#61

I, who had no particular knowledge of music, felt that all the songs were good. However, the faces of the people sitting around me changed moment by moment with each song they listened to.

And the peak of that change came when the last of the prepared guide songs began to play. The lyrics spoke of loneliness wandering in the middle of winter, eventually finding a new spring. The dry and heavy melody gradually became fresher and warmer. Even I, someone ignorant of music, couldn’t help but lift my head in surprise at how good the song was.

As the final guide song ended, everyone began to write their evaluations with serious expressions. Then, Team Leader Ahn Juhwan set his pen down with a loud click and spoke.

“Is there really any need to write evaluations? It seems like the last song has already been decided.”

At Ahn Juhwan’s bold remark, the people in the meeting room started murmuring. Though they tried to appear indifferent, their gazes subtly shifted toward Secretary Sung Yoojun, who was in charge of the album, and me, the final decision-maker.

“What do you think, sir?”

At Secretary Sung Yoojun’s question, I slowly scanned the people gathered in the meeting room. Everyone seemed to agree with Ahn Juhwan’s opinion. Finally, I stopped my gaze on Tartarus, the ones who would be performing the chosen song, and carefully observed their expressions.

Fortunately, none of them looked displeased. On the contrary, they seemed excited and eager. Seeing their expressions, I became convinced that this song would work well as the title track.

“Sounds good. If everyone is fine with it, let’s go with the last song as the title track.”

As soon as I made my decision, the atmosphere in the meeting room became electrified. Everyone’s faces lit up with excitement as they started discussing what needed to be done next. Watching my employees in such high spirits, I felt satisfied. Then, I noticed Ahn Juhwan, raising his hand while staring straight at me.

“Team Leader Ahn Juhwan?”

He looked like he had something to say, so I called his name. The lively discussion among the employees quickly quieted down, and all eyes turned to Ahn Juhwan. Being the center of attention like this could be overwhelming, but he seemed unfazed as he spoke.

“President. The choreography team has a suggestion.”

“Yes. Please, go ahead.”

“We’d like our main dancer to participate in creating the choreography for this title track. What do you think?”

I couldn’t help but show a surprised expression at Team Leader Ahn Juhwan’s suggestion. Naturally, my gaze shifted toward Tartarus’ main dancer, Lee Daon. Slouching in his chair, he frowned with a look of reluctance.

“……Well. I think this is something where his opinion should be respected.”

No matter how I thought about it, this wasn’t a decision I could make on my own. So, I left it to the person directly involved. At that, Team Leader Ahn Juhwan rolled his eyes and looked at Lee Daon.

Their gazes met in midair. Both remained silent, staring at each other. The first to speak was Team Leader Ahn Juhwan.

“Let’s do it together.”

“I don’t want to.”

A short suggestion was met with an equally short refusal. At Lee Daon’s firm rejection, Team Leader Ahn Juhwan slammed his palm on the table and jumped to his feet.

“Ah, come on!! Let’s do it together!! I’ve wanted to work with you ever since I saw you in Party Time!”

Party Time? That sounded familiar. Where had I heard that before? Feeling a vague sense of recognition, I rubbed my chin with my fingers, trying to recall. Just then, Secretary Sung Yoojun leaned slightly toward me and whispered in a small voice.

“It’s the name of the dance competition show Lee Daon-ssi participated in during Tartarus’ early debut days.”

“Oh, the one he won……”

Hearing Sung Yoojun’s explanation, my memory finally clicked into place. No wonder it sounded familiar—I had seen it in the list of programs Tartarus had appeared on. If I remembered correctly, Lee Daon had won with an outstanding performance. It seemed Ahn Juhwan had been captivated by his skills after watching that show.

“Come on, let’s see the skills of our famous genius, Daon.”

“No.”

“Please, just once? Huh? To be honest, I joined this company because I heard you were coming. My dream was to work with you.”

Oh, so that’s why he joined.

I unexpectedly learned about a company employee’s motivation for joining during this conversation, and I watched the exchange between Team Leader Ahn Juhwan and Lee Daon with an intrigued expression.

