Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
46. Under stage (6)
In the broadcasting community, popularity equals power.
The public attention on the ‘Playlist’ which succeeded in casting star Players like Yeom Junyeol and Cheo Jina as hosts and Players running with the narration of ‘Challenging unachievable dream[1]’ grew.
With the 3rd episode just around the corner, the television ratings were approaching the double digits, the ads were sold out and PPL were surging with inquiries.
As the program was going well and the Players, who seriously fought for their dreams, couldn’t say anything hateful to the crew even when they were undergoing somewhat unreasonable treatment, there were staff who became arrogant, acting as if they had become something important.
“We have shooting plans, but we only have a few hours, so why are You behaving like this? And what is the Hwang Myeong Foundation doing? What You’re doing right now is assault and blackmail. Don’t You know how many cameras are filming right now? Are You picking a fight?”
The assistant director, who was shouting frantically at the Hwang Myeong Foundation employees, was like that.
Riding the coattails of the now fainted sub PD, the assistant director for the first time obtained quite a good position freeing himself from the errand boy work and the program on the fast track to success, he lost sight of himself.
He shot a few rude remarks towards Dokgo Miro, but she could do nothing but listen to him with a smiling face.
But it was enough to clearly memorize the faces and names of the things that thought of crossing a line.
“… Youngest, I’m in the middle of a conversation right now. I can’t take calls when we’re shooting. Uh?… A call from director-nim?”
The youngest staff member begged him to quickly pick up with a white like sheet face, because it was a call from the art director.
The assistant director didn’t even ask for understanding from the Hwang Myeong Foundation’s employee whom he was facing and talking to just a moment ago and activated his device as he quickly turned around.
“Yes, director-nim! As a matter of fact, I was just about to contact You…”
The face of the assistant director, who raised his voice as he replied, as if trying to show off his closeness with the director, turned dead in the instant.
The art director and assistant director used device earrings to communicate.
But all Players around, excluding Han Yi, could hear the angry roar of yelling of the art director.
Even the occasional students who were heading to school turned their heads because of the loud sound.
It seemed that after deciding that the crew screwing up in front of Eungwang School was illegal and could draw public outrage, the advertisement client personally pressed the director to take off their ads, as it could cause serious damage to their brand.
It seemed that the Hwang Myeong Group side considered not only the ads in the broadcasting time-slot of ‘Playlist’, but also withdrawing their ads from the broadcasting station as a whole and even pulling out from the projects that they were investing.
‘Chairman Hwang Myeong-ho is famous as an eccentric, who likes to work at the campus. As the incident happened at the school where the chairman is, the situation is worthy to be a problem. But did Hwang Myeong Group originally react so sensitively to such troubles? It felt that unless it was a serious incident, they just wouldn’t bother.’
Dokgo Miro was bothered by it, but she decided to be happy with a swift response for now.
She didn’t know about if she was alone, but she hated if Han Yi or Han Yi’s friends became entertainment.
“…. It seems both of us made mistakes. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Both of us? How did the Foundation made a mistake?”
“… My apologies.”
As there were many assistant directors at ‘Playlist’, besides the main PD, there were also sub PDs.
The sub PD and writer assigned to Dokgo Miro had the most dog-shit personalities of all the staff.
They were strong against the weak and weak against the strong.
The assistant director, who tried to make the situation into one where both parties were at fault somehow, finally threw away his pride and started bowing.
Even while the assistant director was bowing, the device kept ringing and the blameless youngest staff member had to receive roars sent by the higher-ups.
As they lost their minds in this, they couldn’t even think of sending the fainted PD to the infirmary and PD was left lying on the road.
Dokgo Miro felt very refreshed.
‘Even when looking at it, I don’t think it’s pitiful. My mind is still sound, huh?’
Dokgo Miro believed that only patients with Stockholm syndrome or those of the same kind as the assailant would think the assailant’s misery is pitiful and have sympathy for them.
