Save a Failed Idol's Life

Chapter 162:

After calling the guy who was resting in his room, we finally had a meal with plenty of meat dishes.

“Doesn’t it seem like there’s more meat than usual?”

Kyunghwa squinted his eyes and stared at the meat plate for a while before asking.

“Hmm… I don’t think that’s just your illusion.”

Yi-jun also scooped up a generous portion of his share from the plate and put it on his rice.

“Usually, we only get the exact amount because of Seon-woo, but today we can eat as much as we want.”

It was fine to say no to him for a day or two, but it would be too much to keep nagging him about his eating habits every day. Even the kindest person would explode someday if they accumulated too much resentment.

Normally, I would choose to divide the meat equally among the members rather than letting them eat as much as they wanted.

‘But today is a rare day when Seon-woo is out of the dorm.’

I made more meat for them to eat as much as they wanted, and that caught their eyes right away.

“Anyway, I’ll enjoy it.”

Kyunghwa picked up well-cooked spicy pork and put it on his rice.

The subtle aroma of the lotus leaf rice and the crunchy taste of the chestnuts blended well with the salty and sweet flavor of the meat.

“Ah, this is really good.”

Yi-jun mixed his rice with the meat without hesitation, while Kyunghwa ate his rice and toppings separately.

He picked out the toppings like lotus root, walnut, and gingko first and then ate the remaining rice.

“The lotus root is cooked really well.”

It was frozen after being steamed and then steamed again, but it was still crunchy and had a good texture.

It felt like eating freshly steamed lotus root.

“That’s right, it’s not mushy, it’s crunchy.”

Kyunghwa agreed and popped the remaining lotus root into his mouth.

Seong-won glanced at his lotus root on his rice and then at mine.

“Why?”

Is there something wrong with it?

I asked him as he looked at me with a small voice.

“If you want to eat lotus root, just take more of mine.”

What?

You don’t like lotus roots?

I thought you didn’t have any preferences for side dishes.

I didn’t hesitate to take the lotus root that he had set aside before eating and brought it to my bowl.

“If you don’t want to eat it, just do that.”

It’s a surprise.

You don’t like lotus roots?

Lotus root is innocent.

I didn’t think much of it and ate the lotus root that Seong-won gave me.

It’s delicious.

After finishing a satisfying meal, I went straight to my room and turned on my laptop.

[Welcome, Cheon Ise.]

I logged into the internal management web server and checked the documents and emails that I had received during work.

I was basically a person who didn’t trust people well, so I felt more comfortable checking them again.

The schedule for now was confirmed to appear on Boys Be Ambitious, and for the variety show, it would be perfect if I agreed to the schedule that Hwijin suggested on the 18th.

I also looked over the proposals for the start date and staff composition of Boys in Crisis Season 2 and other various plans.

As I was looking at them, time flew by.

‘I’ll talk to the members when Seon-woo comes back.’

I didn’t realize how time passed as I looked at the work proposals that came in for each member, which I used to manage only at the company.

Most of them were small-scale radio appearances or local performances with too low budgets, so I had to reject them in favor of the program appearances.

‘I don’t see any appealing offers….’

I sighed and was about to take a break when an email caught my eye.

[Subject: [FavoriteLab] Exclusive Model Contract Inquiry]

‘Oh?’

It arrived exactly 15 minutes after I left work.

All the emails that arrived at the company’s main address were automatically forwarded to all the staff members, so the other managers would probably see it by tomorrow.

Could it be a virus or a crypto-hacking attempt?

I couldn’t shake off my suspicion and ran a virus scan before opening the email with a deep breath.

[Hello, manager. I am Seon Juhee, a marketing researcher at FavoriteLab.]

The email started with a brief introduction of the company, followed by various media materials for their current CFs. It was a fairly reliable intro and the conclusion was simple.

We don’t have enough money to hire five models, so we want to use one or two models.

The schedule may vary depending on our internal situation, but our first priority is Na Seon-woo, followed by Son Seong-won.

‘That sounds pretty good.’

Ten years ago, male models for cosmetics were mostly for homme/men’s lines, but nowadays, many male celebrities are used for color products that target women.

It’s not a product that would damage our image, and it’s obviously beneficial to do it.

Plus, if it’s an exclusive contract, it’s not a one-time deal, so if the sales go well or something, we might expect the contract to expand from one person to the whole group.

‘I’ll talk to Seon-woo about this later.’

I worked hard all day, but I wasn’t sure if it would work out, and I couldn’t completely shake off the vague anxiety. But when I finally found something I could do with confidence, I felt more motivated.

It’s still just an offer, and I have to negotiate with the other party and sign the contract before it becomes my job.

But still, it’s something that they offered.

