Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: Rxel
Chapter 253
“So, where is our concert going to be held?”
Woojoo asked impatiently to Seokhwan Hyung and Assistant Manager Hong, who were sipping coffee across the table in the company lounge.
The manager handed him a tablet PC.
“Here.”
Woojoo’s heart raced at the keyword ‘Olympic Park’ displayed on the top of the homepage.
Olympic? Olympic Hall?
Their eyes stopped at the name of the venue as they moved from top to bottom.“Huh…”
“Handball?”
“Handball stadium? Isn’t this place huge?”
Olympic Park Handball Stadium.
It was a place that used to be a fencing stadium, but a large corporation spent hundreds of billions of won to turn it into a handball stadium.
Woojoo didn’t know how many spectators could fit in, but it was a place that couldn’t be easily filled unless it was a large fandom.
He widened his eyes at the introduction that said ‘Capacity: about 5,000 people’.
“…?”
Bijoo looked at Woojoo with a face that seemed like his eyes would pop out, and so did the other guys.
The big-eyed guys mouthed ‘Wow’ at the same time, and laughter came from across the table.
“I…” Woojoo asked. “I have a question, Assistant Manager.”
“Yeah. Ask away.”
“Do you really think 5,000 people will come to see us?”
The younger ones nodded their heads and said ‘Yeah, yeah’.
5,000 people.
Woojoo couldn’t imagine it.
If he set the total number of students in a middle school grade at 800, 5,000 people would be six middle schools.
Wasn’t that six times the morning assembly?
It felt weird to think that the number of students gathered in six school fields and the number of people who would gather in the concert hall were the same.
Of course, it wasn’t impossible.
Even at the showcase they did recently, nearly 2,000 Soufflés gathered.
But a concert was a different dimension.
The ticket price started from at least 100,000 won.
That was why people often say that a concert was a true indicator of how much fandom a singer could mobilize.
Unlike an album that one person could buy 100 copies of, a concert required at least a few thousand people who were willing to pay tens of thousands of won to see their singer.
“No matter how I calculate it, I can’t imagine it,” Rihyuk said after doing some mental arithmetic. “People who want to see us, 5,000 of them…”
“What are you talking about?”
Assistant Manager Hong tilted her head.
“It’s not 5,000 people.”
“Ah.”
Woojoo thought he meant they would reduce the number of seats from the original venue, and he was about to accept it.
“You have to think of it as 15,000 people. We’re doing it for three days.”
“…Yes?”
“Five thousand times three is fifteen thousand, right?”
“Well, yes.”
Junghyun multiplied five by three and opened his eyes wide.
While they were making flustered faces, the explanation continued.
The concert, which would be held in the summer three months later, would be held at the handball stadium for about three days, and they also planned to book small venues in some foreign countries where the response was good and perform there.
“Are we really going to perform overseas?”
“Yeah. Overseas.”
“…?”
“Of course, it’s not as big as in Korea. A little bigger than the showcase. We analyzed it, and considering your album sales, it’s obvious…”
“Album sales?”
Assistant Manager Hong explained as if it was obvious, and they kept repeating the same scene of not understanding her.
She half-closed her eyes and turned her head.
“Manager.”
“Yes.”
“It seems like the kids don’t understand what I’m saying. Did you not tell them about the initial sales yet?”
“Uh… yes. I didn’t. Not yet.”
The other person paused at Seokhwan Hyung’s awkward smile and said ‘Ah…’ as if she understood.
Jiho said, “Right. You promised to tell us about the initial sales, but you never did.” Jiho reminded Assistant Manager Hong with a pout.
“That’s true. I haven’t told you yet.” Assistant Manager Hong admitted, rubbing her chin.
“How did our initial sales go?” Woojoo asked eagerly, leaning forward.
Initial sales were an indicator of how many albums were sold in the first week of release. They were a report card that showed how strong the fandom’s firepower was in the music industry. Usually, the total sales took a long time to calculate, so the first week’s sales were often used as a comparison measure. It was a bit different from concerts, but still very important for them.
That was why half of the top 20 spots were taken by TNT, Teen Spirit, and Sixty Seconds, who had disbanded now. And the top seven spots were all TNT’s records.
“That’s amazing.” Assistant Manager Hong said, “Even if we didn’t tell you, I thought you would have searched and found out beforehand.”
“We cut off the internet.”
The younger ones nodded.
“We only play games. Just games.”
“I only use messenger sometimes…”
“Lately, I only use the e-book reader a little. I don’t have time to watch anything.”
The two employees gave a bitter smile, as if they understood the reason.
