Chapter 974: Jealousy (4)
[Janus Waiting Room]
I opened the door to the boy group Janus's waiting room and stepped inside. The members were seated in front of mirrors, getting their makeup done.
President Oh Tae-Gu was nowhere to be seen, but stylists Lee Jung-Hye and Ahn Yoo-Sun noticed me and gave small nods of greeting. "Mr. Jung, what brings you here?"
While fiddling with his phone as his hair was being sprayed into place, Min Jung-Hyuk raised a hand in welcome. His blond hair had been styled into sharp spikes, making him look like a unicorn.
"Oh, hyung? What brings you here?"
"Thanks for the gift you sent. You did a pretty good job persuading that old man Lee Jung-Nam."
Min Jung-Hyuk tilted his head with an innocent expression. "Lee Jung-Nam sunbae-nim?"
"Drop the act. Mr. Lee Jung-Nam himself admitted that Buguk Bank was behind it."
Min Jung-Hyuk visibly flinched before quickly containing himself. Quickly regaining control of his expression, he answered calmly, "Buguk Bank? My father is the bank president there, sure... but what does that have to do with me?"
"So you're saying you know nothing about it?"
"Of course not. How would I know what my father does?"
"Right. I figured that's what you'd say. So you really don't know anything?"
"No."
"Then let me tell you something you might know about. How about we talk in private?"
Pointing at his unicorn-like hairstyle, Min Jung-Hyuk shrugged. "Sorry, hyung. I can't exactly go on stage looking like this, can I? Besides, I've got rehearsal too. I think we'll have to talk later. That's okay, right?"
I dropped onto the sofa and crossed my legs. "No matter how busy you are, you'd better make the time. You sent me a gift, so I'd like to return the favor. But if the people around you hear it, it'll only make things uncomfortable for you."
Min Jung-Hyuk looked thoughtful and glanced toward the mirror, subtly signaling someone with his eyes.
At that moment, Lee Jung-Hye, who had been styling his hair, launched an attack without hesitation. "Mr. Jung! How can you come into another group's waiting room and threaten someone like this? No matter who you are, this is going too far! Please leave immediately! And Jung-Hyuk doesn't know anything about what his father does!"
With fifteen years of experience, Lee Jung-Hye was one of the top stylists in the industry. She had been with Janus ever since they left TNT Entertainment and became independent. Since Janus's recent first-place win, the outfits and accessories she selected had been selling out almost instantly.
However, the higher someone climbed in this industry, the more temptations they faced. And Lee Jung-Hye was not someone who avoided temptation.
"Ms. Lee. Do you really believe Min Jung-Hyuk knows nothing about what his father does?"
"Of course I do! And Jung-Hyuk is competing against Cherry Blossom and Seo Yeon-Woo for first place. If you're going to come in here and threaten him, I'll report everything to the PD!"
At that moment, Min Jung-Hyuk signaled to the other members as well. The remaining Janus members—Bae Tae-Soo, Lee Jong-In, and Kang Sae-Hyun—immediately joined in.
"Mr. Jung, please leave. We have an interview with reporters later."
"We've got an interview with MBS Entertainment Hot Issue after rehearsal. If you keep this up, they might end up talking about you on air."
None of them had ever seen the Jung Yoon-Ho from before the regression. That was why they could bark at me so fearlessly. In that case, I had no choice but to show them exactly what kind of person Jung Yoon-Ho used to be.
I looked directly at Min Jung-Hyuk and spoke. "Min Jung-Hyuk. If you'd agreed to talk with me alone, I wouldn't have touched the others... But everything that's about to happen from this point on is something you brought upon yourself."
"What do you mean...?"
At the same time, I turned to Lee Jung-Hye, who was still glaring at me. "Ms. Lee. The kickbacks you've been receiving from that Apgujeong boutique every month must be pretty nice, huh?"
Lee Jung-Hye's expression froze instantly. "W-What kickbacks?"