And according to my search, FavoriteLab was the hottest brand among the 20s, with a wide range of distribution from department stores to drugstores.

It was a bit pricey, so it would also help build a luxurious image.

I have to get this! As I was feeling determined, I heard a rustling sound at the entrance.

“I’m home!”

When I opened the door and went to the living room, Seon-woo was smiling awkwardly, carrying a lot of stuff as if he was immigrating.

“What’s that…. a turtle?”

He was holding a suitcase handle in his hand, and he had a huge bag on his back, which looked like a shell.

“Uh…. They sent me a new winter quilt, since it’s getting cold, and an electric blanket too, in case the new house is cold….”

So that’s what he brought. Most of it was clothes and bedding.

“What about the clothes?”

Seon-woo had lost weight again, so he might not fit into the clothes he wore last winter.

“They told me to take the ones I left at home when I debuted, in case they don’t fit….”

He must have packed everything and sent it when he moved. It would take him more than three hours to sort it out if I left it to him.

“We’ll help you sort it out, so you go wash your hands and feet first.”

“Okay…!”

As soon as Kyunghwa rolled up his sleeves and helped him, it took less than 30 minutes to finish.

“Can you all gather in the living room for a moment when you’re done?”

There were a lot of things to decide, including the exclusive model contract.

“Huh? Uh…”

Yi-jun, who was brushing Pposili’s fur with him between his legs, threw the fur balls into the trash can and sat on the sofa.

They all took their seats and looked at me with curious eyes, which made me feel a bit pressured.

“Uh… The reason I called you here is…”

Ahem, I cleared my throat and brought up the most urgent matter first.

“Hwijin said he has a variety show appearance on December 18th, and he wants to film it at our dorm as a housewarming party, if possible. Any opinions?”

They all showed positive reactions.

“Oh, I think that’s a good idea. The last time we met him at the resort, the response was pretty good. It would be nice if we could air it on terrestrial TV instead of web variety.”

“I’m fine with it. Hwijin was very considerate and helpful when he came to the countryside last time.”

That was the opinion of the extroverts, and the introverts had a different one.

‘…’

As expected, Seong-won looked reluctant and his face showed it.

“…”

Kyunghwa also seemed to agree for the sake of profit, but he didn’t look very happy.

“If you don’t like it, just say so.”

When I said that with a smile, Kyunghwa pursed his lips and answered.

“No, it’s not that I really hate it, but…”

His expression said otherwise. Well… He had been putting up with it since the first radio appearance.

“Do you hate it that much even though Kang Yu-geon is not coming?”

Yi-jun teased him with a smirk. That guy had a knack for provoking people.

“What are you talking about? When did I act like I was so conscious of Kang Yu-geon?”

Kyunghwa denied it right away, and Yi-jun was about to add something unnecessary, so I quickly covered his mouth.

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Ignore what he says. If you’re uncomfortable, you can just skip it and say you have a schedule, or you can go to your parents’ house or something…”

I suggested that, thinking of the day when Seon-woo visited his home, but Kyunghwa immediately shook his head.

“No, I’ll just stay at the dorm. It’s better to work as much as possible when I get a booking. It’s not like I know when they’ll call me again.”

Kyunghwa clenched his teeth and shook his head as if he had seen a ghost.

Did I say something wrong? I was a bit puzzled by his reaction, but I didn’t think too much about it.

“You too. If you don’t like the atmosphere, you can leave the dorm.”

I looked into Seong-won’s eyes next, and he licked his lips with a displeased expression.

“I’m fine too. I’d rather stay at the dorm.”

He didn’t look fine at all, but… He said OK himself, so what can I do? I nodded and wrapped it up.

“Then I’ll contact them and say we’re in. Remember December 18th, everyone.”

“Okay.”

Then, what’s next… What should I talk about first? The good news or the slightly troublesome news? I decided to get rid of the troublesome one first.

“About our manager. Do you think it’s okay to keep going like this?”

“Huh?”

They all looked surprised at the topic I brought up after some thought.

“Why the manager?”

Yi-jun, who seemed to be the closest to the manager among the five of us, tilted his head in confusion.

“It’s not that. Until now, we didn’t have much activity, and there wasn’t much need for manager support. But as I work, I often find that the support staff is not what I had in mind.”

I didn’t tell the members that the other management had called me to scold me as they had complained.

Except for the fact that I didn’t feel like he was on our side… he wasn’t bad at handling the work.

That’s why I couldn’t easily say thank you for your hard work, this is all I ask of you.

They say new wine goes into new wineskins, but I had already split from the label, and I couldn’t stand having a manager who had never worked before.

Kyunghwa opened his mouth in this frustrating situation.

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