How Did You Know?

I took a deep drag on my cigarette. The stale smoke filled my mouth. I’d been smoking less lately, so the nicotine hit harder than usual.

Feeling my thoughts start to race, I muttered slowly, “Yeah, something was off from the beginning.”

It wasn’t as if a company like SAG would make a stealthy move. The fact that they were this brazen about poaching talent felt amateurish.

So I’d been suspicious already, but I hadn’t expected there to be an insider at Baekhak.

A headhunting operation this thorough, complete with an accomplice inside the company.

It had clearly been in the works for a long time.

Inside ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that carefully laid plan, what exactly was Baekhak’s rival SAG after?

“Obvious, isn’t it? Baekhak’s talent.”

In this business, when a manager leaves, they usually move with an actor.

An actor follows the manager, or the manager leaves together with the actor.

SAG had apparently chosen the latter.

“They were going to pull out the manager first, then take the actor under their care along with them.”

A snort of laughter slipped out as I pieced the situation together.

“This is fun.”

The whole thing was getting interesting.

Which made me wonder all the more: who was the traitor at the center of this mess?

“At least someone at the director level, right?”

If someone was handing over Baekhak’s manager information and quietly arranging job offers from the inside, that wasn’t something a run-of-the-mill manager could pull off. It would have to be someone at least at the level of a chief manager like me, or maybe a team leader even higher up.

I flicked ash from my cigarette and tilted my head.

“But why would someone at the team leader or chief manager level get mixed up in this?”

Even if they jumped to SAG, it was hard to imagine they’d be treated any better than they were now. Was the traitor really planning to sell out their own people for money?

I couldn’t guess the motive. Then again, I decided the motive hardly mattered.

“What matters is that they betrayed us.”

Now then. How should I handle this?

Selling out someone from your own office to a rival company was disgusting, but that didn’t mean I should dump all my current work and go chasing after the traitor myself. That would just be inefficient.

And it wasn’t exactly the kind of thing I wanted to involve Reporter Seo in, either.

I wasn’t some die-hard company patriot, but I wasn’t so indifferent that I felt nothing for the company I worked at.

So I didn’t want to expose Baekhak’s weakness to Reporter Seo.

After thinking it over, I quickly landed on the obvious answer.

“Why not move Baekhak?”

It would be far faster and more efficient to move the entire company and flush the traitor out than to act alone.

SAG had a strong backing on their side, so if I wanted the fight to be even, Baekhak needed to move too.

At that moment, one person came to mind.

“Trusty Seok-du.”

Come to think of it, it was about time our Team 5 leader started padding his record, too.

“Team 5 Leader Ma Seok-du catches the traitor who tried to sell out his own people.”

Hm. That sounded like a title that fit our loyal, no-nonsense Team 5 leader perfectly.

Having made up my mind, I headed straight down to the management office.

***

At the Baekhak management office, Team Leader Ma Seok-du was staring at the Team 5 managers and muttering, “So what do you think is going on this time?”

“Isn’t it obviously because of Director Na Jun-hu’s next project casting?”

“Right? That has to be it, doesn’t it?”

“If not, why else would that two-time 10-million-ticket director come all the way to Baekhak to meet Chief Manager Kwon?”

At that, the Team 5 managers around him clicked their tongues.

“What on earth did he do to get that two-time 10-million-ticket director to show up in person?”

“Chief Manager Kwon, seriously, what’s been going on with you lately?”

“Ever since you got your chief manager title, everything you touch turns to gold. Does that even make sense?”

Team Leader Ma rolled his shoulders and said, “It’s because they learned from me.”

“Huh? Team Leader, I don’t think that’s it.”

“What do you mean, not it? I raised Kwon Chan from the moment he was a rookie! Every time he caused trouble, I cleaned it up for him...”

His words trailed off.

Across from him, a man with a cool, sharp expression was grinning.

Ma cleared his throat.

“...When did you get here, Chief Manager Kwon?”

“Just now. You raised me well, Team Leader Ma.”

“I’m not asking you to mock your team leader.”

“I didn’t mock you. You raised me well, Team Leader Ma.”

Chief Manager Kwon spoke with infuriating precision, then waved a hand.

“Team Leader Ma, can I borrow you for a minute?”