It was because they were so busy that they had to sleep in shifts, but also to avoid the hate comments.
The hate comments had increased a lot.
The brighter the light, the darker the shadow, as if the hate comments increased in proportion to the popularity.
When Woojoo was a trainee, he imagined his future self who would coolly ignore the hate comments, but he realized that it was impossible these days.
When he saw the unspeakable hate comments, his mind got torn apart.
What kind of gallery was it? Woojoo went there because they said there was a lot of talk about him, and he clicked on a title that said ‘Pictures of Woojoo’ out of curiosity.
…A picture of a plane wreck came up.
Woojoo probably lost his appetite for the whole day. It was enough to make Bijoo, who saw it by chance next to him, sob.
He couldn’t sleep that night.
He realized why the seniors in the entertainment industry got depressed.
That was why he followed the advice of Jang Sowon Sunbae and top idol Han Taehyun and ‘just cut off the internet altogether’.
Gulp-
As he was thinking that and drinking iced chocolate, Seokhwan Hyung said with a smile, “Your initial sales were a hit this time.”
“Wow.”
Jiho’s eyes sparkled as he asked, “It must have sold a lot. How much? 30,000 copies? 40,000 copies…? Don’t tell me 50,000…”
“70,000 copies.”
“Pfft-!”
They all spat out the drinks they were drinking, spraying the table and each other with liquid. Some of them choked and gasped, while others covered their mouths in disbelief.
Woojoo handed a tissue to Rihyuk, who was coughing with a red face, and patted his chest.
He should ask them to leave out the chocolate chips next time. His throat was scratchy.
“Cough…!”
But the surprise was bigger. They all stared at Seokhwan Hyung’s face while coughing.
Bijoo raised his hand and asked with a cough, “Manager, I have a question… Cough… 70,000 copies?”
“To be exact, it’s about 69,000 copies, but it’s about 70,000 if you round it up.”
“…”
“Don’t you believe me?”
Rihyuk asked Woojoo with a blank face, “Isn’t Daylight Sunbae-nim’s highest record 60,000 copies?”
“That’s right.”
Woojoo wasn’t sure either. He was so confused that he couldn’t remember what they had.
Of course, boy groups sold at least several times more than girl groups in the same class, but this was…
The other person laughed.
“Congratulations. Your initial sales are the second highest this year as of May.”
It seemed that it ranked second right below Teen Spirit, who came back earlier this year with 160,000 copies.
“TNT or Teen Spirit might drop you every time they release an album, but if you keep up this trend, you’ll definitely make it into the top 10 in annual sales.”
“There aren’t many groups that can catch up with you.”
“…”
Assistant Manager Hong showed them the initial sales of last year.
Daydream. Wild. These were the names of the second-generation senior idols who debuted from other major agencies.
Among them, Woojoo saw the name of TJ, the group that debuted when he was a trainee. Woojoo was speechless.
“Are you telling me that we… sold more than them?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Did they really join the ranks of those formidable senior groups right after TNT and Teen Spirit?
His mind went blank.
Just six months ago, Woojoo was amazed by the seniors who made it to the TOP 10 at the awards ceremony. And now they were there.
When he opened his eyes, he felt like a young promising athlete who became a national representative.
Gulp.
The sound of five people swallowing their saliva echoed in the lounge.
Junghyun asked with a puzzled look, “Why didn’t you tell us, Manager? This is such great news.”
“There were some complications.”
Seokhwan Hyung gave a bitter smile.
“After the tally was over, there was a huge fuss about bulk buying. We got calls threatening to sue us, posts demanding evidence for the suspicion, and so on.”
It was good that they didn’t go online.
But Woojoo felt uneasy thinking about how their fans must have suffered from those rumors.
“Anyway, it was hard to tell you because of the mess.”
Compared to Masquerade, it was an unbelievable exaggeration.
If someone asked Woojoo to come up with a plausible story for this situation, the only thing he could think of was an Arab tycoon saying ‘Wow, New Black’ and displaying thousands of albums in his house.
“It was unbelievable. Really. The internet was going crazy every day… How could they sell 70,000 copies in just a year after their debut? How could New Black rank higher than those second-generation groups?”
Their manager remembered every detail of the ordeal.
Assistant Manager Hong also groaned.
“It was no joke. They sent us faxes asking for an explanation…”
“…You really worked hard.”
Woojoo felt grateful to the two of them.
They didn’t even know that something like this was happening.
They must have kept quiet so that their activities wouldn’t be affected, even managing their expressions. Woojoo felt a pang in his heart.
