Chapter 341
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 341
Swift and decisive.
I decided to handle this quickly before the delay of The Dawn’s comeback became set in stone.
“Did Department Head Jang say that? Haha, well now…”
My first move was to make good use of the hint Department Head Jang had given me.
I booked a table at a famous Chinese restaurant in Gangnam and brought Seong Ji-won along to meet with Deputy General Manager Kim. Though Kim seemed hesitant at first, he soon opened up and began rambling once he confirmed that the rumors about his daughter being a fan of The Dawn were true.
“Haha, I’m flattered. Please tell your daughter we’re grateful. We draw a lot of strength from fans like her.”
Smiling brightly and acting incredibly charming, Seong Ji-won habitually refilled Kim’s glass the moment it was empty, constantly prompting more toasts. Consequently, Deputy General Manager Kim quickly spiraled into a drunken stupor.
“Hic! S-so, it looks like Managing Director Jeong is trying to… um, push back The Dawn’s comeback… I don’t know why, though… Hic! To begin with, he’s the type who, hic, hated the Daepasung acquisition anyway…”
“Oh, really?”
“Shh, shhh! This is a secret. You can’t tell anyone!”
“Of course! My lips are sealed!”
“Theeeere’s this person, Managing Director Han, hic. He and Managing Director Jeong are… you know, hic, fighting over the subsidiary’s Vice President position… Anyway, there’s someone like that. Ah! Who is he? Hic. He’s reaaaally scary… so picky… I’m sorry, sir…”
“Ah, I see. It’s okay, it’s okay!”
“…Hic! Ah! But he’s good at his job! And… his wife, hic, was she a fan of Min Ji-heon? Something like that… But Managing Director Han is so scary that she hasn’t even been able to get, hic, a single signed poster yet, sob…”
“Oh, that’s so sad. Deputy General Manager Kim, please don’t cry. There, there! Now, would you like another drink?”
“…Seong Ji-won, hic, are you actually a devil?”
Watching Deputy General Manager Kim, who was so pickled in alcohol that he spat out answers like an automated machine whenever nudged, I slapped my forehead.
Shit, I knew the higher-ups were rotten.
To think an idol’s activities were being stalled by internal corporate politics while ignoring the fans—the very consumers they should be listening to.
If the fans found out, they’d flip their lids over this bullshit.
“So this is what you were up to.”
After handing Kim an album packed with all the members' signatures and sending him home safely in a taxi, I returned to the restaurant. Seong Ji-won, who was still knocking back Kaoliang liquor, gave me a refreshing smile.
“Ho-yun, if there’s anything else you need help with, just let me know.”
“This was plenty. Thanks.”
“Do you want to stay and drink a bit more, just the two of us?”
“No.”
I ignored Ji-won’s disappointed smacking of his lips and practically shoved him out the door to head back to the dorm.
*
“Wait, what? Why would I call Managing Director Han’s wife?”
“Isn’t this all part of managing The Dawn? You said you handled Min Ji-heon’s work for a short while before, didn’t you? You should take this chance to expand your network.”
“…Uh? Well, I guess that’s true?”
It was time to use the bait Deputy General Manager Kim had dropped to catch a bigger fish.
Late the next afternoon, I showed up at the WH Entertainment management team’s office and started selling my pitch to the manager.
“I’m on very close terms with Min Ji-heon, you know. I’ll give you advice from the side, so all you have to do is pass it along. Simple, right?”
When I smiled gently and acted uncharacteristically soft-spoken, the manager narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but he eventually let himself be dragged into a meeting room. He set his phone to speakerphone and attempted a call to Managing Director Han’s wife.
I snatched the manager’s laptop and typed rapidly into a notepad.
[Oh my, oh my! Thank you so much. How did you know I wanted that?]
“Ha. Ha. Ha. We’re all part of Daepasung now, after all. It’s just that our Ho-yun is quite… close with Min Ji-heon?”
The manager recited exactly what I wrote, his delivery as staccato as Seong Ji-won’s rapping or Kim Seong-hyeon’s acting.
<Put emphasis on Deputy General Manager Kim.>
“Emphasis on Kim… Ack, no, I mean, it just came up in passing while I was having a meal with Deputy General Manager Kim. If I had known you were a fan of Min Ji-heon, I would have taken care of it sooner.”
