Chapter 112 - Since the Soundproofing Also Seems Quite Good
“The person who ca from Korea is looking for ?”
“Yeah, he singled you out.”
Hearing Producer Iwata's words, Alice blinked.
She knew that a Korean cable broadcasting station had co today to cover local idol culture, but she hadn't paid any attention to it, thinking it had nothing to do with her.
“For what business with ...?”
“Alice, do I have to say it with my own mouth?”
“Pardon?”
“Don't pretend to be innocent. You've been in the idol industry for a long ti too, so you should know exactly what I an.”
Hearing those words, Alice felt her heart sink.
She rembered the sight of Yu, the center of TEAM STM, getting into the car of an event company representative last month. At that ti, Iwata was bowing obsequiously while seeing her off.
“P-Producer, I don't do things like that...”
“He is soone the president of AA Pro specifically asked to take extra care of.”
“What?”
The president of AA Pro.
Hearing those words, Alice's eyes widened.
“Alice, you wanted to go major through AA Pro, didn't you?”
“Yes, but...”
“As you know, going major isn't an easy thing. Since our BBB is under AA Pro, the path is relatively open for us, but even so, catching an opportunity isn't easy.”
“…….”
“That opportunity has rolled right in front of you. You shouldn't miss this.”
Iwata enticed Alice with a sly smile.
“You've done sothing like a gyaranomi before, right? For now, just do it with that kind of feeling. After that, it'll depend on your own effort.”
“…….”
Gyaranomi refers to a part-ti job where one receives money to attend a drinking party. There are cases where unpopular celebrities run gyaranomi to make connections with the upper class as well.
However, Alice had never done anything like gyaranomi before. It was because she thought that a past of doing such things might hold her back in the future.
This was a professional mindset she had acquired through her life in Korea.
“It seems a style like yours is that person's type. So make good use of this opportunity.”
“…….”
“It's about ti you break away from TEAM STM too. This is a very good opportunity.”
In front of Iwata, who was spouting sweet talk, Alice bit her lip.
......
After finishing all the schedules, just when everyone was about to return to their respective hotels.
Kanade called out to stop Baek Hyeon-woo.
“Manager, are you busy tonight by any chance?”
“Why?”
“If you're not busy, please do this for .”
Saying so, Kanade held out her phone.
“Did you change your phone? I think it's my first ti seeing it.”
“It's a second phone.”
“A second phone?”
Baek Hyeon-woo tilted his head.
Dividing and using a phone for work and a phone for private life was sothing that often happened in the entertainnt industry, but...
“You don't have any acquaintances you contact privately anyway. I don't think you strictly need a second phone for private life.”
“Aren't you being too harsh?!”
Kanade flared up.
“This is a second phone for gaming. Because I have to run a sub-account.”
“That’s even worse.”
“I have to run the event today, but it’s too hard if I do it alone. Please do it with , Manager.”
“Why should I?”
“My fingers will break if I’m tapping two phones at the sa ti by myself! As my responsible manager, shouldn’t you prevent such a situation from happening?”
If that happened, it would be trouble.
Baek Hyeon-woo nodded and spoke.
“Then I should confiscate the phone.”
“W-What?!”
“As your responsible manager, I should block such a situation from occurring in the first place.”
“Ah...!”
As an unexpected situation unfolded, Kanade’s eyes widened.
“And anyway, I’m busy tonight, so I can’t help you.”
“W-Why?”
“Because I’m supposed to be introduced to an idol by Producer Iwata.”
“Pardon? I didn't hear anything about that from the PD.”
That was only natural. Because he hadn’t told PD Yoon Young-chan.
“Producer Iwata decided to introduce her to personally.”
“……!”
Kanade’s mouth fell wide open.
“M-Manager, by any chance, is that...”
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s nothing strange.”
Baek Hyeon-woo cut Kanade off in the middle of her sentence and denied it.
“Did you see Shiratani Alice at the live performance earlier?”
“Alice?”
“Yeah, the one from 77 Produce that you ntioned.”
Alice was an idol who had previously made it into the debut lineup on 77 Produce and was active in 7STAR. Since 7STAR disbanded, she had returned to her hotown of Saitama and was active as a mber of TEAM STM.
“I wanted to talk with her.”
“Are you trying to interview her by any chance? Because of the broadcast?”
“No, if it were because of the broadcast, I would have told PD Yoon.”
Baek Hyeon-woo shook his head.
“This is separate from the broadcast.”
“Ah, then is it because you have a personal interest...?”
Kanade glared sideways at Baek Hyeon-woo.
“Manager, the unnies asked a favor, you know? To keep an eye on you so you don’t look elsewhere.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Didn’t you get introduced by Producer Iwata because you want to go on a date with Shiratani Alice?”
“Why would I date all the way here in Japan?”
“Because in Korea, you have to be mindful of other people’s eyes.”
“I’m not even a celebrity, so why should I care about other people’s eyes?”
“You appear on variety shows, so you’re pretty much like a celebrity...”
“No, I’m not.”
In fact, he was already in a position close to a celebrity. But Baek Hyeon-woo did not want to admit that fact.
“It’s not personal. If I had to say, it’s official business.”
“Official business?”
“Yeah.”
Baek Hyeon-woo nodded.
“I want to et her as a manager of Haram Entertainnt.”
“……?”
“Ah, this will work.”
A good idea ca to mind.
“You co along too.”
“Pardon? Go together?”
“Yeah, when I et Alice-ssi, you sit in too.”
Kanade wore a troubled expression.
“But I have to play my ga?”
“Then you can just sit quietly next to . I won't say anything even if you're gaming.”
“Why go out of your way to...”
“That way, there won't be any misunderstandings for either side. For you, and for Alice-ssi's side as well.”
