The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 42
It was exactly the reaction I expected.
At first, they weren’t sure what to make of Jeongah as she greeted them with a shy expression.
But the moment they heard “Red Blossom,” their faces twisted in confusion.
“I’ll do everything you tell me to… I’ll definitely lose weight….”
At this point, they realized—she was the fifth member.
Team Leader Park Chanhyuk froze the video and turned to me with an incredulous look.
“…She’s the fifth?”
“Yes.”
He let out a deep sigh, staring into space.
His neck was already turning red, like a volcano about to erupt.
“Are you out of your mind?! Are we recruiting a weightlifter or something?!”
And just like that, he exploded.
*
“I’ll give you full credit for everything you’ve done so far—100%, no, 200%—but this? This is insane. What, are we filming a weight loss reality show now?”
His face kept changing colors as he spoke.
“Even if, and that’s a big if, she manages to lose weight—how long is that gonna take?
You think you can cut her weight in half in a year?
That alone would be a miracle.
And she wasn’t even a trainee before, was she?
So after that, she’d have to start from scratch—when exactly do you plan on putting her on stage?”
“Take a breath, sir. Your face is about to explode.”
“Damn it, do you think I can breathe right now? After seeing this—”
“Team Leader, hold on.”
Director Song Seungjun stepped in to stop Park’s outburst.
“You wouldn’t have shown us this without a plan, right? Let’s hear it. What’s your strategy?”
“She’s an Untapped Lottery Ticket.”
“Please watch the video until the end. I’ll explain afterward.”
Director Song nodded and resumed playback.
A few moments later—“Hmmm….”
A different kind of sigh escaped Team Leader Park’s mouth.
“She’s the twin sister. The one who was a trainee in Team 3….”
“Her name is Han Jeongwon.”
“Was Team 3’s trainee pool that good? If she’s at this level, she could’ve debuted.”
Skill matters, but debuting isn’t just about ability—it depends on whether the AR team and producers think a trainee fits the group’s concept.
That’s why timing and luck are just as crucial as talent in this industry.
“So, you included this clip to show what she could look like after losing weight?”
“Yes. Even the trainer told them Jeongah had more talent and stage presence, and that they should swap career paths.”
But Jeongwon insisted on being an idol, which led Jeongah to pursue acting instead.
After watching the entire video, Park’s expression softened.
“Damn, this makes things complicated. If what you’re saying is true, then she’s basically an untapped lottery ticket.”
“If she gets to Jeongwon’s level, she can fill in the gaps our current members have. Plus, she has the kind of look that adult male fans would love.”
Director Song pinpointed the key point.
She’s the youngest, but with her sharp, Western-style features and height matching Yeoreum’s, she exudes maturity.
Even though Sera is two years older, Jeongah actually looks more mature.
On top of that, she has the kind of glamorous figure that makes an impact—exactly the type that would appeal to fans who grew up watching first- and second-generation girl groups.
“That would be great, if it happens. But timing is the issue. How long do we have to wait? It’s been almost a year since Red Blossom’s last activity.”
Even with aggressive weight loss, it would take months just to slim down.
And even with talent, training for a girl group takes years.
How much could Jeongah shorten that gap?
“With how she looks now, no matter how much we pitch her potential, the company won’t take it well. So let’s keep this under wraps as much as possible and brainstorm in the afternoon.
We need to figure out how to fast-track her debut and how to keep Red Blossom’s name relevant in the meantime.
Let’s squeeze out every idea we can. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
*****
“Until She Doesn’t Need a Bias Anymore.”
After work, I stopped by the dorm.
The girls had already reorganized their room assignments and unpacked their things.
Since Jeongah had been living alone for a long time, they decided to give her a room to herself.
Yeoreum and Rina shared one room, while Sera and Chie shared another.
“I feel bad for taking a room by myself… but thank you.”
Jeongah bowed politely.
The other four clapped enthusiastically, looking pleased.
It was still early, but their chemistry seemed promising.
“Jeongah watches a ton of dramas. She even recognized the one I was in, even though I barely had any scenes.”
Yeoreum had played a part-time worker at the café run by the female lead in a drama.
“I remembered because you were just as pretty as the main lead. It was a shame you only appeared in two episodes.”
“Wow, listen to this girl. She knows how to say the right things.”
Yeoreum hugged Jeongah tightly, despite not being able to fully wrap her arms around her.
“Until she doesn’t need a bias anymore, I’ll be her bias. Since she seems more drawn to actors, I think I fit the role best.”
In other words, she was offering to be a counselor figure—someone Jeongah could rely on at the dorm.
It looks like she found an alternative at the dorm after banning Han Sora and Cha Soyeon.
That’s exactly what I wanted—this is how it should be.
