213 - Upki Girl

< Shabby Box > “We’ll be heading out now, sir.” “Ah, thank you for your hard work. I just sent the remaining balance to your account.” “Yes, we’ve confirmed it. Thank you very much.” “Travel safely.” Our new accommodation was a 38-pyeong villa with four rooms and two bathrooms. The living room was small, but it had plenty of rooms and bathrooms, making it perfect for our lodging needs. I took one of the smallest rooms for myself, and Seowon, who was about to have a nervous breakdown from communal living, also decided to take a small room alone. Yona and Riya agreed to take the master bedroom with an ensuite, while Sibahong took the second largest room. “Hello. Yeah, the movers just left, and I’m organizing my room. Sure, you can come by.” After the moving company's staff left, as I was organizing my room, I received a call from Yona. “Can’t we just order two jajangmyeon and share? Yeah, you haven’t eaten anything today. I’m hungry too. If you’re coming now, I can order it. Alright, I’ll order it now.” Moving day always calls for Chinese food. After finishing the call, I placed an order through a delivery app and headed to the living room. About ten unarranged cardboard boxes were stacked by the veranda window. They contained fan letters and gifts, clothes from the dressing room – items the kids needed to sort through individually. Even in this digital age, you’d think fan letters would be obsolete, but fans who meet us at fan signings or during commutes to broadcasts still favor handwritten letters. They range from simple post-it notes to lengthy letters that rival autobiographies. In our previous accommodation, we had ample space to store them all, but due to space constraints in our new place, most of them had been moved to the company’s warehouse. Yet, there were still about two boxes of recent, unread letters. Boxes containing fan letters were particularly heavy, meaning I would have to move them. Personal belongings had each person’s name written on them, so I needed to move those to their respective rooms. “Let’s see~ whose is this, Riya’s~ and this one too, Riya’s... yet another Riya’s...” Out of thirteen boxes, five bore Riya’s name. Even though all her belongings from the Seongsu-dong house were in storage, there were still this many. They were likely new, unopened undergarments. Before joining Upkick Girl, Riya would discard her panties and socks after a single use. Though she changed after receiving a stern lecture from the kids, she probably still had a surplus of pre-purchased underwear from certain brands. “Phew.” I had moved all of Riya’s boxes and began transferring Yona’s two boxes next. Thinking I could manage both at once, I stacked them and stood up. “Oh no!” ―Thud! I lost my balance, causing the top box to fall to the floor, opening its lid. The contents spilled onto the floor... what an awkward situation. A variety of colored tops and bottoms lay exposed. Of all things, it had to be the box containing Yona’s lounge and undergarments. “Damn it...” I placed the box I was holding down and quickly gathered the spilled items back into it. Sorry, Yona. I didn’t mean to see your taste in underwear. I’d have liked to fold them neatly back as they were, but that seemed more intrusive. I stuffed them hastily inside, their familiar fabric softener scent teasing my senses. ―Click The kids came in just as a few pieces of underwear were still strewn on the floor. Great timing. Unlike our previous place, the door opens directly to the living room. I stood there, holding a soft beige pair of plain panties and a purple bra. The first to enter was Hong, and our eyes met directly. I quickly tossed the underwear into the box, but judging by the awkwardness in their stare, they’d already seen it. Not that I had much room for excuses with the scene around us... “What are you doing? I’m sweating out here, are we going in or what? Mr. Manager, what’s going on?” Pushing Hong aside, Seowon entered and frowned upon seeing the scattered items, shouting in a tone as if witnessing something lewd on the street. “What the hell!” Hearing this, Yona, Eunbit, and Riya curiously poked their heads in from the doorway. “What’s happening?” “Hmm?” “Oh dear? Moondangdang was just secretly peeking at someone’s underwear. It doesn’t seem to be Alia's, so whose could it be?” “It’s not like that. I was moving the boxes and they fell.” “Isn’t that your stuff, Yona? Right?” “Yes... it is mine...” “Ugh~ Yoonho oppa, I’m really disappointed in you.” “It’s not what you think.” Fantastic. I really stepped into it this time. No matter what I say, they won’t believe me and will jump to conclusions. The owner of the underwear, who happened to enter first, nonchalantly gathered the remaining items from the floor and put them back in the box. However, her face noticeably reddened. Her expression was awkwardly flushed. She’s trying to act like it’s nothing, but she must be incredibly embarrassed inside. After all, no matter how clean, showing worn underwear to the opposite sex is embarrassing for anyone. I tried to explain in the most sincere and calm tone possible. “Yona, you trust me, right? I was just moving the boxes because I figured they were heavy for you, and unfortunately, it was this box that fell.” “Yes... I believe you...” “I’m really sorry. I honestly tried not to look