"You know, the Black Panther brand that supplied the black leather jackets Janus wore during last week's first-place performance. I know you've been taking five million won a month from the owner under the table."
As one of the industry's top stylists, Lee Jung-Hye often selected sponsored clothing based on who paid her the most. And the money was split between her and Assistant Manager Ahn Yoo-Sun without the company ever finding out.
Min Jung-Hyuk's face hardened immediately. "Noona. What is he talking about?"
"N-No. Jung-Hyuk. It's not true!"
Lee Jung-Hye hurriedly tried to explain, but I continued. "And two weeks ago. Those studded vests Janus got hammered with hate comments over. Along with the accessories. You received twenty million won for putting those on the members, didn't you?"
I knew every detail about Lee Jung-Hye's activities. That included exactly how much she received whenever she dressed the members in low-tier brands that didn't deserve the exposure.
"N-No... no..." Lee Jung-Hye waved her hands frantically.
However, Min Jung-Hyuk didn't believe Lee Jung-Hye. After all, Janus had been ridiculed for days after wearing those studded vests, bracelets, and necklaces. People had even mocked them for looking like they were wearing dog collars.
"Noona. We already set your salary at one hundred million won a year, and you're still stuffing your pockets?"
"Ah... no! Jung-Hyuk, it's not true! Tae-Soo, Jong-In, Sae-Hyun... it really isn't!"
Lee Jung-Hye desperately waved her hands at the Janus members who were staring at her, but the victims of those endless hate comments only glared back with murderous expressions.
At that moment, Ahn Yoo-Sun stepped forward. "Guys! Calm down! Chief Jung is framing her! He's making everything up!"
Ahn Yoo-Sun received thirty percent of Lee Jung-Hye's kickback money. It was no wonder she was defending Lee Jung-Hye so aggressively. Unfortunately for her, she had an even bigger weakness.
"Oh, and Ms. Ahn Yoo-Sun? You should probably stop leaking Janus's schedules to reporters. As far as I know, you get fifty thousand won in HK Department Store gift certificates per tip. Add everything together and that's about ten million won a month, isn't it? No matter how much you love side money, making a hundred million won a year from kickbacks alone is a bit excessive."
This time every eye in the room swung toward Ahn Yoo-Sun. Even Lee Jung-Hye's.
Min Jung-Hyuk's expression had become frighteningly twisted. "Fuck... I always wondered why reporters and fans kept showing up everywhere we went..."
Ahn Yoo-Sun's face turned deathly pale. "That's not true! I swear it's not me!"
I had only spent a few minutes acting like the Jung Yoon-Ho from before the regression, yet the room had already descended into chaos. Nobody trusted anyone anymore. They were glaring at each other, one step away from trading insults.
After letting the silence simmer for a moment, I spoke again. "Mrs. Lee Jung-Hye. Mrs. Ahn Yoo-Sun. Should I keep going? Or would you rather shut your mouths and leave?"
Lee Jung-Hye's body trembled. "We'll... leave."
"And keep everything that happened in this room to yourselves."
"Fine!"
Clack.
Setting down the hairspray and brush she was holding, Lee Jung-Hye turned to Ahn Yoo-Sun. "Ahn Yoo-Sun. Come with me."
Without another word, Lee Jung-Hye spun around and walked out of the waiting room. Ahn Yoo-Sun hurried after her, desperately trying to explain herself.
"Mrs. Lee! I'm really innocent! What happened was—"
Bang.
The waiting room door closed behind Ahn Yoo-Sun.
Then Bae Tae-Soo, only twenty-three years old, stepped forward without the slightest hesitation. "I'm telling the reporters everything. That Chief Jung Yoon-Ho threatened our stylists!"
"Hahaha."
"Ah, damn it. What's so funny?"
I immediately stopped laughing and looked straight at Bae Tae-Soo. "Bae Tae-Soo. Should I post online about how you've been selling gifts from your fan club for extra income? Let's see what your fans think."
