195 - Upki Girl

< Snowmure Party > Of course, it's better if Liya stays with the team. Osman and his group were suggesting that Liya should be let go for her future, but if it's purely for economic reasons, continuing with Upkick Girl should suffice. From their perspective, they probably think, "How much can you earn just being a celebrity?" But if they push hard for four to five years, they could potentially become property owners, akin to the level of Plan L. Considering the current momentum of Upkick Girl, it's not an entirely far-fetched dream. The tailored song for the group, "VIOLET," received rave reviews and has finished recording, with everything else already in place. All it takes now is to ignite the gunpowder, and it will explode. Of course, there's a small premise that some immediate inconveniences must be endured. "If you're asking for my personal opinion, naturally, I'd prefer you stay with the team. Absolutely, a hundred times over. But that's my selfish desire. Considering your future..." "Okay, that's enough." Liya pressed her index finger firmly against my lips and then withdrew it. "Aliya wanted to hear Myeon-myeon's thoughts. I've already made my decision, so don't worry about my future." Does this mean she chooses the team? "Thank you for needing Aliya." "Look, honestly, with the current album doing so great, if we climb to the A-tier, we'll earn enough money. It's not really about the money anymore. Well, it'll be tight for now, but we could move to a smaller place first..." "Aliya is leaving the group." "What?" "It's right for me to leave." "What do you mean, why?" "We're not A-tier just yet. Upkick Girl still needs a strong backing. Aliya will be that solid support, so Myeon-myeon and the other girls can do whatever they want." A sudden realization shook me. Liya's response was shocking to me. I had thought about things, but I hadn't considered it from her angle. Now that I think about it, Upkick Girl's success in establishing their current character ― aside from the intelligence provided ― was entirely due to Liya's financial power and connections. It was like having a developed government and a strong military. The company and the girls could focus solely on production without worrying about money, practicing and managing themselves in comfort. If Liya hadn’t used her greater power to fend off the broadcasting networks’ tyranny, the rookies of a company no better than a local small shop would have been destroyed long ago. Even if we hadn't been wiped out, we would have cowered under the weight of authority and become just another cliched team. With Kim Seok-won, who had been seething from losing Yona, also joining forces, who knows what indignities we might have faced? In essence, we debuted using a cheat code almost equivalent to a major agency, and we had unwittingly become reliant on Liya's wealth, taking it for granted. That confidence, the assurance that Liya would shield us if something went wrong. Yet I hadn't considered her as more than just a teammate, not as the powerful supporter that she was. Liya began to speak, filling the silence left by my stunned ponderings. "After serious contemplation, the pride and behavior patterns of the person named Aliya are determined by wealth and fame. These have become both a part and the entirety of me, and if they were suddenly taken away, I wouldn’t be myself anymore." Her choice of words, her vocabulary—it was different than usual. This is the real Aliya. "Though I might have been a bit hurt if even you, Myeon-myeon, had spoken that way, I'm grateful that you need me. That's enough for Aliya. This way, I can walk away cleanly." "Hey… it's not really ‘walking away’..." I hadn't realized that aspect of it, yet my face flushed with heat. Even if I had considered Liya as a sponsor, I’m not sure I could’ve made such a choice. Honestly, I still can't quite determine what the right choice is. This isn't a matter of loyalty or emotion alone. It's a practical issue that requires careful calculation over time. "You haven't told the other girls yet, have you?" "No. Only Jang-woo knows." "Don't tell them. Let's just say you're leaving because of a change of heart. If you say it as it is, those clueless girls will surely throw a fit and insist we stay together." "If you refuse, will they take everything, leaving you with nothing?" "I might have something left, but the rights to the hotel, real estate under my name, and the accounts will be stripped clean. It's naive to think they'll only take material things." "What else is there?" "To them, being rejected equates to a loss of honor. Retaliation will definitely follow." "I heard K-pop is popular even in Brunei. Can’t a middle ground be found, one that helps