Chapter Text
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“What do you mean you need a new manager?” Sana’s voice carried out the same disbelief and shock Nayeon herself felt when she heard the news. It was a sudden shift in Nayeon’s routine, after all. One day, her entire schedule was being handled by Chun Minso, her manager-unnie. Then, the next day, people were ushering her into meetings and telling her that after some unfortunate incident, Minso was being transferred to another rookie girl group.
Nayeon shrugged. “I think it was because of that whole thing with Jinyoung-ah,” she said, playing around with her garden salad, “It was… bad."
She and her fellow idol friend, Minatozaki Sana, were sitting in the middle of the company's cafeteria. It would’ve been a perfectly normal sight to see—two girls just enjoying their early lunch and talking about their lives. But they weren’t normal. At least, to the general public, they weren’t. The fact that they were surrounded by large bodyguards, all sitting at a close distance from them while maintaining their privacy, was a glaring sign that they were of importance.
It used to bother Nayeon—having so many bodyguards—but after a few incidents in her career, she was now grateful for their presence. They were a reminder that JYPE had her best interests at heart. While it severely affected her ability to get close with fans, she tried to look at the positive side of the situation. They were there for her protection. Some things had to give.
“Of course it was because of the whole thing with Jinyoung-ah,” Sana muttered, sweeping her long, blonde hair over one shoulder and shooting her a dubious look, “Dispatch caught you meeting up with him three days ago.”
“It was just for coffee!”
“You met up with him at the Han River in the middle of the night!”
Nayeon sighed, stabbing a broccoli and waving it around. “Am I not allowed to meet up with my friends at the Han River in the middle of the night for coffee without telling my manager?”
Sana looked like she was going to suffer from a stroke. “You know what happens to us idols if we get caught at the wrong place at the wrong time,” she mumbled. Nayeon stared at the worried expression on her friend’s face and immediately felt bad. Of course, Sana was just looking out for her. She always had, even when they were trainees. Nayeon attracted trouble wherever she went—a trait that stuck with her after all these years.
“Okay.” Nayeon shoved the rest of her salad into her mouth. “I might be at fault for getting Minso-unnie fired.”
“Fired?” Sana’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. “When you texted me, you told me she was just being transferred!”
Nayeon winced. “I only said that so you wouldn’t clown me for getting her fired, okay!”
Sana covered her face with her hands, groaning behind her fingers. “You got her fired because you sneaked out of your apartment, didn’t you? The company got mad at her for not being attentive enough and fired her on the spot, didn’t they? What the fuck, Nayeon!”
Nayeon did feel bad. Minso-unnie was, by far, the longest manager she had. She stuck around for nearly a year. They worked well together. She wasn’t overly strict nor too brainwashed by the company. Still, it wasn’t fair on her part. Nayeon should’ve told her that she was meeting up with Jinyoung. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. Everybody knew they were friends, after all.
But Dispatch just knew how to twist the truth to fit their agenda in ruining idols’ lives.
“Not all of us have your manager, Sana-yah,” Nayeon told her friend, “I swear—that woman has everything under control. How the hell did you manage to find her?”
Sana shrugged, smirking. “Guess it was destiny,” she claimed, “Jihyo is one of the best managers out there. She makes sure that I won’t throw a temper tantrum while booking me with good deals.”
“How long has she been with you again?”
“Since debut days,” Sana answered.
Nayeon blinked, narrowing her eyes. “What’s your secret? How do you make one manager stay with you for your entire career? Like, Minso-unnie was literally my fifth one.”
“Maybe it’s because I don’t get my managers fired every time I get involved in a scandal,” Sana pointed out.
“Please—how many scandals have I been involved in?” Nayeon questioned loudly and Sana looked so done with her, “Okay, fine, don’t answer that question.”
“I really hope they find you another manager who’s willing to stay after six months,” the blonde grumbled.
Nayeon looked down at her salad and thought about it. Her first manager quit after she disappeared for two days because of a party Jackson threw for all his idol friends. The second and third one got fired because they failed to keep her in line when it came to tweeting out her thoughts after controversial issues happened (don’t ask—the first one had something to do with her friend Joohyun from Red Velvet and the second one was about Sana’s Instagram post). The fourth one quit because Nayeon kept leaving her apartment in the dead of night just for ice cream and was often caught by Dispatch.
And now, Minso-unnie…
Nayeon’s heart twitched. Damn it. Maybe she could beg the company to give Minso-unnie another chance. She didn’t deserve to get fired just because of Nayeon’s careless mistakes…
But first, she needed to finish her lunch. “So, how are things on your end?” she asked Sana.
“Same old,” the other woman replied, leaning back on her chair. Her garden salad sat in front of her, untouched; “Jihyo’s in a meeting right now about my Japanese album. It’s been a while since I made music for one.”
“That’s great,” Nayeon replied, leaning forward, “You just came back from Japan for your mom’s birthday, right?”
Sana winked at her. “Good to see that you’re keeping track of me via my Instagram stories.”
“Please, I make an effort for my close friends.”
“I’ll let Jackson know.”
Nayeon rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
When Sana smiled, it strongly reminded Nayeon of the way sunlight peeked through the dark clouds after a storm. It was always a reassuring sight to see. Sana was Nayeon’s go-to person when it came to everything about her life—whether it’s about her personal life, career choices or moments found in between. They were best friends. Their history dated back to their trainee days. When Nayeon debuted first, Sana was quick to follow. The media constantly paired them up too—close friends who always made time for each other. It was nice. There was no way Nayeon was going to say it out loud but she loved Sana with her entire heart.
She knew Sana felt the same.
