Chapter 195
Chapter 195
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: A Proper Apology
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The expressions on the faces of the exclusive stylists in Seven Arrow’s waiting room were grim.
“You don’t think they’ll take it out on us just because they lost to a rookie group, do you?”
“No way. Besides, Answer isn’t exactly a rookie group.”
“I don’t know. They’ve been on edge since they couldn’t get first place because of Fire Emblem. Let’s just keep quiet and get ready to leave.”
“Sigh. It’s not like we’re paid that much. Should we really look for another job? I feel like their emotional dumping ground.”
“Hooo… I think we let them walk all over us from the start.”
“I know. We should have at least reacted when they started getting snarky.”
The two of them deeply regretted their consistently submissive attitude.
“Honestly, Miyun and Rancy have zero star quality besides their bodies.”
“Tell me about it. The ones with nothing to show for it are always the biggest pains. Is it an inferiority complex?”
The two exclusive stylists soothed their frustrated hearts with a sigh.
“Should we try freelance gigs? The seniors with connections seem to be making good money.”
“I still haven’t paid off my living expenses from my internship. I have to pay that off before I can leave.”
“Ah, right, you lived on your own. I guess I was blessed to be able to live with my parents.”
“Yeah. No matter how shitty it gets, I have to stick it out for a year.”
The stylist in a slightly better situation nodded with a look of pity.
“Still, I heard some places pay 500,000 won these days.”
“Honestly, 300,000 or 500,000, what’s the difference? They call it a transportation stipend, but it doesn’t even cover taxi fares, seriously. Nothing’s changed in the last 10 years.”
“There are just too many people wanting to get into this line of work. Still, we’ve put up with a lot…”
*Slam.*
“So damn annoying!”
At the sudden, irritated entrance of the Seven Arrow members, the two stylists stopped talking and pretended to be packing up.
The seven members of Seven Arrow sat down, each crossing their legs and arms. Rancy, however, remained standing and approached the stylist who was in charge of her.
The stylist who had to endure for at least a year was already breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Hey, Lee Myeong-ju!”
“Y-yes?”
The stylist, who was the same age as Rancy, stammered in response.
“I ruined the performance because of you! How did you do the fitting for the back to burst open like that!”
“…”
As her worst fears came true, Stylist Lee Myeong-ju’s stress multiplied, and the stylist next to her let out a small sigh.
“You did this on purpose to screw me over because I yelled at you last time, didn’t you?”
“…That’s why I told you to watch your weight.”
Feeling it was too unfair, Lee Myeong-ju protested in a barely audible voice.
“What?”
When Rancy repeated her question, Lee Myeong-ju found it strangely unbearable and added another word.
“It was already a tight fit during last week’s fitting, but you gained even more weight. There’s only so much I can do with pins…”
“Ha. Are you crazy right now?”
But that was as far as Lee Myeong-ju’s defiance went. She couldn’t just give up the exclusive stylist position she had earned after so much hardship.
It wasn’t just about the money; to build her resume by saying she was a former exclusive stylist for Seven Arrow, she had to endure at least a year and make an impression.
“Do you want to be blacklisted in this industry? Or would you rather spend your life doing makeup for old ladies at a hair salon?”
“…”
Rancy spewed her venom, but Lee Myeong-ju said nothing more.
“Aish. Never a quiet day.”
The large manager, as if this were a common occurrence, licked his lips and casually started eating the snacks that were laid out.
“That’s enough, sit down. You’re going to make her cry.”
At the words of Seven Arrow’s leader, Chaeyun, Rancy shot one last glare before sitting down. Trembling with suppressed anger, Lee Myeong-ju resumed her packing.
“It was bad luck from the start, having our fan sign event at the same place.”
“Ah… that was them?”
“Yeah. The group that booked the venue right before us.”
Rancy, who had stepped on Ro-si’s foot, scoffed and said.
However, thanks to Min-jun’s swift management, Answer had strictly adhered to their booked time at the fan signing event and had not caused Seven Arrow any trouble at all.
It was simply the fact that a group of “recycled rookies” had gathered a fanbase comparable to their own, who were stars on a global level, that had rubbed them the wrong way.
“But we’re not even getting first place, so why did we even come here? Oppa, did you know?”
At Chaeyun’s question, the large manager made an aggrieved face.
