IJLMT 03

Chapter 3

“Yu Hyun-jae, is that really true?”

“Yes.”

“…Alright. After the meeting, I’ll ask you one more time. If your answer is still the same, then so be it. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Okay. Luminol Boys managers, all of you, come into the meeting room.”

I looked at Onion. Onion had an expression like it was saying, ‘Good job.’

It was a face I had drawn drunkenly with magic, but how could it make such a variety of expressions?

Onion was giving off a new scent. I knew this smell. Around April or May, when flowers were blooming on campus and a breeze blew, the fragrance filled my nose. I always walked through that campus with Sora. I never walked alone, and I never walked with another friend.

Remembering that time, I felt a little gloomy.

Youth is precious, beautiful, and something money can’t buy. That’s all true. But people rarely tell the rest of the story.

Youth is beautiful. Some youth grows more beautiful year after year—fresh, bigger, budding, blooming, and bearing fruit. But some youth is only beautiful for a short moment. It shines briefly in the early 20s, then slowly withers and dries. Then one day you realize you’re dragging yourself on the ground, repeating inside your head:

“I was happy back then.”

When I walked campus with Sora, I thought our relationship would bear fruit. I never imagined it would rot like this.

15 billion won is good. Now I can finally breathe a little easier. Still, can I really say, “Everything’s fine now that I have 15 billion won!”?

Because the past 7 years won’t come back. I don’t even know how to date another woman besides Sora.

Or maybe I’m just too greedy? It’s not 1 or 2 billion, it’s 15 billion. My annual salary is 35 million, so 15 billion as compensation for 7 years is more than enough. As for dating… there are guys my age who are still single.

Poke.

Poke, poke.

While I was lost in thought, something poked at my side. When I turned my head, Min-young was frowning hard.

“……?”

She pointed at the computer screen. I looked and saw a flood of Sling messages.

• Hyun-jae, why are you suddenly doing this?

• Did the team leader or Assistant Manager Kim pressure you?

• Or is there another problem?

I replied:

• There’s no problem. I really just want to try it.

Her reply came within a second.

• I’ll help you with everything I can. Really, I’ll do my best. So please don’t give up. Okay? Once the team leader’s meeting ends….

“Ha ha…”

I was thankful for her concern, but the more I listened, the more pitiful NovaGirls seemed. Give up? Did it never even occur to Min-young that NovaGirls could succeed?

• It’s fine. Thank you.

After sending that, I stood up. My senior, Assistant Manager Kim Yoo-hyun, had asked to talk. I followed him to the lounge.

“Hyun-jae, are you quitting because of me?”

“That’s not true. Why would you think that?”

“You’ve gotten scolded a lot because of me. And you’re always given the most work…. But you know, right? If the company gives you the most work, it means they trust you the most.”

“I know. I’ve never disliked you, Assistant Manager.”

“Then why? Do you really not know? You’re set to be promoted to MD in two months!”

“If they didn’t promote me, I was planning to protest.”

“Then why quit? Are the bosses assholes? Do you think the work doesn’t suit you? I thought you weren’t the type to say such clichés!”

“No, that’s not it.”

Seeing my senior trying to hold me back made me realize I hadn’t wasted my years at the company. I said:

“Because the work conditions look better.”

“What?!”

His face twisted.

“Sales-based incentives. If NovaGirls make it big, it’s huge. I thought this was a chance….”

“You’re not serious, are you?”

“I am.”

‘Because Teacher Yang said so.’

“I don’t know why you’re saying such unrealistic things…. Don’t you already know what it’s like? They’re in the closing phase. Maybe some members will try to redebut. Maybe they’ll succeed. But there’s no way you’ll get a share of that. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“…Are you going to tell the team leader again?”

“No.”

“Sigh….”

We spoke a few more lines, but my mind didn’t change. Who doesn’t know he’s right? But whatever the case, Onion had given me 15 billion. Shouldn’t I believe him?

“Fine, do whatever you want.”

That afternoon, I packed my things and went to the management department.

It didn’t take long to hand over work. AMD work was always manual labor anyway, and the schedules were always neatly listed. Just handing over the schedule was enough.

The management office was almost empty, since few people stayed there. In a corner, a tired-looking man greeted me.

“I’m Jo Min-su, Team 3 Manager.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Sit there.”

I was nervous. This was my first job, so I didn’t know how other departments felt.

“You know the members’ names and faces? You studied the profiles? They should’ve been shared on Sling.”

“Yes, I checked them all. I was also in charge of official goods inventory, so I’m familiar with their faces.”

“Really? I doubt that, since not much sold.”

“…I’m familiar.”

“Alright. Then sit there and….”

“Yes.”

