Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 54

17. Baby Fox

For some reason, Director Hong Ui-chan had been shielding Young-chan, her co-star who was making a fuss on set, from her even before filming commenced.

Lee Na-eun questioned the reason, but the question quickly faded from her mind.

“NG! NG! NG!….”

It was all thanks to Director Hong Ui-chan, who was dissatisfied with her flat acting, which was supposed to portray her character’s boring and difficult daily life.

Unexpectedly, this wasn’t entirely negative.

Director Hong Ui-chan was a persistent person who, upon seeing potential, would continue shooting until he captured the desired shot, rather than simply settling for ‘OK’.

In other words, it also meant that he had identified something within her that could be further developed.

“Haa~. Don’t try to act. Just empty your mind and move as if you’re going through your everyday routine.”

“….I’m sorry.”

“Well… it’s gradually improving. Just a little more… bland.”

“…Yes.”

Director Hong Ui-chan was indeed persistent.

Even Na-eun, who prided herself on her patience, was becoming weary from the constant direction and the sheer boredom of it all.

The reason why the Black Tiger members, who adored Lee Na-eun, didn’t even consider visiting the set was because they were aware of Director Hong Ui-chan’s demanding nature.

“OK!”

Was it due to the relentless direction? Director Hong Ui-chan finally shouted ‘OK’ for the first time.

Whether it was actually because she was exhausted by his persistence or not, Na-eun’s current demeanor perfectly embodied that of a listless, hopeless girl.

“Was she already this good at acting back then?”

Young-chan, who was observing her from a distance, muttered in amazement.

Although he felt sympathy for her being put through the wringer by Director Hong Ui-chan, her performance was impressive even to Young-chan, who didn’t know much about acting.

“Well, that’s why she won the Best Actress award.”

In his memory, Lee Na-eun wasn’t just a top musician.

She had cultivated a successful career as an actress, culminating in winning the Best Actress award at the Berlin International Film Festival, one of the ‘Big Three’ [the three most prestigious film festivals in the world].

Perhaps Director Hong Ui-chan recognized that potential.

That’s why he kept calling for ‘NG’ [No Good, meaning ‘take another shot’] in between takes, as if there was more to be extracted, and ultimately captured the shot he wanted.

“It’s white. The world is white.”

Lee Na-eun, muttering words she didn’t understand, took a long, lamenting sigh while eating chocolate during a short break.

“Haa~. What should I do…”

In her opinion, the real challenge was about to begin.

She had to portray a girl who falls in love at first sight the moment she sees her ‘Sugar Daddy’ [an older, wealthy man who provides financial support to a younger person in exchange for companionship] and is completely overwhelmed, but she doubted whether she could generate such affectionate and vibrant emotions in her current, burnt-out state.

“I have to survive…”

She chewed on a fairly large chocolate bar, changed into her school uniform, and headed to the next scene with the reluctance of a cow being led to slaughter.

And upon arriving at the filming location, she met the CEO for the first time that day.

“!!!!”

At that moment, Lee Na-eun forgot all her previous worries.

She was no longer hesitant or struggling to grasp her emotions.

That’s how the filming commenced.

Throughout the filming, she gazed at him with clear and moist eyes, openly displaying her joy.

Simply watching her from the side evoked feelings of excitement and a subtle beauty.

A girl who is overwhelmed by her first love – precisely what Director Hong Ui-chan had been trying to capture.

She was now perfectly embodying that ideal.

Was that the reason?

At some point, Director Hong Ui-chan, who had been shouting ‘NG’ all morning, started calling out ‘OK’ repeatedly.

Thirty hours since filming began.

The end was finally in sight.

Lee Na-eun, the main character of the music video, and the filming staff were exhausted from the relentless forced march, but even this concluded ahead of schedule.

In fact, the filming schedule was originally set for up to four days.

“I hate you for not knowing my heart~. Bunny Bunny!”

“Bunny Bunny…”

Before they knew it, the filming staff were singing along to the chorus.

