234(End) - Upki Girl

< Cookie Text and Epilogue > A Bentley convertible, more akin to a yacht than a car, was stopped at a red light. Involuntary gasps spilled from the mouths of male drivers in nearby vehicles. It wasn’t just the luxury of the foreign car that drew their awe; it was a model that triggered their deep-seated dreams. Their eyes, initially fixated on the car, naturally shifted to the driver, and another envious sigh was swallowed. The driver was a woman. “Wow, that’s killer.” “She could just be in an ad like that. Just Photoshop the guy out of the passenger seat.” “Does the guy have a lot of money? He looks like such a dweeb…” “He looks like some sort of animal. What was it… some giant rat…” Seizing the pause at the signal, the woman touched up her makeup, closing her compact with a practiced cough. She spoke to the man absorbed in his smartphone in the passenger seat. “Hon, can’t we put the roof up now? There might be fine dust.” “No, no. Why did you buy a convertible if you wanted to drive with the top up?” “Ugh... But your ears are turning red again. You must be reading another erotic novel. You're about to dive right into your phone.” “Bingo.” “Is it from Sekpia?” “Yes.” “I finished all the ones you recommended.” “Which ones did I recommend again?” “‘Oishi with a Knife’ and ‘Exquisite at Regression,’ right?” “Oh, right. Did you enjoy them?” “Yeah, I stayed up all night reading them. Got any others? Is there anything like ‘The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate’ in the conglomerate training genre?” “No, those stories are out of fashion now. Let’s see... There's a baseball one called ‘Spread it at Home Plate’ that's pretty good if you like regression stories. ‘All the Talents of Regression are Mine’ is nice too.” “Wow, just the titles are exciting. Send them to me via text.” “Got it.” Soon, they arrived at a high-rise building in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. The man and woman took the elevator and studied the building directory posted on the wall. ‘6F YH Entertainment’, ‘9F YH Entertainment Training Center,’ it read. The man, resembling a capybara, confirmed the floor numbers with a short, impressed hum. “Oh, is this the homeland of Upkis? The 6th floor is the office, and the 9th floor is the practice room. Six and nine… six… nine… interesting numbers.” The woman shone even more standing than sitting. Her tall, slender figure, well-maintained smooth skin, and toned physique. Dressed in an elegant pantsuit, she flashed a charming and refreshing smile. “You only notice that sort of thing, don’t you?” “Am I the only one with a naughty mind? Honestly, you thought the same thing, didn’t you?” “Let’s get off.” “Trying to change the topic…” The pair got off on the 6th floor and, guided by an office employee, met Kim Yun-ho, one of YH Entertainment’s co-representatives. The woman extended her hand first and introduced herself to Director Kim. “Oh my, I thought you were handsome on TV, but you look even better in person. Nice to meet you, I’m Ji Seon-gyeong.” “Yes, I’ve heard a lot about you from Director Yeom Dae-soo. I’m Kim Yun-ho. Director Ji Seon-gyeong, you’re quite the beauty yourself. I was shocked when a woman who looked like an actress walked in. Haha.” Kim Yun-ho wasn’t just being polite; Ji Seon-gyeong was indeed a remarkably elegant and beautiful middle-aged woman. After warmly shaking her hand, Kim Yun-ho turned his attention to the man accompanying her. Kim Yun-ho initially assumed Ji Seon-gyeong was an actress and thought the man was her manager. Ji Seon-gyeong facilitated the introduction between the two. “Oh, please say hello to each other. This is my business partner.” “Nice to meet you. I’m Seong, Gwi-nam.” “Ah, Seong Gi-nam. Nice to meet you.” “No, no. Not Seong Gi-nam, Seong Gwi-nam. ‘Gwi’ as in ‘precious’, and ‘nam’ as in ‘man’.” “Oh, my apologies.” “Haha, it’s alright. By the way, aren’t our Upkis here?” “They have a schedule…” “Oh right, they’re on a promotion in Japan, aren't they?” When Kim Yun-ho nodded in understanding, Seong Gwi-nam clenched his fist with enthusiasm and chanted an Upkis cheer. “Seo-won is the light, Yun-hong is my truth, light, Yoon-hong forever! I’m a fan from the first class.” “Ah, I see.” Seong Gwi-nam, lost in the music video of Upkis playing on an LED monitor on the office wall, began sharing his extensive knowledge. “Ah, intoxicated with Upkis... My main was originally Lijis Girls with Han Saem as my fixed favorite. My sub was Promise Twelve with Hanul. But