-About that... I came wearing my work clothes. They told me to turn back.

"Even after you showed them the invitation?"

-No. A higher-up at the front just yelled at me to move the car, so I didn't even get a chance to show it.

There were people from China and Japan who had said they would send a representative instead of coming themselves. So as long as the invitation was presented, at least one related person was guaranteed entry. However, he hadn't even been able to hold it out.

-But I think he might be right. If I was coming to a place like this, I should've dressed better...

"What are you talking about? Whether you come to a hotel in a tracksuit or work clothes doesn't matter at all. No, actually, put that person on the phone."

Just then, I heard someone's voice on the other end.

-Hey, are you going to move your car or not?

-Ah, I'll move it. I'm sorry.

Hearing Yoo Dong-Yeon answer with a bow in his voice made my anger surge.

-Hyung, I need to move the car. I think it's better if I just go. Please explain it well to Hae-Nim for me.

Because Yoo Dong-Yeon had such a kind and gentle nature, I spoke firmly.

"Do you know how long Hae-Nim has been waiting for you? And you're going to turn back? I'll come over, so wait there no matter what. Got it?"

-Well, I...

"Trust me. And show them the invitation again first, and tell them you're someone I know!"

-Yes, hyung...

Click.

After hanging up, I left the puffed rice snacks with Miso and immediately stepped out of the auxiliary control room.

***

About five meters from the entrance of Jinseong Resort in Yeongjongdo, an old blue one-ton truck was parked with its engine off.

And in front of the truck stood Yoo Dong-Yeon in his work clothes. There were stains here and there on his clothes, and he was wearing a glove on his left hand. At 175 centimeters tall with a skinny frame, he looked especially thin today. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Yoo Dong-Yeon, standing before a man in his fifties wearing a hotelier's uniform, spoke with an uneasy expression, "Um, Yoon-Ho hyung said he was coming..."

"Hyung? Wow, now that that man's name is getting known, every random nobody claims they know him?"

"No, that's not it. I have an invitation too!"

As Yoo Dong-Yeon tried to take out the invitation, the man in his fifties waved his hand dismissively. "Even if someone like you has an invitation, you're not getting in. Get lost. The VIP guests will be arriving soon, so move the car! Now!"

Just because his clothes were shabby, the man didn't believe Yoo Dong-Yeon knew me, and he didn't even try to look at the invitation he had brought. In that instant, heat flared up inside my chest.

So I deliberately shouted loud enough for him to hear. "Dong-Yeon!"

Yoo Dong-Yeon's eyes widened, and he waved at me.

'That foolishly kind kid...'

At that moment, the hotelier who had been scolding Yoo Dong-Yeon turned to look at me. He was Kwak Bae-Jong, the general manager of Jinseong Hotel & Resort. He was a veteran who had worked only at Jinseong Hotel for thirty years, a man of President Jin Myung-Hee of Jinseong Hotel & Resort.

Yet, to me, he was nothing more than a man who dared to scold my younger brother without fear. So I didn't respond to Kwak Bae-Jong and instead walked toward Yoo Dong-Yeon.

Step, step.

I quickly closed the distance and tightly hugged my youngest brother. When I grabbed him in my arms, the scrawny Yoo Dong-Yeon fit right into my embrace.

"Hyung, your clothes will get dirty."

I deliberately hugged him even tighter and said, "What about it? You worked hard and just got a little dust on you. No, looking at it, it's just a stain."

The stains on his work clothes weren't dust but something like paint. And since he had brushed himself off as much as he could before coming here, there wasn't even any dust left.

"But why are you so skinny? Huh? You should buy yourself some meat with the support money Eun-Gi and I send you."

"H-hyung... let go..."

"Ah, sorry."

Only then did I release Yoo Dong-Yeon from my arms and grab his wrist.

However, Yoo Dong-Yeon resisted. "Hyung, I really don't think this is right. I just waited because I wanted to see your face. I'll get going now."

"Don't talk nonsense. Do you know how long Hae-Nim has been waiting for you?"

Just then, Kwak Bae-Jong cleared his throat and asked, "Was he really someone you know, Mr. Jung?"

"Yes. He's my younger brother!"

Kwak Bae-Jong spoke with an uncomfortable expression. "My apologies. There have been quite a few people using your name lately. And... there was a bit of an issue with your brother's attire, so we stopped him from entering. I ask for your understanding."

