Episode 13: Hyun-jong, You’re Doing Great
“An alumni event, huh…”
As expected, Team Leader Jeon Min-yong’s reaction was lukewarm.
Beyond the fact that Free Sense rarely does events, the theme, scale, and audience age group of this one didn’t suit a girl group at all.
If it had been any other client, he’d have rejected it without a second thought, but since it was a request from my family, he couldn’t outright say no.
Or so I thought.
“Alright, let’s do it.”
His blunt, almost enlightened response caught me off guard.
“Uh, really?”
“Why the reaction? Thought I’d say no?”
“Yeah, I was sure you’d shut it down. I only brought it up because it’s my dad’s request.”
Jeon let out a bittersweet, lazy chuckle.
“Seeing the kids so excited about a few recent schedules makes me want to do something for them, money aside. For them, performing is way more energizing than interviews.”
“Do we need to clear it with the company?”
“Hey, I’m in charge of Free Sense. Who else would I clear it with? I’m the one who decides their schedule.”
He’s definitely reliable as a mentor.
He probably knows more about the vibe and audience of an alumni event than I do.
Still, worried he might have a different image in mind, I added details from the future video I’d seen.
“But the stage is, like, a platform in a school courtyard.”
“Oh, like a sports festival?”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Bingo.
The banner in the video read “Alumni Family Sports Festival.”
I vaguely remember going to one with my dad when I was in middle school.
Our whole family attended, and though it was called a sports festival, it was basically a booze-fueled party.
Picture this: a tent and tables set up in the middle of the courtyard, with barbecue grilling and massive stainless steel pots of soup simmering nearby. People eat, drink, and sprinkle in some sports activities—a tribal festival vibe.
The scene In the future video was exactly like that.
While Free Sense performed on the platform, a volleyball game was going on in one corner of the courtyard, and in front of the stage, a few drunk older folks and hyper kids danced to their own bizarre rhythms.
Jeon, as if he already knew the environment, continued casually.
“They’ll love it if we go with trot or upbeat songs.”
“Oh… I told my dad we don’t take song requests. You said we usually don’t, right?”
“I meant that for typical cases. We can’t exactly sing our own songs for a crowd of 50- and 60-year-olds, can we? It’d kill the vibe.”
“Oh, right.”
“Give me the contact info for the event organizer. I’ll reach out. Oh, did your dad mention anything about the fee?”
“He said they’d make sure it’s fair, but it’s their first time hiring a singer for the alumni event, so he didn’t seem sure.”
“We’re not in a position to be picky about cold or hot rice, so I’ll lean toward doing it regardless of the fee.”
Not picky about cold or hot rice…?
That phrase feels loaded.
Doesn’t it mean grasping at straws when you’re desperate?
But with Free Sense’s disbandment practically confirmed, there’s no reason to scramble like that.
Maybe I’m reading too much into one phrase, but Jeon’s words carried a hint of possibility, a lingering nuance.
Like, if we get a bit more buzz, the company might reconsider Free Sense.
Feeling we’d grown close enough, I asked him directly.
“Team Leader.”
“Yeah?”
“The hospital visit got some attention, right?”
“Yeah.”
“If we get a few more moments like that and keep generating buzz, could we release an album? Like how ‘XX’ and ‘Good Evening’ blew up from fancams.”
“Their songs were good.”
Jeon’s assessment was cold.
“And those fancams were stage performances. Plus, they already had a decent fanbase to begin with.”
“Oh…”
“You need some recognition or a great song to go viral like that.”
Emboldened by his response, I ventured into a deeper question.
“Team Leader, did you also think Free Sense’s songs weren’t great?”
“It’s not just the songs—the concept itself was obscure to anyone who saw it.”
“Who did the producing?”
“CEO Jung.”
Jung Han-yong, the current head producer and co-CEO of VIP Entertainment.
He’s more famous under his composer alias, “Thrilling Adventure,” than his real name. I haven’t met him in person yet.
Though he’s said to have lost his touch lately, about ten years ago, he was a renowned hip-hop-based girl group composer, churning out hit after hit and dominating charts for years while appearing as a judge on various audition shows.
“But I saw ‘Spade’ listed for Free Sense’s songwriting and composition. Was that someone else for the composition?”
“Nope, that’s also CEO Jung. He uses multiple aliases.”
“Oh…”
Now it makes sense.
Since the company’s CEO was the producer, it’s likely no one could object to the obscure concept.
True to his “Thrilling Adventure” alias, he set sail for a new continent and got spectacularly wrecked.
Even a seasoned producer who’s been through it all and ruled the industry for years can fail in this cutthroat world.
As a fan, I used to think producing idols was easy, but now that I’m learning the ropes, I’m realizing it’s way harder than it looks.
“Team Leader, I sent you the contact info for the alumni event coordinator. You can reach out to them.”
“Got it. I’ll call them now.”
The decision was made.
But even having seen the future video, I couldn’t predict what butterfly effect this would cause.
The “tragicomic event” compilation didn’t specify what outcome Free Sense’s alumni sports festival performance would yield.
How could I turn this into something positive?
