Chapter 35 : Ahyeon (3)

The soft touch of skin feels good. Human body temperature is comforting just by contact, without any reason. But I couldn't enjoy the warmth forever. It was already 4 AM. I needed to go back to the dorm and get some sleep before tomorrow's work. After cleaning up and getting dressed, Ahyeon, half-asleep, asked,

"Mmm, where are you going?"

"I can't stay out all night, so I have to go back to the dorm."

"Hehe, I wanted to sleep together…."

"I have to get back before the manager comes. Getting caught is different from openly staying out all night."

"Aren't you tired?"

"Not at all. Thanks to you, I'm fully recharged. You don't need to come out. Go back to sleep. You have to go to work soon too."

I forced Ahyeon, who was trying to get out of bed, to lie down and close her eyes.

Snore- Snore-

She must have been tired because she fell asleep instantly, snoring softly. I quietly left the house and checked my remaining coins.

[Remaining Coins: 27]

The doppelganger doll was definitely helpful. If I didn't have the doppelganger doll, I would still have only 18 coins.

'Next time, I'll use it on Joo-ah.'

Even though I spent the night with Ahyeon, I was already planning my next move with another woman. It felt a bit sleazy, but since I owed coins to Pony, I couldn't afford to be picky.

'That's why you shouldn't live in debt.'

The thought of paying back the debt and interest made me tense. After leaving Ahyeon's house, I immediately used the doppelganger doll. Suddenly, I was back in my dorm bed, as if I had been teleported from Ahyeon's front door.

'Wow, this is amazing.'

'This is practically teleportation.'

Marveling at the doppelganger doll's capabilities, I set my phone alarm and lay down in bed. Having released all my pent-up desires, I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

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♪~♬♩~♪♪~

A refreshing melody plays. My feet move faster in rhythm. The lights in the practice room shine down on us. The melody speeds up, and the rhythm makes my heart race. My breath quickens with the music, and the dance becomes more intense. After much practice, our movements sync perfectly, and we look quite impressive in the mirror. The choreography created by our dance teacher matches the song perfectly. However, the difficulty of the choreography is inevitably high.

"Ugh! I'm dying~!"

"You're complaining after just one stage? You're doing pretty well now."

"Wow~ Teacher, are you complimenting us?"

"Your jump height is getting better. Everyone, good job. Just build up your stamina a bit more to perfect the live performance."

"Aah!"

We no longer made mistakes in the dance, but that didn't mean all preparations were complete. Most male idols are allowed to lip-sync, but for real skill groups, live performances on stage are a matter of pride. Honey Entertainment is a major agency. It would be unthinkable for a new boy group debuting from such a prestigious company to lip-sync.

During a short break, the new manager in charge of our group visited the practice room.

"Hae-sol, come out here."

"Me?"

Feeling guilty, I left the practice room at the manager's call. The manager hesitated for a moment before leading me somewhere.

"Are we taking the elevator too?"

"Yeah. The director wants to see you."

"The director? Which director?"

"Director Jo."

"...."

Director Jo? If it's Director Jo…

"By any chance, do you have a personal relationship with Director Jo?"

I shook my head at the manager's cautious question.

"No. I remember meeting her once during the monthly evaluation."

"Really? So, you don't have a personal relationship with her?"

"No."

The manager looked relieved at my answer. It would be awkward for her to manage an idol who has a personal relationship with a higher-up in the company.

'Is this about that day?'

Whatever the manager was thinking, that wasn't important right now. I needed to figure out if this situation was good or bad.

'I should have looked into Director Jo.'

I thought it would be a one-time thing. When I slept with her, I was so out of it that if I hadn't seen her face during the monthly evaluation, I wouldn't have recognized her. She didn't mention anything during the monthly evaluation, so why was she suddenly calling me now?

"Director, I've brought him."

"Come in. Manager, you can leave."

"Yes."

The Manager patted my back as if to say, "Don't mess up," and left. Director Jo took off her glasses and stood up from her chair. She gestured towards the sofa and said,

"Have a seat."

"Yes."

"What would you like to drink?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Were you practicing? Did I interrupt?"

"It's break time."

"Oh, I see. I shouldn't have bothered you. I know how precious break time is for idols."

"It's really fine. But I'd like to know why you called me."

We both knew what needed to be discussed. There was no point in pretending otherwise.

"I've thought a lot since that day. You might not believe this, but although I've received many such requests, I've never accepted any of them. I still can't understand why I accepted that proposal.

"…I see."

"Anyway, it was my doing, so I need to take responsibility. And I want to apologize to you, Hae-sol. I'm sorry. As an adult, I should have refused and comforted you, but I gave in to temptation."

Director Jo bowed her head and apologized to me. It was a bit surprising.

"You put me in the debut group, so why are you apologizing?"

