Chapter 110

Chapter 110

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

Episode 110: Two Bear’s Trio Of Con Men.

After Oh Yoori stopped crying and calmed her emotions, I asked.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“…Are you talking about cleaning up the mess I made?”

“Rather than saying cleanup, it’s more about what you want to do.”

She seemed to take my words as a demand for responsibility, responding with a dark expression.

“I have no intention of turning a blind eye. If I made a mess, I must take responsibility. I will do my best to take the initiative from Girl 100 as Team Leader Seon and Writer Ye Han-na want and wrap things up positively for Gyeoul.”

That wasn’t what I wanted to ask.

“That’s not what I’m asking. I want to know how you want to help us. I asked what you want to do. If you want to cut ties with broadcasting and look for another path, then you need to consider how to handle that. And if you want to continue in the entertainment industry, then that requires a suitable response, too.”

Even if we’ve achieved our goal of rescuing Seo Eun-byeol from Ban Seongcheol, life doesn’t end there.

She needs to make choices for the days ahead.

“You can choose anything. You’re still young, and countless possibilities are open to you.”

Honestly, I felt she could excel even if she threw herself into studying for entrance exams right now.

She’s smart and beautiful; she could be anything she wanted.

“The important thing is your will.”

Oh Yoori tilted her head, responding to my words.

“That sounds like you’re saying you’ll help me no matter what I choose. Am I misunderstanding?”

“No, you interpreted it correctly. There’s no way I’d come this far and just run away saying, ‘I don’t care.’ Have you forgotten what kind of person I am?”

Then she lowered her head and fidgeted with her hair, murmuring softly, “Yeah. Team Leader Seon is that kind of person.”

“But I don’t think I have any right to say that to the main culprit who ruined the original plan.”

“Eh, let’s forget the past. Let’s look ahead to our future.”

Oh Yoori asked playfully.

“Hmmm… Hehe, does that mean you’ve forgotten about what happened with me too?”

Once again at a loss for words, I playfully ruffled Oh Yoori’s small head.

“Why does it seem like the more I remember, the more you get snappy?”

“From my perspective, it was an event that changed my life. Shouldn’t it be disappointing if you see it as just an unremarkable event that you wouldn’t even remember?”

“…That was my mistake. I’m sorry.”

As I apologized, Oh Yoori was taken aback, grabbing the hem of my shirt and cautiously speaking.

“Ah, I’m sorry. But aren’t I more polite than before, when I used to speak rudely?”

That’s true; back then, she defaulted to speaking informally, calling me just Seon Taeyang instead of Team Leader Seon.

“Yeah, I think you’re right. Yoori, you could learn manners, huh?”

“No, what do you remember about me back then to say that?”

“Someone who got early onset of middle school syndrome in the first year?”

“…”

“Well, this is an objective evaluation. Why not ask those around you how you used to be?”

…To be honest, I think that middle school syndrome hasn’t fully left her even now.

Oh Yoori’s face turned bright red, and she avoided my gaze as she spoke.

“Let’s forget the past.”

“Let’s do that.”

She changed the subject.

“Well then, let’s talk constructively. Let’s discuss how we can benefit from the future of Girl 100. That’s what I want to do first.”

“Are you trying to stay in the entertainment industry?”

“Yes, I want to. If I give up because of this, it feels like I’m losing to Ban Seongcheol.”

That’s a great attitude. Yoori, let’s show that bastard our success.

“Good. Then, our tasks are clear. First, what do you think will happen since the controversy will break out now instead of during the finale, like our original plan?”

“There will be various outcomes, but first, the power struggle with Writer Ye Han-na will intensify.”

“Right. If Ye Han-na has been forming factions behind the scenes, it will intensify now and surface openly. However, we don’t necessarily need to see this situation negatively.”

“That’s right. There’s no need to view this negatively. Rather, this situation could pave the way for Writer Ye Han-na to recruit her forces. If the leader of a rebellion plots while the kingdom is stable, people would hesitate to approach. But if the kingdom is crumbling, it would be perceived quite differently.”

That was a good metaphor.

Ye Han-na was about the second in line to inherit the castle, having been in opposition to Kim Seon-ye, the owner of the castle called Girl 100.

“However, it’s true that this creates a tug-of-war with PD Kim Seon-ye, which wasn’t in the original plan.”

“That’s right. Originally, we would gather people below the surface until the finale and then flip it all at once. Still, there is definitely one clear advantage.”

“…An advantage?”

Oh Yoori tilted her head at the word advantage, stroked her chin in thought, then looked into my eyes and said.

