227 - Upki Girl

< I'm Quitting as the Manager of Upkick Girl > Enters Riya. What is this imposing presence, cloaked in Zillionaire force? Even though she's akin to a toothless tiger now, Riya's genes for innate assertiveness are undeniable. In contrast, Secretary Kim Ho-sun occupies a position often reflexively resigned to submission, merely by meeting the eyes of a 'master's will.' "I asked what kind of trick you're pulling on my beloved, didn't I? Aren't you going to answer?" Even if she's not employed by him, Ho-sun seems instinctively cowed. As Riya approached, intentionally exuding her powerful aura, Kim Ho-sun's shoulders, which had always been held proudly, began to slump slightly in front of me. A noticeable shadow seems to have formed beneath his eyes. Still, he attempts to respond in a composed manner. "We were discussing Director Kim Yun-ho and your future..." "Yaht, I'm seriously hating this!" —Thump! Aaah! She hit him! Riya landed a heartfelt smack on the back of the secretary's head, who is almost like an uncle to her! "Didn't I say you'd get in trouble if you appeared in Aliya's sight again? Do I seem passive like a cormorant to you? Huh? Odd numbers are heartless, so take another hit!" "Hey, hey, hey, hey!" I tackled Riya around the waist, turning her aside before she could strike the secretary’s head again. Luckily, the coffee shop was closing, and there were no other customers around. It was a small local café run by a couple in their forties who operated it from morning till evening. The husband was not around, and the kindly-looking lady proprietor was preparing to close. Our office visits at least once a day, hence we're pretty friendly with the owners, and they're somewhat aware of our unusual temperaments. However, even the owner was visibly startled this time. With me holding Riya by the waist, she yelled at the secretary. "Loser, why aren't you coming here? Come here right now!" "Hey, calm down! Why are you so agitated?" Despite her agitated movements reflecting her prowess in dance, rhythm and groove are part of it. As her intensity seemed liable to cause trouble, I led her outside to calm her down immediately. "Why did you hit someone, are you crazy?" "No, no! You don't understand. Aliya distinctly warned that if he appeared again, he’d be punished severely! Since he showed up, a scolding was inevitable, right?" "Got it. I won't ask you to apologize for hitting him, but stop it here. Otherwise, I’ll genuinely get angry, understood?" "Okay, okay, relax..." Seeing her calming down slightly, I released my hold, and she glanced towards the window, eyeing Kim Ho-sun as if he were an insect, then asked me. "What did that insignificant life say to my dear one?" "Nothing special." "Nothing special, yeah right. It's obvious he’s scheming something to have Aliya leave the team and move to Brunei after blackmailing her, isn't it?" I hummed and replied while moving towards the office’s rear parking area. "Wow, our Riya is practically psychic." Riya followed quickly and asked again. "What exactly did he threaten?" "He said he'd leak to the media about me living with the Upkick Girl members. He even had pictures." "What's wrong with a manager living with the band members?" "Fans obviously wouldn't like it, silly. Plus, isn’t what you all did to me far from normal?" "What did we do!" Lowering my voice a notch, I mentioned one of the most outrageous things they’d done. "Like sharing my… hair as friendship rings?" "Wait, so are you saying you’ll send Aliya to them?" "No. I won't send you. How could I?" "That's right. That's the first thing you've said that’s genuinely made me happy. Bow your head, I'll give you a pat." "I'll take your sentiment to heart." We positioned ourselves between a parked Carnival and the office’s back door in the basement parking. Though there were streetlights in the front alley, it was relatively dark without direct lighting. It’s a perfect atmosphere for a serious conversation. I opened up to Riya. "I'm not sending you away, but I'm planning to leave." "What?" "I'm quitting as the manager of Upkick Girl." "What kind of sparkling nonsense is that? Why are you quitting?" "I feel my job is done now that your album and show hit number one. If I stay, problems will probably keep arising… Frankly, it’s surprising there haven't been any issues so far." "Did Director Bok have a drink?" "No." "Is this some kind of hidden camera prank to celebrate being number one?" "It's not a prank. It's real." "Are you crazy?" "Let’s go in. Now that it's come up, I need to officially tell the kids and Yeom." As I reached for the doorknob, Riya's hand overlapped mine. "Wait a moment. Our dear one got scared by that pathetic secretary's pathetic threat, didn't you? Let Aliya go scold him properly. How dare he frighten you..." "Don't go. I wasn't threatened; instead, I surprised them with a strong counter. There's no need to go." "Then what's the problem!" Whoa, startling. Riya's shout resonated and echoed throughout the parking lot. It’s the first time hearing her seriously exasperated tone. Her face, faintly visible in the dim light, was brimming with tears. I think she realized this time it's not just empty words. "Whoa, why are you shouting..." Mumbling awkwardly out of embarrassment, she questioned more deliberately and loudly. "Why is Dear quitting? Why! Why! Why!" —Click. Riya's loud voice must have reached inside the office, as the door opened. The light from inside