Chapter 387: Busan World Pop Festival (2)

As soon as I heard Yoo Hye-Joo's voice, I asked, "Were you the one who changed the girls' performance order?"

-Oh my, what makes you say that?

Yoo Hye-Joo avoided a direct answer, perhaps wary of being recorded.

The moment I heard her calm voice, I knew for sure she was behind this.

"Let's not play games here. I'd like you to fix the girls' lineup right away."

-Don't be so harsh like that. I heard from Ms. Oh Jong-Mi that you were having some trouble, so I thought I'd see if there was anything I could do to help.

I clenched my teeth in anger. '

Offering help when she was the one who caused the problem in the first place, huh? The audacity.

'

"Help sounds great. So how exactly do you plan to help?" I asked nonchalantly.

At that moment, Yoo Hye-Joo's laughter deepened on the other end of the line.

-

Hahaha

. This isn't something we should discuss over the phone. How about we meet face-to-face? I have a proposal, too.

Aside from burying corporate scandals, JH Media was involved in a variety of activities. One of their core operations was hosting exclusive parties for corporate executives and their families, supplying celebrities for these events.

Yoo Hye-Joo's proposal likely involved sending some of my celebrities to one of those secret parties. They would pay five to ten times the usual appearance fee, but sponsorship offers often came up at these events.

I knew it would be best to refuse right away, but I was suddenly struck by the idea of meeting her in person. In my past life, people like her at JH Media were handled directly by Kim Dong-Soo, so I lacked firsthand information about them.

'

Knowing your enemy well is key to winning any battle, after all,

' I thought.

The more intel I had on them, the better prepared I would be.

"I'll come to you."

-Great. Then come to the penthouse at Haeundae K Hotel in Busan. I'll leave a word at the lobby: just say you're here to see Director Yoo.

Conveniently, Cherry Blossom was also staying at Haeundae K Hotel.

"Understood. I'll head there immediately."

Click.

After ending the call, I gave Do Ran-Hee a brief overview of the situation. I explained that JH Media held enormous sway over the press with the power to create or suppress scandalous rumors.

"Wow... Seriously? There's a company that does that?" Do Ran-Hee remarked with surprise.

"Yes. Whenever you don't see articles about certain celebrities mingling with big shots, it's thanks to companies like this handling the cleanup."

Only in her second year of work, Do Ran-Hee looked incredulous upon hearing such things.

"Regardless of the pay, don't ever agree to those secret parties. It can mess up the girls' lives."

Do Ran-Hee nodded emphatically. "But what should we tell the girls? Should I inform them about the change in the lineup?"

"No, don't say anything until it's finalized. Anyway, we're running late. Let's get going."

Do Ran-Hee nodded and started the engine.

On the way to Cherry Blossom's hotel, I received another call from Oh Jong-Mi.

-You heard from the vice operation chair, right?

Though JH Media was a sponsor, Yoo Hye-Joo's name didn't appear on any official committee lists.

"Oh, she's a vice operation chair?"

Oh Jong-Mi sidestepped the question, saying that the pamphlets and website hadn't been updated. It was clear just how powerful JH Media was.

I told Oh Jong-Mi that I would discuss further after meeting with Yoo Hye-Joo, then hung up and continued my journey toward Busan.

***

At Haeundae K Hotel in Busan, I sent Cherry Blossom up to their room on the 12th floor before heading down to the lobby, stating I was there to meet Yoo Hye-Joo.

Chief Kim, who was at the desk, got up and took the elevator with me up to the 15th-floor penthouse.

While the elevator climbed, I took out my phone to review my schedule.

[Everyday V11]

[Date: October 26, 2020]

-08:00 p.m. [NEW. Kim Sae-Ri] Performance order change at Busan World Pop Festival.

It was now 1 p.m., and rehearsal was scheduled for 3 p.m. There were still two hours to spare.

Ding.

The elevator stopped on the 15th floor. When the doors opened, two sturdy bodyguards stood at the entrance to the penthouse.

After a quick ID check, the two guards led the way and opened the red door of the penthouse.

The door opened to reveal the living room, featuring towering two-story glass windows that offered a panoramic view of the Haeundae Sea.

On the sofa facing the glass wall sat Yoo Hye-Joo, the only daughter of JH Media. Though she looked like an ordinary wealthy housewife at first glance, she was the hidden hand connecting celebrities, reporters, and corporations.