"I took advantage of your body because I gave in to temptation. Actually, I wanted to apologize during the monthly evaluation, but things got complicated, and I'm doing it now. I'm sorry if this doesn't make you feel better."

"...."

I thought she was the kind of woman who would accept such requests, but Director Jo was not who I expected. I felt a pang of guilt for what Pony had done to such an upright woman.

"It's okay. I don't regret what happened that day. Thanks to that, I made it into the debut group."

Director Cho's eyes wavered at my words. She looked conflicted. After a moment of thought, she spoke cautiously.

"Have you made a similar proposal to anyone else besides me?"

"…No."

"That's a relief. I hope it stays that way. You are no longer just a trainee; you are a member of Honey Entertainment's next boy group. Please maintain your dignity as our company's idol."

"You're worried I might make the same offer to another woman."

"It might be difficult the first time, but it gets easier the second time."

I think I know why she called me. She wants to keep me in check. To make sure I don't cause any more trouble.

"Would you believe me if I said I wouldn't do it again?"

"I can't just take your word for it. The company is investing a lot of money in you. I need to take some safety measures."

"Safety measures?"

No one knows that I made a deal with Director Jo except for her. If I were to do something like that again, only the person involved would know.

"It's not forced. You just need to have a few counseling sessions."

"Counseling as a safety measure sounds unbelievable. What kind of counseling is it?"

Am I weird for thinking of something naughty when she mentions counseling?

"Simply put, it's counseling to show you how great our company is. Depending on your attitude, the counseling could be a threat or persuasion."

A threat or persuasion? I tilted my head, and Director Jo smiled.

"Let's start with the threat. A major agency like ours has a lot of power. Connections are very important in the entertainment industry. From TV producers to writers, staff, and even other agencies, we have connections everywhere."

"…You mean if the company marks me, my entertainment career would be over."

I couldn't miss the implication of her words.

"That's right. If a powerful agency marks you, it's very hard to survive in the entertainment industry. And I have the power to make that happen."

"You'll retaliate if I secretly do something like that again."

"The company is here to protect you. But if you do something that harms the company, you might have to be sacrificed for the greater good."

As a former corporate employee, this threat resonated with me. I was used to the pressure and humiliation from higher-ups.

"…The threat worked."

"Now, let me offer you the carrot. From now on, including you and the other members, you will be active not only in Korea but also in East Asia. It will be hectic. You already have CF contracts lined up. It's unprecedented for an idol who hasn't even debuted yet to have CF contracts. This isn't because you and the other members are amazing; it's all thanks to Honey Entertainment's reputation. Your group will become stars riding on that reputation."

CF contracts even before debut?

"You mean if I do as the company says, I'll become a star, right? Did you understand that?"

"Yes, I understood."

"I wanted to make sure you know that you don't need to sell your body to become a star."

Director Jo, wearing a women's suit adorned with red and black roses, crossed her legs. I couldn't take my eyes off her legs in black stockings. She continued talking, unaware of my gaze.

"I'm satisfied with the opportunity to debut. I have no more ambitions."

"Really? I'm not so sure. You know that your skills are far inferior to the other members."

"Yes, I know."

"It might be fine for now. But over time, you'll feel resentful every time you're treated differently because of your skills. Especially if there's a member who's doing better than you?"

There was a bullying scandal among idol groups on Earth. Less successful members bullied and ostracized more successful ones, causing controversy. Director Jo seemed to think I might cause trouble out of jealousy.

'That's only if I can't use coins.'

I have a 'cheat key' that allows me to improve my skills as much as I want. So instead of being jealous of other members, I'll focus on improving my abilities. But Director Jo doesn't know this, so her concern is understandable.

"You think I might do something bad out of jealousy towards more successful members."

"This world is brutal. All sorts of things happen. It's more chaotic than any drama. It's better to be prepared."

"I think I'm sufficiently convinced. I have no such intentions."

"The counseling doesn't end today. You'll be continuously monitored during your activities. I was supposed to go back to the overseas branch, but the CEO asked me to support this debut group until the end of your first album activities. So, you'll be seeing me often until then."

This was quite unsettling for me. Without the doppelganger doll, it would have been very hard to gather coins. Besides, as a mere trainee, I couldn't argue with Director Jo. I needed to keep a low profile for now.

'If I fail the idol debut, Pony might take back the control she lost.'

Pony is waiting for an opportunity to regain control of the status window. Failing the idol debut wouldn't bother me, but I can't let Pony take back control.

'There's a 99% chance Pony will say, "I'll let you stay in the debut group, but give me back the status window." I need to lay low for now.'

But I'm not sure how far she'll go to monitor me. Director Jo's eyes had a strange gleam. It was the look of a hunter setting a trap and waiting for the prey. Ready to strike at any moment. The eyes of a predator.

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