Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Bait, I Didn't Even Throw It?
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Kang Chae-rin and I chatted for about ten more minutes before I headed home.
I thought about calling Go Hyeong-tae right away, but held back.
What kind of face would I have to make to contact the guy who'd explicitly told me never to get involved with Purem Entertainment? No, this was something I had to handle myself.
"Purem Entertainment, Purem Entertainment..."
I scoured the internet for every scrap of info on Purem Entertainment.
"Holy shit."
The more I dug, the worse it got.
Settlement issues were just the start—inhumane treatment of their artists, every kind of corruption under the sun.
What was truly chilling was how they looked like a perfectly respectable company on the surface.
'No wonder successful artists paid massive penalties to break their contracts and bail.'
Even without that.
Contracts never got renewed once they expired, and there was a reason for it. Who in their right mind would stick around with a company like that?
Anyone who succeeded there would've made it anywhere else anyway.
I'd bail too, from a dump like that...
"Ugh."
Truth be told, how much of a cesspool Purem Entertainment was had nothing to do with me.
But Kang Chae-rin kept nagging at the back of my mind.
[The reason Purem Entertainment thrives as a mid-sized agency despite their brazen business practices is simple.
They hold ironclad contracts loaded with NDAs and terms skewed heavily in their favor.]
[They're pros at reeling in naive kids who don't know the ropes.
They lure them in, dazzle with sweet talk and facades at first, then flip the script the second the contract's signed.]
[If anyone's reading this and dreaming of showbiz, please—don't pick Purem like I did and ruin your life. I'm dead serious.
Even if you hit unexpected success with them, you'll soon find yourself broken in body and soul.]
The rage poured off that post.
It even got to me.
Kang Chae-rin was a trainee there.
The thought of that sparkling gem turning into street trash in just a few years burned me up inside.
"Pulling her out would be impossible, huh?"
If it were, I'd have swallowed my pride and begged Go Hyeong-tae already.
But Purem hadn't broken any laws, so no dice.
"No helping it, then."
After agonizing for a good long while, I made up my mind.
"To catch a lion, you enter the lion's mouth, right?"
I'd become a trainee at Purem Entertainment myself.
The next morning.
I swallowed my shame down to the dregs.
Dressed in the flashiest, most vain getup I could muster, I headed to Janyang-dong where Purem Entertainment was located.
'This oughta make me look like an airheaded bimbo.'
Most agencies clustered around Cheongdam-dong or Seongsu-dong.
Being out here all alone screamed sketchy.
And their dorms were in Hwayang-dong, where I lived?
Run-down streets, cheap rent...
'From one to ten, it's all so transparently designed to suck them dry with slave contracts.'
Minimal investment for maximum profit.
No shred of humanity or decency. Go Hyeong-tae had called the CEO and staff trash across the board—no surprise there.
'You messed with the wrong person, assholes.'
Muttering that under my breath, I strode boldly into Purem Entertainment.
"Welcome."
The difference from Sun Entertainment hit me the second I stepped inside.
Scale aside, of course.
Right next to the first-floor reception desk was a blatantly obvious security booth, manned by a rough-looking thug in sloppy clothes, lounging around.
Probably there to chase off anyone sniffing around with bad intentions.
Or to threaten and hunt down fleeing trainees.
"What can I do for you?"
"Oh, I saw your ongoing trainee recruitment ad."
"Ah... the trainee recruitment."
The desk clerk eyed me up and down.
Then her lip twitched in a smirk so subtle you might miss it. Mocking, almost.
Like, 'Another pathetic idiot who doesn't know her place.'
...Could be my imagination. But that's how it felt.
"Hang on a sec while I check upstairs. Won't be long."
"Sure, no rush."
"Thanks."
I waited patiently as instructed.
Someone came down in the elevator.
Messy hair, scruffy beard... a middle-aged guy in a cheap off-the-rack suit spotted me and grinned.
"Well, hello there. Thanks so much for gracing our humble agency. You want to be one of our trainees...?"
"Yes."
It hit me anew just how decent Go Hyeong-tae was.
He wasn't even in a suit, but he had that crisp, gentlemanly politeness. Going from chatting with him to this guy felt like night and day.
