The cafeteria at Hankuk University was a war zone of plastic trays and toxic rumors. Choi Ha-Niel was currently hunched over her phone with her best friend, Park Ji-Ah. To the rest of the world, Ji-Ah was the elite daughter of the CEO of Fixstar, but to Ha-Niel, she was the only person who knew that the "Nation's Actor" still wore socks with holes in them at home.
"Did you hear?" Ji-Ah whispered, leaning so close her hair nearly dipped into her salad. "Professor Kim from the Architecture department? The one who looks like a runway model? He was seen at a motel in Gangnam with the Head of Admissions. The Head of Admissions, Hani! She's sixty-two!"
Ha-Niel gasped, her eyes widening behind her trendy glasses. "No way! I thought he was dating that influencer, the one with the tiny dogs?"
"Discarded," Ji-Ah waved a hand dismissively. "Apparently, she found out he was using her luxury car to pick up 'older' students. The tea is boiling today, but honestly? It's not even the biggest news."
Ji-Ah's face suddenly went serious. She looked around to ensure no one from the administration was eavesdropping, then dropped her voice to a low hum.
"Look at this headline, Hani. SYNTHIA just broke the Billboard record again. My mom's assistant sent a memo this morning—the group's global tour and digital sales alone are now contributing 0.5% to Korea's entire GDP. 0.5 percent! One boy band is literally keeping the national economy breathing."
Ha-Niel stared at the numbers. It was staggering. Fixstar was so rich now that it was basically a national treasure. "If the agency is that rich, then why... why is your mom still pushing my brother like he's a rookie in debt?"
"Because it's not about the money anymore," Ji-Ah said, her voice full of pity. "My mom sees Do-Yun-oppa as her first-born son, and she wants him to have the kind of success no Korean actor has ever touched. She's finalized a Five-Year Roadmap. She wants to elevate him to a 'Global Monument' status—the Tom Cruise of Hollywood, the SRK of Bollywood. She wants him to be a Global Icon. A legend for the history books."
Ha-Niel felt the air leave her lungs. Her phone almost slipped from her grip. "Wait... a five-year roadmap? What do you mean, Ji-Ah?"
"It means five years of back-to-back global projects," Ji-Ah explained, her face grim. "No breaks. No dating clauses. My mom told my brother, Min-Ho, that if Do-Yun falls in love now, the 'Empire' will shake. She's literally grooming him to be a lonely billionaire."
"Five years..." Ha-Niel whispered, her voice trembling with shock. This was the first time she was hearing the scale of the CEO's ambition. In five years, Do-Yun would be thirty-seven. He would be a global icon, but he would be a ghost.
"She's going to destroy him," Ha-Niel's shock turned into rising anger. "He's been everyone's foundation since he was sixteen. He funded SYNTHIA, he saved Fixstar, he raised us... and now she wants to sell his soul to the world to make him a 'Legend' without even asking him if he's lonely?"
"Exactly," Ji-Ah nodded. "Min-Ho is already acting like her little soldier, monitoring everything to make sure no 'distractions' get close to him. My mom thinks love is a weakness. She thinks if he's single and lonely, he's a masterpiece. If he's married and happy, he's just a man."
Ha-Niel's eyes scanned the cafeteria, her brain working at light speed. She wasn't going to let her brother be a lonely masterpiece. Suddenly, her gaze locked onto a woman standing by the coffee machine.
"What about... Professor Lee?" Ha-Niel pointed discreetly.
Professor Lee Young-Ae. She was 29, a genius literature professor with the grace of a swan and a reputation for being "The Ice Queen." She was beautiful in an understated, non-celebrity way. She was the one who famously gave a SYNTHIA member a 'C' grade because his world tour wasn't an excuse for a late paper.
"Wait," Ji-Ah squinted. "She's single. She likes quiet nights. She's smart enough to handle Do-Yun's complex scripts... and she definitely isn't a fan-girl. She treats stars like regular people."
"She's 'Fit Candidate' material," Ha-Niel said, pulling out a napkin and scribbling with newfound urgency. "One: Gorgeous? Yes. Two: Stable job? Yes. Three: Can she handle Geon's 16-year-old brain rot? She deals with college idiots all day, so she's a pro."
"But can she melt my brother's heart?" Ji-Ah wondered.
Ha-Niel looked at the Professor, then at the news of the 0.5% GDP. The world was obsessed with the money and the fame, but the "Foundation" was crumbling under the weight of it.
"She's a literature professor," Ha-Niel said, a devious smirk forming. "She likes tragic heroes. And my brother is the biggest tragic hero in Seoul. We just need to get them in the same room without CEO Park's 'Saboteur' finding out."
"Operation: Professor Bride is a go?"
"A go," Ha-Niel confirmed. "But first... tell me more about that Architecture professor. Did he really buy that lady a designer bag with his research grant? I need the rest of the tea before we start a war."