Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Severing Ties
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"You were looking for me, Daepyo-nim!"
I quickly changed my expression and greeted him brightly. I couldn't afford to get on his nerves until my contract was terminated.
"Oh... right. Min-jun, how's practice coming along?"
Gyeon Sang-jin must have heard me cursing, but he surely wouldn't have believed it. Back then, I was the very picture of loyalty to the CEO.
Cursing him so openly felt incredibly refreshing.
"Yes. I'm working as hard as I can to make sure I succeed."
"Right, of course... Hah."
Gyeon Sang-jin's expression shifted, a hint of apology in his eyes.
"After a meeting with the planning team, it seems... Min-jun will have to debut in a different group."
"What?"
I asked, feigning surprise.
"You're so exceptionally talented, it feels like a waste to use you up like this. Your concept clashes with the current debut group."
The CEO's excuses dragged on, and I feigned a somber mood.
"So, what I'm trying to say is..."
"As you know, my parents passed away."
I cut him off before he could continue.
"Th-that's right. It must still be very difficult for you."
"I'm quitting the trainee program."
"Huh? Hey! I'm not saying you can't debut. I'll personally see to it that you're in an even better group."
The CEO seemed flustered.
Had he already recognized my talent as a composer back then? If so, regardless of his character, I had to admit he had a good eye.
A son of a bitch with a keen eye.
"I've lost my motivation. And I have to worry about making a living."
"...Hah. Seriously."
Gyeon Sang-jin mulled it over for a moment, his expression clearly annoyed, before speaking.
"Are you... planning on moving to another company?"
"No."
"You still have three years left on your contract, kid."
A cold sweat trickled down my back. If I couldn't get out of here, this new life would be a failure before it even began.
"What help could I be, having lost all my motivation?"
"...Don't be like that. There are plenty of ways to make money..."
"I feel like I'm going to die."
Tears streamed down my face, cutting Gyeon Sang-jin off mid-sentence. He looked troubled for a long moment before speaking again.
"...I'll let you go, on the condition you don't debut anywhere else."
*Am I a dog? What does he mean, "let me go"?* His slip of the tongue revealed his true colors. How had I never noticed before?
"I'm not interested in being an idol anymore. My bank balance is zero."
I said, wiping my tears pathetically.
"...You mean it?"
"Yes."
Completely taken in by my act, Gyeon Sang-jin sighed.
With a look of disappointment, he used his laptop, and two documents printed out. It was a conditional termination agreement: a non-disclosure agreement and a clause preventing me from debuting with another company.
Without hesitation, I signed both documents and added my thumbprint to each.
"Alright. I wish you the best."
Gyeon Sang-jin took the documents with only my thumbprint on them and handed one copy back to me.
*This ridiculous bastard is trying to scam me even at the very end? Who does he take me for, a fool?*
"You need to affix your seal as well, Daepyo-nim."
"Oh, ah! Is that right? This doesn't happen often, you see."
*It doesn't happen often, yet you have a template ready?*
I inwardly scoffed as I watched Gyeon Sang-jin reluctantly stamp his seal on the documents.
His seal was stamped right over my thumbprint. With that, there was no longer any need to play the victim.
"Hah. You filthy bastard."
"What... what did you say?"
I said nonchalantly, wiping away the last traces of my fake tears.
"Just talking to myself. Take care."
"Huh?"
I turned my back on the dumbfounded CEO.
The sight of Gyeon Sang-jin's thunderstruck face as our eyes met one last time before the door closed was immensely satisfying.
This is only the beginning.
Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean I'll forgive the bastards who drove me to my death. I'll shove that same crushing despair right down your throats.
*Ting.*
[Achievement Unlocked: A Firm Step.]
You have taken a monumental step toward success. A reward is granted to support your journey.
Reward: Trait ‘Observation (B)’
[Use ‘Observation’ to view information about others.]
[The Achievement Information window is now accessible.]
[Distributable points are generated upon completing achievements.]
Distributable Points: 1 pt
With a system supporting me like this, there's no way I can lose. The only catch is the three-year time limit.
For the sake of my success and my revenge on those scumbags, I will complete my mission, no matter what it takes.
Leaving the planning office, I headed to a room lined with stacks of lockers. Small, 400x400 mm lockers, just big enough for a change of clothes and a pair of shoes.
I remembered how happy I was when I first got my locker, and a bitter smile touched my lips.
"Min-jun! What's going on?"
"Why are you packing your things?"
The guys from the debut team crowded around me.
These were the guys who could have become more than just friends, almost like family. *Heh. They're all so young and full of life.*
I explained the situation to them.
