No matter how much a private jet boasts hotel-level amenities, if you stay on it long enough, boredom sets in.
“Yaaawn.”
Hyunseung wasn’t the type to be especially sleepy to begin with, so inside a plane that wasn’t arriving, he was already worn out.
‘How long until we land?’
Once Animal Crossing got old and even the dating sims got old, he finally took out the staff paper and pen he’d packed.
Good thing I brought it just in case.
Scritch, scritch.
The notes came out a bit squiggly, but as long as he could read them himself, that was all that mattered.
“Mm, mm.”
Using the airplane engine sound as a beat, he embroidered the ideas that came to mind, and before he knew it, the plane was landing.
“Already here.”
As expected, nothing kills time like working.
“Whew.”
Hyunseung stretched both arms out and yawned as he shifted his gaze to the window.
Unice Music Group had its headquarters in the U.S. and branches throughout Europe including France…
The place Hyunseung came to today was the U.S. headquarters.
“This way, please.”
After getting off the private jet, he followed an employee’s guidance and got into the prepared limousine.
Without a moment to catch his breath, Hyunseung had to be carried in the limo for quite a while.
Just when he thought he might get tired before even seeing the CEO, the vehicle came to a smooth stop.
“Please get out.”
Surrounded by burly men and thoroughly escorted, he walked into the company building. Being hemmed in by men like this as he walked, it felt like being a boss in the underworld…
It wasn’t a particularly pleasant feeling or experience.
‘Tsk.’
Trying hard to act like he wasn’t part of this gym-bro pack, Hyunseung quickly moved along, looking around the lobby.
It was simple, but like a high-end gallery; the artworks hung here and there boasted such splendor they halted the steps of viewers.
‘They’ve done it up well.’
The clock tower set up in the center of the lobby, unlike the urban building, exuded an antique vibe, and the Unice Music Group logo above it radiated elegance all on its own.
Trudge, trudge.
Thus, in the midst of those beastlike men, Hyunseung moved along slowly and squeezed himself into the elevator.
Beep!
When the man who looked the oldest among them tapped a card on the reader above the elevator buttons, the light came on for the very top floor.
‘Oh.’
It seemed that without that card, you couldn’t even press the button for the floor where the CEO’s office was.
So the CEO’s office isn’t a place just anyone can come to easily, huh.
Well. If it’s the space where the head leading the world-class Unice Music Group stays, that’s how it should be.
But that didn’t make him feel overawed, nor did tension wash over him.
Why?
Because in his previous life he’d crossed the threshold of Unice Music Group’s CEO office multiple times.
Ah. Of course, by the time he came to work with Unice Music Group, the person named Austin had already stepped down as CEO.
He didn’t know why.
Ding-dong!
While he was thinking that, the elevator arrived at the very top floor.
When the doors opened, a heavy burgundy-colored carpet greeted Hyunseung.
Only after the men surrounding him escorted him all the way to the CEO office door did they take a step back.
If he ever came again later, he’d definitely have to add: please don’t send a gym-bro entourage with builds like Executive Director Park or Dad Kim.
Presently, the huge maple-tinted doors that matched the carpet swung open to both sides, and the interior of the CEO office slowly came into view.
‘Oh.’
The lobby had been the same, but compared to the office in his memory, this was certainly more refined.
In his previous life, should he say the interior laid bare a greedy, unfiltered desire? It had been plastered gaudily with gleaming gold trim.
Of course, in his previous life, Hyunseung had gotten along well with that sort of crowd.
‘I wonder what kind of person Austin is.’
Hyunseung looked around the office for Austin.
“Hello?”
The room was so tall and vast that his voice echoed.
‘Why don’t I see him?’
What, were they trying to play hide-and-seek in this place that had to be at least three hundred square meters?
‘Doing this when we first meet isn’t fun…’
Hyunseung had very little patience, so he couldn’t even last a minute before annoyance showed on his face.
