12
Step Twelve
:: Borrowing a Hand to Destroy the Enemy ::
“Please have a seat,” Im Heewoo took a deep breath, then began speaking with the same dialogue as he did with the trainee who was summoned into this room.
No matter how many times he repeated it, he still expressed sincere remorse and felt the need to apologize profoundly to everyone.
He didn’t do it just for show.
Jacan sat silently, reaching out to pick up the gift envelope, holding it without hesitating to refuse, unlike others.
Moreover, outwardly he remained calm, not appearing pleased to receive compensation.
Nevertheless, this was what the program needed to take responsibility for.
If he didn’t accept it, fearing that those who couldn’t eat or sleep well would be the SKM Ent.
executives themselves.
Rrrrr
“Just a moment, please,” Im Heewoo, seeing the number from a team member who was regularly stationed in the studio where the incident occurred, asked to step out and answer the phone call outside.
Inside the room, there were only Jacan and the label president, who had met several weeks before.
“So we meet again,” Dong Hyunin greeted.
“Yes, I hope you’re doing well,” Jacan struggled to contain his laughter when he remembered the day he had to pretend not to recognize the other party in that café.
Moreover, he daringly bought just three pieces of cake for the person in front of him.
“I’m doing well, I must apologize once again for the incident that occurred.”
“I accept your apology,” the young man smiled softly, his heart feeling timid as he opened the door and encountered the other party.
He was slightly surprised, as he didn’t expect the CEO to personally come and settle this matter.
“You, uh, did a good job,” last night, Dong Hyunin had the chance to watch the first episode of Star Fight Tape via the online platform.
Seeing the young man perform better than in the audition round, as the company’s CEO, he would be pleased to have a promising talent added to the company.
But as a man with a taste for this type of guy, he could only sum it up in one word…
utterly smitten.
Suddenly, the conditions for fan voting came to mind, allowing each fan club to vote only twice a day, a rule devised by him and the management to introduce a new twist in the history of idol competitions.
Currently, this competition was seen as just another money-making program, not a serious idol selection show like before.
As long as there was enough money, even if they couldn’t dance or sing well, they could still become an idol.
When there was no need to spend money to pay for votes, fan clubs would be enthusiastic about logging in to vote regularly for their favorite trainees.
It was a way to build a bond between artists and fans in another form, while also making artists realize the importance of fans who strived to push them to their ultimate goal.
Believing that when the time came to part ways due to contracts, the artist’s fan base would still remain steadfast and ready to support them in every decision.
But today, the big boss wanted to turn back time and bang his head against the wall to make him realize and understand what nonsense he’d been thinking.
He was the CEO of a Big Five label, with businesses both domestically and internationally built from his own sweat and determination.
He had inherited a vast fortune from his parents, with plenty left even after passing it on to the next generations.
Overall, he was extremely wealthy…
Yet he was only allowed two votes per day for the one he liked….
“…” Dong Hyunin.
How did it come to this?
It’s insane!
…
The trainee on the popular show sat in silence, facing the big boss, nobody daring to utter a word even after finishing their business discussion.
Jacan wasn’t sure if the opposing party had forgotten that he was still in the room, since he hadn’t dismissed him yet.
However, he was afraid it would be rude to leave on his own in case there was still something to discuss.
“Um, President, do you have anything else?” Jacan diplomatically pushed, trying to remind him.
“Oh, I’m sorry.
I got a bit distracted.
The head PD and I have bought snacks to treat everyone.
Please go back and get the snacks from the cafeteria,” Dong Hyunin hesitated slightly before quickly regaining composure and repeating the invitation.
“Thank you very much,” the young man, exhaling softly.
He stood up, bowing his head slightly to the older person.
As he lifted his head to look at the young man in front of him, he remembered the flash drive in his own pocket.
It was crucial evidence that took more than three hours to obtain, not to mention another half an hour to delete his own image from the surveillance camera in the apartment to cover his tracks.
