Episode 52

Jin Yeoreum accepted the scouting offer.

It felt like I had hit the worst-case scenario I could imagine.

I asked, clinging to a thread of hope.

“…Are you serious?”

“Of course, I’m serious. Do I look like someone who would say this lightly?”

No, she didn’t look like that kind of person.

“…I’m sorry if I offended you. It just seemed like you accepted too easily.”

Yeoreum spoke as if listing obvious facts.

“If you were born in Korea and grew up watching music shows, wouldn’t you want to be an idol at least once?”

…People who have become public enemies due to doping scandals usually don’t want to.

It’s obvious they’d be dragged through the mud in the community.

How are you going to handle the aftermath?

I tried to think quickly and changed the subject.

“Well, that’s true, but I didn’t expect you to accept without hearing the conditions.”

“What are the conditions?”

Would I have thought of such a thing? I was sure she’d refuse.

“It’s embarrassing to say this as the one scouting you, but to join TwoBear Entertainment, you have to pass the president’s discerning eye.”

Come to think of it, if Cheon Aram says she smells bad, it’s over, right? No need to worry.

But Jin Yeoreum’s reaction was strange. She nodded as if she already knew.

“The president of your company is Cheon Aram, right?”

“…How do you know that?”

“Because of my parents’ work, we often met, so Aram Unnie and I are quite close. I also know a bit about her human aversion.”

I felt a chill down my spine. I thought the landmine I stepped on might be more toxic than I expected.

“May I check something for a moment?”

“Feel free.”

I took out my smartphone and made a quick call.

Cheon Aram answered very quickly.

“Yes, Team Leader Seon. Are you doing well with the volunteer work? No, judging by your call, it doesn’t seem like a good situation. Did something unexpected happen?”

As expected of the company president, it was a very accurate analysis. This was indeed an unexpected situation.

“Do you know Jin Yeoreum by any chance?”

“Jin Yeoreum? Are you talking about Yeoreum from the Jinkang Group that I know?”

“Yes.”

I was a bit taken aback that she knew Jin Yeoreum, but I composed myself.

It wasn’t strange at all that Cheon Aram knew Jin Yeoreum. Anyone who watched the news back then would know her.

What mattered was whether she passed Cheon Aram’s scent test or failed.

I held onto hope and wished Jin Yeoreum smelled like a sewer.

“Of course I know Yeoreum. She’s the only third-generation chaebol with a decent scent. We used to hang out a lot.”

Jin Yeoreum passed Cheon Aram’s scent evaluation.

I felt a sense of despair, as if I was falling into an abyss.

No, it wasn’t time to give up. The main point hadn’t even come out yet.

If Cheon Aram was a sane president, she wouldn’t allow recruiting Jin Yeoreum, right?

“…What do you think about recruiting such a person as Jin Yeoreum as a member of the group we’re planning?”

“Sure, give it a try.”

Try what? Is that something to say so easily?

Am I the only one who finds this strange? Why are both of them accepting such a huge risk without any hesitation?

“Uh… President Cheon, it’s really embarrassing for me to say this as the one making the offer, but is it really okay for you to allow Jin Yeoreum’s recruitment so easily?”

Cheon Aram chuckled softly.

I couldn’t see her face because it was a phone call, but I could imagine her snake-like smile.

“I didn’t allow it easily.”

“…Then?”

“Because it’s you, Team Leader Seon, I allowed it.”

Cheon Aram spoke in a warm and gentle voice.

“I believe that you, Team Leader Seon, see a talent in Yeoreum that can overcome the controversy.”

Damn it, I built too much trust.

It was all my karma.

“Besides, I know Yeoreum’s talent roughly. She briefly trained at SS before starting rhythmic gymnastics. At that time, they said an all-time genius had joined.”

Of course, she would be called a genius. Jin Yeoreum’s S-grade dance potential would stand out anywhere.

But the fact that her overwhelming talent caught Cheon Aram’s eye is troublesome for me now.

“…Uh… It’s actually just a simple offer that hasn’t been confirmed yet…”

“…But if you recruit Yeoreum, then Gyeoul, Gaeul, and Yeoreum are gathered? Thinking about the four seasons, the next one will be Bom. Team Leader Seon, I’m looking forward to it!” ¹

Beep, beep.

The call ended.

“….”

As I couldn’t put down my phone and stared blankly, Jin Yeoreum asked.

“What did Aram Unnie say?”

“…She said you passed.”

Yeoreum spoke as if relieved.

“I thought so. Aram Unnie, who used to be rushed to the emergency room when with people, got along well with me since childhood.”

“…Our president is very picky about people, so that’s impressive.”

“It’s something to be thankful for. Even in our third-generation chaebol community, Aram Unnie was someone whom everyone wanted to befriend.”

“Was she that popular?”

Jin Yeoreum brushed her lips slightly, as if recalling memories and said,

“Aram Unnie had charisma since childhood. Someone people wanted to follow? Someone who would overshadow others? I don’t know exactly how to define it.”

She tilted her head as if it was difficult for her to explain and said,

“From my personal opinion, if the world still had a class system, I thought someone like her would become a king.”

