Proximity

The problem with ominous foreshadowing is that sometimes it actually arrives exactly the way you expected it to. Which unfortunately explained why three days later I was standing inside one of JYPE’s empty practice room hallways holding two iced coffees while Yeji looked significantly less concerned about this situation than I was.
YJ: You’re overthinking.
B: I say this with complete sincerity, your group frightens me.
YJ:  That’s dramatic.
B: One of them sent me a shark emoji as a threat.
YJ: That wasn’t a threat.
B: That somehow concerns me more.

Yeji laughed quietly beneath her breath afterward before reaching over to steal the drink out of my hand like she had already done this enough times for it to become muscle memory. Then the practice room door suddenly opened before either of us could continue the conversation. And there she was. Ryujin leaned casually against the doorway first before immediately narrowing her eyes toward me like she was assessing a suspiciously intelligent stray animal— the shark emoji suddenly made psychological sense now. “So this is him.” Ah, great start already. Yeji immediately sighed beside me. “Ryujin.”
“What?” Ryujin stepped farther into the hallway afterward without taking her eyes off me yet. “I’m observing.”
“That wording sounds predatory.”
“That’s because it is,” she answered instantly. Excellent. Very normal interaction. I extended the remaining iced coffee toward her anyway.

“Peace offering” Ryujin looked down toward the drink briefly first before slowly accepting it.
“…You think bribery works on me?”
“No.” I shrugged lightly. “But people are usually less hostile with caffeine.”
“That’s emotionally manipulative.”
“That’s called basic psychology.”

Ryujin stared at me for maybe two seconds longer afterward. “…Oh I get it now.” I narrowed my eyes slightly. That sentence psychologically threatened me. “She likes you because you fight back.” Yeji nearly choked on her drink beside me “RYUJIN.” Ryujin looked entirely unbothered afterward “What? You’ve been smiling at your phone like an emotionally compromised idiot for weeks. Silence “…Weeks?” I repeated carefully. Yeji looked ready to commit actual violence now. Ryujin looked delighted. They had an interesting ecosystem already. Then finally she took another sip from the iced coffee before speaking again. “Hm” another pause “You’re calmer than I expected.”
B: That sounded vaguely disappointing.
RJ: I was expecting at least one visible panic response by now.
B: I’m choosing survival.
RJ: That’s less fun.

Yeji rubbed lightly at her forehead afterward while I started understanding exactly why this woman probably exhausted everybody around her psychologically. Not maliciously. Just professionally committed to being a problem. Then suddenly another voice came from somewhere inside the practice room “Did Ryujin finally scare him away?” Ah. More of them, excellent.

Yuna appeared next almost immediately afterward before stopping mid-step once she noticed me properly standing there. Then without hesitation “Oh wow he’s actually handsome.”

YJ: YUNA.
YN: What? I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs.
YJ: That sentence didn’t even apply here.
YN: It applies spiritually.
B: How are YOU the leader here?
RJ: That’s what I’ve been asking too

That finally Yuna stepped closer afterward before looking me up and down with absolutely zero subtlety whatsoever “So did you really manage Yeji unnie’s solo schedules?” I gave Yuna a nod and she followed up with “And does she like-like you?” I could feel Yeji giving their maknae a death glare. “What? I’m gathering information.” Yeji already had my fingers on the bridge of my nose “That’s not how normal people gather information, you know.” Yuna ignored her like a pro. Then eventually she pointed toward me directly. “You don’t look stressed enough to work here.”

B: That’s because panic is inefficient.
RJ: That’s actually of annoying.
B: Thank you
RJ: That wasn’t a compliment.
B: Spiritually it was.

Yeji physically lowered her head afterward like she was reconsidering every decision that led her to this hallway. Honestly, watching her fight back laughter while trying to maintain leader dignity was becoming one of my favorite hobbies alarmingly quick.

Then before the conversation inside the practice hall could deteriorate any farther, the practice room door opened again. Lia stepped out first while fixing one sleeve of her hoodie absentmindedly before immediately slowing once she noticed me standing there. Unlike Ryujin and Yuna, her reaction wasn’t loud— just observant. Then a soft voice came from her “Oh… You’re actually here” She blinked out of surprise. “That sounded vaguely accusatory.” Lia laughed quietly beneath her breath after hearing my comment “No. No. I just thought Ryujin was exaggerating dramatically again.”

“I NEVER exaggerate.” Every single person in the practice hall looked towards Ryujin immediately. “Wow,” Yuna muttered “That was probably the biggest lie spoken inside this building today”. Betrayed from every direction honestly.  Then finally as Chaeryeong arrived, she paused almost immediately once she noticed me there too. And unlike everybody else so far— she looked directly towards Yeji first. Then eventually her eyes shifted back toward me afterward “… So you’re the manager that unnie keeps smiling at her phone about.” Absolute silence. Yeji looked like she was about to cry from embarrassment. Ryujin looked fulfilled. And Yuna physically collapsed on the floor laughing.