Jacan’s original intention was to verify whether the incident was merely accidental or had hidden intentions.
He never imagined he would obtain crucial information that could shake the entertainment industry of the country.
At first he decided to keep this information to himself for now.
If the people involved in the information made him or those around him upset, he would not hesitate to use it.
But as soon as he saw President Dong come out to apologize to the contestants who hadn’t even debuted yet and immediately compensate for the damage caused just two days after the incident…
What should I do…
The mixed-race young man discreetly glanced left and right, trying not to be noticed.
Once he found what he was looking for, he walked over to the sofa, and prepared to bow to the president once more.
“Oops!” but suddenly he felt (fake) faint.
“Watch out!” Dong Hyunin, who had been watching the young man all along, quickly got up to support the person who was slightly shorter.
Jacan blinked his eyes, completely unaware that he would encounter this situation.
Why was he in President Dong’s embrace?
His plan was to fake fainting and drop to the sofa, then secretly slip the flash drive into the president’s briefcase.
What a classic soap opera scene!!
“Are you alright?
Feeling faint?
Having low blood pressure or low blood sugar?
Should we go see a doctor?” President Dong supported Jacan to lie down on the sofa, examining the other party’s face for signs of congestion or difficulty breathing.
His thick hand prepared to unzip the warm shirt because he was worried the other party might have trouble breathing.
“No, sir, I’m fine.
Just a little dizzy from getting up too fast,” Jacan was slow to handle this version of the president.
His expression almost betrayed him, but thankfully he managed to compose himself in time.
He hurriedly sat up before the larger man could actually take him to the hospital.
“Are you sure?
Or is the wound getting infected?”
“It’s okay, really,” the young man hurriedly pulled open his outer warm shirt sleeve to reveal the wound that had just been thoroughly cleaned.
There wasn’t even a trace of blood seeping out.
“Um, excuse me, I need to excuse myself first, sir.”
No excuse left.
Time to run!
As the trainee on the show slinked away, the company president who had maintained his composure throughout returned to his original seat, sinking into the sofa.
Inside his mind, conflicting emotions battled it out.
The good part was the other party was gay.
He knew he could tell.
Like recognized like.
The bad part was the guy was a trainee on the show.
And if he were to debut, he’d become an idol under the company…
The company president and the artists in the agency could see nothing but trouble ahead, just by imagining it.
“Sigh…
I finally found someone who’s my type, why does it have to be so complicated?”
…
..
Show’s cafeteria
“Hey, Brother Jay, I’ve got some snacks here for you!” Wang Qi rushed over, proudly displaying a cake in his hand for his older brother to see.
“Don’t eat too much.
If you gain weight, you’ll get scolded by the strict coach.”
“Hush!
Don’t talk about things that haven’t happened yet, okay?
We should be happy now!” Having both money and snacks, the peak of enjoyment was already here.
“Sure thing, just do what makes you happy.” Usually, the program would have a weight chart for the trainees to fill in every day.
If their weight exceeded the set standard, they would have to exercise more or control their diet until they met the program’s standards.
“I’ve already warned him too, but he didn’t listen,” Kim Jiseong sighed loudly.
“Dey ah teddy” Even with a mouth full, there’s still room for argument.
“Everyone gets to eat, right?” It wouldn’t be fair to just feed those who were injured.
“Sure, some eat and some don’t.
They say they’re afraid of gaining weight.”
“Gaining weight is easy, but losing it?
That’s tough.” Kim Jiseong grabbed a meringue and put it in his mouth, intending to eat only one piece.
“Would you like to eat with us?” Im Kureum held an empty tray with tongs, ready to serve the older brother to the fullest.
Ever since the other side saved his life, the former big shot of Class B gang had vowed to become a personal assistant of this older brother throughout the competition.
