I entered the meeting room at Hoop Entertainment.

Chief Lee Dong-Min of Singer Division 2, the team leads, and the singer-part team leads from Integrated Division 4 had all gathered there with grim looks on their faces.

"Mr. Lee, I'm here," I said.

Lee Dong-Min acknowledged my greeting. "Hi. You heard about it, right?"

I sat down and answered, "Yes. I heard from Yung-Jin. Golden Road is going to be on Idol Once Again tomorrow?"

"That's right."

"But which one of the Golden Road members is appearing?"

"All five of them."

The girl group Golden Road consisted of five members in total. Centered around their twenty-six-year-old leader Jang Eun-Yung, there were Park Soo-Jin, Choi Myung-Eun, Jung Yi-Soo, and the youngest, Yoon Ji-Hee.

They had once been the girl group that represented Hoop Entertainment. Each of them was a standout with exceptional looks, solid singing ability, dance skills, and star power to match.

They had been driven off to Japan like they were running away because of a scandal. However, if they appeared on Idol Once Again, then Project I.O.A would suddenly have an unexpected and formidable rival.

Still, there was one thing I didn't understand.

"But who on earth leaked that information? Until now, nobody knew who the cast of Idol Once Again was, did they?"

Idol Once Again, which was set to premiere on KNET tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m., had kept its cast completely under wraps. The only thing known was that former famous idols would be taking part in the audition. And yet, information had leaked that the Golden Road members, not just one of them but all five, were appearing on the show.

When I asked if they had leaked it on purpose, thinking that might be the case, Lee Dong-Min said that wasn't it.

"A road talent agent that Chief Cha hired in Japan passed it along through AMOSE, one of our Japanese partner companies."

"A road talent agent?"

"Yeah. He said he overheard Golden Road's youngest member, Yoon Ji-Hee, talking to her mother on the phone while he was driving. She said all five of them were flying back to Korea to take part in the Idol Once Again audition, that they'd be getting off at the airport in disguise, and that since they were going straight to the company, her mother shouldn't come meet them."

"With Ji-Hee's damn personality, that road talent agent must've had a lot built up."

"Yeah. He sounded completely sick of her."

That was exactly why celebrities shouldn't treat their talent agents carelessly. Talent agents stayed with them at all times, wherever they went, which meant they knew every little detail of a celebrity's life.

"Anyway, that's why I called you. Now that Golden Road is coming, Idol Once Again isn't going to be lacking in buzz either. Still, sorry. You must've been busy working since this morning."

"Not at all. Of course, you should've called me. If Golden Road appears on Idol Once Again, it's going to eat into the ratings for our Project I.O.A, isn't it? Of course, we need a strategy meeting."

Honestly, I felt even more sorry. The very fact that Idol Once Again had launched at all was probably something Hong Ah-Yoon, Director of HK Entertainment, had done to target me.

"Thanks for seeing it that way."

"Yes, sir."

"All right, then... let's start the strategy meeting."

At the same time, Lee Dong-Min and the other talent agents all put their heads together and started throwing out their opinions.

"If PD Choi Go-Bong is running Idol Once Again, then he's definitely only bringing in idols who placed first before."

"Exactly. PD Choi Go-Bong isn't the kind of person who even glances at mediocre idols."

"Yes. And starting with tomorrow's week-seven broadcast of Project I.O.A, we're eliminating one person every week, right? This might be a good time to ask SBC to structure it with a little more urgency."

"How about gathering the people who come to the venue tomorrow and giving out gifts through a raffle?"

"How about announcing in advance that we'll be holding an I.O.A concert after Project I.O.A ends and the group is formed?"

'Not bad.'

Unlike before, when people couldn't even open their mouths and only watched the chief and team leads, now even ordinary employees were speaking up with their own opinions as the meeting carried on actively.

At that moment, the corners of my mouth lifted on their own. This change was practically something I had created myself, since I had always been the one, even as a first-year, to speak up and offer opinions.

'Then maybe I should just sit back and watch for a bit.'

With a satisfied smile, I made an effort not to jump in.

***

'They're doing better than I expected.'

At the moment, Project I.O.A was down to eight teams, a total of thirty-two people. And starting this week, week seven, one team would be eliminated every week. On top of that, the show had shifted to a live broadcast format with a studio audience in an open hall, which meant there were a lot more things to take into account.

