Cheon Bom Becomes Plankton
The chest was a bit tight, but two days earlier, after parting ways with Cheon Bom and comforting Soye, I'd had a thought. Just in case she tries something stupid, I should prepare in advance. So, I'd told Haeun and Minji about it ahead of time, together with Soye. I'd hesitated a little before saying anything, but I didn't want to hide something this big from the girls, and I figured Cheon Bom might whisper nonsense to them too. And now, looking at her expression, my instincts were spot on.
Good thing I said something. She'd blabbed to them too, gotten called out. She'd done it to me, to Soye, and now to these two... Was this woman not an S, but an M? She seemed like a pro at taking it.
"From now on... I won't have any weird thoughts."
"Yeah, you better not."
"That's right..."
From the side, Haeun waved her phone in her hand.
"Behave yourself? I'm not as nice as Noona or Sejin. You know that, right?"
The face she made while saying it was pure thug. Haeun, did you ever extort kids back in the day?
"......."
Minji was trying to copy Haeun's expression, but unlike her, it just turned into a squished bun face, which was hilarious. Of course, no need to let it show in front of this woman.
"Y-yes... Yes...."
Cheon Bom bowed her head even to Minji like that. She looked a little pitiful. With Haeun naturally, but even crushed by Minji, she was like total plankton. You know, the bottom of the food chain: carnivores - herbivores - plants, and then plankton at the very base.
"We're heading back to the company first, so come with us, Cheon Bom-ssi."
"M-me too?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to tweak the title track demo together? We've got a recording studio at the company, and Soye's there too...."
"Th-that, uh, um...."
"Let's go. Got it?"
"You have to come...?"
"Y-yes. Of course."
With that, Minji dragged Cheon Bom into the car.
"I'll talk with Cheon Bom-ssi a bit. Go change."
"Got it."
I sent Haeun to the changing room alone because I was uneasy about leaving Cheon Bom with just Minji.
Last time, we both messed up so we let it slide, but she's crossed the line now. I needed to have a word with her while Haeun was gone.
In the changing room set up on one side of the shoot location, Im Haeun thought as she took off the cosplay outfit.
Yeah, she did it with that woman....
Lee Sejin had told her in advance about the incident with Cheon Bom. Not in detail, but she'd heard he'd gone at her until she passed out. Honestly, the fact that he'd confessed to her too—not just Soye Noona—and asked forgiveness(?) made her a little grateful. It meant he saw her as just as precious as Soye Noona.
Damn, I still don't like her.
That's why Im Haeun hated Cheon Bom even more. She'd gone after her Sejin with those weird feelings, wagging her tail and all.
Look at her, no boobs at all—not his type. 100% she seduced him.
And that nonsense she'd spouted today? Wasn't it all just to break up Soye and Sejin so she could snag him for herself? How dare a bitch like her eye Sejin just because she had a pretty face?
I'll bully her from now on.
They'd see each other more while working, so she could vent all she wanted in the meantime.
Finishing her thoughts, Im Haeun paused while stuffing the cosplay into a paper bag.
That bastard... watched me shoot in this outfit like it was the best show ever.
He'd seemed secretly thrilled. Was this his fetish? Come to think of it, he'd been gaming with Minji. He was an otaku too.
So he likes this stuff. Perverted bastard.
Haeun grabbed her bag and headed out to find the director.
"Um, Director."
"Oh, Haeun-ssi! Great work today! It suited you perfectly! My eyes didn't lie!"
"Thank you. But... about this outfit... Is it expensive?"
"The clothes? The ones from today? What, did you rip 'em up?"
"No no, nothing like that. I was just wondering if I could take them."
Haeun glanced at the director's face and rushed her words.
"You know, as a souvenir, and to practice acting with it for reference. In case something like this comes up again—thanks to how well you shot it, who knows...."
"You liked the outfit? Haeun-ssi, you into this kinda thing?"
"Not at all! It's not like that, I mean, just a memento anyway. If not, no big deal...."
"Feel free to take it."
Song the section chief next to the director answered instead.
"I was gonna give it to you anyway...."
"R-really?"
"We had it custom-made to your size for this ad, and I'm convinced no one else has a perfect body like yours, Im Haeun-ssi. Can't give it to anyone else."
"Right, no one but Haeun-ssi could pull this off!"
"We'll cross paths again, so please take it."
