The Irony of Fates

"Unbelievable," Sekjong gaped as he stared at the news. 

He was at Jinhyun's new apartment, reading the newspapers. For the past few days, the news outlets only wrote about Jinhyun's video. He regained a resurgence in popularity and already numerous brands knocked Sekjong to sign up Jinhyun for endorsements. 

"I told you," Jinhyun said in a smug tone. He was sipping on orange juice as he leaned back on the couch. Even though he was told that his popularity had faded, Jinhyun knew his fans well. 

As a member of EXOTIC, he studied the minds of his fans. What set them apart from other bands was their genuine love for music. The struggles they had gone through together as a group struck a chord with the masses. Their breakup was inevitable only due to the scandals surrounding former member Ash Park. 

But the fans never gave up on them. Jinhyun knew that when he returned to Korea, there was still hope to regain his former status. Even if he was no longer with EXOTIC, his fans still supported him. It was a risk he was willing to take and it worked. 

"So firstly," Jinhyun said. "We'll secure the top brands through endorsements. That'll increase our visibility and also attract sponsors." 

"Secondly," he said, taking out a piece of paper. "We will host a reality show to recruit trainees. The show will highlight their daily lives and every week, through elimination process, we will select the top five trainees for debuts. The first place winner will get a solo debut while the other four will get a group debut."

"Just give them all a group debut," Sekjong said. "Wouldn't that be easier?" 

"No," Jinhyun said. "The first place winner will hog the limelight if put in a group. He or she will overshadow the group because of popularity. That will eventually reduce the group's longevity. Even cause internal drama. Hence, the first place gets a separate solo debut and others get a group debut. Eventually, the members will get solo work later on but for now, this is the plan."

"And most importantly," Jinhyun said. "We won't discriminate. Everyone has an equal chance to debut here. Trainees will be treated as people. They will be given enough time to rest and a special diet will be provided to them which will contain all essential nutrients. No starving them. And their training period will be strictly ten hours per day. We want to teach them not torture them."

"But ten hours is too less!" Sekjong protested. "You used to train for almost twenty hours." 

"Which is why members of EXOTIC suffered from depression and panic attacks," Jinhyun snapped. "And one even got involved in a sex scandal. Some life we had." 

Sekjong pursed his lips. Jinhyun was not entirely wrong. The inhumane conditions of idols have caused quite a stir in the industry. Depression, anxiety, bulimia. Idol's went through hell and are still slaves to their agencies.

As an idol himself, Jinhyun knew the torture he had to go through. Despite his positive attitude, he suffered from heavy bouts of depression during his early twenties. If his members had not secretly sent him to therapy, he would have committed suicide long time ago. 

Since then, he decided that no trainee under his supervision will suffer from mental health issues. Jinhyun's ethical yet disciplined method may actually attract talented trainees. 

"Alright, but we'll need sponsors and a place to set up our agency," Sekjong sighed. "Do you have a location in mind?" 

Jinhyun shook his head. Unfortunately, he did not have a particular place in mind. They would have to rent a building big enough to house the trainees and also become a temporary office until they get a permanent place. 

"We also need a name for the company," Sekjong pointed out. 

Jinhyun sat back. He was up all night thinking about the name. The issue was so serious for him that he even forgo his beloved sleep. 

"Let's think about that later," he sighed. "Don't I have a schedule today?" 

"Ahh yes," Sekjong said, taking out a piece of paper. "It's a photoshoot for a makeup brand. They're releasing a male product line and are keen to sign you up for it." 

"Which brand is it?" 

"Cherry Pie," Sekjong said. "They're very well renowned. They are known for their ethical products. I thought you'd be interested." 

Cherry Pie? It was her brand! 

Jinhyun feigned indifference. "Who's the owner?" 

"Some old lady," Sekjong replied. "She rarely shows up. Her daughter handles the work but for some reason, she only works at night." 

Jinhyun raised an eyebrow. No doubt both the 'old lady' and the 'daughter' was Cherry herself. So does that mean she took the appearance of an old lady during the day and a young girl at night? And why was he the only person who was able to see her real self? 

But there was no time to dwell on all that. He had a schedule to attend. 

…. 

"And that's a wrap!" the photographer shouted. Jinhyun was relieved. He had been shooting for the photo session for the past six hours without a break. 

It was nearly 4 PM in the afternoon and the sun was shining brightly. Even though Jinhyun's makeup would not melt, he was sweating profusely. The clothes he wore were too heavy for this weather. Whose idea was it to include a leather jacket? He wondered. 

"Manager Shun, I'll take a break now," he said to Sekjong. 

"Won't you join us for lunch?" he asked. 

"Later," Jinhyun replied. "I'm not hungry." 

Before Sekjong could protest, Jinhyun waved him bye and went back to his trailer. He took off the jacket and changed into casual clothes. He wore a light grey t-shirt and denim jeans. Putting a cap and mask on, he ventured out. 

In reality, he was really hungry but wanted to eat spicy ramen. Sekjong would have disapproved since he was supposed to be on a diet. But Jinhyun always worked out diligently. Besides, no matter how much he ate, he never gained weight. 

"Which place is good?" he muttered as he scrolled through his phone. There was one right across the road. He put his phone away and headed towards the direction of the shop. 

To his surprise, instead of a ramen shop, there was an apothecary store. Jinhyun frowned as he was sure the map showed him a ramen shop on it. But there was nothing else in sight except for this store. 

He was about to turn around to leave when the door burst open. A familiar scent floated in the air. Before he could fathom anything, he felt his feet moving towards the shop, as if he was hypnotised. 

Jinhyun entered the strange shop. There were various kinds of amulets hung on the wall. Yellow papers were stuck on each entrance with unknown symbols drawn on them. On display were jars of herbs and spices, each for different uses or remedies. 

There was a smaller room in the store. Faint smoke was coming out of it. Jinhyun edged towards the room. 

He entered the room. It was dimly lit. A red fog was engulfing the air and he smelt a hint of incense mixed with that familiar smell of…cherries.

Immediately, his attention fell on the shabbily dressed girl in front of him. Or rather, if he was not wrong, the girl who was supposed to look like an old woman. 

Cherry scrutinised him with her gaze. But he did not know her identity as his neighbor because it was daytime. Since he was the 500th person, she must fulfill her duty. 

But secretly, she was still looking for the man from the cafe. He was the only person who could change her own fate. Maybe if she found him, she will be able to get rid of this twisted irony with the loathsome man in front of her. 

For some reason, Jinhyun was not surprised to see her there. He knew they would run into each other repeatedly. However, he was surprised by her choice of profession. 

"You're a Shaman?" he questioned. 

"I'm just a means to change your fate," she replied pompously. All she had to do was hand him over to this Sung Yoona and she would be freed from the curse. 

Jinhyun raised his eyebrow. A means to change his fate? 

A slow smirk formed on his face. He did not care about fates. All he cared about was living his life on his own terms.

Even if he had to defy his fate.