illuminated the parking area. Riya's face, turned towards me, was filled with the stubbornness of a child throwing a tantrum. I couldn't meet that expression directly, so I averted my gaze. From the back door, where Upkick Girl's members and staff rushed out, it sounded like a collision of voices in a shouting match. "What’s the matter, what's going on?" "Riya, what happened?" "Did you two fight again?" "Why argue on such a good day?" "Looks like Yunho hyung teased Riya again..." Yona, without saying a word, observed the expressions of both Riya and me alternately. Sensing that the atmosphere was unusual, despite being different from usual, he calmly organized the crowd's bustling voices. "It feels like we should discuss this inside..." However, Riya couldn't hold back and blurted out. "Yoni! Dear is quitting as our manager! He’s leaving us!" Seowon’s face twisted into a sullen frown. "What? Why?" Eunbit widened her eyes at me in disbelief. "What? What are you talking about, oppa?" Woori clutched at her chest silently, terrified. Everyone—from Yeom and Hyundong, Hoonmin hyung, Beacon hyung, to the PR team staff—scratched their heads or shrugged their shoulders, waiting for my feedback. "Let’s talk inside." Just like a unit of game characters squeezing through a narrow entrance, they all trooped into the practice room, while I followed at the tail end, feeling like a general returning from battle. Oh no. I forgot about Secretary Kim Ho-sun, left alone at the coffee shop. We've seemingly exhausted our conversation, though... I was about to text him to handle the Riya issue himself and head in, when I realized a text had already arrived from him. Osman Secretary [Director, I'll be heading back first. Thank you for everything today. I believe the royal family will contact Aliya directly soon. I hope things go in your favor and wish you all the best.] Playing havoc with a household and wishing success, sure... I replied to him as well. Me [As I mentioned, my decision to step away from managing Upkick Girl is independent of Riya’s issues. Persuading Riya, as we discussed before, is best done through warm support rather than forceful influence. I’m advising because I genuinely want to help. Blackmail with strange photos won't work—in fact, it's a path leading neither side to what they desire. Leaving Upkick Girl as Riya's anchor while pursuing investment or support proposals is the best option. As difficult as it may be for the royal family to accept a pop star, if Riya’s talent is truly needed, it’s the optimal pathway.] *** "Emphasizing once more, I’m not cutting ties with Upkick Girl. It’s just that your manager will switch from being me to someone else." Despite explaining the conversation I had with Kim Ho-sun, along with my responses and reasons, the expressions of the members showed no sign of changing. Dour, cautiously observant, displeased, confused, irritated, dumbfounded, embarrassed... such was the atmosphere. Yona prodded the issue like a piercing needle. "So, what you’re saying is that you'll be moving out of the dorm." "Right. Since the office is close, managing you doesn’t hold much significance anymore. Besides, as the leader, Yona, you’ve adhered to dorm rules better and kept everyone in line brilliantly. With me gone, you'll even have an extra room, a good thing, right?" Eunbit muttered, seemingly on the verge of tears. "I don’t know about anything else... it doesn't feel good hearing this on the day of our big win... Plus and minus cancel each other out. No, it’s minus ten points. Losing oppa is a bigger minus compared to our number one win." But that was all. Since Riya's shout, no one else raised their voice. Surprisingly, the usually most worrisome Seowon remained calm, managing her emotions by twirling her prayer beads quietly... or not. Listening closely, it wasn’t a prayer—it was an anti-Buddhist chant entirely contradicting Buddha’s teachings. "If it’s not mine, no one can have it. If it can’t be possessed, destroy it. Traitor Kim Yunho deserves death. His head to the Han River, body to Bukhan Mountain, left arm to Jeju Island, while the rice cake forever stays within me..." Incredible. Even that darn rice cake seems destined for several reincarnations after death... With a slightly dazed look, Seowon appeared like a shaman poised on the brink, her long, violet hair veiling one side of her face as she lounged crookedly. Then suddenly, she looked at me and chuckled, “Heh heh heh...,” the eerie look in her eyes prompted me to quickly intervene. "That doesn’t mean I’ll be stepping down immediately. I'll accompany you through one more music show cycle next week." "Just quit now. Whether it’s next week or now, isn’t it the same? Might as well get it over with quickly." "What do you mean, just up and leave? Oh, right. But can I take a break from tomorrow's schedule?" "Why?" Yona, the reason for my break, asked with a serious expression. Why? Because you tried to kiss me. And that picture would explode into a scandal. Whether the photographer is Secretary Kim Ho-sun or another paparazzi from a media outlet doesn't matter. Until the notice of danger being neutralized comes through the information panel, I plan to stay clear of Yona. "I'm feeling really unwell; I think I need to take a break..." Yona firmly interjected. "No way. Maybe any other day would be fine, but you absolutely have to come to the music show tomorrow." < I'm Quitting as the Manager of Upkick Girl > End.