The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 106

The comeback stage includes an interview with the MC, and they perform "Love Connect," the only hit song before the release of "Butterfly."

The interview and the new song are live, but "Love Connect" is pre-recorded.

Live → pre-recorded → live again—this way, the broadcast flows smoothly without interruption.

Before the pre-recording, they did a camera rehearsal.

It’s a full rehearsal, wearing the stage outfits and mics, with all cameras rolling, just like the actual broadcast.

"Wearing this makes it feel like we’re really making a comeback."

"It is a comeback."

"That’s why it’s hitting me so hard! Oppa, why are you so emotionally dense?"

Rina grumbles.

I know she’s just trying to ease the tension.

So I deliberately teased her.

"Chie and Jung-ah, don’t be nervous. You did well in the morning rehearsal, so just do it like that. You’ve practiced so much that even if I lightly push you from the side, the song and choreography will automatically come out. Don’t trust your heads—trust what your bodies remember. I’ll be watching from the front of the stage."

The girls nodded with stiff expressions.

They’re nervous now, but once they step on stage, they’ll soar like it’s nothing.

That’s what they’ve been working toward all this time.

""Thank you for your hard work~""

""Thank you!""

The girls, having finished the pre-recording, bow to the staff and step off the stage.

They walk briskly to the waiting room and finally let their tension melt away.

"You did great. Watching from the front, the choreography for 'Love Connect' this time was really sharp. People are going to be shocked when they see it later."

"I wonder if anyone will remember the old choreography."

Yeoreum, stretching her neck, spoke up.

"A lot of people came to watch the MV when 'Love Connect' charted again. They left sighing, but this time will be different."

"Ugh! That many people saw our dark history?"

Rina covers her head.

She must’ve really hated it.

The choreography team built upon the revised moves Yeoreum had shown in the housewarming video.

I thought it was decent enough to avoid criticism, but seeing it on stage, it exceeded expectations.

"Don’t you think they put a lot of effort into the stage and props too?"

MBS and SBC let agencies design their own stages, so they can do as they please.

But KBC, a public broadcaster, doesn’t leave staging to agencies—they handle it themselves.

For agencies, it saves money, but popularity determines the treatment.

The stage’s grandeur varies based on popularity and attention.

To put it in hotel terms, less popular acts perform in standard rooms, while famous groups or anticipated rookies get suites.

KBC prepared a suite for us.

While the pre-recorded "Love Connect" airs, the members will greet fans on stage and then immediately perform the new song live.

"Now, only the new song is left."

Yeoreum, watching the bustling studio with a wistful expression, spoke up.

"Yeah. Show the audience what you’ve been working on when you go up there."

"Of course. Just like you said, we’ll shine on stage, so watch closely from the front to see how bright we glow."

"Got it. I’ll be right there."

"And…if we shine as much as you want, later tonight, Manager-oppa, you should…kiss me deeply first."

Her eyes turned dewy.

I quickly shut it down before the switch flipped.

"Y-yeah. If everything goes well, I’ll kiss you or whatever, so focus on the stage now, okay?"

"And touch my chest too."

Huh?

"You touched So-yeon unnie, right? I’m bigger than her."

Wait, since when did we start talking about this?

"Okay, okay, let’s just focus on the stage now, alright?"

"Hehe, you promised."

With that, she ran off to the others.

I think I just got played.

While the pre-recorded "Love Connect" aired, the girls went on stage to greet the audience.

The response wasn’t bad, but compared to other popular groups, it was quieter—likely due to the difference in fandom size.

I’m just grateful to the Blooming fans cheering their hearts out from one side.

"Better than the second album. That was downright brutal."

On-woo sunbaenim next to me remarked.

"These kids have strong mental fortitude. Indifference is scarier than booing, yet they pulled off every comeback stage without faltering. I still remember how grim they looked until they got back to the dorm."

"Must’ve been tough for everyone."

"Yeah. Back then, I was a rookie who’d just joined less than a month ago and had no clue what was going on. Looking back now, I don’t know how the seniors endured it."

After the second album flopped, members left one by one—only three remained when I joined.

"You came in when they were crumbling. At first, I thought the company was insane. They were about to disband the group, so why hire a new manager? Everyone said that. But no one expected you’d be the game-changer."

