Chapter 8

The drama filming was completed successfully.

Furthermore, the recovery of her lost popularity and satisfaction with her own acting.

Finally, even that stifling sexual desire was completely satisfied.

She had landed three commercials, which was unfitting for an extra, and was currently on a roll within the company.

Han Hye-eun, with her confidence fully restored, was like a tank.

Nevertheless.

"I watched the drama."

Even though it was a remarkably calm remark, Han Hye-eun felt her throat go dry for no reason and answered cautiously.

"Thank you, Representative-nim."

CEO Cheon Tae-o.

As if to show that just anyone can't be the CEO of Han Management, just sitting across from him made her feel suffocated for no reason.

Even though he wore a gentle smile, there was a much heavier presence to him than your average gangster.

It had been a long time since she'd been in contact with the CEO, and a long time since they'd had a meal together.

Han Hye-eun couldn't help but feel both happy and extremely nervous.

'Right, when my first project was a hit, we used to have meals together occasionally.'

Then when did these meetings just suddenly stop?

While she was lost in thought, Cheon Tae-o's heavy voice hammered into her ears.

"It seems you've gotten out of your slump."

Pour, pour, he filled his own glass with distilled liquor, and poured water for Han Hye-eun.

"Ah, I'll do it myself."

"No, no, just sit comfortably."

"Yes."

So, she'd gotten out of a slump.

That trivial remark didn't feel light at all to Han Hye-eun.

Because Cheon Tae-o had been assuming from the start that her decline was just a slump.

She couldn't deny it entirely, but it still felt like all the time she had spent working hard was being denied.

'Still, seeing as I'm facing the CEO again like this.'

She must have definitely reached back near the stairs she had climbed before.

Otherwise.

"Hye-eun-ah."

"Yes."

"Do you know why I called you?"

"W-well..."

Han Hye-eun kept sipping her water for no reason and met the eyes of Cheon Tae-o, who hadn't even looked at the beef filling the table.

His gaze was gentle, but it was scary.

To the point where Kim Hyun-woo, who would openly curse and act roughly, felt cute in comparison.

Immense ambition? A desire like a beast?

She could feel things like that.

Right, to hold the position of CEO, you probably need that level of desire.

"You took a tumble once. If things went poorly, to the point where you couldn't climb back up."

"......."

That was something Han Hye-eun absolutely did not want to hear.

If a mere employee of the company had said that, she might have exploded right there.

That's how sensitive a subject it was.

However, because it was CEO Cheon Tae-o who brought it up, Han Hye-eun couldn't say anything back and could only give a short answer.

"Yes. That's right."

"You've finally climbed back up, and I'm worried you might tumble again. Yeah. That's why I said let's meet up."

"......."

"Now, Hye-eun, you're not just a little kid like you used to be. So I think you'll understand what I'm saying."

"I... know."

"Right, because you're not a kid anymore. You can meet men, too."

Shudder-.

"I'm fine with you meeting them."

She wondered if her relationship with Kim Hyun-woo had been discovered.

"Actually, I'm fine with you doing whatever. Instead, I just hope you don't get caught by others. I felt that way while watching the incident that just broke out."

The incident that just broke out?

Ah, is it about Stera from Minimum?

The one where she was photographed getting into a Legend member's car holding a condom...

"I wondered if I'd been too lenient with you all."

That was when it happened.

-♪♬♪♬♪

A ringtone that was incredibly analog.

Even though he was the CEO of an entertainment agency, you'd think he would set his ringtone to a song by one of his agency's singers or idols.

A ringtone that showed no sign of that at all.

As if he viewed the people in his agency merely as tools...

"Yes, this is CEO Cheon."

She didn't know what kind of call it was.

Probably.

"Yes, yes, yes. I will do that. Yes, yes, you don't need to worry. Yes, I know."

It was certain that the person on the other end was at least higher up and more successful than Cheon Tae-o.

Otherwise, Cheon Tae-o's gaze while taking the call wouldn't be so murderous.

