Episode 23: Gotta Work Her Hard
It was an all-in bet with my life on the line.
Rather than Seon-yu, it was Seung-ah and Ah-hyun who stared at me in shock.
I’d shown confidence in Free Sense’s future before, but never with this level of unshakable bravado, so it must’ve seemed strange.
They’re probably wondering what I’m banking on to push this hard.
I continued, addressing Seon-yu, who hadn’t responded yet.
“We’re planning to add one more member to make it a five-member group.”
“Sorry, but… is that already confirmed with the company? Or…”
She must be wondering if I’m just spinning grand fantasies on my own.
I answered honestly.
“The company doesn’t know we’re thinking this yet. And to be even more honest, Free Sense might end up disbanding.”
“Aren’t you just a road manager, oppa?”
“Yup, that’s right.”
“Then you don’t have the authority to decide this on your own…”
“Not right now, no. And I’m not planning to do it alone—we’ll have to build it together. What I’m certain of is that a five-member Free Sense has plenty of potential. My job is to somehow convince the company to let us release an album.”
“So… nothing’s set in stone right now.”
“Things are looking good, though. Free Sense is getting a bit of recognition, and we’re planning to keep pushing with YouTube and livestreams for marketing.”
Seon-yu still looked skeptical.
Given the gap between my life-staked confidence and the team’s shaky reality, her reaction was understandable.
Drawing on the timeline from the future video [The Member Recruitment That Changed the Group’s Fate], I laid out a more concrete plan.
“I said we’d make it big within a year, right? That’s the max timeline. At the very least, we’ll start working on an album within three months. Six months from now, we’ll drop a new album and promote it for a couple of months.”
“Hmm…”
“I know it sounds far-fetched. Not just you—our members here probably think the same.”
“No, I believe you, Hyun-jong-ssi. We’re gonna make it big. I can feel the ‘late bloomer constellation’ surrounding us,” Jin-ah said, backing me up.
Just then—
Ka-talk, ka-talk, ka-talk.
Seung-ah’s phone pinged repeatedly.
She tried to ignore it mid-conversation, but when it kept buzzing, curiosity won out, and she checked it.
Then she whispered to Ah-hyun, “What’s this…?”
“What?”
“Yuyeon says our old song’s going around on YouTube.”
“Huh? Which old song?”
“I’ll share it in the group chat.”
Seung-ah forwarded a link from Yuyeon, a trainee friend from RoseDia, to our group chat with the Free Sense members.
We paused the conversation to check it out.
It was content from a humor channel called ‘Not Legend, Legeno’.
Scrolling through their thumbnails, most videos were edits of singers’ performances with captured comments.
Their latest upload was Free Sense’s debut song, Halloween Day, the one that marked the start of their downfall.
[Too-Futuristic Songs for Modern People, Part 3!]
[Free Sense ‘Halloween Day’ Comment Compilation]
Views: 37,516
Lately, it’s trendy to edit quirky old songs with comments for viral content, and some groups have hit a second peak through this.
If that’s the case, Free Sense, with its inherently bizarre concept, is a goldmine that never runs dry.
Their debut song, Halloween Day, was a flawless masterpiece from start to finish, a true royal flush.
Uploaded two days ago, it already had over 30,000 views.
“Ugh… we saw those comments before…”
“Why’s this coming up now?”
Seung-ah and Ah-hyun already knew the kind of reactions their old performance had gotten.
I’d seen them too while monitoring old stages—comments full of polished mockery and ridicule from internet artisans.
But if it’s getting attention again now, that changes things.
The trends and memes from three years ago have shifted, and even mockery and disdain now contribute significantly to attention and recognition.
Unlike Seung-ah and Ah-hyun, who were blushing with embarrassment over their dark history being dissected, my heart was pounding with excitement.
The overly long intro, out of sync with current trends, was already sparking reactions.
—LoveChu: Why’s the stage empty?
—white5968: Oh, it’s starting.
—pipet100: It’s been 30 seconds into the intro—why’s no one on stage?
—mapo: Is this a broadcast accident?
—ThunderWarrior: Good luck!
—IronYouth: Yo, this intro already smells like a masterpiece. The title’s Halloween Day, but the beat’s some oriental pop vibe…
—RedGarlic: Yo, when’s the singer showing up?
Here we go.
Back then, the five-member Free Sense made their entrance emerging from coffins carried by backup dancers.
True to the song’s title, they wore Halloween cosplay outfits, with Seung-ah performing in a pumpkin mask that completely hid her face.
It was meant to be a mysterious gimmick, but it failed to evoke emotion or curiosity—a total flop.
—Paradox: LOL, coffin entrance scene, is this for real? 😂😂😂
—zetawars2: They did coffin dance three years before it went viral?
—JustAPerson: Hail Halloween, Hail Halloween, Hail Halloween, tteok-tteok-tteok-ttei!
—Plas: Does the pumpkin-masked member sing with her face covered?
—Kasedrian: This feels like ordering jajangmyeon on Baemin from a traditional Italian restaurant.
—Dopikan: Manager, come out here.
—g2413: What were they even trying to say with these lyrics?
—inbub: Serious question—has anyone watched this to the end?
—hoya2226: They are Chinese.
