Chapter Six: The Nine-Color Assembly

"You brat, see how I deal with you! How dare you covet your unnie's things!"

Although she knew her younger sister was joking, she still went through the customary motions of punishing her. Soojung played along, letting her sister have her way while still firing back.

"The least you could do is forget about that pocket money you swindled out of me when we were kids! That's only fair, isn't it? He's about my age, a match made in heaven! Give us your blessing!"

Even though she didn't even know the handsome young man's name, she spoke as if they were star-crossed lovers being kept apart by a heartless sister. Such brazen talk naturally earned her a heavy punch from her actual unnie.

Yet, as they bickered, the older sister suddenly wrapped her arms around the sister who stood a head taller than her. Soojung felt her chest grow damp and the witty retort she was about to deliver died in her throat. Things had been tough for her sister lately.

The sister's joke had allowed the older one to relax, and the pent-up pressure finally broke her defenses. An emotional outburst left her vulnerable in front of her sister, tears flowing uncontrollably as if they were worthless.

"Alright, alright! Stop crying, I don't want him anymore, okay? Take him, take him, he's all yours! You're thirty years old, why are you like this? Please, stop crying!"

Soojung knew very well that the reason for her sister's tears wasn't what she had just said, but she was infected by the sorrow. The two beauties held each other and wept, a sight that would break anyone's heart.

"I... I won't give him to you. You... don't even think about it! Not unless I'm dead and you're considering it when you inherit my estate."

The older sister wiped her tears with a tissue, sobbing as she told the girl that her dreams were delusional. I haven't even secured him yet, and you're thinking about that? Even if I died, you wouldn't get a piece of him! He has a good younger sister already! She didn't know which one it was, though—the girl was tight-lipped.

"Hey! You woman, really—I was trying to comfort you and you're saying all this nonsense! Who even wants him! You're the only one who treats him like a treasure! Watch out, you might get scammed for your money and your heart."

Soojung wasn't entirely joking. Her unnie had, at some point, picked up the hobby of dating younger men from the leader of her former group. But a man younger than her was definitely unreliable, and with what Tyler Kwon had said about nightclubs and such, she might end up with a con artist and a total mess.

Her sister had never been known for her intelligence; she was the type to be used as a pawn while thinking she was the one in control. In China, there was a type of scam targeting women called a "pig butchering plate," designed specifically to slaughter "pigs" like Jessica—people who were average in intelligence but thought they were clever.

"You're the pig! Look at all this fat on you! See how I handle you!"

The older sister once had the nickname "Ice Princess." Though few called her that anymore, many old fans still spoke of it fondly. Today, however, this brat had turned her into a "Volcanic Beauty." But the sister was older now, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her in check.

She didn't know that her older sister had sent her a message, clearly having heard that she had left the nightclub. She had thrown a receipt for an expensive screen replacement in her face. She had wanted to turn around and go to the Apple store next door to buy a new one, but considering she had just paid her rent, she held back, sighing that poverty truly stifles one's spirit.

She dialed Sejeong's number. The girl was clearly unhappy that she had gone to dinner with Somi. Even though the little "foreign filly" was only of high school age, her occasional audacity surprised even her.

"Did you pass the interview? And you're out eating with that little beauty! I kind of regret letting you go to that audition. Does Somi have any bad intentions? And what about Senior Suzy? What will you do if you can't control yourself!"

Though she spoke like that, it was mostly because their long years of friendship allowed them to be very casual. Sejeong was usually a carefree person, not exactly a tomboy, but someone who was very comfortable to be around.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you brat? Somi is just a kid! As for Bae Suzy, she's a big star, a famous actress—would she even look at an unemployed bum like me? You've been watching too many dramas. My goddess Im Yoona's 'THE K2'?"

Cha Yoon-hoo loved Yoona's acting, especially the crying scenes, which he told the little girl Sejeong to study repeatedly. Even if she couldn't win a Best Actress award, mastering that would make her life in the entertainment industry much smoother.

"Fine, fine! I'll definitely study Senior Yoona's acting. But I've finished my settlement today, and I'm going to the bank to deposit money later. Do you want me to buy you a new phone?"

She knew this man was very proud and would never let Somi pay for the damages. He hadn't had a proper job for a while, and she heard he had paid a full year's rent, so he must be quite strapped for cash.

She didn't know that Senior Sica was about to turn her oppa into a top salesperson. While he didn't have much money, he wasn't exactly struggling because of a phone. Still, his words warmed her heart; they were, after all, eating-buddies who had shared relief meals since they were young.

"Forget it! It's already fixed and still works. How can you just throw away such an expensive phone when it's broken? You should save your own money! If I ever run out of food, I can still come to you."

"That's right! I heard your group is planning to form a sub-unit! I honestly think your group is beyond saving, and it all depends on you now."

He meant it. JellyFish Entertainment was just like all those other fleeting agencies in South Korea, and Sejeong was the only "S-rank" card they had drawn.

But that was all. Gugudan had many members and a lot of noise. The group's Korean name originally meant the "multiplication table," representing the hope that the nine girls would show nine different colors of charm—it sounded like they were trying to piggyback on his unlucky older sister's fame.

The girl had lived through hard times. Now that she had some recognition in the industry, she acted like an old woman, dividing her assets into nine separate bankbooks.

Some were for living expenses, others for the costumes and beauty treatments essential for an artist, and some for supporting her family. Everything was arranged with perfect clarity.

But he had seen one bankbook whose purpose was unknown. When he asked, she kept her mouth shut, and he had no idea what she was hiding.

After hanging up, reminded by the girl, he washed his face with cold water, smoothed his hair, and took a not-so-thick stack of cash from his drawer, planning to head to the bank. He had things to do.

"Please wire this money to this address."

There was more than one person who had been cast into the depths of despair after refusing to participate in the "Jingnan" campaign. A close classmate of his, who also came from a humble background, had left the military after their speculative ventures failed and used all his savings to open a veteran's barbecue restaurant, only to be swindled by his partner and lose everything.

Unable to face his family's disappointment and feeling despair at the cannibalistic nature of the world, he had jumped off the Han River Bridge, leaving nothing behind but regret.

"Weren't the bad guys already chased from power and arrested? My son was supposed to be a hero! Why did it end up like this?"

At the funeral, facing Cha Yoon-hoo and several classmates who had come to pay their respects, the elderly mother, who was crying her heart out, asked a question that was impossible to answer. Did these young people even have the answer themselves?

Walking out of the bank, looking at the luxury cars filling the streets, Cha Yoon-hoo felt an immense weight in his chest. Was this all his life would ever be? Was being a bodyguard for men and women who had never read a book really his long-term plan?

"The wealthy and powerful boast of their status, giving no thought to the nation or the survival of its people. How did this godforsaken world become like this?"