episode_0002

Watching our family cause a ruckus over cigarettes, Kang Hyeongman looked at them pitifully and spoke in a cold voice.

“…So, you’ve gambled away the money you borrowed from me, right?”

“Gosh, Mr. Kang, th-that’s…!”

My father, who used to be a smooth talker, immediately turned into a frog in front of a snake at Kang Hyeongman’s words.

“So, how do you plan to repay the 200 million won you borrowed from me?”

“Uh… th-that’s, um…!”

My father rolled his eyes and gestured towards me with my mother.

“Hehe, why don’t you talk to our daughter?”

“Dad…!”

“Mr. Kang knows, right? Our daughter is a money-making machine because she’s so good at her job, a machine.”

“And she takes after us, being so beautiful, hehe. Yerin, you should repay the favor for being born so beautifully.”

“Mom…! How can you all…”

In reality, my affection towards my parents had long since faded.

But still…

“…We’re family. They’re the ones who gave birth to me…”

…But we’re still family. In my past life, I longed for a family until my dying breath.

How could parents, the ones who brought me into this world, do this to me?

Tears welled up in my eyes for a moment, but I forced them back and clenched my teeth.

“…Stay calm.”

As long as we’re bound by the chains of family, I couldn’t separate myself from our parents.

It was sad, but first, I had to figure out how to repay the debt of 200 million won.

If I couldn’t repay the debt, I didn’t know what the gangster uncle in front of me would do to me, the child of my parents.

I looked directly into Kang Hyeongman’s eyes, trying to gain his trust, and said softly,

“I’m already working two part-time jobs. If you give me time… I’ll repay everything someday.”

“You think you can repay 200 million won with just part-time jobs? Do you plan to work part-time for the rest of your life?”

Kang Hyeongman clicked his tongue and turned to my parents behind me.

“You’ve reached this point and haven’t found a job, yet you’re passing all the responsibility onto your daughter?”

“Uh… that’s… it’s just that… it’s hard to find a job these days because of the recession…”

“I’ll give you a job in the factory.”

“I’m not very good at working in a factory… hehe…”

“I’m a woman, so working in a factory…”

“Useless things.”

Kang Hyeongman looked at my parents with disdain and lit another cigarette.

I gently raised my hand to Kang Hyeongman and said,

“Mr. Kang, could you introduce me to that factory job instead?”

“If you enter the factory, what about your school?”

“I’ll just drop out. I can always take the GED later.”

“…”

Phew.

Kang Hyeongman made an indescribable expression at my response.

“I fully support my daughter working in the factory! What’s so important about academic background in Korea…”

“You, shut up.”

Kang Hyeongman silenced my father with a single word and looked at me.

“Given that I’ve never seen a girl as pretty as you, I have a suggestion…”

“…”

“Isn’t it a waste to bury your looks in an ordinary life?”

Swoosh.

Kang Hyeongman reached into his suit pocket and pulled something out.

I could roughly guess what Kang Hyeongman was going to suggest before he took it out.

What kind of task could a gangster assign to a young and pretty girl?

“He’s thinking of selling me to an entertainment establishment…!”

No matter how desperate I was for money, I had no intention of trampling on my dignity to earn it.

I was determined to firmly reject his proposal before Kang Hyeongman could reveal what he had in mind.

However….

“How about trying to become an idol?”

“Sir, I absolutely will not… Oh? An idol?”

The words that came out of Kang Hyeongman’s mouth were completely unexpected to me.

…An idol? Why suddenly idols…?

As I tilted my head in confusion, Kang Hyeongman grimaced and continued speaking.

“You think we look like scumbags who sell minors to entertainment establishments?”

“No… that’s not it… Why are you suddenly talking about idols?”

“First, take a look at this.”

Now that I looked closely, what Kang Hyeongman pulled out of his suit pocket was a small business card.

I took it and slowly scanned through it.

[Brother Planning]

[Representative Kang Hyeongman]

…It was truly a dismal choice of name.

Is Brother Planning a company name…?

More importantly, Kang Hyeongman’s name was written as the representative. Does that mean he’s the CEO?

Seemingly noticing my gaze, Kang Hyeongman continued to explain.

“This is a new business venture that our organization has ambitiously prepared.”

