Chapter 29 |
“Trainee Han Seungbeom, can you come in this way for a minute? Is this time convenient?”
When I returned to the Lucky Center, the main PD welcomed me warmly.
No, to be precise, it wasn’t a warm welcome.
His complexion was as gaunt as if he were on the brink of death. Clearly, he’d had a hard time dealing with various things after I collapsed.
“Yes, sure.”
As I entered the lounge prepared for the production team, chairs and tables came into view. Among the several chairs, a young-looking staff member was seated in one of them.
“Trainee Han Seungbeom, please sit down. Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thank you.”
When I sat down on the chair as instructed, the main PD sat across from me.
“…….”
What do you mean flustered. You’ve experienced this before.
It was just last year that a dance trainer had to step down due to drunk driving, so it’s inappropriate for him to be complaining like this now. Of course, drunk driving and assault carried different levels of weight in the public’s eyes.
“Please speak comfortably.”
Speak uncomfortably. Be as polite as possible and be mindful of my feelings.
“First of all, are you feeling okay? I was really shocked to hear that you even went to the emergency room.”
“I’m fine. Trainer Jay took good care of me, so I’m feeling much better.”
“I didn’t know you were that close with Jay. He’s not someone who easily gets close to his juniors, after all.”
“Ah, really.”
‘He’s dragging it out.’
Worrying about my health was just a matter of courtesy. If someone truly cared and felt guilty, they would have already examined my wounds.
‘Well, just by seeing that they casted Frick, I could clearly see what kind of people they are.’
What he was truly curious about was how I became close with Jay and how I would react to this situation.
“To get to the point, the production team has had quite a tough time. Of course, we’re not blaming Trainee Han Seungbeom, it’s just that this is the reality. We can’t perfectly take care of all the trainees, so when an accident like this happens, it’s naturally very shocking for us.”
It was the beginning of a typical gaslighting.
If it had been another inexperienced trainee here instead of me, it’s obvious they would have been intimidated, feeling guilty for causing trouble to the production team.
In a place where a bunch of minors were gathered to film a broadcast, it was the production team who were naturally in charge of safety. Seeing how he tried to frame it as an “accident” rather than “assault“, it seemed like he thought I was a pushover.
“I see. I truly understand the difficulties the production team has gone through. You must have been really shocked by Trainer Frick’s assault.”
When I pointed out the word “assault” precisely, the smile that had subtly lingered on the PD’s face vanished in an instant. He furrowed his brows and let out a hollow laugh. It’s as if he thought I’d be intimidated if he hardened his expression at once.
“Oh dear, if you’re going to speak so aggressively, it puts us in a difficult position. We’re human beings with feelings, so I would appreciate it if you could speak to me more politely.”
“What part of that was aggressive, exactly?”
I was more than determined to hear the word “assault” come out of that guy’s mouth I tightly grabbed onto the PD’s attempt to brush it off vaguely.
“It’s a bit difficult for me to pinpoint that exactly. What I mean is, that’s the overall nuance.”
‘You should be groveling for forgiveness, but instead you’re trying to intimidate me. You get a zero, you bastard.’
I could feel their determination to never admit this incident as assault, no matter what. Furthermore, it was becoming apparent that he was subtly trying to assert dominance in the way he was treating me.
It seemed they still believed they could control me, considering I was just a 20-year-old trainee, whose fate could change depending on their editing.
Once again, I felt relieved that it was me, and not Zen, who was in this position.
“Then how should I explain it? I also need to explain it to my parents.”
“That’s…..”
When the topic of my parents came up, the two production staff members exhanged glances. They looked anxious.
What an adult feared the most when having a conflict with a younger person was the presence of the parents. I didn’t think I could get any special help from Han Seungbeom’s parents. However, the production team didn’t know that, so they could be used as an effective warning.
“It’s not such a big deal, is it? Do you really need to contact your parents? It might just cause them unnecessary worry. When you’re staying so far away without any contact, parents tend to worry much more than you’d expect.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s the case. We’re not trying to stop you, but just to let you know, if your parents misunderstand the situation too seriously and force you to leave the program, the production team won’t be able to stop them.”
In other words, it was a threat saying that if my parents made the situation worse, they could force me to leave. For a trainee desperate for a debut, it was a threat that couldn’t be ignored, but for me, it was empty words that didn’t faze me at all.
“Leave the program? I’m here to make amicable adjustments.”
“Of course. Since Trainee Seungbeom is an adult from this year, he has the right to make his own decisions.”
The PD, seeing me shake my head at the mention of leaving the program, gave a satisfied smile. It was clear he thought he already figured me out; Trainee Han Seungbeom, desperate for a debut, would be a fool who would follow the production team’s orders without question.
“There was a camera we hadn’t managed to clean up in the practice room where the incident occurred. When I checked, the SD card was missing … did Trainee Seungbeom happen to take it?”
“Are you talking about this?”
I took the SD card out of my right pocket and slowly put it down on the table.
“Trainee Han Seungbeom, taking the production team’s belongings without permission would be considered theft. This is something the production team will need to think about carefully.”
“No, I lost consciousness. It was Trainer Jay who took the SD card. I was simply asked to return it to its owner.”
“Then we’ll hold Trainer Jay accountable.”
“…….”
The production team wouldn’t have the guts to go after Jay, so the whole charade was designed to make me feel guilty for getting him involved.
The main PD handed the SD card to the staff member next to him. It seemed like it was to check if any data remained on it.
