164 - Upki Girl

< Zippy Bride War! > Me: [I'm sorry. I should've avoided labeling this as a blind date from the start...] Jeong A-yun, Editor: [Hahaha, no worries, it was fun, oppa] Me: [Get home safely] Jeong A-yun, Editor: [Yes, you too, oppa] I couldn't bring myself to suggest meeting again. Due to my inherent personality concerning relationships, trying to mend a broken connection feels artificial and insincere. The distant relationship with Jae-hee happened for a similar reason. Jae-hee used to comfort me, saying managing a singer muddled daily life and even made restful days hard as a manager’s life; but for me, questioning whether overcoming such obstacles for a relationship was worth it led to a sense of self-doubt. I can't quite figure out why my personality is like this. Had I known the reason, I would've changed it. Even during my twenties, a time ripe for passionately loving someone despite disruptions to everyday life, I lived like this, convincing me it’s just a quirk of mine. It's not that I've never liked a woman before. I've had secret crushes. Yet, I've never confessed first. Even with Lee Ga-eun, who was a colleague-turned-office-romance, we ended up dating naturally as our affection grew from just spending time together; not because I ardently pursued her. Admittedly, my passion for love is slightly below average, and my view on romance is passive. Staying single might be more convenient in this case, yet I still aim to marry not because I have whimsical fantasies about married life. In fact, my view is rather negative. Seeing every married man around me warning not to marry hints it might be worse than I imagine. Nonetheless, I believe, regardless of marital woes being like hell, it's better than aging away in solitary. Plus, given those cautioning against marriage haven't divorced yet, perhaps it means marriage life is somewhat worthwhile. If it were unbearably hard, they’d resort to divorce without hesitation. I'm now thirty-six. Even if I marry today and we quickly conceive, I’d be in my mid-forties when the child enters elementary school. The child would be in college by the time I turn 56, around a practical retirement age. Thinking about this makes me feel like I should rush into settling down while I can still earn, but... *Sigh...* Dealing with a passive stance on romance while juggling five roles grows increasingly disheartening for me. *Siiiiiiiiigh...* "Oppa, you'll wear out the floor with those combo sighs..." "Raise your hand, Yu Eun-bit." "Yes, sir." "Aliyah, you too." "Uh-huh. Knew it, so I raised mine with Eunbit unni." I was in the car heading back to the accommodation after parting with Jeong A-yun. Back at the restaurant, I figured I’d let it all go after a stern lecture over a meal, but evidently, my resolve wasn’t steeled enough. Realizing even if I conceived today, I'd be nearing retirement as the child enters university suddenly darkened the mood, turning the girls in the back seat into little devils in my eyes. Thus commenced the rambling monologue. "Eunbit, you can lower your hand." "Okay." “Guys, I didn’t want to bring this up, but... I visited my parents for my father’s birthday. Zippy Bride looked at me like a bug. She wasn't like that when I just quit the company, but it's worsened. However, she did smile a bit after my sister-in-law mentioned setting me up on a blind date.” The kids remained silent. It seems touching on family managed to stir a hint of remorse within them. Through the rear-view mirror, I noticed they had "I don’t have anything to say" expressions. “I mean, am I really getting married after a single blind date...?” Before I could continue, the phone rang. Speak of the devil, and Zippy Bride appeared. I answered on speakerphone so they could grasp the extent of a mother’s desperation and anger at having an unmarried son. "Hello, Mom." "So, how was the blind date?" "I'm on my way back to the accommodation now." "You already parted ways? What did you do?" “We just had some coffee, ate, and shared a drink.” “You drank, but you’re coming back this early? Didn't you like them?” “No, she was nice, good personality, pretty…” "Then why did you wrap it up already? Did she not like you?" “No, I just... realized maybe it's not the right time for me to date now..." "You good-for-nothing, is that even a proper excuse?" It took merely 20 seconds to go from being her son to a "good-for-nothing." Eunbit smirked, having witnessed the scene many times, but the other kids seemed quite shocked, shrinking like herbivores hearing a lion's roar. "Mom, I think it’s not happening for me this year either..." “Why are you frustrating me out of the blue like this?” “Our group is keeping busy nowadays. With all the early buzz, how can I find time to meet someone?” "And are you saying others weren't busy when they met and got married? If being busy kept you from love, you and your brother wouldn't exist! Your father managed despite frequenting the countryside for days on end. What do you mean 'too busy for romance'? Such nonsense!" “Come on, calling it nonsense?” "If you let another year fly by, be prepared to marry Eunbit or someone. Got it?" "Uh…? Why drag Eunbit in all this…" “Because you left the company and aren’t dating due to Eunbit! She should take responsibility, make sure she knows that clearly.” Eunbit chirped up unexpectedly. “Mom, I’m here!” “What, is that Eunbit?” “Yes, yes!” "Noona, your brother is too busy taking care of you to even find time for dating! So, if he doesn't get married this year, it's on you! Got it, or not!" “Woohoo!” At that moment, another head popped up over the seat. "Hello, Ma'am, this is Seowon." "Oh, who's this?" "It's Seowon, the main vocalist." "Oh yes, the talented singer Seowon." "What do you think about me as a prospective bride for the manager?" "Honestly, I don't care who it is, as long as you make sure your brother gets married. You can play rock-paper-scissors or draw straws, whatever it takes." "Among