Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack

Episode 20

“Taeyang, I’m really sorry!”

“Ha… I understand. It might be hard to work together, but I hope we can remain on good terms in the future.”

The representative of Popo Entertainment kept apologizing for my words.

As if adding insult to injury, he sent me a photo of him kneeling down through a messenger.

But I totally didn’t want to see a man in his 50s kneeling before me.

I just wanted a job.

“Why can’t I get hired? The plan should have been perfect!”

After bringing Gyeoul out of SS, I refined all my memories from before my regression and jotted down all the agencies in need of skilled trainees, meeting each one individually.

Most of them were intrigued and engaged in conversation, but when they heard Gyeoul and my names, they freaked out and backed off.

Well, it’s definitely reasonable to reject someone if the situation doesn’t fit.

But I thought one of them would surely work out.

That was Popo Entertainment, which would achieve the miracle of reversing its fortune in three years.

Three years later, the representative of Popo Entertainment lost his only daughter to cancer.

He later expressed deep regret in an interview for not paying attention to her while being busy with work, lamenting that if he could turn back time, he should have at least gotten her a health check-up.

His heart-wrenching cries contrasted vividly with Popo Entertainment’s dramatic success, becoming quite famous.

I contacted him and urged him to get his daughter a health check-up.

At first, he thought I was joking, but as I started connecting the dots of Popo Entertainment and its insider information like a shaman using my pre-regression knowledge, he decided to humor me and go ahead with the health check-up.

And the result revealed that his daughter was in the early stages of cancer.

He wept and thanked me profusely.

I smiled warmly and asked him to include Gyeoul and me in Popo Entertainment’s debut group, showcasing Gyeoul’s practice videos that displayed her talent, which was nothing short of average at an A tier.

The representative said he was actually grateful to be introduced to such a talent and promised me a job.

But then suddenly, he notified me today that he might not be able to keep his promise.

I had just met him face to face at the agency yesterday.

“Did Cheon Jong-hoon pull some strings?”

If Cheon Jong-hoon was involved, I could kind of understand the current situation.

But just a little bit. That was a slim possibility when viewed objectively.

Now, if we assume Cheon Jong-hoon created this situation, it means he must have pressured all the agencies I visited not to accept Gyeoul and me.
Assuming he actually did that, it means he pressured all the agencies I contacted to not accept Gyeoul and me.

This wasn’t as simple as it sounded.

How significant would it look to target two people from one of the top three agencies?

There’s no reasonable explanation to share, so even more so.

This is different from when Ban Seong-cheol from Flower Entertainment put me on the blacklist.

If we look at it from the company’s perspective back then, it would seem that Seon Taeyang was someone who betrayed the company and started his own agency by taking away an artist.

He had a legitimate excuse to speak with other agencies and professionals.

But right now, SS wouldn’t have any reason for that.

If you exclude the hidden bullying incident, the situation on the surface looked like this.

One trainee from SS was taken by a guy named Seon Taeyang.

There wasn’t a specific destination, so the two were just freelancing.

Who would see this as abduction?

It’s not a group; it’s just one person without a defined destination.

It’s not a seasoned pro with marketability, it’s merely a trainee.

This would just appear as if a trainee left SS alone. I’m just a simple accomplice.

Furthermore, other agencies aren’t blind or deaf, so they’d suspect something unpleasant happened between that trainee and SS.

Otherwise, SS wouldn’t allow a trainee to leave.

So, it’s unlikely that Cheon Jong-hoon gave the order to block us to all agencies.

If he stirred up trouble like this, SS’s prestige would diminish, and he’d also earn resentment from the agencies he’s supposed to lead.

How ridiculous would it look for the same agency to give orders just because they’re doing well?

There would also be those who want to exploit this as a weakness.

In many ways, it just doesn’t add up for them to come after Gyeoul and me.

If they simply wanted to mess with us, it would be more efficient to legally harass us.

The only outcome from such a decision would be that Gyeoul and I end up unable to get jobs in the entertainment industry.

And it’s an extra burden that Cheon Jong-hoon, who issued this risky directive, has to bear.

He wasn’t the type to engage in such irrational actions.

Unless that arrogant man has completely lost his mind, it’s impossible.

“Oh, then, why on earth can’t I get a job?”

I just couldn’t figure out the answer.

Just then, the guy, Dongpal, I was working with called out to me.

