129 - Upki Girl

< Friends Close, Enemies Closer > "MayQueens? I've never heard of them. Have any of you?" "It's the first I've heard of them too." "How would we know a team that even the girl group aficionado in charge doesn't recognize?" As far as I knew, the criteria for casting in Replay Girls was a group that had released at least one album (be it a single, mini, or full-length). But the last group, the 15th one, was a duo without even a registered profile on portals, let alone an album. The duo speculation was based merely on the number of microphones listed on the cue sheet; I didn't recall actually seeing them at the set. These days, it's rare to see a girl group duo; I wondered what their concept would be. "Who's the last team?" Curiosity got the better of me, and I turned to ask Writer Jung So-jin. She seemed just as curious, gently lifting her glasses with the back of her hand as she answered. "Oh, MayQueens? I haven't seen them yet either. They were cast just three days ago." "Three days ago?" "Yes. They were a last-minute replacement for 'PriYami' due to scheduling conflicts." "Ah, so that's why PriYami's not here." 'PriYami' is an eight-member group that’s been gaining momentum, even climbing up to the number one nominee spot with their newly released album. Seems they decided to back out while the going was good. And stepping in for them was this team called MayQueens. "But they don’t seem to have a profile or have released an album?" "They’ve finished recording their album, and it’s set to release next week." "A mystery concept, huh? They haven't shown up at the filming site at all, have they?" "No. They have the last interview slot..." Normally, it would be courteous to greet and interact with other teams if they were on-site, so their absence was puzzling. Big agencies tend to be particular about such social graces, which made me suspect they weren’t from a well-known company. "Which agency are they from?" "They’re from a startup called Planmaker Label, apparently?" Oh. Planmaker, that's Jehee's company. Did they have a label? My eyes naturally drifted toward HappyJoy from Planmaker. Should I ask their manager? Just then, the assistant director gave the cue for the stage. "MayQueens, you're up!" A group that hadn't shown their faces even once caught the curiosity of other teams as well. Just how impressive are they that they didn't even bother with introductions... Wow, spectacular! Even from a distance, you could tell this duo was remarkably beautiful. Both wore masks, revealing only their eyes, but their physique and balance screamed the classic long-haired, gentle beauty type. Beauty! Personified! Yet, what truly startled me was the aura radiating from them. One had a typical singer-type aura in blue. The other exhibited a proficient entertainer-style aura with a balanced mix of blue, red, and yellow. I could sense it. They weren't just dolls relying on looks alone—not that they couldn't become top stars on looks alone—but it was clear they were genuine idols with skills to boot. They seemed rather lacking in energy, though, until their manager stepped forward to offer an explanation. "Hello, we are the rookie group MayQueens. Ah, our members have caught the flu, so they couldn't greet the seniors directly for fear of passing it on. We apologize." It seemed the flu was indeed going around. Many on set wore masks and coughed discreetly. Finally, the two girls behind the manager bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle to greet, and the one with the blue aura and red hair coughed mid-introduction as if she was choked up. But somehow, there was something familiar about her aura, eyes, and silhouette as she coughed. The aura of a star is like a fingerprint, uniquely radiating from each person, and I recognized this pattern. Could she have been a member who already debuted? If it were someone I'd met personally, I wouldn't forget... Oh? I remembered. That piercing, aristocratic gaze! "Ah!" She'd changed from the boyish hair, makeup, and clothing style to something more feminine, which is why I didn't recognize her immediately. She was none other than Sowon's friend, Jung Yujin. "Sowon... huh? Where did Sowon go?" Instead of Sowon, Yona answered. "Sowon unnie went to the restroom. Why?" "I think that red-haired girl is Sowon's friend Jung Yujin?" "Ah, really?" Meanwhile, the MayQueens on stage removed their masks. Riya shouted simultaneously. "Amazing! They're so beautiful!" "Agreed!" At these pure reactions from Unit 1 and 5, chuckles escaped from the lips and noses of those around them. The red hair was indeed Jung Yujin. She shed her boyish charm for a more goddess-like appearance. Her hair couldn’t have grown that long naturally in such a short span; it looked like she was wearing partial extensions. The member next to Jung Yujin was of mixed heritage. Unlike Riya’s Asian blend, this member's Western