As I kept mentioning Lee Dong-Min's name, Choi Eun-Hyuk chuckled.
"Dong-Min hyung isn't the type to speak so highly of me. Didn't he badmouth me or something?"
"Not at all. You know Mr. Lee isn't the type to badmouth anyone."
"Well, come to think of it, it's been a while since I saw Dong-Min hyung. He hasn't even answered my calls lately…"
Lee Dong-Min didn't seem to be busy when I saw him a moment ago, but I didn't bother telling Choi Eun-Hyuk that. Given that the atmosphere was cordial, I got straight to the point after a brief greeting.
"Mr. Choi, I apologize…but I overheard your conversation with Mr. Kang Hyee-Dong just a moment ago."
The smile on Choi Eun-Hyuk's face began to fade into displeasure.
"Ah, I should be more careful. It was my mistake. Please don't talk about it anywhere else and forget what I said."
I immediately held out my phone and opened my mouth.
"Mr. Choi. If there's an opening, I'd be grateful if you could consider Cherry Blossom as well."
I gave a deep bow before playing the recorded video in full screen.
The brightness was turned up to the max but the sound was kept low.
"Bling Bling~."
The video of Cherry Blossom's dance was displayed on my smartphone screen.
Soon, Choi Eun-Hyuk's face became serious after watching the video. His eyes were fixed on my phone for a long while.
'Ah, my back hurts so much.'
After a while, the video ended.
"Huh! Has Cherry Blossom always been this good?"
As words of admiration came out of Choi Eun-Hyuk's mouth, I straightened my back, which was hurting. However, upon hearing his compliments, my expression was brighter than ever.
"This is just a rehearsal. They can do so much better once they warm up a little. If you give us a chance, we promise to fill the void left by Irene."
This wasn't the time to be humble—I had to show confidence.
Choi Eun-Hyuk sneaked a glance toward the emergency exit of the hallway he entered from earlier. He seemed to be checking if Kang Hyee-Dong was coming.
"Hmm. You're not wrong. But I also have to consider the reputation of those who approached me first, so…"
Choi Eun-Hyuk looked conflicted and struggled to make a decision. He seemed to be expecting something from me, but I couldn't tell what he wanted.
'I think I know what he wants, but that's only a guess…'
After a brief silence, Choi Eun-Hyuk finally opened his mouth with difficulty.
"Why don't we do this? I'm actually preparing for a new show, and…"
My guess was right.
***
The cost of managing a single idol group surpassed the imagination of ordinary people. Excluding the expenses for song and dance production, there were expenses for clothing, food, accommodation, training, salons, dermatologists, additional staff to put them on stage, and many more.
Even if a group only had four members, a minimum of 50 million won was spent each month. Despite these challenges, even small companies dived into the idol business because if just one song became popular, the returns on investment could be dozens of times the initial cost. It was truly a high added-value business.
If the idol groups were to achieve resounding success, they could earn an unbelievable amount of money. In other words, it was no different from winning the lottery.
However, the reality was that many of those who dived into this business barely broke even, let alone achieve grand success.
Yet, Choi Eun-Hyuk was proposing to block an entire day of Cherry Blossom's schedule. Most agencies were sensitive about dedicating an idol group's time to a regular schedule as they were already busy with events and trying to reduce deficits. Moreover, Choi Eun-Hyuk's new variety show wasn't even guaranteed success.
"As the producer of a music show, I can simply fill a slot with just any group if I want. But Cherry Blossom meets my standard, hence the proposal. What do you think? If you promise a six-month fixed appearance on my new show, I'll set up the stage immediately."
I wanted to answer yes right away, but unfortunately, this wasn't my decision to make.
"I will discuss it with the company and get back to you immediately. Please wait just ten minutes."
"...Wait. The team lead doesn't have the authority to make that decision?"
Choi Eun-Hyuk frowned and seemed taken aback, perhaps because he mistook me for a team lead as I was wearing a suit.
'But his words are inconsistent. Didn't he say he would wait for Kang Hyee-Dong earlier?'
It was then that I formally introduced myself and handed him my business card.
"My name is Jung Yoon-Ho, a talent agent at Hoop Entertainment."
"Hmm…"
Receiving my business card, Choi Eun-Hyuk started to look at the card and my face.
"You're kidding."
"I'm in my first year of my career, sir."
Choi Eun-Hyuk looked shocked by my response.
"How can a first-year be so bold? Ah, really. What to do with this…"
Had Cherry Blossom not caught his eye, he would have probably just berated me. Of course, if that had been the case, I would have approached things a little different.
As Choi Eun-Hyuk contemplated, I played my trump card once more—mentioning Lee Dong-Min.
"Mr. Choi. Mr. Lee is currently in the waiting room right now."
Only then did Choi Eun-Hyuk's expression soften.
"Hahaha, you sure know how to pull the strings. But I need to check the stage preparations now, so please tell him let's meet in Section B in thirty minutes."
Choi Eun-Hyuk's phone had been blowing up with calls searching for him. But thanks to that, I was given time to persuade Lee Dong-Min.
"Yes, sir. I'll see you shortly."
After Choi Eun-Hyuk disappeared from my sight, I headed to the waiting room to persuade Lee Dong-Min.
***
"...A fixed appearance?"
Leaving the Cherry Blossom members in the waiting room, I stepped out into the hallway with Lee Dong-Min and Han Myung-Ho to discuss the proposal. We spoke in hushed tones, wary of eavesdroppers.
"Yes, sir. I understand we typically don't accept a fixed appearance request for a mere backstage performance without financial compensation. But aside from local events, Cherry Blossom doesn't have any special schedules, right? If they make regular appearances on a KBC variety show, people will start recognizing them. Their fees for events will naturally rise."
Promising the success of the show to people uncertain about the future seemed like an impossible task. On the other hand, arguing that increased recognition could lead to higher fees was more convincing.
Upon my earnest plea, Lee Dong-Min turned to Han Myung-Ho and asked.
"Chief Han. What do you think about what Yoon-Ho said?"
Han Myung-Ho hesitated for a moment before finally opening his mouth.