Based on past examples, a fancam is the most likely way to generate buzz.
Several girl groups have gone viral through fancams.
The two I mentioned to Jeon earlier are prime examples.
‘XX’, which climbed to the top through a member-specific fancam uploaded by another group’s fan, reversing their chart performance.
‘Good Evening’, who, during a snowy ski resort performance, slipped and fell multiple times but powered through, earning attention.
XX had been around for a while, like Free Sense, with multiple member changes and no major success until their breakout.
Good Evening, a six-month rookie group, had decent debut album results, but their slip-and-fall video gave their recognition a massive boost.
The difference? XX’s breakout was driven by member Yoon-young’s inherent sultry charm and talent, showcased in a solo fancam that carried the group. Good Evening’s appeal was their fresh, cute, rookie energy and passionate, human charm.
If we promote Free Sense’s alumni event performance, we need to combine the strengths of both XX and Good Evening.
Regardless of the absurd event setting, they need to deliver a professional performance to capture public interest.
Like, “Wow, they nailed it despite the odds.”
Of course, this is just my own speculation and fanboy dreaming, but for now, I can only bank on luck.
Still, if the event made it into the future video, it must’ve generated some buzz.
I plan to polish it, add some MSG, and stage it dramatically.
I have a middle school friend who’s decent at video editing.
Since middle school, he’s been obsessed with trending slang and memes, often posting his own edited clips and memes online.
He got discharged from the military recently after enlisting late and mentioned he’s interested in becoming a YouTube video editor.
I should send him the footage I record and ask him to edit it into something fun.
***
The next day, after Team Leader Jeon finalized the event details with the alumni association, I informed the Free Sense members about the schedule.
“We’ve got an event next Saturday.”
“Really? Wow, wow! What kind of event?!”
Seung-ah’s excited outburst made me reply sheepishly.
“My dad’s high school alumni sports festival…”
Ah-hyun, surprised, chimed in.
“Whoa, no way. Did you book it, oppa?”
“Not exactly. My dad asked for it… But the stage might be a bit rough for you guys. It’s in a school courtyard…”
“Pfft, who cares about the venue? We should be bowing in gratitude just for being invited.”
“I appreciate you saying that…”
“Man, we’re kinda popping off lately.”
Seung-ah nodded enthusiastically at Ah-hyun’s comment.
“Right? Doing interviews, events… Are we about to go viral or something? Hehe!”
“Unnie, we said we wouldn’t get our hopes up.”
“Nah, I’ve decided to stop worrying and just enjoy the moment. They say it’s not the strong who survive, but the survivors who are strong. If worrying changes nothing, might as well have fun.”
“Then should I let myself get a little excited too?”
“Yeah, yeah! Let’s get hyped together!”
“Sweet!”
Seung-ah and Ah-hyun stomped their feet and cheered exaggeratedly.
Seeing them so thrilled over a small event felt rewarding.
I snapped a photo of them bouncing around like they were leaving afterimages and sent it to my dad.
The moment I hit the send button, Jin-ah peeked over my shoulder and teased, “Ooh, a spy. You’re a snitch.”
On my phone screen, which she was staring at, my dad’s reply popped up.
Creator: [Wow, they look so happy haha]
Creator: [I feel like I’ve done something huge]
“Who’s ‘Creator’?”
“Oh, my dad.”
“Your dad’s name is Creator? Is your last name Chang?”
“No, no way. It means the father who created me.”
“So your mom’s the Creatress?”
“Exactly. And I’m Creation No. 1, my little sister’s Creation No. 2.”
“Oh, ‘Creation’ is kinda funny.”
Jin-ah laughed like a pot lid rattling on boiling water.
“Creation, pfft, hahaha. Your family sounds fun, Hyun-jong-ssi. Pfft, hehe!”
“You like it?”
“Yeah, it’s been a while since I laughed this hard.”
Seung-ah and Ah-hyun chuckled too, giving Jin-ah’s comment a virtual “like.”
“That’s unique.”
“Your parents must have a great sense of humor, right?”
“Their sense of humor is next-level. If they were born in this era, they’d be YouTubers.”
“Creation… pfft. That’s hilarious. Creation… ha!”
Jin-ah, giggling to herself, suddenly stopped laughing and looked at me.
“But, Hyun-jong-ssi. You’re good at your job.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. The hospital visit was your idea, right? Team Leader said no, but you convinced us to go.”
“Oh, yeah, that was because of oppa,” Seung-ah nodded.
Ah-hyun added,
“Now that I think about it, you also saved us from that accident. If you hadn’t stopped the car, we could’ve gone off the cliff too.”
“Yeah, we talked about it among ourselves.”
That’s right, that’s right.
Facts. All thanks to me.
Well, technically, thanks to the future video.
I’d gotten numb to it since most videos were useless, but the future videos have been a massive help for Free Sense’s path forward.
Avoiding that accident alone is worth a lifetime of gratitude.
***
Two days before the alumni event, another future video arrived.
[The Epic Member Addition That Changed the Group’s Fate]
It showed Free Sense, a three-member group, performing as a five-member group.
This meant Free Sense, slated for disbandment, had released a new album.