Returning Home
And the thing I'd meant to use for promotion did the opposite. Tch.
Anyone who so much as looked up the YouTube channel would land on mine at once, and from there it linked straight to the Instagram I'd listed right alongside Bae Jihyun. Aside from the post of me holding Hyunji's cat, the only uploads were the café and the gym—and since both were meant as promotion, the write-ups kindly included the addresses. The situation made perfect sense.
"Hello?"
"You saw all of it?"
"Yeah. They didn't take that with your permission, did they?"
"Of course not. As if I'd ever allow it. You know a streamer ending up on the news doesn't do them any good. I don't even need noise marketing."
"Then we can get it taken down, can't we? I heard they'll pull it if the copyright holder asks, even without filing for an injunction. It'll take time, though."
I'd once heard about a streamer who won the lottery in the middle of a broadcast. The news had grabbed the footage and used it however they liked; the report did come down in the end, but as I remembered it, the whole thing had dragged on for quite a while.
"Of course. But I think there might be an easier way to handle it."
The sudden remark made me tilt my head. I tried to think of some other method, but nothing came to mind. Changsu had been walking over inside the gym; spotting us, he went to Rahi instead and asked her something. I kept my focus on the call with Jihyun.
"How?"
At that, Jihyun paused to speak with someone. I strained to listen, but the voice was far too small to make anything out. A woman's voice, though—so it had to be Choi Soojung.
"......I just stepped out of the meeting room. I'm actually at KTV's variety department right now."
"KTV? Isn't that the station that just ran the news? Variety, though? Not the news division?"
"Right. I came because of the contract negotiation I told you about yesterday."
"Then why a broadcast station?"
"Looks like they're getting serious this time. They say if the trailer does well, they'll even slot it into the variety lineup. So the filming and the contract are both being handled by KTV's variety department. Basically they want to use us to feel things out, keep the Ministry of Maternity and Childcare happy, and if it looks like there's juice worth squeezing, suck us dry then. Something like that."
There was a trace of hostility in Jihyun's tone. Whether it came from my situation or from friction in the contract talks, I still didn't have enough to tell.
"......So that's why there was an embargo."
"Seems like it. They say the Ministry of Maternity and Childcare is betting everything on this, but that's bullshit—no. More of an exaggeration, I'd say. Anyway, Soojung found out about the news in the middle of the negotiation, and we were dealing with it."
"And?"
"The PD in charge says she'll fix it herself right away, so we absolutely have to appear. It's annoying—she's taking the content we're filling and throwing her weight around like she's the lead PD—but she has a point."
I clicked my tongue before I could stop myself. So we'd handed them a weakness right in the middle of negotiations.
"The terms?"
"......No dropping out midway, and appearing through next time—Season 3. That's the condition."
"......That's a strange condition. The demand is that we appear even more? Weren't we going there to appear anyway?"
"Yeah. Once they found out you're a Multimale, they said they'd accept every condition. Even the parts you requested—they say there's a way. After all that stalling, insisting it couldn't be done."
"Then isn't this actually working out?"
"So I can just give them a firm yes?"
"Hold on. Why is not dropping out listed as a condition?"
"......Well, a lot of the men can't take it and drop out."
"It's that rough?"
"I mean, every woman on the cast wants something. You know how it is. Women's fantasies......"
"......I know them very well."
"......R-right, so......"
I still didn't trust Jihyun all that deeply, but she wasn't in a position to gain anything by lying to me. Once we were on the show, I'd learn everything anyway. And if there was a lie in there, I figured I could torment her a little more over it.
"The run is a week, like you said?"
"Yes. But it could go a day or two longer. They say it depends on how much airtime there is, which really means if it's a hit, they want to shoot an epilogue too."
"That's fine, I guess. Tell them I said okay. When do I sign?"
"An electronic signature works."
"It's all right if I don't meet the production staff? I feel like I ought to at least say hello."
"It's fine. It's not some regular variety show. The variety department is only helping with the shoot. There's no poster shoot either. At the end of the day, it's YouTube content."
