Episode 90: Time to Hunt (1)
In many ways, MyWay is an absurdly impressive company.
‘How the hell is none of this leaking?’
A new boy-group project has been officially green-lit, yet there isn’t a single whisper about it anywhere on the internet.
Not even a hint that MyWay is launching a new boy group, let alone that I’m the leader of the entire project.
If this information got out, it would set every single “idol community” on fire, yet there’s literally nothing.
‘Is it seriously possible to lock down intel this tightly in this industry? For real?’
This is the entertainment world, the motherland of every rumor and blind item known to man.
When I think back to how many headaches the issue of “confidentiality” gave me in my previous life, the sheer impossibility of this situation doesn’t even need explaining.
And it’s not like the company is treating it as top secret internally.
‘Rumors were already floating around as far back as the end of last year.’
We talked about it openly in the cafeteria, a corner of the building where countless employees come and go every day. So clearly, they never intended to hide it in the first place.
There was even a moment I wondered if the project had been scrapped and they were secretly filming a hidden-camera prank on me.
The only reason that suspicion stayed at the suspicion level is because MyWay has already pulled off this kind of insane feat once before.
‘Yeah… that must be how BNW stayed under wraps too…’
The incident in question is, of course, the launch of BNW.
Looking back now, Lee Ahjeong suddenly announcing her 6th mini-album and switching agencies to BNW feels like a hilarious little episode.
‘How much did MyWay’s stock tank that day again?’
AZ is practically is the pillar holding up the bizarre entity called MyWay Entertainment.
To the public, her completely unannounced move must have looked like the company’s foundation was being ripped out from the roots.
Of course, once the shareholding structure of BNW was revealed, not only did the stock recover instantly, it actually rose higher than before, sparking rumors of insider trading. But in the end, it was nothing more than a brief spectacle.
Obviously, in this timeline, that event hasn’t happened yet.
But when even something as massive as Lee Ahjeong + BNW can be kept completely secret, the fact that “Han Yujin is producing MyWay’s next boy group” stays hidden feels almost… routine.
Whether that’s out of loyalty and love for the company,
Or because Seo Yoonje, Lee Ahjeong, and MyWay itself are absolutely merciless when it comes to legal action, I’m not sure yet.
Either way, no unnecessary noise is definitely a good thing.
The smile that thought brings to my face is quickly shaken off as I force my expression into neutral.
‘Bad thoughts, mood-killing thoughts… Zia, stay inside…!’
I forcibly push away the image of Zia that suddenly pops into my head, an uncharacteristic bit of mental control, and erase every trace of a smile.
Because right now, I need to look strict, solemn, and serious.
Once I feel the area around my cheekbones harden, I turn the corner.
There it is, my destination.
The place that should normally be filled with nonstop music and the screeching shoe squeaks is already wrapped in complete silence.
Slide.
“…!”
The moment I open the door and step inside, I’m met with the sight of trainees standing perfectly in five neat rows, and Jeon Seonwoo, the man who has silenced them all.
“Sorry I’m late.”
I don’t say the usual line I always give even when I’m on time, the one that acknowledges they waited for me.
“No, sir. You’re right on time.”
Jeon Seonwoo doesn’t greet me with words either. He simply steps aside in silence.
This isn’t the military, and I don’t particularly enjoy creating this kind of discipline-heavy atmosphere,
But sometimes, this kind of mood is necessary.
Swallowing hard, the trainees’ throats bob in the heavy silence created only by my footsteps and the stillness. I ignore it, flip open the file, and begin.
“From now on, when I call your name, step forward. Yeom Kyuha.”
“Yes!”
He hasn’t eaten his trainee years backwards, at least.
At my low call, Yeom Kyuha shoots his hand up, answers crisply, and walks forward with quick steps.
“Jung Bong-kyu, Yoo Phillip, Shim Minseok.”
““Yes!””
The three names I call next form a new line beside Kyuha.
“Kang Tae-oh.”
“Yep.”
I confirm the face I haven’t seen in a while has taken his place beside them and declare,
“These five are exempt from the monthly evaluations starting this month.”
The frozen expressions on the kids’ faces instantly loosen, confusion mixing in for only a second.
“Instead, these five will be evaluated every week under new, separate criteria.”
The first to react to my follow-up words is, as expected, Yeom Kyuha.
Even though I just told them the evaluations will be much harsher, the uncontainable joy in his eyes tells me he instantly understood what my words really mean.
That joy spreads sideways like a contagion, and at the same time, a different emotion begins to appear in the eyes of the trainees still standing in the back rows.
The girl trainees show envy, at least.
The boy trainees show disappointment.
Emotions that humans can’t help feeling.
The reason Jeon Seonwoo and I created this razor-thin ice atmosphere is precisely to redirect those emotions elsewhere.
Tak!
I deliberately slam the file shut; shoulders flinch.
“Don’t relax. Nothing is confirmed yet. Especially you, Kang Tae-oh.”
