Chapter 41

# Chapter 041

Seong-pil naturally approached Rika.

The four bodies stiffened like stones.

Looking down, he saw that several condoms were in the bottom drawer.

Seong-pil took the condoms from Rika's hand, gathered all the ones in the drawer, and went to the living room.

Squeak.

He tore open the condoms, put the wrappers in the plastic trash bag, and the main bodies in the regular trash bag.

This process was repeated several times.

Rika approached Seong-pil.

"Don't just throw things away!" she exclaimed.

"They're past the expiration date."

"You didn't even check!"

"So what if they weren't past the date?"

After finishing the sorting, Seong-pil shook his hands.

In the silence, Seong-pil suddenly raised his voice to Han Goo-in.

"Why are these things in the dorm?!"

Han Goo-in laughed bitterly.

"Before the group disbanded, the members started to act out a bit."

The atmosphere became solemn.

No matter how hard they worked and waited, there were no results.

Given that the group could disband at any time, the members probably thought they had seen everything and indulged themselves.

"How could all seven of them be gay? What an incredible probability... Does living in the dorm make you like that?"

"Usually, they bring women, don't they?"

"...Is that so? I see."

Rika, embarrassed that her way of thinking had been exposed, spoke only in Japanese for a few minutes.

Seong-pil looked at the traces of their indulgence in the trash bag.

Given their age and the lack of interference from the agency, it was natural for them to go astray.

He didn't intend to judge them harshly.

'What are these people doing now?'

Seong-pil erased the short question and tied the bag.

* * *

"Hey, Park Seong-pil!"

Son Hye-bin called out to Seong-pil with a voice that seemed to come from her diaphragm.

The attention of the people in the restaurant turned to them.

Seong-pil, embarrassed, pretended not to know her.

"Hey, Park Seong-pil. Hey. Ignoring me? Hey. Not happy to see me?"

"Ah, why are you shouting so loudly? Don't you know you shouldn't show your face?"

Many people still remember the dance singer Son Hye-bin.

If she showed her face, it might attract so many people that she couldn't even eat.

She was still wearing a cap and a mask.

"Since you're hiding, I brought sunglasses too."

Son Hye-bin took off her mask and put on her sunglasses.

After ordering the menu, she stared at Seong-pil for a long time.

"Why? What is it? Why?"

"You're getting older, aren't you? You used to be so innocent, like a chick."

"Speaking of which, you..."

How could she still look exactly the same as before, as if she had spent millions on her skin?

"What about me?"

"...You look the same."

"Right? You look your age."

"..."

"You've changed a lot."

"I haven't changed much, though."

"No, no, you've changed completely. Your aura, for example. The first time I met you, you were trembling, 'Ah, uh, uh, Park, Park Seong-pil, uh.' You were almost like a primary school student."

"When did I ever!"

"You get angry easily, just like before. Try to grow up a bit."

"Ugh."

Seong-pil gritted his teeth, and Son Hye-bin clapped her hands in delight.

It was Seong-pil's dream to see this person get into trouble.

Unfortunately, it showed no signs of happening in the next few years.

"Manager Park. Cook the meat. Put it on my plate when it's done. No, wrap it in lettuce and feed it to me."

"Come on."

"What? You won't do it?"

"Come on, really."

"Psst! You won't?"

"You still think you're a celebrity!"

Seong-pil neatly wrapped the lettuce and fed it to Son Hye-bin.

"Mmm, it's delicious. You have a good touch. Manager, quit and open a meat restaurant. Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I'll take it back. Don't be mad?"

If only he could give her a good punch, his wish would be fulfilled.

"Let me see the faces of your trainees. That's why I came, after all."

"You're quick to say that."

Seong-pil's face, which had been crumpled from being teased by Son Hye-bin, smoothed out.

He showed her a photo of the four of them, taken specifically for this occasion.

"Still four, and the heights are as they are."

"..."

Son Hye-bin's face was not pleased after seeing the photo.

"Do you think the lineup is good?"

"What? Why?"

"Hey. The kids..."

She looked like she was seeing a student who had given an unexpected answer.