mix was quite apparent. The crew started bringing items onto the stage, indicating some kind of stage props were involved. As it seemed like it might take a while, I couldn't resist sending a message to Jehee. Me [Do you know about a group called MayQueens? Yujin is here.] JH [Haha, I'm in the middle of a photo shoot. I'll contact you after it's over.] Judging by the response, it seemed Jehee was indeed behind the creation of this team. She'd said she'd fought with her boss about producing HappyJoy and was setting up her own one-person agency, only to gain independence as a label under Planmaker after all. I wish she'd told me. Feels a bit left out. Today's teaser shoot also includes an on-site vote. Once the performance by the last team, MayQueens, concludes, each team leader, representative manager, and staff who have observed the shoot will receive one vote each. You couldn't vote for your own team, but my personal favorite up to this point was 'Lip Balm,' who elevated the sexy concept to an art form. Although all the members had a faint aura, making it uncertain how far they could go, based on today's performance alone, Lip Balm was the best. Their delicate situation of trying to make it work on their own despite their company disbanding also tugged at the heartstrings some. Sorry, Haneul, I guess I’m a hopeless guy after all... Yona, who had the leader's vote, originally chose 'Teenagers.' However, after the final performance, our choice shifted to MayQueens. The goddess duo delivered an impressive stage act that belied their flu diagnosis, capturing both the essence of singing and dancing in a musical concept. While I knew Jung Yujin's singing prowess well, I hadn't expected her to be such a skilled dancer too. Tae-eun, the mixed-race member, matched Yujin every step of the way. Their balance suggested they could adopt any concept effortlessly. Though the results wouldn’t likely change, the atmosphere, which seemed dominated by the single strong contender, Upkick Girls, now felt somewhat diffused. "We'll begin voting in 10 minutes!" Sowon only reappeared after MayQueens' performance ended. She was taken aback when I told her that Yujin performed as a part of MayQueens. After I introduced Yujin to Jehee, I'd heard she was undertaking rigorous training at her company, but Sowon admitted they hadn't been in touch recently. "Go, meet her then." "That’s alright. She has the flu, right? What if it spreads? I’ll just call her later. Did she perform well?" "Yeah, she was great." "She was always good." "Yujin unnie looked very pretty." "A total goddess." Ignoring Eunbit and Riya's comments, Sowon asked me, "Who will you vote for?" "I liked Yujin’s team the most. Yona plans to vote for them too." Raising an eyebrow, she teases, "Oh. What about Pramissu? Not voting for Haneul?" "Hey, fan feelings are separate from voting, which should be fair. I initially intended to vote for Lip Balm, but MayQueens changed my mind." "Haneul would be disappointed. I just talked to her." "What? I thought you went to the restroom?" "I ran into her by chance, just outside the restroom." The word 'chance' sounded oddly out of place... "What’d you talk about?" "Oh, this and that. She’s even cuter up close and has such a sweet demeanor." "So, did you smack her?" "Ugh, what are you saying? I've changed after the temple stay, remember?" Fair point. She's grown more tranquil. Yet, Hong-i's scorn continued, "So did you insult her? Like, how dare she be so cute it made our team leader a fan?" "Are you joking? I asked for her Kakao Talk ID, but she said she has to surrender her phone when she's back at her dorm." "Why did you ask for her Kakao Talk ID? Planning to keep in touch with her?" "Yes, to become friends," Sowon smiled warmly at me. "I'll ask her again later." "No, no. I don’t want to go that far." "Why not? You said you liked Haneul, enough to vote for her every single time." "Hey, I meant she’s cute as an idol. Anyone overhearing this would get the wrong idea." "So, if Haneul asked you to date, you wouldn't?" "Geez, what are you talking about? Are you trying to get me in trouble?" "Fine then. Tell me if there are other girl groups you like. I’ll get their contacts for you. Oh, you said you liked Lip Balm? Who specifically? Oh, right. You like girls with, uh, ahem, certain physical attributes. I think Hye-yeon from the group is, you know, well-endowed. Hold on, I’ll go get her contact info." "Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going? Stay put and save me the embarrassment!" "What? You don’t like Lip Balm either? They're all adults." "Hey, try to keep your voice down. What’s gotten into you, seriously?" What in the world was Sowon's new tactic? It wasn’t just casual teasing; I sensed she would genuinely follow through if I asked for contact info. Yona chuckled knowingly; she seemed to be clued in on Sowon’s transformation. "Voting will