Translator: Dreamscribe
"I'm a salaried figurehead CEO. The Commander's got my back. Sounds good to me."
Lee Chan-hoo, reciting this with a grin toward Kang Jae-ha. It wasn't lip service; he was genuinely thrilled. Sure, it had only been a few days since he'd opened his eyes again in this world, but Chan-hoo had honestly felt like shit.
How to put it... like a breadwinner who'd spent decades at a company only to become unemployed overnight?
The stress that came from that sense of loss.
Of course, whether it was a father or a mother, no real comparison could be made to someone who'd shouldered a family's livelihood for decades. It was just a similar feeling, that's all.
'Fuck, finally feels like I can breathe again.'
Repeat anything long enough and it becomes normal; let that normalcy continue and it can slide into addiction. Honestly, Chan-hoo had been haunted by the battlefield, by the shimmer of blood. A thought crossed his mind in that moment.
'If there really is someone else from the Mercenary Corps who crossed over, and they can't resist the addiction... that could be dangerous.'
The idea that there might be someone whose instincts, beyond reason, craved blood even in this world. In any case, just being with Commander Kang Jae-ha was enough to make Chan-hoo feel alive again.
The emptiness was offset.
Obviously there wouldn't be any war or slaughter like in that other world. But that was fine. Even if the nature was different, even if he didn't know exactly what the plan was yet, the designs the Commander cooked up were always entertaining.
"I'll do my best as figurehead CEO. But what's the salary?"
When Chan-hoo asked, Jae-ha gave a rough answer.
"Depends on how you do."
"Guess I'd better wag my tail nice and hard if I want a decent paycheck."
"More importantly."
Arms crossed, Jae-ha studied Chan-hoo, who was grinning with obvious excitement.
"That ability you mentioned, walk me through it in detail."
Jae-ha was referring to what Chan-hoo had told him just before they'd parted the day before.
"You said you're good at finding people. As long as you have clear information."
"Ah, it's exactly what it sounds like. I call it 'Search'. If I know the target's face, name, or other identifying info, I can tell where they are."
"You can pinpoint their location?"
"Yes. Location. Don't you remember? Back in that other world, whenever you told me to track someone down, I found them right away."
That was true. Chan-hoo had been in the Assassination Squad, and whenever Jae-ha provided information on a person he needed, Chan-hoo had tracked them down in no time.
"Honestly, even that was me dragging it out a bit so the ability wouldn't be exposed."
"So in reality there's no delay at all?"
"None. The downside is it's limited to once a day, but if I think of someone I know or whose information I've acquired..."
Chan-hoo suddenly closed his eyes.
"No matter where that person is, I can see them. Even if they're hiding in some bunker."
"Nice. You've had it since you were Summoned, right?"
"Yeah. It carried over even after I came back to this world."
It was different in nature from 'Deja Vu', one of Kang Jae-ha's abilities, but similar in a way. 'Deja Vu' was far more overpowered, of course, but Chan-hoo's ability was no joke either, and highly useful.
Soon Jae-ha, legs crossed, slid one of the clear file folders he'd brought over to him.
"This guy. Find out where he is right now."
"Easy."
Chan-hoo opened the clear file and murmured quietly.
"Kim Chul-joong..."
What Jae-ha had handed over was the profile of Director Kim Chul-joong of Leon Entertainment's New Business Team. The one reeking of something foul regarding 'Condensation' and the contest, bribes and all. Chan-hoo studied Director Kim Chul-joong's profile intently, then...
"Got it."
He closed his eyes. It was a few seconds before he spoke again.
"His location is Leon Entertainment, his own office within the New Business Team. He's on the phone, grinning ear to ear, cussing on about the contest and whatnot. Looks like whoever he's talking to is expressing gratitude?"
Hearing the answer, Kang Jae-ha was somewhat surprised.
"You can see not just the current location, but what's happening in that moment?"
"Only for a brief instant."
The ability was even more useful than he'd thought.
"With an ability like that, you could've done something else entirely. Like a private investigation firm or something."
"I thought about it, but it gets lonely doing it alone, you know? Can't exactly tell anyone about the ability. And my head doesn't work as well as yours, Commander. Though yeah, I probably would've ended up going down that route eventually."
"Anyway, aside from the figurehead CEO gig, I've got a few things for you to do."