“Speaking of close friends,” Sana began, setting aside her plate and opening her phone, “Check out this picture Tzuyu posted on her private account last night.”
It was a picture of a dark-haired woman sleeping on, presumably, Tzuyu's lap. The caption read: the only place I want to be is with you. There were only two likers: Sana and Tzuyu's girlfriend, whose account was very private and had the name: kdubu98.
“Cute,” Nayeon commented, grinning at Tzuyu and her girlfriend. Chou Tzuyu was a rookie idol, having just debuted a few months ago. But she was already making waves with her modelling gigs and stunning looks. Her girlfriend of two years was very lucky to have her. They met five years ago but Tzuyu wouldn’t spare any details about the circumstances of their meeting. Moreover, their relationship had to remain a secret. Tzuyu couldn’t afford a scandal, especially since she just debuted...
The day Nayeon and Sana met Tzuyu, the two unnies vowed to protect the younger one. They knew idol life—experienced it firsthand—and they’d be damned if they let it happen to her. You had to be careful, had to watch your every move, had to be willing to sacrifice so many things. Tzuyu didn’t know this yet but Nayeon was positive that there would come a day where she’d be forced to choose between the idol life and her girlfriend.
Nayeon just prayed that day was still far into the future.
“Young love,” Sana muttered, sighing, “My single ass can’t relate.”
“If Jihyo knew that you were actively looking for a love life, she’d get a heart attack,” Nayeon commented.
“That’s why you’re the only one who knows.” Sana pouted suddenly, fluttering her eyelashes at her, “Can you please set me up with your many idol friends? God, I just want a girlfriend.”
Nayeon snorted. “I hope Dispatch hasn’t bugged this place…”
Sana reached over and slapped her arm. Nayeon giggled. She shouldn't try to mess with Dispatch, even though she was just on the receiving end of it. There’s nothing juicier than Im Nayeon being caught on a date with Park Jinyoung of GOT7, after all. When Nayeon woke up to the news yesterday morning, all she could think about was how unflattering the image was. They didn’t even get her good side! She wondered if Jinyoung was getting scolded by his own manager…
"You didn't deny it," Sana said out of nowhere, raising her eyebrows.
"Deny what?"
"Dispatch."
Nayeon scoffed and rolled her eyes. "The company will do that for me," she muttered.
"Do you honestly think people will believe the company after seeing the pictures?" Sana questioned, "If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you guys were a couple."
"We're not."
"Unnie."
Nayeon dramatically sighed. "If I were dating anybody and I am not," she began, reaching out with her left hand to grasp Sana's, "you'd be the first to know—I swear."
Sana's bright smile returned, reminding Nayeon of the sun again. "Good!" she said, "Because until then, you're going to help me find a girlfriend. Give me options—names, phone numbers, fancams, everything and anything! Let everybody know that Minatozaki Sana is single and ready to mingle!" Her voice was loud enough to make Nayeon feel nervous. Thankfully, the cafeteria was full of people walking around and talking as well.
Nayeon rolled her eyes. “I really hope to God this place isn’t bugged,” she muttered before she pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her contacts, “Okay, I have Jung Eunha’s number…”
-
“I don’t know why they called me in this early,” Mina muttered to Jeongyeon on the phone, pacing back and forth outside the conference room where she could hear the low murmurs of her superiors discussing business. It made her anxious. She’d been working as part of the PR team for a while now. While she didn’t particularly love her job, it wasn’t terrible. The pay was good. She’d rather be playing video games back home but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
“Maybe you’ll get a promotion,” Jeongyeon said helpfully on the other end, “You’ve been in PR for nearly a year, right?”
“Well, yeah…”
“Think positive then!”
“Easy for you to say,” Mina muttered, “You passed your portfolio last night, right?”
Jeongyeon laughed. “Yeah, I did,” she said, “and my professor emailed me about it! He said that it looked really promising so he might send it to a couple of galleries in Busan.”
Mina didn’t want to seem like she wasn’t happy for her best friend but when your job was on the line, it was kind of hard to think positive. Sure, Jeongyeon always did wonders when it came to easing Mina’s nerves and anxieties. This was just not one of those moments.
Still, she tried to be supportive. “I know you’re going to get in,” she said, “I’ve seen your work—they’d be stupid not to display your photos.”
“Your undying support is much appreciated, my friend,” Jeongyeon responded, “but I can tell that you’re really nervous. Do you want me to drop by later?”
Mina sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She finally stopped pacing and took a seat by the door of the conference room. It didn’t matter if she pressed her ear against its frame—there was no way she was going to understand what was going on the other side. Her nerves were starting to get the best of her. Was she going to get fired? But she was doing so well… Her boss already dropped hints of her getting promoted soon. Still, an emergency meeting so early in the morning? That spelled trouble.
“Mina-yah?” Jeongyeon called her name and Mina blinked, shaking her head.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, “I was just thinking.”
“I’ll drop by for lunch, then.”
“Thank you.”
“What are friends for?” Jeongyeon’s tone held a knowing tilt to it and Mina couldn’t help but grin. Jeongyeon was her oldest friend, after all. They had known each other since they were kids. When Mina’s family moved to South Korea from Japan, Jeongyeon was the tall, lanky girl who introduced herself on Mina’s first day in middle school and quickly became her friend. When Mina expressed her dream of being a singer, Jeongyeon was there to support her.
A singer… Mina swallowed painfully. Thinking about her dream left a bitter taste in her throat. She didn’t want to think about it, even though there were so many days her brain just refused to let go of the past. She formed a fist with her right hand and repeatedly hit her knee lightly. The sensation calmed her down.