promote the country?" "There’s the matter of royal dignity. No matter how open the country seems, it's fundamentally Islamic. If I covered myself in a burqa, then maybe..." "A burqa sounds reasonable. Let's just do it that way." "You silly Myeon-myeon, of course, I'm joking." "Is there no compromise at all?" "If there were, Aliya would’ve already taken it." Indeed. If there's anyone desperate about this, it's Liya herself. Without any other choice, she’s opted for that path. Straightening her slightly slouched back, she continued with determination. "But they won’t stop me from being a fan. I’ll take over Humm-Humm and really push it. Develop new groups, recruit actors, and evolve into a major entertainment company. We need to change the name too—let's name it YH Entertainment, after Myeon-myeon. Though Humm-Humm is fun, it's not Aliya's style. It seems too frivolous." A chill ran down my spine. It felt as if all this was predestined. YH Entertainment, which is now referred to as YH Label, was actually a name randomly chosen for the initial profile of the kids in the information panel. "The CEO will be Myeon-myeon and Yeomster together. We'll hire more staff and move to a new office. How does that sound? Isn't it exciting just to think about it?" "It's not exciting. I'd rather have you stay with us as part of Upkick Girl..." Liya ignored my words, raising her excitement even further, playfully wagging her finger. "Uh-huh-uh-huh. But don’t think that Aliya is doing this out of loyalty. I'm investing in Humm-Humm purely from a business mindset because it has potential. Upkick Girl and Myeon-myeon are profitable." What is the right choice? Is it to let go of Liya and continue working smoothly and securely as we have been? Or to choose Liya and struggle as typical small startup agencies do? The hardships faced by mid-sized agencies are apparent even in places like the Ripple Girl stage. It’s like comparing children from wealthy families to those from less affluent backgrounds. Among the Ripple Girl participants, the more recognized agencies are Teen Ages, Love One, and Happy Joy, and even in the way their members, managers, and staff carry themselves, there is a noticeable difference. Small agencies are always cautious, minding the watchful eyes of the producers, but they only appear more careful because their spirits are perpetually dampened. Financial challenges inhibit them from spending on costumes and backup dancers every stage. Managers from teams like 'Ladybug' and 'Girl Power' say that even breathing and blinking accumulate debts, restricting meal costs to 6,000 won per meal, and having the cheapest coffee to avoid the cost being a burden. Yet, how different we are. We come from a new company lacking in experience, but just by observing the kids, you’d think we’re rivaling KU and Three S from mindset to attire. "Yeah, that's all thanks to you, Aliya. We couldn't have come this far without you." "Oh, that's not true. The high class of Upkick Girl is standout on its own. The awl in the pocket eventually comes out." "Heh, why would underwear pop out of the pocket?" "Huh? Underwear?" "An awl, an awl." “What’s that?” "It’s a sharp tool like a screwdriver, used for making holes." “Oh, a drill?” “Yup. Look, you’re back to being your klutzy self, aren’t you?” “What do you mean by klutzy self?” “Aliya in ‘hotel CEO mode’ is Eliya, and regular Liya is her klutzy self, hence Klutzy Liya.” “What about thinking Aliya only has those two sides? That’s a joke from somewhere, right?” “Ohsan.” “Right. I’ll show you Aliya’s other side in two years, so Myeon-myeon should look forward to it.” “Hehe, are you transforming in two years? What’s supposed to happen in two years?” “The difference between ‘Clanks Liya’ and ‘Adult Liya’ is as significant as the bust difference between light sister and red sister.” “I don’t need either, so put them away.” “Keep it. You’ll need it someday.” Oh, if only we could continue spilling nonsense like this forever. Just thinking about Liya’s exit makes my head spin. How will I tell the other kids and the company? How will we pacify the fans? That’s when it happened. The sound of multiple footsteps and whispers approached my room. “Oh? Someone's here.” “Who’d be here at this hour?” We usually leave the main entrance of the annex unlocked for the house helpers, but each room has its own door lock. Hearing footsteps stop in front of my room, a voice soon followed, knocking on the door. “Manager, we’re here. Please open the door.” Yona’s hurried voice, along with the use of "we," suggested that the others were with her. Liya and I exchanged bewildered glances. Liya shrugged, indicating she had no idea. “Oh, hold on. I’ll open it.” Beyond the open door stood