Chapter 6

# Episode 006

“…….”

The police officer, after listening to Rika and Seong Pil's story, was speechless for a moment.

He then typed away at the keyboard in a businesslike manner.

“You two were originally acquaintances….”

“Yes! I didn’t make her cry! I just talked to her…!”

“Okay, okay, I understand. And Ashiwaka….”

“It’s Ishikawa.”

“Ishikawa-san was shocked by the failure to make it into the debut group….”

At the mention of the debut group, Rika's expression visibly darkened.

The police officer hastily swallowed his words.

In the end, the incident that required police intervention was resolved as a minor misunderstanding.

Seong Pil quickly left the police station.

He felt both bewildered and annoyed by the unprecedented situation.

‘Why would someone start crying just because they saw me? I can understand it, but…’

Strangely, he also felt a bit pleased.

About two years ago, Seong Pil had met Rika and suggested she try being an idol.

Surprisingly, Rika took his suggestion seriously.

So seriously that when they met again after a long time, she burst into tears upon seeing Seong Pil because she had failed to make it into the debut group.

‘Of course, she didn’t make it into the debut group. Was Rika planning to go back to Japan? Or did she receive an offer from another agency?’

Seong Pil relaxed his tense shoulders and turned to look at Rika.

Rika was being asked many questions by Han Goo-in.

“Did you change your career path to become an idol because of Mr. Park’s words?”

“It just happened that way. I often heard that I was brave….”

“That was quite reckless. It seems you changed your career path rather quickly, considering you came here to become a K-drama actor.”

“…….”

Han Goo-in seemed to say whatever came to mind without any regard for propriety.

Or perhaps, he didn’t even understand the concept of being rude.

Seong Pil intervened between the two. Rika looked relieved.

“Ishikawa-san, I'm glad the misunderstanding is cleared up….”

“I'm sorry!”

Rika bowed deeply.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry! I really didn’t mean to cause you any trouble!”

“…Mr. Park? Ah.”

Since they weren’t close, she was addressing him by his last name.

Seong Pil also called her “Ishikawa-san,” but it sounded awkward to add “-nim” to a Korean last name.

“Call me ‘Manager Park.’”

Calling himself a manager made his face feel hot, but the title clearly had an effect on Rika.

“I'm sorry for coming here suddenly.”

“I caused you more trouble. I'm really sorry.”

“No, I was the one who came here unannounced, so I’m the one who’s wrong.”

“No, I was the one who….”

“…….”

Seong Pil thought the apologies would end there, but Rika kept insisting that she was the one at fault.

Seong Pil was the one who finally stopped the apology parade.

“Can we have a private conversation?”

“Let’s be informal.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course!”

“Yeah, sure. I came here today because I had something to say. Do you have a moment?”

“Hmm, it’s a bit difficult.”

“Why?”

“My company told me not to meet with people from other agencies.”

That made sense.

There was only one reason for another agency to approach a trainee.

Trainees were essentially the company’s assets, so such contact would naturally be unwelcome.

‘But that’s only from the company’s perspective.’

A trainee who was about to be cut loose after failing to make the debut group had no reason to follow such rules.

They were going to be let go anyway.

“Do you want to stay at KS?”

“I don’t know… Let’s not talk about this here.”

“Right. It won’t take long. How about we go somewhere to talk?”

“I’m sorry, but not today. It’s getting late.”

“…….”

Seong Pil looked at his watch.

It was almost 8 PM.

‘Is she outright rejecting me?’

If so, he needed to know why.

‘I revealed my title as a manager. Plus, Rika knows I work in the management industry.’

If she had failed to make the debut group, she would start looking at other agencies.

So, the situation where Seong Pil came to see her shouldn’t be too uncomfortable for Rika.

‘The rule about not meeting with outsiders. And the excuse that it’s late, which she keeps using to push me away…’

It was a setback.

She had already received an offer from another agency.

It took him only a second to think this through.

Seong Pil nudged Han Goo-in with his elbow. Han Goo-in looked at him questioningly, but the moment their eyes met, he understood everything.

‘Let the handsome Manager Han give it a try.’

‘Will it work if I do it?’

‘Kids that age like handsome people.’

‘That’s true for everyone, regardless of age…’

‘Just do it! Don’t let this opportunity slip away!’

Han Goo-in took a deep breath and put on a smile that clearly aimed to win someone’s favor.

‘Wow.’

Seong Pil was the first to be impressed.

Fortunately, there was a streetlight nearby, which served as natural lighting.

Han Goo-in looked like a seasoned (and good-looking) actor.