“Sit and drink coffee.”

I was stunned.

“Yes?”

“The girls start practice at 4. When you go to pick them up, you can’t be sleepy. Got it? The schedule’s there—check it.”

It was 2:30 p.m. An hour and a half left. The schedule was nearly empty. At MD, I couldn’t rest even 5 minutes, but here, there was nothing to do.

‘Teacher Yang, what is this….’

I shook my head.

‘I should trust until the end. If NovaGirls will definitely succeed, then right now I need to….’

A manager’s job is to know the idols. So I spent the time memorizing NovaGirls’ info and looping their songs.

An hour and a half later—

“Let’s go.”

Team Manager Jo Min-su’s expression was oddly twisted.

We got in the car. I placed Onion’s glass bowl on the dashboard. Onion was the same as before.

As I started the car, Min-su said:

“You know what our role is, right?”

“Yes!”

“You probably don’t, so I’ll tell you. Our job is to do our best.”

That much made sense. But then he added something strange.

“To do our best so that we send the message: ‘JM Entertainment does its best until its artists stop their activities.’”

“…What?”

“So don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. Got it? I saw your face earlier, so I’m warning you.”

“Oh… I see.”

“You still don’t seem convinced.”

Hearing that even the manager had lost hope made my chest feel heavy. Maybe I thought of NovaGirls as “unlucky comrades.”

“Ha ha… I understand. Given the situation. Still, I feel sad. Shouldn’t a manager believe in their idols’ success?”

“I didn’t say don’t believe.”

“Sorry?”

I was confused. Then he continued:

“You should believe. But don’t show it too much. Don’t act like, ‘You’ll definitely succeed! I believe in your potential!’ If you hand your mom a test with 60 points and she says, ‘My son, I believe you’ll score 100!’ how would you feel?”

“Ah… I’ll remember that.”

“Good.”

So he wasn’t heartless. But I felt like Onion was staring at him. Why?

“I saw their profiles. They’re all really pretty. Hard to understand why they failed.”

It wasn’t a deep thought, just trying to show interest.

But it opened him up.

“They’re unlucky.”

“Ah….”

“Too unlucky. Do you know what happened on debut day? The heaviest rain in 80 years caused floods. The news was nothing but disaster reports. No one dared talk about idols.”

Wow, that really was unlucky. I remembered that time—posting cheerful photos got you cursed as tone-deaf.

“And you know singer Kim Jun-young?”

“The guy jailed for sex crime?”

“Yeah. Our girls finally got on Saturday, Please Take Care, but the main guest that day was him.”

“No way….”

“The whole episode never aired. Not even edited. It was just cut.”

“…….”

He sighed deeply.

“It’s not just once or twice. Always something like that. It feels cursed. Anyway, be careful with the girls. The last manager messed them up bad, so don’t make it worse.”

“Yes.”

“Today I came since it’s your first day. From now, unless it’s big, you’ll handle them alone. Take care.”

“Yes, understood.”

There are times in life you feel pitiful. I always did—eating a triangle kimbap at 11:30 p.m. after work, freezing in winter with no heating because the bills were too high.

I thought maybe the girls felt the same.

Their dorm was as shabby as my apartment. Talking about fan security was laughable.

What about practice rooms? They got to use JM’s smallest room only an hour. Yet the girls said:

“At least we can use it today. That’s lucky.”

Usually, they just practiced at the dorm. Old, cold, but at least isolated enough to shout without complaints.

Why hadn’t they succeeded?

They were prettier than any idol I’d seen. The merch photos didn’t do them justice.

And they could sing—good enough to be called “skilled.”

‘So the world really is about luck…. But if Teacher Yang chose them….’

“Um, Manager oppa.”

On the way back to the dorm, the youngest, Yoon Mina, spoke. She was lovely, with a mid-length bob and baby fat.

“Yes? Uh, yeah?”

We had just agreed to drop formal speech, but it felt awkward. I was bad with women. I avoided them during my relationship with Sora. Mina was only 20. How do you talk to a 20-year-old?

Well, it’s work.

“Why did you choose to manage us? Seok-hyun oppa quit, saying following us ruined his career. Aren’t you scared your career will be ruined too?”

Such a direct question. I thought for a moment. Because I believe you’ll succeed? But Min-su had warned me not to say that. Still, it was the truth.

“I’m kind of impulsive. I just follow where my heart goes.”

“Really? Why did your heart go to us?”

“Because I liked your song.”

“Which one?”

“The second track of your new single, Lens. The part, ‘I’ve never seen the world with my own eyes…’.”

“Wow! You listened to that? That’s a good song. So that made you think we’ll succeed?”

“Uh… yeah.”

Mina turned to the others.

