161 - Upki Girl

< Who on earth started using drugs... > Even though the popularity of cable and specialty channels had increased, terrestrial broadcasting remained supreme. The difference in atmosphere was palpable compared to back when Girl Crush was active. Despite the controversy over malicious editing, after just one episode of “Replay Girl” aired, we received numerous inquiries. Staff who had previously worked with us on past shows and events contacted us early, eager to secure Up Key Girl’s future schedules, now elevated in status. Seung-mi Um, a writer who had connections with us through the show “Sing Along Duo” and collaborated on the internet reality show “The Girl Group We Raised,” jokingly asked when the production for season 2 would be announced. Seung-mi Um [The staff from the reality show keep bragging that they raised Up Key Girl themselves, haha.] Me [Indeed, as soon as I saw Mr. Sung-mo, he mentioned that without Sing Along Duo, there would be no Up Key Girl.] Seung-mi Um [Oh right, Mr. Sung-mo is the MC for Replay, huh? He treats you well, right?] Me [Yes, he takes good care of us.] Seung-mi Um [I'm serious about season 2, not just joking around, so please give it some thought!] Me [Of course, I'm seriously considering it, haha.] Seung-mi Um [You must be busy, take care!] Besides her, nearly every organization we had ever worked with reached out, almost without exception. Kang Ju-chan PD - Bream Fishing Show [You should come catch the big bream in Fukuoka..] Kim Yoo-min, writer for The Game Caller - A gaming show featuring Seowon [Mr. Lee, I watched the Replay Girl broadcast^^ Our team is planning a 24-episode sequel to The Game Caller. Is it possible to have a fixed member from Up Key Girl? We’re especially interested in Seowon and Eun-bit.] Studio ZOO - Specialized in soundtracks [Hello, this is PD Joo Jang-hyun who previously worked with you on OST projects. We’d like to cast Yeon-hong for the third lineup of the sitcom ‘Isn’t It Nice’ currently airing on TBM. Can we chat?] Editor Jang-yeon from MAXIM [Sold out at online bookstores! Even our headquarters’ stock is all gone, haha. Congratulations on tying for the fastest sellout. It seems like you’ll need a second photo shoot soon.] On top of my responsibilities, there was also communication from Manager Kim Sang-in and CEO Yom, as well as direct calls coming into the office, requiring us to adjust schedules multiple times a day through meetings and group chats. This is why, even during our family gathering at a hotel buffet celebrating Mr. Kim Kyudon’s 68th birthday, I couldn’t put my phone down. It was then that I came across the breaking news about Eye Contact’s drug scandal. I was intensely chatting with CEO Yom about the Replay Girl mission song recording when he sent the shocking news. CEO Yom [Whoa, Eye Contact is in serious trouble.] Me [Why?] CEO Yom [They got caught doing drugs with Attention. The article just came out.] Me [Unbelievable.] Wow. The names of the groups Attention and Eye Contact were topping the real-time search rankings. The individuals caught using drugs were Mad Max and Woo-hyun, the leading members of Attention, along with Sumi, the leader, and Ran, the youngest member of Eye Contact. They were arrested red-handed at Mad Max’s place this morning and had just been released after police questioning. Wow, just wow. This is unprecedented. Even with S3 Entertainment’s resources, there’s no way to control this. Both Eye Contact and Attention are finished. The fact that a girl group and a boy idol group were involved in drug use in a 2-to-2 situation is devastating, especially since Woo-hyun and Ran are minors. “Wow, incredible…” “Hey, just go outside and take your calls. It’s driving me nuts.” My older brother Kim Yoonsang’s patience finally snapped at my constant phone checking. “Hyung, Eye Contact got busted for drugs.” “Who’s that?” “Atten…" “I don’t care about idols, just take your calls outside, you crazy fool.” Although he’s settled down quite a bit since getting married and having a kid, back in the day he would've hurled curses right away. Seeing this delayed response shows how much he’s mellowed. Glancing around, Kim Kyudon, Shin Seung Girl, Kim Yoonsang, my sister-in-law, and my two-year-old nephew Chanyul all seemed uninterested. Only my phone kept buzzing incessantly. Most of the messages were related to the Eye Contact drug scandal, though one message was from the Replay Girl production team, assuring us that Eye Contact’s portions would be completely edited out, so we didn’t need to worry about the broadcast. “Seriously. If you check your phone one more time, I’m breaking it. Put it on silent.” Reluctantly switching my phone to silent, I smiled at my sister-in-law, hinting she should watch her language around my brother. “Sister-in-law, why did you marry such a man? I told you at the family introduction that you deserve 30,000 times better.” “That means you can easily get married too, brother-in-law. Don’t give up.” “I’m not giving up.” “Then why aren’t you seeing anyone? Mother says you haven’t gone on any dates lately. I thought you had given up.” “No, sister-in-law. I still love women very much. I just lack opportunities.” “Well, good. I’ve arranged a date for you next Saturday. No excuses.” Shin Seung Girl chimed in enthusiastically. “You’re