“...If you’re calling me over to tease me, I’m not going.”

“I’m not going to tease you, so come on.”

Kwon Chan slipped first into an empty meeting room.

Ma Team Leader followed him in, only to see Chief Manager Kwon locking the door and even closing the window.

Ma’s eyes widened.

“What the hell? Why are you being so serious?”

“This isn’t something other people should hear.”

“W-wait, don’t tell me you caused trouble while meeting with Director Na Jun-hu?”

“I’m not some kid. Why do you always act like I’m causing trouble?”

Grumbling, Chief Manager Kwon dragged over an empty chair and sat down. Ma Team Leader pulled up a chair across from him. After rubbing his chin for a moment, Kwon Chan finally spoke.

“Team Leader Ma, are managers still getting offers to switch companies these days?”

Ma Seok-du tilted his head.

“Why? Did you get another offer?”

“No, but doesn’t something feel off?”

“Hm? What’s off?”

“I’m not certain, but it looks like someone inside is helping with this headhunting campaign.”

Ma Team Leader jumped so hard he nearly shouted, “W-what!? There’s an accomplice inside Baekhak helping with the poaching?”

“...Shh, Team Leader Ma. Lower your voice.”

At Kwon Chan’s warning, Ma hurriedly clapped a hand over his mouth.

“R-right. Too loud. But is it true? Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. I just don’t know who it is.”

“...You’re saying that like you can stand behind it, right?”

“When have I ever said something I couldn’t stand behind?”

“Hmph. Fair enough. You’re not the type to joke about this.”

Ma Seok-du’s face grew more serious by the second.

“So there’s some bastard in our management staff trying to sell out his own people? What kind of insane thing is that?”

Kwon Chan prodded him gently.

“We can’t just let the traitor get away, right?”

“Of course not! How could we leave alone some bastard trying to sell out his own people to a rival company?”

“You know the tricky part, though, right? We can’t make a scene while trying to catch them.”

“Obviously I know that. But...”

Ma trailed off, then frowned.

“How are we supposed to catch the traitor? You said all we have is a source.”

“I’ve been thinking about that part too...”

As he let the sentence hang, Kwon Chan tapped a finger against the table.

“You remember the sponsor scandal from before, right?”

“The sponsor scandal? Ah, back when Director Kim Jang-hun was exposed?”

“Yes. Isn’t this situation kind of similar?”

Ma’s eyes sharpened.

“...Huh, I guess it is?”

“We’re trying to find the bastard who caused trouble inside the company, so the situation’s similar. So...”

Kwon Chan made his suggestion.

“Let’s use the same kind of method this time, too.”

“How?”

“Let’s move Baekhak.”

“...Move Baekhak? What do you mean by that?”

At Ma Team Leader’s question, Kwon Chan answered leisurely.

“SAG made its move, but do you really think just the two of us can handle this? If we want this to be even, we need Baekhak to move too.”

“...Ah. You mean we fight fire with fire?”

“Yeah, exactly. So first...”

Kwon Chan shrugged.

“Team Leader, get Executive Director Park Yu-hyeon moving.”

Ma blinked blankly.

“Me?”

“Well, who else? Should I do it?”

“...”

“Compared to me, it’ll carry more weight if the team leader explains the situation. So, Seok-du hyung.”

Kwon Chan seized Ma Team Leader by the shoulder.

“This time, you’re the one who needs to be the main character. It’s about time our loyal Team 5 leader stepped up for the company.”

Kwon Chief Manager looked at him with absolute confidence and trust.

Ma’s face went flat.

“.........Huh?”

How had the story turned out like this?

He didn’t need to be the main character...

Even though he was startled by Kwon Chan’s sudden proposal, Ma also found himself curious.

What exactly was this guy planning to do to move the executive director?

Intrigued, Ma asked, “You got a plan? How are you going to move the executive director?”

Kwon Chan answered slowly.

“We’ll set out bait. Given Executive Director Park Yu-hyeon’s personality, he’ll move on his own once he sees it.”

***

After getting Ma Team Leader moving according to plan, I headed out for an external appointment.

I drove into Hannam-dong and stopped in front of a sprawling mansion that looked like something out of a Joseon-era palace.