Or if they got debuted together, he would continue to do so…
“I want a piece of brownie..” Judging from the brand, he was confident about the bitterness of the chocolate.
Jacan enjoyed sweets, but because he had to participate in the competition, he refrained from eating all kinds of snacks.
As for today, indulging a bit was alright.
He didn’t want to disappoint the host.
“But I never thought there would be compensation money,” Wang Qi swallowed the cake and immediately opened the conversation.
“They’ve to give it.
This is a big deal,” Kim Jiseong nodded in agreement with the responsibility, even though the injury he received was minor.
“But we just have minor wounds,” Wang Qi argued.
“It won’t be minor if we don’t dodge fast enough,” Im Kureum snorted.
Could this kid see only a beautiful world?
He had way too much positive energy.
“Alright, it’s over now.
Don’t stress about it.
We have money and snacks.
Life is so happy I could die,” said the optimistic, as he took another bite of the snack.
“It’s hard to believe,” the head producer’s son had never encountered someone who viewed the world so positively before.
Because the society he faced was always painful, especially the group of heirs who had money.
These people were fine one day but caused trouble the next.
Sometimes they even came to work in the industry, relying on connections to pressure others.
It was endlessly chaotic.
So, considering the event that had just occurred, if one were to think negatively, they would see this as not an accident but someone deliberately creating a big issue.
Perhaps to scare the trainees, tarnish the program’s reputation, or whatever could make SKM Ent.’s behind-the-scenes shake.
What Im Kureum thought was also the concern of Dong Hyunin.
Therefore, compensation was given as an immediate show of sincerity, and there was no explicit ban on talking about it.
If anyone went out to interview about what happened, the company’s image wouldn’t be significantly damaged.
“Alright, thinking too much gives a headache.
What we need to think about is how to get debuted,” Wang Qi shrugged.
It was not that he didn’t think at all, but thinking too much scrambled his brain.
It was better to utilize this valuable time to practice the scheduled sessions and prepare for the upcoming missions.
“Alright, it’s good that you don’t think too much or panic,” Jacan observed the argument between the two and thought that each of them had their own valid points.
Im Kureum was always cautious, while Wang Qi didn’t dwell on negative matters to undermine his spirit.
After the sweet indulgence period, the staff came in and announced that today would be a free-style day, a one-day holiday.
As for the theme park trip, the schedule would be given again at dinner.
“Even though they say it’s a holiday, the show must go on,” Kim Jiseong thought of various variety shows that took artists to torment them at theme parks.
Especially those who weren’t good with rides often attracted more fans with their frightened reactions when on roller coasters.
“I think about it differently,” Jacan suggested, “If they say they’re taking us to have fun, they probably won’t think about bringing a camera to capture the atmosphere.
They might even just rent out the whole amusement park for us to enjoy to the fullest.”
“And some of us have just recovered from a near-death experience.
We probably wouldn’t dare to get on the thrilling rides.
Just immerse ourselves fully in the teenage atmosphere and recharge ourselves before the serious competition on the show begins.”
“What you’re saying makes sense,” Im Kureum agreed.
Today, he met his older cousin, showing responsibility alongside his father.
This trip was likely a genuine outing, not just for filming as they had imagined.
“So, that means we can enjoy ourselves fully without worrying about our image,” Wang Qi said with sparkling eyes.
“But some of the rides still have age restrictions.”
“If they really rented out the amusement park, they might as well waive that rule,” Wang Qi encouraged himself.
…
The management of the large-scale label might wholeheartedly close the amusement park to allow the trainees to play to their heart’s content, but…
…Even if the whole day was free, the rules would remain the same.
“I’m sorry, sir.
If you’re not yet 18 years old, you can’t ride.” The voice of the amusement park staff crushed the hopes of the young Wang Qi in front of the most notorious ride in the country.
His face was as if the world had collapsed in the blink of an eye.
“I’m going to play first.