Kang Jae-ha smiled faintly and tapped Director Kim Chul-joong's profile with his index finger.
"Tail this guy for a while. That's your specialty."
Chan-hoo, who'd been in the Assassination Squad, rubbed his hands together as though this was the most interesting thing he'd heard in ages.
"Surveillance... now that's my area of expertise. How long?"
"Looks like he's gorging on bribes. Leave the timeframe open-ended, and scrape together everything you can find, whether it's photos or whatever."
"Using 'Search' along the way."
"That's up to you."
Jae-ha murmured, then slid over the 'Condensation' screenplay.
"This is your first job as figurehead CEO."
Morning of the 20th, Leon Entertainment.
From early in the morning, a senior-level meeting including Leon Entertainment's team leaders was in full swing in the main conference room. Over twenty people were seated around a large ㅁ-shaped table, and the one presiding over all of Leon's executives was...
"......"
Han Tae-sung, the CEO, sitting quietly and observing the meeting without a word. Today, as always, he was dressed in a sharp, full suit, carrying an air of composure and gravitas, and throughout the proceedings, CEO Han Tae-sung mostly just listened.
Then.
"Next is the 'Seriel' matter."
The topic of 'Seriel', the top-tier girl group that included Ra Yoon, came up.
"We're planning to prepare a single for Seriel's next activity. After the current promotions wrap up, we'd like to give the members roughly a six-month break."
"Six months?"
CEO Han Tae-sung suddenly cut into the report in a calm tone.
"The reason the rest period is six months?"
"...W-well, the members have been wanting it, and..."
"Cut it to three months."
"......"
"We already reduced their schedule this promotion cycle to match Seriel's condition."
"Yes, that's correct."
"Three months."
"Understood, CEO-nim."
A few words from CEO Han Tae-sung and the conference room froze over. What broke the atmosphere was a man with a square jaw.
"Ah, come to think of it."
He was a department head, changing the subject partly to ease the tension.
"Since we're on the topic of Seriel. Team Leader Jang."
The topic abruptly landed on Jang Hyung-su, team leader of Management Team 4, seated at the far end.
"That kid who blew up at Ra Yoon... what was his name? Kang something."
Apparently, thinking of the girl group Seriel had led his thoughts all the way to Ra Yoon. It hadn't been a small incident, after all. Jang Hyung-su, looking haggard with dark circles under his eyes, answered in the department head's stead.
"Kang Jae-ha, a manager."
"Oh yeah, him. Is he adjusting well after moving to Team 4? What's he working on now?"
Soon the eyes of everyone, CEO Han Tae-sung included, along with various directors and team leaders, converged on Team Leader Jang. Looking annoyed but resigned, he spoke up.
"I had him start by handling the termination of trainee contracts."
Song Sun-hee, the Team 2 leader who had previously overseen Kang Jae-ha, laughed. Something close to a sneer.
"Oh my, Kang Jae-ha must've been sweating bullets. You gave a death sentence of a task to a kid that soft?"
"He wasn't, though."
"Hm?"
Team Leader Jang of Team 4 responded flatly.
"He cut them loose without batting an eye."
"......Really? I heard he'd changed a bit, but is he doing some kind of hardcore mental conditioning?"
"Manager Kang Jae-ha doesn't look the least bit soft to me."
"No way."
The Team 4 and Team 2 leaders' views refused to converge. And for good reason. The past and present Kang Jae-ha were just too different. Around this point, CEO Han Tae-sung, chin propped on his hand, murmured as though it had just occurred to him.
"Right, Kang Jae-ha. Who did he get assigned to on Team 4?"
Team Leader Jang swallowed hard, visibly tense, and answered.
"I assigned him to Yoon Da-yeon ssi."
Exclamations erupted from all directions.
"Wow, Yoon Da-yeon. That kid's gonna have a rough ride the moment he's on Team 4."
"Yoon Da-yeon... he'd be better off with Ra Yoon."
"Team Leader Jang, isn't the bar a bit too high for someone who just transferred? If it's Yoon Da-yeon, there shouldn't be anyone who can handle her besides General Manager Kim Dae-yong."
The directors stopped just short of saying 'a total psycho'; the name Yoon Da-yeon alone was enough to convey what a headache she was. Meanwhile, Team 2's Team Leader Song Sun-hee brushed back her bob cut and let out a scoff.
