Manager Kim had been operating on a harsh schedule recently. He drove back and forth between Busan and Seoul like he was commuting to work, so he barely got any sleep. As for meals, he got triangular rice balls from the convenience store most of the time. He couldn’t remember the last time he had proper, hot food.

“Hyung, let’s go now.”

“Oh… yeah, of course!” said manager Kim as he raised his head. He felt his vision go blank for a brief moment. When he pressed his fingers between his eyes to get himself together, Kang Giwoo asked him worriedly.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, I’m fine.”

“You’re lacking sleep, aren’t you?”

“No. I slept from time to time, so I’m fine. Rather than that, are you done here?”

“Yes. I think we should head to the restaurant now.”

Manager Kim started up the car. He glanced at the shop that Giwoo had just been to before reversing his car. He always followed Giwoo, but he had never been to that shop before. From what he heard, it was a shop that handled luxury watches, and they seemed to sell watches that he wouldn’t be able to buy even with several years worth of salary. He looked at Giwoo’s wrist through the rearview mirror. The watch with a black leather strap was reflecting light.

“Do you want to try it on?”

“No, I don’t dare,” said manager Kim as he shook his head.

If he damaged it somehow, just the repair costs would amount to more than he could imagine.

“Alright.”

Manager Kim looked forward. Giwoo, who sat in the back seat, was known for his kind character at the company. When he actually worked with him, he found that Giwoo was really the kind and polite child from the rumors. However, manager Kim couldn’t entirely accept that at face value. That was because Giwoo’s former manager, manager Cha, left the company so suddenly, and his departure left behind several questions.

‘And there’s that sense of fabrication as well.’

Manager Cha was a devoted man. He was a little too devoted to the company, so even when they didn’t get paid their salary properly, manager Cha stood on the company’s side and stood up for them. Whenever others looked at him, people thought that he would become a team leader soon. He was called to various places ever since he started taking care of the rising star Giwoo. Manager Kim never doubted for a second that manager Cha would get promoted whenever he talked to the excited manager Cha.

However, manager Cha’s desk was missing in the company right now. Such a passionate man was fired without a moment’s notice. The head manager did not talk about manager Cha’s incident for a few days before starting to complain about him. He was talking about how manager Cha’s work attitude was horrible.

The other managers were confused when they heard those words, but they didn’t say anything since they knew that managers in this field got hired and fired quickly. It was strange that someone as loyal as manager Cha was fired, but nothing was set in stone in this field after all.

Manager Kim was put in charge of Giwoo as manager Cha’s successor. A manager’s power was proportional to the person they were in charge of. Of course, in official places, they were in a position where they couldn’t even budge their lips, but they could act with pride when they attended a shoot or something like that. This was especially true since people who tried to talk to Giwoo directly without going through the company would try to persuade him first. As long as he trod carefully, he would be able to get his hands on plenty of money other than his monthly salary.

It was good for a few days after he was put in charge of Giwoo. Giwoo was currently being acknowledged as one of the rising stars in the industry after he was picked as one of the lead characters in New Semester after Apgu. He found his work fun when he thought about how this was a great opportunity to get close to Giwoo, who would very likely enter stardom in the future. However, his head was muddled when manager Cha called him.

-It’s that fucker no matter how much I think about it. That fucker is the one that got me fired with a smile on his face. Otherwise, it doesn’t even make sense seeing as how he doesn’t reply to my texts and calls.

Manager Cha had become a different man since he left the company. The once devoted man who always spoke pleasant words with a smile on his face hurled unspeakable insults at Kang Giwoo and the head manager. Manager Cha said that he was betrayed. He told him that Giwoo and the head manager weren’t to be trusted and that he - manager Kim - would eventually suffer the same fate.

Manager Kim consoled him over a drink with a complex smile on his face. At first, manager Cha’s warning sounded like nonsense to him, but he became more worried the more he talked to him. The way he was suddenly fired and the sudden shift in the head manager’s attitude - manager Cha asked if he could have an opportunity to meet Giwoo just once. As manager Kim was unable to reject him as he used to treat him kindly, manager Kim set up a meeting which would look like a coincidence. He wanted to help manager Cha, and at the same time, he also wanted to know the truth.

He left for a bit saying that he had to withdraw some money, and manager Cha took that opportunity to meet Giwoo. Manager Kim put his ear on his phone as he watched them from afar. He had called manager Cha’s phone beforehand.

Giwoo’s calm voice could be heard over the phone. Even as manager Cha agitatedly shouted at him, Giwoo replied with a smile on his face. Manager Kim suspected manager Cha since he was the one who was flustered while Giwoo was calm and logical. He wondered if manager Cha was fired because he did something wrong. However, from some time onwards, manager Kim had to listen to Giwoo’s words with a frown. The kind-sounding calm words sounded incredibly iffy to his ears. Manager Cha, who was shouting in agitation, felt humane, but Giwoo, who was talking back to him, felt like a machine.

It was kindness just on the surface. Giwoo, who always seemed to look after manager Cha at the company, didn’t even get out of the car and pushed manager Cha away with polite words until the very end. While his words sounded calm, his actions couldn’t be colder. When he smiled at manager Cha who cryingly asked him to explain the reason at least, manager Kim felt shivers run down his spine.

After manager Cha left, manager Kim went back to the car in nervousness. He gave Giwoo a drink he bought and asked him if they could leave. Giwoo replied ‘yes’ with a smile on his face. He looked calm as though nothing had happened. Not long after they departed, Giwoo spoke.

-Hyung, please park in more remote places next time. I want to take a break but fans keep coming to talk to me. While I feel thankful, I should rest when I can.

