Top Management

Chapter 16: An Encounter with the Future (1)

As soon as we returned to the shop, it seemed like the girls were really hungry as they welcomed us aggressively. We handed out the warm lunch boxes from the convenience store as well as other snacks and gave some to Kim Jonghoon and his manager as well as the shop employees.

The traitor and I asked for their understanding.

“Sorry. If we don’t eat now, we won’t have time to eat later.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about us and eat. It’s not like we don’t understand your situation.”

We still nodded our heads. My neck and lower back weren’t able to rest since yesterday.

We opened up the lunch boxes at a corner of the shop. Mine was the bulgogi [1] lunch box. As soon as I smelled the food, my stomach rumbled. I could even hear it growling.

Now that I thought about it, I skipped breakfast. I only had coffee up until now. Being full from looking at the girls’ faces only lasted for a moment.

My chopsticks moved quickly, as I gobbled up my lunch.

As expected. Bulgogi never lets me down.

The girls immediately continued to get their makeup done after putting down their chopsticks. Soon after, they changed into the outfits their stylists brought them and they were ready.

We quickly got in the van. Our destination was G-Today Newspaper Company which was located in Jongno-District [2]. In articles, the pictures were normally taken inside a café with a nice interior, but was there a place to take pictures in this gloomy building?

I worried they weren’t going to be as photogenic when they rushed here without being able to eat properly. If there were embarrassing photos taken due to bad lighting or angles, controversy could pop up saying that they had plastic surgery done.

While the traitor was parking the van in the basement, I called the number of the reporter Hyunjo gave me. A young woman answered after a long while.

-Yes, this is G-Today’s Park Woojeong.

“I am Neptune’s manager. We have just arrived. Where should we go?”

-Gasp! Y-you’re already here?!

The appointment was at 2 and it was 1:40 right now. What did she mean by already?

“Isn’t the interview at 2?”

-That’s right, it’s at 2. But… Ah, damn it.

Ah, damn it?

-Euah, I’m sorry. Can you come to the fourth floor first?

I could hear her scrambling on the other end.

Just what was going on?

First I got off the van. The girls were taking their time fixing their makeup again. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong to me, but the makeup artists were hurriedly applying and touching stuff up.

Hyunjo called and said he was nearby so the traitor went to pick him up while the girls and I made our way up to the fourth floor. Although it was only for a while, since I was in a situation where I was the only one in charge, my body stiffened with nervousness.

Well, it was only for a bit. Nothing would happen, right?

There were a lot of people in the building. I couldn’t tell who was a reporter or not, so I greeted everyone I passed. The words, ‘Hello, I am Neptune’s manager, Jung Sunwoo,’ were now a habit.

“Hello, we are Neptune!”

Even the people who didn’t give me a glance when I introduced myself concentrated on Neptune’s bright and energetic voices.