For Sale. Fallen Idol. Used a Few Times. (1)
Rewinding time a little.
I dropped Eunchae off and headed back toward the dorm.
My mood wasn't great.
The dark look on Eunchae's face the last time I saw her before leaving refused to leave my head.
…Should I try calling her?
I fidgeted with my phone over and over, turning the idea around in my mind… but better not.
Contact her for no good reason and I might just end up causing more damage.
If it was really serious, Eunchae would definitely reach out first.
That was what… I believed.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
Right then, my phone suddenly rang.
I answered immediately.
"Um… Manager?"
"Yeah. Harin."
"You picked up so fast."
"…Because it's you."
"Ah… r-really?"
I could hear the flustered happiness in her voice.
"Did you drop Sarang and Eunchae off okay?"
"Yeah. Just finished with Eunchae. On my way back now."
"Ah… about how long will it take?"
"If I'm a little late, maybe thirty minutes…"
"Thirty minutes? Ah…. Okay! Um, Manager. When you come… it's not that, but…"
"Strawberry milk? Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. I'll stop by a convenience store on the way."
"Th-that too, but… um… it's not that… I…"
"…?"
Odd.
Harin almost never stammered like this.
"Is there something else you need?"
"Th-there is… something."
"Then just say it. Don't feel pressured. I'll buy it and bring it."
"I-it's… um… I…"
"Hungry? Something tasty? Or snacks?"
"N-no! That's fine."
"Then? Something expensive that feels awkward to ask for?"
"It's not… that. But. Um…"
"…Then what?"
After a long hesitation, Harin spoke so quietly I could barely hear her.
"Manager……. Hnn…. Please don't think badly of me……. Um…"
"…Um?"
"A con…dom…. If you could buy one and bring it with you…… that would be nice."
"……."
That was what she was embarrassed about?
…No, well.
I understood why it was hard to say out loud.
Even if she hadn't said anything, I would have quietly bought some myself. I do have a brain, after all.
But I never expected Harin to bring it up first like this.
Had she been looking forward to today a little too?
Her voice carried a mix of shyness and a strange, quiet anticipation.
"…Got it. Don't worry."
"Y-yes……. Th-then… see you later… Manager."
"Yeah. See you soon."
The call-end tone cut her voice off.
My hands tightened hard around the steering wheel.
"Ugh…… finally…!"
Alone in the car, my real feelings just spilled out.
That counted as an OK sign, right?
Harin told me to buy condoms. That made it certain, didn't it?
Even while focusing on the road, the smile wouldn't leave my face.
Only two days since Harin and I became a couple.
But we'd known each other for six years.
Today, finally, Harin and I would be joined.
I'd expected it to some degree, but getting the OK straight from her lips made me happier than anything.
Just showing up with nothing but condoms would be a little lame, though, right?
I should buy a cake too… and pick up a few other things.
I turned the wheel and cut onto the side road.
Any worry about Sarang or Eunchae had already been wiped clean from my head.
I texted Harin that I'd be a little later and asked her to wait.
I stopped at a café for a cake and coffee, and even though it felt a bit much, I bought a single flower too.
Rather than pushing things the second I walked in, a small little event felt like the better way to go.
Then I hit a convenience store for the strawberry milk Harin liked, some simple snacks… and two packs of condoms.
That should be plenty for tonight.
I set the cake and flower on the passenger seat and shoved the condoms into my pocket.
No need to put those on display.
In my hurry I drove a little roughly, flooring it toward the dorm.
Harin would be waiting, right?
What she might look like while waiting… honestly, I couldn't quite picture it.
Maybe already undressed and waiting…
No. With Harin's personality, that was impossible.
No point getting ahead of myself either. Calm down a little.
"Huu……."
Even so, I couldn't stop my hands from trembling on the wheel.
Honestly, I was nervous.
Half tension, half anticipation, I arrived at the dorm.
And in a single instant, my whole body locked up.
"…That."
A familiar car sat in the parking lot.
A pillar hid most of it, but the front end alone was enough for me to identify it with absolute certainty.
A Cheetah.
2022 model.
A rare foreign car even in Korea, and red on top of that. I already knew exactly who owned it.
"Park Dong-chul…!"
No way.
Still… it couldn't be.
On a day like this, coming all the way to an idol dorm?
How did he even know this place?
It was absurd.
A PD wasn't some freeloader with free time. There was no reason for him to show up somewhere like this in the middle of a weekday afternoon.
And an idol dorm's location was top-secret information for any group.
