The teaser, music video, and track finally released. Jin-ah threw her hands in the air and cheered. 

She had charted at #96.

I took it calmly. There was no need to get excited just because we were on the chart now. Blue Sherbet had already made a name for themselves with their unique idol career, and it was enough to pique the public’s curiosity.

The important thing now wasn’t being on the chart, it was seeing how high we could climb.

“Let’s aim for the top.”

It started with the music show. We were a bundle of nerves in the face of the first recording session.

Jin-ah was understandably nervous since it was her first music show. However, it was special for me, too. It was the first one since starting the company. It felt different.

“Why am I so nervous?”

I had been to countless music shows before, enough to be sick of them. Still, I guess the change in situation made me nervous.

Our management team (that was, our entire staff) was officially in business. Until Jin-ah finished getting ready at the salon, Jung-han was in charge. After that, it was me and Team Lead Na’s turn.

Of course, Jung-han would be with us too, but music show waiting times were notoriously long. Plus, there was nothing scheduled in between.

Since anything could happen at a music show, I couldn’t afford to let myself be stretched thin during the waiting period. I focused on keeping myself in good shape.

Now, all that was left was for me to join them when I got the call saying everything was ready at the salon. I had just showered and was sprawled out on my bed in my tiny apartment when my phone rang.

Bzzz– Bzzz–

[Jung-han Yoon]

A bad feeling hit me, and as soon as I answered the phone, that feeling became reality.

-Boss, Jin-ah got into a fight!

He sounded panicked. I jumped up in shock and hurried out of the house. I didn’t even bother changing out of my casual home clothes and hopped into a taxi.

According to Jung-han, she had gotten into a confrontation with some senior idols at the salon.

“Damn it!”

It went without saying that this wasn’t a physical fight. However, the argument showed no signs of stopping. Worse, the other company’s manager was also siding against Jin-ah.

The real problem, though, was that this didn’t seem like an accident. There was clear intent behind the whole thing.

“Team Lead Kim, that bastard.”

It was Team Lead Kim from Team 1 at HS Entertainment. What was a Team Lead even doing at the salon? Especially that boomer.

The group ‘Iron Maiden’ was appearing on the music show at the same time as Jin-ah, but it wasn’t like it was a major idol group or anything. This had to be deliberate.

As I was thinking about how I was going to deal with these bastards, Jung-han called again.

My frustration boiled over.

“Now what?! I told you to stay right next to her and hold things down! Just hang in there a little longer!”

-It’s not that… well… Sung-ah Kim showed up and… she was all.. so…

“…What?”

I didn’t need a mirror to know what kind of expression I had on my face. I probably looked absolutely dumbfounded and ridiculous.

What was Sung-ah Kim doing here all of a sudden? Wasn’t she supposed to be busy with movie premieres and promotions?

My anxiety grew.

Sung-ah Kim’s natural state was one of indifference and disdain. She was bound to cause trouble. I was more scared of what she might be doing than the fact that Team Lead Kim had started an argument.

“What? Explain the situation more… Actually, never mind. I just got here. I’ll be right up.”

I jumped out of the taxi and bolted toward the salon. When I walked through the door, countless eyes turned to me.

Team Lead Kim, Iron Maiden, Sung-ah Kim, Jin-ah, and even the staff and customers in the salon were all staring at me.

I froze in place.

Was it because of Team Lead Kim’s sour expression? No. That jerk came here with a plan, expecting that I’d be here. If anything, seeing that I wasn’t around must have made him even more sure of himself.

Still, knowing that Sung-ah Kim had shown up explained his foul mood. She was my previous charge — a top actress from HS Entertainment’s Team 3. Or rather, HS Entertainment as a whole.

She was a genius actress from an idol agency, and she was beloved by the CEO. Even Team Lead Kim couldn’t push her around. Not even Director Park would dare say anything to her.

