203 - Upki Girl

< No Romance Allowed! > ―――――― Hello, Ms. Hong. I apologize for the sudden message, but I managed to get your contact through a mutual acquaintance. You might not know me, but I'm Chan-young from the group Nine-One. However, I'm reaching out not as Nine-One's Chan-young, but as a passionate fan of yours who's been thoroughly enjoying your work from "Girl Crush" to "Replay Girl." I know someone who owns a pasta place in Yeonnam-dong, and I'd love to go there with you. I saw in your "Replay Girl" interview that you like cake and bread; I adore bread too. I know lots of pretty dessert cafes, so please reply whenever you're free. I'll be waiting ^^ Absolutely ~~~~ ―――――― “Haha...” “What is it? What happened?” Yeom also seemed curious, so I handed him my phone. Nodding as he spoke in his baritone voice. “Hmm... Looks like you're starting to get some action now.” Hong tilted her head as if she couldn't grasp the unfamiliar term. “Pardon? Action? What's that mean?” Her lack of interest in these matters was so profound that she didn’t know a common term like "action." In matters of romance and dating, our Hong was more innocent than anyone. My guess is she got excited over a popular male idol offering to buy her delicious food. After Yeom explained, “This guy is trying to hit on you,” she jumped in surprise, waving her hands as if she'd been burned. “What? I-I’ve never even met this person! Really! I swear, I swear!” “Gosh, no one said anything. It clearly says in the message that he's interested in you.” Hong, flustered, began to tic nervously. She glanced at me repeatedly, her eyebrows twitching. I told her it was no big deal. “Wow, our Hong is really popular. Even Nine-One reached out first. Aren't they just below the top tier these days?” “Ah... Why, why would that be? I don't get it... Oh! Maybe he confused me with another member? That must be it! Otherwise, something like this couldn’t happen. Maybe he mistook me for Yona or Bitbit. Hahaha!” “No way. He's just interested in you, silly.” “Oh, come on! Did he mistake me for Ri-yah?” She was really embarrassed, acting out of character. Yet, she didn’t suggest he might have confused her with Seowon. “Ah, it's hot!” Her face flushed like a red pepper, Hong waved her hands frantically, exhaling heavily. Still unaccustomed to receiving love from ardent fans, she was understandably bewildered by attention from an incredibly handsome boy group member. When I think about it, I remember how confused I was when Jaehee came to meet me. Earlier, the Lip Balm members even discussed such matters. They mentioned Upkick Girl as the girl group that the men around them are most intrigued by these days. Maybe it’s as habitual as someone on the street telling a celebrity, "Oh, I'm a fan." But truthfully, can any guy dislike Upkick Girl? Regardless of my preferences, from an objective standpoint, our girls really have it all. Beyond just looks, they have elements that each appeal to men: cute, pure, sexy, innocent charm, elegance, mystery, and comfort. Plus, their lively personalities on shows, ad-libs, hobbies, and interests make them the type of image guys would favor. “It’s only going to get worse.” Yeom returned Hong's phone with a smirk directed at me. “It’s just that there’s no show with male idols right now. Once album promotions start and music shows air, they’ll directly approach asking for numbers.” “But how did they find Hong's contact?” “There are stylists, writers. If they set their minds to it, it’s not hard to find out indirectly. Most idols initiate contact this way.” “This is such a hassle. If it gets leaked wrong, fans could end up with it too.” Two members from the PR team responded consecutively. “Absolutely. Many celebrities change their numbers due to exposure.” “Plus, with today’s cameras, high resolution can capture messages or contacts from phone screens. Our members should use mirror screen protectors. They’re not easily caught on camera; not even visible from the side.” “Ah... I never thought about it that way.” Just imagining my and the kids’ chats being snapped by fans' cameras sent a chill down my spine. Especially since Seowon sometimes bombards me with texts even during fan signings. I need to buy a mirror protector immediately. Yeom looked at me with a sly twinkle in his eye. As if to ask, "How will you handle this now, hyung? With more male celebrities likely pursuing?" Hmm. Ideally, Upkick Girl members