Rewind With A Superstar System

<🎧 Song Recommendation: Lose Yourself by Eminem>

...

The plump body. The annoying grin that lighted his face. Von recognize him immediately.

It was indeed Max. The loud, hyperactive contestant Von had lived with in the Star Mansion during Project: Star.

They had bumped heads constantly back in that house. Von had always thought Max was a clown doing anything for views, and Max thought Von took himself way too seriously.

"Vonn! It’s been so long," Max suddenly said with a wide smile, almost running over to give him a hug.

Von ignored him and turned to Emily. "How did this guy qualify?"

"He has over three million followers on his accounts, Von," Emily defended calmly, gesturing for the three of them to take a seat opposite Von. "I reviewed his analytics myself. His engagement rate is higher than most stars right now. Just hear the pitches."

Von let out a soft sigh, leaning back into the cushions. He looked at the first guy in a smart-casual blazer. "Alright. Pitch me. How do you plan to run my internet?"

The first guy sat up straight, instantly sliding an iPad onto the glass table. "It’s all about demographic engagement, boss. We optimize your posting schedule for maximum synergy with your target audience. We’d utilize highly curated, professional photoshoots to maintain brand prestige, keeping you in the algorithm while protecting your high-end image."

Von couldn’t help but yawn hearing all that jargon. He turned to the second suit. "You?"

"We lean into the mystery," the second guy said eagerly, sensing his opening. "We’ll run cryptic campaigns. It drives up our quarterly reach through user-generated theories without you having to be on camera at all."

Von rubbed his temples, not understanding why they were making everything complicated. "I’m a musician, not the Riddler."

He finally turned to Max with a defeated sigh. Max wasn’t paying attention and was just looking around the luxury rental and admiring sights. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"You there?" Von called his attention. "Why shouldn’t I kick you out right now?"

Max dropped the clownish smile entirely. He looked at the two suits, who were already glaring at him, and then looked Von right in the eye. For the first time since Von had met him, Max sounded like a businessman.

"Because these guys don’t know what kids actually watch," Max said proudly. "You’re too cool, bro. But don’t post enough. If you don’t feed the internet, it forgets you. And if you let these guys run your page, you’re going to look like a robot."

Max ignored the offended scoffs from the two professionals beside him.

"You hire me, and you just keep being you. My job is to put a camera in the corner, capture the lifestyle, edit the funny moments, and give the fans exactly what they want without you ever having to break character. I’ll make you go viral every week!"

Von stared at him. He didn’t take Max’s claimsseriously. But the fact remained that he was on point. Plus, Max had already achieved success in this field with a limited resources. Who knew what he could do in the life of a rising celebrity?

A slow, highly amused smirk finally spread across Von’s face.

He looked at the two suits. "You guys can leave."

They looked shocked, opening their mouths to argue, but Emily was already standing up, smoothly ushering them toward the front door.

Von turned his attention back to Max, who was suddenly looking very relieved.

"You’re still annoying."

"I know," Max replied with a wry smile.

"But you’re hired," Von said. "Emily will sort things out with you."

"Say less, boss," Max grinned, pulling out his phone. "Can I make a post about the new job?"

"No," Von and Emily said at the exact same time.

Once Max was sent off to handle his paperwork, Emily returned to the couch with the final folder of the evening. She looked exhausted but triumphant.

"Last one," she said, tapping the folder. "Executive Assistant. Zack and I have been helping you on this one all this while, but finally, it’s time for someone to take over. Someone to manage your schedule, coordinate with me, handle your personal logistics, and just act as the gatekeeper to your daily life."

"About time," Von agreed, stretching his neck. "Bring them in."

Emily signaled toward the hallway, and a moment later, two people walked into the living room.

The first was a man in his late thirties, dressed in a sharp, perfectly tailored suit. Beside him was a very young lady, looking to be in her early twenties, perhaps even younger.

