Chapter 88: Level Up (8)

I thought it was over, but it wasn't.

Jellynyang's agency, NEXT Entertainment, is also a major entertainment company like Honey Entertainment.

"Why didn't we catch this?"

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"Since the promotion has already started, it seems impossible to postpone the schedule."

It's not just any group; Jellynyang is making a comeback.

The music industry will be shaken, and companies planning comebacks will choose to postpone their plans to avoid competition.

We should have done the same.

"I didn't expect them to pull such a dirty trick. We've been completely played."

"Even if they're upset, using Jellynyang like this?"

"They must have built enough trust to use them this way. Jellynyang is known for their loyalty."

Normally, before a comeback, agencies share their schedules to avoid overlaps. Fighting over the same comeback date only hurts both sides.

Major agencies avoid direct competition and share schedules to benefit each other.

But NEXT pulled a fast one on us.

They hid Jellynyang's comeback date.

"If they're coming back on August 2nd, it seems like they're targeting us."

"And it's not just a single; it's a full album."

"They're trying to bury us completely."

"But I don't get it. Can a girl group really compete with a boy group? Boy groups are usually more popular."

"This is Jellynyang we're talking about. They're not just any girl group. They have a massive individual fanbase. They're on a different level."

"The problem isn't just that. We were planning to focus on promoting the boys' skills. But now, Jellynyang will be right there as a comparison. Will that work?"

"It won't. If we're compared to Jellynyang, their fans will laugh at us."

Our promotion plan is ruined.

But we can't cancel everything we've prepared.

Every activity costs money, and canceling everything will also cost a lot.

"Let's come up with the best and worst-case scenarios."

"The best-case scenario is that we get some criticism but successfully promote the boys' skills."

"The worst-case scenario?"

"We start promoting, get compared to Jellynyang, get criticized heavily, the boys' mental state collapses, they can't perform well, and we have to stop the activities."

"Jellynyang's fandom might attack us too."

"Wow, but their fandom is mostly women. Women would criticize our boys? Have they seen our boys' faces?"

Everyone agrees that S.K.Y's members are incredibly handsome.

"A lot of them have unique tastes. There's a shortage of men these days."

"Anyway, our attitude should be clear. We must be friendly with Jellynyang."

"Don't be hostile; push for friendship."

"Let's put Hae-sol or Jun in the shows where Jellynyang appears. They're girls too, so they might want to be friends."

We couldn't join the staff meeting, so we just sat and listened.

They said there was a big problem and brought us all to the meeting, and this is the situation.

The members seemed confused, but I understood the situation thanks to my experience in the workplace.

The members looked like fish out of water, so I decided to explain.

"Do you understand why the staff is having this meeting?"

"Because Jellynyang seniors are making a comeback."

"You get the gist. The problem isn't just that they'll take all the attention. The bigger problem is that NEXT Entertainment didn't share the comeback date, which means they're trying to put us down."

"…Why us? We didn't do anything."

There must be a reason behind this.

As if reading my mind, Kang Gyeong-tae spoke up.

"I heard NEXT is debuting a new group soon."

"Wow, so they're doing this to us because of that?"

"We did really well after our debut, so they have a reason to target us."

NEXT Entertainment is using Jelly Nyang to disrupt our activities and debut their new group in the meantime.

"Wow, that's scary."

"They're manipulating public opinion! Is that it?"

"Are we just going to take this? Our company is big too; shouldn't they do something?"

"That's why they're having this meeting."

"What should we do? I hate just sitting here and taking it."

"Everyone, quiet!"

The members started talking louder, and soon everyone in the meeting, including the staff, was listening to us.

I calmed the excited members and said,

"What should we do? That's obvious. We do what the team tells us to do. If they tell us to perform, we give it our all. If they tell us to do a variety show, we go there and react like it's our last day. That's what we do."

"...."

"...."

The meeting room fell silent. Everyone seemed to be digesting my words.

A moment later, the manager broke the silence.

"Hae-sol is right. That's what you need to do. No matter how hard we work, if you don't do your part, it's all for nothing. If you do as Hae-sol says, the rest of the team will take care of everything. You'll see why we have a big agency and what we can do."