Wang Qi, good boy, look at me here.” Im Kureum gently patted the young child’s head two or three times, then half-walked, half-ran confidently to the ride, being the first one on, followed by Eiji and the trainees who were over 18 years old.
“Ugh!” the under 18 stomped his feet, feeling disappointed and frustrated.
“Want to wait with me?” Jacan walked over and placed his hand on the other’s shoulder.
“So, you’re not playing, bro?”
“Not really feeling up to it…” he had played enough of these rides during the two-year period of not knowing what to do.
“It’s more like he’s afraid of the rides” the young man hadn’t finished his sentence when An Junsa, having finished checking his ID card, walked past them with the demeanor of a winner.
“It’s up to you how you want to think about it,” if it were anyone else, they would have jumped up to board the ride, refusing to be looked down upon.
But because An Junsa was teasing someone most mature among the contestants, this provocation did faze him in the slightest.
“Huh.” seeing the other unfazed, he turned away and walked up to the ride along with his group of friends.
“He’s strange, isn’t it?
Always looking for troubles,” Kim Jiseong, who had just turned 17, was one of the few who dared not to ride certain extreme rides.
“Even his friends in Class B have the same attitude,” Yeo Unche commented sarcastically.
“How can someone with this attitude dare to join variety shows that require constant filming?” As for Im Kureum’s group, they’re the majority in Class B, so An Junsa had never dared to confront them.
“Exactly, why are they so daring?” Jacan looked at the staff who were beginning to check each customer for safety, ensuring the locks were functioning properly so that no one would be in danger during the ride.
“Let’s go find something else to play.
There’s nothing much to do here anyway,” Jacan pushed the backs of the two boys out of the ticket checkpoint.
“Where’s Lee Sangah?”
“He said he’s not suitable for extreme rides, so he’s going to stroll around the flower garden,” Yeo Unche replied.
“Oh…
Then let’s go find something else to play,” Jacan led the two remaining ducklings, as Yeo Unche was going with his Class B friends.
“I want to try the carousel.
Do you want to play with me?” Kim Jiseong suggested the first ride.
“No, are you a kid?” Wang Qi’s face showed disapproval.
“Everyone plays it, haven’t you seen it in series?
Leading actors and actresses often ride carousels when they visit amusement parks.”
“Then let’s go to the carousel first.
Wang Qi, just think about what you want to play.
After we finish, we can continue together.
This time, it has to be something we can really enjoy,” Jacan commented thoughtfully.
They had the whole day to play, so it would be better not to waste time arguing.
…
Meanwhile, while the trainees of the big show were enjoying themselves at the amusement park, Im Heewoo’s team, along with the trusted side, was sitting down to check the backgrounds of all the employees in the new program.
This was because Dong Hyunin had important evidence linking the spotlight accident on stage with the third-ranked giant entertainment agency, OMM Ent., which had been like a thorn in the side of SKM Ent.
since the time of the older generation.
As the other side had long dominated the entertainment market, suddenly, SKM Ent.
came up with its own trainee selection show.
Such a program had never happened before in the industry’s history, leading the artists from that show to become nationally famous in a short period.
This propelled SKM Ent., which had been a mid-tier agency, to the top in less than five years.
One of the groups that contributed significantly to the rapid growth of the agency was IV-Dream, with Park Insa as a member.
Even though they currently had fewer activities due to their older age and some members being married with families, whenever they reunited, fans always warmly welcomed them.
Even though OMM Ent.
had consistently produced talented artists and had always received support from the industry, it was fair to say that their output was generally not as good as SKM Ent.’s.
No one openly compared the two, but the tension between the two giants was palpable, especially among the artists themselves.
Whenever they met on music programs, there was always a small sense of rivalry, even if it was subtle.
Moreover, both company heads have had personal conflicts dating back to their university days when they both pursued the same girl.
Though neither of them ended up with her, they left lasting scars on each other.
