Chapter 317

After their contract with RH Entertainment ended, Prism signed with Choi Jeokhyeon’s agency. The contract terms appeared to be in line with Prism’s brand value, roughly the average of the favorable conditions proposed by other agencies.

“…I’ve definitely read the contract nearly a hundred times, and I checked everything to make sure there were no problems, so why does it still feel like I’m being sold off to some shady place?”

From what I remember, Cha Woon, who’s currently acting as Prism’s leader, looked completely wiped out after all those meetings with the staff and right up until the moment the contract was finalized.

“Why does it have to be CEO Lee? Anyone but him or Kang Hyukwoo would’ve been fine, so why, why him of all people…….”

“Because he’s my only friend.”

“Ahh…….”

Seriously, it wasn’t like they signed some form saying they’d give up their bodies. I didn’t understand what he was so afraid of and trembling about. I replied nonchalantly, “ Come on, I’m right here next to you. There’s no way he’d do anything that weird .”. At that, Cha Woon buried his face in his huge hands and cried out, “So basically, you’re saying that without you, there’s no telling what might happen!”

Since I couldn’t in good conscience deny those words, I just ignored his desperate cries. At that moment, Lee Chise, who was passing by nearby, commented calmly.

“The reason Kang Hyukwoo had to keep exploiting our weaknesses and stirring up trouble was that, due to his own incompetence, he knew he couldn’t hold onto Prism after the first contract ended. Our value is highest when we’re on our own, and while the CEO might not be a good person, he’s sharp when it comes to business … As long as we bring in money, he’ll treat us well.”

‘Is it just me, or does that sound kind of like a threat to make me stay by his side?’

It was a fair point, but it wasn’t the kind of thing you could just nod along to and say, ‘Oh, okay! Guess there’s nothing to worry about then! ‘. Cha Woon turned to me with a dumbfounded expression, pointing at Lee Chise in disbelief. He didn’t even move his lips, but I could practically hear him saying, “ Can you believe what that guy just said? ”

Once again, I turned my head away and pretended not to see him, murmuring quietly under my breath.

“There probably won’t be any major problems. Probably…….”

“Probably? So you’re not sure, then. If there aren’t any major problems, what about minor ones?”

“Hmm.”

“…Hyung, look at my face.”

“…….”

“Look at me!”

Anyway, even after that, I continued to be pestered by Cha Woon for quite a while.

It was probably because that guy had really suffered at the hands of Kang Hyukwoo, and ever since then, he’d become seriously anxious about anything contract-related. Even though he himself understood this was likely the best option for them, he just couldn’t put his mind at ease.

‘If he’d been just a little less sensitive, he might have been under less stress.’

I sighed heavily, thinking to myself, but then remembered Do Yuda and quickly shook my head.

‘No, that’s better than being a fool.

“Hyung, I think I’ve misunderstood the CEO-nim all this time! He has a great voice, he’s really handsome, and oh … he seems really kind and smart too! I think I get why he’s your friend, hyung? I like the CEO-nim!”

“…No, no, no, no! Get your head straight. No. That’s not right.”

“Huh? Hyung, if he’s your friend, doesn’t that mean he’s a good person?”

Do Yuda met with Choi Jeokhyeon and after just a few minutes of conversation, he was completely fooled by the convincing facade and has now become his loyal dog. It felt exactly like watching my own dog wag its tail at a thief.

“Hehehe, hyung, are you jealous? You don’t have to worry that much, you’re always number one for me. The CEO-nim is cool, but you’re the one I love!”

“Please, Yuda-ya. Come to your senses.”

At first, he instinctively sensed that he should stay away from Choi Jeokhyeon, but as soon as he moved beyond instinct into the realm of reason, his intelligence seemed to have a rather negative effect.

‘Now I see why kids like that fall for scams.’

Ugh, I had a feeling Do Yuda would get stabbed in the back without even realizing it and end up sobbing, and that Cha Woon would probably get gastritis and collapse all on his own. I couldn’t feel at ease about either of them.

It would’ve been nice if they could take the same stance as Lee Chise; “ I don’t trust him as a person, but I trust his business judgment, and since this is the best option for now, let’s not get stressed over nothing. If any small issues come up later, we’ll deal with them then ”. But my conscience stopped me from pushing that mindset onto them.

‘Honestly, it’s Lee Chise who’s not normal. You could drop that guy in the middle of nowhere where no one speaks his language, and he’d still come back grinning.’

While Cha Woon and Lee Chise, the two eldest, were having a serious conversation like that, the reactions of the younger members were as follows,

“The other members will decide that kind of stuff on their own. They worry more and think things through more than I do anyway, so I’m sure they’ll stress over it enough for all of us.”

Nam Yihwon said he’d trust the members’ judgment and leave it to them. To be honest, that trust was more of an excuse; he probably just couldn’t be bothered. From the start, Nam Yihwon didn’t have much interest in Choi Jeokhyeon anyway, so even if he had shared his opinion, it wouldn’t have added much. The others probably wouldn’t have taken it seriously, either.

“…….”

Yoo Jay still seemed to dislike Choi Jeokhyeon and kept a sour expression the whole time. Choi Jeokhyeon, in turn, seemed to view Yoo Jay with complete disregard. The more this dynamic played out, the stiffer Yoo Jay’s expression became, but in the end, when Cha Woon chose to sign with Choi Jeokhyeon’s company, Yoo Jay quietly followed the decision without protest.

And Jo Inchan…….

“As long as it’s not Kang Hyukwoo, I’m okay with whatever the hyungs choose. It’s just … whoever it is, I don’t think they could be worse than him.”

Jo Inchan said he was just grateful to have broken free from Kang Hyukwoo’s grip. After being in the worst environment for so long, he must be feeling pressured that if he demands any more than now, he might lose everything.

