Hye-na decided to join!
"Don't misunderstand. I didn't choose this because of you, manager. I just made the decision because it suits my current situation."
"I see. Okay."
"…"
[Hye-na Lee]
[Her competitive spirit toward you increases even more!]
"???"
I had no idea why she was burning with a competitive spirit toward me, her manager.
Regardless, Hye-na fit right in with the rest of the team.
"I'm Hye-na Lee. I'll be using the stage name Hena from now on, so you can just call me Hena or big sis. I look forward to working with everyone."
For the record, we decided to keep her background as a fourth-generation conglomerate heiress a secret for now.
She hadn't received her family's permission yet. With Ebony's reputation in the gutter, revealing her elite background would backfire spectacularly.
Her family would immediately step in to protect her name, forcing her out of the group.
We decided to reveal it later once Ebony made a successful comeback.
"Wow! You're our older sister? Nice to meet you! We look forward to working with you!!!"
"Yeah, nice to meet you too. You girls are so cute."
"Big sis, you're so pretty too!!!"
Hye-na was surprisingly good at handling people. Her formidable presence genuinely put me on edge.
She instantly won over the clueless Ebony members and became the group's oldest sister.
The real issue was her skill as an idol, but—
…Did she spend all her time clubbing at Oxford or something?
—it wasn't bad.
No, it was honestly very good.
"Wow! Is it really true that you've never been an idol before? You're way better than most trainees!"
"That's right. This choreography is hard to follow on the first try, but you did it so smoothly!"
The other members of Ebony chirped and made a fuss, while Hye-na—no, Hena—smirked at me.
[Hye-na]
[She is looking at you as if asking, "How's that?!"]
…I can tell even without you rubbing it in, you know?
I pondered what to say.
Since it was her very first day, I thought it might be better to praise her to keep her spirits high.
But then again, Hena didn't strike me as the type to let a few minor critiques get under her skin.
On the contrary, she seemed like someone who would thrive on constructive feedback.
"You did well."
"…Really?"
"I mean, for your first time."
"!!!"
"You know you still have a long way to go, right? Compared to the others, you're lagging far behind."
The other members looked at Hena with concern, but as expected, she didn't seem particularly bothered.
"Yes, I know. I'll work harder."
An admirable response.
The problem was—
[Hye-na Lee burns with an even more intense competitive spirit toward you!]
Huh…? Why are you burning with a competitive spirit toward your manager?
In any case, Hena's addition to the team was a success.
[Ebony]
Type: Idol Girl Group
Rank: A (⇧ from well-matched member joining)
Potential: S ⇨ S+ (depending on production)
Their rank had been upgraded to A!
In my estimation, an A-rank meant they were a highly skilled, elite group—even if they weren't the absolute best.
Even I can tell they look significantly better than before.
Ebony wasn't lacking talent to begin with.
However, a girl group's performance didn't look great just because they could dance and sing well.
There were groups that caught your eye even if they were a bit clumsy, and there were groups that clearly performed well but just didn't grab your attention.
Many factors were at play, but above all else, the harmony between the members was the most crucial.
Previously, the group's harmony had been a complete mess because of Mina, who was like a cancer to the team. But now that Hena had joined and provided a solid center, Ebony's true charm was finally coming alive.
Honestly, I was surprised.
Hena's skills are improving rapidly too.
Her growth rate was so fast that it made me wonder if she had been admitted to Oxford on a dance scholarship.
[Hye-na Lee]
[Once she sets a goal, she will walk through fire to achieve it!]
[Currently pouring blood, sweat, and tears into conquering her target (Chanwoo Lim)!]
...Well, she's working hard, so I guess I can't complain.
Harin also seemed to be making steady headway with her composition work.
"W-Will it be okay?"
The most timid member of Ebony played the song, looking as if she were on the verge of tears.
It was a short demo, barely more than a concept.
And honestly? It didn't sound like much at first listen.
[Harin's Original Song]
[The quality is low as it's still in the early stages, but upon completion, it will be A-rank.]
[Upgradeable to S-rank depending on production. If lucky, S+ is also possible.]
S+…?
An S+ rank meant a mega-hit!
Equivalent to Sena's trot track, <Love's Shuttle Bus>, which was currently sweeping the entire nation.