A vein popped out on the back of the hand holding the phone.

It was sexy, yet gave her goosebumps.

'You must not mess with that man.'

She felt like she understood why even Team Leader Park Ju-yong became a whimpering baby in front of Cheon Tae-o.

Park Ju-yong, who always yelled and shouted openly, was annoying but not scary.

However, the Cheon Tae-o she met again was scary.

No, he had become scary.

Leading a company as CEO, she could feel that he had become more ruthless than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before.

"Haha, it's been a while since I've had a meal alone with Hye-eun. It seems I'm only showing you an apologetic side."

"No, it's not."

"A call from AM. They said they're going to deny everything on their end, so we should handle it well on our end. I don't know if that'll be as easy as they say. Hmm."

Cheon Tae-o muttered quietly.

"Stera, was it? I might have to meet her in person, too."

Every single word Cheon Tae-o uttered gave her goosebumps.

Han Hye-eun couldn't stand this suffocating atmosphere any longer, so she tried to change the subject somehow.

"U-um, Representative-nim."

"Hm?"

"Aren't you curious about the reason I've recently gotten out of my... slump?"

"Of course I'm curious. If it's something related to our Hye-eun, I'm curious about everything."

He's lying without even blinking an eye.

"It's all thanks to one manager."

Partly to boost Kim Hyun-woo's momentum.

Furthermore.

"Ho, really? You got out of a slump and got your condition back like this thanks to one manager? Then were the managers who handled you and other celebrities until now the problem?"

"N-no, that's not it. It's just that my current manager, Kim Hyun-woo-ssi, is exceptionally talented. And I guess you could say we click well?"

To be precise, they were sexually compatible.

If she kept laying the groundwork like this, even if Cheon Tae-o suspected she and Kim Hyun-woo were sleeping together, there was a high chance he'd let it slide as long as she didn't get caught.

Anyway, the reason she brought up Kim Hyun-woo's name in a setting like this was simple.

"So, I was wondering, could you make Kim Hyun-woo-ssi my..."

A request to make him her exclusive manager.

Actually, she could have asked someone else, but if she told Cheon Tae-o, it could be decided definitively.

In N&P, Cheon Tae-o was the absolute king.

But...

"Do you think the management industry is a joke? Does the entertainment industry look easy to you?"

Not only was there talk of management, but a familiar voice could be heard right below the window.

It was Team Leader Park Ju-yong.

Why here, of all places, right now?

Slide, she opened the window, and looking down, she saw Park Ju-yong scolding someone in the spot that was fully visible.

And Han Hye-eun, having identified that person, covered her mouth with one hand and muttered.

"Kim Hyun-woo Op... no, Manager?"

Cheon Tae-o wore a meaningful smile.

"Hmm, that person? The person our Hye-eun said was so talented."

She even wondered what he was saying.

It was an absurd ambition.

Even to Han Hye-eun, who had a great fondness for Kim Hyun-woo, it was ridiculous...

A mere manager was saying he would form an idol group from scratch and make N&P the best in South Korea.

'What kind of nonsense...'

As she glanced to the side, Han Hye-eun got goosebumps.

Cheon Tae-o was grinning broadly.

"He's interesting, that guy."

I know that not just anyone can be the president or CEO of an organization.

Nevertheless, CEO Cheon Tae-o, whom I faced up close for the first time in my life, was a shock in itself to me.

People are all the same, everyone is equal.

You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could say that.

But the moment I saw that man, I realized.

Humans could never be equal, and could never be the same.

I could feel that he was a human living in a different world from me.

"C-CEO-nim. W-what is that supposed to mean? Su..."

"Team Leader Park Ju-yong. Shh."

"......."

"Am I talking to you right now, Team Leader?"

It was a remarkably quiet remark, but it instantly silenced Park Ju-yong, who was like a mad dog.

Then he immediately approached me and put his hand on one of my shoulders.

"Manager Kim Hyun-woo."

"Yes!"

I answered loudly, forgetting that my cheek was tingling.

It happens without me even realizing it.

