<Episode 68>
Even though it was a private account, people somehow found my SNS and started coming in.
There were quite a few who sent private messages like,
[You’re John Raid Lombardi, right? I know everything.]
trying to fish for confirmation.
‘What are they, detectives or something?’
If they had put that level of effort into studying, they could’ve easily ranked first in their class.
All I had done with this account was follow and browse Kang Woojin and Spade Joker’s accounts.
‘Or maybe they’re just throwing bait at everyone.’
For now, I decided not to respond at all. Even if the account became known, it wouldn’t really be a problem.
Since it was the weekend, I planned to rest at home while monitoring public opinion about Spade Joker.
I sat down on the sofa and picked up my tablet.
‘Oh, right, I also need to decide where to send the members on a trip.’
It would be better to book in advance.
I searched online: [Recommended domestic travel destinations].
First, places that were too crowded were out. I was sending them to rest, after all… if they got swept up in crowds, they wouldn’t be able to relax or enjoy themselves properly.
‘Hmm… maybe I shouldn’t rely on the internet recommendations.’
In the end, I deleted the word “recommended.”
Instead, I started looking for pool villas near the sea, located in quiet areas but with decent facilities.
This seemed to fit my purpose much better. And as if to prove it, I quickly narrowed down the options.
‘From here, I should let them choose.’
Since the point of the gift was to send them somewhere they wanted, I gathered the selected links and sent them to the group chat with the members.
[Cain: CEO, what is this?]
Perhaps they were on standby, because Cain replied immediately.
[When your promotions end, take a day off and go rest. Pick one place from these. I’ll send you there.]
Messages suddenly started flooding in.
[Heeseo: Really?]
[Leejoo: We just have to pick one?]
[Juseok: I’ve never been to a place like this before.]
[Zen: Let’s choose quickly.]
[Cain: By when do we have to decide?]
I regretted not just sending it to Kim Jawook and asking him to tell me after they chose.
They were obviously together… why were they discussing it in the chat instead of talking directly?
[Cain: I like option 1. The pool looks big.]
[Zen: Option 2 has an indoor pool, though.]
[Heeseo: Option 3 has an ocean view.]
[Leejoo: They’re all so good… how do we pick?]
It seemed like it would take a while.
‘They’ll tell me once they decide.’
Thinking that, I put my phone down.
Bzzzz.
Bzzzz.
The vibrations kept going.
Eventually, I shook my head and switched the phone to silent mode. Only then did it become quiet.
‘It’s been so long since I’ve had a proper day off… I should spend it peacefully.’
Saying that, I checked public reactions to Spade Joker’s comeback on my tablet.
[Last album was legendary, I thought… but nope. This one is the real legend. They keep surpassing themselves.]
↳ Nothing is lacking… MV, concept, hair/makeup, choreography, song, album specs.
↳↳ Even the merch is perfect.
↳ I can’t believe I’m seeing this level of quality from Spade Joker.
‘Hmm. Nothing negative.’
There weren’t even comments saying it was disappointing.
It was only natural to feel good when receiving recognition from the public.
They were extremely meticulous and picky.
Whether it was MV color grading, merch quality, or styling, if anything fell short, they would express it openly on SNS.
Even if creators thought everything was perfect, people would still rank things based on their own standards.
So while you shouldn’t be overly obsessed with SNS reactions, if everyone says the same thing, it’s something you must take into account.
‘They’ve probably decided by now.’
[Cain: CEO, we’ll go with option 1.]
That was the first message I saw when I picked up my phone again.
[Alright. I’ll book option 1. Good luck with today’s schedule too.]
After sending that, I immediately made the reservation. While I was at it, I also booked Han Suseok’s plane ticket.
Then I lay down on the sofa.
***
Around 2 PM, I got up again.
“Yaaawn.”
My body felt stiff as I stretched.
I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I couldn’t skip a meal, so I casually poured cereal with milk and ate it.
Bzzzz.
It was Kang Woojin.
“Hello.”
[CEO, it’s the weekend… what are you doing?]
“I’m at home having a late lunch.”
[Oh, really?]
“Yes.”
Uncharacteristically, Kang Woojin hesitated.
“Is something wrong?”
I asked first.
[You said you’d grant me one wish, right?]
“Yes.”
[Could you grant it today?]
He didn’t even say what the wish was, but his voice sounded extremely earnest.
“What is it?”
[I have a script reading at 4 today.]
Since he had contacted them first, saying he wanted to do it, the drama production must have progressed quickly.
‘Right. There’s no way the production team would delay or reject it when an actor like Kang Woojin personally reached out wanting to join.’
“You want me to go with you?”
[Yes. How did you know?]
“You asked me to grant a wish while bringing that up. What else could it be? You said 4 o’clock, right? Send me the location. I’ll come pick you up.”
[Really?]
He sounded surprised that I agreed so easily.
“Yes. It’s your wish, I should grant it.”
[Thank you! But I can go separately. I have my manager.]
“If I’m going with you, then for today I’m your manager. I’ll come. If you’re worried, your manager can come too.”
[No, I’ll wait for you.]
“Alright.”
The call ended.
‘I planned to stay home all day… guess that’s not happening.’
I went to the bathroom and took a shower. I couldn’t go looking like this if I were acting as his manager.
After drying my hair, I picked out neat clothes from the closet and got dressed.
I tidied my hair as well.
As soon as I was ready, I left the house and drove to pick him up.
‘Guess I wasn’t destined to rest on weekends.’
Blaming myself for dreaming of rest despite being inside a game, I pressed the accelerator.
After driving for a while, I arrived in front of his apartment and called him.
[Coming down.]
He hung up abruptly. Soon after, Kang Woojin appeared, breathing heavily as if he had run.
I rolled down the window.
“Over here.”
“Yes.”
He got into the passenger seat.
He was dressed neatly in a white knit and slacks.
“I’ll head out.”
“Yes.”
Normally, he would have been chatting nonstop, but today he was quiet.
Glancing at him, I saw his stiff expression as he stared straight ahead.
“Haven’t you done script readings many times before?”
“Yes. But to be honest, I’ve never shown my real self. Whenever I go to variety shows, dramas, or film sets, I think of it as acting all day. I act as the ‘constructed Kang Woojin.’”
“Isn’t that suffocating?”
“It is. That’s why I couldn’t give up composing. When I do that, it feels like I can breathe a little.”
Listening to him made me feel a bit sorry for him.
I knew very well how suffocating it was to live a life controlled by others.
“Don’t be too nervous. They’ll welcome you instead. Kang Woojin’s image doesn’t really match this role, but the fact that they’re holding a reading means they trust your acting.”
“That’s true.”
“In that case, from their perspective, you’re just acting. You’re a professional, aren’t you? Don’t think of it as revealing yourself… think of it as acting. And fans will like you no matter what you show.”
“Will they? Even people at my company seemed worried when I said I’d take this role.”
That must have been why he couldn’t shake his anxiety.
“I understand their concerns, but they don’t always have the right answer. Besides, you’re a good actor. Even if this role damages your image, you can build a different image later with other roles. Actors don’t only play cool roles. And you already have plenty of money, just do what you want. You’re earning a lot as both an actor and a composer.”
Since he had already succeeded in both acting and composing, money wasn’t something he needed to worry about.
So he should just do what he wanted.
“Thank you.”
Finally, Kang Woojin seemed to relax a little.
“I had my fortune told… they said I’d meet a benefactor this year. Looks like it was you, CEO.”
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