# Chapter 19
How can these guys exceed 2%?
“Do we get a gift if we exceed 2%?”
Lee Dagyeong was ready to nail it down.
Seo Irun went one step further in the midst of this.
“Let’s not do that. Let’s make it 3%.”
What?
When Seo Irun, who never seemed to say anything favorable to me, came out with that, I became very suspicious.
What are you plotting?
I was thinking I should definitely ask him when we’re alone, but then he said:
“But instead of gifts, let’s make it granting a wish.”
“What?”
“Wow, that’s great!!”
The members suddenly shouted in unison.
Looking at their faces, it was as if they had already exceeded a 3% viewership rating.
“What… what kind of wish?”
Why is my voice trembling?
I don’t have that much money.
I did have a nice house, a nice car, an expensive watch, and quite a bit of money, but if these guys really set their minds to it, I might go broke quickly.
“No. Not that.”
I was momentarily stunned but quickly rejected it, thinking I shouldn’t let this happen.
“This is ridiculous. If the ratings are good, it benefits you, not me. I’m not doing it.”
“Then 5%!”
Han Sijin suddenly spoke enthusiastically.
5% viewership.
They say there used to be shows that frequently exceeded 20%, but these days, variety shows that exceeded 5% were hard to find.
As I hesitated, all the members clung to me and said:
“Let’s do that, hyung. How could we possibly get 5%? It’s impossible, right? So let’s do it. If we exceed 5%, you grant our wish.”
“No. What kind of wish are you trying to make?”
But the guys, as if they had made a pact, kept their mouths shut and didn’t say a word.
“That’s what we’ve decided.”
Seo Irun said this and then walked away.
It was as if he was leaving so I couldn’t say I wouldn’t do it while he was still there.
It seemed like he was planning to insist later that he hadn’t heard me refuse, even if I did say no.
When I first saw him in front of the academy, he looked diligent and kind, so why does he now seem like a villain?
No, Seomin. It must be a misconception. That guy’s not like that.
But when I looked around, there was no one there.
What is this? This feeling that everyone seems to be thinking the same as Seo Irun?
* * *
cmn.
Seyoung Media’s paid broadcast channel was referred to as a “prickly asset” within Seyoung Group.
The average viewership rating of the programs aired there was below 1%.
And even when they recruited people from outside with exceptional conditions, once they entered cmn, all the programs they made failed, earning the dishonorable nickname “the graveyard of geniuses.”
It was decided that our “Crop Five” would be broadcast there.
The title was taken directly from the team name.
The dice had been cast, and all we could do now was watch the results.
I was worried that Seyoung Media might make a fuss, but they didn’t go that far.
They might have thought there was no need.
We promoted as much as possible, but we didn’t know how much our promotion would affect the ratings.
“Well, we’ve done everything we can.”
With the thought that the arrow had left the bowstring, I decided to stop obsessing over the ratings and focus on the upcoming filming, but we did watch the first broadcast together.
It was a new experience to sit with all the members of Crop Five and watch them on broadcast.
Before, there was an unreachable distance between them and me, but not anymore.
They were within my sight when I looked back, and when they laughed, their sounds reached me directly.
I could smell the coffee they were drinking, and sometimes they would directly ask me if I wanted some coffee.
‘This is a successful life by any measure. What fan could be more successful than me?’
We laughed comfortably as we watched TV.
There was a continuous stream of small laugh points, and occasionally segments where big laughs erupted.
There were moments where we noticed, “That’s not the order it happened in, they changed the sequence,” but sometimes arranging events in reverse order seemed to stimulate people’s imagination and enhance their concentration.
“Wow. The editing makes it look really cool.”
“Yeah. It makes us look like amazing people. Just look at that. We just went there blankly and got in the car, but it looks very dynamic. And stylish.”
As Lee Dagyeong and Jeong Chan exchanged comments, I nodded, feeling the same way.
The highlight of the editing was the part where noona and her group appeared in the store.
Showing noona’s silhouette with only her face mosaic-blurred, they ended the first episode with a caption asking “Who is the guest that came to the store?”, maximizing curiosity.
