Chapter 24:
Chapter 24
Boy group TNT.
An ambitious eight-member group planned by TJ Entertainment, a powerhouse of idols.
A top boy group that has been hitting it big with every album they release since their debut in 2010.
They naturally took the throne after Sixty Seconds, who had formed a dual mountain range, collapsed with an absurd scandal, but even before that, TNT had been dominating in every index, from public popularity to album sales.
Han Tae-hyun.
He was one of the most popular members in TNT.
Even though they had similar years of experience, Girls on Top were like fireflies in front of the sun compared to him.
Huh? Uh
She was about to badmouth TNT when she was almost caught, and she was flustered to see me and Tae-hyun looking close.
Woojoo hyung?
Have you been well?
How long has it been?
He hugged me as soon as he saw me, and Gil Chae-kyungs face turned contemplative.
Ive seen this in a drama.
It was the expression of a manager who found out that the subordinate he had been bullying was from a wealthy family.
Uh
Gil Chae-kyung stuttered.
Whats your relationship with Tae-hyun oppa?
What do you mean by relationship?
Tae-hyun said with a completely different expression from when he was talking to me.
Cant you tell? Were close.
Oh.
And I dont really feel like talking to you right now. Can you give us some Woojoo to chat?
He blatantly snubbed her, and Gil Chae-kyung shrank back.
This industry is all about popularity.
She was so startled that she dropped the can of soda she was holding, and she ran away as if to escape.
I asked him as I watched her go.
Not on good terms?
Neither good nor bad. Well, so-so. To be honest, I was caught badmouthing her just now. How could I look good?
You heard that?
No, I only heard TNT. I guessed the rest.
Tae-hyun said.
Judging by the sound, she must have been talking trash about us, but the atmosphere was not like she was close enough to anyone to gossip with. The only thing that connects New Black and TNT is the first place candidate. She probably said something like theyre having a nerve-wracking competition for the first place.
Youve gotten really good at reading the situation.
Ive been in this business for a while. Im already a five-year veteran.
He had been almost as clueless as Ji-ho when he was a trainee, but he had made a huge improvement.
He used to follow me around in the practice room, calling me hyung.
Now he was a member of a boy group that was enjoying the highest popularity.
I was proud.
It felt like seeing a child who had grown up well.
We shouldnt be here, hyung. Lets go to our waiting room. The guys will be really happy to see you.
Well, you have your staff and all
Dont you know how tall Ji-hoon is? Just come with me.
He grabbed my arm and dragged me along.
Kim Bi-ju [Woojoo hyung]
Kim Bi-ju [I think Im lost, please help me]
I read the message and let go of Tae-hyuns hand.
Sorry. Lets say hi next time.
Why?
My kid got lost. I have to go get him.
Oh, your kid
There was a moment of confusion on Tae-hyuns face.
No, was it?
It seemed like his expression had stiffened a bit.
He quickly smiled brightly and took out his smartphone.
Then lets take a selfie together. Thats okay, right?
Hes really bad at directions. I think I should go quickly.
Just one shot. We would have taken a lot of pictures by the time we finish talking.
He took a few shots and confirmed them with me, then smiled.
Congratulations on the first place.
The results havent been announced yet.
Trust me, hyung.
Tae-hyun grinned.
I may look like this, but Ive eaten more broadcast station food than you.
When I returned to the waiting room with Biju, who was standing there like a deer that had wandered into a military base, everyone was awake.
I brought some drinks.
As I handed them out, I received greetings like Thank you and Ill drink well. Ri-hyuk grabbed a can of cola and made a sour face.
Ugh, its lukewarm. What took you so long?
Sorry.
Biju said timidly.
I got lost after going to the bathroom.
Next time, call me. Not that hyung.
The youngest, who had been listening, sparkled his eyes as if he had found something to tease.
Ri-hyuk hyung, are you jealous that he didnt call you?
That was really awful.
