Screeeech!
Daisy spotted the red light too late and slammed on the brakes. Fortunately, the car came to a halt just slightly past the stop line.
“Phew…”
Daisy let out a long breath, clutching her racing heart.
She had been so distracted that she hadn’t even noticed the light change.
The reason her mind had been so far away since her morning commute was…
“I’d like you to put that friend on the Halftime Show stage with me. You can keep the performance fee frozen as it is.”
It was because of the proposal Ferris had made.
“He’s Min Hyunseung, the CEO of UNICE Music Group. Even if he’s the renowned composer HS, would it still be out of the question?”
It was also because that person happened to be the composer HS—no, the CEO of UNICE Music Group.
If that was the case, then artists signed to UNICE Music could also be brought onto the stage.
Specifically, Sarah Stewart, who had flatly rejected the initial invitation to perform.
In truth, what had truly muddled Daisy’s thoughts wasn’t the UNICE brand or the prospect of Sarah Stewart following suit.
“He is an artist who creates and performs music. Above all, the Halftime Show is a place for the artists Americans love most. It’s not a stage exclusively for Americans, is it?”
Those words kept burrowing into her heart.
True.
She had an ambition to completely shake things up by putting Ferris, a DJ, on the Halftime Show stage—a stage that, like an old custom, usually only featured vocalists holding microphones.
However, just as the essence of her ambition was about to be blurred by sheer greed.
It felt as though Ferris had pierced right through to the core of it.
Right.
An artist doesn’t necessarily have to hold a microphone.
And it’s not a stage where only Americans can stand.
Furthermore, as if she had planned it, Ferris had already begun laying the groundwork, so wouldn’t it be fine to just go along with it?
[World-renowned DJ Ferris personally teaching DJing to composer and UNICE CEO ‘Min Hyunseung’.]
[DJ Ferris doing his best to help Min Hyunseung debut as a DJ..]
[Ferris X Min Hyunseung, to perform a joint show at the Super Bowl Halftime Show? Officials say, cannot confirm yet..]
Looking at the articles dominating the main pages of portal sites, Min Hyunseung’s appearance on stage with Ferris was already being treated as a foregone conclusion.
[Come to my office as soon as you get in.]
A message from the director arrived, likely a summons after seeing those articles.
“I was planning to go anyway.”
Daisy muttered to herself in response to the message.
Vrooooom!
She stepped hard on the pedal and hurried to work.
“What on earth is going on!”
As expected, as soon as she opened the door, sheets of paper showered over her face like rain.
Flutter, flutter.
The papers falling to the floor were printouts of the news articles. The reason he had bothered to print these was…
“If you have a mouth, start explaining!”
It must have been so he could throw them in my face. Honestly, the man has no respect for paper. It all costs money.
“That is…”
“Aren’t you going to speak up?!”
The person shouting, not even giving Daisy a chance to speak after she’d just walked in, was…
Owen, the internal director in charge of overall management for the Super Bowl.
“I apologize for letting you encounter this through news reports first. However, those articles were likely released by Ferris’s side. It was a proposal I hadn’t accepted yet.”
“Just get to the point.”
“However, I was just about to contact them to say I accept.”
At Daisy’s added remark, Owen’s eyes widened as he barked back, “What?” As far as Daisy knew, Owen wasn’t asking because he was actually curious about the reason.
“You certainly have a way of spouting absolute nonsense.”
See? I told you he wasn’t asking because he was curious.
He was always like this. He would bark or dismiss things without even listening properly.
And if that didn’t work, he would try to intimidate with words that seemed impossible to defy.
“Why is it nonsense? Recruiting and managing the performing artists is my responsibility.”
“True. But managing and overseeing the entire Super Bowl is my responsibility. Isn’t that right, Daisy?”
See? It’s such a predictable routine that it’s boring.
Normally, Daisy would have flinched at those words and been unable to say anything more.
Because he was right.
No matter how much she was the person in charge, the final decision-making power and personnel evaluation authority all rested with the higher-ups.
To avoid getting on his bad side, she would have stopped here.
But things were different now. For this one moment, she couldn’t stop. That absolute gut feeling called instinct was screaming at her to keep going.
“Even if Min Hyunseung joins the joint stage, the performance fee you previously decided for Ferris will remain frozen. Therefore, I believe this is a matter I can decide on.”
Furthermore, she was confident.
This show…
Would surely go down in history.
“A joint performance with no additional pay?”
“Yes, that’s correct. So, please give your permission.”
Owen looked quite flustered. He surely thought that since the number of people increased, and someone of Min Hyunseung’s stature was involved, the additional costs would be substantial.
And he likely planned to use that as leverage to drag her down.
Owen…
He doesn’t care about wasting paper, but he’s incredibly stingy when it comes to opening his wallet for things like this.
“But as you know, that man is not an artist. No matter how much of a rising figure he is or how much buzz he generates, he is simply a businessman.”
Owen soon continued his rebuttal in a much calmer tone. He had likely switched his method to persuasion.
“Above all, he doesn’t have a career to prove his skills as a DJ, so we can’t put him on stage. It would definitely tarnish the reputation of the Halftime Show.”
He then looked down at Daisy with an expression that said, ‘You understand now, don’t you?’
However, Daisy stood tall and faced Owen head-on without showing any sign of being intimidated.
Then.
“He is an artist who creates and performs music. While his skills as a DJ might be unproven, the House tracks he produced are not only climbing the Billboard charts right now…”
She suddenly thrust her phone screen forward and added.
