Chapter 193: Joyful Wrap-Up (2)

Chapter 193: Joyful Wrap-Up (2)

"I'm nervous," Sae-Ri muttered.

"Nervous? You, Sae-Ri?" I asked in disbelief.

Sae-Ri explained why Cherry Blossom had come to the recording studio in the middle of the night with a face full of worry.

'They're nervous after staying as number one for nine weeks and likely to do so again this week?' I remarked inwardly.

I glanced at Woo Yeon-Hee for elaboration, not quite understanding what Sae-Ri meant.

Woo Yeon-Hee, also looking worried, continued, "We were worried if this might be the end for us. That's why we came to secretly listen to our next song."

Eun-Ah joined the conversation. "To me, tonight feels like the last night of my life that I'll never experience again...I couldn't sleep."

As Eun-Ah had grown more confident, she spoke with a vocabulary and tone that were somewhat stronger than average.

For this reason, I had advised her to think twice before speaking—and this seemed to be her filtered comment.

'The last night of her life that she'll never experience again? If this is what she says after giving it a second thought, what on earth did she first intend to say?' I couldn't help but wonder.

But come to think of it, Eun-Ah had indeed occasionally shaken up the entertainment industry with her bold statements even in my past life. She had even confronted renowned directors if things didn't go right.

Sae-Ri spoke fast and pressed me for an answer as if rapping. "Oppa, oppa! Yoon-Ho oppa! Are we going to be okay? You said our next song is really good, right? Right? Is it really okay for us to rest like this?"

To alleviate the worries of Cherry Blossom, I thought about playing the new song for them right this moment here. But I soon changed my mind. After all, these kids needed mental rest as much as physical rest.

I pointed to the sofa. "Guys, take a seat over here for a second."

The four members sat opposite me on the sofa. And like four meerkats, they started staring at me in the same pose.

I slowly spoke while making eye contact with each one of them. "You've all worked hard. The new song is good, but let's not worry about that now and just focus on tomorrow."

"But..."

"Sae-Ri."

"Yes?"

"It's good to give it all you've got, and I'm proud of that. But do you know what people call it when you go beyond that?"

"What do they call it?"

"Greed."

Sae-Ri pursed her lips and bowed her head, and the other three did the same.

"Greed isn't bad. Of course, you should have some. But let's not be too greedy. Otherwise, it becomes frustrating and stressful like now."

I thought I had convinced them sufficiently, but the expressions of Cherry Blossom members looked gloomy.

Tomorrow was their final stage, and this was no way to end the night before.

I spoke to the girls with a slightly perked voice. "Want me to tell you a way to deal with the stress you're feeling now?"

At that moment, Sae-Ri widened her eyes and asked. "What is it? Is that even possible?"

The other three also looked at me with bright eyes.

"Just live for today. Worry only about today's issues, and leave tomorrow's concerns for tomorrow. Leave the rest to the talent agents."

This was something I had heard from Ju Yung-In in my past life. She asked why I would unnecessarily worry about tomorrow when even today's worries are hard enough.

Thanks to this way of thinking, Ju Yung-In had never suffered from insomnia or panic attacks. But of course, this was only possible because Ju Yung-In was prone to passing troublesome matters onto her talent agents.

Members of Cherry Blossom sank into their thoughts. Then they slowly started nodding one by one.

"Got it."

"It won't be easy, but I'll try."

As their expressions softened from the worries, Woo Yeon-Hee was the first to speak after letting out a long sigh. "And...We're sorry. It's not that we don't trust Seon-Woo oppa's capabilities, but it's just that we keep feeling anxious."

I patted my chest to reassure them to trust me and the company. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You just need to hone your skills and give your all in every schedule without embarrassing the fans. The company will take care of the rest."

But at that moment, all four of them started to well up with tears. Then Sae-Ri first grabbed my left arm, followed by Yang Eun-Bi grabbing my right arm. Woo Yeon-Hee and Eun-Ah quickly grabbed my arms as well and exclaimed.

"Yoon-Ho oppa. Will you keep looking after us in the future?"

"Even if you get busier, will you still be our talent agent?"

"Oppa, if you leave us... we might really be in trouble."

'Don't worry. We won't part ways no matter what. Even if I travel back in time again, I will come back to find you guys,' I said quietly in my heart.

"Hey, hey. Miss Lee Ju-Yung is here too. Don't you guys think you're relying too much on me?" I teased.

Lee Ju-Yung leaned against the door and waved her hand. "Ha ha ha. Don't worry about me. I prefer less attention anyway."

Although Cherry Blossom apologized belatedly, Lee Ju-Yung simply laughed it off.

