121 - Upki Girl

< Girl Crush Final > I recall the comment K-Noah made during the 'Singing Duo' show: "When I was recording a track called 'After the Breakup' for our fifth album, I couldn't immerse myself emotionally at all. I even thought about dating someone just to experience a breakup. It was a moment when I was truly disappointed in myself." Many entertainers who participated in the recording could relate to this sentiment, either directly or indirectly. One singer-songwriter even confessed that they once orchestrated a real breakup just to write lyrics. Although this part was edited out of the actual broadcast, had it aired, it would have been a controversial statement. There were sighs and jeers from the audience, and even I thought, "What fault does the woman on the other side have?" I found myself in a similar situation just moments ago, albeit under different circumstances—thinking of using the sorrow of others for selfish gains. I naturally thought it would be great if someone among the café patrons recorded the scene of Eunsilver and Liya sobbing uncontrollably and spread it online with a title like "The Loyalty of Upkigirl" to create a buzz. When I realized that no one was filming, I felt a tinge of disappointment. However, regret is one thing, and guilt is another. How could no one capture such a legendary scene...? Even if it wasn't to be posted online, it was an incredibly precious scene that could be used later in a music video or for TV archival footage. Had Yoona's father not been there in front of me, I would have filmed it myself. Eunsilver and Liya then turned to me, pleading. "Oppa, Yoona unni will stay with us, right? She's not leaving, right? Tell us quickly she's not leaving. Please? Please?" "If unni quits, Alia won't do it either. So Muno, do something about it quickly. Convince Yoona unni's dad." "Alright, don't cry. Both of you, stop!" Even I, who thought I was used to such moods, was taken aback, let alone Yoona's father who was meeting us for the first time. Yoona's father, who had gone from being stern to a doting dad, had once again become the villain and was greatly flustered and restless. Yoona seemed displeased with her father's inability to handle the situation. "Seriously! You're making the kids cry. Say you're sorry and calm them down. You know they'll cry endlessly once they start." "Uh, uh, okay. Yes, yes. I'm sorry. Kids, I'm sorry, alright?" Eunsilver and Liya's tears were undoubtedly from a pure and genuine place for Yoona. But noticing that Yoona's father was more flustered than expected, they seemed to have cunningly decided to exploit that. Those who knew the two girls well could detect subtle changes in their expressions and nuances. "Sniff, you don’t have to comfort us but please don't take Yoona unni away. Without her, I won't do it either... Sniffle...." Eunsilver began to wail more excessively, while Liya collapsed to the floor, kicking her legs dramatically. "Wahh, without Yoona unni, Alia can't live. Why would you do this to Alia, seriously...." Now it was becoming a public disturbance. Amidst the entertaining spectacle, some patrons began to frown, and the café staff seemed ready to intervene. I pointed this out to increase Yoona's father's emotional burden. "Eunsilver, Liya. Stop it now. At this rate, there will be posts online saying a girl group caused a ruckus at a coffee shop." Seowoni chimed in with supporting fire. "They won't stop until the problem is resolved." A perfect harmony stimulating both emotion and reason. Sir, can you withstand this teamwork? Yoona's father awkwardly scratched the back of his head, ultimately raising the white flag. "Alright, I was wrong. I won’t take Yoona unni away, so stop crying and get up. Come on." "Promise us. You really won’t take her, right?" "Yes, yes." Eunsilver's tiny pinky was hooked by the burly finger of a martial artist. He had taken a step back due to the pressure from the kids and the surrounding atmosphere, but it was more of a truce than an end to hostilities. At the very least, he realized how much the team cherished Yoona. Once my thoughts cleared, I remembered what I had to do. In the settled atmosphere, I accessed the official Upkigirl café through my laptop and searched for a specific user ID. Then, I displayed all the posts they had written and turned the screen towards Yoona's father. "Sir, please take a look at this. It's a post written by one of Yoona's fans. She's a middle school girl who dreams of becoming a singer like Yoona." User ID: 'Yotong