having no interest in guys would be best, but I thought it would be preferable if they were involved with other guys rather than being attached to me. But now that it’s happening, it doesn’t sit well. Not only with Hong, but with other members too. It’s like the feeling of a dad with a daughter? Definitely not jealousy... ――Hmm... Hmm... A small hum escaped from Hong as she reread Chan-young's message. Her phone shook as if it were a ticking time bomb. “What should I do...?” She tentatively asked as our eyes met. “What do you mean, what should you do?” “Uh? Oh... I was wondering what I should reply with...” As a manager, my instinct is to block such advances, but personally, I believe celebrities should have the freedom to date if they wish. After all, despite the money and fans, shouldn't we respect their basic human rights? Just as this thought crossed my mind, an information window popped up. ――――――― ★But remember, you’re a manager now. ^^ Managing romance is fundamental in idol management. Especially for members who are too soft-hearted to refuse requests, they require close supervision. An unintended scandal could arise, you know. ――――――― Just as I often forget about this feature, it reminds me of itself. But I'm thankful for the direct warning this time, saving me the trouble of guessing through a puzzle. When it comes to members too soft-hearted to refuse, there are only two. Problem: Predict the members' responses to the following request. ―Then please meet me just once as a person, not as a man and woman. It’s my wish. If you meet me just once, I won't contact you anymore, and I’ll have no regrets. Please don’t tell the company, though. Yona: I'm sorry, but our team is going through an important time right now, so I don’t think it’ll be possible. Seowon: I’m not interested. Why should I care about your regrets? As if I’ve been chasing you around. Plus, I have someone I like. Riya: How dare you hit on Alisiya? Even Justin Bieber was rejected! Hong: Uh…? Ah… Uhm… I’ll have to ask our manager… What should I do… (If pressed further, she reluctantly agrees.) Eunbit: Huh? If it’s human to human, and not something between a man and a woman, then it’s fine. I reached out to Hong. “Give me your phone. I'll reply.” “Yes, here you go.” ――――― Hello, Chan-young. This is Upkick Girl’s manager. I’m not sure who gave you the contact info, but all members' phones are managed by the company, so we’d appreciate it if you could refrain from contacting them like this. We'll let this slide once, but if it happens again, we will contact Nine-One’s management directly. ――――― Not long after, we received a reply saying, "I'm really sorry," and there was no further contact from Chan-young. However, this was just the beginning of advances from male celebrities toward our girls. Unusually for a rookie girl group, all five members had phones and were active on social media, making them easily approachable. Soon after leaving practice with Lip Balm and heading back to the dorm in the car, Siba received a DM on Teenstagram. Of course, Siba informed me and the members immediately. ――――― From: Dogma Eunbit, aren’t you just too cute? LOL It seems like you like rap; would you like to do a track with me? I’ll leave my contact here, so please reach out! ――――― The person who threw a line at Siba was ‘Dogma,’ a winner of a rapper audition. After winning the competition, there was a brief controversy when he broke up with his long-time non-celebrity girlfriend but he’s been doing well both in entertainment shows and music with his light and lively character. He’d sent a friend request on Teenstagram and then the message to Siba. And, predictably, Siba took it at face value. “He's asking me to feature, right?” Before I could say anything, Seowon’s verbal hammer of judgment fell. “When will our Eunbit grow up?” “What? Why?” “Idiot, how is this a feature request? He's obviously up to something.” “No way.” “I can't believe this. Seriously, do you think Dogma, who's been in the industry for more than a year or two, would ask for a feature through a mere Teenstagram message? Do you think just saying yes by yourself seals a feature deal? You and Daeji are hopeless. I wonder how you both survived till now. If you were animals, you’d be extinct already.” Her analogy is on point. Even within lifelong singlehood, there's a clear difference in judgment between Siba, Hong, and others. Actually, this is the normal perspective