NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22
Chapter 22
“So, what kind of work do you expect me to do?”
This wasn’t me asking because I had no clue about my responsibilities. It was because it seemed like there was so much to do.
If I’m not careful, I might end up with an average sleep time of just two hours!
A company without a solid system runs on pure manpower, after all.
“First, I expect Team Leader Seon to take on a comprehensive role in planning and managing the schedule. That’s why I gave you the Team Leader title.”
Cheon Aram added that she was thinking of hiring more experts, so I shouldn’t worry too much about lacking practical knowledge.
That was a considerate remark.
But honestly, I didn’t think I was any less knowledgeable than that so-called expert.
I just couldn’t prove it, but my experience before the regression wasn’t something to scoff at either.
I vowed to make it unnecessary to consider hiring an additional expert and replied to Cheon Aram.
“I won’t disappoint you.”
Cheon Aram nodded and continued.
“But that’s something to do once a proper team is established.”
“Am I to interpret that as you expecting me to take on a scouting role right now?”
“Absolutely right, Team Leader Seon. Spot on.”
Cheon Aram flashed a smile and said,
“I heard from my older brother. You matched all four members of the debut team just because you briefly did an All Tube shoot with Senior Seonghwan while working as his manager?”
“So that reached the President’s ears, huh?”
“I was the hiring manager, of course.”
Now I understood a bit why Cheon Aram held me in such high regard.
“One of the reasons I’m counting on you, Team Leader, is your keen eye for talent. I want you to use that for Two Bear Entertainment.”
To be honest, that was just leveraging my knowledge from my previous life.
I was far from having that genius-level insight.
But that didn’t mean it was impossible to replicate.
I had knowledge of the stars from before the regression. I even knew which school some of them were studying at now.
Plus, thanks to this ridiculous ability called ‘System,’ it was possible to assess others’ talents.
If I couldn’t demonstrate that so-called ‘keen eye’ with those tools at my disposal, I might as well just throw myself out!
With complete confidence, I said,
“I’ll deliver beyond what you expect, President Cheon.”
“I love that attitude! Just let me know what you need, and I’ll support you fully. Show off that talent of yours to the fullest!”
I liked that single statement.
“Then, I’ll get moving right away!”
“I’ll make the earth move.”
“Ah, wait a second. Before that, there’s something you need to know.”
I stopped in my tracks.
“Can you step out for a moment, Gyeoul? This is a bit sensitive.”
Gyeoul tilted her head at me and Cheon Aram, then quietly stepped outside.
“What is this secret that Gyeoul shouldn’t hear?”
“You can hear it if you want, but personally, I wish not many people knew about this.”
That sounded significant.
“Our company doesn’t exactly have a normal workforce structure, does it?”
“…Right. Honestly, calling it a company is a bit embarrassing.”
At my blunt remark, Cheon Aram chuckled softly.
“Well, there’s a reason for that.”
Cheon Aram glanced around near the door, checking if anyone was eavesdropping. I wondered what on earth could be so serious that it required that kind of caution. It made me a little tense too.
“Do you believe in supernatural abilities, Team Leader Seon?”
“Supernatural abilities? Are you talking about psychic powers?”
“Kind of. Like seeing ghosts or reading people’s minds.”
It seemed like a rather random question, but I didn’t struggle with my answer. The response had been set in my mind long ago.
“I do believe.”
After all, I was currently benefiting from a supernatural power known as a management system. I didn’t believe I’d be the only one experiencing such a miracle.
“That’s surprising! I thought you’d be the type not to believe in this stuff.”
“I’m more open-minded than you might think.”
“Good. That makes it easier to understand. To put it bluntly, I have such a power myself.”
Cheon Aram said this while fidgeting with her lips and wearing a strange expression.
“It’s kind of vague to call it a power or a curse, though.”
Though I’d only seen her for a short time, I wouldn’t have considered her the type to joke around while explaining something serious. So I chose to believe her claim of having supernatural powers and asked.
“What kind of ability is it?”
“I can smell the intentions of people with malicious intent. They give off a stench that’s unbearable. If it gets bad enough, I could even faint.”
Suddenly, it made sense why she mentioned both power and curse. If it came with the risks she described, the pain must be immense.
“What do you mean by ‘malicious intent’?”
“I can’t really define it exactly. I can’t pull thoughts out and compare them with smells, you know.”
It seemed like there was no system in place to kindly explain her abilities to her.
