Road Manager Hell and the Mysterious Hypnosis App

Have you ever had thoughts like Hypnosis app? You've got to be kidding? Stuff like, If I go somewhere with lots of women, maybe I'll get a girlfriend, or Being around pretty girls will give me plenty of chances to date one. No matter how you slice it, romance boils down to people meeting people. So if you just get more opportunities to meet them, even the most stunningly beautiful women could become possibilities.

I'd thought that way myself. That's why I got a job in the entertainment industry. Maybe if I can work with idols, I'll get a chance to hang out with them. Honestly, I thought it was a solid plan. Sure, it was just my opinion, but I wasn't a bad catch at my core, and above all, aren't all the most beautiful girls in the world gathered in that industry? There's potential. I believed it. Even if the odds were low, it was worth a shot.

Until I got hired as a road manager at Da'o Entertainment.

"Fuck... this industry is total shit..."

Six months into the road manager gig. In other words, after half a year of starting at dawn, driving all day, heading home under the moonlight, and dealing with endless errands and hysterics in between. That's when I finally realized it: my judgment was trash, and road managers were dogshit.

Potential? Bullshit. There was zero chance to mingle with pretty idols. I was just their stress ball. Thanks to the crap pay and overwork, I felt like I'd aged five years in half the time.

"Hoo..."

Maybe I should pick up smoking. If everyone's doing it, there must be a reason, right? Would it cut the stress a bit?

"Hey, Lee Sejin! What the hell are you doing standing around like a bum again!"

Just as I was pondering how smokers always quit, a booming voice hit me, followed by a smack to the back of my head. I yelped, clutching my skull, and whipped around to see my boss, Manager Kim Su-hyeok, standing there. He was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the manager for the three-member idol group The Queens, and...

"This little shit. Didn't I tell you not to wander off?"

...a total scumbag who used tormenting me as his personal stress relief.

"Th-they're all in the recording now, so I just stepped out for some air..."

"Sejin, I told you, right? Road managers are fuck-all. You gotta shut up and live in the van for three years straight."

He poked my cheek as he said it. The guy had a real talent for pissing people off. But why was he out here already? The girls had just gone into the studio for their gravure shoot. I pulled out my phone quick—no messages.

"Hey, what're you checking your phone for?"

"I thought maybe I missed a call."

"You little prick, you're really hopeless. If I hadn't messaged, you'd just keep slacking off, huh?"

The bastard was top-tier at nitpicking.

"You wanna know why I came looking for you so quietly?"

"No, not really..."

"You do wanna know, right?"

"......."

Answering "yes" here would play right into his hands, and it'd end up as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my suffering.

"Sometimes I gotta do spot checks like this so you punks don't slack off."

Of course, staying silent wouldn't stop him either.

"Sorry."

"Sorry fixes everything?"

"Won't happen again."

"Shouldn't have happened in the first place."

Even childish bullshit like this—kill me. But what could I do? He was my boss, the top authority on this group.

Living as his stress toy is wearing thin... maybe it's time to quit.

I was enduring this one-sided harassment when—

"Oppa Su-hyeok!"

"What?"

A familiar voice called from behind. It was Im Haeun from The Queens.

"Shoot already over?"

"Nah, I just bailed."

"What? Why this time?"

"That photographer creep was acting pervy as fuck. Pisses me off."

"Hey, hey, we're outside. Watch your mouth~"

"Whatever. Shitty is shitty!"

Haeun vented hard. She had a short fuse anyway, so the swearing wasn't new.

"Wh-what do we do...?"

Trailing behind, hesitant as ever, was the other member, Park Minji. Compared to the yappy chihuahua that was Haeun, Minji was way too quiet and lacking confidence, clearly stressed about the botched shoot.

"Sorry~ Haeun, calm down first, then let's go back in~"

"Go back in? Fuck that, we're done! That asshole kept staring at my legs!"

"Haeun, just bear with it a little. Okay?"

The third member, Shin Soye, stepped in to soothe her. Oldest of the trio and the kindest by far, she flashed a warm, patient smile. Out of this quartet, Soye was the only halfway decent human. Scratch that—she was the best.

"Sejin, sorry, but could you grab some drinks? Get Haeun's favorite."

"Sure thing."

"Here, take my wallet."

She was the only one who treated me like a person—more than that, with real consideration. She was why I'd stuck out this insane road manager life for half a year.

"Hey, why give him your wallet? Here, take my card."

"Got it."

"Get stuff for all the girls. Don't be dense and just grab one caramel macchiato."

"Anything else you want?"

"You gotta ask?"

The prick who would've bitched if I didn't ask.

"Americano for you, then. Minji-ssi, Soye-ssi—anything specific, or the usual?"

"You fucker, not asking me?!"

"Figured caramel macchiato like always for you, Haeun-ssi..."

"Still gotta ask! Argh, fuck, even the roadie's a pain..."

"Haeun, easy. Hurry and go, Sejin."

"Y-yeah. Be right back."

I gave Soye a quick grateful bow and bolted.

I rushed back with the drinks, handed them off, watched the four head back in for the shoot, then returned to the underground parking lot. Sticking here daily was wrecking my throat. That's why I'd stepped out for air, but with Kim Su-hyeok in asshole mode today, I had to watch it.

I swallowed my curses, opened the car door, and slid in.

"Hoo..."

The moment I plopped into my spot—the driver's seat.

Beep.

"Hm?"

My phone pinged. Curious, I checked—an app was installing.

"What the hell?"

I had auto-updates off without Wi-Fi. Baffled, I looked closer. No time to cancel; it finished instantly. The icon was an eye, labeled Hypnosis App.

"...Hypnosis App?"

This was nuts. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Why was malware popping up? I long-pressed to delete, but my finger slipped, and it launched instead.

"Shit."

The screen swirled in pink and purple, menus popping up: 'Execute', 'Settings', 'Help'. That was it. Nothing else changed.

"...Seems fine?"

Curiosity hit. A hypnosis app? Like in those 19+ mangas or pornos.

"......."

I hesitated, then tapped Help.

Simple: hypnotize as I wish, but only company folks.

"Ridiculous. A hypnosis app that only works on our company people?"

Something was off. Maybe Kim Su-hyeok's elaborate prank. There were shows where managers pranked with hidden cams.

"Better delete it."

I went to exit, then paused.

"...Just test it?"

If it works on anyone at Da'o Entertainment, that includes me, right? Perfect for a quick check.

"Hmm... what command? Oh, right—skip work."

I'd seen online: if you could make ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a clone, send it to work while you chill at home. Ultimate hack. Hypnosis could mimic that—unconscious work mode, snap back at home.

I hit Settings and whispered to the phone.

"...I handle today's duties perfectly under hypnosis. I snap out of it when I get home and rest."

Sweet—skip the hellish day straight to bed. Oh, wait—one more.

"And I tell no one about this Hypnosis App."

Hit Execute, stared at the screen.

"------."

Like a blackout endoscopy, the world went dark—then I jolted awake.

"Gasp?"

And suddenly, I was standing in my room.