Chapter 92

92

"What do you want?"

"...You're adapting pretty quickly, aren't you?"

Just as Min Jihun awkwardly smiled, his manager came running up, out of breath. His manager always seemed to run up in similar situations, looking the same.

"Min Jihun!! Hey, man!!"

"Ah, hyung!"

Min Jihun smiled widely and raised his hand, but Manager Kim Sungchul was fidgeting.

"Hey! Do you know how much my heart dropped! I thought you were going AWOL again! You should tell me where you're going!!"

"Come on, I wouldn't do that."

"You have a completely flashy past, you know?!"

Min Jihun was dragged to the coffee shop against his will, so he felt a bit guilty. Thinking about it, I hadn't mentioned anything to my manager either.

"Anyway, why are you with Seo Hoyun again? ...What about last time?"

"It's fine."

Though he whispered quietly, it was clear to me. It seemed they had some conversation about the incident at the restaurant last time.

"Really, how can you survive in this world with such naivety…."

'Naive? Naaaiiive??'

Why do all the loud managers act like this?

Do they have some special skill to pick out naive or overly kind people for loud manager interviews, regardless of their abilities?

Manager Kim Sungchul patted his chest a few times, looking frustrated, then glanced at me and cleared his throat.

"Ahem, hello, Seo Hoyun."

'Are you crazy?'

What's so naive about Min Jihun? He's not the type to be intimidated by a tough guy like Seo Hoyun.

I inwardly frowned but bowed to the manager who was greeting me. As expected, Min Jihun, not paying attention to the manager's words, smiled gently and spoke his mind.

"Good timing, hyung. I had something I wanted to ask."

"Huh… What is it?"

"Have I wanted anything recently?"

"What nonsense. Why are you asking me?"

The manager grumbled but thought hard. Then he tilted his head.

"Maybe eating a lot? Exploring famous restaurants in different regions?"

"That's never enough…. I want to try all the food in the world before I die. They say even ghosts who die after eating look beautiful."

"……"

"That might be true."

As Min Jihun muttered this chilling joke, the manager suddenly clapped his hands.

"Ah! Are you trying to get rid of people who make you uncomfortable? Didn't you say you were annoyed by that actor last time? He was too clingy."

Actor?

"…Who?"

"Can't you remember?"

As I narrowed my eyes, the manager glanced at me, checking my reaction.

"That, originally, Seo Hoyun… I mean, the person who was supposed to take the role in Director Lee Jung-hoon's drama. The one who followed you around, saying he admired you."

"…Ah, that… that person."

Min Jihun nodded, clapping his hands. I'm sure he had completely forgotten about that person.

At that moment, a spark of interest flashed in Min Jihun's eyes.

'…What is it?'

Min Jihun smiled, as if a good idea had just come to him.

"Umm~, hyung, do you know that person?"

"…Who?"

"…Why are you like this? Are you already immersed in the role?"

Manager Kim Sungchul glanced at me, but seemed willing to let it go. If he didn't point it out, I planned to pretend I didn't know.

Regardless of what the manager said, Min Jihun paid no attention and smiled gently.

"His name is Lee Gang-seok. He really liked this script and wanted the role, but… he was a bit… uncomfortable. So I recommended you to the writer instead."

Are you selling me out because you don't want to work with him, not for my sake?

"…Haha, in the end, he decided to take a supporting role in a drama airing at the same time."

How about I watch his acting? He might need some practice before the audition….

I remembered the man who had picked a fight with me in the waiting room. A sigh escaped me.

'It was because of Min Jihun.'

I glared at the unexpected cause of the trouble, but Min Jihun just shrugged and smoothed his lips, genuinely pondering.

"…Hmm, should I really help you?"

"What?"

"I like you…."

Min Jihun smiled and then muttered the words I had just said, like 'scenario' and 'quest'.

"Ah, I see…."

"……"

Then he suddenly lifted his head.

"Hyung, do you want to do a quest with me?"

"…A quest?"

"Can we call it a bet?"