I smiled and said, "Anyway, you should all get going now. Everyone go get some sleep. And do well on stage tomorrow. How?"

All of them exclaimed in unison, "Professionally!"

Before I knew it, the four members of Cherry Blossom had become inseparable from me.

***

It was the day of the broadcast of the MBS Show! Music Center.

As I tried to stop Sae-Ri who was enthralled with the smell of the new car, Woo Yeon-Hee asked a question.

"Oppa. How much does a car like this cost? It’s expensive, right?"

"Hm, I'm not too sure. With full options, probably around 200 million won?" I replied.

"Aaahhhh. Oh my gosh!" Woo Yeon-Hee exclaimed.

I was startled when Woo Yeon-Hee let out a sharp scream.

'I didn't know Woo Yeon-Hee could make such a high-pitched sound,' I observed silently.

Her usually mid-range voice suddenly sounded like Eun-Ah’s soprano which certainly woke everyone up.

"Ca-can we really accept a gift like this?" Woo Yeon-Hee asked, eyes wide opened.

I nodded. "Of course. You've earned it."

Yang Eun-Bi nodded beside Woo Yeon-Hee. "Unnie, Ms. Kang said it's a gift for working so hard."

"But still. It’s too expensive."

"What can we do? It’s already been bought. But the seat really is nice...It's more comfortable than a bed."

The electric chair was a model that could raise footrests and recline by pressing a button. Yang Eun-Bi was also unable to hide her excitement, humming and playing with the electric chair.

Eun-Ah was the most calm.

I had specifically requested the Bends Springer's interior ceiling be decorated with glow-in-the-dark flower patterns resembling blooming Cherry Blossoms.

But after staring up for a while, Eun-Ah casually remarked as she sneakily tried to scrape off a sticker.

"It’s pretty. I wish I could take it to our room..."

It looked like Eun-Ah was checking if the glow-in-the-dark sticker could be peeled off.

Puzzled, I thought to myself, 'Eun-Ah, you can just ask me to buy you a new one! Why are you trying to peel off the stickers inside the car?'

After calming the restless members, I instructed them to get ready to alight from the car.

Woo Yeon-Hee tilted her head in confusion. "We are getting off here? But aren’t we going straight to the underground parking?"

"No. I have a gift for you guys," I replied.

"A gift? What is it?"

"That."

Just as we were entering the main building of MBS, I pointed through the car's front windshield to the scene outside.

At that moment, Cherry Blossom's eyes widened. And soon, a unified scream erupted for 3 seconds.

"Aaaahhhhh!"

"What, what is this?"

I smiled and responded. "A gift."

***

The parking lot in front of MBS’s main building was packed with Cherry Blossom's fans.

The fans were making noise while waving headbands with 'CHERRY_BLOSSOM' written in four different colors, light sticks, and support balloons.

This event had been prepared in the early morning by Jung Sang-Bong, Do Ran-Hee, and the Cherry Blossom Family administration team—the four girls from Hoengseong Girls' High School.

Taking pictures of Cherry Blossom on their way to work had been strictly prohibited until now due to various safety concerns. But with ample staff now secured, permission had been granted to the fans on the day of their last broadcast.

As the parking lot filled with fans, Woo Yeon-Hee began to tremble. "O-oppa. That, that’s..."

"Yes. Your fans came out to support your final broadcast. Many even took leave from work," I said with a smile.

"Then are the Hoengseong Girls' High School girls here too?"

"Yep. Look over there. They're the ones organizing the line right now."

In addition to Jung Sang-Bong and Do Ran-Hee, the Hoengseong Girls' High School girls were wearing Cherry Blossom support T-shirts and arranging the fans in line.

Moved by the scene, Cherry Blossom was about to burst into tears.

But I urgently exclaimed to prevent any tears as their makeup had been painstakingly applied since dawn. "Girls, don't cry. We need to take pictures once we get out!"

In an instant, all four members of Cherry Blossom leaned their heads back. Simultaneously, the stylists Park Yi-Yoon and Lee Mi-Ri sitting in the back seat quickly handed out tissues.

Barely preventing tears with tissues, the members took deep breaths to suppress their sobs following Sae-Ri’s lead in singing the national anthem.

"Until the East Sea's waves are dry~"

'But why are they adding harmony?' I silently questioned.

"Baekdu mountain worn away~"

But singing the national anthem in harmony seemed quite effective looking at the girls having stopped crying.

I smiled as I watched the members cease their tears and said with an upbeat tone, "Alright! Shall we go greet your fans now?"

"Yes!"

Cherry Blossom stepped out of the car as ten-week chart-topping nominees and now the top girl group to an unprecedented barrage of flashes, unlike any they had ever experienced.