I temporarily drop the polite speech I’ve always used and single Tae-oh out. The kids’ expressions turn strange.
“Don’t get cocky just because there’s no replacement main vocal. If you fall below standard, I will personally take responsibility and scrap this entire project.”
There isn’t a single trainee here who doesn’t know that Tae-oh and I are close.
There isn’t a single trainee who doesn’t know that Tae-oh joining is what created this opportunity.
‘If he were being ostracized as a parachute, that would be one thing.’
But Tae-oh has already melted perfectly into the trainee group. Speaking to him this coldly is a kind of shock therapy for the others.
And for that,
“Yes, sir! I’ll work hard!”
I had warned Tae-oh in advance.
I told him I might set the mood a little harshly, but to follow my lead.
“Working hard is the bare minimum. You have to be good. Especially since your trainee period is shorter than everyone else’s.”
“Yes, sir!”
Of course, it’s not purely an act.
If Tae-oh really can’t keep up with the standard, this project will have to be canceled.
It’s just that
‘I’m 99.999 % certain that will never actually happen.’
I minimized contact with Tae-oh to reduce the “parachute” image as much as possible, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t heard anything about him.
“Obviously, the trainees in the back don’t need to feel disappointed either. If anyone shows outstanding performance, the debut team lineup can change at any time. Girl trainees, don’t think this has nothing to do with you—just watch carefully. If I ever stand here again, the method will be exactly the same.”
““Yes, sir!””
The shock therapy seems to have worked perfectly; the earlier traces of disappointment and envy are nowhere to be found in their unified reply.
The excitement on the faces of the five in front, the disappointment and frustration on the faces of those in the back—all gone.
The whip has done its job.
‘There probably won’t be any member changes.’
The boys who didn’t seize the chance this time,
The girls who weren’t even given a chance this time,
At the very least, I’m now certain that when the next opportunity comes, every single one of them will be completely different from who they are today.
“Questions.”
I lightly toss out the word to wrap up the changed atmosphere. No one speaks.
“Questions? None?”
Things like “Can’t we add more members?”
Or at least “What kind of new evaluations will there be?”
‘There’s definitely a lot they could ask.’
Sure, I once helped raise their monthly evaluation scores with a few casual pointers,
But one single time shouldn’t be enough to earn this level of trust.
The answer comes from behind me.
Jeon Seonwoo, who has already dropped the stern expression and is wearing his usual kind smile, places a light hand on my shoulder and says,
“Yujin-ssi, these kids have eyes and ears. Is there anyone at MyWay who doesn’t know how hard you worked on Hylliy’s Mysty? They all believe you’ll take care of everything perfectly. They know that if they just have to follow you.”
“Ah.”
Between my short exclamation, cheers and applause from the kids come flying in.
‘I didn’t plan for this kind of reaction…’
The more I see, the more incredible MyWay really is.
How did they gather kids who have talent, visuals, and even this kind of character?
Feeling like I’m just laying my spoon on a table that’s already perfectly set,
“Ah! I have a question!”
Kang Tae-oh, the biggest key point of today, shoots his hand straight up and shouts.
“OK. One question, then we start practice again.”
“What’s our name?”
“Ooh.”
The trainees let out admiring sounds at Tae-oh’s question.
I naturally turn to Jeon Seonwoo.
“You didn’t tell them?”
The project name was decided long ago; I assumed the trainees would have heard it by now.
“The person who named it should be the one to say it. I worked hard to keep it from reaching their ears.”
Jeon Seonwoo shrugs as he answers.
At the same time, I feel a little embarrassed, the stern mood from earlier suddenly feeling out of place.
Sure, I was the one who strongly insisted on this boy-group name, but…
“WOOOAAAH!”
The cheers that erupt make me cringe a little; it’s a name that’s heavily colored by personal reasons.
“It’s still provisional, so keep in mind it could change at any time…”
I realize mid-sentence that was a mistake.
The fact that the guy who was just acting all serious is now backpedaling only makes the kids’ eyes sparkle even more with anticipation.
The reason I chose the name was simple.
Eagle (Altair).
Bull (Pleiades).
Little Bear (Polaris).
The three constellations Lee Hee-kyung created.
If there’s going to be a being that hunts those three stars,
“MyWay’s new boy-group project name is…”
I figured the most famous hunter from the myth that those names come from was perfect.
“Orion.”
***
And time passed.
One ambiguous day when winter still hadn’t completely left,
A video was uploaded to one of the few group chats I’m in.
Six girls crammed into a not-very-wide frame, wearing stage outfits of white with sky-blue accents, waving their hands excitedly.
The sound Is a chaotic mess, so I can’t make out most of what they’re saying, but I clearly catch the voice that starts the video.
“Yujin-sunbaenim! Sora will do great!”
Today is Hylliy’s comeback showcase day.
The war with Starlight, No, the time to hunt Starlight has finally arrived.