Top Management - Chapter 163

Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Celebrities Live Off their Image (6)

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

Lee Songha opened her mouth before closing it firmly . Her cheeks flinched like she was doing her best to stop herself from saying something . The lighting was the same, yet her face turned brighter and darker .

Our eyes met .

Her eyes were tinted with the orange light as well, making them seem like the ocean at sunset . Like hell, they were like the ocean with blowing winds and crashing waves, you crazy bastard .

The light turned off again . Only about three seconds seemed to have passed, but it was a relief . I used the darkness as cover to frown .

Her breathing quickened .

This was perturbing . It felt like I poured malt and water in rice, let it ferment, and even boiled it down .

Meaning I was smoothly screwing myself over . {1}

“Let’s go in now-“

Her hand shot out like lightning and grasped my arm . Her hand, which I had seen and touched countless times before, had always been slender and supple . Where did she get this strength from? I felt like a salmon caught by a bear .

“Why? Do you have something else to ask?”

She asked between her quickened breaths,

“Why don’t you date, oppa?”

“Have a conscience . Whenever there’s a hint like that, you girls stick to me like sister ghosts, trying to take me along with you . ”

“Still, you could if you really wanted to . ”

Of course, I could if I really wanted to .

In the darkness, which I couldn’t even see her outline, I turned my gaze towards her as I could clearly sense her perking her ears for my reply .

“Just . I don’t plan to for a while . ”

“Why?”

“I plan on fueling my ambition without losing focus . ”

“Ambition …!”

She buzzed next to me . When the light turned on, Lee Songha’s face was right in front of me . She looked so worried that her eyelashes were trembling . Her gloomy demeanor, caused by Jung Jae, had long since disappeared .

Lee Songha grabbed my other arm with her empty hand .

“Ambition is important! I will support, no, I’ll push you from the back and pull you from the front . ”

“Yeah, okay . Thanks . ”

“I also have an ambition . ”

Lee Songha said proudly .

“I think my plans have been proceeding well since last year . ”

“Did you make a 10-year plan or something?”

“No!”

She jumped up and down . Her expression was as serious as ever .

“Ten years is too long . ”

Maybe five years .

Lee Songha mumbled as she looked down at the floor . She placed her hand on her waist before letting go . She also slid her toe on the floor . I didn’t know what she was thinking, but the corners of her lips slowly curled up . Because she didn’t keep still, the light stayed on .

“But, oppa, if you keep working passionately, you’ll be single past your marriageable age, and most the women around you will be married . Then, I guess you have no choice but to set a threshold…”

“Let’s go inside now . ”

I said while keying in the code .

“Why are you thinking about my marriageable age? Also, there are plenty of men and women in this industry who marry late . ”

“Pardon?”

“Even Team Leader Park said she had no plans on marrying before forty . ”

“… Team Leader Park?”

Lee Songha blinked .

“It’s just an example . Let’s go in . Quickly . The girls must be wondering what we are doing . ”

I opened the door and pushed Lee Songha’s back . I almost had to stuff her back in the house .

Then I gulped dryly a few times .

My tongue tingled .

I was definitely screwing myself over, but the taffy was just too sweet . {2}

***

There was a drizzle this morning .

Pretty Girls, including Jung Jae, were gathered in W&U’s lounge . To be exact, Jung Jae, the big goldfish, was surrounded by the smaller goldfish as they held both her arms .

Their eyes were particularly more swollen, seemingly having cried all night .

“They look like unwelcomed princesses . People will think I scolded them or something . ”{3}

The team 3 leader laughed as he rubbed his scruffy beard .

“You do look like a principal who would scold them . ”

“What are you talking about? I’m more like the tall mister . ”

“That’s Mr . Sunwoo’s role . You are just a mister . ”

Team Leader Park and Kim Hyunjo chuckled . Even as they joked, their gazes were on Pretty Girls . The reason why the members, who were waiting for Chief Lee Taeshin and Jung Sunwoo, were so nervous was because of these three’s sudden interest in them .

