Two: I am (Not) Discontent

Kim Dohoon loves a good challenge.

Correction, he tells himself. Kim Dohoon craves for a good challenge.

Next to him, Moon Byulyi warily eyes him. “Boss, you’ve been rubbing your hands raw since we got down here.” Her voice then takes on a softer, teasing lilt. “If I didn’t know you, I’d say you’re rather nervous.”

“I’m excited, Byulyi-ya,” he corrects her. “Aren’t you?”

She manages to not roll her eyes. They are colleagues, yes, but he is still her boss. His phone beeps twice, and he fishes it out of his tweed jacket’s pocket. A text from his secretary. A moment of sudden elation. He jumps to his feet, nearly startling Byulyi. Across the room, Jung Wheein and Ahn Hyejin also snap into alertness as they watch him. “They’re here, folks,” he announces.

A mere ten minutes of waiting. A rush of teams making sure their clipped mics are on. Camera and lighting being checked. The door to the executive lobby opens, and lo behold: Wendy Shon’s blinding smile greets them. She says good morning, breathing out the chill of January winter, and for a second her voice transfers Dohoon back to that moment in early 2011: winter in Seongdong-gu, at Cube’s headquarter, in what was his final week with the company.

He remembered eyeing the video played on Monica Shin’s screen. His old boss back at Cube. A formidable, if only proud lady boss. He remembered asking who that girl on that video was.

Some kid who auditioned last week, she told him.

Huh. He shifted to watch the video better. The girl on the video belted out a run. Sharp but didn’t thin out, clear but still maintained depth. Impressive for an auditionee.

Isn’t she, Monica drawled.

She gonna come back and sign with you?

Nope. Our coaches disagreed. Not the kind of idol we’re looking for.

Well, she ain’t no Hyuna, but you? Agreeing with them? Nuts, he said. I’ll take her in any time.

Monica pursed her lips, lowered her glasses, swirled around in her chair once, and fixed him a stare. Kid’s loaded. Well-groomed, even. Not being an idol won’t end her. In fact, I’d rather she not become one. She wiggled a finger in his face. And no, you can’t ask me for her details. Don’t think I’ll just hand her contact to you, soon-to-be former employee.

He laughed. If she’s gonna audition at Jinwoo’s place, I’ll send you flowers.

Soju, she said, laughing as well. flowers. Send me a year supply of soju.

Dohoon never sent his former boss any soju or flowers. Despite her decision not to sign the impressive auditionee with Cube, Monica Shin recommended her to YG. The girl went there, auditioned, and was turned down as well. Dohoon’s new adventure with Kim Jinwoo, also a former exec at Cube, led him to finding the Jeonju duo Wheein and Hyejin, then Byulyi and Kim Yongsun, and it was not until 2013 that he heard of the auditionee again.

His compadre Jinwoo told him that Old Man Sooman had begun to launch his newest endeavor, which included a potential girl group. Which would likely clash with their plan of debuting one, their fledgling company’s first girl group. Which would likely derail their plan to claim to be pioneering the third Hallyu Wave generation. He’d never heard of Old Man Sooman’s piqued interest with a new girl group after his mega success with SNSD. And now that the man was, Dohoon couldn’t help but dislike him. Sharp businessman with fine ears for music, but disliked him Dohoon still, especially because of the questionable things Old Man Sooman was capable of…. Dohoon shuddered at the thought.

And dislike him a bit more Dohoon did when he saw who was introduced as part of Old Man Sooman’s blustering Rookie project.

He called his old boss Monica that night. Have you heard of it? he asked her. SM’s new pet project?

Well, not even the grand ol’ could make SNSD twice.

s doing ry aside, you did realize who he put there, didn’t you.

2014 is going to be an interesting year, Dohoon-ah, Monica simply stated.

The girl whom he saw on Monica’s video at Cube years ago, whom he saw playing guitar in Old Man Sooman’s pet project’s introduction video, is looking at him right now. She has bowed three times, and he hasn’t returned even one, being carried away by memories. Byulyi clears and calls his name.

“Ah, Wendy-ssi, Wendy-ssi. It’s so good to finally see you—see you again.” He fumbles with his greeting, he knows. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

“Wendy-ssi, this is our co-CEO Kim Dohoon,” Byulyi introduces him. “He said he wanted to personally give you a tour.”

Wendy’s eyes widen at the implication, and she bows again. “Thank you so much. I’m honored. You really don’t have to, Director.”

“I want to,” he simply says.

The tour takes them to a number of recording studios, a dance practice room, and the executive lounge full of pictures of RBW artists. For every detail he points at, she gives him the impression of a wide-eyed ingenue instead of a seven-year idol veteran. Whether it’s Wendy’s own personality or Old Man Sooman’s drilled philosophy, Dohoon can’t tell. Both, more likely.

