#60

It was such a confident answer that all my worries vanished in an instant. It made me think, ‘Well, if they’re that sure of themselves, they’ll handle it just fine, right?’ It was a bit of a strange feeling, but since the experts were so certain, I figured the right move was to trust them. So, I quietly signed the final concept approval document.

With the concept decided, the previously stagnant album production began progressing without any obstacles. The composers on the producing team started working on the title track as well as the songs for the album, while the teams involved in the album production and promotions gathered to finalize the overall schedule.

The detailed schedule would likely undergo some adjustments, but having a set comeback date made it feel more real. I could clearly see the company getting busier.

With the comeback date officially set, Tartarus also started getting busy. Even though neither the song nor the choreography had been finalized, Manager Ahn Siwon insisted that they needed to start dieting and skincare in advance. So, under his guidance, they began regularly visiting the gym and the dermatologist. Of course, diet control was a given.

To me, they all looked painfully thin already—where exactly were they supposed to lose weight from? I quietly voiced my concerns about their health, but all I received in return was Ahn Siwon’s sharp rejection. Apparently, it was an unavoidable part of being an idol.

In the end, I lost to Ahn Siwon’s logic and could no longer interfere with their diet. All I could do was try not to eat anything in front of the dieting members.

As those relatively ordinary—at least by our standards—days continued, the producing team finally reported back. They had completed several guide tracks and wanted us to evaluate them.

Excited by the news, all the department heads involved in the album production and Tartarus gathered in one place.

“President!”

As I entered the meeting room at the scheduled time, Manager Ahn Siwon, who had arrived earlier, greeted me with a bright smile and approached me.

“Manager Ahn.”

As I responded to his call, he stopped about two steps away from me and stared intently at my face. Wondering what he was doing, I returned his gaze, only for him to lower his voice and whisper.

“You look like you’ve lost some weight. Have you been eating properly?”

Lost weight? I blinked in confusion at his words.

Hmm…… Meals…… Now that I thought about it, I had been skipping meals more often lately. I was never the type to eat regularly to begin with, and the only reason I had been eating properly before was thanks to Secretary Sung Yoojun’s meticulous care. But now that he had gotten busier, I had naturally drifted away from regular meals. Still, I didn’t think I had been eating so little that I would actually lose weight……

Thinking that, I hesitantly opened my mouth to defend myself.

“……I’ve been eating well.”

“Sir, do you know that you’re really bad at lying?”

Feeling guilty, I couldn’t help but flinch at Ahn Siwon’s firm words and quickly averted my gaze. Hearing a loud sigh, I turned back to see him shaking his head in exasperation.

“Tartarus is the one on a strict regimen, but you’re the one losing weight. That’s an interesting phenomenon.”

“I haven’t been skipping meals that much.”

“Oh, really? Then what about what Madam told me? She said you’ve been skipping meals often and even when you do eat, you’re eating much less than before. She’s really worried about you.”

Wait, since when were Manager Ahn Siwon and the housekeeper talking to each other?

If anyone knew my eating habits best, it was, without a doubt, the housekeeper in charge of meals and household chores. And if she had said that, then I really had no way to argue. I was completely cornered.

What should I do now……?

After a brief moment of consideration, I let out a small sigh and chose the best course of action in this situation.

“I’ll make sure to eat properly from now on, so don’t worry too much.”

Being honest and promising to improve.

Fortunately, my straightforward approach seemed to work, as Manager Ahn Siwon’s expression softened slightly.

“Honestly, if you took care of yourself as well as you take care of Tartarus, that would be ideal.”

“I’ll try my best.”

With my obedient response, his intensity finally subsided. Taking the opportunity, I patted his shoulder a couple of times and quickly moved to sit beside Secretary Sung Yoojun.

I saw Manager Ahn Siwon pout in dissatisfaction at my quick escape, but for the sake of my well-being, I decided to pretend not to notice.

“You managed to escape quite well.”

“You knew? Then why didn’t you help me?”

“I thought refraining from scolding you myself was help enough.”

As soon as I sat down, Sung Yoojun’s teasing voice reached my ears. I narrowed my eyes and gave him a displeased look, only for him to smirk and say,

“This wouldn’t have happened if you had just eaten properly.”

That was an undeniable fact, but…… something about it annoyed me.

Frowning slightly, I was about to protest when he suddenly reached out and gently smoothed the crease between my brows. Startled by the unexpected touch, I widened my eyes and stared at him. He parted his lips as if to say something.

“Your expression—”

“President.”

But before he could finish, a hand holding a coffee cup suddenly intruded between us. Startled, Sung Yoojun naturally withdrew his hand from my face.

“Here, have this.”

The one holding out the cup was Jung Hosu.

Unlike the usual takeout cups from cafes, it was a porcelain coffee cup.

“Did you make this yourself?”

“……Yes.”

I had only asked on a whim, but after a short pause, he gave an affirmative response. Feeling a mix of surprise and gratitude, I stared at the cup for a moment before looking up at him.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

At my soft words of gratitude, Jung Hosu gave a slow nod before turning and walking back to his seat. Watching him leave, I picked up the coffee cup and brought it close to my lips.

Since I wasn’t good with hot drinks, I instinctively blew on it to cool it down. But the cup wasn’t as hot as I had expected. Curious, I cautiously took a sip, only to find that the coffee was already at the perfect drinking temperature.

……Did he cool it down on purpose, knowing I couldn’t handle hot drinks?

As I stared at the cup, lost in thought, Sung Yoojun muttered beside me.

“Oh dear, this is a bit concerning……”

“Hmm? What is?”

“Nothing much. Just that something rather unwelcome is happening. I think you should be a little more on guard.”

For someone as composed as Sung Yoojun to say he was nervous…… That was quite the unusual combination.

“Does it taste good?”

“Oh…… Yes. It’s delicious. The temperature is just right too.”

With that, I took another sip of the coffee. By the time I had finished enjoying the perfectly warm and sweet drink, the meeting room had quieted down. It seemed that everyone had arrived.

The leader of the producing team, Lee Heonseung, stood up and cleared his throat. As soon as he did, the already quiet room became completely silent. With a satisfied look, he spoke.

“First of all, thank you all for coming. As previously mentioned, we’re here today to evaluate the guide tracks. Our composing team has put their all into creating these guide songs, so please listen carefully and share your thoughts. The evaluation will be conducted as a blind test, so don’t feel too pressured.”

“What if all the songs turn out to be bad?”

As soon as Team Leader Lee Heonseung finished speaking, dance team leader Ahn Juhwan raised his hand and asked.

It was the kind of question that could have been taken the wrong way, but Team Leader Lee Heonseung simply smirked.

“Then we’ll scrap them all and commission external composers.”

Though his words were casual, his confidence made it clear that such an outcome was out of the question. Seeing that, I grew curious and excited.

“Then, let’s begin with the first song.”

With a brief announcement, Team Leader Lee Heonseung pressed the play button, and the first guide track began playing through the speakers.