My phone vibrated continuously as a flood of Kk Talk messages came in. Sae-Ri's Valentine's Day gift was a set of scheduled messages sent collectively by the Cherry Blossom members. [Sae-Ri: Yoon-Ho oppa! Happy Valentine's Day! Unnies and I planned this together and scheduled these messages. So what I'm trying to say is~ thank you for always watching over us and taking care of us! I'm only who I am today because of you. You know I'm always grateful, right? The real Valentine's Day gift will be given tonight in Cheonho-dong~ Bye!] [Woo Yeon-Hee: Yoon-Ho oppa, I'm in an audition right now so I scheduled this message. I always feel thankful and sorry seeing how busy you are taking care of us. But you know we trust you, right? Thank you always. (ps. Sae-Ri insisted we give the gifts later.)] [Yoo Eun-Ah: Oppa, it's Eun-Ah. Happy Valentine's Day~ I wanted to say this first thing in the morning... but Sae-Ri wanted to do a surprise event, so we timed it. Thank you for encouraging me to try acting. I think my shy personality is slowly changing thanks to you. Ah, I'll give you the gift later. See you soon. (ps. You're not mad because we contacted you late, right? If so, I'm sorry.)] [Yang Eun-Bi: Yoon-Ho oppa. Thank you for always taking care of clumsy Sae-Ri, shy Eun-Ah, and worrywart Yeon-Hee unnie. But we can't do without you, so you better not leave us. Got it? Please keep watching over the four of us just like now. Oh, and happy Valentine's Day today!] Each of the four wrote long, heartfelt messages. No wonder the morning had felt oddly quiet for Valentine's Day. Now I understood why. Soon after, actors and talent agents from Division Jung and others began sending Kk Talk too, mentioning Sae-Ri's name. Apparently, Sae-Ri had told not only Cherry Blossom members but everyone I knew to send messages at the same time. And finally, messages from Yoo-Jin and Miso came in as well. [♡Lovely.Yoo-Jin♡: Oppa, you were a little disappointed not getting chocolate this morning, right? Sae-Ri told us to give it together later, so I held back. So don't be sad~ See you at home later~] [❤Miso Angel❤: Uncle Yoon-Ho! You have to come home early today! I made a super big chocolate for you!♡♡♡] Miso had added three excited heart emojis to her message. I couldn't help but smile. Before the regression, I used to avoid using occasions to celebrate or express thanks. But thinking back now, that discomfort was all because of my own closed-off heart. I didn't know how to accept affection, so giving and receiving love felt burdensome. Yet now, it felt so wonderful and joyful. I silently thanked everyone who helped me realize this feeling—especially Everyday. 'Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Everyday.' Just then, a nearby staff member called out that the sound setup was complete. "Standby. Quiet, please. The stage is starting." The room fell silent. The staff began counting through the intercom. "Ten seconds to broadcast." As time ticked down, Sae-Ri stood on stage holding her custom mic while gazing into the audience. When the countdown ended, a signal dropped and the intro to 'Firefly Bridge' began flowing from the speakers. A dreamy melody filled the concert hall. And soon after, Sae-Ri's beautiful voice followed, echoing through the space. 『One step, then one more~ across the bridge where the fireflies gently settle~』 Today's number one contender song, 'Firefly Bridge,' filled the public hall. Only then did I smile and let my whole body relax into the warmth of Sae-Ri's beautiful voice. For five minutes and thirty seconds, Sae-Ri's enchanting voice flowed from the speakers. Her soft, whispering low notes tickled the ears, while her powerful high notes made every listener's heart pound. Everyone at the venue was utterly captivated by her singing, and I was no exception. As the instrumental ended, a spotlight fell directly on Sae-Ri. Sae-Ri took a deep breath after finishing the song. Then slowly, she bowed toward the audience. It was a gesture of gratitude for the unforgettable performance made possible by the fan-club's custom mic. At that moment, the audience erupted in cheers. The emotions that had been held in for five and a half minutes exploded all at once. Fans called out Sae-Ri's name nonstop, their voices echoing with joy. Overwhelmed, Sae-Ri began to cry as she waved to the audience. "Thank you! Thank you! I love you all~" The source of this content ɪs NoveI★Fire.net Sae-Ri continued to respond to the fans with heartfelt gestures, then confidently descended the stage steps. At the last step, she suddenly spread her arms wide and jumped toward me. "Yoon-Ho oppa~~" The little troublemaker leaped right into my arms. "Thank you, oppa. It's all thanks to you that I've come this far~" They were words I never got tired of hearing. I smiled. "You did great, Sae-Ri. That