“Ishikawa-san, can you spare me just a moment?”

“Sumimasen. I really can’t today.”

Han Goo-in’s smile faltered.

Seong Pil stepped back and quickly pulled out a business card from his pocket, faster than the speed of light.

“If not today, how about tomorrow?”

Rika took the card and read it slowly.

“Success Entertainment. Is this Manager Park’s company?”

“Ah!”

Seong Pil almost snatched the card from Rika’s hand.

He had brought the card out of habit, but it turned out to be from his previous company.

He hadn’t even distributed the Garo Entertainment cards.

“Success Entertainment is my previous company. Now, ah, I don’t have a card.”

“Neither do I.”

“Why doesn’t Manager Han have one?!”

Seong Pil searched his pockets for a pen, but there was no chance it would be there.

Rika watched the flustered pair and smiled awkwardly.

“Doshiiyokana (What should I do)….”

* * *

Ishikawa Rika.

A determined girl who came to Korea after mastering Korean in a year and convincing her parents, inspired by K-drama actors.

When she first met Seong Pil, she was filled with sadness over failing to make the debut group, but now a different thought flashed through her mind.

“Can we have a private conversation?”

The moment Seong Pil said this, Rika understood everything.

‘Could this be a scouting offer?’

While trainee status was officially confidential, it was often known among casting managers.

Some trainees from other agencies had received offers from different agencies.

So, when she met Seong Pil, she was certain.

“Hmm, it’s a bit difficult.”

And she started to think.

‘If I agree too quickly, it will be to my disadvantage!’

That’s how the world works.

In relationships, the one who confesses first is the one who bends.

Since Seong Pil had come to her, it was a sign of his sincerity, but Rika wanted to gain the upper hand in their relationship.

‘But, I haven’t received a scouting offer yet. If I push too hard and he gives up…’

Anxiety crept up on her.

Still, Rika decided to trust her instincts.

‘I’ll pretend to be busy. I’ll make Manager Park anxious!’

Park Seong Pil.

The person who drastically changed Rika’s life path.

She came to Korea to become an actor, but without a solid foundation, it was impossible to find roles.

She held on for six months with confidence, but the fruitless six months only gnawed at her spirit.

And then,

“Being an idol might suit you better.”

As if reading her mind, Seong Pil said this.

‘Is he trying to recruit me for his agency? Maybe I should listen to what he has to say…’

But Seong Pil didn’t mention joining Success Entertainment. He only informed her about the audition schedules of different agencies.

Seong Pil genuinely believed Rika would suit being an idol, with no ulterior motives.

His sincerity touched Rika.

‘Yes! I’ll become a K-drama actor by using the platform of being an idol trainee!’

So, she trusted Seong Pil.

‘I made it!’

She became a trainee at KS Entertainment.

For one and a half years, she worked incredibly hard. But Rika didn’t make it into the debut group.

When she was feeling despondent, she met Seong Pil again. It felt like fate.

But,

‘If this is fate for me, it must be fate for Manager Park too, right?’

One and a half years.

While pursuing her dream of becoming an idol, she faced jealousy and rivalry among the trainees, and Rika felt she had developed a bad attitude.

“Doshiiyokana (What should I do)….”

“Really, really, just a moment?”

The art of increasing one’s value.

The art of standing out.

She learned these in a very misguided way.

* * *

“Isn’t that a rejection?”

Hong Goo-hun made a cold judgment.

Seong Pil agreed.

For her to refuse even a brief conversation despite his almost desperate attempts was a clear sign.

Unless she had received a very good offer from another agency, she wouldn’t react this way.

“If Garo Entertainment had a bit more reputation….”

“Building that reputation is your job. What are you going to do? Give up on the Japanese girl?”

“Give up… I don’t want to.”

“Hmm, if she’s a KS Entertainment trainee, she must be quite talented.”

“Not just ‘quite.’”

Han Goo-in, who had been waiting for a chance to speak, chimed in.

“KS Entertainment has a large-scale trainee development department in the industry. They have two managers dedicated to it, giving it a lot of support. They are also known for keeping their trainees’ identities extremely confidential.”

“Trainees are assets, right? If you think about the money invested, each trainee must be worth a fortune.”

Originally, KS Entertainment didn’t release trainees even after forming debut groups.

They would keep them until the contract period was over and then let them go when they were of age.

They didn’t want to feed their hard work to others.

While this was oppressive for the trainees, it was a strategy to prevent potential strong competitors from joining other agencies.

