Chapter 95
Time has passed, and it’s now the filming point for episode 6 of Girl 100.
During this time, I’ve been negotiating to create a setup for the collapse of Girl 100 and to leverage it.
Today marked the first day that the collaborators involved in this process gathered in one place.
I spoke to the people gathered in the cramped waiting room.
“Thank you all for coming despite your busy schedules. I am Seon Taeyang, the team leader of TwoBear Entertainment.”
“I’m Oh Yoori, a trainee from Flower Entertainment, currently ranked 15th in the voting!”
“I am Ye Han-na, the main writer for Girl 100. …Although I haven’t been doing much lately due to politics.”
The people gathered were trainee Oh Yoori and writer Ye Han-na.
Especially with Ye Han-na, I had to put in a lot of effort to bring her to this meeting.
First, I brought Cheon Aram in to evaluate her scent, thoroughly investigated what she knows about this vote manipulation, and cautiously approached her.
After making my move, I even relied on a reward I obtained from an incident involving Song Johan to establish trust with her.
I had no regrets about that investment. If Oh Yoori is an insider participant, then Ye Han-na has been fulfilling her role as an insider operator, significantly assisting in advancing the plan.
Like the attitude she showed towards Gyeoul and me, she seemed very uninterested in Kim Seon-ye, so the materials she prepared were quite impressive. Furthermore, having someone who can handle the broadcast key after bringing Kim Seon-ye down on board would be an incredibly important card.
Despite her importance, Ye Han-na awkwardly raised her hand with a hesitant demeanor and spoke to me.
“Um, may I ask a question?”
“Of course. Go ahead, Ye Han-na.”
“Who is the woman with the horn-rimmed glasses?”
I looked at Cheon Aram, who was wearing cheap-looking clothes and quietly smiling at me through her black glasses.
“She’s a manager from TwoBear Entertainment helping me. She’s quite tight-lipped, so you can relax.”
“I’m Road Manager Cheon Aram. Nice to meet you.”
“…Yes, nice to meet you.”
While Oh Yoori thanked Ye Han-na for her cooperation, I leaned over to whisper to Cheon Aram.
“Wouldn’t it be okay to just reveal that you’re the CEO of TwoBear?”
She spoke quietly so others couldn’t hear her.
“Hmm… it should be fine. If the company’s CEO is directly involved in the work, it’ll increase credibility. And really, hiding it won’t matter. They’ll find out later anyway.”
True. There isn’t much reason to hide it, is there?
Well, there might be some minor benefits, but I’m starting to wonder if the discomfort that comes with it is worth it.
I couldn’t stop her since she was the one feeling uncomfortable about it.
“But isn’t it more fun to hide it? I’ve always wanted to try being an undercover boss.”
…Very thoughtful of you.
“So, how’s the scent? You’ve smelled Ye Han-na before, but you’ve never smelled trainee Oh Yoori, right?”
“Oh, trainee Oh Yoori?”
Cheon Aram twirled her lips with one hand, making a hard-to-read expression.
…What’s up with that?
“What’s going on?”
“Is the smell really that strong?”
To be honest, considering the threats from this kid, I had expected some odor. I just hope it’s not enough to make them give up cooperation.
“No, it’s definitely there, but it’s kind of… peculiar.”
“Peculiar? What, is it the smell of sweat or something?”
“…That’s it?”
“…Huh?”
“Yeah. It’s the same smell as Team Leader Seon. I’ve never met anyone like Team Leader Seon before in my life, and now I find another one here? Is there some kind of attraction between people with the same smell?”
Someone who smells the same as me?
…I really don’t want to get too close.
“There’s somehow a sense of trust, right? If they’re like Team Leader Seon, they won’t do anything strange, right?”
“….”
I silently stared at Cheon Aram.
“Nope. Never mind. They’ll probably do a lot of weird things.”
“Yep, I think so too.”
Fortunately, Cheon Aram seemed to understand my wariness.
“Don’t just talk among yourselves! Let me join in too!”
Oh Yoori puffed up her cheeks and gave an adorably frustrated look as she looked at me and Cheon Aram. It seemed like her way of expressing dissatisfaction without coming off as unpleasant.
After all, we had been whispering for a bit too long.
From the perspective of creating space, it probably wasn’t a good look.
“Excuse me. Let’s move on with the discussion.”
I slightly bowed my head in apology and took charge of the situation.
“First of all, I think we all agree on exposing the voting manipulation controversy of Girl 100.”
“Right. Whether it’s restoring honor, gaining benefits, or a sense of justice, all the people who will benefit are gathered here because Girl 100’s manipulation is revealed.”
By the way, I was handling the benefits in that situation.
“Yes, we’re well-prepared with the ammunition to burst the controversy, without exaggeration.”
Ye Han-na had the internal connections within her agency, Oh Yoori had the credibility that came from being a current participant of Girl 100, and I had the recorded conversations.
If dealt with one by one, the active defense from MNet could quash us or significantly delay our effectiveness. But if we hit them with all this at once, it’s safe to say that Girl 100 going down is pretty much a certainty.
“Exactly. If the materials that Team Leader Seon and I have are brought up when Oh Yoori presents the suspicion, even if MNet and related agencies try their best to manipulate public opinion, they won’t hold up.”
“That’s right. So I think it’s time to consider the timing.”
“Timing?”
“Yes, the timing for exposing the controversy.”
Ye Han-na twirled her long braided hair around her finger while thinking and then said, “Personally, I prefer it to happen later. The groundwork to gain control over the broadcast is taking longer than expected. I wish we had a bit more time. It seems that my previous faction is now mostly negative towards me because I got pushed out of politics before.”
