Chapter 1006: Project I.O.A Finals (2)

[Everyday V13]

[Date: June 1, 2021]

-11:30 p.m.: [NEW. Woo Yeon-Hee]

[Weekly Star] Daughter Go Eun-Seo voluntarily withdraws from the competition, while her father, Go Joon-Taek, ultimately loses the election amid suspicions that he exerted pressure on Project I.O.A. However, special judge Woo Yeon-Hee strongly insisted that no such pressure had ever existed.

The moment I checked Everyday's schedule entry, I realized that the reason Go Eun-Seo wanted to withdraw from the competition wasn't simply because of the rumor claiming, "Go Eun-Seo is guaranteed first place anyway." It was because she was worried about the impact it could have on her father's election, which was only two days away.

At the moment, Assemblyman Go Joon-Taek, the mayoral candidate for Incheon, was leading his opponent by 3% in the latest poll. If suspicions surfaced that Go Joon-Taek had pressured his daughter's audition program, the chances of his defeat would rise exponentially.

Voters didn't tolerate people in power using their authority for personal gain. And as if proving that point, Everyday was already showing a future where Go Joon-Taek lost the election.

At that moment, I realized I needed to take this rumor far more seriously than I had initially thought. Still, since Go Eun-Seo stubbornly refused to say anything, I decided to ask her a question to get her to open up.

"Go Eun-Seo. Do you know when talent agents are most disappointed in celebrities?"

Go Eun-Seo hesitated before speaking. "Why... are you asking that?"

"Just answer."

With a puzzled look in her eyes, Go Eun-Seo replied, "When they... cause trouble?"

"No. If someone who never causes trouble does, then it's a genuine mistake, so it doesn't matter. And if someone always causes trouble does it again, you don't get disappointed because you already expected it. That's just who they are. Your answer is wrong."

"Then... is it when the company discovers and trains them, but they refuse to renew their contract?"

"That's disappointing, sure. But if they've earned the company plenty of money, then you just feel grateful and a little regretful. That's not something to be disappointed about. Wrong again."

Just because I asked the question, Go Eun-Seo struggled desperately to come up with an answer. Eventually, she shook her head.

"Sigh... I don't know."

Looking straight at Go Eun-Seo, I answered, "When a celebrity doesn't trust their talent agent."

The other talent agents in the meeting room nodded in agreement.

"That's true."

"Yeah. It's really disappointing when a celebrity tries to handle something alone instead of talking to their talent agent."

"And it'd be one thing if they actually fixed it. Most of the time they don't solve anything and just end up ruining themselves. That's what makes it even more frustrating."

Go Eun-Seo's eyes widened, and she immediately bowed ninety degrees. "I'm sorry, Mr. Jung. I wasn't trying to disappoint you. More than anyone, I know how hard you've worked for me. How could I ever—"

I didn't miss the opportunity.

"Then don't disappoint me. So tell me why you're trying to withdraw from the competition. That's the only way I can help you."

Go Eun-Seo slowly raised her head and fidgeted for a moment before finally clenching her fists. "If I don't quit... all the older girls and the other trainees who've worked so hard will get hurt because of this rumor. And my dad's election could be affected because of me too. I don't want other people getting hurt because of me anymore."

I couldn't help feeling surprised. I had expected her to be worried about her father. What I hadn't expected was that she was willing to quit because she was worried about the other Project I.O.A members.

'You've really grown up, Go Eun-Seo.'

The selfish, immature girl I once knew had become an entirely different person through Project I.O.A. My chest tightened with emotion. Because it meant all the effort I poured into changing her hadn't been wasted.

Still, this wasn't the time to get sentimental. I couldn't let Go Eun-Seo give up. And I couldn't allow Go Joon-Taek to lose the election either.

To reassure Go Eun-Seo, I spoke as if it were no big deal. "I thought it was something serious. I'll take care of both problems, so stop worrying and focus on preparing for your competition practice later."

"Is it really okay?" asked Go Eun-Seo.

"What? You still don't trust me?"

Go Eun-Seo glanced around before answering, "No. It's just... Mr. Jung, you and my dad... don't exactly get along."

When I first met Go Joon-Taek, he had tried to exert pressure and ended up getting thrown out. Because of that, Go Eun-Seo had even received penalty points. So she probably assumed I wouldn't step in to help her father.

Now I finally understood, at least a little, why she hadn't told me. The thing was, Go Joon-Taek and I had been working together for quite some time already.

"Eun-Seo. These days, your dad and I get along pretty well."

