D-000

"Chief Manager Choi Young-woo. You've really worked hard all this time."

A satisfied smile spread across the entertainment company CEO's lips.

On the documents pushed across the table, the words 'Promotion to Chief Manager' and 'General Supervision of New Project Unit' were clearly imprinted.

"Our kids, raising them from the ground up to the top-tier girl group they are now, is entirely thanks to Chief Manager Choi's hard work. Who in the industry doesn't know that?"

Behind the CEO, on the wide wall, large photos taken while sweeping through the world like SoFi Stadium, London O2 Arena, Tokyo Dome, etc., were proudly hung.

"Thank you, CEO-nim. I will live up to your expectations."

After finishing the greeting, my steps leaving the CEO office were as light as feathers.

A group representing not just Korea but the world, 'Starlight'.

A miracle icon that instantly lifted a fucking small agency, where it wouldn't be surprising if it went under tomorrow, to the ranks of a major corporation.

If it's variety, variety; if it's singing, singing; if it's dancing, dancing.

Monstrous rookies in a giant hexagon with nothing lacking.

On top of that, each of the six members had six distinct perfect personalities, so among fans, they were known as 'a group worth stanning'.

And I had been the manager since the trainee days when that fine-ass group was nothing.

No, it's safe to say I was more than just a manager.

Because the company was so strapped for cash, my work had no boundaries.

A musty basement practice room where the lights wouldn't even come on because we couldn't pay the electricity bill.

It was routine to make do with cup ramen in that sweat-filled place, and I even spent my own money to buy them meat, struggling to get by.

I can't count the days I swallowed my pride and clung to broadcasting station PDs' trousers, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trying to promote them and somehow launch them to the A-list.

When I first started the manager job, it was just with a light heart to get close to pretty idol trainees. But when I came to my senses,

I had been pouring my glorious twenties into these kids without reserve.

And finally, today.

The day had come to be perfectly rewarded for that terrible devotion.

A short vibration buzzed in my pocket.

When I checked the phone screen, a familiar name came up.

[Starlight Leader Yujin(Stella)]

She was the team's oldest eonni, a kind and thoughtful kid.

[Oppa! I heard about your promotion. Really, really congratulations sob sob!!]

[Oppa, I heard you're going to a new unit...? We're so sad, what are we supposed to do.]

[But we can't just send you off. After today's schedule, we're having a small party at our dorm, you must come! You probably haven't eaten properly, I'll make all your favorites. Got it?]

At the messages popping up one after another on the screen, I involuntarily let out a chuckle.

I thought they'd all grown up, but they still seemed like kids who couldn't live without me.

"Yeah, it's the last time, let's see each other's faces properly and then go."

With a light heart, I sent a reply saying I'd be there.

Late evening after finishing the schedule.

I parked the car in front of the high-end mixed-use building in Hannam-dong where the Starlight members lived.

Habitually, I stood before the front door and rang the bell.

Then the door opened automatically.

"Oppa! You're here?"

In the spacious living room, only Yujin in comfortable indoor clothes greeted me.

On the large dining table before the open panoramic window, high-quality wine and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠appetizing snacks were beautifully set.

"Uh, Yujin-ah. Where are the others? You said we'd party together."

"Ah, well... everyone's individual schedules suddenly got extended. Jisoo's ad shoot got delayed, the youngest is doing supplementary variety show filming. It's only me today."

"Really? That's too bad. I was hoping to see everyone's faces together one last time."

"Instead, I've filled the table with things you like! It's actually quiet and nice without the others. Come on, sit down. Let's talk over a drink."

Yujin led my arm with her characteristic gentle smile.

Yeah, it's a shame the other members aren't here, but it might be for the better.

Since as the oldest eonni, Yujin and I had shared the most heartfelt conversations while leading the team together, we had a special relationship.

We clinked wine glasses and chatted away, losing track of time with the past as our snack.

"Oppa, do you remember that old semi-basement dorm? Back then, oppa took out his own rental deposit to buy us beef."