‘Bunny Bunny’, which was already light and catchy, was further enhanced by Young-chan’s editing and Lee Na-eun’s perfect vocals, resulting in a fantastic outcome.

Of course, one of the contributing factors was that most of them were dazed from being awake and working for 30 hours straight.

However, there’s always an exception.

Director Hong Ui-chan, who was also in charge of filming, seemed immune to fatigue and was reviewing his footage with more enthusiasm than ever before.

The FD [Floor Director], who was nervously swallowing saliva next to him, broke into a bright smile when Director Hong Ui-chan nodded his head emphatically.

“Filming is over! Thank you all for your hard work!”

-Waaaaah!-

The staff, who had been worried about potential additional filming, couldn’t help but cheer at the FD’s official announcement.

“Waaah! It’s over.”

And Lee Na-eun’s feelings were no different.

As with most music videos, Lee Na-eun had to carry the entire production herself.

She was fortunate to have grasped the emotional nuances that she was forced to demand because of Young-chan; otherwise, she would still be trapped in a nightmarish situation with no end in sight.

-Tap.-

“You did well today. Good job.”

“….Thank you.”

Young-chan patted Lee Na-eun on the back as she celebrated, and Lee Na-eun barely managed a puzzled response.

Young-chan tilted his head as if he found it strange, but didn’t comment on it.

He simply added that she should take good care of herself during the two days of break that resulted from the early completion of filming.

Although the music video filming ended early, Young-chan couldn’t rest like Lee Na-eun.

As the CEO, in addition to being a singer, he had a mountain of tasks to address now that the entertainment expansion was in full swing.

He was only able to dedicate time to the music video filming thanks to his manager.

While he was rushing towards the end of his busy day, he stumbled upon a shocking article that he truly didn’t anticipate.

-Baby Fox Disbanded by Agreement with Agency After 4 Years of Activity.-

Perhaps it was an article that most people wouldn’t find interesting.

Baby Fox was a typical third-rate idol group with a terribly low profile, despite having been active for a relatively long period of 4 years.

And this kind of situation was more common than one might think.

It was fortunate that they even announced the news in an article.

Most of the time, these groups simply disappear without a word or article.

“….What is this out of the blue!”

However, for Young-chan, it was like a bolt from the blue.

That’s because Baby Fox was one of the six girl groups he wanted to help.

And Baby Fox was one of the better-off teams among those six teams.

Baby Fox’s agency, Max Entertainment, was a small to medium-sized entertainment company, but it had a male idol close to the top tier, so its finances were stable.

Naturally, they were also interested in female idols who could significantly increase the company’s visibility, and that’s how Baby Fox was formed.

However, achieving success with a girl group in the idol market, which could be described as a ‘red ocean’ [a market with intense competition], required a great deal of luck.

That’s why they invested a lot of money to debut Baby Fox, but the results were disappointing.

The song, dance, and concept were all decent.

Above all, the members selected for Baby Fox possessed a strong ‘star quality’ [the intangible qualities that make someone captivating and popular], having prepared with great determination.

The girls’ skills were undeniably impressive, especially considering their young age.

Nevertheless, they failed to achieve significant success.

It may have been due to bad luck, but if one had to pinpoint a reason, it was because they were too cautious in their preparations, trying to avoid failure at all costs.

To be more specific, they should have focused on a specific target audience, but they couldn’t narrow down their focus, resulting in a blurry concept that didn’t appeal to anyone in particular.

Of course, even with this approach, things might have turned out differently if they had a hit song or concept, but that was difficult given the limitations of a small to medium-sized entertainment company.

In the end, Baby Fox had no choice but to decline after their first mini album failed.

The more they released their second and third mini albums, the more their performance gradually deteriorated.

For this reason, their activities had been suspended for more than a year and a half since the release of their third mini album. Eventually, Max Entertainment decided to disband Baby Fox.

Even so, Max Entertainment, in making this decision, could be considered conscientious.

