Audition Plan #2
The polite greeting came from Chae Bo-young, whose beauty remained as striking as ever. “Hello… Representative.”
I sat in the president’s office of the fashion company, tapping my fingers on the desk. She approached cautiously and took the seat across from me.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes, Representative.”
This was only our second meeting, yet she already looked so tempting. I wondered if I had corrupted her too quickly. Better hold back for now. My plan to conquer this world still had a long way to go. I didn’t have time to focus on Bo-young yet.
After studying her for a moment, I asked, “How is the new song coming along?”
“The recording is finished.”
“Then take a long-term leave and head to Minnesota. There’s someone I want you to find.”
Chae Bo-young was WW Entertainment’s golden goose. If she said she needed a break, even the CEO would have no choice but to approve it. She answered without hesitation.
“Understood. Who should I look for?”
“Stella Hayley. I’ll send you her photo and address. Make sure you’re the only one who sees them. There are two options—choose whichever you prefer. You can personally host an audition program, or you can pretend you stumbled upon Stella by chance, evaluate her skills, then bring her back claiming you’ve found your successor.”
“If I hold an audition… will Stella Hayley be the only one who passes?”
“That’s right. If you think of a better method, feel free to decide for yourself.”
“Understood…”
Watching Bo-young answer so obediently, I fell into thought. There was no real need to make Stella part of WW Entertainment. I needed to be able to control her freely… After considering several possibilities, a good idea came to me.
“Bo-young.”
“Yes?”
“How long has your manager been in the industry?”
“Quite a while. They’ve been with me since my debut.”
“Then coax them gently. Suggest starting your own agency.”
“O-our own agency…?”
“Yes. WW Entertainment is preparing to spin off. Discuss it properly with your manager.”
Bo-young swallowed hard. The sudden proposal seemed to frighten her, but she quickly regained her composure. Seeing her reaction, I smirked and continued.
“You can take your time coming over, but get your manager out as quickly as possible. Tell Aram everything you need… and make sure Stella can join the new agency we’re setting up.”
“I understand.”
“Any schedule today?”
“I have a variety show appearance in the evening, and a photoshoot as well…”
I glanced at my watch. It was lunchtime. The Doctor would assume I was in an important meeting, so I needed to keep up appearances for at least an hour or two.
I picked up the remote on the desk, closed all the doors, and drew the curtains. The intent was obvious. Bo-young’s eyes grew wet with delight at my actions.
“Tell your manager to eat and come back later.”
“Ah, yes…!”
**
On the way home after finishing my business with Bo-young, I called the Doctor from the car. Before the ring could even sound once, her voice came through the phone.
“Jihyeok, is the meeting over?”
She must have been clutching her phone, waiting for my call. How cute.
“It’s done. Where are you right now, Noona?”
“I’m on my way back too. Need me to pick up anything?”
“No. Did you stop by Uijeongbu?”
“Yes. I bought some daily necessities and dropped them off.”
“What did she say?”
“The same as always. Thank you… and asking if this is really okay…”
Her tone carried a trace of guilt. Silvia must have asked about the Device’s production status. The Doctor had probably told her everything was going smoothly. She would feel some remorse, but not as much as before. That was enough.
“Got it. Where are you now?”
“I’ll arrive later than you.”
“How do you know that?”
“Ah… well… obviously you’re working in Seoul… and I just left Uijeongbu.”
She had answered naturally because she constantly checked my location on her phone. Familiarity really was a scary thing. From my perspective, it was quite helpful. After all, it kept giving me openings.
“Really? Hmm…”
“Why…?”
Her slightly suspicious tone made her voice tremble faintly. Who was the one with something to hide? This was self-inflicted.
“Nothing. I’m almost home, so hurry back.”
“I’ll be there soon. I have luggage, so come out and meet me. I don’t want to get wet in the rain.”
“Then call me two minutes before you arrive.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
After getting home and finishing my shower, I chuckled when the Doctor called shortly after. She wasn’t riding a flying taxi, yet she claimed she could return from Uijeongbu this quickly? No matter how much she missed me… If she kept this up, I’d start wanting to find that tracker faster.
I grabbed an umbrella and waited by the front door for a minute or two. Soon, a luxury sedan approached from afar at considerable speed, then slowed down and entered the parking lot.
I stood there with a full smile. Once the engine turned off, I walked over to the driver’s side. I waited silently with the umbrella, and the Doctor stepped out with a bright expression. I held the umbrella over her and was surprised.
“Your hair… didn’t you cut it a bit too much?”
Her long hair had been cut into a bob. The locks that once reached her waist now stopped at her shoulders. The ends had a wavy perm, and the asymmetrical side parts were a nice touch. It wasn’t that it didn’t suit her. On the contrary, it gave off a mature charm that made her look even better than before.
“What made you do this?”
“It was just… getting long and stuffy. How does it look…?”
She asked while shyly avoiding my gaze.
“It’s pretty. Really. I should have told you to cut it sooner.”
“Really…? That’s a relief…”
The Doctor let out a sigh of relief. I looked at the suitcase in her hand and asked, “What’s that? A suit?”
“Yes. For you. It’s custom-made.”
“For me? And custom-made… How did you know my measurements?”
“Of course I know… How could I not…”
The Doctor blushed. Feeling playful, I gently stroked her pale neck.
“Because we’ve mixed our bodies so much?”
At that, she pursed her lower lip and punched my chest with her fist. Laughing at the affectionate hit, I returned home with her.
After admiring her new hairstyle in the shoe cabinet mirror with satisfaction, she handed me the case and said, “Try it on.”
