Vincent was looking around the lobby of the headquarters building, which was entering the roughly completed stage.
“Doesn’t it look a little crooked?”
Then, seeing that the sign with the logo hanging in the center of the lobby was slightly tilted, he pointed it out right away.
Because there could not be even an inch of disorder.
‘I’ll show him properly.’
Vincent clenched his fist tight as he recalled the memory of getting severely scolded by HS during the last mid inspection process.
To say he got scolded is ambiguous, though.
Anybody… if they met that guy’s eyes, would recall memories of being scolded as a child. The fear crawling up the spine presses down on the heart like it is going to squeeze it.
“Ugh.”
Vincent was just shivering at that vivid feeling rising up again.
Bzzz!
At that moment, the phone he had put in his pocket also vibrated violently.
“Hm?”
It was a message from his longtime friend, and producer, Eric.
[ Did you see this? Isn’t it for real that Sarah and that Asian punk are dating? Seriously? Huh? ]
He is a longtime friend, but on the other hand, he is also an existence like an enemy.
Yeah.
Of all people, this was a guy who has a crush on Sarah Stewart, whom Vincent dislikes.
What did he call it?
His ideal type he had dreamed of his whole life?
Seriously, that is something you say because you do not know Sarah Stewart’s real personality.
Of course.
Even the personality known to the outside world is not exactly good either.
Anyway, ever since Sarah Stewart got dating rumors with HS, that guy had been shaking Vincent down whenever he started to forget.
What article did he see this time to be making such a fuss?
“Hm?”
What arrived next was, surprisingly, not a link, but a photo.
Even if it is made as a joke, if what made it is an unprecedented genius, then that too becomes a work that pierces through a century.
A photo that captured the writing Sarah Stewart posted on SNS.
Why would he see this and connect it to “HS”?
Just as he was thinking that.
“Hm?”
An ID that anyone could tell was HS’s account was clearly tagged in the post.
Unprecedented genius.
He could clearly tell that was a word referring to HS, but why Sarah posted something like this, Vincent also could not know.
“Hm….”
Have I been going back and forth to nothing but the construction site too much lately?
Bzzz!
Since it was something he did not know about, Vincent roughly ignored it.
[ What is this old man doing now? Seriously, the more he does this, the more I end up hating HS, do you really have to do a label with that bastard? ]
But Eric sent texts one after another.
To call his song a joke is something even I cannot do.
This time, along with his whining, he sent a photo that captured the words Mateo posted on SNS. The moment Vincent checked that photo, his pupils widened greatly.
It made sense because it was practically unheard of for Mateo to acknowledge someone in the same industry like that.
At some point, he did post, acknowledging composer Choi Jihyun.
Of course.
If you get technical, Choi Jihyun and HS are the same person, so you could say Mateo’s taste is truly consistent.
‘But did something happen to HS?’
At this point, Vincent thought that maybe “HS” had gotten swept up in some controversy again.
As expected, the fastest way is to ask the person himself.
Brrrrrr!
Vincent, who had good execution, immediately called the number he had saved.
The other person was HS…
No, it was CEO Min Hyunseung.
“Do you know what time it is right now?”
The moment he picked up, he asked in a voice tinged with reproach.
“You weren’t asleep.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“Do you have something going on?”
“No.”
“Really nothing? Not even a small issue?”
“Yeah, nothing.”
Then he answered so calmly it felt dry.
But to dismiss it as nothing happening, the writing on SNS bothered him.
With the establishment right around the corner, if an issue broke out related to HS, who would become the CEO, it would not be good, so he had to be sure and get it straight.
“You know you can’t have secrets when we’re tied together in business. Even if it’s something small, I need to know so I can respond too.”
“I’m telling you, there really isn’t.”
Even if it was just a tiny dating rumor.
“For example, if by any chance, even one in ten thousand, you ended up dating Sarah Stewart…”
However, Vincent could not finish his sentence, and it got cut off.
“Stop talking nonsense, when will the construction end? You finished setting up the studio, right?”
HS’s voice grew sharper. Vincent once again felt like he was up on the stand.