“Aish! They insisted we had to appear, making it sound like we were a shoo-in for first place. Of course, I thought you’d win. You think I’d come here for this when I could be making you girls at least a few tens of thousands from another schedule, instead of losing two hundred?”
“Ugh, seriously. So annoying.”
“She was especially full of herself today, it was disgusting. She tried to squeeze in next to me earlier, so I stepped on her.”
Rancy said with a sneer.
“Eh? Wasn’t that because you were afraid people would notice you’ve gained weight if you stood next to her?”
“Hey, what are you talking about!”
As Rancy, who hadn’t fully managed the weight she’d gained during their break, flared up, the other members smirked despite their irritation.
Her face flushed, Rancy turned her anger on the innocent manager.
“Oppa, stop eating. Did you come here just to eat?”
“Aish, why are you taking it out on me? Is it my fault? And isn't it because I maintain this physique that no one dares to mess with you girls?”
“Ha. Physique, my ass.”
Rancy said with a disbelieving laugh.
“You girls don’t know, but guys who are all muscle have no real strength. It’s people like me, with fat and muscle, who are strong.”
The large manager patted his thick, flabby bicep.
“Let’s just go. This is a waste of time.”
“Oppa, don’t book this show for us again. It’s like they’re mocking us.”
“Alright. I’ll talk to the Siljang-nim.”
Just as the Seven Arrow team was getting ready to leave.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
The heavy door vibrated.
***
-Min-jun: Reporter Shin, what’s the word on Seven Arrow’s Rancy?
-Shin Dong-min: Why? Did she do something to you?
-Min-jun: One of our members got her foot stepped on and injured, and it doesn’t seem like an accident.
-Shin Dong-min: Ugh, she’s at it again. She’s worse than Ji-yoo from Savage Girls. Ji-yoo is stupid, so she’s openly a bitch, but that witch is famous for making everyone’s life hell while leaving herself an escape route. She doesn’t leave much evidence either.
-Min-jun: So there are still plenty of rumors, then?
-Shin Dong-min: Of course. It’s just that KGM keeps blocking them.
-Min-jun: Could you give me a little tip? I’ll make sure no harm comes to you.
-Shin Dong-min: Hey, you think I’d be worried about that? Just a moment.
-Shin Dong-min: Sorry for the wait… I do have a photo that got cut by the desk, so we couldn’t use it. What the hell, if I get fired, I’ll just start my own online news site.
Min-jun let out a small smile at Reporter Shin Dong-min’s jest. By now, their relationship was comfortable enough for light-hearted jokes.
Min-jun double-checked the message from Shin Dong-min as he arrived in front of Seven Arrow’s waiting room. His hand, veins bulging, knocked on the door without hesitation.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Soon, the sound of cursing came from inside, and the door opened.
“?”
A manager with a rather stocky build and a fierce expression looked Min-jun up and down. He didn’t look like one of the production staff.
Min-jun gave a bitter smile as he noticed a pile of snack crumbs on the upper part of the large manager’s belly, which filled the doorway.
“What do you want?”
“I’m Answer’s manager. Let me in.”
“Ugh, as if I’m not in a shitty enough mood because of Answer already.”
The large manager roughly tried to shut the door.
But when the door he expected to slam shut didn’t close completely, his expression twisted. The door, held by Min-jun, wouldn’t budge.
“…Nngh!?”
“What are you doing, Oppa? Close it, quick.”
“Y-yeah. Hngh! This door must be broken…”
Min-jun began to push the door with a blank expression.
“Huh? Huh!?”
*Screeeech.*
The door that the large man was straining to close began to open instead, his two feet sliding backward.
“Nngh!”
*Screeech.*
Eventually, the door swung wide open, just as Min-jun intended, leaving the Seven Arrow manager with an expression that made it hard to tell if he was dreaming or awake.
“You didn’t have to open the door so wide for me. Thank you.”
At Min-jun’s words, the large man looked dumbfounded. He had always prided himself on being second to none when it came to strength.
“Rancy.”
“Wh-what is it?”
Startled by Min-jun’s unbelievable strength, Rancy stammered.
“You stepped on my member’s foot earlier, and now it’s all swollen. Don’t you think you should apologize?”
“Huh? I already did.”
“Not a proper apology, you haven’t.”
“What are you talking about…? She said she was fine earlier. Besides, when you’re on a crowded stage, people step on each other. Did you really come here to pick a fight over something so trivial?”
