K-Producer C46 Second one

The next day at school, in the canteen of all places, Byul-ho had found himself sitting opposite a very enthusiastic Seul-gi. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she spoke about Ascend’s upcoming concert.

“I can’t believe I managed to get tickets!” Seul-gi exclaimed. “Olympic Hall, can you imagine? You guys have come so far!”

Byul-ho smiled at her words – it was hard not to find her energy contagious. “Thanks, Seul-gi. We’re really working to make it a great show.”

Just then Min-ji slid into the seat next to Seul-gi, giving Byul-ho a nod of acknowledgement. “Byul-ho-ssi, I’ve been watching your marketing strategy on social media,” she said, leaning back in her chair slightly as if preparing for some earth-shattering news. “And let me just say – it’s impressive.”

By this point Byul-ho’s smile had taken on a more professional edge and he sat up straighter. “Thank you Min-ji-ssi,” he replied smoothly. “I think this approach works better with our target audience.”

Min-ji raised an eyebrow (she always did) and asked: “How?”

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice even though there was no one else around them who could care what they were talking about anyway. “Well see, by not directly advertising the brands we’re creating more organic interest... Fans feel like they’re discovering something rather than being sold to which creates a stronger emotional connection with both Ascend and the products themselves.”

She nodded slowly as if taking it all in while also deciding whether or not she believed him yet – either way there was definitely something like admiration behind those eyes of hers when she finally spoke.

“That’s... actually quite clever,” Min-ji conceded after a moment's pause. “I can see why it’s working so well.”

Seul-gi looked between them, her excitement displaced by confusion. “Wait, what are you two talking about?”

Byul-ho chuckled. “Just some business strategies, Seul-gi. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”

As the sun set on the day of the concert Byul-ho found himself staring at the ticket sales report with a mix of elation and caffeine-induced nervousness.

“Three thousand one hundred and twenty-nine,” he murmured to himself, a small smile playing on his lips.

It wasn’t quite four thousand like he'd wanted but for a group as new as Ascend that was still more than impressive.

Throughout the day Byul-ho couldn’t help but keep checking the numbers – every time he did they were a little higher than before. When he checked one last time just before bed they were at three thousand three hundred thirty-two.

***

At company building, Byul-ho and his group members stared intently at the laptop screen, watching the ticket sales count...

“Not bad at all,” Jae-sung said from over his shoulder when he saw the final count. “More than ten times our first gig.”

Byul-ho nodded and felt a little prickle of pride for his boys run up his spine then – really though this had been all them since day one hadn’t it? Everyone else was just along for the ride.

“You’ve all worked so hard to get here,” he told them as sincerely as possible without sounding too much like an after-school special because god knew how much more these kids could handle right now. “Let’s make sure we give them something worth remembering.”

Hours before showtime, Byul-ho and Ascend showed up at Olympic Hall in what felt like half-dead silence; their van pulled into an empty parking lot behind the giant venue and once outside they instinctively huddled together against the cold.

The sight of it nearly took their breath away – Olympic Hall stood towering in front of them. Inside, the huge empty space was invigorating and intimidating at once.

While they were going to backstage, nobody of their team could hide their thrill.

“I can’t believe we’re performing here,” Min-jae finally whispered.

Sung-ho nodded slowly next to him. “It feels like a dream.”

Byul-ho watched them take it all in, their nervous energy practically radiating off their skin. He knew they were ready – god he hoped they were ready after all these weeks of endless practice – but he also knew how scared they must be right now.

“Okay, guys,” he said, bringing them together. “I want us to go through the setlist one more time.”

As members took positions for rehearsal, Byul-ho couldn’t help but feel excited a little bit too early. Soon thousands seats over there would be filled up by fans who couldn’t wait to see Ascend live in action.

***

As the hours went on, one of Byul-ho’s staff approached him with the final ticket count. “Sir, we have sold 3,578 tickets,” she said.

He smiled. “That’s amazing. We’re way closer to capacity than I thought we would be. Good job, everyone.”

Do-hyun let out a low whistle. “So close to 4,000!”

Byul-ho nodded happily. “More than enough,” he said, patting Do-hyun’s back. “You guys should be proud.”

Backstage, as showtime neared, the energy shifted. The nervous excitement that had been building all day was now mixed with something more tangible — anticipation.

Inside the Olympic Hall, as fans began to file in once doors opened, there was an undeniable buzz in the air. Friends chatted animatedly as they found their seats; many wore homemade Ascend merch or carried lightsticks.

Two friends took their seats together and looked around at the nearly full room.

“I can’t believe how many people are here,” one of them whispered excitedly.

Her friend nodded in agreement. “I know that Ascend doesn’t have hundreds of thousands of fans yet — but seeing this … they certainly have a potential to be big someday.”

Nearby, a handful of fans were talking about what Ascend had been through.

“Do you guys remember when they were on that talent show?” One of them asked. “A lot of groups disappeared after that but Ascend just kept going.”

“Yeah.” Another person nodded. “They’re really something. I mean look at this venue. It’s not massive or anything but for a rookie group?”

“Impressive,” the first person finished.

From his hidden spot backstage Byul-ho watched as more and more seats filled up; fans chatted excitedly with each other — and he could almost touch the electric anticipation in the air.

“Is this really happening?” Hyun-woo asked softly, peeking out at the crowd. “Look at all those people …”

Yeon-seok’s eyes were wide; he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away. “They’re all here for us.”

Byul-ho squeezed Hyun-woo’s and Yeon-seok’s shoulders, his voice a low rumble: “Remember this feeling,” he said. “This is only the beginning.”

As the lights in the venue began to dim, signaling that showtime was near, Byul-ho gathered everyone together one last time.

“All right, Ascend,” he said firmly but encouragingly. “You’ve worked too damn hard for this moment — so go out there and show ‘em what you’re made of. Make every single person sitting in that audience tonight glad they came.”

The members nodded; nervousness left their eyes as determination settled into place.

The first person to emerge on stage was Hae-won who was met with applause and a few shouts of his name.

"Hae-won oppa!"

After him came Do-hyun, whose entrance prompted an onslaught of cheers from his fans.

"Do-hyun, fighting!"

Then were Min-jae and Sung-ho, both greeted by smiles from the audience.

"Min-jae, you're so good looking!"

"Sung-ho, we love you!"

The energy in the venue only grew as more members filed onto the stage.

But when Jae-sung stepped out last, the noise reached its peak. "Jae-sung oppa! We love you!" They were clearly much louder for him.

He smiled shyly at this reaction, gesturing towards his other members as if to say “don’t forget about them!”

Yoon-seok and Hyun-woo couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when they realized that their names were being called out less and less. Still, they put on professional smiles and waved at the crowd as if they hadn’t noticed.