Chapter 26
On my way to work, I was lost in thought, staring at the now slightly thicker bracelet and ring.
— Do you know what fortune feeds on to grow?
Only silly jokes I could never say out loud came to mind, like, “Fortune feeds on plankton. Heh, heh.”
At first, what I called “Onion” was truly worthy of the name. But after repeatedly blooming and growing, it eventually gave me a bracelet and a ring, and grew as big as a wind orchid. Still, why? By what mechanism did it grow?
One thing was clear—it didn’t grow by drinking water. I had tried bottom watering, but the water never went down.
“Maybe it feeds on money? People say money makes more money. Hmm… but it doesn’t feel like that’s the case here.”
By the time I arrived at the office, I had come to a conclusion: there was no point thinking about it alone.
“Whatever it is, I should just focus on working hard.”
With that thought, I opened the office door… but the atmosphere felt different.
First strange thing: despite the early hour, almost everyone was already at work. The management department usually had flexible hours depending on the artists’ schedules.
Second strange thing: everyone was smiling from ear to ear.
“Good morning!”
“Manager Yoo, you’re here!”
“Manager Yoo, looking sharp as always, haha!”
I awkwardly returned the greetings and sat down. As soon as I turned on my computer, a string of Sling messages popped up.
— Seungmok: Manager Yoo! Did you see JM’s stock? Limit up, limit up! Hit the ceiling as soon as the market opened! Thanks to NovaGirls!
— Seungmok: Looks like it’s going to rally for days! NovaGirls are heading to New York on March 20th, just ten days away. Won’t it keep rising even after that?
— Seungmok: The employees who got employee stock last year are going crazy right now! Did you know your name is being praised all over other departments?
— Seungmok: I’ll devote myself to you too, Manager Yoo! I’ll work like a loyal servant, so order me anything you want!
So that was the reason for this festive mood.
Deputy Manager Kim Seungmok—he’s been with management for seven years. Yet here he was, bowing his head to me and calling me “Manager Yoo” with such respect.
— Me: No, it’s fine;; I’m younger and less experienced than you, so please don’t make me feel pressured.
— Seungmok: What are you saying?! Thanks to you, my bank account just blossomed! Age, experience, doesn’t matter at all. I could even bow to you right now! Want me to do it? In the break room?
— Me: No no no!
He really started to get up from his chair, which startled me. Was he serious? Thinking of him, I caught a peculiar scent from Onion—soybean paste stew. Was Kim Seungmok… like soybean paste stew? What kind of person would that be?
“Wait a second? I got stock too, didn’t I?”
I had received restricted stock worth 100 million won. If the price hit the limit up, that meant a 30% increase. So now it was worth 130 million?
Overnight, I had gained 30 million won. Two months ago, my annual salary was only 35 million.
“Manager Yoo, try these. I got them from Levain Cookies—they’re amazing.”
Deputy Manager Yoo Jiwoo placed a cookie set on my desk. If I remembered correctly, Levain cookies cost 6,000 won apiece. Outrageous.
“Oh, thank you.”
“I’d be grateful if you could guide me a lot going forward!”
Jiwoo had four years of experience—again, more than me.
“Sorry, Jiwoo. Manager Yoo won’t have time for that. Just be content with learning over his shoulder.”
It was Team Leader Cho Minsoo, who had approached us.
“Manager Yoo, let’s talk in the conference room.”
I followed him. As soon as we sat down, he spoke in an unusually different tone.
“Manager Yoo. I owe you a lot.”
“…Sorry?”
He was always serious, always focused on business. Hearing him say he was grateful made me feel strangely embarrassed.
“No, Team Leader, you’re the one who helped me, a newcomer, find my footing.”
“That’s not it. Do you know how tough it is being team leader? If something fails, you can’t stop thinking—‘Did I mess up? Did I miss an opportunity?’”
He pushed some documents toward me as he continued.
