The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 30

I barely resisted Cha Soyeon’s temptation to stay the night and left her place.

“I’m impressed by Juwon’s patience, turning down my offer to sleep together.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I just have something important to tell the kids tonight.”

“Hehe, I’m just joking. I know you’d do anything for Red Blossom. There will be plenty of chances for us in the future. Go make them happy.”

She saw me off with a smile as serene as the Virgin Mary’s.

I didn’t even do anything, yet I felt completely drained.

No matter what I do, it always feels like Cha Soyeon is one step ahead of me.

Wanting to share the good news before the day ended, I hurried to the dorm.

Red Blossom’s Dorm —“Welcome home, oppa. You’re a bit late today.”

As usual, Rina greeted me at the entrance.

From the kitchen, there was a loud clatter.

“Oh no! My clothes, my clothes!”

Yeoreum, flustered, ran off to change.

She must not have expected me to come, as her usual style was much more revealing than this.

“You look good in anything, so don’t rush to change. I won’t be staying long.”

“B-but…”

“It’s fine. Call everyone over. I have something to say.”

The four of them sat obediently on the couch, waiting for me to speak.

Seeing them like that, I suddenly felt nervous and cleared my throat.

“Ahem… This is fresh news as of today, and I felt I had to tell you before the day ended.”

“You’re making me nervous, Manager-nim.”

“Yeah, just get to the point already.”

“From your expression, it looks like good news.”

(Nods.)

“It is good news. The chairman approved adding a new member. Once we bring in one more person, you’ll finally be able to make a comeback.”

Silence filled the room, just like it had in the office earlier.

It only took a few seconds for their blank expressions to turn to shock, then pure joy.

““Kyaaaa!!””

Their screams were worthy of a top-tier girl group.

After hugging each other in excitement, all four of them rushed at me.

Did Chie even understand what was happening?

“Uwaaaah, Manager-nim… Manager-niiiim!!”

“Oppa, thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Manager oppa, I’m so moved.”

“Chie too.”

For a while, the five of us basked in a joy that felt like a long-lost family reunion.

*

“We got through a big hurdle, but this is just the beginning. Especially you, Chie—you know you have to pass the audition, right?”

“Yes.”

“Our company may be smaller than SN, but our AR team is known as the best in the industry. Their team leader, Baek Hakyung, is a real hard-ass. He won’t accept you easily.”

“There’s a saying in Japan: ‘Even a sardine’s head can be sacred if you believe in it.’ Since I trust you, Manager oppa, I’ll definitely pass.”

“…A sardine’s head?”

“It means anything is possible if you believe in it.”

Thanks to Chie, I learned another random fact.

“Until the audition—no, from now on, stop working part-time.

If you need living expenses, I’ll take care of it.

They cleared out the basement practice room for renovations, so it’s empty now.

I’ll have the audio installed first thing tomorrow.

You all need to help Chie with her practice, got it?”

““Yes!””

And just like that, Red Blossom took its first step toward their comeback.

SN Entertainment Executive Director’s Office —“…That’s it?”

“He’s just an ordinary entertainment company employee.”

Across from Executive Director Geum Taesang sat a man.

A Chilling Gaze and a Scar Across His Cheek.

With his piercing gaze and a scar running across his cheek, he had the kind of brutal look most people would rather avoid.

“Graduated from Korea University at 27… So he’s got some brains. And he’s close with Cha Soyeon?”

“He caught a guy who came at her with a knife. That’s how he got into Pine Entertainment. Looks like Cha Soyeon thinks highly of him.”

“Thinks highly, my ass. What would she need a mere manager for? She probably just acted friendly a few times for the sake of her image.”

He placed a cigarette between his lips.

The man across from him took out a lighter and lit it for him.

“Hmph, he seemed like someone special, but if he’s this ordinary… Are you sure you checked thoroughly?”

“Yes. If you’re still curious, we can get the truth straight from him. A little roughing up from the boys, and he’ll spill everything.”

“He claims to have taken down 300 people by himself.”

“Does that even make sense? He’s not Superman.”

“Of course, it sounds like a bluff. But when I was with him, he had this… presence. Even though he spoke quietly, it felt overwhelming.”

The executive director, Geum Taesang, exhaled smoke deeply.

Hearing that, the man’s expression shifted slightly.

“If you felt that way, then he’s no ordinary guy. Most people can’t even speak properly in front of you, sir.”

“Yeah, I do have a pretty intimidating face. But that bastard? He looked at me like I was just some guy from his neighborhood.”

He took another deep drag from his cigarette, then exhaled slowly.

“If you’re that curious, send some guys to test him. Just make sure there’s no loose ends.”

“Understood.”

*

When the man stepped into the parking garage, a bulky figure waiting by the car opened the door for him.

“Did everything go well?”