After Dong Hyunin took office, he temporarily halted the debut of new artists domestically and instead invested in opening subsidiary companies abroad.
He hoped to alleviate some of the tension that had been building up, as working in the industry under such circumstances would become increasingly irritating due to this senseless rivalry.
Despite their retreat, the rivalry continued.
…
Flashback to yesterday afternoon, when Im Heewoo and the young president compensated the injured trainees.
After returning to his regular office, the young man intended to check documents on his tablet.
However, he stumbled upon a mysterious flash drive, which he distinctly remembered not purchasing and rarely using flash drives anymore in this digital age.
No matter whether it was regular or urgent document work, the young man always preferred to use email.
Now, whose item was in his hands?
He sat, staring at the flash drive, spinning it between his thick fingers for about ten minutes before deciding to open the cabinet and retrieve the notebook that wasn’t connected to any personal or important company data.
Another layer of precaution against data theft required disconnecting from the internet.
He felt a bit paranoid.
Since this wasn’t his belongings, yet it was in his bag, which should only be handled by him all the time.
No…
he felt like there was someone else who had touched it, even if briefly.
Dong Hyunin clicked to view the data.
Inside the drive were three PDF files labeled with numbers indicating the order of reading.
Starting with the first document, it contained information about the lighting team of the Star Fight program.
Initially, reading the bio of one of the high-ranking lighting technicians named Seo Haepung seemed inconsequential.
However, delving deeper, he discovered that this person was a senior from the same school as a certain girl since their high school days.
This girl happened to be a close friend of An Sangsu, The second mistress of Kim Jungeol, president of OMM Ent.
Dong Hyunin absorbed the first piece of information he received.
If it were himself, he probably wouldn’t have been able to delve this deep.
He opened the same folder and clicked on the second file.
This document wasn’t about the history of any moles within the crew members.
Instead, it was a list of shareholders of the organizing company that designed the studio for the show from the first episode to the setting for the music video shoots.
At first glance, there was nothing noteworthy, but upon closer inspection of one shareholder who seemed to have no authority within the company, he found that the other party was a distant relative of the right-hand man of the president of OMM Ent.
The president of SKM Ent.
rubbed his temples, nerves twitching.
Migraine was almost on the verge of striking.
If this information was true, the old president had overstepped his bounds too much…
The young man took a deep breath, his lungs expanding.
He clicked to open the last file.
Sigh, he had just returned from abroad himself.
Couldn’t he take a break for a bit?
The late night was a time when millions of netizens nationwide gathered in the social media world without any prior arrangement.
Some were already showered and changed into their nightwear, while others preferred to check their phones before getting up to shower right before bed or even opt for a morning bath.
But what everyone did alike was following the gossip about other people.
And it looked like another day where netizens were preparing to cover themselves as panda bears because there was something to pay close attention to right on the edge of the field.
Disxxxxx News
– Rumors are swirling: Nationwide Big Five company hasn’t paid taxes for over a decade
– Major company opens subsidiary companies to scrape out hefty interest-bearing loans
– Famous artist from major label are taking outside gigs with married politician
– The president of a famous label has ties to a nightclub that was once involved in drug-related incidents.
– etc.
Comment: Today, the news agency is really working hard.
There’s so much gossip going around.
But which major label is it?
Anyone know, hit me up.
Comment: Damn, avoiding taxes and all, and it’s a major label too.
Comment: I want to know about the artist taking outside gigs.
I hope it’s not my husband or daughter
Comment: The nightclub with drug incidents must be from two years ago, right?
The former president of Jxx Ent.
was sued for bankruptcy.
Probably still in prison now.
Comment: Replying to the comment above, probably right.
Why bring up old stuff like that out of the blue?
Comment: Big-five companies have maintained a good image throughout.
Can’t guess which company it is.
Comment: Don’t know if it’s the same company I’m thinking of.
That company has had a good reputation for a long time.
