Hallyu Star

Park Chan-ho, the Team 2 leader, delivered a sharp rebuke to Lee Jae-min, the department head.

"Chief Kwon earned those results well enough that the department head and the team leaders all agreed on it. Who are you to raise your voice, Chief Lee Jae-min?"

Startled by the utterly unexpected turn, I lifted my eyes.

He's speaking up for me personally?

In the management department, Park Chan-ho was the most stoic of the lot.

And yet he was stepping in like this, even though this wasn't even a matter involving Team 2?

But the people who stood up for me were not limited to Team 2 leader, to my surprise.

Leaning an arm on the partition, Yu Seung-ho, Team 4 leader, snorted at Lee Jae-min.

"The world's gotten pretty nice."

Everyone's attention shifted from Team 2 leader to Team 4 leader.

"Since when did department heads start openly complaining about decisions made by the head of department? Huh? Is this really how the office is supposed to run, Team 3 leader?"

Unlike the Team 2 leader a moment ago, Team 4 leader made no effort to hide the edge in his criticism.

At that, everyone gathered in the management office held their breath.

And in the meantime, Kim Hae-chan, the Team 3 leader who had been called out by Yu Seung-ho, gave a bitter smile.

"Chief Lee Jae-min."

"...Y-yes, Team 3 leader?"

"Apologize."

A short, heavy command.

Lee Jae-min rolled his eyes around, then, under the glowering stares of the team leaders, he wilted and turned his head toward me.

"Th... sorry, Chief Kwon."

"..."

"I misspoke! I absolutely didn't mean anything bad by it! You know me, right?"

At Lee Jae-min's apology, I thought to myself,

Did he really have no bad intentions?

Well.

Hard as it was to believe, maybe he truly hadn't meant any harm.

But what he'd said just now had clearly revealed his hidden feelings.

As I hesitated over whether to accept the apology, Ma Seok-du, who stood beside me, let out a derisive snort.

"You say you didn't mean anything bad, Chief Lee?"

"!"

"Are my ears broken? If that wasn't bad intent, then what was it? Do you only count it as malicious if you start cursing, huh?"

Lee Jae-min flinched in alarm.

I, too, was a little startled and turned my head.

But our Seok-du hyung had twisted his face into something far more severe than usual.

He usually smiled so innocently that even a minor scowl from him made him look like someone who ought to be reported as a gangster.

At Ma Seok-du's savage expression, Lee Jae-min jerked back and hurriedly tried to explain.

"N-no, that's not what I meant, Team 5 leader...!"

"You really do talk too much, don't you?"

"..."

"We'd laughed off your little attitude before, but this time you've crossed the line. What, do I look like I'm joking to you, Chief Lee?"

Under Seok-du hyung's bellow, Lee Jae-min opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, then bowed his head.

The mouths of everyone in the management office watching the scene snapped shut in a straight line.

Before long, a low silence settled over the office.

"...."

A cool tension dropped over the faces of the management staff, from the team leaders on down.

When everyone in the office was glancing between the management team leaders and me, trying to read the room, Park Chan-ho, who had been promoted from Team 2 leader to Team 1 leader only days ago, slapped the desk table with a sharp crack.

"All right, listen up."

Officially, the management department was under the overall supervision of Director Park Yu-hyeon.

But the real leader who ran things on the ground was the Team 1 leader.

Park Chan-ho, now the new Team 1 leader, raised his voice for the first time and began to speak.

"Given the nature of our department, I know better than anyone that we keep tabs on one another, and compete. The team leaders and the director encourage that atmosphere too. But let's compete while acknowledging what deserves to be acknowledged."

Park Chan-ho pointed at me.

"Honestly, is there anyone this quarter whose results beat Chief Kwon's?"

"..."

"Fine, if he'd only delivered results, I wouldn't say a word. But Chief Kwon, from that Kim Jang-hun director mess on down, how many times has he saved the company's image this quarter?"

At those words, my eyes went wide.

And then Park Chan-ho, Team 1 leader, drove the nail in.

"Is it strange to hand Kwon Hyeon-bin over to someone like Chief Kwon? Isn't giving proper reward to the employee who's proven his ability exactly what every staff member below the team leaders wants most? If we had ignored Chief Kwon and assigned Kwon Hyeon-bin by seniority instead, the future wouldn't look bleak for our team leaders. It'd be bleak for you."

"!"

"Go on, prove your results day after day, year after year. In the end, you'll still be promoted, get your bonuses, and take home your incentives by seniority. Do you really think opportunities will ever come to you?"

The eyes of the staff, from department heads on down, widened.

Watching their reaction, Park Chan-ho let out a heavy sigh.

"Stop acting like amateurs and start behaving like professionals."

"..."

"We're managers at Baekhak, the number one entertainment company in the industry. I'm not even asking you to take pride in the company. Just don't act shamefully."

Park Chan-ho tapped the Baekhak logo with his knuckle.

