Managing the Korean entertainment industry: I have superpowers, but I won't say.

Chapter 3: 5-piece hand speed

Day three.

Su Yu was awakened by the soreness in the web of his right hand.

It wasn't from moving goods. Last night, lying in bed, he practiced "reaching out" at the ceiling over a hundred times—trying to touch those invisible wires. He'd tried the yellow wire on Kim Min-jun's desk; his fingers went right through it, and he felt nothing. But he kept wanting to touch the wires on his own body. Since he couldn't see them, he just grabbed at the air like a fool.

I still can't reach the line. My hand is aching, like I've been gripping a mouse all day.

Su Yu rolled off the bed, her bare feet hitting the floor, and she shivered from the cold. She went to the sink to wash her face and looked up at herself in the mirror.

It's still the same face. I looked closer for two seconds—the bags under her eyes seem lighter. It's not my imagination; the two large, dark bluish-black patches have faded to a light gray, like they've been erased with an eraser.

Su Yu stared at the mirror for three seconds.

"I didn't sleep well," he told himself.

The mirror ignored him.

When I arrived at the convenience store, Mr. Park was unpacking a package at the entrance.

"Good morning," Su Yu greeted casually and walked inside.

Boss Park glanced up at him, then dropped the package with a "thud" to the ground. Su Yu didn't see it and went straight into the store to put on his apron. Boss Park picked it up and followed him into the store, put the box on the cashier, and stood there watching him.

Su Yu squatted down to change the trash bag, tying the opening closed. Boss Park stared at him for about ten seconds before asking, "What's wrong with your face today?"

Su Yu looked up: "Huh?"

"Your skin is whiter. Your complexion is much brighter."

"You slept well."

"Your room drips water all the time, how can you sleep well?"

"I'm used to it."

Mr. Park glanced at him a couple more times, shook his head, and didn't ask any more questions. But Su Yu caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that he was still glancing over from time to time while standing behind the cashier.

It was a little after 2 p.m., and the store was empty. Su Yu squatted on the floor to refill his bottled water, stacking cases of it onto the shelf. Just as he finished stacking the fourth case, the door opened.

"Welcome." He didn't look up.

The footsteps stopped briefly in front of the refrigerator, followed by the sound of steam rising from the oden pot lid being lifted, and then the sound of footsteps moving to the cashier.

Su Yu stood up, still holding the water bottle in her arms. It was the same woman from last time, wearing a gray coat and her hat pulled low, her face hidden in shadow. She pulled out a crumpled thousand-yuan note, slapped it on the table, and then grabbed the cheapest bottle of water.

Su Yu glanced at the price tag: "Five hundred short."

The woman gripped the money tightly, frozen in place. Su Yu noticed several gray lines on her body, stretching from her shoulders towards the outside of the shop, suddenly tightening as if someone had pulled her from that end. She shrank back.

Su Yu looked at her for two seconds.

The next second, he had already reached into his pocket, pulled out two five-hundred-yuan coins, and slapped them on the table with a "thud." It was so fast that he didn't even have time to react—the coins bounced, spun twice, and fell over.

"Buy one get one free today!"

The woman looked up, her hat slipping down slightly, revealing a young face with red-rimmed eyes. She opened her mouth, her voice barely audible, "Thank you." She took the water and hurried away.

Boss Park came out of the warehouse, carrying two cases of soju, and stacked them on the shelf: "Did you pay for that five hundred yourself?"

"Um."

"There is no such event."

"I know."

Boss Park glanced at him, said nothing, and continued serving drinks. Su Yu stood behind the cashier, looking down at his hands—he'd been so quick to grab the coins that he hadn't even thought about it. Seeing her trembling as she clutched the money, his hand moved on its own. It was ridiculously fast, like a scene fast-forwarded, the action completely skipped.

After finishing arranging the drinks, Boss Park clapped his hands and stood to the side, saying, "You're pretty quick."

"what?"

"When he took out the coin, I was standing right next to him and didn't even see it clearly."

Su Yu's heart skipped a beat: "It's innate."

"Did you practice this when you were a kid?"

"no."

"It's a shame they don't go into esports."

Su Yu twitched the corner of his mouth but didn't reply.

Boss Park turned and went back to the warehouse, leaving behind the words, "Don't pay for it yourself next time. The company doesn't have it, but the boss does." He pulled out five hundred dollars and placed it on the table, "I'll make it up to you."

Su Yu looked at the money but didn't touch it.

Sherry arrived around 3 p.m.

She wasn't wearing a hat, had her hair in a low ponytail, wore a black face mask, a white short-sleeved shirt, and denim shorts, revealing her slender, fair legs. She grabbed a bottle of banana milk and a skewer of fish cakes and went to the cashier.

"1800." Su Yu scanned the code.

Shirley handed him two thousand, waited for her change, and didn't leave, staring at him.

"What are you looking at?"

"Look at you." She pulled down her mask, tilted her head, and looked you up and down, her eyes scanning from left to right. "You're different today."

"How are they different?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it... Is your skin better? Did you put on a face mask last night?"

"Why would a grown man wear a face mask?"

"Then why are your eyes so bright?"

Su Yu blinked: "...The lights, I guess."

