episode_0074

# 74

When I first saw Se-ah, she was just a little kid.

And rightfully so—she passed the company audition in elementary school and was selected as a final member of not long after starting middle school.

Since I first met her around that time, it made sense that she seemed like a child. Back then, she was in her first year of middle school—literally just a kid.

I still remember her introducing herself for the first time.

*”…Uh, yeah. I’m Jeon Ho-gu, the manager assigned to your group, . I’m twenty-five. From now on, I’ll be overseeing all your activities, so I hope you’ll follow my lead. Let’s work well together.”*

*”Wow~ You’re really twenty-five?”*

I can’t forget how she looked at me with those sparkling eyes. Even when the other members nudged her to watch her manners, she didn’t care at all.

*”Well, yeah…”*

*”That’s a relief! I was worried you’d be some really old guy! Then can I call you Oppa?”*

*”……No, since we’re in a manager-trainee relationship, it’d be better to call me Manager-n—”*

*”Oppa! Buy me something tasty~. Hmm?”*

She latched onto me like that, and there was nothing I could do.

Of course, she was cute.

She was innocent, a little naïve, and easy to trick—her chemistry with Sa-rang was great, too.

Even among fans, she naturally stood out with her untouched, effortless charm. Thanks to that, she had quite the fanbase.

Whether she lacked common sense or was genuinely pure, the fact that she treated fans warmly and always maintained a bright, adorable demeanor made her undeniably charming and talented as an idol.

She wasn’t a troublemaker—she practiced diligently, and her skills were never an issue.

Sure, she was a bit clumsy and acted on impulse sometimes… but that was typical for kids her age, especially in the entertainment industry. It wasn’t something worth raising concerns over.

However.

Some time ago, Se-ah began obsessing over .

At first, it was just watching their music show stages or YouTube clips.

Like playing their performances on her phone during car rides—that level of fandom.

Because of that, I may not have known the members’ names, but I could still hum most of their songs by now.

As time passed, merchandise started arriving at the dorm, one by one. To this day, her room is probably plastered with posters, photocards, and random merchandise.

Still, up to this point, it was manageable—just a hobby. Knowing industry trends wasn’t bad. I’d occasionally tease her, *”Aren’t you a little too into them?”* but never took it seriously.

But when I saw the shift in her eyes while watching at the last music show, I did warn her… Yet, I never imagined things would escalate like **this**.

Se-ah had **promised** she’d draw the line.

And I believed her. Sure, she acted impulsively at times, but she wasn’t reckless enough to lead members to a hotel en masse.

So **what the hell happened?**

Before I knew it, the car had arrived at the hotel Se-ah mentioned.

Would she still be in the room?

She shouldn’t be—checkout time had long passed.

I called Se-ah again.

*”Yeah. Se-ah. Where are you? Still in the room?”*

*”No… I’m… outside now.”*

*”Outside? The hotel’s outdoor area?”*

*”Yeah… There’s a garden or something near the hotel.”*

*”Garden?”*

I glanced around and spotted a small garden within the hotel grounds.

*”Are you alone?”*

*”……Yeah.”*

*”Got it.”*

*Click*.

I hung up and headed toward the garden.

Speaking of which—where the hell did those bastards go?

Did they just abandon Se-ah and leave?

**What the fuck did they do to her…?**

*”Se-ah.”*

The park was small, so finding her wasn’t difficult.

Se-ah was sitting on a bench.

Had she actually planned to hang out? She was dressed casually in a tank top and dolphin shorts. Her strikingly long black hair cascaded down.

*”Se-ah.”*

When I stood in front of her, she lifted her head.

*”……Oh. Oppa.”*

*”Se-ah… Why do you look like that?”*

I wanted to scold her immediately, but I couldn’t.

I’d **never** seen her make such an expression before.

This was the same Se-ah who always smiled and whined like a kid.

Now, her eyes were hollow, her body trembling uncontrollably.

*”Se-ah. You…”*

*”Oppa.”*

Her voice—it wasn’t hers.

Lifeless. **Dead.**

*”What happened? …Huh?”*

At my question, her body shook violently.

