The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 63

"Sorry. You answered me so sincerely, but I suddenly got upset and just…"

"Was there anything in my answers that would upset you?"

I asked out of genuine curiosity, not anger.

She was offering to help without asking for anything in return—was that really something to get upset about?

"It’s just… suddenly offering to help like that felt strange… Ah, no. I was wrong. I just blurted out nonsense, so please forget it. Forgive me. I spoke carelessly. Please…"

Was she having some kind of episode?

Her demeanor had changed strangely.

Her pupils were shaking violently, and her shoulders wouldn’t stop trembling.

"Sorry, but… could you walk me back to my room? I’m shaking a little…"

I wondered how she even got here, but I didn’t say anything.

She looked so pitifully anxious.

After escorting her to her room, she thanked me in a barely audible voice before slipping inside.

[She’s a woman tangled in complicated emotions.]

‘Is that something you can see?’

[Since I’m a spirit, I can sense the flow of emotions. Most humans don’t have more than one or two emotions mixed together, but that woman has multiple emotions chaotically tangled up inside her.]

‘Isn’t that bipolar disorder?’

Among mood disorders, it’s one of the most severe mental illnesses.

Statistics show that about 25% of patients suffering from it attempt suicide.

[I don’t know human medical terms, but it’s definitely not a good state.]

I needed to check her eyesight, but now there was another problem to solve.

"Why are you so late? Come sit down quickly."

Park Seungho was already heavily drunk.

We had an early shoot tomorrow—was he going to be okay?

"Don’t worry about him. Even when he’s this drunk, he wakes up sharp as a knife in the morning and goes for a walk."

PD Shin Dongho laughed as he handed me a glass.

"Today, Ayoung seemed to really follow Juwon’s lead. The way they were chatting so comfortably… it was nice to see."

"You must really care about Ayoung-ssi."

"She had the potential to become a great actress, so it’s a shame. I don’t know why her acting fell apart like that, and because of it… Ugh, what am I even saying? Don’t mind me. Let’s drink."

He clinked his glass against mine.

It felt like he was about to say something but stopped himself.

[He’s debating whether to tell you about that woman’s situation. He trusts you, but talking about someone else’s personal matters is a separate issue from trust.]

A red dot appeared on PD Shin’s lips.

It was the Mark of Fate’s Guidance.

[This man’s fate is also tied to ‘conversation.’ Give him the confidence that you can help that woman. Right now, what’s needed is the right choice and focus for her salvation.]

The back-and-forth between PD Shin and me, all to save Min Ayoung, lasted until dawn.

"Ayoung really needs a manager like you, Juwon. I was moved seeing how you handled the Red Blossom kids."

"I’m not officially assigned to her, but I can help however she needs. Of course, only if she wants my help."

"How did you handle their mental care? After two years as failed idols, they must’ve been really struggling."

"We started by talking openly. The more you know, the closer you get, and the closer you are, the clearer it becomes what kind of help they need."

"Then, get close to Ayoung. She’s been hiding for two years and has no one around her."

"I’m willing, but Ayoung-ssi doesn’t seem to be, though?"

"What are you talking about?"

He was about to take the bait.

This was the crucial part.

"She doesn’t open up. If I try to go deeper, she gets visibly anxious and emotionally unstable. It feels like I’m the only one giving, and that’s not how a friendship works."

I slightly ‘adapted’ the story of what happened under the cliff.

Because PD Shin seemed to already know something.

"You’ve only known her for a day… and you can tell that?"

"Time isn’t important. What matters is how deeply you look. And I’m ready to look deeply into Ayoung-ssi."

The Mark of Fate’s Guidance reacted—PD Shin’s gaze shifted.

[He’s starting to believe you can help her. You’ve steered this in the right direction.]

‘Can’t you just make it obvious? Showing me numbers would be easier.’

[You mean like a status window?]

‘Yeah.’

[The gods don’t enable that. Humans were originally made in the image of the gods. They’re not simple beings that can be summed up in a few numbers.]

‘So you’re saying I should just listen to you.’

[That’s why I’m here.]

It felt like working for an inefficient company that keeps adding roles to avoid firing people.

"I’m telling you this because I think Juwon can help Ayoung. You saved those failed idols, after all."

"If there’s anything that can help Ayoung-ssi, please tell me. I can keep a secret."

He downed the last of his soju and looked at me.

"I don’t know why her acting fell apart like that. She refused to talk about it no matter what. I thought time would heal it, but the next problem was worse."

PD Shin grimaced.

