146 - Upki Girl

< If You're a Soldier, Vote for Upkey Girl > I had sensed it during the Assassin incident as well: the heart of emerging girl group marketing in developing countries is undeniably centered around social media and YouTube. < A New Military Idol? Upkey Girl's Full Performance on the Consolation Train, Currently a Hot Issue @ Army 21st Division > 385,402 views - 5 days ago The “Soldiers Are Awesome!” campaign and the “Maxim Fan Support” incident hosted by Upkey Girl on the Consolation Train not only stirred the spirits of the 21st Division but also ignited the hearts of 600,000 soldiers across South Korea. The video begins with clips of the girls' performances interspersed with soldier-praising remarks and self-made captions by a YouTuber specializing in girl group cams. "Kyaa, the fatigue uniform melts softly! Military uniforms are our Upkey Girl's dream!" — Eunbyeol [Girls usually say military uniforms, but she's detailed enough to say 'fatigue uniform'] "The performance I've always wanted to do is on the Consolation Train. So I hope all the soldiers here only look at me." — Seowon [Nicknamed 'Possessive Villain' among fans LOL] "I believe soldiers are always right. Thank you for protecting us!" — Yona [Her words are so pretty^^] "Everbody put your hands up! Soldier oppa, party time!" — Girl Crush Runner-up Yeonhong [What party??????] "Soldiers are awesome! Incredibly awesome!" — Riya [The youngest Jinri always talks like an internet meme LOL] A soldier, revealing he was writing his review right after returning to the base, expressed how he felt when he heard these lines: —It felt like a confession from a girl I had a crush on. Eager to reciprocate their appreciation for Upkey Girl, the soldiers seemed keen to express their gratitude in any way possible. This impulse sparked a fire that spread to the teaser video poll for "Replay Girl." "If you're a soldier, vote for Upkey Girl!" A comment written as a joke solidified almost like an anti-communist slogan, spreading into a movement called "Gun-Up Vote," painting the Replay Girl website in military colors. Just three days after the Gun-Up Vote movement began. < Girl Group Revival Project Replay Girl > ―Live Teaser Performance Vote Rankings 1. Upkey Girl (36,974) 2. Eye Contact (30,103) 3. Teenagers (29,619) 4. LOVE1 (23,854) Upkey Girl surpassed Eye Contact to secure the top spot. At this pace, winning the on-site production team's vote was a given, positioning them as the overwhelming favorite for first place with an additional maximum score of 20 points even before the main contest began. The anticipation left the kids and me so curious about how Kim Seokwon and Eye Contact must be feeling, and what expressions they’d have when we meet them on set, it disturbed our sleep. Unexpectedly, the day before the role model mission filming, word came that the teaser performance mission might be canceled. Naturally, the points attached to it would also become void. The main PD, in a production team's meeting, mentioned such possibilities but claimed nothing was decided definitively yet, dismissing my concerns as paranoia. "They say it's a strategy to tame Upkey Girl and the manager." Returning to the waiting room after a conversation with Jang Hojun, the main PD, Writer Jeong Sojin pulled me aside, having just overheard two senior writers conversing. "They say Upkey Girl's momentum is too strong even before the broadcast airs, so they want to knock them down a peg before they grow further. And yesterday, CP Jin Sang-yoon visited the set, saying that if too much focus is on one team from the start, the tension diminishes, suggesting the production team adjust the balance." "CP Jin Sang-yoon?" "Yes." What a petty jerk. Calling it balance adjustment sounds nice, but it’s essentially an instruction for the production team to manipulate the rankings outright. Given the current situation, once the broadcast starts, the teams expected to draw the most viewer focus are Teenagers and our Upkey Girl. Eye Contact, though garnering brief attention due to A-Tension’s influence, would likely deflate rapidly amid limitations in team color and lack of talent once the show aired. According to CP Jin Sang-yoon's directive, Teenagers and we should be the subjects of balance adjustment, but the production team couldn't possibly mess with Teenagers. Teenagers, the second girl group from mid-sized agency A Entertainment, was already famous even before debuting as the sister group to boy group ‘A Starting’. They received favorable reviews for their member lineup and album responses, situating them on the brink of joining mainstream girl groups. Considering the