Top Management

- Carol? All of a sudden?

“Hold on, I’ll come.”

- You’re coming? Now?

So, before heading to the office, I stopped by Neptune’s accommodation first.

We sat around the sofa table as if in a meeting. Im Seoyoung handed around glasses of ice water to help us regain our senses.

I asked Itaehui first.

“How’s the album work going?”

“I was just thinking I needed to talk about it.”

Itaehui brushed back her tousled brown hair and said,

“Something feels unsettling…”

Eyes rolled around like billiard balls.

“It’s going smoothly.”

“Huh?”

“Something keeps popping up in my mind, and I like everything so much I can’t choose. So, I’m working on all of it... It’s going so smoothly it’s uncomfortable.”

“Isn’t it good if it’s going smoothly? Why does it feel unsettling and uncomfortable?”

Im Seoyoung asked.

I wanted to ask too.

Itaehui sipped her ice water as if it were vodka and continued,

“Until now, every time I chose a title, I had to pay a physical or mental price to get the result. But this time, it feels like I’m getting it too easily. Something feels off.”

“…No?”

With a dumbfounded look, Im Seoyoung shook her head.

“Sometimes life should be a bit easier.”

“It’s not like there haven’t been globally hit songs made in just a few hours by sudden inspiration. There’s actually quite a lot, right?”

Eljay said, leaning back loosely.

Lee Songha also chimed in.

“Whether it feels like you’re getting it easily or not, let’s eat first and then think about it.”

“That’s a good idea. Let’s eat first, sister.”

“I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”

The topic smoothly shifted to eating.

I said to the still vaguely troubled Itaehui,

“As long as the work is going smoothly, try to do as much as you can. Anyway, the title will be decided by the company after a blind test. It seems like the A&R team has already received quite a few songs from composers both domestic and international.”

“Got it. I’ll contact you when it’s finished.”

“And about what we discussed on the phone earlier.”

“Ah, Carol? I’ll try making it.”

Itaehui readily nodded.

“Do you think you can handle it? If it seems too much.”

“No, I think I can... It’s exactly that kind of feeling.”

“What kind of feeling?”

Itaehui put her hand near her shoulder and said,

“It feels like a visit from a god for a moment?”

*

A successful life.

It seemed like the kind of house that would unfold in the background of such an introduction.

The open front window offered a view of the Han River and a forest of buildings. The chilly marble tiles and the similarly toned interior somehow felt oppressive.

I swallowed the elastic sensation tickling my throat.

What would it feel like to live in such a place? If you added the investment returns from 'City Jungle' to the incentives, you could buy a pretty decent apartment. But now my expectations might be too high.

Still, one curiosity was resolved. I’d always wondered who would live in such a place.

Suddenly, I envisioned myself twenty years in the future, as the director. The luxuriously oppressive office and attire. Would I be living in such a house?

“Does it feel empty living alone here?”

Director Baek Hansung approached with a bottle of liquor and an ice bucket.

“It seems like it would feel empty even if three generations lived here.”

I took a glass from Director Baek Hansung and eyed him.

Due to the Kwon Inju issue, Director Baek Hansung’s name had even started appearing in the news. W&U Director Baek Hansung's failed Hollywood venture, will Kwon Inju's agency Peter Pan Entertainment succeed? It was something along those lines.

So, I thought the atmosphere might be a bit tense.

Instead, he seemed more relaxed than usual. Was it because he was in casual clothes compared to his usual office attire?

“How about it, have you gotten used to golf?”

Director Baek Hansung on the opposite side handed me a glass.

“I’m just faking it.”

I had been regularly visiting the place Director Baek Hansung had introduced, but golf was business-oriented, not really my taste. It felt like a waste of time.

“How about next weekend? There will be a few more people, it’s good to know them.”

“Yes, the timing works for me.”

Executives from large planning companies, directors of broadcasting affiliates, and famously elusive film directors. These were the people I had gotten acquainted with at gatherings with Director Baek Hansung over the past few months.

As he said, they were good people to know. Perhaps even too

 good.

“I’m thinking of expanding into content production. What do you think?”

Suddenly, the conversation shifted.

“Creating a content division, bringing in a few talented directors and writers. Seriously producing movies or dramas.”

A content division.

