# Chapter 32
“Noona has an officetel, would you like to stay there? Or it might not be bad to buy another apartment in a quiet area. There’s a property available in our complex. Should I look into it?”
I shook my head at Noona’s offer.
“No, Noona. I’ll handle that myself.”
“Then how about resting at the villa? Ah, there’s also a newly built hotel where you could stay and rest.”
I was going to politely decline this time too, but that actually sounded quite appealing.
However, it was something I could do without Noona’s special request, so I just nodded.
I decided I would let Hyung know and take a few days to rest while thinking about my future career path, when suddenly I felt fatigue washing over me.
Noona told me to rest and turned off the lights, and I closed my eyes and sank into my thoughts.
A life without those guys.
Now I need to prepare for that, but why do I feel so uncertain about it…
* * *
The Crop Five members were gathered early.
I thought someone had let them leave work early because they had people to meet, but Kang Seomin didn’t return until late.
The members contacted him wondering if something had happened, and a message was posted in the group chat saying he had drunk a lot and would go straight to the company the next day.
Although this was behavior unlike his usual self, they believed him for now.
In the morning, another manager from Grand Tamer came to take them to work, and as soon as the members arrived at the company, they looked for Kang Seomin.
However, Seomin hadn’t arrived yet and didn’t seem to have checked the chat messages either.
While the members were speculating among themselves, the CEO called for them.
Normally, being summoned by the CEO would have made them feel intimidated, but that day, everyone hurried, wondering if they might hear something about Seomin.
Even Han Sijin, who had been acting strangely like a rough stone lately, moved exactly like the other members at that moment.
The CEO maintained an icy demeanor that looked impenetrable.
“Sit down.”
He paused what he was doing, came to the table, sat down, and said:
“I called you urgently about Manager Kang Seomin.”
The members looked at the CEO with tense faces.
“Did something happen to Hyung?”
“Was there an accident?”
Cha Yeonwoo and Jeong Chan asked urgently.
The CEO shook his head and smiled.
It was because he belatedly realized what misunderstanding they were having.
“Manager Kang is fine. But he won’t be managing the team for a while.”
“Is it… because of me?”
Han Sijin asked with a startled expression.
Understanding Sijin’s surprise, the other members patted his shoulders and back.
“It’s not that. Right now…”
Kang Seungwon hesitated for a moment, wondering how best to phrase it.
“Should I say he received a good offer? He can’t just remain a trainee manager forever. I think he had ambitions to move up in the agency, but this time he received a special offer, and I actively encouraged it. It’s an opportunity that would be difficult to get again in Manager Kang’s life.”
The members didn’t say much, but their faces hardened.
Kang Seungwon looked at them, thinking there was no need to keep repeating himself.
“A new manager will be decided today. It will be someone from the team leader level, and Team Leader Hyun is the most likely candidate right now. Does anyone have any objections to Team Leader Hyun becoming the new manager?”
It was a question asked with the answer already decided.
If not Kang Seomin, Team Leader Hyun would be the best alternative.
All the members thought so, but they needed to know first whether Kang Seomin really wouldn’t be taking care of them anymore.
“But why isn’t he answering our calls?”
Seo Irun asked with a sullen expression.
“He’s not reachable? He should be. I contacted him too. Try again. He should answer now.”
At that, all the members fell silent.
They wanted to quickly end this conversation and go out to call him.
The CEO, recognizing their urgency, let them go without resistance.
Kang Seungwon, having received a call from Noona, thought this was good.
‘Crop Five’ had entered a normal trajectory and was in a state where no one knew how much higher they might soar.
How many more records they would break in the future.
This project had produced dazzling results with unexpected achievements.
No one in the current state doubted that Crop Five would become mega-stars.
They would want Kang Seomin to continue being their manager.
The chemistry was good.
If Kang Seomin had just been an ordinary manager, it wouldn’t have been bad for him to gradually move up while remaining Crop Five’s manager.
Crop Five already accounted for a significant portion of Grand Tamer’s sales, and their sales proportion was expected to increase even more.
