186 - Upki Girl

< Jun-ho’s Perspective > Ran, the youngest member of Eye Contact. He has no aura. ―Eye Contact without Yona is a disaster, a complete disaster― There's nothing exceptional about his skills or looks, nor does he have any particular talent in acting or variety shows. Aside from being the youngest, I've never found anything appealing about this guy. I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks that way. In the world of today's idol groups, there's usually one member who makes you wonder, 'Why did they choose this person for the team?' He’s that guy in Eye Contact. Despite having the lowest recognition within Eye Contact, the drug scandal turned him into a superstar, one who even made it to the terrestrial news channels for a few days. Since he was a minor, openly caught in the act of using not even marijuana but methamphetamine, it's safe to say his career in the entertainment industry is over. According to reports, both he and Sumi claimed they didn't realize they were taking drugs; they were tricked by the Ae-Tension members, who dissolved the drugs in drinks after convincing them it was a non-alcoholic vitamin cocktail. It’s somewhat unfortunate if that is true, but given what this guy has done to Yona, I have no sympathy. Back when Yona was still with Eye Contact, there were two minor members. One of them is now an adult, and the other one is Ran, who turned 19 this year. Even though Sumi became the leader due to her age―having an early birthday―Yona would have been a more suitable leader by nature. Yona’s personality is one of strong responsibility and self-sacrifice for his people and team. Stories reveal that even during Eye Contact's active days, it was Yona who took care of the members and promoted the team's internal and external teamwork. It was also Yona who guided the youngest member who joined the team last, making sure he didn’t feel left out. Just as Nari relies on Yona now, Ran used to follow and depend on him considerably. So, I can somewhat understand the bad perception left after Yona’s departure. Ran is too young to see through Kim Seok-won's schemes and instigations. In the situation where Yona didn’t reveal that he went to sponsor meetings on behalf of the underage members and then later debuted with Upheaval claiming health issues, I suppose the betrayal felt immense after trusting him so much. But now that everything’s been sorted, I can't comprehend why he wishes to corner Yona. Does he genuinely believe that his current predicament is Yona’s fault? Eye Contact gained more popularity after Yona left! Or is it envy because Upheaval is thriving while Eye Contact is failing? Is he trying to drag Yona down to join him in his despair? What’s the deal here? ―Ding. Fourth floor. The elevator halted on the fourth floor, where the PC room was. I worried whether he’d recognize me, but since stepping into the elevator, he’s been preoccupied exchanging messages with someone on his phone, seemingly oblivious to my presence. I didn’t feel the need to make myself known either. In the absence of any incident, if I were to make myself known now, it wouldn’t lead to anything productive. It seemed more effective to let him write the defamatory post about Yona as planned, catch him in the act, and either make him admit his wrongdoings or reflect on them. Evidence of the post would also need to be secured... Curious vibes emerged when the elevator stopped. As is the norm when strangers are involved, I secured a spot in a corner, and Ran stood diagonally ahead of me. But just as the doors were about to open, our eyes accidentally met through the reflective surface of the doors. The timing of our glances at each other coincided perfectly. Did he recognize me? We’ve encountered each other at shoots numerous times, and even fought once, so there’s no way he wouldn’t recognize my face. Yet, his expression didn’t reveal any surprise or hesitation. He just naturally looked away as if glancing at a random stranger on the street. However, it struck me as odd when Ran exited the elevator before me and took the stairs down to the third floor instead of entering the PC room. Incidentally, it made sense to assume he recognized me and was trying to escape. There wasn't any choice at this point. I hurriedly followed him down the stairs. “Hey! Wait a moment. Aren’t you Ran from Eye Contact?” I got him. He sped up, pretending not to hear me. I quickly raced down and blocked him between the third and second floors. “You know me, right? I’m Upheaval's manager.” “What do you want?” His guarded reply was already sharp. I replied as if we’d encountered each other by chance. “I could tell it was you just by looking at your eyes. How have you been? Have you eaten?” “What?” Guess it didn’t come off naturally. Even with only my eyes visible, his expression screamed ‘what on earth.’ Well, of course. We aren’t on familiar terms to exchange such friendly greetings, so from his perspective, he might think I’m mocking him. I asked him with the gentlest demeanor I could muster. “What brings you here?” “I came to the game room.” “Then why aren’t you going inside? Is it because of me?” “No, a friend called me out...” “I see. I stepped out for some air during the recording of Leafleak. Today’s a recording day, isn’t it?” “Yeah...” His atmosphere screamed ‘what’s your point.’ I wasn’t sure what I was trying to achieve either. I just felt I shouldn’t let this chance slip and called him out on the spot. “Well... it’s just that I’ve been trying to get in touch with Eye Contact, so I asked Song Kyoung-ah, but she said none of you were reachable?” “Yeah...” “Do you know where Mr. Kim is these days?” “I don’t know. I haven’t been in touch either. The other members too…” “Has your company completely cut you off?” “I don’t know.” “Really? Who’s helping you with your trial right now, then? You must have a lawyer, right?” “I’m not sure.” "You don't know your own lawyer?" I couldn’t tell if he was saying whatever came to mind just to avoid talking to me or if he actually had something to hide. Either way, it didn’t matter because this was just a casual inquiry on my part. My primary goal right now was to persuade him not to post anything about Yona. “I should get going. Goodbye.” “Hey, hold on.” I called out to him again as he tried to hurry down the stairs like he was escaping. He was already wary of me, so I needed to break through this thick barrier. “What’s up with you? I really need to go.” “I read about the article. They said the Ae-Tension guys spiked your drinks.” “I don’t want to talk about it.” “Come on, relax. I thought I might be able to help.” “I don’t need your help.” “Are you planning to quit being a celebrity altogether?” Oh? I threw that comment randomly, but it seemed to resonate. His tense posture, which looked ready to bolt down the stairs, seemed to relax slightly. I see he still has some attachment to the entertainment world. Having just tasted a hint of fame before it all fell apart must leave a significant feeling of loss. To sound authoritative, I name-dropped the renowned lawyer God-God-God. “Do you know a lawyer named Woo Yeon-tak? Goes by the nickname ‘YonnaBeautiful,’ and he’s been a fan of yours since Eye Contact.” “Yes, I know him. The Yona fan...” “Jeez, even if you parted on bad terms, she’s still your senior, isn’t she?” “A traitor isn’t a senior. Yona also spoke informally to Sumi during ‘The Trend’ in the waiting room.” “They were the same age. Sumi was just called ‘senior’ because of her early birthday, right?” “Whatever.” “Alright, whatever. So, how about we move somewhere like a café? Ah, you said you have a friend waiting? Just tell them to wait a sec while we finish up in about ten minutes. Is that okay?” Ran hesitated, rolling his eyes, but then nodded. He probably didn't have any friend waiting anyway. Once outside, we went into a café on the first floor of the adjacent building. As we moved, I thought about what to say. Dispelling his misunderstandings about Yona seemed to be the top priority. One of the reasons Eye Contact dislikes Yona is probably because Yona didn’t explain the truth. If he had just said, ‘I only took up sponsorships to protect the minor members,’ perhaps the hatred wouldn’t have grown so large. “What do you want to drink?” Without even looking at the menu, he replied. “Vanilla latte.” “Hot?” “No, iced...” Even in this situation, he's firm about his preferences. Maybe it’s my bias, but he seemed far too accustomed to receiving things from men. “Not hungry? Want something like bread?” “It’s fine.” “I’m actually hungry, so I can’t eat it alone. Should we order honey bread? You haven’t had dinner yet, right? Help me out here.” “Do as you please.” “Alright, honey bread?” “Yeah.” Seems like the first barrier of wariness has lifted. “Find us a quieter spot. I’ll get the drinks.” “Okay.” At least he replies properly. After separating from him, I sat in an empty spot near the counter and sent a message to Lawyer Woo. I told him I ran into Ran in the elevator and managed to bring him to a café. YonnaBeautiful [Meeting him is a relief.] Me [I think I should clarify misconceptions about Yona first. Knowing why Yona made such choices might ease his feelings.] YonnaBeautiful [He didn’t know up until now?] Me [Yes. From an Eye Contact point of view, it probably seemed like Yona snuck out of shared sponsorship deals and joined another company cleanly. I bet Mr. Kim framed it that way.] YonnaBeautiful [That’s likely.] I had explained the situation to Lawyer Woo like this: Our writer (identity confidential) was in contact with a member of Eye Contact and heard that Ran was planning to post slanderous content about Yona. We only knew the location as the PC room at Gangseo District Office, but upon discovering there was also one in Busan, Woo offered to head to Busan himself. YonnaBeautiful [I hope that by learning the truth, he will change his mind.] Me [Yes. I intend to speak with that hope too. From our brief chat, he didn’t seem like a terrible person.] YonnaBeautiful [Just in case, make sure to record everything.] Me [Will do.] “Order ready for customer 134.” “Okay.” I picked up the coffee and bread, turned on my phone’s recording function, and headed to the corner table where Ran was seated. He was engrossed in texting someone. From the spoiler video, he had changed his number after the drug incident—who could it be now? While it didn't seem like a secretive conversation, given his nonchalance in my presence... I tore into the whipped cream on the honey bread and handed him a piece. “Eat.” “Alright.” Only now did he lower his mask and take a sip of his coffee. Though he wore almost no makeup, his face looked noticeably