begin! All staff, team leaders, and managers, please gather!" On my way to the voting area, I nudged Yona for answers. "Why is Sowon acting like this all of a sudden?" "Well… after the temple stay, Sowon unnie read a lot of healing books, you know?" "Yeah." "The books mentioned something along the lines of 'Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.'" It sounded like a line from a movie, but Sowon had likely encountered it in one of her readings. She had emphasized it to the other members too. "Our manager’s favorite women? We should get to know them first and keep them close." "Oh..." I genuinely felt a chill run down my spine. Books with healing messages probably intended sentiments like 'love your enemies,' but Sowon had twisted it into some strategic warfare. "Eunbit and Riya both agreed, acknowledging it." Revered leader Han Sowon. Her disciples, the inseparable pair. "This is too much." "Don't you find Sowon unnie charming?" "Stop saying she's charming." "Lol, I really like Sowon unnie." "That’s because you’re both girls. Now imagine if your boyfriend had Sowon's personality—is that still good?" "I'd love it." "What? Love it?" "Yeah. I like possessive guys. Ones who call until I answer, who show up at my door making a scene—just no violence, of course." Wow, Yona, I didn’t expect that from you. "Sigh... How is there no one normal in this team? Just meet such a guy and see how much you really like it." "I already did…" Oh, she’s been through it. I found myself at a loss for words. "Sir, may I have a moment?" It was when Yona and I had just finished voting and were about to leave. The manager from PriYami12, whom I had briefly greeted earlier, approached me cautiously. "Yes?" "Can we talk for a bit?" "Sure, sure." Sensing that they preferred a more private setting, I sent Yona ahead and moved to a quiet corner with fewer people around. "Ah, it's just that..." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "It seems... a member named Sowon might have frightened Haneul a bit." "What? Frightened how?" What is this about? "According to Haneul, there seems to be a misunderstanding." "Yes. I heard they spoke in front of the restroom." "The restroom... Oh, that's what you heard. According to our stylist, Sowon approached our members and took Haneul aside for a chat." "Ah..." The managers had briefly stepped away, and upon returning, they found Haneul in tears. Haneul recounted that Sowon had asked for her contact, claiming they should get closer. However, she said the tone felt less like a friendly gesture and more like a threat, akin to the way school bullies demand something with a smile. "I'm sorry. I'll discuss this with Sowon and apologize to Haneul personally." "Oh, no, no. I don't think that's necessary. It seems there was just a misunderstanding in communication." That was likely the case. Sowon might have been trying to be friendly, but it might have seemed intimidating from Haneul's perspective. Did it really scare her to the point of tears? The PriYami manager seemed equally puzzled, reluctant to fully believe the bizarre situation. I understood his point. It's hard to grasp from a normal perspective. I felt the same way until a few months ago. Settling the issue as a simple misunderstanding between managers, I returned to the waiting room. The kids were getting their makeup touched up in preparation for their individual interviews. "Sowon, Haneul cried after talking to you." "Why?" "Apparently, you seemed a bit scary." "No! I didn't do anything at all!" "I know, I know. But why did you lie about running into her by the restroom?" "Ah... I was worried you'd misunderstand if I mentioned approaching her. But I swear, all I did was suggest staying in touch." "I see..." Sowon seemed earnest, her innocence apparent in her response. A message came from Jehee, prompting me to wrap up the conversation and step outside the set for a call. It turned out that Jehee was indeed producing MayQueens. They were planning a final lineup of six members and had already secured four, deploying their two strongest for Replay Girls upon news of an opening. "How did they do?" "They did well. I voted for MayQueens." "Really? Thank you, thank you. The shoot isn't over yet, right?" "No, the teaser just finished, and interviews are next." "Go back quickly; I know you're busy." "It's okay; it’s break time now." "Oh, by the way, has Sowon mentioned meeting me?" "What...?" "She asked me to grab a drink when we had time, so I said to reach out. Apparently, we're seeing each other tomorrow." "Huh? How did she get your contact?" "We exchanged numbers at that girl crush gathering." "Oh, right." "Sowon has a ton of aegyo, doesn't she? We've been texting for a few days, and I guess she didn't tell you." "Wait, wait. So you're meeting?" "Yes, tomorrow evening." "Sigh..." Han Sowon, you never cease to amaze me. < Friends Close, Enemies Closer > End