Top Management

TM Chapter 180

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

Their album cover appeared on the site’s main page. The people in the practice room stirred.

“Oh, their firepower is amazing! The comments on the albums are increasing at an incredible rate!”

“People’s reaction online are ‘It’s finally here!’ Things are getting heated!”

“I don’t think you need to worry about entry rank? It looks like it’ll definitely be in the top three!”

“Wait, the tracks at the top are as steady as concrete, so it won’t be easy to break past them.”

People chatted noisily as they observed the music chart site and online reactions. They all began to predict Pretty Girls’ entry rank. The practice room was soaked in excitement.

“Should we bet? I bet ten thousand won that it’ll reach 2nd place!”

“I bet ten thousand won that it’ll initially start below the top three and make its way up to first!”

“Chief Jung! No, team leader, what about you?”

A stylist asked.

Sitting on the floor with a laptop, I replied,

“First,”

Dozens of pairs of eyes gathered on me. Even Pretty Girls, who were cautiously reading the mood, turned to look at me. I moved the mouse and clicked on their album. The size of their album cover increased. It was a picture of Pretty Girls running around barefoot in a dense forest.

Artist: Pretty Girls.

Management Agency: W&U.

Digital single album: Neverland.

I clicked the play button.

“Let’s listen to the song first and check its rank after.”

Neverland’s instrumentals began to play from my laptop speakers.

I had listened to this endlessly while filming and progressing with the project. Since it was the case for me, it must be even more so for Pretty Girls, who personally recorded and practiced it. However, they gathered around the laptop like it was their first time listening to it with dazed faces like they were dreaming.

“… It’s out. Our album.”

I opened the comment section and handed Jung Jae the mouse. The girls hastily looked through the comments. The comments were from viewers who watched Pretty Girls’ prepare their album through Making Film and those who supported Pretty Girls.

Even the comments that were endlessly being uploaded were similar.

That they waited tirelessly for their song to be released. That the song was as good as they expected.

That they had worked hard all this time. To continue to work hard in the future.

“You worked hard. You can take a breath and relax now.”

The Pretty Girls members paused at my words.

Oh Yeondu fiddled with her small fingers and asked,

“But the rank isn’t up yet?”

“The album’s been released and there are many people who are complimenting how good your song is and are cheering you on. In the end, Pretty Girls was able to overcome their crisis. I think that this project is an overwhelming success with this. The rank is just the cherry on top.”

“Re-really? It’s a success?”

“To be honest, to be honest, we thought it would be great if our song reached the top 100.”

“But we thought that there would be trouble if we didn’t reach the top ranks.”

“Why would there be any trouble? Although it’ll definitely be great if the song does well, it’s not like you failed because it’s a little low.”

Though I was saying this because I was certain their song’s rank wouldn’t be low.

I barely managed to contain this and added,

“You worked hard. Good job.”

It seemed like their anxiety was loosening as smiles began to bloom from their stiff faces. Jung Jae, who was completely tense inwardly, was the quickest to relax. Tears began to pool in her eyes. The tears in her eyes trembled like they would fall at any moment.

A teardrop slowly formed on the corner of her eye. Eventually, it fell.

“Thank you…!”

“It’s all good.”

With that as the start, the girls bowed, almost like they were kowtowing.

“Thank you, chief! Team leader! President!”

“I’m not the president though.”

“We’ll definitely live kindly!”

“Uh, okay.”

That wasn’t enough as they approached me while fiddling with their fingers.

“Hmm, you can carry on the rest with Chief Lee Taeshin.”

I handed them over to him, got up and brushed myself off. Then I took a step back and went over Neptune. It seemed they were remembering last year’s events as they were moved.

“Go congratulate them.”

When I urged them, Im Seoyoung quickly dragged the other members over to Pretty Girls. Neptune joined Pretty Girls and Chief Lee Taeshin’s emotional and excited atmosphere. Warm reactions erupted around them.

Pretty Girls were always bright during the filming of Making Film. If we excluded the part where they relaxed and bawled their eyes out in front of Im Seoyoung, they barely showed any tears. To the point where the viewers remarked how they didn’t try to sell you on emotions but was rather a joyful show.

However, it seemed they couldn’t hold it in any longer as tears eventually made their way out. As expected of the goldfish, their eyes instantly grew red. After talking with their parents, who had still been on the phone, they began to sob even louder.

Neptune received their phones, greeted their parents, and explained the situation to them.

Everything was filmed by the Making Film crew.

I shook my head at the cameraman following me and went over to Producer Yoo Sooyoung. Producer Yoo Sooyoung flipped the last page of the Making Film proposal. Her subtle gaze turned to me.

“The ending is done.”

“Please take care of us until the end.”

“This is a shame. I think you have a talent for TV.”

“That’s not very welcome.”

“Since we’ve finished talking about the broadcast, how about we talk about something else?”

Producer Yoo Sooyoung smiled and said,

“Bonuses are best when they are big. I’ll bet ten thousand won that their entry rank is first.”

“I think it’ll hit the ceiling.”

I answered with a light shrug.

The other team members who overheard our conversation waved his hand.

“The chart! Check the 5-minute chart!”

People quickly gathered. A few moved their fingers at the same time.

This was a chart that allowed one to glance at the real-time charts for the next time period every five minutes. We checked this back when Neptune’s mini-album was released, but Neptune’s name didn’t appear on it since only the top 3 would show up on this predictive graph.

However, this time…

“Uh, uh, it’s there! It’s on the charts!”

The employee with the quickest fingers shouted, voice cracking.

“What place? What place is it?”

“F-first! And…!”

The practice room shook. The cheer was so loud that the crying Pretty Girls and film crew all turned around to see. Lee Kwanwoo quickly handed me the laptop. It was the percentage graph. It started from the bottom and continued to shoot up.

