episode_0089

#89

“Do you have any idea why, Manager? Why CEO Noh is acting like this?”

“……I’m not sure.”

Because it seems like he’s targeting the idols.

But I couldn’t say that.

It wasn’t certain yet… And there was no reason to disclose such things to Han Myung-soo, who wasn’t even part of our company.

“He invested that much money to seize control, so… *sigh*… He must be planning to squeeze every last drop out of it.”

“He looked so young, too. Where on earth did he even get that kind of money……?”

“Ah. I think I mentioned this before. CEO Noh is twenty-eight.”

“…….”

Even younger than me.

“And he wasn’t even someone involved in the entertainment industry before. Are we dealing with a chaebol doing this as a hobby? I looked into his background, but surprisingly, he’s not even a chaebol.”

“…Then?”

“If a young, ordinary person without chaebol backing suddenly comes into massive wealth… there’s only one explanation. Crypto. Crypto coins.”

The moment *coins* were mentioned, my teeth clenched on their own.

I had some bad trauma related to that.

“Turns out, this guy was a huge whale in crypto. He bought up some obscure altcoins and apparently hit 100,000% returns. Must’ve made enough for a lifetime in one go.”

“…Hah.”

A dumbfounded laugh escaped me.

So,

A crypto lottery winner bought our company… as a hobby?

And because of that, is disbanding…?

“Manager. So. What’s going to happen to ?”

Han Myung-soo asked, almost casually.

I took a deep breath before answering.

“……Disbandment. That’s the plan.”

“……Then. Sa-rang too.”

The moment that bastard brought up Sa-rang’s name, my teeth gritted again.

How shameless could he be……

“Director.”

“Yes?”

“That meeting between you and our Sa-rang… It ended up meaning nothing, didn’t it?”

“……….”

A meeting arranged under the condition that the CEO wouldn’t change.

And now, it was a complete failure.

“…Even if it didn’t work out…… It wasn’t *completely* meaningless.”

“Huh?”

“It meant something to me.”

Over the phone, Han Myung-soo—

I could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

……*Meaningful* because he slept with Sa-rang.

Is that what he’s implying now?

“………*What* exactly did you do with Sa-rang that day?”

“Ah, Manager. You already know, don’t you?”

“Why did you call me?”

“……Mmm.”

“Answer me.”

“…Let’s just call it a personal hobby.”

“A *four-hour-long* sex livestream?”

“…Wasn’t *you* the one who didn’t hang up?”

That…… Yeah.

I didn’t hang up.

Listening to Sa-rang fucking him the entire time, pathetically jerking off—that was *definitely* me.

“Sa-rang could fill you in on the details if you ask her.”

“That’s—!”

“I’ll hang up now. I’m in a meeting.”

“Director? …Director?”

*Click.*

*Beep—. Beep—. Beep—*

I tried calling back, but Han Myung-soo didn’t pick up.

I *desperately* wanted to ask Sa-rang directly, too.

But—

Just like during that phone call, just like yesterday—

Sa-rang had no idea I’d been listening.

There was no way I could tell her I’d heard everything.

There was so much I wanted to ask—

But first, I had to put out the fire right in front of me.

Whether to extinguish it or kick it aside—

I needed to hear it from the people involved first.

*

“One and two and three and four…!”

“Se-ah! You need to move faster when you come over here!”

“Yes! Unnie!”

When I entered the practice room, the members were deep into rehearsal.

With their second music show appearance the day after tomorrow, the girls had been practicing intensely since morning.

I slipped in quietly, sat in a corner, and watched.

They noticed me but kept going until the end.

“Bigger movements!”

“Yes!”

“Switch positions faster! Even half a beat late will ruin the formation!”

Under Ha-rin’s sharp directions, the girls followed perfectly.

They didn’t even need a trainer anymore.

Originally, there *should’ve* been a dance trainer… But today, they were missing.

I think I knew why.

Probably sent to the trainees by the CEO’s orders.

We were already being discarded by this company.

“Focus on expressions for the ending! Hold your positions even after the song ends!”

Even ten seconds after the music stopped, the girls held their poses and smiles before finally relaxing.

Even in the mirror, they looked stunning.

*Clap clap clap clap.*

When I started applauding, they finally broke formation.

“Oppa!”

“Manager!”

Ha-rin and Sa-rang hurried over to me while Eun-chae and Se-ah grabbed water.

Ha-rin hesitated before standing in front of me.