“If we were selling fruit, I could just blame the quality. But we sell people’s charm. You feel like you could make them shine somehow, but sometimes it doesn’t work. And then… their whole life gets harder. I’ve always carried that guilt, especially with NovaGirls. I worried I was the one making their lives harder. But thanks to you, it feels like a thorn has been pulled from my throat.”
“…It was just timing.”
Minsoo murmured “thank you” and smiled.
“Someone with your ability shouldn’t be doing less. We’re expanding the team, centered around you.”
“…Centered around me?”
“Yes. These are candidate profiles for our department. I’ve summarized their bios on the right. This time too, I’ll trust your judgment.”
He patted my back warmly.
“What a good man.”
I thought of my two old friends, Ducheol and Hojin, who still hadn’t contacted me. Was I now meeting unusually good people… or had I just spent my past life with unusually bad ones?
“I’ll take a look.”
The list included trainees, artists nearing contract renewal, and even outsiders who had split with their managers. I scanned the pages while focusing on the scent wafting from Onion’s bracelet.
And then—
“…Huh?”
“What, did someone catch your eye?”
“What’s this document?”
I pulled out a paper that had been tucked in the back. It was the profile of actor Jang Hyung-geon.
Actor Jang Hyung-geon, age 42. He rose to fame at 30 as the lead in the blockbuster The Murderer’s Health Method, which drew 10 million viewers. A charismatic middle-aged star, his fandom remained strong. Six months ago, he had starred in the hit History of Fists, and was now on break.
“Oh, that must’ve gotten printed together by mistake. Don’t mind it.”
“What about him, though? I heard he doesn’t have a manager right now.”
“True. But he plans to rest longer.”
“Why is that?”
Something felt off.
So far, I’d figured out that the Onion ring showed future scenes, while the Onion bracelet gave power, pricked with thorns to alert me, or emitted scents as hints.
But now, it was doing something new. Letters were appearing on the thickened bracelet.
“Manager Yoo, you’re not the type to blab, right? Don’t tell anyone. The truth is… Hyung-geon’s wife has pretty severe depression. He wants to spend time with her. You know how much he adores her.”
“…Would it be alright if I met him once?”
“Sure, but don’t pressure him into signing. He’s had a long, good relationship with the company.”
“Understood.”
The bracelet’s letters flickered twice before fading.
The first message:
— Health Checkup
The second:
— Death
Valhalla Studio’s CEO, Park Mingyu, was rewatching an interview video.
— “Actor Lee Joo-ah, after ending your contract with Ladoremi Entertainment, I imagine you received many offers. Why did you choose JM Entertainment in particular?”
Usually, the expected answers would be: JM’s strengths, or wanting to work with certain artists there. But Lee Joo-ah had said:
— “Because I wanted to meet Manager Yoo Hyun-jae.”
The reporter was startled, asking why, what kind of relationship. But Joo-ah gave no clear answer, only: “It’s hard to explain right now.”
Her personality was well-known in the industry. Ladoremi had such a terrible reputation that people misunderstood her as prickly. But the truth was, “prickly” wasn’t right—she was compulsively honest.
Lie? She never did.
If a lie was unavoidable? She simply stayed silent. Which often led to misunderstandings, though she was, in fact, very decent and responsible.
— “Alright, let’s change the question. You’re known for carefully choosing projects, and I hear you’ve had countless offers. Why did you pick the film Chalk and Spear?”
— “Because my manager recommended it.”
— “Your manager… meaning Manager Yoo Hyun-jae?”
— “Yes.”
— “Hmm… no other reason? Like the quality of the work?”
— “I do think it’s high quality. But that wasn’t why I decided. Honestly, there’s no other reason.”
— “So, 100% just because your manager recommended it?”
Joo-ah nodded. We all know what the headlines afterward looked like.
[ Actor Lee Joo-ah, what’s her relationship with Manager Yoo Hyun-jae? ]
[ Strong-willed actress Lee Joo-ah: ‘I trust Yoo Hyun-jae’s judgment.’ Why? ]
There were no “they’re dating” rumors—the cleanup was clearly handled by Lee Jong-mook.
