Genius Idol’s Strategy to Conquer the Entertainment Industry

Chapter 276

After moving to an empty meeting room.

Director Ju Yeoleum, who was seated at the head, asked.

“Are you worried about people’s reactions?”

“No. It’s more like…”

I carefully chose my words and spoke calmly.

“I don’t want them to think they got the better of me over something so trivial.”

Director Ju Yeoleum looked at me with eyes that said, ‘Look at this kid.’

[Ju Yeoleum likes your guts. Ju Yeoleum’s favorability +1, current favorability +38]

“I thought you were feeling down these past few days.”

Director Ju Yeoleum spoke bluntly.

“Feeling down? No way.”

Just thinking about that Zero bastard, who must be smirking somewhere after stealing the letter that kid gave me, makes my blood pressure spike.

“Right. It’s good to be energetic when there’s so much to do.”

Director Ju Yeoleum smiled readily and asked.

“I’m curious about why you came to see me, so let’s start with that.”

* * *

“…So, I felt the need to change my image at least once.”

After seeing the summary of the responses provided by the staff, I explained to Director Ju Yeoleum what I understood and felt about the current situation.

I hadn’t mentioned the solution I had in mind yet.

—
“I understand your thoughts well.”

Director Ju Yeoleum stopped tapping the desk.

“Until now, there hasn’t been a need to alter your image.”

“Isn’t image management very important for a celebrity?”

“Yes, but when it comes to managing, you, Raon, are still young, and your natural appearance is considered the most attractive and appealing.”

He added that it was the same for the other members.

“But it feels like my natural appearance is being overshadowed by already resolved issues.”

“So, you think just staying still won’t be enough?”

“Yes. And actually, Muk Hye-sung said something to me.”

At the sudden mention of Muk Hye-sung’s name, Director Ju Yeoleum looked at me with a curious expression.

“He said I have the power to make people believe what I show them without doubt.”

“Oh, he assessed you correctly. He has experience. But?”

“I’m not doubting his words, but if that’s true, why don’t people believe what I show them?”

Until now, I had consistently shown the natural appearances I wanted to, according to Director Ju Yeoleum’s words.

However, can it be called trust when people change their perception in an instant, based on a piece of medical certificate and the thoughtless words of unknown individuals?

“Ah, well, you see.”

Fortunately, Director Ju Yeoleum seemed to know the answer.

“Giving people trust is more difficult and takes longer than you think. It’s been a little over a year since you started gaining recognition, right?”

I nodded and said, “Yes.”

—
“One year isn’t a short time, but during that period, you haven’t been actively engaged in broadcasting activities as On Raon, not Orca, to consume your image. It’s also a short time to firmly imprint a certain image on the public.”

“Oh…”

Knowing me well is different from merely having my name known.

I thought I was among the top in terms of public recognition compared to other celebrities my age.

‘I was complacent.’

Seeing my expression darken slightly, Director Ju Yeoleum spoke comfortingly.

“Also, being natural means it’s far from being stimulating. You haven’t done anything wrong, so cheer up.”

[However, your face is quite stimulating. Ju Yeoleum admires your beauty. Ju Yeoleum’s favorability +1, charm +1]

[Charm has reached its limit. Remaining charm points will be backed up.]

The idea that he thought this with a face like a tiger made me bite my lip to suppress a laugh.

When I composed my expression and looked up again, Director Ju Yeoleum continued.

“Anyway, to break away from the image you have now, you’ll need something a bit more stimulating.”

“Yes.”

“This is what I’ve come up with so far.”

Director Ju Yeoleum took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it with a pencil.

“?”

He turned the paper around so I could see it easily.

There were three words written on it.

With a story, handsome, genius.

“……”

I didn’t completely agree with those keywords, but the word ‘genius’ among them clearly stood out.

Director Ju Yeoleum also knew.

“…You knew?”

He knew that I was the composer for “Again.”

The flashy word ‘genius’ could only refer to my face, dancing, or composing.

Since ‘handsome’ was written right next to it, and my dancing skills hadn’t returned to the level of the old On Raon, it had to be composing, especially given my recent successful activities with “Again.”

In response to my question, Director Ju Yeoleum lightly nodded.

“I didn’t intentionally try to find out, but I ended up using our CEO’s laptop and found out. Besides checking with Sister Ga-eul if it was true, I haven’t told anyone else, so relax.”

“…Why were you using the CEO’s laptop?”

“Because I was filling in for her… Anyway, that’s not important.”

Director Ju Yeoleum’s eyes sparkled.

“You get the gist of it, right? What do you think?”

In fact, it was more like a flash of brilliance than a sparkle.

