"We haven't met many times, but I've been keeping an eye on you for a while," Lee Boo-jin said.
"Huh?" Luke raised an eyebrow.
Lee Boo-jin smiled and continued, "I've been watching you closely. To a lot of people, you might seem like a reckless thrill-seeker, always tackling high-risk action scenes. But I know that's not the whole story."
"In reality, you're more calculated than most cautious people. Every risky move you make, you win. That proves the risks are always under your control. You're bold because you've got the skills to back it up."
"But that alone—your sharp instincts and talent—wasn't enough for me to go all in and bet everything on you."
Luke didn't interrupt. He just listened as she went on.
"What really sealed the deal for me was after you arrived in Korea—specifically, last night."
"The way you showed genuine care for your fans at the airport convinced me you're a kind person."
"When you turned down the honey trap I set up for you, I knew you were disciplined."
"And seeing you at the hotel, sorting through fan gifts with such care—that's when I became absolutely certain you're someone trustworthy, loyal, and worth partnering with for the long haul."
"I owe you an apology first, though. Last night's dinner, even if I didn't mean any harm, was still a calculated move. I didn't think it through enough."
Luke was caught off guard by her apology. He hadn't felt offended—honestly, plenty of guys would've welcomed that kind of "offense" with open arms. His main reason for rejecting Gianna Jun was that he didn't like purely transactional deals.
"I didn't take it personally, so you don't need to worry about it," Luke replied.
"You might not mind, but I have to reflect on my actions," Lee Boo-jin said. "I'm a woman who's too good at scheming. I've schemed against my father, my brother, even my husband. Over the years, scheming has almost become second nature to me."
"But last night, when I decided to trust you fully, I realized—why should you trust me? If I'm ready to go all in but still playing little games that could drive a wedge between us, that's just foolish."
"True trust comes from true sincerity. So, at the very least, I want to be completely honest with you, Mr. Luke. That's the only way I can hope our partnership will last."
Luke was surprised again. He hadn't expected someone as shrewd as Lee Boo-jin to choose such an open and honest approach with him. But he liked it. Genuine connections between people thrive on sincerity.
He extended his hand and said, "Ms. Lee, here's to a great partnership."
Lee Boo-jin smiled and shook his hand. "Now I truly believe in your sincerity, Mr. Luke."
"By the way, you're meeting Lee Soo-man?" she asked, switching topics.
"Yeah, we're set to meet tomorrow morning at SM Entertainment," Luke replied.
"Are you looking to invest in his company? Need any help?" she offered.
Luke appreciated her gesture. If Samsung Group vouched for him, tomorrow's meeting would go much smoother. Lee Soo-man wouldn't dare dismiss Samsung's influence. But Luke didn't want her help—he wanted to handle this his own way.
"I can take care of it myself, but thanks for the offer," he said.
Lee Boo-jin didn't push further. She smiled and saw him off. As she watched his figure disappear, she murmured to herself, "If I weren't married, if I were a few years younger, I might've actually tried to get closer to you."
…
The next morning, a Samsung Group driver dropped Luke off at 521, Apgujeong 2-dong, Gangnam-gu. He looked up at the white four-story building in front of him. In the center was a pentagram logo with bold letters: SMTOWN.
This was SM Entertainment, the top dog among Korea's big three entertainment companies. SM had churned out a slew of famous K-pop idols: BoA, H.O.T, S.E.S, Shinhwa, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, f(x), EXO, Red Velvet… the list goes on. BoA, H.O.T, TVXQ, Super Junior, and Girls' Generation were massive across Asia, shaping the youth and tastes of a whole generation.
SM also had deep ties to China. Many of China's top stars came from SM: Han Geng, Lu Han, Huang Zitao, Zhang Yixing, Victoria Song… and, well, we'll skip mentioning a certain someone who ended up in hot water.
What's the first thing that pops into your head when you see this long list of idol groups and artists? For most people, it's probably: celebrity assembly line. And that's exactly what SM's known for. Their ability to mass-produce idols on a conveyor belt of talent has made them Korea's leading entertainment company.
Lee Soo-man pioneered the trainee system, scouting young men and women with dreams of becoming idols through auditions, then training them for years in dance, vocals, languages, acting—you name it. After that, they're packaged into groups and launched onto the market. This model became the blueprint for Korea's idol-making industry.
But SM's influence on K-pop goes beyond that. When you think of K-pop, what comes to mind? Probably catchy dance tracks with synchronized choreography. While Seo Taiji and Boys laid the groundwork for that style, it was Lee Soo-man's H.O.T that took it to the next level. H.O.T became a legend in Korea, a benchmark that later groups struggled to match.
The trainee system and dance-heavy pop—these two "evils" were born at SM, which explains why they're at the top of the game. And here's the kicker: those two systems worked together to lower the bar for creating idols. In the past, an entertainment company needed a triple-threat star—good looks, great voice, killer dance moves—to make it big. But those all-around talents are rare. How many can you find in a year?
SM's solution? Build a group. Got someone with a killer voice? Make them the main vocalist, handling the tough parts of the song. Someone with a pretty face? They're the visual, drawing fans with their looks. Got a dance prodigy? They're the main dancer, nailing the toughest choreography. And so, Korea's first true boy band, H.O.T, was born.
Today, the "root of all evil" in K-pop stood right in front of Luke.