At my question, An Siho crossed his hands nervously and said,
“Uh… The thing is… It just seems like this has become too big of a matter for it to simply be for a music video… If I offended you, I’m really sorry! I… Like Jaehyeon-hyung said…!”
“No. Haha. It’s really fine. You don’t need to apologize.”
It had been entirely my opinion that we should not talk to the Zetais members about advancing into America.
Zetais, whose youngest was still only high school age.
It was a decision I had made out of worry that the members might become conceited at the news that we were aiming for America.
“To be honest…”
But my thoughts were completely wrong.
They were young, but their thoughts ran deep, and they were far too humble.
To the point where I became worried that being too humble might actually work as a weakness.
Because of that, it seemed better to pull out a different card.
“An Siho is right.”
As if waiting for my answer with different emotions such as excitement and worry.
Seeing each member make a different expression, I naturally smiled.
Kids at an age when they were young and beautiful.
Of course, they were different kids from the Korean idols in my memory who had shaken the world.
But perhaps these kids, too, could rise to that position.
With that hope, I carefully began to speak.
“Yes. But before I tell you that reason, there’s one promise I want from you first.”
My proposal.
It was a proposal meant to raise the possibility of success, even if only a little.
“I want all of you to show confidence.”
“Show confidence?”
As if Go Jinhun had thoroughly educated them about humility, everyone wore bewildered expressions at my words telling them to show confidence.
“Yes. I’m saying you shouldn’t be too humble. Proper humility is medicine, but excessive humility is a weakness. And right now, all of you are too humble.”
“…”
“Earlier, Hajun said it, didn’t he? Whether Zetais had that much value?”
“…Yes.”
Toward Bang Hajun, who looked almost as if he was about to cry, I smiled and said,
“You’re worth more than that. All of you. This is actually a small investment. You will arrive at a place you can’t even imagine. But.”
When I cut myself off and paused, their nervous expressions stood out even more clearly.
The reason had already been decided.
And whether or not the Zetais members heard that reason would not change the purpose of this music video project.
There was only meaning in saying something that would motivate them.
“With enough confidence, that path will become easier. Can everyone do it?”
The members seemed to be waiting for leader Kim Jaehyeon’s answer.
As if he was properly carrying out the role of leader, the other members seemed to depend on him greatly.
He seemed to think for a moment, then looked at the other members.
Only after they nodded to one another did Kim Jaehyeon finally open his mouth with difficulty.
“Yes. We can do it.”
“Good. Then it’s time to talk about the purpose of this music video.”
At my words, the Zetais members in front of me all swallowed at the same time.
“CEO Go’s and my purpose is for all of you to enter the American market.”
“Uh… What?”
“Yes…?”
They looked at me in confusion. But there was one person who was the only one not confused.
As if thrilled, Jung Hoyoung shouted in a loud voice.
“A-America? Did I just hear that right? Amazing!”
“Yes. That’s right. That is our ultimate goal. It’s also what I talked about when I first met CEO Go a few years ago.”
“Uh… I’m sorry to interrupt you, Director, but…”
Bang Hajun spoke with a worried expression.
“The American market isn’t that easy… Does it make sense to aim for it with only a music video? Wouldn’t it be better to do activities separately in America instead…? Recognition is important too. If you look at world star singers from other agencies…”
“No. Things like that are pointless. It’s nothing more than simple media play. What we want isn’t that. We want the real American market.”
At my answer, Bang Hajun widened his eyes in surprise and answered,
“Media play?”
“Yes. They know that if they say America, it becomes a hot topic in Korea too. But we’re not aiming for some shallow level of deception like that. We’re aiming for the real American market.”
This was the conversation I had already had with Go Jinhun. When I told them that story, the members only blinked and became absorbed in what I was saying.
“And even if you run around there until your feet sweat, it won’t help at all. We have to make the American market come looking for us directly. And we’ll use the music videos as the means to do that.”
“Make them come looking for us directly…”
When I saw Bang Hajun’s worried expression, he looked like a puppy soaked in the rain, and I even felt sorry for him.
“That’s why I said it. You need a bit of confidence. So let’s do this with confidence. So that America becomes crazy about a group called Zetais and comes looking for you.”
At my words, the Zetais members only blinked and said nothing.
“And what all of you have to do is pour everything you have into the music videos with the thought of captivating the world. Understood?”
“Yes! Understood!”
Jung Hoyoung’s powerful answer.
The remaining members, as if they had not yet fully returned to their senses, nodded and answered quietly.
The first day’s entire schedule was finished.
A day that had passed in a daze.
In the hotel room provided for two people each, Kim Jaehyeon only blinked and stared at the ceiling.
He always read a book for at least a few minutes before sleeping, but because of the story he had heard from Director Gyeong Chanhyeon today, nothing entered his eyes.
‘The goal is the American market.’
Did that make sense?
They were going to make America come looking for them simply through music videos?
And could a Korean music video even air on America’s NTV?
He had never once thought about the possibility of his music selling in the American market.
‘This might really be insane….’
How on earth were things unfolding?
Because he could not grasp it at all, he could not easily fall asleep.
When he closed his eyes, his head only grew more complicated.
His thoughts bit their own tails and would not easily let Kim Jaehyeon go.
“Hoyoung, are you asleep?”
