Episode 106: Cassandra
“Ah, CEO Jo. We’re a bit late, aren’t we?”
Jo Dae-hwan was already there waiting for us.
“No, no, you’re not late at all. I just got here myself.”
“Yujin-ssi, say hello. This is CEO Jo Dae-hwan of Jooyul Entertainment.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Han Yujin.”
I bowed politely and then faced Jo Dae-hwan again.
My first impression of him was,
‘He seems ordinary.’
The kind of friendly, approachable middle-aged man you could run into anywhere—like the friendly uncle next door.
“Aigoo, to think I’m meeting the hottest name in the scene these days like this.”
Jo Dae-hwan extended his hand with a warm, likable smile that matched the impression perfectly.
“You’re too kind.”
“And humble too.”
I lightly bowed my head again and took the offered hand. Jo Dae-hwan patted the back of my hand with his left hand as he continued speaking.
“I’ve actually been wanting to meet Han Pro-nim in person for a while now.”
[TL Note: Pro-nim” (프로님) is a modern, hybrid corporate honorific used in South Korean workplaces.]
“Me?”
“Yes. Because of the song our kids are doing this time.”
“Well, that was just…”
I was about to say ‘Wasn’t it just a deal?’ but Jo Dae-hwan seemed to anticipate it and shook his head.
“I’m not trying to say thank you for giving them a good song or anything like that. Of course, I’m grateful for that too. But our kids really practiced hard because it was a song from Han Pro-nim. So… I felt thankful, but at the same time a little jealous and even a bit upset. That’s why I really wanted to meet you in person. Haha.”
“Shall we sit down and talk first?”
“Ah, right. I got carried away.”
Thanks to Seo Yoonje, who had already taken his seat and stepped in to mediate, the moment of excessive flattery on my face didn’t last long.
And then,
“Right. I heard Han Pro-nim had something urgent to say. What kind of important matter made you set up a meeting so suddenly?”
The conversation quickly moved to the main reason we were all here.
“First… I’d like to apologize in advance. This might be something that could upset you.”
My unexpected words made Jo Dae-hwan’s eyes widen for a brief moment.
“Hmm… If you’re saying Orion is going to try to snatch our kids, there’s really no need to go that far, is there? If we lose with skill, what can anyone say? Besides, E-GIS isn’t the kind of group that would fall so easily. Didn’t we already settle that matter, CEO Seo?”
Jo Dae-hwan answered in a bright voice, as if trying to take my words as a joke.
But that didn’t last long.
Because Seo Yoonje, who slightly avoided Jo Dae-hwan’s gaze, didn’t look very cheerful.
“It’s not that.”
And because I immediately denied it.
“Someone might try to harm E-GIS.”
As soon as the real topic began, Jo Dae-hwan’s expression hardened in an instant.
“Hmm. Harm E-GIS…”
I could tell clearly.
This man named Jo Dae-hwan genuinely cared for E-GIS.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let his growing bewilderment show so plainly on his face—he was trying to keep smiling, but failing to hide the stiffness.
And then,
“Seeing how certain you sound, it seems you already know who that ‘someone’ is… May I hear it?”
The fact that the gentle, warm smile from earlier had completely vanished from the face asking that question—
Only a few minutes had passed since our warm first meeting, yet the atmosphere had turned icy cold, as if a harsh winter wind were howling through.
My heart grew heavier and heavier.
But an arrow that has already left the bowstring cannot be called back.
“Starlight. This is CEO Lee Hee-kyung.”
This time, bewilderment settled over Jo Dae-hwan’s face.
“CEO Lee Hee-kyung… is targeting our kids…? Why?”
“Because E-GIS has interfered with Starlight’s plans. Not once, but twice.”
“Just for that kind of reason?”
“The fuse that lights someone’s patience varies in type and length from person to person, doesn’t it?”
The biggest reason I was feeling so conflicted right now was exactly this moment.
I was certain of it, yet I couldn’t clearly explain the basis for that certainty.
“There’s some kind of bad blood between CEO Lee Hee-kyung and Han Pro-nim…”
I did explain the beginning of the bad blood between Lee Hee-kyung and me as the supposed reason, but even I could see that it lacked persuasive power.
“If that’s the case, then shouldn’t the harm be directed at Hylliy, at Orion, and at Han Pro-nim instead of E-GIS?”
“Yes. She probably wants to do it to us if she could. But that’s going to be difficult for her.”
“And why is that?”
“Because behind Hylliy sunbaenim, me, and Orion, there’s someone CEO Lee Hee-kyung cannot handle.”
This time, not only Jo Dae-hwan but even Seo Yoonje himself—the person directly involved—looked surprised.
It wasn’t hard at all to read the hidden meaning behind those words.
“So… what Yujin-ssi is saying is… in CEO Lee Hee-kyung’s eyes, this Jo Dae-hwan looks like an easier target?”
In Jo Dae-hwan’s words that precisely pointed out that ‘hidden meaning,’ the way he addressed me had shifted from “Han Pro-nim” to “Yujin-ssi.”
I couldn’t possibly miss what that change signified, but I simply reminded myself in silence that the water had already been spilled.
And to this question from Jo Dae-hwan, my silence was already the answer.
“Hah… I want to argue back, but when I think about it, it’s all facts, so I have nothing to say…”
Soon, Jo Dae-hwan downed his water glass like it was a shot of liquor and turned his gaze to Seo Yoonje.
“CEO Seo, do you think the same as Yujin-ssi?”
“To be honest… I’m not as certain as our Han PD is. I’m actually closer to CEO Jo’s way of thinking. CEO Lee Hee-kyung does have a tendency to go overboard sometimes, but I still find it hard to believe she would go that far.”
A faint trace of resentment began to appear in Jo Dae-hwan’s eyes.