I was so tense that my body stiffened, and my heart was pounding.

But it wasn't a bad kind of pounding.

Even while thinking that Cheon Tae-o in front of me was scary, the feeling that I might be recognized by this man wasn't that unpleasant.

Whatever the case, Cheon Tae-o was the person who had built N&P up to this point.

"How many years have you worked in this industry?"

"A little over 3 years."

"That's enough time to know everything you need to know. The cost of raising an idol group is no joke."

"......."

"However, it's embarrassing to say, but the company's situation isn't very good right now. It means it's difficult to invest a lot of time and capital. Can you still do it?"

Novel answered this for me first.

[Isn't it obvious?]

[I am a God AI sent by God.]

Thanks to that, I was able to answer immediately with 120 percent confidence.

"Yes, I can."

"That's amazing, that confidence. Since you're showing that much confidence, I'm starting to believe in you, too. In that sense, I'm thinking of investing in you."

Park Ju-yong, who was next to me, flinched as if he were about to have a seizure.

But, without paying any mind to that, Cheon Tae-o asked Park Ju-yong.

"Is there any empty space in the company right now?"

"Th-that..."

Even if there isn't, he'll have to make one.

It's the CEO's word.

"...Yes, there is."

"Then, designate that as Temporary Management Team 3, and Manager Kim Hyun-woo here. Please allow him to work as a temporary team leader starting today."

Temporary Team Leader!

Rather than being moved by that word.

"...Yes, I understand."

Seeing Park Ju-yong's face twitching as if his facial muscles were about to burst at Cheon Tae-o's instruction was much more delicious.

Ah, it's sweet, so sweet.

It was a bit of a shame I didn't have soda while eating the fish roe rice, but it felt like someone was pouring soda into my mouth instead.

"Manager Kim Hyun-woo, too."

"Yes?"

"Team Leader Park Ju-yong here is still a very talented person. So, if there's anything you don't know, ask him a lot. And Team Leader Park Ju-yong, if Manager... Team Leader Kim Hyun-woo here wants anything, please help him actively. If it's a sensitive matter, contact me immediately."

Park Ju-yong ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and I answered at the same time.

"Understood."

"Then, I must be going. I have another schedule. Hye-eun-ssi, I'm sorry I called you out for a meal ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠today and we couldn't even eat properly."

"No, it's fine, Representative-nim. You must be busy, please go ahead."

I wondered what Hye-eun was busy with, so she had a meal scheduled with the CEO.

That's understandable.

"Have a safe trip!"

"Please go ahead, Representative-nim."

Receiving the two greetings, which seemed to have different tones, Cheon Tae-o exited leisurely.

Ah, he's cool.

As soon as the CEO disappeared, Park Ju-yong grabbed my collar tightly.

"You, you bastard. Your luck is really..."

I cut him off before he could finish, and at the same time, I slapped his hand away and said.

"Why are you doing this, Team Leader Park Ju-yong? Even if it's temporary, I'm a team leader, so wouldn't it be okay to show a little respect?"

"......."

Park Ju-yong was completely dumbfounded.

How delicious that look was.

"You, you!! Do you really think you can make it a success? Do you think making an idol group successful is as easy as it sounds? You bastard, just try tumbling with one mistake. Do you think the CEO will just sit by?"

"Ah, you don't need to worry about that."

Why?

[I am a God AI!]

Because I will make it a success.

Furthermore, I'll also fuck those idols I'm going to make successful to my heart's content.

"Team Leader, you should be the one worrying about whether you'll end up with a lower rank than me later after seeing me succeed."

Saying that, I turned my back just like Cheon Tae-o did earlier.

Han Hye-eun naturally and subtly clung to my side.

"Wait, let's have a cup of coffee. Manager Kim Hyun-woo... no, Temporary Team Leader-nim."

Kk, fuck, this is it.

This is sex.

It feels good to be alive, really.

I quietly waved my hand once, then left the spot while subtly kneading Han Hye-eun's thigh and buttocks.