after meeting our Upkis, I gave everything else up. I’m an all-fan with no single favorite because each of the five has their own charm. They truly are a legendary girl group, a legend. Eun-biti is undoubtedly the entrance fairy to Upkis, Seo-won has this unique dark and isolated vibe... Yoon-li-da is… Ga-hong is… finally, Ri-ya is…” Although their visit wasn’t related to Upkis, Seong Gwi-nam, a true chatterbox hardcore fan, got swept up in his passion and eagerly continued. Ji Seon-gyeong, who might have halted him in another setting, merely watched him fondly, as if he was adorable. Only after highlighting the charm points of all five members did Seong Gwi-nam’s voice come to a halt. Though their conversation had wandered, Kim Yun-ho was in no way displeased to hear praise for the artists he had discovered. With a courteous nod, he expressed his gratitude. “Thank you very much. It’s a pity the girls aren’t here though.” “Well, Director Kim Yun-ho and I…” Seong Gwi-nam began, but Ji Seon-gyeong gently pressed his thigh, signaling him to stop the unnecessary chatting. “Should we discuss our work now?” “Yes.” Kim Yun-ho kept a smile on his face, though internally he was quite startled by the implication of Seong Gwi-nam’s unfinished sentence. Even without the full context, he could easily infer the rest from the man's expression and tone. It was clear they were hinting at some sort of romantic implication between him and the members of Upkis. Following this, Seong Gwi-nam fell silent, occasionally mumbling to himself as if speaking to the air. Ji Seon-gyeong took charge of the conversation with Kim Yun-ho. “I know you’re busy, Director, so let’s get straight to the point.” “Yes, please do.” “We have abilities similar to yours.” “Pardon?” “You can see things like a person’s talents or abilities, right? You seem to be specializing in the entertainment industry, am I correct?” Kim Yun-ho’s heart sank. For the first time since gaining his abilities, someone had seen through him. And even more surprising was the fact that there were others like him. But this was just the beginning. Ji Seon-gyeong seemed to know even more than he did, bombarding him with questions before he could respond or think. Kim Yun-ho found himself just trying to keep up, answering as if being tugged along by the collar. “Have you noticed any changes lately?” “What kind of… changes?” “Like being able to see things beyond entertainment talents.” “Oh…” Are they talking about the pink aura? “I think maybe…” “You’ve experienced regression, haven’t you?” “What?” “This is your second time around, right? You returned in the spring of last year, didn’t you?” They even knew about the “chart reversing” phenomenon and the exact timing… His heart felt like it might explode. “Yes, that’s right…” Ji Seon-gyeong and Seong Gwi-nam exchanged knowing looks, nodding as if to say, “I knew it.” Seong Gwi-nam muttered to the empty air, “See, I told you so,” while Ji Seon-gyeong continued with a slight scrunch of her nose. “Um… because you regressed, certain events in this world changed. Like the butterfly effect.” “Because of me…?” “Yes. But they didn’t all change for the worse. Oh, did you know that thanks to you, ‘Wall Defense’ hit number one on Billboard?” “Really?” “Yes. Originally, Yona would have committed suicide, and Jooyoung, a member of ‘Wall Defense,’ wrote something on social media that was misunderstood, leading to public backlash and her departure from the team. It was a critical time post their U.S. debut, and this caused setbacks for ‘Wall Defense.’” Come to think of it, that was true. In his first life, Kim Yun-ho hadn’t known about ‘Wall Defense’ making it big on Billboard. He only thought of them as a curious group because of their unique name. Now it was Yun-ho’s turn to ask questions. “Did the butterfly effect cause any negative changes too?” “Yes.” His suspicion was correct. And that’s probably why they came to him. “At that moment, it was crucial for us too, but your return disrupted the cause-effect balance and skewed things a bit.” “What about me caused it…” “Sorry, but we’re running out of time to explain everything. We have another meeting with a talented individual today. They’re also swamped with activities, hence unable to schedule for another day.” “Oh…” “The current issues are connected to you, Director Kim Yun-ho, so whether you like it or not, it seems you’ll need to cooperate with us.” “This is all so sudden. I don’t even fully understand what’s going on.” “I think it’s best to