Ferris had been moving busily since early morning.
She greeted the day with a session of yoga at an unusual hour.
She prepared a brunch she usually never bothered with and brewed some coffee.
Sitting on the sofa with classical music playing in the background made for a quite leisurely morning.
However, Ferris’s complexion was anything but leisurely.
“Sigh…”
Try as she might to compose herself and act unbothered, it wasn’t working.
It had been a full week since she had sent an official request for copyright usage consent to Min Hyunseung’s side through her agency, but…
“No! Why! Why isn’t there any word!”
It was because of the lack of response. If they were going to refuse, she’d rather they just do it so she could give up cleanly.
Not a single word came from him, nor from her own company. She waited, hoping no news was good news, but one day passed, then two.
Now that a week had gone by, her heart was beginning to smolder with anxiety.
Dingdong!
Right then, the doorbell rang.
Thump, crash!
Even though she knew it likely wasn’t him, Ferris dashed to the front door in a rush.
Well.
There was always a chance Min Hyunseung had sent someone.
Creeaak.
She opened the door with expectant hands, only to find Bell, a staff member from her agency whom she was close with, standing there.
“Ferris, what are you doing awake at this hour? That’s not like you.”
“I just happened to wake up early. Anyway, what brings you here so early in the morning?”
“I’m hurt. Do I need a specific reason to visit you?”
Bell pushed her way into the house with easygoing persistence.
“By any chance—”
“By any chance—”
As they entered the living room, both started to speak at the same time.
“You go first.”
Ferris yielded the floor to Bell. Since a copyright contract was on the line, the answer might have come through the agency instead of her directly. Could Bell have come to deliver the news?
Of course.
If it were the Bell she knew, she would have started fussing and spilled everything the moment the door opened…
“What is it?”
Still, she couldn’t hide the flicker of hope.
“No, it’s nothing major. I just stopped by to ask if you’d heard anything from Min Hyunseung’s side.”
However, the question that came out of Bell’s mouth was no different from the one Ferris was about to ask.
“Why are you asking me that?”
Feeling deflated, Ferris snapped back testily.
“Didn’t you ask us to tell them to contact your personal number once they confirmed it?”
“Ah, right, I did…”
“What, no contact? The email shows as read, though.”
“Uh, well…”
Embarrassed, Ferris toyed with her tied-up hair and added cautiously.
“When was the email read…?”
At that question, Bell rolled her eyes as if searching her memory, letting out a low hum for a moment.
“I think it was read almost immediately the day we sent it. But they have absolutely nothing to lose on their end, so why is there no reply?”
That’s exactly what I want to know.
Ferris wanted to snap back like that, but strangely feeling like she was losing, she just shrugged with feigned indifference.
“Who knows?”
As if it didn’t matter to her one way or the other.
Except, it did. Her heart had chilled even more than her now-cold coffee; it was practically frozen solid.
“I was hoping to use this contract to build a connection with Min Hyunseung…”
“So that was your goal?”
“It would be a huge help professionally, and besides, they say he’s handsome…”
“That sounds just like you.”
Bell groaned in front of Ferris.
To be fair, from the agency’s perspective, it would be great to have a connection with the CEO of Unice Music Group, a man who was always the talk of the town and a hot topic.
“It really is such a shame.”
It seemed Bell had some personal motives mixed in there too.
But Ferris felt like she had been rejected without even knowing the proper reason, making her want to hurl her coffee cup right then and there.
“Whew…”
However, knowing that she would be the one having to clean it up, she exhaled a heavy breath and pulled herself together. She mustn’t repeat the same regrets as last time.
No!
If it’s a no, it’s a no.
If it’s a yes, it’s a yes.
Is it that hard to say one word?
Is he ignoring people just because he’s successful right now?
She struggled to suppress the flare-ups of anger.
“Let’s just both drop it.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“Whatever, I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Speaking coolly, Ferris got up from her seat.
Clatter.
Carrying the cup full of cold coffee to the kitchen, Ferris dumped it straight into the sink.
“It looks like you didn’t even take a sip. Why are you throwing it out?”
“If I’m not going to drink it, I might as well get rid of it quickly.”
She had only tried to have morning coffee, something she never did, and it had only made her heart race for no reason.
At the same time, she also dumped her greed to touch Min Hyunseung’s music. Of course, it was disappointing.
Actually, it was probably very disappointing.
But what could she do? This wasn’t some neighborhood party; she couldn’t DJ a song without copyright consent at a festival that was essentially a global event.
More than anything, while Ferris was recognized as a world-class DJ, some composers didn’t acknowledge her as a true musician.
Old-fashioned composers sneered, asking what kind of music was just remixing and DJing.
There were even those who refused to treat House music as music at all, saying it was just noisy beats.
Ferris had always been attacked by such people.
She had reached this position through immense effort just to be recognized.
But those people still existed, and couldn’t Min Hyunseung be one of them?
