Chapter 67

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The reason why the baseball club concept suddenly popped up was because of the general manager.

It was said that he rejected the existing concept brought by the working-level staff yesterday evening.

“Because the general manager took the lead toward the cartoon-like worldview. If it’s a school-background cartoon, it’s sports, so, um, it was decided as a baseball club.”

For reference, the existing concept was retro.

‘Isn’t it an overreach to make that side a school-related worldview too.’

Still, at least that side suited the disco song.

Disco and baseball club… were neither here nor there.

Knowing that, the employees were also just talking about the song.

It was clear that they were regretting it after the general manager’s story popped out because they were also unfair.

“Although we worked on it with a somewhat tight deadline, we also think the song came out well.”

“Um, yes.”

Come to think of it, it was a song I had heard somewhere. Because the debut song for the successful candidates was also this. Although the arrangement was a bit different and there were no lyrics yet.

“I hope you guys also… set a concept that is not too far from the youth-style student.”

“Yes. We’ll work hard.”

“If it doesn’t work out, you can just pick the song and give it to us!”

“Ah…. Yes.”

“Don’t worry unnecessarily, you just need to tell us quickly~”

‘They don’t have much expectation.’

I only felt the desperation of a salaryman who had to meet the deadline quickly.

‘There really isn’t much time.’

If it got more urgent, they would likely use ‘TeSTAR’s participation’ only for marketing and the company would handle everything.

How the album prepared in such a hurry would be… hmm, it wasn’t a very promising outlook.

“Thank you!”

The atmosphere of the members coming out of the meeting was ambiguous.

Everyone felt it instinctively. That the debut activities were unlikely to receive excellent reviews.

Ryu Chungwoo opened his mouth.

“…Shall we try doing as much as we can?”

“Sure.”

“Let’s say we’ll use the workroom at least!”

Surprisingly, the opinion was gathered toward pulling out the result quickly even if it meant staying up all night.

These guys, who couldn’t forget the habit of running to death in the audition, became accustomed to getting the result first and then worrying about it.

“Guys, wait a minute!”

While confirming that the manager was urgently contacting the reality production staff, I felt a strong premonition.

‘It’s been a while since I slept for more than 5 hours.’

The crazy march of setting up debut activities within a month was just beginning.

* * *

The workroom where cameras for reality were urgently installed was in the basement of a building near the company.

‘I heard there are no extra workrooms or choreography practice rooms in the company yet.’

It was an agency that really had no system, mentally or physically.

“Hi~”

“We’re starting to work now!”

After reacting appropriately to the camera, the discussion began immediately.

“Let’s choose between No. 2 and No. 7. First, majority vote?”

“Yes!”

The one I wanted to push was No. 7.

The result was 4:3.

“Then with No. 2?”

“Yes~”

It was a victory for No. 2.

‘…It’s become difficult.’

The guys who voted for No. 2 were Ryu Chungwoo, Keun Sejin, Seon Ahyun, and Lee Sejin.

“Since the company song is an exciting disco, I think it would be better for our side to choose a song that is more comfortable to listen to.”

“A medium tempo like No. 2 is comfortable to listen to. Should I say it’s a lingering youth feeling? It seems okay to use for a school concept too.”

“I, I also… with No. 2.”

To summarize, it meant they were conscious of the company song and considered the school concept.

‘Hmm.’

I wanted to try to persuade them, but since they had hit it with a majority vote from the beginning, the timing to speak up was ambiguous. Because if I looked like I couldn’t accept the result, my persuasiveness would drop.

‘Should I wait a bit and then bring it up again.’

And a little later. The timing arrived with news that wasn’t welcome at all.

“Oh? Whoa!”

“Ah…….”

While looking at the smartphone while eating dinner, I saw this article pop up.

[June’s Comeback War, from VTIC to Chardolce]

The article was summarizing the singers who were coming back next month, June.