arrange another meeting. How about tomorrow evening?” I have plans with Teena, a member of Lip Balm, tomorrow evening… But I can reschedule with Teena anytime. This matter seems more pressing right now. Driven by curiosity about this situation, Kim Yun-ho decided to cancel with Teena. “Anytime after 8 works for me.” “Then we’ll discuss things in detail tomorrow.” Seong Gwi-nam nodded, as if in conversation with an unseen presence above him. “Yeah. Ko Chu-seon and Meldeuan’s team will be there too, so all the Seoul-based contacts will gather.” Ko Chu-seon? Meldeuan? So there are more ability users… Kim Yun-ho felt a sense of foreboding, as if he were being drawn into a particularly troublesome affair. And not just any troublesome matter… an extremely troublesome one… Finally, Ji Seon-gyeong said something that utterly bewildered him. “Director, just remember this from now on: Maximum Benefit from Maximum Party.” “Maximum… what?” “Maximum Benefit from Maximum Party.” What? Maybe it isn’t such a headache after all…? A huge win. An overwhelmingly huge win. —Epilogue— Hello, this is Bunpal. With much ado and many words exchanged, my second story has now reached its conclusion. Thankfully, some readers wondered why it ended so soon, but when I first conceived this novel, I intended to end it once all five members of Upkis had gathered. The part where the members come together was as far as I had planned. I had estimated this would take about 150 chapters. However, I also vowed to write as the readers wished as much as possible, so I decided to extend the story midway. If it ended as the members gathered, I might have been pelted with sweet potatoes in the middle of Gwanghwamun. The gathering part was a sweet potato bomb, after all. So, I decided to conclude the story once they achieved number one in music sales and music shows. Just before the abrupt ending, I decided on a slow descent over 10 chapters to bid you farewell properly. I did my utmost within the boundaries of daily serialization, striving to bring out the best of my abilities. Though there were delays and impromptu breaks, my intent was always to maintain daily serialization. Now, concerning the storyline… Initially, Kim Yun-ho was conceived not as the protagonist driving the narrative or maintaining its core, but as more of a narrator-like character. The heart of the story was the Upkis members, and it was the surrounding characters who resolved events and conflicts. Yun-ho was merely a connecting point, using his unique abilities to bring them all together. Yet, even after concluding a novel, I had failed to grasp a key element of genre fiction: the concept of ‘vicarious satisfaction.’ Most genre readers desire a protagonist who actively resolves stories and steers the narrative—not one who sits idly by, engaging in irrelevant banter, throwing shade, or acting clueless. Thus, I decided to make a decisive move faster than expected. Enter the information window and the chart reversal opportunity. This was an event designed to empower the protagonist's abilities and give meaning to creating the girl group. Yes, it was the first awkward blunder combo for Upkis. Comments questioning the protagonist’s lack of appeal flooded in, leaving me uncertain. Honestly, the free serialization didn’t achieve high viewership. It rarely topped the Golden Best list—a metric of popularity and paid conversion prospects—or even the real-time free best list. It only rose to the top tiers later, after accumulating chapters when other popular works had finished their runs. Having lost three projects previously, failing with this one would have been catastrophic. Plausibility? Tossed out the window. Story? Hongi made a wrap of it. I chose to abandon meticulous plot progression and focus on characters and dialogue, the areas I believed I wrote best. Another change was made to the character Aliya. Aliya was initially sketched as the youngest daughter of a fallen wealthy family. Unable to forget her family’s prosperous past, she was an immature character indulging in luxury despite her company's financial difficulties. However, after introducing four consecutive eccentric characters—a clueless fool, an uncompromising shut-in, a sponsor, and a Lukaku-type—I noticed readers expressing fatigue. Aliya, being a problematic character that added fuel to the fatigue, put me at a crossroads again. At the time, stories about chaebols and power abuses were all the rage. So, I came up with the concept of a princess from an oil-rich nation