As they stood side by side in front of the glass table, Von couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. They both looked really familiar to him, but for entirely different reasons.

Von rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, then pointed directly at the man, who was adjusting a pair of round glasses. "Who are you and what have you done to Zack?"

The man blinked, completely caught off guard. He let out a polite, dry cough and quickly apologized.

"Is Zack perhaps your lawyer? I don’t have any affiliation to him, sir, but I’m here to work with you."

The man immediately launched into a highly rehearsed elevator pitch about his qualifications. As he talked, Von looked down at his report on the table.

The guy had a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a decade of experience managing the lives of high-net-worth real estate developers.

He was impeccably organized, highly efficient, and incredibly solid on paper. But internally, Von found him boring. Having him around would be like having a second Zack over his shoulder all day. Zack wasn’t even this boring.

"You even talk like Zack too," Von remarked right after the man finished his perfectly timed speech.

"I’ll take that as a compliment, sir."

Von sighed softly and shifted his gaze to the young lady. She wore wire-rimmed glasses as well, which framed a delicate, almost doll-like face. Her dark, olive-toned hair was pulled back tightly, and it was obvious she was trying her hardest to maintain a strict, professional persona.

Looking down at her report, Von saw her name was Olivia. Skimming the details, he found out that she only had a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and had just recently graduated.

There was no extensive work history, no list of high-profile previous employers. There was nothing really special about her resume at all, except for a small handwritten note Emily had scribbled in the margins: Understands the industry a lot better.

Von didn’t even know how that vague statement was enough for her to be standing in this room considering her inexperience, but he decided to give her a chance.

"So..." Von said with a smile. "Tell me what you have."

Olivia swallowed hard, but still managed to speak with confidence.

"I don’t have a lot of logistics experience, but I understand the modern entertainment landscape. Standard assistants work nine-to-five; they don’t understand that artists record at three in the morning or that social media crises happen on weekends. I’ve studied your brand trajectory. I know how to filter out the noise, manage the digital overlap, and gatekeep your time without alienating the creatives you actually need to speak with. I adapt fast, and I don’t need to unlearn bad corporate habits to fit your lifestyle."

Von thought lightly about her words. She was hungry, sharp, and despite her nervous energy, she reminded him a lot of Emily, aside from their differing temperaments.

Something intrinsic drew him to wanting to choose her. He didn’t need another rigid suit telling him how to schedule his day; he needed someone who was flexible.

He thought about it for a few more seconds before giving in. "Okay. You have the job."

Olivia’s tough professional persona instantly shattered. She gasped, covering her mouth with both hands as her eyes widened behind her glasses. "Oh my god... thank you! Thank you so much, sir! You won’t regret this!"

Once the man was politely dismissed, Emily leaned over and nudged Von to get his attention.

"I didn’t want to tell you earlier so it wouldn’t cloud your decision, but that’s my maternal cousin sister."

Von raised an eyebrow and looked at his manager.

"She’s an orphan, and I’ve been looking after her for a long time now," Emily explained with a rare softness in her tone. "She’s a really smart girl, and I truly believe she’ll adapt. Plus, I’ve educated her about a lot of things behind the scenes. But... if you aren’t sure about her now that you know, you still have the chance to change your mind."

Von looked at Emily, and then he looked back over at Olivia, who was still trying to compose herself.

Suddenly, the resemblance struck him like lightning. Emily had recently cut her hair low and dyed it white, making her look far different from their very first meeting, but looking at them side-by-side, he finally realized they had the exact same sharp eyes.

"What?" Von smiled, leaning back. "That’s even better! If she’s half as good as you, then I made the best choice."

Emily blushed a little at the unexpected praise, quickly looking down to gather her folders to hide her flustered expression. She stood up to wrap up the evening.

"Alright," Emily said, clearing her throat and returning to her usual brisk self. "They’re all waiting outside on the patio for the final address."

Von stood up too, rolling his shoulders as he prepared to go meet his new, fully complete team.