while Siba-Hong's duo's judgment is lacking. Yona told me she gets so many strange messages that she’s blocked them entirely. Taking that as a cue, I advised the Siba-Hong duo as well. “Hong, Eunbit, it’s best to block messages unless necessary. Also, if calls come from unknown numbers, pass them to me, and show me any messages before deciding anything.” I was driving. When the two responded affirmatively, Seowon, seated beside me, turned her head quickly and asked. “What? Why do you only care about Eunbit and Hong? Say that stuff to me too.” “You three handle things well on your own. I worry more about the other person’s mental health.” “Oh, no, no. Tell it to me too. ASAP.” As mature as Seowon was in giving advice to Siba, she quickly turned into a kid. Fine, fine... “Alright, Seowon, if any call or message from an unknown number comes, show it to me first.” “Why? Are you jealous if another guy flirts with me? Honestly, you can’t say there isn’t a part of you that is, right? Right?” “Right.” “Come on. I can tell there’s no emotion in your voice. Right? Right?” As she leaned toward the steering wheel, I got serious. “Hey, I'm driving! Don't sit in the passenger seat again. I’m too distracted to drive.” But of course, Seowon was not easily discouraged. Pouting, she continued to speak. “Pfft... Even if you say that, I bet you’d be secretly jealous. Jaehee said all men are the same. They pretend not to care but simmer inside.” From the back, I could hear Riya’s sigh, a distinct “Eh-hu,” as she shook her head slightly, speaking with the wisdom of an elder. “These love rookies. Even Seowon is still far from it. You’re supposed to keep such thoughts to yourself and use them wisely when the time is right. Blurting it out like that only makes Moon-moon more aloof.” Then, she turned to me. “Moon-moon, Alisiya also got contacted by a male celeb.” “Who was it this time?” “Don’t worry. Nargle Man handled it so you wouldn’t have to stress about it.” “Pfft, Nargle Man does great work.” Eunbit corrected us, seemingly exasperated. “You idiots. It’s not Nargle Man, it’s Raccoon Man.” Yeah. It was a light-hearted atmosphere as we headed back to the dorm after practice. I decided to save any remaining scolding for tomorrow. I turned up the volume on the radio, which had been playing quietly. At this hour—from midnight to 2 AM—I always tuned into a music broadcast. ―Yes, welcome to the second part of ‘Jang Hyun-soo’s Midnight Music’. Today, Joo-young from Six Defenders is filling in for DJ Jang… Gulp! Joo-young from Six Defenders was Yona’s ex! I glanced at Yona’s expression through the rear-view mirror. Her eyes, fixed on her phone screen, briefly wavered. She looked away for a moment, staring into space. Riya, the only other one aware of Joo-young and Yona's past, caught my eye, playfully pouting as our gazes met. In the thick of this unnameable awkwardness, Seowon and Hong broke the silence. “What? Why’s Joo-young showing up here? Isn’t Six Defenders past the point of subbing for radio shows?” “Jang Hyun-soo used to have Joo-young as his DJ before.” “Oh, really?” “Yeah. I listened to this a lot. Joo-young’s voice is perfect for late night.” “So true. Surprisingly soothing.” ―As I mentioned at the end of part one, the theme for part two is ‘Everyone has a first love.’ Hmm...yes, 6745. I, of course, have my first love too. "He’ll probably say something cliché like 'My first love is my fans.'" Contrary to Seowon’s guess, perhaps because he was beyond the phase of worrying about his agency and fans, Joo-young shared his story quite frankly and composedly. Though I couldn’t be sure if it was about Yona... ―She was a friend I met in middle school… That’s when Yona interjected abruptly. “Oh, wait! Isn’t it time for 'Heartbeat's Signal' now? Can we watch that, Chief? This week's episode looks really exciting.” Yona’s sudden switch to turn off the radio and turn on the TV was rather suspicious. “Didn’t last week’s preview show Kim Hyung-woo confessing to Oh Yeon-joo? Right, Seowon?” “Did it? I don’t remember.” Riya and I exchanged glances again through the rear-view mirror. It was an unspoken conversation. ‘That was awkward. Joo-young’s first love is definitely Yona.’ ‘Absolutely. Yona was completely flustered. It’s not even the right day for Heartbeat's Signal.’ ―Without her, there’d be no Joo-young in Six Defenders. I didn’t understand then, but I’m so grateful for her now… < No Romance Allowed! > End.