The young representative who would lead Unice Music Group from now on… and Joshua, an influential director and internal board member.
The two faced each other.
People tried to act indifferent, but their focus was entirely on the pair.
As proof, the venue had fallen so quiet that not even the sound of champagne glasses clinking could be heard.
“If I stopped to give attention every time a dog barks, wouldn’t I be unable to walk the path I intend to take?”
Soon, the guests began to whisper among themselves, appalled by the new representative’s words and actions.
“I didn’t hear that wrong, did I? Did he just call Joshua a dog?”
“Unless he’s lost his mind, how can he say that to someone’s face?”
“I heard he was disrespectful, but I didn’t realize he was such a loose cannon.”
They chewed and tore at him as if they had found a choice piece of prey, already disliking the young successor for his insolent behavior.
In a way, weren’t his words also a warning directed at them?
From now on, he would thoroughly ignore those who barked at him.
A warning carrying that very meaning.
Even though they had been too afraid of Austin to step forward until now, they gnashed their teeth inwardly, deciding that once today passed, they would thoroughly isolate this young representative.
“Quite a colorful initiation, isn’t it?”
At that moment, Killian, who was standing alone at a corner table, muttered while looking at Hyunseung’s face with interest.
“Ha, the more he acts like this, the more I like him. What am I going to do?”
He swirled the champagne in his glass until a faint vortex formed, then stopped.
Step, step.
Suppressing the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, he approached Hyunseung.
“Pleasure to meet you.”
He then bowed his head slightly and added an introduction.
“I am Killian, an executive director.”
“Killian?”
Hyunseung stared blankly at Killian before accepting the greeting.
“Ah, I’ve heard you were one of the top engineers even within Unice.”
“You know me?”
“Yes, after all, one must know their enemy well to deal with them.”
He then showed a silent lift of his lips. Killian let out a light chuckle, following Hyunseung’s lead.
To show his hand so openly.
He’s a completely different breed of person from the previous representative, Austin.
I had an inkling ever since he composed that song.
Just then, Joshua lightly touched Killian’s shoulder and spoke with a forced smile.
“Killian, I’m sorry, but I think I need to have a rather lengthy conversation with our future representative. Could you come back to give your greetings later?”
“Is that so? But how about having that lengthy conversation some other time? I’m worried that if you continue, you’ll only end up looking more ridiculous.”
“What?”
“I mean, it’s obvious to anyone that you’re losing this power struggle. If you push it any further, you’ll just look pathetic.”
At those words, Joshua’s face flushed with humiliation as he bit his lip, letting out a low groan. “Grrr.”
He tried his best to maintain his composure, but his brow twitched repeatedly as if it wasn’t easy.
“Above all, today is our representative’s first day in office. How about we leave it at this?”
Killian added, feigning ignorance toward Joshua.
It was because his desire to settle the situation quickly and talk with Hyunseung took priority.
“It seems you two have much to discuss rather than me, so please, feel free. I’ll be in the restroom for a moment.”
However, Hyunseung set down his champagne glass and slipped away.
Damn it.
The plan is going awry.
“Killian, you’re not usually the type to step in like this. Are you trying to pick a side now that the representative has changed?”
Joshua stepped right up to Killian’s nose, glaring sharply as he asked.
Right.
From Joshua’s perspective, he couldn’t understand Killian suddenly cutting in.
After all, Killian was known for having one of the lowest attendance rates at meetings; he had no interest in how the company was run.
And while it was said the two hadn’t been on the best of terms for a long time, Killian had never been the one to pick a fight first.
Why is he acting like this?
So, it was only natural for Joshua to look at Killian strangely.
“Hmm…”
Killian let out a low hum for a moment.
“I hadn’t planned on it, but that doesn’t sound too bad.”
He even snapped his fingers as if it were a great idea and winked.
“Since I’m at it, I might as well pick a side properly and flatter him enough to get rid of someone as eyesore-inducing as you.”
He continued to provoke Joshua as if he were determined to keep stoking his anger.
Ah.
They weren’t words spoken simply for the sake of mockery. They contained a certain degree of sincerity.
“Someone who only knows how to tinker with songs others have made.”
Right, he was the kind of bastard who had always looked down on engineers like this. For over a decade, Killian had avoided and ignored such behavior, the act of grouping and belittling engineers out of convenience.
One doesn’t avoid dung because it’s scary; one avoids it because it’s dirty.
That had been his mindset.
“If an engineer was lucky enough to catch someone’s eye and rise to the position of director, they should just keep their seat quietly.”
However, he no longer intended to stand by and watch the act of dragging down an engineer’s honor.
“If it’s just about tinkering with songs others have made, wouldn’t that also apply to you in a broad sense?”
He had absolutely no intention of devaluing the role of a director, but….
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Above all, lately, he’s been poking his nose into everything saying he’s making songs, and on top of that, he’s even been harassing the engineers.
“The truth is, you can’t even make your own songs with your own strength. Your job is just flapping your mouth saying ‘do it like this’ or ‘do it like that,’ isn’t it?”