Seong-pil could feel her confusion as she tried to figure out how to express her thoughts.

Seong-pil braced himself mentally.

"Too pretty!"

But Son Hye-bin, as if she had never been serious, made a big fuss.

She was teasing Seong-pil again.

Son Hye-bin zoomed in on the photo and checked each of the kids' faces.

"How did you gather such people?"

"Is that a compliment?"

"A compliment! They all have their own charm. Especially this one. She's the prettiest."

Son Hye-bin pointed to one of them.

"Rika?"

"Is her name Rika? Is she Japanese?"

"Yeah, Ishikawa Rika."

"She has a center vibe. No, no, the one next to her is also good. Ah, this one too..."

Seong-pil was confused.

Why did Son Hye-bin point to Rika first?

Or, why did she say Rika was the prettiest?

'Rika will become pretty later...'

But she still looked young.

Seong-pil looked at Rika in the photo several times.

Pretty? Yes, she is.

Compared to others?

It's hard to compare absolute values, but if visual appeal could attract fans, it would be Baek Seol-hana or Jang Ha-yang.

"Is there a performance video? All four of them are there."

"We don't do weekly or monthly evaluations yet."

"Seems like you've only been together for a short time. But why are you already trying to find chemistry? You could have checked after they danced and sang together."

"We need to manage them and adjust the training plan once they're all together. It's better to decide quickly."

"How long did it take to gather them?"

"About 7 to 8 months."

"You must have worked hard. Rika, Rika, Rika, the name rolls off the tongue. She doesn't need a stage name."

Son Hye-bin seemed quite taken with Rika.

The more exaggerated her reaction, the more confused Seong-pil became.

The only charm visible in the photo was her appearance, yet Son Hye-bin said Rika was the most appealing, which was confusing.

"But four members. Groups with four members are rare, aren't they?"

"Rare, except for major agencies."

"Is your company going to be one of them? Park Seong-pil, writing a new history in the entertainment industry... What's your position?"

Seong-pil tightly closed his mouth.

"Huh? What is it? Hey, are you ignoring me?"

If he said 'Manager,' he would be mocked severely.

He regretted being given the title of Manager by Hong Gyu-hyun.

He would have to ask to change it to Director when he started working at the broadcasting station.

"If you don't tell me, I'll guess. Intern?"

"..."

"Aha! I get it. You're a road manager? Oh, you should have done a better job. Are you still a road manager at your age?"

"..."

"Hmm, or are you a casting manager? You must have worked hard traveling around the country. Ah, I'm not belittling you. It suits you, Seong-pil..."

"...Manager."

"Huh? What?"

"Manager."

As expected, it was as he feared.

Son Hye-bin clapped her hands, did a backflip, and laughed loudly.

Seong-pil's hand, holding a water cup, trembled.

'Should I pour it? Pour it?'

This could be the moment to fulfill his wish?

"Congratulations."

Son Hye-bin patted Seong-pil's back, a soft touch that was far from her previous playful manner.

"Sure enough, you have talent, Seong-pil. Even in a small company, you have a good eye for talent. You'll go far. Should I get to know the CEO in advance?"

Her tone was the same as before, but the sincerity in her words was evident.

The humiliation that had filled his throat was gone, and Seong-pil, blushing, removed her hand.

"Enough. Even if I hear this from you, I'll bow and accept it."

"Oh, you finally have some sense?"

"..."

"Just kidding."

They drank a moderate amount of alcohol and left the restaurant.

"Should I call a taxi?"

"What? We're just starting."

"Going to eat again?"

"No. Let's go to a karaoke room."

Seong-pil's face turned sour.

"Go go!"

Son Hye-bin grabbed Seong-pil's wrist, which was as stiff as a stone, and led him to the karaoke room.

Seong-pil was already feeling tired.

As he was dragged along, he recalled their conversation at the restaurant.

'She said Rika was the prettiest.'

Is it a matter of taste?

* * *

Rika had a secret.

In her apartment.

On the shelf above the sink, there was a small tin box.

Inside were several cookies wrapped in transparent plastic.

There was a bakery run by an individual near Rika's house.