“Is she the one Lucky Charm personally rushed to find?”

The team 3 leader closely examined Jung Jae .

“Her gaze is odd . ”

“Looking at her, she gives off a certain aura . It’s girls like her who gain core fans . ”

“We’ll have to wait to know for sure, but the team’s image is clear now that the center is back . ”

The team 3 leader and Team Leader Park conversed while Kim Hyunjo bought some sports drinks from the vending machine and handed them out to the girls . He handed the two team leaders a coffee and requested,

“Neptune will be here soon, so let’s not bring up how Sunwoo ran around and all that to find her . They’ll probably be concerned about it without us bringing it up . ”

“That’s true . Especially Songha . ”

Team Leader Park made a meaningful smile .

Then she called Jung Jae, who was looking after the others, over .

“Even if Songha acts cold or stares at you or acts unusually, don’t pay it any mind . It’s just she follows Mr . Sunwoo more than the others . You know how first-borns get nervous when their mother’s attention focuses on their little sibling . ”

“She so curt with everything but explodes with emotions when it has to do with Lucky Charm . ”

The team 3 leader laughed . Just then, the elevator opened, and Lee Kwanwoo and Neptune got off . The team leaders, who welcomed the girls, flinched . Lee Songha suddenly popped out and quickly walked over with steadfast steps .

Her expression looked normal . However, the team leaders and Kim Hyunjo could immediately tell her emotions were in disarray . It was strange that she was rushing over like she was speed-walking when Jung Sunwoo and Son Chaeyoung weren’t here .

“Umm, my inept expression translator says her expression reads, ‘Great catching you here . ’”

“I know, right?”

The two team leaders whispered to each other . During this time, Lee Songha stood in front of Pretty Girls . The smaller goldfish looked up at her with admiration like fans at a signing event . This wasn’t their first time meeting, yet this seemed to get more and more severe .

Lee Songha said,

“Hi . ”

“Ah, hello, sunbae!”

“It’s good if you put spoons on your eyes . ”

“Spoons!”

“Cold ones . Or green tea bags . ”

This didn’t really qualify as a tip, but the smaller goldfish opened and closed their mouths in happiness . They looked like they would completely believe her even if she said that pain relief creams were great for swollen eyes .

Lee Songha nodded and turned to look at Jung Jae this time .

The two team leaders and Kim Hyunjo watched with bated breaths . The other Neptune members stood in place as they watched her actions . Im Seoyoung and LJ were whispering to each other next to Lee Taehee . Lee Kwanwoo looked like he was searching for Jung Sunwoo .

Under everyone’s gazes, Lee Songha said,

“Hello . ”

Nothing more or less . Just a simple greeting .

It was so normal that their worries were for naught . In fact, Lee Songha was even smiling faintly . She even looked composed as they talked about their first meeting .

The two team leaders and Kim Hyunjo looked at this with odd, but proud eyes .

The more famous a celebrity was, the more closed in they were, so there were many cases where their personalities grew more peculiar . It was the case for Seo Jijoon, who acted like a child in front of Chief Lee Bongjoon, and Son Chaeyoung, who caused trouble for chiefs and team leaders alike .

So even if Lee Songha acted or said something unusual, they only hoped she wouldn’t grow more peculiar than that . Yet, for some reason, she seemed more mature overnight . The two team leaders exchanged glances, asking whether the sun rose from the west today . {4}

Lee Songha went over to Team Leader Park .

Then she stared at her .

“Team leader . ”

“Hmm?”

“I thought about it, and I think you are really beautiful . ”

The team 3 leader promptly spurted his coffee . No one swore at him . If they were drinking something, they would have spurted it out as well . Quickly regaining her composure thanks to her experience, Team Leader Park asked,

“Why did you suddenly think that? Or what made you think…”

“Also, I think you both would be great together . ”

Her regained composure shattered .

