Do Ran-Hee, who was at the KBC's Music Stage site, was urgently looking for me. "What's going on that you're making such a fuss?" -Park Eun-Bin is making her comeback today! Park Eun-Bin, the leader of Petite More! "Huh? Why is she making a comeback? She wasn't even on today's lineup list." -Pink Diamond's comeback got canceled and she's taking their spot. I just found out too. Petite More, the group Park Eun-Bin belonged to, had halted activities after being involved in a music chart rigging scandal. The public had assumed that meant Petite More had basically disbanded, but now they were making a comeback by pushing Park Eun-Bin, the group's most popular member, as a solo artist. 'Well, that's how entertainment companies are.' As long as there was time left on a contract, they squeezed every last drop out of an artist, even scheduling events right up to noon on the final day. And Park Eun-Bin wasn't the type to quit over a rigging scandal either. "A surprise comeback, huh? But by now, you should be able to handle something on your own." I was trying to guide Do Ran-Hee toward handling things solo, but her voice remained agitated. -If it were just that, I would've managed! But the Petite More fans are going wild. Ms. Baek Hee-Yung and I can't handle it alone! "What are the Petite Angels doing now?" -They're handing out gifts like crazy and spending money like there's no tomorrow. It feels like Park Eun-Bin is the real number one today, not Sae-Ri. If this keeps up, even if Sae-Ri wins, it'll get overshadowed. The on-site staff's vibe is off too! If Do Ran-Hee was this frantic, the situation was clearly more serious than I thought. "Okay, calm down. If the talent agent is panicking, Sae-Ri will get even more shaken." -I'm calling outside the waiting room, don't worry. And I reassured Sae-Ri like it was nothing serious. "Good. That was the right move. Anyway, I'll be there soon, so hold your position until then. How's our fan club leadership doing?" -The Hoengseong Girls High School's girls are outside the main building, trying to calm down our fans. "Okay. Let them know I'm on my way too, so don't worry too much. I'll come up with a plan while heading over." -Got it. Just please hurry! After ending the call, I checked the entertainment news first. Sure enough, what had been covered wall-to-wall with Project I.O.A in the morning was now filled with Park Eun-Bin's photos. [(Exclusive) Park Eun-Bin's solo transformation. Surprise comeback with 'Valentine Kiss.'] [(Breaking) Park Eun-Bin: "I won't dwell on the past. I'll repay fans with better music. I'm a singer."] [(Exclusive) Park Eun-Bin's take on the chart manipulation scandal: "We just focused on dancing, singing, and performing. Everything else was the producer's personal misconduct. I'll sing my heart out for all the tough times."] [Park Eun-Bin's new song 'Valentine Kiss' enters the charts at #20 upon music video release.] Clearly, TK Entertainment had paid off journalists well since every article was flattering. So much had happened while I was watching the regional auditions for Project I.O.A today. "Whoever came up with this plan, they're not bad." Normally, music show schedules were set a week in advance after a face-to-face meeting with the PD. Last week, TK Entertainment had Pink Diamond scheduled for their comeback. But today, they suddenly switched plans and announced Park Eun-Bin's surprise appearance. Thanks to that, Park Eun-Bin could return without getting caught up in other companies' media wars. This made sure her comeback was in a safe environment. Just then, Jung Sang-Bong, who was reviewing the next audition contestant's profile for Project I.O.A, tilted his head and asked, "Mr. Jung, is something going on with Ms. Do Ran-Hee's side?" "Yeah. Park Eun-Bin's making a comeback." "She's coming back after all that chart-rigging scandal?" "Yeah. They're saying it was the producer's fault, so they're not to blame." "That's some insane mental gymnastics." "Right? Anyway, I need to head out. Ran-Hee's losing it." I told Jung Sang-Bong to keep an eye on the auditions, then immediately left the venue. I also sent a Kk Talk message to the company, letting them know we needed to put together an emergency response plan. If we just sit still and do nothing, all the articles about Sae-Ri achieving her first solo win could get buried under the buzz of Park Eun-Bin's comeback. If Park Eun-Bin was dreaming of a dazzling return, I had to make sure she realizes it was nothing more than a midsummer night's dream. After parking in the KBC lot, I made my way toward the main entrance. The time was 11:30 a.m. The pre-recording that started at dawn had just wrapped, and the staff were now on their lunch break. However, the fans who had gathered from all over the country since early morning were still hovering around the broadcast station like restless spirits. Today, however, the atmosphere was different. Petite More's fan club, Petite Angels, were leading the charge, wearing glittering LED headbands that read "♡Park Eun-Bin Comeback♡" and handing out large 30cm square lunch boxes, creating a lively mood. "Please take one! We packed lunch and some snacks." "Please support Park Eun-Bin's first solo challenge!" "She's making her comeback today! We appreciate your support!" "One lunch per person, please." "Thank you! We're counting on your support." "Please don't boo our Eun-Bin too much later. We'll cheer for the other singers too today." "Enjoy the lunch and let's keep it fair." Worried that other fan clubs might boo Park Eun-Bin, the Petite Angels were handing out pricey lunch boxes. Of course, some fans would jeer no matter how many gifts they received, but even those fans were likely to tone down their criticism once they ate. And judging by the surprised reactions of fans who usually ignore other fan clubs' gifts, whatever was in those boxes must have been quite expensive. "Wow~ this is insane. I've never seen anything ." The kids who usually scoffed at gifts from other fans had their jaws drop the moment they saw what was inside. However, something didn't feel right. The Petite Angels' associates had resigned en masse after the chart-rigging scandal. 