Yoo Hye-Joo greeted me in a light pink two-piece dress. "You arrived quickly."

Her long and light-brown hair was tied back, falling to her waist.

When I approached her with the bodyguards, Yoo Hye-Joo extended her hand for a handshake. "It's our first time meeting, right? I'm Do-Hee's mom."

However, I had no intention of shaking her hand.

I simply spoke nonchalantly. "Now that I'm here, will you correct the performance order?"

"First, turn off your phone and smartwatch."

With Yoo Hye-Joo watching, I powered down my phone and smartwatch. Yoo Hye-Joo gave a subtle signal to the guards who proceeded to check me for any other devices.

Only after the thorough inspection did Yoo Hye-Joo's expression relax. She said, "If you grant me just one favor, I'll restore the original performance order."

While I had come here to restore Cherry Blossom's performance order, it seemed necessary to deflate Yoo Hye-Joo's confidence first.

"You seem to misunderstand. I didn't come here to negotiate."

"Oh? Is that so? What a pity. I hate just giving in."

"Then perhaps we should each mind our own business."

I stood up as if to leave, showing that the performance order was all that mattered to me. Just then, the two bodyguards standing behind the sofa placed their hands on my shoulders.

"You arrogant punk! Who do you think you're in front of?"

"If you don't want to crawl out with a broken leg, sit down while I'm still being nice!"

I stopped moving and spoke in a low voice. "If those hands aren't off me by the count of three, you'll be eating only ice cream for the next week. One..."

"This bastard's out of his mind."

"He's got guts, doesn't he?"

The guards scoffed and dared me to try.

"Two."

Yoo Hye-Joo sitting opposite watched intently as if testing what I would do.

'

Well. If she wants a showdown, I will gladly give her one,

' I remarked inwardly.

"Three."

At that, I twisted my shoulders slightly. As my shoulders shrugged off their grip, the two guards lost their balance and leaned forward slightly. I took advantage of the moment, pulling down on both guards' arms.

The guards, both large men, lurched forward. Their midsections hit the back of the sofa, making them somersault over it.

Crash!

One guard landed sprawled out on the table between Yoo Hye-Joo and me.

"

Ugh...

"

Without giving them time to recover, I immediately raised my fist.

Thud. Thud.

With my bandaged right hand, I threw a couple of punches just shy of their chins before pulling back.

"Do you want me to continue? If you do, get ready to be on a strict ice cream diet."

Realizing I was showing them mercy, the guards looked confused and dejected.

Just then, Yoo Hye-Joo's face twisted with anger. Her trusted guards had been overpowered before her very eyes. "You worthless fools! Bring in the head of security and you two, get out!"

The red-faced guards swallowed their pain and hurried out while apologizing. "W-we're sorry, ma'am."

Clunk.

Once the two guards left and the door closed, Yoo Hye-Joo took a deep breath to regain her composure. She finally seemed ready to talk.

She nodded slowly. "All right. I'll restore the performance order. But why don't you at least hear my proposal first?"

I nodded reluctantly.

Yoo Hye-Joo crossed her legs and continued. "A distinguished family member whom I owe a favor to has returned to Korea after five years. So I'm planning a private party in Cheongdam-dong the day after tomorrow. I'd like all the Cherry Blossom members, Mr. Lee Tae-Poong, and Miss Jung Yoo-Jin to attend it. But don't worry—other companies will be sending various actors and singers as well."

"Who is this distinguished family member?"

"You know that's classified information."

At that moment, a memory clicked and I recalled exactly who she was referring to. Of the people capable of hosting a secret party right now, only one person had recently returned to Korea: Kang Hyuk-Jun, the second son of KQ1 Inc., a top semiconductor company ranked 55th in the business world.

Known for his interest in women, Kang Hyuk-Jun was likely hosting a secret party funded by his father's wealth. If the event was in Cheongdam-dong, it was probably at the private club called Third. I had been there once on Kim Dong-Soo's orders in my past life, so I even knew its exact location.

Completely unaware I was gathering information from our conversation, Yoo Hye-Joo laid out her terms. "For the performance fee, I'll offer five times what we're paying at this Busan World Festival. Cherry Blossom usually gets 10 million won per song, so I'll pay 50 million won for each song. That's 100 million for two songs. How about it? Oh, and for the actors, they'll each receive 100 million just for attending."