"Gak..." Bae Tae-Soo stammered in shock.
"And Jong-In. Want me to call some reporters and expose how you've been dating three college girls from your fan club at the same time?"
"Th-That's..." Lee Jong-In's face drained of color.
"And finally, Sae-Hyun. You're a VIP at a casino in the Philippines, right? Do your parents know about that?"
Kang Sae-Hyun froze on the spot.
"That's why I told you. You should've left when I gave you the chance."
"..."
"Still not getting it? What? Want me to keep digging?"
That was when the three members practically fled from the room. "N-No! We're leaving! We're leaving!"
Bang.
The waiting room door closed. Finally, only the two of us remained.
Min Jung-Hyuk's jaw clenched as his body trembled with rage. But after taking several deep breaths and forcing himself to calm down, he spun his chair around to face me.
"Hyung. You're really something else. Beneath that capable Chief Jung facade... there was a face like this hiding underneath, huh? How scary."
"Scary? I haven't even started yet."
"Wow... that's honestly intimidating. But hyung, let's stop here. If you cross the line any further, even I won't be able to hold back."
The cheerful image Min Jung-Hyuk usually wore had vanished completely. In its place was a cold smile that bordered on sinister.
However, I was unbothered.
"How boring."
Min Jung-Hyuk shot to his feet. "Fuck! Just because I called you hyung doesn't mean you're actually my hyung. Seriously."
At that moment, I uncrossed my legs and slowly clenched my fist. "Sit down, Min Jung-Hyuk. If you take one more step toward me, you'll leave here in a body bag."
Flinch.
Just as Min Jung-Hyuk was about to approach with his fists clenched, he seemed to remember that I was a former boxer. He hesitated and instinctively took a step back.
"Just touch me with one finger and my father won't let it slide!"
He was threatening me, even though he had been the one advancing first.
I shrugged and said, "That's why I suggested we just talk."
Min Jung-Hyuk dropped heavily back into his chair. "Then talk."
I continued in a calm voice, "It's simple. Stay away from Seo Yeon-Woo and Cherry Blossom. Better yet, stay away from all of our Hoop Entertainment artists. And stop pulling any more tricks."
"That's it? You caused all this chaos just to say that?"
"I already warned you that I knew about your company's ownership structure, and you still didn't get the message. Besides, you're not the type to listen unless someone forces the issue."
Min Jung-Hyuk glared at me through gritted teeth. "But hyung, let me ask you one thing."
"What?"
"I've never once gone against you directly, and I've always been careful. So how do you know so much?"
"You don't seriously think you managed to hide your true self for the entire two years you were at TNT Entertainment, do you? There was always a talent agent around."
"Dong-Joon hyung? Tae-Soo hyung? Yi-Jin noona... damn it. Who was it...?"
Min Jung-Hyuk frowned and mentally retraced every mistake he had ever made, but there was no way he would find the answer. The real Min Jung-Hyuk wouldn't reveal himself until long after he retired from the entertainment industry.
"Damn it. I can't figure it out. Fine. Let's say I don't stop. Then what? What are you going to do?"
"Then I'll just have to reveal the secrets I know about you, one by one."
"My secrets?"
"That's right. Every time you mess with our people, I'll expose another one."
"I've done nothing except live as an idol! What secrets? I don't have any!"
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
"In that case... I'll just tell you one for now. Hongdae Club Valhalla. You rent out a private room there every week for streamers, MeTubers, and influencers, don't you? And you're the one footing the bill."
Min Jung-Hyuk's expression instantly froze.
"And I know your errand boy, Streamer Yang Cheol-Tong, has been offering marijuana to other streamers there."