"Then let's do it that way."
"Okay. I'll lock it in as is."
"I'm counting on you."
"Yes. I'll send you the contract as soon as it's finished. Oh, and—Shinwoo, is your neighborhood safe, by any chance?"
"Nothing's happened so far, but."
"Then do you have somewhere to lay low for a bit? M-my place is fine too......"
Wondering if I really had to go so far as to hide, I scratched my cheek—and Rahi, who had been watching me with worry, fixed me with a stern look and shook her head. It didn't seem to mean don't go to Jihyun's; it was the way I was treating the whole thing as nothing. Changsu, having caught on as well, crossed his arms into an X and held them out. His meaning was probably different from Rahi's.
"......I have somewhere to go, for now."
"......Ah, okay. Th-then that's a relief......"
Jihyun answered in a deflated voice. I understood what she was after, but I'd been keeping her on a slow simmer; I couldn't just trot over the moment she called. There was Hyunji's place, and Rahi's. If it came to the worst, I'd sleep at the gym. A bed wasn't going to be the problem.
"How long do you think it'll take for the video to come down?"
"They said if I just agree to sign, they'll have it down within today. It's probably already too late, though......"
"Still, getting it handled the same day is something. Then let's go ahead and ask."
"Okay. I'm glad you seem all right, Shinwoo. I'll call you again in a bit."
"Yeah."
"......I'm sorry. I never thought something like this would happen."
"You don't have to apologize. The one who showed no consideration was the reporter."
"......Right. S-so please don't torment me again, or......"
"I said I won't. Keep saying it and it starts to sound like you want me to."
"Ah, no! Th-then, since I handled the contract well...... you'll g-give me a kiss later, right......?"
"......I'll think about it."
"Ah, that's too mean! When was it you told me to be honest!"
"You did well on that part. Finish the contract properly."
"Ah, seriouslyyy!"
"The truth is, that's not what you really want, is it?"
"I-it's not......"
"You did well today, so I'm letting it slide."
"Th-this isn't how it was supposed to go...... but......"
Listening to Jihyun whine and plead, I let out a short laugh and ended the call right there. Just then Rahi's hand closed gently around my arm. I turned, and found both her and Changsu watching me, their faces full of worry.
"......Shinwoo."
"I'm fine. I should head home first. It might not be as bad as we're thinking, so don't worry too much. I'm not a celebrity or anything."
"......Even so. Wasn't the reporter way out of line?"
"I get the intent, but. It's a little disappointing, isn't it?"
"Like Changsu said, it's only disappointing. Let's call it a mistake she made trying to defend me. It's already happened."
"Then, hyung, take my car for now. Ride the bus and some random woman might latch onto you."
I looked at the keys Changsu held out.
"You sure? It's been a while since I drove."
"Well, if you wreck it, you can just buy me a new one. I'm getting tired of it anyway."
"Thanks. I'll be careful with it. I should be able to get it back to you around tomorrow afternoon."
"Use it as long as you need. What matters is you making it to the gym, hyung."
He said it lightly, but I knew perfectly well how much he treasured that car. Men didn't lend their cars out so easily—that much was obvious. Grateful, I accepted the keys with both hands, properly, and smiled along with Changsu's snort of a laugh. Then I gave Rahi's head a light pat as she looked up at me.
"Don't worry too much. If it's a mess, I'll just stay at your place."
"Okay. You have to call."
"I will. And don't tell Hyunji yet. The kid's already worn out from practice—she'll only start worrying on top of it."
"Okay. Just in case, should I come with you?"
"And go where? You've got your own work. Did you get the curriculum from Changsu?"
"Yes. I was just about to clean it up."
That seemed like enough. Rahi and Changsu weren't children; if I kept double-checking every last thing, it would only sound like nagging.
"Shinwoo. Be careful."
Getting out of the gym was the first problem, but no one actually rushed me the way the two of them had feared. Fair enough—however urgent people were, it wouldn't go that far. What did happen was that my eyes met those of a few young women who had already come to the gym. They were clustered on the opposite side from the group of ajummas who had brought their kids, and the whispers drifting over from them caught my ear.