—ggaja: Heading to petition the abolition of Halloween Day.
“Pfft…”
“Haha, these comments are wild.”
Seung-ah and Ah-hyun, initially mortified, started chuckling as they got sucked into the comments.
Jin-ah, who wasn’t a member back then, laughed like a humidifier sputtering to life.
But Halloween Day’s absurdity can’t be captured by a few comments.
Maybe the YouTuber felt the same regret, because after the members retreated into their coffins and disappeared offstage, a subtitle teased a sequel.
[Too many gem-like comments for their level of fame—we couldn’t capture them all! 😢 We’ll be back with Part 2 after sorting more!]
After the video ended, I sent the link to Team Leader Jeon Min-yong.
I also showed it to Seon-yu, who didn’t know why we were so worked up.
She didn’t laugh out loud, probably thinking it’d be rude, but occasionally let out a soft he-he as she got absorbed in the video.
I told her, “Here’s what I’m thinking. Every time content like this picks up, schedules start pouring in. You saw the article about our hospital visit, right? After that, we got a ton of interview and event offers.”
Seon-yu nodded, seeming to grasp my point.
Encouraged, I pressed on with the pitch.
“The company acknowledged this too—it’s not that the members lack charm or talent; it’s the album concepts that flopped. As recognition grows and schedules keep coming, the company will have to reconsider. Our CEO feels bad about Free Sense and thinks their talent is too good to waste.”
“Hmm… I can’t give you a definite answer right now. I’d need to talk to my parents too.”
“Of course. I’m not saying join us right now. We’ve still got a long way to go, and I’m not in a position to officially bring you into the company. But I’ll work hard to make you want to join our team.”
I paused for effect, letting the words linger.
Before I could continue, Seung-ah jumped in.
“I’d love for us to work together.”
Ah-hyun and Jin-ah followed suit.
“From what I see, you’re exactly the member we need. We’re kinda lacking in visuals,” Ah-hyun said.
“We’ll treat you so well. The unnies are super nice, Hyun-jong-ssi’s a good person, and the company’s solid,” Jin-ah added.
“Okay… I’ll think about it,” Seon-yu replied.
She avoided a firm commitment, but I could sense her view of us had softened.
We promised to stay in touch and wrapped up the meeting.
***
In the weeks that followed, Free Sense’s old songs continued to be repurposed as quirky content, steadily gaining traction.
The alumni event video was also starting to get some buzz.
Rather than the performance itself, the real attention came from the members eating and mingling with the alumni afterward.
Jin-ah, who devoured several plates of pyeonyuk, earned the nickname “Pyeonyuk Fairy.”
“Pyeonyuk. So good. Crunchy cartilage nom nom.”
The elementary school girls who took photos with the members and got a video call with RoseDia through Seung-ah left comments on the video that hit the top spots, highlighting the group’s heartwarming fan service and human side. This greatly boosted the team’s image.
Seung-ah’s recognition surged in particular, balancing out the attention that had previously been skewed toward Jin-ah.
—coco0889: Seung-ah’s puppy-like charm is so lovable ðŸ˜
—MQ: Three months into studying physiognomy, and Seung-ah’s face screams kindness.
Thanks to this, while major broadcast networks hadn’t bitten yet, YouTube channels and livestream platforms were sending plenty of appearance requests.
Free Sense landed a spot on one such channel.
It was “HotTopicPerson,” a channel with 500,000 subscribers, known for interviewing trending figures online, especially for “where are they now” content.
***
The day before the HotTopicPerson appearance.
The Free Sense members were scheduled to visit a salon to refresh their hairstyles.
On my way to the company to pick up the car, I got a call from Team Leader Jeon Min-yong.
“Where are you?”
“Right in front of the company.”
“Alright, come up to the office for a bit.”
“Yes, sir.”
What could this be about?
Worried I’d gotten myself into trouble again, I headed up to the office.
I didn’t even notice the GraceOne posters lining the hallway.
“I’m here to see Team Leader Jeon Min-yong…”
“Oh, he’s in the meeting room.”
Guided by the staff member near the entrance, I made my way to the meeting room inside.
The glass walls were covered with blinds, so I couldn’t see who was inside.
Suppressing my nerves, I opened the door.
Two people were sitting across from each other, sipping coffee.
“Hey, you’re here,” said Team Leader Jeon.
And then—
“Oh, the rookie? Nice to see you!”
Neat pomade hair, signature thick-rimmed glasses, and a warm, handsome face.
It was Jung Han-yong, co-CEO and executive producer of VIP Entertainment, known for ‘Epic Adventure’.
Completely unprepared for such a big shot, I reflexively bowed deeply.
“Hello, sir!”
“First time meeting, right?”
“Yes, it’s an honor.”
“Come on, sit, sit.”
From the expressions and vibe of Jung and Jeon, I could sense it instinctively.
This felt like a green light for Free Sense’s future.
“I heard this is your first gig. How’s it going?”
“It’s fun, sir.”
“Hmm… fun’s not quite right…”
Did I say something wrong?
As I scrambled for a better response, Team Leader Jeon jumped in with a playful tone.
“He says that ‘cause he hasn’t been worked hard yet.”
“Exactly. Look at that smooth skin and bright eyes. We’ve gotta work him hard from now on, right?”