Chapter 136
KangYoon was currently visiting Priella Entertainment, the single biggest music distribution company in Korea . He was having a meeting with Lee TaeShik, the head of the music charts department .
Department head Lee TaeShik brewed KangYoon some coffee, which was rare for someone of his position .
“Eunha’s popularity is great these days . She keeps playing at the top of the charts . ”
Department head Lee TaeShik of Priella Entertainment could not hide his surprise .
“Thank you . We appreciate it as a company . ”
KangYoon sipped some coffee . He was here with a nervous expression, but it was good that some pleasant conversation was going .
It had been two weeks since the music was released .
Although the charts should be changing by now, Eunha’s alb.u.m did not show any signs of going down anytime soon . The t.i.tle song ‘Speak Happy Day’ played around the 5th position, while the other songs were solidly in the charts at 10th and 20th respectively .
Lee TaeShik did not hide his praises saying that this was a very rare occasion when digital singles were mainstream nowadays .
“We are in a situation where visual music is the majority, so Eunha’s rather traditional ways have created a lot of fans . She’s good on stage, and her songs are easy on the ears . Honestly speaking, though, I didn’t have high expectations of her . ”
“I only hoped it would go well . ”
“The only thing that was lacking was the music video . A lot of people were disappointed after looking at the music video after they saw her debut stage . ”
“Hahaha… . ”
KangYoon laughed awkwardly . It wasn’t that he didn’t put much thought into the music video, but the live stage just had too much of an impact .
However, Lee TaeShik said that it was okay and spoke on .
“Eunha’s promotional video right now is the music video . I believe that we should change it to her debut video . ”
“That sounds good . Please do it that way . ”
KangYoon spoke about a lot of other things after that . He also asked about the reactions offline, as well as the reactions of other companies . Lee TaeShik said that there were no differences in offline sales .
And also…
“What’s interesting is that the senior singers are paying attention to her voice . Many say that her vocal output is good . I’ve met several of them myself . ”
“Hahaha . I wonder who they are . ”
“Eunha must have it good . A lot of her seniors want to work with her . Though, it may tire her out since they are quite picky people . ”
Department head Lee TaeShik said in a prankful tone .
They talked about the distribution of music afterward for a long time .
When the sun was about to set, KangYoon stood up from his seat . It was time for him to go back .
“I wish we would meet in better conditions next time . ”
“Please have a safe trip home . ”
KangYoon left Priella Entertainment like that . This meeting gave him a lot of benefits .
‘Let’s go then . ’
KangYoon returned to his company after that meeting .
When he went to the office, Lee HyunJi and Lee SamSoon were talking to each other .
“President, you’re here . ”
Lee HyunJi greeted him . Lee SamSoon also stood up from her seat to greet him .
“I’m back . SamSoon’s here too?”
“I was talking about Modern Farmer with the director . ”
The two were talking about the program that Lee SamSoon would soon partic.i.p.ate in . KangYoon also sat on the sofa and joined in on the conversation .
“So there are a total of 6 singers including SamSoon in the partic.i.p.ants . But wait, Nael… I thought it was another person until just a few days ago . ”
KangYoon was confused . Lee HyunJi shook her head .
“It looks like they had their own circ.u.mstances . The chief producer for that program and GNB’s president seems to be on close terms . I believe that there was an exchange somewhere . ”
“It’s good that we weren’t the ones who were excluded . ”
“Well, not like we would stay still if we were . ”
KangYoon shook his head at Lee HyunJi’s words .
“Maybe . But well, SamSoon is a very desirable character for a program like this . For them, she’s not someone to change for someone else . ”
Unless the producers were idiots, Lee SamSoon was a card they could never abandon . She had experience appearing on TV, had knowledge about the countryside, and she had her own unique traits as well . Who would throw her away?
“That Nael kid, it sure looks like they’re backing her up a lot . ”
KangYoon replied with a smile at Lee SamSoon’s words .