“Well…”

I cautiously expressed my opinion.

“It seems too excessive.”

In response, Director Ju Yeoleum smiled broadly as if urging me to reconsider and moved his chair a little closer to me.

“You might not understand because you’re still young, but there’s a reason classics thrive. These are fail-proof keywords. Most people can’t pull off even one of these, but you can handle all three.”

“Oh, okay…”

“I’m serious. I’m Ju Yeoleum.”

I’m sorry, but it seems like you’re more invested in realizing your own dream than improving my image…

I tried not to think this way, but seriously, this person…

‘Is a concept fanatic.’

As if reading my mind, Director Ju Yeoleum firmly persuaded me.

“Don’t dismiss it and think carefully. Stories about talented, beautiful people with compelling backgrounds are universally appealing.”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely.”

Putting aside my personal feelings, I thought about it seriously.

Indeed, combining all these elements made it seem less likely to fail.

‘Though it does feel like a mishmash with a heavy dose of MSG.’

“Why include the ‘with a story’ part?”

Wouldn’t that highlight the negative aspects even more?

“To be blunt, no matter how good an image you put on, the fact that you experienced those events doesn’t disappear.”

Director Ju Yeoleum explained calmly yet gently.

“That doesn’t mean what you went through is a bad thing. You get what I’m saying, right?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good. Anti-fans will try to exploit that point maliciously to tarnish you. So, I think it’s wiser to refine it somewhat and keep it under your control.”

His logical explanation aligned with my judgment, so I could only nod in agreement.

“Actually, I had thought about this too.”

Having somewhat accepted Director Ju Yeoleum’s suggestion in my mind, I pointed to the part labeled ‘genius.’

I had considered using composing as a means to change the narrative.

Of course, it hadn’t connected to the exaggerated keyword ‘genius.’

Nevertheless, what bothered me was…

“We promised to reveal that I composed ‘Again’ during our first concert.”

“Oh.”

Director Ju Yeoleum smiled, finding it endearing.

“Promises are important.”

“Yes…”

I felt a bit embarrassed, like a child telling an adult about a pinky promise with their friends.

“Then discuss it with the members and let me know. If we proceed in this direction, timing and preparation are crucial, so the sooner we decide, the better.”

“Yes, thank you.”

As our conversation concluded, Director Ju Yeoleum, seeming busy, quickly tidied up and got up to leave. Just before he left, he mentioned something that seemed to come to mind.

“Oh, and about the blacklist notice we discussed. It will be posted by today. Let the others know too.”

This was good news.

“Yes!”

* * *

As Director Ju Yeoleum mentioned, that afternoon, an announcement about the implementation of the blacklist system was posted on Orca’s official account.

The notice reiterated the guidelines concerning the members’ privacy, stating that anyone repeatedly violating these rules would be permanently banned from participating in official events, including fan signings and fan meetings.

The fans warmly welcomed Seed’s proactive measures.

– Seed is doing its job

– Finally ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– So satisfying~~~ I feel relieved

– Don’t just say it, make sure you follow through

– Permanent bans are great

Moreover, the response was even hotter because some individuals were blacklisted from the first day of implementation.

– Han Young*/**××××/86××/Invasion of Orca’s dormitory and members’ private residences, violation of privacy, and theft of members’ personal belongings/ Permanent ban from all online and offline fan activities/180828

(excerpt)

– As soon as the notice was posted, the list was published, and now it makes sense why they did itㄷㄷㄷㄷ

– Stealing too? Are they crazy? What about the kids ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– Wow, this is insane… This isn’t the early 2000s; what kind of fans are these? Unbelievable.

┗ They’re not just stalkers, but probably obsessed fans.

┗ Not all obsessed fans are home masters.

– Don’t we still not have an official fan club? They don’t even accept support, so how did they find out the stalkers’ identities?

┗ With this level of crime, they must have met at the police station.

┗ Seriously, this is police station meeting material.

– Invading members’ private residences and stealing personal belongings? Isn’t this related to the medical certificate incident?

┗ Oh, right…

┗ But On Raon is American, does he even have a residence in Korea?

┗ Yes, he mentioned at a fan sign event that he had a separate house before moving into the Orca dorm.

– Those crazy people ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– They probably couldn’t stop them from loitering around the dorm or following them during unofficial schedules, but breaking into homes and stealing? They dug their own gravesㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Instant justice~

– They probably did more than what’s listed, and minor incidents weren’t mentionedㅋㅋ… Being an idol is really a tough job.

– At this point, Seed must have been furious enough to post this.

┗ They have every right to be angry.

