Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 21: People Generally Don’t Like The Smell Of Sweat.

Cheon Aram took a deep drink from the bowl of ox bone soup with radish kimchi juice and marveled at it.

“Kuh! This is killer.”

Her luxury suit and viper-like gaze blended into the vibe of a labor foreman.

She was not the president of an agency, but just a worker who had finished a hard day’s work.

Seo Soo Yeon, who had been assisting Cheon Aram since childhood, felt dizzy seeing her and asked.

“I’ve reserved a nice restaurant, but are you okay with eating here?”

“The one known for good escargot? This place is better.”

The more Seo Soo Yeon listened, the dizzier she became, and she didn’t want to continue the conversation.

So she changed the subject.

“So, what kind of scent did that Seon Taeyang guy have?”

Her question might seem like a rude assessment of someone’s scent, but it was different for Seo Soo Yeon and Cheon Aram.

For them, scent held a different meaning.

They shared the fact that Cheon Aram could smell the intentions of selfish people.

“…Actually, this wasn’t the first time I smelled him.”

“Then, when did you smell him before?”

“I wanted to check his scent before attempting recruitment, so I went to where he was doing loading and unloading.”

Seo Soo Yeon wondered how and when an outsider like her got in there.

“Were you acquainted with the manager of that logistics center?”

“No, I applied for a part-time job and went in as an employee. During a break from loading, I approached him and took a sniff.”

Seo Soo Yeon felt dizzy again.

The fact that Cheon Aram, who had never done such labor, had been loading and unloading caused cognitive dissonance for her.

She decided to pretend she hadn’t heard it.

“What did he smell like then?”

“…There was a scent. The person I want is someone who doesn’t smell at all, like you, Soo Yeon.”

Her talent was absolute.

If she smelled something from Taeyang, it meant his heart wasn’t entirely pure.

“Are you okay with that?”

Seo Soo Yeon asked if it was okay to recruit someone with such a scent.

But Cheon Aram seemed to interpret her question as asking if the loading and unloading were okay.

“My back and joints hurt like hell, but it wasn’t that bad. Luckily, the people I worked with had bearable smells. And the thick and sticky friendship of men? I found that somewhat amusing.”

It was a world Seo Soo Yeon didn’t want to know at all.

“I learned this there too!”

Cheon Aram added radish kimchi juice to Seo Soo Yeon’s untouched ox bone soup.

“This makes it taste better!”

Seeing the pink broth, Seo Soo Yeon lost her appetite.

But she couldn’t ignore her boss’s gesture, so she took a spoonful of the broth.

It was delicious.

So she was frustrated.

Watching Cheon Aram gulp down the pink ox bone soup, Seo Soo Yeon spoke.

“What I was asking about was if it’s okay to recruit Seon Taeyang, who has such a scent.”

Cheon Aram muttered, as if she just realized, ‘Oh, that’s what you meant.’

Then, with a meaningful expression, she said,

“…You see, he does have a scent, but it’s somewhat unique.”

“In what way?”

“How should I put it… It’s a stench if you call it that, but it’s oddly addictive?”

Cheon Aram tilted her head, as if finding it difficult to define, and said,

“Fermented soybean paste is too much… Maybe like a man’s sweat smell? It’s classified as a stench, but it’s not unpleasant.”

Seo Soo Yeon gave her honest opinion.

“…People generally don’t like the smell of sweat.”

She was close to being a yes-man, but she didn’t want to agree with Cheon Aram’s statement.

“This is the meeting room!”

I marveled at the clean view of the meeting room.

“President, you can speak comfortably.”

“Shall I? Then, I’ll speak comfortably from now on.”

That was actually more comfortable.

“This is the shower room!”

“Oh.”

“Wow.”

“And this is the training room!”

Like a child boasting about good test scores, Cheon Aram introduced the facilities of TwoBear Entertainment to Gyeoul and me one by one.

“You’ve invested a lot.”

“Doesn’t it look like it?”

I thought she had every reason to introduce it proudly.

“The scale and size are small, but the overall structure and facilities are top-notch.”

“I didn’t spare any expense in that regard. I believe the quality improves with investment.”

“I agree. You can’t get good quality by skimping on equipment.”