At this absurd suggestion, I opened my mouth slightly and stared.

"If you can surpass that actor's acting skills and our drama achieves a higher peak rating, if both these conditions are met…."

Min Jihun smiled.

"I'll tell you what I know."

'…Are you crazy?'

How can I surpass an actor's acting skills?

Moreover, ratings are not something I can control. No matter how good the script and acting are, ratings are largely a matter of luck.

I lit a cigarette, but Min Jihun didn't care.

"…Let's say the ratings are fine. How can I judge if my acting surpasses his?"

"I'll judge. It would be nice if you won a rookie award, but unfortunately, there's no suitable award ceremony at this time."

"Such a vague standard? What if you change your mind later, Min Jihun hyung?"

"Come on, that's a bit disappointing, isn't it?"

The slight smile that had been on his lips instantly dropped, and Min Jihun spoke in his most serious tone.

"I don't joke about acting."

Min Jihun's eyes, which usually seemed opaque, sparkled with the arrogance and confidence of an actor. I tapped the table with my fingers, weighing my current situation.

'I'm… at a disadvantage.'

First, do I have any leverage to threaten Min Jihun?

The answer is 'no.'

Second, what if Min Jihun changes his mind?

This is uncertain, but my gut tells me he's not lying. Artists with a slight madness in their eyes don't lie about their craft.

…Except for Im Hyun-soo.

Third, is the value of the answer Min Jihun will give worth this 'quest'?

"How do you want to handle it?"

I lifted my gaze to look at Min Jihun.

The system window remained silent. It used to warn me not to act or meet Min Jihun, but now it was completely silent.

It must mean there's something it really wants to hide.

Therefore, the answer is….

"…You."

Of course, I need to get something from this guy.

"If you break this vague promise, I'll be ready to cut your throat."

As soon as Min Jihun heard my answer, he stood up as if he had finished his task.

"I don't want to die… I won't break it."

"……"

"Call me if anything happens?"

"Ha…."

The manager, who had been alternately looking at us, was nudged by Min Jihun.

"Let's do our best with Jihun's drama from now on."

"…Yes, I'll do my best."

Manager Kim Sungchul, slightly lowering and then raising his gaze, followed Min Jihun, who walked away.

Alone, I watched their backs and unconsciously squeezed the plastic cup until it crumpled.

***

"Hey! Hoyun, why didn't you answer my calls?"

'Because I was dealing with Min Jihun's aggression…'

When I returned to the practice room, Seung Ji-won was practicing, drenched in sweat, and greeted me with a bright smile. I put down my bag and replied.

"Did you call?"

"Yeah, I did, and the others did too."

Did you have something to say?

I gestured with my eyes, and Seung Ji-won changed the subject.

"Let's talk about that later. How was the script reading today?"

"It was fine."

"Hmm…."

Seung Ji-won narrowed his eyes and looked at me. After all the events, his intuition was sharp. I ignored his gaze and took out the script from my bag, asking,

"So why did you call?"

"Well… I wanted to tell everyone together."

"Where are the others?"

"Practicing in the recording studio! We have a new comeback song to work on~."

He's so diligent.

Actually, I wasn't particularly curious about Kang I-jae. That guy had already recovered mentally and was probably holed up in the dorm or Im Hyun-soo's studio, praising each other as the best and geniuses.

I had already hinted to the manager about acting lessons. With the company's finances improving, they would likely agree readily.

'Acting skills…'

No matter how I thought about it, the standard of having better acting skills than Lee Gang-seok was too vague.

'I need something that Min Jihun can't change his mind about.'

While I was stroking my chin, Seung Ji-won kept hovering around.

"Hoyun, Hoyun. …Listen."

"…What? You look happy?"

"Haha, do I?"

Seung Ji-won smiled slightly, looking a bit embarrassed, and sat down next to me.

"Today is our payday."

"……!"

'Oh, damn!'

I had forgotten such an important piece of news. As a citizen of South Korea, obsessed with capitalism, I quickly took out my phone.

