#9. The Man Makes His Move

Sunday noon at MH Entertainment.

In a worn-down alley in the old downtown district between Nakseongdae and Sadang, faint music echoed today as well from an aged five-story building.

Perhaps because it was Sunday, a larger crowd of young schoolgirls than usual had gathered outside. Judging by the cheering props and handmade banners held tightly in their hands, there was no doubt a hot celebrity was somewhere inside.

Their high-pitched cheers filled the narrow alleyway, making it bloom with the lively energy of cherry blossoms.

The entrance sign, crafted from sleek polished metal that felt entirely out of place against the crumbling building, plausibly read MH Entertainment. Parked tightly against the building were two customized luxury conversion vans.

Up on the fifth floor sat the CEO's office, every bit as shabby as the building's exterior. The only element that felt completely out of place was a ridiculously handsome man, comfortably leaning back on the sofa with his legs crossed, gazing casually out the window.

Even though the man was significantly younger than Ma-ho, his mere presence made Ma-ho tense up, his palms sweating under the crushing pressure.

Tae-ha's aura was as sharp and cold as winter frost. He possessed a natural talent for making others bow their heads without ever raising his voice or making a dramatic move.

He was Tae-ha, the ultimate power behind this company.

Of course, if even the slightest thing went wrong, Tae-ha had the power to tear this entire building and company down to the ground in a single breath, which gave Ma-ho plenty of reason to walk on eggshells around him.

Granted, Tae-ha was far too refined to do such a reckless thing, but he was still someone who thought nothing of tossing around tens of millions of dollars.

In fact, it was only because Tae-ha had poured tens of millions in investments into this rundown building purely out of personal interest, treating it like pocket change for a hobby, that the staff here had managed to avoid being thrown out onto the streets.

The moment Tae-ha sat on the sofa, the air froze. Seeing that Tae-ha didn't look to be in a good mood, Ma-ho carefully read the room.

"Tae-ha, you've been dropping by quite often lately."

"To take care of something."

Ma-ho, the figurehead CEO of the company, quickly snatched a bottle of iced coffee Tae-ha usually drank from the mini-fridge and set it before him, offering an anxious, pleasing smile.

Dressed in simple jeans, a sweatshirt, and a casual jacket, Tae-ha looked like he had stepped straight out of a high-fashion photo shoot. Leaning forward from the sofa, he twisted open the bottle and took a slow sip.

"Tae-ha, what about the tracks for Drama Season 2?"

"Done."

"Wow! You really are incredible. The male lead's theme, the opening, and ending tracks you wrote for Drama Season 1 OST all swept the top 10 on the music charts!"

Still unresponsive and expressionless, this pale, striking man who looked like an exquisitely carved sculpture kept his eyes fixed on the view outside the window.

Ma-ho sat upright on the sofa and subtly dropped a comment he hoped might catch Tae-ha's interest.

"Why don't you try working things out with Shin again?"

At that moment, a strange light flickered in Tae-ha's empty eyes.

A surge of intense, dark emotion swirled inside his dark irises as he cast his gaze far into the distance.

"Forget it."

"I could try contacting her. If we raise her pay..."

"Stop."

The command cut him off so firmly in a single breath. Seeing Tae-ha's icy aura, Ma-ho couldn't utter another word.

No matter how clueless Ma-ho was, he knew pushing any further would be dangerous, so he wisely redirected the conversation.

"JJ Entertainment is going crazy asking you for a track, by the way. Word got out about how fast you work."

"Too much hassle."

Every time Tae-ha's long lashes blinked, Ma-ho's heart skipped a nervous beat. Tae-ha had grown noticeably more sensitive ever since drifting apart from Shin.

"I may only be a figurehead CEO, but I really want to grow our company properly..."

Whether Tae-ha was listening or not, he stared out the window and quietly muttered under his breath.

'Today is the day Shin gets discharged from the hospital.'

Taking a slow sip of coffee to wet his dry throat, he turned his eyes back toward the source of the chatter outside.

= = =

The sound of young girls' laughter reached Tae-ha's ears. Unconsciously walking over to the window, he rested his forehead against the cool glass.

A pleasant, chattering sound. A refreshing, youthful energy.

Although the air was still brisk, feeling as though spring had arrived made the winter chill fade, bringing a crisp, invigorating mood.

Having visited MH Entertainment often these past few days, this alley scenery had become familiar to him, and he comfortably looked down at the surroundings.

When Tae-ha first returned to Seoul after making his fortune abroad, the first thing he had done to prove his success was buy a massive high-rise on Teheran-ro.

Although its market value had risen considerably, the view wasn't anything special. Above all, Shin had felt overwhelmed by Tae-ha's grand success, making it a complete mistake in hindsight.

By contrast, this place, much like the modest building he owned near Hyehwa Station, possessed a warm, human touch tucked away in every narrow alley, making him far more satisfied with this choice.

The passionate, raw lives of ordinary people. The simple satisfaction of looking down from a quiet vantage point at the human side of the city was surprisingly comforting.

Tomorrow, universities across the country would be bustling with orientation days and the buzz of the new semester.

The crowd of girls below the building would probably thin out by morning as well.

As their chatter drifted through the open window like soft white noise, Tae-ha longed for a single clear, beautiful voice.

'Classes start tomorrow.'

Knowing her personality, she was bound to finish her graduation no matter what obstacle stood in her way.

Something had definitely gone wrong on the night of his birthday party. Her expression had been unusually shadowed that day, and she had kept trying to leave early.

And then... that night she gave herself to him as a bittersweet final gift.

Tae-ha could never forget that night.

That was precisely why his heart burned with such a deep, aching pain. Holding her delicate, lovely body in his arms had filled him with an affection so intense that his heart still throbbed at the memory. Yet, before the lingering warmth of their very first night together could even fade, she had vanished into thin air.

He had held her close, comforted her, and begged her to reconsider until dawn. But during one brief moment when he dozed off, Shin had vanished, leaving behind nothing but a raw, tearing pain engraved deep in Tae-ha's chest.

Every single moment Shin had devoted to giving him that night was precious, beautiful, and irreplaceable like a gem.

She must have been clumsy and terrified since it was her first time. How heavy was that word, the last, that she would surrender her entire heart to him, only to disappear for a whole month like that?

Where on earth had she gone?

Why did she run away from him?

When Tae-ha spoke to the university claiming to be Shin's legal guardian, her enrollment was still intact. Relieved that she hadn't taken a leave of absence, he had waited patiently for February 28th.

He remembered what Shin had once told him with conviction: without the belief that promises between people must be kept, one cannot go on breathing in this world.

She had warned Tae-ha in that sweet, soft voice of hers. And the price she demanded for giving him that night as a gift was agonizingly heavy.

'I have to keep the promise.'

As Tae-ha stood by the window lost in thought, Ma-ho approached him with a wide smile while on the phone.

"Tae-ha, let me buy you meat! Manager Bong says it's on him."

"...Too much hassle."

"By the way, how did you get here today anyway? He said he was surprised to see your car parked right in front of a famous meat restaurant in Gangnam."

Tae-ha snapped his head around. "What?"

"Yeah, he said he spotted your car, so he dropped in, and now he says he's standing in line waiting."

Without a moment's hesitation, the words burst out of Tae-ha's mouth.

"I'm going."

Before Ma-ho could even react, Tae-ha was already striding toward the door.