“Look, I’d love to talk more,” Jeongyeon began, “but I’ve got class in an hour. I’ll use my lunch break to drop by, okay?”
“Sure, thank you again.”
Jeongyeon chuckled. “You can repay me by giving me some idol’s number, you know,” she muttered.
Mina rolled her eyes, even though her friend couldn’t see. “As much as I want to support your pursuit of true love, I don’t have any idol’s number,” she said for the nth time.
“Jesus,” Jeong responded exasperatedly, “What is the point of you working at JYPE if you can’t even hit me up with a chick?”
“One: you know why I work at JYPE,” Mina said, smirking when she heard Jeongyeon groaning on the other end, “Two: most of the idols here are under a dating ban, remember? Unless you want to be the cause of some poor girl’s entire career falling apart, I suggest you find love someplace else.”
“You done?”
“And three,” Mina continued, “I love you, Jeong, but you need better pick-up lines.”
“What’s wrong with my pick-up lines!”
It was Mina’s turn to groan. “Please don’t ask me to explain,” she mumbled.
“Okay, fine, pick-up line hater, I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Jeong.”
“Bye, Minari.”
The call ended. But it was barely a second later when Jeongyeon sent her a Snap. It was one of her goofy pictures, one of Mina’s favorites, and had the older girl throwing her a thumbs-up with the caption: you can do it!!!
Mina found herself smiling. It was Jeongyeon’s effect—even though she didn’t mean to be funny most of the time (and most of her jokes failed on a daily basis), it was her overall presence that always eased Mina’s nerves. Jeongyeon was a constant reminder for Mina that there were still good things in the world, even after everything fell apart years ago…
Mina let out a deep breath and continued to hit her knee with her fist. It was a habit of hers—one that helped root her back to reality. With each jolt of feeling she felt through her leg came a gentle reminder that she wasn’t defined by what happened to her.
“You’re going to be okay,” she told herself, closing her eyes, “you’re going to be okay.” It was her mantra. She repeated it during moments of distress. It will pass.
The door to the conference room suddenly swung open. Mina jumped to her feet, eyes wide and heart racing, as she watched several men and women, all clad in business suits, walk out. They barely spared her a glance. It wouldn’t be the first time. They had better things to worry about, after all. Mina thought back to the email she received last night about needing to show up to work at 8:00 AM for an emergency meeting. She wondered if it was a mistake.
“Myoui Mina?”
Guess she was wrong.
Mina turned her around and nearly let out a squeak. Standing before her was Park Jinyoung. Not GOT7’s Jinyoung—Mina would rather see him—but the Park Jinyoung, CEO to JYPE. Or most commonly known as JYP. He smiled at her. “A pleasure to meet you,” he greeted, bowing.
Mina quickly did the same. “The pleasure is all mine,” she said. Her heart was doing somersaults inside her chest now. Out of everybody she’d be meeting with… did it really have to be the CEO?
“It’s just going to be the two of us,” he explained, gesturing to the conference room, “I have very important matters to discuss with you.”
Mina nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She followed him inside the room. To her surprise, he didn’t take the head chair. Instead, he pulled up a seat for her, waited for her to sit and then took his place opposite. Even though the situation was highly nerve-wracking, Mina was oddly comforted by this gesture.
“I’ll cut to the chase, Mina-ssi,” JYP said, “I have a job offer for you.”
“Me?” Mina repeated, dumbfounded, “Why me?”
“I’ve heard good things about you.”
“I don’t know what to say to that…”
JYP smiled. It was gentle, comforting. It suddenly dawned on Mina that he probably knew what had happened to her years ago. The thought was enough to worsen her anxiety.
“I’ll do the talking then,” he said, “I’m sure you’ve heard of me as being very hands-on when it comes to my idols.” He paused, waiting for Mina to agree or disagree. When Mina nodded, he continued on, “I like to know what their plans are, how they’re feeling, where they’re going. Basically, I like being updated.”
Mina didn’t really know where he was going with this. Still, she prepared herself for the worst. It didn’t surprise her that he apparently heard good things about her. After all, she’d been with the company for years now, even though she only started working at PR ten months ago.
“I have a problem with one of my idols,” JYP told her, wincing at the way he phrased his own sentence, “She’s been getting into scandals lately. A wildcard. Doesn’t listen to authority figures. We just fired her manager because she wasn’t competent enough to handle this idol. That was her fifth one.”
Mina narrowed her eyes, wondering if her hunch was right…
“This is where you come in.” JYP clasped his hands together, leaning forward. “I want you to be her manager.”
The words were so absurd Mina wanted to laugh. But JYP looked deadly serious and she didn’t want to offend him in any sort of way. So she sat there, digesting the information in, before she finally gathered enough courage to ask, “Is this for real?”
“Afraid so.”
“Why me?” she asked for the second time, feeling like a broken record, "I'm sure you have other capable managers."
JYP didn’t seem to find it annoying, even though she herself did. “Like I said,” he repeated, “I’ve heard good things about you. You’ve been working at PR for almost a year, right? Your supervisor was already planning to switch you to a managerial position for one of my rookie girl groups. I just got here ahead of time. Besides, I want to think of it as an experiment. This idol has had all types of managers—nice ones, strict ones, fun ones—but they never seem to click with her. I’m hoping that having a manager around the same age she is will help… tame her.”
For the first time since she sat down, Mina finally caught on with his words. She remembered a Dispatch post from two days ago and physically balked. Oh no, she thought, watching as he cleared his throat and met her gaze, he can’t mean…
“You’ve heard of Im Nayeon, right?"