Lee Songha was referring to Team Leader Park and the team 3 leader . The team 3 leader’s coffee seemed to flow in reverse as he started coughing noisily . Kim Hyunjo systematically patted his back .

Team Leader Park’s dazed gaze alternated between Lee Songha and the team 3 leader before looked at Neptune . They were busy talking about their lives with Pretty Girls . They were so passionate, it looked like they were at a politician’s election campaign event .

Team Leader Park’s gaze returned to Lee Songha .

“Songha, why are you doing this to me?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I will always be willing to sing, catch the bouquet, hand out tickets, or even hold your dress as you walk down the aisle for your wedding . You might be in urgent need of an extra hand . ”

Team Leader Park couldn’t hold back any longer and laughed .

“I’m really grateful, but you know that you’ll never get married if you don’t marry in 6 months after catching the bouquet?”

“Then I take that back . I can do anything else . ”

Surprised, Lee Songha corrected herself .

With a face one couldn’t tell was laughing or crying, Team Leader Park patted the team 3 leader’s shoulder . The team 3 leader had long since been coughing and laughing . He poked Kim Hyunjo’s side .

“Where are her parents?”

***

After a long conversation with Producer Ferret at his office, I hastily went over to the fourth floor . The team 3 leader had urgently called for me . I was worried that something might have happened between Neptune and Pretty Girls considering I got his text after Lee Kwanwoo texted me that they arrived .

When I arrived, the two teams seemed to be getting along . Even Jung Jae, who was a later addition, was talking amongst them . Chief Lee Taeshin, who came with me, looked relieved at this sight .

Then what was it?

I turned my gaze to see the team 3 leader and Team Leader Park holding their bellies in laughter .

I finally understood what was going on after I heard the details from Kim Hyunjo . Lee Songha slowly backed out when she saw me and was now standing in front of the wall . The puppy we kept at home in the past also acted like that when he did something wrong .

“I don’t think I can tell you anything anymore . ”

I said in a quiet voice . Lee Songha stuck to the wall even closer . She looked like she was about to go through it . At least she seemed embarrassed about it . If she wanted to do something, she should at least not get caught by me .

I was dumbfounded by how she occasionally glanced at me, but I also found it funny .

When I smiled, she raised her head slightly and slowly smiled as well .

“Don’t smile . ”

“Yes . ”

She was good at answering .

I sent Lee Songha over to the other members and beat around the bush when talking to Team Leader Park and the team 3 leader . Team Leader Park waved her hand, mentioning that, although she didn’t know why she said it, it was cute and that it had been a long time since she laughed that hard .

“Is the project proceeding smoothly?”

The team 3 leader suddenly asked . His gaze fell on the girls .

“Sending you out like this when I used to always receive updates makes it so I have no idea how things are going . Putting my frustration aside, I’m so curious I could die . IBC’s film crew and Pretty Girls have been around the company, so it seems you are busy . ”

He licked his dry lips .

“The reality show, Making Film . How is it? That’s the key . ”

“I think it’ll be okay . ”

“Do you think that it’ll go according to your plan once the show airs?”

‘Yes . ”

I smiled when I replied .

Team Leader Park, who attended a few Making Film meetings, nodded her head with a smile .

It had to do well . I ran around all day to obtain everything I could from this project . It wasn’t just me, countless people were involved .

Kim Hyunjo looked at the calendar on his phone and asked,

“Did you say the show will air two months from now?”

“Yes, it’ll air in Good Friends’ timeslot then . ”

The team 3 leader licked his lips .

“I guess we should wait two months and watch it like everyone else . Two months . It’s so far away . ”

“No, it isn’t . Two months go by in a flash . The first episode will air in the blink of an eye . ”

I replied while looking at the date on the calendar .

Then, as I said, two months really went by in a flash .

{1} The above is the process for making 엿 or taffy, this is also used to say ‘screwed over’ .

{2} Again, referring to the whole taffy point mentioned above

{3} Reference to the novel, Little Princess

{4} A phrase describing an impossible event, similar to ‘when hell freezes over’ .