I still get angry when I think about it. They said they were taking care of the big names and cut our kids part
Hey! Its starting.
The MusicON logo disappeared from the top of the screen and the live broadcast began.
Actor Kang Hyunmin and girl group Laviangroses member Jeon Yubin were holding microphones and smiling brightly.
-The hottest K-POP! The center of its popularity, live broadcast Music~ON!
They introduced themselves.
-Hello, Im Kang Hyunmin.
-Hello, Im Jeon Yubin. Oh! Hyunmin, you have something on your face!
-What is it?
-Kim. Handsomeness.
-Yubin, youre too much~
The male and female MCs exchanged cheesy lines and then started to introduce the stages for today.
-We also have the collaboration stage of Jang So-won and New Black.
-Then, shall we see the chart rankings for the second week of March?
The employees chatted as they watched the songs go up in reverse order.
The Girls on Top are not doing well.
Didnt they win first place last time?
They did.
But they lost some momentum because of the Joo hana controversy.
What did she do wrong?
Thats how the entertainment industry is. If you date a loser, your image becomes a loser.
Look over there! Something is number one.
As Something appeared at the top of the chart, a cheer erupted from the scene.
They were less popular than TNTs Blink, who ranked second, but they still had a strong appeal to the public.
After the song introduction was over, the TV screen switched to the stage.
While a girl group with an unfamiliar name performed the opening stage, the promotion team staff chatted.
Its been a while since I watched a music show.
Its a historic moment. An idol group that was forced to enter the music show after their collaboration song swept the chart before their debut. Its a good story for the articles.
By the way, what are you going to do with the personal interview request that came in for Jang So-won and Woojoo together?
Ill do it.
Well, they co-composed the song, so its good for their image as composer idols.
Im jealous.
Even if they split it with Jang So-won, Woojoos personal royalty will be enough to buy a car every month. By the end of the year, hell be able to buy a house in Seoul.
Everyone lost their appetite at someones remark.
Does anyone know Woojoos contact number?
Why?
Well, look at this.
One of the staff showed his smartphone.
This is a tweet that TNTs Taehyun just posted on his personal Twitter.
[TNT_Taehyun]
@RealHanTH
Met a good bro after a long time
#7yearfriend_bestie
#congrats_on_number_one_candidate
#handsomeness_stuck_on_face
In the picture, Seon Woojoo and Han Taehyun were posing with their arms around each other.
Woojoo is handsome. He doesnt look inferior next to Taehyun.
We see him every day, so we dont notice. The kids say that every time he changes his convenience store part-time job, he gets a number from Woojoo.
Oh, the one who got a number from a guy the other day?
Puhaha!
Why are you laughing? Love is sublime.
Can you all stop talking? Lets spread some articles about this SNS thing.
The people who were watching TV each took their laptops and started working.
Hallyu stars are hallyu stars. Look at the RT numbers.
But how do they know each other?
Maybe they met at TJ?
Ah, I want to ask. If it wasnt right before the live broadcast, I would call and ask. This is a perfect scoop.
By the way, arent you jealous?
Of what?
TNT has golden connections.
The others agreed with that.
By the way, thanks for letting us know.
What do you mean?
TNTs fandom is notorious for being extreme. Theyve been spamming the community with accusations of Somethings chart manipulation since a while ago.
They must be bitter. A rookie group pushing their idol off the first place.
But if Taehyun posts a tweet like this, theyll calm down. TNTs member personally verified his friendship with New Blacks member and congratulated them on being the number one candidate.
Thats nice. He probably didnt do it on purpose.
If Seon Woojoo was here, he would have thought he did it on purpose, but the promotion team just thanked him.
Soon, as they were engrossed in their work, the stage finally began.
Its starting.
Turn off the mute and turn up the volume.
A calm intro played and the stage appeared on the screen.
The promotion team staff looked at the TV with anticipation.
It was the moment when Somethings stage was shown for the first time.