Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Manager Can't Join Us... (3)
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Before entering the practice room, I called CEO Oh.
The signal had barely rung three times when he picked up.
-Hello?
"Hello, sir. It's Ha Jae."
-Oh, hey Jae. How are you feeling? Practice going well?
"Yes, thanks to you. I've memorized all the songs and choreography, and the lessons are going great. I'm feeling fine too."
-Good to hear. Let me know right away if anything's off. So, what's up? Why the call?
CEO Oh really was a decent guy.
My first impression of him had been positive, and every encounter since had only reinforced it.
He struck me as someone who could actually help.
If he'd been anything like Hong Jae-pil, I never would've approached him in the first place.
I would've found another way.
"It's nothing urgent, but I have something important to discuss. Could I possibly meet with you today or tomorrow?"
-Hmm? Jae wants to see me that badly? Something pressing?
"Yes. I'd like to talk in person tomorrow."
-Alright, I'll make time. Want to come to my studio? I've got work tomorrow, so I won't be at the office.
That was music to my ears.
Better to meet at his personal studio than risk running into Hong Jae-pil at the company.
"Yes. Could you text me the address?"
-Sure. It's not far from your practice room—you'll be here in no time. Let's see... How about noon tomorrow?
"Perfect. See you then."
-See you tomorrow.
Click. I waited until he hung up first, then pocketed my phone.
Then I headed into the practice room.
The others were already practicing choreography when I opened the door.
"Jae's here. Jump in."
"Got it, Su-rim hyung."
I hurried over and joined the formation.
Tonight, over dinner, I'd have to think carefully about how to convince CEO Oh tomorrow.
For now, though, practice hard.
* * *
The next day, I arrived at the address CEO Oh had sent right on time.
His personal studio was about a fifteen-minute walk from the practice room.
Room 301 in a small officetel on the main road. I climbed the stairs and knocked, and he opened the door right away.
"Jae? I've been waiting."
"Hey, sir. Wow, this place is spotless."
The studio was fully equipped with soundproofing and top-notch gear. The desk was packed with all sorts of audio equipment I couldn't even name.
Yet it didn't feel cluttered at all. Everything was perfectly placed where it belonged.
"Right? I spend a lot of time here, so it pays to keep it tidy. Anyway, have a seat. What did you need to see me about?"
I sat where he gestured and began laying out the points I'd prepared the night before.
"Well... While practicing, a few memories have started coming back. Probably because there are so many practice room ones—being there jogs them loose bit by bit."
"Oh, really? That's great. Hope the rest come flooding back soon."
"Yeah. But... one of them's not so good."
"Not good how?"
"Could you listen to this first? I think it'll make more sense after. One sec."
I pulled out my phone and played the recording I'd made yesterday.
"Take a listen."
It wasn't pro recorder quality, but it was clear enough to make out who was who and what they were saying.
As Manager Hong's voice came through the speaker, CEO Oh tilted his head in confusion.
"Isn't that Manager Hong?"
"Please, listen closely."
He closed his eyes and focused. With every word, his expression grew more grave.
When the file ended, he looked pretty shocked.
"What the hell...?"
"It's exactly what it sounds like. Me tripping and hitting my head—and losing my memory—it was all because of Manager Hong."
"Hold on, Jae. You're saying Manager Hong... hit you? That he's why you lost your memory? What is this...?"
"...Feels a bit like tattling, I know. But I had to tell you. Back then, I was running a slight fever. I asked to rest a bit, and he called me cheeky and slapped me..."
"...Damn."
"That's when I fell—that part came back to me. Here, this section."
I rewound to the part where he shoved me and played it again.
"And this time, he pushed me so I'd fall."
"...But he told me you overdid it during solo practice."
"Lies. And that practice? He kept me behind alone to do it. Did you know about that, sir?"
"Yeah, he said you wanted to. That it was an accident during voluntary practice, so it was on you. But..."
Looks like CEO Oh trusted Hong Jae-pil a lot.
Makes sense—he'd kept him close and delegated everything.
Hong Jae-pil treating him like a puppet CEO.
Though, judging by how EverPlanet fell apart down the line, CEO Oh wasn't exactly a business genius either.
I spoke carefully to the visibly rattled CEO Oh.
"I wasn't sure at first, so I held off telling you. But stepping into the debut team's practice room made it all crystal clear—the exact moment of the accident."