At that moment, somewhere, came the sound of a chair turning.
Creeeeak.
A silhouette hidden behind a monitor revealed itself.
“Hello. You must be tired from the long trip.”
Soon that silhouette slowly walked out of the shadows, and when the figure was fully revealed, a thought struck him.
‘I get why the interior is like this.’
Under hair of white combed back with pomade…
“David Austin, CEO of Unice Music Group.”
He was wearing a suit with a subtle wine hue, as if he’d been splashed with a fine vintage.
Austin hadn’t slept well in tension for the first time in a while. Even on normal days he didn’t sleep much, but it had been a long time since he’d simply lain awake through the night.
To add a little exaggeration, it was like the night before his wedding day from a very long time ago.
‘It shouldn’t be to this extent.’
He tried to calm himself, but the human heart rarely does what you tell it to.
In the end, despite being in poor condition, Austin still completed his commute according to routine.
After that, it felt like all he heard at his ear was the tick, tick of the second hand crossing the dial.
And it’s no wonder his nerves were taut with an inexplicable sense of anticipation.
One hour, two hours, three hours….
Despite handling work without a break, time strangely crawled by.
Then from the moment his executive assistant informed him that HS had arrived, time suddenly sped up twofold.
Before long, he faced HS as he entered the office.
‘Huh?’
Austin blinked his single-lidded eyes repeatedly and froze in place.
Why?
Because HS looked completely different from what he’d imagined.
Right.
There was no villain-like helmet that had sparked his imagination.
Instead, there stood a young man with striking looks, like a single piece of art you couldn’t help but want to savor.
‘Calm down.’
He was taken aback for a moment by the mismatch with his expectations.
“David Austin, CEO of Unice Music Group.”
In a composed tone, he asked,
“Are you composer HS?”
He asked as a formality, but he genuinely wanted to know.
Of course. He had asked composer HS to come in person, and since HS had said he’d visit if they sent a private jet, then it should be HS himself….
But he could still be a representative, couldn’t he?
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
The man’s reddish lips parted.
“I’m composer HS.”
Only after the word “HS” flowed from those lips could Austin let out a small sigh of relief.
“Then, shall we sit down and have a relaxed chat?”
“Yes, let’s.”
They soon sat facing each other on the sofa.
“But…”
HS tilted his head for a moment.
“Why are you not in the seat of honor but sitting across from me?”
He looked at Austin like it was odd and asked. Well, fair enough.
As a rule, CEOs tend to sit in the seat of honor on the sofa no matter what guest arrives.
However, Austin had made one decision.
“With you, HS…”
Namely, to win HS’s favor.
“Even if we’re signing a contract, I want us to have a horizontal relationship rather than a vertical one.”
Austin put on a smile full of trust.
“You’re better at empty words than I expected.”
But it seemed to have no effect on HS.
“I never imagined you’d have this kind of image.”
“Is that so? Then what image did you have of me, composer?”
“Well, after seeing you mess around with the distribution fee at first, I came imagining a blustery, ruthless corporate-tycoon image.”
Austin nearly dropped the teacup he was holding. “Blustery, ruthless corporate tycoon” was a phrase he hadn’t expected to hear at all.
Clatter.
The cup hit the saucer and made an unpleasant noise.
“Ah, that kind of image…”
Doing his best to hide his fluster, Austin took out a handkerchief scented faintly of alcohol.
Swish, swish.
Then he started wiping the sweat beading on his palm.
Truly.
Since there had been no rebuttal or demands, he’d wondered, ‘Does he have no particular thoughts?’
Now. Judging by the little spikes poking up here and there, apparently not.
“Well, that was probably just for fun. Let’s skip it.”
With an extremely calm face, HS was pulling the conversation completely into his own pace.
“Shall we get into it properly?”
As Austin was about to open his mouth to seize back the initiative, HS spoke ahead of him.
“I’d like to quickly hear just how generous the terms are that you called me all the way here to offer.”
