Top Management

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TM Chapter 115

Chapter 115: What Comes and Goes Beneath the Water, a Trade (2)

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

"… A dating scandal with me? Songha and me?"

If this was a joke, it wasn't funny.

-That's what I'm telling you! It was released without any notice!

When I asked him a few more times because of how taken aback I was, Kim Hyunjo told me to check it myself and sent me a URL. When I clicked it, I was sent to an article. It was published a few minutes ago.

[Exclusive] Lee Songha, Secretly Dating Manager Jung Sunwoo! Birth of a Celebrity-Manager Couple?

What a pile of crap.

It wasn't a tabloid using initials or a speculative article. Our names were placed directly in the headline. I thought they might have posted a picture of Lee Songha and me as evidence, but there wasn't anything like that. There were just a few lines of fiction.

A fictional story about how Lee Songha and my love secretly blossomed.

There was a part about how Lee Songha knew a lot of my personal information, like my birthday or hobby, during Star Manager. They also made it seem like her sticking to my back like a turtle shell foreshadowed our love.

"What dumbass wrote this kind of article…"

I immediately checked the author.

'Daily Fact = Reporter Choi Jaemoon.'

Damn Daily Fact. It was the publication that had called my home and requested an interview. I was wondering why they were annoying my family, so it was to write this crap of an article.

-The PR Team is trying their best to manage the situation, but it'll probably still spread quickly. Don't answer any calls from reporters, and immediately come to the company. I already told Songha to cancel her schedule and come over as well.

Kim Hyunjo groaned before asking,

-Hey, but don't tell me-

"What?"

-About this article…

"That's not an article. It's nonsense."

When I said this with a laugh, Kim Hyunjo's voice became lighter.

I told him I'd come back to work immediately and hung up. At the same time, Jung Hyesung, who came back from the terrace, sat down in front of me with smiling eyes.

I cooled down what was burning up inside me with cooled coffee. If the woman in front of me wasn't there or if it wasn't for the paparazzi, I might have chucked my phone to the ground.

I heard a courteous voice.

"Is there a problem? Your expression didn't seem very good while you were on the phone."

"A bit. It seems something good happened on your side though, seeing as your expression is bright."

When I asked back, Jung Hyesung's lips curled up slightly.

"Yes. Some new work came in."

"Ah, work."

"But moving on, umm… Chief, I have something I'm curious about."

Her voice trailed on as if she was hesitating as she brushed her hair back. Her white neck was revealed below her jingling earrings. I could smell her sweet perfume even from here.

"Chief, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, I don't because I'm busy."

My phone, which I had placed to the side, began ringing again. It would probably ring like crazy from now on. I muted my phone and shoved it in my pocket.

The situation became urgent. Now wasn't the time a long conversation.

If things were going to crap, I needed a card I could use immediately. For example, the Korean star being discussed as our male lead was, in fact, a time bomb. Everything would go to shit if he was cast.

This quality information and some evidence.

I licked my lips slightly and asked,

"Ms. Jung Hyesung, I also have a question I want to ask."

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"No, not that."

"Ah."

I stared directly at Jung Hyesung who bashfully blinked her eyes.

Then I straightforwardly asked,

"Are you a member of the paparazzi?"

*

I quickly drove my car and returned to work. Unpleasant gazes landed on me.

'Was the scandal real? Is he really in that sort of relationship with Lee Songha? If they were, how far did they go?' Their gazes showed that they were dying to know the details.

Nonsense was already spreading online.

Perhaps it was thanks to the PR Team's efforts, but the Detail Fact article came down immediately. Yet, social media was overflowing with screenshots made by quick-acting netizens.

Lee Songha's and my name were stuck in the real-time search rankings for a while now. Damn internet.

Since the netizens were in a frenzy, other publications were constantly releasing spam articles as news. They were trying to get a piece of the pie since Daily Fact was the one who fired the shot, meaning they would be the first ones to be sued.

I walked past them with a calm face.

If I were to show my agitation, it would only serve to incite the shoal of piranhas.