It was familiar for large entertainment companies to expand into various fields. Many already had subsidiaries that produced content. They ventured into cosmetics, clothing, and even the food industry.

W&U was not the kind of company to expand its reach like an octopus. They had even given up on their long-pursued Hollywood venture.

So, was he planning a new business?

I pondered for a moment before responding.

“If we expand, the content field would be the best. It’s familiar, and nowadays, with the increase in video platforms like OTT, the value of good content continues to rise.”

“That’s right. As long as we have good works.”

Ice clinked in the glass.

“There’s no reason to doubt Manager Jeong’s discernment, so if you have a work you want to do, bring it anytime. Whether it's planning or investing, or handling it directly.”

He slid an envelope with documents towards me on the table.

“Of course, we can’t disappoint someone who does their job well.”

And he gestured lightly for me to check.

I opened the crisp envelope and reviewed the documents inside. I looked up, and Director Baek Hansung was smiling at me.

“How about it? Interested in W&U stock?”

*

I hailed a taxi. The eight-lane road was packed with cars heading home. The view from high above had seemed distant, but the Han River up close was filled with tepid vitality.

It felt like I was just about to cross the boundary into unreality when I was jolted back to the road.

Stock. W&U’s shares.

My stomach had been churning ever since, and now thoughts were bursting in my head like fireworks.

I snapped back to reality at the sound of my phone. It was Lee Songha.

“Hey, Songha.”

- I’m at the brand launching event with Kwanwoo hyung right now.

The background noise was loud.

- The CEO of Peter Pan Entertainment is here.

Peter Pan Entertainment?

A name I’d heard all day. Kwon Inju’s agency.

- He told me to come to Peter Pan Entertainment after my contract with W&U ends. They’re offering to set up a dedicated team for me. Let’s go to the U.S. after leaving Neptune.

“What?”

- When I refused, he invited Kwanwoo hyung to join too. The CEO was so confident, I wondered if hyung was considering moving companies.

“Where are you now?”

The taxi changed course towards the brand event venue.

The outright offer, not even subtly probing, suggested they were confident about persuading Lee Songha. Or maybe the CEO didn’t care about industry regulations?

I entered the venue as soon as I arrived. The dimly lit event space with purple lighting and live band music was packed with people.

After exchanging greetings with a few familiar faces, I finally spotted Lee Songha and Lee Kwanwoo upstairs, taking photos for someone.

“Ah, Manager.”

“You’re here?”

Lee Songha pointed to a table.

“That’s the person.”

Salmon pink shorts suit. Even from a hundred meters away, the man stood out. The woman with him had a plain look and seemed unfamiliar, but the man was definitely the CEO of Peter Pan Entertainment, Gu Jung-min.

"Just a moment."

Leaving Lee Songha behind, I approached CEO Gu. He recognized me immediately. His smile was sly, his expression slack like a raccoon's.

"Hey, you got here really fast?"

"······Hey?"

"I'm the same age as your CEO."

No way. He looked at least fifteen years older.

As I scanned Gu Jung-min from head to toe, he, likewise, was eyeing me when his gaze halted near my wrist.

"Wearing a nice watch, aren’t you?"

His drooping eyes narrowed.

"You got that from Baek Hansung, right? Fits your taste just······."

"CEO Gu."

I cut him off abruptly and stated my business.

"Why do you keep bothering someone whose contract hasn’t even expired?"

"Lee Songha? Just striking up a conversation since I saw her face, nothing serious. Everyone does it now and then."

"Why do you mention my name? Makes people misunderstand."

"Ah, I meant that sincerely. Have you thought about joining our company?"

"Not interested."

"Our company is casting Kwon Inju for Hollywood. That’s for real."

CEO Gu whispered as if he was sharing a secret.

"The casting was confirmed a while ago, and now we’re just waiting for the official announcement from the production company of 'Stranger.' As soon as the announcement is made, the news will spread everywhere."

So what?

"So if Lee Songha is interested in making a move to the US, think it over well. And I'm a much better CEO to work with than that Baek Hansung guy. Right, Director Hong?"

"Not really."

Director Hong replied with a smile.

"What? Then why do you work with me?"

"Because of the money. If it weren’t for my shares in the company, I would have quit a long time ago."

Disappointed by the response he didn’t want, Gu Jung-min shrugged.

