Chapter 112
While I was discussing with the managers participating in Girl 100, holding a coffee in my hand, the second smartphone I received the most calls from lately rang.
“Team Leader Seon, where are you right now?”
It was Kim Seon-ye PD, who was facing the biggest crisis of her life due to Oh Yoori’s revelation.
“I’m currently on my way with an iced Americano with four pumps of syrup for you, PD Kim.”
“I don’t need that kind of coffee! Just stay by my side! You know what happens if Team Leader Seon leaves their post, right?”
“I’ll be there right away.”
As I scratched my head in embarrassment, the manager Jeok Yusong, who had been discussing with me, asked.
“Are you the PD?”
“Haha, yes, that’s me.”
“That person is quite something…”
Jeok Yusong, a manager from Neulbom Entertainment, seemed to have a lot to say but chose to just click his tongue instead.
“Well, the PD is pretty enough, so maybe it’s a good thought…”
Manager Kim Dae-su casually remarked, only for Jeok Yusong to retort fiercely.
“Don’t talk about others like that. You know that person’s personality, right?”
“…I’m sorry for speaking thoughtlessly, Taeyang.”
“…Haha, it’s fine. Anyway, it seems like that person has something to attend to, so I need to go now.”
“Alright, let’s meet next time. Let’s continue the discussion then.”
I wrapped up our conversation casually and hurried towards the editing room.
“You’re late, Team Leader Seon!”
Late? I had only been gone for about 20 minutes!
“I’m sorry, but I have my own responsibilities. I would love to dedicate all my time to assisting PD Kim Seon-ye, but it’s just not feasible.”
“You’ve got work? …Fine, then I guess there’s nothing I can do. If Team Leader Seon is busy, I’ll just have to understand.”
From the day I passed Oh Yoori amidst the three overly invested lead actors, Kim Seon-ye gradually began to trust me.
Of course, it wasn’t an easy process. While collaborating with Ye Han-na, I had to backstab insiders that could be cut from Ye Han-na’s faction, analyze the current situation, advise on countermeasures, and literally act as a cunning fox to support Kim Seon-ye in dealing with the crisis using my camp knowledge. On top of that, I threw in a dash of flattery and manipulation to fend off those who proclaimed themselves as Kim Seon-ye’s subordinates.
As a result, despite being an outsider, Kim Seon-ye started to trust me.
Oh Yoori, who devised the plan, probably never expected I would earn Kim Seon-ye’s trust so quickly and effectively. It’s still just a middle stage, but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a great success up until now.
However, there was one problem.
But there was one problem.
“Thank you for understanding my situation….”
“Understanding? What are you talking about? Didn’t I tell you to quit that crappy company fast? Do you want to see me go crazy?”
“….”
The medication was working a little too well.
I doubted it wasn’t obsession at this point.
“No, in the first place, I already told you that my cooperation, like catching Oh Yoori for PD Kim Seon-ye, is to bring more focus on Han Gyeoul and boost my performance in the company, right? If I quit TwoBear now, what does that even mean? How is it different from quitting my main job to pursue a side job?”
Kim Seon-ye gulped down the iced americano she claimed she didn’t need and said to me with a flushed face.
“How much success can you have by establishing yourself in such an unstable new company? You need to aim high! I’ll help you, just work under me!”
“But I’m a high school graduate, how can I get a job here?”
Naturally, broadcasting stations want job warriors with high education and top-notch specs. Just looking at Kim Seon-ye in front of me, she was practically the top tier in terms of education and career.
“High school graduate? So what? I’m Kim Seon-ye. Sure, I’m going through a bit of a crisis right now, but do you really think it’ll be hard for someone like me, who’s a big player in MNet, to get you in? The moment you quit that company, I’ll draft the contract for you, so quit without worries. Or better yet, do you want to draft the contract right now?”
…Why are you so sincere about this?
“…For now, I understand that PD Kim Seon-ye’s words aren’t light. I’ll seriously consider it.”
“No, consider this and that, you need to act right now….”
Desperately, I changed the subject.
“By the way, is there a reason you called me?”
“A reason for calling? …Yeah, there is.”
Kim Seon-ye nodded and pointed to the monitor on her desk.
On the screen was a meeting record from the higher-ups at MNet.
The fact that she openly showed this to me, an outsider, made me feel that she was genuinely on my side.
What was even more surprising was the content.
“This is….”
“The higher-ups have started discussing the cancellation of the Girl 100 project group.”
“Here we go.”
“Yeah, here we go. They sprinkled some water on the suspicions through Oh Yoori’s statement, but the doubts that spread on the internet haven’t disappeared yet…. The risk is growing because of the suspicions, and since the profit model is shaky, it was only natural for such opinions to arise. …But damn, they caused this and now they’re drawing lines…”
“First, let’s eat something sweet and calm down, PD Kim.”