He should prepare some nice gifts for them.
“So, is everything okay now?”
“It’s calmer than before. We’ve been number one on the weekly chart for three weeks in a row… And our digital sales are also amazing. Well. There are still some people who make a fuss in the comments, but there’s nothing we can do about that.”
Assistant Manager Hong added from the side, “You did well by not looking at the internet. From now on, all kinds of weirdos will be after you…”
“I hope you only see the good things. You’ll encounter enough bad things anyway.”
They agreed with their manager’s words.
While they sipped their drinks, the conversation turned to the main topic.
“We chose the concert venue based on the sales analysis. In theory, we could even aim for the gymnastics stadium, but…”
“Gymnastics is too risky.”
Woojoo nodded at Assistant Manager Hong’s words.
Concerts were not cheap projects.
It would be a disaster if they booked a big venue and it turned out to be empty.
They discussed the domestic and overseas schedules seriously and went over the details.
“…Well, let’s end the discussion here for now. Let’s meet again and have another meeting later.”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Congratulations on your solo concert. We’re really happy that you’re doing well.”
Although they had more work to do, Assistant Manager Hong got up with a cheerful tone and picked up her documents.
She suggested meeting at the dinner later and Seokhwan Hyung also left the lounge.
“See you later!”
They said goodbye and the door closed for the last time.
Three seconds later.
New Black, who were sitting with solemn and relaxed faces, quickly exchanged glances.
“Are they gone?”
“They seem to be gone. Junghyun Hyung. Can you check?”
“Hmm… They both took the elevator, I think.”
“They’re gone.”
They confirmed that no one was there and took a deep breath.
Then they jumped up.
“Guys!”
“Hyung!”
“Hahaha! Hey, we have a solo concert! A solo concert!”
“Solo concert!”
They danced with their shoulders, saying ‘congratulations’ like the monkeys around the bonfire.
“Hyung, what should I do? I feel like crying.”
“Go ahead. You can cry on a day like this.”
“But I don’t think I can.”
Woojoo laughed at Bijoo’s words.
He felt so good.
It must be a great day if even Rihyuk was smiling.
They had a lot of things to prepare for the future, and it seemed like summer was still far away, but he was happy.
Ever since Woojoo dreamed of being an idol, having a solo concert was his lifelong wish.
“I have no regrets now…”
Woojoo closed his eyes with a wistful face, and his brothers shook him, saying ‘don’t die!’
They always cared about him…
Jiho answered with a disbelieving face, “Hyung, if you’re gone, we have to rearrange our schedule.”
“Right. And the song parts too.”
“Geez…”
They laughed at Woojoo, licking his tongue.
After the concert schedule was confirmed, they decided to tell their families, and then they went back to their original plan.
They also thought about the design of the light stick that would match the concert.
And they also planned ahead for the important schedule of this week.
Rihyuk, who was looking at the calendar, asked, “By the way, did you all study for the exam?”
Everyone nodded.
They had an important exam on Saturday.
Saturday.
The test takers who entered the school to take the Korean history proficiency test were stunned.
‘What is this?’
They entered different exam rooms, but their expressions were similar.
“…?”
An idol member who was quietly reading a book in a Hawaiian shirt.
Another one who was eating jelly quietly, or reading a notebook with neat notes, or eating an apple in the morning.
Or even one who was watching a historical drama on his phone.
‘Aren’t they New Black?’
‘I think I saw them on Masterpiece.’
‘Oh. They are the Khitan from History Explorer.’
Most of them recognized their faces.
The popular idol group that created all kinds of memes related to Korean history.
They were more puzzled after they recognized them.
‘Why are they here…?’
They came to take the Korean history test, but there were singers who were called the trend these days sitting as test takers.
People tapped their phone keyboards.
[I came to take the Korean history test, but what is this… there are idols here]
It’s New Black
I took a proof shot by accident
- He’s the one who was rude to the Hyungs
–ㅋㅋㅋㅋwhy did you take it so timidly
-What’s that in your hand?
-[Writer] I didn’t bring a computer, so he gave me one…
-Why did he come?
-[Writer] He said he came to take the test
–ㅋㅋㅋㅋthat’s obvious, but it’s weird
-Did they film History Discovery or something???
-You’re a legend for writing this before the exam
-Maybe they came to film for YouTube
-But it’s kind of lame… They just show their faces and then act like know-it-alls and get bad reviews
-What about the score…ㅋㅋdid they have time to study
The people who were offline were the same.
They just thought that the idols came to take the test for YouTube content.
