198 - Upki Girl

< I Want to Work with You, Manager > Sigh… This is driving me nuts. Every time I see the 'Muno Manager's Expression Meme' folder, it seems to have one more picture added to it. ― Muno After His Prank Gets Exposed: (Photo) As always, his smile is awkward, but there's something subtly different about it. They just keep adding screenshots from reality shows and live streams where I appeared briefly with the kids. Not to mention all the random pictures taken by fans during the kids' commutes or at fan meetings that are being released. The simple photos have been upgraded to high-quality GIFs, and people have started linking unrelated situations with my expressions to create their own narrative variations and parody memes. What on earth is this… ― Yunho, you're so cool, even guys would fall for you: Yo, H-Yujin, you're really handsome and your rapping's on point... They even included pictures of celebrities with the same name as mine! What did these people ever do wrong? "This is absurd, absolutely absurd..." I muttered to myself, and Yeom poked his head in my direction, asking. "What's up?" "My expression memes are evolving nonstop." "Hehehe. But did you see the heartwarming ones that were uploaded too?" "Huh? Heartwarming?" Heiran, the newest member of the PR team, chimed in. "Oh, I know what that is. A fan uploaded a video on a YouTube channel, editing together interviews with the Upki-girl members with clips of you taking care of them. Mi-jung and I were so touched when we watched it that we cried." "Really?" "The editing was really well done with music and everything. Even I felt a bit choked up watching it." If it moved Yeom, who is notorious for never showing emotional variation, to the point of sniffling, it must be well-crafted. Intrigued, I went on YouTube to find the video. The uploader wasn’t particularly a fan of Upki-girl. They were a professional editor who specialized in posting videos of various girl groups, producing cross-edited clips and behind-the-scenes stories of the entertainment industry. They had many edited videos of Upki-girl, the most popular of which was the ‘21 Military Consolation Train’ video, surpassing 2 million views. The video I was looking for appeared in the right-hand category as a thumbnail. It was a five-minute clip with a somewhat daunting title. <Not Just a Sky Enthusiast! Without Muno's Manager, There'd Be No Upki-girl!> Sigh, a title like this implies I'm more famous as a Sky enthusiast than as Upki-girl’s manager. Like a singer mistaken for a comedian because they're better at variety shows than singing. Starting from the ‘Hold Me’ showcase and through to the recent fan signing event in Hanam, the video compiled interviews where the kids mentioned me along with clips of me taking care of them. The BGM was 'You Raise Me Up,' performed by Seowon and Eunbit on the radio. As the song faded out, Hong’s runner-up interview from ‘Girl Crush’ came on. ―Most importantly, I'd like to thank Chief Kim Yunho, our producer and manager. I love you, Chief! The scene then switched to a photo of me looking up at Hong with concern, handing her a water bottle. This must have been around the semi-finals when she had a coughing fit. The video followed this pattern consistently. After the kids expressed their gratitude in interviews, a photo or clip of me taking care of them played. Just as Yeom mentioned, there was something heart-tugging the more I watched. It captured the history of Upki-girl, the essence of our shared memories. The lineup featured Hong, Yona, Seowon, and Ria, and finally, Eunbit. It was a clip from the showcase where the MC tried to make Eunbit cry during an interview. ―Miss Eunbit, I understand you’re from Jeju Island. You must miss your family a lot, right? At this moment, who do you miss the most? I expected her to mention her grandmother and start sobbing, but our diva gave an unexpected answer. ―It's our manager, there. ―Pardon? Your manager? Why? ―Ah, Chief looks just like my late father did. So whenever I miss Dad, I look at Chief’s face. To me, Chief is both a father and a family figure. "Ah, back then it felt cheesy, but now that I watch it again, it's touching, damn..." "Hehe, I teared up at that part too." Though my nose tingled, I could hold it together until then. What finally brought tears to my eyes was a single photo that followed. I hadn’t seen it before, but I instantly remembered when it was taken. It was when Eunbit, known as the “Sea Diving Girl,” went to record for ‘Sing Along Duo,’ and she'd gone out for dinner. Fans waiting for eye contact in the lobby snapped it. A much less polished Eunbit was awkwardly posing at the photo zone, while my fully satisfied face was captured faintly at the edge. Yeom and Hyundong were also there, but only I was caught just at the edge of the frame. ‘Sing Along Duo’ was Eunbit's first target and mission after she had a rough time. It was also when Seowon and Yona first met… The emotions of those times washed over me and my eyes grew moist. Adding the BGM's climax, tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably. ―You raise me up~ so I can stand on mountains... The video concluded with a group photo taken in this very office during the last episode of the reality program, along with the caption. [Don’t ever underestimate Muno’s manager again. He is where Upki-girl begins. Without him, there would be no Upki-girl today.] ―Though the final caption was somewhat over-the-top― it was incredibly touching to know someone recognized my hard work. *Sniff.