The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 107

“Huuu… Sniff… Huuuuueeeeng~”

“It’s okay. Since unnie is holding you, cry as much as you want. You had a hard time on stage, didn’t you?”

Yeoreum hugged Jeong-ah tightly as she cried.

Jeong-ah had been crying the entire way back to the dorm.

Later, when asked, she said she had been reminded of her late father and the garden.

It felt like he was cheering for her from the sky, and though it made her happy, it also hurt too much.

Even though she couldn’t see him, she felt like her family had come and gone.

“Don’t stay up too late. You know you have to go to the broadcasting station every day until Friday, right? I’ll come pick you up in the early morning.”

““Yes.””

I waited for Yeoreum in the parking lot after heading down to the car.

Soon after, Yeoreum got into the car with flushed cheeks and took off her jacket.

She was wearing an oversized T-shirt, and even at a glance, it was obvious she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“You didn’t wear a bra.”

“The manager-nim is going to touch me anyway.”

“You even thought that far ahead?”

“Unnie didn’t wear one either, right?”

“That was in the room, and Soyeon-ssi’s size doesn’t show through…”

Oops.

“Hmm… So you’re saying unnie doesn’t need one because she’s small, but I have to wear a bra because I’m big?”

She didn’t let my slip-up slide.

“That’s… I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t remember it.”

“What should I do? I think unnie would be really disappointed if she found out…”

She grinned with a mischievous expression.

“I trust you won’t stir up trouble just because you can.”

“That’s the plan, but… In return, use both hands when you touch me. You only used one hand for unnie, right?”

Why compete over something like that?

“That was because I had a cast back then.”

“Right…?”

As she said that, she climbed onto my lap.

She lifted her oversized T-shirt, revealing her slender waist.

It was a silent request to start from there and move upward.

One way or another, it seemed I’d be dealing with both Cha Soyeon and Yeoreum very soon.

(Photo)

Source: Celebrity News DB

From left: Han Jeong-ah, Matsuoka Chie, Ryu Yeoreum, Rina, Song Sera

[Red Blossom, who had halted activities 1 year and 2 months ago due to exclusive contract disputes with two members, has returned. After successfully holding a showcase last week at the Yes26 Live Hall, Red Blossom performed their new song “Butterfly,” which has topped digital charts for two weeks, on yesterday’s KBC Music Bank. With the addition of new members Han Jeong-ah and Matsuoka Chie, the five-member group captivated the stage with an intense performance full of charm, impressing the audience with their high-quality music and fantastical stage production…]

— The stage production yesterday was insane.

— I’ve been Blooming since yesterday. Streaming hard right now.

— Current staff here—props to the Music Bank production team. How’d they pull that off?

— The song’s great, the performance slays—how were they ever nugus?

— Did you see Jeong-ah’s body? I watched her fancam 3 times.

— This bitch is talking nonsense left and right.

— Red Blossom’s manager is no joke. Dude’s built like a weapon.

— How do you know he’s packing?

— My commute was chaos. Thought some celeb showed up.

Articles about Red Blossom’s comeback steadily piled up.

Beyond entertainment news, the name “Red Blossom” became easily searchable across idol communities, influencer SNS, blogs, and various webzines.

They had risen from unknown nugus to a girl group with a chart-topping hit song.

They were scheduled to appear on MBS’s Show! Music Power, SBC’s Inkigayo, and MNet’s M Countdown by Friday.

In between music shows, they squeezed in every possible schedule—radio appearances, fan signings, you name it.

Though it was a grueling routine—heading to work at dawn and leaving around midnight—they all thrived on the busyness, saying, “We finally have things to do!”

“It’s a hundred times better than scrambling for alternatives in a group that could disband any day. Now most people recognize our group name. A year ago, they’d ask if it was a café.”

Even with little sleep, the girls’ faces never lost their smiles.

Every time I saw them shine on stage, the fatigue of the day melted away like snow.

Though exhausting, it was a comeback week filled with joy and happiness.

“Oppa! English and Japanese comments are starting to pop up!”

As their name climbed not just domestic charts but also K-POP charts on international music platforms, overseas fans began trickling in.

Non-Korean comments appeared under official channel videos.

Rina, who came from the U.S., handled English, while Chie relayed the Japanese messages to the members.

Thanks to the blessing of translation, I could read every comment—but if I translated them all, it’d raise suspicions. So I only relayed Chinese comments.

“Manager oppa, you must be a language genius. Just how many languages do you know?”

“Ahaha.”

Only Yeoreum, who knew about my blessing, quietly giggled behind me.

“Hnn… Hahh… M-Manager-nim….”

I arrived at the dorm earlier than the girls’ wake-up time to enjoy some private time with Yeoreum.

Opening the door and stepping in quietly, Yeoreum was already waiting in the living room, greeting me with “Manager-nim” before throwing herself into my arms.

After whining cutely for a bit, she quickly shifted into a seductress, claiming my lips.

