Chapter 1

When I was young, I was the kind of kid who had to tear out the answer sheet from the back of a workbook as soon as I bought it.

If I didn’t, I would peek at the answers whenever I got stuck on a problem. I couldn’t resist the sweet temptation of the solutions and the correct answers.

I was amazed by the kids who could resist that.

How could they do it?

Anyway, that was when I was young. Now I’m at an age where I don’t need workbooks anymore, and the life I face ahead has no answer sheet to peek at.

But...

One day, I suddenly started to see the answer sheet of life.

© Jang Woo-san

Huh... Am I dreaming?

I can’t think of anything else. I’m sitting in an office I’ve never seen before.

It’s an incredibly large and luxurious office.

It’s a pleasant sight, but it feels like I shouldn’t be here, making me feel uneasy. It’s like sitting in a high-end hotel restaurant with a dress code, wearing a T-shirt that can only be used as a rag and bathroom slippers. That’s how I feel.

It must be a dream, right?

There’s something like a hologram floating on the table. It must be a dream, right?

Strange. I haven’t been watching a lot of sci-fi movies lately, so why am I having this dream?

Oh. I can see clouds outside the window.

The office is as wide as a playground, with one entire wall made of glass, and clouds are drifting outside. It looks like the view from an airplane... Are those real clouds? Or are they just images? If they’re real, how many floors is this office?

No, in an over-technology worldview, the office might be flying.

I really want to check, but I can’t.

That’s the second reason I think this is a dream.

My body is moving out of my control, like a puppet. It turns its head to look at the clouds outside the window, then at my wristwatch.

“Hmm... It’s almost 2 PM.”

My mouth moves and speaks on its own.

I can’t control it, but I can definitely feel my senses. Vision, hearing, smell, touch, and even taste, which I’m not sure about, but I can feel it when I swallow and it feels thick.

It’s a bit creepy. This must be a lucid dream.

“Indeed. If President Jung is ready, shall we start the interview?”

A gentle tone. My head turns to look at the woman sitting opposite me.

She looks to be in her mid-forties. I imagined a warm face from her voice, but it’s not at all like that. She has bright blonde hair in a short cut, and her sharp eye makeup above her wrinkles gives her a picky and haughty look. The highlight is her ink-black lips.

Huh? Black lips?

What a unique lipstick choice.

But have I seen this woman somewhere before? They say that characters in dreams are combinations of faces seen in reality.

“Sure.”

My mouth moves again.

“But why did Director Park come as well?”

“It’s an exclusive interview with President Jung, so of course I had to come in person. That way, you’ll give more of your time, right? Don’t you think so? We’re close enough for that.”

“Haha, of course. Will Director Park conduct the interview?”

“Reporter Song will do the interview, and I’ll just interfere here and there. I know President Jung’s story well enough, and it’s better for a young colleague to do it without preconceptions and to extract new sources.”

Only then did I notice a young woman sitting next to Director Park. She’s a mixed-race beauty with a small face and a stunning figure. But Director Park’s presence is so strong that it’s hard to focus on her.

“Let me introduce myself, Reporter Song.”

“Yes! Hello, President Jung. I’m Song Song.”

At least this moment is fortunate. If I had control over my body, I might have smiled.

“Reporter Song, nice to meet you.”

My body has a conversation with the mixed-race beauty with the unique name. Since I can’t control anything, I listen to their conversation carefully and observe everything I can see. It’s my first time having a lucid dream, so everything is fascinating.

My eyes move from looking at Reporter Song. I saw a screen that looked like a monitor of a computer or TV. A dark and shiny screen with a face floating on it. I saw it for a moment, but I confirmed it clearly.

My face was about twenty years older.

No wonder I felt so comfortable talking to the middle-aged Director Park.

My body moves again. This time, it looks down and tidies up the clothes. A classic suit that a gentleman active as a secret agent in England might wear, a tie, and a leather watch that fits snugly on the wrist. Even I, who don’t know much about luxury brands, can tell these aren’t cheap items.

I must have made some money.

The fact that a director-level journalist is flattering me with “President Jung, President Jung” suggests that I’ve been successful socially as well.

They say dreams are manifestations of the subconscious... I’m glad it’s just a dream I’m having; if anyone knew, they’d laugh at me.

“Alright, then...”

Reporter Song starts the interview, looking very nervous.

“President Jung Seon-woo, when it comes to you, it’s impossible not to mention your success story. You started from the bottom and, through seven battles and eight falls, became the CEO of a global management company. You started at W&U. Do you remember your first day at work?”

“Yes, even though it was a long time ago, I remember that day vividly. I couldn’t sleep the night before my first day, and I suddenly received a call at 4 AM telling me to come to the office. I didn’t get any sleep and rode in my brother’s car to get to work right away.”

“What was your first day like as a professional?”

“Oh, that day was really dynamic.”

“In what way?”

“I thought I would be in charge of actors when I applied to the management department. I loved movies and dramas so much, and my dream was to nurture world-class actors with my own hands. I strongly emphasized this during the interview...”

But?

“When I actually started working, I was assigned to a second-year girl group.”

Wow?

