The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 58

“I run a rice bowl restaurant, and it’s really delicious. The offices and shops nearby are all regulars. I learned a lot from my mom, but I still have a long way to go to match her cooking skills.”

“I’ve loved dancing since I was little. 

My friend recorded a video and uploaded it to YouTube, and that’s when Pine Entertainment contacted me. 

But when I got here, I realized there were a lot of people who could dance just as well as me. 

So, I practiced until my feet were bleeding.”

“I dropped out of high school and it took me four years to debut. And I’ve been active for two years now, so it’s already been six years.”

“Ugh, this drink is really~ delicious. Manager, shall we do a love shot?”

“Here, here, this is the snack that cute and lovely Yeoreum is giving you~ Ah~”

She made a cute, stuffy noise, and her words seemed endless.

Thanks to that, I learned a lot about Yeoreum.

Come to think of it, it hasn’t even been two months since I joined and started spending time with Yeoreum. 

It just felt long because we’ve been through so much during that time.

This was the first time we were talking about personal matters, just the two of us.

We quickly finished off the bottle while exchanging banter.

I tried to keep things moderate because I had to take care of Yeoreum later, but she wasn’t giving me any breathing room.

“Manager~ Hehe, what kind of woman do you like~?”

“The kind of woman I like?”

“Yes~”

“Well, if you ask me suddenly…”

“I’ll guess for you~ Oh, hmm, hehe. Ah… a woman like Soyeon unnie!”

“Why are you suddenly bringing up Soyeon?”

“She’s pretty, has a good body, is popular, has a lot of money… A woman like that… hehe. Is there anyone else like her?”

“Well, there probably isn’t. But saying that makes her sound less human. She’s too perfect.”

“Right, right! That’s why you shouldn’t like a woman like unnie… like me!”

Huh?

She approached me with half-lidded eyes and clung to my side.

The way she subtly rubbed against my chest was unbearably coquettish.

“As for me… I might not have money like unnie, but I’m pretty, I have a good body, and… you’ll make me more famous than unnie, right?”

Her eyes, shining even under the dim light, were filled with a longing for success.

The belief that I would lead her down that path was both burdensome and, at the same time, made me feel proud.

“Yeah. I’ll make you shine the brightest on stage. You’ll be so beautiful and dazzling that everyone will have no choice but to cheer. I’ll make that happen.”

“Right now… the light behind the manager, like this?”

Huh?

“Soyeon unnie also… said she saw the light. I saw it too… I guess anyone who falls for you, manager, can see it~”

This was something she said while I was wrapping bandages at the dorm.

She said she could tell what I was thinking by the light shimmering behind me.

Even though I hadn’t met a god, she could see it, and I wondered if this was a signal showing my connection with her, regardless of the teacher.

‘Is what I think correct? Only Soyeon and Yeoreum are seeing it.’

[That’s something only the god knows. Ask them when you meet later.]

‘When later?’

[They’ll appear when necessary. They’ll come like a thief, so no one will know except for the god.]

It’s still an answer like a Zen riddle.

Since I didn’t respond properly, Yeoreum frowned.

“Unnie… said everything… that you’re a special person~ You help everyone, you’re so kind~ That’s why we’re together…”

She mumbles with a sad face, treating herself as pitiful.

Self-deprecation isn’t good like this.

I gently patted Yeoreum’s head.

“If I’m special, you’re special too. You’re shining, but no one notices, so I’m showing you. If you put yourself in a place where people can see, you’ll shine more than anyone.”

“Hehe~ you’re like a fool~”

“You’re a shining fool. You’ll shed that fool label soon.”

“No one knows though~”

“But I do. Soon, everyone will know.”

“Really…?”

“Yeah, that’s why I came to you.”

“Really… you, manager, will make me shine…?”

“That’s right. Now, believe it.”

She raised her arms and tightly hugged me from the side.

Even the scent of alcohol seemed to become a subtle fragrance, tickling my nose.

“I’ll believe you… I’ll believe it, so answer me…”

“What answer?”

“Earlier, you said you wanted me to like you… not unnie, but me, you said~”

I thought it was something she said in the drunken state, but she remembered it.

It’s a bit ambiguous to ask someone to like you, but not actually like them.

“Well, asking me to like you and then suddenly saying you like me is a bit… strange.”

“Hehe~ do you dislike me?”

“No. Why would I dislike you?”

“Hehe… so you like me~”

“You can’t just jump to conclusions like that. How can emotions be divided so simply into like or dislike?”

