These lewd things are idols?: Episode 41

Episode: 41

It might be a little cruel.

"Team Leader Park, do you not think so? You can't seem to answer."

"Ah."

As embarrassing as it was, forcing Park Joo-yong, who was too angry to respond and just kept his head down, to answer.

Actually, that must really hurt.

‘Do more. Keep going.’

If it had happened to someone else, I might have felt sorry for them.

"Right. I'll try harder."

"Good."

Seeing Park Joo-yong with a sour expression, unable to do anything in front of the CEO, makes me feel oddly more satisfied.

I guess you could say I got a taste of the sweetness of power once more.

‘No wonder people strive for success, even beyond money.’

I barely managed to hold back a smile, instead giving the kids a thumbs-up. Just then, Cheon Tae-oh spoke again.

"Hmm. From what I see, this team is truly remarkable. Does anyone have a different opinion from mine?"

"No."

"Actually, let me rephrase that. It sounds strange to ask it that way. Since some of you may hold different opinions, why don’t we each share what we think?"

But looking at it like this, Cheon Tae-oh isn't normal either.

You'd have to be abnormal to succeed at this level.

‘Still, from my perspective, it’s not a bad thing.’

How hard have I worked to raise my kids?

Personally finding each one of them, bringing them in, feeding them, housing them, nurturing them.

[Huh?]

If I could hear even one more compliment about the children I’ve cherished so dearly, what wouldn’t I do?

"Well, just looking at them, it’s clear their performance stands out from any we’ve seen so far."

"Yes. Could you elaborate a bit more?"

"As I mentioned before, I advised the other kids to follow others' styles until they find their own. This is a perfect example of that. They might seem like they’re mimicking, but they’re already showcasing their own unique charm."

Right.

My kids are full of charm.

"They’re already at a professional level. The completeness of their performance can’t be compared to other groups. Honestly, it feels embarrassing to point out anything specific, because everything is so precise, with no mistakes."

The vocal trainer adds.

"Dancing while singing is never easy. Yet, there was no problem. I was especially impressed by how accurately they distinguished the parts where they needed to put effort and the parts where they could ease up."

The dance trainer chimes in.

Everyone is showering my kids with praise.

"I can’t even imagine how much practice they must have put in to achieve this."

Ah. It’s driving me crazy.

Anyone else might think I’m losing it.

It’s not even me who’s receiving the compliments.

But it feels better than if I were being praised directly.

Is this why parents dote on their children so much?

At this rate, my shoulders are going to reach the sky.

[Are you coming to meet me?]

Is she telling me to die?

And then it happened.

They say silence is golden.

Unlike Kim Gi-bok, the composer who was quietly observing our kids,

there’s Choi Ho-cheol, a pig whose words sting if he doesn’t open his mouth.

"To reach this level, they must have been trainees for a long time. At least 5 or 6 years in training here, right? Considering that, and the mistakes made by the Oasis kids, both seem similar in a way. Personally, I don't mind working with either group, but that's just my opinion."

Talk about killing the mood.

In the midst of everyone praising our kids,

he suddenly brings up the Oasis kids, who had naturally been forgotten.

“……”

The situation is so awkward that the Oasis kids bury their heads in their knees, as if trying to hide.

Even Park Joo-yong, who seems to be on the same side as them, looks pale with embarrassment.

That damn bastard – the look on his face says he’s wondering why Choi Ho-cheol is suddenly saying such nonsense.

"I see."

Cheon Tae-Oh, who had been quietly listening, nods indifferently and makes eye contact with me.

"Team Leader Kim, you must be pleased."

"Sorry?"

It wasn’t me who answered, but Choi Ho-cheol.

"To hear that these kids have already been trainees for 5 or 6 years."

"Excuse me?"

Is today the day for funny reactions or what?

People who could have stayed quiet but opened their mouths instead are turning into fools.

‘Delicious.’

Delicious.

More than funny, it feels oddly satisfying.

"As far as I know, Hee-ju, who joined the earliest, hasn’t even been here six months yet. Am I right?"

Look at him asking when he knows the answer better than anyone.

Cheon Tae-Oh is a really nasty guy too.

Again, it’s the trainer, not me, who responds.

"Yes, that's correct. It's been about three months. When I first started teaching her, she was nothing like this. At that time, she was just beginning to learn both dancing and singing."

"……."

Choi Ho-chul quietly closed his mouth.

Honestly, it was embarrassing and shocking to the point that all admiration vanished.

They had far surpassed an ordinary level.

"Not just Hee-ju, but Da-young couldn’t even stretch her legs beyond 45 degrees at first."

Although she still can't do full splits now, she’s become flexible enough to smoothly handle basic choreography.

I can't count how many times Da-young screamed and cursed while I helped her push through the pain.

"Even though Min-seo loved singing and dancing, she never had any formal training before coming here."

At this point, I feel like the vocal trainer is my spokesperson, highlighting each kid’s charm one by one.

"Sae-ri, despite having some experience as a trainee elsewhere, is also an exceptional talent."

"Hmm, I see."

The praises were endless.

It was truly an outpour of compliments.

"Thank you!" 

The only one to cheerfully express gratitude was Gil Min-seo.

The other kids remained indifferent.

Seeing this, I realize our kids are quite unique.

[Well, that’s the positive spin. The negative spin would be... flaws.]

"Each one’s individuality stands out, yet it doesn’t clash; in fact, they complement each other. Watching them, I can feel it clearly."

