The entertainment agency where Chief Seo-woo worked, K Entertainment, had several singers with hit songs.
It wasn’t as big as the major entertainment agencies that were listed on the stock exchange, but it was known for debuting artists with good songs if they signed with them.
I, who was scouted by Chief Seo-woo in front of my school, naturally signed with K Entertainment and, after about two years of training, was included in the final debut group.
When I was practicing, cutting down on sleep to aim for a quick debut, foreign capital flowed into the company.
We had hoped that the investment news would lead to a successful debut, but big investments come with big conditions.
The investors wanted member changes and additions as a condition for their large investment.
They said the number 4 was unlucky, so 5 would be better?
The employees were hush-hush about it, but rumors with legs reached us too.
“The vocal coach said they’re adding a foreign member. They’ve already posted audition notices in the US.”
“Are they planning to add one foreign member for each nationality?”
“It’d be good since foreigners don’t have to enlist in the military. No military service hiatus.”
“Young Lee doesn’t have to go to the military either, right?”
At that, the mouths that had been randomly complaining snapped shut.
“Hey, you!”
“No, I just meant…”
The fact that people who grew up in orphanages for more than a few years didn’t have to serve in the military was something I often heard people envying, so it didn’t affect me much.
“It’s a well-known fact… Anyway, we’ll have to change the choreography formation.”
At my words, the other three frowned even more.
“We just memorized it!”
“If I knew this would happen, I would’ve slept more.”
Selfish as it was, my own worries came first. Concerns about how many people would debut or who would be dropped were secondary.
I had no parents, and no home to live in other than the trainee dorm, so I was clueless about what to do if I got kicked out.
I was anxious.
So I put on the practice song, stood in front of the mirror, sang along, and started practicing again.
“Hey, is now the time to practice? That workaholic…”
“I’m going to practice too. Nothing changes even if we talk among ourselves.”
One person came next to me and stood in formation, and the other two, unable to resist, got up as well.
And the practice song started again from the beginning.
“If we work this hard, the CEO will take our side, right?”
Contrary to our wishes, the CEO of K Entertainment actively agreed with the investors’ opinions.
“Those who want to, follow me. The company said they’d allow that.”
Those were the words the chief said to us after the debut members were changed to five people: two overseas members, two from the existing debut group, and one newly added member.
“I didn’t know the parachute executive the investors planted would bring their own trainee along for the ride. Since only half of the existing debut group is staying, the company said they’d respect your wishes. Think carefully, since it’s an unconditional contract termination.”
I was also included in the eliminated members.
The trainee the new executive brought in had an image that overlapped with mine.
“You know you weren’t pushed out because of skill, right? Don’t be discouraged. I may not have that much money, but I have a lot of connections in the entertainment industry.”
That day, the chief resigned and started Winsome Entertainment.
And he debuted the four of us, who were the final debut members—me, Gi-sun, Jin-woo, and Chan-bin-as CAKE.
Time has passed, but Chief Choi still hates it when conglomerates try to solve things with money.
That’s why he wasn’t happy when HC Group offered to resolve the Emperor’s birthday party issue through overseas investment.
* * *
“They’re saying they’ll participate in management in exchange for investing?”
“That’s right. They want shares. They want half the operational rights for the activities of the artists under our label.”
“Operational rights?”
“They say they’ll have our artists work as promotional models for their company and provide various support, but who knows what their real intentions are. Young Lee, you know too. How drastically things can change when you give shares or have someone from the investor’s side become an executive.”
“First of all, I don’t like them calling me Song Lee-young. And I don’t like them asking if I’m not going to change my stage name…”
“That’s right. Song Lee-young is the name that became known after you found your maternal grandmother and they found out you were her descendant. Wait, so are they trying to do something with the fact that you’re a descendant of the royal family?”
The CEO took another sip of the cold coffee, frowned, and put the cup down.
“Anyway, it’s too much money, and they’re asking for too many shares, so I refused. They told me to release a group album with the investment, but it’s not urgent since Chan-bin is on hiatus.”
The reason our team stopped group activities after last year’s single album was because Chan-bin injured his leg after falling off the stage during a performance.
It was a K-POP overseas performance with several idols participating.
We had rehearsed, but the order of performances sometimes changed depending on the situation on site.
So we didn’t know that the confetti that the team before us had scattered was left on the edge of the stage.
Chan-bin, who was singing and dancing at the very front of the stage, slipped on the slippery glittery confetti and fell.
His body fell towards the stairs, and fortunately, he didn’t hit his head, but his leg, which he tried to keep from falling off the stage, broke.
Chan-bin’s leg injury was severe enough to require surgery, and they said that even if it healed, high-level dancing would be difficult.
We thought about having Chan-bin sit in a chair and perform on stage.
But since the new album activities were over anyway, we decided to wait for his rehabilitation.
Each of the members had individual activities scheduled as well.
“Chan-bin hasn’t been saying much in the group chat lately.”
“He must be depressed since he’s just staying at home. But why did you come out today? You don’t have a lesson.”
“I was curious about the Cultural Heritage Administration filming schedule. Mr. Kim Woo-jin went to the National Intelligence Service.”
“Why didn’t you ask over the phone?”
I was planning to check the schedule at the company and then stop by a nearby restaurant.
