Something Smells Fishy
The story behind this incident had always seemed like a straightforward tale: Seong Jiyeong’s father had invested in a research lab under a borrowed name, and Seou Industries had simply snatched the resulting technology. But something far dirtier lurked beneath the surface. Right before the theoretically complete technology could be tested through live experiments, a fire broke out in the lab and every key figure died. That included the lab director, who had signed a contract to hold the patent rights once the technology was officially registered.
“A fire at the very last stage? That’s a little too convenient,” I muttered.
Seong Jiyeong’s eyes narrowed. “Then where does the patent go?”
“Straight to Seou Industries, of course.”
“Something smells…”
“Fishy, right?”
I tapped the desk. “Exactly. But they haven’t even filed the patent yet. The final test is the most important part of any technology. If Seou Industries really did this, what were they planning to do next? The research data might still be with them, but without the core personnel, restarting the experiments would take ages. Even if the theory is perfect, no one knows whether the actual tests will succeed or fail. Burning everything before anything was confirmed… that’s hard to believe. All that effort could have gone up in smoke for nothing.”
Seong Jiyeong folded her arms, her voice cool and precise. “Seou Industries never intended to complete the technology themselves.”
“What do you mean?”
“They plan to sell the accumulated research data to someone else. They have been making secret contacts with corporations in the United States, China, and even Japan.”
I let out a low whistle. “This is getting complicated.”
The atmosphere suggested foreign companies were willing to pay a hefty price. Seou Industries must have decided it was better to cash out and hand everything over. The lab, however, had insisted on finishing the project themselves. That clash had apparently led to this.
“I don’t care if Seou Industries keeps the technology,” Seong Jiyeong continued, tone formal yet edged with frost. “But if they set the lab on fire just to sell it abroad, that is something I can never forgive.”
I studied her. “So what exactly are you planning to do, Jiyeong? You want the technology back?”
“Please stop making me repeat myself. I have no interest in the technology. It may be something foreign powers are desperate to obtain, but what would I even do with it? It would only be a nuisance.”
“Then?”
“I will bring the iron hammer of retribution down on Seou Industries’ leadership. As for the research data, I will destroy every last scrap. Since the project began with my father’s personal investment, there should be no issue with me erasing it.”
…Wait, she’s just going to handle it like that?
I had felt it during the CF shoot too, but this girl really does charge straight ahead. Still, she wasn’t wrong. Even if Seong Jiyeong kept the technology, it would only bring her endless headaches. There must have been a reason her father started the investment with personal funds instead of using Cheonji Group resources.
Cleanup could be handled later. The information we currently possessed had too many holes. There wasn’t even solid evidence that Seou Industries had started the fire. The timing was suspiciously perfect, sure, but suspicion alone wasn’t proof. It would be smarter to nail down the facts before making any moves.
“How about we confirm the facts first?” I suggested. “We still don’t have any evidence that Seou Industries was behind it.”
Seong Jiyeong closed her mouth on whatever sharp reply she had prepared. She looked dissatisfied, but the fact that she didn’t argue meant she agreed with my suggestion to dig deeper. I had half-expected her to insist we storm Seou Industries and set the place on fire ourselves. It was a relief to see she still had some sense left.
“Information, huh~? Then would it be all right if I looked into this part?” Yu Hana chimed in, eyes curving into playful crescents. “It feels like there might be something really fun hidden here~”
I blinked. “You, Hana?”
“Yup, yup. I’m part of the team too, you know. The ones heading into the field will probably be Jiyeong, Sasha, and YeriYeri, right? It feels wrong for me to just sit around.”
Since we needed information, Yu Hana had stepped forward. Honestly, if it was her, I could trust the results. She was the one who could even manipulate CCTV feeds if she felt like it. Hackers were designated as core personnel and specially managed at 0-rank by the Superhuman Bureau. That was the same rank that had included me—Kali, the ace of the Special Task Force—and Professor G, who had coordinated all the Task Force’s equipment. Hacking itself had almost no lethal force, but its influence was so enormous that it received that level of special treatment.
In this day and age, there was almost no information you couldn’t obtain if you could hack electronic devices and communication equipment. Analog methods like letters or notes were almost never used to exchange sensitive data anymore.