The test takers were curious at first, but then they lowered their heads and opened their summaries.
‘They just came.’
But few of them knew the meaning of ‘made by SLH’ written on the edge of the summary they were holding.
They just thought it was an internet username.
They learned the truth after the test was over.
And then…
‘What is this?’
Soufflé, who was hiding her identity in the exam hall where Bijoo entered, swallowed her saliva.
She came to take the Korean history test, but her idol was there.
While she was thinking of telling the other fans after the test, she held back her laughter.
Afraid of being a nuisance to the people, Bijoo was discreetly melting and eating an apple.
The Korean history proficiency test was a plan that had been prepared beforehand.
They thought it would be a good idea to take the test themselves when they finished History Discovery Team.
The PR Team also agreed that it would be good for image making.
Of course, they had to study from time to time, because they wouldn’t save face if they just took it lightly.
‘Everyone, memorize. The kings of Goryeo. Tae Hyejeonggwang Gyeongseongmok… If you can’t memorize, you have to compose with that old man.’
‘Tae Hyejeonggwang Gyeongseongmooook…!’
Someone’s brainwashing played the biggest role.
“Ugh, it’s so hard.”
“Good job, everyone.”
They returned to the TBC building in Sangam-dong after the test.
Rihyuk asked, “Do you think you did well on the test? I had a few vague ones.”
“Me too… It was harder than I thought.”
Junghyun nodded at Bijoo’s words.
“I didn’t know a lot of things, so I just guessed a lot.”
“Are we just going to get scolded for this? Us?”
While everyone was anxious, Jiho was happy.
“I got everything I studied right. I think I might get a first grade.”
“Wow.”
Their youngest was their hope, and everyone was pleased.
Two o’clock in the afternoon.
The answer to the test was finally revealed. Everyone held a red pen with a tense face.
Minki Hyung filmed with a handy cam while the grading was going on.
And the first passer appeared.
“Oh… Oh! Hyung! Hyung! I got 71 points!”
“Awesome. Then you’re first grade?”
“Yes!”
“Huh… Our Bijoo is awesome!”
Bijoo and Woojoo high-fived and said ‘Our second best!’ while the others finished their grading.
“Ah. I got three 3-pointers wrong, so I got 91 points.”
Rihyuk grumbled.
He was the one who complained that they gave a choice that was still controversial in academia.
When Woojoo searched for the difficulty, it was really the easiest test ever, and everyone was happy.
The pass rate seemed to be very high.
“Hyung, how many points did you get?”
“I got 87 points. I guess I forgot everything I studied.”
He still had some leftover from studying for the college entrance exam, and he got a good score.
“Junghyun, what about you?”
“I got 70 points. I got the ones I solved wrong, and the ones I guessed right.”
Everyone laughed, saying it was a typical Junghyun score.
Everyone got first grade so far.
‘We’re now Korean history first grade idols’ and they were celebrating, but the youngest was unusually quiet.
Their heads turned at the same time.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Ah, no. Nothing…”
“What’s your score?”
“No, it’s not that I didn’t see it. It’s just, that…”
Woojoo winked at Junghyun. He grabbed the youngest while Rihyuk quickly snatched the test paper.
Soon, their faces gathered in front of the test paper.
“…”
When the youngest said ‘Ha…’,
“Ha ha ha!”
“Hey! What the heck is this!”
On the youngest’s test paper, there was a timid ‘69’ written.
The first grade standard was 70 points.
He was the only one who got second class.
-New Black, bragging about Korean history proficiency test first grade on SNS “Jiho is second grade”
-New Black, achieving first grade in Korean history for everyone ‘Brainy men’… “But the youngest is second grade”
-New Black uploaded their Korean history test on SNS: “Jiho got a second-class score because he didn’t study enough”
-New Black expressed their regret: “We could have all gotten first-class scores. The youngest got 69 points, so he got a second-class score”
“Ugh! Stop it, seriously!”
“Ha ha ha!”
“Come on, it’s only a one-point difference! Junghyun Hyung got 70 points and I was only one point short!”
“What are you talking about? In the Olympics, even a 0.1-second difference is a silver medal. Jiho.”
“If you feel wronged, get a first-class score~”
“Ha ha!”
“Ugh, I hate you all!”
The youngest ran away in agony, followed by the members who turned on the app with ‘69 points’ on the display board and chased him with malicious expressions on their faces in the broadcasting station hallway.
And there were rookie idols watching them.
“…”
As the Iris members blinked their eyes in confusion, Dream Ticket looked at them with a smug expression, as if to say, ‘Did you see that?’