Baek Hyeon-woo had absolutely no ulterior motives. He was simply interested in the idol nad Alice.
“I'll play the ga with you when it's over.”
“Ugh... using the ga as bait, that's cheap.”
Although Kanade grumbled, she ultimately nodded her head.
......
'I really can't do this.'
Inside the elevator, Alice bit her lip.
'Let's apologize to that person and ask for his understanding.'
She had arrived at the eting place after being pushed into it by Producer Iwata, but no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't accept it. It felt like she had to directly state her refusal to that Korean nad Baek Hyeon-woo.
'I'll get scolded terribly by the producer, but it can't be helped.'
He might even tell her to leave TEAM STM. Even if that happened, Alice intended to accept it. Because she didn't want to stay any longer in a place that forced this kind of entertainnt.
“Welco. I heard from Mr. Iwata.”
“Ah, yes...”
“Please co this way. I will guide you to the room.”
The place Alice stepped into was a mbership-only bar used by people who wanted to drink away from the eyes of others.
Following the clerk's guidance inside, she saw Baek Hyeon-woo drinking a beverage in a room that looked well-soundproofed.
“Hello, I am Alice.”
Alice greeted him in Korean first. She had studied Korean hard during her 7STAR days, so there was no problem with communication.
“Baek Hyeon-woo-ssi, I'm sorry, but today...”
Alice was about to start with an apology, but she flinched imdiately.
There was soone else sitting in the room besides Baek Hyeon-woo.
It was the girl who had been walking around with Baek Hyeon-woo at the venue earlier, and she was in the middle of playing a ga while clutching her phone.
“Don't mind her. She's busy gaming.”
“Pardon?”
What on earth was going on?
She thought it would be a situation where she had to entertain him in a secret room of a mbership-only bar, but a girl who was playing a phone ga so hard her fingers must hurt was sitting with him.
It was a far cry from the slimy atmosphere Alice had expected.
“Please have a seat for now.”
“Ah...”
Baek Hyeon-woo offered her the opposite seat, but Alice hastily shook her head. Today, she intended to just apologize and leave without sitting down.
“Baek Hyeon-woo-ssi, I am sorry.”
Alice apologized while bowing her head.
“I don't think I can stay with you today. I will tell Producer Iwata myself, so...”
“Did you have another schedule?”
Baek Hyeon-woo asked in a calm voice.
“Perhaps you have to go to a part-ti job?”
“Ah, no. I usually work a part-ti job, but I don't do it on days when there's a live performance...”
The money BBB Production gave to Alice was a pittance. Since Alice lived alone, she had to work a part-ti job to secure her living expenses.
When she was in Korea, the agency provided room and board, but it was difficult to expect such things here.
“What kind of part-ti job do you do? I heard from another mber today that they usually work part-ti at a concept cafe.”
“Ah, I don't work at those kinds of places. Only at supermarkets and restaurants...”
“Why is that? I heard it's good because it creates a synergy effect when done alongside idol activities.”
A concept cafe refers to a cafe where clerks dressed in a specific concept serve custors, like a maid cafe.
Because it could be circulated in a way that brought idol fans to the cafe and cafe custors to the performance venue, there were quite a few mbers in TEAM STM who worked at concept cafes.
“That's... because I want to compete with my singing and dancing.”
“Singing and dancing.”
Baek Hyeon-woo nodded.
“That's good.”
“Pardon?”
Could he have said it sarcastically? Alice looked at Baek Hyeon-woo's face.
“Alice-ssi.”
However, Baek Hyeon-woo's expression was serious.
“When I asked to be introduced to Alice-ssi earlier, Producer Iwata was very troubled. He kept recomnding other mbers.”
“Ah, that's...”
“It must be because he knows Alice-ssi is soone who tries to compete with singing and dancing.”
Iwata knew very well that Alice was not a mber who would willingly co out to a place like this. It was because Baek Hyeon-woo wanted it that he had no choice but to send Alice.
“But you see.”
Baek Hyeon-woo's eyes grew sharp.
“For soone like that, you didn't really stand out much in the live performance.”
“……!”
Alice was startled.
“B-Baek Hyeon-woo-ssi, that's...”
“I know,” Baek Hyeon-woo said before Alice could even explain.
“You matched the level of the mbers around you, didn't you? Because if you stand out too much alone, the balance will be broken.”
“……!”
That's right. When twelve people are singing and dancing together, one shouldn't stand out too much alone. For that reason, Alice had always been careful to harmonize with the other mbers. This was also Alice's professional mindset.
“So I beca a bit curious.”
Saying so, Baek Hyeon-woo placed his phone on the table.
“Exactly how it would be if Alice-ssi displayed her true skills.”
“……!”
“So, could I ask for one song?”
Baek Hyeon-woo selected a song from a music streaming site. As the intro started playing, Alice gasped.
“B-Baek Hyeon-woo-ssi.”
“I imagine you haven't usually had the chance to sing to your heart's content.”
The na of the song playing now was ‘Secret tears’. It was a song Alice had sung while active as a mber of 7STAR in Korea.
“Since the soundproofing here seems to be good as well, try singing to your heart's content once.”
......
Baek Hyeon-woo stared at Alice.
Unprepared to be asked for sothing like this, Alice was completely frozen.
But Baek Hyeon-woo had no intention of backing down. He wanted to verify it by any ans necessary—Alice's true potential, which couldn't be verified through the live performance he saw at the venue earlier.
———
[Alice]
Vocal: A
Dance: A
Visual: A
Potential: S
Body Condition: 75%
ntal Condition: 55%
———
A talent fully capable of competing even with prominent A-list idols in Korea was buried in a regional Japanese city.
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