"She's already got General Manager Kim Dae-yong and a rookie road manager, right? If you pile on a weakling like Kang Jae-ha on top of that, you're basically just throwing Yoon Da-yeon away, aren't you?"
Team Leader Jang clenched his molars where no one could see. A rare expression for someone afflicted with a chronic case of 'none of my business'.
"......"
"I mean, isn't the whole point of Team 4 to recycle talent?"
"I'll handle it."
"If you're using Kang Jae-ha as a buffer to absorb Yoon Da-yeon's temper, that's one thing, but... honestly, Team Leader Jang-nim, have you just given up on Team 4?"
At that moment.
"Ahem, ahem!"
The square-jawed department head cleared his throat loudly. He made eye contact with the team leaders and glanced sideways at CEO Han Tae-sung. Only then did the two team leaders realize that CEO Han Tae-sung had been watching the whole time with a smile.
Team Leader Jang Hyung-su and Team Leader Song Sun-hee hastily backed down.
"My apologies."
"S-sorry, CEO-nim!"
CEO Han Tae-sung slowly propped his chin on his hand and shook his head.
"No. A healthy level of tension between teams is necessary."
"......"
"Though if that tension gets excessive, things will blow up."
"!!!"
Both team leaders, eyes wide with the sudden realization that they were screwed, hurriedly bowed their heads. The conference room fell silent in an instant. Directors, department head, everyone was reading the room. In that atmosphere, CEO Han Tae-sung called out to Team Leader Jang.
"Team Leader Jang."
"Yes, CEO-nim."
"What's Yoon Da-yeon up to these days?"
"She's currently filming a supporting role in the MBS daily drama 'The Last Man'."
"Supporting role."
"......Closer to a minor role, really."
CEO Han Tae-sung studied Team Leader Jang for a moment, then slowly crossed his arms.
"Yoon Da-yeon has been stagnating for quite a while."
"I'm sorry."
A few directors chimed in.
"Frankly, I think Yoon Da-yeon is past the point of being recycled."
"I feel the same. A comeback seems unlikely, and her temper just gets worse every time."
"It might be time to start thinking about letting Yoon Da-yeon go."
After hearing the various directors' advice, CEO Han Tae-sung asked Team Leader Jang again.
"How much time is left on Yoon Da-yeon's contract?"
As if the answer was already in his head, Team Leader Jang replied quickly.
"November of this year is the end."
"In your assessment, Team Leader Jang, does Yoon Da-yeon have any potential left?"
"It's... difficult, in my judgment."
"Then we need to wrap things up. Letting things pile up just clutters the room."
"Yes, CEO-nim."
"Sticking a fourth-year manager on her isn't going to cure a festering wound."
CEO Han Tae-sung uncrossed his arms and directed a smile at Team Leader Jang. Gentle, yet somehow sharp at the edges.
"By the way, I keep hearing that Team 4 has nothing to show for recycling, just more and more trash piling up."
Their performance was shit, in other words.
A short while later.
Team Leader Jang Hyung-su was walking down the hallway after the morning meeting. His dark-circled face was full of something like... stiffness? Irritation? For someone whose default state was apathy, it was an unusual intensity.
"Fuck."
Recalling the meeting, he ground his molars.
'Team Leader Song's the same, they're all dumping their bullshit on me.'
Not a single thing to his liking. The Team 2 leader, the department head, the directors. Thanks to all of them, he'd ended up in the CEO's crosshairs.
Soon, at the end of the corridor, the Team 4 office came into view, isolated like a remote island.
The Garbage Dump, Team 4.
Right. From the moment he'd been offered the position of Team 4 leader, Jang Hyung-su had known full well. As long as he was in that garbage dump, he'd keep catching stray bullets. But the Leon Entertainment team leader position was too tempting to refuse.
"Hoo..."
In the beginning, he'd had plenty of fire in him too. Recycling the washed-up? He couldn't save them all, but he'd figured a few were possible. That assumption turned out to be dead wrong. The washed-up talents running wild was one thing, but the staff dumped into the Garbage Dump were equally useless, not a sharp one among them.
'Same goes for Kang Jae-ha, the latest addition.'
In the end, nothing changed; the Garbage Dump just grew in scale.
Irritation mounting, Team Leader Jang stepped into Team 4. At the same time, he spotted Kang Jae-ha yawning at his desk.