From now on, Yeoreum will be more than just the eldest sister to Jeongah—she’ll be her totem.
There’s one more role Yeoreum needs to take on.
“What’s this?”
“Jeongah’s meal plan. Stick it on the fridge and follow it exactly.”
—————————————————————————————-
Meal Plan:
Breakfast – Half an apple (70 kcal), 5 almonds (35 kcal)
Lunch – 120g boiled chicken breast (200 kcal), half a bowl of brown rice (150 kcal), stir-fried onions and mushrooms (150 kcal)
Snack – 5 cherry tomatoes (10 kcal), 5 almonds (35 kcal)
Dinner – 2 boiled eggs (155 kcal), vegetable salad (100 kcal)
Total: 905 kcal
——————————————————————————————-
“That’s a total of 905 calories. No late-night snacks, and if your weight loss slows, I’ll cut out snacks too.”
“A-ahjussi… If I eat like this, I’ll starve to death.”
Jeongah’s face was the very picture of despair as she looked at the meal plan.
I don’t know how much she used to eat at home, but honestly, this is already a lot.
“You know IU, right? She lost 11kg in a month eating just 600 calories a day. If we go by that, it’ll take you over three months just to get under 60kg. I was actually thinking of reducing this even more.”
“Ahjussi… Please…”
She was practically on the verge of tears, grabbing onto me like she wanted to beg.
Most girl group members don’t weigh over 50kg.
But I set the goal at 60kg because of her body type—she’s a glamorous, busty beauty.
If she gets too slim while keeping her curves, it’ll actually look awkward.
Her target is to become a high-value glamorous beauty idol.
“There’s one more member who’ll be on the same meal plan as you, so the two of you can suffer together.”
“Who is it?”
“Rina. You.”
“G-GEH—AAAAACK!”
She let out an inhuman scream and collapsed backward.
“W-why me?!”
“It’s been a month since you got here, and your cheeks are about to burst. And what about your thighs? You kept eating everything Yeoreum made for you, didn’t you? You need to lose at least 5kg.”
“B-but… we’re not even in a promo cycle right now….”
“If you don’t control it now, it’ll be even harder when it’s comeback time. You know how tough it is to fix bad eating habits.”
“Don’t worry, Manager. I’ll make sure they both stick to the meal plan.”
“HUUUHHH… Even you betrayed me, unnie?!”
Rina slumped down next to Jeongah, mirroring her exact pose of despair.
Meanwhile, Chie found their reaction hilarious and kept snapping photos—until Sera scolded her.
I set up the In Body scale in one corner of the living room.
“This thing measures weight, skeletal muscle mass, and body fat percentage. I’ll check it every time I come over, so weigh yourselves daily and write it down.”
Yeoreum enjoys cooking more than eating and has the kind of body that doesn’t easily gain weight.
Sera barely eats anything—sometimes I wonder how she survives.
Chie actually needs to gain weight to suit her build, so she should be eating more, not less.
That’s why I told them not to worry about anyone else’s meals—just focus on Rina and Jeongah.
*
There’s a saying: Weight loss is 70% diet and 30% exercise.
Eating habits are crucial, but in Jeongah’s case, exercise is just as important.
To be a glamorous beauty, you need the right physique to support it.
“I did swimming and tennis until middle school. I’ve always liked sports. My P.E. teacher even encouraged me to keep playing tennis.”
Thankfully, Jeongah enjoys exercising.
She said that one of the hardest things about being stuck indoors was not being able to work out.
Chie can use the company gym and get help from a trainer, but that’s not an option for Jeongah.
Since we can’t inform the company yet, I have to take full responsibility for her training.
“Swimming would be a good choice.”
Cha Soyeon, who was sitting on the sofa, chimed in.
“Even without going all out, you burn about 720 calories an hour.
It’s a highly efficient cardio workout.
Afterward, blood rushes to the stomach, making you feel really hungry, but if she can resist that, there’s no better exercise for weight loss.
If Jeongah sticks to it properly, she can cut down her weight loss period by a month.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
“I heard it from a trainer. When I feel like I’ve gained weight, I swim too.”
She crossed her legs the other way as she spoke.
The way she moved reminded me of Sharon Stone, the sex symbol from Basic Instinct.
“You seem to be looking at me a lot today.”
“Uh, well… your outfit looks a little different from usual.”
She was just in loungewear, but her bottoms were practically nonexistent, and her top was… quite short.
“Sora unnie sent it to me. She said my husband gets extra enthusiastic when I wear it.”
Cough!
I cleared my throat for no reason.
I had to say something before the atmosphere got any more awkward.
“It, uh… it looks good on you. Then again, what wouldn’t?”
“Good enough to make you want to pounce?”
“…Let’s get back to talking about swimming.”
In the end, I had to shut that down.