152 - Upki Girl

< When Did Depravity Become So Natural? > As expected. Jin Sang-yoon was different from Kim Seok-won, who would immediately show signs of discomfort. He displayed no emotional changes or signs of confusion. He was sly and composed, like an old gambler who frequents the village gambling dens, exploiting the naive. Compared to me, it was obvious he was the veteran. How much political maneuvering must he have experienced to reach the position of variety show director? Yet, being human and supposedly having some sort of relationship with Kim Seok-won, he couldn't be completely unfazed. Although he might seem calm outwardly, inside his mind must be racing. "A couple of companies banded together to check Upkick Girl... I don't know the details, but that's possible. The production team can’t control everything like that. But you say you heard that from CEO Kim Seok-won?" "Yes. We met and talked briefly during the first shoot, and that's what he said." He responded dryly, sucking at the food stuck in his teeth. "Well, since you said you heard it directly, let's say that's the case. But this is something you should be discussing with the PD, not me. Even if you're a newbie, you wouldn’t confuse a PD with a CP..." Watching Jin Sang-yoon pretend not to know something I was already aware of, like he was playing a game with a cheat map, was both amusing and infuriating. Should I clear them all out! I could completely silence him, if only I wanted to! Ultimately, I'm the one holding the keys. I toyed with him like a cat playing with a mouse, pushing without completely cutting off his escape and forcing him into a corner. "I heard even the PD-level staff are involved. CEO Kim Seok-won said you and he are like brothers, suggesting I mention it to you." "Are you close with Director Kim?" He asked, pointing his chin at me. I responded with a feigned ignorance, my face innocent, although my heart was filled with mockery. "Yes, our team leader used to work at Director Kim's company. Ah, I believe you'd know them... Yonah? I heard you've had a few drinks together. Of course, just quaint gatherings among colleagues." Emotions finally started appearing on Jin Sang-yoon's face. He tilted his head slightly. Finding out that I, who he thought to be at odds with Kim Seok-won, was actually friendly with him must be confusing. I pressed down leisurely on his metaphorical solar plexus. "Oh, and Director Jin said you'd really push for Eye Contact in this Replay Girl project. CEO Kim was bragging about it to me." "I'm pushing Eye Contact?" "Yes, so CEO Kim is almost in a winning mood." "What nonsense is that...! Did CEO Kim really say that?" "They said you had a deep drink together and pledged allegiance like brothers... Or did I misunderstand?" "Agh..." "Well, now that it's out, let me be straightforward. Hearing what CEO Kim said made me wonder—did you personally order this?" "Order this? Do you think my position leaves me so idle?" When I hit the nerve, Jin Sang-yoon's discomfort visibly exploded. I didn't stop. I continued the itch of divisions, posing information from Song Ji-sun as though it came from Kim Seok-won. "CEO Kim made sure to emphasize how close you two are. I didn't even ask, but he went on boasting about things you said at the shoot." "What kind of talk at the shoot?" "That if one team gains too much of a lead early on, it won’t be fun, so the staff should adjust the balance. So, I began to worry. Were these comments about Upkick Girl? If such rumors were only occasional, I'd ignore them, but when they mentioned scrapping points for teaser performances, it irked our company. Although I’m sure that’s not what you meant." "Ha, CEO Kim is one strange individual..." Hahaha! I filled his empty glass with a 50,000-won bottle of Andong soju, delivering my finishing move. Enjoy your drink. "Honestly, at first, I intended to just listen and move on from what I heard since it’s just one person's side. But when I heard you weren't fond of our Yonah, it did upset me a little." "Why would I dislike them? For what reason?" Why indeed, you fool. Yonah had a way of ruining the atmosphere of networking events, and it was infuriating. Yet, it's always blame Kim Seok-won, blame Kim Seok-won... "I asked because I didn’t understand either, and he said you were displeased hearing how Yonah left Eye Contact. He mentioned you wanted to teach them a lesson, so you are supposedly supporting Eye Contact this time." This was pure and unadulterated truth, something he had actually told Kim Seok-won. Only he and Kim Seok-won were present at that conversation, so he’d naturally think