Even so, the team members from Division 2 and Division 4 were putting forward plans to go up against Idol Once Again without missing the finer details. Because of that, I left all the planning to them and focused instead on the fact that Golden Road would be participating in Idol Once Again.

'Are they all going on Idol Once Again to expose something about our company?'

Most of the problematic talent agents from the Golden Road days were gone now, but it still bothered me. The Golden Road members had been with the company for a long time, which meant they knew quite a lot. And on top of that, their relationship with our company wasn't good right now.

I was just thinking I should send someone right away to check things out.

Click.

At that moment, the meeting room door cracked open slightly, and through the gap, Sae-Ri's small head popped in.

"Yoon-Ho oppa!! I need some advice!"

"Advice?"

"Yes!" Then, Sae-Ri tilted her head when she saw the tense atmosphere in the room. "Huh? Why does everyone look like that? What, did a war break out?"

'Yeah. You could call it a war.'

Just then, Lee Dong-Min spoke. "Hey, Sae-Ri. If it's not urgent, can we talk after the meeting's over?"

Normally, Lee Dong-Min would have stopped the meeting and listened to Sae-Ri first. However, since they were in the middle of discussing Golden Road—who also had a bad history with Cherry Blossom—he asked her to wait a bit.

Sae-Ri nodded. "Mm, okay. It's nothing serious, so I'll just take care of it myself."

Sae-Ri's face, which had been peeking through the gap, slowly disappeared.

'Nothing serious? No. It's definitely something.'

"Sae-Ri! Stop! Wait a second! Whatever it is, don't do anything!" I shouted.

Sae-Ri's head popped back through the gap again. She looked at me like she couldn't believe I didn't trust her.

'Yeah, that's right. I don't trust you.'

"What is it? Tell me. Does it have something to do with Golden Road?"

Sae-Ri's eyes went wide, and she gave a big thumbs-up. "Whoa, that's awesome! As expected of you, Yoon-Ho oppa! But how did you know?"

"Just tell me what it is first."

Blinking in amazement, Sae-Ri answered, "Ji-Hee unnie sent me a Kk Talk message."

Apparently, Golden Road's youngest member Yoon Ji-Hee had sent a message.

'What message does that rude girl have to send?'

"Kk Talk message?"

"Yes."

"Can you show me?"

Lee Dong-Min also reacted in surprise. "Right. If it's about Golden Road, we should definitely hear it. Come in, Sae-Ri."

"Okay~"

Only then did Sae-Ri finally slip into the meeting room and show me the Kk Talk messages. However, what was written there was absurd.

[Yoon Ji-Hee: Sae-Ri, it's me, Ji-Hee.]

[Yoon Ji-Hee: I just got to Korea. Do you have time today? Even now works.]

[Yoon Ji-Hee: If you're free, I really want to meet and apologize. For the things I said to you before.]

[Yoon Ji-Hee: But don't tell the talent agents.]

[Yoon Ji-Hee: They'll definitely tell you not to meet me, but I really want to apologize to you. And don't tell Yeon-Hee unnie or the others either.]

'That rude Yoon Ji-Hee wants to apologize?'

At that moment, I started to get a sense of what Golden Road was planning.

'They're making a pretty interesting move.'

***

Golden Road had once been the flagship girl group of Hoop Entertainment. Back then, they were the only girl group capable of going up against Petit More, who had been ranked number one, so the company had indulged them no matter what they did. On top of that, they had backing from Director Lee Gi-Cheol and Kim Dong-Soo, along with the Suhyaejong line, so they trusted that support and constantly harassed their junior group, Cherry Blossom.

For years, not once had they treated them kindly, and now they suddenly wanted to apologize. It was laughable. At a glance, this was obviously a move to clean up their past ahead of a comeback. The Golden Road members I knew were not the kind of people who ever gave sincere apologies.

And recently, I had switched out our Japanese partner company, which had effectively ruined Golden Road's debut in Japan. Because of that, their contract with Hoop Entertainment had ended as well.

So there was no way they didn't want to get back at me or Cherry Blossom right away. And yet they were sending messages like this. That could only mean they had something else in mind.

'I should check with the others too.'

I immediately called the Cherry Blossom members who were at the company into the meeting room.

Click.

The door opened, and Woo Yeon-Hee, Yang Eun-Bi, and Yoo Eun-Ah walked in.