"It's only natural that a manager who proves his results gets better welfare and better treatment. So why on earth would you take issue with something that obvious?"

No one could answer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Park Chan-ho's question.

But even without hearing a reply, I could read the staff's feelings clearly enough.

"..."

At Park Chan-ho's cutting rebuke, the faces of the employees who had been envying me just moments earlier had gone red with shame and embarrassment.

***

Once the commotion died down, Seok-du hyung quietly called me aside and explained the situation.

"When the meeting came up this time, there weren't any team leaders opposing you taking Kwon Hyeon-bin."

"..."

"Even Team 3 leader, who was itching to get his hands on a top-tier asset, agreed. Looks like you turning down the team leader position last time moved them."

A strange feeling surged up in my chest.

Even as that happened, Seok-du hyung kept talking.

"Honestly... I was kind of moved too. I didn't expect you to stand there in front of the representative and save the team leaders' pride like that. That's why they backed you this time."

"..."

"And honestly, you earned it. No matter who says what, you were the manager with the best results this quarter."

The strange feeling rising in my chest turned into a sharp thrill.

Then Seok-du hyung tapped my shoulder and said,

"So do even better, punk."

"..."

"This is the first time team leaders have stepped in and pushed for one staff member like this. Are you going to live up to that expectation or what?"

Seok-du hyung tossed out the joke to loosen the mood.

And yet, for some reason, I couldn't take it as a joke.

Because I really had started to want more.

I want to succeed even more than I already have.

After what happened today, a hunger began to stir in me, a desire to show even more recognition and even better results than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I already had. And someday, I wanted to rise to the same position those team leaders had occupied today.

This happened because my position and my results are still in that awkward middle ground.

If I had been granted the same recognition as the team leaders, something like today would never have happened.

That realization turned the day's incident and all its surrounding circumstances into fresh motivation for me.

Or rather, into a fierce drive to succeed as quickly as possible.

And so, after the unexpected uproar ended, and I came to work the next day with a new mindset, I met with Choi Go-eun.

"Chief."

Maybe it was thanks to the recent care she'd been receiving.

Choi Go-eun looked better than ever.

Her cheeks were still full, but her features had sharpened noticeably, and her skin had cleared up, giving her an odd presence and aura that practically spilled out around her.

Of course, her mouth was just as sharp as ever.

"You're going to dump me again now that filming's over, aren't you?"

I let out a small laugh and shot back,

"Aren't you tired of saying that yet?"

"Then maybe you should actually pay attention to me."

"So I brought you a new manager."

Choi Go-eun's eyes widened.

"What? A new manager?"

Instead of answering her question, I called over Park Ho, who had been waiting outside the cafe.

When the broad-shouldered giant in his performance shirt appeared, the cafe staff's eyes went wide.

Watching that reaction, I looked at Choi Go-eun with quiet anticipation.

Even Choi Go-eun has to be surprised when she sees Park Ho, right?

But no.

Choi Go-eun wasn't even looking at Park Ho. She was just staring straight at me.

A little embarrassed, I scratched my head.

"What's with that face?"

"If you were me, would you be happy?"

A fire seemed to blaze in Choi Go-eun's eyes.

"You say you're responsible for me, so why is there a new manager? Was everything a lie?"

My eyes widened.

Did I really say that?

Well, I didn't think I'd said anything about taking responsibility exactly.

But I had said something with a similar nuance, at least.

After a brief look at her expression, I asked in return,

"Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, a lot."

"What about?"

"Just everything."

"You're upset that I won't be your manager anymore?"

Instead of answering, Choi Go-eun pressed her lips into a thin line.

There was a strange possessiveness in her poisoned expression.

Seo Tae-jun looked like this back then too, didn't he?

But Choi Go-eun's was a little more intense.

Just from her expression now, she looked so aggrieved, as if I'd personally abandoned her, and knowing why she felt that way left me a little sorry.

Right. Choi Go-eun was neglected by her former manager.

From her point of view, having her assigned manager changed again would be psychologically unsettling.

In that moment, I realized I'd made a mistake.

I was too careless.

I had treated the situation far too lightly.

Even if I was going to bring up a new manager, I should have done it with a more serious attitude.

Clicking my tongue softly, I leaned forward.

"I'm sorry."

Since I'd made a mistake, I intended to make up for it from here on out.

As her entertainer and manager, I apologized to Choi Go-eun honestly.

"But I can't help it. I don't manage only you, Choi Go-eun. Once this movie is released and your real promotional work begins, you'll need your own personal manager. I can't be the one handling just you all the time."

Choi Go-eun's eyes went wide.

"W-why are you suddenly doing this?"

"Because I'm really sorry."

"..."

"So please understand just this once. Having a personal manager doesn't mean I'm not going to take care of you."

I lowered my head to meet her gaze.

At my changed attitude, Choi Go-eun, who had been avoiding my eyes, finally fixed them on me.

"You're really not leaving, right?"

"Right. We'll keep working together."

"If you're lying, I'm leaving Baekhak."

