Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Approaching Ruin (2)
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[Hotel Goldsun Business Room 302]
Jeong Seong-a double-checked the address in the text message as she gazed up at the building.
The elegant "GOLDSUN" engraved on the building's exterior caught her eye.
"Hoo..."
Jeong Seong-a took a deep breath and straightened her outfit.
She checked once more from her high heels to her dress and the coat draped over her shoulders, ensuring nothing was out of place.
'... I look like I'm off to meet a client.'
Her heavy makeup and carefully chosen outfit.
No matter how humbly she tried to see it, she looked stunning.
Men's gazes kept flicking toward her furtively.
She even overheard ridiculous comments like "Whoa," "She's smoking hot," and "Did you see that?"
-Click, click, click.
Gazes and remarks that devoured her, which she would normally ignore without a second thought.
But today, of all days, their greed grated on her nerves.
Wasn't it because of some "certain someone" targeting her that she was in this mess?
"Thank you for visiting Hotel Goldsun. Are you Jeong Seong-a?"
Just then, as she reached the hotel entrance, a staff member approached, recognizing her.
Jeong Seong-a tilted her head quizzically.
"Yes. And?"
"I've been asked to escort a VIP guest. Please follow me."
"Uh... I was just supposed to go to the business room myself."
"Ah, that's just a nominal reservation. A separate room has been prepared inside."
"..."
A secret room prepared within the hotel.
A chill ran down her spine.
What if something terrible happened? Anxiety crept up on her.
"Ms. Jeong?"
But at the staff member's call, Jeong Seong-a had no choice but to follow.
She had come this far; she couldn't back out now.
No, this was a necessary step to achieve her dream.
And so, Jeong Seong-a followed the staff member into the hotel.
[No Entry Except for Authorized Personnel.]
"Please come in."
The staff member opened the restricted door and ushered her inside.
A long corridor stretched out before her.
The staff led her down it.
"Please wait a moment."
They reached the end of the corridor.
But contrary to Jeong Seong-a's expectations, there was nothing there—just a solid wall.
Then, an AI voice emanated from the wall.
-Whirr...
The wall slid open smoothly, revealing the interior.
Beyond it lay a massive hall.
"Please come in."
"..."
-Click, click, click.
Jeong Seong-a followed the staff inside.
The space was dark and glamorous, like a grand club.
Sound systems, stage setups, and a cocktail bar adorned the area.
"This is the place."
As she followed and took in the club interior, she arrived at the door where the VIP waited.
Gulp. Her throat tightened.
"Then, enjoy your time."
The staff member departed.
After a moment's hesitation on how to proceed, she knocked lightly.
A deep male voice responded.
"Come in."
"Hoo..."
-Creak.
She took a deep breath, opened the door, and entered.
A sophisticated interior greeted her, complemented by a middle-aged man lounging on the sofa who fit the scene perfectly.
He didn't even glance her way, absorbed in his tablet PC.
"..."
Jeong Seong-a clenched her fists tightly.
His attitude—staring only at the tablet without a word—made her acutely aware of their positions.
He treated her like she wasn't even there, focused solely on his work.
"What do you think an idol is?"
His sudden, contextless question made her shoulders twitch.
He continued peering at the tablet as if he hadn't just spoken.
She wondered if she'd imagined it.
"Can't answer?"
But he had clearly asked.
He demanded her core view on the job she dreamed of.
Jeong Seong-a replied.
"I think... it's a job that brings joy to the public."
"Hm. A cute answer."
He called her professional outlook "cute."
It was subtle—not quite dismissive, more like a senior finding a junior's earnestness endearing.
"Sit first."
His gesture exuded class.
Not a hint of disarray; his aura radiated dignity from every pore.
Jeong Seong-a walked over with clicking heels and sat in the chair opposite him.
Looking at his perfectly tailored suit, she thought he was more refined than expected.
'He's more polite than I thought. If you ignore the casual speech right from the start.'
His speech, gestures, and demeanor were extraordinary.
As LTN Entertainment had hinted, he was a man of high society etiquette.
He spoke.
"Jeong Seong-a, right? Your answer isn't wrong. Idols are indeed beings that provide entertainment to the masses."
He turned off the tablet and posed the topic.
He looked up at her directly.
His face, met head-on, was intimidating.
"But essentially, idols are products. Planned commodities that can offer something sellable to the public."
Idols are products.
Jeong Seong-a quietly clenched her fist at his response.
It was an uncomfortable, repulsive perspective.
She wanted to correct him.
"... That's how the company sees it. Or capitalists like you, President. But I believe my duty is to bring joy to the fans. When they’re happy, I’m happy, and it motivates me to work harder. That’s my role. Packaging as a product is the company’s job."
The man smiled at Jeong Seong-a's words.
He nodded in acknowledgment and spoke again.
"That's not wrong either. I like your clear sense of purpose."
"..."
"Have you eaten?"
"Pardon?"
"It's almost mealtime."
"Ah. No, not yet..."
"Let's talk over food. You must be hungry."
"Ah... Yes."
"What kind? Western? Korean?"
"Um... Anything's fine."
"Then how about some tteokbokki?"
"Pardon??"
"Don't like tteokbokki?"
"Ah, no! I love it. During trainee days... I sneak it in a lot."
"Then tteokbokki with a shot of soju?"
"Ah, that sounds good."
Jeong Seong-a was flustered by the unexpected menu.
Given the atmosphere and his attire, she'd imagined steak and wine.
Tteokbokki out of nowhere?
Palace-style premium tteokbokki, maybe?
"Spicy tteokbokki, right?"
