Chapter 194. Staking Everything On The Line… (2)

Unlike when he released his previous albums, Kim JaeHoon didn’t participate in many events this time.
This was a complete contrast to the days he had very little sleep when he first joined World Entertainment.
However, this didn’t mean that Kim JaeHoon played around all day.

“On my dull heart–”

Inside the empty concert hall of Lunas, he was busy practicing for his concert.
From the moment he heard about the concert from KangYoon, he immediately started practicing. Although the venue was a little too large to be used by himself, his thick voice filled the concert hall.

“……”

KangYoon, who was seated in the audience seat, watched as he practiced.

‘Looks like he’s excited.’

KangYoon picked up his pen and wrote down many things regarding Kim JaeHoon.
From his physical condition to the things he thought he needed, as well as ideas. His notes were filled with ink.
This was the first personal-scale concert by World Entertainment. It was also the first concert for Kim JaeHoon after many years. It was natural for him to take every little detail into consideration.

“I hope you stay happy–”

The voice faded out.
After the song ended, the blinding white light in KangYoon’s vision also died down.

“Phew.”
“Thanks for that.”

When KangYoon applauded lightly, Kim JaeHoon heaved a deep breath before sitting down on the spot.

“Was that okay?”
“Yeah. It was alright. How are you feeling right now?”
“I’m great. My voice is good and…”
“Don’t push yourself too far. We have a lot of time so don’t be in a hurry, alright?”

KangYoon warned Kim JaeHoon several times, worried that something may happen.
Hearing that, Kim JaeHoon smiled and nodded.

“You don’t have to worry about me. Do you think I’d miss such a good chance because I pushed myself too far?”
“You strain your voice too much when you’re excited. Anyway, don’t practice for more than 5 hours a day.”
“…Isn’t that too little?”

The president was telling him off for doing too much… before Kim JaeHoon could say anything, KangYoon shook his head.

“I get that you’re excited for this, but we’re doing an endurance race here. I’d be in a difficult position if you think that the 2 concerts we’re doing now are the end of it. If the reactions are good, we’re going on a country-wide concert tour. You can’t push yourself too hard from the get-go, right?”

A country-wide tour.
Hearing the ultimate objective, Kim JaeHoon’s eyes shone and nodded his head.

“…Okay, boss.”
“You only call me boss at times like these, huh.”

KangYoon stood up with a smile and patted Kim JaeHoon on the shoulders.

“Since we’re doing this. Let’s go all the way to Jejudo, yeah? Let’s do a world tour next time, too. How about it?”
“Hahaha. Okay. I’ll believe you.”

A world tour.
Hearing a dream-like objective, Kim JaeHoon started practicing again with motivation.
After clearing up things, KangYoon quietly left the hall.

‘It’s dark already.’

When he looked outside, the sky was already darkening.
He was about to leave thinking that he should go home early today when he came across the manager for the place.
He briefly spoke with the manager.

“Is someone in the practice room right now?”

Hearing KangYoon’s question, the manager thought for a moment before replying.

“MinAh came during the day and she should be practicing now as well. She’s an amazing girl. She never stops practicing even though it’s her rest period right now.”
“Hm….”

She practiced more than any other member of her team. The manager wasn’t praising her for nothing.
KangYoon looked up towards the practice room.

“You want to visit her? She should be practicing right now.”

Hearing that, KangYoon walked upstairs.
As the manager had said, he saw Jung MinAh still practicing.

“Ahjussi?”
“Oops, looks like I’ve interfered.”

Seeing Jung MinAh shocked, KangYoon made a difficult expression.

“Ah, d… don’t look!”

She seemed embarrassed by the fact that her make-up was erased due to all the sweat as she covered her face with a towel and left the practice room.

“She wasn’t like that before…”

KangYoon laughed before sitting down. Jung MinAh came back soon.
She had changed her clothes and even put on some new make-up.

“…You’ve transformed.”
“Transformed? This is the usual me.”
“Sure. I heard that women and make-up are of one mind and body.”
“…What?”

Jung MinAh glared at KangYoon.

“Oops, looks like I’ve interfered with your practice. I should have just gone home…”

She wasn’t like this when she was with the other members.
He was about to speak to her about getting dinner together when his phone suddenly started ringing.

“Excuse me for a sec. Hello? Who… Oh? HyeMi?”

KangYoon’s tone of voice became high as he was in a pleasant mood.

‘…Who’s that?’

Jung MinAh’s eyes narrowed hearing a woman’s name.

– Wow, your number hasn’t changed. Oppa, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?
“Indeed, it has been. How long has it been? I think it’s been more than 6 years, no?”
– It’s probably more than that. I guess we met about twice after I moved companies. And we only met briefly at that. Oh, oppa, do you have some time right now?”
“Right now?”