The fifth-floor PR Team office was no different from a contact center.

"Reporter Kim, what do you mean fact? It's a story fabricated to spin controversy about these two because they're trendy right now. A press release will be sent soon so don't waste your time and resources."

"We'll be distributing a press release soon. Yes, soon. Since people need to hear their side of the story…"

With one hand on their mice and the other holding their phones, Team Leader Park and the other employees were chatting away with agitated voices.

Kim Hyunjo and Team 3 Leader gestured towards me from their table.

I approached them and asked,

"Is the press release not ready yet? Isn't it best to express our side of the story as quickly as possible in scandals?"

Of course, even if we said that the story was nonsense, netizens would argue whether it was a fact or rumor. Still, it would be much better than spending our time doing nothing like now.

This was because it would look like there was a delay in confirming the truth if our reaction was late. That would make the scandal seem even more real.

"The press release has been ready for a while, but we are waiting."

"What are we waiting for?"

Kim Hyunjo gestured upwards.

"Until we get a call from the CEO's office. The man responsible for the Daily Fact article is currently in his office."

Just what was this?

What did the Daily Fact reporter and CEO Baek Hansung have to talk about?

"Why? This isn't something that the CEO needs to personally take action for, right? It's just groundless nonsense."

"I wonder about that."

The Team 3 Leader said while crossing his arms.

"After talking with Daily Fact on the phone for a bit, he immediately set up an appointment and met with them. Seeing as even our legal team is in there, it seems he's planning on having Daily Fact make a correction."

"But will they?"

Kim Hyunjo asked as though they were in a meeting.

"Publications would rather be sued for defamation than release a correction. Saying how that would be embarrassing."

Kim Hyunjo snorted as he kicked one of the table legs.

"Is it not embarrassing to write a fiction about a celebrity if they're bored? Don't they know how fatal a scandal is for a female celebrity? Those bastards."

"Why is Songha taking so long? Try calling the recruit."

At the Team 3 Leader's words, I called him using my phone, which seemed to be bursting with calls and text messages. While waiting after hearing that they had just arrived in the parking lot, the recruit sent me a text.

-Chief, it seems that Songha is very angry. After seeing the article, her mood is as cold as Siberia. I can't even start a conversation with her.

Lee Songha was angry?

If the recruit noticed and told me about it, then it must mean that it was very noticeable.

I frowned without realizing it. I was already enduring my urge to call Lee Songha and ask if she was already since nothing good would come out of us calling each other right now.

I waited for a bit while gripping my phone when Lee Songha entered the office. Her face was chillingly stiff, so much so that it wouldn't be odd if it chipped and ice fell. I could understand why the recruit sent me that message.

However, she didn't look angry to me…

Rather, she seemed stricken with fear.

Don't tell me she heard some nonsense on her way here? If I felt people's stares unpleasant, then for a celebrity, a female celebrity to boot, their stares must have been much more direct.

Or did she read some awful comment online?

I should have told the recruit to not let her check her phone. I clicked my tongue as I asked,

"Were you surprised?"

"A bit."

Lee Songha sat across from me. She normally would have sat next to me.

Maybe it was because she was conscious of the scandal or acting cautiously in case Kim Hyunjo and the Team 3 Leader suspects, but she didn't even look at me.

Since her current actions were even more suspicious, I tapped the table with my fingertips.

"It'll be fine since the press release will be released soon. It seems the reporter wrapped me into this because there was no one else, but, that could actually have been better. If he had wrapped another celebrity into this, it would mean two companies would have to make a press release, making it twice as annoying."

I laughed as if I was joking, and only then did Lee Songha look at me and reply,

"That's true"

I couldn't read what she was thinking this time.

The Team 3 Leader's gaze alternated between Lee Songha and me as he said,

"I'm asking for caution's sake, but there really isn't anything for me to worry about, right?"

"Yes, it's all nonsense."

"Yes. Nonsense."

I replied first, and Lee Songha followed after while nodding her head.

"You have no hints about this scandal?"