I was dumbfounded. Instead of apologizing properly, he was saying there was something wrong with my brother.

"Do you have to dress according to a dress code just to come to a lodging establishment?" I snapped.

Kwak Bae-Jong answered in a sharp voice, as if his pride had been wounded. "A lodging establishment? This is the Yeongjongdo Jinseong Resort, a luxury hotel resort. When coming to a place like this, isn't it common sense to dress appropriately?"

He must have thought that since I came from an orphanage and had only recently made a lot of money, I lacked proper etiquette. Nevertheless, even before my regression, when I was vice president at Top Entertainment, I had never heard of such common sense at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris or at The Plaza Hotel in New York.

"Common sense... you say?"

"Well, perhaps you wouldn't know. In any case, we would appreciate it if you could move your brother's car from here first."

At that moment, Yoo Dong-Yeon pulled his keys from his pocket and tried to head back to the truck.

But I quickly grabbed his hand. "Wait. Dong-Yeon, hold on."

"Yes?"

"You have the invitation, right? Let me see it."

Yoo Dong-Yeon took out a gold invitation from inside his work clothes and handed it to me. I opened it and checked the contents.

[Project I.O.A Participant Family and Acquaintance Invitation]

-Two nights, three days in a suite, free of charge.

-All food and beverages are complimentary.

-24-hour dedicated butler service.

-Complimentary valet parking.

We will serve you with sincerity as we wish for the participant's success.

(Jin Ah-Ram, Acting President of Jinseong Hotel & Resort)

I held the invitation out in front of Kwak Bae-Jong's eyes. "Do you see this?"

"I do."

I took the keys from Yoo Dong-Yeon and held them out straight toward Kwak Bae-Jong. "Valet parking, please."

Kwak Bae-Jong glared at me. "What exactly are you trying to do, Mr. Jung?"

"I'm simply requesting the rightful benefits stated in the invitation."

Kwak Bae-Jong muttered under his breath as if incredulous. "Hah. Honestly. The acting president shouldn't be handing out invitations to just anyone..."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

Just then, the doorman who had been standing at the entrance rushed over after gauging the situation. "Sir, I'll park the car."

"Stay where you are."

"I-I'm sorry."

After dismissing the doorman, Kwak Bae-Jong continued to glare at me. "Mr. Jung. Since you say he's your younger brother, he may enter. However, I would appreciate it if you would personally park that one-ton truck in the cargo vehicle lot."

Only then did I understand why Yeongjongdo Jinseong Resort had been running massive deficits all this time. With someone this narrow-minded as the general manager, he must have been selectively choosing which guests to welcome.

If that was the case, then as long as this man remained here, my plan to turn Yeongjongdo Jinseong Resort into a holy ground for K-POP would inevitably collapse. The fans who loved K-POP weren't the VIPs the general manager fawned over. They were ordinary people who lived their everyday lives dreaming of meeting their favorite celebrities.

'I guess I'll have to call Acting President Jin Ah-Ram.'

I immediately dialed Jin Ah-Ram's number. Just then, a ringtone sounded from nearby.

"Mr. Jung! I'm on my way!"

Jin Ah-Ram was walking toward us from the lobby, holding her phone up. Beside her were President Jin Sung-Joon, the deputy manager, and security personnel. Judging by the looks on their faces, someone must have already informed them about what was happening in front of the lobby.

A moment later, Jin Ah-Ram stepped out through the lobby doors and immediately shouted coldly at Kwak Bae-Jong. "What kind of rudeness is this in front of external guests?"

True to her nickname, the Ice Princess Jin Ah-Ram, every word she spoke was laced with frost.

Kwak Bae-Jong flinched briefly, then cleared his throat. "Ahem. Mr. Jung was behaving in a manner unbefitting the stature of our Jinseong Resort, so I was merely advising him."

Jin Sung-Joon, who had come with Jin Ah-Ram, spoke with a scoff. "Mr. Jung is unbefitting of the resort's stature? Hahaha. That's the least funny joke I've heard all year."

Jin Ah-Ram also furrowed her brow and spoke in clipped words. "You dared to speak of stature to Mr. Jung?"

Gulp.

Kwak Bae-Jong swallowed dryly and gestured alternately at the one-ton truck and Yoo Dong-Yeon. "He arrived in a vehicle like that, dressed like that. I was only cautioning him because you were about to let such a guest inside."

"Oh, so because of his clothes, he couldn't come in?"