"Hey, I was crazy back then. I was afraid you might become malnourished. But now we're drinking this top-quality wine, we've really succeeded."

"It's all thanks to oppa. If it weren't for oppa, we would have disbanded and scattered apart by now."

When a pleasant tipsiness was just beginning, I looked around.

My gaze, while admiring the fancy and spacious penthouse interior, stopped at the tightly closed door at the end of the hallway.

"By the way, what's that room? Even the door has a lock on it?"

Looking closely, it wasn't a normal door. Unlike the typical structure where you lock the door from inside, that room's digital door lock was installed in reverse so you had to enter a password from the inside to open it.

"Ah, that room?"

Yujin put down her wine glass and smiled nonchalantly.

"It's a dressing room where we store the kids' expensive stage costumes and sponsored luxury items. Since there are so many high-value items, we got special construction to lock it from the outside in case an outsider comes in."

Yeah, at the level of our kids' sponsored goods, it's like the price of a car.

Locking it like this isn't for nothing.

"Still, what if someone gets locked inside? It's dangerous to install it that way."

"Nah, who would get trapped? And if they really do get trapped, oppa can come rescue them, right?"

Yujin lightly retorted like a joke and filled my empty glass with wine.

With a flawless explanation without a single fault, the small sense of discomfort that had fleetingly passed through my mind quickly evaporated along with the alcohol.

"Anyway. I have a gift for oppa."

Yujin rose from her seat and headed to a display cabinet in one corner of the living room.

What she carefully brought out was an elegant black velvet box.

When the lid opened, inside was a stylish choker made of black leather with intricate silver metal decorations.

"What's this? A choker?"

"Yes. All our members pooled our personal money together and had it custom-made specially to commemorate oppa's promotion."

"A choker? Isn't it a bit flashy for a guy to wear? And it looks pretty heavy."

I smiled awkwardly as I looked down at the choker in the box.

With fine metal lines embedded inside the leather, it was a rather sturdy and unusual form for a simple accessory.

"These days, a lot of men wear these. And we even put a star-shaped decoration symbolizing our Starlight. Since oppa is going to a high position now, we wanted to put on a pretty necklace to make sure you don't forget us."

Yujin whispered in a soft voice as she approached my side.

Perhaps because of the dazzling neon sign lights outside.

The look in Yujin's eyes looking down at me was eerily shimmering like the color of wine today.

"Since it's a last memento, I'll put it on you myself. Please bow your head a little."

I wryly smiled and obediently bowed my head at Yujin's words.

Since it was the last request of a kid who had trusted and relied on me in the rough entertainment industry, it was only natural to grant this much.

"Here, bow a little more."

Yujin's soft voice wrapped around my ear. As she wrapped both arms behind my neck, the sweet scent of wine mixed with a subtle shampoo fragrance tickled my nose.

In an instant, an odd tension I'd never felt before enveloped my whole body.

When did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she grow up so much?

She was a child I'd raised by pouring out my twenties. In my eyes, she'd always been the little kid who begged me to make cup ramen.

The white arms now around my neck were those of a mature woman.

Maybe because I'd only ever seen her in baggy training clothes, and today she was wearing a light slip-type indoor outfit.

Every time she moved, her smooth, toned shoulder line and delicate collarbone, without a single flaw, lightly brushed against me and came into view, making my heart pound.

Her unusually thin waist seemed like it could be held in one hand if I reached out, and the body heat felt from up close, perhaps due to the alcohol, felt much hotter than usual.

"...Done."

Along with the cool touch of leather, the sound of the necklace being fastened was heard.

It was a weirdly heavy sound, like flawless gears meshing together.

"Huh? This is tighter than I thought. Yujin-ah, it's... hard to breathe?"

A bit flustered, I raised my hand to touch the necklace.

The metal lines embedded inside the leather were pressing against my nape, quite uncomfortably.

But Yujin gently held my hand and lowered it, then softly slipped into my arms.

Her mature figure completely pressed against my chest.

A strange emotion mixed with confusion and fluttering passed through my mind.

"Young-woo oppa."