Even a PD wasn't supposed to know it.
Yet he knew and came anyway…
Unwanted possibilities started flooding my head.
I parked in the empty spot next to the Cheetah.
Then carefully checked around and inside the car.
No sign of anyone inside.
The hood held no residual heat either. He'd been here a while.
Please.
Just a coincidence.
Some new resident who just bought one.
Right?
I grabbed the cake and flower from the passenger seat and ran upstairs to the dorm as fast as I could.
I climbed the stairs and stopped in front of the dorm door.
"Oh. Manager Jeon. Long time no see."
I nearly dropped the cake but managed to clutch it tight.
"Wow~. Running into each other in a place like this? Manager Jeon. Right?"
He walked up as if it were pure chance and clapped me lightly on the shoulder.
My body had gone stiff. I couldn't even manage my expression.
"…PD-nim. What brings you… here…"
"Hm? Ah~. Just dropped by for a shoot."
If it were a shoot, dozens of staff should have been with him, but the hallway was empty.
No broadcast vans in the parking lot either.
The only car I'd seen was Park Dong-chul's personal one.
"…You knew where this was…"
"This is Sepia's dorm, isn't it?"
"…How did you find out?"
"There's always a way~. And since it's a group I personally keep an eye on, I ought to know where the dorm is at least, right? Don't you think?"
"…But a dorm is…"
"Manager Jeon."
The smile vanished from Park Dong-chul's mouth.
"Looks like you're not exactly thrilled I came here."
"………."
I didn't deny it.
Normally I would have plastered on a thick face and insisted otherwise.
Right now I couldn't even control my expression.
Why.
Why are you here right now.
"Oof. Tone down those eyes a little? They're downright murderous. You weren't always like this, Manager Jeon. Something happen?"
"………Nothing."
"Don't take it so badly. Hm? I'll apologize for not giving you a heads-up. Sorry."
He clapped my shoulder again.
I wanted to kill him.
I wanted to kill him, but… I had to endure.
For myself, for Harin, for Sepia.
I took one deep breath and spoke quietly.
"…What business brings you here?"
"I already told you. For a shoot."
"A shoot?"
"Ah. More precisely, a location scout before the shoot."
"……."
I had no idea what he meant.
"Come to think of it, I never explained it to you yet, Manager Jeon. Don't take it weirdly. It's nothing major, just…"
"……."
"…I was thinking of shooting a variety show with Sepia this time."
"…A variety show?"
"If you're an idol, you should at least do an observational variety once. Sepia hasn't done anything like that yet, right?"
They hadn't.
An observational variety—especially one involving a TV network—was impossible unless you were top-tier even among the first-string groups.
Even second-string groups were lucky to land a web variety.
Sepia couldn't even manage that.
"…An observational variety? From you, PD-nim?"
The unexpected answer made my words come out faster.
"Nah~ not me. I'm terrestrial, so I can't do that kind of thing. There's someone I know over at a partner company—you know the type? The cable teams that specialize in this stuff."
I'd heard of them.
"…Yes."
"They asked if I knew any teams worth shooting. They already did Gold Sun, next was supposed to be a girl group, but Fearless is lined up for their next album comeback so the schedule got pushed… and in that gap they wanted a small-scale group for maybe two short episodes."
"We'll do it. Please let us do it."
I answered without a second of hesitation.
If Park Dong-chul's words were true—if all of that was real—
This was a bigger opportunity than even music-show appearances.
Hearing me, Park Dong-chul smiled slyly.
"I knew you'd answer like that, Manager Jeon."
"…Please."
I straightened my posture and bowed at the waist.
I could barely believe I was doing this for the bastard I'd wanted to kill moments ago.
But right now I had to.
And for that, I was ready to lower my head as many times as necessary.
"No need to worry so much. I already came here planning to do it with Sepia anyway."
He stepped closer in a friendly way and patted my shoulder.
"…Yes. Thank you."
"Harin was the same. The second I brought it up she begged me to make it happen."
"………I see……. Wait, what!?"
I jerked my head up in shock.
My eyes met Park Dong-chul's.
"Harin said she wanted to do it too."
He grinned.
Right then, a soft beep sounded and the dorm door opened.
Harin poked just her head out and looked our way.
"…Ah. Manager."
"Harin."
"Oh~. Harin. Long time no see."
"……PD-nim."
"We finished talking. Right?"
Park Dong-chul winked at me.
Seeing that, Harin carefully opened her mouth.
"……Yes. Please come in."
Harin still wouldn't meet my eyes.