* "Hehe, is Yunho crying?" "Oh, this is so good… It's touching and wonderful…" I cleared my throat to regain composure. The female staff members from the PR team had also been moved to tears. Mijeong spoke up. "Shall we reach out to the uploader and ask if we can share this on our official channel?" "Yes, and let's send them some merchandise too." Heiran added. "Chief, can't you just do that program? Honestly, it's such a waste that only we get to see the chemistry between you and Upki-girl." She was referencing a pilot program proposed by writer Eom Seung-mi. It's a reality variety show in the style of a observational camera capturing the daily lives of celebrities and their managers, and naturally, the kids were all in. Even though it's just a two-episode pilot, according to writer Eom, it's the kind of content many networks have been eyeing, and the air date would conveniently coincide with the end of Ripple Girl and the album's promotional activities, making it an excellent opportunity for us. However, from my standpoint as a non-celebrity, there was certainly some pressure, so I was still mulling over the decision. The fame from those 'expression memes' alone was already a headache—at cafes, the staff would recognize my face and giggle—and if I officially appear on a show, inconvenient situations are bound to happen. But recognizing that it's a great opportunity, it makes sense for me to make a sacrifice for Upki-girl’s sake. Yeom was strongly in favor too. "Hyung, just go for it. I usually don’t say such things, but if it’s you and the girls on reality TV, it will be a hit. Plus, you have great chemistry with writer Eom Seung-mi, right? Now’s the time to strike while the iron is hot and make the kids earn a lot more. Getting a consecutive fixed spot on national television isn't easy, you know?" Yeom even joked that I should sign a contract now. He must have been kidding, but he suggested making the contract with a 9:1 ratio in profit-sharing, and that he would be my manager if I ever became famous. "Alright, I'll think about it a little more..." I replied, feeling the lingering impact as I rewatched the YouTube video. I wondered if the kids had seen it yet? Judging by the upload time, it was posted in the morning, so they probably hadn’t seen it. No, I should really let the Upkies watch it too. I wanted to share this warm, fuzzy feeling with them. Feeling unexpectedly emotional, I moved to the dance studio where the kids were practicing. —Clack "Hey, did you guys see that video?" I asked as I entered, excitement bubbling inside me, but… "Kyahaha! Yeonhong, you're crazy! It's exactly the same!" "Ahahaha! Unnie, you're amazing!" "Oh? Speak of the devil, Yunho oppa is here!" "As the saying goes, when you talk about a tiger… What’s going on? What’s got you all cracking up?" Hong must have performed some impression; the other four were rolling on the floor. As soon as I walked in, Hong averted her eyes. Laughing uncontrollably, they probably didn't hear me. I asked again. "Why, what’s so funny? Let me in on it. What did Hong do?" Finally catching her breath, Siba admitted. "Honghong unnie did a perfect impression of you, oppa, haha, pffft!" "An impression of me? What kind?" Seowon, who'd managed to calm down a bit, took in air before replying. "Whew, whew... It was your shocked expression when Haneul got eliminated, and the face you made when you were so happy you could die. Ah, my stomach! I laughed too much." So she imitated that? Betrayed. An overwhelming sense of betrayal. I came to share our touching video and foster a sense of unity, and here they were mocking me. Liya and Yona were still unable to suppress their laughter, sprawled out in a bowing position, gasping for air. Give me back my emotional uplift. Return the tears I shed. Return to me the few minutes when I was filled with love for all of you. "Forget it… why do I even bother talking to you lot. You brats." "Manager, you can't help but laugh at this. Hong, show it to him too." "N-No…" "Please do it, Honghong unnie…" Well then, if it's funny enough to nearly send them into out-of-body experiences… Having given up, I readied my phone for recording and spoke genially. "Alright, Hong. Show me. I want to see it too." "…I feel like you’ll get mad…" "When have I ever gotten mad about something like this? Show me. I'm really curious." "It's a bit exaggerated, so keep that in mind." "Sure. I'll be recording, so do your best." "Okay. BitBit, do the lines." "Yes!" As I began recording, Eunbit