So, was it Iron Maiden’s pale faces that caught my attention? No, that wasn’t it either.

These guys had trained with Blue Sherbet members. They ended up debuting first because HS Entertainment decided to launch a boy group instead of a girl group.

Whether their faces were pale or filled with shame, it didn’t matter to me. Sung-ah Kim had probably handled everything already.

What shocked me was what I saw next. I widened my eyes and slowly moved forward. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Was I imagining things?

“What… are you thinking?”

“What do you mean?”

Sung-ah Kim was sitting right next to Jin-ah with a warm smile, practically glued to her side. Jin-ah, who was sitting next to her, looked incredibly smug.

‘And why do you look so smug?!’

The two of them were sitting together on the sofa, the atmosphere between them surprisingly cheerful. Jin-ah covered her mouth and whispered softly.

Iron Maiden and Team Lead Kim were standing frozen nearby, staring in this direction.

“President Kang, Sung-ah unnie saved me!”

Sung-ah unnie. Jin-ah actually called her ‘Sung-ah unnie.’ I stared at Sung-ah Kim like I had seen a ghost. There she was, smiling warmly, holding Jin-ah’s hand tightly.

“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s been a while. You could at least be happy to see me.”

Despite her words, she looked completely relaxed. It was as if she was lounging on her living room couch. Despite that, I felt like I was watching a horror movie in 4D. Totally immersive.

“Boss.” Jung-han’s exhausted voice came from beside me.

I tore my gaze away from Sung-ah Kim. Jung-han glanced at Team Lead Kim nervously and whispered.

“If she hadn’t shown up, things could’ve gotten really ugly. I’m sorry. I tried to stop it, but the they kept raising their voices like they wanted to escalate things.”

“It’s fine, you did well.”

Jin-ah puffed out her chest and lifted her chin slightly. She furrowed her brow and lowered her voice to mimic Jung-han’s serious tone.

“Please stay quiet. I would like it if we could avoid causing a disturbance. That’s exactly how he was! He stood right in front of me and blocked the way, and he looked really tough!”

Sung-ah Kim nodded in agreement at Jin-ah’s words. She rested her chin on her hand, gazing affectionately at her. Why did it feel a bit different, though?

She turned to me and sent me a mischievous smile.

“I happened to be at the salon and saw a familiar face. I’ve been keeping an eye on your company recently. I didn’t expect her to follow through with that comment she made. She was calm when they tried to provoke her, but as soon as your name came up, her whole attitude changed. She handled it so fiercely. She’s got the basics down. I like her.”

“You like her? Really?”

“Yeah, I like her.”

I didn’t know what to say. I was going to ignore the fact that she knew about what was said on that radio segment. Let’s also ignore the fact that this fight started because I was being insulted.

But really? She liked that? Sung-ah Kim, of all people, actually liked someone? Nonsense. It almost felt as if I’ve been slapped awake.

“Aren’t you the one always make things awkward on set and directly calls out senior actors with that smile?”

“That’s not my fault. They keep trying to act like they’re above me, and I’m supposed to sit back and take all that just because I’m a rookie? That’d make me a complete pushover.”

Sung-ah Kim turned slightly toward Jin-ah, as if asking for her agreement.

Jin-ah nodded.

“And when your juniors approach you as your fans? Telling them to get lost because their flattery disgusts you?”

“I can’t help being disgusted. They’re obviously being fake. Rotten on the inside.”

Sung-ah Kim looked at Jin-ah again, seeking her approval. Jin-ah’s smile stiffened ever so slightly. Her eyes were no longer smiling.

Finally caught on, have you? Why did you think Iron Maiden and Team Lead Kim were just watching silently from over there?

“Oppa, since you haven’t been around, I’ve had trouble picking good projects. Nothing I’ve done lately has performed well,” she said. Her buttery smooth voice dripped with honey.

Her long, silky hair gleamed as she spoke, and her smile was warm enough to melt anyone’s heart. I wasn’t falling for it. I shook my head, unimpressed.

