The Shape of the Fire
"What's with that expression?"
Inside the TAN editing room, Hwang Deok-gu PD shoved the door open and barked, "Assistant PD! Is the edit for Episode 11 done yet?"
After a night of overtime, the assistant PD answered in a limp, drained voice, "Almost finished, Hwang PD."
"Really? Let me see."
Hwang PD dropped into the seat beside him and began clicking through the edited cut of K-Singer-Songwriter Episode 11.
The assistant PD yawned as he explained, "Following your instructions, Hwang PD, I cut the contestants' joint shoot to feel like a making-of film. The strongest part was especially..."
Trailing off, he clicked the mouse on the segment with Park Ga-eul and K-1.
"Park Ga-eul and K-1's section came out best. They both look good on camera, so just putting them together makes a picture."
With a thoughtful expression, Hwang PD watched the edited recording and nodded.
"Not bad."
"Right?"
"Yeah. You punk, I don't know about anything else, but your editing is ridiculous."
"Praise me more. I nearly died doing this edit."
Hwang PD answered with a satisfied look.
"But I think we need to revise this a little."
".........Huh? Didn't you just say it was perfect?"
"It is perfect, but Team Leader Kwon's side sent in a request too."
The assistant PD tilted his head. "Huh? Team Leader Kwon's side made a request?"
Hwang PD shrugged. "Baekhak wanted us to make sure we included one making-of video they shot themselves in this cut."
"...Isn't that overstepping? Can a manager interfere with the editing of footage?"
Hwang PD clicked his tongue. "What overstepping are you talking about, you idiot?"
"Pardon?"
"It's a favor, a favor! Do you think Baekhak would be pushing our K-Singer-Songwriter this hard for free? If both sides give a little, they'll promote it even harder!"
He jabbed his chin toward the edit. "So stop talking and work that video Team Leader Kwon sent you in naturally. From what I saw, it's not even indirect promotion; it fits this round's theme perfectly, so there's no problem."
Pursing his lips, the assistant PD asked, "What kind of video did Team Leader Kwon send, anyway?"
Hwang PD stood up and answered, "A making-of film for Park Ga-eul's new self-composed song. Looks like that kid had been preparing this one for months. Viewers love that kind of heartfelt story, so just slide it in naturally."
***
SBC, Hello. The recording was underway.
After finishing the interview shoot, I leaned against the wall and watched the scene absentmindedly.
The main MC, Baek Seo-hoon, was in the middle of filming with his usual smooth delivery.
Lee Ha-eun looked brighter than I expected, and Seo Tae-jun had a smile on his face too.
Well, who'd frown while doing variety with MC Baek Seo-hoon?
He'd held the nation's MC seat for nearly twenty years. He was the kind of man who'd mastered the art of making guests comfortable.
At that moment, another MC surfaced in my head, one who had once been called the nation's MC just like Baek Seo-hoon: Kim Dong-hun.
Come to think of it, wasn't Baek Seo-hoon at the agency Kim Dong-hun founded for a while?
At the thought, I scratched my chin slowly.
If I tied that together properly, maybe I could dig out Kim Dong-hun's secret...
Then the smartphone I'd put in my pocket vibrated.
Looking at the caller, I saw it was Reporter Seo.
After hearing that, I left the studio, keeping Lee Ha-eun, Seo Tae-jun, and MC Baek Seo-hoon in view as long as I could.
"As planned, please light the fire first, Reporter Seo."
There was real eagerness in his voice.
But Reporter Seo wasn't the only one impatient. I wanted to bring this matter to an end as soon as possible too.
"That's fine."
"There's no point dragging it out."
That piece of trash might reach out toward Park Ga-eul next, and I had no way of knowing when. So if everything was ready, it was better to deal with him as fast as possible.
In a low voice, I asked Reporter Seo, "Use everything you have and make the case as big as you can."
"Baekhak will push support articles at the right time too."
After ending the call with Reporter Seo, I went back to the studio.