[It’s nothing special, I shouldn’t have made a fuss. My, thank you for being so thoughtful. To be honest, my husband seems to be under a lot of stress lately because of work, so I’ve been careful about even the smallest things.]
“…Pardon?”
At the bite from the big fish I’d been waiting for, I poked the manager’s thigh.
The manager, who had genuinely thought this was just about sending a Min Ji-heon autograph and networking, looked at me with a dazed expression.
This is the important part.
When I tapped the laptop screen, the manager frowned deeply but hesitantly opened his mouth again.
“Ah… this might be an intrusive question, but is it related to… Managing Director Jeong?”
[Oh dear, you already know?]
“Haha, The Dawn’s comeback, which I’m in charge of, has been delayed, so we’re also dealing with quite a headache over here.”
My fingers moved frantically as I summarized the information I was uncovering while simultaneously drafting what the manager should say next.
They were neck-and-neck for a long time, but Managing Director Jeong’s power increased this year.
In the midst of that, Managing Director Jeong proposed delaying The Dawn’s comeback.
Inference: Managing Director Jeong and the CEO of Daepasung are from the same hometown. Apparently, they hate each other’s guts.
Is it possible The Dawn’s comeback was delayed out of spite toward the Daepasung CEO?
>> According to Managing Director Han’s wife’s personal opinion, there is a high possibility.>
A sigh escaped the manager and me at the same time.
Whatever logic Managing Director Jeong might have used, the bottom line was that The Dawn’s activities were being restricted not because of external necessity, but because of internal friction.
What a load of shit.
[—That seems to be the case… Oh dear, have I been rambling for too long?]
“Not at all! Your words have been very helpful. I was actually quite worried about the delay in activities.”
[You’re working so hard. Even in the midst of all that, to take care of Min Ji-heon’s autograph for me…]
“It was really no trouble at all, ma’am. Well then, thank you so much for today. Please have a good— wait, huh? Ah…!”
I poked the manager’s thigh again as he tried to end the call quickly, looking drained. Flinching, the manager looked at the laptop and quickly added one last sentence.
“D-don’t worry too much. I believe we will be of help to Managing Director Han.”
[Pardon? Yes, thank you.]
Click.
The manager hung up, squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and rubbed his face vigorously.
“…Ho-yun, what exactly is going on right now? Wasn’t I just supposed to deliver Min Ji-heon’s autograph and build a connection? What was all that talk just now, and what was that ominous thing you made me say at the end?”
“They were unavoidable matters.”
“Sigh, but if what she said is true, isn’t it a total mess? What kind of company is this… No, what are we supposed to do…?”
“Manager, there’s no need for us to do anything.”
I cut the manager off firmly.
“All we did was prepare a small gift and have a conversation.”
“Ugh…”
After kicking the manager out of the meeting room—who was still clutching his head in lingering unease—I organized my thoughts.
So, I just need to take down Managing Director Jeong…
The question was whether to use the Item Shop with points or rely on the paparazzi again…
After a moment of deliberation, I turned on my phone, entered a familiar memorized number, and sent a message.
[See if there’s anything worth digging up on this person.]
Just as I stood up to join dance practice, a reply arrived.
[Kim Jae-yeon: The price?]
I couldn’t waste points on something so trivial.
I picked a suitable item from the list I’d compiled previously and sent it over, deciding to wait leisurely for the results to roll in on their own.
*
The Dawn’s manager was having another eventful day.
The Dawn had collaborated with a famous domestic beauty brand, and they were holding a fan signing event at a flagship store to commemorate it.
“Seong-hyeon hyung, hyung! We’re in trouble!! Yi-chae hyung was just tap dancing with me and he almost broke his ankle—”
“He broke it?!”
“He almost broke it!! But he fell using the judo breakfall technique I taught him, so luckily he’s fine!”
“Do you want to die?”
The waiting room was noisy as usual, but filled with a warm atmosphere. Seo Ho-yun, who was the first to finish his makeup, was sprawled on the sofa.
Just then, a call came from an unfamiliar number. The manager stepped quietly into the hallway and pressed the accept button.
