Busy, So Please Get Lost
I headed to the practice room to find Gaeul after wrapping up my discussion with Cheon Aram about the contract. I’d told her I’d greet Gyeoul first, and she had gone on ahead. Through the small window of the practice room, I could see Gyeoul crouched down while Gaeul stood, the two of them seemingly deep in conversation. They were already getting close. It was a welcome sight.
I flung the door open and asked, “Did you two manage to talk a bit?”
“…Huh? Oh, yes! Gyeoul was really receptive, so we had a fun conversation!”
Gaeul looked momentarily flustered, but when she saw my face, she broke into a bright smile. It was good to see that she seemed to have put yesterday’s events behind her. However, Gyeoul’s reaction was strange. She was trembling slightly, staring at me with desperate eyes.
Now that I looked closer, the whole scene felt off. Gaeul standing and looking down at Gyeoul, while Gyeoul shivered. It was incredibly suggestive. Even though I told myself that Gaeul wasn’t the type to do something like that, I asked just to be sure.
“Gaeul. You didn’t happen to bully Gyeoul, did you?”
At my question, the two of them exchanged a blank look before reacting strongly. Gyeoul shook her head so vigorously it looked like she had a motor in her neck, while Gaeul’s face turned deathly pale.
“Absolutely not!”
“…Then what was that weird atmosphere just now? Gyeoul, you tell me. Why were you shaking?”
“Ah… there really wasn’t any bullying. Sister Gaeul approached me kindly. …It’s just that I’m a gloomy, dull social misfit, so seeing someone so bright made me shrink back.”
Aigoo, our little outcast. Making friends really wasn’t easy for her. Maybe throwing the extremely extroverted Gaeul at her right away had been a bit much.
“Still, you’ll be working together as a team from now on, so we have to make an effort. Let’s all try a little harder. Gaeul will help too.”
“Yes… I’m sorry.”
Gaeul, who had been listening to our exchange, squeezed her eyes shut and spoke.
“No, it’s not Gyeoul’s fault!”
She hung her head like a condemned prisoner before an executioner.
“It’s probably because she felt my jealousy. I didn’t say or do anything specific, but emotions can still be transmitted.”
She trembled just from sensing jealousy, without any actions or words? Was that even possible? …But if it was Gyeoul, it somehow made sense. For our natural-born outcast Gyeoul, that alone might be enough to make her shake. If Gaeul had actually done something harmful, Gyeoul would probably be sobbing her eyes out by now.
Still, I was a little disappointed in Gaeul. Of course, I understood. Even I felt jealousy sometimes—how could I stop a young girl like Gaeul from experiencing those emotions? If they spent twenty-four hours a day together, even stronger feelings would inevitably surface. And the fact that she could honestly admit to it was something to be praised. The root of big fights was usually when people bottled things up until they exploded. With Gaeul like this, it probably wouldn’t escalate into a major conflict.
But what on earth could have made Gaeul feel jealous?
“Gaeul. What exactly made you feel jealous?”
Gaeul looked at the black Adidas track jacket I had been wearing, the one Gyeoul had taken from me, and said,
“It was the clothes…”
“The clothes?”
Gaeul kept glancing up and down at me, reading my expression frantically, before answering.
“…I got jealous because she looked so pretty in the clothes.”
I let out a small laugh, completely deflated.
“Come on, is that really something to get jealous over? You’re incredibly pretty too, just as much as Gyeoul.”
At my casual response, Gaeul’s face flushed red. Instead of the silent Gaeul, it was Gyeoul who answered.
“…Is she really that pretty?”
“Yeah, she’s pretty. Pretty enough to be called the prettiest in the world.”
This time, Gyeoul’s face turned red. They’d probably heard compliments about their looks their entire lives, so why were both of them reacting like this? I decided to change the awkward atmosphere.
“The dance trainer will be here in thirty minutes. Take a short break, warm up your bodies, and get ready so we can start class right away.”
Gaeul nodded, her face still flushed.
“Okay, I will.”
“Her name is Lee Hyerin. She’s one of the top trainers when it comes to teaching fundamentals. The CEO personally invited her, so try to learn as much as you can.”
On top of that, she had passed Cheon Aram’s scent judgment, making her an excellent person in terms of character as well. She would be able to teach them a lot.
“Gyeoul, who’s already taken the class, even if it feels awkward, bear with it a bit and show Gaeul what kind of training schedule she’ll have to handle.”
Gyeoul nodded with a determined expression, as if she had made up her mind to see it through no matter what.
“Yes, Teacher Taeyang.”
Her overly solemn face made it look like she was heading off to commit a crime. Still, it was good to see she had motivation.
“Good. If you complete today’s entire training schedule, you can go back to the dorm and rest. Call me if anything comes up.”
Gaeul raised her hand like a student asking a question.
“…Um, Team Leader Seon?”
“Yes? What are you curious about, Gaeul?”
“Is Team Leader Seon not at the company?”
“That’s right. I have to go out to do scouting.”