Those words sounded very frightening to manager Kim. Manager Cha had somehow turned into an impolite fan. The way he lied without batting an eyelid made him gulp subconsciously.

Ever since that event, what awaited manager Kim was a murderous schedule. Not to mention official business, Giwoo called him out even for personal appointments. He couldn’t even remember what sleeping on his bed at home was like.

‘But I should endure it.’

Manager Kim stepped on the gas after looking at the lights change. He found out that Giwoo wasn’t really the kind guy he seemed like on the surface, but that changed nothing. He just had to do his work well. Manager Cha was fired because he got on Giwoo’s bad side, but he resolved that he would do his work perfectly so that he wouldn’t be abandoned.

“We’re here,” manager Kim said with a small sigh.

The sushi restaurant was in front of them. This was the get-together location for the drama New Semester. He turned off the car and got off. The stability given off by the solid ground almost made him want to fall over. Even the cold air felt refreshing. The outside air was definitely better, even if it was cold, than the stuffy air inside the car.

Giwoo walked towards the sushi restaurant. Manager Kim followed him. Although the get-together was for the main production staff and the actors, the managers would have to wait in the restaurant as well. They would have to stay still in a corner where they couldn’t be seen, but they could still eat delicious food, so he was satisfied with that.

“Oh, right, hyung,” Giwoo said as he opened the car door.

Manager Kim looked at Giwoo with exhausted eyes.

“Someone I know works as a designer in Daejeon, and apparently, he made a jacket for me as a present recently.”

“I see.”

What was he trying to say? Giwoo smiled and spoke,

“You know I have an interview with a magazine tomorrow, right? I want to wear that jacket to the interview. He put in all that effort after all. I want to promote him even if it’s for an event like this.”

“A-alright.”

“Well, then. I’ll leave that to you.”

“Huh? Leave that to me?”

“Hyung. I know it must be hard for you, but please get it for me. Who else can I ask for this? Oh, if you depart now, you might be able to get back before 11. Oh, are you tired by any chance?”

“The thing is… you know I’ve been driving for days recently. I haven’t gotten any proper sleep either. You know how hard of a time I had, right?”

“Of course, I do. I know how hard you worked.”

Giwoo nodded a few times.

“Then I guess there’s no helping it. You can take a rest. I’ll ask the designer to send it to me by post.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. You said you were tired, so there’s no need to push yourself.”

The moment he heard those words, manager Kim felt his stomach start to ache. That was because Giwoo’s eyes that looked at him looked too kind. Those kind eyes. That was the way he looked at manager Cha usually. The eyes of the kind little brother that his colleagues always praised him for.

Manager Kim clenched his fist and spoke,

“Y-you said Daejeon right? I’ll be right back.”

“No, hyung. There’s no need to push yourself when you’re tired. You should get some deep rest at home. I’ll just have to get that jacket later.”

“No, I can make it.”

“You look very tired though.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine once I wash my face a little. Moreover, I heard that it was a designer jacket, right? You should do the interview with that on. I’m sure it’ll look good on you,” said manager Kim with a smile.

His lips were trembling as he said those words. Ever since he dropped out of high school, he never had a decent job but he had finally found a job that he could boast to others about. On top of that, the head manager told him yesterday that his salary would double as long as he didn’t make the same mistake as manager Cha.

“I’ll be right back. Please let me.”

Giwoo made a vague smile as though he was put in a difficult position before speaking, starting with ‘then’,

“Please make it as fast as possible. So that you don’t come back too late.”

“Y-yeah! I’ll do that.”

“Also, hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“Do not ever try to toy with me again. I’ll let you go for the bank event this time, okay?”

“....”

Manager Kim could not reply.

* * *

Kang Giwoo went into the restaurant while dusting off his clothes. He politely greeted the restaurant staff before asking where the get-together location was.

“You should climb to the 2nd floor.”

He nodded before climbing up the stairs. When he went up, he saw the managers sitting in the corner. They were chatting by themselves. Giwoo immediately went to the large room. He took off his shoes and quietly greeted the people who were sitting down.

“You’re here.”

“Our lead character is here.”

Giwoo laughed and waved his hand.

“Don’t tease me too much. You’re embarrassing me.”

It seemed that the important people hadn’t arrived yet. The only people he saw were the rather old actors. He knew their faces, but not their names. These people appeared a lot on TV as supporting characters in dramas. There was zero nutritional value in becoming close to them, but Giwoo put on a smile and gave them the senior treatment.

After he sat down and talked to them for a while, the director, the assistant director, the main writer, and the main actors came arrived on the 2nd floor. People applauded to welcome them.

“Sit down, sit down. I just gathered everyone here today so that everyone can eat to their hearts’ content and then go back. Thus, let’s not talk about anything strange. Talking about the drama is not allowed,” said Park Hoon, the main director, as he drew the line.

The older actors welcomed his words and laughed.

After a brief introduction, food started coming out. People who knew each other got in groups and talked among themselves, when someone stood up from the corner and walked towards them. Giwoo thought that he was a manager at first, but when he looked up close, he found a familiar face instead.

‘There’s a familiar face here.’

Giwoo smiled and quietly watched Han Maru, who sat down at the edge of the table.

“Hm? Why are you coming from there?” asked Park Hoon as he looked at Maru.

People’s attention naturally gathered towards him.

“I was here a little early, so I was talking with the managers. I didn’t ruin the mood by chance, right?”

He smiled and stood up before saying that he’ll sing as compensation. He was so smooth that everyone was clapping along.

Giwoo smiled as he looked at Maru.

‘Goddammit.’

The paper cup in his hands had already become a crumpled mess.