“They say even the wishes of the dead should be granted, so why is it so hard to grant a living person’s wish?”

“I have no intention of granting anyone’s wishes, whether they’re dead or alive.”

“Instead of just rejecting it outright, at least think about it.”

Hearing Ahn Juhwan’s disappointed tone, Lee Daon quietly shut his mouth. It seemed he was actually considering whether to do it or not.

“……I thought about it seriously, but I still don’t want to.”

After a long silence, another rejection slipped through Lee Daon’s lips. Ahn Juhwan had been watching him expectantly, hoping for a different answer, but his face fell instantly.

“Wait, are you serious……?”

“I mean, I can’t do it.”

“What?”

“I can’t choreograph the title track.”

Not won’t, but can’t? Lee Daon’s unusual wording stirred murmurs throughout the meeting room. I, too, was taken aback. Was there some kind of problem? Worried, I studied Lee Daon’s expression. He glanced at me briefly before lowering his gaze and continuing.

“It’s the title track. The expectations behind it, the amount of money at stake—what if I participate and the result turns out bad? I don’t think I can handle that responsibility.”

Ah…… right. What might seem like an opportunity to some could feel like an overwhelming burden to others. I understood why he was rejecting Ahn Juhwan’s proposal. But Ahn Juhwan still seemed unwilling to give up.

“You just have to do it like you did in Party Time. You were amazing back then.”

“That was different. If I messed up back then, I just got eliminated from a competition. But if I mess up now, it could directly impact the group’s popularity.”

“But……”

“I’m not confident I can do it well. So I can’t do it.”

Seeing Lee Daon’s firm stance, Team Leader Ahn Juhwan pressed his lips together in dissatisfaction. However, his gaze toward Lee Daon remained intense, making it clear to me that he wasn’t giving up—this was merely a tactical retreat before advancing again.

Looks like Daon is in for some trouble for a while…… Feeling a bit sorry for him, I decided to offer some support and carefully spoke up.

“Team Leader Ahn, you’re free to propose a collaboration, but you do understand that choreography ultimately falls under the dance team’s responsibilities, and Daon-ssi isn’t obligated to participate, right?”

“……Yes.”

“And I trust that you also understand that persuasion should remain just that—persuasion, and not coercion.”

“Yes. Understood.”

I had meant for my words to serve as a warning, reminding Ahn Juhwan that he could try to convince Lee Daon but should be mindful not to cross the line into pressuring him. His response reassured me that he got the message. I then spoke again.

“It seems like the general meeting is over. It would be best for the remaining discussions to take place among the relevant team members only.”

Looking around the room as I spoke, I saw the employees who were no longer needed for the next part of the meeting begin to rise from their seats. Since I also had no reason to stay, I stood up along with them and turned toward Secretary Sung Yoojun.

“Then, I’ll leave things to you, Secretary Sung.”

“Yes. Please don’t worry about anything here—I’ll take care of it.”

His dependable words brought a faint smile to my lips. I then exchanged a brief nod with Tartarus and Manager Ahn Siwon before making my way out of the meeting room.

“President.”

As soon as I stepped outside, I was met by Secretary Jung Minjae, who had recently been assisting me due to Sung Yoojun’s busy schedule. His face looked unusually tense, which made me tilt my head in curiosity.

“Secretary Jung? Is something wrong?”

Was he feeling unwell? Or had something urgent come up? As I ran through the possibilities in my mind, he spoke words I hadn’t expected.

“President, Rep. Oh Hahyun contacted us 30 minutes ago.”

“……Who?”

“Rep. Oh Hahyun.”

Why would that person be reaching out now? The sudden contact didn’t sit well with me, and my expression must have shown it.

“What did she say?”

“She asked if you’d be available for dinner tonight. If you’re unavailable, she’d like you to suggest a convenient date, as she’s willing to visit in person.”

Hearing Secretary Jung Minjae’s words, I let out a quiet hum, tilting my head slightly. Given that I still didn’t fully understand the connection between Goo Won in the game and Rep. Oh Hahyun, the idea of meeting her left me feeling uneasy.

But I couldn’t avoid her forever.