Afterimage
Baekhak Training Center, which I reached after a thirty-minute drive. I got out of the car and let out a low whistle.
"Wow... It’s really been a while."
Had it been nearly five months since I’d last been here? Since there’d been no reason to come after To.Any debuted, that had to be about right.
I stood there for a moment, taking in the training center I used to haunt like home while To.Any was preparing to debut, then gave a snort of laughter and headed for the editing room.
When I opened the door and stepped inside, Choi Jeong-eun, the director who had overseen To.Any’s debut album, was waiting for me.
"...Chief Manager Kwon!"
Our Director Choi Jeong-eun still had those dark circles, I see.
"Director Choi Jeong-eun, have you been well?"
"I’ve been fine! What about you, Chief Manager?"
"Me? Thanks to you, To.Any hit number one on the music charts, so I’ve been able to come to work in peace."
Choi Jeong-eun’s lips puckered.
"Then why didn’t you call even once?"
"No news is good news, right?"
"Honestly! You’re as smooth as ever!"
I shrugged and sat in an empty chair.
"Has To.Any not arrived yet?"
"Not yet. They said they’d come after finishing some shorts shoot."
"These days, idols are in trouble if they can’t keep up with shorts challenges, huh?"
"Don’t get me started. I don’t even know what the heck is with those shorts, but if they skip a challenge once, the fans go completely wild. And the funny part? It’s not enough to just copy the challenge. You’re supposed to put the group’s own color into it and remix the whole thing!"
Director Choi poured out her complaints in a machine-gun burst. Just as my ears started to sting from it, I smoothly steered the conversation back to work.
"Have you thought about the concept for this goodbye mini-con?"
"Ah, the mini-concept? Let me see..."
She trailed off and showed me the draft proposal. My eyes widened a little.
"A winter wonderland? What’s this?"
Director Choi shrugged.
"Simple explanation: Frozen and a winter princess."
"Oh, you mean Elsa?"
"Yeah, exactly that vibe. Winter’s almost here, after all."
Director Choi folded her hands.
"If we put the girls in white dresses and use the staging to burst snow everywhere for atmosphere, it’ll feel just like Christmas, right? Sounds good, doesn’t it?"
Hmm. I wasn’t sure if it was good, but one thing was certain: there was definitely some selfish intent buried in this concept.
Still, the concept itself isn’t bad.
The weather had started to turn chilly. It was still autumn, but in a month I might be pulling on a padded coat. If we held the mini concert at the end of this month as planned, this Frozen-style concept would line up perfectly with the season.
"It’s good. Let’s go with this."
"Huh? You’re giving a yes that fast?"
"I’m not that difficult a person, Director."
As I bantered with Director Choi, the editing-room door opened.
Turning my head, I found To.Any and Lee Ye-ji staring this way with their eyes round.
"Chief Manager!"
At Nova’s shout, the corners of my mouth lifted.
"You’ve been well?"
At my greeting, To.Any’s faces brightened at once.
The goodbye mini-concept meeting began. I sat with my legs crossed, watching the scene unfold, and let out a quiet laugh.
To.Any was talking with Director Choi Jeong-eun out loud, but their eyes kept darting to my face over and over.
They really can’t focus at all.
Maybe because it had been so long since we’d met. Instead of paying attention to the meeting, the girls were paying attention to my face.
After a bit of thought, I clapped my hands.
"Should we take a short break?"
"?"
"Since we just got here, it’s a little much to jump straight into work. Let’s order delivery food."
Rei shot her hand into the air.
"Okay, Chief Manager!"
"All right. What do you want to eat, Rei?"
"Samgyeopsal! Delivery samgyeopsal!"
Seol Chae-i, sitting beside her, lightly pinched Rei’s upper arm.
"Unnie, you need to diet."
"...Rei stays slim even when she eats~"
"If you stay slim when you eat, why are your upper arms this thick?"
Under the maknae’s sharp scolding, Rei was instantly defeated. Nova, seizing the opening, raised her hand.
"Yogurt ice cream!"
"?"
"They say the honey syrup comes in today. How about Yoajeong?"
Rei, who had been flattened a second ago, sprang back to life.
"I like yogurt ice cream! Yogurt doesn’t make you fat!"
I handed them my phone and told them to load up on whatever toppings they wanted. Thirty minutes later, something far more massive than yogurt ice cream arrived in the editing room.
I pushed the proposal documents and concept drafts piled across the desk into one corner and set up the yogurt ice cream.
