translation by mourningmoor
<Survival, Music Genius> Round 5 also ended safely.
With only one round left, the pressure was lighter.
I showed just the right amount of bromance with Seo Hanul, as the broadcasting company wanted, and it helped boost the ratings sufficiently.
PD Ki Yoongu was very grateful to me, and after Round 5, even the head of the variety department came down to thank me.
Well, at this point, I’ve already gained everything I could from <Survival, Music Genius>.
Our recognition has been growing day by day, and the treatment from the company has also been improving steadily.
Our image has improved significantly, and CF offers have been pouring in.
From magazine interview requests to variety show appearances, there’s so much that we can’t even accept everything due to lack of time.
Once we release our 1st full album and go through the year-end awards early next year, we’ll be even busier than we are now.
For that, the members’ conditions need to be at their best. We’ll have to run like crazy from now on.
That’s why I contacted Roa’s parents.
While keeping up with the schedule is important, what’s even more important is the members’ physical condition.
It’s better to take a breather than to push them to the point of exhaustion.
And one more thing.
I bear a lot of responsibility for the members overworking themselves.
Since I often stayed up all night working, the members followed suit and stayed up late too.
I have ways to conserve energy even without sleeping, but the members don’t. An ordinary person can’t be like a grand mage, after all.
Roa was no exception.
Seeing me locked in the studio, he must have felt motivated and pushed himself to practice late into the night with Jaewon. That’s how he ended up with inflammation in his surgery site.
Once the inflammation subsides after some rest, I plan to take immediate action.
With a sense of responsibility.
On the Sunday evening after <Survival, Music Genius> Round 5 ended, PD Pyo quietly called me to the CEO’s office.
“Was it you?”
At the abrupt question, I tilted my head.
“What do you mean?”
“The person who contacted Roa’s parents. Was it you?”
Why ask when you already know?
“No comment.”
Since I neither confirmed nor denied, PD Pyo’s face twisted slightly.
“You’re a bad guy.”
“Suddenly?”
“You’re making me look like a villain CEO. How could I say anything nice?”
You are a villain CEO, what are you talking about?
I chuckled and gently soothed the sulking PD Pyo.
“When did I ever make you look like a bad guy? I’ve been promoting how amazing PD Pyo Cheonhee is all over the country, haven’t I?”
This time, while challenging <Survival, Music Genius> Season 2, I didn’t just boost L.I.T’s stock.
I was determined to elevate Blade Entertainment because I believe the company needs to grow for us to go further.
As the first step, I put PD Pyo Cheonhee in the spotlight.
After going through interviews and columns to find everything PD Pyo had said, I actively highlighted his humanity and professionalism as a producer.
Thanks to that, PD Pyo’s stock has risen significantly.
Even PD Pyo himself acknowledges that.
“Well, that’s…”
Unable to find a retort, PD Pyo clicked his tongue and quieted down. After a moment, he spoke again.
“Still, you went too far. You should’ve at least discussed it with me.”
Even if I had discussed it, would you have listened? You definitely wouldn’t have.
“You sent him away because you thought I wouldn’t let him rest, right?”
Bingo.
“Do you think I wouldn’t have let him rest? You didn’t trust me, so you sent him home like that?”
“Would you really have let him rest?”
“Hey, I care about my artists too. Do you think only you care about them?”
I know you care.
It’s just that sometimes you care more about your ambitions than your artists.
“You’d have just sat him in the practice room and told him to rest properly, right?”
PD Pyo may seem gentle, but he’s quite ambitious.
He has a generous heart and knows how to take care of his people, but when it comes to his ambitions, he’s helpless.
“Do you really think he would’ve rested? With Roa’s personality?”
PD Pyo knows it too. That this 1st full album will be a turning point for us.
That’s why he meticulously planned everything up to the release date, like gears fitting together.
For him, Roa’s injury must have been a bolt from the blue.
The artist’s health versus the scheduled plans.
At that crossroads, PD Pyo would have chosen to grab both.
He’d have sat Roa, a practice addict with steroids injected into his knee, in the practice room and subtly encouraged him to practice.
“Of course, he’d have followed along, pushing himself, hiding the pain, and continuing to work, afraid of burdening the team.”
With Roa’s personality, he’d have hidden his condition until the 1st album promotions were over.
“Eventually, it would’ve led to another surgery.”