Embarrassed that she had shown her surprise, Rancy shot back venomously.
Min-jun stared at Rancy expressionlessly before uttering a single sentence.
“Do you weigh over 90 kilograms?”
“What?”
Rancy snapped. She was already getting flak from all sides for not managing her weight recently.
Lee Myeong-ju, the stylist Rancy had been berating, snickered silently.
“Looking at how swollen her toes are, it seems like she was stepped on by something that heavy.”
“Oppa, get him out of here. Some beggar from JD hits the lottery once and now he's acting all high and mighty.”
The leader, Chaeyun, belittled Answer’s success by comparing it to winning the lottery. Min-jun smirked at the way Seven Arrow spoke as if they were some kind of aristocracy.
Just then, the Seven Arrow manager stepped right up to Min-jun.
“Get out!”
But the large man’s hand, reaching for Min-jun’s collar, was suddenly caught by Min-jun instead.
“!”
A flash of Min-jun’s immense strength passed through him, and the large man was so startled that he meekly lowered his hand. He was certain that if Min-jun had wanted to, he could have been thoroughly embarrassed.
“You’re… you’re trespassing right now.”
The large manager said, trying his best not to stutter, but Min-jun just snorted and held his phone screen up to Rancy’s face. It was a photo.
“Why don’t you apologize properly while I’m asking nicely? Don’t make this a bigger deal.”
“…?!”
It was none other than a picture of Rancy drinking with a famous, married producer from her own company. Panic-stricken, Rancy’s crossed arms slowly fell to her sides.
“Should I show you the next picture?”
Rancy shot up from her seat and pulled Min-jun.
“…Let’s talk outside. I’ll be right back, so Oppa, you stay here.”
The unexpected turn of events made the faces of Seven Arrow’s members contort. Rancy immediately led the way out, but Min-jun turned to the leader, Chaeyun, and spoke with a blank expression.
“Beggarly JD doesn’t make stars with money. We make them with real talent, fair and square. As for whether Answer hit the lottery or not, you’ll find out when you have to face them yourselves.”
Chaeyun felt a chill run down her spine, as if Min-jun’s words were a prophecy of what was to come.
As Min-jun stepped outside, Rancy, who was staring at him with a flushed face, opened her mouth.
“It wasn’t a situation serious enough to warrant a complaint.”
Her tone was remarkably softer than it had been inside. He immediately checked her stats.
[Name: Rancy (Age 24)]
Trait: Weak to the strong, strong to the weak
Description: Infinitely weak to those stronger than her, and infinitely strong to those weaker than her.
Min-jun’s face filled with disgust. He could just picture how much she must have tormented those she deemed weaker than herself throughout her life.
“You’re the type of person I hate the most.”
“…?”
Min-jun thought that if Ro-si had just let it go, they might have had to deal with troublesome encounters every time they met.
“Go and apologize to her sincerely.”
“…Okay.”
Her meek obedience was so complete that Min-jun almost let out a hollow laugh.
Min-jun and Rancy entered Answer’s waiting room. Seul-bi and Seol-ah pressed down on Ro-si’s shoulders as she tried to stand.
“…I was wrong earlier. To be honest, I was in a bad mood because Ro-si is so pretty, I was afraid I’d be compared to you if I stood next to you. I’m sorry.”
“???”
At Rancy’s incredibly humble and honest demeanor, all the Answer members wore expressions of bewilderment.
“I’ve been under a lot of stress lately, so I haven’t been managing my weight well. I was just jealous of how pretty you are. I’m truly sorry. Will you forgive me?”
“Ye-es…”
The Answer members looked at Min-jun, their faces asking, ‘What in the world did you say to her?’
Rancy’s heartfelt words boosted Ro-si’s self-esteem, while Min-jun gave a bitter smile. He felt ashamed of himself for using his opponent’s weakness, a move he’d prepared in anticipation of strong resistance.
[Sudden Quest ‘A Common Power Struggle’ Complete.]
A thoroughly humbled Rancy has apologized with all her heart.
Reward: Acquired ‘Sixth Sense’ linked active skill ‘Appraisal (A)’.
‘Well, at least I achieved my goal.’
Min-jun figured this skill would be a great help with the scripts, contracts, and musical choices he would be seeing a lot of from now on.