Now?
KangYoon blinked his eyes several times.

“You’re as direct as ever.”
– Hahaha. Only you can say that about me. Anyway, I’m at a charity restaurant right now, so I wanted to see you.
“A charity restaurant?”
– Well, do good things here, eat together and all. I think it’s a good opportunity.

It was rather sudden, but it didn’t seem that bad.
When he asked about the location, it turned out it was a 10-minute drive by car.
KangYoon told her that he’d call back after asking the person with him before hanging up.

“MinAh. Have you eaten dinner?”
“Not yet. What is it?”
“Actually…”

KangYoon told her about the charity restaurant. Hearing that, Jung MinAh thought for a moment before nodding.

“It’s a good thing we’re doing. But my clothes aren’t really that good today. Will that be alright?”
“I think you just need to fix your make-up a little.”
“…Sheesh, you really don’t understand a lady’s mind. Even though you’re a God at music…”
“What?”

Is it so hard to say ‘you’re pretty.’?
When KangYoon tilted his head, Jung MinAh pouted.
However, she grabbed KangYoon’s hand.

“Let’s go then. I’m hungry.”
“MinAh.”
“Quickly.”
“O, okay.”

KangYoon felt that he had triggered her in a wrong way and left Lunas feeling rather weird.

***

There were over 10 empty soju bottles rolling around in Lee ChaHee’s small apartment.
Lee HyunAh was in the middle of those bottles and was smiling towards Lee ChaHee with a rather vacant expression.

“Nyahahahahaha.”
“HyunAh, stop drinking.”
“It’s fine. It’s fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine~.”

Lee HyunAh was the one who drank most of those ten bottles and was holding another bottle in her hand, and Lee ChaHee tried to take the bottle away from her.
However, they say a drunk person is quite strong.
Lee HyunAh drank straight from the bottle.

“Oh yeah.”
“…HyunAh. Stop already.”
“It’s fine, I saaaaaaaay.”

Like that, there was another empty bottle.
Lee ChaHee heaved a deep sigh. Seeing that, Lee HyunAh spoke with a sad expression.

“…ChaHee. You knoooow? I’m reeeeeaally sad right now. Just why did a pwetty girl like me get rwejected? Heheh.”
“…Because you’re like this.”
“You’re rwight… you’re… heheheheh.”

Lee HyunAh laughed. She had no control over herself.
Although she acted cool on the outside, it wasn’t easy to shake off her feelings. Lee ChaHee shook her head.

“Y’know~? I eben made a song abwout it! I did!”
“…Yes, yes. Good girl.”
“Hey! Jus’ look! Loook,, ergh…”

Lee HyunAh took out a score from her bag and waved it around in the air before collapsing.

“…Sheesh. She acted like she was alright, but it doesn’t seem like she’s alright at all. Anyway, I’ll make you pay tomorrow…”

Glaring at her friend, Lee ChaHee moved her to a safe place that was her bed.
She also picked up the score scattered across the floor.

‘What score is this?’

She looked at the score out of curiosity, but the more she looked, the more shocked she became.
She took out a guitar even though her friend was sleeping right now.

‘…Whoa!?’

The melody and the lyrics were very poetic.
Lee ChaHee could not hide her shock as this music was completely different to the songs they did until now.

***

A popular tonkatsu restaurant in Yeonnam dong. This place wasn’t far from Lunas.
KangYoon and Jung MinAh found a place where many people had lined up.

“It looks like that place.”

Jung MinAh pointed forward.
She saw numerous cameras and other video equipment, as well as female celebrities giving out waiting number tickets while wearing maid uniforms.

“Wait, this is on camera?”

KangYoon stopped his footsteps. Although he came here since he heard that it was for charity, it would be a different story if this was going to be on camera.
Moreover, he was here with Jung MinAh alone. It was the perfect situation for people to misunderstand.
However, Jung MinAh urged KangYoon on as though it was nothing much.

“Who cares? You’re a famous composer and we were invited here too.”
“I really don’t want misunderstandings like this.”
“Ah, sheesh.”

Jung MinAh grabbed KangYoon’s hand before dragging him into the middle of those people.
KangYoon was surprised, but when he came to, he was in the middle of the crowd.
Soon, a lady wearing a maid uniform approached them.

“Aren’t you… MinAh-seonbae-nim from Eddios?”
“Are you JooHye?”

When Jung MinAh acted as she knew her, the girl took a 90-degree bow. Her name was JooHye and she was from the group Coinell, who recently had their debut.

