The Price of Foresight
Standing before the door to the CEO’s office, the A&R team leader turned back to look at Rabin. "Let's go in together."
Rabin took a short, steadying breath and nodded. Inside the office, the CEO and the general manager were already seated. As the door clicked shut, the general manager looked at Rabin and said, "You really have a talent for making people's blood run cold, Rabin."
It was a reprimanding tone, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He continued, "When you bring a new song right before a comeback and ask to scrap the whole plan, the staff on the ground suffers. You know that, right?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Sorry is sorry, but..." The general manager tapped the tablet lying on the desk. "The song is good. Especially the fact that it's Harin's self-composed track. If a member's own song is the title track, it's great for promotion and adds a compelling narrative."
The CEO, who had been listening in silence until then, spoke calmly. "The general manager is right." She glanced at Rabin for a moment before continuing. "Scrapping the plan right before a comeback is a huge risk. But if the song is worth enough to justify that risk, the story changes."
The office fell silent. "And this song seems worth it." The CEO spoke without hesitation. "The title track will be Harin's self-composed song."
The A&R team leader and the general manager looked at the CEO in unison. "General Manager, please completely reorganize the comeback plan. Base it on this song."
"Pardon? Ah, understood."
"And please prepare the contract renewal for A-Bloom in advance as well."
Rabin’s eyes widened, trembling. "Are we really renewing our contract?"
"Yes. Of course."
A smile blossomed on Rabin's face. "Thank you, CEO."
Then, the CEO asked nonchalantly, "By the way, Rabin."
"Yes, CEO?"
"How did you find Harin's self-composed song?"
Rabin hesitated for a moment. "I'm also curious why you were so certain it had to be that song."
The office went quiet again. The A&R team leader and the general manager kept their eyes fixed on Rabin. Rabin slowly parted her lips. "I had a consultation last night."
The CEO tilted her head ever so slightly. "A consultation?"
"Yes." Rabin took a breath and continued. "There’s a streamer who goes by 'Perpetual Job Seeker' who does shamanic readings. I went into his stream, got picked for a free reading, and..."
At that moment, the CEO's expression shifted, if only by a fraction. "You got a reading from him?"
"...Do you know him?" Rabin asked, her eyes round with surprise.
The CEO replied briefly, "I've heard the name. So, what did he say?"
Rabin relayed everything the Perpetual Job Seeker had told her the night before. The CEO, lost in thought for a moment, nodded. "I see." That was all she said.
A short while later, the A&R team leader and Rabin left the office. Only after the door closed did the general manager speak cautiously. "CEO, isn't this decision a bit too rushed?"
The CEO stopped as she reached for some documents. "Rushed? If we're late, we miss the opportunity. General Manager, you don't know who the person Rabin mentioned is, do you?"
"...The Perpetual Job Seeker? No, I'm not familiar with him."
"Well, you were at the US branch until this week, so it’s natural that he’s unfamiliar to you."
The general manager narrowed his brows. "Is he that impressive?"
The CEO laughed shortly. "More than you’d think." As she flipped through the papers, she added, "You have no idea how surprised I was when Rabin said she got a reading from him."
The general manager, deep in thought, asked, "Still, isn't it too early to bring up the contract renewal?"
The CEO answered immediately. "No. Actually, now is the most advantageous time for the terms."
The general manager looked at the CEO cautiously. She continued with a calm face. "Once the song hits, their market value will change. We have to move before that."
The CEO didn't explain further. The general manager slowly rolled the name she had mentioned around in his mind. *Perpetual Job Seeker.* As soon as he returned to his desk, he intended to look that name up.
The next afternoon. It was a regular day off, and there was nowhere he needed to be. Park Jihun lay on his bed, rolling around while looking at his phone. He was scrolling through Shorts with his index finger when he saw it.
Hearing his own voice that he hadn't heard before, Park Jihun was startled and swiped past the Short. But after a moment, he swiped back. The editor had already cut last night's broadcast into a Short.
"...The reaction is pretty good." The number of views and likes on the Short were higher than he expected. "I guess people are really looking for this."
He clicked straight into the comment section.
Park Jihun stopped scrolling. 'Routine?' He looked, and there wasn't just one or two people saying that. People were no longer watching out of curiosity. They were logging in at the broadcast time, checking in even when they knew it was a day off, re-watching the Shorts, and waiting for the next broadcast.
Park Jihun chuckled. "I need to rest too. Why are they so obsessed?"
He continued scrolling through the comments and then checked a few online communities. He went to the internet broadcasting gallery, and the clips of the shamanic readings he had done were dominating the popular posts. 'Even here, they're only talking about me.'
