62 - Upki Girl

<Screeeeech, it exploded!> ―――――――――― —Blood type: AB —Affiliation: None —Recommended field: Girl group (wild card) —Vocal capability: 7/60 [Vocal cord condition: Healthy] —Dance ability: 3/100 [Joint and waist condition: Healthy] —Variety sense: X —Acting skill: X ―――――――――― ★Recommended for recruitment as the fifth member. ★Exercise caution when meeting or interacting with male fans during external events. ―――――――――― Just from her name, one might think she's from a tale like "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves." Could she really be a princess from some oil-rich country? Despite her striking features, with fair skin and monolids, she didn’t resemble someone from the Middle East. Perhaps Taiwan or Vietnam would be a more fitting guess. If it weren’t for her name, I would have simply thought she was just a Korean girl with a slightly exotic vibe. She wore an outfit befitting a princess: a frilly, girlish look. Her A-line dress, reminiscent of a wedding gown with a large ribbon at the waist, paired perfectly with her pink pump heels adorned with the Chanel logo. In contrast, the woman following a step behind the princess, as if to assist her, had the polished style of a mature office lady in her 30s. She wore a gray checkered skirt suit, her long hair neatly parted and tied back, and plain black high heels. This must be Seryumanna, whom we spoke with on the phone. Seeing them, Yeom and I rose from our seats, followed by the minions, one, two, and three. "Hello. Which one of you is the representative?" As expected, the woman with the pragmatic, no-nonsense voice from the phone call was the one standing behind the princess. Yeom raised his hand. "Yes, that's me." The woman, who was initially observing me, shifted her attention to Yeom with an "Ah." "Ms. Seryumanna?" "Oh, yes, that's me. It's a bit awkward, given how hastily the name was made." She awkwardly giggled at being called by her nickname, then attempted to regain her composure to continue. "Oh my, is it really true?" The fifth member candidate clung to her sleeve, fussing like a child pestering her mother. Her accent gave off a bit of a Korean-American vibe. “Yes, Princess. This is Ms. Yoon Eun-bi. The person next to her is Mr. Han Seo-won, also... Oh? Aren't you Yona from Eye Contact?” Seryumanna, who seemed to serve as a secretary or nanny, tilted her head while looking at Yona. It seemed she recognized Yona. As Yona nodded, the princess clapped her hands enthusiastically, swaying in delight. "It is Yona, sister Yona!" Seryumanna jumped in to provide additional context, as if that was part of her official role, in impeccable English. “Yes, Princess Aliyah sponsored the Asia Music Festival held in Busan, Haeundae, last May, where Eye Contact participated.” "No, she's no longer with Eye Contact. She’s transformed. An article came out recently. Right, sister? Aliyah read it too. Due to health reasons, she has departed from the group." “Yes.” As if she were taking dictation, the princess articulated her sentence deliberately, causing Yona to nod shyly with her head bowed. As the spokesperson for our group, I added politely: “Yes, her contract with her former agency ended amicably, and she’s with us now.” At this, the fifth member candidate muttered to her secretary in a voice deliberately loud enough for all to hear, referring to herself in third person and including Yeom in her dismissive comment. “Aliyah didn’t ask that guy, you know. Tell him not to talk to me directly. Or the red-faced man beside him.” What the heck? They invited us here, yet they're treating us like unwelcome strangers. Seryumanna glanced at us with an apologetic expression, as if to say, "Please excuse the child's behavior; she's still young." This feels off. From the moment we arrived at the hotel, something felt wrong, but Aliyah’s—or Alia’s—attitude was the most unsettling. The way she looked at me was different. It wasn’t just me; she glanced at Yeom with the same disdain. While she looked at the other women with admiration, her gaze towards us held a mix of hostility and wariness. She didn’t even try to hide it, so it affected me quite directly. The information window’s warning is no joke. ―――――――――― ★Exercise caution when meeting or interacting with male fans during external events. ―――――――――― Seeing them specifically mention "male fans" makes me wonder... Does she have an aversion to men...? How could a girl group member have a problem with men? Yet her demeanor towards Eun-bi, Seo-won, and Yona was entirely different, as if she’d do anything for them. Particularly with Eun-bi, she seemed almost reverential, avoiding even direct eye contact. “Please have a seat.” At Seryumanna’s gesture, we all sat down at the round table. I addressed the princess, "Where would you like to sit, Your Highness?" “Aliyah wants to sit there.” The spot she confidently pointed to was right between Eun-bi and Yona, where I happened to be seated. I looked around to double-check; it was undeniably me. Everyone was looking at me. She explicitly wanted me to move. What’s her problem... Hiding my irritation, I stood up nonchalantly. Aliyah frowned at the chair I vacated, as if it were cursed. Seryumanna smoothly replaced the chair, indicating this wasn’t the first time such an exchange had occurred. This was certain. No matter what the root of her resentment is, it’s clear this girl downright despises me. She hates me. In her eyes, I'm worse than useless—like some nuclear waste that needs to be disposed of into the universe. I've never received such treatment before. I wish I could grab her by the collar and say, “You’re the first girl to treat me like this, you know?” But the truth is, I have to work with her. I have to tell her, "Join my crew." I can almost feel a headache coming on, just thinking about what her response might be to that. This is my final test. And like a true final boss, she’s not making it easy. "Shall we start with dinner?" "Yes, let's do that." Seryumanna asked, and