Chapter 20

Hidden Story

Manager Choi Joon-hyun found the exact spot in the corner of the first floor that the cleaning lady had mentioned. It was a secluded area at the end of the corridor, where the lighting was dim and no CCTV could be found. As the cleaning lady had said, it was a place one could easily overlook unless they were looking for it.

‘What if it wasn’t recorded because it’s a blind spot?’

This was the only worry he had while asking the security room staff to check the CCTV. He didn’t have any specific intentions. If there was solid evidence, unnecessary suspicions would disappear. That was all he thought.

“Is there any CCTV over there?”

“There is, but it’s not visible due to the angle. It should have been recorded, so don’t worry.”

After watching the video of Ham I-won with the help of the security room staff, he was relieved that the child wasn’t a troublemaker. He was angry that he almost lost a valuable talent. The negative personality evaluations were likely intentional defamation.

“Thank you.”

“Even though it’s not visible on the CCTV, what was there?”

“There was something slippery, like oil, which made the cleaning lady fall.”

“…Manager, could you please look at this?”

The security room staff operated the machine to turn the CCTV screen forward. There, the back of someone who deliberately spilled something from a small drink bottle onto the floor was visible.

That person soon disappeared towards the emergency exit.

“This….”

“And focus on this part.”

He fast-forwarded and then stopped, pointing to a corner of the CCTV screen.

The screen showed the moment the cleaning lady fell, and the spot the security room staff pointed to still had a small shadow.

When the screen was played again, the black figure disappeared down the emergency exit stairs, and Ham I-won appeared.

Understanding the situation in the video sent shivers down his spine.

“From what I can see, it looks like someone deliberately spilled oil and then watched what would happen. They thought there was no CCTV. They waited for a loud noise and then this student appeared.”

“Why would someone do that? What’s the benefit?”

“…It doesn’t seem to be a common behavior. Perhaps it would be best to consult an expert.”

“Can you find a frame where the person’s face is visible? I also need a copy of the confirmed part.”

* * *

“The shadow belonged to one of the trainees.”

When he said this, the employees attending the meeting were once again shocked. Manager Choi Joon-hyun continued.

“After reporting to the CEO, I explained the situation to a psychiatrist who collaborates with our company and asked for their opinion. The doctor said that while it’s impossible to determine from a single incident, the behavior shows signs of sociopathy.”

“…Sociopathy?”

“It seems that the person deliberately made the cleaning lady fall and then observed the situation. They may appear friendly and broad-minded on the surface, but they enjoy tormenting those they consider weak, which is a characteristic of sociopaths. Of course, one incident isn’t enough to make a definitive judgment, but you can feel the strangeness.”

“No, this is… I can’t even speak, it’s so absurd.”

“I had a hunch. The evaluations are anonymous, so names aren’t written, but you can probably recognize the handwriting of the trainees. I’ll show you the four negative personality evaluations of Ham I-won that I received.”

CEO Son Jung-gi first passed the four sheets of paper to the head of the new talent development team.

“Oh… I see. There’s a leader among these kids….”

The head of the new talent development team passed the papers to the side. The papers made a full circle around the meeting table and returned to the CEO.

“Do you know whose these are?”

“CEO, you suspect that a trainee showing signs of sociopathy framed Ham I-won….”

The head of the new talent development team received the trainees’ profiles again and stopped at one, then extended it to the CEO for confirmation.

After seeing someone’s profile, CEO Son Jung-gi nodded with a stern face, indicating agreement.

“…I’ve seen the handwriting of the trainees many times through dozens of personality surveys. And the handwriting is quite distinctive.”

The head of the new talent development team answered with a frown. As the person responsible for casting, auditions, training, and debuts, he knew the trainees best. He could distinguish their handwriting because he received many documents.

“Exactly….”

“Ham I-won has only been here for a short time, so there are no past personality evaluation records. And the survey was conducted when rumors were circulating that the debut schedule would be set after the monthly evaluation. So, it was a situation where one evaluation could decide everything. If this one evaluation went wrong, Ham I-won would lose the opportunity.”

There was a reason for conducting personality evaluations every two to three months. It was to accumulate data and prevent distortion. Yet, there was still a loophole.

“The trainees probably had a rough idea of who the strong candidates were. If a new, inexperienced trainee seemed to be taking a spot, and if they themselves were on the edge of making the debut group….”

“All three of them?”

“I think it was difficult for one person to reverse the evaluation, so they might have incited their friends. With jealousy, it would have been easy to get them on board. If they showed signs of sociopathy, it wouldn’t be difficult, right?”

“Sigh. I understand the jealousy and the timing. It’s a competitive system where you have to knock someone down to rise. But….”

“If there’s such evidence, it’s a failure in the personality evaluation, isn’t it? Who did this? Who did this?”

The head of the planning department was also angry. He knew better than anyone how much the employees had suffered to create this debut evaluation process.

The CEO, who paid attention to every small detail of the company, was even more determined. He immediately demanded to know who the culprit was.