-
Nayeon thought her new manager was cute. Short, dark hair reaching her shoulders, a fair complexion, warm brown eyes—she could easily pass off for an actress in one of the dramas Nayeon consistently starred in. She didn't look at Nayeon the whole time they were introduced to each other by their superiors, focusing on listening instead. Nayeon thought that was cute. This new manager reminded her of a teacher's pet—eager to please and impress. She hoped she wasn't stuck up, like the other managers she got paired with before.
It was a few days after her scandal with Jinyoung but things hadn’t died down yet. Despite JYPE clearing out any dating issues between them, Dispatch was hell-bent on pursuing the story. It annoyed Nayeon, mostly because it forced her on a lockdown. That meant no posting on social media. Her fans, fondly called Bunnies (Sana's fandom name called themselves Furries, which made Nayeon grateful for her own fandom—Sana thought it was hilarious, though) were going through an Im Nayeon drought. Nobody was used to her not updating her Instagram, after all.
The meeting ended. Nayeon wasn't paying attention but she knew it was mostly for her new manager's sake. They gave her details about Nayeon's schedule, her appointments, her diet, etc. Just the basics. Nayeon had been through this so many times she could practically memorize the rules they laid out about her: Keep Nayeon happy, keep her out of trouble, keep her in line…
Nayeon wondered how long this new manager was going to last…
"Good morning, Ms. Im." Speak of the devil. Nayeon looked up from scrolling through her phone and saw the new girl standing in front of her. Up close, Nayeon noticed a small mole on the bridge of her nose and on top of her upper lip. Once again—cute.
"Hi," Nayeon chirped, rising to her feet. She was taller, which meant she had to slightly look down at her new manager, "You can call me Nayeon, you know. I don't like being spoken to so formally."
"Okay, Nayeon-ssi," the new girl said, smiling at her, as she bowed her head, "I'm Myoui Mina. Starting today, I'll be your manager. I hope we'll get along well."
Nayeon smiled back. "Hope so too," she said, mirroring the earlier bow. She had a good feeling about this new manager.
-
Mina didn't think it would be difficult to deal with Im Nayeon. The media had always painted her as a sweetheart—full of variety and personality. She was stunning in modelling gigs and commercial breaks but up close and personal, she was even more beautiful. Even without any make-up. Mina couldn't stop staring. Was it possible for Im Nayeon to be some sort of goddess? It seemed very likely. With her long, brown hair, sparkling hazel eyes and bunny smile, it was no wonder she captured millions of hearts every day.
"So," Nayeon began as they made their way to the exit. They were both surrounded by a handful of bodyguards. During fan events or airport appearances, the maximum number of guards surrounding Nayeon would sometimes reach twenty. But during her everyday comings-and-goings at the company, she only had three following her. Mina took note of this as the heavily-built men loosely formed a circle around them, keeping a respectable distance while checking for any crazed fans camping outside.
"Yes, Nayeon-ssi?" Mina coaxed, texting the driver to their van. While most of the managers at JYPE personally drove their idols around, Nayeon had her own professional driver. Perks of being the company's main moneymaker, after all.
Besides, Mina didn’t want to drive. The last time she did, well...
"You're my sixth manager now," the older girl said, shooting her a wry grin, "That must say a lot about me."
"Or your previous managers," Mina pointed out. When the van stopped in front of them, she was quick to pull the door open for Nayeon, even though it made her feel uneasy, "I was told they weren't competent enough."
Nayeon shrugged, not yet entering the vehicle. She gave Mina a calculating look. "Do you think you are?" she asked, painfully blunt. Mina felt a jolt of anxiety shoot through her.
She forced it down. "We'll see."
-
The next few days found Nayeon slowly adjusting to Mina’s presence in her daily routine. The shift was so gradual and slow she almost didn’t notice that anything had changed. But while Nayeon’s previous managers were loud and intrusive in her personal affairs, to the extent of being bossy, Mina was the complete opposite. She spent the first week of her new job observing and taking notes of how Nayeon worked. Since the idol wasn’t booked with any new dramas and was currently preparing for her comeback, they spent most of their time at the company. Nayeon would record her songs and Mina would wait outside. Sometimes, if Nayeon asked, Mina would be ordering food and grabbing water bottles for her.
Since Mina was going to be in charge of everything in Nayeon’s career, it made sense that she’d spent the first week of her new job researching.
Nayeon didn’t think much of it. Mina was just another manager she’d have to get used to. Sooner or later, Nayeon would do something stupid—like get into a scandal or be wrapped up in a controversial article—and Mina would leave, whether it was by her own choice or not. Like the rest of Nayeon’s managers did. She thought of Minso-unnie and a wave of guilt washed over her again. Guess she wasn’t able to give her the job back. Oh well…
“Manager-ssi,” Nayeon began one day after a recording session. They were seated in the van and Mina was browsing through several papers Nayeon didn’t care much about. It was understandable that Mina would be twice as busy as her. It was the middle of comeback season, after all. Her new album was entitled 24/7, named after the title track she helped write with the company.
Mina looked up from her notes. “Yes, Nayeon-ssi?”
“I want to get some bubble tea.”
“Okay. Do you want me to order you some and have it delivered to your apartment?”
Nayeon pouted. “Can we go to the shop?”
“You know we can’t do that,” Mina said, “You’re under strict supervision. I can’t let you waltz around in public just for bubble tea.”
“Even if I begged on my knees?”
“Even until then.” Mina’s tone was firm.