The ease flowing from his expression and tone made him seem like someone who’d been in the industry for ages.
A loud warning bell went off in Austin’s head that no half-baked ploy would be able to control this man.
“Since you seem to dislike beating around the bush, I’ll skip the preface…”
Of course, Austin wasn’t just anyone, either.
As head of the world-class Unice Music Group, he knew very well how to deal with someone like this.
Right. For people like that, a fastball works better.
“We’ll obviously waive the track release registration fee and lower the distribution fee to 10%.”
“Ten percent?”
“Yes, 10%. Needless to say, this is a condition limited solely to composer HS within LS Entertainment.”
As expected, it should land. Just as he’d foreseen, HS looked at him with eyes wide and lips parted.
To be honest, he’d set it at 15%, but considering the nature of this person HS, he’d spontaneously shaved the percentage down.
He had to present a tempting enough condition that HS couldn’t easily refuse, to lessen HS’s resentment toward Unice Music Group.
Above all, a 10% fee was a term offered to fairly well-known overseas singers as well. If HS wasn’t a fool, he’d know.
“What do you think?”
Having fully regained his pace, Austin asked confidently.
“Ah…”
An indecipherable sigh slipped from between HS’s lips for a moment.
“What do I do? You’re making me want to cancel the contract for no reason.”
Out popped an answer he hadn’t expected in the slightest. Flustered, Austin leaned his upper body forward and asked, “Pardon?”
“I mean, since you called me all the way out here, I thought you’d be offering terms shocking enough to turn the world upside down…”
HS hung his head with a drained expression and continued.
“Instead, I’m so deflated I’m about ready to terminate this distribution contract itself, that’s how disappointed I am.”
Then he, too, stretched his upper body forward and added,
“Could you perhaps offer terms with a bit more sincerity poured into them?”
Austin was at a loss for words at HS’s brazennessm, so slick it was almost creepy.
“Then I’ll trust that you can and I’ll wait. Let’s meet again tomorrow and talk.”
Meanwhile, looking into those deep eyes that strangely seemed to bewitch people made it all the more absurd.
“Oh right, may I choose the place?”
Having completely lost the initiative, Austin couldn’t say a word. He could only clench the poor handkerchief.
“The interior here in the CEO office isn’t to my taste.”
Chattering on as if he had a motor attached to his mouth, HS then set a mysterious box he’d put on the floor onto the table.
“And could you pass this on to Sarah Stewart?”
Already drained, Austin had no strength left to talk about the earlier matter.
“What on earth is this?”
He could only shift his gaze to the box and ask in a deflated tone.
“Sarah Stewart will like it if you give it to her.”
Instead of a clear answer, HS left a vague reply, then brushed off his seat and stood up.
“Send me a first text to the contact on the card.”
Then, after lifting just the corner of his mouth in a little smile, he swung his long legs and walked out of the office.
“Ah…”
Watching HS’s retreating figure, Austin picked up the business card on the table.
songwriter. HS
010-xxxx-xxxx
ts.hs@ls_entertainment.com
Looking at the card, he felt like he could see why Sarah Stewart, who had declared she’d never sing someone else’s song, had suddenly said she’d sing HS’s.
‘Hmm…’
Sarah Stewart was a weirdo who wouldn’t be outdone anywhere, but HS was a weirdo of a completely different stripe.
Right.
Like a charming villain in a movie. Someone you could never control or wrap around your finger, yet someone you wanted to keep watching.
‘My competitive spirit is kindling, too…’
Presently, he proceeded to save the number on the card. It was the first “composer” contact saved in Austin’s phone.
“Hm…”
Then he turned his gaze back to the box.
‘Tsk….’
Could this be the clever move that tamed Sarah Stewart?
T/N: A private jet from Seoul to the United States can cost anywhere from approximately $167,000 to over $189,000 for a one-way trip, depending on the destination and aircraft. The flight time is approximately 9 to 10.3 hours for a destination on the West Coast.
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