"Really, there’s something wrong with that Baek Hansung guy. If he’s that old and still not married, you know?"

"Maybe he chose not to."

"How come I’ve been married twice during the time he hasn’t managed to marry once."

"Being divorced twice isn’t something to brag about."

"There’s definitely something about him. Women should be wary of such men. When you dig into it, something nonsensical like a bizarre fetish comes out."

······Is he crazy?

"If it’s not that, then what, does he eat something that keeps him from aging? Anyway, with such a glossy exterior, why can’t he get married?"

"He might be a bachelor by choice. Or, just believe whatever you want to believe."

Director Hong waved her hand dismissively as if it was pointless to argue.

CEO Gu looked at me again.

"If you want to leave Baek Hansung, you absolutely have to come under someone like me. Start your own company with Lee Songha alone? Your future will be bleak."

By this point, I was curious to see how far he would go.

No reply was needed, as he kept babbling on.

"Back in our days, half of this industry was gangsters. But that guy, even with a university education, was worse than the gangsters. Gangsters just beat you up. He makes people suffocate."

CEO Gu grabbed his own neck.

"What happens if you can't breathe?"

His hand chopped down sharply.

"You die. Just recently, someone from your company died too. Who was it, the team manager? He was known for being good at his job, but where is he now? What's he doing? You don’t know."

He whispered with a sinister smile.

"So be careful, Manager Jung."

*

As soon as I arrived at work the next day, I headed to the PR department.

When I brought up CEO Gu, Team Leader Park burst out laughing.

"That guy, he’s just jealous of our CEO."

"Really?"

He certainly seemed overly emotional.

Today, the department head joined the conversation during his stroll through the PR office.

"Since they're the same age and have similar careers, there used to be articles comparing them all the time. His family was somewhat well-off. He got heavy investments and started the business on a smoother trajectory, but it soon flipped, and it's been like this ever since."

Team Leader Park twisted his mouth.

"Every once in a while, he pops up to trip up our CEO. Like Baek Hansung, creating a vertical and hierarchical organizational culture is detrimental to creative ideas, or Peter Pan Ent. is like a family or something."

"Ah, a family-like company is not so great."

The PR staff frowned.

Team Leader Park continued.

"Do they really hold quarterly company outings? Four times a year. If you’re not

 top-tier, every affiliated artist must attend, and each team must prepare a performance for the talent show."

"Monthly evaluations for trainees, what is this? I couldn't work in that company."

"Where did he pick up those CEO-exclusive light sticks? They even shine brighter than the average idol fan light stick."

The faces of the PR staff grew increasingly peculiar.

"······Where does the joke start?"

"It’s all true."

Team Leader Park answered with a straight face.

"They even filmed a video of it once and posted it on the company’s official account, and the affiliated artists' fans, they really gave them a piece of their mind, and it was quickly taken down."

The department head, holding a teaspoon in his thick fingers, spoke up.

"We’ve pulled out of the US business, and they managed to make a grand entrance into Hollywood with Kwon Inju, so you can imagine how thrilled he must be."

"It's not about whether he's thrilled or not, but it’s a problem when he keeps bringing us up in interviews."

Team Leader Park clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"The CEO gives more interviews than the celebrities."

"Just let him enjoy it for a while, as long as he doesn’t cross the line."

He relaxed and sipped his milk tea.

***

Cheongdam-dong Peter Pan Entertainment.

CEO Gu Jung-min was sitting in a shimmering golden massage chair, pondering.

"Director Hong. Jung Sunwoo, can we really not bring him to our company?"

"That won’t happen. Baek CEO will hold him with shares."

Holding a watering can, Director Hong replied as she watered the plants in the staff lounge.

"They seem to get along well. Baek CEO has taken him to private gatherings several times. That says it all, really."

CEO Gu clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

"······Honestly, our company doesn’t match well with those humanistic ones. You can tell there’s no warmth there, looks like they'd suck the blood out of commoners. And that guy, unfortunately, has a good eye for picking hits······."

He murmured and suddenly sat up straight.

"Director Hong, Jung Sunwoo must be deciding on his next project soon?"

"That’s likely. The actors below him must be clamoring for work."

CEO Gu, as if about to shout "Eureka" from within the massage chair, said,

"When he decides on a project, should we snatch it up?"

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