thirty-six now. You should tackle this with a mindset of getting engaged by the end of the year.” It clearly seemed orchestrated by my sister-in-law, knowing I have a soft spot for her, she must’ve organized this blind date. Even Kim Kyudon chimed in more seriously than usual. “Indeed, I’d like to see you at this gathering next year with a family of your own.” “I’d love that too. But next Saturday? Hmm… I’m not sure if I’ll be free…” “Brother-in-law, I heard you’re extremely picky when it comes to women’s looks?” “What? No, it’s just that I’d prefer if she’s pretty, but I don’t prioritize looks…” “I’ve pulled all possible strings and found someone who’s the youngest and prettiest from my network, so at least meet her.” “Since you’ve gone to such lengths, I won’t refuse. Do you have a photo?” "Hold on a second. I'll ask them to send it right away." "What's your relationship with her, sister-in-law?" "She's a friend of a friend of my junior." While waiting for the photo of the friend of my sister-in-law's junior's friend, my brother, Kim Yoonsang, and Shin Seung Girl chuckled as they reminisced about my past. "Oh, right, Mom, do you remember that? After this punk got dumped by a coworker he was dating, I set him up on a blind date once. It was with a friend of Byeong-chan’s." "Oh, yes, right. The lady called Byeong-chan crying. What was it about again?" My sister-in-law paused her phone tapping to listen to my brother. Kim Yoonsang proudly recounted my embarrassing history. "This crazy guy took the girl to a casual KimBap Heaven for their date and even suggested going Dutch." "Ah… that's a bit much…" Even the most down-to-earth and frugal person I know, my sister-in-law, shook her head at that. "No, sister-in-law, listen to me. I asked her what she wanted to eat, and she said she’s easy, anything would be fine. So, I’m not particularly fussy about food either, and since it was mighty hot, we just popped into the KimBap Heaven nearby." But from that point, the girl’s expression soured, and she barely touched her dish, a simple stir-fry, while giving me the cold shoulder. In retaliation, I impulsively insisted on splitting the bill. It wasn’t about the few thousand won. Sure, looking back now, it's a cringe-worthy chapter I’d love to erase, but at the time, I was going through a wild emotional phase after being dumped by Lee Gaeun from Daehyun Construction. I was in a mindset like ‘Let them all fall into hell, it's a sausage party!’ Despite explaining my side of the story, my sister-in-law's expression remained critical. "These days, I never act like that, so don't worry. I'm a gentleman now, completely polite. No matter who I meet, I can handle it graciously. Hanging around with the Up Key Girl members forces you to be saintly." "Oh, here’s the photo." "Ooh." Our family gathered around as my sister-in-law placed her phone on the table. Hmm, wait a minute... this photo looks familiar... "Oh, she's pretty." "Yes, she is." "How old is she?" "Mid to late twenties, I think. She’s a journalist for a magazine." "Really? That lines up well with Yoonho’s profession." Can the world really be this small? The person in the photo that pleased everyone at the table was none other than the MAXIM editor, Jung Ah-yoon. The very same “queen of stockings” picture I have in my chat logs. Instead of responding, I showed my sister-in-law the identical picture from my chat with her. "Oh? How did you get that?" "A few days ago, she was the editor in charge when our girls did a photoshoot." "Wow! It's fate!" "Did she agree to the date?" "Of course." I immediately texted Jung Ah-yoon. Me [So, we’re having a blind date next Saturday?] Editor Jung Ah-yoon [How did you know? Haha] Me [It’s me.] Editor Jung Ah-yoon [???] Me [My sister-in-law’s friend's junior’s friend is you, Jung Ah-yoon. And your friend’s senior’s senior is my sister-in-law. It's a small world.] Editor Jung Ah-yoon [Hahahahahahaha] Me [Funny how things work out like this.] Editor Jung Ah-yoon [Hahaha I'm cracking up right now, so ridiculous, really haha] Though I found editor Jung Ah-yoon agreeable when I met her, knowing that my sister-in-law arranged this greatly increased her trustworthiness. Anyway, since the MAXIM shoot sold out, and we were planning to grab a meal for the second shoot, it worked out well. *** 10 PM. After the family gathering, I headed to the office where the girls were practicing. The topic buzzing was, of course, the drug scandal involving Eye Contact and Attention. During my trip here, I relayed some behind-the-scenes info I’d heard from So-jin Jung, the writer for Replay Girl. "She said there was tension even during the Role Model Mission. Mad Max was already notorious for his interest in women. Even S3 almost gave up on him. And apparently, he’d been using drugs for quite some time, getting caught just now. That’s where Sumi and Rani got involved." "Wow, if even S3 gave up, how bad must it have been?" Yona replied indifferently to Seowoni’s comment. "But Sumi also has a strong interest in guys. She once skipped practice claiming she was sick but ended up bringing a male trainee to their dorm and got caught by the members." "Incredible." "Yikes, that must've been thrilling." "Yoo Eun-bit, what are you talking about?" "Why, doesn’t your heart race at the thought of being alone in a dorm with