Top Management

TM Chapter 164

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

{I’m starting a Making Film (MayFil) thread, though I don’t know how many people will watch it since it’s the first episode!}

-I’m onboard! Has it started already?

-Not yet. There are quite a few commercials.

-I bet they sold all their commercial spots. It’s a huge topic because of Jung Sunwoo

-But why is Jung Sunwoo so popular?

-Where is he popular?

-Are you Sunwoo?

-I don’t know about how popular he is, but he’s definitely famous. Because of the whole Midas thing.

-There are more positive opinions of him than bad ones. Him appearing on two entertainment shows and setting up a good image was huge for him. The fact that he looks like some guy smoked during high school when he was actually changing diapers worked well.

-Will Making Film do well? I do think that their first show will have good ratings.

-If they want to do well, it’s best to deploy Devil’s Editing to create a sacrificial lamb, but I think they’ll go for the emotional route. I’m already exhausted, thinking about how Pretty Girls will probably cry for an hour.

-That’s why they brought on a documentary producer.

-If they can’t retain viewers today, the bubble will pop and only Neptune fans will watch it in the end.

-But why did he pick Pretty Girls out of all the unknown girl groups?

-This is the biggest question. I think they’ll bring it up in today’s episode!

-The commercials have ended! The show is starting!

*

Case 1_

The subtitle appeared on the dark screen. Then it showed a residence covered in ivy. A staff carrying a camera went inside. Scary music playing the background, akin to one that would play in a mystery movie.

Changing scenes, the screen now showed the Neptune members gathered in their living room.

{Thinking about it now, him asking Songha to act was really out of the blue.}

Im Seoyoung, wearing pajamas, said like she was telling a scary story.

{Songha was practicing our choreography when Sunwoo oppa came over and apparently told her.}

{You should act.}

LJ added, imitating Jung Sunwoo.

Im Seoyoung continued.

{From then on, he kept going around trying to catch a fleeing Songha before finally persuading her. And he handed her Cat Guardian Ghost that same day.}

Producer Yoo Sooyoung asked,

{Apparently, Mr. Sung Dowon asked Chief Jung Sunwoo to be his manager that day as well? And he refused and stayed on with Neptune. He also prepared for Ms. Songha’s audition for Cat Guardian Ghost.}

Im Seoyoung momentarily looked at Lee Taehee before nodding.

{Yes, we all told him he was crazy. About how he could kick away such an incredible opportunity.}

LJ propped her chin up and added,

{No one imagined Neptune would be this successful back then. People at work thought Lee Songha was bad at acting as well.}

{I was really curious. What did he see in her to push her so much?}

Im Seoyoung tilted her head.

{Sunwoo oppa hadn’t seen her act before then either.}

Case 2_

The scene changed along with the subtitles. This time, they were in a private room in some café. The pale light shook. Nam Joyoon and his manager, Kim Hyunsup, were drinking coffee across the table.

Seemingly unfamiliar with interviews, Nam Joyoon stuttered with dry lips.

{I first met Sunwoo at an independent film shoot. He contacted me the next day and asked me to send him my profile. We set up a meeting with W&U, and the results weren’t good.}

His stiff face relaxed a little.

{I thought that was the end, but Sunwoo immediately came to my work. He said that he wanted to work with me though we couldn’t sign an official contract.}

{As a third-party, what did you think?}

Producer Yoo Sooyoung asked Kim Hyunsup.

Kim Hyunsup waved his hand in an exaggerated manner.

{I couldn’t believe my ears. It doesn’t make logical sense. Joyoon’s scene that day on the independent film show wasn’t as impactful as his scene in Alive, and there were actors that were better looking and had better reputations than him.}

Kim Hyunsup continued in astonishment,

{But all this happened a few days after they first met. If he wasn’t Chief Jung, I would have assumed he was some scammer? No, even scammers who wanted to take your money would have approached him more cautiously than that.}

{Why do you think he chose you?}

Producer Yoo Sooyoung directly asked.

Nam Joyoon bashfully rubbed his neck.