“Unnies! Manager oppa’s really nice. He puts so much effort into compliments, I almost think he means them.”

“It’s not just empty—”

But it was pointless.

“Ha ha. Right, he praised our song that only got a hundred views. Thanks, oppa. I poured my soul into that, even coughed blood.”

That was Lim Da-bin, leader, oldest, and main vocalist. She was only 22. Profile said 171 cm, but she looked taller. With her long hair, her face seemed even smaller—like a model.

“Don’t say 100 views, unnie. It’s rising. Yesterday it was 83, today 102. It’s a small rise.”

“Nari, didn’t you click it like 15 times?”

“…No! I avoided clicking just so you wouldn’t accuse me. Only 5 times.”

“So you did click. I also clicked 5 times. Then….”

“Sigh….”

Nari hung her head. Short-haired, round-faced, 21 years old. She was NovaGirls’ rapper-dancer. Her husky rap voice had impressed me—so different from her cute look.

“What are you looking at, Ha-young unnie?”

“…The God of Fortune app.”

Heo Ha-young, 21, lead vocal and center. Former exclusive fashion magazine model. The sexy, daring poses in old photos were totally different from her current image.

“Today’s fortune score is 37. Surrounded by thorns, it says. No wonder our views aren’t rising.”

“What was yesterday’s?”

“91. Said a benefactor was waiting in a golden carriage.”

“But we lived the same yesterday and today. Practiced, checked views, got depressed, went to part-time jobs….”

“…I don’t know. Where’s my golden carriage?”

“Maybe the manager oppa is the benefactor?”

So they even work part-time.

I’d heard that many idols did. This world is survival of the fittest. Failures had to make do.

They tried to smile, but the atmosphere was gloomy. Their voices lacked energy. Da-bin joked about their poor results, but it clearly hurt her. Her face stiffened. My throat went dry.

‘Teacher Yang… are you still here?’

I felt guilty for thinking 15 billion meant it didn’t matter if they failed. Seeing them, how could I feel calm if they collapsed?

“Hold on.”

Manager Min-su finally spoke after being on his phone. Instantly, all four girls turned toward him.

“An offer came.”

Their eyes shone with hope.

“What is it? An event? Variety show?”

“An event… but there are two, on the same day in different places. You must choose one.”

“Oh, two?”

“Yes. The day after tomorrow.”

Only Mina spoke. The others stayed silent. I understood why—when you get older, you fear showing hope. If the result is disappointing, your hope feels pitiful.

“It’s a military base concert. Gyeongsangnam-do Sacheon 3rd Training Flight Unit.”

“Sacheon’s far… what’s the other?”

“A traditional market promotion. Bongpyeong, Gangwon-do.”

“Ah….”

“You choose.”

Their disappointment was clear. Neither was a glamorous job. But none complained.

“Isn’t the army base better? Some idols got famous there.”

“You know how many times we’ve done those? Once a month, and nothing spread….”

“At least soldiers watch us. At a market, people just ignore us.”

“But the mayor might come at the market, maybe some effect…?”

“I don’t know. Both are the same….”

“Then Gangwon-do’s closer. If they’re the same, closer is better.”

Their voices were gloomy. I was thinking the same when…

“3… 3rd Training Flight Unit.”

I said it.

“Sacheon? Why?” Mina asked.

I nodded.

“Yes, I think that’s better.”

“Why?”

I didn’t know.

‘What do I say?’

I looked at Onion. Three dark-blue leaves had sprouted from it.

“Did you call, sir?”

“Chief Han, sit down.”

At the Presidential Office that night, National Security Chief Han Jong-woo rushed in. President Kim Seok-gu, now in his 2nd year, was highly popular for his successful economic policies.

A capable president is good… but not for his staff. He gave orders even at 2 a.m.

“This Golden Eagle trainer jet report—what is this? Flawless aircraft? The future of Korean defense? Why so much exaggeration?”

“That’s from the previous government. But performance is guaranteed—compared to the old model—”

“No. Of course it must be better. The question is whether it’s worth the tax money. Even if it’s flawless, it’s just a trainer. Couldn’t we make it with acceptable flaws for much cheaper? Are we wasting money?”

“Uh….”

As a businessman, the president judged everything by economics.

“When does mass production begin?”

“Next month.”

“Review it again. No, I’ll see it myself. I’ll fly it and decide.”

“Shall I arrange a base visit? The only base with Golden Eagles is Sacheon 3rd Training Flight Unit.”

“Set it for the day after tomorrow. And don’t announce it. Otherwise people will fuss and bother the soldiers.”

“Yes, sir!”

Leaving the office, Han thought:

“If the president suddenly shows up… 3rd Training Wing is doomed.”