Cheon Tae-oh’s gaze quietly shifts towards me.

Naturally, everyone else follows his lead and focuses their attention on me as well.

"The kids are outstanding, but so is Team Leader Kim Hyun-woo’s ability to discover and develop such talent in just a year, or rather, three months. As I mentioned earlier, I should’ve promoted you to team leader sooner."

I don't particularly want to be happy about receiving praise from someone with such a rotten personality, but it’s hard not to feel flustered.

The fact that I’m pleased by his recognition is just ridiculous.

Seriously.

"Well, I just got lucky."

"Luck is a skill too. Hmm. Maybe it's not too late after all. You might have missed out on the team leader position, but what about becoming a manager?"

At the mention of a manager position, Park Joo-yong, who had been sitting dejectedly, suddenly lifted his head and flinched.

That guy is something else.

Even now, he’s reacting like that, thinking I might get promoted to manager.

Always the same, so consistent.

But...

"Oh, no thanks."

To be honest, I'm already a team leader in name only, and I haven't even formed a team because there’s no one I like.

Even if the title of team leader changes to manager, I doubt much would change aside from my salary.

While money is important, at this moment, I’m more focused on nurturing my kids than anything else.

"You’re not greedy at all, Team Leader Kim."

Greedy?

I’m full of greed.

How can I not be, when the kids, who were indifferent to their own praise, now seem unsure of what to do when I receive compliments?

"Ah, oops."

Cheon Tae-oh belatedly checks the time and quietly stands up.

Then, he asked the composers nearby, "Come to think of it, today was meant to introduce the kids to you composers, wasn’t it? I forgot about that."

"Oh, it’s fine. The performances were so impressive."

"Well, uh, yes."

Unlike the modest Kim Gi-bok, seeing Choi Ho-chul still with that dissatisfied expression just makes me like him even less.

Of course, I know how foolish it is to act on emotions in this industry.

But the unease just won’t go away.

"What do the composers think?"

"Excuse me?"

“Please answer honestly. Which group would you like to work with? I think it might be good to match each composer with the group they feel drawn to. Don’t feel pressured, just speak freely,” Cheon Tae-oh asked, spinning the watch on his left wrist.

Kim Gi-bok glanced at the Oasis members, while Choi Ho-chul cleared his throat and avoided Park Joo-yong’s sharp gaze.

Kim Gi-bok was the first to speak.

“I’m interested in the group we just saw. The moment I saw them on stage, I simply felt the desire to create songs for them.”

It was a clear response. He didn’t bother with any apologies towards Oasis or add any unnecessary comments.

He liked them. He wanted to work with them.

‘He seems passive, but when it comes to decision-making, he’s firm.’

Next was Choi Ho-chul.

“Well, I like both groups, but with eyes to see, you can tell which is better. So, I’d also like to work with those kids. Honestly, I’m confident. You all know how many groups I've composed songs for up until now.”

The most surprised by Choi Ho-chul’s words was Park Joo-yong.

If looks could kill, lasers would be shooting from his eyes.

He had the face of a traitor with a knife in his back.

It felt like I just watched an entire historical drama.

‘Choi Ho-chul is just as arrogant as his image suggests. Even after making some deal with Park Joo-yong, now that things aren’t going his way, he’s flipping sides immediately.’

I suppose he has earned the right to be arrogant.

Like he said, he’s the composer and lyricist behind several popular songs under the name 'Nampo-dong Fist,' and those songs still rank high on the karaoke charts.

“So both of you want to work with Team Leader Kim, then. Well, I think it’d be fine to assign both of you, considering we won’t be releasing just one album.”

“Representative!”

Not just Park Joo-yong, but the Oasis members, who had been quietly sulking with their confidence crushed, were also startled and jumped up.

“But unfortunately, I can’t push for that right now due to my own shortcomings.”

This guy is quite the master at manipulating people.

He raises and drops people so smoothly.

It sounds all refined and polite, but it’s really just a load of crap.

Still, the Oasis members seemed relieved, thinking it was fortunate in the midst of misfortune, and sighed in relief.

“Team Leader Kim.”

“Yes?”

“In light of the situation, why don’t you decide? Which of the two composers would you like to work with?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Now Cheon Tae-oh is raising me up and dropping me down too.

‘Sigh.’

Nampo-dong Fist, a well-known name.

A trashy personality.

On the other hand, STB is recognized in the underground scene but has a much more niche reputation.

If you asked people, most wouldn’t even know the name.

I don’t even know what kind of music this guy creates.

What if he’s into weird stuff and ruins our precious opportunity with swing or jazz?

Still, seeing him standing there with his hands neatly folded, patiently waiting for my answer, he does seem like a decent person.

“I’ll create the best song, staking everything on it.”

When he sets his mind to something, he doesn’t hesitate or apologize, but pushes through. That’s also a plus.

“If it’s my song, the kids will be set for life with royalties. If nothing else, I’ve got a firm grip on mass appeal.”

Who am I supposed to choose?

Damn it.

One wrong decision could destroy the ladder we’ve worked so hard to climb.

As I pondered this deeply, a message appeared above the heads of the two composers, just like when I checked the kids’ rankings.

[Kim Gi-bok - Success Probability: 97%]

[Choi Ho-chul - Success Probability: 3%]

Well, that makes the decision easy.

‘As expected of God-AI.’

Just when it had been quiet for a while, it delivers when it counts.

“I’ll choose this person.”

As soon as I spoke, all eyes focused on me even more intensely.

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