“I was told there’s nothing on it.”
“Is that so? The footage that was filmed is also the production team’s valuable property, yet it seems it was deleted without permission.”
Although he didn’t show it on the surface, he seemed to think it was a good thing it was deleted. A faint look of relief crossed his face.
From the production team’s perspective, the relationship between Jay and me was just that of a trainee and a trainer. If an unfavorable scene was filmed, Jay had no obligation to share that data with me.
In the end, the data was completely destroyed without falling into the hands of Han Seungbeom. This seemed to be the scenario the production team had in mind.
I quietly reached into my left pocket and pulled out something. It was a small USB.
“So, it’s not exactly a substitute, but I’ve prepared a small gift.”
“A small gift?”
Without answering, I pushed the USB in front of PD, “Open it.”
“Sure.”
Following the PD’s instructions, the staff connected the USB to the laptop and played a video.
[“You …. you!”]
Frick’s occasional, sharp yells were the only clear audio. Since we weren’t wearing a microphone, the built-in mic of the camera couldn’t capture much of the distant conversation.
[Bam!]
My body was slammed hard by Frick and the mirror shattered. The main PD gulped as he watched the scene.
[“…..What the f*ck!”]
The video ended with a shot of Frick hitting me hard on the head. I only cut out the parts where Frick were at fault.
The main PD couldn’t take his eyes off the monitor showing a black screen after the video ended. It seemed like he never imagined that the assault scene would be captured so clearly.
“I told you so.”
At the sound of my voice, the main PD turned his shaky gaze to me.
“I don’t know why you called me in here without doing a proper investigation.”
“…….”
Every time I tapped the table with my index finger, the main PD sucked in his breath.
And the staff member who quickly figured out the main PD’s intention quickly grabbed the USB.
“First, we’ll take the video and examine it to verify its authenticity.”
Unfortunately, my patience had already reached its limit, and from now on, it was my turn.
“Put it down, PD-nim.”
“Yes?”
“You know that. If I only had that one, I wouldn’t have brought it here. Going back and forth over that one thing won’t solve anything.”
“…It seems that Trainee Han Seungbeom is still young and doesn’t fully understand, but edited evidence like this lacks credibility. Let’s wrap this up peacefully here, shall we?”
“If you want to insist on that, you shouldn’t have coveted that USB. If you keep glancing at it like that, I can’t pretend not to notice, because that video is your weakness, PD-nim.”
I pulled the USB out of the laptop and shoved it straight into my pocket. Then, I stared at the main PD.
“In this industry, the legal validity of evidence doesn’t matter at all. What’s important is how the public perceives it. Things like canceling the program or starting a boycott.”
“Trainee Han Seungbeom, just a moment…..”
“Shall I say it again, PD-nim? I’m here to negotiate.”
“….What is it that you want in exchange for letting this matter pass quietly?” The main PD, who had been leaning back arrogantly, straightened up his posture and nervously clasped his hands together.
And after confirming that, I crossed my legs and exhaled slowly.
A trainee was undeniably, without question, always in the subordinate position.
However, from this moment on, I could clearly declare this.
I am above, and you are below.
“I want this program to remain a program that helps me until the end. I’m not doing this to ruin everything.”
“Are you saying that you want us to debut Trainee Han Seungbeom, even if it means manipulating the rankings?” The main PD, biting his lips tightly, glared at me with a preconceived assumption.
“No. I want a fair fight.”
That sounded like trouble. I was confident I could make my debut anyway. I had no intention of committing wrongdoing just to secure an easy path.
“Then what do you want?”
“I don’t want anything in particular. Oh, of course the perpetrator’s departure is the bare minimum. If I must say, I think it would be best to maintain the current state. This state, where my reputation isn’t tarnished by unnecessary edits. There’s no need for me to endure the continuation of a program that insults me that insults me.”
From now on, if any conflicts arise, make sure to put some serious thought into the editing. If the editing drags me down, I’ll grab your hair and drag you down with me. This was what I meant.
As I spoke with a wide smile, the main PD gaped at me, looking stunned. It seemed like he thought I was going to ask for something huge.
‘You shouldn’t be greedy.’
I had a principle. The threat must be clear and definite, but the demand should not cause significant harm to the other party while being clearly beneficial to me. That way, there won’t be any repercussions.
Well, if there were any additional things to be upset about besides the editing, I was thinking of coming back and giving them a piece of my mind.
“I noticed during the first round rankings announcement, it seems like you’re slowly starting to create a conflict against me.”
The main PD flinched.
‘As expected.’
Being close to the unbeatable number one position was an element that satisfied my fans, but from the program’s perspective, it was undeniably boring.
It was apparent they were trying to pull a sneacky trick, so it was necessary to put the brakes on.
I will defend this unbeatable position until the end.
My life had always been like this.
“Are you saying to edit it in a way that is favorable to Trainee Han Seungbeom?”
“If you put it that exaggeratedly, it puts me in a difficult position. I’m sure you’ve received a lot of requests from agency CEOs like this, right? Please make sure to present our child nicely.”
“…….”
“For me too, if you think just to that extent, it will be fine.”
Absolutely don’t think of it to that extent. Always keep it in mind and tremble.
I’ll kill you all.
I smiled brightly and held out my hand to the main PD.
“Shall we shake hands? For the sake of our warm coexistence.”
“Yes……”
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Translator’s Corner:
Dear PD-nim, be polite before Jay heard about it….