The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 21

Since I had confirmed that both of them had woken up, there was nothing more for me to do at the hospital.

After reporting to the team leader that Sera had regained consciousness, I headed back to the company.

The moment I arrived, the PR team leader dragged me into a meeting room.

< “Thanks to you, I have no idea how the day even passed. I can handle entertainment reporters all day, but the social affairs guys? They’re like private investigators—relentless.”>

Park Yeongseon, the PR team leader, took a sip of her coffee as she spoke.

She was known as a tough, no-nonsense woman and the biggest networker in the company.

<“I need to release a press statement before the end of the day, so I have a few questions. Once this is out, you’ll get fewer interview requests.”>

“Understood, Team Leader.”

The first few questions were similar to the ones Cha Soyeon had asked earlier, so I used the alibi that my divine gift had provided and pieced together my answers accordingly.

<“I’m no superhero. How could I possibly take on 300 people? There were just a few left near the entrance, so I dealt with them.”>

<“There was a boat at the dock. Most of the people who fell into the water were struggling near the bridge and the pier, so I was able to save them. I don’t know about the rest.”>

<“After Sera’s father passed away, her mother became deeply involved in the cult. Sera told me they donated so much money that their financial situation became difficult. It seems like the cult leader was gaslighting her.”>

<“Aside from the kidnapped women, everyone else was male. Maybe that building was only open to men.”>

<“I got lucky. I was searching for evidence to prove it was a cult when I found Sera. If she hadn’t been there, it would’ve been a wasted trip.”>

<“Sera is fine. They found traces of anesthetic in her system, but nothing serious enough to require treatment. If her test results come back clean, she can be discharged by the weekend.”>

The PR team leader, who had been typing continuously, suddenly stopped and looked at me.

<“One last question. This won’t be in the press release.”>

“Yes, go ahead.”

<“What made you decide to go there yourself? Weren’t you scared? That place was full of fanatics. You had no idea what they could do to you, yet you went in alone?”>

She seemed genuinely curious.

<“When I first met the three of them, I told them: ‘I’m new, but I’ll do my best.’ I meant that I’d do everything within my power.”>

I remembered their unimpressed expressions, assuming I was just saying empty words.

<“But if I hadn’t gone after them, I wouldn’t have done everything I could. Even if I couldn’t save her, at the very least, I could assess the situation and report it to the police. That’s why I went.”>

“…….”

<“I didn’t expect it to turn into a full-scale fight in there. But because I went, I was able to see what was happening and find a way to fix it. If I hadn’t gone, I would’ve regretted it for the rest of my life.”>

I didn’t mention my divine gift, but everything else was the truth.

And if I hadn’t had the gift?

I still would’ve gone.

Because I needed to know the exact location to report it properly.

The PR team leader grinned and stood up.

<“Looks like Red Blossom has gotten themselves a great manager.”>

*

After she left, I immediately headed to the AR team.

I had some questions for Team Leader Baek Hakyung.

<“I was shocked when I read the news. How the hell did you take down 300 people?”

“They fought each other.”

“You don’t have to hide it from me. Compared to saving Yoori, 300 people is nothing.”>

He patted my shoulder with a grin.

I guess there was no point in hiding it from him.

<“Just keep it to yourself, please.” “Of course. If this gets out, those bastards will all wake up, right?”>

He let out a hearty laugh.

He already knew everything.

<“So, what brings you here? If you need a favor, I’m always happy to help.”>

“I have some questions.”

I told him about Chie.

If I wanted to strategize on how to take her in, I needed to understand how trainee contracts worked.

As I spoke, Team Leader Baek’s expression grew serious.

<“A standard trainee contract lasts three years. Since she’s part of a unit, she still has time left on her contract… If we try to take her now, tampering might become an issue.”>

Tampering refers to illegally contacting an athlete before their contract expires.

It originated in professional sports, but after a major girl group contract dispute, it became a common term in the entertainment industry.

<“If we really need to take her, we can, even if it means getting bad press. But SN Entertainment probably included a penalty clause in the contract. We’ll need to deal with that too.”

“Would the penalty be high?”>

<“The standard contract allows companies to charge up to 50% of training costs. If SN invested 100 million KRW in Chie, the penalty would be 50 million. Meaning, we’d have to pay 150 million KRW to get her out.”>

If SN had already chosen her for their debut lineup, they wouldn’t let her go even if we paid.

There might also be other restrictive clauses in the contract.