Park Jihun scrolled down further. The more he saw, the stranger he felt. People were waiting for his broadcast. And very desperately, at that.
That was when his phone pinged. It was Usik.
Park Jihun sent a short reply. [Get lost.]
Even so, a smile remained on his lips. He couldn't guess how many people would flock to his stream when he turned it on tomorrow. Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him. 'My condition has definitely improved.'
It had been that way for a few days, but today, the feeling was completely different. Park Jihun slowly pressed his temples. They didn't hurt. 'At this rate...' He fell into thought for a moment. It was a fact that using his Shinan put a burden on his body. But that limit was expanding, little by little. One free reading, five paid ones. Until now, he had thought that was just right. But now, he felt he could handle one more without any trouble. He would know for sure once he turned on the broadcast tomorrow.
The day passed quickly. Park Jihun sat in front of his desk and stared at the monitor. "Whew." After a short breath, he pressed the broadcast start button.
Perpetual Job Seeker's broadcast has started.
A moment later, the black screen flickered to life. As if they had been waiting, the chat flooded in.
Park Jihun scanned the chat and chuckled. "I need to rest too, you know." That comment only made the chat heat up even more.
Park Jihun glanced at the viewer count. Hundreds had poured in the moment he turned it on, and now it was nearing ten thousand. "I think it's already too late for that," he said.
About five minutes into the broadcast, Park Jihun parted his lips. "Before I spin the roulette, I have some good news for you all."
Park Jihun looked at the monitor and spoke. "Originally, I took one free reading and five paid ones. Starting today, I'll take one more."
The chat paused for a second, then exploded.
Park Jihun scanned the chat. The reaction was intense. He drew a smile on his lips. "Alright, I'll spin the roulette, so get your applications in."
At that moment, the chat began to be plastered with the word [Apply]. The scroll was moving so fast it was hard to follow with his eyes. "Alright, I'll close it here and spin the roulette."
Park Jihun activated the roulette feature. The number of applicants exceeded 7,000. Perhaps because it was the day after a day off, there were far more than usual. The chat seemed to feel it too, bubbling over with noise.
The roulette began to spin. The nicknames in the chat flashed across the screen one by one before disappearing. Park Jihun stared at the screen expressionlessly. A moment later, *ding*.
The first winner appeared. [Urehil]
Park Jihun said, "Urehil, join the Discord." The connection sound played, and the other party joined. "Hello." It was a lively-sounding voice. Park Jihun kept his gaze fixed on the monitor. Looking through his Shinan, he saw no major cracks in the person's health, family, or finances. "No major problems here."
"Oh, really? That's a relief." The person let out a small sigh of relief. Park Jihun continued, "I was going to end it, but there's something you haven't said yet. Tell me that."
Urehil parted his lips. "Ah, right. It's vacation, so I was thinking of doing some part-time work."
"Go on."
"I'm debating between a department store Christmas pop-up and a mascot costume job. But the pop-up pays a higher hourly wage. Which one should I do?"
Park Jihun tapped his desk at those words. A vision flashed by. The interior of a department store covered in red decorations. A beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Endless streams of customers. The image of moving boxes, carrying goods, and going in and out of a cramped storage room flickered past. It was clear the medical bills would be higher than the wages.
"Don't go to the pop-up."
"Pardon?"
"It's not worth the money. You'll throw out your back, and the medical bills will cost more."
Urehil asked cautiously, "Then should I do the mascot job? That looked harder..."
"Go there."
"Really?"
"It's better than the pop-up. Between the two, that's the better choice."
Urehil let out a small breath. "Thank you! I almost made a huge mistake just looking at the hourly wage."
"Forget it. And don't buy a sweet potato cake for your father's birthday next week. Your father doesn't like those."
"Oh! Right. Thank you!"
The Discord connection cut off. It was just as Park Jihun was about to spin the roulette again. *Ding-*
Yoo Saebom has gifted 1,000 Water Droplets!
Park Jihun hesitated. He didn't press the roulette start button and parted his lips. "Starting today, I'll take two free readings. First, Yoo Saebom. Join the Discord."
Yoo Saebom joined the Discord, and Park Jihun asked immediately, "You've already signed the contract for the house you're moving into, right?"
"...Yes. I signed it yesterday, why?"
"Don't move into that house."
Yoo Saebom asked back in a troubled voice, "What? But I'll lose the deposit money..."
However, Park Jihun did not hesitate. "That house isn't a place for you to live. It's a place you'll have to run away from."