“Her company is big after all . When you girls first had your debut, the company backed you up a lot as well . ”
“Really now?”
Lee SamSoon tilted her head . It seemed that the frog did not remember its tadpole days . Even Lee HyunJi burst out laughing when she saw that . Lee SamSoon could not understand why they were laughing .
Switching topics, KangYoon talked about Lee SamSoon again .
“There are a total of 8 partic.i.p.ants including SamSoon . They will go farming in Hoengseong in Gangwon-do for two days and one night . They will literally be living there for two days . That’s the theme . ”
“It says two days one night, but it also says that they may increase it to three days later . All meals are self-made and… wow, that looks like one tiring schedule . The producer sounds greedy . ”
“Well, if editing goes well, it would definitely look good on TV . I believe that this is a good theme . ”
KangYoon switched topics to the other partic.i.p.ants . Lee SamSoon also focused since this was about the people she would spend time with .
“Kang HyunMi, age 41 . She’s the oldest among the ladies . She’s the big unni . She has some heft to her, and she’s definitely a veteran in TV programs . ”
“Her reputation is good as well . SamSoon, you also appeared on TV with her right?”
Lee SamSoon nodded her head at Lee HyunJi’s question .
“Yes . HyunMi-unni is a good person . She gave me a lot of food . ”
KangYoon couldn’t help but smile at that answer .
“That’s not the only reason you like her, right?”
“Uhm, about half, I guess?”
When Lee SamSoon replied in a joking tone, KangYoon burst out laughing .
They continued to talk about the other cast .
There was Song HakTae, the oldest of them all; Miri and Yeri, who were both around her age, Yoon SeulGi, who was quite old for an idol, as well as the rookie Nael . KangYoon and Lee HyunJi talked about what they thought of each of these people and told Lee SamSoon how she should act .
“…So in conclusion, I should just do what I did before I became a trainee?”
KangYoon agreed to the clear conclusion .
“Yes . The producer wants exactly that . ”
“Won’t I look like some poor country girl?”
When Lee SamSoon got worried, KangYoon shook his head .
“It’s fine . Everything’s okay as long as it’s not dating rumors, okay?”
“Dating rumors? Pfft, okay . Gotcha . ”
Lee SamSoon said she understood the clear directions and stood up from her seat .
When she returned to her dorm, Lee HyunJi asked KangYoon .
“Shouldn’t we look for at least two people to manage Eddios?”
“We should . But it’s quite hard to cover for them all… . Phew, it’s giving me headaches . ”
“Looks like you’ll have to act as one for a while . ”
“…Please employ one as soon as possible . ”
It was quite tiring that he could do everything . KangYoon felt a headache about what’s to come regarding Lee SamSoon’s schedule .
***
4th floor of Lunas . Eddios’s practice room never saw the dark of the night .
All members of Eddios including Jung MinAh regained their senses through practicing day and night . They also did not forget to train their bodies .
Jung MinAh and Christie An were practicing late into the night .
“Fuu… . ”
Christie turned off the music and collapsed onto the floor . Her body was already drenched with sweat .
“Should we rest a little?”
She accepted Jung MinAh’s rest proposal gladly .
When Jung MinAh sat down, Christie approached her like a ghost and rested her head against her thigh .
“…You really don’t change even after all these years . ”
“This is the comfiest spot . It’s not too hard, and not too soft . ”
“People will misunderstand, you know? When we stick to each other like this all the time . ”
“What can we do about that? It’s not a rumor but the truth . ”
“Eeek?”
When Jung MinAh freaked out, Christie’s face became an evil smirk .
“Fufufu, obediently hand over your body . ”
“N… no!”
The two played around like that .
After a round of messing around, Jung MinAh also laid down on the floor . The lights from the high ceiling seemed to urge her to practice .
Christie An rolled around on the floor a little bit before turning around to Jung MinAh’s direction .
“MinAh . Your solo alb.u.m is in March, right?”
“Yeah, he said so . ”
“So there’s not a lot of time left . Is the song out yet?”