"Whoa, this is insanely sweet."
"Yoajeong is definitely zero calories!"
"If you put that many toppings on it, wouldn’t it be less zero calories and more a calorie bomb?"
To.Any attacked the yogurt ice cream with frightening enthusiasm. I watched them with satisfaction, picked up a spoon to have a bite myself, and then Nova, sitting across from me, suddenly blurted out:
"Chief Manager, please be honest!"
"?"
"You don’t care about us anymore, right!"
My eyes went wide.
"Why would I not care about you people?"
Rei, with yogurt smeared all around her mouth, added her support to Nova’s ridiculous claim.
"I think so too!"
Oh? Even Rei is saying that?
But it wasn’t just Rei and Nova taking part in this absurd relay of misunderstanding.
Seol Chae-i glanced at me and said cautiously, "...Then why haven’t you been coming around lately? Are you busy, Chief Manager?"
At her words, I set down the spoon I’d picked up and folded my arms.
Even Seol Chae-i is saying this?
To be honest, I was a little taken aback. The thing was, I had never once ignored To.Any.
If I hadn’t been paying attention, I wouldn’t have handled the To.Any Daon deal, and I wouldn’t have gone after Ga-eul for K-Singer-Songwriter either.
So why were the girls suddenly making this mistake? That was when Ga-eul called me in a low voice.
"Chief Manager."
"Yes?"
"So you’re really only handling that actress, Choi Go-eun, now?"
At Ga-eul’s question, I tilted my head.
"How do you know Choi Go-eun?"
Lee Ye-ji slowly raised her hand.
"...The girls said they watched the Busan International Film Festival."
"Ah, you saw Choi Go-eun’s interview?"
With that, I turned my head slightly to check their faces.
Huh?
At the mere three syllables of Choi Go-eun’s name, their eyes had gone sharp and wide.
Understanding the situation, I burst out laughing inside.
So they think I’m only paying attention to Choi Go-eun now?
I’d thought it was a misunderstanding, but seeing it this way... it was a rather pleasant misunderstanding, wasn’t it?
Letting out a quiet laugh, I explained calmly.
"Choi Go-eun isn’t my personal client."
"..."
"No, seriously. Choi Go-eun has her own manager too. So no, I’m not ignoring you because of some other celebrity. That’s absolutely not it. If anything, I’d be paying even more attention, not less. No matter what anyone says..."
I trailed off and shrugged.
"How could I not care about a girl group I personally debuted with my own hands?"
At that, silence settled for a moment. In that hush, while To.Any stared at me with stunned eyes, Director Choi Jeong-eun dug into the yogurt ice cream with a spoon and muttered, "What is this. Did someone put butter in the yogurt ice cream?"
My face went a little sheepish at that.
Yeah, now that I thought about it, what I’d just said was a little too cheesy.
But if I started getting embarrassed now, I’d be the one losing.
Putting force into my voice, I declared once more, "So to summarize, this is all a misunderstanding. You know what I mean, right?"
To.Any, who had been staring at me quietly, slowly nodded.
Fortunately, the atmosphere loosened naturally after that. Since it hadn’t really been a deep misunderstanding to begin with, I ended up happily shoveling yogurt ice cream down with To.Any, who had returned to their usual selves.
After confirming that the mountain of yogurt ice cream had been reduced to the bottom, I got to my feet.
"I’m going to go buy coffee. Anyone want some?"
"Me!"
"Me too! A latte!"
"Uh, Chief Manager? I can go."
I waved a hand.
"You’ve been driving all day because of the schedule, haven’t you? Rest a bit, Ye-ji."
"W-woah... I’m touched, Chief Manager."
"Touched, my foot. Let’s clean up this mess and get back to the meeting."
As I headed out of the editing room, Ga-eul suddenly sprang to her feet.
"Chief Manager, I’ll come too."
I tilted my head.
"Why don’t you rest a little too, Ga-eul?"
"No, I want to get some fresh air."
There was a stubborn edge in Ga-eul’s answer, so I shrugged.
"All right, then. Mask and hat?"
"Yes, I brought them."
"Get ready and come out."
I opened the editing-room door and stepped out. Ga-eul followed behind me.
After leaving the training center, I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked up.
The trees heavy with yellow and red leaves lined both sides of the street like the curtains of a lavish stage.
Each time the wind passed through, the leaves shook free from the branches and scattered through the air like a dance.
As I walked, taking in the beautiful scenery, Ga-eul called my name in a low voice.
"Chief Manager."
