Episode: 13
It seems like I had a light sleep.
I realized that I was dreaming.
No, to be precise, I was witnessing a scene that felt like a dream.
["Well, you could say it's half a dream."]
I wanted to respond to Nobel's voice that pierced my ears, but my mouth wouldn't even budge.
Anyway, what I'm seeing right now is—
"Aaaargh!!! Damn it!!!"
A room the size of a living room in a decent-sized house.
A clean and neat Hanbit High School girls' uniform hung in a luxurious wardrobe, prepared in advance for graduation.
And on the wall, there was a picture of Jo Yuna as a child.
「Bzzz!! Bzzzz!!」
Jo Yuna was having a fit, ripping her bag apart.
Tearing up her textbooks.
And shredding her workbooks.
I almost laughed without thinking.
'Well, she's still a kid after all.'
Considering what she did to Hee-ju, it wasn't something I could just dismiss as childish behavior.
But the way she was venting her anger was, after all, somewhat immature.
Though, even such childish venting might vary depending on the status of the other party’s family.
"Dad's home."
A man who looked just like Jo Yuna opened the door and walked in.
And even after seeing the mess Jo Yuna had made, he didn't even raise an eyebrow. It was downright creepy to watch.
Isn't he a psychopath?
"Huff, huff..."
Jo Yuna didn't seem to have any intention of hiding her current state from her father.
Rather—
"Why aren't you asking? Your daughter is this angry!"
"Because it's cute. I just thought, 'How is it possible that even when my daughter is angry, she looks so cute and lovable?' Sorry."
What the hell...
Jo Yuna's father was none other than Jo Go-gwang.
Even someone like me, who doesn't really care much about others, knew he was the chairman of a large corporation that ranked among the top ten in South Korea.
I wondered how impressive her backing was.
It turns out, it really was impressive.
"What could have happened? For my daughter to be this angry. Tell me what happened. Dad will take care of everything."
There was a confident tone in Jo Go-gwang's voice.
As if he would really do anything for her.
If necessary, he might even hire a hitman to kill me for embarrassing his daughter today.
"Well! You see!"
Jo Yuna snitched to her dad about what happened at school today, leaving out the part about her wetting herself, and twisting the story to her advantage.
Jo Go-gwang nodded as he listened.
"N&P, huh. If it's an entertainment agency, there must be a few places where our company has invested in advertising or sponsorships. Hold on. Dad just needs to make a quick call."
"Okay, Dad!"
Jo Yuna showed a happy smile, thinking that I was about to get screwed.
The way she was sitting on the bed, swinging her legs, was seriously creepy.
At the same time, it was truly frightening.
Because...
"Ah, is this the representative? This is Jo Go-gwang from BE Electronics."
Jo Go-gwang called Cheon Tae-oh.
And in that moment.
My vision flipped, and the scene and characters changed.
It was now Cheon Tae-oh in front of me.
"Ah, Chairman Jo. What brings you to personally call the representative of a small, insignificant agency?"
Cheon Tae-oh, who had just lit a cigarette, asked cautiously.
Just from this, you could tell how deferential Cheon Tae-oh was being towards Jo Go-gwang.
Of course, it made sense.
As I mentioned earlier, Jo Go-gwang's company was among the top ten in South Korea.
No matter how powerful Cheon Tae-oh was, he couldn't ignore that.
"Yes, Kim Hyun-woo, the manager... Ah, do you mean Kim Hyun-woo, the team leader?"
It seems my name had finally come up in Jo Go-gwang's conversation.
But that wasn’t the surprising part.
"It seems there might be a misunderstanding."
—What did you say?
"Team Leader Kim Hyun-woo. He's a very competent person. So, I think I'll just pretend I didn't hear your earlier request."
—...Are you refusing my offer? Are you determined to drink the poison?
What offer?
Ignoring the blatant threat from Jo Go-gwang, Cheon Tae-oh took a long drag of his cigarette and then smiled slightly.
"Let me clarify again. It seems you're still misunderstanding."
Cheon Tae-oh said,
"I've been drinking poison for a long time. Now I'm starting to crave something sweeter. Well, then, I'll end the call here."
