Ten Million
Seongsu-dong, Seoul. A fashion studio called “A.”
Kim Hwa-ok and Lee Ye-ji, classmates who were meeting again after three years, chatted away without bothering to hide how pleased they were to see each other.
“Hey! How do you graduate from college and not even call once?”
“And you! If you missed me that much, why didn’t you call first?”
“I was busy trying to survive, okay? Do you even know what office workers go through, Ye-ji?”
“You could at least have told me you got a job! And you said you wanted to go into design, so this was Daon?”
Kim Hwa-ok answered while sipping the iced Americano Ye-ji had bought her.
“I dunno. I just kept changing jobs until I ended up here.”
“What kind of way is that to talk?”
“I’ve been watching a sageuk lately. Anyway, Ye-ji, what’s with the idol manager gig?”
Ye-ji grinned.
“Heh. I’m making use of my talent, that’s all.”
“Oh, right. You were the Jackson superfan everybody at school knew about, weren’t you?”
“Could you call me a fan instead of a superfan?”
“Look at you now, acting all high and mighty just because you’re an idol manager.”
Kim Hwa-ok, Daon’s project manager, burst out laughing.
Ye-ji watched her for a moment, then her eyes flickered uneasily from side to side.
Hwa-ok really is Daon’s project manager?
The Kim Hwa-ok who used to steal her bread in school?
It was hard to believe, but looking at Hwa-ok now, with her neatly trimmed bob, white dress shirt, and H-line skirt, Ye-ji had no choice but to believe it.
Then Ye-ji’s wavering eyes suddenly widened.
Huh?
...Wait, wasn’t this an opportunity?
Should I ask Hwa-ok whether Daon can sponsor To.Any?
Ye-ji jolted at the thought that had sprung up before she even realized it.
No, you idiot! Is that really the first thing you say to a friend you haven’t seen in ages?
Her conscience stung, and she felt embarrassed.
Was I really this shameless?
She tapped her own head a few times, trying to forget what she’d just thought.
But the harder she tried to brush it off, the more the idea came back.
If they could get Daon’s sponsorship, wouldn’t that help To.Any?
The idol market is obsessed with catching Gen Z right now, so it’d definitely help!
Then...
Should she swallow her embarrassment and her conscience just a little, and ask?
After mulling it over, Ye-ji murmured, “...This is hard.”
“Huh? What was that about all of a sudden?”
Hwa-ok tilted her head, but Ye-ji had already gone into her own world.
Watching her quietly, Hwa-ok reached out and gave her shoulder a poke.
“Hey, Ye-ji. What are you thinking so hard about in front of a friend you haven’t seen in three years?”
“...Will you listen if I tell you what I’m worrying about?”
“Of course! We may not have kept in touch much while we were busy living our lives, but were we ever the kind of people who weren’t close?”
Hwa-ok thumped her own chest.
“Tell big sis what’s bothering you. I’ll solve it in one shot.”
“...Really?”
Ye-ji slowly lifted her head.
Then, after taking a breath, she shouted, “Then listen carefully, Kim Hwa-ok. I’m only saying this once!”
With that, Ye-ji suddenly stood up.
At the abrupt movement, Hwa-ok’s eyes went wide, and Ye-ji made her request with complete confidence.
“As your friend, I’m asking you to please get us a Daon sponsorship for To.Any!”
Hwa-ok blinked in confusion and muttered, “Sponsorship?”
Uh...
Was that the worry?
***
The day after finishing the filming for Multicultural in Busan.
I had taken the KTX up to Seoul and was suffering through a brutal hangover.
“Damn, how much did we drink?”
I had underestimated college students.
And not just any college students, either. These were kids aiming for the film industry.
They were downing soju bombs like water, and I nearly blacked out trying to keep pace.
If Choi Go-eun hadn’t stopped me midway through...
By now I’d probably be sprawled out in the sea off the coast of Busan.
I was shaking my head and bringing a cigarette to my lips when my smartphone rang.
“...Lee Ye-ji?”
Confused, I answered the call.
“Yes, Ye-ji.”
“Chief Manager! Daon said they’d sponsor our To.Any!”