Every week, Streamer Yang Cheol-Tong hosted parties at Club Valhalla. Male and female streamers alike got in for free and drank without paying a cent. Yang Cheol-Tong spent enormous amounts of money building relationships with them, and once he got close to certain people, he would encourage them to try marijuana. He told them it was cool, that it was hip, and that they would understand once they tried it.
Those who gradually became accustomed to it found themselves trapped. Once they had that weakness, they could never fully break away from Yang Cheol-Tong. And the reason Yang Cheol-Tong managed them on Min Jung-Hyuk's behalf was simple. One day, when Min Jung-Hyuk launched his entertainment company in earnest, he intended to bring those influencers over as his own talent.
In other words, Min Jung-Hyuk was secretly financing Yang Cheol-Tong as an investment in his future business.
The moment I threatened to expose it, Min Jung-Hyuk looked genuinely horrified. "Y-You! Just what the hell are you?"
"Me? A talent agent."
More accurately, I was a talent agent who had returned from the future. Min Jung-Hyuk's eyes shook violently. If word got out that Yang Cheol-Tong, the man acting as his proxy, had been distributing marijuana, the consequences could reach him as well.
Then Min Jung-Hyuk gritted his teeth and shouted, "I don't know anything about that! It's got nothing to do with me!"
"You really don't know?"
"That's right! I don't know! I've met BJ Yang Cheol-Tong before, sure, but whether he's handing out marijuana or selling ecstasy, I don't know a thing about it!"
To protect himself, Min Jung-Hyuk had just cut off one of the key pillars of his future business. Judging by how hard he was grinding his teeth and how violently his body trembled, the loss stung badly.
"So I can make it public, then?"
"Do whatever you want!"
"Okay. If that's what you want."
Right in front of him, I pulled out my phone and made a call.
-Hello, Chief Jung. What's up?
The person who answered was the head of BM Report, a rumor-sheet publication.
"I need a favor."
-A favor from a gossip outlet like us? Last time you had us looking for Ghost.
"I just need you to leak a little information around Yeouido."
-What kind of information?
"Hongdae Club Valhalla. Major streamer BJ Yang Cheol-Tong entertaining influencers and streamers. Marijuana-fueled parties involving online personalities. And the source of the funding is..."
That was when Min Jung-Hyuk jumped to his feet. "Fuck! Who said you could mention me too?!"
A voice came through the phone.
-Wait, who's that? That voice sounds familiar. Don't tell me the owner of that voice is the one funding everything?
I glared at the fuming Min Jung-Hyuk and replied into the phone.
"...Funding source unknown. Don't jump to conclusions."
-Tch... Feels like you're stopping halfway through the story, but hey, the customer gets what the customer wants. Okay, got it. I'll spread it right away.
"Thanks."
Click.
After ending the call, I looked at Min Jung-Hyuk, who was trembling with rage, and said, "Relax. I didn't mention your name, did I? So if you mess with Yeon-Woo and Cherry Blossom... then I don't know what I'll do. Understand?"
Even if it was only a rumor sheet, an idol's career would be finished the moment people learned he was funding a streamer involved in distributing marijuana. That said, while Min Jung-Hyuk had provided money to Yang Cheol-Tong, he would never explicitly order him to lure people in with drugs. Min Jung-Hyuk was, above all else, a survivalist. So I stopped the threats at an appropriate point.
Min Jung-Hyuk glared at me while grinding his teeth. "Fuck. I never would've guessed someone with a face that trustworthy had a side like this."
"Good. Then be careful. Anyway, what's your answer?"
"Fine! I got it! I'll leave your people alone!"
I stood up with a smile. "Good. Just remember that your hyung sees right through you."
Leaving those words behind, I waved and walked out of the waiting room. Outside, the Janus members and stylists I had chased out earlier were standing around awkwardly. The moment they saw me, they quickly looked away.
"You can go back in now," I said.
That was when a commotion came from over the door.
-Arghhhhhhhhh! Fuck! Damn it!
Crash!
Smash!