And then, with a click, he coolly hung up the phone.
Wow.
This guy isn’t just crazy.
Then, as if muttering to himself while looking up at the ceiling, I thought for a moment our eyes met.
"Team Leader Kim Hyun-woo. You're already making things interesting. I'm really looking forward to this."
• • •
Bubbling, bubbling.
It felt like I had returned to my childhood home after a long time.
The familiar sound of soup boiling echoed from the living room.
As I cautiously lifted myself up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I asked:
“Was what I saw last night real?”
[Are you the kind of person who can have such detailed dreams?]
[It was like a special service.]
[A service to show you how things are unfolding.]
The fact that Jo Yuna, who just graduated from high school, genuinely tried to retaliate, and that Choi Tae-oh effortlessly dealt with it—
Why are there so many truly terrifying people in this world?
“Ah, Team Manager.”
“Yeah.”
Looking to my side in my disheveled state, I saw Eun Hee-ju, still in her school uniform, holding a ladle and looking at me.
“I just prepared something light—miso soup, fried eggs, and Vienna sausages. Is that okay?”
“Where did you get the ingredients?”
“I did some grocery shopping early this morning.”
“What about the money?”
“…”
She didn't answer, so she must have paid with her own money.
“Oh, we could’ve just had the leftover chicken from yesterday.”
That was why I didn’t bother to go grocery shopping and just laid around.
She not only got up early to shop but also prepared breakfast?
“Sorry. It's a habit.”
“No, no, thank you. Why apologize for doing something nice?”
I habitually patted Eun Hee-ju’s head as I sat up.
Realizing it, I apologized immediately.
“Oh, sorry. It’s a habit too.”
“No, it’s fine.”
[Did you notice that Eun Hee-ju just subtly...]
Huh?
[No, nothing. As expected of an SS.]
What’s that supposed to mean?
If you’re going to say something, finish it.
I just woke up, so I’m out of it too—saying things like that only confuses me more.
“Yawn. I’m worried, really worried.”
“Huh?”
“Can someone as innocent as you really make it to the top of the entertainment industry?”
Eun Hee-joo just stared at me without any change in her expression, then answered:
“I just have to do what you tell me to do, right?”
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Yeah! You should, even if it’s just for revenge.”
“…Yes. For revenge.”
That reply was a beat late.
While mentally going over Eun Hee-ju's schedule for today, I picked up my spoon. Starting with a sip of soup is the way to go.
“Wow! What’s this? The miso soup is really good!”
“Oh. Have some more.”
“Huh?”
I’d only said one word.
But now my portion of miso soup had increased by 1.5 times.
Well, it’s tasty, so whatever.
“Wow! What’s this? Were Vienna sausages always this good? Wow, did you put ketchup in every cut?”
“Eat up, Team Manager.”
“Huh?”
I can pick it up and eat it myself, you know.
“Wow! What’s this? Fried eggs…”
“Here you go.”
I quietly closed my mouth, looking at the two fried eggs now on top of my rice.
I don’t know what this is about.
But when eating with Eun Hee-ju, it’s probably best to keep my mouth shut. Otherwise, I’ll end up like a pig being fed, without even realizing it.
I’m already putting on weight easier now that I’m nearing thirty, and this isn’t helping.
“Today’s going to be a busy day. It’s the first day, after all. Let’s see, we need to go to the dermatologist, buy some training clothes, and based on what the dermatologist says, we’ll need to buy some skincare products.”
“You’re coming with me, right, Team Manager?”
“Huh?”
I tapped my chin lightly and answered:
“Well, for now, since I’m the only one managing four idol teams, we’ll have to move around together. There are things you’re not used to yet, like the location of the hospital or the dermatologist. I need to be there with you for those.”
“Yes.”
She seems strangely happy.
“But you know, once more members join, you’ll probably spend more time with them.”
“Are you going to recruit other members?”
“Of course. Who debuts as a solo artist and succeeds these days? Only those with incredible luck or jaw-dropping talent manage that—especially here in Korea, not even on Billboard.”