Even though Dokgo Miro was reassured that her mind was very sound, at the thought that she entered ‘inside of the school’, it was difficult for her to act naturally.
Thanks to the Hwang Myeong Foundation’s employees, the staff withdrew and there were no cameras anymore, but it was difficult to smile.
“It’s going to be okay now.”
The one who spoke to Dokgo Miro was Jo Uisin, who guided the staff to the school gate’s barrier.
‘It’s the kid senior Yeom Junyeol-nim introduced to me, right? Didn’t he say he is the vice-president?’
She didn’t know if this situation was Jo Uisin’s intention or not, but thanks to that, she was able to evade selling the class children.
However, if she expressed her thanks here, it was no different from acknowledging the fact that Jo Uisin fucked with the staff, so it was subtle to say thank you.
“Let’s go to the classroom.”
At Jo Uisin’s words, the class children moved to the classroom.
After arriving in the classroom, Sawol Seeum and Han Yi peacefully shared the snacks they bought.
The pomegranate[2] seeds Soufflé pancakes sprinkled with syrup and plain yogurt according to her taste were so delicious that she didn’t think of the calories.
However, besides being able to tell it was delicious, she had no idea how to express what was good.
‘It’s delicious, but I don’t know what I’m tasting.’
The thought that it was at school, what more, in the classroom, felt very strange.
She observed such a situation among the good children a few times, but it was the first time for her.
After the start-of-day meeting started, the threatening-looking homeroom teacher appeared.
She was worried that he would act condescending like some old Players with thick heads when they heard that their junior wanted to be an idol.
But different from Dokgo Miro’s worries, homeroom teacher Ham Geun-hyeong didn’t say a word about attendance and only said that he would enjoy the broadcast.
‘… it’s okay.’
Filming of Dokgo Miro’s school life didn’t happen, but she didn’t mind as she realized they didn’t plan to film her from the beginning.
It was only for a day, but Dokgo Miro forgot about filming for a bit and lived as an ordinary student.
Were the words ‘It’s going to be okay now’ spoken by the suspiciously smiling vice class president some kind of kotodama?
After that day, the situation continued to be okay.
* * *
After a few days, Hwang Jiho shared some bits.
— The art director came looking for me personally. The sub PD was replaced.
One of the reasons why the sub PD thought of screwing up things was because the Hwang Myeong Group never made big power tripping against the broadcasting station before.
But as Hwang Myeong Group, what more, Hwang Myeong-ho, who was the group symbol, personally stepped out and made up his mind to power trip, the influential power was enormous.
After the incident of the sub PD making a mess at the Eungwang School main gates, the broadcasting station was acting humble.
‘Now Dokgo Miro won’t suffer unfair treatment.’
This program was officially branded by Hwang Myeong-ho, and Dokgo Miro was a student of Eungwang School managed by Hwang Myeong Foundation.
They would know very well that if they vented their anger on Dokgo Miro, and it reached Hwang Myeong-ho’s ears, there was no way that he would look at them favorably.
‘If they make a fuss in Eungwang School, or treat Eungwang School students unfairly, it would look like openly picking a fight with Hwang Myeong Foundation.’
In addition, following Hwang Myeong Foundation, Yeom Junyeol also responded.
Yeom Junyeol sent such a message that day:
[Yeom Junyeol] Master-nim, hello.
[Yeom Junyeol] Did You perhaps heard about the incident which happened in front of the Eungwang School main gates this morning?
[Yeom Junyeol] In fact, when the plan came out I thought that filming at Eungwang School was a good idea. I even voted for it during the meeting… My apologies for causing a commotion.
It seemed that Yeom Junyeol was also cheated by the sub PD.
From the looks of it, he said that the shooting would start after 12 o’clock and planned to suddenly barge in and take pictures of unprepared for shooting Yeom Junyeol.
‘From the beginning they thought nothing of Dokgo Miro and were aiming at the famous Players of Eungwang School.’
