116 - Upki Girl

< Tactics and Expectations in "Replay Girl" > After a deep conversation with Yona, it was decided that "Replay Girl" participation would proceed as planned. The recording period is two months. The show is organized into 18 episodes featuring a total of 15 girl groups. The mission involves performing various tasks required of an all-around entertainer idol, including singing, dancing, variety shows, acting, and reporting. Teams are eliminated starting from episode five, based on evaluations by a panel of judges and netizen votes. Additionally, the team that ranks first each week receives a special stage and promotional benefits. So far, 13 teams, including Upkey Girl, have confirmed their participation or expressed interest. I listed their names, number of members, and unique traits in my phone notes to gauge where Upkey Girl stands. 1. Upkey Girl (5): Seowon is the light, and Yeonhong is the truth! Let's win!!!!!! 2. Eye Contact (9): Kim Seok-won is a jerk. They need to be crushed. They changed to a solid sexy concept and significantly raised their profile with a no-underwear marketing tactic. 3. Happy Joy (5): No grudges in this life, but thinking of what they did to Eunbit in a past one, they should be dusted too. Promoted as the younger sibling group of Plan L, but currently have a poor recognition. 4. Teenagers (8): This team has the idol otaku's 'Haru' as a member. They lack a top-ranking song but are still close to being a top-tier contender with a girl hip-hop concept. 5. Your Girl (7): Holds the title of Top 3 Girl’s 'Mini'. Pure concept. 6. Lip Balm (4): Originated from a dance team. Eye Contact’s no-underwear marketing is nothing in comparison to their pure sexy allure. Their video makes you shiver. Oldest average age. Can they handle live performances? 7. Apple Soda (5): Produced ambitiously by the famous producer 'Jang-go'. Despite good company support and talented, beautiful members, they remain a submarine group that can't rise. Several member changes have blurred their team color. 8. Pink Candy (6): Looks like a Japanese idol group. A spoon of purity, three scoops of absurdity. Known for lively songs but perplexing, bizarre choreography like performance art. 9. GIG (7): Holds the title of Top 3 Girl’s 'Hyejin'. Despite Hyejin’s energetic appearance in many variety shows, the team’s performance remains stagnant. 10. Love1 (9): Holds the title of Top 3 Girl’s 'Yeonha'. Strong contender for the new visual top 3 with Yona, pure concept. 11. Promisshu12 (12): Formed less than a month ago, a product of B-Music's girl group audition. Personally, they are very pretty. Hehe... 12. Ladybug (6): What kind of team name is this? The company’s president must be a bug enthusiast, given the company is named Fabre Entertainment... 13. Power of Girls (3): An unknown of unknowns. Besides Teenagers and Eye Contact, they all have a similar level of recognition. In terms of overall awareness of girl groups, they’re in the 3rd to 5th tiers. To put it kindly, it's a competition of dwarfs. Crudely, it’s a skirmish of small fries. Of course, that means their fame, not their actual skills. These are professionals who survived the fierce competition ratios in idol-saturated Korea, with some members possessing talent and aura comparable to our kids. It means that our competitors are all other teams, not small groups like Eye Contact or Happy Joy. So, what is Upkey Girl's current level of recognition among the participants? Having steadily built issues—like being known as "praised idols" and "value-for-money idols"—around their fandom, and with the trendy success of Yonna and Hong combo's girl crush vibe, I would say they’re likely the 3rd most recognized group following Teenagers and Eye Contact. The unexpected success of the girl crush is likely a shock to Kim Seok-won and Jin Sang-yoon CP. The "spoiler" video shown by the information window depicted a situation before the girl crush recording began. Thanks to the unexpected explosion of the girl crush, the name value of Upkey Girl has drastically changed since then. Thus, Jin Sang-yoon CP’s perspective likely altered a bit. The current Upkey Girl isn’t a card to be let go of in the first round or have their exposure reduced. Once filming begins, their true worth will undoubtedly become evident. Despite the association with Seok-won, Jin Sang-yoon is an experienced PD with over 15 years in the field; surely he understands the significance. Like us, other teams also have high expectations for "Replay Girl." Produced by the public broadcaster SBS and a guaranteed follow-up to a program known as "Concrete Ratings," supported and co-produced by a specialized culture industry corporation (SIC), its investment and support are assured. The winning team’s rewards include a sponsorship of 300 million Korean won for the production of their next album and guaranteed appearances on various broadcasts produced by SBS. The main judges are comprised of leading singers or producers in the entertainment industry. Moreover, top-tier stars will mentor in each mission. However, with such rewards come risks. The biggest concern is the joint management rights with SIC. Known as a specialized or limited culture industry company, it's a paper company established solely for this project (Replay Girl) to ensure the project's independence and transparency in investment, yadda yadda. From the moment the first broadcast begins, the participants must coordinate schedules and share profits with SIC over the next six months. Though they say they'll consider the agency’s