In such a situation, the first fan signing event since the comeback was held.

Chapter 276

After moving to an empty meeting room.

Director Ju Yeoleum, who was seated at the head, asked.

“Are you worried about people’s reactions?”

“No. It’s more like…”

I carefully chose my words and spoke calmly.

“I don’t want them to think they got the better of me over something so trivial.”

Director Ju Yeoleum looked at me with eyes that said, ‘Look at this kid.’

[Ju Yeoleum likes your guts. Ju Yeoleum’s favorability +1, current favorability +38]

“I thought you were feeling down these past few days.”

Director Ju Yeoleum spoke bluntly.

“Feeling down? No way.”

Just thinking about that Zero bastard, who must be smirking somewhere after stealing the letter that kid gave me, makes my blood pressure spike.

“Right. It’s good to be energetic when there’s so much to do.”

Director Ju Yeoleum smiled readily and asked.

“I’m curious about why you came to see me, so let’s start with that.”

* * *

“…So, I felt the need to change my image at least once.”

After seeing the summary of the responses provided by the staff, I explained to Director Ju Yeoleum what I understood and felt about the current situation.

I hadn’t mentioned the solution I had in mind yet.

—
“I understand your thoughts well.”

Director Ju Yeoleum stopped tapping the desk.

“Until now, there hasn’t been a need to alter your image.”

“Isn’t image management very important for a celebrity?”

“Yes, but when it comes to managing, you, Raon, are still young, and your natural appearance is considered the most attractive and appealing.”

He added that it was the same for the other members.

“But it feels like my natural appearance is being overshadowed by already resolved issues.”

“So, you think just staying still won’t be enough?”

“Yes. And actually, Muk Hye-sung said something to me.”

At the sudden mention of Muk Hye-sung’s name, Director Ju Yeoleum looked at me with a curious expression.

“He said I have the power to make people believe what I show them without doubt.”

“Oh, he assessed you correctly. He has experience. But?”

“I’m not doubting his words, but if that’s true, why don’t people believe what I show them?”

Until now, I had consistently shown the natural appearances I wanted to, according to Director Ju Yeoleum’s words.

However, can it be called trust when people change their perception in an instant, based on a piece of medical certificate and the thoughtless words of unknown individuals?

“Ah, well, you see.”

Fortunately, Director Ju Yeoleum seemed to know the answer.

“Giving people trust is more difficult and takes longer than you think. It’s been a little over a year since you started gaining recognition, right?”

I nodded and said, “Yes.”

—
“One year isn’t a short time, but during that period, you haven’t been actively engaged in broadcasting activities as On Raon, not Orca, to consume your image. It’s also a short time to firmly imprint a certain image on the public.”

“Oh…”

Knowing me well is different from merely having my name known.

I thought I was among the top in terms of public recognition compared to other celebrities my age.

‘I was complacent.’

Seeing my expression darken slightly, Director Ju Yeoleum spoke comfortingly.

“Also, being natural means it’s far from being stimulating. You haven’t done anything wrong, so cheer up.”

[However, your face is quite stimulating. Ju Yeoleum admires your beauty. Ju Yeoleum’s favorability +1, charm +1]

[Charm has reached its limit. Remaining charm points will be backed up.]

The idea that he thought this with a face like a tiger made me bite my lip to suppress a laugh.

When I composed my expression and looked up again, Director Ju Yeoleum continued.

“Anyway, to break away from the image you have now, you’ll need something a bit more stimulating.”

“Yes.”

“This is what I’ve come up with so far.”

Director Ju Yeoleum took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it with a pencil.

“?”

He turned the paper around so I could see it easily.

There were three words written on it.

With a story, handsome, genius.

“……”

I didn’t completely agree with those keywords, but the word ‘genius’ among them clearly stood out.

Director Ju Yeoleum also knew.

“…You knew?”

He knew that I was the composer for “Again.”

The flashy word ‘genius’ could only refer to my face, dancing, or composing.

Since ‘handsome’ was written right next to it, and my dancing skills hadn’t returned to the level of the old On Raon, it had to be composing, especially given my recent successful activities with “Again.”

In response to my question, Director Ju Yeoleum lightly nodded.

“I didn’t intentionally try to find out, but I ended up using our CEO’s laptop and found out. Besides checking with Sister Ga-eul if it was true, I haven’t told anyone else, so relax.”

“…Why were you using the CEO’s laptop?”

“Because I was filling in for her… Anyway, that’s not important.”

Director Ju Yeoleum’s eyes sparkled.

“You get the gist of it, right? What do you think?”

In fact, it was more like a flash of brilliance than a sparkle.