resembling a chaebol. I figured, if the kids are eccentric, provide them with a comfortable living situation and crush conflicts with money as a solution. Thus, Aliya’s character was born, becoming a double-edged sword. Living in cockroach-infested lodgings, surviving on leftover side dishes from rivals could have been charming in its own right, creating a greater catharsis when they eventually succeeded, but that path was blocked. Instead, it opened a straightforward power-abuse-oriented revenge plot. However, I feel I didn’t fully capitalize on that, either... I’d rather not dwell on my regrets. Given my position as a writer with nothing left to lose, minimizing risks was the best course of action. For similar reasons, I reduced coverage of the darker, uncomfortable aspects of the entertainment industry. Readers familiar with the atmosphere during Yona’s sponsorship episode would understand—it was intense. Some readers even messaged me, puzzled as to why they had to read about sponsors and prostitutes in light-hearted genre fiction. Others criticized me for overly manipulating my characters and lacking affection. But that’s not the case... Compromise, compromise, and more compromise! The assembled members gathered through such trials and errors. As my original plan extended to just this point, I had to continuously research the subsequent parts during serialization. Though I had brief firsthand experience and run a small entertainment company with friends providing light-hearted sound motifs, delving into details proved time-consuming. Consequently, I minimized the detailed portrayal of broadcasting scenes and entertainment systems. Ah, these reflections inevitably lead to airing regrets. Since I’m already sharing my disappointments, I’ll add one more. I sealed off several episodes fearing an already messy plot would stretch further. I regret spending too much time on Ripple Girl, which limited the portrayal of various broadcasting programs. Not having started Yona’s acting storyline is another letdown. I feel a bite in my tongue from resisting mentioning real-life models for Upkis. During the epilogue, I considered revealing the real models for Upkis members, but it seemed potentially damaging to their image, so I refrained. In fact, it would undoubtedly harm them. Because my next work is the adult version of Upkis. Indeed. As hinted through the epilogue and cookie text, ‘The Girl Group Raised with Love’ continues as ‘The Girl Group Raised with Care (tentative title).’ Therefore, I’ll conclude my remarks here. Though I enjoy detailing personal anecdotes through author’s notes beyond the novel, it might decrease story immersion, so I aim to restrain myself moving forward. Whether I manage to keep that promise remains uncertain, but I aspire to become a delightfully quirky C-grade author who communicates through writing and converses through characters. Thank you. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your love for ‘The Girl Group Raised with Love.’ All of you form the apex that completes a writer like me. Thanks to Laon & Areté staff for supporting and nurturing me. You are co-authors in bringing Upkis to its conclusion. Long live Song Hyun-woo. Eat it twice. Long live, long live. I want to sincerely thank my fellow and senior writers who shared my struggles, offered advice, and reinvigorated me with courage after my third consecutive flop left me disheartened. Special thanks to K. Noah and Director Yeom, who served as both the inspiration and advisory committee for “Hum and Sound.” A big middle finger to you, just because. No real reason—just take it. I hope to someday meet a wealthy and blind investor willing to back the creation of a girl group like Upkis. To Hwaseong, who inspired the character of Kim Yun-ho: Thank you for always being such a fool. Thanks to you, the character of Kim Yun-ho was born. People even remarked on how ridiculous he seemed, and it was a fictional story! But reality is even more tragic, isn’t it? Congratulations again on being dumped by your girlfriend in just two and a half months. A fool should keep fooling around until you hit forty. All hail Sing Sing Girl! Just days before Upkis went premium, my mother-in-law, who was my greatest supporter, lover, and proudest fan, passed away. If only she could have seen how much love my writing has received—it would have filled her with joy. I miss her dearly. I dedicate this conclusion to Mrs. Song. I'll return with plenty of material stocked up. < Cookie Text and Epilogue > End