If Yu Hana got serious, we would probably obtain dense, high-quality information. We decided she would investigate the circumstances behind this incident first, and with that, today’s meeting came to a close. Once we reviewed what she brought back, we would set our official policy. If it turned out Seou Industries really had set the lab on fire for their own profit, we would take action.
While Yu Hana investigated Seou Industries, Seong Jiyeong and I went to film Shining’s CF. The schedule was tight because it had to coincide with the launch of their new product, but the set atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant for such a rushed shoot. That was only possible because the CF director liked us quite a bit.
Normally in CFs, the paying advertiser holds all the power—especially when the client is a major corporation. However, if the director is a true master with nothing to lose, their influence on set can become even stronger. This was exactly that kind of project. The captain steering this CF was Director Kim Bong-yeon, widely regarded as the best in the industry.
He was also the same person who had sat on the judging panel and suggested I try wearing that strange mask. From what I heard, he had been the strongest advocate for using the two of us together. Since he had personally chosen the models he wanted to shoot, there was no reason for any dissatisfaction to arise.
Besides—though it feels weird for me to say it—neither I nor Seong Jiyeong behaved like beginners. There were almost no NGs, and even the few retakes were only attempts to see if a better shot could be captured. In the end, they always went back to the first take. Thanks to that, Director Kim Bong-yeon never stopped smiling throughout the entire shoot.
“It was truly excellent. Thank you for your hard work.”
“You worked hard as well, Director.”
“These two are idols?”
“Yes. They will be debuting very soon.”
“Hmm… If you’re thinking about a music video, please contact me. I usually only do them as a hobby and turn down most offers, but with these two… I feel like I might actually enjoy it.”
“Oh, you’re not just saying that, right? I’ll seriously contact you.”
“Come now, I don’t say empty words. It would be tiring if I had to eat my words later.”
After filming ended, Manager Cha went to greet Director Kim Bong-yeon on behalf of our group and returned with a single business card. For some reason, Manager Cha was ridiculously happy about that one little card.
“This is a total jackpot. Director Kim Bong-yeon, of all people.”
“Why?”
“You don’t know? He’s incredibly famous for music videos as well as CFs. He’s someone you can’t easily hire even with money.”
When I asked why she was so excited, she explained that he directed music videos at an insane level. His main field was CFs so he didn’t shoot many, but whenever he did, they became massive hits. As a CF director who had to capture a product’s appeal efficiently in a short time, he was exceptionally skilled at identifying each member’s strongest points. His directing sense was also incredibly artistic, so his music videos always had something different from the norm.
His most recent work had been Flying Angel’s single album Fever. The song itself had been somewhat ambiguous and looked like it would flop, but the music video had made it skyrocket again. If Director Kim hadn’t shot that video, Flying Angel probably never would have grown into a global idol group. He really was an incredible talent.
That was why every major company sent him a love call first whenever they planned a music video. The scruffy-looking guy who had just been grinning on set turned out to be someone that important. I was a little surprised. CFs weren’t my area, but music videos were something every idol could appreciate.
“Make sure to remember today’s shoot. Working with someone like him is valuable experience. If the director said anything to you personally, keep it in mind. He has an excellent eye for people.”
Manager Cha, still riding high from receiving Director Kim Bong-yeon’s business card, reminded us to remember today’s filming. She said the experience of shooting with such a big name could be a huge help in our future entertainment careers. She even told us to remember any separate advice we might have received.
Separate advice, huh?
What had that man said to me again?
“Miss Yeri, your aura is quite special. Your appearance is so overwhelmingly beautiful that it doesn’t show at first, but when you cover your face with the mask, it changes completely. How should I put it… should I call it pessimistic? Or decadent? Either way, it’s incredibly deep. It’s far too unique a feeling for a young idol trainee to possess.”
He had added that if I wore slightly heavier makeup, an absolute femme fatale might be born. From my perspective, that sounded completely off. Um, can I really believe that? Femme fatale was a word that didn’t suit the gentle, good-natured Na Yeri at all.
Setting aside the hard-to-believe “Yeri is a femme fatale” theory, if someone that talented was willing to shoot our music video, it would definitely help. The quality of the video itself would be high, but the promotional effect would be impossible to ignore.
“Don’t forget about the meeting today.”
“Yeah, I won’t. Since Hana gathered the information, after all.”
Of course, we would have to clean up the Seou Industries matter first.