I agree with the manager.

The manager looked at us and the staff, nodding, and continued,

"If we try to promote you as a skilled group, the other side will use Jellynyang to compare and criticize you. Comparisons are relative. But if you do well on stage, what happens?"

"We'll have evidence to counter the comparisons."

The manager nodded, satisfied with my answer.

"Exactly. And this isn't all bad. You know what noise marketing is, right? This is an opportunity to showcase your skills to the public, even if it means taking some criticism."

Promoting your skills through hard work is one thing, but being compared to Jelly Nyang, even if it means taking some criticism, will have a much bigger impact.

"You'll be known as the skilled idol group 'S.K.Y' that can be compared to Jellynyang."

"But… I don't think we're that good yet."

"You're working hard. You've been successful since your debut, and you could have slacked off, but you've been practicing non-stop. Your skills have improved tremendously."

"That's because Hae-sol hyung is too talented… we're just trying to keep up."

"Whatever the reason, you've been preparing diligently for your next activities. You deserve to be praised. There's no need to be humble."

Honestly, with six energetic young men, it's natural to expect at least one to go astray.

But not a single one of them complained about spending most of their time practicing.

That's truly amazing.

This world is easy for men. Just reach out, and women will come to you.

But these guys have shut out all external distractions and are sweating it out for their dreams.

'These guys…'

Suddenly, I felt proud and ruffled the hair of the members sitting nearby.

I never thought I'd be touching a guy's head, but after spending so much time together, they feel like nephews, and it doesn't feel weird.

"You can do it."

"Yes!! We'll do our best. So, our team, fighting!!"

The members, who had been down, started to regain their spirit, and the worried staff also seemed more energized. The meeting continued with a much brighter atmosphere.

The members' determination to do their best was quite endearing.

"With the kids putting in so much effort, we can't slack off. Right, everyone?"

"Yes!!!"

"We have to do everything we can!!"

The staff, with renewed enthusiasm, were ready to go.

'They're all fired up.'

I don't know how our activities will turn out, but it's clear that we need to work harder.

••••••••••••

Jellynyang made their comeback.

A week before us, on August 2nd.

The members and I nervously checked out Jellynyang's new song and couldn't help but sigh.

"The song is really good."

"It's frustrating, but we have to admit it."

"The music video is amazing too."

"We're not bad either!! Don't be scared!!"

"Says the guy who's shaking right now. Idiot."

"I'm not!!"

"You are."

Eungyu and Kang Jun were bickering, Woo,-yeon was smiling and saying the song was good, Gyeong-tae was depressed, thinking we'd be completely overshadowed, and Jackie was analyzing the song by playing it on repeat.

Each member reacted in their unique way, preparing to face the unexpected final boss, Jelly Nyang.

'Even if we're still in the beginner zone, facing the final boss is too much.'

The good news is that the company doesn't seem to be taking this lightly.

The higher-ups don't see this as a simple issue but as a battle between NEXT Entertainment and Honey Entertainment, and they're pushing for aggressive promotion.

Aggressive promotion means money!

'If we have money, we can do anything! Right? Our fighting power has been boosted.'

Anyway, as expected, it didn't take long for the charts to change, and Jelly Nyang's album songs dominated the top 10.

The top 4 spots were all Jellynyang's songs, and they also had songs at positions 7 and 8.

"Wow… I'm jealous."

"They reclaimed the top spots instantly…. Did we misunderstand from the beginning? They're not someone we can compete with."

Even if we make a comeback, we can't be sure if we'll even make it into the top 100.

Our debut song did really well, but maybe we've been too complacent.

"This is what they call a reality check."

This time, even I had to agree with the members.

Jellynyang's momentum was truly formidable.

'Maybe our debut was too easy.'

We've been nurtured like precious flowers in the company's greenhouse, and now we're finally facing the wilderness.

To survive in this industry, we need to adapt to the harsh sunlight, damp winds, and rough soil.

The company no longer sees us as rookies needing protection.

To survive in the wild, you don't feed the cubs; you teach them how to hunt.

It's time for us to face reality and learn to survive in this industry.

* * *