201 - Upki Girl

< Do You Have a Girlfriend, Manager? > While at the office, enjoying my morning routine in the restroom, a call came from an unknown number. Probably an inquiry about booking Up Key Girl. I answered the phone with the most amiable and polite tone I could muster. “Hello.” ―Yes, hi there. We are a welfare organization called the Single Mothers Support Foundation. Are you the manager of Up Key Girl by any chance? “Yes, that’s correct.” ―We’re starting a new donation program for single mothers and single-parent families. We’re reaching out to see if we can appoint the Up Key Girls as ambassadors. Are you available to talk? “Ah... I’m sorry, but I’m in the restroom at the moment. I’ll call you back at this number once I’m out.” ―Alright, we’ll be waiting. “Could you send me a message with your organization’s name and website address?” ―Sure, I’ll do that.” One thing I learned since entering this industry is that our country has all sorts of ambassadors. Starting with government agencies and projects related to local governments, to various foundations, corporations, associations, large and small businesses, festivals, individual projects, specific products, technologies, diseases, animals, plants, campaigns, etc., it seems like you can attach the term ‘ambassador’ to just about anything. Like ‘Speedy Girl Ambassador Kim Yoon-ho’ or something. There are ambassadors for erectile dysfunction treatment, Botox, and even the Reptile and Amphibian Association. These really do exist. Since the goal is literally promotion, many of these positions are held by celebrities. Given the vast variety and scope, even newly debuted rookies and unknown idols get a lot of opportunities. Among the 15 teams that participated in Replay Girl, as many as 10 were handling some kind of ambassadorship. During one talk, Lip Balm, who gained the nickname ‘Sexy Night’ through Lip Girl, revealed she was the ‘Healthy Contraception Ambassador,’ which became quite a topic. Of course, Up Key Girl also receives numerous ambassador proposals nearly every day. After their appearance on the 21-Company Consolation Train, the Ministry of National Defense and Military Manpower Administration sent the most offers. The group has already been chosen as the ambassador for the Ground Forces Festival in October and the Ministry of National Defense’s Culture and Arts Ambassador. However, there are dozens of different ambassador positions within the Ministry of National Defense alone, and several teams might share the same ambassador title in a year, so it’s not particularly honorable or anything. It’s just a win-win business-minded exchange. Naturally, we reject sensitive organizations linked with specific political beliefs or religions, but since those aspects aren’t often evident just by names or briefs, thorough scrutiny before acceptance is necessary. I’m in charge of that. After conducting initial research on the internet and their website, I discuss the organization’s founding purpose and history with contacts before making a decision. Looking at the recent ambassador offers: Due to Eunbiti's Jeju roots, there are offers related to Jeju festivals and local products. Seowon is associated with games and school violence prevention. Hong, with her healthy and sexy image, receives offers from sports and health sectors. Yona is popular with fashion, beauty, and cosmetics, while Riya is favored by wildlife organizations. We also get unexpected proposals unrelated to Up Key Girl, the most baffling coming from the suspiciously named ‘World Population Adjustment Committee’ and a private group called the ‘Psychic Research Lab’. The ‘Population Committee,’ for instance, offered us 200 million won just to include our names and photos in their promotional booklet, which naturally, we declined. While finishing up my business, I checked the website sent by the caller, ensuring no prior scandals or unpleasant incidents were associated with them. It’s a foundation where a few famous female celebrities have already been appointed as ambassadors. There were no apparent irregularities or incidents to be seen. However, given societal perceptions of single mothers are still somewhat negative and this type of match might not align well with a newly debuted girl group, an internal meeting would likely be needed. ―Click Just as I was about to turn off my phone, a notification popped up. It was a link posted in the office group chat by Mi-jeong from PR. It reported a video of Jong-hwan’s wedding performance last week had made it to the celebrity board of a popular community site. Here we go. It was a review from a high school boy who attended as a guest of the bride’s side. ―――――――― < Popular Board > Title: Saw Up Key Girl at an Acquaintance's Wedding, LOL Views: 15,301 On Saturday, the daughter of someone my mom knows was getting married, and my mom dragged me along, partly for the buffet. When we arrived, there was a crowd near the wedding gift table, and it turned out a girl group was present. It was Up Key Girl. All five were there, and I nearly had a heart attack, for real. I’m not exaggerating when I say they looked about 1.6 billion times prettier in person than on screen. They say celebrities have an aura, right? I thought that was all nonsense, but it’s legit true. Their facial size and proportions are insane, and compared to them, the rest of us regular folks just felt like squid, cuttlefish, or Pigsy in Journey to the West. Honestly, we’re just not the same species. If regular people are orcs or humans, these girls are elves. I’m somewhat into hip-hop, so