program's purpose, "Girl Group Resuscitation Project," and the value of name recognition among other participants, even though they felt a bit out of place in the overall picture, it turned out they had been scouted practically by the production team begging them. Despite having Avengers-level judges, the production was apparently jittery with an assembly of groups with minimal recognition. On the other hand, our Upkey Girl had been painstakingly recruited over several months through Kim Sang-in, a senior figure from Flanemaker, placing us in a definite subordinate position from the PD’s perspective. To the high and mighty aiming to toy around with obscure girl groups in a promotional game, they'd find it distasteful if we, having gained some issue, started asking for this or that. Hence, "balance adjustment" as dictated by CP Jin Sang-yoon was merely a blacklist designed to discipline us. They’re blinded by petty interests, aiming to rein in the golden-egg-laying Upkey Girl? What? Taming us before we grow too big? They must see us as a walking ticking time bomb. Upon hearing the detailed circumstances from Writer Jeong Sojin, my fighting spirit surged higher. Just wait, I'll make sure to have you all bow your stiff heads. Do you really think I'll let our kids, whom we've raised by hand, fall victim to dirty schemes? "But Writer, is it really okay to confide in us like this?" Writer Jeong Sojin, our reliable ally and spy, still holds a position within the broadcasting station. If the fact that she leaked internal information to us were to be revealed, she might have to leave the industry altogether. Concerned for her personal safety, I asked her, and she responded with a dismissive chuckle, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm just a junior writer who hasn't even made it into the contract position ranks yet. As you've probably seen, being called a writer is just a fancy title—I'm just Errand Runner No. 1." She had signed on to what amounted to passion wages, barely enough to cover commute costs, and continued with a cynical expression. "Actually, my dream is to become a drama writer." "Oh, really?" "My mentor suggested that gaining some experience would be helpful for writing later on, so I applied. But reality TV just isn't for me." "Even so, you're still doing work at the broadcasting station. We're grateful, but..." "Well, wrong is wrong, after all. Even as an aspiring writer, I think it's better to endure injustice rather than to participate in it." Impressive. I suddenly found Jeong Sojin, who seemed so young and new to the professional world, appearing quite mature. Isn't this the boldness typical of a rookie? She confessed affectionately, saying that she feels a deeper connection with Upkey Girl than with the PDs or other writers, simply based on the rapport she's built. "All the Upkey Girl members are talented and lovely. I want them to be recognized for their skills. It would be really satisfying if the first and last idol group I worked with on reality TV ended up winning. It'd feel like taking something valuable away, like I'd gain courage from it..." I nodded silently, overwhelmed by a rising sense of emotion. Realizing she was getting a bit emotional, she raised her tone cheerfully. "That's just how I feel." "This means we can't quit, even for your sake." "Oh, why? Were you thinking of quitting?" "Just kidding." "Manager, let's not lose to the entrenched powers." "Sure thing." After parting with her, I returned to the waiting room and informed the girls about the series of events. They weren't interested in the production team's tactics; they were just deeply moved by Writer Jeong Sojin’s heartfelt words. "Our junior writer is really cool." "Now we have another reason to win." "Wow, wow. It'd be so touching to shout out her name when we win, right?" "Oh, how should I put it... I'm tearing up. Sniff..." "When Bibi cries, Aliya also gets teary-eyed." "Oh no, hold it in! We’d have to redo the makeup." As Upkey Girl's official crybaby line, Eunbyeol and Riya, began to tear up, the makeup team was startled, giving them a gentle tap on the back. Meanwhile, I pondered how best to deal with CEO Kim Seokwon and CP Jin Sang-yoon, ensuring word spreads all the way to the 21st Division's Baekdu Mountain unit. It would be great if the information display suggested effective revenge methods, but all I had related to Replay Girl was the ‘spoiler’ scene acquired with Hong’s WeNotPay music chart reward. Let’s see... Ah! A good idea popped into my mind. Just knowing that Kim Seokwon and Jin Sang-yoon had a dirty deal at karaoke was ammunition enough. After all, when breaking one