Nayeon let out an annoyed sigh. She really wanted some bubble tea. Before, when she asked her managers if she could grab one, they always obliged. It was better than having her sneak out as a form of retaliation later on. But Mina was new so it was understandable that she didn’t know about Nayeon’s habit of going places without telling her manager. She leaned back on the headrest, arms crossed, as she playfully glared at Mina. Unfortunately for her, Mina was too busy checking through some documents to notice.
“What are you looking at?” Nayeon asked.
“I printed out the emails from several organizations and companies who want to collaborate with you,” Mina answered, sparing her a quick glance, “There’s a lot.”
Nayeon snorted. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Is this what it’s like to be South Korea’s top idol?”
Nayeon paused, frowning. Perhaps she imagined it but it seemed like there was something in Mina’s tone that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It sounded like a hint of bitterness for some reason. Still, it was none of her business so Nayeon just shrugged and looked out the window. “Guess you could say that,” she replied, “It’s not all fun, though.”
“Judging by the fact you went through five managers in your four-year career makes that clear.” Mina finally put away the documents and flinched when the van suddenly drove over a bump on the road. Nayeon noticed but didn’t say anything. Maybe Mina was just jumpy like that.
“What did the company tell you about me?” Nayeon asked, genuinely curious.
Mina met her gaze. “Why do you want to know?”
“I just do.”
Mina was different from Nayeon’s other managers. She was younger, close to her age, so it changed the whole dynamic between them. The previous ones were significantly older, which gave them an imposing vibe. Nayeon didn’t like that. She didn’t like it when her managers tried to control her, especially when they were supposed to be working for her, after all. She remembered a time when one of them constantly checked her phone messages in case she was seeing somebody, wanting nothing more than to prevent a dating scandal.
Hopefully, this wasn’t going to be a repeat of that.
Mina thought about her question. Her right hand moved and curled into a fist. When she started talking, Nayeon noticed the way she lightly hit her knee. “They told me you don’t listen to your managers,” she explained, “and that you’re a wildcard.”
Nayeon scoffed, rolling her eyes, despite the truth in those words. “Please,” she said, “I listen to my managers sometimes, as long as they’re not making stupid decisions for me.”
“Enlighten me,” Mina said, turning her body to face hers. She was still tapping on her knee and Nayeon’s eyes followed the movement. It was kind of distracting.
“There was this one time I didn’t want to go to this talk show because I didn’t like the host's sexist remarks from past interviews,” Nayeon narrated, silently fuming as she remembered, “and my manager didn’t listen to me so I ended up looking really bitchy the whole time. The articles published that day stained my reputation a bit."
"I remember." Mina pursed her lips. "Your fans were quick to defend you."
"They always are."
Mina grew quiet. It seemed like she was deep in thought. Nayeon was about to open conversation again when her manager beat her to it, "Is there anything you don't want me to do?"
Nayeon quickly shut her mouth, tilting her head to the side in a silent question. Mina shrugged and halted her knee tapping. "Being your manager is a heavy role to play," she admitted begrudgingly and Nayeon resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "but I think we both want our lives to be easy, don't you?"
"Ah," Nayeon said, "You're one of those 'I'm your friend' managers I've had before."
"Is that such a bad thing?"
"It's never worked on me before."
"Maybe they were never really your friends in the first place, unnie," Mina said gently, lips quirking at the corners, "I'm younger than you but I'm in charge of what you do, where you go, what your schedule is and how you live your career. There's an imbalance, right? You're probably not used to this."
Nayeon smirked. "Some people just get along with others better than me," she said.
"I hope that I can be one of those people then,” Mina said coolly before she turned back to the paperwork she had on her lap, “Anyway, we have an early shoot tomorrow. Please don’t be late and get ready by the time I arrive at your apartment.”
Nayeon sighed grumpily and looked outside. “Gotcha, boss,” she grumbled. The radio was playing a song by IU, one of her favorite artists. She crossed her arms and let the music wash over her. In the back of her head, she kept thinking about a large-sized cup of bubble tea, filled with boba pearls and egg pudding. She didn’t even know what flavor she was going to get but she knew that she wanted one. If her manager wasn't going to get it for her, then she'd have to resort to other methods…
-
Mina lived half an hour away from where Nayeon’s apartment was. After Nayeon’s recording sessions were over for the day and the idol was dropped off at her place, Mina gave her address to the driver and longed to go home already. The traffic downtown doubled the amount of time it usually took for her to get home. Frustrated at how long it was taking, Mina’s eyes dropped back to the paperwork she had in her hands.
Nayeon had a lot of deals and offers from other companies. As her manager, Mina was tasked to find the most practical ones, those that guaranteed either short-time or long-time success in the middle of Nayeon’s already tight schedule. Once she did that, all she had to do next was send the names of the companies and their offers to the higher-ups. They’d be the ones in charge of what to make out of it. Then Mina had to talk it out with their managers afterwards.
Mina sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.
It was only her first week on the job and she was already stressing out about a number of things. One: Nayeon’s upcoming comeback, which meant she had to schedule a VLive showcase and the idol’s respective hair and make-up stylists. Two: she had to sift through hundreds of collaboration offers and CF deals by different companies and organizations and find the one most suited for Nayeon. Lastly, she had to keep the idol in check for the following days leading up to her comeback. This meant keeping her happy enough that she wouldn’t start acting up, the same way she did with her previous managers.
The car suddenly jolted, presumably passing over a manhole. Mina jumped in her seat, heart lurching painfully inside her chest. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. Her right hand curled up again and she spent the next several minutes hitting her right knee. The repetitive motion was enough to calm her down.
This was going to be a long ride.