"...Yes?"
"I have something I’m curious about."
I stopped walking. Ga-eul stood exactly one step away, looking at me.
Just then, an autumn breeze blew by and a fallen leaf landed on top of her hat.
Brushing the leaf off her hat, I answered, "What are you curious about?"
"Can I ask?"
"Of course. Ask comfortably."
Ga-eul answered slowly.
"Chief Manager, you really aren’t in charge of Choi Go-eun, are you?"
Without meaning to, I laughed.
"I told you, no. Choi Go-eun has her own manager too."
"Then why would she say that?"
"Huh?"
"The actress Choi Go-eun said she wanted to be with Chief Manager Kwon."
My eyes widened a little.
In that moment, Ga-eul muttered in a sharp voice, "But why would she say that at an awards ceremony? Isn’t that kind of thing a nuisance?"
Flustered, I hurriedly called her name.
"Ga-eul?"
"Yes?"
"You seem a little... worked up."
Ga-eul lifted her head.
"Ah, sorry."
Her eyes were a little unfocused. With that expression, like something had come loose inside her, my mouth slowly fell open.
What’s with her face?
Park Ga-eul had always been the pale, clean-lined type, almost colorless. But right now, that colorless face was tinted with a whole range of hues, like fallen leaves.
After glancing around once, I bent down slightly so my eyes were level with Park Ga-eul’s.
"You don’t look great. Are you okay?"
Park Ga-eul answered a beat late.
"...Yes, I’m fine."
"You don’t look fine. Is it bothering you that much, what Choi Go-eun said?"
Park Ga-eul slowly nodded. My head tilted in return.
"Hmm. I’m a little lost here, so let me ask directly: why does what Choi Go-eun said bother you so much?"
"I was worried you might be put in a difficult position, Chief Manager."
"Me?"
"Yes. If the client you manage says something like that, it’s a burden."
My eyes narrowed as I looked at Park Ga-eul.
"That’s all?"
"Yes."
It was an answer missing some piece of context. At least, that’s how it sounded to me.
Should I press her?
Part of me wanted to, but looking at the way the moment was flowing, I didn’t think she’d answer even if I asked. After a brief moment of thought, I explained the situation slowly.
"I told her to say it."
"..."
"I told her to go and say she’d won the rookie award and that she should be proud of her success. But I guess Choi Go-eun misunderstood."
Park Ga-eul asked again, very slowly, "Really?"
"Yes, really."
"...Chief Manager."
"Yes?"
"I want you to keep handling To.Any only."
"...?"
"I want you to not go anywhere else and just look after us. Am I being greedy?"
As she said that, Park Ga-eul gently caught hold of my coat.
Her hand on my coat was trembling.
No, she’s this anxious?
Had my absence felt that large to her? I was a little thrown, but fortunately it didn’t show on my face.
Slowly easing her hand off my coat, I answered, "That’s not greed."
"..."
"But To.Any’s manager is Ye-ji, right? If she hears this, she’s going to feel hurt."
"I’m sorry."
"No. I understand completely. I’m disappointed too. We practically lived attached at the hip before your debut, didn’t we?"
I blended sincerity and reality together in my answer.
"But you have to adjust. Once activities get busier, you’ll spend more time with Ye-ji than with me."
"..."
"That doesn’t mean I’m not going to care about To.Any. I’ll keep paying attention. If you go on K-Singer-Songwriter, I might even handle just you for a while."
Ga-eul’s eyes, which had been fixed on me, went wide.
"You’d be my personal manager?"
"Yeah. As big as Baekhak is, we’re a little short on staff."
"..."
"So if you or the other members have individual schedules, I might be the one going along. Don’t be too upset about it..."
Trailing off, I tapped the brim of Ga-eul’s hat.
"Loosen up your face. You’re prettier when you’re smiling. If fans catch you looking like this in photos, the Two-N fan club board is going to explode."
Park Ga-eul’s stiff expression gradually returned to normal.
Seeing that she was better, I gave a quiet laugh.
"Shall we go back?"
Just as I turned to leave, a slender hand caught my wrist.
Startled, I turned back, and Park Ga-eul murmured, "Chief Manager. If... if."
I held my breath without meaning to.
The look in Park Ga-eul’s eyes right now reminded me of someone else.
"If I win K-Singer-Songwriter and really rise even higher..."
Top-tier actress Lee Ha-eun.
"Could you handle just me then?"
In the eyes of To.Any’s leader, Park Ga-eul, her afterimage flickered into view.
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