By then, filming must have wrapped up, because Lee Ha-eun and Seo Tae-jun were greeting the production staff.
My gaze lingered on Lee Ha-eun for a moment.
The sticky sensation I'd felt a moment ago when I thought of K-1 seemed to evaporate the instant I saw her.
So I wanted to go closer...
But not yet.
I was too small and shabby to stand beside her right now.
Letting out a snort of laughter, I turned and looked for road manager Jeon Hyeong-u.
"Hyeong-u."
"Ah, Team Leader Kwon."
"I have something to take care of, so I think I need to leave first. Please pass my regards to the other three."
Jeon Hyeong-u tilted his head. "Something urgent came up?"
"More like something important than something urgent."
"Then I can't help it. I was hoping we'd have a Team 6 dinner together after so long."
He clicked his tongue, looking disappointed.
A faint smile appeared at the corners of my mouth.
"Let's all get together and eat next time."
"Yes, sir!"
After hearing Jeon Hyeong-u's answer, I turned and left the studio.
When I lifted my head, the winter sky was dull and overcast.
It didn't look like snow, but rain seemed likely.
That uneasy, half-finished weather felt like the eve of the big incident that would happen tomorrow.
I stared at the sky for a moment, then got into the car.
Once inside, I headed straight for the company PR team.
***
The next day.
Instead of going to headquarters, I headed directly to the TAN variety studio.
After parking, I used the little time before going inside to check the entertainment news rankings.
2nd: Second Round Competition
3rd: Hello Main Broadcast
It was still too early for the exposé, so there were no articles about K-1 yet.
But even without articles about K-1, interest in K-Singer-Songwriter was burning hot.
As proof, aside from the promotional article for Hello, where Lee Ha-eun would appear, articles about K-Singer-Songwriter and the upcoming second round were sitting near the top of the rankings.
"The kindling's blazing."
The fire was strong.
Wondering just how far this blaze would devour everything, I stepped into the TAN variety studio.
Rehearsal had apparently already started, because the staff was moving briskly all around.
Walking carefully, I headed straight for the stage.
I must have arrived at a good time, because Ga-eul was getting ready onstage.
I waved from below the platform, and she saw me and waved back.
Seeing that, I laughed softly, and a familiar voice called out to me.
"Team Leader Kwon?"
SAG Team Leader Kim Su-ji was looking at me steadily.
Instead of her usual pitch-black suit, she was wearing a white-toned one today, and I gave her a slight nod.
Kim Su-ji returned the nod and asked me in her calm voice, "Did you prepare well for the second-round variety shoot?"
I nodded slowly. "Yes. What about you?"
"We're fine. Things are pretty relaxed on our side."
Kim Su-ji came to stand beside me.
"The song turned out so well there wasn't anything to worry about. How is Park Ga-eun's song?"
I didn't know.
My mind wasn't on Ga-eul at the moment, but entirely on K-1, the man in front of me whose manager was Kim Su-ji.
But I believed in her.
If it was Park Ga-eul, who had grabbed first place on the charts from her very debut, then she had definitely prepared an excellent song.
Besides, the future text had already told me, hadn't it?
Park Ga-eul's self-composed song this time would take first place on the charts.
The problem was that someone had tried to steal it.
"Noona... huh?"
Right.
That trash who had appeared right behind Kim Su-ji.
I lifted the corners of my mouth slightly and said, "Hello, K-1."
At my greeting, K-1 gave a snort of contempt.
"Since when do you greet me like that?"
At his rude reply, Kim Su-ji frowned. "What kind of tone is that toward the manager?"
Even after her scolding, K-1 didn't stop glaring at me.
Looking at his eyes, I realized something.
So that bastard K-1 doesn't like me either?
We barely had any contact, so why didn't he like me?
I didn't know. And I didn't particularly want to.
Honestly, I thought that was convenient.
Keeping the smile on my face, I said, "I hear your song came out really well, K-1."
Still glaring at me, K-1 lifted one corner of his mouth.