“Huh? Hyung, you’re not sleeping? That’s unusual. You weren’t reading a book, so I thought you were asleep.”
“I can’t sleep because you keep laughing.”
Hoyoung’s smile had not disappeared from his lips throughout today’s schedule.
The other members all looked at Hoyoung curiously, since his tension had risen even higher the moment he heard the story about America, wondering what had made him so excited.
“You usually sleep just fine while wearing earphones and listening to loud music, don’t you? Why are you suddenly blaming me?”
At Hoyoung’s words, Jaehyeon gave a small laugh and moved over to the bed where Hoyoung was lying.
“You haven’t been hit by me lately, have you? Getting too cheeky?”
“Uak!”
Jaehyeon tickled and tormented Hoyoung, and Hoyoung screamed in fright.
“Ah, why are you doing this! Uak! Stop, haha. Stop! I surrender! Hyung-nim! I’m sorry!”
“Good. That’s how it should be.”
With a satisfied smile at Hoyoung’s declaration of surrender, Jaehyeon went back to his own bed.
Then Hoyoung stared at Jaehyeon’s face and asked,
“So, why can’t you sleep? In a bed this nice?”
“It would be strange to sleep well in this situation. The others probably can’t sleep either.”
“Why? Aren’t you seriously so excited? It’s America!”
Hoyoung continued with a bright smile.
“I told you yesterday, right? The American airport will be filled with our fans!”
Jaehyeon shook his head as if dumbfounded, then got up from his seat.
“Ugh. Enough. I should check whether the others are sleeping. You just sleep or something.”
“Come on, everyone’s probably sleeping. Don’t wake them for nothing…”
Knock, knock.
At that moment, the sound of someone knocking rang through the room.
“Huh?”
At that sound, Jaehyeon looked outside through the peephole.
When he saw the younger members wearing worried expressions, he gave a small laugh and opened the door.
“Hyung. Hoyoung. Let’s have an emergency meeting.”
Siho said with a firm expression.
“Huh? What sudden emergency meeting? Just sleep. Hyung, are you not sleepy either? Hajun too?”
“Do you think I can sleep? The work entrusted to us right now is far more enormous than we thought!”
When Hajun snapped, Hoyoung smiled good-naturedly and said,
“The director said it, didn’t he? Let’s just do our best shooting the music video. There’s nothing more we can do right now. Isn’t that right? If we try to do something now, we might end up getting indigestion.”
“Still… we have to do something more!”
“He also said it at the end. Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s fine. Since we’re trying it first, don’t feel burdened.”
“Still!”
As Hajun clenched his teeth and tried to speak, Jaehyeon shook his head between the two of them and said,
“Don’t fight. Let’s just look at the situation in front of us right now. What do we need to do to do better? Let’s only think about that.”
At Jaehyeon’s words, Hajun let out a deep breath and apologized to Hoyoung.
“Sorry.”
“Forget it. It’s not like this is the first or second time you’ve been like this. Huu… What was tomorrow’s schedule again?”
At Hoyoung’s question, Jaehyeon answered.
“The performance team is supposed to come tomorrow. We’ll be matching movement routes. I think that’s all we’ll do tomorrow. Director Gyeong Chanhyeon also said he’d personally watch our movement routes while doing a test shoot.”
“We’ll have to move all day. Everyone go to sleep already. Seriously!”
Hoyoung grumbled as if complaining and pulled the blanket over himself again.
“I’m jealous. So jealous. How can a person be like that?”
“Can someone who just apologized be sarcastic?”
“I’m not being sarcastic. I’m really jealous.”
At Hajun’s words, Hoyoung only poked his face out and said to Hajun,
“If you’re jealous, just lie down and don’t think about anything first. Then you’ll fall asleep. Okey?”
“Yeah, let’s sleep for now, like Hoyoung said. What’s important right now is our stamina.”
At Jaehyeon’s words, Hajun and Siho also nodded.
Looking at their faces full of worry, Jaehyeon showed a forced smile and said,
“Like CEO Go and Director Gyeong said, let’s try America once… Haha…”
Jaehyeon could not continue.
Whether it was because he had no certainty, or because the goal itself was too absurd.
He could not bring words of certainty out of his mouth no matter what.
“Let’s aim for it!”
The one who finished what Jaehyeon had meant to say was Hoyoung.
“Yeah. Let’s aim for it.”
“Yeah…”
“Why is everyone so lacking in confidence? My teammates aren’t these kinds of cowards…?”
Hoyoung made an expression as if he found it strange while looking at his teammates, who seemed completely deflated.
“Ah!”
Hoyoung clapped his hands and let out an exclamation as if he had realized something.
“Why? What is it?”
At Hajun’s question, Hoyoung nodded with a pleased smile.
“This is a hidden camera prank, right? Are you trying to bring me my cake later or something…? What are you going to do now that you’ve all been caught! Haha. Oh dear… You’re such cute teammates.”
Hajun looked at Hoyoung as if dumbfounded and said,
“I told you to please stop watching weird anime all the time! You clung to your PMP from the plane the day before yesterday and watched it nonstop… Ugh, just please don’t get caught by the fans.”
“Bring me my cake! Maknae!”
At Hoyoung’s absurd move.
The rest of the members eventually burst into laughter.
“Everyone laughed, right? I won’t ask you to pay me the price of laughter, so now everyone go to sleep.”
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