Maybe I was under a lot of stress because of my first day at work?

Is that why I’m having this dream?

I actually had an interview with W&U, received an acceptance notice, and am about to start my first day. It’s true that I want to be in charge of actors.

I applied to W&U because they have a wide and solid pool of actors. Among them are several top stars with titles like box office guarantee in Korean cinema or Hallyu stars, and some have even made it to Hollywood in small roles.

Since receiving the acceptance notice from W&U, I’ve been excited and anxious about which actor I’ll be assigned to, to the point of losing sleep.

But suddenly, a girl group?

I know W&U has a girl group, though I don’t know their name. I heard that they expanded into idol management a few years after focusing solely on actor management since their establishment.

They say the idol industry is a red ocean, but once you launch a successful group, the profitability is good.

Their first project was an 11-member boy group, which became a huge hit as soon as they released their debut album, as if they had saved the country in a past life. They were called miracle rookies, sweeping all the rookie awards that year, and were a model group for W&U, as I read in a W&U article.

I can’t remember the group’s name, but I remember their nickname. They were called “Chotongnyeong” because elementary school students went crazy for them.

They recovered their investment and turned a profit in the year of their debut, making a fortune.

Encouraged by this success, W&U reinvested the money they earned and built an in-house system to nurture idols, then launched a new girl group.

That’s all I know. The articles I read about W&U didn’t have much information about the girl group, so I assume they failed. I didn’t care enough to look into it further.

I’m supposed to be in charge of actors, not a girl group.

“From then on, your connection with Neptune began.”

Neptune?

It sounds like the name of a team of magical girls from a popular TV anime.

“It must have been very surprising at the time.”

“I thought it was a disaster as soon as I heard it. And it turned out to be a disaster in the end. I was completely marked from my first day at work.”

“Marked?”

“At the time, I was a rookie, and it must have been obvious that I was unhappy with the assignment. My first impression couldn’t have been good. Looking back, that’s when my troubles began. People say my life has been through seven battles and eight falls, but if I hadn’t made that first mistake, I wouldn’t have fallen so hard.”

“...Oh, Jung Seon-woo!”

My head feels heavy, and my chest is tight. It feels like I’ve just surfaced after being underwater for a long time. Looking down, I see a seatbelt pressing against my chest. I unbuckle it and cough.

The person sitting next to me taps my shoulder.

Who is it?

Oh, it’s my brother. The thick-rimmed glasses and plain face. It’s definitely my brother. Looking around, the large and beautiful office is gone.

I’m in my brother’s car.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean, what is it? We’re here. You need to be alert on your first day of work. You can’t be spacing out in front of your seniors. I don’t know much about management, but in any job, a new employee must be sharp.”

“I wasn’t spacing out; I must have dozed off.”

“Dozed off? You were talking to me just ten seconds ago, and your eyes were open.”

What?

“What are you talking about? I even had a dream.”

“Fell asleep and had a dream in ten seconds?”

My brother laughs. I have to admit, it does sound ridiculous.

But I definitely had a dream. A lucid dream. I remember everything I saw and heard in the dream vividly.

The large office. An older version of myself. Director Park. Reporter Song. Even the name of the second-year girl group, Neptune.

But you were talking just ten seconds ago? Is it even possible to fall asleep so suddenly without narcolepsy?

What a strange thing.

“Maybe I passed out from exhaustion... I had a really strange dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“I was the CEO of a management company.”

“That’s a good omen!”

“No, it was only good up to that point. During the interview, I was talking about the past, and it was shocking... I started at W&U, but instead of being assigned to an actor, I was assigned to a second-year girl group. Then I got marked by a senior, and my troubles began... Damn, what a nightmare.”

My brother lets out a sigh and laughs.

“A girl group? That’s not so bad. It sounds fun.”

“What’s fun about it?”

“You’re good with kids. Isn’t it similar?”

“What nonsense. And I’m not interested in being an idol manager.”

I don’t dislike idols. I like girl groups. They’re pretty, cute, and sexy. I love them. But I don’t want to be an idol manager. It feels like being a part of a massive factory system. Idols are like standardized products from that factory.

In contrast, actors feel like handmade crafts. Whether or not they are recognized for their artistic value by the public, they are unique pieces in the world.

Of course, that’s just my personal opinion.

“I hope you get assigned to an actress you like. Good luck.”

“Please.”

I check my wristwatch and open the car door.

“I’m going to work now. It’s my first day, so I need to go early to get a feel for the situation.”

“Right. Let me know when you’re done. We should have a drink tonight?”

I ask my brother, who pretends to break a glass.

“What time is it now?”

“Around 3:30 AM?”

“Starting work this early on the first day, I wonder if I’ll be able to leave on time?”

My brother and I laugh together.

It’s still dark outside. The sky is overcast, with no stars or moon. It will be a while before dawn. I knew this industry has no set working hours, but I didn’t expect to start my first day in the middle of the night.

“Anyway, I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the ride, brother.”

“Sure. Good luck!”

Stepping out of the car, the cold, damp morning air wakes me up.

I stretch and walk into the forest of buildings in Cheongdam-dong.

© Jang Woo-san

Oh.