Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Already, Your Spots Are Gone.
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Buuuuuum—
The quiet hum of the tires rolling over the road filled the silent car.
The creak of the steering wheel during left and right turns, the click of the turn signal—sounds like that drifted in.
They almost felt like ASMR, deepening the hush even further.
Right now, I was heading to apologize to Station Director Kim Han-seo, with Harang and Sihyun in tow.
"Hic... Hic..."
"Harang, stop crying."
"Hic... Fuck... Fuuuck..."
"Sihyun, calm her down a bit."
"It's better to just let her cry it out right now."
"...You think?"
I'd told them to lean on me anytime something tough came up, treating me like their uncle they could rely on comfortably. But when it really mattered, like now, I couldn't offer the comforting words they needed.
Because I'd never been through something like this myself.
So I'd asked Sihyun, who'd been through the wringer before, but even she said maintaining the status quo was the best they could hope for.
'Reminds me of the first time I took Sihyun to one of those sessions.'
Back then, she'd bawled just like Harang was now.
Come to think of it, Sihyun had cried even harder than Harang was right now.
Her shoulders shaking for a full hour—I'd been worried she'd pass out...
Well, she's twenty-three now, but back then she was just twenty.
Harang's at least twenty-two, and she's got a tough mentality, pretty positive too, so maybe she'll pull through okay.
'Fuck... Pull through my ass.'
"Chief Manager Oppa, but the director agreed to meet us, right?"
Sihyun snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, when I called earlier, he said he'd see us. But he's young too, so maybe he doesn't get how this works. Seems like he really thinks we're just coming to apologize."
"Then isn't that the best-case scenario?"
"If it ends there, sure, I'd love that. But it's not gonna—he's gotta let you back on the music show after getting cut. That's why... I just have a feeling... like you two might have to put in some effort... Call it a gut instinct."
"If your gut's saying that, Oppa, then yeah, we gotta go all in. Your instincts are spot on. Like that time I got forced into creampie central, but thanks to you making me pop a morning-after pill beforehand, disaster averted."
"Yeah... But I'm not sure this gut feeling's a good one. We're almost there—make Harang take one too."
"Got it. Harang, ahh~"
"Sniff! Hic... Ahh~ *gulp*!"
Watching the girls under my care share morning-after pills like candy made my chest ache.
I'm not usually this serious, but moments like this force it out of me. Probably natural, right?
Can't be glib at a time like this.
'Hope Kim Han-seo just accepts the apology and reinstates them on the music show...'
But I hated this gut instinct telling me the girls would probably have to spread their legs tonight.
"Girls, I'm sorry."
"Why're you sorry, Oppa?"
"Just... because I can't protect you."
"Oppa Sung-jin."
Sihyun called me by name instead of Chief Manager Oppa.
"We get your position, so don't be sorry."
"...Yeah. Thanks."
A call came in from Kim Chief Manager, who handles Rize.
He wanted to meet, said he really needed to apologize in person.
I offered to do it over the phone, but he whined that they wouldn't feel right unless they faced me and apologized properly, so I ended up heading to the address he sent.
I parked in the lot and stepped into the building entrance—what the hell? Why meet here?
The building in front of me was four stories: the first three floors a typical room salon, and the fourth looked like a connected motel.
'High & Enter, what a letdown. This dirty...'
I could picture how this would play out.
Apology my ass—they planned to entertain me.
Drag me to a place like this, stick some bar girls on me, get me drunk, then butter me up till we're bro-ing out over some bro-code pact with our dicks.
Sure, I'm the NSS station director, so prime target in their eyes.
But it was too obvious, and I wasn't the type to fall for some bar girls hook, line, and sinker.
Go in, tell 'em never call me to a dump like this again, and bounce.
Stepping inside, a familiar foreign ballad drifted from somewhere, red lights like you'd see in a red-light district shining down.
The hallway reeked of clashing heavy perfumes stinging my nose—the source being bar girls flashing legs and cleavage.
'Room 4, where is it...'