I nodded as I spoke.

“Honestly, since I hadn’t heard of this agency, I imagined it would be a small, shabby place where you eat and practice in an unpasted room.”

That expectation was pleasantly betrayed.

“Well, most new agencies that can’t get proper investment look like that.”

The facilities of TwoBear Entertainment were far from that image.

In terms of equipment alone, they could compare to SS’s facilities.

This wasn’t something that could be done with a small investment.

“It seems President Cheon is truly invested in this, which makes me more motivated as well.”

Cheon Aram smiled contentedly at my reaction and asked Gyeoul.

“How do you like it, Gyeoul?”

“…M-Me? I love it!”

“Really? It’s rewarding to hear you like it.”

“…But I wish it were a bit darker. I find bright spaces a bit scary.”

…Gyeoul, I understand, but let’s not act like a wimp outside.

“You need to adapt.”

“…Okay.”

I spoke to Cheon Aram, who was muttering to herself, wondering if she had chosen the lighting too strong.

“I think we’re done checking the facilities. I’m very impressed. Can you now introduce us to the other trainees?”

“Other trainees?”

Cheon Aram looked puzzled, as if she had never thought of that question before.

Why was she reacting like that to such an obvious question?

“Yes, other trainees.”

“We only have one trainee.”

“You don’t mean Gyeoul, do you?”

“As expected, Team Leader Seon, you’re right!”

Cheon Aram said, raising her thumb cheerfully.

Was she out of her mind?

“That doesn’t make sense… Where are the other staff? I think we need to talk.”

The staff who hadn’t said anything with a boss like this were the real culprits.

I needed to see their faces.

“If you mean staff, Soo Yeon is here. But she’s gone to the main office for me right now, so it’s hard to see her. Do you want to call?”

“Besides that, Soo Yeon, what about the other staff?”

“Other staff?”

What do you mean, ‘other staff?’

Is this a joke?

Is this a prank for fun?

Aha, now the staff will come out from behind.

“We only have two staff.”

Reality was harsh.

“You mean me and the Soo Yeon you just mentioned?”

“As expected, Team Leader Seon. You’re right!”

I quickly made a decision.

“I’ll cancel the employment. It’s been nice working with you, President Cheon.”

I hadn’t signed the contract yet, so it shouldn’t matter.

I was ready to take Gyeoul and escape this labyrinth.

“Wait.”

“…?”

“If that’s Team Leader Seon’s decision, I won’t stop you. But there’s something you don’t know that I think you should.”

“What is that?”

“Recently, you haven’t been able to get a job, right? You don’t think that’s a coincidence, do you?”

Of course not.

I just couldn’t guess the reason.

“Do you know the reason, President Cheon?”

“Yes, of course. It’s a family matter.”

Family…? No way.

“It’s because my eldest brother, Cheon Jonghoon, gave a hint to all the agencies.”

“What kind of hint?”

“‘Any agency that takes in Seon Taeyang and Han Gyeoul should be prepared to be completely antagonistic with SS.’”

It was insane.

“Wow, even a powerful country wouldn’t send such a diplomatic document to its vassal state. My family is something else.”

“Has Cheon Jong-hoon gone senile?”

He wasn’t that old.

“I think he’s still quite healthy.”

I rubbed my throbbing head and said.

“I know Cheon Jong-hoon quite well, and he’s not that kind of person.”

“You’re right, he’s not.”

“As you said, he’s a paragon of pride and boasts an impeccable career. Why would he do such a thing? Is he really crazy?”

“Maybe he felt that threatened.”

He brought the crisis upon himself, so what kind of threat could he feel?

“Like the emergence of a strong competitor.”

“You don’t mean Gyeoul and me, do you?”

Even I thought it was an overreaction.

What kind of corporate heir would feel threatened by a job seeker and a bullied trainee?

Cheon Aram just shrugged.

It seemed like she agreed and disagreed at the same time.

“Anyway, given this situation, finding a job won’t be easy. Do you have any plans?”

I turned back and approached Cheon Aram and said.

“I want to make TwoBear Entertainment the best in the country, President!”

“As expected, Team Leader Seon. That’s the right answer!”