“Yeah. Get some capable guys together for Doksu.”

“How many do you need?”

“About ten. Make sure there won’t be any fallout.”

“Understood. Should I call them to the shop?”

“Yeah.”

The man ran a hand through his hair, scowling.

“Shit… Taking down 300 people? Does that even make sense?”

*

A Few Days Later —I grabbed a few cans of beer from the convenience store and headed home.

‘This place is great and all, but the climb up the alley is a pain.’

[You should’ve accepted when that woman offered to buy you a house. It’s not like using your divine gift, so there’s no harm in a little greed.]

‘I already accepted Red Blossom’s dorm. How could I ask for more?’

[You never turn away a woman, but you’re so upright about this kind of thing.]

‘What do you mean, “never turn away a woman”? I don’t have anyone.’

[If I recall, you heard something close to a confession just a few days ago.]

‘That was just because of my divine gift.’

[Wait a moment.]

The spirit suddenly stopped talking.

At that exact moment, I bumped shoulders with a passerby.

When did he get here?

“Uwaaaaah!”

The man collapsed to the ground, rolling as if he had been hit by a truck.

But I barely even touched him.

“Sorry. Are you okay?”

“As I Bent Down to Help Him Up…”

The moment I bent down to help him, the man pulled something from his pocket.

Under the glow of the streetlight, it gleamed—it was a knife.

With practiced movements, he thrust it toward my side.

There was no time to dodge.

[What a foolish human.]

Just before the blade could pierce my side, it twisted into an unnatural shape and coiled around the man’s arm.

Looking closely, I realized—it was a grotesque-looking snake.

“Gaaahhh! W-What the hell?!”

The man screamed and flailed wildly, trying to shake it off.

But the more he struggled, the tighter the snake coiled, slithering upward until it sank its fangs into his neck.

His eyes rolled back as he foamed at the mouth and collapsed onto the ground.

[Pharaoh’s sorcerers bragged about their magic, so I turned their staffs into snakes and had them devoured.]

‘Wait… Was that a viper?’

[I removed the venom, so don’t worry. No killing—until the Lord permits it.]

He wasn’t alone.

Hearing footsteps, I looked up and saw a group of men rushing in from the alley.

Each of them carried a weapon—wooden bats, metal pipes—at least ten of them.

I quickly stood up—And then, suddenly, everything went pitch black.

A darkness so deep that I couldn’t see an inch in front of me swallowed the alleyway.

[This is the Ninth Plague—Darkness. To punish the sun god Ra, Egypt was cast into utter blackness for three days. Those men won’t see anything except the darkness now.]

As if to prove the point, the thugs stumbled around, crashing into each other in confusion.

Watching them, I felt something boiling up inside me.

‘That’s strange.’

[What is?]

‘It’s over, but I still feel fired up. Like, I actually want to go hit them.’

[That’s because your divine gift of strength has awakened. The fighting spirit of ancient warriors fills you now—there’s no way you’d just let these guys be.]

‘Give me a weapon.’

[Just go beat them up. There are only ten.]

‘My fists will be enough?’

[Samson tore a lion apart with his bare hands. These guys aren’t even a bite-sized snack for a lion.]

‘…Fair point.’

I clenched my fists and strode toward them.

Moments Later—Ten bodies lay sprawled on the ground.

Not a single one stirred—they were completely knocked out.

‘So this is possible.’

[Told you—bare hands were more than enough.]

‘I should’ve left one conscious. Would’ve been nice to ask who sent them.’

I had a pretty good guess, but hearing it directly would’ve been better.

[Divine punishment hits humans hard. They won’t wake up for at least three days.]

‘Then… what now?’

[I’ll lift the darkness, so watch carefully.]

The thick veil of darkness gradually dissipated.

As the streetlights flickered back to life, I noticed something beyond the alley.

A faint glowing line, stretching ahead like a path on a GPS.

‘What is that?’

[It’s the Gift of Signposts. If you follow it, you’ll reach exactly where you need to go.]

‘Wow, it’s like a real GPS.’

[Exactly. Think of it as a spiritual navigation system. Since you’ll have a lot of places to visit in the future, the Lord has granted it to you.]

Grateful for today’s divine provision, I began walking along the guiding path.

The alley led down to a main road.

‘Do I need to drive? How far is it?’

[Look next to the path—it shows the distance.]

Beside the glowing guide, a number appeared.

“34 km remaining.”

It really was turning into a full-fledged GPS.

I got into the company van, which I had parked in a public lot, and followed the path.

There was only one person who would send thugs like that—Executive Director Geum Taesang.

Rumor had it that a Gangnam gang had his back.

Looks like that was true.

Whenever he needed something dirty done, he probably had them take care of it.

Well, since things had come to this, I might as well clean up the trash first.