Chapter 156
Chapter 156
Fill It with Love
***
Starlight, the subsidiary established by megacorp B&B to compete against Marstop, was one of the Three Major Agencies.
From singers and actors to athletes.
It had expanded its influence by recruiting talented people of every kind. If someone showed promise, Starlight invested generously regardless of the field. That was the company's defining characteristic.
—But inheriting the corporate culture of its parent company, which pursued efficiency to the utmost, employee performance evaluations were conducted every quarter.
And without fail, salary cuts and demotions followed.
Androids could handle the work itself, but winning over the hearts of the public was ultimately a task for humans. There was a realm of emotion that statistics and analysis alone simply could not reach.
It was an industry where startups devoured major corporations.
That distorted structure kept the employees under constant pressure. If they failed to produce results, their positions could be reversed just as easily. There might not have been gunfire, but fierce competition broke out every single day.
It was a battlefield without bloodshed.
Into the middle of that battlefield, a parachute hire descended.
***
Taking off his old coat and briefly returning to the days of his youth, Baek Ga-on entered Starlight. The rumors of it being one of the Three Major Agencies were no exaggeration. Even the entrance radiated an aura powerful enough to overwhelm anyone who saw it.
It was a presence that could not be measured by wealth or power.
As befitted an organization that elevated humanity itself, it almost seemed as though halos were shining from within.
Its members were just as distinctive. One man walked around with three arms, while another had a face split into male and female halves, making it impossible to guess their gender.
Every one of them was someone he had only seen before on television or through holovision.
It was fascinating to look around, but he couldn't afford to stand there in awe. As a newcomer, there were many people he needed to meet.
He had worried that, given the timing, people might become suspicious of him, but it turned out to be needless concern.
No one imagined that a fixer would have joined as a manager.
If anything, they seemed to welcome him.
"It'd be a waste of those looks to rot away as a manager. What do you think? Why don't we change your contract right now? Just say the word."
The HR manager, whom he had happened to pass in the hallway, unexpectedly made him an offer—
"I'm usually not like this, but if you're interested, please contact me."
And once, an actress whose name he didn't even know had tried to seduce him.
The offers were certainly tempting, but Ga-on never lost sight of his goal. In fact, there were people who looked at him with such open disdain that it made those acts of kindness easy to forget.
The leader of the Mystic TF Team, Chieftain.
He was one of them.
"I heard you joined on Producer Raju's recommendation?"
"Yes."
Ga-on bit his lip to stop himself from slipping into casual speech. It had been so long since he had spoken politely that he could hardly remember what it felt like. Still, he had to endure it.
"We happened to need another manager anyway."
For someone saying that was fortunate, his eyes were anything but welcoming.
As expected, his next words were filled with barbs.
"Don't cause trouble, and behave yourself. There are enough people waiting behind you to wrap around the entire Starlight complex ten times over."
Making it clear that he could be fired whenever they pleased if they didn't like him, Chieftain walked away. As if taking over his shift, the person who appeared next was his supervising manager, Dylan Sharpton.
His hair had been bleached pure white.
It even emitted a faint glow, making it easy for Ga-on to guess what Dylan really was.
"An android?"
"What? Got a problem with having an android as your mentor?"
"No. I just thought it was interesting."
"Don't get carried away. If I think you're trying anything funny, I'll be the first one to throw you out."
Like Chieftain, Dylan seemed to have an edge to him. Any other newcomer might have taken it as hazing and felt hurt, but Ga-on already knew the circumstances, so he simply smiled it off.
Whether he rushed things or not, meeting Mystic was inevitable.
The opportunity came before long.
"As you can see, I brought in a new recruit. Since your popularity has risen so quickly, we figured it would be better to have one more person taking care of you."
After Dylan's brief introduction, Sakuya's eyes suddenly met Ga-on's. Her eyes widened until they looked as round as saucers, as though she had seen something impossible, but he deliberately ignored her.
"My name is Baek Ga-on, and I've been assigned as your temporary manager. I look forward to working with you."
At least inside the company, they had to act like strangers.
At least until they discovered exactly what threat surrounded Mystic.
***
It wasn't unusual for artists to contact their assigned managers.
No, it was such an everyday occurrence that it hardly deserved mentioning.
But—
"I didn't think you'd call me over this quickly."
"I didn't know my patience was this short either."
Briskly shoving Ga-on into a corner, Sakuya slammed her palm against the wall.
Her expression was deadly serious, and the gesture was forceful, but because of the difference in their heights, her arm only reached as far as his side.
Unable to watch any longer, Ga-on bent his knees slightly to lower himself to her eye level.
"There. Better?"
"Thank you... that's not the point!"
After grinning for a moment, Sakuya shook her head to suppress her delight before dramatically knitting her brows together.
"Why are you here, oppa?"
"I think you know the answer better than I do."
The incidents that had happened while she was active as part of Mystic flashed through Sakuya's mind like a montage, leaving her no choice but to awkwardly avert her gaze.
"It's not something you need to worry about, oppa. It's basically the kind of trophy that comes with becoming a celebrity."
There wasn't a trace of fear in her response. It seemed she didn't know Steven Cha had died. Then again, it wasn't something she needed to be told.
To her, it was probably nothing more than an annoying nuisance.
"If there's a weapon hidden inside that trophy, then you have to pick it out."
"Oppa..."
"There's nothing more foolish than knowingly reaching out and touching something dangerous."