"Hmm, that's a problem."

"Why? You have plenty of other celebrities, don't you?"

At Choi Go-eun's question, I let out another honest answer.

"Because I think you're going to succeed even more from here on out."

"...Suddenly?"

"It's not sudden. I've been thinking that for a while. Your acting, Choi Go-eun, if you just keep refining it a little more, you'll rise even higher than you are now."

"..."

"And I want to be the manager who takes care of that kind of Choi Go-eun. So this situation is..."

I trailed off, searching for the right words, then let out a small laugh.

"A step back for success, something like that. You know what I mean, right?"

I really needed to read more.

This was exactly the kind of moment that called for something a little more polished, and here I was, running out of vocabulary like this. Honestly.

While she watched me blankly, Choi Go-eun muttered,

"A step back?"

"Yeah. A step back."

Her lips moved a little, then she let out a deep sigh.

"Fine. I'll take a step back."

With that, Choi Go-eun slowly turned her head to look at Park Ho, who was sitting beside me.

"New manager-nim."

"Y-yes?"

"I'm sorry. It was absolutely not because I hated the new manager that I brought this up just now."

Park Ho waved his hands in panic.

"N-no, it's fine! I-I mean... I'm new too! You can't trust me yet, so..."

"No, really. I'm sorry."

Choi Go-eun bowed her head to Park Ho, then looked back at me.

"I'm sorry to you too, Chief."

"..."

"From now on, I think I'll keep being stubborn about weird things..."

She trailed off, then suddenly corrected herself.

"No, I think I'll keep being stubborn about weird things even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from now on. So I'm apologizing in advance."

Listening silently to Choi Go-eun's apology, I blinked like an idiot.

"What kind of way of talking is that?"

"I don't know either."

"...Kids these days are hard."

"That's not even the kind of thing you say there, Chief."

"None of your business. I'll use whatever words I want."

"Wow... you still use 'none of your business,' Chief?"

I wrapped up the meeting safely, bickering with Choi Go-eun as she slipped back into her usual self.

And then that evening,

I received a call from the director and headed to an upscale restaurant in Cheongdam-dong.

Hallyu star Kwon Hyeon-bin, the one who had turned the Baekhak management office upside down.

An unexpected dinner with him had been arranged!

***

At the sudden summons, I rushed home. I took off the jeans and cardigan I was wearing and changed into a neat suit.

I wondered whether I really needed to dress up this much, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but this was my first face-to-face meeting with Hallyu star Kwon Hyeon-bin.

There’s no harm in making a good first impression.

After changing, I hailed a taxi and headed to Cheongdam-dong. Exactly thirty minutes later, I arrived and went straight into the upscale restaurant Director Park had sent me to.

"Hello, sir. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, it should be under the name Park Yu-hyeon."

The manager smiled and guided me to a private room that guaranteed privacy.

When I opened the door and stepped inside, Director Park Yu-hyeon greeted me warmly.

"Ah, Chief Kwon's here?"

"Yes, Director."

"Sorry for contacting you out of the blue. I usually don't like calling a staff member after work, but I happened to get in touch with actor Kwon Hyeon-bin all of a sudden."

Director Park gave me a slight bow.

Then he naturally introduced the day's main guest, who was sitting opposite us.

"This is actor Kwon Hyeon-bin, who signed with us this time. You two are meeting for the first time, right?"

At that, my gaze shifted.

"I'm actor Kwon Hyeon-bin."

My eyes widened slightly.

So this is Kwon Hyeon-bin.

My first impression was... yes.

He was so absurdly handsome that even another man would have been forced to let out a low, stunned breath.

But it wasn't just that he was good-looking.

That jaded expression and languid atmosphere set on a face like a sculpture.

At a glance, Kwon Hyeon-bin radiated an aura utterly unlike that of an ordinary person.

This is the actor who's going to be mine from now on?

Hmm.

It's hard to stir up expectations in me with nothing but looks and atmosphere now that my standards have gone up, but Kwon Hyeon-bin managed it at our very first meeting.

I lifted the corners of my mouth slightly and answered,

"I'm Chief Kwon Chan of Baekhak Team 5."

"I heard about you from Director Park Yu-hyeon. You're the one who'll be my manager."

As I nodded and reached for the hand Kwon Hyeon-bin held out, my smartphone suddenly buzzed in my pocket.

Startled, I quickly apologized to actor Kwon Hyeon-bin and Director Park Yu-hyeon.

"I'm sorry, Director. Actor Kwon Hyeon-bin."

Director Park let out a hearty laugh and said,

"It's fine, it's fine. A manager's phone can ring."

"...I'm sorry, Director."

I bowed my head once more and let out a heavy sigh inside.

Ah, I must have been in such a rush that I wasn't thinking straight. I even forgot to put my phone on silent?

I slipped my hand into my pocket to turn the smartphone all the way off.

And then, at that moment,

I found a text from an unfamiliar number.

What?

At an unexpected moment, a new future text message had arrived.