"Game-changer?"

"Yeah, like the wildcard in a dating survival show. The handsome guy who flips the script after joining midway."

"I didn’t know On-woo sunbaenim thought I was handsome."

"Tch, well…that’s not the point. What matters is how you turned things around the moment you joined. Think about everything you’ve done since arriving here."

A lot has happened.

I saved Cha So-yeon, met Red Blossom, and brought in two members.

Took down a cult branch and faced gangsters in Gangnam.

Come to think of it, I also revived a ghostwriter and pulled out "Butterfly."

Four women now see me as the light of their fate.

"No idea how far these kids will go, but I already think they’re amazing. Just being able to witness this is thrilling. I’m really glad you joined our team."

"Don’t say such embarrassing things. It’s not like you’re confessing to me."

"Keke, what would you do with my confession? Save it for the women who are actually interested in you."

"Women interested in me…"

"Stop. I know everything—why play dumb? Red Blossom, Cha So-yeon, Min A-young…that’s already seven. Do you have any idea how differently they look at you compared to others?"

On-woo sunbaenim doesn’t know about my relationship with Yuna.

He was about to say more, so I cut him off.

"Let’s go to the front. It’s starting soon."

The familiar melody wraps around the stage as they strike their intro poses.

Key scenes from the MV flash across the large screen—a special edit for the comeback stage.

Blooming’s explosive reactions go without saying, but even quieter fans start bobbing their shoulders.

The song’s rise to #1 on the charts meant it played everywhere.

"The choreo’s good, everything’s so tight…they’ve really sharpened their skills. Impressive."

"I’m not just saying this because they’re our girls, but they’re really good."

On-woo sunbaenim and I exchanged thoughts on the first impression of the comeback stage.

So far, flawless.

[The top feels bland.]

'What do you mean?'

The spirit chimed in.

[In the MV’s last scene, thousands of butterflies fly into the sky, right? That was cool, but here, it’s just lighting—kinda boring.]

'That was CG. How are we supposed to recreate that in a studio?'

[You can, though?]

'Seriously?'

[Just adapt the third of the ten plagues. When Moses struck the ground with his staff, the dust turned into lice that attacked the Egyptians. It was a plague to punish Geb, the earth god.]

'And?'

[See for yourself. There’s plenty of dust on the floor here.]

Mid-dance break, the floor began to glow.

Looking closer, it was butterflies with shimmering wings.

The spirit had turned floor dust into butterflies.

They took flight instantly, flooding the studio with light.

"Wh-what’s this?"

"Special effects?"

"So pretty…"

"KBS spent money on this?"

Thousands of butterflies scattered light around Red Blossom.

Flowing like the Milky Way, they lit up the night sky like fireworks, drawing gasps.

The MV’s killing part was recreated perfectly.

Even the staff stared in awe.

"Did the production team plan this?"

"No."

"Wait, was this even possible?"

I couldn’t look away from the girls, each movement glowing.

If I’m this mesmerized, imagine the audience.

[Now it’s worth watching. Why are humans so lacking in flair?]

'This is cheating with divine power. How do we top this?'

Red Blossom’s legendary comeback stage bloomed in dazzling glory.

Huh?

So absorbed in the stage, I hadn’t noticed the figures nearby.

A man and a girl stood a short distance away.

A middle-aged man and a girl who looked like a high schooler.

The man watched the stage with warm eyes, while the girl cheered, mimicking the choreography.

When the girl’s face came into view, I gasped—my throat tightening instantly.

She looked exactly like Jung-ah dancing on stage.

'Jung-won and her dad.'

I remembered Jung-won’s video message about cheering with her dad from heaven.

[She said she wanted to watch up close, so the gods sent them. Only you, with the grace of discerning spirits, can see them. They’ll return after the show.]

Even as the historic comeback stage ended with the final pose, I wasn’t watching.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the two.

They began fading like a special effect—time to return to the sky.

They bowed deeply toward me.

I bowed back.

Before vanishing, Jung-won waved and mouthed something.

I couldn’t hear, but it must’ve been thanks for putting Jung-ah on stage.

How much must she have missed her to come down with her dad?

"Why are you bowing? Who’s there?"

On-woo sunbaenim saw nothing.

"Some very precious guests came and went."