The S-Rank Vocal Potential
After hearing Cheon Aram's evaluation in a whisper, I realized I would eventually have to let So-eun go. She was destined to become a pure-faced sensation in CFs someday. When I apologized deeply and told her it would be difficult to work with Two Bear, So-eun suddenly hurled curses at me and stormed out alone. I couldn't even stop her. As I stood there in a daze, a message arrived. It was mostly accusations about the CEO's arrogance, with the added assurance that she wouldn't set foot in such a filthy agency.
…She seemed to have a much fiercer personality than I'd expected. Still, it was a shame to let her go.
"It might sound pathetic coming from my own mouth, but recruiting talent isn't easy."
In a tiny agency with only three employees—including the CEO—bringing in promising trainees was never going to be simple. Relying solely on vague memories of which schools they'd attended, I'd wandered around middle and high schools. I'd even received police reports about a suspicious person lurking around campus. Even when I managed to meet them, mentioning Two Bear Entertainment immediately drew suspicious looks, as if I were a scammer. It was only natural. Two Bear didn't even have a website, let alone a promotional Instagram account, so no information came up in searches.
Despite those obstacles, I'd done my best. Using every bit of knowledge from my regression without holding back, I'd talked, coaxed, and comforted them. I'd squeezed out every story I could—real or fabricated—to paint Two Bear Entertainment as a company with a grand vision. After barely dragging them all the way here, the results were always like this.
"If we were only talking about talent, these kids were ready for the debut team right away."
Every one of them had at least one main stat at A-rank. The rest were at least B. In terms of pure potential, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were right below Gyeowool. And with successful futures ahead of them, it was like drawing from a lottery with guaranteed wins.
"Couldn't you at least watch them perform before evaluating them?"
"No. I can't compromise on this. I want people who don't have a stench."
"I'm taking that into consideration too. But isn't your standard a bit too strict?"
Cheon Aram looked at me with pity in her eyes.
"I know it's frustrating and infuriating from Team Leader Seon's perspective after all your hard work. But I'm currently lowering my olfactory threshold as much as possible to evaluate them. Honestly, I'm the one who's amazed that you're only bringing in these landmine-like kids. …Team Leader Seon. If you keep people like that around you, you might get stabbed in the back someday. And it could be a really big one. Those kinds of people are terrifying when they turn on you."
…How did she know? Had this woman regressed too?
It was an excruciatingly accurate point. For someone like me, who'd played the fool in my previous life only to get thoroughly betrayed, it hit even harder. No, I'd considered their character in my own way. Was my judgment really that bad?
It wasn't that I hadn't thought about character. I'd taken Cheon Aram's words seriously and selected people carefully. I'd considered how they'd treated staff and managers in the previous round, whether there'd been any bad rumors circulating about them in the industry, and chosen only the most thoroughly vetted candidates. The three I'd brought in were the cream of the crop within those conditions. At the very least, none of them had ever caused any scandals.
Though thinking about how I'd still gotten stabbed in the back made the judgment feel a little uneasy….
A sudden question occurred to me.
"What kind of smell do I have?"
Cheon Aram's eyes sparkled as if she'd heard something interesting. It was rude to think this about my boss, but that gaze reminded me of a viper toying with a mouse.
"Hmm… You don't think you wouldn't have a smell?"
"I know myself well. I'm certain I would have one."
Cheon Aram didn't deny my words.
"Honestly, I don't understand how I remained after being filtered by your sense of smell, CEO Cheon."
"You just let it slide before, didn't you?"
"Before, I thought that even if there was some level of desire, it could be overlooked. But looking at it now, it doesn't seem that way at all."
Otherwise, it would mean that every person I chose was someone who would stab me in the back, which made no sense….
"Has your thinking changed now?"
"Yes, it has. I'm just an ordinary person with ambitions for success, after all."
In truth, I was even more selfish. Or at least, I was trying to become that kind of person.
"If someone like me doesn't have a smell, it might make me doubt your ability, CEO Cheon."
