I Became the CEO of an Idol Company in a Game Chapter 2

<Episode 2>

 

And so, we arrived at the Han River by car.

“But how are we supposed to find them in a place this big?”

At the vast riverside stretching endlessly before us, Han Suseok’s jaw dropped.

“Should we split up first? I’ll go this way, so sir, you–”

Without saying anything, I took out my phone. Then I immediately logged into “Raise an Idol.”

When I clicked on Spade Joker in the idol tab, their detailed location popped up.

‘You could say this is the only cheat key this game gave me.’

Even though I had clearly possessed the game, for some reason, “Raise an Idol” remained on my phone. Thanks to that, whenever problems arose, it helped me at least in grasping company-related information, like how I could easily find where Spade Joker was right now.

“Follow me.”

As I walked while looking at my phone toward where Spade Joker was, Han Suseok suddenly stopped and stood still.

“Sir.”

He called me with a serious expression. What he was about to say next was obvious.

“Sir… don’t tell me you installed a location-tracking app on their phones?”

This pattern was getting tiresome now.

“Sir!”

Han Suseok raised his voice in anger.

“How could you do that? Don’t you think that’s too much? This isn’t right on a human level! What do you think of them? They’re not some money-making machines! And now you’ve even gone as far as installing a tracking app?”

His face flushed red and pale in turns, clearly, genuinely angry.

He began glaring at me, fuming.

“They’re still in their early twenties. They signed with our company when they were minors and trusted only us until now! How could you treat them like this? Isn’t this exactly why those kind kids endured until they finally ran away? Please, can’t you go back to how you used to be? Please?”

I could feel the attention of the people around us turning toward us.

They weren’t staring openly, but they kept glancing our way.

From the conversation so far, they wouldn’t be able to grasp the full situation, but that only made them more curious.

By now, all sorts of assumptions must be running through their heads. I needed to wrap this up quickly.

“Team Leader Han.”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t install the tracking app with bad intentions. It’s for their safety. Right now, you’re the one responsible for them, even though you’re already busy. If something happens to them while you’re occupied with something else, that’d be a big problem.”

‘If an article comes out, that’s when it really becomes irreversible.’

An idol group skipping schedules and going to the Han River.

That alone could produce countless sensational articles.

I originally knew nothing about the entertainment industry, but after going through over 20 years of this, I have become completely seasoned.

‘The best way to handle rumors, whether true or not, is to prevent them from appearing in the first place.’

I had no intention of living an eleventh life as John Raid Lombardi.

“Safety?”

“Yeah. It’s just a precaution in case something happens to them. You know how severe sasaeng issues can be for idols. And that’s not all. You’re acting as their manager. What if something happens when you’re busy, like this time? If we can’t even contact them, we’d be worried. There could’ve been an accident.”

“That… makes sense.”

Han Suseok replied hesitantly.

I could see his anger subsiding a bit. I needed to push further while I had the chance.

“I installed it, but I’ve never actually checked it until now. When they have schedules, either you or I go with them, and otherwise, they’re just at the dorm. Why would I need to look at the app? Right?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Han Suseok apologized with an embarrassed expression.

“I think I got too emotional and jumped to conclusions.”

“No, it’s understandable. But that’s not the problem right now. Let’s go pick up Spade Joker.”

“Yes.”

Following the phone again, we resumed walking.

“Sir.”

Han Suseok grabbed my shoulder and shook it.

“What?”

“Aren’t those people sitting over there… our kids?”

Naturally, I turned my gaze to where he was pointing.

There, six men sat crouched together, their faces covered with hoodies, caps, and masks, radiating an unmistakably gloomy aura.

‘A bunch of grown men huddled together giving off a depressing aura… people must have noticed at least once, yet no one recognized them. Should I consider that a good thing?’

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

We strode toward Spade Joker.

“What are you guys doing here?”

At my question, the members of Spade Joker raised their heads.

“C-CEO.”

They looked at me with startled eyes, clearly not expecting me to come find them. They didn’t take any particular action.

Seeing how completely different their impression was compared to just a few hours ago felt strange.

‘They must be going through the worst mental stress right now, their skin condition is terrible, and their dark circles practically cover their faces.’

The leader, Cain, looked so young it was hard to believe he was the eldest.

With pale white skin and sharp, cat-like eyes, he had a boyish charm that earned him the nickname “fake maknae” among fans.

The main dancer, Juseok, had a slim facial line and monolids that stood out—a look that would appeal to niche fans.

