“Oppa, why did you become a manager?”
Just like I was curious about them, they were curious about me too.
At times like this, you have to open up — not just a little, but a lot.
If you hide something or put up walls, you’ll never get close.
“I’ve loved movies and dramas since I was a kid. Watching actors perform always looked so cool. How should I put it? They felt like they were shining.”
That’s why I wanted to shine too.
“I begged my mom to let me enroll in an acting academy. I thought if I acted, I’d shine like those actors.”
Before I knew it, the three of them were completely drawn into my story.
“But no matter how hard I tried, my acting never improved. After about a year, I realized it — I had no talent for acting.”
It was the first failure of my life.
“Before I even started the academy, I had my whole life planned out. Go to the academy, then get into a theater and film department at university. Debut before graduation and become a shining actor… that was the plan. But it all fell apart in just a year.”
“So what did you do?”
“What could I do? I just went to university.”
“Which university?”
Rina’s curiosity seemed endless.
“Manager-nim graduated from Korea University.”
Huh?
“How do you know I went to Korea University?”
Yeoreum frantically waved her hands, looking flustered.
Her face was suspiciously red.
“Oh, uh… I was just curious, so I asked the team leader… and he told me.”
Why was she digging into my background like that?
“But you know… I couldn’t give up on the idea of shining. So after I graduated, I decided to do a job where I could help others shine.”
“‘Help others shine?’”
Three question marks practically appeared over their heads.
“Yeah — helping talented entertainers shine. If they’re already shining, I help them shine even brighter. And if they aren’t yet, I help them start. That’s what everyone in an entertainment agency does, aside from the celebrities themselves.”
Of course, some people might just see it as a regular job.
But I’m sure there are others like me who think this way.
“Then… you must’ve been disappointed when you got assigned to us. We’re not shining — we’re a failing idol group that could disappear at any moment.”
Yeoreum’s voice was small and dejected.
Sera and Rina’s faces fell along with hers.
“You didn’t listen to what I said properly. You’re not fading — you just haven’t started shining yet. No, actually, you are shining — people just haven’t noticed it yet. And I’m going to change that. I’m going to let the world know that there are brilliant girls right here.”
[“It’s amazing how seriously you can say something this cheesy.”]
‘Shut up.’
I could see how flustered they were.
Maybe I’d been a little too honest.
“Ah… we’ve never had a manager say something like that before, so we don’t really know how to respond. But… thank you for saying it.”
“Ugh, oppa’s words are so moving that I wanna do something — but there’s nothing I can do, and that makes me so mad! Even the company abandoned us!”
Rina looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“It’s not our fault two members left. They could at least give us one more chance.”
Sera, who was usually quiet, finally spoke up.
If even I felt frustrated, I could only imagine how they must feel.
“Neither our team nor you guys are finished yet. Right now, it might seem like nothing’s working… but I’ll start doing something. I’ll find a way — a way for your light to finally be seen.”
[“You really love the drama, huh?”]
‘You can keep mocking me, but look at their faces. It’s working.’
Their eyes were different now.
I could see trust — or at least the hope that they wanted to trust me.
*
As I was getting ready to leave, I noticed a red mark on Rina’s ankle — the same one I’d seen back at the practice room on my first day.
I had completely forgotten about helping her with that.
‘That’s a painful spot, right? Can you fix it now?’
[“I never said it was a healing gift.”]
‘What? But you said it had something to do with gifts.’
[“It does — but not a healing gift. That mark represents the ‘Gift of Relationships.’”]
‘Gift of Relationships?’
[“It’s a blessing that helps improve relationships — trust, faith, love… it strengthens those things and has a positive impact on connections.”]
So it wasn’t something that needed healing after all.
But… how was I supposed to use it?
[“You don’t need to do anything right away. Think of it as a hint — you’ll figure it out in time.”]
“Unnieee, my ankle and calf feel so tight again. Can you give me a massage?”
A massage?
“I’ll do it before bed. I still have dishes to wash.”
“Hiiing~”
Judging by their reactions, it seemed like Yeoreum often gave Rina massages.
This had to be a hint — because now there was a red mark on Rina’s calf too.
“Want me to do it?”
“Oppa?!”
Rina’s eyes lit up instantly, her ears practically twitching.
“I used to give my mom massages a lot. She loved them — said they felt amazing.”