“I KNEW IT” Ryujin pointed aggressively toward Yeji “I told you she had that look.”
“You people are genuinely terrible for my mental health” Yeji muttered while covering part of her face with one hand. “Counterpoint,” Yuna answered immediately “This is the most entertaining week we’ve had in months”. Then Lia looked toward me again afterward while offering a small polite smile “Sorry in advance by the way.” I looked at her curiously “For what?” She glanced briefly toward the other members around her first “…Them”.

Reasonable concern honestly. Then before the conversation could continue farther, another staff member stepped out from inside the practice room. “ITZY?” the coordinator called carefully “The meeting’s about to start”. That finally shifted the atmosphere slightly afterward. Less chaotic, more curious. The members slowly started moving out of the empty practice room while I stayed farther behind instinctively out of habit. “Aren’t you coming in?” I looked up the voice, Yeji stood near the doorway watching me expectantly while the others slowly settled inside already.
B: That sounded like a trap
YJ: It’s a meeting
B: That doesn’t make it less dangerous

“It definitely becomes MORE dangerous actually.” Ryujin immediately leaned sideways from inside the room. “Thank you, Ryujin.” Lia sighed softly. I eventually stepped inside anyway and the room itself looked surprisingly normal compared to the psychological hazards occupying it. Practice schedules covered one side of the wall, concept drafts, timeline boards, and preliminary comeback planning materials. It was an early preparation. Smart, honestly very smart.

The members slowly settled around the table while staff members arranged papers and tablets nearby. Then finally one of the division heads cleared his throat lightly before beginning the meeting properly. “As everybody already knows, preparations for the next comeback cycle will begin earlier than usual this time.” This cause immediate reactions from everyone around the room, mostly surprise— no resistance. A good sign. “We’re restructuring scheduling priorities to reduce unnecessary fatigue accumulation during comeback preparations.” They actually read my report based on my time managing the preparations for Yeji’s solo debut.

I could physically feel Ryujin looking at me already, then the division head continued calmly “This approach was heavily recommended after the success of Yeji’s solo preparation management”. Great, now everybody was looking at me openly. “In addition, due to the successful management techniques of Mr. Sung Benjamin— effective immediately he is to officially work as your personal manager and wellness coordinator moving forward.”

Silence, deafening silence at that “… Wellness coordinator?” Yuna repeated carefully “That sounds emotionally expensive.” I answered honestly. “Yeah, that title makes me feel concerned.” Ryujin looking too entertained now. Meanwhile Lia looked more thoughtful than surprised. And Chaeryeong? Still quietly observing everything, first at Yeji, then me, and the space between us. This girl has piqued my interest, she was very observant and not in a good way.

The division head continued speaking afterward while presentation slides changed quietly across the screen behind him. “With comeback preparation beginning earlier than previous cycles, the company’s priority moving forward is sustainability.” That alone almost made me laugh honestly— not because it was wrong, because hearing a corporation discover human beings require recovery after years of overworking idols sounded borderline revolutionary. Still, better late than never. “We’ll be implementing adjusted rehearsal pacing, structured recovery periods, nutritional monitoring, and revised travel management.”

“By any chance… are we dying?” Yuna slowly raised one hand while asking. “No” the division head answered patiently. “Then why does this sound like a hospital reform plan?” Yeji sighed beside me, “That’s enough” Ryujin leaned back in her chair afterward while looking toward me instead of the screen.

RJ: So this is your fault?
B: That sounded accusatory.
RJ: You made the company discover empathy.
B: Allegedly.
RJ: That’s terrifying.

Eventually another slide appeared onscreen— Travel Restructuring, Preparation Timelines, Rotational Rest Days. That was good progress for the company to give to the girls. The biggest issue with idols and their schedules wasn’t even the workload, it was accumulation. Too many consecutive days without decompression eventually turned exhaustion into personality and unfortunately people normalized that way too easily. “Wait,” I looked up to Lia who was looking at the screen “… We’re getting actual off-days during preparation?” The room unexpectedly quieted after. Because the question itself said enough. The division head nodded calmly “Mandatory ones, yes”. Silence again, not in a dramatic sense… more of unfamiliarity.

Lia leaned back afterward while looking strangely thoughtful now. That reaction bothered me more than complaints would’ve. Because it meant rest had become surprising, that should never happen to somebody. Then suddenly Ryujin pointed toward me again.

RJ: I’m blaming him for this too.
B: Why are you acting like I committed corporate espionage?
RJ: You kind of did.
B: That’s not how my job works.
RJ: Doesn’t sound convincing to me.

Yeji physically lowered her head into one hand beside me again. Meanwhile Yuna looked increasingly invested in this entire situation. “Wait so if he’s our personal manager now…” she tilted her head slightly afterward. “Does that mean he’s going to start bossing us around?” I answered immediately “Not in that way”. That made Ryujin narrow her eyes “That answer sounded suspiciously fast.” I didn’t even look at her “Because I value survival”. This warranted a grin within her. Then eventually Chaeryeong spoke again for the first time in the meeting “What exactly CAN you control then?”