while putting them back.” “Honestly, did you see anyone else’s? Did you see mine too?” It was Seowon, checking her box by the veranda. Breathing a sigh of relief, she closed the lid. “Phew, mine hasn’t been touched yet. Good. Even if you’re our manager, underwear is a bit much.” The other kids began verifying the boxes with their names on them. "What? Alia's stuff is missing! Moondangdang, did you already rummage through Alia's underwear? Did you see the daringly sheer mesh ones?" "I didn't look." "Really, I can't live because of you, oppa. This is so embarrassing. Why are you messing with other people's underwear like that...?" "I said it's not what you think." "Manager, I'm really disappointed..." I'm getting a bit frustrated here. "Fine, fine. You got me. I was so curious about how women's panties looked that I stole a peek. Happy now?" "Still stuck in your hormonal teenage years, huh?" "Enough, everyone. Yona, I'm really sorry." "It's okay." Later that night, after I came home from work and took a shower, I found a small gift box on my bed. There was a note attached, and the handwriting was unmistakably Sibahong's. 'I'm only giving you this because I see you as a brother. It's just wrong to give you something worn, so I packed new ones that have never been worn. Don't refuse and just take them. I totally understand. It's just proof you're healthy. This is my little seductive charm♡.' Sibahong and his antics. Without even opening the box, I dialed his number. "So, oppa, did you see my gift?" "You better come running and collect this monstrosity in five seconds before I shred it with my angry teeth." "Sigh..." *** With the recording session featuring Dante—Hong's mentor during her Girl Crush era—the mini-album's six tracks were all recorded. To discuss the exact release date, promotional methods, and schedule, the entire staff of Hum Hum Eol and a team of trainers gathered. Seeing the paper with the album tracks written on it finally made it feel real. 1. Look at Me! 2. VIOLET (TITLE) 3. Foxy Tricks 4. I Apologize (FEAT. Alberta) 5. Want Some Coffee? (PROD. Dante) 6. Always by Your Side Just as crucial as the song quality is the timing of the release. While you can't predict which song will unexpectedly climb the charts, you can figure out the comeback dates for dominant current artists and major idols who rule the charts. It's best to avoid those dates if possible. Particularly, it helps not to overlap with other girl groups, as they often share the same audience. Heading into summer, the potential for a girl group comeback battle is high. Some overlap is unavoidable, but it's wise to aim for a less crowded release window. It's not just small agencies like us that juggle release or debut dates with such caution. In fact, large agencies are even more sensitive about timing. "The team dropped from Replay Girl is expected to come out within the next two weeks. They've finished preparing for both broadcasts and albums like us and are on standby." I spoke first. This was information I'd gathered through managers I'd befriended from shows like Girl Crush and Replay Girl. "Among the Replay Girl alumni, the teams potentially overlapping our audience are Teenagers, Loveone, and UR Girl. For teams currently considered top-tier, Liz Girls is set for the 6th, and VNF on the 14th." Manager Kim Sangeun stroked his chin. "Hmm... both of them have strong digital and fanbase power. It's going to be competitive." Yeom nodded in agreement. "Still, if we must dodge one, it's better to release before VNF. They're practically unstoppable, having recently dominated the Oricon charts. It's better to get in and out before they release, or else delay our release even more." "If we delay further, we risk losing the momentum from Replay Girl..." "Then we should go between Liz Girls and VNF, around the 9th to 11th?" At that moment, Mi-jung from the PR team sighed and shook her head. "Their comeback is scheduled for the 9th." "Ugh... avoiding the truck only to run onto the runway." "Teen Cheeks is coming back on the 13th." "Ah, the top-notch players are really making a showing." "There's also a rumor that Minjung's summer remake album will drop around then." "That's the final boss level." Listing the teams to be avoided painted a grim picture for our anticipated comeback period. While avoiding the globally successful teams might seem irrelevant for middle-tier acts like us, Liz Girls have had continuous number-one hits since debut, and VNF's upcoming release will follow their Oricon chart-topping success. The cousin duo 'Teen Cheeks' was the team with the highest overall streaming in 2017. They missed out only on major awards due to competition like the top three boy groups, but they swept every digital-related award otherwise. Minjung needs no further explanation; her name alone says it all. Teen Cheeks topped overall streaming charts, and Minjung led digital downloads. She even took home the Best Album award at end-year music site awards. On top of that, various hip-hop and R&B artists planning releases assured us of a challenging lineup. Hyundong summarized the situation succinctly. "Don't do it, don't. What's the point of a comeback? Just give up; it's easier." In hindsight, the digital chart is a constant star-studded battleground all 365 days. With so many top artists, trying to