<Episode 98>
It was the last day of Spade Joker’s promotions.
Since it was the final day, their outfits were even more extravagant. This time, they wore costumes reminiscent of characters from an RPG game.
Cain was a swordsman, Juseok an archer, Zen and Sora were mages, Heeseo was an alchemist, and Leejoo was an adventurer.
“Wow. Noona, this is really amazing. I feel like I’ve stepped into a game.”
Even after coming down from the stage, the Spade Joker members kept admiring their outfits and exclaiming in awe.
“I’m glad all the effort paid off.”
Thinking that even the slightest drop in quality would make it look tacky, the stylist had paid great attention to the materials this time.
“We want to wear this at the fan meeting too.”
“Then I’ll make sure to keep them well. The fans will definitely love it.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
The stylist turned her phone screen so they could see it.
[Ah… seriously. Our stylist just set another legend today, didn’t they? What is this quality? It’s not cheesy at all… just cool.]
↳The stylist in charge of Spade Joker is a god. From now on, everyone must memorize this sentence. And one more: Spade Joker is a god. Repeat these two sentences continuously.
↳Ah… they stole my heart again. I have no heart left. This is too dangerous.
↳No, seriously, where did they find such a golden-handed person? I’m so moved. Thanks to the stylist’s sincerity and love, our eyes are so happy.
[No, I used to say I hated outfits like that because they look too otaku-ish. I take back that statement. I was foolish. Please forgive this ignorant being. I deeply reflect on my mistake.]
↳ LOL I can feel the sincerity.
↳ But I also don’t like this kind of outfit, yet when I saw Spade Joker wearing it, I gasped and covered my mouth. Maybe it’s different when someone you like wears it.
↳↳ Hmm… Spade Joker’s visuals are… hmm… I’ll stop there.
↳↳↳ LOL That’s accurate.
↳ And honestly, idols should have a bit of that otaku vibe.
[Can someone please make a game with Spade Joker in those outfits? I’m begging. I can’t do it myself, so I’ll ask another Clover. (Spade Joker stage photos.)]
↳ LOL, Looking for a golden-handed Clover.
↳ Company, can’t you guys make this happen even as an event…
↳↳ Wouldn’t that cost way too much?
↳ LOL Still, it’d be amazing if a talented Clover made a game based on today’s outfits. Today’s styling is too precious.
↳ LMAO At this point, it’s basically “I’ll just imagine it, you make it for me!”
“Lately, every time I see posts praising the outfits, I feel so good that I can’t get off social media.”
The stylist’s cheeks flushed, as if she genuinely enjoyed the process of making the outfits and dressing the members.
“Let’s go hear the first-place announcement now.”
“Okay.”
“Go and come back.”
The Spade Joker members hurried along to hear the first-place announcement.
On the way, they ran into Spade.
When Spade saw their faces, they hurriedly lowered their heads.
Ever since receiving a warning from John Raid Lombardi, whenever they encountered Spade Joker, they would bow their heads or avoid them.
Whenever Spade Joker saw that, they sometimes felt their resolve weaken, but each time they shook their heads firmly and steeled themselves.
“Go get that last trophy.”
Kim Jawook said to the Spade Joker members, his words filled with confidence that they would definitely win first place.
“Yes.”
Spade Joker stepped onto the stage with bright expressions and waved to Clover.
“Today’s first place! We will now announce it.”
Spade Joker began to pray that they could win first place even in their final week of promotions.
“Congratulations. Spade Joker’s [POKER]!”
The MC handed them the trophy and a bouquet.
Cain, the leader, took the bouquet and, with his free hand, held the members’ hands, then gave a slight nod. The Spade Joker members then performed a deep bow. It was their way of expressing gratitude to the fans.
After bowing and rising, Cain brought the microphone to his lips.
“This is our final encore.”
“Aaaahhhh!”
Clover let out cries of protest.
“But we’ll see each other again soon, right? Let’s just hold on a little until then.”
[While meeting your gaze directly, hide it again]
And so, Spade Joker’s final week first-place encore stage continued.
***
We arrived at the filming site for Florence’s music video.
“Let’s go in.”
