Episode 25: Charging Forward with the Heart of a Stag Beetle Lover
Among Seon-yu’s KakaoTalk profile pictures was a professional studio shot.
Sure, it had some editing, but nothing like the overdone filters you see on apps, so it gave a real sense of her natural beauty.
“Not bad visuals,” Team Leader Jeon said.
“Not bad” was high praise from someone as stingy with compliments as him.
I pressed on with my pitch for Seon-yu.
“She’s a former Jeje trainee.”
“Oh, Jeje?”
“She was on their A-team until recently but left.”
“If she made it to Jeje’s A-team, her skills must be solid.”
“She wasn’t originally a trainee. Her sister was at Jeje, and the company scouted her for the A-team after seeing her photo.”
“Hmm, A-team just for visuals…”
“Yup.”
Whether it’s looks or talent, being part of Jeje Entertainment’s A-team, with its rigorous trainee system, is a guarantee of idol potential.
Jeon, who’d been lukewarm until now, finally seemed intrigued.
“But why’d she leave? Is there some kind of issue?”
I didn’t know what “yaro” meant, but from the context, it seemed to imply some flaw or negative reason.
To explain Seon-yu’s story, I had to admit I’d met her in person.
Bracing for a scolding, I confessed that I’d met her with the Free Sense members.
“You met her without reporting it?”
“Yes…”
“Wow, doing whatever you want, huh? You nuts?”
“I’m sorry.”
His eyes turned cold as he flicked his cigarette into the ashtray, his voice icy.
“That’s a yellow card. One more strike, and you know what happens, right?”
“Yes, I’m sorry…”
“Alright, we’re short on time, so summarize it.”
“I’ll tell you exactly what she told me.”
“Okay.”
Seo Jin-yu and Seo Seon-yu are twin sisters.
Jin-yu, who’s always had a strong rivalry with Seon-yu, subtly undermined her since childhood.
That behavior continued, and at Jeje, Jin-yu used manipulation and instigation to push Seon-yu out.
Jeon listened quietly, then took a neutral stance, assessing it coolly.
“We’d need to hear the other side to know if it’s true. Could be that Seon-yu’s framing her sister as the bad guy, no?”
I believed Seon-yu, but Jeon’s point was valid, so I nodded along.
“Probably.”
“Alright, let’s say that’s true. Who’s the other member?”
“Huh?”
“You said you’re thinking five members. One’s her, so who’s the other?”
“I… don’t know yet.”
“You’re not secretly meeting someone else behind my back, are you?”
“No, definitely not.”
“Kang Hyun-jong.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“I know you’ve been working hard for Free Sense with no ulterior motives. You’ve gotten results too.”
“Yes…”
“I told CEO Jung and the company about your good work. I don’t know what you think of me, but I’m not the type to steal credit from my team. That’s why I introduced you to Jung earlier.”
“Yes…”
“But I keep telling you—don’t cross the line. You’re a rookie. When you keep doing this, it feels like you’re disrespecting me. Even I, as team leader, can’t make decisions like this, so why are you?”
His sincere advice left me with nothing to say but “Yes, yes.”
He was right—even if I weren’t a rookie, a manager can’t meddle in an artist’s schedule or production.
Even Free Sense, three years in, doesn’t know their own schedules.
It’s so frustrating.
I know there’s a sweet fruit beyond the wall, but the barriers are too high, and I’m helpless against reality.
I’d promised Free Sense and Seon-yu I’d stake my life on their success, but that kind of bravado doesn’t work on Team Leader Jeon or the company.
How could a rookie fetching coffee say, “I’ll stake everything to make this project succeed, and if it fails, I’ll take full responsibility”?
No matter how many results a newbie achieves, those alone don’t earn the right to sway major company projects—that’s the stuff of dramas or novels.
My achievements? At best, I’ve revived a single failing franchise in a company with dozens of chains.
Honestly, I’d rather just stick with the current three Free Sense members.
The response has been good enough, hasn’t it?
As long as I cling to the five-member idea, I’ll keep running into these iron walls.
But giving up, knowing the fruit beyond could bring huge gains for the company, would be even more foolish.
I need to use Team Leader Jeon as a sturdy ladder to climb that wall—for the sake of Free Sense, who trust and follow me.
If the kids succeed, I don’t care if all the credit goes to Jeon.
So, like a family head tossing aside pride and fear to feed his kin, I crossed the line again.
To keep my family alive, I’d throw myself into the fray like a madman.
“Team Leader, could you maybe push for this? I really think a five-member group could make it big…”
“Hey, even I can’t make that happen. We’re barely getting a single, and you’re talking about new members?”
“But ‘Lilac’ and ‘SundayGirls’ hit it big after adding new members.”