“…but his songs are reportedly trending in Korea, China, and all over Asia. Wouldn’t you say he has already proven his skills?”
In truth, the content didn’t matter much. Because Daisy was pushing back with such an unusually dignified aura, nothing on the screen was actually registering in Owen’s eyes.
Just then.
With perfect timing, a notification popped up on the phone screen.
Ding!
It was the text message Daisy had been waiting and waiting for.
[If CEO Min Hyunseung is participating, then I will do it as well.]
After reading the text, the corners of Daisy’s mouth curled up in a satisfied smile.
“And just a moment ago, I received word that Sarah Stewart has also accepted the invitation. On the condition, of course, that CEO Min Hyunseung is on stage.”
Finally, she stated her intent with a determined face.
“I intend to make history once again with this Halftime Show. So, please, just don’t stand in my way.”
Just as Owen had done, Daisy wasn’t looking for an answer.
“Then, assuming I have your permission, I’ll be on my way.”
Since she was at it, it was fine to turn her back first for once, rather than being chased out.
Taking the elevator, Joshua pressed the button for the very top floor. That was the floor where the CEO’s office was located.
The speed was incredibly fast.
In the blink of an eye, the elevator doors opened with a ‘ding.’
Thump, thump.
Of course, arriving on the floor didn’t mean he had reached his destination.
The doors to the CEO’s office were always firmly shut, and he had to walk a long way across a sprawling hallway.
Is this the path to the CEO?
The space felt intimidating enough to evoke such a thought.
Portraits of the past CEOs who led UNICE Music Group hung in a row on the walls. It was only after he let out a scoff looking at the most recently added portrait that he reached the door of the CEO’s office.
Knock, knock.
Joshua knocked lightly on the door and loosened his suffocating tie just a fraction.
It was his own small way of rebelling.
The man’s songs had already been released, and the results were quite good. No, they weren’t just good.
According to the news, they were incredibly popular throughout Asia.
His stomach turned the moment he heard it.
But since there was nothing he could do about it now, he was expressing his rebellion in this tiny way.
And he intended to provoke him once more in a small way.
This young CEO who kept trying to leap onto a different path.
“Come in.”
The door opened slightly, and the CEO’s secretary beckoned him in. Joshua followed her inside.
“What brings you here?”
He saw the CEO, who wasn’t even sitting down, shuffling through documents…
No.
He saw Min Hyunseung.
“I came to see you because I have something to discuss.”
Joshua spoke while standing a distance away.
“Hmm…”
Min Hyunseung looked troubled for a moment.
“If it isn’t urgent, could you wait a little bit?”
He asked for understanding in a quite polite tone.
“Sure, I’ll do that.”
Since he was being that polite, Joshua couldn’t exactly say no.
Joshua took a seat on one of the leather sofas in the office and watched Hyunseung out of the corner of his eye.
Honestly, I just don’t like him.
Unlike the previous CEO, Austin, this version of Hyunseung was full of gaps.
From his messy, unkempt hair.
To his crooked shirt collar.
His tie looked like it was about to come undone.
Above all, he had heard rumors that Hyunseung had been going to the practice room every night lately, and those rumors seemed true, given the deep shadows under his eyes.
In short, he looked more like an overworked entry-level employee than a CEO.
Right.
If he were just a low-level employee, Joshua wouldn’t have cared what songs he released or if he performed as a DJ.
But even if the sky were to split in two, this man was currently the CEO of UNICE.
Good grief.
It’s not like there had never been artists among the CEOs who led UNICE Music Group. There were singers and renowned composers. However, as soon as they became CEO, they were faithful to the position.
Instead of microphones or instruments, they held fountain pens and flipped through documents. The current UNICE was the result of those efforts piled up so desperately.
And yet, one young CEO comes in and tries to break that reputation like a sandcastle?
It was so absurd it made him laugh.
Just as Joshua was staring overtly at Hyunseung.
“Michelle, tell them to revise this case and resubmit it…”
Hyunseung caught his secretary, Michelle, and rattled off feedback on the documents he had reviewed. Every now and then, he would squeeze the bridge of his nose and tightly shut his eyes as if his vision were blurring.
Hmm…?
Joshua tilted his head slightly as if he’d seen something strange.
For a very brief moment, he had seen Austin’s image overlap with Hyunseung’s face.
Just then.
Hyunseung closed the folder in his hand and walked toward the sofa where Joshua was sitting.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
He added in a polite tone while adjusting his tie.
“Now, let’s talk.”
Then.
The way he sat in the seat of honor with his legs crossed might have seemed arrogant.
Yet, paradoxically, it also looked fitting for a CEO.
“Ahem!”
Joshua let out a fake cough as if to pull himself together.
“I heard that this time, you’ll be performing as a DJ at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.”
“Did you come here to argue about that?”
Unlike his previous polite demeanor, Hyunseung’s expression changed instantly.
His eyes, carrying a faint sharpness, were directed straight at Joshua.
“I’ve already confirmed with the legal team that there are no regulations stating a CEO cannot perform on stage.”
“Are you confident?”
“You seem to have forgotten the fact that I was a composer before I was a CEO.”
Joshua met Hyunseung’s gaze head-on.
No more words passed between the two, but the air was thick with tension.
Eventually, Joshua, being the first to look away, stood up while brushing his knees.
“Fine. Then I shall look forward to it.”
He then tightened his loosened tie, gave a slight nod, and left the office.
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