There's Always a Twist (2)

"Sung Do-won was meticulous about managing himself, so he kept the lid screwed on tight and nothing leaked. The second Pure Star opened their mouths, though, married women turned out to be the baseline. Every kind of sexual taste you can imagine came spilling out."

I was going to lose my mind. What the hell was this?

So Sung Do-won had been lying. The story about attending a party like that for the first time, just out of curiosity—a lie. And maybe he'd only been lucky enough not to end up in the photos. The wounded insistence that he'd never laid a hand on a married woman might have been a lie too.

God. The back of my head went numb. Why had I wasted a single worry on Sung Do-won? If things like this kept happening, one of these ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠days I'd lose the ability to trust anyone, or harden into a cynic. I could feel a crack opening in my soul.

Still, thank god Neptune had weighed on me long enough to make me think. If I'd agreed on the spot to manage Sung Do-won, I'd be struggling to breathe by now. Was I supposed to call this bad luck, or good?

"What happened to Sung Do-won after that? I know he ended up going to China."

"He did a few projects over there, but I don't think they went well. I don't really know the details either. The fault was his, so W&U terminated the contract before the scandal even broke."

"Honestly, that Sung Do-won would end up like that... You really never can tell with people."

"Do-won, or Neptune?"

Team Leader 2 was asking me to my face.

"I'm sorry."

"...What?"

I answered without hesitation and bowed my head low. When I looked up, Team 2 had frozen, eyes wide in disbelief, and everyone else was staring at me, startled. Even CEO Baek Han-sung looked faintly surprised.

"Hey, Bok— no. Sunwoo."

Team Leader 3 drew in close beside me, his voice thick with worry.

"You... think it over one more time, carefully. This is the first decision this big you've had to make since you entered the workforce, and it came out of nowhere, so I think you're judging it a little clumsily. There's too much on the line to choose out of loyalty or sentiment."

The division head piled on.

"He's right. Opportunities like this don't come around often. Regretting it later won't do you any good."

If this really were an opportunity, maybe. I was just opening my mouth, searching for a polite way to refuse, when Team Leader 2 snorted.

"Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Do-won asked you himself and you're kicking it away? I could spoon-feed you and you still wouldn't know how to eat."

And if what you're trying to spoon-feed me is something I can't swallow, am I supposed to open wide and say thank you?

I steadied my breath and answered.

"I know it's an enormous opportunity. But maybe because they're the first group I've ever been given, I can't get Neptune out of my head. They're only just starting to take things one step at a time... If I walked away now, I don't think I could live with it. I'm sorry."

I kept it as polite as I could, and I made my decision unmistakable. When I lifted my lowered gaze, Sung Do-won was watching me with an odd look in his eyes.

"You've really made up your mind?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"...I wanted to work with you. That's a shame."

I thought it was a shame too. I'd wondered, once, whether Sung Do-won might be the kind of actor who could even hold his own in Hollywood. For a gift like that to be buried under the filth of his own scandals... A talent that had found the wrong owner. That was the part I regretted.

Sung Do-won said nothing more. Once he stepped back, no one urged me to reconsider. Only Team Leader 3 checked twice more whether I was truly certain. Team Leader 2 wouldn't even look at me.

I almost brought up Lee Songha's lesson instructor, then let it go. I wasn't especially quick on the uptake, but even I could tell this wasn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the moment. Better to take it to Kim Hyunjo and Team Leader 3 first, in private.

I endured the awkward air a little longer, was told I could go, and stood. Team Leader 3 leaned in, his expression complicated, and whispered.

"You worked hard today. Go home and rest for now. We'll talk about this again."

"Yes. I'll head out, then."

I bowed and left the CEO's office. I shut the door, leaned against it, and let out the sigh I'd been holding.

What a day. I'd thought so hard I was completely drained. Well. With that, the top-star manager's seat was gone for good. Thinking about it had been a small comfort when things got hard, and I'd never imagined it would end like this. I didn't regret the choice. I just felt a little hollow.

"Hey. You lunatic."

Kim Hyunjo said it right in my face.

"Are you actually insane?"

"Haha..."

A laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it. Was I really losing it?

"You're laughing? What the hell were you thinking, turning down Sung Do-won—!"

Kim Hyunjo cut himself off mid-shout and glanced sideways. Sung Do-won's manager, Jang Seo-moon, was standing there stock-still. Kim Hyunjo clicked his tongue and grabbed my arm.

"Come with me."

I hurried after him.

"Chief, there's something I need to tell you too. That instructor who gave Songha private lessons—Shim Kyung-taek. I think she heard some awful things during those lessons, and I have a feeling there's something off going on—"

"You're the one who's off, you idiot!"

"This is actually important."

"And your problem isn't? Do you even understand what you just walked away from?!"

We were still going at it in front of the elevator when a voice came from behind.

"Um, just a moment."

I turned. Jang Seo-moon was coming over.

"Could we... talk for a second?"

"Oh. Sure."

I nodded. The elevator doors opened right then. Kim Hyunjo sighed and stepped in alone.