But Vincent had fully stopped all his schedules lately and devoted himself only to the construction.
Yeah.
So he could say this.
“Of course. Look forward to it.”
From the other side of the line, a low laugh came through for a moment.
“I’ll go soon.”
HS added briefly.
“And about Sarah Stewart, let’s talk about that again then.”
The call ended, as always, with the other side hanging up first.
Click.
Vincent chewed over that last line, and checked again the words Sarah Stewart had posted.
Even if it is made as a joke, if what made it is an unprecedented genius, then that too becomes a work that pierces through a century.
What is this, are the two of them really dating?
Jung Arin had something she was preparing in earnest.
That was, HS’s birthday party.
It had been going on three years, counting by years, since she got to know Hyunseung, but only this year did she happen to learn Hyunseung’s birthday.
Before he crossed over to America, she really wanted to celebrate his birthday for him.
Tap, tap tap tap.
Befitting someone who is, self-proclaimed and publicly acknowledged, an insider at LS Entertainment, Jung Arin gathered people who would help her celebrate Hyunseung’s birthday.
── Everyone is preparing a gift, right?
── Yes, that’s right!
── But would that guy even like something like that?
── Would he hate gifts?
── With his personality, he might.
In the group chat named the Secret Birthday Party Special Forces, all kinds of people were included….
── Still, I don’t think he’ll dislike it.
── Right, he’s gotten gentler lately too.
── Hyunseung got gentler?
── Who is spreading that rumor?
From Park Jeonmu, to Division Head Kim Woohyun, and including herself, many instruments, meaning singers, continued a heated debate about gifts.
── Let’s share gift lists.
── What should we even buy him?
── He doesn’t even have material desire…
── I already bought mine!
── Me too. I already. Bought it. Haha!
── Sarah has left the chatroom.
Someone said he probably would not like surprises like this.
Someone said surely he would not openly show that he dislikes it.
And someone else said they already purchased a gift.
Among them, Sarah Stewart, who they managed to reach through DM with difficulty, left, maybe because she could not overcome the wall of communication.
Well, it does not matter.
That person helped Hyunseung through the words she posted on SNS, so that alone could be called a gift.
Ah. Should I have helped in that way instead?
Slide.
Jung Arin shifted her gaze to the gift box she prepared.
“No.”
Then she rolled her shoulders as if confident, and added.
“He’ll definitely like it!”
And then, the corners of Jung Arin’s lips, curled up tight, were nothing but quite sly.
Wednesday morning.
Hyunseung left the house early to go work out for the first time in a while.
In truth, it was annoying to go out.
[ If you don’t come out to work out by 6 today, I’ll fold your spine six times. ]
Because he had received a threatening text from Executive Director Park, he had no choice.
Judging by that burly physique that only kept getting bigger by the day, it was something with enough possibility of being carried out.
“Hm?”
It was a time with no people, but unlike usual, the inside of the gym was silent with the lights off, without even a single sound of music.
It’s almost 6, are they not here yet?
Click!
Hyunseung felt around the wall and turned the lights on.
“Uh…”
Inside the brightened gym, people who did not fit the place at all were arrayed and sitting there.
“Ah…”
They only looked at Hyunseung with blank, devastated faces, without saying a word.
Slide.
As Hyunseung slowly swept his eyes over them, he found Jung Arin standing in the corner holding a cake.
Hiss.
Jung Arin was standing there blankly, staring at him, holding a matchstick that had gone out too emptily.
“What are you all doing here?”
Hyunseung asked as if dumbfounded, brushing his hair back.
And it made sense.
Because Dad Park and Mom Kim, and all of his instruments, were standing there as if they had all broken at once.
“Uh, that is…”
As Executive Director Park dragged out his words while watching the mood, Seo Jini, standing next to him, snorted and grumbled.
“They said he’d definitely be late.”
Right after, as if a dam burst, jeers burst out from here and there.
“You said he’d be late by ten minutes!”
“What is this!”
“Ah, I told you we should prepare in advance.”
Executive Director Park scratched his head awkwardly for a moment.
“How was I supposed to know this would happen…?”