<“I have a friend at SN. I’ll check what’s going on. If what you’re saying is true, then both a trainee and a manager have disappeared. The company must have taken some action.”>

That made sense.

They wouldn’t just sit back while someone disappeared for days.

<“That would be helpful. Please look into it for me.”>

*

Just as I was about to leave for the day, Team Leader Baek called me.

<“I looked into it. SN Entertainment is handling this weirdly.”

“What do you mean?”

“They told the other unit members to stay quiet about Chie’s disappearance and assigned a new manager. The trainees think their manager was simply replaced.”

“That’s possible?”

“The executive in charge of the unit ordered it. When someone higher up says to do something, the lower ranks just follow orders.”>

Something smelled off.

A trainee vanished, and they did nothing?

<“Can you find out more about that executive?”

“I’ll try, but this one will take time.”>

I told him to take as long as he needed and ended the call.

His final words kept echoing in my head.

<“Don’t send Chie back to the dorm. SN is hiding something. A missing trainee is a serious issue, yet they’re covering it up. Keep her with you until I figure this out. It’s safer that way.”>

*****

The Day Before Discharge.

When I entered the hospital room, Sera was tapping on a tablet.

“You’re Here?”

Her voice was much stronger than when she first woke up.

And her gaze toward me was noticeably softer.

<“You should just rest. Why are you working?”

“This isn’t work.”

“For a creative person, making something is work.”

“I’m doing it because I like it.”

“Then keep doing what you love after you’re discharged. You can do it all you want once you’re back at the dorm.”

“Hehe, I will.”>

With a small chuckle, she obediently put the tablet aside.

Now, she even smiled at me.

Back at the dorm, she used to avoid my gaze at all costs.

She pulled back the blanket and crawled closer on her knees.

<“Could you lean down for a second?”>

As I lowered myself toward the bed, she gently wrapped her arms around me.

<“Thank you for saving me. I’ll never forget that you came running for me… I’m really grateful… sniff…”>

Her voice trembled as she choked back tears.

For Sera, this was the most affection she could express.

<“Nice. You’re finally greeting me properly. Makes the trip to Busan worth it.”>

When I patted her head, she flinched at first but soon accepted it without resistance.

It felt like the wall she had built around herself had finally come down, and that felt good.

This was already the third hug.

Every time we met at the hospital, she would hug me the same way and say the same thing.

At first, I thought she might have amnesia, but when she said she wanted to keep doing it until she was discharged, I just let her be.

From behind the partition, I heard the sound of sniffling.

<“What are you doing?”

“Hiiing… It’s just such a touching scene… Sorry…”>

This was the third time I’d seen Chie cry from emotion.

Back when she was scared, I hadn’t noticed, but she was actually very expressive and high-energy.

She reminded me of Rina, but the Japanese version.

Since there was something I needed to discuss, I pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed.

<“I looked into SN Entertainment. Even though you and the manager disappeared, the company hasn’t reacted at all.”>

“T-That can’t be….”

She looked deeply disappointed.

After all, she had joined the company willingly, hoping to debut in a girl group.

To be treated like this must have felt unfair.

<“I’m still investigating why they haven’t reacted. But it’s going to take time. What do you want to do? I wouldn’t recommend going back to the dorm. The company’s behavior is suspicious.”>

She hesitated for a long time before cautiously speaking.

<“I… don’t want to go back. There’s no one on my side there.”>

Even the manager she had relied on had betrayed her.

She had no one to trust in that company.

<“Do you have anywhere else to go?”>

She shook her head.

<“If I leave the company, I have to go back to Japan. But… I don’t want to return empty-handed. I fought with my dad so much just to come to Korea…”>

Apparently, Chie’s father was against her debuting in a K-pop girl group.

Considering how harsh the process is, it wasn’t hard to see why.

<“Um… Manager oppa.”>

“Yeah?”

“Can I… stay at your dorm until the company issue is resolved? My room is big, so we can share it.”

It seemed like she had gotten close to Sera while sharing a hospital room.

For me, this was exactly what I wanted.

<“What about you, Chie? What do you think?”

“I-I mean… Can I really stay…?”

“Why not? The dorm is spacious, and it’s not like you eat a lot.”>

She wouldn’t be able to bring her personal belongings, but with three girls already living there, the essentials would be covered.

As for clothes, I still had plenty of leftover budget, so buying a few outfits wouldn’t be an issue.

<“Then… I’ll be in your care, even though I’m lacking.”>

With an oddly formal phrase, she bowed deeply.

And with that, I successfully secured a place for Chie at the dorm.