“But after the COO (Chief Operating Officer) was replaced by Goo Han seven years ago, the structure changed. Now, after the debut group is formed, the remaining trainees are released. They don’t want to keep them and spend more money.”

Seong Pil looked at Han Goo-in as if he were a rare breed.

Han Goo-in was flipping through a thick file, reading it page by page.

If this conversation hadn’t happened, how disappointed he would have been.

“Still, they keep trainees who show talent in singing, acting, or other fields. In other words, the trainees they release are likely to be in the lower to middle range.”

“Or, they might be completely specialized in being an idol.”

“Specialized in being an idol?”

Seong Pil’s interruption annoyed Han Goo-in.

He had prepared a lot and wanted to say it all at once.

“They teach idols many things. Foreign languages, acting, vocals, dance, personal skills, and even how to be entertaining.”

“Right.”

“In other words, they aren’t specialized in one thing. While the trainees released by KS Entertainment are all highly skilled, they aren’t good enough to establish themselves in any one field. They aren’t necessarily low-skilled, but they aren’t specialized.”

“Right, right. I know KS Entertainment trainees are great. The important thing is whether they fit our company and whether we can bring them in, right?”

Hong Goo-hun looked back and forth between Seong Pil and Han Goo-in.

“Can you bring her in?”

“…….”

“…….”

In the end, their meeting that day ended with Rika taking Seong Pil’s contact information.

A few days later, they were able to meet Rika, but she didn’t easily agree to Seong Pil and Han Goo-in’s persuasive words.

She always made excuses in Japanese with a cute expression.

“But what does ‘Doshiiyokana’ mean?”

“It means ‘What should I do?’”

“Does Manager Han speak Japanese?”

“It’s not very good.”

Han Goo-in was a graduate of Korea’s top university and had worked as an intern at a major U.S. company for two years.

Seong Pil wondered why he was helping Hong Goo-hun in Korea.

And his overly impressive credentials subtly made Seong Pil feel inferior.

‘No, I have experience in this industry. They say experience can’t be bought…’

As he was boosting his self-esteem, Hong Goo-hun asked in a low tone, which felt intimidating.

“Regardless of the Japanese language, we need to bring Rika in to move forward, right?”

Seong Pil sighed inwardly.

In fact, he was preparing to give up.

‘Rika will probably go to a better agency than ours. But in the future, Rika will debut in Japan…’

She will likely fail and return to her hometown.

Thinking about this, he wanted to hold on to her, but he had no good strategy.

‘In this case, it’s better to give her time to think rather than push too hard.’

After all, Garo Entertainment, being a new company, had little to offer.

The only thing he could say was, “We’ll make you debut!” But who would believe that?

‘If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t go to a trashy agency. There are so many harsh places these days.’

Still, if he was going to give up, it was better to try to the end.

Even if it seemed impossible.

“I’ll keep trying to contact her.”

* * *

“Why, why hasn’t he contacted me?”

Rika was filled with anxiety.

She had waited for a week, but Seong Pil hadn’t contacted her.

She kept looking at her phone from morning till night, but there was no sign of a message.

“Rika, are you feeling unwell lately?”

“H-Hai (Yes)? No, I’m fine.”

At the KS Entertainment practice room.

The trainer looked at her with concern.

It wasn’t just because Rika seemed distracted.

Soon, the trainees who didn’t make the debut group, especially those close to 20 years old, would all be released.

Rika could sense the trainer’s sympathy.

‘Did I push too hard that time? I must have been too strong…’

The thought of missing her chance made her feel like her insides were being torn apart.

On her way home, the sky seemed to be on the ground, and the ground seemed to be in the sky.

Her steps wobbled as if she had been drinking.

‘What will happen to my future? I came to Korea with such confidence, and if I fail and return home, what about my two years? My two years will be gone. Why… I worked hard. Hard work should be rewarded…’

Rika regretted it.

In life, when an opportunity comes, it’s better to reveal your true feelings rather than hide them.

She wanted to beat herself up for not realizing this simple truth sooner.

She should have grabbed the opportunity instead of letting her pride get in the way.

“Ishikawa.”

A familiar voice, Seong Pil.

Her senses, which had been spinning, returned to normal.

Seong Pil approached Rika and greeted her.

“Hello….”

“I’m going! I’m going! I’m going! I’ll listen to your story! Please! Onegaishimasu (Please)! Please, please, let me hear your story!”

Rika put her newfound life lesson into practice.

“Hurry! Let’s go!”

“…….”

Seong Pil had no choice but to take a step back, overwhelmed by Rika’s enthusiasm, which seemed like she was about to kneel.