To the ceiling. Cleanly.

An hour after the album was released, Pretty Girls’ new song entered the charts in first place.

The ranking aggregate chart hit the ceiling. The aggregated data was so large that it couldn’t be contained in the graph. It was a graph anyone in the music industry would dream of.

Articles were released like a flood as though a press release was already sent out. Our phones rang loudly instead of fireworks. We and countless entertainment reporters and anonymous netizens were all up night.

Although there were many comments congratulating us, there were plenty of malicious ones that attempted to cut down the hype.

That we needed to wait a few hours since this was all due to the broadcast.

That their ranking would drop in the morning.

These bastards…

However, Pretty Girls’ five-minute predictive chart didn’t falter once and continued to climb on the ceiling.

Two hours, three. Even when morning arrived.

Even after the sun went down. It continued.

***

“What the heck is going on?”

On the stairs going down to the second floor, a Team 2 chief said while looking up at the stairs. There were sounds of laughter, chatter, and clinking glasses. Another chief, who wore glasses, sighed as he said,

“Jung Sunwoo rented out the fourth and fifth floors to have a party for Pretty Girls.”

“We always rented out a restaurant or hall to host parties. Why does Jung Sunwoo get to rent out the company? Making others feel inferior. Is that okay?”

“Of course, it is. It’s a huge success. Also, W&U was able to seem like a family-oriented, warm company because of Making Film. There are cameras up there right now. They are going to use it as an epilogue or something.”

“Damn it. Some guys succeed no matter what they do.”

“They said that employees could come and eat and drink. Should we go take a look?”

“Stop.”

Another Team 2 chief joined their conversation.

“I bet you’ll be on the team leader’s bad side if you get caught attending? Though they say it’s for Pretty Girls, apparently, it’s really for Jung Sunwoo.”

He licked his lips and added,

“A party celebrating the success of Jung Sunwoo’s project.”

***

“Mr. Sunwoo! Congratulations! Here, have a drink!”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

I nodded and emptied a glass of champagne. Then I ate a canapé, which was in arms reach. I couldn’t tell what it tasted like. It seemed I was really out of it right now.

Although there were many things to celebrate until now, it was the first time it was celebrated so extravagantly. It’s because we’ve pretty much celebrated at Neptune’s residence, eating fried chicken and drinking beer and ginseng wine. More legit celebrations were held at restaurants or pubs.

There were so many people that it seemed like there were around a hundred in the fourth and fifth floors.

The supple champagne flute felt awkward in my hand.

I was so busy being congratulated by countless people that I didn’t have time to properly talk to Neptune or Pretty Girls. I didn’t even know where Kim Hyunjo, the Team 3 Leader, and Lee Kwanwoo were.

I talked with visibly tipsy people as I looked around.

I tried to find Neptune or Pretty Girls, but I discovered an unwelcome beard.

The Team 2 Leader came over while twirling his champagne flute.

“Congrats.”

Though his face indicated otherwise.

He wasn’t the type to come and say well-wishing remarks to me either.

I calmly smiled and replied,

“Ah, thank you.”

“How’s persuading Chaeyoung going? It seems you went to see her the first day and haven’t been after that. If you’ve started, you should at least act like you’re trying. Aren’t you dawdling too much just because it doesn’t directly concern you?”

As expected, he came to kick dirt in our party.

“I didn’t think I needed to hurry too much. It’s not like I was given a time limit.”

“If you don’t think you can do it, then give up early. Don’t get sick trying.”

I smiled even brighter and replied,

“Understood. Ah, and bananas are good for gastritis.”

“What?”

“I heard that you had stress-induced gastritis. Taking care of your health is the most important.”

The Team 2 Leader’s expression immediately distorted. I leisurely assumed that he wouldn’t throw his glass because of the many watching eyes and cameras.

Just then, a loud commotion erupted on the fourth floor. I turned around, thinking perhaps someone overheard the Team 2 Leader and my childish quarrel. The next moment, I almost shattered the innocent champagne flute in my hand.

Seo Jijoon was coming up the stairs.

He held a bouquet of roses. They were completely red. A bouquet of red roses.

Oh, my god. He seemed to have just come from a shoot as he was wearing a stylish suit. Wearing a suit and holding a bouquet of roses, he came over like he was walking down the red carpet without hesitation. He even waved at people following him.

Chief Lee Bongjoon, who was following Seo Jijoon with a bright smile, stopped. His trembling eyes alternated between the Team 2 Leader and me. He quickly waved his hand at Seo Jijoon, but Seo Jijoon had already arrived in front of us.

“Chief Jung, congratulations. I came over after hearing you were holding a project success party.”

“That’s… nice, but what’s with the bouquet?”

“Is it weird? Doesn’t it work as long as they aren’t lilies?”^{1}

Seo Jijoon tilted his head and looked at the Team 2 Leader this time. The Team 2 Leader was already staring at him with a gaze that seemed like he wanted to rip him apart. His face was so cold that it seemed like it would crack if you touched it.

“Jijoon, you…”

As soon as the Team 2 Leader opened his mouth, a commotion erupted above the stairs this time.

It was as loud as when Seo Jijoon arrived.

Did another celebrity arrive? Was there someone else who was coming?

Soon, a group of people came down the stairs. I saw the Team 3 Leader, Kim Hyunjo, and a few familiar team members. Neptune and Pretty Girls, who I had been looking around for, were present as well. There was no reason they would cause a commotion since they were here from the start.

Don’t tell me they came as a group to see Seo Jijoon?

Just as I thought this, I saw Lee Songha slowly walking down the stairs with someone.

It was CEO Baek Hansung.

^{1} Lilies are usually used in funerals