Chapter 113: Family
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 113: Family
At the manager's request to come to the company and sign the contract in person, I found myself standing in front of the YM headquarters—a place even Doah had never visited.
The headquarters stood in the most urban part of downtown.
Unlike the sea of hoodies and sweatshirts common in a college town, the people here walked the streets in suits and stylish outfits.
"Whew."
After a short, deep breath, I pulled out my phone and called the manager.
[Hello?]
[Ah, yes. Taemin. Have you arrived?]
[Yes, I'm right in front of the building now.]
As expected of a place frequented by countless celebrities and trainees, security seemed incredibly strict.
Just as I was starting to feel uncomfortable from the constant eye contact with the guard out front, a sharply dressed man waved at me.
"Taemin?"
"Ah, yes. Hello."
"This way, please."
Just as I'd expected, you couldn't even get into the building without a key card.
As we went further inside and stepped into an elevator, it really hit me: so this is the entertainment world.
The semi-transparent elevator offered a full view of the building's interior. From the decor to the people...
Scenes I'd only ever seen in TV shows flashed before my eyes.
It all felt like a towering spire, built piece by piece with money.
"This way!"
The manager looked older than me.
He was smaller than me but had a kind face, and he led me further inside with a cheerful voice.
"Please, come in."
In this unfamiliar space, he was the first familiar face I saw.
Recognizing him, I bowed my head.
"Hello."
It was the head of the casting team, the one who had come all the way to my neighborhood before.
"Thanks for making the trip out here."
"It was no trouble at all."
Once inside the seminar room, we started discussing the contract in earnest. I mostly listened to their explanations instead of talking.
"This is the rough plan for your activities over the next three months or so."
As expected from a major corporation, the PowerPoint presentation, complete with the company logo at the bottom, was so elaborate I wondered if it had really been prepared just for me.
"So... you're saying that for now, the plan is just for me to make an appearance in a web drama?"
It was the same thing they'd told me before.
"That's right. You won't have to do much. The director will probably explain on set, but you'll have one or two lines at most. You might not even have any."
He was just repeating what the manager had told me, so I nodded with a hesitant look on my face.
"And after that, depending on the public's reaction, we'll look into things like interviews."
"Yes. If the response is good, it would either be uploaded to our own video portal or pitched to a popular YouTube channel."
It was obvious the company staff knew I was hesitant about this whole thing, and they were clearly trying their best to accommodate me.
The truth was, nothing in their proposal required any actual 'talent' from me.
Just my face.
It felt like that was the only thing they needed.
I wasn't thrilled about my face becoming public...
...but even I didn't know what was making me feel so rushed.
As I stared at the contract without a word, the team leader reiterated the point I'd been most curious about last time.
"I want you to know that the benefits for Luka were one of the clauses we fought hard to include."
There were definitely extra benefits Luka would receive if I signed this contract.
Especially these clauses.
[Guaranteed original song for solo concert.]
[Ability to designate avatar creator for solo concert preparation.]
Honestly, I didn't see what the big deal was with the avatar, but the phrase 'Guaranteed original song' was like the sweetest candy to me.
It was for Doah's sake, but it was for mine, too.
An original song, not for CLOSER as a group, but just for Doah.
And it would be revealed at her solo concert!
"Do... do the other CLOSER members not get original songs?"
But I couldn't help but wonder if it was possible for only Doah to get one while the others didn't.
"The company would like all of them to have one, but we have to coordinate schedules with our composers, so I can't say it's a hundred percent guaranteed."
In other words, it was no different from a gacha game.
"Taemin. If you're a fan of Luka's, as you say, then this is a truly exceptional offer."
"I'm not too familiar with the situation, but what exactly is your relationship with Luka...?"
The manager looked at me curiously, so I gave him a vague answer.
"Ah, she's a junior from my university. And I'm personally a huge fan of the character, Luka..."
"Oh. So you knew Luka even before she joined our agency."
Too much had happened between us to simply say we were acquaintances, but there was no reason to reveal all that here.
"This is the best offer we can make at this time."
With a meaningful look, the team leader said no more.
They mentioned I would be paid for my work, but the company's position was that I shouldn't expect much.
After all, I wasn't a celebrity but a complete rookie, and the company was footing the entire bill for the project.
I guess you could say it was just an investment of time for our mutual benefit.
"Just give it a try for three months. After that, you can see what the response is like and decide whether you want to stay with us or terminate the contract."
The team leader handed me a pen, and I...
"...I look forward to working with you."
And just like that, I was with YM Entertainment.
*
"Wow! Does that mean you're part of the company family now, Oppa?"
I chuckled at her words.
"What are you talking about, 'family'? You silly girl."
"If we're at the same company, that makes us family!"
Going on about family when she's never even set foot in the headquarters.
It was funny, but I was glad to see her so happy.
"When your web drama comes out, I'm totally going to be the first one to comment."
Doah, perched on the edge of the bed, unlocked her phone.
"What are you going to write?"
"The guy at X minutes, X seconds is so damn handsome. Something like that?"
"Don't. People will start flocking to confess their love to me again."
I waved my hand in disgust, but Doah just shook her head.
"But at that point, wouldn't it be more like fan appreciation than a love confession?"
"Isn't misguided adoration from fans the scariest thing of all?"
Like the feelings I have for you, I thought.
What started as simple encouragement had now swelled into something uncontrollable.
"But Oppa, if you decide to do this for real, that sort of thing is kind of... unavoidable, isn't it?"
I had no intention of taking it seriously yet.
Just three months.
My plan was to just do what they told me, no pressure, and then be done with it.
If I'd thought the activities they proposed were too demanding, I wouldn't have even considered it.
"Come on. I'll probably just make a few small appearances over three months. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Oppa, don't you know how intensely people get into things these days?"
"When it comes to being a fan, I think I know a lot more about it than you do."
"Then you must also know how something trivial can spark it all."
It was true.
How many people in the world really start stanning something out of destiny?
I figured most people just stumble upon something they like and fall head over heels for it. That's what being a fan is.
"Hey, but seriously. Do you think people have so little to do that they'd actually become fans of me?"
As if to tell her not to worry, I placed my hand on her head and ruffled her hair. She shyly buried her face in my chest.
"...Why are you making it sound like I have nothing to do? I'm very busy, you know."
Her voice was barely a whisper, but her words were clear.
That's Luka-tan for you.
She wasn't like this at the start of our relationship, but Doah's playful banter was starting to rival Luka's on-stream jokes.
On her streams, that kind of role-playing was part of her act, but now...
When I placed my hand on her cheek, the warmth that couldn't lie told me everything.
"So, are you my fan?"
I asked, wanting to hear her say it herself.
"...You're a fan of Luka, aren't you?"
"But that's Luka."
"But I am Luka, so what's the difference?"
She really just said whatever she wanted.
One minute, she's telling me to see her as Doah, not Luka.
Now it seemed she'd just attach or detach the personas whenever it was convenient.
"Then you can be my number one fan."
An achievement I could never claim for myself.
Luka's number one fan.
Truthfully, while she was a small-time streamer when I first found her, she wasn't a complete nobody.
She had double-digit viewers back then.
Considering she gets tens of thousands now, I can't even calculate the difference.
"Does the number one fan get any special benefits?"
Sitting on my lap, Doah tilted her head up to look at me.
The elegant line of her pale neck was a clear invitation.
"Ah. I thought family members weren't supposed to do this."
A deep kiss followed, making a mockery of the word 'family'.