impersonated MC Jeon Seongmo, recreating the event. "The team being eliminated is unfortunately Promise Twelve!" Then Hong mimicked the shocked expression I had on the broadcast. The kids burst out laughing again, and I felt a bit slighted. It was exaggerated to pure comedic effect. "Hey, that’s over-exaggerated. When did I ever look like that?" "S-Sorry… Are you upset…?" "Oppa, these things are supposed to be exaggerated for fun." "Okay, okay. Next one." This time Siba grabbed her hair into pigtails, impersonating Haneul. "Manager Kim Yunho! Thank you so much for cheering me on all this time!" Unable to hold back her laughter, Hong finished with an imitation of my happy, teary smile from that day. "Pfft! Hahaha…" Despite myself, I burst into laughter this time. "This is hilarious. Let's use this for the next Ripple Girl recording." Surprised, Seowon replied. "Oh my, our manager has finally tasted broadcast fame. I hope he doesn't catch the celebrity syndrome." Siba clapped her hands and asked. "Oh, right! Oppa, what about Seung-mi unnie’s new program? Are you doing it?" "I'm not sure yet. I said I'd think about it today…" "What's there to think about? Just do it. You don't have to worry about a thing, Chief. We'll handle everything." "Oppa, we can really do this well. Come on, let's do it!" "Yes, Chief. We really want to do it. Let's make it happen." "Aliyah would love to do something like this with Myun Myun seriously just once. Let's do it." "I think I can do really well if it's with you, Chief. Let's do it, please?" Alright, fine. When was my body ever really mine, anyways? With you all wanting it so much, let's just go for it. After all, might as well get some use out of being worn out like this. "Alright, fine. Let's do it." "Yay!" Wait, why did I come here in the first place? Ah, right, the touching video. "Hey, have you guys seen that video?" "We've decided on the wedding song." Yona's words overlapped with mine. It was about the wedding song for Jonghwan's upcoming ceremony this Saturday. "Oh, right. Jonghwan contacted me earlier and said he needs the MR track by tomorrow. What are you guys planning to sing?" "We're mixing a lively dance song with a ballad. For the dance song, we're going with 'Yamu Yamu,' and for the ballad, it's 'Eternal' by Future Yoon. Hyundong is going to handle the mix and arrangement." 'Yamu Yamu' is the top hit by 'Tinklebell of Cheongnyangni,' known for its bizarre yet addictive nature, and 'Eternal' by Future Yoon is a staple wedding song. "That's a great balance." "But oppa." "Yeah?" "Didn't Jonghwan oppa say he wanted to do a proposal event for his bride?" "Yeah." "What if we plan a surprise event for them?" "Just singing a wedding song should be more than enough." "How about this? I could break in during the ceremony shouting 'this marriage is null!' and reveal that I was the secret lover all along. Then kick off with a hilarious rendition of 'PPAP.'" "Nope. Don't. Definitely don’t. It might work with just young guests, but with the older family members present, it would really kill the vibe. Besides, even among young people, they’re my age and probably don’t know 'PPAP.' I only knew it because of you..." "Really…?" Yona turned to the slightly dejected Siba. "Eunbit, you've never been to a wedding, have you?" "I think I went to a relative's wedding when I was little, but I don't really remember." "When I was a trainee, I did some wedding song gigs. Surprisingly, it's usually a pretty quiet and solemn atmosphere. Just doing 'Yamu Yamu' will already lighten the mood." "I thought it would be like a big, fun party… I saw some wedding videos online, and they seemed lively." "If you do it well, it can be fun. But if not, you risk making things awkward, so you have to keep that in mind. For Jonghwan oppa and his bride, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event." I added to the explanation. "Yeah. Claiming 'this marriage is null' is risky, and 'PPAP' is too niche. If you're going to do something, make sure it's something everyone can enjoy. Like Yona said, just performing 'Yamu Yamu' will lift the atmosphere, so don't try anything beyond that." *** "The bride and groom are now leaving the loving embrace of their parents and families to create a new home together. To achieve this beautifully, there are several virtues the couple must firmly keep in mind. The first is..." Murmur, chatter, whisper, gossip… On the day of Jonghwan's wedding. There was a problem. As the officiant started speaking, the atmosphere began to feel unsettled. Instead of focusing on the bride and groom, attention was shifting towards the section where I was seated with the Upkies. "Who are those girls over there...?" "What were their names again, they're a famous idol group nowadays. The groom's friend is their manager. Seonyong, who are they?" "They're Upki-girl." "I think I've heard of them… are they really that popular?" "Yes, they're doing really well these days." "But why are they here acting like this?" < I Want to Work with You, Manager > End