“What?”
I blinked like an idiot.
...Was I still drunk?
“Ehehe! They especially said Chae-i was so pretty she could model for the brand right away! I did good, right?”
My hangover-spun head began to spin for a completely different reason.
Feeling the alcohol drain out of my body in an instant, I asked in a hurry, “What are you talking about, Ye-ji?”
“Huh?”
“No, explain the situation. Why would Daon suddenly sponsor To.Any?”
“Oh, well... we went to a fashion studio in Seongsu-dong because of To.Any’s schedule.”
“Yes, yes.”
“And I ran into a classmate there!”
A classmate?
She went out on a schedule and ran into a classmate there?
Then, from Ye-ji’s mouth, came a story I could hardly believe.
“That classmate works at Daon as a project manager!”
“!”
“So I thought about it and casually asked whether they’d sponsor To.Any, and this morning they contacted us and said they wanted to have a serious meeting!”
The precious cigarette in my mouth...
...dropped straight to the floor.
...So right now.
She went out for a schedule, happened to run into a classmate there, and that classmate turned out to be Daon’s project manager?
And she asked that classmate for a sponsorship, and it actually turned into a meeting?
After summarizing Ye-ji’s explanation in the shortest possible form, I asked, truly baffled, “........Ye-ji, what exactly are you?”
To.Any’s road manager, Lee Ye-ji, who seemed to stumble into luck whether she kicked with her back foot or her front foot.
Was she receiving Future Text Messages too?
***
The next day, instead of going to headquarters, I headed straight for To.Any’s dorm and muttered to myself.
“What the hell are you, Ye-ji?”
People had been calling me lucky lately, but maybe the truly lucky one was To.Any’s rookie road manager, Lee Ye-ji.
She just happened to have a classmate at Daon who set up a sponsorship meeting for To.Any?
...How exactly was I supposed to take that?
I couldn’t quite hide my sour expression, but in the end, it was an excellent situation.
I’d already been thinking about how to handle Seol Chae-i’s Daon fashion model opportunity.
Ye-ji had solved that in one shot.
At this rate, it looked like I could settle both Ga-eul’s and Chae-i’s schedules within the day.
Before I knew it, I muttered, “Lee Ye-ji, you’re a pot of gold.”
Not just a pot of gold, either. More like a walking luck vending machine. Something like that.
My fingers drummed lightly on the steering wheel as I murmured, “Shouldn’t Representative Baek be paying more attention to Ye-ji than to me?”
In this business, the person who wins over results, talent, and connections is the one with good luck, and Ye-ji seemed to have been born with it.
And that lucky person was on my team.
At this point, am I the luckiest one?
A pleased smile slipped onto my face just as I arrived at To.Any’s dorm.
After getting out of the car, I went straight upstairs.
Nova, who had been sprawled on the sofa enjoying her day off, jolted upright.
“Oh, Chief Manager!”
“Nova, how’ve you been?”
At my greeting, Rei, who was sitting at the table, fumbled the toast in her mouth and dropped it onto her plate.
“...Whoa, it’s Chief Manager.”
Hmm. Had it really been that long since I’d come by? The girls were looking at me like they’d seen a ghost.
In the middle of that commotion, Ga-eul and Seol Chae-i came out after hearing the noise in the living room.
“...Chief Manager?”
“Oh, it’s Chief Manager.”
After confirming that all the members were here, I thought for a moment.
No need to bring up the private schedule in a public place.
I gathered the To.Any members and casually brought up lunch.
“You haven’t eaten yet, right? Dieting has to be rough, so order whatever you want today. I’m giving you permission as your manager.”
Rei let out a cheer, and Nova switched on her phone and started ordering food with battle-ready determination.
In the meantime, the star of the day, Lee Ye-ji, appeared.
“Oh! Chief Manager! You’re here!”
For the first time in a while, the whole To.Any team was together. Sitting in the living room, we shared the pasta and pizza Nova had ordered.
“This is meltingly good, just melting...”
“If the trainer catches us, I’m dead, yo! Noodles and pizza...!”
“Mm, delicious.”
“Unnie, pass me some hot sauce.”
