Idols Never Break! (1)
“Alright then. See you next week—at the station. I’ve got work today, so I need to head out. Manager Jeon, take good care of Harin. She’s precious cargo.”
“Yes, PD. Drive safely.”
Park Dong-chul climbed into his car, already on the phone as he pulled out of the parking lot.
Harin and I stayed bent at the waist, bowing until his car disappeared from sight. Only once it was completely gone did we finally straighten up.
“…….”
“…….”
Left alone with Harin, the air between us turned awkward. It had been like this since yesterday. I had no idea what face to show her, what words to say. I couldn’t begin to guess what she was feeling or thinking. Treat it lightly and it felt like I was dismissing her. Take it too seriously and she might burst into tears.
After long deliberation, I settled on one approach.
“…Let’s just go, Harin.”
Pretend nothing happened.
“We need to get back to the dorm and tell the others. …That we’re going on a music show.”
“…Okay.”
Harin nodded and followed me. We walked in silence toward my car—an 180,000-kilometer domestic midsize sedan I’d bought used. The gulf between me and Park Dong-chul hit me all over again, leaving a bitter taste.
Beep-beep.
As I unlocked the door—
“Um… Manager!”
Harin caught my sleeve.
“Yeah?”
“…I’m sorry for saying weird things earlier.”
“What… Ah.”
Harin twisted in place, face burning red as she avoided my eyes. I had a pretty good idea what “weird things” she meant. She was talking about describing her sex with Park Dong-chul right in front of me.
“You… probably didn’t want to hear any of that. I had no choice… The PD… ordered me to. So…”
“…….”
“I never wanted you to see me like that, or hear any of it… I…”
Tears fell from Harin’s lowered face. The hand gripping my sleeve trembled hard. The girl who had always been so composed and proud was crying like a child. It was the first time I had ever seen her cry like this.
I had no idea what to do. Could I even comfort her? Did I have the right?
“…Hic…”
Harin clutched my arm tightly. She buried her face against my shoulder and shook in small, quiet tremors.
“…Hic… Hic…! Manager, I… I worked so hard. I pushed myself… I did my best… Because you… hic… told me to take good care of him… I did everything he asked… hic… everything…….”
“……Ah.”
I couldn’t hug her. I couldn’t even stroke her hair. I was the one who had put her in this position. I was the one who had pushed her toward the PD, telling her to do a good job. I had taken a twenty-three-year-old girl and, using her sense of responsibility as leader as an excuse, dumped the filth of the world onto her. I knew she couldn’t refuse—and I used that knowledge to shove her forward.
“Harin… I……”
I couldn’t even manage words of comfort. I was terrified. Terrified she would resent me. But spilled water couldn’t be gathered back up. If she hated me, if she despised me… I would have to accept it. As her manager, I had done the absolute worst thing possible.
“…Manager.”
“…Yeah.”
Harin’s trembling body gradually stilled.
“It’s okay… I was prepared. From the moment you first told me… I was ready.”
“…Harin.”
“I’ll get over it soon… I’ll get past this… and I’ll make sure we succeed on the music show. Your dream of making Sepia number one… I’ll make that come true too.”
Ah……
My stomach churned. Even in this situation, she was talking about my dream… Not a single word of blame left her mouth. She didn’t hate the man who had reduced her to this.
This Harin. This kind girl. I had sold her with my own hands. I had bowed and asked Park Dong-chul to take good care of her. …And while eavesdropping on that scene, listening to Harin’s ragged moans… I had masturbated.
Aaaah.
Aaaaaaaaaaah.
A scream rose inside me. But I didn’t dare let it out. The person who wanted to scream more than anyone else was standing right beside me.
“…Manager. So… hang in there today too.”
I couldn’t even look at the smile Harin forced onto her face.
“Good work, Manager Jeon.”
I gave a light bow at the president’s words.
“Park PD… I don’t like him as a person, but a big shot’s a big shot. Word is he’s in the running for the next network director promotion.”
“…Is that so.”
“Since you’ve gone and made a connection like this, you should make full use of it.”
“Thank you for creating the opportunity, sir.”
My insides were still churning, but this was all I could say right now.
“So Sepia is confirmed for next week’s music show… Next week. What day exactly?”
“Saturday… the 13th.”
“The 13th. Right. Hmm…”
The president pulled out his phone and tapped rapidly.
“The 13th… Station is YBC… Correct.”
He muttered to himself while checking the schedule, then suddenly changed the subject.
“Venus is launching a new product line, and they’re looking for advertising models.”
“…Ah. Yes.”
Venus?
The name rang a bell. If it was the Venus I knew…
“They’re calling all over looking for girl group members with good visuals. You know Venus—they’re huge. I hear offers even went out to famous groups.”