Go Eun-Seo's eyes went round. "Whaaat? You're actually close with my dad?"

"I'm serious. I've already met with Minister Han Yung-Bok together with him, and we're even cooperating on plans for idols to expand overseas."

The contestants were living together in the training camp, so they barely had any contact with the outside world. As a result, Go Eun-Seo was only now learning about my relationship with Go Joon-Taek.

After a moment of hesitation, Go Eun-Seo cautiously asked, "Then... is it really okay for me to stay?"

"Of course. Or are you trying to quit because you don't have confidence? If that's the reason..."

Go Eun-Seo frantically waved her hands. "No. No way! Absolutely not."

"Good. Then go get ready."

Go Eun-Seo finally looked like her usual self again, her face filled with confidence. "Yes, Mr. Jung!"

As she smiled, Chief Lee Dong-Min jokingly chimed in from the side. "Eun-Seo, don't get too comfortable. You were in Team 3 during Week 11, remember? At this rate, you're getting eliminated. You won't even be dreaming about debuting if things stay like this."

Go Eun-Seo pouted. "I don't know about first place, but I'm confident I can make it into the top two teams. And I'm definitely going to beat Eun-Chae."

"You little brat. The moment Chief Jung told you everything was fine, you went right back to being the confident Go Eun-Seo."

"Yes! I'll work hard!"

With a bright smile, Go Eun-Seo left the meeting room looking much more cheerful.

The moment she was gone, I immediately checked Everyday. However, the schedule entry hadn't disappeared. That meant her voluntary withdrawal was only the official explanation. In reality, the rumor would grow even bigger and she would end up being forcibly eliminated from the competition. The fact that something like that could still happen even with me involved meant whoever was behind this rumor campaign wielded considerable influence.

'It has to be a politician.'

There was a chance the people behind current Incheon Mayor Yoo Sung-Joon, who was competing against Go Joon-Taek, had orchestrated this entire situation.

At that moment, Woo Yeon-Hee, who hadn't followed Go Eun-Seo out, spoke with a serious expression. "What happened with Eun-Seo has more to do with the broadcasting staff than the rumor itself."

I set aside my thoughts and asked, "What did the staff say?"

"Some staff members from CP Jo Eun-Chang's team who came to help on-site yesterday were whispering that Project I.O.A was rigged just like every other audition show. Because of that, Eun-Chae from Team 2 and Eun-Seo got into an argument early this morning."

Park Eun-Chae was ranked fourth in Korea the previous week and had consistently remained near the top ever since Project I.O.A began.

She was a girl with a cute appearance and a round face, being 160 centimeters tall. Fans called her "Eun-Daeng" because she was adorable[1], "Eun-Chae-Geum-Chae" because she frequently came first in games[2], and "Dance God Chae God" because of her exceptional dancing skills.

She also enjoyed strong public recognition thanks to her role as the popular child actress Kim Seo-Yoon in the daily drama Blow, Wind, which had once achieved viewership ratings of 40%.

Apparently, after hearing from broadcasting staff she knew personally that "Go Eun-Seo is guaranteed first place anyway," Park Eun-Chae had confronted Go Eun-Seo. She had warned that if Go Eun-Seo's father pulled strings and caused her elimination, she would never let it slide.

At that moment, I realized that before dealing with any politicians, I needed to shut down the loose talk among the broadcasting staff. After all, most rumors started because insiders leaked information to outsiders.

"Who was it? Which staff member told Eun-Seo that Project I.O.A was rigged?" I asked.

"There were several of them, so..."

"Tell me the names of the ones you know for sure."

Woo Yeon-Hee glanced around before answering, "I know CP Jo Eun-Chang was saying it."

Jo Eun-Chang was the CP SBC had dispatched the previous day to turn the final stage into something on the scale of a year-end special show. His entire forty-person team had arrived, and because he and CP Kang Dae-Woong of Project I.O.A had started at the network together, even PD Ji Yung-Sik couldn't treat him carelessly.

"Then I guess we should start by talking to CP Jo."

I stood up, saying I would immediately make sure Jo Eun-Chang kept his mouth shut.

At that moment, Kang Gam-Chan rose from his seat as well. "I'll come too."

"Yes, Mr. Kang."

After leaving things in Lee Dong-Min's hands, Kang Gam-Chan left the meeting room with me.

***

Click.

The moment we stepped into the hallway and closed the meeting room door behind us, Kang Gam-Chan asked with a stern expression, "Yoon-Ho, doesn't the timing of this feel a little suspicious?"