“Yes, hello.”
[Hello, Manager Kim. This is Managing Director Han Ji-hyeok.]
The manager’s eyes widened.
“P-pardon? M-Managing Director Han?”
[I apologize for the sudden call. Is now a good time to talk?]
“Yes! I’m available.”
[It’s nothing else, but I heard from my wife that you’ve been very worried about the group you’re in charge of lately.]
“Ah, yes, yes.”
Managing Director Han cut straight to the point.
[—However, I don’t think you need to worry too much on that front. Daepasung isn’t in a position where WH Entertainment should be interfering anyway. Things will return to normal soon.]
You’re in a position where you can interfere, though.
The manager blinked blankly, unable to process the words that were full of goodwill but also sharp with hidden thorns.
[Also, thank you for this time. Thanks to you, things seem likely to proceed smoothly.]
“Pardon?”
[I do have one question, though. How on earth did you find that out? It’s not the kind of incident a mere manager would be able to uncover…]
“……Pardon?”
When the manager gave a gormless response, not understanding a word of what Managing Director Han was saying, a prickly reaction came back.
[I’m sure you’re not asking because you really don’t know… Do you really want me to say it out loud? Managing Director Jeong’s embezzlement.]
But the manager himself truly had no idea.
“……I’m very sorry, but what are you talking about?”
When he asked back very cautiously after a moment of hesitation, Managing Director Han actually burst into laughter.
[Haha, you’re talented and you know how to play the social game, too.]
“…Pardon? Really, I—”
[Didn’t you tell my wife? That you believed you would be of help to me.]
Of course, the voice that followed was thick with irritation, making the manager instinctively shrink back.
[Fine, whatever. I’ll pretend I don’t know if that’s what you want. However, I’m a man who can’t stand being in debt, so I’ll give the group you manage a push. Let’s call it even with this. I’ll be watching you, Manager.]
The manager stared down at his phone after the call was abruptly disconnected, looking bewildered.
What just happened?
He felt a nagging sensation at the back of his head, but he had no idea where to start untangling it.
He turned around, thinking he should just focus on The Dawn’s immediate schedule, when—
“Who was that?”
He came face-to-face with a certain ghost-like fellow who was staring at him intently with his arms crossed.
“Gaaah!”
“Is there a need to be that surprised?”
While the manager clutched his racing heart and took deep breaths, Seo Ho-yun tilted his head and took a step closer.
“Whose call did you take?”
“Ah, no. It’s nothing…”
“Managing Director Han?”
“Huh?!”
H-how did he know?
“He said thank you to me… Ah! I think the comeback will probably happen as scheduled!”
“Wow, really?”
Seo Ho-yun, his lips curling into a pretty smile, patted the manager on the shoulder.
“That’s a relief. You worked hard, Manager.”
The manager watched Seo Ho-yun closely.
There was no physical evidence, but his years of experience as a manager were screaming at him. That the source of Managing Director Han’s actions was something Seo Ho-yun had done.
“……Ho-yun, did you do something?”
“I’m very sorry, but what are you talking about?”
As Seo Ho-yun walked toward the waiting room, repeating the exact words the manager had said to Managing Director Han, the image of the Seo Ho-yun from the past—the one who had brought up the settlement ratio contract—overlapped with his current back.
“Manager.”
“Oh, y-yes.”
Seo Ho-yun suddenly stopped in front of the waiting room door and asked a question.
“By the way, what has the CEO been up to lately?”
“…Um, I heard he went down to the countryside and is running an orchard as a hobby.”
After Daepasung was acquired by WH Entertainment, the parent company had interfered with and pressured the management far more than initially negotiated. The CEO, who had unintentionally been pushed into the role of a figurehead, had gradually decreased his appearances until he had recently vanished almost entirely.
Seo Ho-yun’s eyebrows shot up as if he were offended.
“Has he gone senile? He’s actually running an orchard.”
When the manager unconsciously muttered the phrase that naturally came to mind—“Like a mango, mang-mang-mang…”—Seo Ho-yun clicked his tongue. The manager shriveled up, thinking the sparks were about to fly toward the CEO this time, but Seo Ho-yun only let out a faint sigh.