avoid them all was unrealistic from the start. I summarized things candidly. "Maybe our expectations are too high. Let’s stick to the plan and release the week after the Replay Girl finale." "Alongside Liz Girls and... on Athletic Defence's date? That’s likely the toughest option." "And Teen Cheeks and VNF are not? What about Minjung?" Finally, Yeom laughed, letting out a chuckle. *** Munho Manager’s Diary ―April 16 Through the 'Living Well, Mungun Cat' shoot conducted over two days at the dorm and office, Seowon overcame her fear of animals. Saying goodbye to the kitten who had been rescued from the brink of death and temporarily cared for at Zen's place was a tearful affair. The retriever that Zen already owned often embarrassed me by mounting my waist at every opportunity, turning me into a subject of endless teasing from the kids. Apparently, those incidents might make it into the show, updating the Munho Manager series once again... ― April 17th A 'SoCoolSchool' uniform commercial shoot took place at a studio in Apgujeong-dong. It was Riya's first time ever wearing a school uniform, and the other four were visibly excited as they hadn't worn one in quite a while. President Kangcheol offered to custom-make stage outfits in a school uniform concept for us if we wanted. He also organized an event under the Upkick Girl name, providing uniforms and scholarships to 1,000 students from low-income families. In various types of school uniforms onstage, the Upnanny members stirred the passions of uniform enthusiasts... Danger ahead! I complimented them, saying they looked incredibly pretty and well-suited, and the kids spent the next three days wandering around the dorm in their uniforms like pajamas. Seowon and Hong even took it a step further by calling me "Teacher Yoonho" and playing out overt skits. "Moondangdang, surely Alia rocked the school uniform best, right? She's the only one at that age where it suits her perfectly, don't you think?" "Sure. No need to worry about it." ― April 19th <Replay Girl, GIG advances to Top 5! "Tribute to the Lip Balm sister”> Like the late Son Goku supporting from behind with an energy blast, GIG, backed by the noble sacrifice of Lip Balm, managed to defeat UR Girl by a single point and advance to the Top 5 Wild Card match. There was a reason UR Girl, who started out in good form, collapsed in the latter half. As it turned out, the center of UR Girl, 'Mini,' was being bullied within the team. It was a familiar pattern where the most popular member was being ostracized by other members. Eunbit accidentally overheard their conversation in the bathroom and told me. "So what?" "What do you mean? We have to help." "Why us?" "Mini unnie seems pitiful. Plus, didn't you say you thought Mini was pretty?" "Are we just going to help without knowing the full story? We need to hear both sides. What if Mini's the one at fault?" Initially, I said it wasn't our place to interfere in others' matters, but I couldn't withstand Sibahong's bossiness. Coupled with my guilt for not being able to help Eunbit back during Happy Joy, I eventually informed their manager about the situation. Although UR Girl was eliminated by GIG, a few days later, UR Girl’s manager and Mini called Eunbit to express their gratitude. They had an open conversation with the members, and everything was resolved. ― April 26th In the wild card match between teams ranked 4th and 5th, GIG defeated Love One and advanced to the playoffs, continuing the 'Accidental GIG craze.' Hyejin, known as the breadwinner of the family team, delivered her heartfelt thoughts, shedding tears, and once again my face was captured on screen showing concern. This time it was a live broadcast, and reactions flooded in real-time. ―0po9: Munho, caught on camera again? ―Amisue: This is crazy, really lolololol ―TarakYuhee: Munho Manager is the best lololol ―TigerHusband: At this rate, shouldn't there be a dedicated VJ for Munho Manager on Replay Girl? ―Futureple: [Breaking] Pramisue12's Haneul departs for the Replay Girl filming location in twin tails ―Arke: I thought Manager Munho was a passionate Prami fan, but it turns out he's just a casual groupie... ―RobotTypewriter: The expressions of the Upkick Girl members caught afterward were even funnier lololol they looked at him like he was a bug lololol ―WaTu: Munho Manager's expression change version 3.1 update complete♡ *** <Upkick Girl Surpasses 40,000 Official Fan Café Members: 'Fastest for a Girl Group' Record> [Upkick Girl Official Fan Club 'Ahbuba' First Recruitment] ―Registration Period: March 30th, 8 PM – April 30th, 8 PM ―Activity Duration: 1 year from a specified date ―Membership Fee: 5,000 won (Additional regional shipping charges) ―Registration Platform: Interpark "Oppa, isn't today the last day for the Ahbuba registration?" "Yeah, it closes at 8 PM tonight." "Moondangdang, maybe we shouldn’t have taken that 5,000 won fee. What if people hold back from joining because of it? Honestly, it's an insignificant amount we could do without." "It's just a minimum registration requirement. Without it, it wouldn’t be much different from an ordinary internet café." "Is that so..." "Wonder how many joined. Do we know the number?" Seowon asked. I actually had a rough idea, but I kept it a secret from the kids. "We'll only know once it closes." < End of Shabby Box >