episode_0083
by admin#83
“How’d it go?”
“I heard you met with ’s manager.”
“Yeah. That fucking bastard. You should’ve seen the look on his face when he got wrecked.”
“Ah~. I would’ve gone too if it weren’t for practice.”
“So that bastard’s really the culprit? For real?”
“Dunno if he’s the culprit. He kept yelling till the end that it wasn’t him. Told me to show him proof.”
“Wow~. The audacity is unreal.”
“So what happened?”
“I showed him proof. Something that bastard couldn’t deny.”
“So what was it?”
“Don’t tell me you showed him the footage?”
“Yeah, you got it, you little shit.”
“Wow~. Isn’t that kinda risky?”
“What else was I supposed to do? What’s he gonna do? Spread footage of an idol whining online?”
“Fuck. If that got out, I’d kill myself.”
“Hey, you never know. He might hit it big in AV or something.”
“Anyway, good thing we filmed it as insurance. We’d have been fucked otherwise.”
“Insurance, my ass. We just filmed it as a souvenir.”
“Bullshit. Nobody films that shit thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll use this for blackmail later~.’ You’re an idiot.”
“But did that bastard know we fucked Se-ah?”
“Seemed like he had an idea. The way he was freaking out at me. But I guess he never imagined his precious idol would spread her legs, piss herself, and act all cute. Fucking moron. His pupils were shaking like crazy when he saw the video.”
“I told you the drug’s effects were legit.”
“Yeah, yeah. Fucking thanks.”
“Did you mix that drug with coffee?”
“Yeah.”
“You psycho. Caffeine plus that drug must’ve sent her into overdrive. No wonder she was acting like a bitch in heat for a first-timer.”
“Is it pretty addictive too?”
“Dunno. It’s not like I’ve tried it.”
“Weren’t there a few people you dosed last time? How’d they turn out?”
“They got clingy as hell, but who knows if it was the drug or my face.”
“You delusional fuck. Look at you, flexing. Since when is your face drug-tier?”
“Hey, next time, hook me up. I’ve got some targets I wanna try it on.”
“I’ll sell you some when I get my next batch. Ten grand per pill.”
“Fuck, no loyalty among teammates. No discount?”
“Discount my ass. I had to work hard to get this.”
“Fine. Next time I bag a girl, I’ll pass her to you.”
“Depends on her face, dumbass.”
“Ah~. Se-ah. She was decent, but things got way too messy.”
“Just wait. If the addiction’s bad enough, she’ll come crawling back.”
“Hit me up if she does. Next time, I’m taking her first.”
“Got it, you little shit.”
*
“…Manager-nim?”
“Kang, you… you go ahead first.”
Kang hesitated for a moment, then left the café after seeing my expression.
I didn’t even watch him leave, just stared blankly at my phone.
[Call connecting…] [Se-ah]
The dial tone stopped, and the call timer began.
But no sound came from the other end.
“…Se-ah.”
“……”
No response, even when I called her name.
By now, the other members should’ve been back at the dorm.
But I couldn’t hear any of their voices.
“Se-ah. …Are you at the dorm? You are, right?”
“……”
Still no answer.
But she was definitely on the line.
I could hear her faint, uneven breathing.
She was listening.
“…Se-ah. I know you’re there…!”
“Oppa.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Se-ah.”
“Oppa. I’m… not at the dorm right now.”
Unlike before, her voice was calm.
No—more than calm. It was resolute.
“…Not at the dorm? Where are you?”
“…I… can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I was told not to.”
“……What?”
That implied something else was going on.
“…Who told you that?”
“You know who.”
“Someone I know?”
“…Yes. Very well.”
Meaning, someone both of us knew.
“…Put them on.”
“…They said no. They’re shaking their head.”
“Then put it on speaker. At least let them hear my voice.”
“It already is.”
As if to prove it, her voice grew slightly distant.
She must’ve set the phone down.
“Whoever’s there. What kind of bastard…? Fine, you don’t have to say their name—”
“…It’s the person who emailed the company.”
“……!?”
My head throbbed.
Why was Se-ah with that bastard right now?
I had so many questions, but my lips wouldn’t move.
“…Why are you with them…?”
“I asked to meet them.”
Her reply was immediate.
“…You did? Why…?”
“Oppa.”
She cut me off.
“Oppa. I… love .”
“…Why bring that up now?”
“From trainee days, practicing with the unnies, you helping us, performing on stage, meeting fans—I loved all of it. So, so much.”
I didn’t know why she was saying this.
But I listened silently.