And among them, VTIC was in the ‘scheduled for the second week of June’ item.

Our scheduled date was exactly around there.

‘Damn it.’

So… it meant that a singer, who was among the few who could crush the first week results of TeSTAR’s debut with on their back, happened to be released at the same time.

“If the article is right… the activity week will overlap exactly with the VTIC seniors?”

Keun Sejin, who finished the calculation quickly, muttered.

“…We can at least get an autograph.”

“U-Um…….”

The members made awkward sounds and gave bitter smiles.

If the schedule were fixed like this, it was no different from a sentence to give up on the public broadcast 1st place.

Moreover, seeing how the company had been doing so far, I could roughly tell.

‘Looking at how the general manager is full of himself, he’ll probably say some nonsense that we have a chance against VTIC. Even if the working-level staff persuade him, he might delay it by a week at most.’

Even in the best-case scenario, we fought against VTIC’s 2nd week. Even so, we were pushed back in weight.

‘The total sales of their last album were surely over 1.8 million copies.’

So it meant it was a situation where the activity song should be pulled out properly to even see the outline of 1st place.

‘I can’t vainly blow the opportunity to avoid sudden death.’

Now was the timing to speak up.

“…Wait a minute.”

I immediately switched my stance.

“I’m sorry to bring this up when the agreement is over, but no matter how much I think about it, I want to push No. 7.”

“Eh?”

The members were startled.

‘…?’

I thought they would get annoyed saying I was dragging on a story that was already finished, but the feeling was a bit different.

“Why, why?”

“Oh, I’m seeing Moondae like this for the first time. It’s emotional.”

“It seems you really liked demo song No. 7.”

“Did the simultaneous activities with VTIC seniors awaken Moondae?”

“…….”

They were just finding it interesting.

Let them say what they wanted. Anyway, I had to do No. 7.

“Um, Moondae. I know it’s a pity, but it’s difficult to overturn a conclusion that has already been reached. It was a majority vote and there isn’t much time.”

Ryu Chungwoo gave a smirk while looking at the other members, but he tried to organize the situation immediately.

‘That won’t do.’

If we missed the 1st place by a hair’s breadth, I would have been so pissed off while waiting for the next album that my head would have hurt just thinking about it.

‘Moreover, if the form drops and we can’t get 1st place in the next album either, it’s really a sudden death crisis.’

“Give me 5 minutes. I want to try even an attempt at persuasion.”

“…R-Really?”

“Moondae is going this far?”

“It’s strange!”

The members unintentionally started to stir.

‘…Exactly what did you guys think of Park Moondae?’

Anyway, creating a stir was a good introduction. I quickly organized the situation.

‘Since we’re going to go with a majority vote anyway, I just need to catch one person who is easy to persuade. The score was 4 to 3.’

“First, Keun Sejin… and Chungwoo hyung, you chose No. 2 because of the ease of the concept, right?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“Yeah.”

The two nodded obediently. They had a mind to listen for now.

Since I would likely be organized again by Ryu Chungwoo if it exceeded 5 minutes, I had to develop the content quickly.

“If you exclude the concept and compare the songs objectively, No. 7 was also okay, right?”

“I liked No. 7 slightly more. But wouldn’t it not work with just that?”

Keun Sejin answered immediately.

‘Gotcha.’

“Because it doesn’t match the company-side title song?”

“Right.”

“Then how about we change the company one.”

“…??”

In an instant, the members collectively became noisy.

“Hyung, that’s a bit…….”

“It’s impossible!”

“…There’s no way they’ll do it for us.”

“But I do want to change it.”

“Wait.”

Ryu Chungwoo caught the conversation again.

“Moondae. Think about it. Even if you exclude the company song story, No. 7 itself is not a song that suits school, youth… such things.”

“You are right.”

Even though he chose No. 7 himself, Kim Raebin nodded his head dejectedly.