On the sofa, she sat on my lap, but by the kitchen island, she grew bolder.

Grabbing her hips and lifting her, she wrapped her deer-like long legs around my waist.

“I-I’m not too heavy…?”

“Not at all. Light as a feather.”

“L-Liar.”

“It’s true. Doesn’t even feel like I’m holding anything.”

“Then… do me like this later. If you can hold me up and down like this the whole time, I’ll believe you.”

She sealed my lips with hers.

A sweet, wordless refusal to let me say no.

By Friday, we had appeared on every music show and radio slot possible.

Interviews, photo shoots, fan signs in between—I lost count of how many schedules we managed.

“Six domestic music sites ranked us #1, including overseas platforms. Japan’s response has been especially positive. Must be thanks to Chie.”

Before coming to Korea, Chie had worked as a commercial model in Japan.

“Like a hawk giving birth to a falcon.”

“What kind of saying is that?”

“There’s a similar Korean proverb: ‘A dragon rises from a shallow stream.’”

Fitting for a proverb enthusiast, she must’ve looked up Korean sayings too.

“But you weren’t in a shallow stream. You were a famous model in Japan.”

“Now we’re going to be a global girl group, so this is our shallow stream!”

So she said.

“As for music show trophies… Let’s aim for next week. Digital scores are strong, but everything else puts us at a disadvantage for the comeback week.”

Digital scores typically make up 50–60% of music show rankings.

The rest comes from SNS, broadcasts, and fan votes—areas where Red Blossom, having been on hiatus for over a year with a tiny fandom, were at a clear disadvantage.

Luckily, their SNS followers and Blooming (their official fan club) membership were skyrocketing, so next week would surely bring better results.

“Starting Sunday, it’ll be a relentless march, so rest well tomorrow. The no-outings rule is still in place.”

““Yes~””

Ding!

A notification popped up, so I pulled out my phone.

— Since you’re off tomorrow, come over and stay the night. You promised. Oh, should I say let’s eat ramen instead? (~_~;)

The moment I read “promise,” my heart skipped a beat.

Without thinking, I glanced at Yeoreum, who silently nodded.

My emotions must've been written all over my face in the glow of fate.

Yeoreum smiled and mouthed soundlessly, so the others wouldn’t hear:

‘It’s okay.’

Yeoreum didn’t follow me out to the parking lot.

She already knew where I was going.

I swear I was the one driving, but I have no idea how I arrived at Cha Soyeon’s place.

What if she actually just wants to sleep?

Should I ask her to make ramen?

How do I set the mood?

Will I fit properly?

Last time, she said it was hard to find the hole.

Should I suggest showering together?

If I can’t hold back and finish too fast, that’d be a disaster.

My thoughts tangled like vines crawling over a wall, branching everywhere.

Cha Soyeon’s cold voice echoed in my head like an auditory hallucination.

｢I had high expectations because of your body, but what is this? Is my man only this much?｣

‘I’m going crazy, seriously.’

[You’re worrying about the most pointless things in the world.]

‘Shut up!’

Though all I did was drive, I was already exhausted before even opening the front door.

When I entered, Cha Soyeon stood at the living room entrance.

She wore an oversized T-shirt and hot pants—her usual, effortless outfit.

“Want some ramen?”

Her flushed cheeks complemented her smiling face.

Taking a step closer, she folded her hands over her chest.

“Or… me?”

Ah.

Then she spread her arms.

Captivated by her adorable gesture, I pulled her delicate body into a tight embrace.

“Lift me up. Like you did with Yeoreum.”

As if I could refuse her command.

When I lifted her, she clasped my shoulders with a bright expression.

“Guess there’s nothing you won’t do if Yeoreum asks.”

“We match well. I’ll test if that applies in bed later. All three of us.”

Leaving that loaded remark, she pressed her lips to mine.

“Juwon-ssi, you have two options.”

“What are they?”

“One—you undress me. I’ll moan seductively under your touch, tempting you. No one would ever guess Cha Soyeon could seduce a man like this. You’ll be the first and last man to experience Cha Soyeon’s temptation.”

Her expression was like a child who’d discovered a fun game rule.

Since she was this excited, of course I had to play along.

“Already sounds enticing… What’s the second one?”

“The other option—I undress myself. You’ll watch me with heated eyes, right? I’ll get turned on by your gaze and strip piece by piece. You’ll be the first and last man to witness Cha Soyeon’s striptease.”

“Either way, I’m the first and last man.”

“This is my reward for being the first person you carried.”

“Hmm…”

I crossed my arms, pretending to deliberate.

I already had my answer—this was just playing along.

Staring blankly wasn’t my style.

“The first one. I’ll save the striptease for later. It’s not like tonight’s the last time.”

“Good choice. I wanted to feel your hands on me too.”

Gent teeth grazed my ear.

“Let’s go. To the bedroom.”

Tonight was going to be a long one.