This time, Gyeoul shot her hand up and asked. Had they agreed to raise their hands when asking questions?
“Then, will you stop by before you leave for the day?”
“I should. I need to report the progress to CEO Cheon.”
Cheon Aram had said it was fine to head straight home from the field, but I thought that wouldn’t do. It was a basic principle for building trust, and my own pride after living as a salaried worker for over ten years.
At my answer, both Gyeoul and Gaeul smiled brightly. Even though they hadn’t copied each other, their smiles looked remarkably similar. It was nice to see they already had something in common.
“Alright, let’s all work hard together.”
“Have a safe trip! Team Leader Seon!”
Gyeoul, watching Gaeul wave energetically, spoke while glancing at her.
“…Have a safe trip, Teacher Taeyang.”
I gave them a small smile and left the training room.
I raised both hands in surrender and said, “So, I’m not a strange person—I’m an employee at an entertainment agency. I wasn’t following you; I approached you because I wanted to cast you!”
Park Jinah, who had been pressing a pink stun gun against my neck, stared at my face for a moment before lowering the device.
“…Well, you don’t have the face of a stalker. I’ll believe you.”
Taking a step back, Park Jinah scrutinized my face as if analyzing it and muttered quietly.
“The dark circles are a bit of a shame, but they give off a decadent charm, so it’s not bad…”
Then, as if she had convinced herself of something, she nodded and said,
“I’m sorry for overreacting. I’ve been stalked a lot lately.”
“It’s fine. No one got hurt.”
“As an apology, I’ll seriously listen to what you wanted to say.”
Anyway, it was a relief that the misunderstanding had been cleared and I could bring up the casting talk.
“Thank you. This is who I am.”
I handed her my business card and said, “I want to create the best girl group with you, Jinah.”
Park Jinah examined the card carefully before speaking.
“…Two Bear Entertainment, Team Leader Seon Taeyang?”
She let out a small snort and continued,
“Judging by the fact that I’ve never heard of it, it must be a tiny agency that isn’t even mid-tier. I’m not interested in places like this.”
Park Jinah lightly stroked her own face, emphasizing her beauty, and said,
“Look at me. With a face like this, shouldn’t I be aiming for one of the Big Three agencies? Isn’t it overreaching for a brand-new company that isn’t even mid-tier to try to sign me?”
Her words were a bit rude, but I could understand why she felt that way. If the agency she had to pour her entire golden period into was one she’d never even heard of, it was natural to react like that. With her current A- and potential A appearance, it made sense that her pride would be sky-high.
However, my job was to break the pride of this arrogant kid, bring her to Two Bear, and let Cheon Aram smell her. As I always did, I prepared to gild Two Bear’s future.
“Our Two Bear Entertainment may not be well-known yet, so you might think of us as just another run-of-the-mill startup, but in reality…”
At that moment, my phone in my inner pocket began to ring.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
The caller was Gaeul. She should have been in the middle of training—what could have made her call?
“Hey, Gaeul. What’s up?”
“…”
“Gaeul?”
“…Team Leader Seon.”
“Yeah, Gaeul. Speak comfortably. Do you need my help with something?”
“…I need your help.”
Only then did I realize it. Gaeul’s voice was thick with tears.
“Please help me.”
It sounded like she was holding back sobs.
“…Gaeul, can you slowly tell me where you are right now and what situation you’re in?”
My head grew hot. But I spoke as calmly as possible.
“I’ll help you.”
When I turned on the call recording, Gaeul clearly stated the situation and her location.
“Okay, I’m heading there right now.”
I ended the call, straightened my clothes, and began preparing to leave immediately. Park Jinah asked in confusion,
“Wait a minute. You’re leaving just like that?”
I explained the situation with deep apology.
“Yes, it seems one of our trainees is in trouble, so I need to leave right away. I’m truly sorry, but I’d like to continue this conversation later.”
“I have no intention of doing that.”
As I slung my bag over my shoulder and looked at her, she said,
“The reason I’m listening to you now is purely as an apology. It just means I’m giving you one chance. I have no plans to talk with you again after this.”
“…”
“If you want to persuade me, do it now. My time is valuable.”
…Ha. Look at this bitch. Does she think only her time is valuable? When Gaeul is going through something right now…
There was no need to even let Cheon Aram smell this kid. She was clearly overflowing with greed that sacrificed others. The moment Cheon Aram caught her scent, she would probably scream and jump out the window. I had approached her because in the previous round she had become famous as a donation angel idol, but it looked like a complete miss.
I ignored her and walked toward where I had parked the car.
“Wait! Are you ignoring me?”
Park Jinah followed me, calling out. Ah, why is she being so clingy?
“You said your time is valuable. My time is valuable too. Let’s both save our time.”
I waved my hand as if shooing away a fly. Then Park Jinah grabbed me forcefully and said,
“That’s why I’m telling you I’ll use that valuable time for you right now, Team Leader Seon! Don’t you understand what that means? Why are you so dense?”
I raised my middle finger and answered.
“Fuck off.”
Busy, so please get lost.