“I can’t reveal the name. It’s a mental issue, so there’s privacy involved, and the evaluations are anonymous. However, we will terminate the contract of the trainee based on the CCTV footage.”

“Is that the best option….”

“People’s hearts are truly unpredictable….”

“I didn’t expect this to happen.”

Since the debut evaluations began, the employees have experienced several unexpected shocks. Some were positive, some were negative. The final blow was so strong that it left them numb.

If they hadn’t conducted the personality evaluations, they might have made a fool of themselves, not knowing anything.

“There was a need for official personality evaluations. I was foolish.”

“I’m sorry for advocating for a system that prioritizes skills like other agencies. CEO.”

While there was some truth to the criticism, the CEO felt relieved that his system was respected.

Of course, the incident was deeply regrettable. But he decided to view it as a preventive measure. If the problem had been left undetected, it could have threatened the company’s survival later on.

“Let’s not dwell on it. Can we really know everything about a person’s heart? Even at my age, I get blindsided. It’s better to catch it early, isn’t it?”

The employees, who had become gloomy, forced themselves to regain their strength. They needed to separate their emotions from the company’s business. And there was still work to be done.

“Let’s finalize the debut group members.”

“CEO, isn’t it already decided in your heart?”

“Isn’t it possible that my list and your list might differ?”

“I think we need more than five members.”

The CEO smiled, agreeing. The number of members was always flexible. If the debut group passed the cut-off, a few more members wouldn’t be a problem.

There are groups with more than ten members, so adding a few more to five wouldn’t be an issue. With diverse talents, the debut group could satisfy a wide range of audience preferences.

Like bringing everything in to see what people like.

* * *

The CEO selected six debut group members based on the stage evaluations, personality evaluations, and interviews with people around them, considering their positions.

Nam Chorok, Se Hoon, Park Hahoon, Kim Ji-on, Hong Oh-ran, and Ham I-won.

He projected their photos on the projector.

“Coincidentally, they are the ones who practice together. They hang out together.”

“They are the most diligent in our company. They work hard and have talent, so their skills can’t help but improve. It would be unfair if such kids didn’t make the debut group.”

“The head of the new talent development team is right. From the attendance records, they are the last to leave. Ham I-won even comes back after leaving at midnight to practice for a few more hours.”

“Wow. A hardworking genius.”

The CEO watched the employees’ satisfied faces and fell into deep thought.

Surprisingly, one trainee scored high when judged solely on skill. Trainee Go Daemyung.

The shadow that tried to manipulate Ham I-won’s personality evaluation. The owner of the shadow was Go Daemyung.

In the personality-related surveys, he was slightly unstable. While his attitude towards teachers was good, the trainees seemed to sense something odd, as there were quite a few ambiguous evaluations. However, it was a pity to eliminate him. If the suspicious incident hadn’t been revealed, he would have been added to the debut group.

It was a decade of regret.

While it would be disappointing for Go Daemyung, it was a relief. He almost derailed the goal of creating a long-lasting top idol from the start.

“The debut is early next year, so the average age is 19, and 17 if you count the legal age. Not bad.”

“Two vocalists, two dancers, and two rappers. It’s surprising how they practiced together with such a diverse lineup.”

Each person imagined the new idol group from their perspective and listed the pros and cons.

“The kids’ faces match well. Their individual charms don’t overlap, but when combined, their overall image is consistent. The smallest one is over 170 cm. They are all tall, so there won’t be any worries when coordinating. They have youthful charm, and as they grow older, they can also exude sexiness and sophistication….”

The visual director stared intently at the kids’ faces and muttered. The A&R team leader, sitting next to him, kept his distance and spoke.

“It’s a bit disappointing that we can’t produce our own songs. With such members, it would be a shame not to aim for that.”

“Haha. We can have Se Hoon write the lyrics and Ham I-won compose the music. Ham I-won has a good sense of music and will learn quickly.”

“We are already receiving demo songs from composers, regardless of their experience.”

The company’s in-house composers occasionally produce good songs, but the A&R team’s ability to handle tasks is impressive. Moreover, the solo artists under Hanul Entertainment have influence, so the company has a solid reputation among composers.

Furthermore, the A&R team has experience in quickly handling tasks such as receiving songs, requesting arrangements, selecting songs, and planning albums.

One of the driving forces behind the decision to debut the idol group within six months of selecting the debut group was the trust in the A&R team.

“Thank you for participating in the debut evaluation.”

“Thank you!”

“We will announce the debut group tomorrow. The head of the new talent development team and Manager Choi Joon-hyun, please attend.”

“It will be a sea of tears tomorrow. Such….”

“I plan to give the remaining trainees a day off. They need time to process their feelings.”

It was a sad but inevitable situation. If someone was to pass, someone else had to fail. The company had to make harsh decisions based on profit.

“As you all know, from now on, it’s a race against time. There are only six months left until the debut. Don’t forget that.”