it leaked from that man. Moreover, knowing that I was privy to the secrets he had tried to deny would be deeply embarrassing for him. And that shame, along with the anger, would most predictably be directed at Kim Seok-won. According to the 'Spoiler' feature of the information window, I had seen that Kim Seok-won had portrayed himself as a soft-hearted and generous company director in front of Jin Sang-yoon. So Jin Sang-yoon had volunteered to discipline both Yonah and Upkick Girl on his behalf. Now realizing he had said both appropriate and inappropriate things to the manager of Upkick Girl, only to end up feeling like a fool, how deep would his sense of betrayal be? If he was fooled by Kim Seok-won's shallow performance, they probably hadn't known each other for long. If I were in Jin Sang-yoon's shoes, I'd think Kim Seok-won was completely deranged. "If I misinterpreted anything, I sincerely apologize. But from our perspective, it's hard not to be sensitive. We practically begged the production team to get this spot, and with all our practice for this one program, hearing those words from CEO Kim, it makes me question the value of our effort. If it's true that Yonah and our team are on the blacklist, then no matter how well we do, it can all be edited out." Whether he was lost in thought or embarrassed, Jin Sang-yoon listened to my long speech without a word, staring at his drink with a flushed face. He must be dying to know what Kim Seok-won’s real intentions are. And worried that he’s the only one looking foolish. Yet, he can't really get mad at me under the circumstances. Perhaps I should ease up a bit now and give him an escape route? All your embarrassment is because of Kim Seok-won! "It seems like CEO Kim wanted to boast about his connection with you. He probably exaggerated unintentionally. I don’t believe you meant it in that way. Of course, given you know each other, there might have been a nuance, but I think CEO Kim just exaggerated conversations from drinking sessions." I continued, "I thought it would be better to meet directly with you, even if it felt a bit disrespectful, than to distrust the entire production and cast based on CEO Kim's unverified comments. We've been hearing that even the PD is trying to hold us back, leaving us with no one to appeal to. I sincerely apologize if this upset you." Eager to utilize the opening I provided, he started making pitiful excuses. "Wow, I didn’t see that side of Kim. Turns out he’s quite shallow. What’s his team’s name again? Something I-13?" "Eye Contact." "There are so many idols now, I can’t even remember team names. Anyway, all I said to Kim was I hope his Eye Contact, or whatever, does well. Just some friendly words. But it seems he misunderstood that as me actively supporting them." "Oh, is that so? It does seem like CEO Kim tends to do that." "I didn’t realize. He seemed like a nice and agreeable person, so having a few drinks with acquaintances was all there was. Well, since I might have left room for misunderstanding, I apologize. I didn’t mean it that way, but I’m sorry for any upset." You filthy man. Both sides are equally depraved and lack loyalty. I knew his true nature, but if I hadn’t, I might have mistaken him for a cool, easygoing person without any hang-ups based on his excellent acting. But filth is still filth. Unlike Kim Seok-won, he’s smart enough not to dig his own grave. He immediately proved himself as the piece of filth he was. Perhaps thinking about wrapping things up, he stood from his low chair, speaking generously. "Is the shoot tomorrow?" "Yes." "Afterward, let’s meet with the members sometime." "Which members?" "Yonah and the team." "Why with our members?" "Well... since I might have caused a misunderstanding, it’s to apologize and offer encouragement. Why, you don’t like it?" I recalled something Kim Seok-won had said about him. "Wow... he's really playing both sides... And what, he wanted to meet Yonah privately outside? Promised support if that happens?" That's what crossed my mind. For him, this was daily life. Making celebrities pour drinks and grope with company cards while boasting, “I’ll take care of you, haha.” There’s no guilt, nor calculation or strategy within. How the other party feels doesn’t matter at all. It’s like eating when hungry—an act as natural as breathing. Just as it always has been. When did it begin? From how many years into the job did he become accustomed to such indulgence? On the other hand, I felt a shiver of fear. If we didn’t have Aliyah like we do, and produced while in debt like other small companies, promising returns and profits