“Hello! Seonbae-nim. Were you invited here?”
“Yeah. JooHye, you’re on this program?”
“Ah, yes. Oh, you must be Muse… Hello.”
“Hello.”

KangYoon greeted her as well.
The people lining up started murmuring amongst themselves while looking at Jung MinAh and Lee KangYoon. They especially seemed to be surprised at how Jung MinAh looked in real life.
They were guided inside the restaurant as ‘special guests’.
When they entered, the girl that called KangYoon, Lee HyeMi, came out to greet them. She was wearing an apron and hugged KangYoon as soon as she saw him.

“Oppa! It’s been such a long time! Oh, my dear oppa!”
“HyeMi, long time no see! It’s been a while.”

KangYoon patted Lee HyeMi on the back before pushing her off lightly.

‘Wh, wh, wh… wha… wha…! What is that girl!”

Jung MinAh’s eyes turned vicious in an instant.
Regardless, Lee HyeMi grabbed KangYoon’s hands and spoke excitedly.

“I didn’t know you didn’t change your number for 8 years! It’s so nice to see you. I thought you forgot about me since we haven’t seen each other for so long. You’re really careless, you know?”
“No way. How could I forget about you after all that?”
“Hahaha. Sit down then. I’ll cook you up something nice.”

Lee HyeMi had KangYoon sit in the best seat. Jung MinAh’s face stiffened as she felt she was ignored.
At that moment, one man approached KangYoon. It was Yoo DaeJoon, the main host for the charity program ‘Friday Night’.
After politely greeting him, he asked KangYoon about Lee HyeMi’s connection with the famous composer Muse.
KangYoon thought for a moment before replying.

“I used to take care of her as her manager. She was still new back then.”
“Oh, new, huh? How was she back then? Was she as unruly as she is now?”

When Lee HyeMi glared at Yoo DaeJoon with her fist raised, many people burst out laughing.
As KangYoon and Lee HyeMi seemed to be on close terms, Jung MinAh’s innards boiled.

‘This man… really…’

Since there was a camera recording them, it felt like torture for her. Moreover, that woman didn’t leave at all.
Like that, the girl named HyeMi went back to the kitchen after 10 minutes of hanging around.

“It’s nice to see her after all this time.”
“……”
“MinAh, what is it?”
“What? What about me?”

Jung MinAh replied with a nonchalant face, but KangYoon asked again in confusion.

“Do you not feel well? Your expression isn’t that good.”
‘It’s because of you!’

However, she did not speak those words.

“It’s nothing. Ah, I’m hungry. President, what are we eating today?”
“Let’s have a look at the menu then, shall we?”

Not seeming to notice how Jung MinAh felt, KangYoon nonchalantly read down the menu.

***

A hotel in Shanghai, China.

“Thank you for all your work.”

Min JinSeo waved her hand at manager Kim JooHwan in the hotel lobby.

“Thank you for your work, JinSeo. You worked really hard today.”
“…It’s my usual job.”

Min JinSeo sighed.
She had a continuous string of shoots to attend to for 3 days straight and most of them required her to shoot through the night as well. She could only return to the hotel late afternoon so manager Kim JooHwan felt bitter about her expression of words.

“…Tell me if you need anything.”
“Okay. You should rest too, oppa.”

Min JinSeo rarely asked for anything. Manager Kim JooHwan looked at her with pity.
Inside the suite, Min JinSeo, who had just come out of the shower, looked down at the night city of Shanghai.

‘…It’s dark.’

Now, she no longer felt anything about the night view.
She took out a can of coffee from the refrigerator and sat in front of the computer. Although she didn’t usually surf the web, she started searching one term starting some time ago.

– World Entertainment

When she entered the term on the web portal, many articles started…

‘Hm? What’s this?’

Usually, most of the articles were about how an artist from World Entertainment took first place in charts, but today, those articles weren’t seen anywhere and a strange article entered her eyes.

– MinAh of Eddios (World Entertainment) and Composer Muse. A pink-colored date between the president and employee?
– World Entertainment; MinAh and Muse’s public date?
‘Date?’

Usually articles with question marks in the title weren’t to be trusted.
However, she found it strange that the two people were mentioned on the same line.

– MinAh of Eddios and Composer Muse of World Entertainment appeared in a charity restaurant for ‘Friday Night’. The two showed a close relationship between employer and employee through a meal, and…
‘Haa?’

The article wasn’t anything special.
Unlike the title, it wasn’t anything like a scandal. The article mostly emphasized the friendship between the president and the artist.
However, something DID get on her mind…

‘Wh, why is that unni grabbing his hand!?’

Jung MinAh was grabbing KangYoon’s hand and was making a V with the other hand in a photo.