“Hehe… what is it then…?”

“Let’s talk about it after the alcohol wears off. You should talk about these things when you’re sober.”

“Hehe~ you can’t even tell me this…”

Then, she collapsed onto my lap.

“How much… I like… my manager…”

Her words trailed off.

I waited for her to continue, but only faint sounds were heard.

Sigh, this is exhausting. Why is she acting like this today?

[Master, I don’t want to meddle in your love life, but it might be good to pay attention to the signs.]

I’m not sure about my relationship with Cha Soyeon, and I shouldn’t get involved with Yeoreum too.

[Isn’t it common for people to have relationships with multiple people?]

That’s true, but dating multiple people at once isn’t really a relationship. 

It’s a matter of trust.

[What if both sides are okay with it?]

What do you mean?

[Two women confessed to you, and what if they’re okay with dating you together? There are actors in America who do that.]

Am I changing? 

How can you compare me to someone with that kind of ability?

[The person with the divine gift is rarer than someone who can reverse time, so don’t be too humble. It might seem arrogant to the gods.]

Reverse time?

[That’s the ability of the actor… Ah.]

What’s wrong?

[The gods are saying not to say unnecessary things. They’ll meet you later and tell you directly.]

Are you still in contact?

[I’m a fragment of the gods.]

*

Yeoreum is sleeping soundly on my lap with a comfortable expression.

It’s already past midnight.

I know the room number, but I didn’t feel like carrying a drunk Yeoreum into the room while the others are sleeping.

I asked the waiter to call a cab.

When I picked her up like a princess, she went “Uhng,” and snuggled into my arms.

Just like Cha Soyeon, she seems to like being in my arms.

I brought Yeoreum to the attic room.

She’s the third guest after Cha Soyeon and the guy, Shin Haram.

[It’s a humble place, but so many people come here.]

Quiet!

I laid Yeoreum on the bed and carefully tucked her in.

I arranged her hair so it wouldn’t tickle her face.

[The gods must have cared for her too. She’s just as important as that woman.]

That’s right. 

Now that I look at her, she’s like a sculpture.

I promised myself that I’d make her the most beautiful visual in the girl group and left the room.

I grabbed the sleeping bag and went out to the porch.

It’s warm enough for summer, but it’s starting to get chilly at night.

I snuggled into the sleeping bag and looked at the night sky.

Although my head was a little foggy from the alcohol, the stars, which I hadn’t seen in a while, filled me with a sense of calm.

‘I should make some dried pollock soup in the morning.’

With that thought, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

In my half-asleep state, I felt something soft and moist touch my lips… but my heavy eyelids couldn’t manage to open.

*

When I woke up, there was a delicious smell in the air.

Someone was humming a tune in the kitchen, wearing an apron.

It was Yeoreum.

“Manager, are you awake?”

“Uh, yeah.”

She had already come over to the porch and was smiling at me brightly.

Her ponytail and apron looked like the morning sun.

“Wow, this is the attic room I’ve only heard about. How did you think of bringing me here?”

“It was too late to take you back to the dorm, and I couldn’t just leave you at a motel.”

“Hmm, I’d be happy to go to a motel with you anytime.”

She stuck her tongue out playfully before heading into the kitchen.

It seems like she caught on to Cha Soyeon’s habits.

“I can’t promise it’ll taste good since I’m just throwing things together.”

I can assure you, this was the best dried pollock soup I’ve ever had.

Both dried pollock soup and soybean sprout soup are easy to make, so I often cook them myself.

‘I never realized that what I made was below British cooking standards.’

Yeoreum watches me devour the soup with honeyed eyes.

“Now I understand why people say they get full just by watching their husband enjoy the food in their honeymoon period.”

“Where did you hear that from?”

“There’s so many newlywed diaries online.”

“I thought you wouldn’t be interested in that stuff at your age.”

“I wasn’t interested before I met you.”

She rests her chin on her hand and looks at me with soft eyes.

“Seeing you eat what I made so happily, I think that kind of life wouldn’t be bad.”

“Don’t make decisions too quickly. Thoughts can change anytime.”

“If they change easily, I wouldn’t be talking about this. You’ll know if you experience it, but I’m really stubborn. Probably more than Soyeon.”

More stubborn than the strong-willed Cha Soyeon?

“Actually, I don’t remember everything I said yesterday, but whatever I said…”

She pauses for a moment.

“…It was all true.”

Isn’t that usually the opposite?