Crossing the Line...
"You okay?"
The manager who'd been waiting for us asked what happened to me.
"Ah, she collapsed the second she came out. The soundproofing was so damn good—even with my ear pressed to the door for ages, I couldn't make out a single word clearly."
"What happened?"
"Ah, no... The harvest just... my legs gave out."
Her expression said it all after staring at her for a bit. Something had definitely gone down in there—blackmail, no doubt.
For now, I hustled Yesuh to the waiting car.
We got her buckled in, and the moment we pulled away, she started to steady herself, breathing hard.
"Yesuh! You okay?! What the hell happened?!"
The manager startled and started climbing out of the driver's seat, but Yesuh raised a hand to stop him.
"Oppa, I'm fine. You know how scary that CEO is..."
She pulled her phone from her pocket—the one with the recording—and stopped it.
"Still... we got the harvest."
She looked at me with a steely, no-nonsense expression. Thinking about how much hell she'd gone through just to snag that evidence made my heart ache.
I wished I could've handled it for her, but without some shapeshifting power or whatever, that wasn't an option.
"The CEO straight-up mentioned sexual favors, said everyone's doing it—even name-dropped Yesuh."
"Solid evidence, alright."
The manager nodded, his face still etched with worry as he gripped the wheel.
"With this, we don't even need to bother with the reception anymore, right?"
"Still, we gotta nail it down tight."
They'd just slither away claiming only the involved parties knew, so everyone needed a proper smackdown. Only then would they back off for good.
"If we half-ass it, Yesuh could catch real backlash."
The manager's face darkened as he nodded gravely.
"Oppa, I'm really fine. I can see this through. And with Jisoo oppa here, no need to worry!"
"..."
"Sorry... After all this time together, and I can't do a damn thing to help."
"What're you talking about? Manager oppa, you've been a huge help to me!"
Was this the kind of heartwarming manager-idol scene you saw all the time in this industry? I hung back a step, soaking in the wholesome vibe while mentally reviewing the next steps.
First up: link up with Yoonah and hand off the camera and recorder. From her earlier text, everything seemed squared away.
"Head to meet Yoonah first."
"Got it."
The manager floored it without hesitation.
"Where should I send this file?"
He showed me the recording file and asked.
"The more backups, the better—shoot it here."
I gave him my number, then pretended to mull it over with my eyes shut. Not that there was any real worry; the plan was locked in.
This was all just... me being the cool guy, right? Damn, what kind of stud was I turning into?
"We're here."
An annoyingly timed voice cut through just as she was about to lay into more praise.
Ah, right... time was gold right now.
"Jisoo!"
The door swung open to a beaming face.
Even though I'd seen her that morning, Yoonah's grin lit up like it was the first time.
"Come on in. You did great."
Yoonah hopped into the car and pulled Yesuh into a tight hug.
"You okay, Yesuh?"
"I'm good, unnie! I held it together even in front of the CEO...!"
Well, she had collapsed right after, but still—brave as hell. Holding out in front of that creep was victory enough.
"For real? Our little Yesuh's all grown up?"
I watched them trade compliments with a fond smile. The manager up front kept sneaking glances back, his face all warm and fuzzy too. Night and day from their first impressions.
"Oh, I got everything you asked for."
Yoonah twisted around and handed over a tiny camera and recorder—way smaller and stealthier than what the manager had planted in the CEO's office.
"Damn, where do you even get stuff like this?"
"Hehe, trade secret."
I ruffled Yoonah's hair as she grinned.
"What time's the thing kick off?"
"Seven tonight."
It was just past three now. Plenty of time.
"Grab a drink before we go?"
There'd be a reserved room, sure, but hunting it down might take effort. No biggie—we could freeze time and knock it out in thirty flat. Still, better move fast.
"Coffee on me. My treat."
Yoonah stood up.
"Nah, let me cover it today. You all gathered to help Yesuh out."