Ah. That was a good question. The division head answered first “Schedule adjustments related to wellbeing, fatigue management, travel concerns, dietary recommendations, recovery prioritization, and emergency intervention authority if necessary.” A brief silence loomed aver until Yuna broke the silence “…Emergency intervention authority?” she repeated carefully. “That sounds vaguely threatening” Ryujin added. “It means if you’re overworked to the point of physical or psychological risk, I am allowed to override schedules temporarily.” I explained.

The room quieted again after that. Less playful this time with everyone processing what I just said. Then eventually Ryujin leaned sideways against one arm while looking directly at me.
RJ: You can actually do that?
B: Yes
RJ: That’s kind of insane.
B: That’s because most industries don’t let people sleep.
RJ: That sound personal.
B: It was.
YN: WAIT. Does that mean he can let us go home early?
LA: I already like this arrangement.
RJ: Alright, I’m onboard with that.
B: NOT LIKE THAT.

Then finally the division head spoke again “Additionally, Mr. Sung requested earlier visibility into future schedules to reduce last-minute stress buildup.” Now THAT got reaction. Because all five members looked up immediately. “You asked for that?” Yeji asked beside me. “Well that should’ve already existed honestly.” Yuna leaned forward slightly “You specifically asked for that?” I shrugged lightly. “People handle stress better when they can prepare for it mentally”.

“That actually makes a lot of sense.” Lia admitted first. And the way she said it sounded less surprised than relieved. Ryujin looked toward me again afterward, before narrowing her eyes slightly. “You’re annoyingly competent”. I looked at her with a grin “Thank you”. She sighed in defeat “That wasn’t a compliment”. That finally earned another round of laughter around the room again. And for the first time since entering the building— the atmosphere around the table no longer felt like managers and idols. Just people slowly getting comfortable with each other.

The moment the official meeting ended, the staff members slowly began filtering out of the room one by one. Papers gathered. Schedules discussed. Managers coordinating outside the hallway again. Normal company atmosphere.  Unfortunately for me though— the five women across the table were still sitting exactly where they were. Which immediately felt threatening. I slowly narrowed my eyes.
B: Why does this suddenly feel like an intervention?
RJ: We’re processing.
B: That wording has never led to anything positive.
YN: Correct.

Yeji looked significantly less amused now though as the others slowly shifted their attention toward me instead. And truthfully, the expression on Ryujin’s face specifically look like she just discovered gold, then Lia spoke first “So you’re really managing us now”. Shrugging my shoulder, “You sound disappointed” I told her. “Oh no,” Lia laughed softly beneath her breath “More like surprised.” I admitted the same. “Wow, that’s somehow less reassuring.” Ryujin muttered. “Well transparency builds trust” I reminded Ryujin. “That sounded manipulative”. Yeji sighed quietly beside me afterward while Chaeryeong kept watching the entire interaction unfold like she was mentally building a conspiracy board in real time.

“Wait one minute.” Yuna looked at me curiously. “If you’re doing all this extra work now…” she narrowed her eyes at me “How much are they even paying you?”. I immediately answered “The legally required minimum.” Silence filled the room. Then all four of them simultaneously looked at me like I was some sort of madman. Yeji was already staying out of this leaving me to fend the sharks alone.

RJ: No, seriously.
B: I am serious.
RJ: That’s stupid.
B: That’s efficient.
YN: NOT FOR YOU.
B: The job interested me, money didn’t.

That silenced the room once more. Then “That’s not a normal sentence.” Chaeryeong tilted her head towards me. “THANK YOU” Yuna pointed aggressively toward me. Then Yeji finally stepped in to save me from this, “He literally wouldn’t take the position unless they lowered the compensation.” More silence, then everybody turned toward her. “…You knew that already?” Lia asked carefully. An interesting shift immediately happened, Yeji forze for maybe half a second too long, a small yet noticeable delay. Especially now that Ryujin noticed the delay, she’s sharper than I thought she was. “…He mentioned it before.” Yeji tried to regain her composure— technically true.

“Ok wait wait wait wait,” Yuna leaned forward now pointing directly at me. “You’re telling me you asked the company to pay you LOWER THAN WHAT THEY OFFERED for this job?”

B: Yes…
YN: That either means you’re absolutely crazy or insanely rich.
RJ: He could be both.
LA: You really don’t care about the money?
B: No
B: This wasn’t even that much of an impressive sacrifice from my perspective, money stopped feeling emotionally real a long time ago.
YN: Ohhh, he’s RICH-rich!
B: I’m choosing not to participate in this conversation.
RJ: That means “yes”
CR: Wait… What kind of car do you drive?
B: No, absolutely not. You stop that.
RJ: That is not an answer.
B: I am choosing self-preservation.
RJ: OH MY GOD, he’s hiding billionaire lore.
B: I am not a secret billionaire.
CR: That honestly sounds like something a secret billionaire would say.

Yeji physically covered part of her face after hearing that while quietly laughing beneath her breath. No help whatsoever. Then eventually Yuna suddenly stood up dramatically afterward. “Well” she nodded firmly. “Since our emotionally concerning rich manager is apparently taking care of us now—” I DID NOT LIKE WHERE THIS WAS GOING “— you should treat us to lunch.”