Accident' A grateful young fan who had followed Yoona from the Eye Contact days all the way to Upkigirl. Why did I show Yoona's father the posts written by this girl? She had been diagnosed with paralysis of the lower body due to a hit-and-run accident, but miraculously learned to walk again through rehabilitation therapy, with Yoona as her driving force. Yoona was this girl’s role model and hope in life. The girl consistently updated her progress and current situation on the Upkigirl fan page. Today, she walked without crutches for a few minutes, then for several tens of minutes. Her parents enrolled her in a music academy, and she eagerly wanted to learn dancing once she recovered.... Her most recent post was her asking for congratulations on throwing away her crutches with her own hands. "No, look at this first." Yoona herself clicked on one of the posts and showed it to her dad. Father and daughter momentarily brushed shoulders. The proximity seemed to put Yoona's father at ease. He read through several posts with a serious expression. After reading a few in succession, he seemed to conclude it was enough, silently musing with a hum before straightening his back. Meanwhile, I carefully formulated my words, delivering them in the most straightforward and businesslike tone possible while still conveying sincerity. As if I was meeting with a buyer. (Though, during my construction manager days, I was the one in the buyer's position...) "Sir, there are quite a few cases like this student. From ordinary students and office workers to socially successful figures like a lawyer and a hotel CEO (a.k.a. Alia), they all admire Yoona. These people have found hope in life and discovered joy through Yoona and Upkigirl. To some, they might seem like mere entertainers, but to their fans, our girls are idols and heroes." Yoona's father remained silent for a moment. Bridging the gap between shallow entertainers and icons might require more time. "On behalf of the company, there's one thing I can assure you confidently. We've never once scheduled anything the girls didn't like or oppose. While money and popularity are important, the company's primary goal from the start has been to ensure the girls enjoy and feel comfortable with their activities. If you wish, families can review schedules and supporting materials at any time." Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. This feels somehow similar to asking a girlfriend's father for marriage approval... Being with the girls seems to be scrambling my thoughts too. "The Yoona I have seen is no mere child. She's more grounded and rational than anyone else. And she's the pillar and leader of our team. Without any one of the five members, Upkigirl wouldn't exist. Sir, please help Yoona and our girls inspire and bring hope to more people." That was sharp. A perfect presentation, balancing both emotion and reason, not missing a beat. The respectful gazes from the girls towards me attest to that. Even I am impressed with myself. "Hope and dreams..." Repeating my words like a habit, Yoona's father slowly nodded. The gazes that were focused on me shifted to him as he looked at his daughter. The stern lines around his eyes blossomed into a gentle smile. "Ah, really, who came up with the saying that no parent can beat their child? Click. Bring the members over to our home one day, got it?" "Dad..." "Keep in touch often." "Okay..." With her unique whimpering sound, Yoona leaned her forehead on her dad’s burly arm. While comforting Yoona by patting her back, he spoke to me. "Come over with the kids for a drink. Their mom is good at cooking." "Thank you, sir." "And stop calling me 'sir'. It feels like I’m sending my daughter off to get married or something, makes me uncomfortable." Sir, just one glance from Seowoni, please. Her stare might pierce through you. Yoona, why is your face turning red? “Then should I call you 'Professor' instead?” "Yeah, that's better. And understand that this isn't a complete approval yet. If you mess up even a little, I'll break the contract and take her away, got it?" "Yes, I'll keep that in mind." "When is the broadcast on the main network starting?" "Yes, the recording begins in two weeks, and the broadcast starts two weeks after that." "In two weeks... then bring them over before that." "Yes. I'll set a time and contact you once Hong's Girl Crush final performance wraps up." "Oh, did Hong make it to the finals?" "Yes. She beat Midori in the semifinals." "Midori was the one who defeated Yoona, right?" "Yes. Hongie