'So how did they suddenly raise funds and organize all this?' Moreover, TK Entertainment's President Kim Tae-Kwon and Director Ma Dong-Pal weren't fond of these kinds of fan events, so it was unlikely they funded it. Just as I was puzzled over the situation, I saw someone unexpected. In that instant, I knew exactly who was behind this entire spectacle. A young woman in her early twenties with a bob cut and large eyes waved an LED headband and handed me a hefty lunch box labeled "Please give lots of love to Park Eun-Bin." "Hello! I'm Bae In-Jung, the new president of Petite Angels. Nice to meet you, Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho!" With sparkling eyes and a cheerful voice, the one shielding Park Eun-Bin was the very person orchestrating all of this. Her name was Bae In-Jung, and she was 21 years old this year. Before the regression, she had been the fan club president of Top Entertainment's girl group PEONY. And she was the one most responsible for turning PEONY, the group that included Go Eun-Seo, into number one. Bae In-Jung was so skilled at organizing and managing fan clubs that even entertainment companies were in awe. In fact, before the regression, I had assigned a rookie employee under her to learn how to manage fan structures. But what made her truly formidable was her financial power. She was the youngest daughter of Bains Inc., a shipping company ranked in the top 60 in the business world. And even in her twenties, she already held personal shares worth over a hundred billion won. On top of that, her annual dividends alone were around three billion won. So if Bae In-Jung put her mind to it, she could spend as much as the entire advertising budget for Cherry Blossom all by herself. It was incomprehensible that a third-generation chaebol would pour that kind of money into fan culture, but a few years later, she revealed that running fan clubs had been her way of studying business. It had been a cheap and effective training ground to learn how to spend money and control people. Of course, she also genuinely enjoyed fan life. So for her, it was a perfect combination of hobby and work. Anyway, when Go Eun-Seo caused internal strife and led to PEONY's disbandment before the regression, Bae In-Jung immediately moved to another company and took on the role of fan club president again. And there too, she brought the group she supported to number one. That was the reason every entertainment company had been desperate to recruit her. Because once they had her, she would spend a fortune on their behalf. Talent agents often referred to Bae In-Jung as the queen of fan clubs. That very Bae In-Jung had now attached herself to Park Eun-Bin and Petite More. She wasn't an easy opponent, but she was no match for me—someone who had returned from the future. After all, everything she thinks and does was already mapped out in my head. Right now, she was trying to bring down Sae-Ri, Park Eun-Bin's strongest rival, in order to secure Eun-Bin's path to number one. Using comeback articles to bury Sae-Ri's win and drawing attention with lunch box tributes was all part of her preemptive strategy. I had caught on to Bae In-Jung's intent but acted like nothing was wrong as I accepted the expensive lunch box with a smile. Even if she played these tricks, I had my own ways of responding. "Oh, sure. I'll be counting on you too. And thanks for the lunch." The lunch box felt heavy in my hands. Bae In-Jung gave me a confident smile and clasped her hands. "Oh, and I heard Sae-Ri's aiming for number one today? I hope she gets it! " With an excited expression, Bae In-Jung cheerfully skipped off to hand out lunch boxes to others. Four women in their late twenties wearing LED headbands quickly followed her, each carrying a lunch box. At a glance, they looked like fellow Petite Angels. However, they were actually plainclothes security guards shadowing her like a second skin. With the lunch box in hand, I headed straight to the front of the main building where Cherry Blossom's fan club was gathered. Now it was my turn to make a move. West of the entrance to KBC's main building was the designated space where Cherry Blossom fans gathered. As I approached with the lunch box, the Hoengseong Girls High School's girls were calming down the seated fan club members. "Guys, calm down. Just because someone hands out expensive lunch boxes doesn't mean the rankings will change." "Yeah. They're just trying to buy favor with money. Don't worry, the other fans aren't that easy to sway." "And we've ordered great lunch boxes too, so they'll arrive soon." Sung Ji-Yeon, granddaughter of the chairman of Donghae Fisheries, had considerable wealth herself. And unlike TK Entertainment, Hoop Entertainment provided the highest level of support to fans. So Cherry Blossom fans always received better lunch boxes and treatment than any other fan club. That was the reason members of the Cherry Blossom Family were especially proud—everything except their name. But now, for the