It took another half hour before Mina was finally dropped off at her apartment. She thanked the driver and told him that she needed to be picked up tomorrow morning at eight o’clock sharp. Nayeon had an album jacket shooting at 9:00 AM. They had to be early to utilize their afternoon for another recording session.
Mina sighed as she rode the elevator up to the eight floor. Being a manager was exhausting but at least she didn’t have to pretend she wasn’t tired. Nayeon, on the other hand, constantly had to put up a smile on her face. Who knows how many leeches from Dispatch were all over the place… just hidden in plain sight. One wrong picture could ruin her career.
In her back pocket, she felt her phone vibrating. She fished it out, balancing all her paperwork in one hand, and brightened up at the sight of Jeongyeon’s name on the screen. When she felt the elevator stopping on her floor, she answered the call.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” Mina asked, remembering that it was a Wednesday night. Jeongyeon usually had a shift at some cafe on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. It helped her save up for new photography equipment.
“Well, hello to you too,” Jeongyeon greeted dryly, “Ryujin's at the counter right now. Plus, it’s a slow night. Everybody’s already got their orders. But enough about that, how are you?"
“I’m fine, thanks for asking.”
“Good.” Jeongyeon hummed. “How’s the new job?”
Mina hesitated. She didn’t want to worry Jeongyeon about the new details of her job. But she did inform her that she was working as a manager now. The problem was, she didn’t tell Jeongyeon that it was Im Nayeon she was managing. Her friend, like nearly everybody else in South Korea, was a huge fan.
Not that Mina wasn’t a fan either. She was just desensitized when it came to idols. To be a manager, you had to make sure you weren't crazed fans of the ones you were managing. Mina knows about Im Nayeon, of course, and everything tied to her name: dramas, songs, collabs and endorsements… There was a lot.
“Good,” Mina replied, “It took a while for me to adjust.”
“You’re doing great already,” Jeongyeon said, sounding proud, “There aren’t any new scandals online so that means whoever you’re managing is clearly being managed well.”
Mina laughed nervously as she fiddled with the key to her apartment and pushed the door open. She thought of Nayeon’s latest scrape with Dispatch and her scandal with Park Jinyoung of GOT7, which still had to die down. “You could say that,” she muttered, turning the lights on and collapsing on the sofa.
“Are you going to tell me who it is or not?”
“That’d be against company rules.” Technically a lie. Mina could tell anybody that she was working with Im Nayeon. Sooner or later, she’ll be seen with her in public anyway. It wasn’t exactly what she wanted when she signed up for JYPE a few years ago but it would have to do.
But Jeongyeon didn’t have to know that.
“Ugh,” her friend said, groaning, “No fun at all.”
“Ha ha.”
“Is it Chou Tzuyu?” Jeongyeon asked excitedly, “She debuted a few months ago but she’s already so popular!”
“Nope.”
“Minatozaki Sana? Oh my God—please tell me it’s her.”
Mina swallowed nervously. Her best friend was getting closer to the truth. “Guessed wrong.”
“Is it—oh wait, hang on, there’s a customer and Ryujin went to the back—” There was the sounds of a chair scraping and footsteps but Jeongyeon didn’t turn off her phone. She probably thought she could quickly finish with this customer and get back to her little guessing game with Mina.
Mina, in turn, started taking off her shoes and jacket. She couldn’t wait to relax in a well-needed bubble bath, especially after such a tiring day of working through countless paperwork and running around the company to keep Nayeon happy. She also had to send in her daily reports to her superiors, who would basically summarize her progress with Nayeon to JYP. All in all, it was a lot more stressful being a manager than being in PR.
“Hi, welcome to Gong Cha. How can I help you to—wait, you’re Im Nayeon—"
Mina froze, dropping her shoe on the ground. She briefly remembered what Nayeon had said in the van earlier, half an hour before she left Mina’s care: I want to get some bubble tea. For a split second, she contemplated just letting Nayeon be. She probably just wanted a quick drink.
Still, Jeongyeon would definitely ask for a picture… and post it online.
JYP’s voice in the back of her mind was what egged Mina to pull her shoes on, leave the apartment and head into the dead of night.
I’m hoping that having a manager around the same age she is will help… tame her.
-
Nayeon should’ve thought better than to disguise herself with her trademark grey hoodie and sunglasses, especially when she was heading for a popular bubble tea shop. Still, Gong Cha was the nearest one in her area. She didn’t really want to bother with Dispatch and fansites taking pictures of her ordering some drinks. So she dressed down to her most comfortable outfit and told herself that she would only take half an hour tops.
However, the girl at the counter seemed to have other plans. She was taller than Nayeon by a few inches with short, dirty blonde hair tied in a low ponytail behind her head. She wore a cap with the shop’s brand embroidered on the center, round glasses and a crooked smile. Pretty, Nayeon thought to herself.
"You're Im Nayeon," the girl repeated, mouth hanging wide open, "The Im Nayeon."
Nayeon smiled hesitantly at her. It was nice to be recognized but she didn't want to cause a ruckus now. All she wanted was some bubble tea.
"Hi," she greeted, looking around the shop. Most of the tables were filled with people enjoying their drinks and hanging out with their friends. Thankfully, none of them were paying attention to her. As she looked around, she spotted an available table near the door and decided to take a seat there once she finished with her order.
"Oh my God," the girl muttered, slapping herself awake, "It's really you."
Nayeon blinked, surprised at the move. "Uh, yeah," she said, adjusting her sunglasses, "I'm flattered that you'd recognize me in my outfit—"
"You wore the exact same hoodie at some radio show," the girl said quickly, her smile growing even wider, "That's how I recognized you!"