secured a neat revenge." "What? Dad, you watched the broadcast?" "Uh, just... well..." Feeling awkward, he quickly turned to me to change the subject. "If you're from a construction company, you must be good with drinks?" "Yes." "Okay, let's talk more about this over drinks with their mom, okay?" "Yes." Yoona's father, as if his primary intention from the beginning was the drinking promise, wrapped up the atmosphere and stood up from his seat. He left a parting comment of regret to Yoona and then nonchalantly departed. "I'm a fan of Yeonhong but couldn't see her today, what a pity. Let her know that I’m rooting for her." Ah, the professor is also a fan of Hongie?! An overwhelming support from men in their 30s and above! Truly, it is Hong's era. *** One week later, at Kyung Hee University's Peace Hall. ― We're live with the female rapper battle, Girl Crush! You've just seen collaboration stages from the participants so far. Now, we only have one final song each from Yeonhong and Choisika. Let’s ask the mentors. Who do you think will win the first title of Girl Crush? Starting with Mr. Jugari. As the MC posed the question, the audience began shouting the names of the rappers they were cheering for. Yeonhong! Yeonhong! Choisika! Choisika! ― Well... Honestly, I don't know. ― Oh, come on, there must be a rapper you favored after watching the first stage? ― The first stage seemed like a 50-50 to me. I truly can't tell. Won't it come down to who makes a mistake? ― Yes, thank you for the cliché response. So, Mr. Sojak, who do you think will win? ― Just looking at the first stage, I'd say Choisika. ― Do you think Yeonhong has any chance of turning things around in the second battle? ― Well... unless Choisika makes a major mistake, I doubt it. ― I see. Let's hear from the mentors now. Mr. Dante, how did you find Choisika's first stage? ― There's nothing left to criticize with Choisika's rap. Nor should there be. Using a current trend, Choisika did what Choisika does best. ― Ah, nothing to criticize?! ― But that also means it didn’t escape expectations. On the other hand, Hongie showed something new, didn’t she? I believe this will appeal to the listeners on the judging panel. ― Then Mr. Jagdu, how did you find Yeonhong’s performance? Does she stand a chance at winning? ― The winner is Choisika. The bold assertion from Jagdu, who was also Yoona's mentor, drew boos from Hongie's fans. A shot of the backstage screen revealed Eunsilver and Liya, more excited than anyone, jeering at the comment. "Puahahahaha!" The burst of collective laughter from the audience resonated all the way to the waiting room where I was. Hongie's stage escort was taken care of by Jangwoo, while I watched the live broadcast of the performance with the stylists. "The atmosphere seems to be leaning heavily towards Choisika..." I murmured, and the youngest stylist replied. "Well, it's Choisika. The fact that Hongie unni made it to the finals is already impressive." The finals could essentially be summarized in that single statement. Although Hongie emerged as a dark horse after defeating Lara God in the round of 16, Choisika had been the unwavering favorite to win since even before the broadcast began. And she reached the finals with consistently stellar performances befitting her reputation, without facing any significant setbacks. Except for Hongie's "WE NOT FARE," Choisika's track record with songs released under the Girl Crush banner was top-notch. A veteran rapper with extensive experience in the hip-hop scene, she was regarded as the successor to Future Yoon, one of the best rappers, male or female, making her current standing unsurprising. Her vibrant blue aura was both clear in its brightness and striking in its patterns and design. Talent, skill, and star quality—she ticked all the boxes. She even had an undeniably appealing presence. "Now, let me introduce the first performer in the decisive final stage. The only contender who could rival the overwhelmingly favored winner, Choisika! Here is Yeonhong!" "Wooaaah!" "Kyaaa!" In the first performance, Choisika had used a featuring artist, but Hongie took the stage alone. This was to highlight her featured performers in the second stage. A battalion of top-tier featuring artists, who had already wowed the production team during rehearsal, gathered to support Hongie. I guarantee that the immediate real-time search rankings after the broadcast won't feature Hongie or Choisika, but rather the names of these incredible collaborators. < End of Girl Crush Finals >