Chapter 95

Chapter 95

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

Episode 95: A Child Who Smells Like Me.

As time passed, it reached the point where Girl 100 was filming its 6th episode.

During that time, I continued negotiations and laid the groundwork to bring down Girl 100 and take advantage of it.

Today was the first day that the collaborators in this process would all gather in one place.

I spoke to the people gathered in the secluded waiting room.

“Thank you all for coming despite your busy schedules. I’m Seon Taeyang, the Team Leader from TwoBear Entertainment, who proposed this meeting.”

“I’m Oh Yoori, a trainee from Flower Entertainment, currently ranked 15th in the voting!”

“I’m Ye Han-na, the main writer for Girl 100… Though, with the politics involved, I hardly do anything deserving of that title.”

The people gathered were trainee Oh Yoori and writer Ye Han-na.

I had to put in a lot of effort to bring Ye Han-na into this.

First, I brought in Cheon Aram to assess her demeanor, then thoroughly investigated what she knew about the vote manipulation and what she was after, approaching very cautiously.

After approaching her, I used one of the rewards I had gained from a previous incident involving Song Johan to gain her trust.

Still, I didn’t regret the investment. If Yoori was an insider as a participant, Ye Han-na fulfilled her role as an insider from the operational side, greatly aiding in the progress.

Like her attitude toward me and Gyeoul, it was clear she intensely disliked Kim Seon-ye. The material she prepared was substantial. Moreover, the fact that she could take control of the broadcast after bringing down Kim Seon-ye was a crucial card.

Despite her importance, Ye Han-na showed an oddly insecure demeanor, raising her hand and carefully speaking to me.

“…Um, may I ask a question?”

“Go ahead, Ms. Ye Han-na.”

“Who is that woman with the horn-rimmed glasses?”

I looked at Cheon Aram, who was wearing black horn-rimmed glasses and a cheap suit, calmly smiling at me.

“…She’s a manager from TwoBear Entertainment who assists me. You can trust her to keep things confidential.”

“I’m Road Manager Cheon Aram. Nice to meet you.”

“…Yes, nice to meet you.”

While Yoori was thanking Ye Han-na for her cooperation, I whispered to Cheon Aram.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just reveal that you’re the President of TwoBear?”

She also whispered back quietly, so others wouldn’t hear.

“Hmm… That’s fine, too. If they know the company President is directly involved, it might add credibility. And it’s not like they won’t find out later anyway.”

Right. There’s no real reason to hide it, is there?

Well, there might be some minor advantage, but it doesn’t seem worth the hassle.

But if the person who might feel uncomfortable with it is willing, I can’t stop her.

“But isn’t it more fun to hide it? I’ve always wanted to try being an undercover boss.”

…Do whatever you want.

“So, how’s the ‘scent’? You’ve checked Ye Han-na before, but you haven’t evaluated trainee Oh Yoori yet, right?”

“…Trainee Oh Yoori?”

Cheon Aram rubbed her lips with one hand, a hard-to-read expression on her face.

…What’s that supposed to mean?

“Is the scent strong?”

Honestly, since she started with a threat, I expected her to have a bit of a strong scent.

But I hope it’s not so strong that we have to abandon cooperation.

“No, there’s a scent, but it’s… strange.”

“Strange? Like, does she smell like sweat again?”

“That’s it.”

“…What?”

“Yeah. She has the same scent as you, Team Leader Seon. I’ve never seen a case like yours before, and now there’s another one? Do similar scents attract each other?”

She smells like me?

…I don’t really want to be near her.

“It’s kind of reassuring, though. If she’s like you, Team Leader Seon, she won’t do anything too weird, right?”

“…”

I stared at Cheon Aram without saying anything.

“Never mind. I take that back. She’ll probably do a lot of weird things.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Fortunately, Cheon Aram seemed to understand my caution.

“Don’t just talk among yourselves; include me too!”

Yoori puffed out her cheeks and looked at me and Cheon Aram with a cute expression.

It seemed to be her way of expressing displeasure without coming across as unpleasant.

We had been whispering for a bit too long.

It wasn’t a good look for the host of the meeting.

“My apologies. Let’s proceed with the discussion.”

I bowed slightly in apology and guided the conversation.

“First of all, I believe we’re all in agreement on exposing the vote manipulation scandal of Girl 100.”

“Right. Whether it’s for restoring honor, gaining benefits, or fulfilling a sense of justice, we’re all here because we stand to gain when the manipulation of Girl 100 is exposed.”

For the record, I was in charge of the “benefits” part.

“Yes, with our shared goal, we have enough ammunition ready to trigger the scandal. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s as good as certain.”

We had the agency liaison records held by Ye Han-na, Yoori’s credibility as a current participant in Girl 100, and my recordings.

Individually, MNet’s active defense could delay or neutralize the impact, but if we released them all together, the collapse of Girl 100 would be inevitable.

“That’s right. If we release the material that Team Leader Seon and I have when Yoori raises suspicions, there’s no way MNet and the affiliated agencies could withstand the backlash, no matter how much they try to spin it.”

“Exactly. So now, I think it’s time to consider the timing.”

“The timing?”

“Yes, the timing of when to drop the scandal.”

Ye Han-na twirled her long braided hair around her index finger as she thought before speaking.

