“…….”
Shin PD had never requested a private talk with me before.
Plus, if he insisted on going to such a secluded place, it had to be…
‘…I don’t think it’s going to be anything good.’
So, I hesitated and asked with a tone that screamed reluctance.
“Is there something going on…? Can’t we talk here?”
“…….”
When I almost refused him, I saw Shin PD’s expression stiffen for a moment.
He probably never expected that a mere participant like me would dare to reject him.
But he quickly pulled a friendly smile back together and said,
“Haha! I’m sorry, Ye-rin! You must be tired, and I’m being rude! But could you spare me just a moment? It’s really important.”
“Well, could you at least let me know what the topic is?”
“…Hah.”
When I hardened my stance again, Shin PD couldn’t help but sigh.
Then he came closer and whispered in a voice that only I could hear,
“…It’s about your company.”
“……!”
The moment he mentioned the company, I couldn’t help but flinch.
‘My company…? Why is Brotherhood Planning involved…?’
Is there some kind of problem with Brotherhood Planning?
Swish.
I immediately checked my phone, but there were no messages from Kang Hyung-man.
If something had happened, he would have contacted me first…?
Filled with doubts, I asked Shin PD,
“Is there a problem with my company…?”
“…I’ll tell you once you follow me.”
“…….”
…I suppose I have no choice.
Even though Shin PD was a malicious person, he wasn’t completely devoid of common sense.
Above all, since my company, Brotherhood Planning, came out of his mouth, I couldn’t just ignore him.
“…Okay, let’s go.”
I nodded and followed him.
Clink.
As soon as we arrived behind the set, where no one was around, I asked Shin PD,
“Please tell me now. What do you want to discuss regarding my company? Is there a problem with Brotherhood Planning?”
“Haha, you ask if there are issues with Brotherhood Planning… there are definitely a few.”
“…What?”
What does he mean by that…?
I tilted my head in confusion, and Shin PD couldn’t hide his mocking grin as he replied.
“Ahaha! Turns out, Brotherhood Planning doesn’t have any proper teams, no trainers, and the only trainee is you, Ye-rin!”
“…….”
“Honestly… it’s almost laughable to say it’s a small business; at first, I thought it was just a paper company. And the president over there… he’s a thug, right?”
Shin PD’s mouth twisted into a smirk, but there was a growing disgust in his eyes.
“Ugh… what era are we in that a thug steps into this industry? As someone in the entertainment business, we need to block those filthy people from coming in.”
“…So, why are you telling me this?”
Maybe he didn’t notice the coldness in my voice, as Shin PD’s eyes started shining as he spoke to me.
“Ye-rin… if you’re part of such a trashy company, no matter how talented you are, you won’t be able to blossom. You know this, right?”
“…….”
“Fortunately for you, a lifeline has come down! The president of MS Planning is interested in you!”
“Mr. Shin PD.”
“Yes, Ye-rin. That MS Planning! While not the top three, it’s a massive company compared to your current one. I’ll soon connect you with their president…”
“Stop spouting nonsense.”
“……Huh?”
“Don’t say things that make no sense.”
“…….”
Shin PD’s face went blank in an instant.
He clearly didn’t expect to hear this from me.
Then he started to look angry and flustered.
“Y-Ye-rin! What do you mean by this…? I’m the main PD for ‘My Idol Academia’ that you’re participating in! Are you not afraid of repercussions for daring to defy me like this?!”
Shin PD seemed to want to remind me of our hierarchy, confronting me with a threatening gaze.
But….
“What can you do, PD?”
“…Huh?”
“What can you do to me, who is overwhelmingly in first place on Na Ah Ah?”
“…….”
Na Ah Ah is already entering its latter half, and the end of the program is right around the corner.
This means that the main PD’s power is waning.
Compared to the earlier part of the program, there’s far less influence the PD can exert now.
Moreover, I had a significant advantage over Yoo Seol with a whopping 260,000 votes at the last ranking announcement.
The PD’s power had weakened, while my position had risen.
I no longer had to worry excessively about Shin PD.
‘Debut is already guaranteed, and… winning? Winning is something I can just ignore.’
Of course, there’s still the crucial issue of winning, but I didn’t want to win at the cost of giving my all to the PD.
Realizing he couldn’t easily touch me, Shin PD glared at me with a look of dismay.
“You… ungrateful wretch.”
Without cameras or CCTVs around, he probably thought he didn’t need to wear a mask anymore, dropping to informal speech.
“How dare you talk to me like this after all I’ve done for you on the broadcast?”
“…….”
“Such an ungrateful piece of trash…!”
“Trash is you.”
“……!”
