These lewd things are idols?: Episode 48

Episode: 48

[Aren't you sorry for the kids? Lying to them so confidently like that?]

I shook my head confidently.

“Not at all. I usually compromise on other things and treat the kids with conscience, but I can't yield on this one. After all, I brought them here by deceiving them in the first place.”

[...]

“It can't be done with simple choreography. Nowadays, even idols who are confident in their singing ability sometimes release solo albums, but if there's no performance involved, they can't even reach a million views. It's not easy to surpass ten million views with just a song or a drama OST.”

It's not like I want to deliberately push the kids too hard.

The choreography has to be intense and unique for people to really take notice and for others to want to emulate it.

There's a reason why the global hashtag #KPOPPUBLIC exists in the world of K-pop dance.

[If I weren't an all-knowing AI capable of reading your heart, I might have gotten angry. But since I know your genuine desire for success, I'll let you know.]

Why would you even get angry in the first place?

[It just means the kids—Always' kids—are working hard.]

“I know that too.”

I nodded as I casually tossed aside the black socks I'd been wearing all day.

Even with the blessing of success, without the kids' will and effort as a foundation, it would be meaningless.

Today, all day long,

I was so absorbed in recording that I lost track of time, day, and night. It was because the kids trusted and followed me.

“I just want things to go as well as their trust in me. So what if I get criticized a little? In the end, results are what matter.”

[Well, anyway, this isn't something I intended, but more of a lucky coincidence. There's currently an extremely talented choreography director in Korea.]

“Who is it?”

Honestly, I don't keep track of choreography directors, but if they're really famous, I might get a sense of it as soon as I hear the name.

[Julia Smith.]

“Ju... Juju... Julia who?”

That’s a completely unfamiliar name. I thought maybe she’s famous abroad, so I looked her up, but no information came up.

“You’re not messing with me, right?”

[She hasn’t worked on any projects yet, but I, Nobel, the all-knowing AI, guarantee this. If we were to rank choreography directors, she'd be at the SS+ level.]

That level is no joke.

“Explain.”

[Julia Smith, daughter of the famous American choreography director Kill Smith and renowned performance director Celia Robbins. She inherited natural talent, and since childhood, she’s learned a lot by watching her parents work, which naturally led her to develop exceptional skills.]

“Next.”

[Of course, as a choreography director, she has excellent dance skills. She’s also quite pretty, but perhaps due to her genetics, she prefers to stay behind the scenes and turn others into stars who can perfectly execute her choreography.]

“Ah, I get it.”

I really understand what that kind of mindset is.

The saying that parents are a mirror for their children isn't just a cliché.

Most of the time, kids decide their direction in life by watching what their parents do.

[Are your parents managers too?]

“Don't ask when you already know. My parents just run a regular chicken restaurant. I got into management after poking around here and there, wondering if I could ever even get close to celebrities. Stop asking things you already know, all-knowing AI.”

[Anyway, thanks to her exceptional talent and skills, supported by her influential parents, Julia doesn’t even consider simple choreography to be real choreography. She’s a perfectionist.]

“Ugh, she’s probably got a nasty attitude. Talented kids who've been great since childhood usually have terrible personalities. They know they're special.”

[Well, I won't argue with that.]

[But does personality really matter?]

“It doesn't, but if I want to ask her to do choreography, I’ll have to approach her myself. If I’m going to meet someone new, I’d prefer dealing with someone like Kim Gi-bok. Not that I can’t meet her.”

Having worked in management for a while, I’ve encountered all kinds of people.

This isn’t a joke—there are folks who act snobby, not because they’re talented themselves, but because their artists and agencies are doing well.

[So, what did you do? Did you charge in?]

Charge in? What charge in?

It’s not just the CEO who has to bow down due to the power difference between agencies. If you’re not quitting, you have to know when to bow down. Damn.

“Ugh, talking about it is making me mad.”

[You have to get the kids to succeed quickly so you don’t have to deal with that anymore.]

“Exactly. But why did that incredible Julia come to Korea instead of working in the U.S.? With her parents' connections, it should be easier to work there.”

[It’s a very obvious and simple reason, but I’ll explain it in detail.]

[Of course, she wanted to create choreography. So, she watched various musicals and shows in the U.S. But unfortunately, none of them satisfied her. Do you know why?]

“No, I don't know, which is why I'm quietly listening now.”

[So she ended up watching K-pop. And not just any K-pop, but the choreography of male idol groups, famous for their intense dances. After seeing that, she got hooked on K-pop. She thought, 'This is the kind of choreography I want to create.' So, no joke, just yesterday, after some deep thought, she made up her mind and flew to Korea.]

“Crazy woman. Or not. You’ve got some killer determination. I don't dislike people like that.”

People like her were the ones who usually succeeded.

“But hold on a second.”

[Yes, Master. Please speak.]

“That woman... is she really only obsessed with the intense choreography of male idol groups?”

[Master, women have eyes too, you know.]

“Damn it. So you're saying that, to some extent, she's also fallen for the looks of those male idols. Can someone like that really create choreography for our girl group?”

Nobel answered my question without batting an eye.

[Is that any of my concern?]

She pulled an "I don't care" move.

[As I mentioned before, my role is to assist you, Master. I may be using a bit of divine power to help with the unreasonable parts, but in the end, it's you who lands the final blow.]