“Manager… Is it true? The CEO changed?”

“…Yeah. I just went to greet him.”

“How…… is he?”

Nervous eyes.

The others had the same look.

They knew a CEO change meant was in danger.

“…Well…… The CEO—”

“Please, be honest. Manager. What’s… going to happen to us? To ?”

“*Sigh*……”

No point hiding it now.

To avoid this exact situation—

Ha-rin had thrown herself at Park Dong-chul for a chance.

For money, Eun-chae had given herself to ‘Venus’ executives.

For the CEO’s shares, Sa-rang had gone on *dates* and slept with someone.

To avoid blackmail, Se-ah had done the same.

Two weeks ago, none of this had happened.

Now, every member had slept with different men, some multiple times.

They didn’t know about each other’s actions…

But despite all that effort, was facing dissolution *again*.

This wasn’t something any one person could fix anymore.

“……Everyone, sit down for a sec.”

They carefully settled on the floor.

I pulled up a chair.

“*Sigh*……”

I wiped my face and spoke.

“…… . They’re disbanding us.”

“………!”

“……Figures.”

They weren’t surprised.

If anything, they’d expected it.

Their heads drooped.

Se-ah’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“Let’s talk numbers. Specifically, money.”

“…Okay.”

I repeated what the CEO had said.

From profits and expenses so far—

To the individual debts each member carried.

They technically had the right to review settlement statements, but none had bothered until now.

Hearing the ¥530 million… per person, their faces turned ashen.

“……So. If stops here, debts are waived, and everyone starts fresh. If we keep going…… We’d have to earn enough to cover the ¥500M+ debt *and* future expenses.”

“……….”

Silence.

Even clueless twenty-year-olds know what ¥500M means.

“……*That’s* why they never gave us settlements.”

“Right.”

Settlements only come *after* debts are cleared.

“We *just* started music shows again… We barely got a second shot. And it’s still not enough?”

“……Yeah.”

“If we go viral… If we blow up, ¥500M is nothing. Like… like unnie!”

“…Those unnies just got *lucky*.”

debuted way before . Nine years ago?

They’d faded so hard people forgot they existed—until they won a survival show and skyrocketed.

The interview where the *almost-30* idol cried, saying *this was her first time earning money*, made *national news*.

A rare case, sure.

But success in girl groups is unpredictable.

And we’d bet everything on it.

“……So. *Sigh*…. What do *you* all want to do?”

They exchanged looks.

Silent conversations passed between them.

“……Manager.”

“Yeah. Ha-rin.”

“Actually… We talked before you got here.”

“Oh…?”

“Luna said she auditioned earlier… I thought—it’s really happening now.”

“……I see.”

Luna was a trainee here. Sa-rang’s friend.

And in CEO Noh’s profile pile… Luna was there.

“But… Manager. We barely got our second chance…”

This time, Eun-chae spoke up.

“Yeah.”

“We… want to try. One last time. Until the end of this comeback. If it still doesn’t work…”

“They could demand the debts back, you know?”

“…Money’s easy to earn.”

Eun-chae’s voice carried an odd confidence.

Like nothing was impossible.

“……Sa-rang?”

“Woah~. Oppa actually thought I’d quit ?”

“No?”

“Of *course* not. Then I couldn’t work with you and the unnies.”

Determination burned in her, too.

Then, naturally, all eyes turned to Se-ah.

She wasn’t as energetic—probably because of yesterday—

But she nodded.

If she’d wanted to quit, she wouldn’t have gone to meet that blackmailer.

Ha-rin—

Grabbed my wrist tightly.

“If that’s how you all feel.”

Then… we couldn’t give up on .

Not after six years of struggle.

And most of all—

We didn’t want to be apart.

“…Let’s go talk to the CEO.”

*

Officially to *greet the new CEO*, all of gathered outside his office.

*Knock. Knock. Knock.*

No response.

Was he not in?

*Knock knock knock.*

Still nothing.

His secretary said he was inside…

I considered barging in but didn’t want to risk making things worse.

Instead, I pressed my ear to the door.

“&%#@$…! #@%……”

Voices.

“…Sir…! …Hah… …How is it…?”

……What?

Wait.

That voice—I’d heard it before.

“Ahh~ng. Not already…… ♡ We still have here~♡”

A girl’s cutesy voice.

Eun-chae, also listening, stiffened.

“…Manager. Isn’t that……?”

“…Luna?”

The trainee Luna was at an *audition*.