If so, she intended to be the one to refuse. She didn’t want to touch the music of someone like that.
Right.
This wasn’t meant for me from the start. We weren’t fated. So, giving up quickly is…
Bzzzzzt!
…not something she could do.
“Ahem!”
As the phone on the living room table vibrated, Ferris rushed over, grabbed it, and cleared her throat.
“You act like you don’t care, but you were waiting.”
“I was not!”
“Is it a call from Min Hyunseung?”
“Be quiet.”
Until a moment ago, she had tried to maintain a composed front before her staff, but since the number on the screen was unsaved, she couldn’t keep acting calm.
“Hello?”
Regardless of Bell’s teasing, Ferris quickly pressed the answer button for fear the call might end.
Tremble, tremble.
Before a voice could be heard from the other side, ten thousand thoughts crossed her mind and her hands shook.
“He-hello?”
When there was no answer, she checked the screen again to see if the call had dropped, then called out to the other side once more.
Right then.
A voice as addictive as coffee came through the receiver.
—This is Min Hyunseung. If you have time today, let’s meet and talk.
Hyunseung sought out the secluded bar where he had met Wales last time.
Tinkle!
Though it was a bit on the outskirts and the space was cramped, it made it easier to avoid the public gaze.
And the songs playing there were artistic, to say the least.
Yes.
As expected of a place recommended by a high-level informant like Wales, it was an optimal spot for negotiations.
—♫♫♫
Which meant he had come here today to negotiate. Hyunseung found a corner seat and ordered a whiskey that suited the music playing.
There were about ten minutes left until the appointed time.
He wasn’t one to wait for others.
But if it was for a necessity, he was more than willing to wait.
“Hmm…”
Soon.
Just as Hyunseung was looking at the helmet he had placed on the seat next to him, debating whether to put it on or not.
Tinkle!
The door to the bar opened.
“Mm?”
At the same time, his eyes met with the woman who entered.
Does she recognize me?
As if they were already acquaintances, she walked straight toward him without a hint of hesitation.
Then, she naturally took the seat in front of him.
He knew she was Ferris because he had seen her face through his preliminary research, but…
“I suppose you know that I am Min Hyunseung?”
Ferris also seemed to know that he was Min Hyunseung.
“Everyone around me kept saying you were so handsome, so I just looked for the most handsome person the moment I walked in.”
However, the response was so unexpected that the whiskey sliding smoothly down his throat almost caught, and he barely managed to stop it from coming back up.
He had thought it was because his face was somewhat known…
“I’m thirsty too.”
Ferris suddenly spoke up, holding out an empty glass.
What a unique character.
He could pride himself on having finished researching everything about the person named Ferris, from her childhood until now, but he couldn’t grasp her entire personality…
“Give me a drink.”
She continued to say things that bypassed Hyunseung’s expectations.
Right.
For a week, while delaying his answer, Hyunseung had studied the history of the genre he was newly challenging, as well as famous musicians within it.
It wouldn’t make sense for him not to know Ferris, whom even Michelle knew. He had decided that if he was going to do something, he would do it right.
But—
Does this woman’s character overlap a bit with Sarah Stewart’s? Is it because they’re both blonde?
“Please, help yourself.”
Hyunseung snapped out of his thoughts.
Slide.
He pushed the bottle toward her and added.
“Provided you pour it yourself.”
Ferris readily agreed, took the bottle, filled her glass, and took a large gulp.
A moment later.
“Is the reason you asked to see me today to give me a rejection?”
She asked with a fairly dignified attitude.
However, the slight trembling of her fingertips revealed just how nervous she was.
“A rejection…”
Hyunseung muttered her words back, taking a short sip of his whiskey.
“You could call it a rejection, I suppose.”
He gave the answer she didn’t want to hear.
“Then, since you’re the one rejecting me, you pay for the drinks.”
With that, Ferris downed the rest of her whiskey and stood up as if she were about to storm out immediately.
“Goodbye, then.”
Her temper is just like Sarah’s, too.
“I intend to make a different proposal instead.”
Then, it would be polite to tell her without stalling.
“Teach me how to DJ.”
Hyunseung looked directly at Ferris, who was staring at him in bewilderment, and added.
“Ideally, it would be nice if you’d let me join you on your stage as well.”
At that, Ferris expressed more than just bewilderment. She looked offended as she retorted.
“That doesn’t sound like a proposal. There’s no benefit for me, so why should I engage in such a losing trade?”
I prepared something, knowing you’d say that.
“Then, how about this?”
Hyunseung took a USB drive out of his pocket and placed it on the table.
“What is this?”
He threw the bait that Ferris would likely want the most, and need the most, given her current situation.
“It’s a USB containing beat samples I created.”
Just by looking at her shaking pupils, he was certain she would take the bait.
“I don’t think you’d be losing anything with this. What do you think?”
A triumphant smile played across Hyunseung’s face.
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