At my childish whining, Team Leader Jeon let out a dry laugh and shot back, “Name another group that did that.”
Besides those two… uh…
There aren’t any.
None…
Come to think of it, the future video [The Member Recruitment That Changed the Group’s Fate] only mentioned three groups: Lilac, SundayGirls, and Free Sense.
That’s how slim the odds are.
Jeon zeroed in on that exact point, grilling me sharply.
“Every other group that tried crashed and burned, kid. You see tons of posts online about winning the lottery, right? Does that make it easy? Is it?”
“No…”
“At least the lottery has winners every week, so it’s got better odds. Cases like Lilac and SundayGirls? There are only two in the entire history of K-pop. Two, globally even. You think citing those rare cases makes it doable?”
Every word was painfully correct.
But Free Sense is destined to be one of those historic anomalies.
I can’t spill the future info I know—it’s driving me nuts.
This isn’t something I can force by throwing a tantrum.
But having come this far, I had no choice but to channel my childish persistence, letting my determination, grit, and confidence shine through.
“If we go with five members and it flops, I’ll work for the company for free, forever.”
“…”
Jeon stared at me for a moment before responding seriously.
“Now I see you’re completely insane. What kind of drugs are you on? Hanging out with Jin-ah’s got you crossing into her mental realm, huh?”
His random comment made me chuckle despite myself, and I let out a “No.”
Jeon, still deadpan, said sternly, “This isn’t a laughing matter, kid.”
“But you said Seon-yu was solid.”
“Wow, you’re so dense. That’s a completely different issue. Starting a new group might make sense, but new members now? You don’t get what I’m saying? You really don’t understand?”
“So there’s no chance at all for new members?”
“You want to keep repeating the same thing? If this were a novel, readers would be cursing you for dragging out the word count.”
It hit me then.
Jeon’s arguments were starting to feel like opposition for opposition’s sake.
Honestly, adding a visually appealing new member to refresh the vibe of a group whose image has been overexposed isn’t a bad idea, right?
I shifted gears, attacking from a different angle.
“Forget the company’s perspective for a sec. What’s your personal take, Team Leader? Would adding members really not help the team at all? What if the two new members have center-level visuals and talent? Seon-yu’s already a pass, right? And if the other one has similar looks or charisma?”
Finally, a crack appeared in Jeon’s stern expression.
His eyes shifted diagonally as he mulled it over.
I doubled down.
“If you were the producer with decision-making power, would it still be impossible?”
“If I were the producer… and the new members were all A-grade… yeah, it’d be worth a shot. No, we’d have to do it.”
There it is.
The predetermined answer I was fishing for.
I played to his ego, laying on the flattery.
“Then you could take charge and make it happen, right? You’ve already pulled Free Sense this far from the brink—can’t you make that pitch to the company? It’d be like you producing the second coming of Free Sense. You said you wanted to produce, didn’t you?”
“Stop with the flattery, kid.”
He said that, but his expression wasn’t displeased.
Sensing it was working, I leaned in with more charm.
Since I’m already on the level of a stag beetle enthusiast, might as well go all in and lose my mind.
“I’ll give you Seon-yu’s number—check her out properly, Team Leader.”
“Anyone listening would think you’re the producer and I’m the investor. What are two low-level employees even doing right now?”
“You’re not low-level, Team Leader.”
“Hey, I’m a team leader in name only—no real power. If I had clout, I’d be with Team 1 handling GraceOne, not stuck here.”
“No way. From what I’ve seen, you’re plenty capable. You could absolutely make Free Sense reverse its course.”
“Are you trying to use me to fulfill your ambitions or what?”
“Isn’t it me piggybacking on your ambitions? You want to see Free Sense soar too, don’t you? I’ll be your loyal right-hand man—just be the brains.”
“Brains? More like bullet sponge.”
“You can do it, Team Leader. I respect you.”
I’m not usually this good at flattery outside…
Maybe because I’m charging in like a rabid dog, Jeon started feeling as approachable as my own parents.
“Sigh… I’m already stressed out about taking on the boy group, which isn’t even my thing, and now you’re doing this? I want Free Sense to succeed too, kid. I’m more desperate than you.”
“Since we’re being honest in front of you, Team Leader… I really don’t like the boy group either…”
I’d let go of my filter too much, and the words slipped out.
Had I revealed too much? Regret hit me, wanting to take it back, but then—
Jeon, with misty eyes, extended his hand for a handshake.
“I hate boy groups too… They say managing girl groups is tougher, but I just hate it. Hate it…”
I grabbed his hand with more sincerity than ever before, my voice trembling like Jung Dae-man crying in front of Coach An.
“Team Leader… I want to keep managing Free Sense…”