However, unlike the usual descriptions, this one came with a condition: "If lucky."
External factors always influence whether a song becomes a hit or not.
"A song destined for greatness always finds a way."
People loved to claim that a good song would naturally succeed, but that phrase completely ignored reality.
Competition, perfect timing, marketing, viral word-of-mouth—there were countless variables at play.
That was exactly why a stroke of luck had to come into play for it to reach S+ rank.
That's something to think about later. For now, even just reaching S-rank would be a big hit.
"The song is good. Keep working on it just like this."
"Really…? To my ears, it sounds kind of bad…"
Timid and fearful, Harin didn't seem to have any confidence in her own song.
"If you really can't believe in yourself, then believe in me, who believes in you. Because I believe you'll do great."
"!!!"
Oops.
An incredibly cringey line just slipped out, all because of an anime I watched on NetFlicks yesterday.
Fortunately, her reaction wasn't bad.
"…Manager, you always do that."
"Hmm?"
"Oh, it's nothing! I'll do my best!"
[Harin]
[She is touched by you once again! To repay your kindness, she burns with an even stronger will! Harin's composing ability improves!]
These kids are too easily moved…
However, upon seeing Harin and me together, Hena—
[Burns with an even more intense competitive spirit toward you!]
Zzt! Zzzt!✹
—began to practice even more fiercely!
"…"
In any case, I started feeling bitter.
It was because I felt like Ebony was really going to strike it big.
Isn't that a good thing, you ask?
Of course! As a manager, it's wonderful when an artist succeeds.
But if Ebony did well, Star Entertainment would be the one making all the money!
There's a reason idols are called the crown jewel of the entertainment industry.
Sena was raking in a fortune for me, but when an idol group hit it big, the scale changed entirely. They basically turned into an industrial-grade money printer that never turned off.
…Though an employee's job is to make money for the company.
Of course, I would get compensated too.
At best, I'd probably just get a bonus of a few million won and a nice little nod on my performance review.
What a joke. But... what can I do?
Moments like this made my stomach churn with pure envy. It seriously made me want to start my own company.
In fact, many capable managers did eventually start their own agencies.
But there were things holding me back from doing the same.
He said no running a business.
The reason my father set the special condition for me to work at a company for five years was because he wanted me to gain real-world experience and develop a mindset where I wouldn't be easily swayed by money.
Above all, the thing my father loathed most during his lifetime was the entrepreneurial bug. Apparently, my half-siblings—whose faces I didn't even know—caught that bug and blew through all their money.
Well, that wasn't the case for me.
And besides, I don't even want to go that far.
I was already the owner of a 100 billion won building.
Even this appraisal value was set as conservatively as possible to lower the inheritance tax.
If the actual market price were reflected, it could be worth 120 billion won… maybe even up to 150 billion won.
But running a business?
I'd have to work my ass off, and I had absolutely no desire to do that.
Though I was unintentionally (?) hitting consecutive jackpots, what I wanted more than anything was to live a life of leisure.
…But it still makes my stomach turn with envy! So much!!!
"Manager? Are you okay? Isn't it almost time?"
I snapped out of it. There was something more important.
The head director was going to sabotage—ah, no, perform an interim check on Ebony.
* * *
Given his usual antics, it was easy to get the wrong impression, but the head director’s primary job wasn't actually scheming corporate politics.
He was in charge of managing all artists. It fell on him to conduct the crucial interim checks before any idol made a comeback.
Today's interim check is especially important.
First, it would decide whether Hena would officially join the group.
Wasn't that already decided, you ask?
Not yet. She was currently in a position similar to a probationary intern.
She would only become an official member once the head director gave his final approval.
Second, they would decide whether to proceed with Ebony's comeback or scrap it entirely.
Normally, neither would be an issue.
If he had eyes, he wouldn't be able to look at the current Ebony and refuse approval.
However, the problem was that the opponent was the head director.
Since I warned him, he shouldn't be able to pull any dirty tricks, but…
I looked at the girls standing on the practice room stage with nervous faces.
"Refreshingly! Always On Top! We are Ebony!"
The team leaders who accompanied Head Director Soohyuk Kim exchanged surprised looks.