{To be honest, I still don’t know.}

{You were praised for your role in Alive and you are now a rising star in Chungmuro, so in the end, I guess we’ll have to say that Chief Jung Sunwoo’s decision was correct.}

{Then that’s a relief.}

Nam Joyoon said with a slight smile.

{I don’t want to disappoint someone who said he saw something in me.

{This time, Chief Jung is starting a new project with Pretty Girls, and people are abuzz talking about it. Pretty Girls is an unknown girl group with nothing unique and had almost disbanded.}

{Well, there were a lot of reactions like that with Joyoon too.}

Kim Hyunsup added while shrugging,

{Everyone said Jung Sunwoo was crazy before Alive was released.}

The scene changed. The staff were in a cramped apartment.

The strange background music began playing again.

Plain subtitles proposed a few questions.

Why did Jung Sunwoo persuade Lee Songha when he hadn’t seen her act before? And why did he try so hard to recruit Nam Joyoon, who was an unknown actor at the time? People said he was crazy both time, but the results ended in success.

And now, the third…

Case 3_

The three youngest members of Pretty Girls, who were the same age, were shown on the screen. They were wearing their school uniforms and were smiling, though they obviously nervous. Oh Yeondu, who stood in the middle, fiddled with her skirt with her stiff hand. Then she said in a clear voice,

{We met him once at a music broadcast and met him a second time for a performance two years later.}

{This was pretty recent, correct?}

{Yes, we left without much happening, but Chief Jung Sunwoo came to our residence a few days later. The situation was really bad because the group was on verge of disbanding, but he suggested we make a single album with him.}

{So suddenly? On your third meeting?}

{Yes, this project began that very day.}

Jung Sunwoo’s interview followed immediately after. He was sitting still.

Producer Yoo Sooyoung asked,

{What I’m most curious about is, why Pretty Girls?}

{I don’t know. It’s a bit difficult to explain with words since it’s a feeling.}

Jung Sunwoo made a troubled expression. He slowly rubbed his chin.

{I had a couple of similar experiences.}

{Ms. Songha and Mr. Nam Joyoon?}

His shoulders shook as he laughed.

{Yes, no matter how I explained it, everyone said I was crazy.}

*

-Everyone, calm down. Lol, the thread is going to explode at this rate!

-Let me organize this. He persuaded Lee Songha to act before officially seeing her act? If that’s true, then he doesn’t just have a good eye, he has a scouter?^{1}

-Nam Joyoon’s case is like a couple who got married in 3 days hahaha

-Wasn’t Sung Dowon a top star two years ago?

-He was at the top of the top. If he went to Sung Dowon then, he would have been doomed.

-If he really has received divine grace, just say it. I’m ready to believe.

-Isn’t Pretty Girls the craziest thing Jung Sunwoo has done? They met after two years, yet he immediately proposed this project. It’s a huge project with an album and a show. A completely crazy bastard ;;;

; -He’s definitely crazy, but he’s a crazy bastard who has already succeeded in crazy things.

-Seeing as he made Lee Songha and Nam Joyoon a success when others said he was crazy, I guess Pretty Girls have something we don’t know yet?

-Pretty Girls are coming on again. Let’s watch.

*

{How did people around you react when they saw the articles?}

Oh Yeondu’s big eyes moved at the producer’s question before replying,

{There were many who congratulated us and a lot who asked how it happened.}

{Can you guess the reason why?}

The members looked at each other then shook their heads.

{N-no.}

{We practiced singing and dancing a lot, but all unknown groups and trainees work hard as well.}

{I even dreamed Chief Jung telling us it was a mistake and to call the whole project off.}

{Me too. It was the scariest nightmare I had in my life.}

The members’ shoulders trembled as though shivers ran down their spines while they spoke.

Producer Yoo Sooyoung asked again,

{Do you happen to know if you have a particular talent in singing or dancing?}

The girls became serious like they were given a question whether the whole world would collapse if they failed.

As the silence continued, the slimmest among them, Yoon Sol, said,

{Yeondu is the most skilled at using her hands!}

Oh Yeondu coughed. When Producer Yoo Sooyoung looked interested, Yoon Sol and the other member, Lee Hwain, took clothes out of their closet. It was their stage outfit that was densely packed with shiny beads.