"You called for us?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Good timing. Did you guys get any Kk Talk messages from Golden Road?"

Woo Yeon-Hee nodded. "Yes. We just got them. We were actually about to come up and tell you."

Yang Eun-Bi and Yoo Eun-Ah nodded as well.

"We heard you were in a meeting, so we were going to wait until it was over."

"Same here."

At that moment, Sae-Ri, who was sitting next to me, lifted her chin and struck a smug pose. "Ahem! I came while Yoon-Ho oppa was in a meeting. When problems break out, we need to come as soon as possible."

'She came only about a few minutes earlier than the rest of them.'

Still, since she came straight to me as soon as she saw the message, I let it slide.

"Yeah. Like Sae-Ri said, if something like this happens, come right away. In an entertainment company, the artists come first. You shouldn't be the ones waiting."

Lee Dong-Min nodded as well. "Right. If something like this happens, come up anytime. We exist for you."

Woo Yeon-Hee smiled brightly and nodded on behalf of the group. "Okay, Mr. Lee!"

"Then can you show me the messages?"

"Yes. Here."

Woo Yeon-Hee, along with Yang Eun-Bi and Yoo Eun-Ah, quickly held out their phones. Woo Yeon-Hee had received a message from Golden Road's main vocalist, Park Soo-Jin. Yang Eun-Bi had gotten one from Choi Myung-Eun, the group's rapper. And Yoo Eun-Ah had received one from Jung Yi-Soo, who had been a sub-vocalist in Golden Road.

They all said similar things.

-I just got to Korea today. Can we meet and talk?

-I'm sorry.

-I want to apologize for the past.

-I was immature and spoke carelessly. I'm sorry for that.

-But don't tell the talent agents or the other members. Promise me, okay?

It sounded exactly like the kind of thing bullies would say when trying to lure a victim out without their parents around. As expected, I was right. They were trying to apologize to Cherry Blossom for the sake of their own promotions.

Still, I wanted to know what the Cherry Blossom members thought.

"Thanks for showing me. But they told you not to tell the talent agents. So why are you all showing me so willingly?" I asked.

Woo Yeon-Hee smiled softly. "For us, what you say matters more than Golden Road."

Yang Eun-Bi spoke like it was obvious. "Not even a question. What has Golden Road ever done for us that we should listen to them? Oh, wait—they did do something. They cursed us, saying we'd never make it."

Yoo Eun-Ah nodded quickly. "You're our talent agent. And Golden Road always told me I didn't have any talent as an idol and that I should just quit."

At that moment, Sae-Ri rolled up her sleeves and fumed. "Ji-Hee unnie always told me I had failure written all over me. That no matter what I did, I'd never succeed, so I shouldn't even try!"

Even just hearing about it now made anger rise in me. But thanks to that, dealing with Golden Road just got easier.

I suppressed my anger for a moment and handed their phones back. "Here, take your phones."

"Okay."

They each took their phones back.

Then Lee Dong-Min asked me, "So what are you going to do now?"

"They want to meet, so we should meet them."

"Meet them?"

"Yes," I answered. Then I turned to the girls. "All right. Type exactly what I tell you."

The four members of Cherry Blossom tilted their heads but picked up their phones.

"Sae-Ri, tell her to meet in an hour at Apgujeong Cafe Tree Village. Eun-Ah, in an hour at Cafe Cat Cave. Eun-Bi, in an hour at Apgujeong Cafe Papaya. Yeon-Hee, in an hour at Cafe Honey Brown. Tell them to come alone, and that because of your schedules, that's the only time that works."

Woo Yeon-Hee tilted her head. "All four places are near the company, and the time is the same?"

"Yeah. That way, they'll all show up."

"Mm... okay."

Even though they looked confused, the four of them sent the messages exactly as I instructed.

Then Lee Dong-Min asked again, "Chief Jung, isn't this a bit too risky? What if something happens?"

"No. I'll go meet them myself."

"You?"

"Yes. I'll go alone and make sure they never contact our girls again."

"How?"

I smiled lightly, reassuring everyone. "Just trust me."

'Sorry, but I can't explain the method.'

It was something only someone who had regressed could do.

***

An hour later, I arrived at Café Tree Village located in Apgujeong. This was the place I had arranged to meet Golden Road's youngest, Yoon Ji-Hee.