I pretended to consider it, then shook my head. "I'll pass on that offer."

"Oh, come on. Hear me out. I'll also add a 50 million won service fee for you."

I scoffed and replied, "Even if it were 1 billion won, my answer would still be the same."

"Why don't you call your celebrities and ask them directly? They might want to come."

"Don't waste your time with tricks."

Yoo Hye-Joo's eyes turned cold at my blunt rejection. "I didn't expect you to be so difficult. Keep this attitude up and it could come back to bite you."

"Then should I bring up what Cha Do-Hee did recently?"

I mentioned the incident where Girlfriends7's ace, Cha Do-Hee, had led a bullying scandal. Though she could brush it off as a youthful mistake, the early-stage fandom of Girlfriends7 was too fragile to withstand such a blow.

For a moment, Yoo Hye-Joo glared at me. "So you're seriously looking to pick a fight with me, huh?"

"Not a fight, but a deal. If you restore the original performance order, I'll never bring it up again. How about that?"

An uneasy silence hung in the air.

Ultimately, Yoo Hye-Joo, who had been staring daggers at me, backed down. After all, this issue concerned her only child while mine was merely a professional one.

"Just don't ever mention my daughter's name. If you do, I won't hesitate to turn everything upside down," Yoo Hye-Joo warned me.

"Fine. Then please start by restoring the girls' performance order."

"I was planning to do that anyway."

Yoo Hye-Joo made a call somewhere. "It's me. Restore the performance order! Just do as you're told! Stop asking questions!"

In the end, Yoo Hye-Joo reluctantly restored Cherry Blossom's original performance slot. I had to keep quiet about Cha Do-Hee's scandal in return, but that no longer mattered.

Now, I had gotten something far better: information about Kang Hyuk-Jun's private party.

'

I'll leave Cha Do-Hee alone as promised. But you and JH Media? I won't let either of you off easy,

' I silently remarked.

I had no intention of letting JH Media continue to hinder Cherry Blossom and Team Jung.

***

At the Busan World Pop Festival's closing stage, Cherry Blossom held their microphones and sang before an audience of 20 thousand fans.

Half the crowd seemed to be Cherry Blossom fans waving their light sticks in unison.

-Forever Leader Woo Yeon-Hee!

-Lovely Power Yang Eun-Bi!

-Pretty Angel Yoo Eun-Ah!

-Cutie Sexy Kim Sae-Ri!

The slogans were a bit embarrassing, but when shouted by tens of thousands in unison, they acted as a vitamin boost for the girls who were worn out from the stage performance.

Dressed in stage outfits resembling school uniforms—a yellow plaid jacket over a white blouse and black flared skirts—the four members of Cherry Blossom smiled brightly as they ran across the stage.

Then came the moment to sing the chorus of their new song, 'My First Love Story.'

Woo Yeon-Hee, Sae-Ri, Yang Eun-Bi, and Eun-Ah paired up, each raising one hand above their heads to form hearts. The four formed a heart and began singing the chorus in beautiful harmony.

『My First Love Story~』

At that moment, the Cherry Blossom's fan club, Cherry Blossom Family, shouted so loudly it shook the concert hall.

-L! O! V! E! Forever our love!

With each wave of excitement from the fans, a sense of pride filled me for having protected this stage. Watching them shine like stars on stage, I joined in the chant with enthusiasm. "L.O.V.E. Forever our love!"

My cheer seemed to energize Do Ran-Hee, Lee Ju-Yung, and even Han Myung-Ho, who all began waving their light sticks passionately to join in the chant.

After the first song wrapped up, it was time for the second song, 'Hurry Up!'

In response to the performance order change, we decided to forgo an encore. Instead, we planned to hold a mini-concert at tomorrow's Busan fan meeting to make up for it.

Just then, the event's head, Oh Jong-Mi, approached us hesitantly. "Mr. Jung..."

She glanced nervously at me before suddenly bowing her head.

I asked, "What can I help you with?"

Oh Jong-Mi lifted her head slightly and spoke. "Well... Could we possibly allow two encore songs? The Deputy Mayor came with his family, and it turns out his daughter is a Cherry Blossom fan..."

'

The Deputy Mayor's daughter is a fan of Cherry Blossom?'

The tables had completely turned. I couldn't help but feel a smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth.

'

What should I do with this?

'