Chapter 36 - Shouldn't You At Least Say Hello?

Since when did you start feeling that way?

Asking that, Laura repeatedly glanced sideways at Baek Hyeon-woo.

“A-And please also tell me what made you feel that way. I'm telling you to speak specifically.”

“Laura.”

“Ah, this is really absurd. You acted like you strictly separate public and private matters, so why on earth did you get such an idea? What part of me did you like so much? I'll hear you out, so try talking.”

With her arms and legs crossed in a defensive posture, Laura continuously pressed Baek Hyeon-woo for an explanation.

As if her own attitude might change depending on how he spoke.

“I think there's some kind of misunderstanding...”

Baek Hyeon-woo slowly opened his mouth.

“I was just trying to check the current situation as a manager.”

“Huh?”

“Ahead of the Night-Bomb Festival, I felt we should be careful of things like scandals, so I asked in order to grasp the situation in advance as a manager.”

“……”

Laura made a blank expression for a moment.

“Uh, really?”

“I had no other intention.”

“……”

Slam!

Laura suddenly slammed her fist on the seat's armrest.

“D-Don't be confusing! If you bring me to a place where no one is around and talk so seriously...”

“It's not something to talk about jokingly in a crowded place.”

“Even so...!”

Her Mental Condition dropped sharply.

...It'll come back after some time passes.

“Uuuugh...”

Laura gripped her head with both hands and groaned.

Watching Laura, who was steeped in self-loathing, Baek Hyeon-woo asked in a calm voice.

“So, are you seeing anyone?”

“I'm not.”

“Really?”

“I told you I'm not.”

Laura answered, lifting her head.

“I've never even had a flirtationship or been on a date before. And I have no plans to in the future. Are we done?”

It didn't seem like a lie.

“The part about never even having a flirtationship is a bit unexpected. If it's someone like Laura, a ton of guys would be following you around.”

“Hmph, I'm not a woman who looks that easy. I don't give that kind of opening in the first place.”

Laura usually has a chic and cool impression.

If she gives no openings and puts up an iron wall, it would have been difficult for men to approach her.

“In the first place, I'm not interested in things like dating or relationships between men and women.”

“Really? For someone who says that...”

At the beginning, she suspected that Baek Hyeon-woo and Seo Na-eun were in that kind of relationship, and just a moment ago...

“What is it?”

“No, it's nothing.”

There's a saying that the person who says they're not interested in money is the one who's crazy about money.

Then Laura, who says she's not interested in dating, is actually...

“You're thinking something strange right now, aren't you?”

“No, I'm not.”

Let's not think about it any further and just drop it.

Baek Hyeon-woo came to that conclusion.

“Anyway, you don't have a boyfriend, right?”

“No, I don't.”

“Alright. I'll believe you.”

In the notepad in his head, he wrote [Laura: Scandal Risk 0%].

Now, the talk could be concluded.

“If by any chance such a person appears later, tell me in advance.”

However, Laura turned her head sharply with a sulky expression.

“I'm absolutely not going to tell you.”

***

The day after confirming that Laura didn't have a boyfriend.

Baek Hyeon-woo took Yoo Jeong-ah, who had received personal training from Tae Jong-soo, to a quiet cafe.

This was because he thought that if it was too much of an enclosed space, there was a risk she would misunderstand like Laura.

“Jeong-ah-ya.”

“Yes, Manager-nim.”

“I'd like you to answer honestly... do you have a boyfriend?”

At Baek Hyeon-woo's question, Yoo Jeong-ah didn't say anything for a good while.

After about a minute of silence, Yoo Jeong-ah said in a stiff voice.

“Manager-nim, I am an idol. I'm grateful that you think of me that way, Manager-nim, but while I'm active as an idol, I don't want to think about things like dating. So later...”

“No, enough of that talk.”

To think she would show the exact same reaction as Laura.

It seemed that from next time, he should explain the reason why he was asking first before asking.

“I'm asking in preparation for a possible scandal. From the company's perspective, we want to know in advance if our affiliated idols are dating anyone.”

“Ah…”

Yoo Jeong-ah's ears turned red.

“I-I'm sorry. I misunderstood.”

“No, it's my fault for asking so suddenly.”

“It's my fault. I'm truly sorry.”

Yoo Jeong-ah, who had once again entered an excessively serious state, bowed her head.

“There's no way someone like you, Manager-nim, would show interest in a girl like me, I was presumptuous and mistaken. I'm sorry.”

“No, what are you talking about?”

“Well...”

Yoo Jeong-ah, who had been continuously apologizing, muttered while avoiding Baek Hyeon-woo's gaze.

“You must be popular with women, Manager-nim, so with a boring and drab girl like me...”

“I think you're misunderstanding something, I've never been particularly popular.”

At least, Baek Hyeon-woo himself had never felt that he was popular.

“Didn't you get set up on a lot of blind dates?”

“I was busy studying physical therapy, so not really...”

“Ah…”

“Enough about me.”

Baek Hyeon-woo turned the topic back.

“Anyway, you don't have a boyfriend or anything, right, Jeong-ah?”

