202 - Upki Girl

< Raise Us, Please! > 202. Raise Us, Please! Surely, he wouldn't lie and claim to be my boyfriend, right? Fortunately, he didn't. At least Seowon had the decency to name a third party. Multiple parties, in fact. “Our manager is a total player. I can't say who, but he had a thing with one of the members from a famous girl group that disbanded last year...” Come on, just say it's Plan L. How many famous four-member girl groups disbanded last year... “He also went on a blind date with an editor we met on a magazine shoot, and he still can't get over Hana, who's practically his niece. He’s a dangerous man who hits on every woman he meets, so you all better be careful.” What a bizarre persona to maintain. So now it's the womanizer angle? And why drag Hana into this? Eunbi and Lia nodded in complete agreement, as if they were reporters exaggerating and fabricating details to back up Seowon's claims. “Our oppa does have a thing for the ladies. Just look at his expression during 'Rip Girl' recording days. Right, Lia?” “Exactly. He can't keep his head straight when there's a skirt involved, regardless of nationality or age.” I waved a dismissive hand, showing there was no point in responding to such nonsense. “They're just playing around, so take it with a grain of salt. They live for teasing me.” Is this an invitation for a comedic exchange? Leader Tina finished the statement with a cute upward note, pointing an imaginary finger gun at me. “Oh~ look at how red you’re getting! There must be something going on! If it’s a four-member group from last year, there’s really only one, right? Plan… hmm! hmm!” “No, nothing like that. They’re just blowing some casual conversations out of proportion. Seriously, stop messing around. People might actually believe you.” As I blushed in protest, the kids knew when to stop, shrugging it off and ending the teasing. Tina chuckled at our banter, finding it adorable. “You all look so close. Like uncle and nieces.” Lip Balm members envied the carefree relationship between the kids and me. While many managers maintain casual relationships with their artists, they said ours seemed especially tight-knit. Indeed, it's tight-knit. A glue trap kind of bond. Once you're in, you can't escape until death. Gaon, the youngest of Lip Balm, spoke to me with a wistful smile. “We chat a lot amongst ourselves about the Upkick Girls. We'd love to work with a company like yours.” Tina and Jiseon chimed in playfully. “I really think this company’s amazing.” “Do you have any thoughts about signing with us? Just asking, haha.” No, I don’t. I can barely manage the Upkick Girls. “Don’t you get a lot of offers to sign contracts these days?” As I casually redirected the conversation, Tina shrugged. “We do get offers from here and there, but mostly from start-ups, not from any well-known names.” Gaon clicked her tongue and tapped her thigh in frustration. “I’ve just realized there are so many agencies in our country.” There are indeed many. But most are either run by swindlers, or start-up dreamers that go bankrupt in less than a year. Then there are those, like Yona's old company, that release a cheap album and endlessly exploit events while constantly whining about deficits. It's not called 'major' for nothing. As they said, there are too many start-up agencies on this small land, and not a few operate non-transparently, exploiting the dreams of trainees and aspirants. For Lip Balm, it was fortunate when the malpractice they suffered was revealed and the company disappeared. Even if a team makes it to debut and appears on TV, dozens will vanish keeping to debts throughout the contract period. The idols currently topping music shows are essentially in the top 0.01%. Concerned genuinely for Lip Balm, I offered some unsolicited advice. “You know from experience, but there are more shady companies than you think, so choose carefully. There’s no rush, right? With Lip Balm’s current form, major companies will likely come calling.” “I really hope so.” “Does Humming have any plans to launch artists other than the Upkick Girls?” “No, we aren't planning that yet. We're all-in with the Upkick Girls.” “Lucky them... We should find a company like that, too.” “If it’s Humming, it would be awesome.“ “I mean, we’d even take a slave contract if it means working with you, ha-ha.” Wait. Are they serious? Initially, I thought it was a joke, but their repeated mention of our company seemed sincere. I noticed a strong eagerness in their eyes, much like that time when Rani reached out to me. If I could see a thought bubble, it might read like this: ‘Raise us! Take us in and raise us!’ I modestly deflected once more. “Come on, aim for a well-established company. Our company is totally third-rate, still unorganized, and chaotic. We say the Upkick Girl group raises the company more than it raised them.” At last, Lip Balm seemed to understand I wasn’t interested in them, and they smiled sheepishly, nodding. Internally at Humming, the topic of signing additional artists sometimes comes up, but the general consensus remains that it’s too soon for now. As the popularity and schedule of the Upkick Girls continued to rise, we found ourselves in a position where hiring new staff became necessary, leaving little room to focus on other teams. Typically, the relationship between the Upkick Girls and Lip Balm was amicable. Having spent several hours together each week filming for the past two months, we'd gotten familiar with each other’s names and personalities. Occasionally, Lip Balm members would visit our waiting room, seeking advice from Seowon on singing and Hong on rapping. Lip Balm was well-liked among the production crew and cast. They were a team I personally liked. They possessed basic manners and a warm personality that allowed them to approach others amiably. Despite being the eldest members on 'Rip Girl' with the highest average age, they never once spoke informally to anyone, even addressing our youngest, Lia, and the 2003-born Hana with formal speech. After greeting the staff at Humming, both the Upkick Girls and Lip Balm gathered in the dance studio to begin planning their joint performance. The production team requested footage of the two teams together, so I started recording with a 6mm camera. It made for a great visual. Though the shot looked overwhelming, our girls appeared quite young by comparison. Even Hong and Yona, who were considered the sexy line of the Upkick Girls, looked youthful next to the mature appeal and build of Lip Balm's Sexy Lip Balm. In our team, Hong is the tallest at 169cm, yet in Lip Balm, the shortest, Gaon, is 168cm. The leader Tina stands at 173cm, while Haeun and Jiseon boast heights of 171cm and 175cm. Tina and Jiseon, having been part of a dance team, also worked as fitting models. True to their dance team origins, their dancing skills ranked top within 'Rip Girl,' and they were the only team with a sexy concept sans Eye Contact. While lacking strong vocals, they rose to fame through charisma derived from their Western physiques and vibrant stage presence. It felt akin to Naruto’s Rock Lee and Guy focusing all their strength on Taijutsu at the expense of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. However, a performance-only strategy has its limits. Having showcased most of what they could in dance, they now faced potential elimination in the upcoming rounds. Hence, they decided to entrust everything in this joint mission to the Upkick Girls. Tina, representing the group, shared their resolve. “We may not know much else, but we’re confident in our stamina because we’re from a dance team. We’ll follow however the Upkick Girls lead, so please work us hard without worrying about us.” When I asked why they called our girls "unni" when they knew they were older, they playfully responded. “If someone’s more famous or better at singing than us, they’re automatically unni.” “That’s why we’re the youngest in 'Rip Girl,' even though we’re the oldest.” The Upkick Girls laughed, and Lip Balm engaged in self-deprecating humor, clearly enjoying themselves. Still, it was a bit sad to watch. In trying too hard to befriend others, they habitually belittled themselves to the point of self-mockery. They were like that since I first met them. All members are relatively old for a girl group—Haeun is assumed to be in her early 30s—, and before 'Rip Girl' began, their agency had disbanded. Without a new agency or manager, they managed their schedules on their own, leading them to cultivate this self-deprecating survival strategy. Considering this, they might be the most remarkable team among the 'Rip Girl' contestants. Coming from a challenging environment without any agency support, no designated main vocal, and ranked lowest in singing ability among 15 teams, this cover dance team made it to the top 8 solely on the merit of their performance and stage presence. And it’s not like they have a particularly strong aura. Each of the four barely emits enough presence to break from the category of ordinary individuals. Then Eunbi asked Lip Balm a question. “Do you live together in a dorm, too?” “Yes, fortunately, our