But he picked up the phone to order, defying expectations.
He ordered cheese tteokbokki, various fried items, and even sundae, then paused as if remembering something and asked her.
"Can you handle spice? How spicy?"
"Um... Medium spicy."
He nodded and continued.
"Medium spicy, and add one rose tteokbokki. Yes. Thank you."
-Beep.
He ended the call and sank back into the sofa.
Jeong Seong-a spoke.
"Do... you usually eat tteokbokki often?"
"Hm. I prefer chicken more often."
"Chicken?"
"Yeah."
"Ah... I figured someone like you, President, would be slicing steaks often."
"Hmm. Seems there's a misunderstanding. We order chicken and tteokbokki plenty."
"Ah. Yes. Sorry..."
"No need to apologize. Soju—what brand? Any preference?"
"Just cold is fine. Anything."
"Got it."
He pressed the call button for the staff and sent them for soju, emphasizing it be ice-cold.
"Shall we continue talking?"
"Yes."
His unexpectedly down-to-earth side eased Jeong Seong-a's guard.
He asked no weird questions, just about trainee life, her strengths, and how to score high in quarterly evaluations.
She answered each one sincerely, and as she shared her story, emotions crept in, loosening her tension.
Before long, she was confiding even her recent troubles.
"So I'm furious. I thought debut was a sure thing."
"... I get it. Your scores were the best."
"... But it was the chairman's decision. For the China debut, using a Chinese member was better, so I had to be cut."
"Even so, cutting you was a mistake. They should've dropped someone else."
They should've dropped someone else.
Jeong Seong-a nodded unconsciously.
She could never say it aloud as a fellow agency trainee, but it was always her inner thought.
Hearing it pinpointed felt like scratching an itch.
It was refreshing.
"You're exceptional. That's why I noticed you and called you here."
"... What do you want?"
-Knock knock.
Just then.
Two knocks, permission granted, and the staff brought the delivery food.
They unpacked and set it up neatly, bowed politely, and left.
The man gestured for her to eat.
"Dig in first."
"...Yes."
They started on the tteokbokki.
Dipping fried foods in the sauce, sharing shots of soju.
Jeong Seong-a nearly burst out laughing at his hearty eating despite the suit.
Tteokbokki in that outfit.
"Hm. So, what do I want?"
His words resumed, and Jeong Seong-a nodded.
She gulped down the lingering tteokbokki and said "Yes."
"What I want. First, accept my offer, and I'll tell you what you'll gain."
He turned on the tablet.
Displayed some data and slid it toward her.
The screen showed a photo of "Baek Ha-yoon."
"... Senior Baek Ha-yoon?"
Baek Ha-yoon.
From girl group T-Nature, national idol, national singer, national actress—top of the top, sweeping Korea.
Baek Ha-yoon had always been her idol.
She'd dreamed of being an idol because of her, practicing her singing and dance lines dozens of times a day to emulate her.
"This is what I can give you. I'll make you the next Baek Ha-yoon."
"..."
Her throat tightened.
The thought of becoming a shining star like Senior Baek Ha-yoon ignited a fierce desire within her.
"It's been six years already. Baek Ha-yoon sat here eating tteokbokki just like you. Asked what she wanted, and she said tteokbokki. Guess that's why you're eating it too. You resemble her."
"... S-Senior Baek Ha-yoon was here too?"
"Yes. Not just her. Plenty of idols, actresses, singers known in the industry passed through here."
Jeong Seong-a's shocked expression.
Her admired senior doing deals with underworld bigshots? Unbelievable.
"Hm. Seems you've lived more innocently than I thought."
He commented, gazing at her stunned face with a smile.
"Want the truth of the industry? It's not as glittery as you imagine."
"... No. Don't. I don't want my dream tainted."
"Fair enough. Your call."
He refilled her empty glass as he spoke.
Jeong Seong-a downed it in one go, slammed it down, and said.
"Now, get to the point. What do you want from me?"
"... You know. Your body."
"Ha-."
She laughed incredulously and refilled her glass.
Another shot, slammed down hard with emotion.
"Knew it. Shouldn't have come."
Jeong Seong-a stood.
But his next words froze her.
"If you leave now, you'll never achieve your dream."
"... I'll handle that myself."
"Kuk. Listen. This offer is a chance, but also a huge risk. I guarantee, walk out now, and you'll never debut."
A threat from someone called a "higher-up."
But rather than fear, fury surged in Jeong Seong-a.
She spat her words slowly, chewing each one.
"... You pathetic creeps. Upper-class bigshot? Hilarious. Bullies threatening the powerless—what makes you upper-class? Do you break everyone like this?"
She fired back boldly, but his expression didn't budge.
He said.
"Yes. We crush them all like that."
He stood.
Muscular build over 180cm filled the space, blocking the ceiling light on his back.
Jeong Seong-a froze under his overwhelming presence.
-Click. Click.
He approached.
Each step of his shoes made her heart pound.
He spoke in a heavy tone as he walked.
"This world's truth is survival of the fittest. Prey like you—"
He stood right in front of her.
His downcast eyes and the madness within froze her body.
"—we always devour. Cutting off their air so they can't struggle again."
"..."
"To survive, become one of the strong. Baek Ha-yoon did and lives on. We can't touch her now."
"..."
"You have the same potential, so here's your chance. Come back here next Thursday. Taste the strong's world, and your mind will change."
He pressed something into her hand.
Then opened the door and left.
-Click... click... click...
His footsteps faded.
Jeong Seong-a stared blankly at the door.
Then noticed the USB in her hand and gripped it tight.
She opened the door and left.