"Did you see it?"

"Haha, not yet. I don't even know how much. They said there's a statement, but I haven't received it."

"Do the others know?"

"Yeah, we agreed to look at it together when they come… Oh."

Just then, my phone buzzed. The manager had posted in the group chat, "The pay has been settled, check it!!"

As soon as Seung Ji-won and I made eye contact, the practice room door burst open.

"Hyungs!!"

The first to run in was Jung Da-jun. Behind him, Kim Sung-hyun, wearing a cap pulled down, walked in with a pale, ghostly face.

"Did you see the pay?"

"…Hey, we agreed to look at it together when you come!"

"Whoa!! Sorry. But my fingers are so numb…! But that's not the issue!!"

Jung Da-jun ran in, slid to his knees, and performed a hand-kissing ceremony.

"I'm happy to be an idol! I'll dance until my bones ache, thank you!!"

"……."

Jung Da-jun, how much did you get to make such a fuss?

Even the kind Seung Ji-won ignored him.

'Why are you making such a fuss…'

I sighed and opened the bank app, and Seung Ji-won took out his phone.

I hadn't seen my empty, tear-inducing account in a while. Every time I did, I wanted to smoke.

Anyway, how much did I earn from six months of activity? I had heard we had passed the break-even point, but it was probably around 20 million.

"……."

But when I opened my account, I doubted my eyes. It seemed Seung Ji-won felt the same way. I quickly counted the digits.

"Ten, hundred, thousand…."

"Hyung!!"

As I was checking the amount, I blinked in surprise, and Jung Da-jun clung to me. Being young and encountering such a large amount for the first time, he was purely delighted.

"Hyung, it's a jackpot! A jackpot!!"

"Yeah, …it is."

I looked at my phone again, not believing it. We had passed the break-even point, and without training fees, it was a possible amount.

'Wow… still.'

Compared to the guarantees we were offered when we were doing well, it was far less, but to earn this much in six months…

"It's crazy. We'll earn even more in the future."

Kim Sung-hyun, who had been quiet, walked in weakly and leaned against the wall, covering his face with his hands. Then he buried his face in his knees and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Seo Hoyun…."

"What about the dumplings?"

"Ah, please…."

Kim Sung-hyun, who had been annoyed by the joke, finally asked.

"Can I not feel guilty towards my parents in the future?"

'Ah.'

About half a year ago, when I entered this practice room, I had thrown out some bold words, now being asked back to me.

About not wasting the family's money and the company's money…

I chuckled.

"There's a lot to feel guilty about."

"You said it."

"At that time, it was a mess, so it made sense, ugh!"

As I added this jokingly, Kim Sung-hyun lightly hit me with his cap. It actually hurt.

While we were bickering, Seung Ji-won suddenly stood up and made a call.

"Hey, grandma! Yes… it's me, Ji-won. Yes, I'm eating well."

"I want to call too!"

"Ah, right… me too."

Seeing this, everyone got up, grabbed their phones, and went outside. As I was left staring at the closed door, the system window appeared.

Ding!

[Not going to call?]

"What for."

[To your brother.]

"Ha, forget it."

He'll worry and lecture me about the money, as usual.

Lying on the practice room floor, the door opened again. It was Kang I-jae, who was almost inseparable from his gum, chewing it loudly as usual.

"Hyung, hi?"

"Did you check the pay?"

'He seems too calm for this.'

Kang I-jae, who probably received the most among us, nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I saw it."

'Yeah, you saw it?'

What is it?

"Is that why everyone is so excited? Like a puppy seeing snow for the first time."

Kang I-jae was excessively indifferent.

Isn't this an absurd amount for the first pay? No, even generally, it's not an amount that can be easily touched.

However, Kang I-jae, seemingly not caring about the pay, lay down next to me and opened a rhythm game app on his phone.

"Did you do well at the script reading?"

"Of course."

"Right…."

After a long silence, Kang I-jae added calmly.

"Something happened, didn't it."