Most of the time, companies don’t want to take responsibility for contract termination, so they simply drag out the time and hope that the members will leave on their own.

Anyway, when Young-chan heard this shocking news, he became anxious.

The reason why he rushed to bring Good Night [another idol group] over before the YC Entertainment headquarters remodeling was even finished was also due to the disbandment of Baby Fox.

He acquired J Entertainment, where Good Night was signed, entirely under favorable conditions, but he wasn’t satisfied with just that.

“Wow~. So pretty! I think she’s the prettiest I’ve seen this year.”

“I told you. There’s a really pretty part-timer here!”

“Most female idols can’t even compare to her, right?”

“Doesn’t it feel like she has a different level of visual appeal?”

It wasn’t just them who were reacting that way.

“Heo. She must be naturally beautiful.”

“That unnie’s [term used by younger females to address older sisters or female friends] face is crazy.”

The female students on the opposite side were simply admiring the pretty part-timer.

There should be some level of jealousy, but this part-timer was beyond that level.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry, but can I have your phone number?”

Some courageous men asked for her phone number, but each time she shook her head with a troubled expression.

Some, unable to let go of their lingering feelings, revealed their true intentions, but in the end, they couldn’t get her phone number.

She was a part-timer who showed signs of exhaustion each time, but she never forgot her smile.

She had just barely gotten rid of one of those persistent customers, and as another customer wearing sunglasses and a mask approached, as if he had caught a cold ahead of early summer, she smiled and greeted him.

“Yes. What would you like to order?”

“One iced Americano, please.”

“Yes. Is there anything else you need?”

“…..If it’s okay, can I talk to you for a moment after you finish?”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

She spoke in a tone that left no room for further advances, as if she had learned from past experiences, and the man shook his head and handed her a business card.

“Please take a look and contact me.”

“……”

She hadn’t expected a business card, so she reluctantly accepted it because it was difficult to refuse.

The man seemed satisfied with that and didn’t linger any further, finishing his payment.

It was evening, after the sun had completely set, when she finished her part-time job.

It had already been fifteen days since she started working part-time at the cafe, but she was still not used to the job because it was her first time working part-time. She sometimes made mistakes, but the boss was generous.

Her sales had already increased by 30% since she was hired, so there was no way the boss wouldn’t be generous.

-Tuk-

Something fell from her work clothes as she changed and gathered her belongings.

It was the business card she had received during the day.

Now that she thought about it, it was given to her by a man who had covered his face suspiciously enough to be mistaken for someone with a cold, so she finally looked at the business card with curiosity.

“!!!”

She couldn’t help but be surprised when she saw the business card.

-YC Entertainment CEO Park Young-chan-

It was the business card of the hottest person in the entertainment industry right now.

Last winter, she had found a lot of comfort in the song ‘Snow Lady’ released by YC.

It was a song that resonated even more with her because she was facing a lonely winter that felt bleak and hopeless.

Naturally, she became a fan of Park Young-chan.

That fandom intensified even more after he debuted as Black Tiger.

That’s why she couldn’t take her eyes off the business card she received. After being stunned for a while, she belatedly came to her senses and muttered.

“Really….was it him?”

That thought soon turned into conviction.

His body shape was too similar to deny it, and there was no reason for him to carry that business card unless it was him.

But even though she knew that he was her idol YC, she couldn’t easily contact him.

This is because she knows very well what it means for him, who is also the CEO of an entertainment company, to give her a business card.

The past 4 years as an idol had happy and enjoyable moments, but most of them were painful and difficult.

That pain doubled every time an album failed.

It was too much for her to go back to those days when she was constantly worried about the company’s expectations and anxious about being kicked out.

That’s why when the manager who had been in charge of them from the beginning came to them and announced the disbandment of Baby Fox, she felt relieved.

‘I can finally escape from this terrible reality!’

Kim Ah-young, who was the center and youngest member of Baby Fox, accepted the disbandment with a relief that was beyond simple relief.

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