I could relate. The first impression of her still lingered in my mind, like seeing the mafia boss in a Hong Kong noir film.

Although I sometimes forget when seeing the silly things Cheon Aram does…

Anyway, having passed Cheon Aram’s test, I was now cornered.

But I still had one means of persuasion left.

“I have one question left.”

“Hmm… Please go ahead.”

I’m sorry, Manager Seok. It’s an emergency, so I’ll use your name.

“I heard from Manager Seok Hyun-woo that you plan to do volunteer work long-term.”

“Manager Seok? You discussed such things with him…”

I bowed my head to apologize for my rudeness and continued my question.

“Does accepting my offer mean that plan has changed?”

Where did the resolve to continue volunteer work for 50 or 100 years go?

I was so impressed when I heard that.

“I chose to do volunteer work because it was the best choice available to me. I always choose the best option.”

“The best choice?”

A plan to do volunteer work for decades was the best choice?

“My goal is to prevent the name Jin Yeoreum from bringing disgrace to Jinkang and my family. To achieve that, it was necessary to improve my deeply tarnished image. Volunteer work was just a means to that end.”

“You resolved to do volunteer work for 50 or 100 years just for that?”

“That’s right. Although the means are overly simplistic and long-term.”

This was impressive in a different sense.

“But if a new option of being an idol arises, it’s different. An idol who creates a solid fan base and reproduces a positive image can change the image of the name Jin Yeoreum much faster and more effectively than volunteer work.”

All of Jin Yeoreum’s words were based on the assumption of success. And no agency could succeed with Jin Yeoreum.

I was certain because I knew exactly how Jin Yeoreum would face another wave of public backlash three years later during the Bubble Shower incident.

But if she thought this gamble was worth trying, it wasn’t something I couldn’t do. Only I knew about that harsh future.

I asked, filled with doubt.

“Then why haven’t you tried to debut with any agency?”

“Because no agency would accept me.”

That was the case only when she tried with her name alone.

“If Jinkang participates as a sponsor, it’s not impossible.”

“…My father wouldn’t allow it. He doesn’t want me to be swayed by public opinion anymore. Just like he opposes my volunteer work now.”

“If I and President Cheon of TwoBear say it, would that change?”

“No. He would oppose it just the same.”

…Then why did you accept?

Jin Yeoreum laughed lightly.

Even that small laugh felt elegant, showcasing her charm.

I doubted if that aura was something a high school freshman could possess.

“He would oppose it but wouldn’t interfere. Just like he’s letting me quit school and do volunteer work now. If an opportunity to become an idol arises, the story changes significantly.”

Listening to Jin Yeoreum’s words, it didn’t seem like an exaggeration to say it was the best judgment from her perspective.

This was a reasonable attempt from her perspective, assuming she had the heart of a beast.

For me, who attempted it without knowing, it was a big mistake.

“Anyway, have the conditions been met now?”

Jin Yeoreum said that and extended her hand again.

I looked around in confusion.

Gaeul, no longer hiding her body, was staring intently, fully exposed.

Seok Hyun-woo was biting his nails, as if he didn’t know what to do with this situation.

It was a bit pitiful to see a man over 30 acting like that.

Neither seemed able to help.

I gave up and accepted the result. Here, I had to say no, even if it meant incurring Jin Yeoreum’s resentment.

It was infuriating to think she would refuse after being scouted, but there was no other way.

I couldn’t make an idol with Jin Yeoreum, the public enemy.

Then, the quest window appeared.

“….”

The starting point of Bubble Shower’s reverse trend was ultimately Jin Yeoreum’s malicious volunteer photos.

The quest was telling me to start it with my own hands.

To me, who knew how to avoid Jinkang’s retaliation and how to create a buzz.

That choice would certainly greatly help TwoBear’s success.

The reward from the quest was also one of the most powerful rewards.

But this was a quest beyond selfishness. It was cruel.

Because following that quest would leave Jin Yeoreum with a permanent scar of betrayal that would destroy her future.

The excuse ‘It doesn’t matter since it’s the same result as the future where Jin Yeoreum gets caught in the third-generation chaebol gate’ didn’t work.

The size of the wound would be incomparably greater.

If it were me before the regression, I would have rejected this quest without a second thought. Because I believed it was the right thing to do, regardless of the benefits. Because I believed it was the behavior of a good person.

‘Sis, I will succeed. Even if I have to use people and make them fall. I will succeed and make a lot of money to make you comfortable.’

‘The desire for success and that soft heart you have are hard to go together. If you don’t set a clear direction, you will get hurt someday.’

‘But Team Leader Seon, if you live like that, you will eventually collapse and not be able to endure. Then I will be very disappointed.’

But I was different now.

‘Taeyang Ssam. Let’s see each other for a long, long time.’

‘…Wait. Just hug me for a moment.’

No, I have to change.

If I followed the same path as the previous round, I wouldn’t be the only one to collapse.

Because I had something to carry.

Smiling, I shook Jin Yeoreum’s hand. And I said,

“Welcome to TwoBear, Yeoreum.”

I will succeed. And I will protect.

Even if I have to bring down Jin Yeoreum with my own hands in the process.