first time, those fans were shaken because of Bae In-Jung. Just then, the girls spotted me. The Cherry Blossom Family shouted in unison. Most were young girls in their teens or twenties, and their faces were full of worry. The fan club leaders—Sung Ji-Yeon, Han Kkot-Nim, Park Han-Byul, and Yang Ji-Woo—also welcomed me warmly, clearly concerned. "Mr. Jung! Why are you only just getting here?" I calmly reassured the anxious girls and showed a relaxed demeanor. "What's with the long faces? They're handing out lunch over there. Why not grab one?" Sung Ji-Yeon shook her head firmly. "No. We ordered our own lunch boxes. And if we take theirs, it weakens our fighting spirit. So we'll just stick to ours... Wait, why are you holding one?" She looked shocked to see the lunch box in my hands, especially since she had just been passionately opposing even the idea of taking one. "What?! How could you accept food from the enemy?" Not only the Hoengseong Girls High School's girls, but all the Cherry Blossom fans looked visibly taken aback. I shrugged. "Don't you know the saying 'know your enemy and you'll never be defeated'? We need to see what kind of lunch they're distributing." "And if they offer it, just take it. You think taking a lunch box will hurt our unity? Our Cherry Blossom Family's bond is unbreakable. Right?" Under Sung Ji-Yeon's leadership, the fans hadn't accepted the lunch boxes yet, but there was clear envy in the air. Rather than banning them outright, it was better to let them eat and act cool about it. Just then, three of Sung Ji-Yeon's friends chimed in. "Yeah, Ji-Yeon. Let's just let them eat. They're handing it out to everyone." "Right. Even if the girls don't say it, they're secretly jealous." Sung Ji-Yeon asked anxiously, "But what if it lowers our morale?" Han Kkot-Nim answered, "What morale? All we do is cheer as hard as we can. It's not like we diss other girl or boy groups. Eating won't change anything." Our Cherry Blossom Family never booed or dissed other singers. That was because Cherry Blossom had such overwhelming results that there was no need to. Sung Ji-Yeon finally looked at me after mulling it over. "Then what should we do with the lunch boxes we ordered?" "What else? Save them and take them home. Not that many fans will be going in as audience members anyway." "But posting them on social media is banned." We were here to gain something, not to flaunt the lunch boxes given by another fan club online. Eventually, Sung Ji-Yeon nodded and looked at the fan club members. "Then... today let's go with the strategy of making the enemy spend their money! Okay?" At that moment, the fans' faces lit up and they cheered. "That's our president!" "Should we loosen our belts today?" "Maybe they'll give out two each?" There were about two hundred Cherry Blossom Family members present. So if Bae In-Jung's lunch boxes cost even fifty thousand won each, she'd be spending about ten million won total. However, this was Bae In-Jung. That kind of money wouldn't even make a dent. Still, there was no point in killing the morale of the Cherry Blossom Family by telling them. "Let's go! Let's eat and show them who's boss!" As soon as I shouted what sounded oddly familiar, the fan club admins took charge. "We'll go ask those girls over there for lunch boxes." "Do what's easiest. And Ji-Yeon, come talk to me for a sec." Leaving Sung Ji-Yeon behind, the other three headed toward Bae In-Jung. Meanwhile, I opened the lunch box from Bae In-Jung right in front of Sung Ji-Yeon. I had to see what was inside before figuring out how to respond. "This... is no joke." Inside was a hundred fifty thousand won sushi box from the Japanese restaurant at Daecheon Hotel. Next to the sushi were premium bottled water, wet wipes, Stopdiva chocolates, chestnut pie, madeleines, and sparkling juice. All together, it looked like a two hundred thousand won package. "Mr. Jung! She's nuts, isn't she? This is basically a celebrity-level support lunch box. I've never heard of anything being handed out for free to other fan clubs." I calmed the agitated Sung Ji-Yeon. "Keep this to yourself. She's the youngest daughter of Bains Inc. Korea, a shipping company." Sung Ji-Yeon's eyes widened. "Oh... I think I've heard my grandpa mention them. They're super rich, right?" Since Sung Ji-Yeon's grandfather ran Donghae Fisheries, she was familiar with companies in the shipping industry. "Yeah. She's the youngest daughter and completely obsessed with fangirling." "Whoa~ no way. So she's going to keep doing this? Throwing money around like that?" "No. She probably splurged today because it's Park Eun-Bin's comeback. She's probably also trying to steal attention away from Sae-Ri." Google seaʀᴄh novｅlfire.net Sung Ji-Yeon's face twisted in frustration. Honestly, cleaning up Park Eun-Bin's bad press wasn't our concern. But this kind of spectacle could easily bury today's headlines, shifting focus from Sae-Ri's win to Park Eun-Bin's comeback. "Mr. Jung. This is going to work for sure. Handing out two hundred thousand won lunch boxes like that? Tons of people are going to post them on social media to brag. Once this hits the forums, we're done. Even if Sae-Ri gets first place, it'll get lost in the buzz. What do we do now?" Sung Ji-Yeon anxiously stomped her feet. There was nothing more unfair than winning and still getting overshadowed. However, I had a plan. "Don't worry. I figured something might happen, so I came prepared." With a grin, I began explaining my plan to push Park Eun-Bin's comeback out of the spotlight and bring Sae-Ri's first-place win front and center.