But I didn’t know I’d hear about such a large investment offer.
I would have been so happy if these investment offers had come when our group was preparing for our debut or mini-album number 2.
Now, these offers aren’t purely joyful anymore.
“I think I’m getting old.”
“What are you saying in front of me? That’s rude of you.”
* * *
Lee-gun and Jang Ha-woon were walking side by side in front of me in their tracksuits.
I thought fans would recognize me if I was holding a doll near the company, so Baek-Moong was in my ring.
The two spirits seemed excited as they walked the streets on a weekday afternoon, and I smiled as I watched them.
The mood that had been down at the company improved as if it had never happened.
{Do they seem like children to you?}
I wondered how amazing and interesting the streets of this era must be to the two spirits, and my heart fluttered along with them.
“Young master, I remained in that spot earlier and listened to the conversation, and that…”
“The CEO, you mean.”
“Yes, the CEO said very firmly that he would not accept the offer. I felt the spirit of a veteran.”
It wasn’t new information since I had already heard it from the CEO.
“How was that guest?”
“I didn’t feel any divine or evil energy, but based on my experiences in my previous life, he seems like a cunning person.”
Lee-gun took Jang Ha-woon’s words.
“Woo-shik is right. That kind of face is the face of a typical villain who flatters those with power to seek glory and tramples on those who are weak.
If you have such a person as a subject, you must be careful of treason, and if you have him as a husband, you must take in several children of concubines. If you had him as a friend, then green is the same color, so you would be the same villain.”
Wow, that’s a harsh assessment.
Well, I didn’t think he looked particularly good either. Since he has the face of treason, I just hope he doesn’t come into our company.
As we stood in front of the market alley, the two of them walked even faster.
I thought they might fly away.
I’ve been looking through history books a bit lately, and I saw that there were markets in Hanyang in the old days too. Of course, it’s different from then.
So I gave up on the pork cutlet I was originally going to eat and bought some snacks at the market for the two of them, who were excited.
It’s more delicious to eat right at the stall, but since these two can’t eat, I had no choice but to get it to go.
On the way back to the company parking lot, Jang Ha-woon, who had been looking around at the crosswalk, was startled and asked me.
“Is this Maljukgeori?”
At Jang Ha-woon’s words, Lee-gun also looked around and found a structure with Korean letters and pictures.
“Yangjae Station?”
“Was there a Yangjae Station in that era too?”
“Yes!”
Jang Ha-woon opened his mouth in surprise and couldn’t close it.
Lee-gun tilted his head and asked.
“Since it’s not an era of riding horses, Yangjae Station is not a place that provides horses, is it?”
“It’s not horses, but it’s a station where you can take transportation. The subway.”
“A subway instead of horses… The name and role are the same.”
“The name is probably left in other places besides here.”
“Maljukgeori, which was written as Majukgeori in Chinese characters, I’m surprised that they left the part about horses without removing it.”
“Not that much time has passed since then.”
That’s right. If you estimate the era they lived in, it hasn’t even been 200 years yet.
If you think of a person’s lifespan as a hundred years, it’s really not that much time.
So maybe that’s why the spiritual power passed down from the ancestors is still left.
If so, there may be more ancestral thoughts or spiritual power left in places where undamaged cultural properties or place names remain.
That’s what happened with Changdeokgung Palace and Suwon Hwaseong Fortress.
After gaining spiritual power at Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, I became better at handling the Sin-in Chamsa Sword, a divine object.
I feel like I’ve gotten stronger too. So, as Baek-Moong said, if I find more spiritual power, I may be able to use the power of the divine object better than I do now.
So I should check places where place names remain if possible.
Of course, it would be best if strong evil spirits didn’t appear so that I wouldn’t have to keep looking for spiritual power.
* * *
I wanted to go to Jongmyo Shrine right away, but I was worried that I wouldn’t know where the evil spirits would appear if I went in with the visitors.
So I requested permission to enter on a closed day or at night.
“Isn’t it just a matter of going over the wall?”
I shook my head at Jang Ha-woon’s words.
Even if I can get over the wall in one go, I shouldn’t. Because I’m a law-abiding citizen.
Besides, considering that I get photographed everywhere I go and stories about sightings of me get posted, I absolutely shouldn’t.
An idol caught climbing the wall of a World Heritage Site. That’s impossible.
While waiting for permission, I was scheduled to film at Gyeongbokgung Palace.
It was the part that I couldn’t film last time due to the rally, filming in front of Gwanghwamun Gate.
Since I had to take a full shot so that Gwanghwamun Gate would fit into one screen, the road was closed.
Still, I didn’t want to cause too much inconvenience to people, so the filming time was set for 10 a.m., after work hours.
While the drone photographer was preparing, I was fixing my clothes with the stylist.
I heard that the first filming would be done in modern clothes, and the second would be done in a version with hanbok and a gat (traditional Korean hat).
I heard that the two scenes would be cross-edited.
Baek-Moong went into the ring, and Lee-gun and Jang Ha-woon were supposed to be wandering around nearby, making their bodies invisible.
I was waiting for the drone to take off when I heard a commotion in the distance.
I could see them physically fighting with the staff, saying they would pass through the control line.
What’s going on?