Cheon Aram rested her chin on her hand on the CEO's desk.
"You're right. You do have a smell, Team Leader Seon."
I'd expected it, but hearing it to my face still felt unpleasant.
"But you're incredibly unique. You have a smell, but somehow it feels more like a scent. Should I put it that way?"
"A scent?"
"Like the smell of sweat… No, forget I said that. Anyway, it's somehow addictive and not that unpleasant."
It was a difficult comment to respond to. My mind went completely blank trying to find an appropriate reaction to my boss telling me I had an addictive sweat smell.
"I'm not entirely sure myself. But I figure if it feels good, then it's good."
"Have there been many cases like mine?"
"In my experience, you're the first, Team Leader Seon."
My head started to hurt. I realized my case was a unique one that wouldn't help as a reference for recruitment. In the end, the difficulty of the condition—that Cheon Aram must not detect a stench—hadn't changed at all.
"I'll tell you this so you don't overthink it too much. I'm not looking exclusively for completely pure people without any smell."
Cheon Aram added this as if she understood my anguish.
"I've only seen a handful of people like that, including Soo-yeon. It would be heartless to demand someone exactly like those rare few."
"Then what level are you willing to tolerate?"
"A certain amount of smell is fine. …For example, someone like Han Gyeowool."
I was so startled by the completely unexpected name that I asked without thinking.
"Are you saying Gyeowool has that greed to obtain what she wants even at the expense of others?"
The natural-born recluse Gyeowool, who wouldn't even call the police because she was worried it might inconvenience them? It didn't make sense. The hikikomori Gyeowool, who lacked the initiative to even attend an audition unless that girl Yeji pushed her—what greed could she possibly have? Ah, was this where that half-naked cartoon female character came into play?
"To be precise, she gives off a smell when a certain something is nearby."
I pressed her with growing suspicion.
"What is it?"
Cheon Aram smiled playfully and put her index finger to her lips in a 'shh' gesture.
Then she said,
"…Can't you just tell me? As the person managing her under the title of Team Leader, I think I need to know."
"You'll find out eventually even if I don't tell you."
Cheon Aram chuckled as if the situation amused her. Then her expression suddenly turned serious.
"Just so we're clear, office romance is strictly prohibited in our company."
Gyeowool was practicing in the company's training room, repeatedly performing the movements assigned as homework from her dance academy. Even though no one was watching, she was working so hard that her red short-sleeved shirt was soaked through with sweat. The sight was so admirable that I wanted to buy her something.
"Is there anything you want to drink?"
"Something to drink?"
"Yeah, I was thinking of stopping by a nearby cafe. I'll get you one."
"…Then I'll have an Americano."
"Banana mocha cream frappuccino? Okay, got it."
I already know your taste. Who are you trying to play coy with?
Gyeowool looked embarrassed but nodded, apparently wanting the frappuccino more than the Americano. Our little recluse. Since you're not managing your diet right now, eat as much as you want.
I entered the independent cafe right in front of the Two Bear Entertainment office. I'd expected it to be less crowded than the large franchise cafe across the crosswalk, but that assumption was wrong. For some reason, the place was packed. Was this some famous hidden gem that only I didn't know about?
Seeing the long line of people waiting to order, I thought I should probably change my destination to the franchise cafe across the street. But since I was buying drinks anyway, I wanted Gyeowool to have something delicious. After a brief moment of hesitation, I decided to wait in line, figuring I'd just take the loss.
While scrolling through my smartphone looking up the SNS accounts of future stars, my turn finally came.
"Welcome! This is Peanuts Coffee, where the aroma of roasted nuts fills the air! What would you like to order?"
The part-timer asked me while struggling to handle the flood of orders alone. Seeing her profile as she made milk foam and took orders, I immediately understood why this cafe was so popular.
The part-timer was incredibly beautiful.
