Genius Idol’s Strategy to Conquer the Entertainment Industry

Chapter 238

The dance practice video for the cheering event arrived at the company a week ago.

The choreography was easy to grasp, so we learned it quickly.

The problem was the members’ stamina, which was drained by the comeback preparations.

We had to redo the recordings as the company’s producing staff sharply pointed out the corrections needed.

The music video barely started filming recently due to issues with the production company.

The tight schedule forced us to endure overnight filming.

There were so many other things to worry about that even Kang Ji-woo, who usually didn’t get tired easily, would pass out as soon as he returned to the dorm.

I also barely managed to hold on by using blessings whenever I felt like collapsing.

However, I had been trying to refrain from using that skill as much as possible these days, so the situation wasn’t exactly comfortable.

Especially for Ban Yo-han, who originally didn’t have good stamina, it must have been unbearable since he was also filming for the Idol Athletics Championship basketball team.

Whenever we had a moment to rest, he could often be seen closing his eyes as if he were dead, no matter the location.

“That hyung looks like he’s really going to die. Is the Athletics Championship filming that tough?”

I asked Seo Moon-gyeol, who seemed relatively fine compared to Ban Yo-han, though they had both been to the filming.

“The training is tougher than I thought. And…”

“Yeah.”

Seo Moon-gyeol chose his words carefully before continuing.

“The director is paying special attention to Yo-han hyung, so he’s having a harder time than me.”

Surprised, I widened my eyes.

“The director? Not the filming director, but the basketball coach?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? Because he’s bad at it?”

That guy said himself that he was good at it. Was it all just bluff?

Seo Moon-gyeol shook his head at my question.

“No, it’s not that. Yo-han hyung is good at basketball. I think the coach is paying more attention to him because he’s good.”

“How exactly is he paying attention to him? Is he calling him even during breaks to teach him something?”

“Well…”

Hearing from Seo Moon-gyeol about the unknown basketball coach’s treatment of Ban Yo-han, I gaped in astonishment.

Seo Moon-gyeol seemed to think that the coach was just giving more attention because Ban Yo-han was good at basketball.

‘Isn’t that just bullying?’

I hadn’t seen it myself, so I couldn’t be sure.

No matter how annoying Ban Yo-han was, he wasn’t the type to make an adult who he needed to get along with dislike him first.

I couldn’t understand how such a situation had occurred.

Moreover, just from the shocking “I am pure” conversation I had with Han Gi-joon during the Idol Variety Show Battle, it was clear that Ban Yo-han wouldn’t stay quiet if someone bullied or annoyed him.

It didn’t matter if I, Kang Ji-woo, or Gyun Seong-ha insulted Ban Yo-han.

But thinking about some stranger messing with our member made me feel strangely upset.

“It’s nothing.”

At that moment, Ban Yo-han’s voice came low, as if he had been sleeping.

“I personally know someone the coach knows.”

“Who is that person the coach knows?”

“The coach of the black team.”

“How do you know the black team’s coach?”

“He was my high school basketball coach.”

“You were in the basketball team?”

“No.”

This kind of irritating attitude, making me want to hit him even though he hadn’t done anything special, seemed to be a characteristic of Ban Yo-han.

“Re…really?”

“…”

I felt like I could win if I recharged with blessings and took him on.

For the smooth preparation of the team’s comeback, I held back and asked something else.

“Did you join the basketball team because of that coach?”

“No. I found out he was there after I joined.”

“Like I said, I joined because I’m good at it.”

Turning his body from the passenger seat, Ban Yo-han glanced at my expression and threw out a remark casually.

“Do I look like someone who would slack off and not do well just because it’s troublesome?”

“…”

On a night when Seo Moon-gyeol said we had to align ourselves, a similar sharp tension swept over me like a cool breeze heralding the transition from summer to autumn.

Seo Moon-gyeol, who had been listening to the entire conversation between Ban Yo-han and me, sat silently without showing any discomfort.
The new manager, who was driving, seemed to feel slightly uncomfortable with the subtle tension in the car and glanced at us.

Maybe he was worried about potential conflicts between the members.

Or perhaps, being new to working with us, he simply found it entertaining to witness idols, whose names were somewhat known, having such conversations.

And I came to a conclusion.

