The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 113
“Red Blossom, we’ll prepare for the interview now.”
As the staff guided them, the members gathered at the entrance of the passageway connected to the stage.
The nominees for first place have an interview with the MC in the middle.
Since they did a comeback interview last week, the girls aren’t unfamiliar with it.
“Take turns saying a word each. Do you remember your lines?”
““Yes.””
They prepared this in advance since it’s something they do regardless of whether they win first place.
The content is… well, just the usual—honored to have come this far, grateful to the fans, that sort of thing.
They haven’t won first place yet, so there’s no point in standing out unnecessarily.
“Honestly, I never thought we’d make it this far…”
Yeoreum spoke first, her face flushed with emotion.
The others followed with their own words, sticking to the promised messages of gratitude toward their fans.
Even though their numbers were small, Bloomings cheered passionately after each line, which they were deeply thankful for.
As the MC wrapped up and the preview for next week’s episode played, the girls took their positions on stage.
Stage decorations shaped like swarms of butterflies moved in from both sides—even more extravagant than last week’s.
[We don’t even need to summon butterflies. The stage already feels full.]
Yeah. This time, let’s go all out as we are.
Even without Sinyeong’s cheat, the girls would bloom brilliantly on stage.
They’d practiced until their hands bled, and now, they were about to show the results.
So decisively that no other group could keep up.
The stage darkened, and the intro—one they’d heard thousands of times—began to play.
One by one, silhouettes emerged in the darkness, syncing with the rhythm and heating up the atmosphere.
The moment the lights flipped on and bathed the stage in brightness, the audience erupted.
In response, the five butterflies’ wings painted the stage in dazzling colors.
They’re shining.
They didn’t look like people—just masses of light.
Merging into one at the center before spreading out seamlessly.
A brilliance incomparable to the stage lights blended perfectly with their movements.
Layers of overlapping light stacked together before exploding in unison.
The audience must have seen it too—the cheers filling the studio were incomparable to the beginning.
The girls struck their ending poses with expressions more relieved than ever.
While waiting for Uptown, the other first-place nominee, to finish their stage, none of us spoke.
Everyone wore expressions like they were biting their lips to keep their nerves from spilling out.
These were the same girls who never stopped talking at the dorm—unless Yeoreum or I scolded them.
“It’s too quiet. This isn’t like us.”
Unable to take it anymore, I spoke first.
“We’re not saying anything because we’re scared our real thoughts will slip out.”
“What real thoughts?”
“That we want to win first place.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“If we say it out loud and don’t win, Manager-nim will be disappointed.”
“Why would I be disappointed? I’m already proud to death that you’ve come this far. First place can happen anytime, so even if it doesn’t happen today, don’t be disheartened. Got it?”
“But… this was an opportunity Oppa made for us, even breaking his arm…”
“My arm? That’s nothing. I’ll make more opportunities like this, so don’t worry.”
I said it casually, since I had the blessing of Healing and didn’t care about injuries—but that backfired.
The girls interpreted my words completely differently.
“You’ll get hurt again?”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“That’s insane.”
(Shocked expressions)
They all grabbed me, shouting “You’re crazy!” over and over.
Eventually, Yeoreum and Sera started crying.
Jeong-ah clung to my waist, wailing that she’d die with me.
Their reaction was the opposite of what I’d intended, leaving me stunned.
“Red Blossom, it’s time…”
The staff member who opened the waiting room door froze in shock.
The award hadn’t even been announced yet, but the girls were already sobbing—yeah, that said it all.
After barely managing to calm them down, I finally got them on stage.
For the final announcement—first place—all the solo artists and idol groups who performed today gathered on stage.
With the two MCs at the center, Uptown stood on the left and Red Blossom on the right.
Uptown, last week’s winner, looked as confident and relaxed as ever.
A stark contrast to our girls, who were fidgeting, unsure where to look.
“For the second week of March, on KBC Music Bank’s live broadcast, only the first-place winner remains! Last week’s winner, Uptown, and this week’s rising stars, Red Blossom—who will take the crown? Let’s reveal the scores!”
The screen split, showing Uptown and Red Blossom’s members.
One by one, the scores appeared—digital streams, broadcast points, K-POP fan votes, album sales, and social media engagement.
With each score, cheers erupted from different corners.
Even though we already knew the result, the tension kept our eyes glued to the screen.
After what felt like an eternity, the final total appeared.
It paused at 5,231 points—then one side’s score shot up.