“Really? Then please, do it!”
She immediately flopped onto the mat, face down.
This girl didn’t seem to have any hesitation about being touched by a guy.
“Rina… manager-nim has to go soon…”
“It’s fine — this won’t take long.”
I’d watched massage videos on YouTube when I used to help my mom.
Loosening the calves and ankles was super simple.
You just press and sweep along the calves with your thumbs, then push into the heels and work your way up the ankles.
The key is the pressure you apply with your thumbs — and when it comes to strength, guys definitely have the advantage.
With my body weight behind it, this was going to feel way better than what Yeoreum could do.
Sure enough, Rina’s reaction was immediate.
“Hnngh… Haah… Hyaa…! T-there… so good…”
“Ahhh! Oh god… Hiiing! Hyang~ Aah… more… more… haaaang!”
“R-Rina… you—!”
Yeoreum’s face turned bright red.
Sera clutched a cushion, clearly at a loss for what to do.
I hadn’t expected things to sound this… suggestive.
A few minutes later , Rina lay sprawled on the floor, completely limp, like meat that had been marinated too long.
“Unnieee… I’m ruined… I can never go back to the way things were before….”
And with those wildly misleading words, she passed out gloriously.
It seemed my massage had been very well-received.
Somehow, I ended up massaging Yeoreum the next day and Sera the day after that.
I even added foot massages to the mix.
They got more relaxed, and I got to touch their pretty feet — a win-win for everyone.
[“Master… you sure you don’t have a foot fetish?”]
‘Shut up!’
I didn’t know how much their “relationships” had improved, but I had definitely become their manager-slash-masseur.
And I’d found one more way to connect with them.
*****
When I returned from helping the acting team on set, I carried a box of props upstairs.
“I’m back.”
The team leader took the box and pointed toward the conference room.
“Go in, quick.”
“Who’s here?”
“You’ll see.”
He looked pretty anxious, so I hurried over and opened the door.
“Hello.”
And there, sitting in the room, was a woman — radiating light so dazzling it was almost blinding.
It was top-class actress Cha Soyeon.
[“Oh… For a human without any divine gift to have this kind of aura — that’s impressive.”]
‘Is it that amazing?’
[It’s an aura that’s on par with the halo of a saint. It’s incredibly rare for someone to have this kind of presence purely through their own ability.]
Ever since Han Sora, the prodigy actress who made a name for herself from a young age, stopped working domestically, Cha Soyeon was the actress most likely to take her place.
I’d only passed by her briefly in the parking lot before, so I hadn’t really noticed — but now that we were face-to-face, her presence was no joke.
Still, I wished she’d do something about that completely unreadable, emotionless expression.
“Hello.”
“Please sit down. I have something to discuss.”
I sat down across from Cha Soyeon.
“My thanks are a bit late — I just got back to Korea last night.”
“You really didn’t have to thank me. I did it because I wanted to — and I was rewarded quite well for it.”
“The bonus you got after joining the company, right?”
“Yes.”
“Is there anything you want?”
“…Pardon?”
“I’d like to give you something too, but I don’t really know what men like. Do you need a car?”
“Oh, no, that’s—”
“Or how about moving closer to this area? Your house seems pretty far away.”
Why was everyone so interested in my personal life lately — first Yeoreum, and now her?
“Or maybe…”
When she mentioned the car, I was about to politely decline — but when she brought up moving, a light bulb went off in my head.
I immediately thought of Red Blossom’s run-down dorm.
Every time I left that officetel, it weighed on my mind.
If only there was one more room.
If only they had a proper bathtub instead of a basin.
If only there was an island counter in the kitchen.
If only the living room was just a bit bigger.
“Would it be possible for you to help us get an officetel near the company? Ideally with at least three rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen with an island, and a living room big enough for a large TV.”
“That’s… pretty specific.”
“If it’s possible, I’d like to ask for help with the deposit and six months of rent. If that’s too much, even three months would be fine.”
“Why set a specific time period?”
“Because if we can’t show results within that time, the people moving into that place won’t have any reason to stay near the company.”
“…Wait, you’re not moving in?”
“I like where I’m living now. That officetel would be for Red Blossom.”
“Red Blossom…?”
Cha Soyeon’s expression turned… curious.
“Why are you the one trying to find a dorm for a girl group?”