“Yeah.”
As we entered the studio, Yoo Jeongyeon welcomed us.
“Oh? CEO and Team Leader Han too…? What brings you here?”
“I just dropped by. I was curious how the filming was going.”
“More importantly, where are the girls?”
“They’re resting for a bit. Should I call them?”
“It’s fine. No need to call them when they’re resting. Let them recover even a little.”
Unlike when I first saw her at the interview, Yoo Jeongyeon now had lively, energetic eyes.
‘Did something happen in the meantime?’
I didn’t know exactly what, but it was a good thing for me.
“Wow… I feel like my eyes are closing.”
“Same.”
At that moment, Florence came out of the waiting room looking completely drained.
“Oh? CEO!”
They spotted Han Suseok and me and quickly approached.
“Hello.”
“Yeah. How’s the shoot? Is it manageable?”
“Yes. It’s physically tough, but it’s really fun!”
They answered in bright, energetic voices.
“What do you want to do first after your debut?”
“I want to talk with fans.”
“Me too.”
“I think having fans would feel really amazing.”
The Florence members didn’t seem to know yet, but they had already gained fans just from briefly appearing on a variety show.
“You already have fans.”
“Huh? We do?”
“Yeah. Didn’t you check social media?”
“Oh. Trainees aren’t allowed to use social media.”
‘Was that in the contract?’
I didn’t remember such a clause, so I looked at Han Suseok.
“I heard the trainer banned social media. They said it could be a problem if things like debut info get leaked.”
Hearing Han Suseok’s explanation, I understood why the trainer had prohibited it.
“They could at least look at it, even if they couldn’t post.”
“They wanted to be safe.”
Like the Spade Joker members, these kids were too honest.
“We’ll make an official account soon, so just hold on a little. Of course, you’ll have to get the manager’s approval before posting.”
“But that means we can communicate with fans through posts, right? That’s enough for us.”
Florence looked as happy as children receiving gifts.
“Oh, right. You’re hungry, aren’t you? I felt awkward coming empty-handed, so I bought something. Eat this while you work.”
“Really? Thank you!”
When I handed them mini donuts, their eyes sparkled.
‘It’s about the time their blood sugar would drop.’
“But… are we allowed to eat this?”
Mio hesitated, worried about weight gain.
Unlike Spade Joker, who happily ate whatever was brought to them, Florence, being a girl group, seemed to hold back even when they wanted to eat.
‘Well, I’ve seen posts online criticizing female idols even for gaining a little weight.’
“You’ve danced countless times today. Eat. When the CEO says you can eat, it means you can.”
“Yes!”
Florence began eating the mini donuts with a happy expression.
“I feel like I’m waking up now.”
“Same.”
“Don’t get too obsessed with weight control. Not eating enough can make you gain weight too. If you don’t overeat and just eat moderately, maintaining your weight isn’t hard. And you need to stay healthy to keep promoting.”
“Yes.”
“We’ve seen your faces, so we’ll head out now. Keep up the good work.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“Yeah. We’d just be in the way if we stayed. We’ll go now.”
“Okay.”
After saying goodbye to the Florence members, we left the studio.
“Are you heading home?”
“Yeah. I should.”
I got into the car driven by Han Suseok.
It was a bit ironic since I had suggested driving separately, but the studio was quite far, so it was comfortable having him drive.
“CEO.”
“Yeah.”
“I was thinking we should buy a camera for filming our own content. Maybe shoot some behind-the-scenes footage from the fan meeting as well.”
“A camera?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. If it’s necessary, go ahead and buy one.”
It made no sense for an entertainment company not to have a proper camera.
“If you’re buying one, get something good. We’ll be using it for a long time.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, and don’t work on Sundays. Make sure to rest properly, okay? You’re a bit of a workaholic.”
“I don’t think that’s something you should be saying, sir.”
“Huh?”
“You always work on weekends and stay at the company the latest.”
“Well, I’m running my own business.”
I said that to him, though in truth, I was working this hard because I refused to regress again.
‘If I achieve my goal and the regression stops, then maybe I can afford to relax a bit… but now isn’t the time.’
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