attendees one through four in their pajamas, all with distinctly disgruntled expressions. Silver, showing the most emotion, was first to approach Liya. “Hey, how could you do this? Quitting without even discussing it with your sisters!?” What! How did they find out?! There’s no way Jang-woo told them. Now Yona was glaring at me. “Manager, are you going to keep acting like this?” “What? Haha…” I let out an awkward chuckle, and Liya shot me a suspicious look. “Lang-kang-kang! You already told the sisters! Your mouth is too loose! Eek!” “No, I didn’t say anything!” “Are you saying Jang-woo told them? Lang-kang-kang might, but Jang-woo would never!” “Hey, I didn’t either! How did you guys find out?” “I told them.” Unexpectedly, it was Seowon. “How did you find out?” “Seeing Liya sneak off to the annex, I followed. I overheard everything you two said from outside the door. So, I texted the others.” So, everything was leaked. “Agh! They say 'the wall has ears’ seeing that what mice whisper, birds hear!” “Liya, you got it backward—birds hear words spoken in the day, and mice hear words spoken at night.” “Yona, is that important right now?” “It is! Liya isn’t allowed to quit, so we need to keep pointing out her errors.” Silver burst into tears, clinging to Liya. “I won’t let you go! I can’t let you go! Let’s all retire together, wah!” Even amidst the chaos, Seowon calmly interjected. “Yu Eun-bith, I don’t want to retire. Let’s find a way to keep working together.” And then she turned to Liya with a pointed remark. "Anyway, Aliya, you need to be scolded. Is the manager the only team member and are we just decorations? Why would you make such an important decision between the two of you without consulting us?" Even Hong, who typically stays out of these matters, showed her emotions, her voice trembling. "I'm genuinely disappointed, Manager... This is a huge deal... We’re the ones truly affected, yet you only told Jang-woo oppa..." "I'm sorry. I was planning to talk with you all after hearing Liya's thoughts. I didn't expect it to turn out like this. I'm really sorry." Si-ba's sobbing continued. "I can’t let you go! How could I let you leave! If you must go, fix my broken heart first!" "Hong, it's one thing for the manager to be sorry, but if Silver's blood pressure goes up any more, she'll be the first to leave. Stop her." "Yeah, yeah... Silver, enough of this..." "Honghong unni! Are we going to send our youngest off like this?" "No, I can’t either. I need to be able to live without pain, and if not, I won’t let her go even if it kills me." "Waahhh!" "Stop, stop. Unni will break the manager's neck to stop this, so stop crying." Wait, how did I end up being the main antagonist here? Even if they do break my neck, nothing will change. Maybe if it were the king of Brunei’s neck on the line. "Don't cry, Si-ba unni... If Si-ba cries, Aliya will cry too, wahhh..." "Liya, don't go, don't go, don't go~ I'm living foolishly for you, where are you when I need you..." "Sobs... Aliya wants to continue with Upkick Girl! I don’t want to go to the UK or Brunei, I want to stay with the sisters and Myeon-myeon forever, waaaah!" Thus began our long-awaited group hug in a Snowmure party of tears. "So don't go, you silly fool!" Si-ba sobbed. "My goodness, anyone would think we were sending you off... Our youngest doesn’t have a drop of ‘youngest’ charm. Sigh..." A teasing foxy sob. "I’m sorry for not knowing anything as the leader..." Responsibility-laden Yona's sob. "Sniffle, snort... Hiccup!" Nasal Hong sob. And silently stolen manager's sob turned away. Phew, my eyes sting. I discreetly wiped my nose, but Si-ba suddenly shouted at me. "Kim Yun-ho, you bad oppa! Did you think we'd be happy doing activities without Liya?" "Yeah, I'm sorry. I’m a bad adult..." "Why are you scolding the manager, Yu Eun-bit? He was against it at first, too!" "No, Seowon, it's all my fault. Don't blame Si-ba." "Ugh, come on already. Stop sitting there like a guilty squatter." "Wait, the manager cried too?" Hong’s sudden attack paused the circle hug, and all eyes turned towards me. I quickly turned my head, but it was too late. They had already noticed. "See, his eyes are red." "See, Yu Eun-bit? The manager isn't doing this because he wants to." "Oppa, I’m sorry! It’s my fault, sob..." "So, since Liya doesn’t want to go, you’re not sending her, right?" Hong's question prompted me to confirm Liya’s heart once again. "Liya, you really aren’t going, right? Forget what your sisters think, just tell me how you honestly feel." "Yes... even if it’s tough, I want to stay together." "Look at you, acting all tough for a little kid. Let’s start preparing to move tomorrow. We’ll relocate to a smaller place first." < Snowmure Party > End