“No. 7 is a deep house song. Moreover, since it recorded the riff melody with a kalimba, it’s somewhat dreamy… so it’s hard to save a theme like ‘youth’. If that part is removed by arrangement, the charm of the song will disappear.”

I shook my head.

“You can save that concept even without removing it.”

“…!”

I brought out the proposal I had been thinking about while the company was talking about the concept.

And the members became quiet.

“…….”

‘They had faces that said it was plausible.’

Kim Raebin was blank, already having a face that was making something in his head.

“No, that… it’s a good idea, but.”

Ryu Chungwoo opened his mouth with difficulty.

“I don’t know if the company people will be persuaded. There’s so little time too.”

“…….”

I couldn’t help but think that. Naturally, he would be worried about the general manager with whom communication wouldn’t work.

‘I didn’t want to say this.’

I swallowed my saliva.

What else could I do?

I just needed to suit the general manager’s taste.

“…I’ll make the PPT.”

“…!”

“By tomorrow morning.”

“…!!”

What other way was there than to show effort and passion.

‘Does the reward for attending college come out here.’

I swallowed a sigh.

* * *

Park Moondae stayed up all night at the dorm that day. And the other members couldn’t sleep either.

It was because their conscience and loyalty woke them up to leave all the work to the speaker.

Thanks to that, it became a picture where they were all making the presentation material together.

“What should I find?”

“I’ll write this part.”

“This, the image is good! It fits perfectly!”

However, the person who proposed the all-night PPT production wasn’t particularly happy.

‘If there are many rowers, the boat goes to the mountain.’

Park Moondae was thinking of showing the completed version in the morning and receiving feedback.

In the first place, the help of those around 20 years old who had rarely made presentation materials wasn’t particularly needed for the work.

‘Kim Raebin did some data research, but it doesn’t matter since I’m not bad at it either.’

Moreover, there was a slight intended move.

‘…They won’t be able to overturn it saying they want to do No. 2 after I’ve gone this far.’

It was intended to block the mouths of the No. 2 voters, who became a minority, with a sense of indebtedness.

Representatively, there was Seon Ahyun. He was a member who chose No. 2 because it was purely his taste.

“M-Moondae. D-Do you want to drink this?”

However, Seon Ahyun was rather on the side of trying hard to help complete the PPT. He was too passionate to say he was just staying awake out of conscience.

“……?”

Park Moondae was puzzled by the sense of incongruity and eventually asked.

“Are you okay? This is eventually made to push No. 7.”

Seon Ahyun nodded his head hard.

“Y-You decided after thinking a l-lot. No. 2…… um, we can d-do it n-next time!”

“Um… thanks.”

“Y-Yes, ah, n-no! It’s b-because we’re all doing it together…!”

“…….”

‘Why did it become a composition where I’m the one feeling a sense of indebtedness.’

Park Moondae decided to treat Seon Ahyun more kindly.

“Where did Cha Yujin go?”

“He was sleeping in the kitchen~”

Anyway, the night passed smoothly.

And the morning when the sun rose.

Park Moondae and the members entered the company’s morning meeting with the PPT.

“Passion is overflowing.”

“Thank you.”

The general manager, who didn’t know the content of the presentation yet, was favorable, saying he liked the speed and attitude for now.

In the first place, it was a natural favor since it wasn’t a nameless rookie whose future was uncertain, but a group that would become a goose that lays golden eggs.

And 5 minutes later.

The general manager became extremely flustered.

“General manager, I heard the baseball club concept was created while taking references from cartoons.”

“Right.”

“Certainly, if it’s a school-related cartoon, a sports series seems to be the trend.”

“Mm-mm.”

“And one more thing, there is a genre that is a steady seller in school-related cartoons on par with sports series.”

“Oh~ What is it?”

Park Moondae flipped the PPT screen.

A magic wand floated across the screen.

“It’s a magical girl.”

“…??!?”

The meeting room was thrown into a whirlpool of confusion.