"..."
"I know you trust Manager Hong, sir, so I agonized over whether to say anything. But I figured you had to know. You're the president of UJ Entertainment, after all. I couldn't let something this serious slip past the head of our company."
When dealing with higher-ups, there's one foolproof rule that works on anyone.
Flatter them relentlessly. "Team Leader Kim, your insight is incredible." "Only you could pull this off, sir." Something like that.
No matter what I really thought, or what their actual skills were.
Pump up their ego with some well-timed praise, then slip in your real goal—and it often worked.
A hard lesson I'd learned firsthand back at TL.
Even if it hadn't saved me in the end.
Anyway, the rule worked this time too.
"Of course. I've been so focused on your songs, I handed all the琐事 to that bastard Hong. Thought everything was running smooth. Who knew...?"
"If you listen again, you'll see—he covered his tracks thoroughly. He must've wiped the CCTV from when I got hurt too."
"Yeah, that. He said they were checking it that day, so no footage. You're saying he deleted it?"
CEO Oh let out a disbelieving huff.
The trust built over years shattered in an instant.
He rewound the recording and listened again. When Manager Hong badmouthed him, anger flashed across his face.
"Ungrateful wretch. I took him in because he was competent. And he turns out to be a viper."
Betrayal from someone you trusted hits hardest.
I eased in gently.
"But sir... please keep this between us."
"What?"
"I'll still have to work with Manager Hong going forward. What if he holds a grudge and tries something? ...He already has a track record."
I recalled the system-shown image of Ha Jae, cowering in fear of Manager Hong. I dropped my gaze, mimicking terror.
Pitiful eyes, downturned lips—everything to tug at the heartstrings.
Then the system chimed in.
[Excellent acting to win over their heart. Acting skill proficiency +20%.]
Even the system approved.
Of course. I'd been in the theater club in college. Not Han Tae-hee level, but I had the chops.
CEO Oh nodded, getting it.
"Don't worry, Jae. I'll handle it."
"...Mind if I ask how?"
"Fire him. Ignorance is one thing, but now that I know, I can't keep him in a key position."
"...Hearing that puts me at ease. Thank you, sir. I really wrestled with telling you."
"I bet. Must've taken guts. Thanks for speaking up."
Half my goal was already in the bag.
With the mood right, I pushed a step further.
"But... could I mention one more thing, carefully?"
"Go ahead."
I calmly explained the plan I'd mapped out ahead of time.
He listened, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Then—ding—the system pinged.
[Title 『Fledgling Negotiator』 effect activates. Negotiation succeeds due to bonus probability.]
Who knew it'd trigger like this.
Guess without it, it would've failed.
Relieved to see the title pay off for the first time, I sighed in gratitude.
"Alright. We'll do it your way. Better for both of us."
"Yes. Thank you."
The negotiation nailed it, just as planned.
Sorry, Manager Hong. You can't stick with us. Head home.
* * *
CEO Oh fired Hong Jae-pil.
I'd worried he might talk big but do nothing.
Fortunately, he followed through.
But that wasn't the end.
As Hong Jae-pil said, even booted from UJ, he could land at another agency and block my path.
Only one solution: drag his social standing through the mud completely.
So I proposed to CEO Oh.
"Just firing him feels risky, honestly. He's got experience—could easily get hired elsewhere."
"True."
"Then he might badmouth you in the industry. Or sabotage us or the Red Bee Sunbaes. With his temper, getting axed out of nowhere would breed resentment."
"Hmm..."
"So why not gather more evidence from others on top of mine and report him to the police outright?"
"...Report him?"
"Yes. Lucky I didn't get hurt worse, but it could've been huge. You'd have been in deep trouble too, sir. I might not have woken up. He needs to answer for it."
CEO Oh agreed and collected statements from the manager hyung and members.
Word was he'd even yelled at labelmates Red Bee before.
Karma's a bitch.
CEO Oh marveled at how he'd kept it all under wraps.
Or maybe Manager Hong deserved the credit for controlling the info flow.
'Who'd guess the CCTV backup could be restored.'
While gathering evidence, CEO Oh recovered the deleted footage.
Combined with my recording, it captured him assaulting Ha Jae clear as day.
The evidence was ironclad, leading straight to indictment.
A few days later, new news reached my ears.