Just in case, I carefully checked whether she had brought a talent agent, but there were no other cars in front of the cafe. After that, I checked the phone Sae-Ri had given me.

[Yoon Ji-Hee: I got here five minutes early. I'm in the ginkgo tree room at the very back.]

Just in case, Cherry Blossom had handed all their phones over to me entirely. Golden Road had never been on good terms with their talent agents, so they couldn't even imagine that Cherry Blossom and I were this close.

I slipped Sae-Ri's phone into my pocket and walked into the café. Then I headed toward the ginkgo tree room in the far corner.

Click.

Inside the room decorated entirely in shades of yellow sat Yoon Ji-Hee—the youngest of Golden Road, and the rudest of the five—sipping chrysanthemum tea in a way that didn't suit her at all. Even back in Japan, she had acted like a rabid dog lashing out wildly, yet now she wore an absurdly innocent expression as she savored her tea.

"You look pretty at ease for someone who quit the company," I said.

Holding her teacup, Yoon Ji-Hee blinked. "How did you... get here, Mr. Jung...?"

I sat down across from her and spoke. "I'm the one who told you to come here. Why? Did you think Sae-Ri would deceive me just to meet you?"

Realizing that Sae-Ri had shown me the Kk Talk messages, Yoon Ji-Hee lightly bit her lip. Then, she clasped her hands together and bowed her head sharply.

"I'm sorry. I should've apologized to you directly, but I was too scared. So I tried to use Sae-Ri as a bridge between us."

'Look at her. She was planning to get close to Sae-Ri and stab her in the back, and now she's trying to slip out of it like this?'

I could see right through her, but I pretended not to and asked, "Apologize? For what?"

"For being disrespectful to you before."

As if she had committed some unforgivable sin, Yoon Ji-Hee kept talking without even being asked.

"Oh, and... I cut things off with all my boyfriends too."

Back when Golden Road had been driven out to Japan, Yoon Ji-Hee had once tried to pick a fight with me. At the time, I had warned her by bringing up the names of her host bar boyfriends. I told her that if she stepped out of line, I would expose them. And now she was saying she had cut them all off.

I nodded. "Good. Don't go to places like that anymore. If a scandal breaks out, you're the one who loses the most. Right?"

Yoon Ji-Hee nodded obediently, almost like a well-behaved Sae-Ri.

"Yes. You're right." Then Yoon Ji-Hee reached toward the call button on the table. "Mr. Jung, let's talk over some coffee. I'll treat you."

"No. I don't have time for coffee, so listen carefully."

Yoon Ji-Hee straightened up, her eyes filling with anticipation.

Nevertheless, I crushed that expectation without hesitation. "Yoon Ji-Hee. From now on, whether privately or professionally, don't contact Cherry Blossom. No—don't contact anyone from our company."

When I spoke calmly and clearly, Yoon Ji-Hee looked flustered. "What?"

"Didn't you hear me? Don't contact any artists from Hoop Entertainment again."

"M-Mr. Jung? I was trying to apologize—"

"I don't care whether you apologize or reflect. I have zero interest in that. Just don't show your face in front of Sae-Ri—no, in front of Cherry Blossom at all. If you do, I won't let it slide."

For a moment, Yoon Ji-Hee looked completely stunned. Then her head dropped, and she burst into tears.

"Sob... I really did reflect on everything..."

Tears streamed down from her large eyes, falling in heavy drops. However, I didn't budge. There were some people who would never change, even if I went back in time again. And Yoon Ji-Hee was one of them. More than anything, she was a terrible actress.

"That kind of act isn't fooling anyone, so cut it out. I'm busy."

At that moment, Yoon Ji-Hee suddenly stopped crying and wiped her tears.

"Ah, shit. You're not falling for it."

'Of course not. There's no way you'd change.'

After wiping her tears, Yoon Ji-Hee lifted her chin and scoffed. "You're telling me not to meet Sae-Ri? That's hilarious. What are you gonna do if I do? Huh? What are you gonna do about it?!"

Yoon Ji-Hee started shouting that since she had already taken care of her host bar boyfriend situation, I couldn't threaten her with that anymore.

'Yeah. That's more like it. Now I don't have to feel bad dealing with you. What am I going to do? I'll show you right now what someone who's regressed can do.'