Shirley leaned closer, the scent of peach hand cream wafting over. He took a half step back: "What?"

"Check it." She curled her lip and stepped back. "It's probably the light; it's too bright, making people look like ghosts."

"Then don't come."

"I'll do it anyway." Shirley rolled her eyes, picked up her things, and sat down by the window.

Su Yu touched her face—she felt nothing. She was probably in a good mood today.

A few minutes later, Shirley finished eating and came back: "What time do you get off work?"

"Eight o'clock."

"There are still more than four hours left. Aren't you tired of standing all day?"

"bother."

"Then why don't you change jobs?"

"You're hiring me?"

Shirley paused, then looked him up and down. "Hire you? You can't even take care of yourself, and you want to be an assistant?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"Your face looked like a ghost a few days ago, and it's a little better today, but it still looks like one."

Su Yu was speechless. Shirley laughed, "If you can't win an argument, shut up."

"I don't want to argue with women."

"Sexism?"

"respect."

Shirley looked at him for two seconds, then burst out laughing: "Your logic is full of twisted arguments."

"That's called logic."

"Okay, Mr. Logic." She pulled up her mask. "Let's go, we have filming tonight."

"Um."

At the door, she turned back and said, "Tomorrow is Saturday. I'm free during the day. Come over for oden."

"OK."

The door closed. Su Yu looked down at his hand again—it had moved abnormally fast.

He picked up the barcode scanner to test it, and it worked fine; he took out his phone, and it worked fine. Only when he took out the coins did it go so fast, like someone had fast-forwarded through the video.

Yoon Shi-yoon arrived around 4 PM.

The bruises on my face have mostly faded, leaving only a faint yellow tinge around my eyes. I took a sports drink and placed it on the table.

"One thousand and five."

Yoon Shi-yoon handed over two thousand won, and after receiving the change, he didn't leave. He stared at Yoon Shi-yoon's face with a serious expression, as if he were reading a script.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you wearing makeup?"

What kind of makeup should I wear?

"Your eyes are brighter than last time."

Su Yu's heart tightened: "Lights."

"Perhaps." He unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and sat down by the window.

Su Yu looked at herself in the small mirror at the cashier's counter—half her face, but it was clear: her eye bags had faded considerably, and her eyes were darker and brighter; they were indeed "brighter."

He put down the mirror without thinking much of it—he probably really hadn't woken up last night.

A few minutes later, Yoon Shi-yoon finished his drink, threw the bottle away, and walked to the cashier: "That five hundred this afternoon, it wasn't part of a promotion, was it?"

"no."

Why help her?

"She's short five hundred."

"You encounter people who are short of money every day."

"I ran into them today."

Yoon Shi-yoon paused for two seconds, then said, "You're a strange person." He pushed open the door and left.

Around 5 p.m., Boss Park came out, wearing a new shirt and with his hair freshly trimmed.

"Su Yu, you look great today."

Su Yu sighed, "Here we go again."

"What's up again?"

"It's nothing." He changed the subject. "Aren't you leaving today?"

"Wait for the accountant to reconcile the accounts." Boss Park leaned closer. "Did something good happen? Your eye bags looked like a panda's a few days ago, but they're gone today."

"You slept well."

Can you sleep well in a leaky house?

"I'm used to it."

Boss Park didn't ask any further questions.

Around 7 PM, Kim Min-jun messaged: "Choi Eun-jung asked me out for dinner!"

Su Yu replied, "Go ahead."

"nervous!"

"She took the initiative, why are you so nervous?"

"I'm afraid I won't perform well."

Su Yu recalled the yellow line that Jin Minjun had in the dormitory—it had turned from pale yellow to golden yellow, so bright it was blinding.

"Speak normally, don't pretend."

"Yes! Thank you, bro!"

Su Yu did not reply.

At 8 o'clock, I clocked out.

Just as I stepped out the door, Shirley messaged: "Off work?"

"Um."

Have you eaten?

"without."

"Convenience stores have rice balls."

"I'm tired of it."

"You're so hard to please."

Su Yu smiled slightly, turned around and went back to get a tuna rice ball, took a bite, snapped a picture and sent it over.

"Aren't you tired of saying it?"

"I'll eat anything when I'm starving."

"...You're good."

Su Yu finished eating and lit a cigarette. His phone vibrated again; Shirley sent a moon emoji.

He looked at it for a few seconds, but didn't reply.

After finishing my cigarette, I walked towards the semi-basement. The motion-sensor light on the steps turned on. I opened the door, and water was still dripping from the ceiling.

He stood in front of the sink and looked in the mirror again—his eye bags were almost invisible, his skin was clean, his pores were smaller, and the pimples on his forehead had flattened.

Clearly and distinctly.

He looked down at his right hand; the soreness in his hand was long gone.

Boss Park said his hand speed was so fast he couldn't see it; Sulli and Yoon Shi-yoon both said he looked better and his eyes were brighter.

Not a coincidence.

It was those hundred or so times they "reached out" last night.

It's about ability.

Su Yu splashed cold water on his face, water droplets running down his face. Looking at himself in the mirror, he said softly, "Don't think too much, I have to go to work tomorrow."

Turn off the lights and lie down in bed.

The phone lit up: "Goodnight."

Su Yu replied, "Peace."