naturally, I knew Yeon-hong, but I barely recognized the other four by face, not by name. After seeing them in person, I learned all their names within a minute and asked for pictures right then and there. There were rumors about them having a bad attitude, but that’s total crap—they had great personalities. From what I saw, they took pictures and gave autographs to over fifty people. Turns out the groom’s friend is their manager, and that’s why they came to perform at the wedding. But as soon as the ceremony started, the bride was composed, but the girls broke down bawling uncontrollably, LOL. It got to the point where they cried so hard during the officiant’s speech that he paused the ceremony, told them to go have a good cry outside, and sent all five of them out, LOL. When they finally came back inside and began their performance, at first only the vocalists, Seowon and Eun-bit, sang. They sang Pyuche Yun’s ballad, and it genuinely surprised me how well they sang. The audience was buzzing with excitement and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Then things took an unexpected turn. It’s really something beyond words; you’ll just have to watch the video I’ll upload. *Additional Note: Many asked for details on each member's appearance, so here’s my take. ―Yona: Even a stranger could tell, "Oh, she’s the center." I didn’t know her before, but she just had that aura. Turns out, she actually is the center. Her beauty is striking, but she has this unique charisma. Anyway, she's crazy beautiful. ―Yeon-hong: Tall and being the most famous member, she caught my eye first. Her makeup was more subtle than on TV, giving off a slight Jeon Ji-hyun vibe. Not my type, but those into curvier figures would go wild. Anyway, she's stunning. ―Seowon: Truly a mood maker. She has that vibe of a lead actress from a dark drama with a tough upbringing. She flicked her hair to the side and our eyes met for a second—I almost fell for her. Anyway, she's incredibly beautiful. ―Jin or Ali?: The most surprising member. On screen, she seemed tiny and delicate, but in person, she's taller than I imagined with a Western figure. She had a commanding presence on Replay Girl as the youngest, but seemed very shy in real life. She didn’t say much and seemed to watch people’s reactions, maybe because of negative comments? She looks like a Korean who could pass as mixed race. Anyway, she's gorgeous. ―Si-ba: Exactly as I imagined. The same presence she exudes on TV. Her eye smile is truly warm, and her bright personality shows she's the team’s mood maker. When I awkwardly stood at the back of the crowd, she approached me first, gathered all the members, and took a photo. Her skin surpasses the others, too—pure milky white with no spots. She's a year older than me, but gave off a ‘real girlfriend’ vibe. Now I understand why she’s called the entrance fairy; I fell for her instantly... <Video of Up Key Girls Crying> <Up Key Girls Wedding Performance Video. Ballad + ????> ―Judi: Wait... I don’t know Up Key Girl well, are they really a girl group??? Aren’t they just the wildest kids from school gathered together???? ᄋGaegallo: LOL ᄋSeung-yeon: LOL ―Titanic: This is hilarious LOL ―Dokshik1: Why are they bawling at someone else's wedding LOL I’m cringing for them ᄋBlack Spearman: 222 Exactly. The family isn’t even crying, so why are they? LOL ―Krad: Hey! Stop making nonsense about Up Key Girl! ―Bakadis: Tinker Bell from my memory is gone. ―狂天流花: I’m cringing… we’re all cringing... ―stella3140: Someone do a doping test on them. This kind of vibe can’t be natural without something else. ―Mountain Park Fire: What’s with their carefree seal-breaking? ―Flour Chi: Seems like the writer got dazzled. I was taken last year and still haven’t recovered^^ ―Super Angry Hyun-woo: Up Key fans are everywhere and nowhere ―Drunk Meow: LOL at the host’s face LOL ᄋShas Splin: And that officiant’s expression LOL ―Under the Bridge: Speaking from experience as a former idol trainer. I've always thought it, but they’re beyond Replay Girl’s level. Their singing is impeccable, from pitch and tempo to emotion and mic control. Even though their choreography is quirky, the quality and precision are stunning. It’s clear they practice intensively along with their natural talent. ᄋSeung-yeon: Yeah, especially Aliya’s dance is insanely artistic. Even someone who doesn’t know dance can see she's on another level. ―Shuman Bear: Find the one member not described as ‘crazy beautiful’ (5 points) ―――――――― “Kekeke…” Seeing reactions like this now fills me with pride, a sign that I’m becoming a true Up Key fan. Among fans, this phenomenon is referred to as ‘Uptharsis’ or ‘Up-keygasm,’ even making it into the Up Key dictionary. Those who transcend the cringe, delighting in the awkwardness, have emerged. “Hmm…” The review was amusing, yet one line caught my attention. The part mentioning that Riya seems shy and conscious of others. It’s not just the negative comments causing Riya to shrink lately. During the height of the criticism, she seemed more vulnerable to fans' gaze but wasn’t this withdrawn. Riya’s deflation started when the hotel and asset transfer processes began; since putting the lodging up for sale, she’s been as sapped as Samson without his hair. The other members and I noticed long ago, but now it’s obvious enough for the fans to see her feeling down. I suspect there are two reasons for Riya’s slump. First, perhaps the loss and diminishment from a sudden wealth gap—even if not entirely penniless. Second, guilt for not being able to support the company and Up