As mentioned before, Ban Yo-han would do just fine even if thrown into Mexico, so it’s better not to worry about that guy, no matter what.

* * *

“We’re almost there. Please wake up those sleeping in the back. We need to hurry a bit if we don’t want to be late.”

“Yes, I’ll wake them up.”

Following the new manager’s words, who nervously glanced between the clock and the red traffic light, I woke up Gyun Seong-ha and Kang Ji-woo.

Ahead, we saw the massive headquarters of AJ, where we were scheduled to visit for our cheer practice today.

The reason for gathering there was that AJ, a large agency, had ample practice space to accommodate dozens of people at once.

Additionally, the reason was that RaviRick, the team led by Rai, who was the captain of the Blue Team this year, belonged to AJ.

After getting out of the car, we quickly followed an employee up to the practice room.

“Hello!”

“Hello! Sorry for being late!”

Although strictly speaking, we weren’t late, arriving just in time because of our previous schedule made it evident that we were among the last to arrive, given the many people already present.

There were forty people participating in the cheer event, including us.

Groups with some recognition like RaviRick and Sonetti were mixed with lesser-known groups.

While two or three groups with more experience weren’t present, it was safe to say almost every group on the Blue Team was participating.

“Are you Orca? It’s okay. You’re not late.”

“Hello~”

Thankfully, most people welcomed us warmly.

Not just because we weren’t late, but also because the people here seemed quite interested in us.

Well, it’s better than not being noticed at all. They say entertainers live off attention.

Ban Yo-han and Seo Moon-gyeol greeted the team members they had met during the basketball filming, and I lightly greeted people I had encountered while hosting Music PangPang.

Especially among the idols participating in the basketball game, a strong camaraderie from shared hardships was evident, giving a glimpse of how tough the training must have been.

“Alright, those who haven’t arrived yet are considered late.”

So there were still people who hadn’t arrived.

“Hello. I’m Rai from RaviRick, the captain of the Blue Team this year!”

Applause and cheers from the Blue Team members poured out for Rai.

“Thank you. Before we begin, can those participating in the Athletics Championship for the first time please stand up?”

We promptly stood up, and a girl group sitting opposite us also cautiously rose.

It seemed we were the newest group on the Blue Team.

The girl group, Berry Blossom, who had just stood up, debuted two and a half years ago. They had lived a near-anonymous life in the entertainment world until their recent activities earned them public recognition, giving them the chance to participate in the Idol Athletics Championship for the first time.

The Idol Athletics Championship was a challenging program many idols tried to avoid, but for others, it was a precious opportunity they could barely secure.

“Let’s give a round of applause to welcome Orca and Berry Blossom!”

Applause similar to the earlier one was directed at us.

The overall atmosphere seemed positive.

“Then, can the leaders of each team introduce themselves? Let’s start with Orca.”

“Yes, let’s greet them!”

Always prepared, our leader Kang Ji-woo shouted, “On and on, ORCA!” with a loud and clear voice.

“Hello, we are Orca! We’ll do our best! Please take care of us!”

“Please take care of us!”

“So spirited!”

“Wow! Handsome!”

Since cameras were rolling here and there, we skillfully drew hearts with our hands towards the seniors giving broadcast-worthy reactions, receiving twice the response in return.

Following us, the slightly nervous Berry Blossom greeted the crowd.

Though it might just be my perception, the cheers and reactions felt slightly less enthusiastic compared to our case.

Observing the atmosphere, it seemed I wasn’t the only one who noticed the difference, as the members of Berry Blossom seemed a bit deflated.

Rai, who had made us sit down again, naturally took charge of the proceedings.

“Did everyone learn the basic choreography shared in advance? The cheer competition scores are significant, so let’s give it our all! We need to win this year!”

“Yes!”

“If we practice well today, we’ll cancel the next scheduled practice and meet just once before the event!”

The mention of practice exemption spurred cheers from everywhere, motivated by Rai’s words.

With the comeback approaching, I couldn’t help but hope we could nail it today and reduce the number of meetings.

Fortunately, the practice itself proceeded smoothly.

There were a few who hadn’t fully memorized the choreography, but we managed by moving them to the back or having them practice separately. The rest of us coordinated perfectly.

However, a slightly tricky issue arose during the first break.