Episode 92: Time to Hunt (3)
‘Reporter Kwak, you haven’t changed a bit.’
The way Kwak Sun-bin’s eyes instantly flipped the moment I said “exclusive scoop” brought that thought to mind.
In my memory, Kwak Sun-bin was definitely a peculiar reporter.
The kind who only wrote articles with sources she personally dug up, never copy-pasting or spreading rumors—an almost anachronistic type in this day and age.
‘Though her focus was heavily on Starlight.’
That’s how she earned the derogatory nickname “Starlight’s Trumpeter.”
But I know very well that she wasn’t some paid shill—because even when she wrote harsh criticism about Starlight, she never held back.
If I could just shift that focus toward MyWay…
Image is a lifeline for celebrities.
No matter how talented, good-looking, or nice a person is, a bad public image drastically cuts down the opportunities to show it.
And the media is the most proactive force in shaping that public opinion.
‘Of course, Kwak Sun-bin alone can’t control all of public opinion.’
But having a reporter who can reliably kick things off in the right direction—or not—makes a world of difference.
Especially when that reporter is skilled enough that people say, “She should be in the society desk, not entertainment.”
That predatory, prey-hungry glint in her eyes right now only reinforces my memory of her.
Her reaction was answer enough.
“Let’s focus on the showcase for now, Reporter Kwak.”
I unclasp my hands, straighten the back I had been leaning forward with, and sink into the plush chair, smoothly changing the subject.
It was only natural that Kwak Sun-bin’s brows furrowed—she had been leaning toward me, ears perked, only to be cut off mid-conversation.
But,
“You’re right. There are a few too many ears around here.”
Realizing once again that she wasn’t the only reporter present, she scratched her forehead and sat up properly.
“So when will you contact me?”
She glanced at the business card in my hand and asked.
“After I see the article you write today?”
I said it half-jokingly, and her eyes narrowed.
“That’s too confident to call blackmail… Are you lobbying me? Asking for a favorable review? Or is it a transaction?”
“That stings a little… I’d like you to write exactly what you see. If I made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”
I answered her pout with calmness, knowing that words like “blackmail,” “lobbying,” and “transaction” were also half-jokes.
“Uncomfortable? More like surprised. I didn’t expect this side of you. Hmm, interesting. Fine. I’ll write today’s article with full concentration. But I take no responsibility if it turns out harsh, okay?”
Yet I could tell the follow-up wasn’t a joke.
When she wrote negative pieces about Starlight, they were truly merciless—precisely because they weren’t driven by fandom.
That’s why I’m a little nervous.
Nervous about possibly getting a harsh review.
“I actually just came from Se-hyuk sunbae-nim’s waiting room.”
“And?”
“He told me the Hylliy girls are about to cause a huge incident this time.”
“Oh? Saying that only raises my expectations higher. You sure you’re okay with that?”
I held off on answering her last question for a moment.
“In a few minutes, the Hylliy <Mysty> comeback showcase will begin. Those who have stepped away, please take your seats.”
A voice rang out from the now-empty corner of the stage.
As the lights beneath the stage gradually dimmed,
“You can decide for yourself whether this is confidence or a bluff after you watch.”
Leaving that delayed reply, I moved to a corner of the press section and lifted the camcorder I had borrowed beforehand to cover the parts not hidden by my mask.
Even while Ji Se-hyuk appeared on stage, did his self-introduction and short comedy bit, Kwak Sun-bin’s gaze stayed fixed on me.
Only after,
“And now, let’s welcome today’s protagonists—Hylliy—to the stage! Please give them a big round of applause!”
Did her eyes finally shift away from me the moment Hylliy stepped out.
***
That evening.
The MyWay building was filled with nonstop screaming.
The reason was simple:
“Mysty! #4 on YouTube Trending in Korea!”
Hylliy’s first-week response was literally “all-time legendary.”
Employees who should’ve gone home hours ago were completely doped up on the dopamine rush from the music video views climbing in real time.
But even that ecstatic uproar died down moments later.
Because Hylliy, who had been stubbornly blocking Pleiades from lining up their past title tracks in the top ranks, finally let them through.
“…!”
Of course, right under Hylliy’s name.
“1… 1st place…! #1 on Cocoa Chart! Pleiades is DONE!!!”
“UWAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”
“This is insane! Actually insane!!”
“Four hours?! #1 in four hours?! Isn’t that a new record?!”
“Press release, press release first! Send it out NOW!”
“Ailee! The Hylliy girls just started a live!”
“Really? Put it on!”
““KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!””
Was it a rebound from the brief silence?
Stacks of A4 paper flew through the air like confetti, and raw, unfiltered cheers turned the place into pure pandemonium.
Someone’s phone playing an SNS live broadcast added overlapping, ear-splitting screams, turning the entire floor into absolute chaos.
“Pfft.”
