I Became the CEO of an Idol Company in a Game Chapter 18

<Episode 18> 

 

“Cheers!”

It had been a while since their last company dinner, and everyone looked excited.

“Don’t people usually dislike company dinners?”

“Why would we hate eating beef on the CEO’s dime?”

That made perfect sense.

Even I used to frown when company dinners were for things like webfoot octopus or cheap pubs, but beef was an exception.

There was no way anyone would dislike eating expensive beef paid for by their boss.

‘I forgot about that.’

“CEO.”

“Yes?”

“But why did you suddenly start speaking formally to us? You didn’t before.”

“I heard that if you want to respect employees, you should use polite speech.”

“From who?”

“Is that important?”

“I’m just curious. Before, it was really hard to even face you, you know?”

The employee hadn’t drunk much, but it seemed like they were finally letting out questions they had been holding back.

“But these days, it’s not like that anymore. That’s why it feels strange. Oh, by the way, do you know there are a lot of questions about you on SNS right now?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know? You don’t even have an SNS account.”

“I have one to check reactions to Spade Joker.”

The employee looked at me with surprise.

“I had no idea.”

“So, was it fun doing that Q&A alone after verifying your company ID?”

At my blunt question, the employee shut their mouth.

They blinked rapidly and avoided my gaze.

“You thought I wouldn’t know?”

I had no intention of making them write a report or punishing them.

They hadn’t leaked company secrets, and thanks to their actions, interest in both Spade Joker and me had increased.

“C-CEO…”

They started sweating and stammering.

“I really didn’t do it with bad intentions. I-I can explain everything.”

That was enough teasing.

“Just kidding.”

“…What?”

“I was just joking. So stop trembling like that.”

“Really?”

The employee looked up at me with teary eyes. I pressed down lightly on their head.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll make you write a report.”

At that, they quickly fixed their expression. It seemed they really didn’t want to write one.

“E-excuse me.”

A woman suddenly approached us. She wasn’t dressed like a restaurant worker.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your meal, but I’m this kind of person.”

She handed me a business card without hesitation.

[Kim Yerin – Reporter, EVER Entertainment Section]

The moment I saw the word ‘reporter’, I instinctively became wary.

“What business do you have with us?”

“Could you do an interview with me just once? I know this is a rude request, but I feel like I’ll never get another chance to run into you like this in a restaurant.”

She bowed slightly as she asked.

But I had no intention of accepting.

‘By chance?’

I wasn’t even sure this was truly a coincidence.

And even if I did the interview, there was nothing for me to gain.

‘It’s not bad to build connections with reporters, but not with this one.’

I already had someone else in mind.

‘Right now, I need to focus. Anyone who doesn’t help should be cut off. Who knows what variables might arise.’

“I’m sorry, but we’re in the middle of a company dinner. And my schedule doesn’t allow it either.”

I declined as politely as possible.

“Is there really no way?”

Kim Yerin asked again, her voice earnest.

But that wouldn’t change anything.

If she had asked for donations to help penguins and polar bears suffering from global warming, I might have considered it.

But this was business.

‘It’s also troublesome if my name appears too often in the media.’

“No, it’s not possible. Secretary Han.”

I deliberately called him “secretary” instead of using his name.

“Yes.”

“My schedule is full right now, right?”

Han Suseok immediately understood what I meant.

“Yes. Even if we tried, there’s absolutely no way to make time.”

I raised my eyebrows slightly at the reporter as if to say, “see?”

“I’m sorry for disturbing your meal. If you ever need me or decide to do an interview, please contact the number on the card.”

“Alright.”

“Please do.”

After emphasizing that once more, she left.

“Why is everyone so interested in me? I’m not even an idol.”

I spoke irritably and gulped down my beer.

“Ha… I feel a bit better.”

The cold beer cleared my head for a moment.

“I can understand it, though.”

Han Suseok said quietly.

“What?”

“You’ve always had something about you that draws people in.”

“Me?”

Since I had possessed this body inside a game, I didn’t know much about John Raid Lombardi’s life in America.

So I pointed at myself as I asked.

“Yes. There were even love rivalries over you on campus–”

“Stop.”

I had no interest in hearing that.

“There were love rivalries over the CEO?”

“Why did you cut him off? I’m so curious!”

“CEO, please tell us! We’ll work even harder!”

They sounded like kids begging a student teacher to tell a first-love story.

“Why are you all like this?”

“We’re curious.”

“Team Leader Han, why bring up something unnecessary?”

It didn’t seem like stopping them would end this.

“Fine. Let him talk.”

The moment I gave permission, Han Suseok began.

“You were sociable and active, so you were popular with both men and women. Even without doing much, you received a lot of confessions.”

“Wow, I’m jealous.”

“You were really popular.”

I didn’t feel happy hearing that.

It wasn’t me who experienced it.

“But since you weren’t particularly interested in women, you never gave anyone a chance. You just stayed friends. But one day, two women got into a fight at a pub near campus. Apparently, they both liked you and saw each other as rivals. That day, their usual tension escalated into a fight because of alcohol.”

“So things like that really happen.”

“Anyway, you were popular without doing anything. Your looks stood out, and your manners were excellent.”

“Well, that’s probably why the general manager followed you from the U.S. to Korea.”

“Well… yes.”

“To be honest, we thought at first that he had some weakness you were holding over him.”

I choked on my beer at that blunt remark.

“Cough!”

‘I may have worked him hard, but that’s too much.’

“That’s not true.”

Han Suseok waved his hands to deny it.

Honestly, the idea that he had any weakness someone could exploit didn’t make sense.

‘Where would you find someone as upright and honest as him?’

If I had a younger sister or daughter and she brought him as a marriage partner, I’d approve without hesitation.

That’s how good a person he was.

“I was the one who insisted on following him. I wanted to go with him.”

“What did the CEO say?”

“Do you know why the moon shines? Because it reflects the sun’s light. Idols are the same. They shine by reflecting the light we give them.”

The room fell silent.

Even more than when they heard about the love rivalry.

“Did the CEO really say that?”

“Yes.”

The employees all looked at me in disbelief.

Only Han Youngjoo looked at me differently.

She clasped her hands near her chest and gazed at me with sparkling eyes, as if deeply moved.

‘Well, she didn’t see my past before I got possessed in this game. If she had met me back then, she’d probably react the same as the others.’

“I wanted to become someone who properly shines that light. That’s why I came to Korea. I believed in those words and waited until now.”

“Wow… that’s amazing.”

“I think I understand why the CEO suddenly changed. He must’ve just lost his way and then returned to his original self.”

I had no idea how the main topic of this dinner had become me.

‘Is it because of that show?’

Nothing like this had ever happened before. Since things changed after appearing on that program, it had to be the cause.

“Then, to our changed CEO!”

“Cheers!”

Now they were even toasting to me among themselves.

Well, it wasn’t bad.

There was nothing wrong with getting closer to employees.

‘Actually, it’s a good thing. When people get closer to their coworkers, turnover naturally decreases. So I’ll just leave it. They all need to work harder from now on, and they’re capable too.’