situations and circumstances as much as possible, friction will inevitably occur. They need to maximize profits within a given time frame, so it’s obvious they’ll be intense. The agency must guard against image consumption and deteriorating health from excessive schedules, and should consider conflicts with other participating agencies. As the number of large-scale audition programs featuring already debuted singers from various companies increases, tension and noise often arise from shared management rights (agency vs. broadcaster, SIC). Thus, Upkey Girl's first goal in participating in "Replay Girl" is to win, and the second is to secure autonomy in the shared management aspect. The members are currently in intense practice sessions, divided into team, unit, and solo parts, to prepare for the first recording, which is three weeks away. Yona, Upkey Girl’s center and the team’s balance, had been juggling between "Replay Girl" and "Girl Crush," almost facing burnout. Luckily, her exit from the Round of 16 in "Girl Crush" allows her to focus on "Replay Girl." Hóng's position as a rapper has lower involvement, so she distributes her energy and focus in an 8-to-2 ratio between "Girl Crush" and "Replay Girl." Tonight's "Girl Crush" will broadcast the Top 8 battle. However, the recordings have already wrapped up to the semifinals, leaving only the live finals next week. Hóng won her Round of 8 battle against rapper Jo Sun by reworking her mixtape track "Diet" with a beat from Dante. Last night, as the production team hoped, Hóng and Midori faced off in the semifinals, setting up the anticipated "Yona Derby." Transferring footage I recorded of the "Yeonhong VS Midori" semifinal battle to my office PC, I relived the thrill of that moment. "The envelope containing the results of the first semifinal battle is in my hands. I’m told by the producers that it was the closest margin ever since 'Girl Crush' began...” “Ohhh!” “So, who has secured the first spot in the finals stage? Did Yeonhong maintain her lead, securing her spot with a jury score of 300 to 200 and avenging her teammate Yona, or did Midori turn it around with listener votes to defeat Yeonhong? Here are the results. The first finalist is... Yeonhong!” “Woooo!” “Wow, those cheers were huge.” I mumbled to myself and then spoke to a PR team employee behind the partition. “Misung, could you prepare the press release for the 'Crush 4' in advance? Has the Round of 8 been wrapped up?” “Yes, we’ll send it out right after tonight’s broadcast. Also, I’ve finished compiling Hong’s nasty comments. Should I send it via messenger?” “No, I’d rather not see them. It’s really harmful to my mental health. In the future, please send them directly to Officer Kim’s email without my review.” “Sure.” It’s often said that a celebrity’s popularity is proportional to the criticism they receive. The rise in attention on Upkey Girl has come with an increase in negative comments. It’s not just anti-fans; widespread public criticism is also prevalent. Even if there’re 100 positive comments, the lone negative one stands out and hurts. Even reasonable critiques, like "I don’t understand why people like them," feel hurtful. If this is how affected I am as a manager, how must the members feel? Thus, we banned the Upkey Girl members from searching themselves online. Initially, they secretly peeked, but at some point, they stopped altogether, perhaps realizing the futility. But that doesn’t mean the company can entirely ignore public opinion. With "Replay Girl" recordings just three weeks away, we need to monitor what aspects of Upkey Girl the public loves or dislikes and provide feedback accordingly. Sipping coffee, I accessed a public and neutral site to check out entertainment articles. The most prominent articles were about "Girl Crush." It seems they distributed press releases widely ahead of tonight’s Top 8 battle broadcast. So far, the hottest issues remain the "anti-Han-nam phobia" and "LalaGod," with positive reactions to Hóng and Yona. There’s some hope among the public for Yona, defeated by Midori, to return via a repechage round, though no such system exists. Two out of the top three best comments praised Hóng and Yona. However, diving into the general comments section revealed more painful remarks. Seeing comments like "Everyone really loves Yona lol. She's an opportunist who dumped her nurturing company and teammates lol" made my face flush with anger. Just as I was about to close the tab in frustration... ----------------------------------- SEKPia Sponsored Ads ‣ Free Webnovel [The Breastfeeding Actress <Matgae>] ‣ Free Webnovel [EX-tier Reincarnate Predator <Second Star>] ‣ Free Webnovel [Scaling Pepper Continues to Grow! <Seongin Ha>] ‣ Paid Webnovel [First Experience Predator <Jang Hyung-wook>] ‣ Paid Webnovel [Massager in Insadong <Kim Kang-hyeo>] ----------------------------------- Click. Accidentally, I clicked on an R-rated webnovel site advertisement. A new page displayed a provocative cover and novel description involving a woman being breastfed. ----------------------------------- The Breastfeeding Actress Author: Matgae [Absorbable: The heroine of the drama 'Youth Train'.] [Would you like to absorb her?] I swallow the actress's breast and make it solely mine. ----------------------------------- Startled, I quickly attempted to exit, only to hear a deep sigh behind me. “Hmm…” It was Eunbit, who came from dance practice, her face glistening with sweat. “Whoa, you scared me! Can you make some noise next time?” “Hmmm... Is this the pot calling the kettle