“Fine. I hope the CEO runs that orchard for a long, long time.”
The words that followed were a blessing. If you ignored the sound of his teeth grinding, that is.
Taking another quiet breath to compose himself, Seo Ho-yun entered the waiting room.
“Seo Ho-yun!”
Before he could even take a step, Kim Seong-hyeon approached him first and shouted with a bright face.
“Our comeback schedule is staying as it was! I just got a call from Team Leader Jeong Seon-ui!”
“Really?”
“That’s what she said~. Seong-hyeon has been anxious for days, so this is great news.”
Seong Ji-won also added with a bright smile, patting Kim Seong-hyeon on the back. The manager reflexively looked at Seo Ho-yun’s face.
Seo Ho-yun merely wore a faint, inscrutable smile as he leaned forward slightly to look into the leader’s eyes.
“Seong-hyeon. Kim Seong-hyeon.”
“Uh, what?!”
“Don’t make such a gloomy face anymore…”
“…….”
“Because a smiling face suits you better.”
“Are you a total lunatic?”
Kim Seong-hyeon’s expression instantly turned deadpan, as if his touched emotions had been shattered.
After that, The Dawn members joked around and spent some noisy time together before entering the flagship store under the staff’s instructions.
Throughout it all, the manager’s mind was in a state of constant confusion.
No, really, Seo Ho-yun? No way… But how could he…?
He couldn’t find any logic or evidence, and he likely never would, but for some reason, he couldn’t shake the thought that Seo Ho-yun had done something.
At the fan signing event that had already begun, Seo Ho-yun skillfully donned his "innocent" persona and greeted the fans.
When the event was about halfway through, a sensitive question was thrust at Seo Ho-yun as he was putting on a requested lop-eared rabbit headband.
“Ho-yun, you know.”
“Yes?”
“Can I ask… when the comeback is? Just… in case you know…”
“Pardon?”
Seo Ho-yun, stroking the rabbit ears, gave a troubled smile and answered with feigned innocence.
“Hmm, I don’t really know about things like that.”
Goosebumps erupted all over the manager’s arms.
“Aw, come on, you actually know!”
“I really don’t… what should I do? I’m sorry. But I’ll come back as soon as possible.”
“Ah… okay……”
A radiant smile and a soft way of speaking that seemed possessed by Seong Ji-won.
Even though he had witnessed this scene countless times, the manager couldn’t get used to it.
“Ho-yun! Please just say ‘Seo-min’ once!!”
“Ah.”
Seo Ho-yun, who had been beaming, instantly hardened his expression.
“Seo-min…”
“…….”
“…Do I perhaps like you?”
“Hahahaha!”
And suddenly, the manager decided to remain silent from then on. It was because he felt it would be better not to get any more deeply involved than this.
.
.
.
After the fan signing ended, The Dawn followed the manager to head back to the dorm.
“What do you guys want to eat when we get back?”
“I heard Jeong Da-jun is cooking?”
“I’ll starve today.”
Seo Ho-yun took his phone back from the road manager and turned it on.
[Damn Little Brother]
[Damn Little Brother]
[Damn Little Brother]
[Damn Little Brother]
[Damn Little Brother]
A countless number of missed calls from his brother appeared.
Even as the members moved further away, Seo Ho-yun stood still, staring at the screen.
An indescribable sense of anxiety seemed to be nipping at his heels.
“Seo Ho-yun?”
Kim Seong-hyeon looked back and called him, but Seo Ho-yun didn’t hear him.
Just then—
[Damn Little Brother]
Bzzz— Bzzz—.
He felt the vibration of the phone in his hand.
Seo Ho-yun composed himself and answered the call.
“Yeah, what.”
[—Uh? Oh? I finally got through! Is this Ho-jin’s brother?]
“…Who is this?”
An unfamiliar voice came through the receiver.
[Ah, I’m not a weirdo, I’m Seo Ho-jin’s college friend! That—that’s not what’s important! We’re at XX Hospital right now! Why haven’t you been answering your phone!!]
“…Where did you say you are?”
[XX Hospital! Hyung, could you please come quickly?]
The voice, which was gradually becoming wet with tears, felt like a hammer striking his head.
[Seo Ho-jin is in the emergency room right now.]