/
“What do you want?”
“
You adapt quickly, huh?”
As Min Jiheon laughed awkwardly, his manager suddenly rushed over. His manager always seemed to come running in similar situations with a similar expression.
“Min Jiheon! Hey, you! ”
“Ah, hyung!”
Min Jiheon greeted him with a big smile and a wave, but Kim Seongcheol, the manager, looked restless as he approached.
“Hey! Do you know how scared I was? I thought you disappeared again! You should tell me if you’re going somewhere!”
“Come on, like I would do that?”
“Your history is quite flashy, you know?!”
I felt a little guilty since I’d forcibly brought Min Jiheon to the coffee shop. Come to think of it, I hadn’t mentioned anything to my manager either.
“Anyway, why are you with Seo Hoyun again? 
About that incident last time?”
“It’s okay.”
Although he tried to whisper quietly, I could hear it clearly. The two seemed to have talked about what happened at the restaurant last time.
“Ah, how can he survive in this world being so naïve
”
NaĂŻve? Really??
Why were all the managers of Daepaseong like this?
Did Daepaseong have a technique for only hiring people who were either dense or too kind during the interview process?
Kim Seongcheol, the manager, glanced at me after hitting his chest a few times as if frustrated, then cleared his throat.
“Ahem, hello, Seo Hoyun.”
Are you crazy?
What part of Min Jiheon was naïve? He was someone who didn’t even flinch at the evil aura of Seo Hoyun!
I bowed my head to the manager while inwardly fuming. Min Jiheon, being himself, was not paying attention to his manager’s words and just kept smiling and speaking as he pleased.
“I’m glad you came, hyung. I wanted to ask you something.”
“Huh
 What is it?”
“Did I want something recently?”
“What nonsense is that? Why are you asking me?”
His manager grumbled but thought about it for a moment, then tilted his head.
“Eating a lot? Going on a food tour across Paldo?”
“No matter how much I do that, it’s never enough
 I want to eat all the food in the world before I die. They say even the ghosts who die eating have a fair complexion.”
“
”
“That seems to be true.”
As Min Jiheon mumbled his chilling joke, his manager suddenly clapped his hands.
“Ah! Getting rid of people who make you uncomfortable? Didn’t you say last time that you found that actor annoying? That they were too clingy.”
An actor?
“
Who?”
“Don’t you remember?”
As I slightly furrowed my brows, his manager glanced at me, seemingly trying to gauge my reaction.
“That person originally had Seo Hoyun’s role
 I mean, the role of PD Lee Jeonghun. The one who kept following you around saying they admired you.”
“
Ah, that
 that person.”
Min Jiheon scratched his head and clapped his hands. I could bet that he had completely forgotten about that person’s existence.
Just then, a gleam flashed across Min Jiheon’s eyes.

What?
Min Jiheon smiled as if he had a great idea in mind.
“Hmm~, does hyung know that person?”
“
Who?”
“Why are you like this again? Are you already immersed in your role?!”
Although Kim Seongcheol spoke while stealing a glance at me, he seemed to want to let it pass for now. If he didn’t bring it up, I would pretend I didn’t know and act accordingly as well.
Whether the manager said it or not, Min Jiheon didn’t care and just kept smiling brightly.
“That actor, Lee Kangseok, said the script was so good that he wanted the role. He really appealed to me about it
 But he’s a bit
 burdensome, so I recommended hyung to the writer instead.”
Did you sell me out because you didn’t want to work with someone you hated and not for my sake?
“
Haha, he ended up doing some supporting role in a drama that will air at the same time as ours.”
How could he act like that? I think I might need some practice before going to the audition

I then remembered the man who suddenly picked a fight with me in the waiting room when I first auditioned for the drama. A sigh escaped from me.
It was because of Min Jiheon.
I glared at Min Jiheon for unexpectedly providing the cause of the fight at that time, but he just shrugged his shoulders. Then he rubbed his mouth and thought seriously.
“
Hmm, should I really help you out?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, since I like you
”
Min Jiheon smiled mischievously and mumbled the words “scenario” and “quest” I mentioned earlier.
“So, it’s like that, right?”
“
”
Then, he suddenly raised his head.
“Hyung, do you want to try a quest with me?”
“
A quest?”
“I can also call it a bet.”
Staring at him with my mouth slightly open, I couldn’t believe what he was saying.
“If you have enough acting skills to surpass that actor and our drama gets higher ratings-if you can fulfill these two conditions
”
Min Jiheon grinned.
“I’ll tell you what I know.”

