Chapter 86: Debut launch!

The lingering aftertaste of the gathering had finally come to an end.

Whoosh!

As soon as Sua returned home, she visited the special hotel interior. The place she currently stood in was the “Mental Space.”

It was, quite literally, a manifestation of Sua’s inner world.

Right now, it took the form of a courtroom. The Sua Court.

Soon, Sua shouted.

“Everyone, assemble!”

Immediately, an enormous number of arctic foxes rushed in from all directions and took their seats in the tiered audience section.

At the center of the courtroom was a hexagonal platform, with nameplates placed at each seat.

Names were written boldly on the plates.

【Wi Ji-hye】

【Kim Yuhan】

【Lee Kang-chul】

Lee Kang-chul was already seated.

Soon, two versions of Sua appeared—one dressed in Wi Ji-hye’s attire and the other in Kim Yuhan’s uniform. They took their places in front of their respective nameplates.

The two faced each other.

However, there was still one seat left unoccupied.

【Kim So-hee】

Kim So-hee’s seat remained vacant.

Sua tilted her head and glanced at the special status window floating in midair.

She was about to hold an important discussion, and having as many attendees as possible would be beneficial. Absences were unacceptable.

“Hey, Special Authority. Kim So-hee isn’t showing up.”

No response.

“Bring Kim So-hee here and make her sit.”

Still, no response. Sua’s temper flared.

“Hey! I said bring Kim So-hee and make her sit!”

The next moment—

Flash!

In an instant, Sua’s position had shifted. When she regained her senses, she found herself standing in front of Kim So-hee’s nameplate.

“…?”

Only then did Sua realize what had happened.

‘Ah, so this is how it’s going to be…?’

But for now, she decided to let it slide. This wasn’t the time to get caught up in details. There were more pressing matters to discuss.

Sua clapped her palm against the desk in front of her.

“All right, let’s start gathering opinions.”

Immediately, words appeared in the air.

[Agenda: Is it right to attend the regular meeting?]

This was a dilemma Sua had been struggling with all night, unable to find an answer.

Should she attend?

If she did, how much information should she reveal?

What kind of attitude should she adopt?

Her life had changed so drastically that uncertainty was inevitable. No matter how much she pondered, a clear answer refused to emerge.

And so, the Sua Court was convened—to hear the meticulous advice of the roles she had played.

With the gaze of all the arctic foxes fixed on her, the discussion began.

The first to break the silence was Kang-chul Sua.

“It would be best not to attend.”

“Why?”

Sua tilted her head.

“There will be an overwhelming number of schedules to handle soon. Mystic Entertainment’s directive was to focus on physical conditioning in preparation for that. Registering at a gym and training would be the wiser choice.”

“Hm…”

“I’ve drafted a schedule based on principles and efficiency. Wake up at 6 AM, freshen up and have breakfast, then run for two hours, followed by—”

Before he could finish, Sua and the foxes averted their gaze from Lee Kang-chul.

Noticing their reaction, Kang-chul Sua looked bewildered.

“…What kind of response is this?”

“No, no. It’s just… you’re making too much sense, so there’s nothing to argue.”

It was too logical—it almost felt wrong!

Theoretically sound, but practically near impossible. The kind of schedule you write down but never actually follow through with.

It wasn’t that people didn’t know such a plan was ideal.

The real problem was willpower.

Lee Kang-chul’s proposed schedule was simply too perfect, too idealistic.

Around that moment, Wi Ji-hye spoke up.

“I agree with the conclusion. Not attending is the right choice.”

“And your reason, Ji-hye Sua?”

“If you wish to be among the elite, you must adopt the mindset of a seeker. Have you ever seen a bird in flight look back? There is no time to be complacent. Seek out scripts, immerse yourself in experience, and refine your craft.”

“Hm.”

So that’s how it is. Sua scratched her cheek with a finger.

That was when—

“You’re all talking nonsense.”

For the first time, a dissenting opinion arose. Kim Yuhan Sua shrugged.

“You’re wrong. Attending is absolutely the right decision.”

“Huh?”

“Sua-sunbae has improved tremendously compared to the past. In this situation, there’s no reason to avoid attending. In fact, I believe she must go.”

Wi Ji-hye narrowed her eyes.

“…Foolish.”

With a scolding tone, she continued.

“You would waste precious time just to show off? There is no greater waste than indulging in vanity. A true elite must not behave in such a way.”

“Now, now, hear me out first.”

“Silence. I have no need to hear more.”

As Wi Ji-hye reached for her sword, Kim Yuhan drew a pistol.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Wi Ji-hye’s face.

“I said, listen.”

At that moment, Sua thought to herself—Wait, does the gun actually win here?

All eyes were now focused on Yuhan Sua.

“I’m not suggesting she should go just to boast. On the contrary, this is an opportunity to demonstrate humility and build allies.”

“…Build allies?”

“Exactly.”

Wi Ji-hye’s expression stiffened slightly as Kim Yuhan nodded.