Ga-on's sharp rebuke came before Sakuya even had time to be moved, causing her eyes to widen into an involuntary glare.
Despite her fierce expression, Ga-on merely looked back as if to say, What's the problem?
"So, did the President hire you?"
"No. He probably doesn't even know I'm here."
He probably had no idea how dangerous this incident really was either. Most likely, he simply thought it was another side effect of twisted fan obsession.
"Anyway, if you notice anything strange, tell me immediately. No matter how trivial it seems."
Ga-on was an outsider. No matter how sharp his instincts were, they couldn't compare to those of someone directly involved. If any sign appeared, Sakuya would be the first to notice it.
"Okay."
As though she had just been entrusted with an incredibly important mission, Sakuya placed her tightly clenched fist against her chest.
"You don't have to take it that seriously—"
Before he could even finish speaking, a blonde girl approached from the distance. She had an adorable face with an airheaded expression that somehow suited her.
It was Eliza, one of Mystic's members.
"Ah, unni! What are you doing here?"
"Ah, i-it's nothing."
It was at that moment, as Eliza looked past Sakuya, who was frantically waving her hands, that she spotted Ga-on.
"Oh, it's the handsome manager oppa. What is it? Is it this? Is it this?"
Just as Eliza's lips were about to curl into a knowing grin—
"What are you talking about? I was just telling him what he should watch out for with the members."
Sakuya hurriedly smacked Eliza on the shoulder and pulled her away.
"Come on, let's go. We need to practice."
Left alone, Ga-on looked around.
Fortunately, no one seemed to have been watching.
***
Even though he had been appointed as a manager, he wasn't entrusted with any particularly important responsibilities. Under the pretense of supervision, all he received were miscellaneous tasks.
Driving was one of them.
These days, autonomous driving was the standard, but steering wheels still hadn't disappeared. Perhaps it was humanity's final act of resistance against surrendering everything to machines.
For Ga-on, it worked out well.
Even without forcing himself into the situation unnaturally, he was able to accompany Mystic on their schedules.
It was then that cheerful laughter echoed through the vehicle.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Dylan Sharpton seemed completely accustomed to it, calmly organizing the day's schedule with his arms folded.
Not everyone, however, was joining in.
The leader, Neria, along with two other members, remained apart.
As far as Ga-on could tell, Mystic was divided into two factions. One consisted of those three members he had just noted. The other centered around Sakuya.
The ones chatting noisily were the latter.
It was then that one of the members appeared in the rearview mirror. After she swallowed a piece of candy whole, Eliza scolded her.
"If you do that, it'll hurt your Jupiter."
"I always do it like Neptunely."
"You want to have a little Sun-off with me?"
...What just happened?
Even though he'd heard it with his own ears, Ga-on blinked several times, feeling as though he'd somehow been blindsided. Sakuya, however, found the solar system puns absolutely hilarious and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
As expected of Miss Retro.
There was apparently a reason Eliza adored her like a favorite stuffed toy.
"They're such children."
The comment slipped in like static.
It was quiet, no louder than grains of sand rolling across the ground, but Ga-on's ears didn't miss it. The sharp criticism had come from Neria.
The leader was clearly in a foul mood.
Had stress driven her to criticize everyone indiscriminately?
Or had she simply found their behavior so distasteful that she couldn't help voicing it?
Either way, Ga-on hoped it would amount to nothing.
Should he treat this as another variable?
Looking out the window, he sank into thought.
***
Mystic arrived at the broadcasting station to prerecord next week's music show and hurried into the waiting room to get ready.
From here on, it was the stylists' and makeup artists' turn, leaving no room for a temporary manager like Ga-on to interfere.
Dylan seemed to be in the same position, lingering outside the door like a meerkat.
The only unusual part came just before Mystic took the stage—
"Don't relax just because the performance has started. Keep your eyes open. And take this."
He handed Ga-on a small gift.
It was a stun gun no bigger than a tube of lipstick.
Ga-on understood perfectly well what it was for.
"I don't need to explain every little detail, do I?"
"Mystic is a popular idol group. That means there are plenty of dangerous people following them around."
"Exactly. Don't make it obvious you're carrying it. If someone suspicious appears, or things start getting out of hand... then use it. Understood?"
"Yes, understood."
"I'll cover the right side of the stage. You take the left. If you understand, go."
The way they split up made it seem as though they had already stepped beyond the duties of ordinary managers, but Ga-on said nothing and followed the instructions.
After all, the stalker might finally reveal themselves.
Soon, the fans entered in orderly rows to cheer for Mystic, and the prerecording began almost as soon as everyone had taken their seats.
Drones soared overhead, projecting dazzling holograms of every color.
Panoramic visual effects unfolded one after another.
Behind the stage production that captivated both eyes and ears, the idols emerged and displayed their charms to the fullest.
Ga-on could finally understand why people said that once someone threw themselves into the entertainment industry, they could never truly leave it.
The same was true for Mystic.
The girls who had been laughing and chatting inside the van transformed completely the moment they stepped onto the stage.
—Just the two of us, let's create a tiny planet.
The afterimages projected by the drones became backup dancers, filling the space behind Mystic.
—Ms. Tiktok, fill every single minute and second.
Some even took on the exact appearances of the members and stood before them.
It created the illusion of looking into a mirror.
The dreamlike atmosphere unique to holograms enveloped the group.
—Fill it with "love."
It was a heartwarming performance.
But Ga-on couldn't simply sit back and enjoy it.
Sakuya's ability always manifested during the next verse.