Top Management

Chapter 10: Not a Dream, See the Future (3)

TL by Myoni

Edited by Myoni & Yoni

“Hello?”

Hyunjo hurriedly answered the call. Even I strained my ears to listen to the small voice.

-Uh... Hoooo, is this Hyunjo?

It was the management team 3 leader.

“Hyung! What did you do all this time? I thought you guys drank too much and were knocked out on the streets!”

-Hey, hey, it just ended. I think I’m going to die. These not-so-young-anymore men drank like they were trying to fill a bottomless pit. Their liver is better than mine.

“So? What happened in the meeting?”

I heard someone gulp their saliva. Was it me?

-We decided to do it.

“...Really?!”

-Tomorrow... Oh, it’s today. Articles will be released soon.

I clenched a fist on top of my knee. If I didn’t, I might have yelled.

I wonder how the conversation went for them to agree so easily?

-The CEO pushed for it really hard. And we were lucky. There was a group that the staff dropped in the end, but they just got an overseas schedule. Their director came over and made a mess and everything. If the timing was even a bit off, we wouldn’t have been able to get it. Who was that guy, the Lucky Charm who got this? That guy really did something big.

“So it’s really been decided?”

-We haven’t officially signed yet, but it’s already decided.

“Hahaha! The girls would love to hear this.”

-Yeah, they must have had a hard time up until now so quickly tell them the good news. We got the chance, how popular they become all depend on you guys.

“I know.”

-Do a good job.

Hyunjo talked with the management team 3 leader for a long time afterwards before hanging up. Then he used his phone for a bit before handing it to me.

“Here. Take it.”

“Pardon?”

As I accepted the phone without thinking, I saw that it was dialing Lee Taehee.

Why did he give this to me?

“Mr. Sunwoo was the one to grab this chance, so you be the one to tell them. Before they release the articles.”

The ringing stopped and a sleepy voice answered.

-Did something happen? We don’t have anything scheduled today.

It was Taehee.

“Cough, I’m Jung Sunwoo. I have something to say.”

As I raised my head, I saw Hyunjo and the traitor looking at me expectedly. Hyunjo motioned to quickly tell them.

“Do you happen to know the new program that’s about to start on Knet?”

-Yes. I’ve heard of it.

“Neptune’s going to appear on that.”

-...Sorry?

“The program on Knet...”

-No, I did hear it properly... is it true? I heard that they had already cast everyone and had finished their photo shoots for the poster...

“It’s true. One of the girl groups had to leave, so Neptune was chosen to replace them. The chief wanted me to tell you guys before they released the articles...”

It was very noisy at the other end of the phone. It seemed like Taehee woke everyone up to tell them the news. I could hear the ‘Kyah’ ‘Kyah’ screams. It was Seoyoung.

“Give it here for a second.”

Hyunjo grabbed the phone and pressed the record button.

The loud noises of girls chatting. Close to tears, cries of excitement. Various sounds were recorded. It wasn’t even a video call, yet I could imagine what was going on.

“Why did you record...?”

“There might a use for it later.”

To even think of the future at a moment like this, I had to learn this as well.

Seoyoung, who was close to crying, kept asking if it was real and after constantly confirming that it was, I passed the phone to Hyunjo. He gave them a few words of caution before hanging up.

“Mr. Sunwoo, how do you feel?”

How do I feel?

How should I explain it? When the girls were so happy they were about to cry, at that moment, I felt...

“I feel proud... And satisfied.”

“It’s like that when you are taking care of new groups. The feeling of their increasing number of regular programs. The rise in people who recognize them and their fans. The pleasure you feel knowing that you built this up. If you get addicted to it, you will never be able to stop.”

“Ah...”

“Should we all get up now? We have to rest to work.”

We grabbed all our things and got up.

While Hyunjo was paying the bill, we were waiting outside. I didn’t know if it was the alcohol, but the wind didn’t seem that cold. Ring, I heard the sound of bells ringing and Hyunjo opened the door.

Suddenly, my vision went dark.

Again.

I was in my future office again. As soon as I realized this fact, I concentrated my eyes and ears. The things I see and hear here could change my life. I can’t even ignore the smallest detail.

“You started with Next K-Star and now, 20 years later, you became the CEO of a company with a worldwide network.”

“Haha. I still have more to do.”

“Your first experience was with Neptune and Next K-Star; did they influence your actions?”

Reporter Song asked. My future self pondered for a bit. For a while, I only saw the body below my neck.

“Yes. Because I got addicted then.”

“Addicted...?”

“The pleasure of watching someone grow. That time, even though I only dug my own grave and didn’t contribute much, I still felt that way. Neptune was unknown, but through their appearance on Next K-Star, their popularity rose quickly. Although they did receive a lot of insults...”

What?

“When I look at it now, it seemed like just a passing rain shower.”

I hoped he would talk more specifically on why Neptune received insults, but the topic quickly changed. Damn.

“And their next album did really well and they even received first place on a music program. I received a lot of pleasure watching their progress from the sidelines. If I didn’t experience that then, I probably wouldn’t have been the person I am today.”

Good. Neptune’s next album will be a hit. Although it gets me that they received insults, it seemed the end result was good.

“I used to listen to the song a lot.”

The quietly listening Director Park added in.

“It was Neptune’s first hit song and it is still the first song you think of when you remember Neptune.”

“It seems to have been a good song?”

“You haven’t listened to it before? Ah... Right, it’s an old song for Reporter Song. The song was really good. It really matched well with Neptune as well. I miss it.”

“Then should we listen to the song while we continue? It’s been a while for me too.”