“Hey, Seon! Break time’s over! Enough with the phone; get ready to pick up your stuff!”

“Ah, I’m on it! Hyung!”

I stuffed my smartphone into my pocket and rushed off.

*
“Shit, finally done.”

During my job hunt, I decided to take a simple part-time job to make some seed money for stocks.

I still don’t think that was a bad decision.

However, choosing to do loading and unloading as that part-time job might have been the worst choice.

I was lured in by the good pay and the convenience of not having to commit to long-term work unlike other places.

This wasn’t something I could just tough out because I was somewhat fit.

I walked out while massaging my sore body and changing clothes.

“Could you spare a moment?”

As soon as I stepped outside, a woman approached me wearing tailored jacket draped like a cape, a red shirt, and wide slacks with white stripes.

“Me?”

Having studied various fashion brands for sponsorships, I could tell in an instant.

Everything she wore, from her clothes to accessories, was high-end luxury.

But even such luxury lost its luster in front of her presence.

She had a strong aura as a person.

“Yes, Seon Taeyang, I’m talking about you.”

Her vibe was overwhelming.

Her eyes glinted like a hungry snake, perceiving everything around as prey.

It felt like being face-to-face with a mafia boss from a Hong Kong noir film.

I had the feeling that dealing with her would not lead to anything good.

I asked cautiously,

“…Who are you?”

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Cheon Aram, who just started a small agency.”

She handed me her business card.

[President of TwoBear Entertainment – Cheon Aram]

Even as a returnee, it was a company I had never heard of before.

“I think it’ll feel more intuitive to introduce myself like this. Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Cheon Aram, the former recruiter of SS and the younger sister of Cheon Jong-hoon.”

That was unexpected.

“Are you the recruiter that Team Leader Cheon Jong-hoon mentioned would introduce me?”

“That’s right.”

“…May I ask why such a person is approaching me now?”

“Of course, I need to tell you. I’ve come to meet you to scout you.”

Scout?

“Oh, to be precise, it’s not just you; I also want to scout Han Gyeoul.”

Cheon Aram smiled and added, “You two are a set, after all.”

I couldn’t refute that.

“I promise you a manager position at the team leader level. Come join us at TwoBear Entertainment with Han Gyeoul.”
“Come on in.”

Cheon Aram’s proposal was enticing, especially considering my current job search was completely blocked for some unknown reason.

However, it was an oddly favorable offer for our broken ties with SS.

I asked with a hint of suspicion, “Why us, me and Gyeoul?”

Cheon Aram flashed a snake-like smile and said, “I’m quite selective about people. It’s a serious affliction, really.”

“…So, does that mean you’re looking for talented people?”

“Talent is nice. Since I’m invested in humans, I do think about it. But that’s a secondary concern.”

“Then what’s your primary concern?”

“Humanism.”

Humanism?

“…Excuse me?”

“A heart that cares for people. A belief that puts humanity before material things. That’s what I want.”

What kind of nonsense was this?

“I did an investigation on Seon Taeyang and Han Gyeoul. I felt a strong interest after hearing stories from my older brother.”

Cheon Aram proudly admitted she had done my background check.

“The winter girl cornered and the sun guy who always swoops in like a hero to save her. It’s a really fascinating story.”

“…It wasn’t that great.”

“No, what Taeyang did was indeed great. That’s why I was convinced. These two are the humanists I’m looking for.”

“…Humanists?”

I scoffed internally. The idea of humanism sounded ridiculous to me. Having sacrificed my life to be a good person, I found it to be an utterly foolish notion.

The entertainment industry isn’t a market where everyone can achieve results. It’s pure survival where you have to push competitors aside to reach the top.

In such a place, how could one survive under a romanticist like her as the president?

I finally understood why I couldn’t recall the name TwoBear Entertainment. With a president like that, it couldn’t possibly thrive.

I was certain that jumping on Cheon Aram’s ship would lead to mutual drowning.

My heart firmly resolved to reject her.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not the kind of person you’re expecting…”

“Oh! By the way, I forgot to mention the salary.”

Cheon Aram pulled out her smartphone calculator and showed me my post-tax annual salary, bonuses, and performance incentives.

“Call me the Humanist Seon Taeyang now. President!”

The amount was enough to make even a dog bark with excitement.

[Quest Complete! A Jukebox has been granted to your finger as a reward.]

And that’s how Gyeoul and I joined TwoBear Entertainment.

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