CHAPTER 36: AEPLE (2)

Flare!

A small but elongated flame appeared in front of Kim Ki-Rok, spinning rapidly like a small whirlwind.

"Here comes..."

A girl in a short skirt appeared from the flames holding a staff.

"Aeple!"

The Fire Elemental Aeple winked and saluted, crossing her index and middle fingers to form a heart shape next to her eyes.

"Woooaah!"

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Following Kim Ji-Hee's enthusiastic applause, the surrounding spirits also clapped along.

"Everyone! Nice to meet you! I'm Aeple, the leader of F. Flower!"

"F. Flower?"

"It stands for Fire Flower. Why does the manager not know the name of the girl group under his management?"

"Oh! Is that what you were talking about?"

Quickly adapting to the strange situation unfolding, Kim Ki-Rok took out a guild business card from his wallet and handed it to the spirits. "Hello. I'm Kim Ki-Rok from DG Agency, the manager of the rookie girl group F. Flower. Thank you for showing interest in our group."

"What's going on?" one of the spirits asked.

"Just think of it as a play."

"Do we have to follow along?"

"Aeple is only eight years old in human age," Kim Ki-Rok explained.

"And what's her actual age?"

"A hundred—"

"Manager!" the Fire Elemental interrupted.

"She's eight years old."

"Ah, I, I see."

The young spirit quickly understood the situation and took the business card, checked it, and handed it back. Kim Ki-Rok retrieved it and stood next to the Lesser Fire Elemental.

"Manager Kim."

"Yes, Aeple."

"What's on our schedule?"

"We have a Gate activity in a week."

"Huh? Just one?"

"We're still a small agency."

Tsk, tsk.

Aeple crossed her legs and sat on Kim Ji-Hee's shoulder.

"When are we going to release our album?"

"Uh... when all of your friends come down to Earth?"

"So you'll release our album if all of us are here?"

"If you want."

"Huh? Really? You'll release it?"

"If you make me money, releasing an album is nothing to me."

"Oh, okay!" Aeple exclaimed, then looked at Kim Ji-Hee.

"Zzi-Hee!"

"Yes! Aipple!!"

"Zzi-Hee, do you also want to join F. Flower?"

"Yeah!"

Although Kim Ji-Hee didn't know what that meant, at that moment, Aeple accepted Kim Ji-Hee as the youngest member of F. Flower.

"Aeple."

"What is it, CEO Kim?"

"Oh so I'm the CEO now?"

"You said you would release our album. That means you're our CEO now."

"Hehehe."

Kim Ki-Rok had made the right choice in choosing the Elemental with the most colorful reaction.

His smartphone was floating in the air behind him and recording a video. Because they had already reported to the Association about Kim Ji-Hee awakening her ability, Spiritualism, there was no problem taking pictures or recordings of the spirits resting in the lounge.

"Aeple."

"Oh, CEO Kim."

"We're filming over here."

"Huh?"

Aeple quickly turned her head. Upon discovering the smartphone, she flew up again once more and stopped before the camera lens. The Elemental smiled and held up another heart symbol next to her eye.

"Hello, everyone! Nice to meet you! I'm Aeple, the leader of F. Flower! Applause!"

Leaving Aeple to energetically perform her solo show, Kim Ki-Rok returned to his negotiations with the spirits. "It'll be five spirits, Aeple, and I who will come fully prepared. The seven of us will depart in a week to tackle this Gate, as I had just mentioned. Our goal is to clear it within two days."

The spirits were all discreetly avoiding eye contact with him. They didn't want to go to the trouble, and there was no reason to get involved in something like this, especially without Kim Ji-Hee's company.

Kim Ki-Rok smiled broadly. "If not, I will randomly select from all the spirits."

"Tsk!"

Finally, an old spirit turned his head and clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Younglings."

After the spirits calculated how long each of them had been around in spirit form, the five youngest spirits stepped forward with distress.

***

Kim Ki-Rok entrusted Kim Ji-Hee to the spirits and returned to the Guildmaster's room with Aeple.

"CEO Kim."

"Are we continuing with this skit?" Kim Ki-Rok asked rhetorically.

"You don't find it fun?"

"No, I do."

The viewers' reactions were very positive. Aeple, sitting on Kim Ki-Rok's shoulder, was excitedly poking Kim Ki-Rok's cheek with a mic-magic stick, a half microphone and half magic wand.

"Are you really going to upload the video?"

"If you want?"

"Okay! Upload it, CEO Kim!" The spirit encouraged him.

Chuckling, Kim Ki-Rok pressed the upload button.

"Oh, you really did it." Aeple was surprised when Kim Ki-Rok uploaded the video he had shot.

"You told me to, though."

"Oh... I thought we were joking."

"Should I take it down?"

Aeple chuckled and started dancing on Kim Ki-Rok's shoulder. "No!"

***

It hadn't even been a week since the shocking second livestream and Kim Ji-Hee's clickbait video were both uploaded. Nevertheless, a new video was uploaded to DG Guild's channel.

"Hello, everyone!"

Thanks to Lee Ji-Yeon, the viewers were now used to Fire Elementals, but the one in this new video was different from the kind that accompanied Lee Ji-Yeon.

The Fire Elemental appeared, spinning in the air and giving her signature finger heart.

"I'm Aeple! Leader of the Elemental girl group, F. Flower! Nice to meet you!"

After introducing herself, Aeple started singing and dancing to a famous girl group song. Accompanying her performance was the subtitle: [Debuting Sometime!]

⤷ LMAOO what is this

⤷ AHAHA an Elemental girl group??

⤷ Even the Elementals at DG Guild are crazy lol

⤷ Ji-Yeon noona is normal.