It seemed Kang Gam-Chan had noticed it too.

I nodded. "Yes. The local election is only two days away. Considering this rumor surfaced right now, I think someone on the opposing side of Candidate Go Joon-Taek is behind it."

"Exactly. And this is just my guess, but... I think Mayor Yoo Sung-Joon's camp is trying to use people inside the broadcasting station to spread the rumor even further. If internal information is leaking, that's the most likely explanation."

"I agree. I think there's someone inside the station feeding information out."

The man competing against Go Joon-Taek for the mayoral seat was the incumbent mayor of Incheon, Yoo Sung-Joon. And he was also the kind of politician who occasionally used celebrities as tools for his own purposes.

"So first, we need to identify the insider. That's the quickest way to put out the fire."

"Good thinking."

I took a deep breath and sharpened my focus. I couldn't allow the twelve weeks of Project I.O.A to be ruined by outside interference.

At that moment, I got a call.

Buzz.

[Caller ID: Go Joon-Taek, Incheon Mayoral Candidate]

Just as I was about to call him, he called me first. After excusing myself to Kang Gam-Chan, I answered. Immediately, Go Joon-Taek spoke urgently.

-Chief Jung, have you heard about the rumor? The one saying my pressure is going to get my daughter first place today.

"Yes. I just finished talking to Eun-Seo about it."

-So I was thinking maybe I should...

"No."

-Maybe I should come over and—

"Don't come."

-No, but still, I—

"You'll only get in the way."

-Chief Jung...

"It's fine."

Go Joon-Taek's affection for his daughter was extraordinary. That was why, even with the election on the line, he wanted to come to the final stage and support and comfort her. However, I cut him off with a firm, cold tone.

"I'm sorry, but staying away from today's final will be better for both Eun-Seo and you, sir."

-Chief Jung, don't be so cold about it...

"Eun-Seo attends school in Seoul. Today's final is being held in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. But you're currently running for mayor of Incheon, aren't you? You're supposed to be spending every minute working for the people of Incheon. If you show up here, that rumor becomes reality. Do you really want to confirm it with your own actions?"

-...Well, no.

"And tell Mrs. Han So-Ye not to come either. To the broadcasting staff, she isn't Eun-Seo's mother. She's a top star with the influence to pressure people inside the station."

Go Joon-Taek hesitated before speaking.

-Nothing like that has come out before, though.

"Have you considered that someone may have been waiting specifically for this day?"

-You don't mean...

"I hope not. But based on my experience, there's a high chance this situation was manufactured by someone. And when people want to take down a politician, targeting their celebrity family members or relatives first is hardly uncommon."

-If it's Mayor Yoo Sung-Joon, he's certainly the type who'd do something like that. Don't worry. I've already been digging into his side of things.

"That's good to hear. But the main reason I'm telling you not to come is because I'm Eun-Seo's talent agent. Not because you're a candidate."

-...

"If Eun-Seo gets eliminated because she isn't good enough, that's one thing. But if she's unfairly eliminated, there's no way I'm going to stand by and watch. So please leave Eun-Seo's situation to me."

Before the regression, Go Joon-Taek and Han So-Ye had never listened to a talent agent's advice. Han So-Ye was a top star who could solve most problems with a few words inside a broadcasting station, and she knew this industry inside and out. Most of the time, Han So-Ye handled problems through her connections, while Go Joon-Taek finished things using his influence.

If they did that again now, they would walk straight into the trap that had been prepared for them. That was why I spoke even more firmly.

-If it were anyone else, I'd tell them to stop talking nonsense and warn them not to let me catch them in Ilsan. But... there's exactly one exception. That's you, Chief Jung.

"That means...?"

-All right. I'll leave my daughter in your hands. Please take good care of her. My wife will stay by my side and keep campaigning. She won't even look in the direction of Ilsan... Just make sure Eun-Seo isn't treated unfairly.

My heart started pounding, but I kept my voice steady.

"Eun-Seo will be judged on her own abilities."

-If you say so, then that's how it is. I'm counting on you. And... sorry for leaving such a difficult problem to you.

"Difficult? This is my job."

-Ahem. That was the wrong thing to say. I should be thanking you instead. All right then... I'll hang up.

Click.

The moment the call ended, some of the tension drained from my body and I let out a quiet sigh.

Beside me, Kang Gam-Chan burst out laughing. "Hahaha! To think the mighty Candiate Go Joon-Taek and Han So-Ye can't even make a peep in front of our Chief Jung anymore. Good. Very good."