“Ah… Then for us…”
“No. A lot of places turned them down. For various reasons. Plenty of groups are willing, but Venus isn’t satisfied with them—especially the visuals.”
“Meaning…”
“Seems like an opportunity, doesn’t it?”
It sounded like he was telling me to get ready.
“Visuals… Visuals. When you think of Sepia’s visuals, it’s Eunchae, right?”
“All the members have great visuals. Eunchae just… photographs especially well.”
“No, no. That’s not what I mean. They’re our kids—I know better than anyone how good their visuals are.”
The president had personally selected every member of Sepia.
“The people at Venus think of Eunchae when they think of Sepia’s visuals.”
“…Is… that so.”
I swallowed hard, the bitterness thick in my throat. I had a rough idea what those words meant. Ever since Eunchae’s photos had gone viral online and briefly made Sepia a flash-in-the-pan star, there were still people who remembered her name. The Venus people were probably among them. And specifically naming only Eunchae… There was only one thing that could mean.
“They said they really want to meet her before the music show and even left a business card.”
The president slid the card across to me. Of course I couldn’t refuse.
“Yes. Understood.”
“Ah, and—have you prepared for the next stage after the broadcast?”
“The next stage, sir?”
“Right. If one music show appearance made you explode overnight, how nice would that be. But the world’s not that easy. One music show alone won’t flip everything. You still have to keep promoting.”
“Meaning… the week after as well.”
“That depends on Park PD’s thoughts and how well Sepia performs.”
“…….”
In other words, I would have to meet Park Dong-chul again. The thought was utterly revolting, but everything the president said was correct, so I had no retort. What Harin had gained by offering up her virginity for an entire night was not the fruit of success—just one tiny opportunity toward it.
……That was the value this world had assigned to Harin’s first time.
“And you need to prepare well too. On the marketing side. Don’t expect anyone to spoon-feed you. Have you lined up the shutterbugs yet?”
He meant the freelancers who photographed idols on site. Eunchae had been an incredibly lucky catch for one of those so-called shutterbugs. But luck like that didn’t keep coming.
“…Not yet.”
“Figured as much. The marketing director will put you in touch—make contact. If you’ve grabbed one broadcast opportunity, you have to squeeze every drop out of it.”
Now I had to create that luck myself. I couldn’t waste the chance Harin had bought for us.
“Yes. Understood.”
“Manage the fans properly too. Promote the music show appearance. I’ll watch how well you do until next week and decide Sepia’s next move.”
It sounded like nagging, but every word the president said was completely right.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Oh, Oppa!”
The moment I stepped into the waiting room next to the lesson studio, Se-a waved at me.
“…….”
Eunchae just nodded silently in greeting.
“Where are Harin and Sarang?”
“In lesson right now.”
Through the soundproof glass I could see Harin and Sarang belting into their mics with everything they had. Even after what she had been through, Harin was already back at practice.
“Oppa. Is that for real?”
“Huh?”
I turned and found Se-a already right beside me. She latched onto my arm tightly; her cleavage pressed against it.
“Unnie Harin said we might be going on Music Center—is that true?”
“Oh… Harin already told you?”
“She said it wasn’t definite yet… and that I should ask you for the details. But looking at her face it seemed true… Unnie’s a terrible liar. You know something, right? Right?”
Better to just tell them.
“Yeah. We’re going on Music Center next week.”
“For real? Like, actually for real? You’re not messing with me?”
“I just finished talking about it. Confirmed it with the president too. We’re definitely going.”
“Waaah~!” Se-a bounced around the room. Even Eunchae stood up from her seat and stared at me in surprise.
I shrugged and went to sit beside Eunchae.
As for Se-a—
“Hello? Oh, wait! I’m going on a music show!”
She was already on the phone, bragging to someone as she dashed out. That left me alone with Eunchae.
“…Is it really true?”
“Yeah. Trust me.”
“There hasn’t been anything trustworthy so far, so of course I’d ask.”
“…Can’t really argue with that.”
“Thank you.”
I was stunned. Eunchae was thanking me? Unthinkable. She had always been so distrustful of me… I never imagined she’d say those words. It had been a long time since Eunchae had cleanly expressed gratitude.
“You should be thanking Harin.”
“Unnie Harin? Why?”
“…Huh?”
Fuck. I slipped.
Eunchae’s eyes sharpened as she locked onto me.
“Why should I be thanking Unnie Harin?”
“That’s… well…”
“Yesterday Unnie Harin didn’t sleep at the dorm—she went somewhere…”
Dangerous. If it had been thoughtless Se-a, I could have bluffed my way through. But of course I had to slip up in front of Eunchae, whose instincts were ridiculously sharp.
“It looked like she left in a car. Does that have something to do with it?”