196 - Upki Girl

< I Can't Believe It Actually Fell Through > The next day. Liya and I stayed back at the accommodation alone to receive our rehabilitation therapy. The rehabilitation costs had already been paid in full, so we could receive therapy anywhere regardless of checking out from the accommodation. While waiting for the rehabilitation trainers, Liya made a call to Osman, directly informing him of her decision to decline the Sultan of Brunei's proposal. They accepted Liya's choice without further argument. This officially severed Liya's social ties with the Brunei royal family. Due to various procedural and tax-related issues, the transfer of Liya’s hotel and assets would be carried out gradually over the next few months. In choosing to remain with Upkick Girl—as I speculated—Liya was essentially forfeiting hundreds of billions in assets. "Exactly how much?" "Sometimes it's better not to know, you know? Knowing might just make you feel relatively deprived." "Don't you know me by now? I don't really feel that kind of deprivation. Is it about 30 billion? Or maybe 50 billion?" "Oh, come on, what do you think of Osman? If you combine Aliya's unregistered overseas real estate and accounts, in our country... bring your ear closer." ― Whisper, sigh~ "Eek! This is insane!" The sum surpassed my wildest expectations. Though I didn't feel relative deprivation, my sense of reality suddenly became hazy. If Liya is at this level, just how much have the real conglomerates stashed away? I'm sure it's easily two to three times what's publicly listed in places like Forbes. "Hey, call Osman back and tell him you misspoke. Why don't you just go to Brunei and throw us 5 billion each?" "What is this selfishness? Are you serious?" "Of course, it's a joke." "You made the right choice with that joke. If you'd even hinted at being serious, Aliya might have seriously considered going." Though it was a joke, it wasn't entirely devoid of sincerity. And just as I was thinking that... ―――――――― ★This is a very dangerous thought. Please refrain from such ideas.^^ ―――――――― ...So it seems. Now it's blatantly meddling. Had this information window let Liya leave, it might have led to my demise. Life is real, after all. Imagine being hit smack by a resurrection truck. Even if Liya was playing it cool on the outside, he seemed a bit regretful deep down. It was a decision only Liya could make, but who wouldn't feel the sting over such an amount? "If I knew this was going to happen, I would have stashed away more here and there. I never imagined making such a decision in my life." "I never thought I'd become a manager either." "The important thing now isn’t that. How do I explain this to Cash, driver Hong, and the house helpers? I plan to give them severance pay, but I’m struggling to find the words." They say even when a rich man goes broke, it takes three years for it to show. Liya had dispersed liquid assets—still in the billions—that Osman’s watchful eyes never reached, and she planned to cash them out to pay the severance for the aides she personally hired. She intended to give Cash 100 million, driver Hong 50 million, and each of the two house helpers 10 million. "I think that amount is more than enough for you not to worry." "Really?" "The severance I got after working like a dog at Daehyun Construction for seven years was around 50 million." “Seriously? Seven years for that pittance? So much for big corporations.” "Liya, are you already feeling defeated?" "Yeah, feels like that. Knowing I'm losing money makes me feel like I've been stripped and left at Gangnam Station alone..." Even an ordinary person like me would feel vulnerable without money, imagine how it feels for someone like her. At times like this, a warm comfort is more needed than candid harshness. I gently patted Liya's slightly slumped shoulders. "I'm confident about one thing: Upkick Girl is definitely going to be a big hit. It might not compare to the wealth you had, but it won't be anything to scoff at. Just hang in there. Look at the Plan L members; they worked hard for a few years and now they're all building owners. Of course, half of it was on loan, but you can't dream of that at their age unless you're born with a silver spoon." "I'm not worried about Upkick Girl’s success either. With the sisters, you, and the Hum Family, what's there to worry about?" "Right. I'm the same, and probably the other members too—it's like we’re destined not to be apart." "Usually, I’d find such a line cringe-worthy enough to make me Beyoncé-level swoon, but right now, it's quite comforting. Thanks, Godmun." "Yeah. I'm really grateful you decided to stay with the team, Liya." Sometimes, I’ve realized from experience that a hug can be more comforting than a hundred words. I enveloped Liya in my arms, finding her shoulders unexpectedly small today, and gently patted her back. Our chests inevitably touched, and she mumbled. “Clink clink…” "Sorry, but I don’t see you as a girl at all. I can even scrub your back." "And that concludes the testimony of Kim Munho, the suspect of minor sexual harassment." *** After rehabilitation, I went to the office with Liya. There’s a lot to do. Executive Director Yeom handles all the financial matters of Hum Family, including profits, distribution, and settlements. I need to inform him of Liya’s situation and the cessation of her investment. We also need to have extensive discussions about moving the quarters and future production costs. The funds initially provided by Liya will be enough to cover our activities for the upcoming mini-album, but we’ll need to recalculate the budget for future endeavors. "Hyung, did you see the notification about the rule change for Ripple Girl yet?" “No.” Because I drove here, I didn’t have a chance to check the company emails, which Jang-woo informed me of. “What’s changed this time?” “Yes, they’re changing up the ranking system. And the filming team is set to arrive by 3 PM.” “Okay. I’ll check it out now.” This is the same with any TV program, be it drama or variety shows. Unexpected popularity or lackluster responses can arise, and Replay Girls fell into the former category. Though initially thought to be a basic follow-up to the jungle variety, it exceeded expectations with soaring ratings, consistently ranking in the top five across all variety shows. As a result, there have been many changes to the initial rules and patterns. Of course, the viewers are not aware of this. The finals’ rules were never precisely announced to allow for flexibility under such circumstances. Therefore, when an unexpected — though ultimately successful — sports event popped up in the middle, viewers went along with