Chapter 23: The Runaway

Somi’s call came quite suddenly. While waiting in the van, bored and anticipating Suzy to finish her shoot, Cha Lun-hoo pressed the answer button and was immediately met with a barrage of chatter. He instinctively pulled the phone away from his ear; the girl had big eyes and an even bigger voice.

"Oppa! Why didn't you reply to my messages? Don't you know that reading and not replying isn't the behavior of a real man?"

Cha Lun-hoo hadn't ignored her on purpose; it was just that once the beautiful employer had hopped into the van, his mind had shifted to professional matters, leaving the high schooler behind. After all, business came first, and he couldn't very well abandon his security duties just to chat with a young girl.

"You were the one who didn't reply first! Leaving the company is such a huge deal, and you didn't even send a word back. Even if we weren't friends, you wouldn't have to be like that, would you?"

In truth, he felt a bit annoyed. The girl’s conduct was truly poor, and it was only for Se-jeong’s sake that he didn't hold it against her. Regardless of anything else, he had essentially saved her, hadn't he? To act like this was just unreasonable. While he knew she wasn't a bad person—she even possessed a certain sincerity toward those she trusted—he couldn't understand why she would fall apart after being scolded a few times, to the point of not even replying to his messages of concern.

"Oppa! I... I didn't mean to. I was in such a terrible state of mind at the time, and later, I just couldn't find the courage to reply."

The girl's pitiful tone sounded aggrieved, though Cha Lun-hoo suspected she might be putting it on. Still, bickering with a high schooler over such things wasn't befitting a grown man, so his voice softened involuntarily.

On the other end of the line, the girl was pinning the phone between her cheek and shoulder while measuring her height against a wall chart. Seeing the 172cm mark, she wore a distressed expression. Her younger sister, still just a child, came over to eavesdrop, only to be ruthlessly shooed away by her older sister, who even sent her packing with a kick to the backside.

"What are your plans lately? Are you signing with a new company, or do you plan on attending school for a while?"

They say fame should be sought early, but this girl had missed out on Twice. Having debuted as the center of I.O.I and experienced the dissolution of a group, she was now running off just as a new one was about to be born—all while still a high schooler. It was frightening to think about.

"Oppa, I’m only telling you this, so please don't let it slip. I have indeed signed with a new company: The Black Label, a new agency founded by YG producer Teddy. I’m the only artist there right now, and they gave me a very generous profit-sharing deal."

Was she truly unable to keep a secret? The mere mention of YG made him frown. The name of that company gave him a headache, mostly due to the resentment he felt over them cutting his dear friend Se-jeong within two weeks.

"What are you thinking? Does the other side have plans for a new girl group too? To abandon an easy debut right in front of you and choose such an unpredictable path—do you really think that's a good idea?"

Cha Lun-hoo was baffled. The debut song at JYP had already been recorded—he had heard that little fox humming it—and to run off now to become a lone wolf at a new label seemed unwise, even if Teddy was a legendary producer.

The label of a "runaway" was not something easily washed away, and she had recently engaged in some rather eccentric behavior that sparked significant controversy among fans.

"I don't want to debut in a girl group again. I want to be a solo artist, just like Chungha! If Chungha can do it, I can too!"

Cha Lun-hoo felt the girl had a fatal weakness: she overestimated herself and lacked patience. Of course, this was partly due to the massive exposure she had received at such a young age.

Her status as the center of *Produce 101* owed much to the aura of being a senior JYP trainee. In his view, she wasn't as talented as Se-jeong, and she had even faced skepticism from other contestants.

Watching those around her debut one after another had caused her mentality to collapse. Not securing a core position in the new group had filled her with shame and resentment, leading her to make this life-altering choice: leaving the JYP that held both her hopes and her frustrations.

Perhaps the *I.O.I* program shouldn't have been part of her life. The glory of debuting as center had turned a failure into a success, drastically changing her mindset and making her even more restless.

While he had been in the military at the time, he had followed Se-jeong’s progress, which meant he was quite familiar with I.O.I. When they debuted, it happened to coincide with the massive explosion of Twice’s "Cheer Up," and when the two groups promoted simultaneously, Twice naturally took the win.

During the encore, Somi had lingered on stage for a while before leaving reluctantly; perhaps she was reluctant to part with her friends, or perhaps with the memories themselves.

The nine months of I.O.I activities marked the point where Twice moved from one brilliance to another, while this limited-time group was slowly heading toward extinction. He didn't know what was truly in Somi’s heart.

"You’re envious of Twice, aren't you? But life always has regrets. How can anything be perfect?"

Even though Park Jin-young had picked up a member who was eliminated early, at the end of the day, she lacked the strength for a proper debut—and she was only fourteen at the time. Yet, the more successful they became, the more she likely felt the sting of regret.

"If I’m envious, I lose! How could I be envious? The path I’ve chosen, I’ll walk it even if it kills me. Oppa, will you support me? Even if it’s just lip service—it doesn't have to be sincere—just say something nice so I can hear it!"

In truth, the girl had no firm foundation herself. Solo female idols who succeeded were few and far between, and although this "Black Label" was affiliated with YG, it was hard to say how much support she would actually receive. It was a risky move, and at this moment, she wanted to hear a voice of support.

Cha Lun-hoo sighed softly. Who could say for sure how life choices would turn out? Hadn't he made decisions back then that he didn't know would be a blessing or a curse? Ultimately, one has to walk their own path. As someone who could at least be called a friend, he offered a few kind words.

"I knew you would understand my decision, Oppa! In a few days, when school is on break, I’ll definitely treat you to a big meal! That’s what we agreed on!"

He wasn't really looking forward to the meal, but he hoped she could settle down and find some inner peace. South Korea might seem open, but its core was stiflingly conservative. Such a polarized environment was rarely kind to someone as impulsive as her; if Somi didn't change her personality, she would surely face plenty of criticism.

After hanging up, Cha Lun-hoo felt a sense of helplessness. Ambition exceeding destiny—it was true for Somi, and wasn't it true for him as well? The Blue House was still maintaining its composure, allowing the petitions to ferment online.

The dissolution of the Defense Security Command and the creation of the new agency were happening simultaneously. A few days later, the Commander-in-Chief, President Moon, awarded the military flag to the newly formed Defense Security Support Command and ordered the arrest of former Defense Security Commander Cho Hyun-chun, who had fled to the Rocky Mountains in the United States. He was the old superior who had ordered the hit on Cha Lun-hoo’s unit, and seeing him brought to justice was deeply satisfying.

It was said that the President had coordinated significant resources to ensure the man was extradited to face trial. Cho Hyun-chun had been the source of the female leader’s confidence in plotting her coup, though Cha Lun-hoo suspected he had grander schemes of his own.

If the female leader had truly declared martial law, Cho Hyun-chun would have been the first to claim credit, and he likely harbored his own designs on seizing power. But it was the twenty-first century; clinging to Cold War mentalities only showed how blinded one could be by the lust for power.

Yet, compared to seeing the mastermind face justice, Cha Lun-hoo was more concerned about the placement plan for his own people. Public opinion online was one thing, but the Blue House had to provide a definitive answer.

A sword strike to the head or a sword strike to the neck—either way, he just hoped he wouldn't be disappointed. He figured there would be movement in the next few days. Despite the unease in his heart, he reminded himself: when facing great events, one must remain calm.