224 - Upki Girl

<‘Upkigirl’s Yona, Caught in Romance with Her Manager…> Did future Yona just kiss me? This audacious fellow has finally made a blunder! Among all the days of 'Yona's Diary', this was certainly a major incident. But this was only the beginning. The video in the information window seemed odd in quality and angle, when suddenly the frame zoomed out, revealing the entire view. What I thought was video footage turned out to be a photo displayed on a smartphone screen. It wasn't taken up close but captured from afar, much like those zoomed-in paparazzi shots of celebrity romances. The angle continued to zoom out. The familiar smartphone, the familiar grip holding it, the even more familiar back view... "Sigh..." A heavy, overwhelming sigh. It was a screenshot of a love-affair article, and the back view reading the article via smartphone was none other than mine. The screen showed the article's headline and part of the introduction. That was enough to grasp the whole context. This is bad. No, it seems it's going to get bad. ―――――― [Exclusive] ‘Upkigirl’s Yona, in Romance with Her Manager? Caught in a ‘Sweet’ Kiss Scene Rumors have emerged involving ‘Yona (real name Lee Yona)’, the leader of the out-of-the-box group Upkigirl, and her manager, Kim Yunho, known as ‘Muno Director’. ―――――― Thunk! It felt like my heart dropped down near my bladder, while cold sweat trickled down my entire body. Goosebumps pricked at my skin intensely. Fortunately, the article had a publication date written under the title. It was ten days from today. Another clue from the information window came with the article's date: I could infer the exact date of the kiss from Yona's stage outfit. Over the Violet promotion period, there are a total of 18 music broadcasts planned. The stylist team prepared 18 different outfits in advance, with a set schedule for when each would be worn. So simply checking the coordination scheduler carried by the stylist would allow me to predict when Yona might cause this incident. If necessary, I could completely avoid being near Yona that day. Worse comes to worst, I could even take the day off. Hmm... The clothes I'm wearing in the photo seem unfamiliar. At least, they're not in my current wardrobe. I considered whether it might be a sly journalist exploiting a broadcast shoot, but there are no upcoming appearances or schedules on mine or Yona’s schedule for the next ten days. Even if there was something, there’s no way there would be a kissing scene between Yona and me, surely not. It couldn’t have been a hidden camera prank. Unless it's acting in a drama or a film, Yona isn't the type to kiss me just for a prank, prompting jealousy from fans. Given all the circumstances, if it's indeed a real situation then...why? Did she have too much to drink and lose her senses? ――Thank you! ――We love you! After announcing the number one spot on stage, the fans were thanked and the encore performance began. All the performers on stage were greeting and exchanging farewells before leaving the stage. The Upkigirl members, having wrapped up their final performance, made their way down to where Director Zhangwoo and I stood, chatting with the Mayfly members. “It'd be nice if we could trade five second places for one first at least, right?” “That sounds good. Agreed.” “Director, could you pass me some water?” Flinch! Startled by Yona's gesture reaching for the bottled water in my hand, I backed away. Though I knew today wasn't 'the day', I reactively jumped back, flustered. Feeling awkward, Yona raised her hands in mock surrender. “Sorry, did I scare you?” “Oh, no. Here’s the water.” “Thanks,” Yona said, clearing her throat and addressing the members. “I think I'm catching a cold. My throat feels so scratchy, ahem! ahem!” “Your body isn’t made of dragon bones; catching a cold while sleeping in just underwear the whole year would be weird.” That’s strange. Seowon’s words left my face burning hot. Living in the dorms, I'd seen Yona in her underwear more than a few times. Initially, it made my heart race, but eventually, I got used to it—until now. Now, as the scene resurfaced in my mind, it sent shivers down my spine. Ah, damn… Seeing Yona kiss future me in my mind seems to have overlapped those feelings. I couldn't meet Yona’s gaze properly while heading to the waiting room. Once I reached the waiting room, I secured the stylist director’s outfit styling book and identified the problematic outfit Yona had worn in the photo. It was scheduled to be worn in the upcoming day-after-tomorrow’s Music Trend. Even if circumstances force a repeat outfit, it would be