"...She developed panic disorder and depression. They often come together, apparently. She couldn’t function without antidepressants."

For over a year, she lived in seclusion, relying on medication.

Then, she reconnected with PD Shin and occasionally met with him.

"It wasn’t exactly counseling—just listening to her talk. Even that much made her feel better."

As her condition improved, she mustered the courage to quit the medication a few months ago.

"She said she’s been fine since, so I asked her to appear here. It’s just a pilot for a healing variety show, so there’s no pressure. Even if she doesn’t act right away, it’d be good to let people know how she’s doing."

She wasn’t fine.

I didn’t know how she was before coming here, but her behavior under the cliff was close to a breakdown.

It resembled the withdrawal symptoms of someone quitting hard drugs.

"At dinner, Ayoung-ssi asked me to keep filling her with ‘energy of success,’ remember? I’ll keep doing that until we leave the island. She said just hearing it was healing, so it should help her mental state."

"That’s good. It’ll definitely help her restart her acting career. I think her acting fell apart because her mental state collapsed. Help her like you did with the Red Blossom kids."

"Got it. And in the morning, tell Ayoung that you talked to me. I don’t want her thinking I pried behind her back. I won’t repeat what you told me to anyone, but at the very least, she should know."

"Now that I think about it, it’s strange."

"What is?"

"That I ended up telling you about Ayoung’s struggles and asking for your help. I don’t know why, but I felt like I had to tell you. It was like someone was pushing me from behind, saying, ‘This is your chance—grab it.’"

The Mark of Fate’s Guidance had influenced PD Shin’s heart.

It planted the certainty in him that I could help.

‘This makes it seem like I hypnotized PD Shin or something.’

[The effect is similar, but the intent is different. Unless you’re feeling some kind of desire for him…]

‘Are you insane?’

I should stop making dumb jokes with the spirit.

I was going to lose sleep over this, but I’d gained a crucial clue for her salvation.

The second day was chaotic from the morning because we had guests arriving.

"They’re coming on the morning ferry, so they’ll arrive at 11. The seniors will greet them at the dock, and the cooking team is the same as yesterday. The menu is this and…"

Despite drinking heavily last night, PD Shin was perfectly composed as he directed the set.

In the kitchen, the kids were busily prepping ingredients under Yeoreum’s guidance.

Before the guests arrived, Park Seungho and I split up to our respective tasks—he was in charge of supplies, and I went fishing.

‘Got the sea bream yesterday, so today it’s octopus.’

As I descended the cliff, Leviathan poked its head out of the water.

Every time I saw that thing, it felt like the genre had shifted, leaving me with a weird feeling.

I knew the cameras couldn’t see it, but I still glanced back at the cameraman.

"After the amazing catch yesterday, we had to rock-paper-scissors to decide who’d come down here, hahaha."

The cameraman laughed awkwardly.

Apparently, my one-hour, ten-fish haul had become a hot topic among the staff.

I was checking the traps I’d set at dawn when a tentacle emerged from the water and poked me.

If I ignored it, it’d keep bothering me, so I gently stroked it as I went deeper.

"What’s the meaning behind waving your hand in the air like that?"

The cameraman was curious.

"It’s a ritual to fill the traps with octopuses."

I said it offhandedly, but Leviathan seemed to take it the wrong way.

A current swirled around the traps, and water splashed everywhere.

"Whoa, what’s that?"

The cameraman was thrilled, but I knew I was screwed.

A moment later, with a loud splash, an octopus shot out of the water before disappearing again.

So many had crammed into the trap that it burst, leaving debris floating on the surface.

At least a few octopuses surfaced with it, so I wasn’t going back empty-handed.

They filmed the rare spectacle of octopuses leaping from the water, but the horror-movie vibe didn’t fit a healing show, so the footage was scrapped immediately.

After the chaotic octopus hunt, the guests arrived on the island.

A CEO who’d switched industries through repeated successes and failures,

An athlete who discovered new talents after a major injury left them disabled,

An actor turned producer struggling after consecutive failures,

And a former famous idol now living an ordinary life as a delivery driver—

Their honest stories, fitting the show’s theme, brightened the dining table more than the delicious food.

"The chemistry’s great even though they just met. Did PD Shin pick them well?"

"It’s thanks to you, Senior, making sure no one stays quiet."

PD Shin and Park Seungho laughed, crediting each other.

While resting by the warehouse away from the cameras, Min Ayoung approached.

Her expression was stiff.

"I’ll wait at that spot after filming ends today."