“Even when people online called us flops, has-beens, nobodies—I didn’t care. Because I just… loved doing it. Being an idol. …I loved it. I loved the attention, the spotlight. You said it yourself before—that I’m an attention whore.”
“…Se-ah. That was—”
“I know. A joke. It’s fine. I think so too. That’s how much I love being an idol. …Being in .”
“……”
“But Oppa. …I ruined it. Because I didn’t listen to you…”
“…I told you, it’s not your fault…!”
“It is. From the start. …If I’d just followed company rules, none of this would’ve happened. I was… stupid.”
“…Se-ah. It’s okay. People make mistakes. We can fix this…!”
“That’s why I’m fixing it. …Everything that happened yesterday and today. All of it.”
I felt uneasy.
I’d never heard Se-ah speak so firmly before.
Was she really…?
“…What are you planning?”
“Luckily. I begged this person with tears, and they said they’d forgive me.”
“…What?”
Se-ah.
Called the blackmailer beside her “this person.”
“Instead of money… there’s another condition. If I just do this one thing, they won’t leak the video.”
“What is it? Huh? Se-ah. …It’s nothing weird, right?”
“It’s fine, Oppa. I’ve… already done it a lot.”
She didn’t specify what.
But… I could guess.
“Oppa. There’s… something I never told you.”
“……”
Gulp.
I swallowed hard.
I didn’t even wipe the cold sweat.
“My memory’s hazy… so I’m not sure. But with the oppas, I think I… acted like a total freak. Like, begging for it. Doing weird things too….”
The footage I saw earlier flashed in my mind.
“I was too ashamed to say anything… but you’re the only one who knows. And about this… I don’t want anyone else to know. Not the company, not the unnies, not even my family….”
“Why. Why… Se-ah.”
“It’s my fault. All of it… If this gets out, I can’t be an idol anymore. You know that, right?”
She was right.
Se-ah must’ve known… they filmed her.
“So I want yesterday to disappear. I want to erase it from my life. Like it never happened.”
I wanted to say that was impossible.
But the words wouldn’t come.
I could tell Se-ah had already made up her mind.
“The oppas won’t talk… and you’ll stay quiet. If the blackmailer does too, then yesterday never happened. So… I came to fix it. That way… I can keep being an idol. … can stay unharmed.”
That…
I wanted to deny it, but she was right.
“It started because of me. …I’ll take responsibility and end it.”
“…No. No, Se-ah. I’ll, I’ll figure something out…!”
“It’s too late, Oppa. This is… the only way now. This is how… I can protect .”
Her voice trembled.
Like she was holding back tears.
But she didn’t sniffle once.
The bright, carefree Se-ah had vanished with yesterday.
Now, only a girl who refused to cry remained on the other end.
“…I’m sorry, Oppa. They want me to hand the phone over. The… person next to me.”
“…What?”
“Well, well~. Back on the phone with you, Manager Jeon. What an unfortunate way to meet.”
A distorted male voice.
Mechanical, grating—like it was coming through a speaker.
“You… the one from before.”
“You should’ve just sent the money sooner. I even gave you a second chance. But since you wasted it… I’ll just have to recoup my losses my way.”
“…What are you planning?”
“Why ask when you already know? …Stay on the line if you’re curious. You’ll hear it all.”
“…Don’t. Don’t you fucking dare.”
“Then will you send the 10 coins right now?”
“……”
“I’m a generous man, really. Se-ah begged on her knees, so I couldn’t refuse. She said she’d sell her body to pay me back. Today, I’m just… assessing the merchandise.”
“…You bastard. Don’t touch her.”
“Ooh~. Scary. But can you really stop me? Huh? Should I just leak the video?”
“Tch…!”
“…Oppa.”
Se-ah’s voice again.
“…Oppa. I’ll be okay. This is… my responsibility.”
Se-ah…
It doesn’t have to be like this.
“Se-ah says she’s fine. But what about you, Manager? Hmm? Since it’s idol business, I should at least get your permission, right?”
The voice was distorted, mechanical.
But I could still sense the malice beneath.
“Go ahead and give your blessing, Manager. Heh heh…!”
“……”
I shouldn’t say it.
For the company’s sake, instead of 10 coins—telling him to go ahead and violate Se-ah.
I shouldn’t.
But I had no other choice.
We had no other choice.
Not if we wanted to keep .
There was nothing else we could do.
“…Oppa. …It’s okay. Really.”
Se-ah’s voice again.
Still carrying traces of youth.
Now burdened with an adult’s excuse—another layer of pain.
“Please… hurt Se-ah.”
I had to protect before Se-ah.
“Please… hurt our Se-ah.”
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