The look seemed to say, ‘Then why did you bother setting up this meeting at all?’
Seo Yoonje cleared his throat slightly and continued.
“CEO Jo, are you familiar with this name? ‘Cassandra.’”
“…!”
“She was the prophetess who was always ignored because she only spoke ominous things.”
“Yes, I know. My daughter is really into Greek mythology.”
“Then you must also know what happened to the people who ignored that prophetess.”
“…”
Jo Dae-hwan pressed his lips tightly together. Seo Yoonje spoke to him calmly but firmly, providing backup for me.
“CEO Jo. Aren’t we both captains steering the same ship? While the other crew members might look at the calm sea and spend their day optimistically, we have to always keep in mind the storm that might be approaching from far away.”
“A storm…”
“I know full well that what our Han PD is saying crosses the line. But when Han PD came to me, he said something. He said he hoped with all his heart that this would turn out to be nothing more than groundless worry. Because if it did, then he’d just end up looking like the ridiculous one, right? After hearing that, I made up my mind to bring Han PD here.”
“Haa…”
Jo Dae-hwan let out a deep sigh. He reached to refill his now-empty water glass but lowered his hand instead and bowed his head for a moment.
A brief but extremely heavy silence followed.
When Jo Dae-hwan finally lifted his head again, his face carried a hint of resignation.
“Alright. Let’s say we prepare. But prepare for what exactly? Even if she’s planning to harm us, how are we supposed to prepare if we don’t even know what she’s going to do?”
That was indeed the problem.
It was certain that Lee Hee-kyung was up to something, but even I couldn’t clearly answer what that something was.
I’ve been thinking hard about it since yesterday, but I still can’t predict what’s lurking in that dark abyss at all.
‘In the worst case, if something had blown up against E-GIS before the regression, I might have some clue.’
But those ridiculously kind guys never had anything like that happen to them, so I have even less of a sense for it.
However,
“What do you think is the single most fatal issue an idol can face, CEO Jo?”
There was one person here who could predict it.
“Uh… a dating scandal?”
Seo Yoonje shook his head at Jo Dae-hwan’s answer.
“That’s not wrong. But in this context, it’s incorrect. A dating scandal needs two hands clapping to make a sound. And these days, dating scandals themselves aren’t even that fatal anymore. There’s something much simpler—and far more lethal.”
“What is it?”
“School violence. It’s pure poison.”
“Huh?”
Once again, bewilderment filled Jo Dae-hwan’s face.
“Our kids aren’t that kind of people!”
Jo Dae-hwan shouted resoundingly.
To him, Seo Yoonje continued in a gentle, soothing voice.
“Yes, I know. Our Han PD has a good eye. If they were that kind of kids, he wouldn’t have stepped forward in the first place. I trust Han PD’s judgment as much as CEO Jo trusts the E-GIS members. But what about the public?”
“That kind of…”
“If CEO Lee Hee-kyung moves exactly as Han PD predicts, there’s nothing simpler. She just tosses it out there. Like throwing a banana peel in a racing game. While they’re busy proving it’s not true, a brief stumble is more than enough. And in the current situation, that alone would be sufficient. Simply dropping out of the competitive lineup would achieve her goal. And if it turns out to be true and they actually fall flat—well, that would be icing on the cake.”
The only reason I managed to hold back an exclamation like “Wow” at Seo Yoonje’s hypothesis was because my mood was that heavy and conflicted.
‘If it really is that…’
There’s no need to prepare a grand victim like in the Kevin Lee scandal.
Just anonymously post a few threads on communities and that’s it.
“To be honest, CEO Jo, it’s better to prepare that kind of process in advance. Not just for something like this—there’s no telling when or where strange rumors might pop up. You know how much hate Ahjeong gets, right? Even AZ gets hit with that kind of suppression. And the method isn’t that difficult. Just get a few interviews from people around the members—that’s enough.”
“Would that really work?”
“It can minimize the damage. People are like that. Saying something out loud for the first time—even if it’s something good—is a little hard. But once you’ve said it once, saying it again isn’t so difficult.”
“…”
“If the E-GIS members really are the kids CEO Jo believes them to be, they’ll step forward on their own with just that much preparation. And if they do, they might actually soar even higher. These days, people are very sensitive to those kinds of issues—false #MeToo accusations, malicious false reports, things like that.”
“Hmm…”
Just as Jo Dae-hwan let out a low groan,
Knock knock.
Right on cue, a knock sounded, and the food scheduled for lunch began to be brought in.
In the natural lull that followed, while Jo Dae-hwan sat stroking his chin lost in thought, Seo Yoonje added,
“I’m sorry for making your mood uneasy when you came out just to enjoy a nice meal. I apologize as well.”
As the restaurant staff left the room, Seo Yoonje tried to wrap up the topic.
“After hearing what CEO Seo said, it doesn’t seem like something I should just feel bad about. Honestly, my dream has always been to properly create real idols, so I got a little emotional and wasn’t calm enough. Han Pro-nim, thank you too. I’ll take what you said today as meaning you genuinely think well of our kids.”
“No, I’m the one who’s more grateful that you took it so positively.”
“I’ll make sure to prepare what CEO Seo mentioned right away. I’m actually reflecting on why I hadn’t done something so obvious until now. Let’s eat. The food here is really delicious.”
In the end, the meal with Jo Dae-hwan managed to conclude on a reasonably warm note—not quite as warm as our first meeting, but close enough.
***
And that night.
“Yujin-ah. Look at this. This…”
Zia suddenly shoved her phone in front of me.
[E-GIS Lee Ha-on, Assault and Extortion Controversy! Endless Allegations of Celebrity School Violence]
What was written there was the news that Lee Hee-kyung had already made her move.