Nayeon raised her eyebrows and nodded to herself. Of course her fans would know her by her clothes. It was slightly creepy but she appreciated the dedication and effort. Even she couldn't keep up with the outfits she wore to her events and schedules.
"Right," she said, forcing another smile. That was how JYPE trained her, after all. Just smile at everybody. She pointed to the menu behind the girl—Jeongyeon, she read on the nametag—and added, "I'm just here to order some Taro Milk Tea?"
Now it was Jeongyeon's turn to blink. "Oh, right!" she said, punching a few buttons on the machine, "Uh, size? Sugar level? Add-ons?"
Nayeon told her of the details and skittered towards the nearest available table by the door. She kept her head down, not wanting to attract more attention than she already has. With a quick glance around the shop, she pulled out her phone and skimmed through some texts.
There was one from Sana, telling her of the new song Day6 just released. Nayeon replied that she'll listen to it soon. Then she scrolled a bit further down and spotted a message from her choreographer—Hirai Momo—informing her that their dance practice for this Saturday would have to be postponed since some of the back-up couldn't come. Nayeon replied to that message with a thumbs-up as well.
Ten minutes later, Nayeon looked up when she sensed somebody putting a drink on her table. It was Jeongyeon.
"So," the barista said, "Im Nayeon."
"Yes," Nayeon said, raising her eyebrows slightly, "Jeongyeon from Gong Cha."
"My name is Yoo Jeongyeon," the other girl said, smiling brightly at her, "and I was wondering if I could get an autograph?"
"Yeah, of course," Nayeon replied easily, taking a quick sip of her drink. She waited for Jeongyeon to head back to the counter, grab a notebook and return with the largest grin on her face.
Nayeon always liked talking to her fans but she just hoped this particular one wouldn't catch anybody else's attention. If the company knew that she was waltzing around again without a proper disguise, then it would be hell on earth. Especially since people thought she was dating Park Jinyoung of GOT7.
Thankfully, Jeongyeon didn't say anything about that particular Dispatch rumor and instead asked, "Is that your favorite flavor?"
"Oh, my usual order is super complicated and I didn't want to take a long time," Nayeon replied, taking the notebook and signing it with a small message: Thank you for the bubble tea, Yoo Jeongyeon from Gong Cha - Nayeonnnie <3
Jeongyeon surprised Nayeon by taking a seat in front of her after she received her autograph. “Does that mean you don’t like it here?”
“I didn’t say that—”
The barista laughed and waved her off. “I’m kidding,” she said, “If I told the public that you didn’t like Gong Cha, then I’d be out of a job.”
“Touché,” Nayeon said, smirking. She knew that she had to leave but she liked talking to her fans, even if it was a quick moment. It would be rude to leave now, especially since Jeongyeon clearly wanted to talk to her. She leaned forward in her seat, leaning her chin against her fist. “Do you like working here, Yoo Jeongyeon from Gong Cha?” she asked.
Jeongyeon sheepishly adjusted her glasses. “It helps pay the bills,” she answered, “and it’s not as demanding as the other jobs I’ve had.”
“Like what?”
“I worked at a small restaurant before and it was very… hectic.”
Nayeon nodded, understanding the sentiment. She had family and friends working in the food industry. Another reason why she chose the entertainment industry to work in. She took another sip of her drink and said, “You didn’t answer my question though.”
Jeongyeon raised her eyebrows. “If I like my job?” she asked and Nayeon nodded. The girl looked around, making sure the counter was well handled by her co-worker, and took off her cap. “It’s okay,” she said, shrugging, “I like learning about people’s names and their orders. Plus, there’s an off chance that I get to meet idols like you.”
Nayeon giggled, rolling her eyes. “We’re humans too, you know,” she pointed out.
“I know,” Jeongyeon agreed, “but for me, you guys are the best kind of humans.”
The comment was so genuine that Nayeon felt warmth flourishing in her chest. She ducked her head, smiling to herself. Talking to fans was always humbling. It reminded her why she stuck so long in the industry, even if it got extremely difficult at times.
The two of them continued to have small talk, discussing their respective jobs. Of course, Nayeon couldn’t spoil anything about her upcoming comeback and Jeongyeon shared that she was in her final year of college, studying photography. She had all kinds of equipment that captured moments she wanted to immortalize. When Jeongyeon had to leave because a bunch of college students suddenly arrived to order some bubble tea, Nayeon ducked her head down and made sure that she wasn’t seen. It was okay to talk to a single fan and Jeongyeon even promised not to post anything regarding her visit here but if she was seen by more people…
Just as she was about to leave, somebody took a seat next to her, seemingly out of breath.
“There you are,” the person grumbled.
Nayeon’s heart jumped in her throat. She looked up, expecting to see another fan, and didn’t exactly know how to feel when she realized it was her manager sitting in front of her.
-
Mina gestured for Nayeon to keep her mouth shut as she waited for the long line of college students to leave. As they waited, she tried to catch her breath. Running from the taxi as it got stalled a few blocks away due to the still ongoing traffic made her lungs feel like they were on fire. She rubbed her legs under the table, wincing when she felt pain in some parts.
Gradually, the college students left with their take-out.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” Mina grumbled, shooting the idol a glare, “What on earth were you thinking?”
Nayeon scoffed, looking offended. “I’m not someone you need to babysit,” she said, taking another long sip of the cursed bubble tea of hers, “I told you I wanted bubble tea, remember?”
“You could’ve just had it delivered to your apartment,” Mina grumbled.
“And risk the chances of the delivery guy seeing my beautiful face and even more beautiful home?” Nayeon scoffed at her. “Rule 1 of being an idol, Manager-ssi: you don’t reveal where you live. Seems like you’ve got a lot to learn.”
