Power & Sex, and... 13

After finishing lunch with Chairman Lee Hoe-jang and seeing him off to his company, Park Maru was having coffee with Eun-mi and discussing future plans when a call came in from the Members' Office Building. He hurriedly dropped her off at Seoul Station and sent her on her way.

"What's the problem?"

"The greeting you posted seems to have really rubbed the party leadership the wrong way."

"Did you check the party members' reactions?"

"The members are cheering it on."

"Then we're good."

He had posted a greeting on the party members' bulletin board to report his appointment as Digital Party Committee Chair, but it hadn't sat well with the party leadership. It was a predictable outcome. A mere first-term assemblyman like him had bluntly criticized the leadership that had appointed him and laid out his unfiltered thoughts on party reform—how could they, who prized pretext and face, tolerate that?

But from the party members' perspective, his greeting struck right at their long-held frustration with assemblymen dictating the party's fate. It was cathartic, so of course they'd welcome it.

In truth, he'd agonized over writing that greeting. Not to boost his own popularity, but weighing whether airing the issues he'd felt throughout his party life would help the party he belonged to—or spark division and harm it.

In the end, he'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠decided to use this chance as Digital Party Committee Chair to rally members and surgically excise the party's rotten parts.

Of course, there'd be backlash inside the party, and the leadership that appointed him would regret it. But he'd already publicized his role in the media, weaving in election stories to foreshadow the current mess and vowing to watch the fallout. They couldn't easily oust him now—that gave him confidence.

Truth be told, once badges were pinned on, it didn't matter who; before long, the old habits emerged. Everywhere they went, people bowed with "Assemblyman" this and "Assemblyman" that, or "Sir" at seats of honor. In gatherings without peers or seniors, they got the head table. Getting used to that, they unwittingly mistook themselves for big shots, lost their edge, and forgot their original intentions.

"Assemblyman, call from Assemblyman Park Seong-hwan."

It was a fellow National Assembly Reform Alliance member. A booming voice came through the phone: "Well done, Assemblyman Park!" After listening to his excitement for a while, they set a date for a meal and hung up. Calls from leadership and fellow first-termers kept coming; he couldn't put down his phone until late afternoon.

Drained from the nonstop calls, he sank fully into his chair and closed his eyes. If every day was like this, being an assemblyman would hold no fun. His pocket phone buzzed. Tempted to ignore it, he answered anyway—it might be Ara or Jeong-ah.

"Oppa, busy right now?"

"Nah, just wiped out, lying in my chair."

"Can I come to your office then?"

"What's up?"

"The CEO wants to see you too."

"Let's meet outside. Staying here'll just make me tireder."

"Wanna come to our company? Quiet spot for coffee here."

"Sure, let's do that."

Eager to escape the office and worn out from calls by so-called leadership and heavyweight assemblymen, he handed his work phone to Chief Kim Sil-jang and left. Arriving at the SJ Entertainment building in Gangnam where Suji worked, he called her. She bounded down. He parked as she directed and followed her inside. At the entrance, CEO Hwang Bo-jun came down in the elevator, bowing his head.

"Assemblyman, welcome."

"Why come down all this way?"

He followed Hwang into the room he guided him to. On the top floor, seventh story, the view was great, and the interior was sleek and comfy.

"Thank you first off, Assemblyman."

"For what?"

"Using Suji as a promo model for Daesan Group."

"That was Chairman Lee's call, not mine. And I heard you recommended someone else anyway."

"Ah, that was just giving the kids fair shots."

"Yeah. Anyway, that's not my business, so drop it."

"Are you close with Chairman Lee?"

"He's like a foster father to me."

Seeing Hwang, though, stirred anger—not just over Suji, but using agency kids as lobbying tools. Sure, it had netted him the pretty, cute Suji, but that was the industry's way. Some kids might even chase stardom that route. Still, forbidding it outright would overstep, but fearing it'd happen to Suji again, he threw in a word.

"CEO, treat Suji like my little sister from now on. Chairman Lee said he's watching too. So no more pimping her out anywhere."

"Oh, anywhere? Never happens. She's SJ's face, after all."

"Like you sent her to me—don't do that."

"Got it."

"Do that, and I'll help however I can."

As ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he finished, Hwang bowed and left. Just Suji and him remained. She scooted close, toasting coffee cups, all bubbly joy.

"Let's go."

"Why? Where?"

"Get some air."

"Hing~ Gotta change then."

"You're pretty as is."

"This outfit's too much though."

True enough in his eyes. From their first meeting—save once—her clothes had been too bold for him. She stepped out, returned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠changed, and they headed to the parking lot. Hwang, still in the building, came down the adjacent elevator to see him off.

"Oppa, you did good."

"What?"

"Talking to the CEO like that. And leaving that room."

"Why's that?"

"Lots of girls resented me getting the Daesan promo gig. CEO too. Kept asking if I'd slept with you; I said no, so he ordered me to do it with you in that room today."

"That room? Why there specifically?"

"Prob'ly got hidden cams."

"Hidden cams?"

A chill hit, then rage boiled. Hwang wasn't just using Suji for a honey trap on him—he'd planned to film them in bed for blackmail.

"How do you know?"

"Duh. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Everyone who drinks and plays there ends up on the CEO's side. He even brags sometimes."

"Told you today to sleep with me there?"

"Yeah. Whatever it takes, make sure to fuck you there."

"Suji, how much time left on your contract?"

"Talking renewal next month. But treatment'll suck—I'm already washed up."

"Switch agencies then."

"Who'd take a has-been like me, sucked dry here?"

Behind her fresh, cute look, Suji's inner world was wrecked, like a world-weary cynic. Pessimism, hopelessness, exhaustion on the brink. Heart aching for her, he pondered how to make her like normal girls her age.

Sure, quitting singing meant finding work, but after years under spotlights as a star, normal life—even if she tried hard or made bank—would feel empty. To live right with hope, she'd need something close to her world: public attention and love. Only way was like Chairman Lee's earlier hint with the Daesan model gig.

Plus, Hwang's actions needed payback. He started mulling how to handle it.

"Suji."

"Yeah, oppa?"

"Wanna switch agencies?"

"Impossible."

"Why?"

"If I bail on renewal next month, they'll come at me hard. CEO'd throw everything at me. If that fails, leak it."

"That?"

"Told you—hidden cam in that room. Gotta hear the embarrassing words from me?"

"Got it. We'll find a way."

"No way. Just do what CEO says till he deems me useless, then I'm out."

"I'll find a way."

Suji looked resigned to her fate, no hope he'd help. Even an assemblyman's power couldn't beat Hwang's hidden cards: porn vids of agency singers (victims) and the elite men they'd serviced as backers.

"Any remember who went in that room?"

"Most big shots. I was with some police chief guy; members all serviced one or two."

"Can trustworthy friends ID them?"

"Not all, but members might. We're all getting pushed out anyway."

Police chief. What a country. He inwardly cheered—Hwang had the chief's weakness. Hoping the Prosecutor General had visited too, he planned to dismantle Hwang, recover the porns used beyond sex services for blackmail. Snag those files, and he'd hold Hwang's lifeline.