*”Oppa… Please… don’t tell anyone.”*

*”Anyone?”*

*”……Yeah. Not the company. Not the other members…”*

Se-ah had **never** hidden anything before. Especially from me and the other members.

But she was telling me **not to tell the others**…

No matter how many possibilities raced through my mind—

What Se-ah said next was the **worst-case scenario.**

*”I… was raped.”*

—

First, I got Se-ah into the car.

I seated her in the passenger seat and draped a blanket over her lap.

**Where do we go now?** The company? The dorm? The police station?

Unable to decide, I just started driving aimlessly.

If this were solely about Se-ah, it might’ve been different. But with footage of her entering the hotel with already forwarded to the company, I couldn’t act recklessly.

Did Se-ah even know she’d been recorded?

*”Se-ah. That…”*

*”Oppa. I’m sorry… For causing something like this…”*

*”……No. It’s not your fault.”*

*”It is… It’s my fault…”*

Her fists clenched tightly.

*”You always told me to be careful… But I acted recklessly…”*

Shivering, she hung her head low—

Like she’d committed some unforgivable sin.

*”I… lied to you and the others.”*

*”Lied?”*

*”……When I said I was meeting friends… I wasn’t.”*

*”……”*

At this point, I’d already guessed that much.

*”After the music show last time… I got a DM from Ji-o oppa.”*

*”Ji-o?”*

**Who…?** Ah, right.

One of the members.

*”Yeah. He suddenly DM’d me in the evening… I knew I shouldn’t have, but I was so happy. That **he** reached out first…”*

*”……What did he say?”*

*”Just… ‘This is ’s Ji-o. I’ve always been rooting for and love watching you guys. Your performance today was great.’ So…”*

*”So?”*

*”I… congratulated them on their win. Said their performance was amazing and that I was happy to meet them…”*

Even within the industry, that exchange could’ve been dismissed as polite small talk.

**But.**

In the idol world—where young, attractive people constantly intermingled—direct DMs like that carried **clear** implications.

Especially since Se-ah was already deep into her obsession.

Ji-o probably knew that too. He **must’ve** approached her deliberately.

If it were just courtesy, he’d have messaged the other members as well.

*”He… also said he’d been a fan for a long time, that he’d always supported me… We kept talking, and…”*

*”About what?”*

*”Just… about their songs, TV appearances… I even sent him photos of all the merch I’d bought… He said he was really touched and grateful… And then…”*

Listening to her felt like hearing a fan recount their first conversation with their idol.

Had Se-ah not been an idol—just a regular girl—this might’ve remained nothing more than a cherished memory.

*”Then… he asked if I’d like to grab coffee sometime…”*

But Se-ah **was** an idol. Personal meetings with other idols—**especially male idols**—were **strictly forbidden.**

Dating rumors alone could ruin careers.

*”I… hesitated, but… I had free time, so…”*

Even so, how could a barely twenty-year-old girl resist when her favorite idol personally invited her?

*”So… we agreed to meet on Tuesday…”*

*”……Sigh.”*

*”I’m… sorry…”*

Se-ah lowered her head even further.

Yes, breaking the rules and agreeing to meet **was** Se-ah’s fault.

But **Ji-o—**what the hell was **his** angle?

Nothing about his actions seemed innocent.

He **had** to know the risks—messaging a female idol first, arranging a private meeting. Yet he did it anyway.

Plenty of stars had fallen from grace over similar scandals.

He **knew** but still messaged her—meaning he was **confident** it’d work.

This definitely wasn’t his **first time.**

*”First, we need evidence.”*

*”……Huh?”*

*”Turn on your phone. Screenshot **every** DM between you and that Ji-o bastard.”*

*”O-okay.”*

*”You don’t have his number, do you?”*

*”No… Just DMs…”*

*”Good…”*

Was that a relief? **Hell no.**

If this escalated into inter-agency disputes, someone **would** be held accountable.

We needed proof. **Hard evidence** that Ji-o initiated and manipulated the situation.

*”……Huh?”*

*”What’s wrong?”*

*”T-the DMs…”*

With trembling hands, Se-ah showed me her phone.

All conversations with him—**gone.**