I fully understood why he felt that way, but I couldn’t accept such a mindset. There were countless scumbags in this world trying to bleed innocent celebrities dry. From now on, I hoped the members of Prism would soar freely high up in the sky.

‘I haven’t been able to meet Jo Inchan since we talked last time … so I haven’t talked to him in person yet.’

Apparently, that bastard said something like, “ If you go against me, I might just blow everything up ”. I guess he opened the door because he was shaken by those words.

Later, I learned that Kang Hyukwoo had tried to threaten Jo Inchan again.

‘…What the hell is he trying to blow up?’

It was certain that Jo Inchan’s video had been deleted successfully. If Kang Hyukwoo really still had the video, there would have been no need to create a situation where Jo Inchan was alone and threaten him with vague claims of ‘ having another weaknes s’.

‘If he really had a solid weakness to use against us, he would have confidently gone after us from the beginning, just like he’s always done.’

Jo Inchan seemed too flustered to notice that far, but by going to find Jo Inchan that day, Kang Hyukwoo basically proved to himself that he had no weapon to control Prism. It was a mistake made out of the anxiety of possibly losing Prism.

Even though I had faith in them, I couldn’t completely rid myself of the anxiety until the very end.

‘Is this really how it’s going to end?’

Even though Prism had finally broken free from RH Entertainment’s control, I still couldn’t feel at ease.

“I was anxious every day when Inchan’s video was in that bastard’s hands … Thanks to you, hyung, I can finally sleep soundly.”

“…….”

“Thank you, hyung. Sleep well.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Ever since Prism’s contract ended, I’ve actually been sleeping less well than before.

I knew I was light sleeper and was quite sensitive to begin with, but recently it seemed to have gotten so bad that it was beyond what I could manage.

It had become a daily routine for me to stay up late, obsessively scanning entertainment news and anonymous online communities to see if there were any issues related to Prism. Then, I would pass out from exhaustion and dream that Kang Hyukwoo, harboring a grudge against Prism after losing everything, was stabbing the members with a knife.

“Gah, haa … ha…….”

Whenever I woke up screaming, I would always find my clothes soaked in cold sweat.

“…….”

The reason for my abnormal behavior was clear.

‘What if, what if Kang Hyukwoo causes another incident?’

The Kang Hyukwoo I’ve seen so far was the kind of scum who, when faced with the prospect of falling, would grab someone else’s ankle out of spite just to drag them down with him. And if that ‘ someone else ‘ happened to be the people I love more than anything, then of course I’d lose my mind. How could I not?

If you drove prey into a corner and it charged at you with a willingness to die together, nobody knew what the outcome would be.

‘…Am I worrying too much?’

“…….”

‘No. I still can’t let my guard down.’

There was no way the gangsters simply let Kang Hyukwoo join that business without getting something in return. From what I had checked before, they were never on equal footing from the start.

Kang Hyukwoo used to have significant influence and connections in the entertainment industry thanks to Prism, but that’s no longer the case. With his past misdeeds exposed in the worst possible way and Prism even leaving RH, Kang Hyukwoo was entering a complete dark age.

But would they really just leave Kang Hyukwoo alone now that he’s no longer useful?

And would Kang Hyukwoo be able to withstand the pressure?

‘The reason Kang Hyukwoo was afraid of Choi Jeokhyeon all this time was that he was worried he’d lose what he held onto because of him. But now that’s gone, he has nothing left to be afraid of.’

How much longer do we have to keep doing this?

What exactly do I have to do to make sure the members are completely safe?

As time passed, instead of becoming numb, I felt my nerves getting sharper and sharper.

‘As expected … I might really have to kill him to end this.’

The moment that thought carelessly crossed my now-chilled mind, my body was abruptly pulled backward, and a piercing voice stabbed my eardrums.

“NO!”

Slightly startled, I turned my head back and saw Woo Kangwon’s horrified face. He was panting heavily, as if he’d sprinted from far away after spotting me, and when he noticed my questioning gaze, he grimaced and whispered in a low voice.

“…The crosswalk. It’s a red light.”

When I turned my head forward again, I saw cars speeding down the road at a frightening pace.

“Ah.”

“I’m sorry for pulling you so hard. It was really urgent…….”

“No, you saved me, so … thanks. I didn’t see it.”

“Are you okay? I’ve been trying to talk to you since earlier, but you weren’t responding, so I got worried.”

‘You’ve been talking to me since earlier?’

I was a little flustered because I hadn’t heard anything that sounded like someone speaking until just now. I completely missed the red light too. But then, seeing the worry starting to spread across Woo Kangwon’s face, I pulled myself together and answered like nothing was wrong.

“…I’m a little tired, so I must have dozed off for a moment. Sorry. What did you say?”

“It seems they need to remeasure your size for the next comeback outfits since you’ve lost some weight. The styling team asked me to call you in, sunbaenim.”

“Okay.”

At those words, I answered in a small voice, then squeezed my bloodshot, dry eyes shut.

***

[“The number you dialed is not in service…….”]

Kang Hyukwoo, with trembling hands, kept calling Jo Inchan’s phone nonstop. When the calls didn’t connect, he moved on to the other members, and finally, hearing the cold automated message from Yoo Jay’s phone, he let out a hollow laugh.

“These bastards … they don’t even know who raised them to that position, and they’ve got the audacity to betray me?”

BANG!

“F*ck!”

And unable to control his anger, he shouted curses and threw his phone down.

The phone’s screen shattered and the power went off, and in the now quiet office, the sound of someone biting their nails echoed.

“…So, this is how you want to play it? Fine, then let’s go all the way and see how far this goes. I absolutely won’t die alone.”

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