a guy? I get totally excited about it." "...Ah, thinking in those terms, it does sound thrilling... Alone in the dorm..." "Yes, I get excited too..." Seowoni and Hong were sneaking glances at me, grinning, likely imagining something or other. A group afflicted by mischievous thoughts, indeed. "So Eye Contact is automatically cut, and an article about their departure should be out tomorrow. Kim Seok-won and the Karma office have gone AWOL, no contact whatsoever." "Saved from drowning only to jump straight into a fire themselves." "Whoa, just got goosebumps," shivered Eun-bit, curling up. "Why?" "During the Role Model Mission, we originally planned to choose Attention, but Brother Yoonho opposed it and we didn’t." "Oh, right..." Tick, as usual, flared in Hong, causing him to blink hard and rub an arm. "W-what if we had chosen Attention…? Someone among us might have been at Mad Max's for a hallucination party?" "No way. Would you fall for it if Yeon-hong was courted by Mad Max?" "Hmm... he's kind of cute, but I wouldn't fall for him. I'm a girl with her feet firmly planted on the ground." "Yoo Eun-bit, what about you?" "I'm Kim Yoonho's, after all." "You're crazy. Get lost. You're so annoying. How about you, Yona? Would you fall for Mad Max's charms?" "I'm Kim Yoon... ahem... No, I wouldn’t. I'm not into those overly flirty types." "How about you, Riya?" "Well, he might be fun to mess around with once, I suppose." "You're such a tease in unnecessary ways." "Seo-won, would you fall for him?" "I don't like hobbits. I'm not into Attention at all. A guy's gotta be over 180 cm. Right, Chief?" "Actually, I'm exactly 179.7 cm." "Wear double socks. Anyway, we wouldn't have had any interaction with Attention even if we worked with them for the mission, right?" "Not quite." Yona approached it from a different angle. "They’ve been using drugs continuously. Even if they were caught solo, any group teamed up with them would be entirely edited out. I bet they won’t even air the Attention song on the broadcast." "Ah, makes sense. So, Attention was just a liability. Since the broadcast is the day after tomorrow, they can't switch to another song." "There, there. Well done, Jam Jam." Riya patted my rear affectionately as if I’d done something commendable. Her nickname for me shifted from 'Rang Kkang Kkang' to 'Jam Jam,’ signaling a favorable upgrade. "Shall we have one last run-through and wrap up?" "Yeah, let's. We've rested enough." "Since we have filming tomorrow morning, why don't we call it a day?" "Let's try it once more. Chief, could you record it on your phone? I promised to send it to Yena." "Alright." The third song mission, following the Role Model and Song Switch missions, was the Judge's Song Mission. For this, we selected "4 Second Miracle," the debut solo track of Raena post-Rosemary's disbandment. Tomorrow morning, we'll be shooting the scene where we receive feedback at her studio. Despite obstacles like Jinyang Yu, Ho-jun Jang, and Eye Contact, Up Key Girl stayed vigilant even after those competitors were removed from the equation. And two days later, the footage from the first real mission, the Role Model Mission, aired. There was an apology caption explaining that the conflict theme between Yona and Eye Contact in episode one was an editing error. For the sake of the program's reputation, we decided that was sufficient. The song Up Key Girl chose was "My Love" by VNF’s Ha-yeon X En-sol. Although our top position was already set, it was uncertain how the viewers and fans would react. ―Zhen, could you briefly introduce them for us? ―Sure, they’re a group of five who debuted four months ago. They topped the production team's field vote during the teaser performance shoot and are leading in the netizens' vote, making them a strong contender for the win, Up Key Girl. ―Alright. Before the performance, let's check out the pre-interview clip. VCR, cue! "Oh, right, that's what this was about..." We thought it was off the record, but the cameras were indeed rolling. Footage from Hong’s nasal monster, the skit with Eun-bit and Seo-won, and the group’s absurd courtship dance... <Replay Girl Live SNS Reactions> ―Resignation Kang: These folks are nuts! I knew it, but they're even crazier than I thought! ―StormFlaresFi: Hahahaha ―OldBearMan: What on earth is that courtship dance, lol! ―Najaran: Have they given up on being a girl group? ―★UpGlory★: Sorry to the other fandoms... We're truly sorry... ―Innkeeper, UpFan potion, a cup: Manager Muno, why didn't you leash the girls? ―Setzu: They’re off the charts, like crazy beagles. ―LaidBackSloth: Did they really call snot a ‘nasal monster?’ ―DreamWalker: Hahahaha ―Militant: Who on earth started using drugs... ㄴKarineKnight: Right? Really should start doping tests with this team. ㄴRudeJr4614: I legit thought these guys were Eye Contact and almost freaked out, thinking they were on a trip during the broadcast, hahahaha. While chaos unfolded, the unruly ones hadn't caught the VCR in the wings and simply loved it. "Was Riya’s courtship dance crazy or what?" "Oh, my stomach hurts from laughing..." "The edit was perfect! Super hilarious, absolutely hysterical, Jam Jam Dory Dory is epic!" Eun-bit and Hong were even re-enacting the courtship dance. I could only shake my head in disbelief. < Who on earth started using drugs... > End.