The five of them take a seat on a round-shaped sofa in the lounge, and Dohoon turns to face Wendy. “Once again, I want to say welcome to RBW,” he pauses, then adds, “if only for a short while.” He gives her a benign smile, which she returns. “And please take care of our Mamamoo.”

“Oh, no, no, no, it is I who have to ask you to take care of me.”

“I’m sure you will get along well with them.”

“I will do my very best, Director.”

One of the production crew gives him the cue to leave. It’s time. Dohoon excuses himself, letting cameras pan over him and shoot at the four girls in the lounge. The glass door slides shut behind him. He looks at them, his pride and the auditionee that has long impressed him. He wonders—craves for—what they will come up with for this project. It will be great, he’s sure. It could have been his, even.

Could’ve been mine, he insists, unwittingly seething inside. You really lucked out this one, didn’t you, Old Man Sooman. Sincerely you.

And cut.

-.-.-

The cameras have all shut to give them a fifteen-minute break. The filming crew have all gone to get either a quick bite or a restroom break. All four of them turn off their mics for now. Hyejin walks to the minibar in the lounge, pulls two bottles of sparkling water from the fridge, and goes back to take a seat on the couch next to Wheein. She offers one of the bottles to Seungwan, who takes it with a thanks.

“I hope our director didn’t overwhelm you,” Byulyi says, sitting next to Seungwan with an arm draped across the back of the couch.

Seungwan answers with a smile first. “He sounds cool.”

Wheein shrugs. “He’s alright.” She waits until Seungwan takes a sip of her water. “Gotta admit I was surprised myself when he said he wanted to do that. Welcome you, I mean.”

The implied when your own didn’t even think to do that for Solar doesn’t go unnoticed. Seungwan takes another sip.

Hwasa elbows Wheein on the side. “Everybody in the industry wants to work with Red Velvet, pup.”

Seungwan resists to bow her head. “On behalf of my girls, thank you,” she ends up saying. She takes another sip. God, before this 15-min break is over, I’m gonna be so bloated.

“Yongsunnie was actually looking forward to that, too.” Byulyi grins, shaking her head. “But we’ll take what we get.” She takes the other sparkling water bottle from Hyejin’s hand. “I’m saying this from experience. You SM kids are a pleasure to work with, but the conditions and clauses from your reps—” she leaves it hanging there, shrugging, “you know what I mean.”

Hyejin grins. “Watch them being driven crazy by Yongkong over there.”

“Or vice versa.” Wheein high-fives her.

Hyejin turns to Seungwan, still grinning. “We’re gonna make sure this week’s uberfun for you, Wendy-ssi.”

By now Seungwan’s finished half of her water. “Hence my looking forward to this project.” She puts on a grin, which Byulyi gets.

“You can be sly too, apparently, Wendy-ssi,” she says.

“I’ll take what I get.” She raises her bottle.

Grinning, Byulyi raises hers.

The filming crew return to continue the taping accordingly. Seungwan’s schedule states that the morning taping ends at 1 PM. Afterward, she’s going to tape a session with Solar and the MCs Kim Shinyoung and Hwang Kwanghee, who are waiting at the hotel already secured by the crew. Her stomach growls just from imagining how late her lunch will be for the day.

“Wendy-ssi, Wendy-ssi.” Wheein calls her over with a wave of her hand. “Look at this.”

She leans over Wheein’s shoulder to look at her phone. The screen shows the RVMMM KaTok chatroom. (Honestly, she has almost forgotten that the chatroom exists.) There are lines after lines, emojis after emojis. Wheein’s thumb is hovering over one of the bottom ones. It’s a snap picture of Joohyun’s and Solar’s back, hunched over a desk in what looks like an SM meeting room.

//They’ve been trading notes on tteokbokki for the last two hours,// Seulgi writes.

//The crew’s been trying to push me to give them new convo topic,// Sooyoung writes. //Do I dare to flirt with death or do I dare?//

//WELP,// Yerim writes.

Three laughing-crying emojis from Seulgi.

Hyejin looks over Seungwan’s shoulder, snickering as she reads along. “Oh my.”

Seungwan can feel her cheeks heat up. “I apologize for Irene-eonnie. She can get—uhm—a little too absorbed when it comes to her favorite food.”

Both Wheein and Hyejin look at her, frowning. “Why are you apologizing?” Wheein asks.

“Uhm—for Irene-eonnie? I can let her know right now, if you want?”

Hyejin clasps Seungwan’s shoulders from behind. “Then your leader has met her rival in our leader, okay. Serve them right.” She giggles, which Wheein follows suit.

Byulyi has finished talking to the filming crew and returns to the lounge. Upon her entrance, Wheein hollers, “Yo, Byulkong-eonnie, c’mere and tell Wendy-ssi to stop with the formality .”

Seungwan gasps so loud that Hyejin releases her shoulders in surprise.

Byulyi loops an arm each around Hyejin’s and Wheein’s shoulders. “Don’t be rude, you punks.”

“We’re not rude,” Wheein protests. “Right, Wendy-ssi?”