"...So, shall we head up to the office and talk contracts?"
Look at this clown, inviting a first-time visitor straight to the office.
Go Hyeong-tae had suggested a nearby café to ease any nerves. And this guy's eyes were blatantly leering...
'This'll be easy.'
Having already run the calculations in my head, I flashed an innocent smile.
Wide-eyed and guileless.
"Sure, sounds good."
"Hahaha, hop in the elevator then. Just so you know, we're fine with it, but don't go showing off like that anywhere else. The world's a dangerous place these days. Got it?"
"Oh! Right, thanks for the heads-up. Glad I came to Purem—you guys are so nice."
I had to fight back laughter.
Who the hell was warning who here? You are the danger.
"Mind if I grab a business card? For keeps."
"Of course!"
He eagerly handed one over, slyly brushing my hand. What a sleazy creep.
[Purem Entertainment]
[Go Min-cheol, Manager]
Manager?
Did entertainment agencies even have that title?
From what I knew, it was team member, team lead, director, head... Damn, was nothing about this place legit?
"Heh, surprised by my title, huh? I got promoted to manager pretty young."
"Wow... impressive."
Not young at all.
I was shocked they even had managers.
Ugh, whatever... not worth calling out.
「Ding!」
The elevator stopped at the fifth floor.
It was pitch black, lights all off.
"Hold up."
No hint of human warmth—chilly even in midsummer.
Wondered why, then saw it was stuffed with supplies and junk, used as a warehouse.
"Nice and quiet here since no one comes by—perfect for talking."
"Ah... I see."
Who drags a first-time visitor to a dump like this for contract talks...?
'My research said they at least put on a good show initially. Even that's a lie?'
For a second, I wondered if the people who signed here deserved it.
"So, let's get started?"
"Huh? Oh, sure."
No drinks offered here.
He plops down alone... even switches to casual speech like he owns me. Jeez.
I sat across from Go Min-cheol roughly.
"First off, how'd you end up at Purem?"
"......"
This wasn't a chat—it felt like an interrogation.
"Well, Sun Entertainment approached me first."
"...Sun Entertainment?"
That unexpected name soured Go Min-cheol's face.
He even eyed me suspiciously.
"...Hate to say it myself, but Sun looks solid on paper. Why take their offer and still come here? Can't help but be skeptical."
"Eh, just didn't feel right."
At my Sun diss right out the gate, his face lit up.
"Heh, yeah, they give off that vibe. All clean and nice on the surface, but really just corporate bullies."
"Exactly! And keeping talent like me on the shelf for 2-3 years? Unbelievable."
I played right into what he wanted.
Raised my voice like I was pissed, explained why Sun and I didn't click.
"Wasting a pretty, charming girl like you for 2-3 years? Total incompetents. We'd debut you in three months flat."
Debut someone with no singing, acting, or experience in three months?
Ridiculous.
Sure, they'd "debut" her—maybe in some shady Chinese club, or AV, or the risky stuff Go Hyeong-tae warned about.
"Right? Manager! That's what I thought too. I'm Kim Hyun-ah, Kim Hyun-ah. Everyone knows me worldwide now."
"R-Really?"
This so-called manager didn't watch the news?
Perfect. I Googled myself and shoved it in his face.
"See? My name brings up over ten pages of images."
"Wha— This is...!"
Go Min-cheol couldn't peel his eyes off my uncensored nudes.
Gulping too?
I stifled a laugh and kept up the act.
"With all this explosive buzz right now, debuting me ASAP wouldn't even cover it. But 2-3 years? They're blind."
"Y-Yeah. Ahem!"
He nodded, eyes flicking between the pics and me in person.
Not even hiding his lustful stare?
"Purem's different, right?"
"Of c-course! Like I said, if we wanted, three months—no, faster."
Hmm, right on script.
Time to bait...
"But looking at you, Hyun-ah... you're kinda old at 25? Tough sell for debuting from our side. That's probably why Sun chickened out. We're different, though. If you show some... personal sincerity to me."
His blatant sex pitch had me fighting a grin.
I hadn't even thrown the bait, and the fish was hooked?