our team, who do you like the most as a daughter-in-law?" "I think Eunbit is the cutest. After all, she’s spent the most time with us." How typical of Zippy Bride. Most mothers would tactfully say they liked everyone, but not her. Eunbit celebrated with a victory dance, while Seowon couldn't suppress her competitive streak. "Then Eunbit is out since that's cheating. Who do you like next for the manager to marry?" "If it's a marriage prospect, then Yeonhong." "What? Why, why?" Even I'm a bit surprised. "Because she has a good figure for childbearing." "Oh, Ma'am, it's Yeonhong here. Th-thank you! I'll work hard!" “Step aside, you’re crowding me, fatty. Ma'am, women aren't just for having kids." "I was just speaking figuratively." "And not to brag, but I have good hips. Didn't you see my recent photoshoot? Just search 'Seowon Maxim' online. I can send it to you on social media if you'd like." "Alright... I'll look it up tomorrow." There was a sudden weary exasperation in Zippy Bride’s voice. "Mom, stop wasting energy on meaningless conversations and just say you like Seowon best and hang up. Keep this up, and you'll be talking till morning." "Anyway, it doesn't matter who it is, make sure your brother doesn’t end up a perpetual bachelor." "Okay, then I'll send you a photo of my magazine with my hips highlighted..." "Okay. I'm going to bed now, so I’m hanging up." "Ma’am, Ma’am, Ma’am, just a second! Mom!" Seowon clung to the now-disconnected phone, wailing her grievance. Yeonhong patted her back soothingly… "Seowon, it's making you look bad. Stop it." But she only provoked her. Seowon, her competitive edge awakened. "You happy you won just because of your figure?” "Yeah. Sweet deal. It’s all about lifting those hips, producing kids effortlessly!" “Hong-hong unni, despite that, I'm still the top pick for Zippy Bride’s daughter-in-law battle. You’re just the runner-up." "Sure, sure, do whatever you want, Bbit-bbit. This unni is okay with being second-place." “Ugh, so annoying. Boss, can't you call my mom once more? I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep like this.” “Seowon, what’s even the point...?” And so, my unfortunate blind date concluded with Yeonhong taking the spotlight. Yona and Riya managed to wisely keep out of this foolish bickering. *** ―――――― Valentine’s Day Event with Upkick Girl! Write the name of the member you’d like to spend Valentine’s Day with and why. We will draw winners to receive chocolates and gifts made by the members themselves. <Comments> --2522: Please stop giving things away. I’ll just buy my chocolate. --Mochimochi: The Reple Girls must be so busy practicing. --Aoshield: This is the type of confidence a leading group shows. --OneTwoThreeFour: Is this the right place to write? --EunbitJjang: A 42-year-old forever single here. I hope to receive chocolate from Hongie. ㄴPuer: What’s with the nickname not matching? ㄴRaps: Hahaha, killing our comment buddy twice. ㄴIlrior: Haha, come on, dude. ―――――― "Seems like Hongie’s getting the most mentions. I thought Eunbit would have more solo fans, but this is a surprise." "There are a lot of new fans who seem to favor Hongie." The girl crush image and two consecutive Maxim spreads were major hits. For fun, Yeom compiled the numbers during the pre-Valentine’s Day official cafe event, showing Hongie’s name mentioned the most. “But excluding Hongie, it’s pretty similar for everyone else.” “That’s a good sign.” “Definitely.” In idol management, raising brand recognition often requires two approaches. One focuses on heavily promoting one member, usually central or an entry point, showcasing the team. Smaller companies often adopt this marketing tactic. The other, typically tackled by larger agencies with a robust trainee pool, promotes a variety of members, offering diverse charms to appeal to a wider audience. KU Entertainment’s 10-year veteran girl group Love Melody and Box Entertainment’s Pink Lime, now in their 8th year after surviving the notorious 7-year mark, are prime examples. Upkick Girl fortunately was treading the path of the latter. EunbitSeowon, having debuted through ‘Sing Along Duo,’ acted as solid entry members, followed by HongYona clawing fans back with their girl crush concept. For Riya, the notable sea bream weeping video with Eunbit and her mixed-heritage presence amusingly sustained her popularity without creating issues. When Reple Girls’ dance mission launches, the focus on Hongie is expected to swing towards Riya. "Boss, I sorted and printed the Valentine’s Day event material. I’ve filtered out the silly and insincere ones." “Alright, let me take a look.” The PR team handed us the first batch of stories, which Yeom and I further sorted during the second round, finally compiling ten stories per member to distribute to the kids. We received a wide array of submissions, ranging from heart-wrenching tales of singles spending Valentine’s Day alone, witty and clever friend nominations, to touching narratives. The kids took their time to read each one thoroughly. "We’re choosing two people for the final round, right?" "Yes, on that day everyone will split up and visit two people each." "I wish we could do something for everyone." "Agreed, it’s really hard to choose." "That’s why Aliyah is planning to mix them up and draw lots." At that moment, Eunbit tilted her head towards the ceiling, wiping away tears. I could guess what kind of story it was. "Agh, I can’t; I can’t even finish reading this... I only read the first line and I'm already tearing up." "It’s from a mom, right?" "Yes, sniff..." It was one of the stories I picked. It was a letter from a mother of a socially awkward middle schooler who had grown noticeably more outgoing since he started idolizing Eunbit. February 14th was also her son's birthday. "She wants us to keep it a surprise for him." "Just wait, Yujun, Sexy Diva Bbitbbit Noona is zipping over with chocolates and gifts just for you." < Zippy Bride War! > The End