Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 302
I smiled at the man who was frowning.
"(So, you came as a representative?)"
"(What?)"
"(They say they only talk about me behind my back. Aren't you here on their behalf?)"
I rolled my eyes and looked him up and down.
As I deliberately moved slowly, the man frowned even more.
"(Whether I came as a representative or not, what does it matter to you?)"
"(Of course it matters. I'm curious. What are you going to do to me now?)"
I smiled brightly at him.
"(You didn't come here just to say what you said earlier, did you?)"
"(...)"
"(Really? Is that all?)"
When I widened my eyes, the man grimaced menacingly.
"(Don't mess with me. If you keep messing with me—)"
"(What are you going to do?)"
"(...)"
The man closed his mouth.
I smiled and repeated the question.
"(What are you going to do? I'm really curious.)"
While delivering a fully mocking statement, I scanned him discreetly this time.
‘There's no way he's carrying something sharp.’
The security at the concert hall was very strict.
You had to pass through various machines like those at airport security to get in here.
‘This guy would be the same.’
There was no way he had a dangerous weapon like a knife or a gun.
At most, he would use his fists.
‘I've practiced enough for today's acting.’
There was no way misfortune would befall me to the point of getting hurt.
Even if something went wrong and I got hurt, it would be beneficial for me to be beaten unilaterally.
The man seemed to know this too, as he hesitated.
"(If you're going to do something, can you do it quickly? I don't have much time.)"
Despite my urging, there was no response.
I slowly tilted my head.
"(Not going to do it?)"
"(...)"
"(Can't do it?)"
The man glared at me, trembling.
But he didn't take any further action.
‘Guess he can't.’
I smirked.
"(Since you're here, can you do me a favor? Tell Noah something for me.)"
"(...)"
"(The original condition was not to get involved with Noah Patterson. It seems Noah didn't understand that.)"
I reached out and grabbed the man's shoulder.
I patted his shoulder as if to calm him down.
"(From now on, even if Noah Patterson doesn't come directly, I'll consider it a breach of contract if I encounter anyone related to Noah. Tell him to be careful if he doesn't want the recording file to be released.)"
"(Recording? What file?)"
The man hesitated.
Perhaps because of the word 'recording file,' he became very cautious.
"(Who knows? Ask Noah directly. You must be close to Noah.)"
"(...)"
"(Then, goodbye. It was nice meeting you.)"
After letting go of the man's shoulder, I flicked my fingers irritably.
As if I had touched something dirty.
The man frowned in humiliation, but I turned sideways regardless.
"(Mia, are you hungry?)"
"(Huh? What?)"
"(Do you want more sandwiches? My manager got more.)"
"(Well, um...)"
Mia glanced sideways, looking wary.
I followed her gaze.
"(...?)"
The man was still standing there.
Raising my lips, I asked kindly if he had something to say.
The man's face turned red and then blue.
‘He's going to explode.’
The man took a deep breath through his nose and then turned around and ran down the hallway.
I watched him with a blank expression.
"(Bambi.)"
I felt a weak touch on my arm.
When I turned my head, Mia was looking at me with a worried expression.
"(Do you have any sense left?)"
What?
I frowned, wondering what she was talking about.
‘Ah.’
Realizing what Mia was worried about, I quickly smiled.
"(Yes. Don't worry. I'm not very angry.)"
"(Thank goodness. I thought you lost your mind like last time.)"
"(Haha, no matter how angry I am, I can't do that this time.)"
I laughed and winked.
Following my gaze, Mia looked towards Han Ha-ram.
"(If I lose my temper, who will take care of him?)"
I couldn't be irresponsible without a guardian.
When I shrugged, Mia shook her head.
"(Sigh, my heart hurts every time I'm with you. We haven't met many times, but something happens every time.)"
"(I'm curious too. But can you not tell my manager? It'll be a disaster if he runs away.)"
When I spoke half-jokingly, half-seriously, Mia looked exasperated.
"(I think you don't get it. You're the one who needs to run away.)"
"(What?)"
"(Never mind, never mind. Why am I even saying this?)"
Mia shook her head and swiftly entered the room.
I followed her in, but glanced down the hallway for a moment.
My cold gaze lingered in the empty corridor.
* * *
Finally, Lily's concert began.
'There are so many people.'
It was my first time at a concert, and it was much bigger than I had imagined.
The spacious venue was packed with people.
And all those countless people were fervently shouting one person's name.
"(Lily!!!)"
Every time the song changed, every time Lily turned her body, every time the lights passed by, cheers erupted.
I looked around, fascinated by the people shouting with already hoarse voices.
'Don't their throats hurt?'
Of course, I applied that question to the person on my left as well.
"(Lily, my goddess!! I love you!!!)"
Mia shouted with an excited face.
Looking only at her face, one might mistake her for someone at a boxing match, not a concert.
'It's fascinating.'
It was amazing.
All it took was one person appearing on stage.
