The only sound you can hear is the sound of tires through the quiet residential area.
"I've arrived, Mr. Chairman. Oh, no, I always forget to say, 'Executive Director.'"
"Isn't it okay for just the two of us? It's past work hours, so just act as usual, Secretary Kim."
"Oh, our Chairman, you've been playing around a lot. Officially, until you get out of this car, it's business time. Didn't we agree to keep to our own rules?"
"Please speak informally, it's more comfortable for me."
"That might be a bit difficult."
A silhouette turns behind me across the dark room.
"By the way, Secretary Kim, how are your studies going these days? Are there any areas you're lacking or experiencing any difficulties?"
"Thanks to the chairman, I am at ease."
"If there's anything missing, tell me. I'll take care of it. So, are you done moving into the building?"
"I just finished it yesterday. You should go now, Chairman. It's getting late."
"It's just about to end. I'm just going to play for a bit and then go. I have something to say."
Two hesitant shoulders
"Oh, this is not a request, Secretary Kim. The extra pay for overtime work can be taken care of with the car you mentioned you wanted to buy last time. Just give me exactly three hours."
Behind the massive iron gate, a pond framed by trees seemingly worth billions of dollars surrounds a sunset-inspired pond. The moment the red glow bathing the pristine white mansion fills my eyes, the semi-basement where the groundwater once flowed fades into obscurity, and the image of its majestic, towering form fills my mind.
"brother?"
"Ah, uh, uh, go"
The fragrant scent that wafts along with the familiar sound that is the same everywhere lingers in my nose.
Down the long, dark hallway of the house, only dim lights illuminate the floor. With each step, the lights follow, and a scene like something out of a drama unfolds.
"Minzel, why did you say that to Minju?"
"I believed it, or rather, I should have believed it, that affection for WIZ*ONE and IZ*ONE."
"Affection?"
"You know it's not easy to take care of a disbanded group and reunite them, right? The reason we're doing this now is to gain the bond, trust, and memories between IZ*ONE and their fandom, and the purchasing power that comes from that, in other words, profitability. Wiz*ONE? You want to bring them back no matter what, but you know that a company always has to evaluate profit and loss, right?"
"I know, I know, it's harder. I feel like I have two selves. These days, it really feels like Secretary Kim and Seonghak Kim are two different people."
"I saw Secretary Kim Min-joo earlier and she was so flustered that she lost her mind. Our professional Secretary Kim, you are always the same. The you of the past, the you of now, Secretary Kim, Kim Seong-hak, and in the future too.
"What's so great about it? It means it's not that great."
"You're pretending not to know me when everything is fine?"
"No"
The cool temperature of the refrigerator is filled with sparkling red bottles.
"D'Arma Shiraz? I've never heard of it before. I know Cass."
"You don't have to know anything if you're young. Just drink it if an adult follows you."
Red wine filling a clear glass,
"So, are you happy to meet Kim Min-ju?"
"Isn't she really so pretty? Kim Min-ju is called Mingzel? That's because Kim Min-ju is an angel, so she's called Mingzel. But is that really true? If a wingless angel were to descend to earth, that's exactly what she would look like."
"It's definitely pretty."
"Right!! She's so pretty and has such a kind heart. Huh? She's just an angel, isn't she?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's right. You should all be transferred to the department in charge of democracy."
"Really? Are you really going to do that? I can really do it, I guarantee it. Please cut me."
"Oh, what more can I say? Just drink it."
Then a screen appears before your eyes
Official Statement
1. Wiz*One is a fan of the 12-member girl group IZ*ONE...
"Wiz*One is still going strong. Just a few months ago, they demonstrated their purchasing power with an astronomical 3.2 billion won in funding through a fund called Pyeongp. The decision to save this group will be the most important and successful decision in our company's history."
"We'll see when the time comes, and the next contact will probably be leadership."
"Lee...Leadership? Out of all those agencies, why go there?"
"This is going to be a tough negotiation. I'll probably have to use a lot of leverage this time."
"Why don't we start somewhere else first? KM, Rayhwa, Vanilla Room, Elim, there are so many, why go there? You can never convince them. It's because of them that we're all divided up like this in the first place. It's right to finish all negotiations and then go with threats. They are..."
"Trust me on my choice. But first, I need your help. Do some background checks on the company's CEO. I've heard rumors that he's been having a lot of trouble."
The sound of the number being dialed on the phone taken out of my pocket, followed by a brief connection tone, is followed by a familiar voice greeting me.
"Yes, sir, it's been a while. Yes, yes, I have a favor to ask of you. Yes, the representative of the leadership class. Yes, as always, please give me something shabby, something worth grabbing a leash for. Yes, yes, let's meet again next time. I'll buy you a meal."
"And let the press know a little about the recent confirmed cases and the former idol's confiscation, and blow it up together. And set up a nice meeting with the higher-ups and give them several boxes of Bacchus so they have something to eat too, so they don't leave."
The empty glass is filled with wine again.
"Let's try to get some information out to the Wiz*One community to get some support, and then finally contact the members to secure a participation contract, all at once."
"Are you planning on starting a war? I don't know if it's right to start one this big."
"You've never failed to listen to me, so trust me this time too."
The one who stands up
"Oh, I suddenly have something to do, so I'm sobered up all of a sudden. Oh, I don't feel like drinking. What are you talking about? I'll just go first. Park the car in our building's parking lot and I'll drive you nicely."