Mina frowned. She didn’t like the way Nayeon spoke to her. Sure, she might’ve been younger but it felt very condescending to be the receiving end of that tone. Now, she understood what the other managers had to deal with on a daily basis.
“You’re right,” she said, shaking her head, “but still, you could’ve been caught by the public. What would they think?”
Nayeon shot her a look. “They’d think that I’m just grabbing some bubble tea.”
“No,” Mina growled, jerking her head to the counter, where Jeongyeon and her co-worker were busy cleaning up after the college students left, “They would think that you had something to do with Jeongyeon-ah. And if they asked her, then they might figure out that you live close by. Can you imagine the amount of reporters and Dispatch waiting for you each time you left your place? You’ll never be able to go home peacefully each time. Please use your head for once, Nayeon-ssi.”
Mina expected Nayeon to jump at the thinly-veiled threat at the end of the sentence but instead, the idol tilted her head to the side, narrowed her eyes and asked, “You know Jeongyeon?”
There was a moment of silence when Mina didn’t answer.
“So, that’s how you figured out I was here,” Nayeon murmured, finishing off her drink with raised eyebrows, “Didn’t peg you to be the one to spy on me.”
“I didn’t spy!” Mina said adamantly, shaking her head, “I heard her mention your name when she called me. She’s my best friend.”
“And you rushed here to make sure I wouldn’t get into trouble.”
“Of course,” Mina said, “I’m your manager. It’s my job to make sure you stay in line.”
Nayeon smirked at her, adjusting her hoodie and sunglasses. “What if I don’t want to stay in line, Manager-ssi?” she asked before she raised her hand and called for Jeongyeon to come over.
Mina groaned and covered her face.
When Jeongyeon came strutting back to their table, Nayeon had the biggest smile on her face. Her teeth made her look like an over-excited bunny. Mina inhaled a deep breath and turned to look at her best friend.
The look on Jeongyeon’s face was priceless.
“Mi—Mina—Mina?” her best friend yelped, dropping on the available seat in front of the idol and her manager, “How—what—why—?”
“I’m her manager,” Mina explained quickly, shushing Jeongyeon up before she could make a ruckus.
Jeongyeon’s eyes widened comically. “Wow,” she said, rubbing at her face, “I did not see that coming. Like at all. I knew that you were a manager but I didn’t expect—like—of all idols right now—”
“Are you disappointed?” Nayeon asked, pouting cutely.
Jeongyeon blushed and looked away. “Of course not,” she said. Her gob smacked look turned into a wide grin. “Hell, I’m amazed. My best friend gets to hang out with Im Nayeon!”
“Ssshh!” Mina hushed furiously, glancing around the shop, “You don’t have to be so loud.”
“Oh, right, Nayeon’s an idol, of course.”
Nayeon winked. “But human, remember?”
Mina didn’t have time for this right now. She had to take Nayeon back to her apartment and make sure she stayed there. So she rose to her feet, waited for the idol to do the same thing and told Jeongyeon that she’d tell her everything tomorrow. Her best friend, always so laid back and carefree, nodded seriously and hugged Mina before they left. Then she offered Nayeon a sheepish smile and thanked her for the autograph.
When they were on the streets, Mina checked the time on her phone. It was nearing ten o’clock.
“Are you going to tell the company?” Nayeon asked, hugging her arms. She made sure to duck her head when people came close.
Mina frowned, walking towards the pedestrian lane. “Why would I do that?”
“You seem like the type.”
“The type of what?”
Nayeon shrugged, leading the way to her apartment. It was just across the street. Mina followed, keeping her eyes open for any suspicious activities. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Seoul but she knew how crazy the saesangs could get. She always witnessed a bunch of them waiting outside the company during her work hours when she was still in PR.
“The type of manager who snitches at me,” Nayeon replied casually, “Every time that happens, the company always takes away my Instagram and VLive rights.”
Mina’s frown deepened. “I wouldn’t do that,” she said, “I don’t want to trouble you or anybody else.”
“Is it because you want to get along with me?” Judging from Nayeon’s tone, it wasn’t hard to imagine her smirking.
This was clearly a repeat from the conversation back in the van earlier. Mina thought deeply about her next answer, making sure to follow Nayeon closely from behind.
“Well?” Nayeon asked as they found themselves standing in front of the idol’s apartment.
Mina clenched her right fist and hit the side of her thigh. The pain from running earlier had ebbed away. Now, it just throbbed.
“Yes,” Mina answered curtly, “I want to get along with you.”
“I don’t think you’ve done a very good job on that,” Nayeon quipped, chuckling to herself.
Mina sighed. “It might take a while,” she said, “but I do hope that we reach an understanding.”
Nayeon’s face was covered by the shadow of her hoodie but Mina could still her lips forming a sly smile. Is this what it was like to be up close and personal to South Korea’s top idol? Was Mina’s career going to be spent deciphering that smile? So that she could prepare for the things Nayeon would inevitably do without her consent?
“Why do you care if we reach an understanding or not?” Nayeon asked, still smiling, “You won’t last. None of my managers do.”
Mina felt the words settle uneasily in her stomach. Her jaw hardened. She continued to hit the side of her thigh.
“Because,” she said quietly, “I need this job, Nayeon-ssi.”
Nayeon must not have expected that answer because Mina was met with silence. When the younger girl looked up, she saw the idol’s face scrunched up in contemplation. It took a few seconds before Nayeon responded with a polite, “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Manager-ssi” and walked up the stairs to her unit.
Mina didn’t stop hitting the side of her leg, even after she walked away as well.
-