As my future self spoke, I suddenly heard a clear, vivid song.

“Mr. Sunwoo, are you drunk?”

I abruptly awoke from the music.

“Why are you staring so intently at the floor? Do you feel like you’re going to throw up?”

Hyunjo patted my back.

“You seem weak to alcohol.”

“No, I’m not drunk. I was just thinking of something...”

I quickly showed him my clear eyes.

“That’s a relief. From now on, you’ll be drinking more often.”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“Well, both of you did well today.”

“Chief, thank you for your hard work.”

“Have a safe trip.”

The traitor and I grabbed a taxi. Hyunjo said while getting in the taxi first.

“Since it’s 5 right now, go home and rest well. Eat something good in the morning and be at work by 8.”

Did I hear it wrong?

“By what time?”

“By 8. If we want to write a press release in time, we need to have a meeting with the PR team.”

“Ah...”

“Since we got a regular program, we will much busier starting tomorrow. But once you get used to the work, you guys can work together and help each other out, so don’t get too scared. Hahaha.”

A devil. There’s a devil here.

“Then see you tomorrow. Don’t disappear on me.”

Hyunjo left with a smiling face. The traitor and I looked at each other silently. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was a backstabber who was completely different inside from his outward appearance, I might have felt a much deeper comradery.

“Go home safely.”

“You too. See you tomorrow.”

I took an empty taxi after we went our separate ways. I didn’t know if the taxi had a drunk client before me, but the car smelled of vomit. I rolled down the windows, but it suddenly started to rain.

The taxi quickly arrived at my one-room apartment. I paid the driver and received a receipt. Just in case I could file it under company expenses.

As the rain dripped down on me, I made my way up to my cramped room. It was somehow already past 6 a.m. I had to get to work by 8. I guess I can sleep for 30 minutes...

However, after washing then lying on my bed, I couldn’t sleep. My exhausted body was stretched out on my bed, but my mind was as awake as ever.

Eventually, I got up and turned on my laptop. I paused briefly on the search engine. What should I search... Yeah.

[I got a supernatural ability.]Movies, dramas and anything related to supernatural abilities appeared on the screen until I found one that was like what I was looking for. A question asked by a person claiming he had a supernatural ability. I read, half in doubt, but found that he was in a similar situation to me.

It was a concern on whether he should continue to hide his power he received one day in a dream or use it to help others.

Was this really real?

I examined the page with expectation, but found that it was under the humor category of the forums. Damn. All the comments were of ridicule and mockery and some even suggested a hospital.

[Power of foresight] [Real Supernatural Being]I gave up after searching a few more times. I felt like I would get a mental disorder.

I rolled around my cramped one-room. There was only me. No one would know if I did something weird, right?

Now then...

What do I have to do to use this power at will?

There was no user’s manual and there was no one I could ask. If I asked, I would probably be recommended to a mental hospital as well. Finding out for myself was the only way.

First, I concentrated as I closed my eyes. I tried my best to recall the future I saw. Although I was frowning weirdly and concentrating to a point I was about make a weird noise, there was not even the slightest change.

I quit after trying for a countless number of times. This meant one of two things.

Either I was unable to figure out the method to use my power or the power was not something I could use whenever I wanted to and randomly occurred.

If I found a method to control my power, I was going to check what the next lottery numbers were...

I opened up a notepad and recorded all the information I heard and saw.

The distant future me was the CEO of a management company. One that was quite successful. It seemed like I was acquainted with Director Park who came for the interview. From Reporter Song’s words, I seemed to have obtained my position as the CEO of a major management company through my persistent efforts. Recalling how he said how the door of hardship was opened wide, it really seemed like I didn’t succeed easily.

First, I didn’t get assigned to an actor like I wanted, but to Neptune. Neptune appeared on Next K-Star and from the initial success, it would be greenlit for more seasons.

Neptune received insults from appearing on the show, however, in the end, their popularity rose. Their next album was a big hit and they placed first in a music broadcast.

Remembering how future me said that it was the start of a relationship with Neptune, it seemed like I would continue to have more relations with them...

And Gunyoung was the bastard who backstabbed me.

Was there anything else? Ah, one more. I deducted I was single in the future as I didn’t have a ring on my ring finger. It was either I was unmarried even at forty or I was divorced. I couldn’t tell which one was worse.

This was all the information I collected from seeing the future three times.

Wait, but...

I changed the present. Instead of getting backstabbed by the traitor, I was the one who became the Lucky Charm as the one who connected Producer Joontae with Neptune.

Perhaps, the future changed?

When looking at the butterfly effect in movies and dramas, the flutter of a butterfly’s wings caused a giant hurricane. What if my actions yesterday were like the fluttering of wings?

It wouldn’t stop me from becoming a CEO in the future, right?

No, after seeing the future the first and second time, I had already changed the present. In the future, they said Hyunjo didn’t have a favourable first impression of me so the door of hardship was opened, however, due to me selling out the quadruplets, I was able to fix that. The Lucky Charm title that the traitor, who backstabbed me, took also belonged to me now. Even though the present changed significantly, I didn’t notice any signs of the butterfly effect in the future the second and third time.

Then was it... something like a parallel universe?

The future I saw and the present I am currently in have already split into two.

I searched parallel universe on the internet. An incredible amount of information popped up. I changed my posture and started to read it.

However, like a side effect, sleepiness started to overcome me after reading for a short while. I shook my head in an attempt to keep myself awake. I would have to get ready for work soon.

I couldn’t be the new recruit who was late on his second day of work...

I couldn’t...