“No, they were busy with JiMin’s debut . I think mine just got started . ”
“I hope it goes well . Both you and SamSoon . ”
“It will go well . Isn’t that obvious?”
“Right?”
Jung MinAh smiled with a confident expression . But then, she seemed to have thought up of something and abruptly stood up .
“Right! This is not the time to be here!”
“What’s up?”
“Sorry! I’m going back first!”
Unlike her usual self, Jung MinAh hurriedly dressed up before leaving the practice room .
She didn’t even take a shower .
“What’s up with her? Did something happen?”
Christie, who was left alone, tilted her head .
***
Recently, shops that taught how to make hand-made cakes were in the boom .
For Valentine’s Day, many women filled such shops .
Lee HyunAh and Lee ChaHee were two of them .
“Why did you have to drag me here?”
Lee ChaHee complained while squeezing fresh cream out of a bag she had never used before . However, her hands were nonetheless delicate with their movements .
Lee HyunAh was satisfied with Lee ChaHee’s dexterity .
“Yes, that’s it, ChaHee! How could I do this without your help? Huh?”
“Like I said, why am I the one doing this?”
“ChaHee~ . ”
Lee HyunAh asked her friend for help while acting cute . Lee ChaHee ended up chuckling and slowly squeezed the fresh cream .
When the cake looked somewhat like a cake, Lee HyunAh put chocolate on top . She wrote some letters with the chocolate .
[World ENT Forever]
Lee ChaHee spoke while reading the chocolate letters .
“Our company isn’t yet 1 year old, no?”
“Nah, but who cares? It’s all about the mood . ”
It wasn’t an anniversary…
Around them were many ladies who were making cakes for their boyfriends .
Lee ChaHee simply couldn’t understand her friend .
‘So, what’s the relationship between Valentine’s Day and the 1st year anniversary of the company?’
However, she couldn’t ask that question out loud when her little friend looked so excited .
Lee ChaHee quietly helped Lee HyunAh finish the cake .
***
Meanwhile,
Eddios’s dorms
*Sizzle!*
“Unni! The pot is burning, the pot!”
Seo HanYu panicked when she heard an unusual sound from the kitchen .
“Water, get some water!”
“Unni!”
Two people who had nothing to do with cooking were in a mess . In the end, the chocolate became black charcoal, and the kitchen was filled with smoke .
With all the mess in the kitchen, Ailee, who was watching TV in the living room, came to them .
“What the h.e.l.l are you girls doing?”
“We were making Valentine’s chocolate… . ”
Jung MinAh mumbled . Since the kitchen was filled with smoke, she had no excuses .
Ailee had fires lit up in her eyes, which was rare for her .
“How high heat did you cook the chocolate?”
“Huh? Just normal… . ”
“What? Then you did it under high flame? Without even double boiling it?”
“… . . ”
“No, no, no . Girls, what in the world have you done?”
Hearing their fellow’s shouts, both Jung MinAh and Seo HanYu looked down in shame . They became sinners after the kitchen was filled with black smoke . Although the two were usually quite sharp, they were clueless about cooking .
“Sheesh, I can’t stand this . ”
Looking at the dejected duo, Ailee sighed before rolling up her sleeves .
She took out another pot and poured some whipped cream into the bowl before putting it on the stovetop . She turned the fire to low heat and added some icing sugar . When the whipped cream started boiling, she added chocolate and brought it to a simmer .
“Wow… . ”
Seeing that Ailee’s cooking was just like the pictures on the internet, Seo HanYu exclaimed deeply . Even though they used the same method… she couldn’t understand how the results were drastically different .
Ailee shrugged before speaking .
“You put too little whipped cream in it . There was too much chocolate as well . No wonder it got burnt . ”
“Ah… . . ”
Jung MinAh also understood . Right now, Ailee couldn’t be prettier .
Eventually, the chocolate melted and the contents of the pot became viscous .