black?” How long has she been there? Eunbit’s glance shifted from the monitor to my face, then narrowed. “Well, she doesn’t look like a child actress. I didn’t know you had such tastes, Mr. Kim Yunho.” “I-I was reading articles on 'Girl Crush' and clicked the wrong thing!” "It's okay. It happens. Even if everyone else points fingers at you, don't forget I'm on your side. But try to keep it under control at the office." "That's not what happened." "Why? What happened?" Misung from the PR team poked her head out, eager to be in on the fun. Before Eunbit could cover for me, I confessed: "I accidentally clicked on the wrong ad and ended up on a weird site." "Oh, that happens and it's really annoying." "Exactly." Eunbit pouted, disappointed she couldn't stand up for me. I closed the internet window and turned my chair to face Eunbit. "Why are you here?" "I want you to monitor the group performance we choreographed." "Is it all done?" "Yep. Where’s Director Yeom?" "He should be in the media room. Let's go." The dance performance for the "Replay Girl" group's introductory teaser was choreographed by Aliya and Yona themselves. I gathered the staff who were working individually and headed to the dance room to watch it. The kids danced with all their might and stood, panting, awaiting feedback. With Aliya and Yona’s choreography skills advancing so much, Rujou, who had less to do in the Upkey Girl part, was the first to praise Eunbit. "Eunbit worked really hard. Your moves might still need polishing, but you're blending well into the overall picture. Seowon and Hong have shown significant improvement too." "Thank you!" "Thanks so much!" Seeing Eunbit, once clumsy, improve this much is impressive. While Number 3 and 4 focused intensely on "Girl Crush" practices, Eunbit and Seowon honed their choreography with Riya’s help. We wrapped up today’s official practice with an upgraded acapella and dance performance for "Hold Me Tight," a new version recorded and uploaded to Upkey Girl’s official YouTube channel. In the car back to the dorms, an idol group's Christmas season song played on the radio. "Wow, it’s Christmas already," I murmured, prompting responses from Eunbit and Seowon. "We wanted to sing a season song too, but this year is over." "Manager, what are we doing for Christmas? We don't have a schedule, can't we have a party?" "What's this talk of parties? There's no time to even think about celebrating," I replied curtly, casting a cloud of silent gloom over the backseat. "That's too cruel! Aliya still believes in Santa Claus. Either Myuno or Jangwoo should prepare a Santa costume. She’ll be heartbroken if she wakes up to an empty sock." Seowon shamelessly crushed Riya's innocent dream. "Riya, you know there's no such thing as Santa. It’s all just corporate marketing. I’m sure you know it’s a big deal at your hotel too…" "Eeep!" Aliya clamped her hands over her ears, and Eunbit muttered. "Seowon’s a devil…" "Manager, how about a small party at the dorms after practice on Christmas Eve?" That was Yona's suggestion. I declined flatly. "No, no. You all need to start managing your condition seriously. From now until ‘Replay Girl’ begins, even sleeping counts as part of your schedule." "Yes…" "He's such a demon, Yunho oppa…" "Aliya loves Christmas so much..." In the front, Jangwoo, who was driving, chuckled. "Looks like Hong falls asleep the moment her head hits the pillow." I laughed inwardly. Oh kids, you’re not the only ones who can pull pranks. Of course, the company has a Christmas surprise party planned. You all should brace yourselves for it. *** On the night of December 24th, after finishing practice as usual, the girls returned to the dorms to a surprise: their family members, whom they hadn't seen for months since debut. While they had their phones and could video call or exchange greetings during broadcasts, seeing each other in person carried a different significance. Eunbit's grandmother and sibling. Seowon's mother. Yona’s sister. Hong's mother and siblings. And all the Humm-Umm staff who hadn’t come to the office for the day, along with Aliya’s personal assistants like Cashi, who helped prepare the party at the dorm. The teary reunion moment the company had hoped for only really happened with Hong’s family, but the unexpected meeting with families was an invaluable Christmas gift. It was the first time even the families had a chance to greet one another. After dinner, they enjoyed a casual drink and chat time. Eunbit’s younger brother, a fan of Seowon, boasted his increasing popularity at school since Upkey Girl's debut and called his friends to introduce each group member via video call. Through Yona’s sister, they asked her parents about attending, but her father was too adamant, saying it wasn’t time yet. Meanwhile, her mother occasionally kept in touch with Yona. One person stuck by my side throughout the party, lasting well into the early hours. "Riya." "Yeah?" "Oh, never mind..." "Spit it out." I hesitated because of the drinks. I wanted to ask if she missed her mom but realized it was too obvious to need asking. Yona at least had her sister, but planning this gathering left me worried about Riya, who couldn’t have family attend. "Riya." "Seriously, why do you keep calling me? Are you drunk?" "From now on, call me uncle. I’ll be your family." "What…? Uncle…?" I thought she'd be moved, but... "Aaargh! Myuno, that’s so cheesy! Cashi! Ban Myuno from getting near Aliya right now!" She shrieked and ran away, leaving me publicly ridiculed. Merry Christmas. < Epilogue, Replay Girl > The End