"Yeah. It came out incredibly well."
"I'm looking forward to it. If a genius singer-songwriter is proud of it, then it must be really good."
K-1 seized on my wording and sneered, "The artist on your side is going to lose in this round because of this song. Shouldn't you be worried instead of looking forward to it?"
Worried? Me?
At his words, laughter burst out of me.
My sudden laugh froze K-1's expression, and Kim Su-ji, who had just been rebuking him with sharp eyes, turned to stare at me in surprise.
If an assistant staff member hadn't come over, I might never have stopped laughing.
"K-1, you need to get ready for your next stage!"
Still glaring at me, K-1 muttered loud enough for me to hear, "Psychopath bastard."
Fine, I admitted it. I had just laughed like a psychopath.
Meanwhile, K-1 brushed past me and walked toward the back of the stage.
As I watched his retreating back at my leisure, Kim Su-ji apologized to me.
"I'm sorry, Team Leader Kwon."
I tilted my head.
Why was Kim Su-ji apologizing to me?
Then she looked at my expression and started defending K-1.
"K-1 isn't usually like that. I think he's just a little on edge before the live competition broadcast. I'll apologize in his place."
Her words gave my expression a strange cast.
So she can swallow her pride too, huh?
But now that I thought about it, did Kim Su-ji know that K-1 was that kind of trash?
If she knew and still covered for him, then she'd be the same kind of trash. But if she didn't know?
Maybe she was a victim too.
Of course, if she had missed things like that as his manager, that would speak to her own ability, but if K-1 had deliberately hidden it, that was another matter.
My feelings toward Kim Su-ji grew a little complicated, but I hardened my heart.
In the end, if I wanted to move upward, there was no choice but to step on someone to get there.
I had somewhere I had to survive long enough to reach.
After gathering my thoughts, I turned my head and checked my wristwatch.
Five o'clock on the dot.
It was the time I'd arranged with Reporter Seo.
At the same time, my phone vibrated.
It wasn't my smartphone. It was Kim Su-ji's.
"Excuse me for a moment, Team Leader Kwon."
After asking my permission, she answered the call and immediately went rigid.
".......What? What do you mean by that?"
Her face twitched as though a watch spring had suddenly broken.
Seeing that, I understood.
"K-1 exposé articles... broke? More than a dozen of them?"
The exposé show Reporter Seo had prepared had begun.
At the same time, Park Ga-eul's stage, which had been getting ready since a moment ago, began as well.
-In the autumn night, I send you maple leaves.
Park Ga-eul's voice filled the rehearsal space with a sweet melody.
I closed my eyes for a moment and started listening to the song.
-Among the drifting maple leaves, I wait for you.
It was beautiful.
That was exactly what I felt the moment I heard it.
Park Ga-eul's signature sweet voice added another layer of flavor to the lovely song.
She made this well.
Yes. A song like this was worthy of first place on the charts.
And worthy of being desired by some piece of trash too.
Thud!
I heard something hit the floor.
Slowly, I turned my head.
Kim Su-ji was staring at Park Ga-eul's stage with an expression of utter disbelief.
Watching her quietly, I took a slow step forward and picked up the smartphone she'd just dropped.
"K-1 is being called a sexual offender and a hidden-camera creep right now! What on earth is going on, Team Leader Kim Su-ji?"
Not having hung up, a frantic voice was spilling from the phone.
I handed the smartphone back to her and asked, "Are you all right, Team Leader Kim Su-ji? But..."
At my question, Kim Su-ji's face trembled.
"Why do you look like that? Like you've just seen something you can't unsee?"
The dazed Kim Su-ji couldn't answer.
With tears even starting to gather in her eyes, I became certain.
That piece of trash K-1 had stolen Park Ga-eul's song after all.
I turned my head and looked toward Hwang Deok-gu PD.
"...Huh?"
Still failing to grasp the situation, Hwang Deok-gu PD was muttering in shock.
"This is way too similar to K-1's song."
Slowly, the corners of my mouth rose.
---