Chapter 25: Rising Sun (5)

Monday morning.

RDT Team Leader Im Sung Ahn was the first to arrive at the office again and opened the fortune cookie lid.

[Autumn is the season for harvest.]

Second week of March. It was definitely spring right now. There were absurd fortunes like these in the cookies once in a while.

‘Either way, it must mean it’ll bear fruit.’

Interpreting it however she wanted, Team Leader Im decided to start the day in a good mood.

More than anything, today was one week since KK’s album was released in offline shops. It was the day the album’s sales record since its release last week and the popular national chart, ‘Cho Dong’, was totaled. It was a good indicator to see where KK’s starting line was.

Checking and analyzing this chart was RDT’s last official KK-related task.

From here on out, designated people from the Album Production Team and Fan Marketing Team would be responsible for growing KK and the RDT would go back to focusing on finding and developing trainees.

“What is this?!”

Team Leader Im, who had gone to the national chart site and clicked on the menu, frowned.

After the album was released, Team Leader Im Sung Ahn sometimes looked at the daily chart and felt that the response was good, but she didn’t know it was to this extent. She repeatedly checked the monitor and recounted the numbers several times.

‘40,000 albums when they’d been going on only music broadcasts for a week?’

It would have been impossible to do so without gaining enough concrete fans to be called a ‘fandom’. Team Leader Im Sung Ahn’s thought was correct. It’s now been a week since KK debuted, but they already had relatively set fans.

There were already lots of people who became fans of two of KK’s members, Jung Yoon Ki and Kang Do Wook, through Student Rapper. There had not been any outstanding idol groups since M2M, so idol fans who had been wandering took an interest in KK, which also played a huge role.

The fans quickly attached to them because when they opened the lid of KK, the rookie they had high hopes for, they were better than expected.

At that moment, RDT’s youngest member Ahn Young Mi entered the office and greeted Team Leader Im.

“Young Mi, have you seen KK’s sales numbers?!”

“Did you check, Team leader? When I looked on Friday, it was around 20,000 copies…”

Considering that the music market was dead these days, 20,000 was already an amazing number. However, they had sold 10,000 copies a day over the span of the weekend for a total of 20,000 extra copies.

“It’s 40,000.”

“What?”

Ahn Young Mi also couldn’t help but be surprised. The music chart ranking as of today was 2nd place.

“If it’s to this extent…”

With a cautious tone, Ahn Young Mi started to speak. Team Leader Im caught on right away what Ahn Young Mi was going to say.

“That’s right, at this rate 1st place is just around the corner.”

***

Before the members could say anything about the surprising initial numbers they received, Oh Baek Ho also told them a new piece of information.

“I also have one more piece of news.”

“What is it?”

“What is it?! Wow, now when you say you have something to tell us, I’m not worried at all; I get excited!”

Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo asked.

The members were sitting around in an empty conference room personally signing the CDs they would be distributing at the radio recording scheduled for next week.

‘I knew it would go well, but this is going beyond what I imagined.’

Do Wook thought as he waited for what Oh Baek Ho had to say.

“You guys are this week’s special MC for Life Song…”

“We already know that! Do Wook and I are practicing every night while watching old Life Song episodes so don’t worry!”

Ahn Hyung Seo explained in an excited voice, thinking of working together with Sul Lae Im. Oh Baek Oh grinned.

“You’re also a nominee for 1st place!”

“What?”

“I…I can’t believe it…”

“What did you say, Manager Oh?”

They all reacted like they couldn’t believe it. When Suk Ji Hoon asked Oh Baek Ho one more time, Oh Baek Ho told them the happy news once again. KK was a nominee for first place.

Currently, music broadcast programs were in the middle of a change.

At first, with the emergence of music file sites, people weren’t buying records anymore unless they were a fan and there were criticisms that the importance of ranking based on records numbers was outdated.

Therefore, broadcast networks took action. They decreased the weight album sales had on the ranking calculation and added music files to the calculation. However, as usual, they received accusations that they were being more generous with the rankings for idols from big agencies. On top of that, the viewer ratings were dropping more and more and crawled on the floor.

Broadcast networks, who were struggling to put together a format that would regain their viewers’ trust, ultimately decided to repeal the ranking system.

‘It’ll be revived before long because of problems with broadcast networks’ rights etc., but currently, Life Song is the one who gives out rankings during a public music broadcast. The one and only place!’

Do Wook stopped his hand, which was working hard to do the autograph and dwelled on this happiness.

‘Nominee for 1st place. It’s already a big accomplishment for a rookie to be a nominee within 2 weeks.’

KK was growing gradually as Do Wook wanted. No, faster than that, taking big strides. Do Wook grabbed the pen he was holding even tighter in his hand and resolved once again to beat M2M.