“There are many eyes watching, is it right for directors to fight like this?”
Joshua shot back with a smile despite Killian’s provocation.
However, veins were bulging prominently on his neatly exposed forehead.
“You’re right.”
Instead of adding more words, Killian scanned the surroundings and slowly nodded his head.
Then he glanced toward the door Hyunseung had exited through and spoke.
“Well then, I should go flatter the future representative in a place where no one is watching.”
With that, he started to walk away, but stopped for a moment.
He turned his head, pointing a finger at the crowd whispering nearby, and added.
“It looks like there are plenty of people over there to take your side. Go on.”
Finally, he turned away with a sneer.
While the inside of the party venue was in an uproar.
Pyong, pyong, pyong.
Inside the restroom, sound effects that might be used in a game could be heard.
Pyong, pyong, pyong.
It was the sound of Hyunseung playing a game on his phone.
“Ah, this is boring.”
However, as if his interest had cooled instantly, he stuffed his phone back into his pocket and headed for the sink.
Austin must have finished his greetings and returned to his seat by now, right?
I should probably head back soon, too.
Even though he didn’t really want to go back and there wouldn’t be anyone welcoming him.
Since Austin had gone to the trouble of giving him information on key personnel in advance and even throwing a party, he intended to stay until the end.
Splash!
Soon, Hyunseung caught the cool, pouring water in both hands and plunged his face into it.
As he did, the heat that had been creeping up his cheeks vanished.
Parties really don’t suit me.
Thinking that, just as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the moisture.
“You happened to be in the restroom at just the right time.”
The restroom door opened, and the man who had introduced himself as Killian walked in.
At just the right time, my foot.
“I recall saying I was going to the restroom when I left.”
“Was that so? My memory isn’t exactly the best.”
Killian put on a thick skin and gave a beaming smile.
“Still, it’s nice to be able to give a formal greeting like this once more.”
Stubbly beard and deeply tanned skin and a fierce gaze that reminded him of Executive Director Park.
Not quite as much as Executive Director Park, but he had a visibly solid frame and a mid-to-low-pitched voice that sounded like it was scraping the floor.
However, contrary to his appearance, he laughed like a remarkably jovial man.
It’s annoying.
Hyunseung looked away from Killian and continued in a tone that clearly showed his irritation.
“I’m quite tired, so if you have something to say, please say it quickly.”
He must have personally made the trip here to break the young representative’s spirit.
“It seems you know that I will be hostile toward you, Representative.”
I knew it would be like this.
Somehow, he had a feeling that his life as a representative at Unice Music Group would not be smooth at all.
To have someone personally and kindly come to pick a fight from the very first day of the inauguration, he didn’t know what to do with himself.
However, unlike Joshua, the only information he had on Killian was that he was a talented former engineer who had caught Austin’s eye and become a director.
There was no connection in his past life, nor had he ever heard anything about him in passing.
Therefore, he shouldn’t let his guard down too easily. He didn’t know what kind of enemy he was dealing with.
“Wouldn’t I be a fool if I didn’t know?”
Hyunseung then stood face-to-face with Killian, who was standing still in front of the door.
Suddenly, the two engaged in a staring contest as if sparks might fly in midair.
Hmm?
For some reason, however, there was no hostility in his eyes. They were strangely clear and transparent.
Is he just that good at hiding his true feelings?
Hyunseung had a strong intuition that this person would be exhausting to deal with.
Just as he was about to brush past him and open the door.
“I like you, Representative.”
Killian’s voice reached him.
“It’s been a while since I’ve found someone so much to my liking.”
It was a gentle voice, but one that contained an almost dangerously deep level of affection.
Affection?
Hyunseung rubbed his arms as if he were getting goosebumps.
“I don’t have those kinds of tastes.”
Cutting him off flatly, he gripped the doorknob again to push it open.
But Killian, seemingly having no intention of letting Hyunseung go, spoke once more.
“I heard the song.”
His words were enough to make Hyunseung stop in his tracks.
“I happened to hear the track you sent this time.”
In fact, he had wanted to hear it from the mouths of others.
An evaluation of his song, which was like a new challenge for him.
Especially not from his associates….
But an objective evaluation through the mouth of a complete stranger.
“How was it?”
When Hyunseung showed interest and asked, Killian turned his body, which seemed to have been frozen to the spot, to face him.
“It made me want to take up mastering work again, something I had long set aside.”
He added in a low voice.
“However, it was simply a pity that there was nothing I could do.”
At those words, Hyunseung relaxed the tension in his body. It was because he could feel the affection in Killian’s voice.
Ah.
Not affection for me, but affection for music.
“Why was there nothing you could do?”
“Because I was too busy listening.”
“Couldn’t you have done it after listening?”
Hyunseung asked back with a loosened posture.
“Hmm.”
At that, Killian let out a hum as if he were deep in thought.
Then, like a jovial man, he pulled the corners of his mouth into a wide grin and asked back.
“Who on earth could dare to paint over a masterpiece by Van Gogh?”
Somehow, it was the moment he felt that life at Unice Music Group might not be so bad after all.
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