old company provided the dorm, so the deposit is still in place. We just cover the monthly rent.” “But the maintenance fees and other costs mean we spend about 2 million won a month just to breathe, so we’re planning to move to a cheaper place soon.” “Thankfully, we have more gigs coming in these days.” Tina, unsolicited, revealed their event fees. They earn less than a third of what we do, around 3 million won. Even this was a result of their recognition from 'Rip Girl,' which increased their rate. Still, since they don’t split with an agency anymore, after covering expenses for outfits or the dorm, they take home more, which they did appreciate. With the topic open, I asked another question. “How many gigs do you usually do in a month?” “Between twenty and thirty, occasionally up to fifty.” “Wow, that’s a lot. Was your former company well-known for events?” “No, most of our contacts are from our time as a dance team. The company just added their name to it.” The former president of Lip Balm's agency, now arrested for embezzlement, was once an event company president. They had been friendly and signed a contract lured by promises of increased event fees after releasing an album. However, midway, the president manipulated event fees and was reported by an employee. Ultimately, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Lip Balm, boosting their event fees and getting them on 'Rip Girl.' Tina asked me. “But why don’t the Upkick Girls do events? It seems like you only do military shows or charity events. Is that intentional?” “Yes, we delayed commercial events to focus on 'Rip Girl,' but we plan to start now.” “That’s great. Recently, event agencies have been asking a lot about the Upkick Girls. Can I give them your contact information?” “We’d be grateful if you did.” In the midst of the ongoing conversation about events, Yona’s voice falls silent at some point. Seated with a serious expression, she's pursing her lips while either jotting down notes on her phone or browsing a music site. It seems she's contemplating how to coordinate the collaboration mission with Lip Balm. After a moment, Yona turns to Tina and asks, “Unni, do you have any ideas in mind for the performance?” “No. With our limited singing ability, it would be better to align with the Upkick Girls. Please proceed with your ideas, Yona.” “Hmm... how about a sharp choreography concept? Choosing a song from a boy group might really emphasize the performance.” “Sounds good.” “For vocals, we’ll rearrange and distribute the parts, so could you handle the choreography? I picked out five songs, and we can choose one from there.” “Cover or original?” “Probably an original would be better, right?” “Ah... we're more accustomed to covers, so original choreography might be challenging... even the ‘Rip Girl’ choreographies were done by the trainers.” “We can tweak it together later, so just give it a try.” Yona maintained her signature sweet demeanor, speaking softly, yet her intentions were clear. ‘Don’t expect us to handle everything. You need to show at least some effort.’ In other words, she wasn’t going to just give everything away. Thus, the topic naturally shifted to the ‘Rip Girl’ mission, with Yona taking charge, shaping the overall concept. Humming also provided minor support, considering Lip Balm’s manager-less condition. Until the joint mission recording, Kim Sang-in, our chief manager, agreed to act as Lip Balm’s manager. Even just driving them to events would be a great help. Of course, this wasn’t merely an act of charity. It served to boost both the Upkick Girls’ and our company’s image. Surely, the broadcast would portray us more favorably than in reality. The meeting between the two teams lasted about an hour. During that time, I had briefly returned to the office. During a short break, Hong entered, approaching me with her phone. “Sir, this is...” “What’s up?” “Got a message from Chanyeong...” “Who?” “Chanyeong from Nine One. He wants to treat me to pasta. Hehe...” “Huh? Why pasta?” I may not know all their individual names, but I’m quite familiar with the group ‘Nine One.’ Excluding the top three boy groups—‘Body Defense Battle,’ ‘Spirit,’ and ‘VCTR’—‘Nine One’ is a rising star in the current music industry. ‘Spirit’ is a waning star, while ‘VCTR’ is popular among the 20-somethings and above. ‘Nine One’ reaches the top alongside ‘Body Defense Battle’ when it comes to recognition among elementary and middle school students, the true measure of popularity. I took Hong’s phone and checked the message. < Raise Us, Please! > End.