“...That’s the biggest house I’ve ever seen, even compared to Lee Ha-eun’s place.”

Could a house even be this big? And the more astonishing thing was that this was Hannam-dong, where the land prices in Seoul were the highest. I clicked my tongue without meaning to.

So this was the world the world didn’t see.

At ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this rate, how many apartment buildings in the provinces could you buy with this place?

Then the front gate opened, and a familiar face appeared.

“Chief Manager Kwon.”

Even dressed in simple clothes meant for home, he still looked every inch the Hallyu star he was. It was Kwon Hyeon-bin.

“Have you been well, Kwon Hyeon-bin?”

“Yes. Please come in first.”

“Then excuse me.”

I followed Kwon Hyeon-bin inside.

Past a neatly tended garden, a living room the size of a soccer field came into view.

Usually, celebrities at Kwon Hyeon-bin’s level plaster their homes with photos of themselves, but there wasn’t a single cliché picture like that anywhere in his house.

The huge place was arranged with only the necessary appliances and furniture, all kept impeccably clean. It was an interior that clearly reflected ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kwon Hyeon-bin’s personality.

A moment later, Kwon Hyeon-bin, who had stepped away for a bit, returned with two cups of coffee. Steam curled up from the surface.

“I’m more of an iced coffee guy.”

“Should I go put ice in it?”

“I’m kidding. I’m kidding.”

Kwon Hyeon-bin gave a faint laugh and sat across from me. I took a sip of the coffee he handed me and studied his face.

He’d improved a lot.

His eyes still carried that lingering sadness, but his expression and voice showed he was in much better shape than before.

That change put me in thought.

What should I do now?

The reason I’d come to Kwon Hyeon-bin’s house today was his schedule.

Park Yu-hyeon had handed him the script for *Backstreet Police* and started pressuring him with scheduling demands.

Well, from the company’s perspective, they couldn’t just let Kwon Hyeon-bin, whom they’d signed with a contract worth several billion won, sit idle forever.

But from my perspective...

I couldn’t recklessly throw him into a schedule while he was struggling with depression.

As a manager, putting Kwon Hyeon-bin onto a project was the right move. As a human being, waiting until he recovered more was the right move.

I was still weighing how to handle his schedule when Kwon Hyeon-bin held out a script.

“The script you sent me, Chief Manager Kwon, was interesting.”

My eyes widened.

“Oh? You mean *The Wise Life of a Namhae Intern Doctor*, right?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried it might not suit your acting style. What did you find interesting about it?”

Kwon Hyeon-bin explained lightly.

“It was warm.”

“Warm?”

“Yes. These days, scripts try so hard to attract attention by leaning on provocative material...”

He trailed off, and something shifted in his eyes.

*The Wise Life of a Namhae Intern Doctor* had the strange appeal of being so calm that it kept drawing you in.

I nodded.

A script that, as the future text had foretold, would become a national drama in Japan.

After some digging, I’d read it myself, and my impression was exactly the same as Kwon Hyeon-bin’s.

A work that caught your eye precisely because it wasn’t provocative.

In a world full of stimulation and manufactured buzz, it was an unusual script.

That was why it hadn’t been some explosive hit domestically, but in Japan, with its distinctive emotional texture, it had apparently risen to national-drama status.

At least things were moving in the direction I wanted.

Once Kwon Hyeon-bin gave a positive signal, I could build the case for casting a Hallyu star as the lead in the Japanese national drama *The Wise Life of a Namhae Intern Doctor*.

The problem was Kwon Hyeon-bin’s depression.

If I ignored that and pushed the project through, I’d end up putting a Hallyu star in the lead of a Japanese national drama.

But was it really right, for the sake of the company and my own success, to throw him into a project in his current state?

And would Kwon Hyeon-bin even agree to psychiatric treatment?

If I were in his place, and someone I’d only known for a few months suddenly tried to drag me to a doctor because I had depression, I’d be upset too.

Lost in that thought, I frowned. Then Kwon Hyeon-bin spoke again.

“Chief Manager Kwon.”

“Yes?”

“Are you the one who’ll keep handling me from here on out?”

For a moment, I blinked in confusion.

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“I just got curious.”

Kwon Hyeon-bin answered casually.

“I mean, are you going to keep being my manager?”