okay. I just need to be cautious whenever Yona is in this particular outfit. No, I need to start being careful from now. If that photo was taken, it means a paparazzo might be tailing us right this moment. Just thinking about it is enough to fray my nerves. This must be why celebrity faces are always covered up outside of official schedules. “Everyone, may I have your attention for a moment? I have an announcement.” I decided to instill caution among the members and stylists tidying the waiting room. “We didn’t clinch the top spot due to the ranking, but we are being treated like top artists. This means there’s increased interest from broadcast officials and reporters, so please be mindful of your conduct both inside and outside the stations. Also, try to avoid unexpected actions during live broadcasts.” “Okay!” “Sure, sure.” After delivering the first warning, I reiterated the caution once we returned to the company. The members noticed my unusually serious demeanor and took it earnestly. Was that sufficient? Even as we entered the company, I was vigilant, looking around for any suspicious individuals or vehicles, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Though with cameras these days, they wouldn't have to get too close. *** The competition among the top three contenders shifted as Liz Girl's momentum waned. Now, a small change had occurred among the candidates for the top spot on Music Peak: Yukdan Bangeojeon, Upkigirl, and ‘Don’t Tease Me’ by the indie band 'Drunk Sound'. This track gained newfound popularity on social media, positioning it as a candidate for number one nine months after its release. They caused music streaming sites' rankings to dip by a level, but they haven't appeared on any broadcasts yet. “Now, it's time to meet two of the nominees for this week's number one on Music Peak: Upkigirl and Yukdan Bangeojeon.” “Hello, we are the girl group you’ve been raising up! Upkigirl!” “UTB is BEST! Hello, we are Yukdan Bangeojeon!” “Let's start with Upkigirl, who became a number one contender right after their comeback. That’s impressive! Yona, how do you feel?” “Well, first of all, I genuinely thank our fans for their overwhelming love. Despite not getting much sleep, we feel incredibly happy rather than tired every morning. We’ve prepared our best for today’s Music Peak comeback stage, so please look forward to it!” “Eunbit, do you have any ceremony planned if you happen to win first place?” “Yes! If we win first place, all the members will perform a handstand while singing the encore. Additionally, leader Yona will write the members' names with her butt! So please give us the first place!” Haha, tossing out ideas with no chance at all, aren’t you? Since our comeback, we faced Yukdan Bangeojeon five times, finishing in second place each time. These days, people are calling us Kongkigirl. Even the fans of Yukdan Bangeojeon who were present found Eunbit’s improbable promise amusing, and the members of Yukdan Bangeojeon beside them laughed hard enough to almost ruin their own interview. “Well, um, if we win first place… heh… we’ll switch parts for the song… heh, sorry, switch parts…” “Yes, the members of Yukdan Bangeojeon promised a part-switching ceremony… haha… should they win.” Even the MCs couldn't hold back their laughter, and Eunbit couldn’t hide her delight, seemingly as if they’d actually won first place. For Music Peak’s comeback stage, two songs were scheduled, but today the girls decided to perform ‘Look at Me, Only Me,’ a fan song they wrote themselves while thinking of ‘Carrying You,’ instead of ‘Coffee?’ The lyrics even mention the names of other girl groups, but they were written with prior consent from Ripple Girl participants and Hyeyeon, Eunsol from VNF, whom they befriended during the role model mission. Given its cute obsession theme, Seowon, who best embodies this sentiment, was at the forefront of this song. Seowon called it her life’s song, declaring it her favorite. (Seowon) Is Hyeyeon pretty or am I pretty? Is Eunsol cute, or am I cute? Look at me, only me! You have to look at me and answer honestly if you want to be a good oppa. Rival mentions and intra-group teasing aren’t shied away from either. (Seowon) I'm taller than Eunbit, better at singing than Riya, slimmer than Honi. Yona, hmm? Not really good at games. So just look at me, don’t get distracted, or it won’t be fun. Without any prior notice to fans, the performance being unexpected was a delightful gift to those who assumed they’d sing ‘Coffee?’ Seowon’s fans were so elated they nearly handed their hearts out, to the point of being warned by the onsite staff to maintain decorum. Following all the live broadcast stages, it was time for the customary announcement of the first place winner. Yukdan Bangeojeon, winning first place on every music show with their comeback track ‘Pride’ had claimed eight crowns, and they seemed poised to continue at the top until the end of their promotional run. So now, we were joking that aiming for the most second-place finishes might leave a more memorable record. ―The text voting is now closed. Let's reveal who will win today’s number one spot. ―First, here are the digital and album scores. “Huh? We scored higher in digital and albums?” “It seems like Yukdan Bangeojeon is losing steam a bit.” “Yeah, they should be slowing down now that it’s been two weeks.” Unlike other music shows, Music Peak combined digital and album scores, with Upkigirl receiving a perfect score of 6000 points, beating Yukdan Bangeojeon’s 5271 points. Though ‘Drunk Sound’ had a strong digital score, their album sales were weak, leaving them in third place. ―Next, the content scores including video, SNS, and radio points. This was a loss. Despite the ‘Make Upkigirl Number 1 Project’, we couldn’t surpass the global video views of Yukdan Bangeojeon. Still, because the total content score was factored lower than digital and album scores, the gap didn’t widen significantly. ―Finally, let’s see the final outcome after adding the live text voting! <Final Total> Drunk Sound 4125 Yukdan Bangeojeon 8412 Upkigirl 8412 ―Yes, Drunk Sound is third place... Wait, huh? Hold on, the real-time text voting gap isn’t as big as I thought? Yukdan Bangeojeon scored 1500 points, and we scored 1328 points. Could it be that the ‘Make Upkigirl Number 1 Project’ made a difference? ―So who will be today's winner…! <Final Total> Drunk Sound 4125 Yukdan Bangeojeon 8412 Upkigirl 8420 ―Yes! This week's number one is Upkigirl! Congratulations! Bang! With a bang, golden confetti was launched onto the stage. “What is this... Is it really us?” “We won by 8 points…?” "No way. Did they announce the wrong winner?" Jang-woo and I couldn't immediately celebrate, unable to believe the result. There had been instances in the past where there was a mix-up with the nominee names, leading to the first-place announcement being reversed, and even times when system errors were discovered and corrected right after the broadcast. On stage, the Upkigirl members seemed entirely unaware of their win, mechanically clapping and congratulating Yukdan Bangeojeon. The male MC holding the trophy handed it to Eunbit nearby. With a bright smile, she accepted it and, perhaps thinking she was supposed to pass it along, trotted towards Yukdan Bangeojeon. Upon receiving the trophy, their leader ‘Freedom’ waved his hands, loudly clarifying to Eunbit. ―No, it’s not us. Upkigirl is number one! ―What? ―Haha, you seemed too shocked to hear. Today's number one is Violet by Upkigirl! Only after the female MC enunciated this clearly did the expressions of our members freeze. I froze too, and so did Jang-woo. “Hyung, it’s really us! Awesome!” Still harboring some doubt, Jang-woo confirmed with a writer that Upkigirl was definitively the winner. It was the smallest point gap in history. In a rush, the PD gave instructions through the in-ear monitors to the MCs. “We're short on time, so be quick with the acceptance speech! Please mention that it’s your first number one since debut.” ―Yes, Upkigirl, please share your thoughts on your first-ever number one since debut. Yona, could you do the honors? ―Uh… Yes… Ah… I’m… honestly, we had no expectations at all, so my mind is blank right now… Yona was too flustered to speak properly, and the other members were likely in no better condition. The artists behind them began patting their shoulders in congratulations, and suddenly Eunbit burst into tears—BANG! ―Hurrrk… kuh-UUURK! An emotional Seowon followed—POW! ―Waaahhhh! Hongyi and Riya wrapped each other in a sobbing embrace, and Yona collapsed, sitting down with her face buried in her knees, unable to say another word. “Amazing!” “Wow!” As I raised my hand for a high-five with Jang-woo, who’d extended an open palm in celebration, something unexpected happened. "Huh...?" The purple aura that had been glowing around the girls suddenly vanished before my eyes. I felt like something weighty inside me exited like light smoke. My whole body was utterly drained of strength. “Ouch…” A sharp ringing pierced my ears. Amidst it all, I faintly heard the chants from the ‘Carrying You’ fans. ―Seowon is the light, Yeonhong is my truth... <‘Upkigirl’s Yona, in Romance with Her Manager…> The End.