barbarian’s figurative head, another's club always provides the most satisfaction. Our troubles originate with Kim Seokwon and Jin Sang-yoon’s petty interference. What would happen if their tight relationship was sabotaged, breaking their unity? The goal wasn't to target Kim Seokwon per se, but to break CP Jin Sang-yoon's trust in him. Of course, it would be even better to unsettle Kim Seokwon too. Something like this. "I’ll step out for a bit." "Where are you going?" "Eye Contact’s waiting room." "Why?" "To provoke them?" "That’s mean but cool. I want to come too." "Don't add fuel to the fire just stay put. As I keep saying, never get involved directly. Be polite if you run into them, got it?" "Fine..." With a spring in my step, I headed towards Eye Contact's waiting room at the other end of the hallway. Listen up, you punks. I stayed quiet because I was still learning the ropes of this industry. Now that I’ve learned enough, it’s time to go on the offensive. *Knock knock.* “Yes, come in.” It was the voice of the road manager. I cautiously opened the door, poking my head into enemy territory. "Hello." Eye Contact was amidst hair and makeup too. Recognizing me in the mirror, they reluctantly got up and greeted me in unison. "Hello..." "Oh, hey. Wow, today’s outfits look great." Good Eye Contact is scantily clad Eye Contact. Their outfits consisted of dolphin shorts so short that the undershorts peeked out, and crop tops baring their midriffs—a visual treat. After all, girl groups are always right. On the other hand, the faces of Kim Seokwon and the staff were anything but pleasant. Their faces read, "This jerk came to gloat about snagging the No. 1 spot in the teaser mission with the patriotic theme." But I opted not to touch on that. Gloating too much felt too much like a gaudy nouveau riche act. "Could I have a word with you, CEO?" "Go on." "This isn’t the best place. Can we step outside for a moment..." "What do you want to talk about? Let's go." Feigning nonchalance, he got up from his chair with a smug expression. After leading the way out of the waiting room, I walked a few paces ahead, discreetly turning on the recording feature on my phone before pocketing it. Our conversation spot was a fire escape. After confirming no one was around, I struck directly at Kim Seokwon, who stood with his arms crossed, looking sullen. "So I heard you were planning to back Eye Contact?" "Huh, what are you talking about?" Kim Seokwon feigned indifference in response. Reflecting on the conversation I witnessed through the "spoiler," I continued speaking calmly. "I kept wondering where I'd seen CP Jin Sang-yoon before, and it turns out he was at the karaoke in Sinsa-dong. He was a PD back then." Kim Seokwon's composure began to crack at this revelation. A simple person. For someone supposedly running a business, he clearly lacked a poker face. "CP Jin Sang-yoon said he'd back Eye Contact vigorously. During that karaoke outing in Sinsa-dong, he seemed to hold a grudge because Yona left early, killing the mood." "Have you met Sang-yoon?” There it is. I've caught a big one. I ignored his question, delivering my lines without pause. "Well, they say he's over it now, but it seems he was really upset back then. And why did you introduce yourself as Yona's real brother? Oh right, that's a secret you didn't want getting out, wasn't it?" "Wow... this guy's really double-dealing..." Haha. Haha! Thinking back on how I was ever intimidated by such a person honestly... I owe this moment to the brilliant lawyer and Manager Kim Sang-in who demonstrated Kim Seokwon’s strategy to me perfectly. "So, what did he suggest? Did he say if you let him meet Yona once, he'd support you guys in return?" The fact that he was not only swayed so easily but also started speculating mockingly about Jin Sang-yoon's behavior spoke volumes about his usual conduct. "I extracted Yona to avoid that kind of mess. Upkey Girls play fair, winning on skill alone. We aim to secure our position as military favorites without cheap tactics, like true 'consolation train goddesses.'" "Oh, wow... hahaha..." It's as if I can hear video game sound effects somewhere. *Ding* [Kim Seokwon's fragile pride has crumbled.] *Ding* [Just open the packet and pour it all in at once.] I'll employ the same tactic to sow discord on Jin Sang-yoon's side. All that's left now is to enjoy watching our Upkey Girls smash today's mission stage and then await the first broadcast. After that airs, during the next recording, my final surprise for Jang Hojun and the production team will be unveiled. With a special appearance by Aliya... < If You're a Soldier, Vote for Upkey Girl > End