***

Day of the Life Song broadcast.

Do Wook and Ahn Hyung Seo had to work twice as much as they did for other music broadcast schedules. Even for rehearsals, they did performance rehearsal and MC rehearsal at the same time and had to constantly change outfits.

“You two don’t seem like it’s your first time~! You’re doing really well.”

“Oh, really? Thank you, Lae Im.”

Sul Lae Im said to Do Wook and Ahn Hyung Seo after they finished rehearsing up to the MC’s ending remarks. Oh Baek Ho and Sul Lae Im’s manager were each monitoring the screen from the audience seat in front of the stage, which was empty for now. The KK members were also sitting in the corner of the audience seat and watched their fellow members rehearse.

Ahn Hyung Seo squirmed as he answered. Sul Lae Im covered her mouth with the cue cards and laughed. It wasn’t a lie that he was good, but honestly, Ahn Hyung Seo was a little awkward because he was nervous. Sul Lae Im also complimented him to put him at ease.

Hyun Joo Hyuk, the PD for Life Song, came onto the stage and looked at the final directing before the live broadcast.

“Ok. Everyone is doing well considering it’s the first time. When you’re doing the ending, we have to get all of you in the middle monitor so get very close to each other. When Lae Im stands here where it’s marked with tape, you two stand on either side of her. Make sure you remember that.”

“Yes, I understand.”

It captivated PD Hyun Joo Hyuk’s heart that Do Wook didn’t hesitate and immediately replied politely. He really wanted Do Wook as the MC next season because he didn’t ignore any remarks and his pronunciation was very clear.

“Since you guys are nominees for first place, you can stand here next to the MC. Understand?”

Hyun PD, who happened to see the KK members in the audience, exclaimed.

After the first place nominees were announced on Life Song, the members borrowed the staffs’ phones and their entire family’s names and were participating in the Life Song online voting. The members, who were in the middle of voting, got startled, shot up from their seats, and replied.

“Yes!”

The sound of the KK members’ boisterous response reverberated in the studio.

“Ah, Manager Oh. Why did you discipline these kids so much?”

Hyun PD, who seemed to be in a good mood, asked as he snickered. Oh Baek Ho jokingly answered that he lightly disciplined them.

KK entered the broadcast, still bewildered that they were the first place nominees. Do Wook was anxious that everything was working out so well.

The broadcast started with Sul Lae Im’s opening remark that she’d be working with a special MC.

“Ok~! Today I’ll tell you the song nominated for first place. What kind of song is it, Do Wook?”

“First is < Spring Rain > by Gae Na Ri, which has been causing a spring rain by being first place for 2 consecutive weeks.”

Do Wook said the remark with a voice that was one tone higher, different than his normal voice. Hyun PD, who had been checking the broadcast on his phone, smiled contentedly over the cheerful voice that wasn’t too excessive or subdued.

Do Wook thought as he introduced Gae Na Ri,

‘Gae Na Ri? Spring Rain was very popular, but after that, she didn’t release any other popular songs. The first place nominees have changed, so there’s no way for me to know who will be first place… But I think there was something involving Gae Na Ri.’

It was a sudden thought, and he couldn’t think about it too deeply during a live broadcast. Sul Lae Im continued the remark.

“It’s a truly heart warming song!~ And competing against her are the people next to me, who are also nominees for first place. It’s super rookie KK’s < Sorry But I Love You >!”

“Please look forward to who will be named first place, everyone! Here’s the first performance!”

Ahn Hyung Seo winked and responded to Sul Lae Im’s remark. He was showcasing his talents on a live broadcast.

Comments asking who the person winking is quickly came up on the internet.

Once KK and even Gae Na Ri safely finished their performances, that was the end of all the singers’ performances. Ahn Hyung Seo stammered in the middle, but today’s special MC was received as an amazing MC without any big mistakes.

Now all that was left was to announce the first place nominee.

All the cast members were coming onto the stage to watch the first place nominee announcement.

Like a pro, Sul Lae Im stood accurately on the location that was marked with tape during rehearsal. Ahn Hyung Seo and Do Wook also stood close on either side of her. The KK members stood next to Ahn Hyung Seo, and Gae Na Ri stood next to Do Wook.

Do Wook looked at Camera 1 that was in the center and waited for next week’s preview VCR to finish.

‘Ah, that accident!’

Like a flash, an article he had read a while back came to mind then disappeared.

There was an aspect he hadn’t noticed because the situation changed little by little due to KK’s progress. However, based on what he’d encountered so far, big events did not change.

‘On the second week of March, an accident happens on Life Song! That’s now!’

< End of Volume 1 >