Yeom answered. At her gesture, a staff member who had been waiting hurried over. "Can you prepare the meal?" "Yes, understood." The food presented by the hotel was nothing short of a feast fit for royalty. Starting with appetizers, an array of dazzling dishes, ones I'd never even imagined, arrived in a staggered manner, each time accompanied by Seryumanna's gentle explanations. Most dishes were culinary delights known around the world. The kind that chefs on 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' would marvel at. While dining, the conversation naturally shifted towards investment (or sponsorship). Seryumanna managed most of the conversation and, as expected, introduced herself as Aliyah's personal secretary. Her name was "Cassie." "What amount are you looking at?" In response to Cassie's question, Yeom provided the prepared answer. "Normally, for three single albums and one and a half years of activities, the cost comes to about 300 million won. This includes accommodation and the kids' training fees..." Before he could finish, Aliyah interrupted as if dissatisfied. "Why talk like we’re short on cash? Just proceed without setting limits." "But, Princess, we need to have a rough estimate." "Three hundred million for one and a half years, right? So let's go with one billion for three years. Done! Done!" "Alright, we'll carry on that way then." Easy. One billion is more than all Monopoly money combined, and I’d have a heart attack just from hitting the 2 million mark in Seoul, but she said it so casually. It’s surreal to hear this from a 17-year-old, as if treating friends to a convenience store snack. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if I was dealing with a lunatic or a scam, but the six million won she spent on cryptocurrency confirmed this was reality. Even Eun-bi said just the clothes she received from them were worth over ten million won. “Would you prefer a lump sum in cash, or should I set up a dedicated account for you? Whatever you prefer, you’ll have it.” Cassie queried Yeom, while Aliyah sighed in disapproval, throwing her head back. “Ugh, Cassie. Can’t you take this somewhere else? I just want to have a meal with the sisters in peace.” “Yes, Princess. As you wish. Representative, shall we relocate? Kim, you join us too.” “Yes, feel free.” Finally, Yeom, Cassie, and I moved to a table farthest from the main group. Honestly, being away from this ill-mannered kid is better. As I stood, I noticed that, unlike the elated Aliyah, the expressions of kids one, two, and three weren't very bright. Seo-won and Yona had practically put their forks down and were in a foul mood, while Eun-bi looked at me with pity. It was mildly concerning how uneasy Seo-won seemed, even though Eun-bi and Yona seemed otherwise. I reassured Eun-bi with a little grin before relocating. While the tableware and dishes were being transferred, I took the chance to question Cassie about things that piqued my curiosity. "Is she really a princess?" "Yes." "From which country?" "I'm afraid I can't disclose that." "Ah... then what does she do...?" Cassie pointed to the ground as if confirming it was alright to say this much. "The princess owns this place." This place, the Oscar Hotel...? "She also owns the Oscar Hotels in Busan and Jeju." "Oh..." Owning three five-star hotels at seventeen...? Forget about being sassy; at this point, it’s practically expected. She may regard me as nuclear waste, for all I care. If I had to carry her for the rest of my life, I’d do it, even if it meant limping. Long live Princess Aliyah! A little while later, food and conversation about sponsorship proceeded earnestly. The payment method was finalized as a lump sum of one billion won deposited into a dedicated account. The condition was that we attend events and parties hosted by Princess Aliyah, both domestically and abroad. As long as we adhered to this condition, she wouldn’t interfere with how the sponsorship money was used. Phew, it's settled. Now we can arrange lodging for our kids and transform the unlucky lottery winner into Miss Korea. And the van. Let’s get the van first—the symbol and dream of any aspiring celebrity! But here's the problem. It's not just about Aliyah being an investor; she also needs to become a member. My duty is not just to attract investment but to recruit and manage members. While Yeom and Cassie were engrossed in conversation, I turned my attention back to the table where the kids sat. What the— Photographers had appeared, snapping shots of their dining scenes with massive cameras. There didn’t seem to be much conversation going on. Aliyah seemed at a loss, overcome with shyness, while our girls were on their phones. Ah... the atmosphere is awful. Despite being the investor, she's showing obvious signs of displeasure. We do have a group chat for the team, but I decided to message Yona first, as she’s the most communicative and our designated leader. Me: [Hey, chat a bit, will you? Haha] Third Member: [She’s really rude, isn’t she?] Me: [Why? Is she being like that with you as well?] Third Member: [No. It's not about how she's treating us, but how she's treating Director Gwak and the president.] Third Member: [Even Eun-bi and Seo-won aren’t in a good mood right now.] But what can we do? She needs to become part of our team... I was anxiously scanning the kids' faces when Princess Aliyah suggested taking a selfie with Eun-bi. Eun-bi, keeping a somewhat cheerful face, agreed, but the issue arose with what happened next. When it was Seo-won's turn, Princess Aliyah moved next to her, hoping for a photo together. However, Seo-won coldly looked at her and shook her head. Her lips clearly mouthed, "I don't want to." Screeeeech, it exploded! Above the visibly flustered Princess Aliyah, the imagery of a money bag filled with one billion won seemed to slowly fade away, like a dissipating mist. Damage control, we need damage control! I quickly got up from my seat and hurried over to them. <Screeeeech, it exploded!> End