“Sua-sunbae has no family, not even friends. In societal terms, she is an outcast—someone completely disconnected from human relationships.”

Why did that have to be pointed out so bluntly?

“In reality, this gathering is the only social group she belongs to. It’s essential to establish solid connections there. The plan is simple—go, and speak humbly.”

These days, thanks to all of you, I’ve been working hard.

“What kind of effect does that have?”

“You need to understand that people don’t like those who have done them favors, but rather those who have received favors from them.”

Yuhan Sua smirked.

“What do you think will happen if Sua senior brags about recent achievements and gives out gifts? They’ll start wondering why things went well for you, and eventually, they’ll expect even more. That’s just how people are.”

“Hmm.”

“But what if Sua senior remains humble? What if you emphasize that you received their help? What if you lightly mention that you overcame difficult times thanks to them?”

Yuhan Sua’s voice grew firmer.

“They will start rooting for Sua senior. The more successful you become, the more they will feel like they have a stake in it.”

“Hmm…”

“Later, even if someone tries to dig into Sua senior’s personal connections, all they will find are positive stories. From that point on, Sua senior’s success will become everyone’s goal.”

“That makes sense.”

Eventually, Wi Ji-hye put away her sword.

However, she crossed her arms with a dissatisfied expression.

“But deceiving others is not honorable.”

“It’s not deception, it’s guidance. Ji-hye senior, you need to recognize that humans are not born equal.”

“Hm?”

“We’re leading those who might become adversaries to walk the path of allies. Isn’t that the duty of those born exceptional? To rise together to a higher level—that too is honorable.”

Wi Ji-hye soon averted her gaze from Kim Yuhan.

“Where on earth did this monster come from…?”

Around that time, Sua nodded.

“It looks like the decision is made. I’ll be on my way.”

Sua took out her phone from her pocket.

But she hesitated before making the call because, out of nowhere, Yuhan Sua grabbed her arm.

“Wait a moment.”

“Hm?”

“Who are you planning to call right now?”

“Eun-bi. Go Eun-bi.”

“The Deer, huh? What are you going to tell her?”

“That I’m attending the regular gathering, of course.”

“No, that won’t do. That’s not enough.”

Yuhan Sua shook her head firmly.

“First, tell her that you’ll be arriving late.”

“What? But I’m free the whole day.”

“The important thing is to emphasize that you barely managed to make time. It will instantly give the impression that you’re always working hard, even when they’re not watching.”

“Ah…?”

“There are several psychological principles behind this, but explaining them would take too long. I’ll just implant the knowledge into you.”

Swoosh!

Something suddenly entered Sua’s mind.

People always doubt sudden success and feel jealous of it.

Especially in Sua’s case, where success was due to the special privilege, it might be even harder for others to understand and could provoke rejection. More than anything, it seems suspicious.

That’s why this is important.

Subtly hinting that there was grueling effort behind it—small moments like these will pile up until, eventually, Sua’s success looks like the natural result of relentless hard work.

It’s not like Sua didn’t work hard at all, anyway.

Yuhan Sua had planned for all of this in advance.

That’s what this was about.

Sua tilted her head.

“Wait, that was short. Wasn’t it supposed to be too long to explain?”

“Huh?”

“Hey, don’t tell me even you think I’m dumb…”

“…Senior, that’s not the issue right now.”

Yuhan Sua grabbed Sua’s wrist once again.

“This isn’t over yet.”

“What? Why?”

“Tell them that while you can make time, you’re not sure if you can afford the gathering due to financial difficulties.”

“Huh?”

“Because then, someone will gladly offer to pay for you.”

“Hey, hey, that’s too manipulative…”

“It’s not.”

Yuhan Sua shook her head.

“That person will feel proud of having helped Sua senior. They’ll carry the honor of supporting someone exceptional for the rest of their life. In a way, they’re buying that pride for a relatively small amount of money.”

“Oh? That… actually makes sense?”

“Besides, you’ve always been teased in the group chat, haven’t you? You were treated like a punching bag, right? How many times have you felt humiliated?”

Hmm, that’s true…

“You’re just granting them the privilege of returning the favor.”

“All you need to do is continue succeeding. The more you become a source of pride for them, the more all debts will be repaid. No, in fact—”

The Arctic foxes in the audience trembled.

Four days later.

On the day of the group chat’s regular gathering.

Finally, the short film festival began.

[Monkey-ing: Is everyone awake?]

[Deer: I’ll come right after work.]

[Monkey-ing: Sua’s going to be a bit late too.]

[Deer: Yeah, I heard.]

[Deer: I’ll cover her taxi fare.]

[Black Bear: See you all later.]

[Field Mouse: So, everyone’s coming today! Awesome!]

And with that, Lee Sua was making her entrance.

[Sua: I’m so busy and exhausted…]

[Sua: But I’ll join as soon as I can ㅠㅠ]

At the same time, it was also the day Sua made her debut.