it without much fuss. Upon checking the email, I could see that the production team had put a lot of thought into this change. With eight episodes left, including the live finals, Upkick Girl’s victory seemed almost certain. Unless a miracle happened where one of the top five teams ranked first for at least five consecutive weeks and we failed to earn any points during that period, victory for Upkick Girl was practically guaranteed. Because of this certainty, viewers' expectations, and the motivation of mid-ranked teams had dimmed, so the production team decided to shake up the rankings to heighten the tension. They adopted the professional baseball ranking system. According to plans, the bottom team would be eliminated weekly until six remained, and the team holding first place when five teams remained would win the regular league championship. Post-season would commence afterward. The fourth and fifth place teams would face off in a wildcard match, with the winner advancing to compete against the third and second place teams in succession, culminating in the final showdown with the first place team for the “Korea Series(?)” to determine the overall champion. “That’s a good change. It sounds more exciting.” “They’ll broadcast live from the post-season onwards.” “We'd better ensure everyone stays in top shape.” I relayed the updated rules to the girls in the dance studio. They were already reworking parts and formations to bring Liya into the mission recording scheduled two days later. Having consistently observed the practice sessions to learn the choreography, Liya plans to participate with light upper-body movements while seated. After finishing the visualization training, Yona ignited a subtle spark before the actual practice. “Our Liya, you haven’t lost your touch, have you?” “This is a cinch. Don’t worry about me and just go straight through.” “I've grown to dislike my cursed body during moments like this. I nearly died memorizing this, yet some people can pick it up just by watching...” With Silverbeam’s grumbling, Liya's return to practice began. Everyone cautioned Liya against overexertion. Yet, once the intro played, she set aside her chair, stretching to full height before seamlessly integrating into the group choreography with gingerly bounces. Startled, I shouted out. “Hey, what are you doing!” “No problem, I’ll take it easy! The rehab trainer said this much is fine!” Like a fish back in water, a dancing Aliya. How she managed to hold out without dancing all this time was a mystery. The vitality had returned to Liya, who had been dispirited all morning, causing her purple aura to shimmer vibrantly. The other four girls’ auras responded, bubbling like sparkling soda. A complete team is truly special. It was clear that formations look notably better with an odd number rather than even. While the girls practiced, I stepped out for a moment to discuss Liya’s situation with Yeom. “We’ll have to significantly reduce our operating costs, huh?” “Yes. I think so. We’ll also need to find a new place.” “Wow... What should we cut first?” Under investor-mode Liya’s directives, everything had proceeded in A-grade full gear, from salons, stylist teams, backup dancers, stage costumes, foreign language and acting lessons, to body and skin management. Including staff salaries and vehicle maintenance, the operating expenses have been close to 30 million won monthly during the Replay Girl activity period. Since we plan to jump straight into mini-album activities after Replay Girl, the expenditures will likely increase rather than decrease. Liya insisted on personally covering the accommodation rent, but moving forward, the company will need to shoulder the monthly rent, adding to the financial burden. Given that we are now the trendiest girl group, there’s no fear of running at a loss, but we must tighten our belts and focus on lucrative activities. “Should we start doing gigs again?” “Yes, we should. We’ll have to let Manager Kim know.” Previously, to focus on Replay Girl, we had been turning down general events, except for military performances, charity shows, and girl-crush-related performances by Hongie and Yona. Currently, Upkick Girl commands the highest price among rookie girl groups, with an appearance fee of 10 million won for three songs at a metropolitan college festival. Replay Girl has certainly contributed to this, but Hongie’s runner-up finish at Girl Crush was the biggest factor. Hongie’s solo fee matches the winner Choishika’s at 6 million won, which is how our pricing was determined. Further down south, the amounts increase to around 200 thousand won, though college festivals typically pay slightly less than regular events. If we hit number one on music sites or shows, our price will more than double. Just recently, Priyami, who hit number one on a music show but faced suspicions of stockpiling their album releases, saw their event fee leap from 7 million to 15 million won. Allegations aside, the dramatic impact seen overnight pushes groups to vie for top spots at any cost, even resorting to stockpiling. If Upkick Girl hits number one, our fee is expected to rise to around 17 million won, not quite double but close. As Baek Jong-won says, lower your prices as your business does well. “Now that it's spring festival season, there should be plenty of events, right?” “Exactly. To be honest, we've been declining offers to focus on Replay Girls, but if we put effort into arranging bookings, we won’t have to worry about operating costs. We've been able to work so comfortably thanks to Liya, so we owe her a thank you.” “Liya's in the middle of practice now, so wait until the end of the day to thank her.” “Huh? Practice for what?” “Oh, she’s decided to rejoin Replay Girls. Her rehab coach said it’s okay for her to dance. She probably stayed out because withdrawing from the show might have felt more painful.” “Seriously, there’s not a single person in this team with a conventional mindset.” “But hey, Yona’s pretty normal.” “She’s a robot, you know—a practice bot, leader bot, and no-fun bot.” “Hehe.” *** Two days later, at the Replay Girls set where Liya made her return. —By a very slim margin, the eliminated team has been decided. —It’s really heartbreaking, especially since I personally rooted for this team. —Members, could you each say a few words to the viewers and fans who have been with you all this time? The girls are crying. Even the youngest is in tears. I couldn't close my gaping mouth in shock, and my dazed expression was caught on camera. I kept thinking, "There's no way this could happen," but it really did—dropped out... < I Can't Believe It Actually Fell Through > End