“Are you talking about the trainees who are participants of Girl 100?”

“Correct.”

It was clear that Oh Yoori was smart, as she made that judgment immediately without needing much explanation.

“Right. If the controversy had erupted in the finale, they would have remained as victims caught in the waves. After all, the broadcast would have already been filmed, and all they could do would be passive measures. But the fact that the controversy erupted while we’re in the midst of filming episode 8 opens up many more options. No matter what anyone says, they are the protagonists of Girl 100.”

“Then, there’s a new value in recruiting them—no, it’s not just ‘valuable.’ It’s something we absolutely must do. The future public opinion is likely to be swayed by them.”

I felt a bit of excitement in my conversation with Oh Yoori, as she accurately touched on what I was thinking.

“Exactly. You can tell their power by looking at how you ignited the controversy over vote manipulation in Girl 100, which became the topic of all communities. Objectively speaking, your remarks, which might be less notable compared to the top 11 members of the debut group, still functioned as an enormous speaker.”

“That’s partly due to my status as the original disseminator. Even without that, it can’t be said that their value has diminished. In fact, it can be argued that their value has increased due to the attention they’ve garnered… Indeed, we must recruit them. But it seems that PD Kim Seon-ye won’t just sit back and watch.”

With her arms crossed, Oh Yoori seemed to have an amusing thought as she looked at me and smiled.

“Team Leader Seon, are you confident in your acting?”

It was a somewhat unexpected question, but after this episode, I could firmly answer that.

“I’m a genius at acting.”

Having made an appointment with Kim Seon-ye, I arrived with Seok Hyun-woo and Oh Yoori at the door of the editing room, where we had previously negotiated with the early members of Girl 100.

“Team Leader Seon, is this really okay?”

Unlike Oh Yoori, who calmly stared at the door, Seok Hyun-woo couldn’t hide his nervousness.

I spoke to reassure Seok Hyun-woo.

“Hyun-woo. There’s no need to worry. Just think, ‘I’m a detective who caught a criminal,’ and it will be enough to set the mood. You don’t even have any lines, right?”

“…That doesn’t seem like a comfortable mood to set.”

I’m not the type to be irresponsible enough to give a demanding role to someone who has never acted before.

The role that Seok Hyun-woo had was a light one that didn’t require much acting skill.

But if that’s how he felt, there was nothing I could do about it.

“If you feel that burden, then there’s nothing we can do. Oh Yoori and I will figure it out, so just guard the door.”

“Ah, no. I will do my best to not be lacking.”

“Okay. It’s fine if it’s lacking; just try to be relaxed. If it seems a bit strange, they probably won’t pay much attention to it. This isn’t a movie; who’s going to say anything if you act awkwardly? They’ll just think you’re a bit nervous and move on.”

Seok Hyun-woo seemed to resonate with my words as he nodded and asked me.

“…You said to think like a detective, right? The one who catches and brings in criminals.”

“If that’s hard to immerse yourself in, you can think of it as the action leader who catches a subordinate who betrayed the organization and ran away. This can also be seen as similar sensitivity.”

“Action leader… Action leader.”

Seok Hyun-woo muttered the term “action leader,” finding it easier to immerse himself in it.

He seemed motivated.

I no longer worried; he was someone who could deliver more than a single serving, no matter what he was asked to do.

“So, are you okay?”

“Me?”

“Yes, Oh Yoori. Honestly, if you look awkward compared to Hyun-woo, it could be a big problem. The negotiation itself could fall apart, you know? It’s not easy being the hostage that’s being sold off, right?”

“Well, I’m aware of that much. The role I have to play now isn’t just a simple one to handle emotionally.”

Oh Yoori twirled her pink pigtails, speaking with a confident expression.

“But Team Leader Seon knows what kind of person I am, right? If I’m determined to act, there’s no one I can’t fool.”

Indeed, if I can’t trust a performer with S-level acting potential, how many people on Earth could I trust?

“That’s true. Then, I’ll trust you completely.”

“Yes! I’ll become a powerless slave, losing even my rights. Master! Let’s do that. Gasp!”

“…”

What am I supposed to say when a middle schooler makes such a remark?

Pretending I hadn’t heard Yoori’s comment, I took out my smartphone from my pocket to check the time when a message popped up in front of me.

[Send the vote-rigging Kim Seon-ye to the bottom and carve out the rotten flesh of Girl 100 to seize the initiative to shine Gyeoul!]

[Reward – Enchanting Perfume (Appearance Potential Level Up)]

…What good is it for a team leader to have a higher appearance level?