The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 72
‘A dream featuring such a monster is a prophetic vision?’
[The twisted horn of Ibex, the head of a goat, the crimson-scaled serpent—it’s one of Satan’s forms. It could be Satan himself or a lesser demon serving him.]
Satan, demons… Unrealistic things were popping up.
[And you think the divine and blessings are realistic? Master, you’ve already transcended reality.]
A man entranced by the unreal jumped off a rooftop.
Since the prophetic blessing showed it, he must be someone worth saving.
Or perhaps someone necessary for my goal of shining brighter.
[His death was a consequential future. But since Master intervened, the situation can change at any time. This time, it seems you’ll be dealing with things that aren’t human.]
I don’t want to deal with that crap.
“Hah, hyaa… Mmm, yes, that’s good… Heh, ngh.”
When it came to reactions during massages, Yeoreum used to be number one, but lately, Jeong-ah isn’t far behind.
“You practiced until your feet got like this? You’ve done well.”
“I couldn’t have done it alone. I kept thinking of Jeongwon while practicing.”
When the dieting got unbearable, she’d watch Jeongwon’s last video and cry.
Even now, she watches it periodically to steady her resolve.
“Your leg line has improved. At this rate, you won’t look out of place standing next to Yeoreum.”
She’s lost 3kg more since the last measurement.
Between all the rolling around in the practice room, the weight’s been melting off even without swimming.
“How can I compare to Yeoreum unnie’s legs? Even as a girl, I’m in awe… You’re lucky, ahjussi. To be loved by someone like her.”
Huh?
“How can you not notice when she’s so obvious? She’s all buttoned up with us, but the moment you show up, she flaunts everything. Even her panties peek out.”
Honestly, the change is so dramatic it’d be weirder if I didn’t notice.
“Soyeon-nim is the same. I don’t get why such pretty women like you, ahjussi. To me, you look like a live-action Minecraft character.”
“At least compare me to something alive. What’s with the blocks?”
“She’s right. Jeong-ah’s especially harsh when rating oppa’s looks.”
Rina steps into the living room, wiping sweat.
She lost 0.8kg, barely earning Yeoreum’s approval.
“It’s not just ahjussi—I’m not interested in any men. My mind is only set on making Jeongwon’s dream come true. Until I can call Jeongwon’s name on stage, nothing else matters.”
“That’s the spirit. Your combat power’s visibly rising.”
Sera, wearing glasses, enters the living room and comments.
Holding a tablet, she must’ve been working on a track.
Since Haram-hyung arrived, she’s been learning on the side and practicing composition harder.
Her goal is to include a self-composed track in their future album.
“Most things succeed on the third try.”
Chie spouts another obscure Japanese proverb.
“What does that mean?”
“It means the third attempt has the highest chance of success. My arrival was the first, Jeong-ah joining as the final member was the second, and our comeback is the third. So we’re bound to succeed.”
I hope so.
First, let’s make sure Jeong-ah’s audition in a week succeeds.
SN Entertainment Executive Office —
“Kai joined another agency?”
Executive Kim Tae-sang asks with an irritated expression.
“Yes. A small agency managing a few actors and one girl group. He said he knew the CEO.”
The team leader from the artist division answers from across the desk.
“That bastard, after all we did to raise him, he jumps ship? What were you doing while this happened?”
“My apologies, Executive-nim.”
“Whatever. Contact all the music shows. If they let Kai appear, our artists won’t be showing up.”
“Understood.”
Soon after, Yang Seok-dae enters.
The international crime boss who handles dirty work.
“Did you find out?”
“Yes. It’s confirmed—they’ve entered the Heavenly Palace in Wabu-eup.”
The Heavenly Palace, where the leader of Jinsaenggyo and key executives resided, had three locations nationwide:
The Gijang Heavenly Palace in Gijang-gun, Busan,
The Sosa Heavenly Palace in Beombak-dong, Bucheon,
The Deokso Heavenly Palace in Wabu-eup, Namyangju.
After Shin Joo-won destroyed the Gijang Heavenly Palace, Kim Tae-sang distanced himself from Jinsaenggyo.
Their shady dealings could’ve been exposed if their ties were revealed.
With the leader and key executives all reduced to wrecks, he thought he’d never have to deal with them again.
But rumors say a new leader has appeared at the Deokso Heavenly Palace.