After Yeom Junyeol briefly summarized the situation, he sent a frustrated-looking Hongryong stamp.
I told Yeom Junyeol it wasn’t his fault, but as if he still thought it was his fault, Yeom Junyeol meticulously prepared follow-up actions.
As if he was especially worried that his junior Dokgo Miro would be wronged, he seemed to use his hand to give Dokgo Miro a sub PD and writer with upright personalities during the shooting.
Considering Yeom Junyeol, the Red Lion, Yong tribe and his fans were all scary, no one would be able to play useless tricks on Dokgo Miro.
But Dokgo Miro’s debut seemed difficult just like before.
‘Previously announcement rankings were on edge. If it goes like this, she will drop out during the next episode.’
Usually, audition programs are broadcasted for ten or eleven weeks.
‘Playlist’ used the voting app with real name verification to operate and in the 4th week, Dokgo Miro was dangerously on verge right now.
It didn’t seem like Dokgo Miro was no longer enduring unfair treatment, but she couldn’t escape low ranks.
Dokgo Miro received such comments from the viewers:
[Frankly, such a face seems to be in big demand. Wish to be a fan. But there is no show talent. Nothing much.]
[She is just like a mannequin ㅋㅋㅋ[2] can’t make an eye contact with camera; dances a bit well. singing not so much ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I tried to be a fan but heard her singing and dropped ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[The face is pretty. The proportions are good, and she is cute, but why there is no show talent at all? But it seems like she practices diligently.]
[↑ If she worked hard, would it look like she didn’t practice? It seems that she only dances well.]
[Even dancing is a bit subtle. It doesn’t match camera work.]
Negative reviews against Dokgo Miro didn’t stop.
Even though her amount of training wasn’t small, it seemed that she couldn’t reveal it in front of the camera.
For the aspiring idol, who had to face the camera through their activity time, it was a fatal weakness.
Moreover, for an audition program participant, who had to catch viewers’ attention with their charms, the camera phobia was a hopeless weakness.
‘Even so, let’s do what I can.’
To do what I could do, I visited Hwang Myeong’s great mansion.
After crossing the golden fence barrier and maze garden, and opening the front door, Eun-ho’s descendants welcomed me.
“Uisin hyung! You came!”
“We heard that the new semester started, is that correct? How was the school?”
“The summer break passed too quickly. We thought You would visit often and we will be able to talk before the break…”
Even though the children were happy, they were also sad.
I thought that I often came to play during the break, but it seemed it was still insufficient.
But considering the incident that would explode during the 2nd semester, after it started, I wouldn’t have much more time to play.
‘I think I should spend one day to play a lot with them because I won’t be able to see them often in the future.’
With a sorry mindset, I was thinking about what kind of move to soothe the children, but soon my head turned empty because of the existence of the angel, who ran to my feet and rubbed its body against mine.
While I didn’t see my angel Snare, it seemed that it became even cooler and cuter.
Was it thanks to the elixir? It seemed that the fur was softer and shiner than before.
I diligently explained to Snare how cool Snare was today.
“…. It’s a second semester, but Jo Uisin, your intelligence is dropping just like before, eh?”
Hwang Jiho went to the drawing room first, but his voice came from behind.
It was the same tone as Hwang Jiho, but the voice felt younger.
‘No way, is it that appearance of Hwang Jiho?!’
As I turned my head around, I saw a child that seemed to be around the age of the youngest of the three Eun-ho’s descendants siblings.
The pretty eyes were exactly like those of Hwang Jiho.
*~*~*
[1] Challenging unachievable dream — unachievable in the past tense, there is an implication it’s no longer ‘unachievable’.
[2] pomegranate — 석류 (seokryu) in Korean.
[2] ㅋㅋㅋ — ‘kekeke’ laughter.
Translator’s note: Ladies, gentlemen and all other distinguished readers, he said IT! I repeat, he said IT!
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