⤷ She joined DG Guild, you think she's really normal?

⤷ Our Ji-Yeon is normal!

⤷ Who are you to call Ji-Yeon noona?

⤷ I'm her friend!

⤷ I won't believe you if you can't prove it.

The comment section went crazy with the appearance of the Elemental girl group F. Flower. If it had been any ordinary livestream, it would have just passed as an exciting concept. However, this was an official video uploaded to the official guild channel by the Guildmaster of DG Guild, who held the nickname, Crazy Bastard.

In the middle of the video, the Elemental announced, "My contractor, Mr. Kim Ki-Rok, said we will release an album someday! The problem is that we need to gather members, so those with the qualifications as an Elementalist, please come to our DG Guild. We welcome skilled Elementalists."

When it was revealed that F. Flower's leader Aeple was contracted to the Crazy Bastard, Kim Ki-Rok, the video's credibility increased.

The result? Real-time frequently searched terms.

1. F. Flower

2. F. Flower leader

3. Elemental idol Aeple

...

9. Agency DG Guild

DG Guild once again dominated the trending list.

Kim Ki-Rok was baffled. "Wow... Is this really happening?"

"Oh. Dreams do come true!" said the Elemental.

"How many members are in F. Flower?"

"Nine members."

fr\eewe.bn(o)v\el.c(o)m

"Why is that?"

"Because odd numbers suit an idol group more than even ones?"

"I'm not sure about that, but do you think we can gather nine Elementalists to join the group?"

Aeple was confident. "Leave that to me. CEO Kim, you just find those with the talents to become Elementalists. I can handle the rest."

Kim Ki-Rok bowed his head and closed the internet browser. It was 7 o'clock already, time to clock out from work.

Right when he was getting up from the seat to go pick up Kim Ji-Hee, who was playing with the spirits in the break room, the office phone rang on the desk.

"Yes. This is Kim Ki-Rok of DG Guild."

—Oh, Guildmaster. This is Yoo-Min from the front desk.

"Do we have a guest?"

—Uh, ummm.

"Umm?"

—The exclusive manager of an F. Flower member, Rose, has arrived.

"What?"

—F... F. Flo... Pfff. Oh, my, my apologies.

"No, it's okay. I could laugh myself. Just a moment."

After excusing himself, Kim Ki-Rok looked to Aeple. "Is there a Rose among your girl group?"

"Yes! She came running when I said I was forming a girl group."

"Haha... Haha... Hahaha..."

Kim Ki-Rok laughed because he couldn't believe what was going on.

"I'm on my way, so please tell them to wait momentarily."

—Pff, Yes sir! I understand. Oh, by the way, Guildmaster. Is it true?

"Elemental idols?"

—Yes.

"An album wouldn't hurt anybody."

—Oh, are you being for real?

"It might be difficult to appear on livestreams, but I could at least release their album."

—Wow, woah...Wow. For real?

"For real. As a contractor, I can't ignore what my contracted Elemental wants."

—Wow... So, Elemental idols are going to be a reality.

"They would probably be more active on the internet. No, maybe I should even consider having them perform at events."

—Pffff. Sure. I understand. Then, Rose's man... Pff... I mean, I will tell Rose's manager to wait for a moment.

"Sounds good."

Click.

Kim Ki-Rok couldn't believe what was happening, and it was apparent from his expression.

"Is this really happening?"

"Just find the Elementalist! I'll take care of everything else."

***

"Ha, haha. It is happening..." Kim Ki-Rok, who came down to the first floor with Kim Ji-Hee, was taken aback as he watched the performance taking place on the first-floor front desk.

Next to the dancing and singing Elemental, a blonde beauty wearing sunglasses watched the performance with a similar expression to Kim Ki-Rok. Watching the Elemental sing and dance with the same outfit and magic mic-stick as Aeple, Kim Ki-Rok couldn't help but think they were really of the same breed of spirits.

"Thank you! Thank you! My name is Rose from F. Flower!"

After finishing the performance and taking a curtain call, the Fire Elemental noticed Aeple.

"Unnie!"

"Leader!"

Aeple and Rose flew up simultaneously and met in the middle, embracing each other.

"Unnieee!"

"Leaderrr! Did you really find an agency for us?"

"Yes! Our CEO Kim said he would release our album here!"

"Yaaay!"

The two Elementals held hands and cheered.

[The Time Rabbit muttered, "Elemental idols never existed in any Attempt so far."]

"It seems like it's because we selected the Elemental with the most flamboyant reaction."

While Kim Ki-Rok was talking to the puzzled Time Rabbit, a blonde beauty approached, sighing deeply. "Sigh... I'm Jessica, the exclusive manager of Rose from F. Flower."

"Are you going to do it?"

"Rose said that it's her wish..."

"Pfff. Ha ha ha!" Kim Ki-Rok couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, and can I join your Guild?"

Jessica took off her sunglasses, revealing a familiar face.

Huh?

She was a renowned B-Class Hunter and Fire Elementalist active in the United States. In previous Attempts, she would have gone on to join a top guild over there and make a name for herself within the next year.

"Excuse me," Kim Ki-Rok started.

"Yes?"

"Are any of your parents Korean by chance?"

"Oh, yes. My dad is Korean. We live in the US, though."

That meant she had come to Korea for Rose.

"Despite my appearance, I am a B-Class Hunter, and it wouldn't be a big issue if I were not part of any Hunter Guild. My nationality issues can be quickly resolved because I am also a Hunter."

"Hmm! Shall we proceed with the contract then?" Kim Ki-Rok said eagerly.

"Ha... haha."

Jackpot!

Kim Ki-Rok pulled a contract seemingly out of thin air and handed it over.