With a cheerful chime, the tally closed in Red Blossom’s favor.
It was a razor-thin margin.
Confetti burst from one side in a shower of gold.
“Congratulations, Red Blossom! Your thoughts—”
Before the MC could finish, the girls collapsed as if they’d planned it.
Thankfully, the group next to them quickly pulled them up, saving them from an awkward scene.
Their emotions hadn’t caught up yet—no tears, just wide-eyed shock as they alternated between staring at me and the scoreboard.
“Red Blossom, please share your thoughts.”
The MC, regaining control, handed the trophy and mic to Yeoreum.
Only then did reality sink in—tears welled in her eyes.
“Uh, um… F-first… hic… sob… Waaah—!”
Not a single word of the speech she’d memorized all night came out.
The mic was passed to Sera, who at least still had her wits about her.
“Um… Chairman Park Beom-joon of Fine Enter, and all the staff who worked hard with us for two years…”
She clearly listed everyone they needed to thank.
“…And finally, Manager Oppa, who proved miracles exist—thank you, truly. I’m so happy we could do this together. We’ll keep making great music with great people. Thank you! Bloomings, we love you!!”
It was a flawless speech—the kind you’d show as a reference for anyone needing a first-place acceptance example.
Red Blossom’s fans roared, joined by applause from the rest of the audience.
Their dramatic rise from obscurity was somewhat known, so even other fans were largely supportive.
As Yeoreum finally regained her composure to say her last words, the scene overlapped with the one from the Oracle’s blessing.
I’d never forget what I saw in that vision.
It’s all come true.
The day I saved Cha So-yeon from an attacker in the parking lot.
The day I helped Rina wrestle with that old audio system in the practice room.
The day we moved into a new dorm thanks to Cha So-yeon.
The day I destroyed Sky Palace and rescued Sera and Chie.
The day I sighed watching Jeong-ah struggle with her weight.
The day we hugged and cheered as “Love Connect” climbed the charts.
The day Haram burned down a gangster’s den to save his brother.
The day I comforted Min A-young as she sobbed over her restored vision.
The day Yeoreum and I calmed the storm at sea.
The day Min A-young and I stood in shock at the collapsed cliff.
The day I clenched my fist seeing “Butterfly” on the music charts.
The day I shielded busking audiences from falling debris.
After all that, we’ve made it here.
[Looking back, we’ve been through so much. You’ve worked hard, Master.]
We’ve just passed one hurdle. A-young and Honey Pop’s story hasn’t even started yet.
[But today, just enjoy it fully. It’s a happy day.]
You’re right. A happy day.
The girls, covered in gold confetti, came running.
Yeoreum held the trophy they’d longed for in her hands.
Like Sinyeong said, today was for pure celebration.
Both the girls and I had earned that much.
“Hungry? The team leader reserved a BBQ place. Let’s go.”
Onyu, who was driving, smiled as she spoke.
The girls cheered, stomping their feet.
“It’s beef, right? We only accept Hanwoo, two cuts minimum.”
“Obviously. The company card’s here—we can empty the whole place if we want.”
“Kyaaah! No limits, right?”
“None. And we don’t have an early schedule tomorrow, so eat your fill.”
The girls’ eyes sparkled like they’d been starved for days.
Their portions had shrunk drastically since before the comeback.
It wasn’t dieting—just nerves and stress killing their appetites.
If even Jeong-ah, the glutton queen, lost her appetite, that said it all.
Mine had shrunk too, so today, I’d make up for it.
Eat well, then get “sucked dry” leisurely by Cha So-yeon later.
[Cha So-yeon] If you don’t come tonight, I’ll find you myself. Just so you know.
Fine Enter Chairman’s Office —
Chairman Park Beom-joon and Director Yoon Sang-ho watched the TV screen.
It showed Red Blossom’s Song Sera giving their first-place speech.
“How long has it been since Juwon joined?”
“A little over eight months.”
“First, he saved a top actress, and now he’s revived a failing group in eight months. At this rate, isn’t he a survival expert?”
“They were a group that flopped twice. Even with eight years, we couldn’t have turned them around like this. Only Juwon could.”
“He’s fully on their side now.”
“He pulled off the impossible. It’s like all the luck and timing in the world converges on him. At this point, even if he started a cult, I’d consider joining.”
“Hahaha, the atheist director’s saying things like that now. Talent really is talent.”
Yoon Sang-ho leaned back on the sofa and stretched.
“I can’t wait to see what miracles he’ll work at ArtiCube next.”