“So what.”

“So what? You’ve been doing great lately. It’s nice to see. And this one’s adorable, too.”

She let go of Jin-ah’s hand and gently patted her head. Jin-ah became as stiff as a statue. Her eyes widened while her forced smile twitched at the corners.

I clicked my tongue and frowned.

“Stop messing with my artist.”

She scoffed at my words, still patting Jin-ah’s head.

“Oh, so she’s ‘my artist’ now?” She leaned forward to look directly at Jin-ah, then stood up and moved close to me.

“Oppa, I think I should go now.” Without a reply, she flashed a bright smile, turned on her heel, and waved at Jin-ah. “See you later, cutie.”

“Ah… okay. Goodbye, sunbae.” Jin-ah stood up awkwardly and bowed deeply.

Sung-ah watched her for a moment, then turned away. Her departure seemed to clear the air in the salon, and everything felt like it started moving again. Time resumed for Iron Maiden and Team Lead Kim as well.

Only after Sung-ah was gone did they come forward. They huffed and puffed with each step. I couldn’t help the smirk tugging at my lips at their pathetic display, and their faces turned red with embarrassment. At least they knew they were embarrassing themselves.

“Team Lead Kim, doesn’t Team 1 usually use a different salon?”

“How does this concern you, Manager Kang?”

“President Kang.”

“Excuse me?”

I took a big step forward, closing the distance between us. We were close enough to feel each other’s breath. The tension in the salon shifted.

Like a movie that had been paused, the tension that had briefly eased now wound tight again.

“It’s President Kang, not Manager.”

“…!”

“Say it. President Kang.”

His already flushed faced turned a deeper red. It looked as though it might explode. I didn’t hold back.

“I know exactly what you were trying to do by twisting her words from the radio show and creating a scandal. But don’t you think this was a little too sloppy? This wasn’t Director Park’s idea, was it? It was yours.

“Just focus on training your artists properly. Don’t go dragging innocent people into this mess, okay?” 

I put forward my best sarcastic smile and nodded In response.

“I get it. You’re pretending like nothing happened. I understand. That’s all you can do, isn’t it? Because you don’t have the skills.” 

Looking directly into Team Lead Kim’s furious eyes, I added with a mocking tone, “Or maybe you’re just not smart enough?”

His breathing grew heavier, and I could see the tension in his clenched jaw.

“If you’re going to sneak away with some trainees, at least use common sense. Stay out of our way during our promotions and lie low enough where we can’t hear a single peep from you. Manager Kang, do you not even have any sense of professionalism? What are you doing, behaving like some kind of thug?”

“Oh, professionalism? A thug, huh?” I turned my head slightly, looking at Iron Maiden one by one.

Even though they gulped nervously, none of them broke eye contact with me. This time, I didn’t even have to try to hide my smirk.

“You want me to show you what it really means to act like a thug? Unlike you, I’ve got skills and brains. You might even find it interesting.” 

I dropped the sarcasm and issued a direct warning.

“Take your little group and get lost. Lie low enough where I can’t hear a single peep from you. If you try anything like this again, you’d better be prepared for the consequences. Unless you think you’re more capable than Director Park.”

“What did you just say, you little…?”

Even I was surprised that I was speaking so bluntly in a salon full of people. However, with Team Lead Kim, this was the only way to get through to him.

It was also a perfect way to show the industry that I wasn’t out of the game. It was one thing to watch my clash with Director Park from afar, but seeing it play out in front of your eyes was something else entirely.

“If you don’t want to lose that pathetic position of yours and get kicked out of the industry, keep your head down and stay out of my way.”

The salon employees and the celebrities who were there would no doubt spread today’s story far and wide. Hopefully, next time, I won’t have to deal with these small fries.

Dealing with Director Park was exhausting enough. This felt like a waste of energy.

—

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