Ah. That’s what he meant.

I scratched my cheek and said, “Well, until we find a personal manager for you, I’ll be in charge for now.”

Kwon Hyeon-bin’s eyes lifted slightly.

“Once you find a new manager, will you be handling someone else instead?”

“No. I’ll still be in charge of you, Kwon Hyeon-bin the actor. A dedicated manager will just be assigned to handle the day-to-day side of things. The chief managers at Baekhak tend to focus more on management than field work.”

Kwon Hyeon-bin looked at me for a long moment, then murmured, “That’s a pity.”

“Hm?”

“I wanted to keep working with you, Chief Manager Kwon.”

My eyes went wide at that.

Look at this guy.

The same Kwon Hyeon-bin who’d put up walls the first time we met was saying he wanted to work with me?

That subtle shift between us made the conflict I’d been worrying over just moments ago disappear.

“Kwon Hyeon-bin.”

“Yes?”

“Sorry to change the subject so suddenly, but...”

My voice trembled as it left my mouth.

Even so, I forced myself to ask.

“Would you trust me once?”

At my words, Kwon Hyeon-bin looked at me for a moment, then answered quietly.

“Yes, I’ll trust you.”

“...Isn’t that too fast? You don’t even know what you’re trusting me with.”

“Well...”

The corners of Kwon Hyeon-bin’s mouth rose slightly.

“I feel like if it’s Chief Manager Kwon, I can trust you.”

That answer made my eyes widen again.

I stared at him ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for a long moment, then finally shook off the last of my hesitation and made my proposal.

“Then come with me to the hospital.”

A flicker of confusion and surprise crossed Kwon Hyeon-bin’s face.

***

At Gangnam Smart Psychiatry Clinic, psychiatrist Park Chan-woo, who handled clients who valued privacy, spoke in a calm voice.

“It’s severe depression.”

Kwon Hyeon-bin’s eyes trembled sharply.

“Severe depression...?”

“Yes. This isn’t ordinary depression. It’s a fairly serious condition.”

Dr. Park Chan-woo went on steadily.

“Have you been feeling listless lately? Low mood, loss of interest, changes in appetite, sleep problems. You’ve probably had those symptoms as well.”

Kwon Hyeon-bin nodded slowly.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“This is an early sign of moderate-to-severe depression. If it continues for more than two years, it develops into chronic depression, which is to say severe depression. That’s the state you’re in now, Kwon Hyeon-bin.”

His expression stiffened.

I have chronic depression?

It was a hard fact to swallow.

But Kwon Hyeon-bin wasn’t the type to turn away from reality in front of him.

He steadied his shaking heart and asked, “Is it dangerous?”

“It was close. In my opinion, your depression seems to have been caused by a schedule that kept going without rest...”

Dr. Park paused, then smiled.

“Fortunately, your manager has been giving you proper rest lately. You’ve been sleeping well recently, haven’t you?”

Kwon Hyeon-bin answered, surprised, “Yes. I’ve been sleeping without any problems.”

“That’s a relief. Resting at the right time when things got dangerous has gone a long way toward easing your condition. As for the treatment direction, this isn’t depression caused by trauma, so...”

It was important information.

But Kwon Hyeon-bin couldn’t focus on the doctor’s words. Dr. Park noticed, but brushed past it without comment.

When someone with depression learns the truth about their condition for the first time, they usually take a small blow to the system.

So Dr. Park simply brought the conversation to a practical conclusion.

“Even if you’re busy, come in once a week so we can check your progress. Depression needs steady care and treatment.”

When the consultation ended, Kwon Hyeon-bin stood up from his seat.

After becoming popular and starting his grueling schedule, he’d always walked with a kind of drained slowness, but now his steps were oddly quick.

He hurried out of the consultation room, looking around as if searching for someone, when a familiar voice came from behind him.

“Ah, you’re done?”

He turned and saw Manager Kwon standing there with two drinks in hand.

“That was faster than I expected. Here.”

“...What is this?”

“Jasmine tea. I heard it’s good for recovery from fatigue, so I bought it.”

Kwon Chan handed him the jasmine tea, while holding coffee in his other hand.

Kwon Hyeon-bin stared at that for a moment, then asked carefully, “Chief Manager Kwon.”