was a first-place-worthy performance." Beaming, Sae-Ri stepped out of my embrace and then hugged Do Ran-Hee, who was standing nearby. "Ran-Hee unnie~~" Do Ran-Hee hugged Sae-Ri tight and joked, "Our baby really hit some high notes today, huh?" Sae-Ri wiped her tears and smiled. "It's thanks to the mic. The mic..." Not used to bragging, Sae-Ri awkwardly tried to change the subject. Do Ran-Hee found her adorable and laughed, hugging her again. "You sang well. The mic just played backup." Sae-Ri stuck her tongue out and giggled like a kid. "Heehee." Just then, Seo Yeon-Woo and Baek Hee-Yung came backstage. Even her competitor, Seo Yeon-Woo, smiled as she congratulated her. "Sae-Ri, you really nailed it today." "Ah, thank you! You too. Keep it up, okay?" Seo Yeon-Woo had held the top spot until last week, but he knew she wouldn't win today. He had been sitting at number two on the charts all week, and Sae-Ri had delivered a flawless live performance. Still, Seo Yeon-Woo didn't look discouraged at all. Instead, he looked me in the eye and said he would give it his all, just like I taught him. "Hyung, I'll keep trying my best until the very end." Sae-Ri, and now Seo Yeon-Woo too had grown so much that it made me proud. I raised a clenched fist to cheer him on. "Yeah, you got this!" Sae-Ri, Do Ran-Hee, and Baek Hee-Yuung all did the same. "Let's do this, Yeon-Woo oppa!" "You got this, Yeon-Woo!" With our cheers behind him, Seo Yeon-Woo walked toward the stage. As he climbed up, I noticed he was holding a shared mic in his right hand. It was industry practice that rookies weren't allowed to use custom mics freely. But now that he had claimed first place, the rules would begin to shift. After all, rules meant little in the face of popularity. Soon, our company would be preparing custom mics and in-ears for Cherry Blossom. And when that happened, we would get one for Seo Yeon-Woo too. He would also need a fan club soon. 'Yeon-Woo, you've worked hard.' As I mentally went over what I needed to do for him, the stage began to shift. A moment later, Seo Yeon-Woo gave the OK signal after taking a deep breath. Right then, the sorrowful intro of 'Hwayeonga' began to play. Just then, the Cherry Blossom fan club members all raised their phones in unison from the audience. [Seo Yeon-Woo is the best!] [Top Vocalist: Seo Yeon-Woo] [Yeon-Woo oppa, you're amazing!] [Sweetest Voice, Seo Yeon-Woo] Because Seo Yeon-Woo was from the same agency, the Cherry Blossom fans turned on their phones to give him a surprise Valentine's Day gift. Caught off guard by the gesture, Seo Yeon-Woo gave a small shiver, then bowed his head deeply in gratitude and slowly began to sing. More than meeting great celebrities, meeting a fan club was the greatest blessing of my second life. All the performances for KBC's Music Stage had ended and the singers gathered on stage, waiting for the 1st place announcement. The MC stood before the artists, looked at the cue card, and shouted energetically. "Today's number one is... Kim Sae-Ri with 'Firefly Bridge'! Congratulations!" As soon as Sae-Ri's name was called, the public hall exploded with cheers from the fan club again. Sae-Ri's loud voice rang throughout the hall, and the other singers clapped for her. Talent agents in the wings also applauded. Despite the chaos in the CP room earlier, clapping was the bare minimum of respect among the talent agents. So I bowed as well. Do Ran-Hee, who bowed beside me, immediately grabbed my arm and bounced like a child. "Mr. Jung!! Oh my gosh~! What do we do?" My arm bounced up and down with her. 'Could you please do something about yourself, Ran-Hee?' Just as I managed to calm Do Ran-Hee down, I saw Sae-Ri preparing for her encore. As the other artists cleared the stage, I turned to Ran-Hee. "Ran-Hee. The afterparty's ready, right?" "Oh please, of course. I've already called them. The owner of Dwaeji Bonga cleared out the whole restaurant for us. Said they already shut the shutters." Do Ran-Hee had arranged a spot at the samgyeopsal[1] place near KBC that we visited every time Cherry Blossom won 1st place. "So then, how far can we go on the company card today?" "Until our stomach bursts!" I also told Baek Hee-Yung to bring Seo Yeon-Woo along. He was not only a rival but also Sae-Ri's vocal coach. Just then, I got a call. [Caller ID: Lee Soo-Chan] -Hyung-nim, I just got a report that CP Ha Jo-Eun entered Wine Bar W. I had asked that the private investigator contact me, but Lee Soo-Chan called me directly instead. Even though I always told him it was fine, Lee Soo-Chan insisted on handling everything about me personally because he worried about me. Knowing that made me feel a bit guilty. "Is Director Ma Dong-Pal there too?" After Ahn Dong-Gyu returned, Ma Dong-Pal had disappeared from KBC. -Yes. He entered with her. 