"Ah, haha, thank you."
Haeun bowed and headed to the van, clutching the clothes, her face burning for no reason.
On the drive back to the company, Haeun leaned into my ear from the passenger seat.
"Hey, handled it?"
"Yeah. Got her to promise. No more talk about this."
"That enough?"
"With what you and Minji did, and I'll talk to Noona too. Should be fine."
Haeun glanced back at the rear seats, then whispered even quieter.
"Use that thing on her like you did me. That's the best, right?"
She meant the hypnosis app.
Can't.
It didn't work well on anyone but me, and the description said it only affected Da'o Entertainment affiliates. It wouldn't fully take on Cheon Bom.
"That... I already used it on you, can't use it more."
No need to spill all the details on the app. She went quiet at my vague excuse, then leaned back against the passenger seat.
"...Fine, whatever. Do what you want."
Her tone was nonchalant, but her face didn't look offended.
There are plenty of other ways besides that. Worst case, I could use the app indirectly.
At the company, we took Cheon Bom to the dance practice room where Soye was. Soye's reaction to seeing her again was blander than expected.
"Hmm... Such nonsense after just two days...."
"Th-this isn't even a contract breach. I didn't tell anyone but The Queens!"
"...If you had any common sense, you'd know what 'don't tell anyone but The Queens' means."
"You're the type who earns the whip, huh?"
"Bad girl...."
Cheon Bom shrank even under just Soye, but with Haeun and Minji piling on, cornering her against the wall, she shrunk in seconds.
"What you should be saying now isn't nonsense excuses—it's an apology."
"Th-that's...."
"Don't push more excuses. There's a limit to how much we'll tolerate."
"Y-yes, sorry."
She knew it was excuses herself.
"Alright, fine. Seems like you know you messed up...."
Soye stepped back cooler than I'd thought.
"We'll let it slide just this once. Looks like the dongsaengs already punished you anyway."
"You're really letting it go? No, what I did doesn't count, Noona? You didn't even do anything...."
"Overkill punishment isn't good. And besides...."
Soye glanced at Cheon Bom, lifting one corner of her mouth.
"What could you even do?"
"...!?"
"Oh, right."
Soye leaned to Cheon Bom's ear, whispered something, and stepped back.
"...Got my words?"
"...Y-yes... Yes."
"And remember one thing. We're letting it go because Sejin is."
"Y-yes? Huh?"
I'd told Soye in advance not to go too hard on her.
"Ah, th-that... Sorry."
"Got it."
With my reply, the incident wrapped up for now. After that, we went to the recording studio and listened to the demo Cheon Bom brought. Even as a rough draft, the melody was solid, and it nailed the cute & sexy concept perfectly.
Feels sexy too. Pretty good.
Cheon Bom had the girls sing it with some rough lyrics she'd slapped on, then left saying she'd bring the finished track next time. Pro is pro, I guess. Handled her business fine despite the mess.
That evening, in the van in the underground parking lot. Park Minji, having showered 10 minutes earlier than her unnies, flopped straight into the back seat.
"Hng... So tired...."
With the second album looming, dieting plus dance prep was hell for Park Minji. And at night, extra practice with her two unnies? She was dying. She needed to nap even these 10 minutes to survive.
Clearing the messy back seat for space, Minji startled while moving a paper bag.
"Th-this!?"
Inside was the Freyja cosplay outfit Im Haeun had taken.
"Whoa, whoa whoa whoa."
Minji got lost in the clothes right in front of her and pulled them out to hold against her body.
I could probably wear this too.
When she'd first heard Haeun got the cosplay gig, Minji had been jealous. That's why she'd asked if she could do it too, but the reply was a harsh "Your body type doesn't quite fit."
Of course, Minji insisted it did, but Sejin was cold about work stuff.
"Gotta show it suits me...!"
Minji stripped quick and suited up in the cosplay. Once dressed, she checked herself out. Using her phone camera facing front as a mirror, she couldn't see full-on, but it looked good at a glance.
Chest's tight, but it fits me too! I can convince Oppa!
About to head to the office in just the cosplay under her coat, Minji paused.
Be careful inside the company, he said....
After a moment's dilemma, she snapped some full-body selfies. Sending these would prove she suited Freyja cosplay too.
"Selfies... gotta send 'em...."
She fired them off to Lee Sejin right away, then waited, heart pounding, for his reply.