“For now, I prefer to delay it. The behind-the-scenes work to gain control of the broadcast is taking longer than expected. I’d like a bit more time. I think it’s because most of my former faction is still negative after being pushed out once before.”

“How much time are you looking for?”

“The closer we get to the final episode, the better… It’s embarrassing to say, but from my perspective, the further along we are, the less I’ll have to clean up.”

I nodded and replied.

“I don’t think it’s materialistic at all. When we expose the scandal, and Kim Seon-ye is ousted, you’ll be taking control of Girl 100 and handling the aftermath, so it’s perfectly reasonable to prepare in advance.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“It’s only natural. We’re here to help each other, after all.”

And when that day comes, TwoBear and Gyeoul will benefit the most.

No matter how hard I try, as an outsider, I can’t fully control the broadcast. But Ye Han-na will take on that difficult task and actively reflect my intentions.

Looking back, recruiting Ye Han-na was a very smart move.

“Fortunately, I also agree with Ms. Ye Han-na. From TwoBear and Gyeoul’s perspective, it’s in our best interest to keep the broadcast running smoothly until the final episode.”

If we exposed the scandal, the broadcast would have a hard time continuing normally, regardless of the benefits. It was something that needed to be done, but it was unfortunate when I thought about Gyeoul, who had been enjoying a significant boost in recognition thanks to Girl 100.

So, if possible, I wanted to milk this promotional effect until around the final episode, the 12th.

I knew I’d have to throw it away eventually, but just like squeezing the last bit of toothpaste from the tube, I wanted to delay discarding Girl 100 for as long as possible.

Understanding my position, Ye Han-na nodded and then asked Oh Yoori.

“What do you think, Yoori?”

Yoori, who seemed to be pondering something, soon smiled cutely and said,

“Yes! I also think it’s better to delay it.”

As expected, Yoori also seemed to agree with this approach.

From Yoori’s perspective, who held enough votes to last until the final episode without manipulation, it was in her best interest for the show to last as long as possible.

When she would eventually leave Flower Entertainment and transfer to another company, the fanbase and fame she would gain from Girl 100 would promise her better treatment.

Despite her overflowing talent and skills, Oh Yoori was still just a 9th grader with plenty of opportunities ahead. So, if she planned to continue as an idol, she needed to think about the aftermath of exposing the scandal.

“If everyone’s in agreement, then the timing…”

“But what if I had a reason that required the scandal to break sooner? Would that change the timing?”

…A reason?

“That would depend on what the reason is. Can you tell us?”

Yoori looked into my eyes. I looked into hers.

I didn’t look away.

After her red eyes blinked about three times, she smiled mischievously and said,

“No, actually, there’s no such reason.”

“Then why did you bring it up?”

“I just had a mischievous urge to say ‘no’ when everyone was saying ‘yes.’ Hehe. I was just asking.”

“…”

Cheon Aram, who was sitting beside me, taking notes on a tablet, muttered to herself.

“That kid really is like Team Leader Seon.”

…To me, she seems more like President Cheon.

The situation got complicated. Oh Yoori’s plan fell apart.

She also wanted to slowly and carefully build up to bringing down Girl 100. She hoped to safely proceed with Ye Han-na and Seon Taeyang’s cooperation. However, by doing so, she couldn’t be sure of protecting Seo Eun-byeol.

‘…What should I do?’

The decision felt unbearably heavy. Protecting just one person weighed on her like an enormous burden. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find a clear solution.

For Oh Yoori, who was just a middle school student, the current situation was overwhelming.

In her frustration, she unconsciously started biting her nails, a habit she had overcome two years ago thanks to a certain man.

At that moment, someone grabbed her hand to stop her.

“I know it’s a bit overbearing, but as your manager, I have to step in. No matter how anxious you are, you shouldn’t do that.”

It was Seon Taeyang.

“You’re going to ruin your pretty hands.”

“…”

Oh Yoori stared at him blankly.

He hadn’t changed. Just like that day two years ago.

Sensing her gaze, Seon Taeyang scratched his cheek awkwardly and said,

“If you need help with anything, just let me know. I’ll help you.”

Oh Yoori masked her emotions as if it were nothing, acting as if everything was fine.

She was used to acting, but in front of him, it felt particularly difficult.

That’s why, unintentionally, she ended up speaking a bit brusquely.

“I don’t think that’s something you should say lightly… What if I really ask you to do something troublesome?”

“I didn’t say it lightly.”

“Then why are you saying that to me? We haven’t known each other for long.”

“If helping with your troubles is just a bit of a hassle for me, I’d be satisfied with that.”

“…Is that really all there is to it?”

“What do you mean, ‘all’?”

He smiled his familiar smile and said,

“I don’t need any reason beyond that.”

“…One day, you’re going to get seriously hurt. Haven’t you been hurt before?”

“I’ve learned that sometimes you regret not stepping in more than getting hurt. So it’s okay.”

“…”

When Oh Yoori avoided his gaze, lowering her head in silence, Seon Taeyang gave a bitter smile, left her a 50,000-won bill and his business card, and told her to call him, even if she had to use a payphone, if she ever needed help.

Oh Yoori stared blankly at the business card Seon Taeyang had given her after he left.

It took her a while to realize she was smiling warmly, which didn’t match the bleak situation she was in.

Flustered, she touched her lips, and then, as if making a resolution, she muttered to herself,

“…I have to do this alone after all.”