With NovaGirls’ success and now Joo-ah’s interview, Mingyu’s doubts only deepened.
“Again… Yoo Hyun-jae.”
Director Lee Yoo-jong of Thieves of the Heart had wanted Joo-ah for the lead, but JM and Joo-ah had rejected it in favor of Chalk and Spear.
Now Thieves of the Heart starred Valhalla’s Baek Ga-eun.
“Was Jong-mook crazy? Turning this down? Well, fine by me—we snatched it up.”
But it felt off. Yoo Hyun-jae’s name kept popping up. The data said it was the right move… but something about his involvement made Mingyu uneasy.
Pacing his office, he pulled out his phone and dialed.
[ Hello, this is Yoo Hyun-jae from JM Entertainment. ]
“Hello. This is Park Mingyu, CEO of Valhalla Studio.”
[ …The CEO? With all respect, I’ve already given my answer to Director Lee. ]
“Yes, I heard. But I feel like my intentions weren’t conveyed properly. I’d really like to speak with you personally. Could you spare a moment?”
[ I’m sorry, but my schedule is packed. ]
How could anyone turn down a direct call from the CEO of the No.1 studio? That only made Mingyu see Yoo as someone extraordinary—and someone he had to secure.
“Was the offer unsatisfactory? Whatever JM gives you, I’ll add 30% on top. You’d start as a team leader here, with more authority and freedom. JM must feel restrictive under Lee Jong-mook, doesn’t it?”
[ Not at all. I’m under no pressure whatsoever. ]
Mingyu frowned. What? No pressure under Lee Jong-mook? Impossible.
“Alright, then what about 1.5 times your current package?”
Lee Jong-mook was smart, talented, bold—undeniably a genius. But Valhalla was No.1 not because of Jong-mook, but because Mingyu had more money.
[ Not necessary. ]
“Then… what are your conditions? We’ll meet them.”
[ I don’t have any. I want nothing beyond what I already have. ]
“…Excuse me?”
[ Thank you for calling. Goodbye. ]
Click.
“…What the hell?”
Everyone wanted something. If Hyun-jae refused, was it because he thought Valhalla couldn’t give it? Or because he was bound to Jong-mook like family?
Neither made sense. Valhalla could give anything. And Jong-mook… he wasn’t exactly the family-bond type.
After spacing out twenty minutes, Mingyu’s phone rang. Caller ID: an irritating name.
[ I hear you tried to poach my manager? ]
The voice had a mocking tone.
“…What’s with him? Why would he be so loyal to you?”
[ Loyal? What makes you think that? ]
“He turned down 1.5 times his salary without blinking!”
[ Heh. I knew it. That’ll never work. Hyun-jae isn’t someone who moves for money. ]
“…What? Wasn’t your motto ‘Nothing in the world can’t be bought with money’?”
[ Didn’t I say? ‘There are exceptions sometimes.’ ]
“….”
Mingyu clenched his jaw but kept his voice calm.
“Fine. However you made him loyal, just know Valhalla isn’t so easily beaten, Jong-mook.”
[ Loyal? Don’t make me laugh. ]
Jong-mook snorted.
[ I don’t control him. He just does whatever he wants. ]
“What? And you let him?”
[ Yeah. And because I let him, everything works out. Honestly, I have no idea what he’s up to anymore. ]
“That doesn’t even—”
[ Anyway, good luck. ]
That last line… the fact that even Jong-mook admitted he didn’t understand Hyun-jae chilled Mingyu to the core.
As Jong-mook’s rival, Mingyu knew better than anyone how sharp he was. Ten minutes of conversation, and Jong-mook could separate truth from lies with ease.
And yet, there was someone even he couldn’t predict or control?
A monster? An alien?
And of all places… that someone was under Jong-mook.
“Pardon? Th—”