The main vocalist, Zen, had inner double eyelids that made him look like he had monolids, giving off a neat impression; he had the largest dedicated fanbase.

The lead dancer, Sora, had a desert fox-like look. His mismatched eyes actually added to his atmosphere rather than detracting from it.

The rapper, Heeseo, had a very unique vibe. His pale face covered in freckles made him look like a protagonist from a teen movie.

The youngest, Leejoo, had a round face, pale skin, and naturally red lips that stood out even without makeup.

‘If properly groomed and raised, they’re the kind who could attract fans on visuals alone… yet when I first met them, they looked like sickly kids.’

“Sir, I’ll explain everything. It’s just that…”

Fear was visible in Cain’s eyes.

“Get up first. Why are you sitting around here like this?”

Like guilty people, Spade Joker slowly stood up.

Then they clasped their hands politely.

Like students waiting to be punished.

“Have you guys eaten?”

“N-no, not yet.”

“Then let’s go eat first. I’m hungry too. Team Leader Han, do you know a restaurant nearby with few people? Somewhere we can eat comfortably.”

“Around here… there’s a simple diner.”

‘…You’d think a new pattern would show up by now. No… at this point, expecting something different is the real problem.’

Since eight people couldn’t fit into one car, we split into two groups.

Four got into my car, and the rest took a taxi with Han Suseok.

In my car were Cain, Sora, Juseok, and Zen.

The inside of the car was completely silent.

Through the rearview mirror, I could see them constantly watching me nervously.

“Stop looking at me like that. If I were going to say something, I would’ve already said it.”

“Huh? Y-yes.”

They answered, but still seemed intimidated.

Before long, we entered the parking lot.

I quickly parked and turned off the engine.

“We’re here, so get out.”

“Yes.”

As we got out of the car, a sign caught my eye.

[Simple Diner.]

“Sir!”

Just then, Han Suseok and the other members got out of their taxi.

“Good, we arrived around the same time.”

“Yeah. Let’s go inside first.”

“Alright.”

We all entered the restaurant together.

Since the group seating was in private rooms, we headed straight there.

I went in first and sat down, with Han Suseok sitting across from me.

But Spade Joker hesitated, just standing there awkwardly instead of sitting.

“How long are you going to stand there? Aren’t you hungry?”

They pushed each other, and eventually, the leader, Cain, ended up sitting next to me.

They had been pushing each other because none of them wanted to sit beside me.

I already knew that, so I didn’t feel particularly offended.

“Pick what you want to eat.”

“Yes.”

Even choosing from the menu, Spade Joker was cautious and hesitant.

I pressed the bell to call a staff member.

From experience, I knew that if I just waited like this, they wouldn’t be able to order.

‘If I just wait, they’ll sit here for over 15 minutes without saying anything. I need to apply at least this much pressure.’

“I’ll have the pork bulgogi set. Everyone else, hurry and order.”

“I’ll have the same.”

Han Suseok and I finished ordering first.

Then I raised my eyebrows at Spade Joker, signaling them to hurry up.

“I’ll have the same.”

“Me too.”

“M-me too.”

As always, they all chose the same thing.

“For now, I smoothed things over by saying today’s missed schedule was due to illness. So if reporters ask, don’t say anything. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Spade Joker answered in barely audible voices.

“I’ll let today’s incident slide, so stop being so nervous. I won’t ask for compensation or hold you responsible. If you eat while being that tense, you’ll get indigestion.”

They exchanged glances with bewildered expressions.

They must have expected me to explode.

‘This happened because I drove them too hard with inhumane schedules, so why are they the ones being cautious?’

Just as I was about to say more, the door slid open, and a staff member came in with the food.

“Enjoy your meal.”

Naturally, the flow of conversation was cut off.

Even after the staff left, bringing it up again would only make things heavier, so I simply picked up my spoon.

“You’re not going to eat with food right in front of you? Go on, eat. It’s rude to leave food at a restaurant.”

Only then did Spade Joker pick up their spoons.

They began devouring the food as if they hadn’t eaten for days.

“Eat slowly.”

As I said that, I poured water into cups and handed them out.

They froze at my actions.

They looked startled.

I was already used to this after repeating it multiple times.

“If you’re not going to eat, I will.”

Only then did they resume eating.

‘After we finish eating and go back to the agency, I should revise the contracts first. This time, I’ll tweak the terms a bit, too.’