The heat I'd felt behind me shifted to my chest.

She raised her head and looked up at me.

Her face flushed pink like wine, her moistly wet eyes, and her slightly parted red lips.

"You're pretty."

I involuntarily murmured as if spellbound.

Yujin in my arms was so overwhelmingly beautiful that I cursed my poor vocabulary.

At that, Yujin's red lips drew an arc and curved charmingly.

"Really? That's a relief. I tried really hard today because I wanted to look the prettiest to oppa."

Yujin playfully pushed against my chest with a mischievous smile, as if the weirdly sticky atmosphere from just before had never existed.

Watching her instantly revert to her usual easygoing and affectionate 'Starlight's oldest eonni' self, I swallowed a dry cough internally.

I must be crazy. No matter how tipsy, what impure thoughts do I have about a child I raised since she was a little brat.

"Okay, okay! Our Chief Manager-nim, you have to properly enjoy yourself tonight! Let's have one more drink!"

Yujin returned to the table and filled my empty glass once more with the top-quality wine.

Over the sloshing red liquid, I saw Yujin's face smiling innocently and brightly.

The cool touch of the choker around my neck was still unfamiliar and a bit stuffy, but I didn't want to ruin the mood by asking her to take it off again.

After all, it was the last night together as her manager, so couldn't I happily humor a little complaint like this?

I accepted the glass she handed me and thought lightly.

Yeah, I'll take it off tomorrow, what could possibly happen?

Before me was the kid I cherished and trusted most, and the wine swirling in my mouth was sweet.

Such a peaceful and perfect night.

Without a single doubt, I completely let my guard down and clinked glasses with her.

The light sound of glass echoed through the spacious living room.

Two glasses, three glasses. As the top-quality wine went down like water and the atmosphere was ripening, it was then.

"Young-woo oppa."

Yujin, who had been staring at me blankly with her chin resting on the table, suddenly spoke up.

The face that had been smiling innocently until just now was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a sticky and serious gaze.

"I like oppa."

"Huh? Yeah, I cherish our Yujin the most too. As the oldest eonni, you lead the team well."

"No, not that kind of thing."

Yujin slowly straightened up and brought her face close to mine.

At a distance close enough to feel her breath, she continued clearly.

"Not as a manager, but as a man. Since a very long time ago."

In an instant, it felt like the alcohol pounding in my ears suddenly evaporated.

I tried to suppress my flustered expression and laughed emptily.

"You're really drunk, Yujin-ah."

"I'm not drunk."

"You are. Since you've been stuck with me since you were a little trainee, you're mistaking fondness for love. What's with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this repulsive talk, what's the age difference..."

"It's not a mistake!"

Yujin's voice sharpened.

But I didn't want to continue this dangerous conversation any further.

Since I was leaving the position, I didn't want to leave awkward emotional strife with the kid I cherished most.

"You are my singers, and I am your manager."

I scolded with a deliberately firm voice and rose from my seat. I grabbed my outer coat draped over the sofa.

"You have schedules tomorrow and you've overdone it. I'll be going now. Thanks for the necklace. I'll treasure it."

Without looking back, I walked towards the entrance.

If I open the door and step out like this, everything will return to normal.

She'll probably kick the blanket tomorrow morning and forget about it.

The moment I reached out towards the front door handle like that.

"...See."

Yujin's voice came from behind.

It was not the voice of a woman hurt by a love refusal.

"Oppa would never understand our feelings. It's impossible to resolve this peacefully."

"Yujin-ah, what do you mean...?"

Just as I was about to turn my head in confusion.

"New manager, new unit. I don't need any of that crap. Oppa can't take a single step out of here."

The sound of a small switch being pressed echoed in the living room.

In an instant, a terrible current exploded from the choker around my neck.

An awful pain as if tens of thousands of volts of electricity were traveling straight through my veins to my brain.

Without even letting out a scream, my vision flickered and my body collapsed limply on the floor.

Through my fading vision, I saw Yujin approaching me with a chillingly affectionate smile.

The red light on the small remote control in her hand was blinking.