Stay - Stray Kids Han Jisung FF (RESQ SAGA PART 3)

62.

Thankfully for all of us, both JYP and Yeongjae agreed to let us do all of the promoting and Yeongjae was shocked to see the things we had already managed to get. Soojin had her Laneige ad as well as had a casting in just a few days to play a part in the upcoming drama version of the movie "Girl Cops", Leah got a Shopee ad as well as a casting opportunity for the future Thai drama "Why R U?: The Series", Mika would be the MC in Show! Music Core for a few episodes alongside Hyunjin and would also appear in several programs in Japan and Lin would be doing several ads in China as well as would appear on Happy Camp.

I, on the other hand, hadn't been able to find anything for myself since most of my contacts were from within SM and I couldn't talk to any of them.

"There must be a way around that stupid contract you signed..." Jisung said as we both hung out in my room.

The girls didn't know I had been struggling to find deals for myself because I didn't want to be a burden, but I decided to tell Jisung just to see if he had any ideas that I might have not thought of.

"You don't know any other people from outside SM?" he asked me.

"I do, but I'm not close enough to ask them such things," I explained. "Even in SM, I would only feel comfortable asking the NCT boys and maybe the EXO and Red Velvet members. So we have WayV, EXO, Red Velvet and NCT: all from SM."

"Well, technically WayV is signed under Label V," he said. "But yes, still technically SM."

As if he has just pressed a button inside my head, the words that one of the legal team members went through my head at that moment.

"She won't be able to be involved regarding anything about SM entertainment Korea and it's trainees and artists."

"Jisung, you are a flipping genius!" I said and quickly stood up to pick up my phone and call Yeongjae.

"What did I even say?" he asked confused.

No matter how many times I called him, Yeongjae didn't seem to pick it up, so I decided to call JYP as my last resource.

"Hello?" he answered.

"PD! I need your help!" I told him.

"Is it important? I was in a meeting with your manager discussing your promotions," he told me.

"It is," I simply said. "Do you have the copy of the contract I signed with SM?"

"Yes, I have it scanned on my computer, why?" he asked me confused.

"Could you please look if it says I cannot go near SM Entertainment or if it says SM Entertainment Korea?" I asked him.

"O... Kay? Wait a second."

After what seemed like an hour of complete silence, JYP finally spoke up with the best news I could hear.

"It always says SM Entertainment Korea. It's never SM Entertainment only," he said. "What were you planning to do, Alix?"

"I'm going to find my way of promoting too!" I exclaimed and hung up.

I then tackled Jisung in a hug and he fell back on the couch, leaving me lying on top of him. I couldn't care less with how happy I was and just continued hugging him, which made him chuckle.

"Thank you, Jisung. For real," I told him. "I owe you a big one."

***

"What did you do Alix?!" Yeongjae asked me as he stormed into the dorm where Mika and I were alone after his meeting with JYP. "Are you trying to get into another scandal?! Do you want to end up in the same situation from weeks ago?!"

"Chill out, Yeongjae. I know what I'm doing," I told him. "Trust me."

"I don't give a fuck if you know what you are doing, Alix, because I don't and  I should be the one knowing," he said basically yelling at me.

He had never raised his voice for as long as I had been in the group, so I was beyond scared.

"Yeongjae, calm down," Mika chimed in. "She was just trying to find out some way of promoting for herself."

"Mika, shut up now! You have all basically been trying to do the stuff I am supposed to be doing as your manager for a while now. Can't I be concerned? One wrong move and your career could go to waste!" he exclaimed. "We have just dealt with a big conflict and Alix just called to ask that to JYP? Is she suicidal or what?"

Even if he had just said he was concerned, the way he spoke was really scaring me and that last phrase really hurt me deeply. I even unconsciously leaned back on the couch and hugged my legs as a way of protecting myself.

"Yeongjae, chill!" Mika exclaimed louder and more angrily than before. "We get it, you are concerned, but can't you see you are scaring the shit out of her?!"

He then seemed to realise how I was and immediately calmed down and apologised. Although he was just yelling, I still had some traumas from the past and the yelling triggered one of them.

"Sorry, Alix," he quickly said. "Forgive me, please. I forgot-"

"D-don't worry," I managed to let out. "It's okay."

"Please, girls, what I want all of you to understand is that I am almost like your father in business and all of this type of decisions should go through me first," he explained a lot calmer now. "Alix, please, if what you want to do is, in your opinion, totally safe, just explain it to me. If we can really make it work, then let's go. But explain it to me first."

Although we didn't want to admit it, he was right. We had been very proactive and only wanted to do what was best for the group and our careers, but we had forgotten that it wasn't just about us and that there were more people involved.

"I'm sorry. I was very selfish," I said standing up and bowing ninety degrees.

"No, don't do that. I am not scolding you," he quickly said and sat down between Mika and me. "Now, please, explain what you were thinking of."

I then took out my phone and showed him a picture of WayV, to which he looked confused.

"WayV is under SM, but not under SM Korea. Their stupid CEO has no say in whatever happens with them, therefore I would be able to engage with them on different promotions and I am technically allowed to talk to them," I explained.

"But some of them are under SM Korea, aren't they?" he asked. "Lucas, Ten, Winwin..."

"No, they aren't," I told him. "Only Winwin was because he was in NCT 127 but he's no longer in that subunit. They are all under SM but more like 'Global SM' rather than SM Korea. I don't know if you get what I mean."

"Okay, I do have to admit that was clever," he told me. "Risky, sure, but clever."

"Do you think it could work?" Mika asked him. 

"I'm sure we will find our way around. There's a contract to prove it would all be legal!" he answered and Mika and I high-fived.