And he shouted as if scolding Hyunseung, who was standing there blankly for no reason.
“Hey, you, you’re always the one who’s late, why are you coming so early today of all days!”
“I came because I was afraid my spine would get folded.”
“Since when were you the kind of guy that threats like that work on!”
Seeing how his neck was even turning red, Executive Director Park seemed quite embarrassed right now.
“Anyway, what are you all doing?”
At Hyunseung’s blunt question, everyone else, completely deflated, only glanced at each other.
“Arin, first, light the candles.”
At that moment, Kim Woohyun stepped in quickly to resolve the situation.
“Hajun, Bluetooth is connected, right?”
“Yes.”
“Ahn Jiho, bring all the gifts over there.”
“Yes.”
“Jaeyi and Hyoeun, spread out to both sides.”
“Yup!”
“Jini, with Executive Director Park, fireworks.”
At his instructions, people moved in perfect order.
And a scene unfolded that anyone could tell was celebrating a birthday.
Lastly, when Kim Woohyun ran over and turned the lights off with a click, in the darkness, one bright candle lit up.
“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!”
Behind the shining candlelight, a banner that read “Happy Birthday to Godchis!” and the faces of the people were faintly visible.
“Dear Hyunseung!”
“Dear composer!”
“Dear teacher!”
Several people, in unison, sang a childish happy birthday song to the accompaniment.
“Happy birthday to you, waaaaa!”
At the same time, the cake placed in front of him and the sparkling gazes of the people.
And with hands urging him as if saying, hurry and make a wish and blow out the candles.
“Hoo.”
Hyunseung, as if he could not win, closed his eyes for a moment and blew out the candle.
Clap clap clap clap clap!
And then.
When the lights turned on brightly, Hyunseung looked over the faces of those who were giving him sincere applause and congratulations.
The words of thanks tried to rise up through his throat, but they did not come out easily.
However, no one scolded him.
They just slowly took out the gifts they had prepared, and delivered them along with their wishes.
“Happy birthday. This is a gift we prepared. Even when you go to America, you can’t forget us.”
Hyunseung, without saying anything, opened the gifts one by one.
Maybe because his reaction was so calm, the people who handed over the gifts looked anxious, like students waiting for their homework to be checked.
Starting with ultra high-end coffee beans, fountain pens, caffeine pills, red ginseng and other supplements, a new game pack…
And even workout supplements that Executive Director Park prepared.
“Uh…”
As Hyunseung opened their gifts one by one, when he opened the last gift box, he flinched and stopped moving.
“Th-that is, when you’re alone…!”
Jung Arin hurriedly tried to stop Hyunseung, but it was already too late.
“What even is that?”
“Underwear?”
“But the design is kind of….”
A men’s brief with a single wolf, its eyes gleaming, engraved in the center.
Hyunseung spread it wide with both hands, and let out a small laugh as if dumbfounded.
“The underwear thief is gifting underwear now.”
Jung Arin covered her cheeks, now red like a ripe tomato, and groaned, “I’m screwed.”
I thought he would look at the gift later, when he was alone…
“It’s not my taste, but…”
“Ah, I, another gift!”
“No. I’ll wear it well.”
Hyunseung lightly flicked away the hand reaching to snatch it, and was spinning the underwear around in the air.
“W-wait a second!”
Kim Woohyun, his face drained of color, pointed at his phone with trembling hands.
“T-Ti…Times Square…”
“What are you saying?”
“On, on the main billboard….”
Park Jeonmu frowned as if frustrated and snatched the phone.
“What is it?”
Soon, Park Jeonmu’s face also was colored with shock.
“Th- this can’t be.”
On the billboard hanging in the middle of New York.
[ Happy birthday, HS ]
An unimaginable birthday message was being broadcast.
T/N: I looked it up and if it’s just a personal ad, it doesn’t seem too bad. “Personal displays start at $150 for 24 hours (15 seconds every hour). Business advertising ranges from $250-$1,000 daily depending on timing and screen size. .” (Source)
Knowing this isn’t a normal ad, it could be a full display and not just in seconds. In that case, it would cost a lot of money.
Leave a Reply