I stuffed a financier from the café into Kim Seon-ye’s mouth, who was about to start gossiping about the higher-ups of MNet. I knew from experience that once she started gossiping, hours could just fly by, so it was a reflexive response.
“….”
As the sweet treat entered her mouth, Kim Seon-ye quieted down. The effect was excellent.
I contemplated in front of the silent Kim Seon-ye and then spoke.
“You want to persuade those opinions to maintain the project group, right, PD Kim? If that falls through, your career with Girl 100 could end up as a failure.”
She nodded while munching on the financier.
“Then let’s do this. For now….”
I explained, over the course of about ten minutes, the most suitable plan she could consider regarding the current situation, in the sweetest way I could think of.
Having finished her financier, Kim Seon-ye looked at me, licked her lips, and said,
“Team Leader Seon, do you want to go write a contract with me? Or, a hotel?”
…No, I’m not doing either.
*
Gyeoul couldn’t hide her surprise at the recently changed atmosphere.
Oh Yoori, who had been approaching her sweetly, had dropped the bomb about the vote manipulation scandal of Girl 100, and news of Seon Taeyang fighting with gangsters was circulating—each incident was far too sudden and significant for her to keep up with.
‘If Teacher Taeyang isn’t around, then I….’
Caught in confusion, worry, anxiety, and panic, Gyeoul was about to pull out her hidden emergency funds to escape to Seon Taeyang’s house when he appeared, reassuring her and explaining the situation roughly.
According to him, Girl 100 was planned from the start as a project set by the agency in collusion with MNet, and it seemed viewer voting had also been manipulated.
While all this was happening, Seon Taeyang was moving in a direction that would benefit Gyeoul as much as possible, and he wanted her to cooperate with Oh Yoori for that.
Gyeoul felt odd at the thought that Oh Yoori, whom she had perceived as simply cute, had become close enough to ask Seon Taeyang for cooperation, but she accepted it within ten seconds.
She thought that the person she liked, Seon Taeyang, was capable of handling such matters easily.
‘But what kind of cooperation will I need to do?’
Gyeoul was spending anxious days preparing for that “cooperation.” She doubted whether she could pull it off at all.
However, now she was even confused about whether her worries had any meaning. According to Seon Taeyang, Oh Yoori, who seemed like she could approach her at any moment, was nowhere to be seen.
I was even confused whether she was here or not. According to Seon Taeyang, Oh Yoori, who seemed like she would approach any moment, was nowhere to be found.
‘Did Yoori think I wasn’t needed? …That’s a relief. I should just focus on dancing hard.’
Just as Gyeoul was oddly relieved in that neglect, someone suddenly appeared and spoke.
“Older Sister Gyeoul, it’s been a while.”
“Eek!”
“Ah, I’m sorry! Did I scare you?”
Startled and shaking, Han Gyeoul waved her hands at Oh Yoori’s apology.
“No, no, it’s not your fault. It’s just that when I’m alone, I get overly sensitive to external stimuli. …I wasn’t always like this, but I’ve been holed up in this small room for over two months now, and it’s turned out like this.”
After hearing Han Gyeoul’s dark past explode like a landmine, Oh Yoori apologized again.
“…I’m sorry.”
Gyeoul, who was taken aback by her apology, quickly replied.
“No, it’s okay. I’m actually fine with it… Lack of stimulation means there’s no chance of getting hurt.”
“…Uh, was there no one to talk to back then?”
“Ryu-chan?”
At the somewhat unfamiliar name, Oh Yoori tilted her head and asked.
“Ryu-chan? Is she Japanese?”
“No, she’s a character drawn on a dakimakura?”
“…..”
Oh Yoori couldn’t hide her cold sweat and desperately changed the subject.
“I-I didn’t mean to bring that up, but I came to ask for help!”
“Help? Oh, you mean the cooperation that Teacher Taeyang mentioned. I’ll do my best to help if it’s something I can do.”
“It’s not just something even Older Sister Gyeoul can do; it’s something only Older Sister Gyeoul can do — it’s very important!”
Hearing Oh Yoori’s confident words, Han Gyeoul began to feel tense again, swallowing her saliva.
“…Just me?”
“Yes. Just you. It’s something only you can do since I can’t step in right now.”
“…Oh, I see. What is it?”
Oh Yoori glanced around to confirm that no one was listening and said,
“You need to incite the trainees of Girl 100.”
“…..”
Gyeoul blinked her eyes and wiped her cold sweat, saying,
“…Me?”
It was the moment when Han Gyeoul, a 16-year-old natural-born loser, faced the biggest challenge of her life.
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