rather than improving your skills.” “You crazy bitch. Does saying that make you clean? Acting like you're the only righteous one!” As Su-mi spat those words, Kim Seok-won, who had somehow moved behind Yona, slapped her. *Smack* “You little—violence, really? Is this what you resort to?” Flames of fury surged uncharacteristically through my chest. “You bastard! How dare you hit her! What have you ever done for Yona?” An ultra-quick punch! *Thwack* I hadn’t hit anyone since elementary school. That punch ignited a full-blown scuffle between Kim Seok-won and me. “You son of a bitch!” “Screeeeam!” “Jang-woo, lock the door first!” “Yes, it’s locked!” I’d never been in a proper fight, but I thought I could hold my own. Yet here I was, somehow pinned under Kim Seok-won, my head getting mercilessly slapped. Though it didn’t hurt, the humiliation in front of the girls was unbearable. Kim Sang-in and the UPKEY Girl members were trying to pry us apart, but we were thoroughly entangled, refusing to separate. "Squeal! Oppa! Please break it up! What should we do!" “This crazy bastard dares to hit someone! Hey! Cut it out!” “Don't! Don’t hit our manager!” “Damn, damn!” As the kids’ screams filled my ears, Aliya's distinctive bossy and petulant voice rose above all else. “Aaah! Don’t hit my Bbak! Get him off quickly! Bbak is the only one I can hit! If anyone’s hitting him, it better be me!” Who even set such a rule? < Only I Can Hit You! > End