"I'll be down in the basement practice room. Come find me when you're done. Got it?"

"Yes."

Jang Seo-moon and I went out to the emergency stairwell. Under the dim orange light, he hesitated for a long time.

I'd run into him exactly three times, and none of them had been pleasant. The first time, in the restroom with Sung Do-won, he'd looked at me like I was something unpleasant. The second time he'd been white as a sheet. And just now I'd nearly taken his job, so there was no way this could feel comfortable. My own head was a mess.

Jang Seo-moon let out a breath and spoke.

"Why did you turn it down? Managing Do-won hyung."

"Ah. Because of Neptune."

"I heard that, but... is it true? Honestly, I can't quite believe it..."

"Neptune was the biggest reason. I had my own thoughts about it, so I said no."

"Ah..."

He wet his lips and went on.

"It's probably nothing, but just in case... if you turned it down because you were worried I'd try to get back at you, I wanted to say you don't have to worry about that. That's why I asked to talk. It really is a good opportunity for you."

"No, I wasn't thinking anything like—"

"And anyway, even if they don't fire me, I'm quitting."

Part of me wanted to tell him the truth. This was exactly what people meant by a blessing in disguise. Losing the Sung Do-won manager's seat overnight might feel like the world collapsing right now, but before long he'd be glad he'd gotten out.

Jang Seo-moon roughly mussed the hair at the back of his head and muttered.

"After everything I've done to get here, and they cut me off just like that... Ha. Fuck."

"Honestly, this whole thing seems like it was mostly Sung Do-won's fault..."

He flinched, then gave a small smile.

"You saw our team leader in there... I mean, Team Leader 2. The one with the beard."

"Yes."

"Maybe because he didn't come up as a manager, when things go well it's the celebrity's doing, and when they don't, it's the manager's fault. He holds grudges, too, so you'd be better off not running into him for a while. He never imagined that offer would get shot down. His pride's probably a little bruised right now."

There was a faint note of pleasure in that last part.

"I was already thinking I should stay out of his way."

At my answer, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jang Seo-moon nodded, then added,

"And... you know what we talked about outside. The lesson instructor, Shim Kyung-taek. About the kid who took lessons from him hearing something nasty."

"Ah, right."

"There's something that occurs to me. It's not certain, though."

My eyes snapped wide. He'd been handling actors all this time. He might actually know something.

"That's fine. Please tell me."

"I heard this drinking with Chief Jo a while back. Son Chae-young's pretty hysterical, right? You know that?"

"Yes."

I knew it well. But why was Son Chae-young suddenly coming up again?

"He said whenever she sees a rookie who looks like they might have potential, she gets so anxious and starts checking them that Chief Jo is exhausted trying to calm her down. There are quite a few actors like that. If they're the only one doing well, the company looks after them more and pushes them harder. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠They don't want to share."

"Ah."

"Son Chae-young and that lesson instructor are close."

Now that he mentioned it, Kim Hyunjo had said as much—that the instructor had taught Son Chae-young too.

"She calls him Teacher, Teacher, and follows him around completely. Well... this is just me guessing off something I overheard. I don't actually know if there's anything to it, so just keep it in mind."

"Thank you. Really."

It wasn't confirmed, so I'd have to look into it, but it left a bad taste. I'd tell Kim Hyunjo and dig into it properly.

"Well, you should get going."

"Yeah. I hope Neptune does well from here."

We said our goodbyes. Jang Seo-moon disappeared down the emergency stairs, and I got on the elevator. I stopped by the fourth-floor office for my bag, and I was catching the elevator again when my phone buzzed.

From the other end came a voice so delighted she barely knew what to do with herself.

I thought for a moment, then clicked my tongue.

I hadn't even seen my friends since I started the job.

A day off. It hit me, suddenly, what today was supposed to have been.

We turned our shared misery into laughter. Ha.

We agreed to find a time that actually worked and hung up, and right around then the elevator reached the basement.

I knocked and stepped into the practice room, then stopped short. All four of the Neptune kids, plus Kim Hyunjo. Five people, all wearing the exact same expression as they looked at me. The look that asked whether I was in my right mind.

"Oppa! Did you really turn down Sung Do-won?"

Lim Seoyoung rushed over, grabbed both my arms, and demanded it. Beside her, Kim Hyunjo clicked his tongue.

"They don't believe me. Do you have any idea how insane what you just did was?"

"Is it true?"

"Yeah."

When I nodded, Lim Seoyoung backed away a step at a time.

"It's true? You really turned down a top star? A Hallyu star?!"

"Uh... that's how it turned out."

"Th-that's how it turned out?! What is wrong with you! You're crazy, you're crazy!"

It wasn't just Lim Seoyoung. The others were murmuring in shock too.

"I told you. He's lost it. It was weird from the moment he came in on his day off."

Kim Hyunjo said it with a flourish of his hands.

"I snuck a look. That Sung Do-won—that top star—bowed his head and asked him, I'd like you to be my manager. And this guy stands right there and goes, I can't get Neptune out of my head, and walks out without looking back. Can you believe it?"