The display case was filled with various types of cookies, so cute and delicious that one couldn't pass by without buying them.

"Looks delicious..."

They cost only 1,000 won each.

For Rika, who saved and spent the money sent by her parents carefully, it wasn't a significant burden.

Rika would look at the display case for a while and occasionally buy cookies.

When she got home, she would regret it.

'Snap out of it, Ishikawa! I can't eat this!'

She had promised Seong-pil to control her diet.

She couldn't betray his trust.

Except for very rarely.

"Delicious."

It was so good it felt like her tongue was melting.

Overcome by desire, Rika sniffled when she saw the empty plastic wrapper.

"I'm sorry, Manager..."

Rika immediately ran out.

'If I run at 6.7 km/h for 10 minutes, I burn 100 calories! Since a cookie is 112 calories, I just need to run a little longer to make it a non-event!'

Rika ran.

And when she was hungry again, she returned home.

She clutched her empty stomach but felt proud of keeping her promise to Seong-pil.

After satisfying her desire, the cookie box went back on the shelf.

It was quite high, so she needed a step stool.

...Yes, she used to need one.

'Wait, was the shelf always this low?'

One day, she found she could reach the box by standing on tiptoe.

'What? I should have done this earlier. I wasted 7,500 won on a step stool.'

The change happened very slowly.

She always stood on tiptoe to get the cookie box.

The height of her tiptoe gradually decreased, but Rika didn't notice.

And one day.

"Huh?"

Rika easily took the box from the shelf without standing on tiptoe.

"I..."

About 8 months after meeting Seong-pil.

"Did I grow taller?"

Rika realized she was still growing.

* * *

"Are you a princess?"

While sitting quietly and looking in the mirror, Jo Ara teased her.

Rika had realized she had grown taller yesterday. Since then, she didn't feel like herself.

"Ara-chan, don't I look different?"

"No."

"Look more seriously."

"Do you think I'm your boyfriend?"

Jo Ara held Rika's head with both hands and turned it from side to side.

Rika giggled.

"Ara-chan, you look even better up close. Do you want to date me?"

"No, I don't."

"Shock! Rejection 10 times achieved!"

"What's different? Did you get your ears pierced?"

"I don't know?"

"Really, I have no idea."

"Hmph."

"Tell me, I'm sorry. What is it?"

"Hmm... Did I become a bit prettier? Like, you know?"

"You're crazy."

Jo Ara lost interest in Rika and started dancing.

Rika kept looking in the mirror in the corner of the practice room.

'Right! Manager Park might notice!'

Rika left the practice room to find Seong-pil.

She searched the company thoroughly but couldn't find him.

Not being there when needed, a manager's failure.

"Ah, Manager Han!"

Rika ran to Han Goo-in, who had just returned from a week of shopping.

"I'll help!"

"It's heavy."

"It's fine! I can do thirty push-ups, you know, heavy!"

"Give it back."

"I can do it!"

Rika struggled to carry the shopping bags.

As soon as they reached the kitchen, she checked what Han Goo-in had bought.

"There's nothing Rika would like."

"That's right. It's surprisingly empty. It feels like you're deliberately trying to make me suffer. Ah, where did Manager Park go?"

"He said he has a guest."

"A new member?"

Han Goo-in smiled gently and avoided answering.

That was enough for Rika.

The messenger pigeon of Garo Entertainment was already ready to spread the news.

Just as she was about to spread the word that a new member might be joining, she heard:

"Manager Park!"

Seong-pil returned to the company.

Rika changed her course and stood in front of Seong-pil.

"You're back?"

"Yeah."

Rika flinched.

Seong-pil's voice was hoarse.

"Manager, are you sick? A cold? Should I buy you medicine? Do you want porridge?"

Rika acted as if Seong-pil had a serious illness.

If he jokingly said 'cancer,' she would faint from worry.

"What do I do... Manager, are you very sick? Do you want to rest? Should I put a towel on your forehead?"

"I went to a karaoke room yesterday."

"Coward! Always going out alone! Take me too! I want to have fun too! Let's go quickly!"