'Tch.'
Just as Team Leader Jang clicked his tongue internally, Jae-ha spoke up.
"Team Leader-nim."
"What."
"There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"...Follow me."
Inside the cluttered team leader's office, Jang Hyung-su sat down first at the six-person table and let out a long sigh.
"Haa... what is it? Whatever you have to say, keep it short if you can."
To the man radiating intense stress, Jae-ha delivered his point short and direct.
"An Ji-hee has potential as an actress."
Jang Hyung-su paused. An Ji-hee? He rummaged through his memory, then looked up.
"An Ji-hee, that's the one whose contract you just terminated, isn't it?"
"Yes, that's right."
"An actress? She spent six years as an idol trainee, if I recall correctly."
"An Ji-hee, her looks are more suited for acting. And her acting is decent, too."
"You've seen her act?"
"Yes. When I broke the news about the contract termination."
Jae-ha's tone was thoroughly indifferent. That rubbed Team Leader Jang slightly the wrong way, but this was a first for Team 4, and it gave him pause. A kid who'd ground through six years as an idol trainee showing talent as an actress? And it was Kang Jae-ha, whom he'd had zero expectations for, who was saying this.
"......"
The usual sense of "too much trouble" welled up, but the morning meeting suddenly flashed through Team Leader Jang's mind. Along with CEO Han Tae-sung's silky-smooth warning.
Just then.
"Well, if it's too much trouble, I'll just tell her on my own to try somewhere else."
Jae-ha was about to leave after saying his piece, but Team Leader Jang stopped him.
"Hold on."
"Yes."
"So... if we take her on and it falls through, you'll take responsibility, Jae-ha ssi?"
"Am I in a position to take responsibility? If so, then I will."
No, a fourth-year manager couldn't take responsibility. The blame would inevitably come flying at Team Leader Jang. And yet, for some reason, he chose to take the gamble rather than play it safe.
"If we bring An Ji-hee on as an acting trainee and she just drifts again, it'll be a hassle, so let's extend by just two years..."
"One year is enough."
"...Fine, one year. But you handle An Ji-hee's care, Jae-ha ssi."
"Understood."
"Go ahead and move on it."
"Then."
With a small bow, Jae-ha left the team leader's office. Team Leader Jang exhaled softly and rubbed his face. His head was a mess, but he figured, whatever.
"She's just a trainee at the end of the day. Screw it. Just push it through for now."
His conclusion was that whether it crashed or not, the fallout wouldn't be that big.
Afterward.
Kang Jae-ha was sitting alone in a meeting room. In front of him lay a revised contract. Beside it, a noticeably thick stack of papers. Both were to be handed over to An Ji-hee. Mid-yawn, Jae-ha glanced at the contract.
'With one year to prove her potential, she'll knock it out of the park.'
The meeting room door opened, and in walked An Ji-hee, her bob tied back, still showing off those classic East Asian beauty features.
"Oh, hello."
She greeted him with a rigid ninety-degree bow. Jae-ha stood up as well to receive her greeting.
"You don't have to go that far. Have a seat."
"Yes."
Just as An Ji-hee was pulling out a chair, the scene before Kang Jae-ha's eyes rippled. An instant surge of déjà vu. 'Deja Vu'. Soon, scenes beyond reality unfolded before Jae-ha's vision in third person.
『A vast hall. An immaculately decorated stage. A man in a tuxedo, standing on that stage. His face was bright, and in one hand he held a cue card. In the audience watching him sat at least a hundred people.
Quite a few familiar faces.
Actors, directors, key staff, industry figures.
The man on stage was an actor himself. He unfolded the cue card in his hand and called out loudly.
"Best New Actress Award! She's the one who's been turning directors' heads lately, isn't she? Congratulations!! An Ji-hee-nim!!"
The moment her name was called as the winner, the woman in the dress froze, her eyes wide and mouth agape.
"......Huh?"
It was An Ji-hee.』
The 'Deja Vu' ended there. His vision rippled once more, and the scene before Kang Jae-ha's eyes returned to normal. Right in front of him, An Ji-hee in the present. Staring up at Jae-ha with those big, wide eyes. Having seen her 'Deja Vu', a faint smile spread across Kang Jae-ha's face before he even realized it.
'My eyes... still got it.'