Just because they’ve maintained a good image doesn’t mean there’s no reason to wonder why artists from that label commit suicide more than others.
Comment: Oops…
When you said that, it’s easy to guess which company it is.
Comment: They even offer loans.
Sheeshhh.
Comment: Is it the one that introduced a junior wife?
And the main wife didn’t say anything?
Comment: The label’s a mess…
the artists are probably the same.
That’s how the company is…
What’s left for the artists then?
Comment: The label is one thing, artists are another.
Can’t you keep them separate?
Comment: Just when you think everything’s fine, news comes out.
Must’ve really stepped on someone’s toes.
Serves them right.
Comment: I want to know, really really want to know.
Don’t know if there are any days off left.
If I fall asleep, I might miss out on big news tomorrow.
Comment: If the news is true, then the Big Five will surely become the Big Four.
“It’s becoming big news!
Tonight, netizens won’t be able to sleep without knowing.” Im Heewoo observed the information that Dong Hyunin asked his distant friend to hand over to the news agency on social media only to stir up public interest.
The remaining information was currently being preliminarily investigated by the police, and if any clues were found, they would issue warrants and conduct searches later.
“How did you get such good information?”
“I also want to know where it came from.” Dong Hyunin took a deep breath after reviewing all three files until he could remember them well.
He carefully stored that flash drive in the safe.
Then, he called his uncle to inform him of the important information that he should know in order to deal with the long-standing moles within the organization, which they had never realized existed.
The last set of documents that Dong Hyunin opened was a list of molds that OMM Ent.
had infiltrated into SKM Ent.
since the power transition period.
They had been continuously sending internal information to the other side, but because Dong Hyunin had been busy with overseas assignments in the past, he couldn’t intervene much.
“Are you sure this information is real?” The program lowered his head to review the list of team members who were secretly planted by OMM Ent.
Some of them had been working with him for more than ten years.
“This money matter is really tangled up.”
“I had a friend abroad help me check it out, and he said it’s genuine.” Plus, I had to pay almost a million dollars as compensation just to get this final set of information, just this set alone.
But that mysterious person gave him three sets at once without asking for a single win.
Of course, the young man didn’t believe that the other party would just generously give it away for free.
Looking at it from Mars, he knew they were borrowing his hand to slay the same enemy, and he was happy to lend it.
Opportunities like this don’t come often.
Letting it slip away would be foolish.
“In that case, what should we do with the trainee they sent?
Should we just let them leave the program?” Because the idol group that would debut from this program was the first group that Dong Hyunin had a hand in shaping into stars.
Therefore, a letter of invitation had to be sent to trainees from both small and large agencies as another channel to promote the show.
At first, Im Heewoo also found it odd, joking to himself that OMM Ent.
might have forgotten the grudges from the past to agree to send their trainee to participate in the competition…
But as it turned out, they just wanted to cause trouble.
“We shouldn’t do that just yet.
The first episode has already aired.
If we let them go suddenly, it would disappoint the fans of that trainee, and if we say it’s because the other party is from OMM Ent., there will be people accusing us of being narrow-minded or unfair for sure.” Dong Hyunin didn’t agree much.
Even though the other party was a descendant of their enemy, once they started filming, they had to move forward.
“Shall we cut out his prominent airtime?” so he could become dull and disappear on his own.
“Don’t make it suspicious, okay?” This time the young president nodded in agreement.
“Alright, trust me.” Im Heewoo reassured, not wanting the show to be too chaotic anymore.
The drama made the show well-known indeed, but if there was too much drama, the lasting impression fans and the general public had on the idols who debuted from this program might not be positive.
“Oh, the MV editing is done.
Want to see it?
I’ll send the files over.”
“…Sure, send it to my email.” The young president went silent for a moment before nodding.
His mind drifted to the person on the stage center who was likely the one who slipped that flash drive into his briefcase when the other party lost their balance.
Jacan Miller…
Who are you?