"Exactly."

At that moment, Jin Ah-Ram let out a short laugh and removed the coat she was wearing on the spot.

Thud.

Her coat fell to the ground.

"In that case..."

In the next instant, Jin Ah-Ram grabbed the neckline of her ivory blouse and tore it.

Rip.

The lace around the collar ripped open, exposing her neck and collarbone, the fabric hanging in tatters.

"Since I'm dressed like this, I guess I can't enter the hotel today either. Right?"

Perhaps because she was furious, Jin Ah-Ram's words grew shorter.

Kwak Bae-Jong stumbled back in shock. "M-Ms. Jin. Th-that's..."

"What is it? My dress code is a zero. I look like a crazy woman, don't I? So what? That means I can't go in either, right?"

Click, click.

"Well? Answer me. I can't go in, can I?"

As Jin Ah-Ram stepped closer to him, Kwak Bae-Jong retreated under the pressure and answered, "N-no. That's not... I'm sorry."

Only then did Jin Ah-Ram stop in her tracks with a sharp halt and speak as if he were pathetic. "Looking at you, I can see why my older sister ran this resort into the ground."

"W-what do you mean..."

"A man who stands in the middle and drives away a guest carrying an invitation with my clear instructions written on it—how could this resort possibly function properly?"

"I-I will do better from now on."

"No. You don't need to do better. There's nothing left for you to do here anymore."

"Excuse me?"

"Someone who hasn't changed in thirty years isn't going to change overnight, right? So as of today, you're fired."

"Fired without cause? What are you saying!"

"Without cause? First, you forced your own idea of 'stature' on a guest when even the owner doesn't. Second, you dared to lecture the very person who saved this resort and is our top VVIP. Do you want me to keep going?"

"This is just too much! And what do you mean Mr. Jung saved our resort? That statement is an insult to all the staff here who worked here day and night for the hotel!"

As the general manager flared up and invoked the employees' names, Jin Ah-Ram scoffed. "Do you not know that because of Project I.O.A, our weekday bookings jumped from 10 percent to 30 percent, and weekend bookings from 15 percent to 50 percent? Those numbers would've been impossible without Mr. Jung!"

"I-I can't deny the effect of the broadcast, but how is that solely Chief Jung's achievement?"

At that point, as if he had heard enough, Jin Sung-Joon stepped forward. "Ah-Ram. There's no need to say more. If he were capable of understanding, he would've changed long ago."

"True. He probably doesn't even know that most of the reservations came through the app. Fine." Jin Ah-Ram immediately turned to the deputy manager. "Deputy Manager. Remove him."

Deputy Manager Oh Jong-Tae blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Do I need to repeat myself? Deputy Manager, do you not want to be promoted to general manager?"

"N-no, that's not it."

"Let me ask just in case. Manager Oh, are you also going to discriminate against guests based on their cars and clothes?"

Oh Jong-Tae straightened and answered loudly. "Absolutely not! I believe that whoever comes should be treated as a VVIP!"

"You're quick to read the room. But remember this well. If you fail to keep the words you just said, you're next."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"And especially everyone connected to Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho here—put them all on the unconditional VVIP list. I'll personally cover the expenses."

"Yes, Ms. Jin!" After bowing, Oh Jong-Tae shouted at the security guards. "What are you doing? Remove him!"

The guards grabbed Kwak Bae-Jong by the arms. "This way."

"W-wait... Let go, will you!"

Dragging his feet, the general manager was hauled toward the opposite side of the lobby entrance, shouting,

"Hey! That success because of the broadcast? It's just a flash in the pan! And I'll report everything that happened today to President Jin Myung-Hee! When President Jin Myung-Hee comes back, you'll all lose your heads!"

"Neither my sister nor you are coming back."

After clicking her tongue, Jin Ah-Ram turned to look at me. Then suddenly, she bowed her head toward me.

"I'm truly sorry. On behalf of the hotel, I apologize—"

I stopped her from bowing further. "It's not necessary. It was his fault. And..."

I took off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "You didn't have to go that far."

She wrapped both hands around my suit jacket and shook her head. "No. The general manager was my older sister's man anyway, so he needed to be cut. He'd worked thirty years on the Jinseong Hotel side, so I lacked a proper reason to fire him. The timing was perfect."

To think she had used that brief opening to remove one of Jin Myung-Hee's people was impressive. When I looked at her in admiration, Jin Ah-Ram stuck out her tongue slightly. In an instant, the icy expression from earlier softened into something playful and warm.