“Oh, right.”
Eun Hee-ju’s voice suddenly stiffened.
No way.
“I know you’re still feeling a bit distant from others because of what happened at school, but don’t worry too much. I don’t hire people with character issues. You saw it yourself—how I rejected Jo Yuna and chose to support you.”
"Yes, don’t worry. I’ll do my best."
Although it seemed like Eun Hee-ju mumbled something softly afterward, I couldn’t quite catch it.
"Alright then, shall we start the day?"
As expected, the day started off busy, just as I had mentioned before. But after stopping by the company to pick up the car keys, it was manageable.
In fact...
'Hmm.'
We bought her some new clothes.
Visited the dermatologist and scheduled some urgent treatments and prescriptions.
Although it wasn’t to the level of a debut...
We made sure to tidy up her hairstyle as well.
"You…look pretty, for sure."
Eun Hee-ju suited a bob haircut well.
To be honest, it feels a bit inappropriate to say, but...
Maybe because she hasn’t been eating much, her body is a bit thin, and with the bob haircut, the charm of her slender figure really stands out.
Even so, in terms of looks alone, Jo Yuna still had the upper hand.
No, setting aside appearances...
"Thank you."
"......"
What is an idol, really?
Essentially, an idol is someone who brings joy, energy, and charm to their fans. But I was uncertain if this expressionless, doll-like girl could convey that.
While waiting at the company to assign a training coach to Hee-ju...
"Hee-ju."
"Yes, Manager."
"Try smiling."
"Okay."
Her lips curled up immediately.
The way her expression changed as soon as I asked was not bad.
The problem was that the smile she showed was the same as the one she gave to Jo Yuna yesterday, without any difference.
"Wait. Wait! No, not that. If you show that smile to your fans, it’ll be the end."
"Is that so? I thought it was the best smile I could manage."
"Why?"
"I felt good for the first time in a while."
"Ah. That makes sense. Hmm."
This is driving me crazy.
Could SS stand for Special Sociopath, by any chance?
"What should I do? Like this? Something like this?"
Thinking that I should somehow loosen up those stiff facial muscles, I started massaging her face with my hands.
"Oh! Oh! That’s it. Yes, that’s it!"
For the first time, a proper smile appeared on Eun Hee-ju's face.
"Wow. Yes, that’s it. This is a smile. This is the smile of an idol. The kind of smile that makes even the viewer happy."
"I only smiled because you asked me to."
"Yeah, yeah. You did well."
However, as soon as she turned her head, the smile disappeared instantly from her face.
Is she really not a robot?
It was then.
"Oh, Manager Kim Hyun-woo. I heard you brought a trainee already. Could it be that kid?"
Park Joo-yong entered with three trainees.
The ones I saw yesterday.
So...
"Ah, hello! I’m Mina, the leader of Oasis, preparing for debut."
"Likewise, I’m Serena."
"I’m Lee Sora! One, two, three."
The three of them bowed deeply and greeted me.
"We are Oasis."
Judging by the fact that their name was already decided, it seems their debut isn’t too far off.
But they still seem to have a few more months of practice left.
"Go inside and start practicing."
"Yes, sir."
As if they didn’t even find it worthwhile to greet someone like me, Park Joo-yong quickly ushered the kids into the practice room.
Was it Oasis, he said?
Those kids quickly went inside, taking cues from Park Joo-yong.
Well, what can I do?
From the perspective of a trainee who has been working hard for over five years, it’s natural to cling to someone with more power or a higher chance of success.
For now, Park Joo-yong had much more skill and recognition than I did at N&P.
It didn’t bother me much.
The bigger problem was the man in front of me.
"I’ve heard you have a keen eye. But wow, seriously. Hahaha. Well, it’s so typical of you. Tsk tsk. Hahaha!"
As Park Joo-yong laughed sarcastically and walked away, I quietly closed my mouth.
Instead, Eun Hee-ju spoke up.
"He might need to see an eye doctor."
"Indeed."
"Oh, and."
After briefly glancing at the Oasis members warming up in the practice room, Eun Hee-ju shook her head.
"No, never mind."
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