“Wow!! My goodness. The editing is insane!! How can you not watch after it ends like that?”
Even though we already knew everything that had happened, we felt like we couldn’t bear not seeing the next episode immediately, so it was natural to wonder how others might feel.
If it had been a channel with a decent viewership rating, we would have been bustling with excitement checking community reactions, but we weren’t in a position to expect that.
Still, I was curious, so I fiddled with my smartphone first, and what do you know?
When I searched for ‘Crop Five’, several posts came up.
‘Already?’
Until then, I was still half in doubt as I checked the posts…
‘Wait. Why is my photo there?!’
It was a post full of screenshots of the manager, with no idols in sight.
The broadcast had just ended, so I appreciated the dedication of capturing and posting it.
And I was also grateful for the explanations of who was who whenever our kids passed by in the background.
[I watched without expectations but it was super fun. I thought it might be a survival program selecting a debut group, but it’s definitely different from those programs. The boys aren’t well-known, but they’re all handsome and overflowing with charm, so I watched without even remembering to breathe. At the very end, some woman appears in the store with several people, and I’m really curious who she is. I’m not the type to be easily baited, but I was hooked. Flapping my fins. I’ll definitely watch the next episode live. I’m so happy to have found a program where I’m looking forward to the next episode after a long time. And it’s just the first episode! It’s a shame it’s only the first episode, but it feels good to have discovered something that others don’t know about yet.]
It seemed like a good start.
By the time I finished reading all the posts I initially found, there were many more new posts.
In places where many people gathered, conversations about ‘Crop Five’ naturally took place.
The atmosphere was all positive.
There were people showing interest in each member of ‘Crop Five’, but ironically, everyone’s favorite seemed to be me.
Don’t they know I’m the manager?
Do I look like a member because I’m with them?
I was feeling self-conscious, but the kids seemed to find it even more amusing.
“Hyung, you should switch careers while you’re at it. We could call it ‘Crop Six.’ Crop Six sounds better. Rolls off the tongue.”
“Not everyone can be a singer. I can’t sing or dance.”
“Come on, Yeonwoo is like that too.”
When Jeong Chan said this, Cha Yeonwoo nodded in agreement, saying it was true.
But it didn’t seem like they were being serious, so I didn’t bother responding.
“At this rate, the response doesn’t seem bad. There are a lot of people saying they’ll definitely watch the next episode.”
“Hyung, many new posts have been uploaded in the meantime. Isn’t the growth rate fast?”
While we were talking, I received a call from noona.
Recognizing that it was noona calling, I went to my room to answer.
I hadn’t told the members yet that I was part of the Seyoung family, so I was cautious about accidentally letting it slip.
—Seomin!! This is a huge hit, right? It’s definitely a hit?
“The ratings aren’t out yet, so I’m not sure, but this flow seems not bad, right?”
We asked each other.
I was just as unaware of such trends.
—The ratings aren’t out yet? But with this level of buzz, the ratings should rise quickly. The kids look good on camera. They’re handsome in person too, but there are a lot of people who look good in person but don’t come across well on camera, which is unfair.
“That’s true.”
I strongly agreed.
—But Seomin, you have anti-fans. You were stealing all the attention! When you were on screen together, people only looked at you. I thought it was because you’re my brother, so I asked other people, and they said the same thing.
“No way. They probably said that because they knew that’s what you wanted to hear.”
Noona just laughed.
It wasn’t an issue we could resolve anyway.
While I was talking with noona, calls kept coming in from other places.
I thought it might be hyung, but it was people who were preparing the program with us.
They said I had worked hard and asked what concept would be good for the next filming, which needed to be prepared right away.
‘I see. This isn’t the end. I shouldn’t be popping champagne now, but preparing what to show next.’
So I was called to the company at that hour.
Leaving behind the sympathetic gazes of the members.
* * *
“From now on is what’s important. The first episode’s ratings don’t mean much. The issue is the second episode. With this level of buzz, the second episode is worth looking forward to.”
The department head spoke with a serious expression.