The sounds of Min Jung-Hyuk completely losing control erupted from inside the waiting room. The others exchanged nervous glances, let go of the door handle, and quietly retreated toward the lounge instead.
As the sounds of things continuing to break echoed from the room, I took a deep breath. I needed to become myself again.
"Min Jung-Hyuk. If you ever stab me in the back, I'll make sure your idol career ends."
After calmly leaving behind that final warning, I headed back toward our waiting room.
***
After all the rehearsals were over, 5:00 p.m. arrived. The live broadcast finally began. The rookie singers took the stage first, each performing their own songs. For the next fifty minutes, one performance followed another in rapid succession. Then it was Cherry Blossom's turn.
Fresh off their comeback and already nominated for first place, the four members of Cherry Blossom took the stage alongside dozens of backup dancers. Together, they created the image of cherry blossoms in full bloom and successfully completed their comeback performance.
After coming down from the stage, the members drank water and caught their breath. Then the next act, the boy group Janus, stepped onto the stage.
『No more being the nice oppa. From now on, I'm a bad man...』
Determined to defend the first-place trophy they had won the previous week, Janus launched into a powerful performance.
While watching from backstage, Sae-Ri panted heavily and offered her review. "Huff, huff... we're... we're better! Huff..."
Sae-Ri wasn't wrong. Perhaps because of what had happened in the waiting room earlier, every member seemed off their game. Their choreography was out of sync, they missed beats while singing, and mistakes appeared throughout the performance.
Convinced they had the win in the bag, Sae-Ri grabbed my arm with a smug grin. "Yoon-Ho oppa."
"What?"
She pointed toward Seo Yeon-Woo. "How is Yeon-Woo oppa so calm in a situation like this?"
Standing beside me, Seo Yeon-Woo wore a pair of noise-canceling headphones and looked as peaceful as someone spending a quiet day at home.
"Because he's built differently."
Just as I answered, an assistant director approached us. "You'll be going up shortly. Please stand by, Mr. Seo Yeon-Woo."
"Yes!"
I immediately tapped the seemingly resting Seo Yeon-Woo on the shoulder. "Yeon-Woo, let's go."
"Yes, hyung."
Cheered on by Cherry Blossom and the staff, we headed toward the stairs leading up to the stage.
Seo Yeon-Woo watched the stage for a moment before speaking. "Hyung. I have to take first place today."
"Hm?"
"I don't want to lose to that guy."
After learning that Min Jung-Hyuk had been behind today's incident, Seo Yeon-Woo was showing a level of competitive spirit I had never seen from him before.
"Good. Go get them."
"Okay."
Meanwhile, Janus's song came to an end.
『...Now I'm a bad man!』
After finishing the performance, Min Jung-Hyuk staggered down from the stage. As he descended the stairs, his eyes met Seo Yeon-Woo's.
Breathing heavily, Min Jung-Hyuk spoke. "Huff, huff... We made a few mistakes today, but... you still can't beat us. Your broadcast score is zero."
Music show rankings were calculated using digital chart performance, MeTube streams, audience votes, viewer votes, and broadcast points. Since Seo Yeon-Woo and Cherry Blossom had only released their songs this week, their broadcast score was practically nonexistent. Min Jung-Hyuk was confident the advantage was still his.
However, Seo Yeon-Woo replied in a steady voice. "It's not over until it's over."
"What?"
"That's our company's motto."
"So what?"
"Which means you should shut up and watch my stage!"
Seo Yeon-Woo's eyes never wavered. After delivering a declaration unlike anything he ever made before, Seo Yeon-Woo walked past Min Jung-Hyuk and headed toward the stage.
Step.
Step.
Step.
As he moved toward the sea of lights, his back looked broader than ever. A few moments later, with the preparations complete, Seo Yeon-Woo took hold of the microphone as the piano and violin accompaniment began.
And at that very moment, Seo Yeon-Woo's greatest performance yet began to unfold.