"None. It's a bolt out of the blue."

"Yes. A bolt out of the blue."

Lee Songha repeated once more. The Team 3 Leader nodded.

"If there's something that crosses your mind, tell us right away. If a photo pops out suddenly…"

"There's needs to be something for a photo to exist. There's nothing like that."

Lee Songha, who had opened and closed her mouth, was late as she agreed.

I added,

"It should be easy to photoshop a photo like Mr. Sung Dowon's incident last time. I'm with Songha so much that we'll be in a two-shot whenever they point a camera at us."

"That's what I mean. It's obvious for a manager and his celebrity to be close, yet it seems this happened because you both have such a close relationship. Some people in the company were concerned that it might be a little dangerous as well."

"While we are close, we aren't like that. And we won't be in the future as well."

I said with a laugh. Lee Songha nodded slowly.

"Just stay quiet in the meantime. Even if it ends quietly, a scandal is a scandal. Even when it's not, there will be people who think that there is fire where there is smoke and the paparazzi might follow you."

The Team 3 Leader nodded in agreement at Kim Hyunjo's words.

"Yeah. The Team 2 Leader, that bastard, seemed to think this was an opportunity and went to ask the CEO if we should transfer you to his team. He seemed excited."

Yeah, I knew that would come up.

It was the worst-case scenario I had thought of. Even if the scandal wasn't true, the company might not want to keep a risk as is. Although I expected it, I still ended up frowning.

The Team 2 Leader, I would screw him over big time one day.

I clicked my tongue and looked at Lee Songha. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but she had a serious look on her face.

To be honest, there were times when I thought about Lee Songha in that way recently. I kept looking at her, suddenly thinking about her, and even though I told myself I needed to get it together or it would be troublesome, it wasn't easy.

Still, I jolted to my senses because of this scandal.

It would gloss over like this because I was the only one with a guilty conscience. If there really was something going on between Lee Songha and me, I didn't even need to see the future to know what would happen.

I shrugged while saying,

"It's just a nothing incident, why are people reacting like that? It makes me feel like I did something wrong."

"That's true, but we're just nervous."

"I guess I have no choice but to go on a few dates with a girl."

The Team 3 Leader and Kim Hyunjo chuckled lightly at my words. It finally looked like they cleared away all their suspicions.

"Do you even have a girl to go on a date with?"

"Of course I do, I just don't have the time."

"Bastard, how lucky. Just what-"

"We got a call from the CEO!"

Team Leader Park's voice cut the Team 3 Leader's speech.

The office became silent. As soon as Team Leader Park hung up after a short call, Kim Hyunjo asked,

"What did he say?"

"They decided that Daily Fact would make a correction! And we're going to release a press release with that in two minutes!"

"They are going to make a correction? What the heck?"

"It seems things went well with the CEO. Anyways, it seems it'll finally quiet down."

"And Songha. Songha!"

Lee Songha, who was sitting somewhat gloomily, raised her head when Team Leader Park called her name.

"Yes?"

"The CEO said for you to come up for a moment?"

I pressed the elevator button and glanced beside me.

Lee Songha stood still as she stared at the electronic display.

"It's probably nothing. Since there really wasn't anything, he'll probably just tell you to be careful of scandals and to not date anyone for the time being. If he says something else, just let me-"

"Something like this will never happen again."

Lee Songha said while slightly biting her lower lip.

"I won't date anyone. I'll only work until I'm successful so…"

The elevator arrived at our floor.

Lee Songha looked at me while getting on the elevator as she continued,

"So I'm going to ask the CEO to not transfer you to another team-"

"It'll be more suspicious if you say that. I'll be thinking about that problem as well so leave that to me. You don't worry about a thing and just come back. I'll be waiting for you."

I said while waving.

Lee Songha looked at me quietly until the elevator doors closed.

I took my phone out once I confirmed the elevator stopped on the seventh floor. I called a phone number I had saved, and as soon as she answered, I said,

"Ms. Jung Hyesung. Should we make a deal?"