I dodged the dizzying outfits, zeroing in on Room 4. Didn't take long.
Room 4 seemed the biggest here—Kim Chief Manager probably waiting inside, champagne on ice and all.
'Tch, dream on, asshole.'
I muttered to myself and turned the knob.
As expected, Kim Chief Manager was there, sitting stiffly. The second he saw me, his face lit up as he welcomed me.
"Aigoo~ Station Director Kim Han-seo! Thank you so much for coming all this way."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Have a seat here first."
He gestured with an open palm, and I sat anyway—to see how sincere they were being.
"Kim Chief Manager, I can guess why you dragged me here. But don't do this."
"Pardon? I just wanted to apologize properly..."
"If it was just an apology, you'd have come to a café or my office. Calling me here means slapping some bar girls on me to butter me up, right?"
"..."
After my tirade, he clamped his lips shut.
"Looks like that. Consider the apology accepted—I'm out."
As I started to stand—
"Girls, come on in."
Creeeak—
Harang and Sihyun entered the room right on cue.
I jolted in surprise and plopped back down awkwardly.
What the—why are you two here?
"Director, how can you call it accepted when you haven't even heard the apology? Do we look like idiots who'd throw bar girls at you?"
"No, wait—what the hell is going on here...?"
"Girls, greet the director."
"I'm... Harang from Rize..."
"Sihyun from Rize~♡"
Harang's eyes were a bit red as she greeted me demurely, while Sihyun's long dyed-blonde hair draped over her ample chest, seductive as hell.
Both undeniably pretty and hot. Harang cute, Sihyun sexy.
Not the time to appraise them, though.
Wasn't Kim Chief Manager apologizing solo? This sure as hell wasn't a place for idols.
I said as much.
"Kim Chief Manager, what is this? You crazy? Bringing your own idols to a shithole like this?"
"Whoa, Director, they say you love idols, and yeah, your words drip with affection for 'em."
Is he nuts? And these girls actually came here when called? What the hell's their agency prez doing?
"Send 'em back before someone sees. I'm heading out too—don't call me to dumps like this again."
"Ah, hold on, Director. Sit tight. You think we'd be that sloppy? Security's airtight—we set it all up."
"So what now?"
"Hear the apology from the source. Harang?"
Kim Chief Manager nodded at Harang, and I turned to her too.
"I... I'm sorry for not recognizing you, Director, and making you run errands like some trash... And for being rude. Please forgive me..."
Harang begged in a voice on the verge of tears. On the surface, pure apology—but her expression seemed to demand something from me.
Whatever, she was polite enough. Time to drop it and focus.
"If it'd been anyone else, you'd have done the same?"
"No, not at all."
She shook her head cutely as she denied it.
"I'd have been even madder if it'd been some other station staff. I'd have blacklisted you from the music show forever."
"Eek!"
My threat made Harang's eyes tremble in fright.
Looked like the agency had chewed her out good back home—she'd probably learned her lesson. This should do it.
"Still, seems like you're reflecting, so apology accepted. Watch your words going forward. Sihyun, sorry you got dragged into this too. You two head out."
"......"
What? Why aren't they leaving?
Wasn't that clean-cut?
That's when Harang fidgeted with her fingers and spoke up hesitantly.
"Um... about not coming on the music show from next week..."
"Oh, that? Consider it water under the... Ah."
I was about to say it'd be forgotten, when someone flashed through my mind.
'Sua, Ceria!'
I hadn't told An PD to slot Ceria in for Rize yet, so that music show spot was still open.
Meant to tomorrow, but shit timing...
"Sorry, but that slot's already earmarked for a group I have in mind. Can't do it. If another group flakes, maybe Rize gets in."
"What?! That's... no guarantee at all..."
"Could be... Anyway, that's that. My bad. See ya."
I bolted for the door to escape the awkwardness. Or tried to.
Something soft and squishy blocked me.
"Wha—? S-Si, Sihyun, hold on, what is th—this, let go..."
*Smooch♡—*
Warm, moist, sticky lips sealed mine—I couldn't get another word out.