TM Chapter 176

Chapter 176: Who is His Person (8)

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

I had expected there to be an enticing reward since that was the type of person CEO Baek Hansung was. I had expected a generous reward when he tried to hand me a natural disaster of a celebrity…

I gulped and asked,

“So you’re saying I can build my team with people I want?”

“Yes.”

“Will you uphold that even if the Team 2 Leader is extremely against it?”

His chopsticks stopped in midair. CEO Baek Hansung looked at me.

I felt like the moisture in my body was draining from me. I wet my throat with cold water. CEO Baek Hansung occasionally looked at me like I was a very young fledgling. Of course, I could look very young to him because of our twenty-year difference, but it still made my back tingle.

“It seems like you have someone you want to bring from Team 2?”

He didn’t seem interested in learning who it was and immediately said,

“As long as the person is okay with it, then I’ll handle the rest.”

It was a short promise, but it was more effective than a long speech about asking me to trust him.

I placed a piece of beef tartare in my mouth. My head spun with every chew. He said that he wouldn’t just give me a team but allow me to make it with the people I wanted. Could there be any sweeter words? Who could have ever received a proposal this sweet?

It was so sweet it made me dizzy.

“If Ms. Son Chaeyoung can’t be persuaded no matter what, is there any disadvantage for me?”

“No.”

So there was no risk either.

All I had to bear was the fact I would have to talk to Son Chaeyoung. If I succeeded, I would obtain an opportunity not given to anyone in the company. If I didn’t, it would simply be me stepping on the thorny path for a bit.

I asked another question.

“The reason why Ms. Son Chaeyoung isn’t picking her next project, is it because she is dissatisfied with the company? I heard that her previous contract renewal didn’t go so smoothly.”

“That’s true.”

CEO Baek Hansung coolly replied.

“It’s like a yearly event.”

“A yearly event?”

“Once every two years, around the time of her contract renewal. There was a time where she wanted to attend New York’s fashion week before signing then went to Paris, Milan, and London, not coming back for three months. The company was in an uproar.”

CEO Baek Hansung laughed gently.

“It seems she heard that it was a way to increase her worth, but it’s lasting particularly long this time.”

So this happened every time her contract was up for renewal?

She didn’t listen to a single word the Team 2 Leader said and seeing how she acted towards Team Leader Park, I didn’t think she would change her actions even for the director. There was nothing more to say about other employees, which is probably why he wants me to try since Son Chaeyoung personally asked for me to be her manager.

“Did she not listen to even you?”

“Hmm, she doesn’t listen.”

CEO Baek Hansung said with a light chuckle.

So even he couldn’t persuade her.

I took a sip of water to refresh my mouth and mind before saying,

“Then I’ll discuss this with the girls and get back to you.”

“Discuss?”

“Yes, especially with Songha. This is an emotional issue.”

Although it wasn’t like I was becoming Son Chaeyoung’s manager with this, it was still Son Chaeyoung. Neptune’s public enemy. This was a completely different situation from Nam Joyoon and Pretty Girls. While the girls were one thing, I definitely needed to discuss this with Lee Songha.

She acted like a hopeless puppy waiting for her owner when I returned from Nam Joyoon or Pretty Girls’ schedule. I didn’t know what to expect if she saw me with Son Chaeyoung without any prior discussion.

It could even make the cake or snowball incident seem even cute…

“Hmm, it should be fine. I already talked with Lee Songha.”

“Pardon?”

What did he do?

“Although she won’t like it, she’ll understand. Since it’s something I requested.”

CEO Baek Hansung said nonchalantly.

He talked about this with Lee Songha separately? When? If something like this happened, then I, her manager, should have been told… No, since he was the CEO, there was no reason for him to have to tell me.

I barely managed to swallow back the words the surged up my throat.

It rubbed me the wrong way. I was uneasy when handing Nam Joyoon’s schedule to Kim Hyunsup and Neptune’s schedule to Lee Kwanwoo, but it was similar to when the quadruplets entered elementary school.

This was unpleasant.

It was like I was handing Lee Songha to someone else. It was simply CEO Baek Hansung and Lee Songha having a private conversation without my knowledge, but it felt unpleasant like a worm wriggling in my veins.

… Why didn’t Lee Songha say anything?

*

I drove more roughly than usual. Parking at their residence, I opened the back door to see the rear seats crammed with bags. Snacks and cans the girls liked were scattered here and there. I took them all and went up to the fifth floor.

I opened the door after pressing the passcode.

“Oppa.”

Lee Songha, who was waiting beside the shoe rack, called out to me. She seemed to have been catching on lost sleep from today’s morning schedule as her hair was all tangled. Her eyes also showed clear signs of sleepiness.