He might think he can just get surgery during the hiatus, but that would be too harsh for Roa. There’s no guarantee the surgery would go well, either.
“Isn’t it better to let him rest completely for a week than to let it come to that?”
For the future, it’s better.
Once the inflammation is completely gone, I plan to cast a time-dilation spell on Roa’s knee. Then he’ll be fine moving forward.
“So, cut him some slack.”
“Who’s saying anything? I already did. I even posted a notice about the one-week delay.”
PD Pyo, with a bitter expression, sniffled as if embarrassed.
“I care about Roa too. It’s such a shame. Why did it have to be his knee? They could’ve taken my knee instead.”
PD Pyo, who’s somewhat religious, subtly blamed the god he believes in while worrying about Roa.
“Roa is precious, but this is an opportunity we can’t miss for your future. If we make a comeback at the end of October, it’ll be advantageous for the year-end awards voting.”
I know. Why wouldn’t I?
“Wow. PD Pyo, you’re really underestimating us, huh?”
I’ve already calculated all of that and reached a conclusion.
“This comeback? Even without it, we’ll definitely win awards. We’ll dominate the year-end stages.”
I’m the most desperate one here.
“Just give us a week. In a week, I’ll go get Roa myself. So, PD Pyo, just act like the generous, big-hearted CEO you are and do your interviews well.”
PD Pyo was at a loss for words.
He seemed to be pondering what else to say.
I glanced at the clock on the wall and furrowed my brow.
It was time to wrap up the conversation and get back to work.
“Are we done here? Then I’ll go practice.”
“No. There’s still the main point.”
I knew he’d ask.
The story bubbling in PD Pyo’s mind has been quite noisy since earlier.
“Actually…”
The ultimate reason PD Pyo was so hung up on Roa’s injury.
“I was planning to announce it during tomorrow’s meeting, but I thought you should know first.”
After calming his complicated emotions, PD Pyo took a deep breath and continued.
“We’re holding your first concert in January.”
* * *
Our first concert.
It’s incredibly encouraging for leveling up.
The members’ morale is through the roof, of course.
But no one showed it openly.
I thought they’d immediately start practicing, but they decided not to even mention the word “concert” until Roa rejoins.
This is one of the reasons I adore these kids.
So, we focused on things like letters for the album or signing merchandise.
We decided to finish all the individual tasks we could do while Roa was away. I’m sure Roa also received a mountain of homework.
And Roa has been diligently completing that homework.
Roa’s father has been sending daily updates about Roa’s condition, and he shared the good news that the inflammation in his knee has subsided.
Another Saturday morning arrived.
We managed to get a special day off from PD Pyo.
We all went to him, bowed our heads, and begged for just one day off, promising to work like crazy starting tomorrow.
Though he seemed reluctant, PD Pyo eventually nodded, looking at me pitifully.
Hanjoon borrowed the company car, loaded us all up, and drove straight to Eurwangni Beach in Incheon.
“It’s convenient having someone who can drive.”
Jaewon, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke proudly, and Hanjoon grumbled.
“Kang Ichan, Yoon Siu. You two need to get your licenses soon. Don’t just make hyung do all the work.”
“I’ll try.”
Siu smiled brightly as he answered.
We were all in high spirits on our way to pick up Roa.
After about an hour and a half of driving, we arrived at our destination.
“Is that it? Parkga’s Cold Noodle House.”
We only found out this time that Roa’s mother runs a cold noodle restaurant at Eurwangni Beach. It was because of a photo Roa’s father sent.
Roa, whose leg has improved, was helping his mother at the restaurant.
“We didn’t tell them we were coming, right?”
At Hanjoon’s question, I silently nodded.
I didn’t even tell Roa’s father.
I promised to come get him, but I left him alone for the past week.
Like PD Pyo, I wanted Roa to realize something.
That if you push yourself too hard for the sake of the current situation, you’ll eventually have to stop.
That’s also why I didn’t heal his knee with magic right away.
“Should we film Roa hyung’s surprised reaction? We can post it on Twittle.”
“Should we?”
What’s with the filming?
As I glanced at Jaewon and Hanjoon, who were huddled together talking in front of <Parkga’s Cold Noodle House>, I opened the door to the restaurant.
Siu followed behind me, laughing.
Then Hanjoon immediately complained.
“Hey! We need to film this!”
“Do whatever you want. Film it or don’t…”
As we stepped inside, our jaws dropped.
This… is not a situation for filming.