“Give me the mold . ”
Jung MinAh immediately gave her the mold at her orders . It was a cute mold of a character from an animation . Ailee carefully poured the chocolate onto the mold .
“Oh, there’s cocoa powder as well? You can just sprinkle it on top and refrigerate it . ”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Jung MinAh immediately got to work in confidence . Since there was a lot of chocolate, it took quite some time .
When it was all poured into molds they put all the chocolate into the refrigerator .
“*Yawn*… . ”
After a long process, Ailee stretched her arms out .
Jung MinAh ma.s.saged her shoulders .
“Ailee! Thanks a lot! It’s all thanks to you!”
“Heh, it was nothing much . ”
Ailee puffed out her chest and smiled . The Ailee that was unable to follow a dance routine was no longer here . Right now, she was the G.o.ddess of cooking!
Seo HanYu was also surprised at Ailee .
“Thank you, unni . But wait . MinAh-unni, who are you planning on giving them to?”
“Those? Oh… Uhm . The people at the company?”
“Really? Everyone will like them for sure . ”
“Ri… right?”
Jung MinAh sweated seeing that Seo HanYu didn’t have any suspicions .
***
“Here’s some obligatory chocolate . ”
KangYoon asked in a confused tone seeing Lee HyunJi give him some high-cla.s.s chocolate as soon as he came to work .
“Is today special?”
KangYoon asked back in a confused tone as he accepted the chocolate . Lee HyunJi chuckled and looked at KangYoon like she was seeing an idiot .
“Today’s Valentine’s Day . ”
“Ah? Oh, today’s already… . ”
KangYoon turned around to have a look at the calendar .
February 14th .
It was the day where men and women of all sorts of relations got into chaos .
“Then I’ll be looking forward to March . ”
The chocolate Lee HyunJi gave him was the expensive variety . KangYoon thanked her before popping it in his mouth . The chocolate seemed to contain something and tasted quite delicious .
Jung HyeJin was the next one to come to work and give him a bar of chocolate that was sold in the market .
“President, can I look forward to March?”
Seeing Jung HyeJin’s expectant eyes, KangYoon only replied with an awkward smile .
Lee HyunJi, who had brewed some coffee for herself, asked KangYoon .
“You called for a general meeting today, right?”
“Yes . JiMin’s alb.u.m is going well, and we need to talk about our next big matter . Looks like we’ll have one like this once every month at least . ”
He hurriedly prepared some materials for everyone at the meeting .
Not long after, Kim JaeHoon and Kim JiMin opened the door . Kim JaeHoon had something in his mouth, his hands holding onto a big piece of rectangular chocolate .
Kim JiMin gave KangYoon some chocolate as well . It was one that could easily be found in the market .
“You want me to eat all this by myself?”
“Can you? Your teeth will rot . ”
KangYoon joked with Kim JiMin but was replied with worry instead .
Seeing the artists come to the office one by one, everyone went down to the studio .
Not long later, HeeYoon, Christie An, Ailee, and the others started entering . All of them had some chocolate for KangYoon . In no time at all, KangYoon’s hands were full of chocolate .
Seeing that, Lee HyunJi said in an envious tone .
“Looks like our president is one lucky man . ”
“This is a first for me too . ”
“Please give me some later . I’m lacking in some blood sugar lately… . ”
“Hahahaha . ”
The studio was filled with laughs at Lee HyunJi’s joke .
At that moment, the door opened and Jung MinAh and Lee HyunAh came in together . In Jung MinAh’s hand was a large paper bag, and Lee HyunAh’s hands were holding a large cake box .
“Wow . MinAh and HyunAh’s chocolates are on a different order of magnitude . ”
Seeing the ‘gifts’ in their hands, Lee HyunJi’s eyes became big . Others had the same reaction . Before they could even ask who it was for, both of the girls presented their gifts to KangYoon .
“These… are for me?”
KangYoon panicked and smiled awkwardly .
“……”
“……”
At the same time, sparks lit up in the eyes of the two newest ladies .