“Maybe it’s because I got pushed out of politics that most of my previous faction is negative.”
“If you have time, what kind of timeline are you aiming for?”
“The closer we get to the final episode, the better. …I feel a bit embarrassed saying this sounds so materialistic, but from my perspective, the more things progress, the less I’ll have to clean up afterward.”
I nodded and replied.
“I wouldn’t call it materialistic at all. Considering the controversy that led to PD Kim Seon-ye’s downfall, you took the lead on Girl 100 and decided to handle the aftermath of the broadcast, so it’s perfectly reasonable to think ahead.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“That’s the least we can do. We’re here to help each other after all.”
And when that day comes, our agency TwoBear and Gyeoul will receive even more assistance.
No matter how hard I try, I can’t completely control the broadcast as an outsider, but Han-na will be taking on that difficult job, actively reflecting my intentions.
Looking back, bringing Han-na on board was indeed a great decision.
“Fortunately, I also share the same stance as main writer Han-na. It’s advantageous for both TwoBear and Gyeoul to conduct the broadcast smoothly until the final episode.”
If we were to stir up controversy, aside from whether it would be beneficial, the broadcast would have difficulty proceeding normally. It’s essential work, but thinking of Gyeoul, who’s gaining visibility thanks to Girl 100, it was a bit regrettable.
So, if possible, I wanted to milk this promotional effect as much as I could until around the last episode, episode 12.
I know I’ll have to let it go eventually, but just like squeezing the last bit from a tube of toothpaste, I wanted to delay the moment of letting go of Girl 100 for as long as possible.
Knowing my stance, Han-na nodded and then asked Oh Yoori.
“What do you think, Yoori?”
Appearing to be pondering, Yoori slightly shook her head before breaking into an adorable smile and saying.
“Yes! I also think it’d be better if it bursts later!”
As expected, Yoori seemed to share the same understanding.
From Yoori’s position, who holds a voting base that can endure until the last episode without manipulation, it’s better for the broadcast to last as long as possible.
Once she leaves Flower, the moment she switches to another company, she would be promised better treatment than the fanbase and notoriety she currently has with Girl 100.
Despite being just in the third year of middle school, overflowing with talent and skill, Yoori had ample opportunities ahead. So if she’s considering becoming an idol in the future, she needed to think about the aftermath of any controversies.
“Then since everyone shares the same opinion, about the timing…”
“But what if I have a reason for the controversy to erupt sooner? Would that change the timing?”
…Reason?
“I think it could depend on what that reason is. Could you share it with us?”
Yoori stared into my eyes. I looked back into hers.
I didn’t shy away from that gaze.
When her red eyes blinked about three times, she playfully laughed and said.
“No, actually, there was no reason at all.”
“There was no context at all.”
“Then, what prompted that comment?”
“I just had this naughty temptation to say ‘no’ when everyone else was shouting ‘yes.’ Hehe. Just asking, you know?”
“….”
Next to me, Cheon Aram murmured while recording the meeting, with a tablet and keyboard spread out.
“That kid really looks like Team Leader Seon.”
“…I think they look more like President Cheon.”
*
The situation tangled. Oh Yoori’s plan had fallen apart.
She wanted to take her time unraveling the atmosphere that would topple Girl 100. She wished to safely proceed while encouraging cooperation from Ye Han-na and Seon Taeyang. However, doing so meant she couldn’t ensure Seo Eunbyeol’s safety, which she held dear.
‘…What should I do.’
The choice was overwhelmingly heavy. Protecting just one person felt like an insurmountable weight on her shoulders. No matter how hard she thought, a clear answer eluded her.
As a mere middle school student, this current situation felt overwhelming for Oh Yoori.
In frustration, she unconsciously began to bite her nails. It was a habit she had fixed thanks to a certain guy two years ago that had now returned.
At that moment, someone grasped her hand to stop her.
“I know this might be overstepping, but as your manager, I’ll interfere. Yoori, you shouldn’t do that no matter how uneasy you feel.”
It was Seon Taeyang.
“You’ll ruin your pretty hands.”
“….”
Oh Yoori stared blankly at him.
He hadn’t changed. Just like that day two years ago.
Feeling her gaze, Seon Taeyang bashfully scratched his cheek and said, “If there’s anything you need help with, let me know. I will help you.”
Oh Yoori hid her emotions as if it were nothing.
She acted as if it were trivial.
She was used to pretending. Yet, in front of him, that pretense felt particularly challenging.
So, without meaning to, she said something a bit curt.
“I don’t think it’s something to say so lightly. What if I end up asking you for a really troublesome favor?”
“It’s not a light statement.”
“Then why are you saying that to me? We’ve only just met, after all.”
“If helping you with your troublesome situation is annoying, then I would actually be satisfied.”
“…Is that really all there is?”
“Is that really all?”
He said it with a familiar smile.
“I don’t need more reason than that.”
“…You’ll end up getting hurt badly someday. Haven’t you experienced that already?”
“I’ve learned that not stepping up can lead to more regret, even if I do get hurt. So it’s fine.”
“….”
As Oh Yoori averted her gaze and kept silent, Seon Taeyang bitterly smiled and left her with a 50,000 won note and his business card, saying to call him using a payphone if she needed help.
Oh Yoori stared blankly at the business card he had handed her after he left.
It took her a while to realize she was smiling warmly, which didn’t fit the gloomy situation at all.
Flustered, she touched her lips, and at that moment, Oh Yoori quietly vowed to herself.
“…I really have to do this alone.”
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