"......He's really here. Looks like we got here first."
"......Not bad. Better than the photos."
"There'd be fun in dressing him up, too."
"I've still got half a year left on my lease."
"I'm just going to move out next month. The neighborhood vibe isn't bad either."
"Hello?"
"You're much better-looking in person than on the broadcast."
"......Ah, yes. Thank you."
The three women whose eyes had met mine greeted me without a shred of hesitation, or else whispered among themselves. The feeling was definitely different. Their gazes clung stickier than before, and they spoke to me as if it were only natural. The confidence filling their faces stood out more than anything.
......You can tell they put real effort in. The foundation's decent, too.
They had reason to be confident. All of them were at a respectable level, angling faces and bodies in little gestures meant to show themselves off. The one thrusting the front of her handbag forward like a trophy was a bit ridiculous, though. For now I slipped out of the spot as naturally as I could—with a soft smile, of course. It was a business smile, but at the sight of the women flushing, I simply raised a hand and walked on past.
"See you next time."
"......I should sign up. I didn't know there was another one."
"Is he a multi too?"
"Who knows. Smile for now."
A whistle followed me out of the gym, and Rahi bristled—but I quietly took her hand and started down the stairs. It was happening much faster than I'd braced for, but it wasn't all bad. The gym would get back on its feet that much sooner. More than that, I never thought I'd hear catcalling in Korea. It was a strange feeling.
"Go on back in. You'll get cold."
"......Don't worry about me. You have to—you have to call. Okay?"
"I know. I won't make you worry too much."
When we reached Changsu's black midsize sedan, I smiled at Rahi—her eyes even fuller of worry after what had just happened—and waved. Then, settling into a driver's seat for the first time in a long while, I let out a light sigh, found a one-day policy through an online insurer and signed up, and slowly drove the car out of Anyang.
Too late?
But it didn't go the way I'd hoped. Just in case, I turned the car down the alley that led home, and I couldn't help clicking my tongue. In an alley where you usually couldn't spot a single person, one or two women stood in every corner—masks and sunglasses on, suspicious to anyone with eyes—each hefting a DSLR like a cannon. Wasn't that a bit much? I wasn't an idol.
I should be grateful there still aren't that many.
The exposed address was the truly fatal part. In front of the villa where I lived, and in the parking lot, five or six women were already loitering.
Would you look at that.
I knew perfectly well that Rahi and Changsu were worried for me, but the truth was I didn't feel bad. My cheeks itched. So this was what it felt like to be popular, to have people interested in you—if anything, I was a little giddy. I'd never received anything like this in my life. Except.
The problem is their looks don't match the enthusiasm.
Their appearances fell a bit short. Maybe that was only because every woman I'd met lately had been beautiful. But so what—if I didn't meet them, that was the end of it. The feeling itself, that they were interested in me or liked me, was something to be grateful for. If there was a problem, it was that I'd underestimated the women of this world far too much. I'd felt it on the broadcast too, but I never imagined there were people checking the Multimale list every single day. And I'd never dreamed they would swarm like this in a single day. The news and the broadcast were partly to blame, and yet it hadn't even been a few hours since the exposure.
I'll have to adjust the image a little. They're far more aggressive than I expected.
There was nothing I could do about it now. I had no thought of reporting them, and doing so now would be pointless anyway—none of them had actually done anything yet. On top of that, I didn't need to overreact and plant a bad image of myself. Those women were the ones who would dress me up and make me shine from here on, and a double-edged sword that would blow any mistake out of proportion. My image mattered, especially for Rahi and Hyunji, who would be living with me.
......A tug-of-war I've never once tried. But I'll have to pull it off.
That didn't mean I planned to run. A double-edged sword was still a weapon without equal, so long as you used it well. If I only learned how to soothe them, coax them, and keep them under control, they could become the best allies I had. Today I simply wasn't ready, so I was pulling back. I took out my phone and sent Rahi a message.
It was a relief to have even one person who would help.