“Is there a sudden schedule?”

Lee Songha asked while grabbing the bags from my hands.

“Your expression doesn’t look very good. Also, usually, you would drive into the parking lot slowly, but you came in quite quickly today… I opened the window to check if the weather was bad. I can see the parking lot entrance from my window.”

Her question became an excuse as she avoided my gaze.

“Yeah, you have an interview, so come out when you’re ready.”

I said before looking around the living room. LJ and Im Seoyoung had been laying on the rug and were in the middle of getting up. Lee Taehee was stuck to the sofa like moss on a tree trunk and didn’t move in the slightest.

“You become so curious about the weather when you hear a car in the parking lot, don’t you?”

LJ snorted. Im Seoyoung narrowed her eyes and added,

“Lee Songha only comes out of her room if I call her three times, but she can here you enter the parking lot from five stories below. It’s like she has an antenna.”

“When was I like that?”

“Today. Yesterday. The day before!”

“I’m not even curious who it is when you go to the front door, you puppy dog.”^{1}

Lee Songha tried to deny it and escaped to the bathroom. While I was talking to the girls, she quickly got ready as expected of a busy celebrity. I brought her out right away. The elevator went down more slowly than it went up.

Lee Songha fiddled with the bill of her baseball cap, which was pressed down on her hair.

“I couldn’t wash my hair because I was in a hurry. Are we going to the shop right away?”

“No, there is no schedule.”

“Huh?”

Lee Songha immediately raised her head.

“I wanted to talk with you.”

“… Are we going on a drive?”

“Something like that.”

I could feel her sleepiness take flight.

Lee Songha hastily pressed the elevator button. Around five times in a second.

“Why?”

“I’ll come down after washing my hair.”

“You look fine.”

“It’s not fine.”

“I’m the only one who’ll see you anyways. We won’t leave the car, so you can just go as you are.”

“I can’t. I’ve been a celebrity for four years. I can’t go out like this. It’ll be humiliating.”

“Why would it be humiliating? Then should we talk in your home?”

“I think I’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

Lee Songha, who didn’t get off despite arriving on the first floor, finally moved, dragging her feet. Seeing how she was pressing her baseball cap even in this situation made me laugh unknowingly.

The unpleasant feeling was partly gone.

“You can go and come back. I’ll wait.”

“I’ll be back in ten minutes!”

She quickly went up and came back down in ten minutes as promised. The tips of her hair were still slightly wet, and she changed her lipstick as well. It was the coral color she normally wore.

She got in the passenger seat as I started the car. She put on her seatbelt and looked at my chest as if she was checking if I had mine on as well. Then she opened the glove compartment to check if her snacks were still there.

She leaned back into her seat and hummed. It was easy to tell she was in a good mood.

“Oppa, what are we going to talk about? A next project?”

“Yeah, Son Chaeyoung’s next project.”

Her humming halted immediately.

I started to drive while feeling her gaze prickle my cheek. The car handled smoother than when coming here.

“I heard you talked with the CEO. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That’s.”

“Was it a secret?”

Damn it. I shouldn’t have said that.

I had planned on slowly easing into it. I bit my impulsive tongue and glanced at her. She was looking at the glove compartment. No, she was staring at it. She bit her lower lip.

“I also know that this is a good opportunity for you. It’s also good for us. We don’t know which team we’ll be assigned to after the restructuring, but the unnies and I will be able to join your team without any issues if this goes well.”

Lee Songha took gummy bears out from the glove compartment. She ripped the package open.

“Still, I didn’t want to ask- I just didn’t want to be the one to bring it up first”

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring you with me. I’ve been talking with Chief Kim and the Team 3 Leader about Neptune as well.”

While it wasn’t certain, I made it seem like it was.

“Because Blackout and Neptune succeeded one after the other, we might introduce an idol trainee system with this restructuring. Then the team leader and Chief Kim will become busy, so even if I don’t bother with Son Chaeyoung, Neptune will be assigned to me…”

“Do it. It’s not like it doesn’t bother me but I’m not okay with it but I’ll be able to endure it.”

She mumbled before continuing,

“You have other people you want to bring.”

“I’ll take care of that myself.”

“It’s not like you’re changing who you’re managing, and this is simply an opportunity for you. An opportunity where you can pursue your ambition with total concentration as you mentioned. Also, during that time, I have my own plans.”

“Plans?”

“I’m currently chewing on a bear’s gallbladder.”

“Gall-what?”

Lee Songha put another gummy bear in her mouth and chewed on it diligently.

“A bear’s gallbladder. The gallbladder I’m chewing now will one day return as bear soup.”^{2}

I didn’t know where to start on her remark.