Even now, places inquiring about advertising contracts were overflowing, but they were withholding acceptance of offers thinking they could receive even higher payments.
If their position solidified just a little more, the industry outlook was that each member could generate tens of billions of won in annual revenue.
The manager in charge of the company’s flagship stars would naturally gain more influence and be promoted faster.
If the goal was success at Grand Tamer, that wouldn’t be bad either, but Kang Seomin had plenty of better opportunities.
‘Still, I didn’t know Noona was thinking of bringing him to Seyoung Electronics.’
A smile formed on Kang Seungwon’s lips as he thought of this.
He knew Kang Jiyoung.
Noona was a person with big ambitions and rarely trusted others.
It wasn’t without reason—it was her character formed by what she had experienced so far, so she couldn’t be blamed for it.
In the company, besides their father and himself, Noona trusted almost no one.
She didn’t even trust her executive secretary or closest aides, which made even Kang Seungwon himself shake his head.
Noona frequently expressed regret about this.
Saying that if she had just one more person she could completely trust, she could do so much more.
And this Noona had called for Seomin.
That meant big changes were coming to Seyoung Group.
It seemed she was planning to first strengthen her influence in Seyoung Electronics and then gradually strengthen her position within Seyoung Group.
Kang Seungwon thought he knew where the power Noona would gain would be used.
‘Now this is getting interesting.’
He could understand why Noona was doing this.
He himself had high expectations for Kang Seomin.
He wasn’t particularly refined, nor did he have extraordinary depth of learning.
But Kang Seomin would march straight into the center of a problem and handle it in a peculiar way.
The way he resolved issues was strange and awe-inspiring.
Kang Seungwon wanted to confirm whether what Kang Seomin had accomplished this time was a coincidence or due to his inherent capabilities.
And if it was due to Seomin’s capabilities, he wanted to use whatever power he had to help him.
That was also his father’s way.
Power and authority should be held by those who are qualified to have them.
There was nothing their children gained simply because they were son and daughter.
He respected his father because he thought he was that kind of person.
‘This guy. He’s a monster anyway.’
The smile on Kang Seungwon’s lips spread a little deeper.
Even his friends were like that.
They were never people who moved based on personal connections.
Even individual decisions were always subject to broader interpretation, so they had to be cautious in making decisions.
Therefore, if they said they would sponsor or make guest appearances, it should be considered a decision made after careful calculation.
Kang Seungwon liked Noona’s proposal and hoped Kang Seomin would accept it.
There were concerns, of course.
The success factors of ‘Crop Five’ weren’t just the skills of all the members.
Rather, more important than that was the chemistry between the members and the manager, but it would be difficult to see that in ‘Crop Five’ anymore.
Would the ratings continue to soar even after that?
Probably not.
There were pre-recordings that could keep the upward curve going while they were being broadcast, but what would happen afterwards couldn’t be guaranteed.
‘But it can’t be helped. I can’t just pursue my own desires. After doing this much, it’s right that I take over from now on.’
While Kang Seungwon was thinking this, there was a knock at the door.
When he said come in, Cha Yeonwoo entered.
He was a member whose popularity had exploded after the last stage, with his neat and sophisticated appearance.
“What is it?”
“I was hoping to know where Manager Kang Seomin is right now… I wanted to ask about that.”
“That’s his private life. If Manager Kang hasn’t spoken about it first, I can’t say anything either.”
“But…”
“If you want to know, ask him directly. I won’t object if you find out because Manager Kang tells you, but you can’t ask me.”
“I understand.”
Cha Yeonwoo bowed respectfully and left.
* * *
Notification sounds were going off like crazy.
I was thinking that maybe I’m not destined to ever get a proper day of rest, and the group chat was in absolute chaos.
[Hyung. What does this mean?]
[Did you say you’re quitting as our manager?]
[What is the CEO talking about?]
[Hyung. Is it because of me? Can’t you answer your phone? I want to talk.]
While the members were sending messages in all directions, Han Sijin couldn’t hide his anxiety and sent a message.
