Chapter 165
[The perpetrator of the Steel Blue stage attack, Mr. Lee, found dead in detention center]
[Defendant A in the ‘stage attack case’ found dead in detention center]
On the last morning of our vacation.
I frowned at the barrage of news.
According to the information I received from CEO Hong, it was said to be a suicide.
The detention center was reportedly very shocked by the sudden situation.
Until the previous day, the person showed no signs of remorse and was only waiting for the day to take revenge on us.
It was hard to believe that such an event had occurred overnight….
But since it had already happened, there was nothing more to say.
Frankly, his end was none of my concern.
What mattered to me now was the feelings of the members.
They were still young, and I worried if they might be traumatized.
Just as I picked up my phone to request psychological counseling for the members from CEO Hong.
Ding!
Burn Ash Dan Ha-sunbaenim
…A very unexpected person contacted me.
Burnash Dan Ha-sunbaenim
Jae-i has something he wants to discuss.
Can we meet for a moment?
Meeting in person to discuss it?
I pondered for a moment before replying.
Burn Ash Dan Ha-sunbaenim
How about meeting at the company studio?
I should block any potential troubles completely.
If asked why we met, I could say it was to get a song from Dan Ha.
Ding!
The reply came quickly.
Burnash Dan Ha-sunbaenim
Let’s meet now.
“Unnie, do you really want to go to the studio on the last day of our vacation?”
Kim Geum said, shaking her head.
“You came too.”
“For me, this is a vacation.”
Both of us…
“Are you going to discuss arrangements with Dan Ha-sunbaenim?”
“Yeah.”
“He hasn’t been seen much in the studio lately.”
“Really?”
“So I thought he must be busy. Aren’t they coming back soon? I should ask him to check my song later.”
She and I were starting to think alike.
After seeing Kim Geum enter the studio, I went into the adjacent one.
With the best soundproofing in the country, I felt reassured.
“Hello.”
“You’re here.”
Dan Ha and Han Jae-i were waiting for me with somber expressions.
I sat on the studio sofa.
Then, Dan Ha rustled around and handed me something.
“….”
It was pear bellflower juice.
Do these guys think I can’t live without pear bellflower juice?
“Thank you.”
…Since he gave it to me, I drank it.
“How are things with Director Sung these days?”
I started by asking about recent events.
It was a polite way of asking if Director Sung was still causing trouble.
“Thanks to you or the CEO, it’s been very quiet.”
“That’s a relief.”
From my last impression, he didn’t seem like someone who would stay quiet.
“So, what did you call me for?”
“Let’s get straight to the point.”
Han Jae-i took the lead in the conversation instead of the less talkative Dan Ha.
I preferred it this way. It was less frustrating.
“Have you had any frequent incidents of information leaks recently? Does it feel like things are strangely leaking?”
“!”
They were talking about a rat.
The rat who sold my information to Moment.
Faced with the unexpected topic, my expression hardened without realizing it.
Han Jae-i waved his hand as if to reassure me.
“Don’t worry. We’re dealing with the same issue.”
“…Do you know who the culprit is?”
Dan Ha and Han Jae-i exchanged glances and then nodded.
“We think it’s our manager.”
“…What?”
But how could Burn Ash’s manager know and sell our information?
I furrowed my brows at the incomprehensible conclusion.
“Our manager is dating your manager. Didn’t you know?”
“!”
I didn’t know.
I wasn’t free enough to be interested in my manager’s private life.
“I don’t think your manager intended to betray you. In my opinion…”
“They just let it slip because they’re in a relationship?”
“Especially since they work for the same company. They probably thought they were just talking about work with a colleague.”
Well, if it’s between the managers of Steel Blue and Burn Ash…
It’s possible they let their guard down.
Since they’re in a relationship, they probably shared everything.
The problem is that I let my guard down too.
They really have loose lips.
This time, it might not have been intentional, but…
It seems it’s time to let them go.
“Are you planning to fire them?”
“No.”
“…?”
“Even if we fire them, a new spy will just come in.”
That makes sense, but…
Still, isn’t it difficult to keep someone next to you knowing they’re a spy?
“Where did your manager sell the information?”
“To Moment.”
Dan Ha answered instead.
The same place as ours.
“It’s the same for us. My information has been continuously exposed to Moment.”
Han Jae-i seemed to be contemplating after hearing my words.