I drove slowly as I turned to my side.

Biting off a gummy bear’s head, Lee Songha smiled.

“Let’s go on a drive, oppa.”

*

“Who? Son Chaeyoung?”

“Yes.”

“Son Chaeyoung?”

“Yes.”

“Son Chaeyoung?”

Kim Hyunjo and the Team 3 Leader asked while picking their ears. It was the same reaction when I said it to Neptune. When I summarized my discussion with CEO Baek Hansung, they leaned back into the meeting room chairs.

“So it was the CEO. That’s why he called you.”

Kim Hyunjo said with a complicated expression.

“That was why Team 2 chiefs have been noisy lately.”

“If they hear that you’re going to try to persuade her, they’ll cause even more of an uproar.”

The Team 3 Leader chuckled.

“But Lucky Charm, you have no free time with Pretty Girls, Neptune, and Nam Joyoon. Do you think you can take care of Son Chaeyoung as well?”

“We already took care of the urgent problems.”

“What do you mean ‘took care of’. Aren’t Pretty Girls releasing their album the day after tomorrow?”

Kim Hyunjo said as though he found this ridiculous.

“Their complexions have been changing every day. Their faces were orange yesterday. Even the project members are nervous. Aren’t you too calm as the team leader?”

That was because I knew how it would go.

The Team 3 Leader crossed his arms and joined in,

“It’s right that a team leader shouldn’t be nervous since it’ll agitate his team members even more.”

“If you know that, then you should stop fussing about every little thing.”

“I’m helping you calm down by acting like that. Anyways, it’s true that you need to be composed, but you’re a little excessive. The broadcast was a success and their fame has increased, so you think it’s fine to not care too much about their album? Even still, they need to have a good finish…”

“What are you talking about? He apparently said that their song would be first on the weekly charts.”

“… Crazy. You’ve started again.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

The Team 3 Leader and Kim Hyunjo shook their heads in unison.

After hearing about how I was crazy so many times that it was echoing in my ears, the Team 3 Leader suddenly said,

“But you sticking to Son Chaeyoung. Was the Team 2 Leader not angry when he heard about this?”

“I don’t think he knows yet. They are going to talk about it in the CEO’s office soon.”

“Really? With his personality, I don’t think he’ll pat your shoulder and wish you good luck?”

“Good luck.”

The Team 2 Leader patted my shoulder.

Unlike his words, his gaze read, ‘You’re screwed.’

Anyways, his reaction was calmer than I expected like someone with ulterior motives. Even the director looked surprised as his eyes widened. CEO Baek Hansung was still calm. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“Yes, then…”

I, I never thought I would say this.

I would have tried to change this situation if I had seen it in one of my future visions.

There was no turning back now. With a big breath, I took a step.

“I’ll try to persuade Ms. Son Chaeyoung.”

Into the natural disaster.

***

The Management Business Department Team 2’s office.

Having heard the results of the meeting, Chief Jo noisily tapped the back of his foot on the floor.

“Team leader, but if, if Son Chaeyoung changes her mind.”

“No.”

The Team 2 Leader shook his head. His eyes looked like he was completely lost in his thoughts.

“I think Son Chaeyoung’s reaction is different from the past.”

“Different?”

“If she’s serious…”

The Team 2 Leader rubbed his beard.

“This isn’t something that’ll be solved with Jung Sunwoo.”

***

Her phone was off. Again.

I glanced at her contact saved as ‘The Crazy Bitch in This Area’ and put my phone down.

“Are you trying to call Son Chaeyoung?”

Chief Lee Janghyun of Team 2 swaggered over to me.

“Yes, her phone’s off right now.”

“That’s common.”

“Is there a time or day when Ms. Son Chaeyoung comes to the company?”

“She doesn’t have something like that. She doesn’t come when we tell her to and won’t leave when we tell her to. She only does outside schedules.”

He scanned my face with an odd gaze. His eyes seemed to indicate he was planning something.

Soon, he smirked.

“I heard about it from Chief Jo. You need to know more about Son Chaeyoung to even try to persuade her. Now really, I really don’t understand. Well, she does have something going on today. I’ll get you started so come with me if you have time.”

“Where?”

Chief Lee Janghyun led the way as he replied,

“To her home.”

^{1} Originally ‘goldfish poop’, which is used to indicate how she sticks to Jung Sunwoo. Changed to puppy dog.

^{2} Bear bile is apparently used in some traditional Chinese medicine, probably doesn’t taste great. Also, the soup is technically beef-bone soup, but I changed it to bear soup to hopefully preserve some more of the meaning. Obviously, it still doesn’t make sense (it’s not supposed to), but I tried.