"What? That's messed up."
"After all that talk about debuting!"
I felt a pang of gratitude for their anger on my behalf.
"One day, I'll be in a position to help you guys. And..."
"?"
"Don't trust the new guy they bring in. Ever. You might not understand now, but just remember that."
I wish I could do more to help them have a better future, but right now, I've got my own problems to deal with.
"Oh? We gotta go. Min-jun, we'll call you, okay?"
One of them got a text, and they all hurried off. They were probably being called to a meeting to be officially told of my departure and introduced to the new member.
I picked up my bag and walked past the girls' practice room.
It was a shame that most of them would fade away without ever getting a chance to bloom in the entertainment world. Each one was talented enough to lead a successful career, if only someone could recognize their potential and guide them.
Every trainee I made eye contact with bowed their head. Not knowing the full story, they still saw me as someone to look up to—a member of the final debut team.
Among them, one girl with particularly clumsy dance moves caught my eye through the glass wall.
*Lee Yoo-ah!*
Her funeral was the event that had finally made me realize what a fool I'd been, completely deceived by Gyeon Sang-jin.
Right, there was Lee Yoo-ah!
New information appeared before my eyes.
[Name: Lee Yoo-ah (Age 20)]
???: ???
Vocal: 90/97
Dance: 43/44
Composition: 83/93
Lyrics: 91/97
⁝
[Career Aptitude]
Singer-Songwriter: 89/98
Session Musician: 85/97
Girl Group Member: 56/58
???
"..."
*Her, too.*
It wasn't just her tragic future; her incredible talent was also going to waste, just like mine had been.
I would eventually befriend Lee Yoo-ah three years from now, at an after-party for one of the agency's senior artists. We were both charming people, sure, but we were living such intense lives that we had no room for romance.
She was just a friend, a younger sister figure I could vent to. Knowing the bleak future that awaited her, I couldn't just walk away.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
I knocked on the door to the sacred, men-forbidden territory.
The girls whispered among themselves, their eyes wide with surprise, before following my gaze.
Lee Yoo-ah glanced behind her, then, realizing I was looking at her, her eyes widened. She pointed to herself, her lips parting as if to form a word.
*'Me?'*
When I nodded, she quickly pulled on a hat and came over.
"What can I do for you...?"
We weren't close yet, but she was one of the few true friends I'd ever have.
"Yoo-ah, if you want to live, get out of here as soon as you can. Unless you want to end up like me."
"Huh?"
Yoo-ah looked bewildered, glancing at the other trainees who were staring at us. I could see envy and jealousy in their eyes.
"Hey! Min-jun! What do you think you're doing!"
Team Leader Jang stormed over.
There was no time.
"2435-0..."
I repeated my phone number to Yoo-ah.
"Call me. You have to."
"This little punk!"
Leaving a wide-eyed Yoo-ah behind me, I stepped toward the approaching team leader.
"You arrogant..."
The team leader raised his hand as if to strike me.
But he faltered as soon as he saw the contract termination papers I held out.
"S-So what?"
The team leader's hand slowly lowered.
With the agency holding all their personal information, the trainees were powerless, a fact these thugs thoroughly exploited.
But he knew just as well that such threats were useless against someone who was leaving the industry for good.
"What are you looking at! Get back to practice!" the embarrassed team leader yelled.
"On the floor. Now."
*Clatter.*
Startled, the girls dropped to the practice room floor.
Anyone else would find this absurd. I don't know about other agencies, but at ours, this was a common occurrence. And it would be, for years to come.
"What did they do wrong? Don't take your anger out on them. How petty."
"What?"
"Ooooh."
"Quiet!"
Even on the floor, the girls murmured and snickered. They were obeying, but it was clear they all had a lot of pent-up frustration.
The team leader's ears turned beet red. Pushing him any further wouldn't do the girls any good.
"To all the future idols on the floor because of me, I'm sorry. Keep working hard, but make sure you stand up for yourselves when things are unfair. Fighting, everyone!"
"Fighting!"
Their energetic response, even from the floor, was unexpected.
"These brats!"
*Ting.*
[Achievement Unlocked: Heart-Stirrer]
You have moved the hearts of many.
Reward: 1 Stat Point
Current Distributable Stat Points: 2 pt
I didn't even say much, and I get a reward like this.
"See you around."
"Heh... Hehehe."
The man just laughed, dumbfounded by my change in attitude.
I gave a derisive snort and walked out of the company. Though I was in the heart of Seoul, the air felt as fresh and clean as if I were in a forest.
The sunlight today seemed especially brilliant.