A talent agent often knew a celebrity better than their own parents. That was why Kang Gam-Chan always said that a talent agent had to be willing to stand firm and guide them toward the right path, even when their parents couldn't.

"Yes, Mr. Kang. Then let's get going."

As I pointed ahead, Kang Gam-Chan cracked his knuckles.

Crack.

"All right. Shall we go have a talk with the idiots at the broadcasting station who started spreading this garbage rumor?"

"Yes. Time to give them a little education."

Kang Gam-Chan and I quickened our pace toward the performance hall, determined to tear apart every staff member who had filled Go Eun-Seo's head with such ridiculous nonsense.

***

We arrived at Ilsan, where Project I.O.A's Performance Hall was located.

At the center of SBC's Ilsan studio, where preparations for the final stage were underway, a scruffy man in his late forties was pointing his finger in every direction while shouting at the staff scrambling through rehearsal preparations.

"Hey! Jung-Min! Didn't I tell you to check the back screen? The display over there isn't even working, you idiot! Are your eyes just for decoration?"

"Hey, Dong-Gu. Can't you hear that jib crane squeaking? What are you gonna do if that noise gets picked up during the live recording later? You dumb bastard!"

"For God's sake. Sun-Mi! The lift's coming up and you didn't even mark it properly? If that thing drops during the live broadcast, the ratings are gonna drop with it! Actually, forget that. Maybe we should drop you under the lift first?"

The man spewing abuse nonstop was Jo Eun-Chang. He had spent his entire career producing music programs before taking a sabbatical and spending time in Japan. He had only returned earlier that year. When it came to directing music-show stages, he was universally acknowledged as the best in SBC.

Even so, for someone who had merely come to help, he was overstepping his bounds by interfering this much in the production—especially when the on-site PD was standing right there beneath the stage.

"Sigh... We already found all of that during yesterday's inspection. We're taking care of it later..." Ji Yung-Sik of Project I.O.A shook his head with a weary sigh.

I first walked over to Ji Yung-Sik and greeted him. "Mr. Ji."

After quickly masking his discomfort, Ji Yung-Sik bowed politely to us. "Ah, Mr. Jung. Mr. Kang is here too."

Once the greetings were over, I asked him, "Why have you been pushed so far to the sidelines?"

"What can I do? Mr. Jo keeps acting like he doesn't want me involved. He's senior to me, and he's good at what he does. He even studied in Japan."

I wanted to point out that Korean audition programs were ahead of Japan's these days, but there was a more pressing matter at hand, so I carefully steered the conversation toward why I had come down here.

"Have you seen the Instargem entertainment rumor post?"

Ji Yung-Sik nodded with a troubled expression. "Yes, I have. I was actually planning to talk to you about it. If that rumor saying Go Eun-Seo is guaranteed first place keeps spreading, people will start believing Assemblyman Go Joon-Taek exerted pressure when he never did."

"Exactly. So could you gather the staff for me? Reporters will probably start showing up soon. I'd like to talk to everyone beforehand and make sure nobody says anything unnecessary."

"Of course."

Ji Yung-Sik looked up at the stage before grabbing a loudspeaker.

Wheeeeee!

"All right, everyone. Please stop what you're doing for a moment and gather over here. Mr. Jung has something he'd like to say."

The staff stopped working and began walking toward where Ji Yung-Sik and I were standing.

At that moment, the furious voice of Jo Eun-Chang rang out from the stage. "All of you, stop right there! Since when do you come running just because some talent agent tells you to? Have you all lost your minds?"

The staff flinched and froze.

After glaring at them, Jo Eun-Chang turned his eyes toward me. "Hey, Chief Jung Yoon-Ho. Since when does a mere talent agent have the guts to interfere while a PD is directing a stage? Are you out of your damn mind, you bastard?"

The sheer audacity left me speechless. He had dared tell Go Eun-Seo that Project I.O.A was rigged, and he was openly trampling over Ji Yung-Sik's authority on his own set. Now, he was even turning a discussion about damage control into a power struggle.

'Fine. If that's what he wants, I'll gladly accept.'

Starting now, I was going to identify the people leaking information to outsiders. And at the same time, I was going to make it crystal clear to Jo Eun-Chang exactly who held the real authority on this set.

'The one in charge here is me, CP Jo.'

1. Koreans often add "daeng" at the end of a name as a cute nickname ☜

2. Eun means silver, Geum means gold ☜