"…Did you change the group's concept?"
"Yes! Following Chief Manager Chanwoo Lim's advice, we shifted our focus toward a high-teen concept instead of a cute one!"
Originally, Ebony's concept was cute.
Cute? From what era?
But from what I had observed, Ebony's true charm wasn't cuteness.
It was refreshing.
A high-teen style suited them best.
"I think it's good. Honestly, a cute concept is outdated anyway."
"Ah, Team Leader 4! Read the room! Did you forget that was the concept the head director pushed for?!"
"Oh…! Was it the head director's concept?! My bad! A cute concept is definitely the absolute best!"
"…Team Leader 4, please just shut your mouth."
The head director’s expression soured at the over-the-top flattery from Team Leader 4, who was part of his faction but famous for lacking any tact.
"…Let's see it. Begin."
"Ready, start!!!"
Ebony began their performance.
It was magnificent, even more so than usual.
[They are currently delivering a performance that exceeds their actual skills to repay the mentor (Chanwoo Lim) who supported them!]
…I swiped away the useless message and watched the stage.
Lia, the main vocalist, commanded the room with her spectacular singing ability, her greatest strength.
Harin’s unique vocal tone supported Lia beautifully and captivated the entire room.
Leading the performance, Sarah showcased her famously innocent visuals while alternating lines with Hena, who balanced that pure style with a sharp, girl-crush edge.
"Wow…! Incredible! Perfect! Oh, right."
Team Leader 4 gasped in admiration without realizing it, then quickly checked the head director's reaction.
The head director's expression looked even worse than before.
But surely he won't fail them after watching a performance like this?
Soon, the head director spoke.
"…Not bad."
"!!!"
For those words to come out of the mouth of the head director, who was notoriously strict with anyone outside his faction, it was high praise.
"Right?! It was amazing! At this rate, aiming for A-tier status is—"
"Ah, Team Leader 4! Shut up! Can't you read the room?!"
The head director continued speaking.
"It was better than expected. No, honestly speaking, it was excellent. Enough to hold high expectations."
"Then?"
"However, supporting Ebony is impossible."
"!!!"
The head director spoke while looking straight at me.
"If you just want to rush a comeback for the sake of appearances, go ahead. It won't cost much money. But if you want to properly take a shot at it, you'll need an investment of at least several hundred million won, no matter how tight you make the budget. Given Ebony's current situation, that's a gamble the company can't take."
The head director made a perfectly sound argument.
If we wanted to properly launch Ebony, it would require a massive investment. Even the several hundred million won the head director mentioned was an incredibly tight budget.
Of course, the head director wasn't saying this out of concern for the company's finances.
"If Ebony fails, Chief Manager Chanwoo Lim, can you take responsibility?"
"!!!"
He was trying to pin the blame on me!
Right then, my phone chimed.
Looking at the text message without much thought, I flinched.
A text containing completely unimaginable content had arrived.
"I'll take responsibility."
"…You'll take responsibility?"
"Yes, I will take responsibility."
Because I nodded so easily, the head director became flustered instead.
"…You do know what taking responsibility means, right?"
"I know. It means leaving the company, doesn't it? If Ebony fails, I'll walk out. No, I'll assume even greater responsibility than that."
"…Greater responsibility than that? What do you mean?"
"I mean I'll take financial responsibility too. No, let's skip that—I'll just provide the investment funds myself. Let's set the comeback budget at 1 billion won, and I'll talk to the BH chairman to cover any shortfall from Star Entertainment."
"!!!"
The Ebony girls gasped in shock.
"M-Manager! You don't have to go that far for us!"
I'm not doing it for you guys, though?
The only reason I suddenly went all-in like this was because of the text message I had just received.
「Deposit: 207,785,432 won」
I got paid over 207 million won!
Was it rent money? No.
Then what money was it?
It was the first payout from the shares I invested in Sena.
Thanks to having the highest ratio of neighboring rights in the contract, I received the largest share of the profits, resulting in this massive return that was over five times my initial investment of just 40 million won.
If Ebony hits the jackpot, the money pouring in will make this look like absolutely nothing.
I absolutely couldn't stand by and watch Star Entertainment stuff its belly when I was the one doing all the hard work.
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