Is he crazy?
How could I surpass an actor with my acting skills?
Besides, the ratings weren’t something I could control. Even if the script was good and the actors acted well, luck somewhat influenced the ratings.
I glared at him, but Min Jiheon didn’t care as expected.
“
Let’s say the ratings are like that. How can you tell that my acting surpassed that person?”
“I’ll be the judge. It would’ve been nice if you could win a rookie award, but unfortunately, there’s no suitable awards ceremony now.”
“With such an ambiguous standard? What if you, Min Jiheon-sunbae, change your mind later?”
“Hey, that’s a bit disappointing, isn’t it?”
His lips that had been slightly upturned throughout the conversation dropped in an instant, and in the most serious tone he had used so far, Min Jiheon said,
“I don’t joke around when it comes to acting.”
There was a unique arrogance and confidence in Min Jiheon’s eyes that was only seen when he was acting. I tapped the table with my finger, weighing the conditions I had at the moment.
I’m
at a disadvantage.
First, did I have any leverage over Min Jiheon?
The answer was “no.”
Secondly, what if Min Jiheon changed his words?
It wasn’t certain, but my instincts told me Min Jiheon wasn’t lying. Slightly crazy artists didn’t lie about their areas of expertise.

Except for Lim Hyeonsu.
Thirdly, was it worth taking on this ridiculous quest to get the answer from Min Jiheon?
“What are you going to do?”
I raised my gaze and looked at Min Jiheon.
The system window was still quiet. Before, it had warned me not to act and not to meet Min Jiheon, but now it was silent as if it was completely dead.
It must mean that there was really something to hide.
Therefore, the answer was

“
You.”
Of course, I had to get something from this guy.
“If you don’t keep this ambiguous promise, you’re dead.”
I was prepared to strangle Min Jiheon’s neck if he didn’t keep his promise.
When he heard my answer, Min Jiheon got up as if his work was done.
“I don’t want to die, so I won’t go back on my word.”
“
”
“Call me if you need anything?”
“Ugh
”
Min Jiheon signaled his manager, who was observing both of us with a peculiar expression, indicating that they should depart.
“Let’s work well together with Yu Jia in our drama.”
“
Yes, I’m looking forward to working with you.”
Manager Kim Seongcheol, whose gaze had subtly dropped then lifted, trailed behind Min Jiheon as he departed.
Finding myself alone, I subconsciously tightened my grip on the plastic cup to the point it crumpled.
***
“Oh! Hoyun is here. Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
Min Jiheon’s aggro removal

When I returned to the practice room, Seong Jiwon was practicing again, drenched in sweat and smiling brightly as he greeted me. I casually put down my bag and replied,
“Did you call me?”
“Yeah, others too, and the kids were really worried.”
Did he have anything to say?
When I asked with my eyes, Seong Jiwon awkwardly changed the topic.
“Let’s talk about that later. How was the script reading today?”
“It was fine.”
“Hmm
”
Seong Jiwon squinted at me. So much had happened lately that all the member’s intuition was on par with ghosts. Ignoring his gaze on purpose, I took the script out of my bag and asked,
“So, why did you contact me?”
“Well
 I was going to tell you when we were all together.”
“Where are the kids now?”
“Practicing in the recording studio! We need to prepare for our next comeback song~.”
They were so diligent.
Actually, I wasn’t really curious about Kang Ichae. That kid had already recovered mentally, so without even looking, I knew he’d be holed up in his dorm or Lim Hyeonsu’s studio, praising each other as the best, the greatest, and the most genius while working.
I’ve already asked the manager about acting lessons. Since the company’s finances have improved quite a bit, they’d be more than happy to provide them.
Acting skills