more drawn compared to when I knew him. Oddly enough, he seemed more attractive now than during his active days. “You know, you look prettier.” “I lost 3kg.” “That’s not much.” “It's actually a lot for me. This is the lowest weight I’ve ever been.” “Is that so? Our team’s Hongi fluctuates 3-4kg just by visiting the bathroom…” “Well, that’s unusual.” “True.” He picked up the piece of bread I tore him and began to chew. I took a sip of my coffee, then continued. "Where are you staying these days? I heard you’re from Busan.” “Just at... a friend’s place.” “If it’s a friend, it’s a friend; if it’s an acquaintance, it’s an acquaintance. What’s an ‘acquaintance friend’? Not very close, huh?” His bread-chewing visibly slowed down. Twirling whipped cream with his fork, he asked, “Why are you interested in me?” “Oh, you just slipped into dialect.” “Why do you even care?” “Care? If someone heard, they’d think I’m chasing you around. I just thought it would be nice to catch up over coffee.” “Do you think I can return to being a celebrity?” “Well… if you have the will, there's nothing you can’t do. Celebrities who’ve smoked marijuana just take a break and come back.” “You said you’d help me get back in.” “When did I ever say that?” “You asked if I was going to quit being a celebrity. And mentioned you knew a lawyer who's a fan of Yona.” “Oh, did you take it that way? I was just asking if you were planning to quit.” “What a bother…” “Ha, your dialect is cute. You should’ve used it on broadcasts earlier.” “Are you making fun of me?” “Come on, what would I gain from teasing you? I’m the manager for Upheaval, and you’re from the failed Eye Contact..." Oops. I ended up mocking him unintentionally. I intended to sweet-talk and coax him, but an inner blade was lying in wait within me. “Ha…” Lan let out a sarcastic laugh and replied sharply in his dialect. “How long do you think your fame will last?” “What, you plan to bring us down yourself?” “You think I can’t? If I dig into Yona, there’ll be a lot to expose. You might regret signing that contract.” Does this kid think I’m unaware of Yona’s involvement with sponsors? Come to think of it, even in the waiting room during Yona’s solo activities, Sumi and this kid kept making sly remarks. “Even if there isn’t a lot, there’s a significant piece that would come out. I know everything, kid.” “What do you know?” After taking a brief pause to compose myself, I spoke in a solemn, low voice, like a prophet. “I know about what you planned to expose online today.” Lan, caught off guard, was momentarily speechless before retorting, possibly thinking I was fishing for information. “What was I planning to post?” “What else? You were probably going to write about the pleasant conversations over drinks with generous acquaintances who have both wealth and capability. It’s called ‘sponsorship’ in English, ‘support’ in Korean.” “Hah… I don’t know what Yona said, but it wasn’t as innocent as you think, sir.” “What are you saying? So you’re confessing to being involved in sponsorships with a negative implication?” “Wha…?” “You said you were involved, didn’t you? You even claimed it was your decision. I didn’t hear this from Yona—I got it straight from Mr. Kim.” “Uh…” “If it’s just the drug charges, you might get probation since it’s your first offense. But a sponsorship, especially if it’s what you claim, is outright prostitution. If that gets out, forget about returning to the entertainment industry—you might have to leave Korea. And it’s underage prostitution at that.” “Wha…?” Poor kid. Starting to get confused yet? Should I make it even more complicated? “I heard you even met someone who’s almost as old as your grandfather. If it isn’t a purely supportive arrangement, then it’s a huge issue for them too. Dabbling in drugs with Ae-Tension seems almost innocent in comparison. And while it’s one thing if you did it willingly, what about your family? Haven’t they suffered enough?” “Why bring my family into this?” “Because I’m concerned. As a fellow idol manager, it doesn’t feel like a stranger’s issue to me. I met Yona’s parents recently, and they were very worried. I’m sure your parents feel the same.” I hadn’t planned this conversation direction from the start. But as we spoke, I found myself unearthing the skills imparted by God-God-God, the lawyer. “You seem to be misunderstanding something. What I heard from Mr. Kim was that it was a purely supportive meeting. But, Ran, do you genuinely think it was something else? Did you really enter broadcasts and snag commercials in exchange for pouring drinks for old men and selling yourself? That wasn’t the case, was it?” If he says yes, he earns the dishonorable title of Sponsorship Idol, following Drug Idol. If he says no, he loses his grounds to attack Yona. “Tell me yourself. Was that what it was? Is that what you believe?” [You’ve excellently used the ‘Persuasion Skill of a 3-Year Manager (lv2)’.] [The youngest member of Eye Contact has fallen into a dilemma.] [The patron, 'Woo Yeon-tak, the Lawyer', eagerly awaits the conclusion of this episode.] Just then, as I awaited Ran’s reply, two young men in their early twenties approached us, snickering, and spoke with mocking expressions. “Wow. You're the girl group from the news, right?” “I just became a fan. Can I take a picture with you? Haha…” < Jun-ho’s Perspective > End