[You asked me to recommend the person who could create the toughest choreography, so I did.]

Indeed, male K-pop idols' synchronized choreography is famous worldwide.

If we get choreography from someone who came to create such dances, our girls would be panting and exhausted after just one song.

“Even if it’s tough, I feel like the result will be amazing.”

Well, that settles it.

“But just to be sure, that woman hasn't already applied to other agencies or been scouted by someone else, right?”

[Not at all. For now, it seems she's planning to enjoy some sightseeing in Seoul, now that she’s arrived in Korea. Seoul is a famous tourist destination abroad, after all.]

That’s true.

Seoul is indeed amazing.

“How do I meet this person?”

To be honest, when you're unsure if something will work out, it's best to just go for it.

At this age, you realize that doing nothing and regretting it later is the stupidest thing you can do.

[By coincidence, tomorrow, she'll be at a climbing center about 58 minutes from here.]

[The exact time is 11 a.m. Before lunch, she'll work up a sweat climbing, then buy coffee at a café. After that, she's planning to try Pyongyang cold noodles.]

“Wow, what a hobby.”

Just from her hobbies, you can tell how intense this person must be.

“Alright, sounds good. Even if I have to beg on my knees, I’ll hire her as our dance teacher for the girls.”

[The really impressive thing about Julia is that, on top of being a choreographer, she also works as a performance director. And at a young age, no less. Thanks to her parents' training, she has exceptional potential and skills compared to others.]

[With the right motivation, she can grow even more. And Always has the talent to inspire that potential.]

“Okay! So, I should take videos of the girls dancing and singing with me, right?”

[What's scary about you, Master, is how quickly you pick up on even the smallest hints and use them.]

With that, my conversation with Nobel ended, and just as I was about to lie down with my tired body...

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door and peeked their head in.

“Team Leader.”

It was Hee-ju.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Ah, I thought you might have taken off your socks by now. I was wondering if I should put them in the laundry bin.”

“Huh? My socks smell bad, so I usually wash them separately.”

“It’s fine.”

Hee-ju hurriedly entered, gathered my smelly socks into her arms, and was about to leave when she turned back.

“Team Leader.”

“Yeah?”

“The others may say they hate tough choreography because it’s hard, but I’m okay with it. If you tell me to do it, I’ll perfect any choreography, no matter what.”

Her unwavering trust, to the point of madness, made my conscience twinge just a little.

“Alright. Thanks. I’ll focus on finding the best teacher. And if possible, I’ll try to lower the difficulty of the choreography.”

“Okay. Goodnight.”

“Yeah. You sleep well too, Hee-ju.”

[You're lying to Hee-ju too?]

What are you saying?

I said 'if possible', so it's not a lie.

[…]

Let’s just sleep.

I’m not like the others who can sleep all day.

Even if I record all night and sleep in the morning, I’ll end up waking up in the evening.

But I have to wake up at noon to pick up salads for the girls to eat.

It’s best to buy them in the morning, but it’s such a popular store that they restock at lunchtime.

[I'll let it slide since I know you're trying.]

[Get some rest.]

Alright.

You sleep well too.

* * *

The next morning.

“Ah, I'm dying.”

Tired, sleepy, with a bad taste in my mouth.

'Ssshhk.'

Still, I sprayed some perfume on myself, popped a mint in my mouth, and tried to look as put together as possible. After waking up, I headed to the location Nobel had mentioned, just in time.

[Hard Climbing Center]

The word "hard" is already in the name?

[This place is known for being notoriously difficult among climbing centers. That’s why even national athletes come here from time to time.]

“This is already intimidating.”

“Oh. Hello. Is this your first time here?”

“Yes. Well, it’s my first time climbing too.”

“I see. Then, would you like me to explain a few things to you?”

“Yes.”

The world is great these days.

The service is so friendly.

After receiving all the explanations, I rented some climbing gear and sneakers. Once inside, I could see many people grabbing onto protruding rocks and climbing up.

[This is a special service. So you don't waste time unnecessarily.]

With Nobel's words, information appeared over the head of one person who was currently climbing.

[Julia Smith]

So that’s her.

She was a beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, giving off that unmistakable “I’m a foreigner” vibe.

“Hup! Huff!”

The climbing center was divided by difficulty levels, and she was climbing on the hardest course.

Her muscles were no joke.

Isn’t she stronger than me, even though she’s a woman?

[Not quite, but she’s definitely much more flexible and has a stronger core. She’s stronger in many ways compared to other women.]

“A strong woman. She’s got talent and strength. She’s got to be a real piece of work.”

Still, let’s see if I can be bold and approach her.

[Can you speak English?]

“Nope, can’t.”

If I were that good at English, I could’ve used my TOEIC score to get into some big company. Would I have entered this insane industry where managers change every year for lousy pay?

Even if I wanted to see celebrities, no way.

[Then what are you going to do?]

“Well, what’s so hard about English? If it’s for the girls, I’ll figure it out.”

Luckily, this world has a wonderful communication method called body language.

“Hey... hey, Julia Smith?”

“Who? Who called me?”

As soon as I called out her name, we made eye contact. Steeling my nerves, I shouted.

“Ah... I’m your fan! Big fan!”

Her response?

“What the fuck?”

Ah, I know that much English.

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