'Just as I expected.' "Got it. Thanks for the update. And you know I always appreciate everything you do, right?" -Of course. You don't have to say it, hyung-nim. I ended the call and turned to Do Ran-Hee. "Ran-Hee, go ahead to the afterparty without me." "What? No way! You have to come with us." "I've got something I need to do. I'll contact you later if I have time." Since Ha Jo-Eun was still on hold status, there was a chance she would return unless she was thoroughly eliminated. And for the sake of my celebrities, I had to make sure that didn't happen. I immediately called Oh Han-Guk. "Mr. Oh. Ha Jo-Eun just went into Wine Bar W." -Is that so? Then let's meet at Wine Bar W right now. "Yes, sir. I'll meet you in the parking lot of Wine Bar W." After ending the call, I headed straight to the parking lot. Oh Han-Guk and I arrived almost at the same time at the Wine Bar W Parking Lot. Han Yoo-Sik, who had been with Oh Han-Guk all along, came as well. Just then, a private investigator stepped out from a parked Bends S-Class. "According to our team member inside, the two are eating risotto. They just ordered wine." "Is it wine by the glass?" I asked. "Yes. One glass each with cheese and fruit. Looks like they're keeping it under thirty thousand won total. They seem to be mindful of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act." "Were there any suspicious actions?" "Ah, Director Ma Dong-Pal ordered a separate expensive bottle of wine. I'm not sure which wine, but he asked them to keep it for tomorrow." Oh Han-Guk let out a sigh. "Phew. You were right, Chief Jung." Han Yoo-Sik shrugged smugly. "See? Didn't I say we could trust Chief Jung?" "Yes, sunbae-nim. Then how about we all go in and have dinner together? It's on me, of course." It didn't violate the law for the broadcasting president to pay for a meal, but I shook my head. "No. The moment we walk in, they'll know. We need to strike before they can clear the glasses." We couldn't give Ha Jo-Eun or Ma Dong-Pal a chance to destroy the evidence. Oh Han-Guk nodded. "Then... we should go in immediately." "Yes, sir. Let's eat after this is done." Just then, the investigator who had been checking his phone reported, "They just received their wine glasses." Oh Han-Guk's eyes gleamed. "Let's go in now." At that moment, I pulled out twenty of fifty thousand won bills from my wallet and handed them to the investigator. It was a full one million won. Since there were two people inside, I told him to share it among the team. The investigator's eyes widened. "This is... that's okay. We've already been paid." I shook my head and pressed it into his hand. "I'm sorry for calling you out on Valentine's Day. Please share it with the team inside." The investigator's lips curved into a wide grin. "Thank you, Mr. Jung!" He bowed so deeply he practically folded in half, and I returned the gesture before heading inside. The staff guided us to our seats the moment we entered inside Wine Bar W. Ha Jo-Eun was at Table 7, and our table was Table 10. As we followed the staff, we passed Table 7 and stopped. At that moment, Oh Han-Guk turned to Ha Jo-Eun, who was sipping her wine. "CP Ha. Even if your appointment's been put on hold, drowning your anger in alcohol isn't the answer, is it?" Caught mid-sip, Ha Jo-Eun choked and coughed. "Cough, cough! Mr. Oh? What brings you here?" "We came to have dinner too." Across from her, Ma Dong-Pal started rising from his seat. However, Oh Han-Guk gestured for him to stay seated. "It's alright, Director Ma." Then, Oh Han-Guk casually threw out a question. "Oh, but this isn't expensive, right? It's under thirty thousand won?" Suddenly, Ma Dong-Pal pointed urgently to the red wine glass. "Of course, Mr. Oh. It's under thirty thousand won. The glass wine here is a cheap Mavrud." Oh Han-Guk asked again, "Is that true?" Ha Jo-Eun nodded. "Yes. I prefer affordable glass wine. This one is ten thousand won a glass and it's quite good, Mr. Oh." At that moment, Oh Han-Guk glanced at me. "Chief Jung. I heard you know your wines. Can you tell if that's true?" I stared at the wine in both their glasses, checking the color. "May I have a sip?" Ha Jo-Eun reluctantly nodded. I took her glass, took a small sip, and closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. A bouquet of aromas flooded my nose, and a rich symphony of flavors filled my mouth. In that instant, I knew exactly what wine it was. Not just because of its taste, but because this was the wine Ha Jo-Eun used to love before my regression—the one she had begged me to get for her. I slowly opened my eyes and spoke with a smile. "This isn't Mavrud." I glared at Ha Jo-Eun and Ma Dong-Pal, then answered with confidence. "It's Château Mouton Rothschild. Vintage 2000! A top-tier wine." At that moment, both Ha Jo-Eun and Ma Dong-Pal's expressions began to crumble.