To me, it was an expected result, but watching everyone lose their minds like this made a smile slip out anyway.
While that was happening, the news tab open on my phone auto-refreshed, and the giant headline photo completely changed.
From Lee Bomi of Pleiades—fiery rose-red hair, sending a seductive smile at the camera—
To Choi Eunwoo—ash-blonde hair like freshly fallen snow, wearing a relaxed smile.
My finger naturally moved to the photo, and a familiar name caught my eye.
[At the end of winter, girls searching for a mystic dream inside white mist. Live coverage of Hylliy’s comeback showcase]
[Daily Patch – Reporter Kwak Sun-bin]
‘Wow… Reporter Kwak really nailed the point.’
No matter what anyone says, the current center of Hylliy is Kitano Sora.
She’s still a bit short of being called the “girl crush leader,” but she’s definitely the most recognized member.
But this <Mysty> promotion is different.
Because the song’s motif is “Snow Queen,” Choi Eunwoo—who has sharp, cat-like features and a slightly colder aura—is far more suited to be center than puppy-like, cute Kitano Sora.
That’s exactly why I pushed Eunwoo to dye her hair even though she hated the idea.
In that sense, While most other articles led with the usual Kitano Sora photos, the fact that Kwak Sun-bin put Choi Eunwoo front and center earned an automatic nod of approval from me.
‘It’ll also make follow-up articles easier.’
Even a simple line like “Though Choi Eunwoo was reluctant to dye her hair, she went all-in for this concept” would rake in insane views from Hylliy’s fandom, Hello.
Well, now that the overwhelming follow-up headline “Fastest #1 on chart ever” is public, that plan is meaningless anyway.
‘Hmm… I was going to let it simmer a bit longer.’
But if she’s rolling up her sleeves and helping this much, I should return the favor.
Even if the original plan is obsolete, the fact that a “50-50 at best” scenario turned into this is definitely an unexpected boon.
‘At this point, the embargo doesn’t even matter.’
I have about three scoops in my pocket.
Two of them are closely related, so technically it’s two.
Namely: Lee Ahjeong and BNW, and everything about Zia.
‘Of course, I have zero intention of talking about those.’
BNW is obviously off-limits.
Unlike the other scoops, the BNW story is obviously not something I have the right to leak.
‘Even if it were Kwak Sun-bin… embargo? How do you even hold that back?’
Even if I did have the right, I really couldn’t let that one out.
A mega-scoop that would shake the entire industry to its core—embargo? Is that something you eat?
‘Of course it’s the Orion story.’
MyWay is debuting a new boy group.
And very soon—in May.
The reason we’ve kept it completely under wraps until now, instead of announcing it early and building hype, is me.
Internally, we decided that depending on how well Hylliy’s <Mysty> does, we’d announce the Orion producer as either Seo Yoonje or me.
It won’t take long for the truth to come out anyway, and Kwak Sun-bin can definitely keep an embargo for that short amount of time.
My original plan was to tell her first and build some rapport, but the plan got a little derailed.
‘Well, we’ll have to see the music-show results first.’
At this rate, even mentioning an embargo might become meaningless.
A song that takes #1 on its very first music-show win after debut is revealed to be the work of a rookie producer who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?
How do you not promote the hell out of that?
‘I should just tell her right now.’
No matter what, I can’t make a call in the middle of this chaos, so I start to slip away—when,
“Hey! PD Han is trying to escape! Grab him!”
“Huh?”
Ailee’s voice rings out behind me.
Before I can even process what that means, my confused little “Eh?” is drowned out by the thunder of footsteps.
And from the looks in the eyes of the A&R team members grabbing me from all sides, I instantly foresee my immediate future.
“Everyone’s way too excited. Calm down a bit— UWAAAAH!”
“Woo-hoo!”
“One, two, toss!”
“W-wait! I’m getting dizzy! Stop for a sec— STOP! You’re gonna smash me into the ceiling!”
Celebrating is one thing, but tossing someone indoors? Are you insane?
(Of course the ceiling part was exaggeration, but still, seeing the hard marble floor swoop closer is pretty horrifying.)
“Hey, hey! Don’t throw him that high! Just a little! What if our lucky-charm PD gets hurt?!”
Ailee, the one who started it, is now yelling that—it’s a little annoying, but
Thanks to her, my feet finally touch the ground again.
“I’ll be right back, gotta make a quick call.”
“Sure, sure. But you’re not just leaving today, right? Once the Hylliy girls get here we’re going out to celebrate. Actually, maybe we should just call Zia-ssi too.”
I leave those words behind and look for a quiet spot, but cheers echo no matter where I go.
Looks like there isn’t a single quiet place in the entire MyWay building right now.
‘Guess I have to go outside.’
I get in the elevator heading down to the first floor.
When the doors open again,
I come face-to-face with a familiar person I never expected to run into here.
“Yujin-ah…!”
Wait, why are you here?