Chapter 18: The Hallyu Wave Ride (and the trouble it caused)

"Yes, sajangnim." Seungri said obediently. "We're almost back in Seoul. Yoona and I will take care of this... Quietly, of course."

He sighed as their boss ended the call. His head hurts from alcohol and lack of sleep. Only about an hour after Yoona and Jiyong left the party outside, Yoona came back out looking all sober. She filled him in on what Sooyoung had said and with the help of two cups of coffee, he was on alert again.

They managed to convince the couples Taeyang & Hyorin and CL & Ian to stay the last day while the rest of them go back to Seoul.

The long-time manager pinched his nose as he remembers Yoona's words. "Sooyoung met her friend from the publishing industry, a woman called Seohyun? Apparently, someone had submitted a manuscript of a tell-all memoir on her ual encounters with KPOP stars. Guess who's on the book?"

He felt like a heart attack was due anyday now. They couldn't even get a break from people trying to ruin their artist's success. 

He looked at the back of the van. Yoona and Jiyong were in the middle section while Tiffany and Jessica were at the back. All of them looked tired, Yoona the only one awake after hearing Seungri answer Yang Hyun Suk's call. 

"What did he say?" She asked worriedly.

"He hopes it's all just rumors he can ignore but wants us to look into it especially that Jiyong hyung would be accepting his award on Friday." Seungri relayed. "He wants it to be hush hush. And we can't go to the office building because they're still investigating who the mole is."

Yoona nodded in understanding. "Yeah, even if this turns out to be false rumors, we can't have the mole catching a whiff of this problem."

"Sajangnim said that as far as the whole world knows, GD and his dream team are still enjoying the bright sun and the sand."

"Covert. Got it." She took out her phone and dialed a number. "I think I have the perfect place."

The team met an hour later with Sooyoung at the floor above Cafe Sonder. The office was still bare with lots of things still needed to be fixed. However, there was already a conference table and several chairs. 

The feel of the office was very different to YG. It was more rustic and has a very homely feel versus YG's modern feel. 

"Welcome to IMY PR Consulting Firm." Yoona said as they settled on the conference room. "I know, I know. Everything is a mess but I just leased the place a few weeks ago. And work has been busy."

They looked around, judging the place. Jessica nodded appreciatively. "The place is promising, Yoona."

"Thanks unnie! I've tasked my brother's friend Asahi to help me decorate the place."

"Why not hire someone professional?" Tiffany asked.

Yoona laughed it off. "No way, my YG gig is not forever. I'm not wasting money if I can DIY this."

Yoona had finally achieved one of her goals and promises to herself. She once said that she would rent this place to be her office once she got her first retained client.

"Here's the NDA contracts you requested," Sooyoung hands a bunch of papers to Seungri.

Amber comes in carrying their usual coffee orders and a bunch of pastries. "Good morning everyone!"

"Guys, this is my bestfriend, Amber. She owns the cafe downstairs."

"You're the genius behind our coffee in the morning? Hi Amber! Nice to meet you!" They greeted her warmly. 

"Hi Amber! A pleasure. I'd need you to sign this NDA now. Everyone and everything you see here from now on up until we say so, you cannot talk about with anyone else." Seungri handed her the paper and a pen. 

"Seungri!" Jiyong scolded his manager for his rudeness. 

"Nah man, it's okay." Amber chuckled as she reads the contents quickly. "I get it. My parents used to do this a lot." She signed it and said goodbye. "The cafe is about to be busy. I'll check in with you later, Yoong! Bye everyone!"

With all of them now caffeineted and no longer hungry, Sooyoung started telling them what she knows.

"I was out on a girls night out with my friends. Seohyun was telling stories about her job and how they stumbled upon a manuscript of a tell-all about a woman who oftens find herself in bed with famous idols." 

Jiyong rolled his eyes. 

"Of course, they found it amusing and chalked it off as a fanfiction written by a fangirl. She laughed about how this one meeting by the so-called Dragon of KPOP was at this bar--"

"Well, that's a subtle alias if I ever heard one." Jessica commented sarcastically.

"Okay, if your friend doesn't even believe that this book is true, then why do you?" Seungri asked Sooyoung.

The assistant bit her lip as she side-eyed Jiyong and then looked away. "This bar she mentioned was a place Jiyong frequented before and.. err.. the chapter includes how it started at the bar's alley and the girl driving him to his apartment."

"Ahh.." Seungri now understood. "Jiyong hyung's pattern."

Yoona looked to Jiyong, face all neutral. "Is this story familiar?"

Jiyong opened his mouth to speak and then closed it. What exactly do you say when the woman you basically confessed to asks you about your previous lifestyle? "I-- I mean, it could be. I'm not exactly conscious with my decisions all the time."

Yoona nodded. "I guess regardless of its truth, we still can't have this rumors floating around."

Sooyoung agreed. "Manuscripts are usually sent to a lot of publishers so the author just have to get lucky once."

Seungri sighed, standing up to pace. "And with hyung's award being announced in a couple of days, I'm sure the reporters are going to be working double time to release some bull news."

Yoona sipped her coffee as a plan forms in her mind. "Okay, first and foremost,