“Entertainment?”

“Yes.”

“…It doesn’t seem like a good choice.”

In my past life, I knew a bit about this industry because a friend of mine worked as an idol road manager.

The entertainment industry is already complex with various established relationships intertwined, making it extremely difficult for a new company to enter.

Especially if these people are gangsters… It’s not the 90s anymore… If gangsters are involved in planning agencies, others wouldn’t look kindly on them.

It seemed like Kang Hyeongman was already aware of this issue as he slightly furrowed his brows.

“Right… it’s certainly difficult to establish ourselves in this industry. Above all, we’re having trouble attracting trainees.”

In a tone that seemed to convey a sense of injustice, Kang Hyeongman’s words made me quickly scan the surroundings.

Of course, there was Kang Hyeongman the CEO… and the other rough-looking… no, employees.

Aside from their rough appearance, their bodies were too rugged, and their faces were fierce.

Among them were bald men and individuals with scars on their faces.

‘Training under a planning agency like this… the trainees must be out of their minds…’

Unless they were being threatened, no trainee would want to join this company.

But the problem was…

“So, I want you to join our company.”

That threat… was directed at me now.

“Uh… um… Sir… that’s…”

I had to think about how to politely decline Kang Hyeongman’s offer.

I know that my new body is attractive. But why didn’t I ever think about entering the entertainment industry to make money?

There was a good reason for that.

And becoming an idol isn’t something that happens overnight.

To become an idol, you have to spend at least a few years as a trainee. And the support you receive from the company during your trainee period turns into debt that you have to repay later.

It wasn’t a suitable job for me, who needed to make money to repay debts immediately.

‘Yes, let’s just politely decline.’

But… did he know what I was thinking?

“I know what you’re thinking. Look at this.”

Kang Hyeongman flicked his cigarette ash into the ashtray, then took out his smartphone and showed me a screen.

I immediately checked the screen. It was an advertisement for a cable program.

“‘My Idol Academy’…?”

“You already knew what this was about.”

“That’s…”

It was unmistakable.

‘My Idol Academy,’ also known as ‘MIA,’ was a girl group survival audition program that was such a huge hit that even I, who wasn’t very interested in the media in my past life, had heard of it.

‘Out of 100… they pick 7, right?’

Among those 7 who debuted, as well as those who didn’t, there were many outstanding talents, so people watched MIA anxiously to see who would debut.

Naturally, the girl group that debuted through this program became a huge success, and as far as I remember, MIA’s viewership probably exceeded 8% in the final episode.

But why would Kang Hyeongman be interested in such a hit program?

From the beginning of the program production, Naaa had garnered a lot of attention, with dozens of planning companies participating.

There was no room for small, newly established companies like Brother Planning to squeeze in.

My doubts were soon dispelled by Gang Hyeongman.

“The sponsor of this program is a friend of my brother. When he heard that I was starting a planning company, he decided to secure a spot for me here no matter what.”

“Oh….”

So it’s all about connections.

“So, how about giving it a try here? It will definitely be a good opportunity.”

“….”

A good opportunity…

Yes, it was indeed a good opportunity.

Out of 100 people, only 7. If you happen to be one of those lucky ones, you will immediately debut as a major idol, and even if you don’t make it, you will gain recognition from viewers, making your next debut more favorable.

If you want to become an idol, there is no better opportunity than this.

But…

“Idols are not for me.”

As I have been saying all along, for various reasons, the entertainment industry is not the right path for me.

Although a new variable named Naaa has emerged, it was not enough to change my decision.

So, just as I was about to reject Gang Hyeongman’s proposal again…

“Sir, no matter what, idols are…”

“Wait, Sanggu. Bring that over here.”

Gang Hyeongman handed me a piece of paper through his lackey and said.

“It’s a contract with Brother Planning. Look at this and make your decision.”

“A contract…?”

What could be written in the contract that I have to look at the contents before deciding.

I hesitantly picked it up.

Curious about the contents, even my parents leaned in on both sides to read it together.

“Hmm… seems ordinary…?”

I carefully examined it, wondering if there were any hidden clauses, but it was just a normal contract.

But as my eyes skimmed over the last part of the contract…

“….Huh?”

I couldn’t help but doubt my eyes.