Key Girl financially. We decided not to bring it up prematurely, fearing that if we did, she’d feel even guiltier, choosing to watch over her until she was somewhat ready to speak up. But it seems like the time for inaction has passed. Riya already embodies a basic risk of spiraling downwards, and intervention is needed before things get gloomier. At that moment, Riya was away from the office due to the hotel management transfer issues. Seizing this opportunity, I included the ‘Revitalize Riya’ agenda in the morning meeting. I took charge of the meeting. "Our youngest is feeling really down lately, and it’s crucial we boost her spirits. If we move her to a new place in her current state, her self-esteem might plummet even lower." Everyone agreed unanimously. They collectively admitted they missed the days of the overly confident, somewhat bratty Riya from her "Riya the Great" days. "Even if reviving her peak form is too much, we need to help her regain some level of confidence. Any ideas are welcome." “I’ve got one!” It’s always Si-ba who starts. Eun-bit stood up first, eagerly gaining the floor. Ready for yet another peculiar suggestion. Probably something bizarre, as always. “What if we take turns washing Riya’s feet, like how fans did for us? While doing it, keep telling her how much we love her, regardless of wealth or anything else, that we love Riya just as she is. They say plants grow better when loved, right? We don’t have to wash her feet, but I think expressing our love verbally or through actions would be beneficial.” Wow. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. I expected her to say something ridiculous, but this was surprisingly decent. I noted down Si-ba’s suggestion on the whiteboard. 'Constantly express love and show affection.' “Hmm... We’ve received so much from Riya, so maybe it's time we give her a gift that she truly deserves. Isn't her birthday next week?” Yeom chimed in with her suggestion. Indeed, Riya’s birthday was approaching, and it would be the first member’s birthday since Up Key Girl's formation, so we had planned a small fan meeting. Yeom proposed making that day entirely about Riya and labeling it as ‘Riya Day.’ A splendid idea. With the main structure in place, adding details was seamless. Ideas included creating a song just for Riya, producing a video, etc. I synthesized all these ideas into one cohesive plan. "Let's do this: rent a venue in Hongdae, like for a concert, and hold a birthday party cum fan meeting. We can have a gift ceremony, play the video, and sing for her. Isn’t hiring a place like Rolling Hall relatively inexpensive?” “When my students performed there two years ago, it was 1.2 million won for four hours." Yeom knew the details precisely. “We can use our company funds, right?” “Of course. That’s all money Riya invested, anyway.” “Everyone agrees, right?” Approval was unanimous without hesitation. And so, the secret preparations for ‘Revitalize Riya’ began. The operation was codenamed ‘Riya the Great.’ *** ―The team eliminated in the 8th mission is Ladybug. ―Please give a warm round of applause to Ladybug for making it this far. Following the elimination of Framish12 last week, the team knocked out in this week’s Replay Girl recording was Bug Idol Ladybug. The mission involved one-on-one mentoring from renowned producers, with Up Key Girl securing third place behind Your Girl and May Queens, earning points. After the recording, the theme for the 9th mission was promptly announced. Jehee anticipated it would be a collaboration performance with another team. However, the method of pairing teams differed from her information, and the much-awaited Up Key Girl and May Queens joint performance turned out to be wishful thinking. With eight teams remaining, pairs were formed by balancing rankings: 1st with 8th, 2nd with 7th, 3rd with 6th, and so on. This placed us, in first place, teamed up with ‘Lip Balm,’ ranked eighth for the competition. Lip Balm, constantly pinpointed as likely to be eliminated, openly welcomed Up Key Girl as their almost guaranteed ticket to the next round. Whether it'll be a free ride or joint downfall remains to be seen. The day after recording. While preparing for ‘Riya the Great,’ we had a strategy meeting at our company studio for the Up Key Girl X Lip Balm’s Replay Girl repertoire. “Hello!” “Oh, the older sisters are here!” “Wow, your office is gorgeous.” Sexy Night Lip Balm as expected. Their casual outfits were provocatively charming, leaving me wondering where to direct my gaze. I decided to avoid looking their way entirely. “Our manager’s eyes are making too much noise; it’s hard to focus on the meeting.” Riya teased, adding fuel to the fire. “Huh? What do you mean by noisy eyes?” “The sound of you sneaking glances at the Sexy Night Lip Balm sisters.” “Hey, I wasn’t even looking at them, just staring at my phone!” The four members of Lip Balm glanced at me simultaneously and giggled. “Oh, really?” “No, really not! Riya’s just playing around. What kind of joke is that? She’s lost her mind.” I waved my hands, trying to refute, and the leader of Lip Balm, Tina, gave me a noticeable smile, saying: “I think you’re really cute, Manager.” R-really? The other members chimed in, playfully, with twinkles in their eyes. “Right. When Framies got cut, your disappointed face was adorable.” “Haha, that was hilarious. We were all rolling over at our dorm.” “Do you have a girlfriend, Manager?” As soon as that question came up, Seowon interjected at lightning speed to answer. “Yes, he does.” < Do You Have a Girlfriend, Manager? > End