Her dark hair, which caught the light with a brownish tint, was styled in a natural-looking ponytail. It seemed less about deliberate styling and more for practical ease of movement. Yet that natural quality combined perfectly with her soft, puppy-like face, radiating a fresh charm. She had the look of everyone's first love—the kind that everyone falls for at least once during their school days.
The white blouse and black slacks she wore didn't seem particularly high-end; they looked like they'd been bought from the lowest price range of an online shopping mall, with somewhat mediocre finishing. But with her perfect figure, she made even those cheap clothes look stylish.
I didn't even need to check her status window to know. Her appearance stat would definitely show at least A.
"Could you please place your order?"
The man behind me spoke with a slightly irritated tone, apparently annoyed that I was taking too long because I was lost in admiration. I apologized and hurriedly ordered one banana mocha cream frappuccino and one green grape ade for the CEO before paying.
While waiting for the drinks, I looked around and noticed that most of the customers were men. It seemed they'd come to admire the pretty face while having an after-lunch coffee. In my assessment, that part-timer's face was certainly worth the visit. At that level, I thought it would be reasonable to encourage her to try entering the entertainment industry. Whether as an actress or an idol, she could probably make a living anywhere just with her face. As a bonus, I could build some connections by introducing her.
The part-timer was sweating profusely as she bustled around the small cafe's kitchen alone. She was working desperately to keep the orders from piling up. To her, life itself seemed like a constant struggle.
Watching her, I changed my mind about introducing her. Telling someone who lived life like that to try the entertainment industry just because of her face would be nothing less than an insult. She'd probably reject it with a contemptuous look. Because of that, I decided to think of her as nothing more than a passing connection.
There was no shortage of talent in a country like Korea. There was no need to reach out to a mere part-timer.
I returned to the company carrying the packaged drinks.
I thought she was just a passing connection.
"Welcome! This is Doctor Bread, the bakery that bakes happiness! How can I help you with your order?"
I ran into the part-timer again at the bakery where I was buying a salad for Gyeowool's lunch. I was slightly impressed that such a coincidence could happen and bought the salad.
But it didn't end there.
"Welcome to Prince Convenience Store! Shall I help you with checkout?"
At the convenience store where I stopped to buy a fatigue recovery drink.
"Welcome to Grandpa Small Hands' Soup Restaurant. What would you like to order?"
Even at the soup restaurant where I was picking up sundae gukbap for my sister who wanted a drink with it.
All of this happened in a single day.
Just how many part-time jobs does this girl have?
Thinking this must be fate, I greeted her simply.
"Nice to see you again."
"Ah! So you really are the customer I've seen four times today? I've already built up quite a bit of internal familiarity. I wanted to greet you first since we keep running into each other, but I was worried it might make you uncomfortable if I acted like I knew you…."
"No, it's not uncomfortable at all…."
"By the way, what a coincidence! Meeting at all four of my part-time jobs in one day! Actually, when I first started working part-time, I imagined something like this might happen! That there might be a customer I'd see from morning till evening! And it makes sense—the course is perfect, isn't it? A cup of coffee in the morning, a croissant sandwich for lunch, strawberry mochi for a snack, and sundae gukbap for dinner! Isn't it a truly perfect course?"
Once the conversation started, the part-timer opened her mouth excitedly as if she'd been waiting for it. She was like a puppy wagging its tail with absolutely no wariness.
"Ah! Are you the type of customer who prefers boiled pork gukbap over sundae gukbap? In that case, please consider it trying it once even if you get fooled by me! The blood sausage here is really delicious! When you eat it with the savory kkakdugi, it's absolutely incredible! Wait, but why don't people know about this amazing combination? There are hardly any customers?"
I hadn't expected her to talk this much. The part-timer looked at me with eyes that seemed to find this small talk incredibly enjoyable. I regretted striking up a conversation and looked back at her awkwardly.
Our eyes met.
And as if it had been waiting for this moment, the status window popped up.
Wait… Potential S?
I stared blankly at the status window containing such shocking information. And one sentence barely came to mind.
"Um… Sir, are you okay?"
I have to secure this part-timer no matter what.