Curious, Kim Tae-sang ordered Yang Seok-dae to investigate.
“The inner circle’s been completely replaced. We’ll need to dig again. I’ve planted a few moles, so we’ll get connections soon.”
“Who’s this new leader? If they’ve done business with me before, they should’ve reached out by now.”
“Word is it’s not a ‘he’ but a ‘she.’”
“Oh?”
At the mention of a woman, Kim Tae-sang’s expression shifts.
It’s been a while since he got rid of Sera’s mother—he could use a new plaything.
“Find out everything about this leader. As fast as possible.”
“Understood.”
Watching Yang Seok-dae leave, Kim Tae-sang smirks.
A grin filled with anticipation for a new toy.
KBC Music Bank
MBS Show! Music Power
SBC Gayo Center
The list of terrestrial music broadcasts.
Among cable channels, Mnet’s M Countdown is also famous.
“Promotion period is three weeks. After comeback, music show activities will run for two weeks, including terrestrial broadcasts.”
In the meeting room, Red Blossom’s comeback schedule is being discussed.
“Only two weeks of music show promotions?”
“These days, even one week is common for girl groups. With platforms like YouTube for promo, there’s no need to stake everything on music shows like before. Saves costs too.”
“Guess I’ll have to stalk PDs to secure slots.”
“I’ll handle the face meetings. Junior staff can’t even get in there—it’s for team leaders and up. We’re big enough for a team leader to attend, but smaller agencies usually send their CEOs.”
Face meetings (face time) are where agencies and music show PDs decide lineups and performance orders.
“Still, come with me to the stations. You’ll be managing the girls on-site, so you need to get familiar with the PDs. Be friendly, but don’t grovel. You’re a Fine Entertainment manager.”
The team leader’s expertise shines.
Though lethargic during team disputes, he’s unstoppable when it comes to work.
“This is gonna cost a fortune again. We’ll have to build the whole set, right?”
Manager Song Seung-jun grimaces.
“We’re making the set?”
Outfits are one thing, but why the set?
“Once the song’s out, the AR team finalizes the concept, then the visual team designs the set. But you think the broadcast stations will build it? We handle everything.”
“If we’re making the set, what do the stations do?”
“Let us perform. They’re the ‘absolute’ clients—we can’t argue. Joo-won, you’re new to music shows.”
“Right.”
Manager Song explains a few basics, saying a manager should know this.
“KBC Music Bank, the top music show, had a 0.4% viewership last year. Ridiculous, right?”
I thought I misheard. That’s lower than the national anthem’s ratings.
“No ads, obviously. What company would waste money on a sub-1% show? So they scrape production costs from other sources.”
“Hence agencies providing the sets.”
“Not just sets. Hair, makeup, styling, staff meals, snacks, drinks—all on us. Outfits are extra, and each station needs separate ones. Wear a KBC outfit on MBS, and the PD will throw a fit. Five members mean 15 outfits for terrestrial shows alone. That’s 20 million won gone in a week—and that’s nothing.”
“What about appearance fees? Can we recoup some…?”
Dramas and variety shows pay well, right?
But my naive question earns a bitter smile from Manager Song.
“You get 200,000 won for transportation. Fixed for 20 years.”
An absurd amount.
“That’s only 100,000 won for five. Who’s gonna take that seriously?”
“I never said per member.”
“Huh?”
“Per team. Red Blossom gets 200,000 won. 40,000 won per member.”
I’m speechless.
How is this real?
“Back when 2nd-gen girl groups were active 15 years ago, ratings hit over 20%, so the promo value was clear. Now, with ratings in the gutter, even that’s gone. But we still have to spend that money.”
Team Leader Park adds,
“Why?”
“Because ranking high on those shows brings recognition.”
The economic ripple effect is no joke.
“Remember that girl group that went viral two years ago? After nine wins on terrestrial shows, their event fees jumped tenfold. They filmed 21 ads. Before that, they were doing obscure local gigs. Now you get why groups fight so hard for music shows?”
That’s the power of terrestrial music shows—even at 1% ratings.
“Compared to them, Red Blossom’s viral moment was barely a ripple. So we go all-in on music shows to build our name. This isn’t just a mini-album—we’re in it for the long haul. More than charting, music show wins matter.”
Little did I know, Red Blossom’s music show journey would be far more turbulent than expected.