No matter how I thought about it, the criterion for better acting skills than Lee Kangseok was too vague.
I need something that Min Jiheon can’t change. Something like that.
As I pondered on a more certain method, Seong Jiwon kept fidgeting beside me.
“Hoyun, Hoyun
 You know
”
“
Why? You look happy?”
“Haha, does it show?”
Seong Jiwon smiled shyly and plopped down beside me.
“Today’s our settlement day.”
“
!”
Damn!
I had completely forgotten about such important news. As a small citizen of capitalist South Korea, I quickly pulled out my phone.
“Did you see it?”
“Haha, not yet. I don’t know how much
 I haven’t received the statement yet.”
“Do the kids know?”
“Yeah. We were going to check it together when everyone’s here
 Oh.”
Just then, my phone rang. The manager posted a message in the group chat: Settlement has been processed, please check!!
As soon as Seong Jiwon and I exchanged glances, the practice room door slammed open.
“Hyungs!!”
The first one to rush in was Jeong Dajun. Kim Seonghyeon followed him, wearing a hat pulled low and staggering in with a pale, ghostly face.
“Did you guys
 look at the settlement money?”
“
Hey, we said we’d look at it together when everyone’s here!”
“Ugh, I’m sorry. My fingers were just too itchy
! But that’s not the problem!”
Jeong Dajun slid on his knees and performed a ceremony of blowing a hand kiss.
“I’m happy to be an idol! I’ll dance until my bones wear out, thank you!!”
“
”
Jeong Dajun, how much did you get to be this excited?
Even the kind Seong Jiwon ignored Jeong Dajun.
Why is he making such a fuss

As I sighed and opened the bank app, Seong Jiwon took out his phone.
It had been a while since I last checked my tearful, empty account. Checking it always made me angry and want to smoke

Anyway, I wondered how much we had earned from our activities in the last six months. I had heard that we had passed the break-even point by a lot, but I thought maybe around 2,000.
“
”
After I opened my account, I doubted my eyes for a moment. It seemed Seong Jiwon had the same reaction. I quickly counted the digits.
“One, ten, hundred,
.”
“Hyung!!”
While I was startled and blinking after checking the amount, Jeong Dajun clung to me. His pure delight at encountering such a large sum for the first time was evident on his still-young face.
“Hyung, it’s awesome! Awesome!!”
“Uh, yeah
 it is.”
I couldn’t believe it, so I checked my phone again. We had passed the break-even point, and since they didn’t charge us for training costs, it was an incredible amount.
Wow
 even so.
It was far from the guarantee we had been offered back when we were doing well, but this amount in just six months

“It’s crazy. We’re gonna earn even more in the future.”
Kim Seonghyeon had been quiet the whole time. He then walked over weakly and slumped against the wall. He rubbed his face with both hands and buried his face in his knees, speaking in a trembling voice.
“Seo Hoyun
”
“Why are you crying?”
“Ah, please
”
Annoyed by the joke, Kim Seonghyeon finally asked,
“Can I stop feeling sorry for my parents now?”
Ah.
About six months ago, when I first entered this practice room, he asked me about the words I’d thrown out full of spirit.
“Other kids go to college or work part-time jobs to make money, whereas we rely on our family and company for financial support.”
I chuckled.
“You have a lot to be sorry for.”
“You said it yourself.”
“Back then, it was so hopeless
 Ouch!”
Kim Seonghyeon playfully hit me with the hat he was holding. But it really hurt.
As the two of us argued, Seong Jiwon suddenly stood up and called somewhere.
“Hello, Grandma! Yes
 it’s Jiwon. Yeah, I’m eating well.”
“I wanna call too!”
“Oh, right
 me too.”
Seeing that, everyone got up, grabbed their phones, and went outside. I stared blankly at the closed door, and a system window appeared.
Ding!
[Not gonna call?]
“What’s the point?”
[To your brother.]
“Pfft, no thanks.”
I knew that even if I bragged about making a lot of money, he would just worry first.
The door opened again as I lay down on the practice room floor. Kang Ichae, chewing a piece of gum as always, came in. Today, he was chewing it very intensely.
“Hyung, what’s up?”
“Did you check your settlement?”
He seems too calm about it.
Kang Ichae was the member who earned the most among us. He had written several songs. I thought the amount he received might be different when he just nodded his head.
“Oh, I saw it.”
Oh, you saw it?
What the hell?
“So, everyone’s excited like puppies seeing snow for the first time?”
Kang Ichae was too indifferent.
Wasn’t it an incredible amount for a first settlement? No, even normally, it wasn’t an amount you could easily touch.
But Kang Ichae didn’t seem to care much about the settlement. He lay down beside me and started playing a rhythm game on his phone.
“Did you do well in script reading?”
“Of course.”
“Yeah
”
And after a long silence, Kang Ichae added nonchalantly.
“So that’s what happened.”