“No, I don't.”

“How about during your trainee days?”

“I didn't have one. I was so busy practicing every single day that I never even thought about that kind of thing.”

Hearing that, Baek Hyeon-woo chuckled.

“We're kind of similar.”

“Similar?”

“Aren't we?”

Baek Hyeon-woo was busy studying physical therapy.

And Yoo Jeong-ah was busy practicing to become an idol.

And now, those two people were together.

“I hope you get good results that match your efforts. Let's do our best together.”

“Yes…!”

And so, the talk with Yoo Jeong-ah concluded in a warm atmosphere.

***

The next day, Baek Hyeon-woo arranged a meeting with Kim So-yeong.

This time, to prevent any misunderstandings, he revealed from the start that it was a talk in preparation for scandals.

“So I'm asking... So-yeong, is there a man you're close with privately?”

“There is.”

However, Kim So-yeong nodded right away without even hesitating.

“Really? There is?”

“Yes, there is.”

“……”

Baek Hyeon-woo was at a loss for words for a moment.

He had thought that maybe one or two of the members might have someone, but actually hearing such an answer, he couldn't help but be shaken.

On top of that, it was Kim So-yeong, the one in charge of Newstarz's girl crush concept...

“What kind of person is he?”

“Um…”

At Baek Hyeon-woo's question, Kim So-yeong placed a finger on her chin and was lost in thought.

“A person who understands my heart well, says many encouraging things, and is always reliably by my side?”

“……”

He felt an awkward sentiment.

From what he heard, it didn't seem like a bad person.

Moreover, since it seemed Kim So-yeong also thought very highly of that person, it was a situation where he couldn't just tell her to break up with him.

“By any chance, can I know who it is?”

Baek Hyeon-woo asked cautiously.

“I'm not asking to make you break up. If we know who the other person is, the company side might be able to cooperate to keep it a secret as much as possible...”

“It's you, Hyeon-woo oppa.”

For a moment, he couldn't understand what she meant.

“What?”

“I said it's you, Hyeon-woo oppa, the man I'm close with.”

As the caught-off-guard Baek Hyeon-woo stayed silent, Kim So-yeong narrowed her eyes and smiled.

“There's only one person, you, Hyeon-woo oppa, so what are you going to do about it?”

“……”

In front of Kim So-yeong, who leaned her body forward and asked that, Baek Hyeon-woo couldn't say anything.

***

After Kim So-yeong, he decided to ask Kanade.

It was difficult to create a private meeting with Kanade, so he called her separately on a holiday.

“Kanade, are you busy by any chance?”

“I'm busy playing a game.”

“So you're not busy.”

“I'm busy farming in a game and watching anime.”

“That means you're not busy.”

It was Kanade, who was truly spending a leisurely holiday.

“Why did you call?”

“Um…”

For some reason, he had a thought that there was probably no need to ask Kanade.

There's no way a person with a boyfriend would be only playing games in the dorm on a holiday.

Still, he felt he had to do a minimum check, so Baek Hyeon-woo threw out a question.

“Kanade, do you do things like get a boyfriend in a game?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Kanade answered in a flabbergasted voice.

“I saw before that people date and even get married in online games, so I was wondering if Kanade does that kind of thing too.”

“I-I don't do that kind of thing. Because I don't want to get stressed from human relationships in a game.”

“Really?”

Then again, it seemed she didn't really prefer games that are played while interacting with people.

“Then what about outside the game? You don't have a boyfriend you meet in real life?”

“I don't...”

“I thought so.”

“What do you mean by that!”

Baek Hyeon-woo ended the call.

Now, only Seo Na-eun was left.

***

“There's no one like that.”

Seo Na-eun, who was the last person to be interviewed, answered with a calm demeanor.

“I don't have a man I'm dating, nor do I have a man I'm close enough with to be misunderstood as dating. So you probably don't have to worry about a controversy arising from that.”

“Really?”

“It's not that there wasn't a single person who approached me while I've been active in the entertainment industry, but I drew a clear line every time. Because as long as I'm in charge as the leader of Newstarz, I thought that there must absolutely not be any incidents that cause gossip.”

She was indeed the leader of Newstarz.

It was a perfect professional mindset, to the point where it would have been fine to release it as an official interview.

“That's reliable.”

Hearing Seo Na-eun's words, Baek Hyeon-woo felt his mind become at ease.

“Honestly, I thought that maybe one or two of you might have a boyfriend.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, honestly, you're all girls in your prime…”

It's an age where it's easy to develop feelings for the opposite sex.

No matter how strong a person's professional mindset is, they can't help it if feelings of attraction for someone develop.

“I wish I had a boyfriend... you must have thought that at least once, right? Since you could rely on him when things are tough.”

“I don't know about the other girls.”

Seo Na-eun answered with a small smile in front of Baek Hyeon-woo.

“For me, I just need you, Manager-nim.”

***

The scandal risk is 0%.

As a result of interviewing all five members, Baek Hyeon-woo came to that conclusion.