{Yeondu sewed each and every bead, but I thought it was done by a professional.}

{S-stop it. It’s so embarrassing…!}

Oh Yeondu waved her hands as her neck to her forehead became red.

Thinking hard for a while, Yoon Sol opened her mouth again,

{Hwain is smart!}

{I-I am?}

Lee Hwain was surprised like someone experiencing a surprise attack. Her pretty eyes widened.

{You’re the smartest out of us. You’re always studying whenever we have free time too.}

{That’s because dad told me I had to quit and come home if my grades fell.}

{What rank are you?}

Lee Hwain’s ears reddened at the producer’s casual question.

{Uh, 16^th. In my class.}

{Ah.}

Lastly, Yoon Sol did a few impressions under Oh Yeondu’s urgings.

All the remained was silence and three goldfish trembling in embarrassment.

*

-They could have gone the emotional route when they brought up how they personally sewed each of those beads.

-When they talked about her grades, I thought she would be at least first in her school. LOL

-Lee Songha and Nam Joyoon were great at acting. Jung Sunwoo discovered their potential and let them grow. Then he definitely must have seen something in Pretty Girls. What might it be?

-But aren’t reality TV shows supposed to be like ‘Here is this girl’s charm!’? Why are the viewers actively analyzing each member’s appeal?

-I thought I would skip whenever Pretty Girls are on screen, but I keep watching like a hawk hahaha

-The girls are overwhelmed, yet Jung Sunwoo’s going to the songwriter to get the song.

-Who’s DOM? It’s my first time hearing his name.

-I heard he’s a completely unknown songwriter. Then maybe they’ll change the song to something else?

-Isn’t it already under contract? What a bolt out of the blue for the songwriter.

-They’ll probably pick a better song for the title track and just put the songwriter’s song in the album. They can’t think about loyalty when the song HAS to be good no matter what.

-Wait? Did I hear that correctly?

*

{You really want to just use my song?}

The screen showed a production room in the corner of a basement apartment. The young, thin unknown songwriter, DOM, was sitting across from Jung Sunwoo. His eyes, which were as small as dress shirt buttons, constantly blinked.

Jung Sunwoo nodded.

{Yes, it’s the song you decided to give Pretty Girls.}

{Th-that’s true, but I thought you would change to a different son-}

{We didn’t have a different songwriter in mind from the beginning. We’ll go with this song.}

{Re-really?}

{Really.}

Jung Sunwoo said with a smile.

*

-I don’t understand. Why? Really, why? Just why?

-The songwriter’s expression is my expression right now

-W&U must have a lot of good songs. Isn’t it normal to consider other songs?

-What if that song is good enough to chew out any star songwriter’s song? Lee Taehee’s song, which became a title track, became a success after he pushed for it. Chief Jung Sunwoo could have picked Pretty Girls for that song.

-They said he heard the song after he proposed they make the album together. The order doesn’t match.

-I thought about it, but maybe Jung Sunwoo’s been using his title as ‘Midas’s Hand’ too much that he can’t control himself? I feel like he has this obsession to do everything opposite to people’s expectations and make it succeed.

-1 vote for this. I feel like he’s proceeding recklessly like his brake is broken.

-Same here.

-Same.

-Maybe he thought, ‘This is it!’ as soon as he listened to it?

-I’m thinking it’s this as well. When you think about Lee Songha and Nam Joyoon, I think there’s really something to it.

Even after Making Film’s first episode ended, the internet showed no sign of calming down. Discussions about the album, Pretty Girls, and especially Jung Sunwoo were pouring out from community sites and social media like a broken dam.

Hundreds of comments were posted in a thread set up to discuss the episode in real time. Making Film and related words quickly invaded the real-time search rankings, and entertainment news sites were plastered with spamming articles.

This heated reaction even caused a commotion amongst those who didn’t see Making Film’s broadcast. Some exchanged their thoughts, while discussions regarding the pros and cons broke in elsewhere.

And countless people began to have a similar expectation.

-Making Film, aren’t we extremely curious about the second episode?

^{1} Dragon Ball Z reference – You may recognize it by the famous quote ‘It’s over 9000’