Because they’d been stuck on a diet meal plan, To.Any was focused entirely on the pizza and pasta after finally getting to eat real food. Taking advantage of that, I leaned toward Ye-ji, who was sitting beside me, and whispered, “Ye-ji, can you call Seol Chae-i and Ga-eul over separately?”
Ye-ji, who had been tending to Rei while she got cream sauce all over her mouth, widened her eyes.
“Huh? Suddenly, Chief Manager?”
“I need to talk about their individual schedules, and I don’t think this is the place for it.”
After a moment, Ye-ji understood what I meant and slowly nodded.
“...Yes, got it, Chief Manager.”
“Thanks. And you did really well this time.”
“Heh, thank you!”
I stood up as naturally as I could. In the meantime, Ye-ji called Seol Chae-i and Ga-eul over.
“Chae-i, Ga-eul. Chief Manager said he’s going to buy drinks at a cafe. Go help him out.”
Ga-eul stood up at once. Seol Chae-i tilted her head.
“Do I need to go too, unnie?”
“Come on. As the maknae, you should be diligent.”
Seol Chae-i tilted her head again, but fortunately she didn’t argue further and got up. I led the two of them out of the dorm and into a private cafe with as few people as possible.
Once the two puzzled girls were seated, I called Seol Chae-i over first and got right to the point.
“Chae-i, Daon is currently considering you as a brand model.”
“!”
“It’s not finalized yet, just under consideration. So I wanted to put some weight behind it, if that’s okay. Daon is one of the more recognizable domestic jewelry brands.”
Seol Chae-i’s eyes widened. Her expression, which usually revealed very little emotion, suddenly came alive, making her stunning visuals shine even brighter.
“...Really, Chief Manager?”
“Yes, really.”
“They actually considered me for something like that?”
“Yes, they really did.”
Surprise colored her doll-like face. She seemed pleased, but also a little burdened by how sudden it all was.
It wasn’t the reaction I’d expected, and I clicked my tongue.
Did I come on too fast?
Just as I was about to add more explanation, Chae-i spoke first.
“...Chief Manager?”
“Yes?”
“It’s great and all, but shouldn’t opportunities like this go to the older members first?”
My eyes widened slightly.
“What do you mean, Chae-i?”
“...I heard that if one member suddenly starts doing solo schedules by herself, the group dynamic can get weird.”
“...”
“Of course that’s not always the case, but since I’m the maknae, taking this kind of individual schedule first... it feels a little burdensome.”
Understanding the situation, I let out a low murmur of admiration.
Well, look at that.
Was this really a twenty-year-old kid?
I hadn’t imagined for a second that this was the reason behind the complicated look she’d been making earlier, so I folded my arms.
“So you’re worried about group friction?”
“...Yes.”
“Sure, something like that could happen. But Chae-i.”
“Yes.”
“Even if it did, giving up the opportunity that came to you would make no sense.”
“!”
Seol Chae-i’s big eyes widened even more.
Looking straight at her, I said firmly, “Your relationship with the other members matters too, but the opportunity in front of you right now matters more.”
“...”
“If you pass it up because you’re worrying about the others’ feelings, that would actually become a burden on the team. None of the other members would want that either.”
Seol Chae-i looked at me quietly and murmured, “...Was I overthinking it?”
“Yes. A little.”
“...I’m always worried about things like this because I’m an I.”
“That’s a good thing. Thinking about other people, and pausing once more at important moments, is a real strength.”
Seol Chae-i covered her mouth with her hair.
“Now I’m kind of embarrassed...”
“Was that too much praise?”
“...Yes. Way too much.”
“So you’re doing the Daon fashion brand model job, right?”
After letting out a long sigh, Seol Chae-i answered, “Yes. I want to. I was already interested in fashion modeling.”
A slight smile touched my lips.
“Good. After I meet with Daon, I’ll contact you through Ye-ji. Go out and call Ga-eul over, will you?”
Seol Chae-i nodded and left, and Ga-eul came in.
“Chief Manager.”
Park Ga-eul smiled brightly the moment she saw me.
I stroked my chin for a moment, thinking about how to explain the variety show, then decided to skip the build-up and get straight to the point, just as I had with Chae-i.