Unless they fabricate something completely, there would be no need to worry about a scandal breaking out.

‘Even if they search with a fine-toothed comb, there won't be anything to find fault with.’

Ahead of the Night-Bomb Festival, entertainment reporters also began to be seen frequently around Newstarz.

There were even reporters showing suspicious movements, as if they had been instigated by DP Entertainment.

However, they never once showed anything that could become a problem.

All five of them just practiced hard without getting swept up in any gossip.

And... the Night-Bomb Festival finally began.

“Explode the night! We will now begin the first night of the Night-Bomb Festival──!”

The Night-Bomb Festival is an event held over two days, and Newstarz appears on the second day.

However, Baek Hyeon-woo took the members and visited the event venue from the first day.

It was his intention to check in advance what kind of stage it was to prepare for the next day.

“The atmosphere is incredible.”

“Yeah, it's really an explosive atmosphere.”

Night-Bomb is a word combining 'Night' and 'Bomb'.

Befitting a nighttime festival that pursues an explosive fervor as if a bomb were going off, both the artists on stage and the audience below the stage showed very passionate sides.

“I've seen it through videos, but... experiencing it in person is completely different. I feel like I'm going to die from the craziness.”

“Ugh, I can't adapt to this 'insider' atmosphere...”

Laura and Kanade muttered with expressions of loathing.

However, they weren't in a state of being genuinely intimidated.

Because their Mental Condition hadn't dropped in the slightest.

“Isn't everyone getting a bit hungry? Shall we go get something to eat?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. You're okay with that too, right, Jeong-ah?”

“Yes, So-yeong unnie.”

Seo Na-eun, Kim So-yeong, and Yoo Jeong-ah's overall conditions were also good.

It was the result of Baek Hyeon-woo having adjusted their conditions in preparation for tomorrow.

‘Everyone's condition is good. We should be fine to greet tomorrow like this.’

Because he had drawn aggro through the media, Newstarz was currently receiving a lot of attention.

Even people who weren't coming to see the Night-Bomb Festival in person were watching with deep interest to see what would happen to Newstarz.

Therefore, tomorrow's performance must be a success.

If they receive the evaluation that they are far worse than Choux-pop, everyone will laugh at Newstarz. It's obvious that even people who have never heard a single one of their songs will chime in and make them an object of ridicule.

Then Newstarz's rebound will fail, and it's highly likely that Haram Entertainment will be faced with a crisis.

Meanwhile, Choux-pop will be able to raise their own status even higher using Newstarz as a stepping stone, just as they had originally planned.

And the fact that Joo Ga-hee deserted Newstarz will also be justified as having been the right thing to do.

‘Still, tomorrow's main characters will be Newstarz.’

During that time, Baek Hyeon-woo had prepared thoroughly.

And he knows that those preparations were not wrong.

Because he has been continuously verifying it, utilizing the ability that only he in this world possesses.

For that reason, he could be certain that there would be a good result tomorrow.

“Alright. Everyone pick what you want to eat. I'm buying.”

“Oppa, really?”

“We'll make you regret those words!”

Everyone flocked to the food trucks in a crowd.

Although it seemed his wallet would be emptied, it didn't matter.

Because he was thinking that his role today was to make the members happy.

‘These are kids who don't even date and just practice hard every single day... I should do at least this much for them.’

Thinking that, Baek Hyeon-woo paid for the food the members had chosen, one by one.

“We'll eat well!”

“We'll eat gratefully!”

“Don't eat too much. If you overeat, it might affect tomorrow.”

As they were hanging out like that while eating snacks together.

He saw something strange in the corner of his eye.

“……?”

There was a woman watching them intently.

She was dressed in a black hoodie, and on top of having the hood up, the lighting was backlit, so her face wasn't visible.

However... Baek Hyeon-woo was able to recognize who it was immediately.

“……”

As Baek Hyeon-woo looked at her, the woman immediately turned her back and tried to leave.

However, Baek Hyeon-woo did not hesitate and called out.

“Why are you just leaving?”

“……!”

“If you saw my face, shouldn't you at least say hello?”

As he suddenly said that, the Newstarz members looked at him with surprised expressions.

However, Baek Hyeon-woo paid it no mind and spoke to the woman's departing back.

“Did you commit a crime or something? If not, there should be no reason to run away.”

Were those words offensive?

With a gesture filled with displeasure, she sharply turned her head.

The reason Newstarz came here today was to prepare for tomorrow's stage in advance.

Therefore, there was a possibility that the other side had also come here for the same reason.

Though running into each other like this must have been something neither side had anticipated.

“Tsk…”

The sound of her clicking her tongue could be heard even from here.

With the stage lights in the distance as her background, she took off her hood.

The face revealed from under the hood was just as Baek Hyeon-woo had confirmed through the status window.

––––––––

[Joo Ga-hee]

Vocal: S

Dance: A

Visual: A

Potential: A

Body Condition: 85%

Mental Condition: 80%

————–

The moment they confirmed her face, the Newstarz members all held their breath, and.

“That traitor...!”

Laura's anger-filled voice echoed.