“Well…”

I cautiously expressed my opinion.

“It seems too excessive.”

In response, Director Ju Yeoleum smiled broadly as if urging me to reconsider and moved his chair a little closer to me.

“You might not understand because you’re still young, but there’s a reason classics thrive. These are fail-proof keywords. Most people can’t pull off even one of these, but you can handle all three.”

“Oh, okay…”

“I’m serious. I’m Ju Yeoleum.”

I’m sorry, but it seems like you’re more invested in realizing your own dream than improving my image…

I tried not to think this way, but seriously, this person…

‘Is a concept fanatic.’

As if reading my mind, Director Ju Yeoleum firmly persuaded me.

“Don’t dismiss it and think carefully. Stories about talented, beautiful people with compelling backgrounds are universally appealing.”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely.”

Putting aside my personal feelings, I thought about it seriously.

Indeed, combining all these elements made it seem less likely to fail.

‘Though it does feel like a mishmash with a heavy dose of MSG.’

“Why include the ‘with a story’ part?”

Wouldn’t that highlight the negative aspects even more?

“To be blunt, no matter how good an image you put on, the fact that you experienced those events doesn’t disappear.”

Director Ju Yeoleum explained calmly yet gently.

“That doesn’t mean what you went through is a bad thing. You get what I’m saying, right?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good. Anti-fans will try to exploit that point maliciously to tarnish you. So, I think it’s wiser to refine it somewhat and keep it under your control.”

His logical explanation aligned with my judgment, so I could only nod in agreement.

“Actually, I had thought about this too.”

Having somewhat accepted Director Ju Yeoleum’s suggestion in my mind, I pointed to the part labeled ‘genius.’

I had considered using composing as a means to change the narrative.

Of course, it hadn’t connected to the exaggerated keyword ‘genius.’

Nevertheless, what bothered me was…

“We promised to reveal that I composed ‘Again’ during our first concert.”

“Oh.”

Director Ju Yeoleum smiled, finding it endearing.

“Promises are important.”

“Yes…”

I felt a bit embarrassed, like a child telling an adult about a pinky promise with their friends.

“Then discuss it with the members and let me know. If we proceed in this direction, timing and preparation are crucial, so the sooner we decide, the better.”

“Yes, thank you.”

As our conversation concluded, Director Ju Yeoleum, seeming busy, quickly tidied up and got up to leave. Just before he left, he mentioned something that seemed to come to mind.

“Oh, and about the blacklist notice we discussed. It will be posted by today. Let the others know too.”

This was good news.

“Yes!”

* * *

As Director Ju Yeoleum mentioned, that afternoon, an announcement about the implementation of the blacklist system was posted on Orca’s official account.

The notice reiterated the guidelines concerning the members’ privacy, stating that anyone repeatedly violating these rules would be permanently banned from participating in official events, including fan signings and fan meetings.

The fans warmly welcomed Seed’s proactive measures.

– Seed is doing its job

– Finally ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– So satisfying~~~ I feel relieved

– Don’t just say it, make sure you follow through

– Permanent bans are great

Moreover, the response was even hotter because some individuals were blacklisted from the first day of implementation.

– Han Young*/**××××/86××/Invasion of Orca’s dormitory and members’ private residences, violation of privacy, and theft of members’ personal belongings/ Permanent ban from all online and offline fan activities/180828

(excerpt)

– As soon as the notice was posted, the list was published, and now it makes sense why they did itㄷㄷㄷㄷ

– Stealing too? Are they crazy? What about the kids ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– Wow, this is insane… This isn’t the early 2000s; what kind of fans are these? Unbelievable.

┗ They’re not just stalkers, but probably obsessed fans.

┗ Not all obsessed fans are home masters.

– Don’t we still not have an official fan club? They don’t even accept support, so how did they find out the stalkers’ identities?

┗ With this level of crime, they must have met at the police station.

┗ Seriously, this is police station meeting material.

– Invading members’ private residences and stealing personal belongings? Isn’t this related to the medical certificate incident?

┗ Oh, right…

┗ But On Raon is American, does he even have a residence in Korea?

┗ Yes, he mentioned at a fan sign event that he had a separate house before moving into the Orca dorm.

– Those crazy people ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– They probably couldn’t stop them from loitering around the dorm or following them during unofficial schedules, but breaking into homes and stealing? They dug their own gravesㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Instant justice~

– They probably did more than what’s listed, and minor incidents weren’t mentionedㅋㅋ… Being an idol is really a tough job.

– At this point, Seed must have been furious enough to post this.

┗ They have every right to be angry.

In such a situation, the first fan signing event since the comeback was held.