“It seems like they’re targeting us recently. In your case… wasn’t Inleven the rival pushed by Moment?”
“Yes. For you seniors, it was NextGen, right?”
“That’s correct.”
NextGen and Burn Ash were strong candidates for this year’s grand prize.
That means both groups are putting everything on the line this year.
NextGen is Moment’s flagship group, even more so.
Plus, NextGen is in their fifth year.
Burn Ash is in their third year.
They probably think they’re more urgent.
They’re not an easy opponent.
NextGen is a very popular boy group too.
In my past life, NextGen won.
Their album sales were overwhelming.
Thinking back, those absurd numbers must have been due to bulk buying.
“What are you thinking about?”
“…Hmm.”
Should I tell them or not?
If I mention that we’re catching on to Moment’s bulk buying scheme and probing into it…
Would these people be helpful?
I’m a bit doubtful.
They’re just third-years…
“What? Did you just think we’re not trustworthy?”
Sharp senses.
“How can a junior like you think your seniors are untrustworthy?”
“It’s a misunderstanding. I’ve never thought that.”
For now, I’ll deny it.
I need to think carefully about whether to involve them or not.
“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll deal with my manager.”
“Hey, we haven’t even started our conversation, junior.”
“…?”
Han Jae-i let out a deep sigh and handed me a piece of paper.
“What’s this?”
“The recent casting offers I’ve received. Don’t you see a familiar pattern?”
Oh no.
I really did see a familiar pattern.
“They’re the same places our members were invited to.”
“Someone is trying to tie us together.”
“…You rejected all of them.”
“It’s a time when we need to be more cautious than anyone else.”
She was right.
“When are you planning your next comeback?”
“September.”
We had planned for August.
We’ll need to move it up to July.
“Thank you. I’ll talk to CEO Hong and coordinate so our dates don’t overlap.”
“There’s more.”
“Why does it keep coming up?”
“It’s proof of how desperate our opponent is.”
I took the documents from him with an irritated heart.
And I got even more irritated as I read them.
“Are these bastards trying to pin their bulk buying on us?”
They were articles.
Articles suspicious of Steel Blue’s sudden rise in popularity.
They questioned the sudden spike in album sales, hinting at something fishy.
They even claimed the streaming patterns were suspicious.
How strange it was for a rookie girl group to hold the number one spot for so long.
Are they joking?
What’s so strange about a good song being number one?
“…Junior, you knew, didn’t you? That Moment was bulk buying?”
Oops.
I sighed.
Well….
It seems inevitable that we’ll have to join forces.
I had no intention of being uncooperative with someone who had given me so much information anyway.
“Yes, I knew.”
“How did you know?”
“We’ve been monitoring Moment’s movements too. If you pay even a little attention, it’s easy to notice. It’s not just me; even the public is starting to suspect.”
What I said was true.
The cyber sleuths on OTube were already talking about Inleven.
“…Well, let’s leave it at that.”
Why was he looking at me with such suspicion?
“Moment is trying to accuse not only you but us of bulk buying as well.”
“…Your sales trends were already strong, so it wouldn’t stick, would it?”
“No. If it turns out to be real bulk buying… we can’t escape it either.”
What on earth?
Was he confessing to bulk buying?
I was momentarily puzzled, but then I realized the hidden meaning.
This was serious.
“Moment is preparing for bulk buying. But this time, it’s not for their own groups—”
“It’s for us.”
This is bad.
My mind raced.
Even if it wasn’t something we planned, if it turned into actual bulk buying…
Whatever we said would sound like an excuse.
“Their targets are Burn Ash and Steel Blue. Groups that haven’t been around long and would be more affected.”
“…”
“I’ll tell the CEO, but she’s busy with other things these days. That’s why I wanted to tell you.”
“What’s keeping her busy?”
“A dating scandal involving All Colors is about to break out.”
“Is it a real relationship?”
“Yes. They’re even talking about marriage, and the CEO is desperately trying to convince them.”
He must really be busy.
All Colors is Colors’ cash cow, and they have an upcoming concert.
But in my past life, I didn’t hear any news like this, so CEO Hong must eventually succeed in persuading them.
“So, I wanted to hear your thoughts.”
“…”
I understood why they had come to me.
I would have done the same.
“Let’s strike first.”
They came to the right person.