He clearly didn’t expect me to use informal speech, as Shin PD’s eyes widened to an unbelievable size.
‘…Honestly, I didn’t plan to go this far.’
I originally intended to just brush off whatever nonsense he said, but my mouth moved first.
But it’s understandable…
‘How dare you talk about our company….’
I know well that what people in Brotherhood Planning used to do was something difficult to openly admit to someone.
Still, the people from Brotherhood Planning were my saviors and family.
Without Kang Hyung-man, I would still be washing dishes in a restaurant doing part-time jobs.
And what about Shin PD?
He demoted Lee Hye-jeong to B at his whim and has been witch-hunting Seo Yoo-jin, who just entered high school.
Besides those two, he consumed and sacrificed countless participants as mere ratings fodder.
I couldn’t hold back my anger at Shin PD, who dared to trash-talk Brotherhood Planning.
“Think about the things you’ve done. What right do you, a trash like you, have to insult the people of our company?”
“You… you…!”
“If you’re done talking, I’m leaving.”
Whoosh.
Watching Shin PD turn pale with shock made me feel a bit pleased, and I simply turned around.
I came to follow him, wondering if something happened at Brotherhood Planning, and he was just spewing nonsense like a piece of trash.
Staying here had been a waste of time.
I was eager to head back.
But it seemed I was the only one wanting to leave.
“Where are you going? I’m not done talking yet!”
As I turned, I felt Shin PD shout angrily and reach out toward me.
He probably tried to grab my hand again.
Feeling annoyed, I whispered coldly before he could touch me.
“If you touch me one more time, I’m reporting you for sexual harassment.”
“…What? What do you mean…!”
This time he seemed genuinely flustered as Shin PD began to fidget.
“When, when did I ever sexually harass you…! This is defamation, defamation! …And there are no cameras or CCTVs here; how dare you…!”
“There may not be cameras, but it’s clear you brought me all the way here, which is likely recorded on camera, right?”
“……!”
“If needed, I can hold a press conference and cry about it. I think the fans would believe me.”
“…….”
Shin PD looked like someone who had just swallowed honey, his face turning a strange color.
Seeing his pathetic appearance made me click my tongue.
‘Because of this pathetic guy….’
Is it true that so many people suffered because of one easily handled individual?
…It was infuriating.
“Are you done talking?”
“W-Wait a minute…!”
“…?”
“B-But MS Planning is really a good company…! The director over there likes you a lot. So, at least consider…”
…This was strange.
Even now, with the situation escalating, he kept bringing up MS Planning.
‘Did he get paid to connect me with MS Planning?’
Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with me.
I turned around coldly again.
“I’m not interested. I’m leaving.”
“Wait, just a second…!”
After mentioning sexual harassment, he still seemed desperate, reaching for me again.
‘How dare you.’
Slide.
Shin PD’s hand moved slowly enough for me to follow with my eyes.
Just as I raised my palm to swat it away, someone else’s voice intervened.
“Stop.”
“……!”
Before Shin PD’s hand could touch mine, a third voice cut in.
The sudden intruder revealed himself slowly from around the corner where he had been hidden, as if he had been listening the whole time.
Seeing his face, I couldn’t help but feel a moment of shock.
“…Producer Han Si-woo.”
“Yes, Ye-rin.”
He looked at me with a reassuring smile.
And then….
“Si-Si-woo? Since when have you been there? Did you hear our conversation from start to finish…?”
“From the beginning.”
“…….”
“I heard everything from start to finish.”
I shot a cold glare at Shin PD.
Seeing this, Shin PD flinched as Han Si-woo quietly murmured,
“Mr. Shin PD.”
“…….”
“What you’re doing now is clearly trainee snatching, isn’t it?”
“It’s not snatching, but a talented trainee wasting away in a bad company, so I’m just…”
“Yet you’ve coerced and threatened someone who has clearly expressed their refusal.”
“Wait, I haven’t threatened anyone…!”
“If you don’t back off right now, I’ll make this public.”
“……!”
Upon hearing the term “making it public,” Shin PD’s face twisted even more than when I mentioned sexual harassment.
Unlike me, Han Si-woo had considerable power in the entertainment industry.
What he said must have held far more weight.
“…Si-woo, this could ruin my relationship with you, but are you okay with this?”
“If speaking normally would ruin our relationship, then am I in the wrong?”
“……Hah.”
Finally, seeing the determined look in Han Si-woo’s eyes, Shin PD sighed once and said,
“Let’s see what you two do….”
He spun around dramatically, sounding like a third-rate villain.
Creak.
I could feel the tension radiating off him; even with his back turned, I could hear him grinding his teeth.
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