Many people in the audience lost their composure and got carried away by the atmosphere.
'Does Biyeon like me this much too?'
The air was hot with the fervor of the people.
The excited atmosphere showed no signs of calming down.
"(I love you too!!)"
Lily on stage looked happy as well.
Her eyes sparkled.
I suddenly thought that I might look like that when I watched Byeon.
'If this wide space were filled with Byeon....'
It wasn't until my vague imagination spread that I finally understood what Mia had said.
The saying that one could die without regret.
I wondered how happy one had to be to use such a phrase, but this must be it.
'Her stage presence is very natural.'
Despite her excited expression, Lily took control of the stage with ease.
I watched as she moved around the stage, paying attention to the audience in various directions.
The sense of presence that could only be felt in a live performance, not from a recording.
I observed how a veteran with over ten years of debut experience handled the stage.
I was meticulously analyzing her gaze, expression, and posture.
"Yeon-jae."
Han Ha-ram whispered in my ear.
"Thank you for bringing me."
His voice was so low it tickled my ear.
Suppressing the urge to rub my ear, I leaned in and whispered into his ear as well.
"Thank you too."
"For what?"
"For coming with me."
When I deliberately whispered softly like him, Han Ha-ram giggled.
His eyes sparkled as he looked at me.
As if I was the only one in Han Ha-ram's world.
* * *
After the concert ended successfully.
We moved to the after-party location that Lily had pre-arranged.
"(Bambi! Mia! You came!)"
As soon as we entered the upscale venue, Lily ran towards us.
Still excited from the concert, she seemed elated.
"(Thank you so much for coming! Oh my, who's this cute gentleman?)"
"(This is my close friend, Luke.)"
"(Hello, Luke. I'm Lily.)"
"(Hi....)"
Han Ha-ram, shy but determined, shook hands with Lily firmly.
While Lily was momentarily distracted, Han Ha-ram whispered to me.
"(I just shook hands with Lily Sweety!)"
"(Did you? Good for you.)"
"(Yes!!)"
His face lit up with excitement as he stomped his feet.
Perhaps because he was American, Han Ha-ram seemed to react more enthusiastically to foreign celebrities like Jim Fury and Lily Sweety.
'Even though he treats Jung-hyun hyung like a piece of furniture at our house.'
His contrasting attitude amused me.
The after-party venue was also crowded with people.
Perhaps because of the unfamiliar faces around us, Han Ha-ram stuck close to me, and I patted his back.
"(Bambi, I'm sorry. Whew, it's chaotic.)"
After finishing her conversation with someone else, Lily approached us again.
"(It's okay. Today is Lily's day. If you're busy, we can talk later.)"
"(No, the really busy part is over. Oh, right. Tom couldn't make it today because of his schedule.)"
"(Yes, I got the message yesterday.)"
"(I just heard. Did he contact you separately?)"
Lily pouted.
"(You two must have gotten close while recording. Does he still know you haven't shown him my song? That jerk.)"
"(Haha.)"
I responded to her grumbling with laughter.
Following my laughter, Lily cautiously broached the subject.
"(Speaking of which, about our remix—)"
"(I don't want it.)"
Once again today, I firmly rejected the remix proposal.
"(Ah, why!)"
Lily pouted her lips.
"(Ah, why! Since you've already decided to release the song, you can work with me too.)"
"(Even with the current plan, I'm already overwhelmed.)"
Working with Lily would certainly be an honor.
In some ways, collaborating with a famous pop star could double the promotional effect.
It was an offer that wouldn't be a loss for me either, but I didn't want to be greedy.
Even though I had firmly refused, Lily was persistent.
"(Then I'll make you an offer you can't refuse.)"
Her tone was quite confident.
Regardless of the content, her sudden confident voice piqued my curiosity.
"(What is it?)"
"(If you work on the remix with me, I'll teach you how to play the guitar.)"
Lily was a singer-songwriter who wrote her own songs and sang them.
She was famous for playing various instruments like guitar, drums, and violin while singing.
"(How about it? Good, right? You'll do it, right?)"
Lily smiled brightly.
Her offer to personally teach me guitar was indeed a big deal.
I smiled brightly.
"(No?)"
"(...Why?)"
"(Because I have no immediate need to learn the guitar. The song I'm releasing now isn't an acoustic version.)"
"(If you learn it now, you'll use it someday! I guarantee it. There will definitely come a time when you'll need it!)"
I replied calmly.
"(Then I'll learn it when that time comes.)"
"(Ugh!!)"
Lily trembled with frustration.
"(I'm so annoyed I could go crazy. Hey! You were lying when you said you liked me, weren't you?)"
"(No.)"
"(How can you keep refusing everything I say if you like me?!)"
I looked at the furious Lily curiously.
‘If I didn't like you, why would I have come all the way here?’
New York isn't next door.
It took a long time to get here from Korea.
I couldn't understand at all.