“Ga-eul.”
“Yes, Chief Manager?”
“You’ve been cast in a variety show.”
“!”
“TAN is producing a singer-songwriter competition program this time, and they want to cast you.”
Ga-eul’s eyes widened.
“A competition variety show? The one I’m thinking of?”
“Yes. A survival format.”
I explained the situation calmly, without exaggerating it or pressuring her to accept, just as I had with Chae-i.
“Because it’s a competition show, viewers are going to say all sorts of things about it. On the other hand, you could also gain massive popularity through it.”
“...”
“So the choice is yours, Ga-eul. Unlike ordinary programs, competition shows are high risk, high return, so the company is neutral on this, and I’m neutral too. Think it over slowly, and let me know when you decide.”
Ga-eul’s brown eyes fixed on me.
She stared at me for a moment, then asked, “Was this program cast by you, Chief Manager?”
“...Why do you ask?”
“I was just curious.”
I tilted my head, but answered honestly.
“The offer came in, but it is a schedule I’m handling.”
“Ah, then I’ll do it.”
“...Yes?”
“If it’s a show you cast, Chief Manager, I’ll appear on it.”
Ga-eul smiled softly.
That smile brought me back to myself, and I spoke in a firmer tone than before.
“Ga-eul, you understood what I just said, right?”
“Yes.”
“If you can’t show what you’re capable of on a competition show, that could be a disaster.”
“I know. But if I’m good, then I’ll be fine, won’t I?”
“...”
“Honestly, even when I got nominated for the music show candidate spot last time, I was so disappointed I missed the first-place trophy. After that, I realized that if I wanted to succeed more as an idol, I couldn’t just love music by itself.”
Ga-eul’s voice dropped a little.
“So I want to do the competition show. If I show people a good side of myself there, the fandom could grow a lot, right? And...”
Ga-eul trailed off and looked straight at me.
“I think it would help you too, Chief Manager.”
“...Don’t focus on me, focus on yourself for once.”
“Yes, that’s why I want to do it.”
There was an unbreakable stubbornness in Ga-eul’s voice.
“Chief Manager, why would I refuse something that helps all of To.Any?”
At that, my mouth shut into a flat line.
Watching her for a moment, I muttered inwardly, Did I treat her like a kid too much?
Right.
Because of everything she’d been through, I’d grown especially fond of Ga-eul compared to the other members.
Maybe I’d been coddling her like she was a little kid without even realizing it.
But Ga-eul was already ready.
I let out a quiet laugh and asked one last time, “You won’t regret it?”
“Of course not.”
“Then we’ll go ahead. Ga-eul’s competition show. So...”
Letting the sentence trail off, I gave the prepared Ga-eul a push at her back.
“You have to go on that competition show and do well, no matter what. You know what I mean, right?”
Ga-eul’s brown eyes shimmered like stars.
“Yes. I’ll definitely succeed, Chief Manager.”
The corners of my mouth lifted.
***
After finishing To.Any’s schedule and returning to headquarters, I headed up to the rooftop smoking area.
With a cigarette in my mouth, I murmured slowly, “That’s everything sorted now.”
Filming for Multicultural is done. Seol Chae-i’s Daon fashion brand model opportunity is handled, and Ga-eul’s competition show has her full backing.
“So all that’s left is Black Bride, huh?”
Black Bride was also now approaching the main shoot. The situations that had been dragging on had finally reached the edge of the finish line and started to pick up speed.
With a lift of my lips, I opened NutTube.
My eyes sparkled.
“Now that’s a good flow.”
Black Bride was about to begin principal photography.
The making film that signaled the advance skirmish had ranked on the trending video chart.
**
The first-class cabin of ANA Airlines, flying from Italy back to Korea.
The top-star actress, sunk into her seat, played the video.
A familiar face and a familiar voice.
The top-star actress’s lips curved upward.
Then, in the video, the man declared in a voice full of certainty:
“Ten million.”
Top-star actress Lee Ha-eun.
She lightly tapped the man’s face on the screen.
“Black Bride is definitely going to become a ten-million-viewer film.”
---