“It’s bothersome. Besides, why did you buy one? I already have plenty of suits…”
“From now on, wear the ones I buy for you. Hurry up and try it on. I want to see the overall fit. There might be parts where the size is off…”
Aaah… She even wants to manage my wardrobe. I loved it. The thrill was killing me.
“I’ll try it on before I go out for work later.”
“Just put it on now…”
“Then I’ll wear it before bed tonight. Is that okay?”
“Yes…”
I grabbed the Doctor’s waist and pulled her close, then kissed her from her forehead down to her chin, covering her entire face. She had been enjoying the affection, but then gently pushed me away. From her handbag, she took out a picture frame and placed it on the TV shelf.
It was about the size of two palms. Curious, I stepped closer and my eyes widened. Inside the frame was the lovely photo of us that the old man had taken at the entrance of the art gallery last time.
Hoo… I was going crazy. She was too adorable.
As I stared intently at the frame, lost in admiration, the Doctor approached hesitantly and asked, “Is this… okay?”
“What is?”
“The frame… Is it okay to leave it here like this? If you don’t like it, I’ll put it away right now…”
Without a word, I turned and pulled her into a tight embrace. After a while, I heard her sniffle against my shoulder. She was shedding tears of joy. She was so lovely I could die. I felt like I could perform mental implantation with a happy heart.
**
Humans react more sensitively to negative events than positive ones. Just look at the Doctor right now.
“He must be crazy… Extreme fans who over-immerse themselves no matter where you go are the problem.”
She stared at the TV with a genuinely disgusted expression, clicking her tongue. I had been quietly watching the news beside her and casually remarked, “Humans are the problem. They’re creatures with nothing but violence left.”
Her head snapped toward me. She stared for a moment, then let out a sigh mixed with laughter.
“Humans are the problem…? Don’t you think that’s going a bit far for a hooligan news story? Besides, violence is one of humanity’s natural emotions. When you left, I was so angry I smashed the TV, remember?”
“That’s not a fair comparison. You restrained yourself in your own way, Noona. And since you were alone, and you’re not inherently violent to begin with, that was the end of it.”
“Is that so?”
“Those people go to the stadium looking for a fight in the first place. They’re barbarians with no intention of making rational judgments. Earth is full of people like that.”
“Jihyeok… I don’t think it’s good to read too much into it. Laws exist for a reason.”
Unlike Sehwa, the Doctor didn’t have many openings in this area. It was because of her firm beliefs. Those beliefs had been formed by Edward Parsons and her own values, and they weren’t easily shaken. But things were different now. The Doctor loved and trusted me deeply. All her values were gradually aligning with mine. Even if she seemed solid now, once I showed her the true bottom of humanity and if either of us were to suffer because of it, it would only be a matter of time before her thinking changed.
I kept my eyes on the TV and said, “How can I not read into it? And the law? It’s not like people actually follow the law. On Earth, over a hundred thousand people die every day from murder, traffic accidents, and the like. Even in this peaceful time, that number is huge. If a war broke out here, it would increase exponentially, and historically speaking…”
The Doctor cut me off. “Jihyeok, if we debate like this, it’ll never end. Let’s calm down, okay?”
“Alright. I got too worked up because I’ve been stressed all day…”
“Did something happen?”
“It’s just… some idiot who didn’t know his place started acting up during the meeting and it pissed me off.”
Surprised by the raw profanity, the Doctor froze. After a brief pause, she regained her senses and spoke in a gentle tone.
“That must have been really annoying…”
I burst into a small laugh and looked at her. “You’re saying it must have been annoying when you don’t even know what he said? You’re just trying to empathize, aren’t you? To comfort me.”
“No. You’re young and capable. That person must have been jealous of you and nitpicked for no reason… I’m sure that’s what happened. The world is full of people with problems. So why don’t you just think, ‘Ah, so that’s how it is,’ and let it go?”
“Earlier you sounded like you were going to defend humanity, but now what is this?”
“That’s… because I care about you the most… Ah, and why have you been saying ‘humans’ instead of ‘people’? It sounds so cold when you say ‘humans’… Kyaa!”
I pounced on her, and she let out a scream followed by bright laughter. I pressed down on her shoulders, looking down at her, and said, “Noona.”
“Mmm…?”
“You’re a person with just as many problems as the other humans.”
“What… are you talking about…?”
“You say you can’t forget your husband, yet you’re in love with me.”
“N-no! Right now, I only… Mmph!”
My hand covered her mouth, and her throat bobbed. She must have gotten nervous. I raised one corner of my mouth and watched her for a moment.
“You only love me?”
The Doctor nodded frantically. Oh dear, lying again. How dare she… she was asking to be punished.
“You’ve completely forgotten about that pathetic dick?”
“.....”
“See? You haven’t. Yet you claim you only love me? You lied again, didn’t you?”
“.... Mmmph…”
She mumbled with her mouth still covered. I bared my white teeth and asked, “Are you sorry?”
“Mmm-hmm…”
“If you know you did wrong, what should you do?”
I loosened my hand slightly. She gasped for the breath she had been holding and subtly avoided my gaze. Then she said,
“I… have to be punished…”
“In what way?”
“L-like yesterday… I have to answer your questions honestly… and listen well…”
“That’s right, isn’t it?”
“Yes…”
“Then pack your bags.”
“Bags…?”
The Doctor’s brows furrowed. I had been acting like I was about to do something, then suddenly told her to pack, so she looked confused. But at my next words, her face brightened and she jumped up.
“We’re going on a trip.”