to regular investors, if the person holding that lifeline after the first album flopped were this Jin Sang-yoon CP, what choice would I have made then? Would I have grabbed the rope like Kim Seok-won? Would I have even talked to the kids about it? And right at this moment. What words should I use to reject him? Do I make a polite excuse to brush it off? Or should I tell him to save such sleazy talk for when his mother travels to the moon? Jin Sang-yoon chuckled as he put on his coat. "Why so troubled? It’s just a casual drink. Bring the kids, and I’ll connect you to other lines. With Han Dong-ah, the editor at the Hanton Newspaper’s entertainment section..." "No, it's okay." "Why? Oh, I guess you’re busy these days. Still, try to make time. It’s a good opportunity." "Suddenly, I’m hit with a wave of reality. I do want to see the kids’ faces..." "Fine, fine. Then let me know when you have a free schedule." "Does CP perhaps fancy meeting underage members?" "Is there a minor in that team? Doesn’t matter to me, but..." "Really, you’re just filth." "What’s filth? Filth?" "No, let's wrap this up. Oh, and we'll be going Dutch on the bill here." "What?" "Don't want someone who has bigger things to worry about getting snagged by something as trivial as the Kim Young-ran Act." Jin Sang-yoon wore a bewildered expression. As he finally seemed to grasp the atmosphere, his eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. I left the room first, paid exactly half of the bill, and exited the establishment. Without looking back, I walked towards the roadside where taxis were. "Phew, the wind feels ridiculously fresh." Maybe disillusionment is scarier than anger. I hadn’t planned to provoke him this much. I could have just declined politely, so why did I say that... But it felt as if something inside me was slipping away, like water draining out of a bathtub, and along with it, words meant only to stay in my mind escaped. It was like, ah, to hell with it, let things unravel as they may. I hadn't even drunk much, yet I hardly remembered how I got back to the lodging by taxi. I must have had a lot of thoughts during the ride, yet the moment I stepped into the entrance, they all vanished. "What's up, Urihong?" "Oh? You’re back early." 10 PM. The kids, preparing for tomorrow’s shoot, had come back early to the lodging to manage their condition. Hong, who was doing yoga while watching TV in the living room, greeted me first. Then, one by one, the other members who were spending their own time elsewhere gathered in the living room upon hearing my voice. "Together! Together!" Oh right, Eunbi had asked me to bring back some Together ice cream. "Ah, sorry. I forgot." "Eek! Loser of rock-paper-scissors goes to buy it!" "Did you drink a lot?" Yonah asked, with a face mask affixed to her face. "No, just three or four shots of soju." "Why did you come back so early, rang-kang-kang? Did the talk not go well?" "No, it went well." "Did you stand your ground without backing down?" "Yeah, I nailed it. It’s all thanks to Aliyah." "If you're thankful, give me a piggyback ride." "Sure, hop on." "Oh, what’s the occasion? Not complaining and giving a piggyback ride so easily? Now I don't feel like jumping on." "Riya, let’s do rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets the Together." "Just say 'please' and make them do it." "Where's Seo-won?" Noticing the absence of the second youngest, I asked, and a head popped out from the master bedroom. "Why? Miss me because you can’t see me?" "Yeah. With even one missing, it feels so empty." "What? As corny as that sounds, you must have drank a lot." "Right, sis? Rang-kang-kang is acting weird now." "Seo-won, come out here. Everyone, gather around." "Are you planning to make us chant some weird slogan again? I’m telling you in advance, don’t ask me to do it, ‘cause I won’t." "Oh, come on. It’s not that. Just come here, there's something I want to say." Like a wary wild fox eyeing baited meat, Seo-won joined cautiously. The other four kids watched me with slightly tense expressions, observing my mood. Originally, I planned to express my thanks. Tell them that their talents and beauty give me confidence even when meeting TV industry people. But after listening to Seo-won, it did sound a bit cheesy. So, I changed my approach. "Let’s do well in tomorrow’s shoot. And remember, stay safe and dominate." "What? That’s it? I thought you were going to say something corny and now you're not, just because I pointed it out?" "Rang-kang-kang, you’re hopeless. Just go and buy some Together." "Okay." < When Did Depravity Become So Natural? > The End