"Still, I was angry that he was rude to you and your brother. Tch. And how dare he touch someone connected to you?"

After grumbling for a moment, she turned to Yoo Dong-Yeon, who was still standing there in stunned silence, and apologized. "Oh, and I apologize again for the unpleasant experience at our hotel. Please give me the keys. I'll valet park for you. I'm a good driver."

Yoo Dong-Yeon finally came to his senses and answered, "No, that's not necessary. I can do it myself."

Just then, the doorman from earlier came running over again. "No, Ms. Jin. I'll take care of it."

"All right. Please."

The doorman accepted Yoo Dong-Yeon's car keys. At that moment, I pulled out my wallet to give him a tip.

However, the doorman spoke firmly, "No, sir. Valet parking is complimentary for guests who brought an invitation."

Jin Ah-Ram smiled brightly. "I'll take care of the doorman, so please enjoy the benefits as stated in the invitation. Parking is free, after all."

I smiled. "I made such a fuss about not being treated according to the invitation, and I almost made a mistake myself."

I slipped the tip back into my wallet and said to Yoo Dong-Yeon, "Dong-Yeon, let's go in. Hae-Nim's waiting."

"Hyung, but my clothes..."

"Hey, do you think Hae-Nim called you here to look at your clothes?"

"No. I'm fine, but what if Hae-Nim gets teased by her friends because of me?"

Oh Hae-Nim probably wouldn't care at all, but to ease Yoo Dong-Yeon's mind, I figured I should get him changed. Unfortunately, my Jason Cho suit wouldn't fit him because of our different builds. I decided we should stop by the suit shop inside the resort and at least get him a ready-made suit quickly.

Just then, Jin Ah-Ram stepped in. "I'll gift him something from the lobby boutique. I want to turn the unpleasant memory you experienced at our hotel into a happy one."

Yoo Dong-Yeon waved his hands. "No, that's not necessary. I'll pay for it."

"Oh, we can't have that. Please accept it, if only for my sincerity."

Seeing Yoo Dong-Yeon flustered, I patted his shoulder. "Dong-Yeon. Sometimes accepting someone's kindness is also good manners."

In the end, Yoo Dong-Yeon hesitated, then nodded. "All right. Thank you."

"Then shall we get you changed and go see Hae-Nim?"

Only then did a bright smile spread across Yoo Dong-Yeon's face.

"Yes!"

***

After changing into the stylish suit gifted by Jin Ah-Ram, Yoo Dong-Yeon and I took seats in the very front row.

The first live broadcast had ended, and the second was about to begin. In the first part, there had been a team competition. Team 2 and Choi Yeon-Mi had delivered a fantastic stage, but due to a -30 point penalty, her team score had ended at 58.

As for Oh Hae-Nim's team performance, Oh Hae-Nim herself had no issues, but her fellow Team 9 members had made consecutive mistakes from excessive nerves, leaving their team score at 62.

Oh Hae-Nim was currently ranked 19th in Korea, while Choi Yeon-Mi stood at 21st. That made the one-on-one battle in Part 2 the crucial turning point. Today, eight out of sixteen teams would be eliminated, meaning each individual had to rank within the top 16 in Korea to survive.

Thump, thump, thump!

The stage lights powered back on. Onstage, Yoo-Jin and Lee Tae-Poong came up holding cue cards, waiting for the signal to begin Part 2.

Beside me, Yoo Dong-Yeon clasped his sweaty hands and spoke. "Hyung. Do you think Hae-Nim can pass today? She has to make it into the top 16 in Korea."

"Don't worry. I've prepared a secret weapon for Hae-Nim's success."

"A secret weapon?"

Just then, the cue signal dropped, and Yoo-Jin grabbed the microphone and called out,

"Yes. We will now begin Part 2 of Project I.O.A."

Lee Tae-Poong followed beside her,

"The contestants' one-on-one battle. The first matchup is Oh Hae-Nim versus Choi Yeon-Mi."

"Then shall we first see Miss Oh Hae-Nim's stage? Please give her a big round of applause."

Clap, clap, clap.

Amid the applause, Oh Hae-Nim, dressed in a white T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, stepped onto the stage holding a microphone.

At that moment, astir began spreading through the audience section where the contestants' parents were seated.

The secret weapon I had prepared was walking onto the stage with her.