It seems there’s nothing like that.
“Still, don’t you have any guesses?”
“Yeah, I do. For now, I’m thinking of it as greed.”
I pondered for a moment on the word “greed” and asked.
“I’m not doubting President Cheon’s words. However, I think that’s a bit vague.”
Greed is a term that can be interpreted very broadly.
“Everyone has desires. It’s not because humans are immoral; it’s simply because we are living beings with hunger, sexual desire, and the need for sleep.”
Without those desires, humans wouldn’t have developed like this.
If they didn’t exist, they wouldn’t even bother with the tedious effort of survival.
“I can empathize with that. If I regarded desire itself as something stinking, then I wouldn’t be able to coexist with anyone.”
I nodded in agreement.
“So I think of it more precisely as ‘greed that seeks to gain at the expense of others.'”
Thanks to Cheon Aram’s addition, the meaning became clearer than before.
But I still didn’t quite get it.
“It’s changed a little more specifically, but the fact that it’s a universal human emotion hasn’t changed. Since everyone has a subjectivity, they can’t help but be self-centered.”
“Yeah, they just don’t say it out loud. There are plenty of people seeking profit at the expense of others, you know?”
“That’s true. It’s better than smelling greed itself, but the fact that you have to avoid most people doesn’t change. Living a normal daily life would be impossible.”
“As expected of Team Leader Seon; you got it right again?”
“….”
From that bland acknowledgment, I could infer what kind of life Cheon Aram had lived.
I mentioned that it could drive someone to madness.
Maintaining normal human relationships would have been impossible.
She probably couldn’t even go to school or any crowded places.
“…You must have had a hard time.”
“Well, even if it stinks, it’s not impossible to be with others. Losing your sanity doesn’t happen in just a couple of hours anyway.”
Cheon Aram waved her hands as if to say it wasn’t such a big deal.
“It doesn’t matter if I go to crowded places. As long as I can endure a small issue of getting hives all over my body and nausea with headaches after just 10 minutes.”
That’s not a small problem at all, you know.
“That’s why there are surprisingly few employees at our TwoBear Entertainment. When I conduct interviews to hire someone, the stench is overwhelming.”
If it were me, I wouldn’t want to hire such a person either.
Even if there were no side effects from the stench, trusting and hiring someone with a greed that assumes sacrifice would be difficult.
It was hard to trust and hire someone.
When I thought about it, Cheon Aram’s ability was indeed a talent.
There was no way we’d pick someone who’d stab us in the back.
“I thought to myself that since we’d be eating from the same pot for quite a while in the same space, I couldn’t just let someone pass by like a stranger. So I was pretty picky about choosing people.”
Cheon Aram looked at me and smiled like a snake.
“The ones who squeezed through that narrow door are Team Leader Seon and Han Gyeoul. I’ll acknowledge them as humanists. Feel free to consider it an honor.”
I wasn’t sure whether I should be pleased with Cheon Aram’s evaluation that I was someone without greed.
Especially since I was the one who volunteered to become a self-serving person after the regression.
For now, I decided not to think too deeply.
“Is the reason you’re telling me this secret to tell me to consider that smell when scouting?”
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Cheon Aram clapped as if impressed and said, “Our Team Leader Seon is quick to understand, that’s good. Yes, it’s a top priority in our TwoBear Entertainment recruitment policy. You should pick someone without that smell, in other words, a humanist.”
It was a perplexing request.
How could I know the greed of others when choosing?
I had always thought that fierce greed was necessary to endure the tough life of a trainee and debut, so this request felt even more absurd.
But what can I do?
If the employer wants it, I gotta follow.
“Got it. I’ll do my best to look for someone who doesn’t seem like that.”
“Yeah, I’ll be cheering for you.”
I bowed to Cheon Aram and left the training room.
To connect with future top idols who haven’t even become trainees while considering their character, it seemed like I’d have to put in a lot of legwork.
*
I brought in a girl with outstanding rap skills who would be a prime example of girl crush.
“Oh no, that smell. Rejected!”
I brought in a girl who showcased the beauty of an East Asian woman, destined to become a celebrity in the modeling world.
“I don’t want to see anything stinky and rancid often. Rejected!”
I brought in a girl with a pure and cute image who would land tons of advertising gigs.
“…Disgusting. I can’t even be in the same room with this friend for 3 minutes. Rejected.”
“…”
I already wanted to quit.