Devil’s Music

Snap and Neminem sat down next to Geon and naturally, Shizuka took a seat among the girls.

Though not as popular as Geon, Shizuka was also an active star, and it goes without saying that Snap and Neminem were legends, which left Jin-yeon and Yun-jung clamming up, utterly fascinated by the stars.

After a brief chat with Geon, Snap ordered food and drinks for Shizuka and Neminem, then stared intently at the two girls.

"You don't seem like ordinary folks; you must be beauties to be actors, being Asian and all?"

Not understanding Snap's words, the two girls stiffened as they saw Snap speaking to them.

Their bodies tensed as if cracking like rocks, and Geon, seeing this, translated for them, causing Jin-yeon to timidly say,

"We, actually, we do music too."

Geon's eyes lit up.

"Really? Both of you are musicians? Ah, so you came to visit Juilliard?"

It was a misunderstanding, but Jin-yeon and Yun-jung couldn't say otherwise, merely nodding silently.

Seeing their reaction, Geon realized they were in a position where they couldn't confidently say they were musicians because people preparing to debut without formal music education often find it difficult to claim they are musicians.

Geon relayed Jin-yeon's words to his friends, who were all surprised and looked at the two girls. Neminem, holding a hamburger, asked with interest,

"What kind of music do you do?"

It was simple enough English that Yun-jung understood without needing Geon's translation and replied in a timid voice,

"Da, dance music..."

"Oh? Dance music? Where, in Korea?"

"Yes, yes... sure..."

"Oh, really? Hey Kay, weren't you recently listening to some Korean dance music because of that song 'Wind'? Maybe they can help?"

Geon laughed as he took Neminem's words,

"Haha, maybe?"

Though he said this, everyone thought it unlikely that these newcomers could be of any help.

Moreover, Neminem's last remark was too long and fast, so the two girls didn't catch it. After Geon roughly translated it as a greeting, everyone resumed their meal and lively conversation.

Neminem and Snap had been at Fantagio for the past few days working on music, and Shizuka was pleased to have her own practice area in the shared underground practice space.

Everyone was laughing and chatting, but Yun-jung and Jin-yeon, feeling out of place, just turned their heads toward whoever was speaking.

Though Geon was the center of attention, he was concerned about the two girls and came over with a beer.

"Shall we toast?"

Yun-jung and Jin-yeon quickly offered their bottles, and with a clink, Geon blew into his bottle, downing half of it in one go. Yun-jung looked at him in amazement and said softly,

"Brother, you really drink well."

"Haha, it's because I'm with someone, so I drink better."

"I'm surprised because it's different from the image I heard about you."

"Really? Hehe. What's my image like?"

Jin-yeon joined in, flapping her hands like wings.

"Brother, you have the image of an angel, not drinking, not smoking, even helping the passing beggars, something like that?"

At Jin-yeon's words, Geon burst into laughter, took another sip of beer, and replied,

"I don't smoke, I drink a bit, and I haven't really helped passing beggars, haha."

As Jin-yeon lost herself in Geon's laughing face, Yun-jung said,

"Brother, you can speak informally with us, we're much younger."

Geon thought of Ji-ee, a neighbor back in Korea. He nodded, smiling as he looked around at these sibling-like kids.

"Okay, good. I'll speak comfortably. You said you do dance music, right? Have you debuted?"

Yun-jung nodded slightly.

"Yes, we debuted a few months ago, haven't hit it big yet, still building our recognition."

"Recognition? How do you do that, live or radio?"

"No, like on variety shows."

"Huh? Why increase a singer's recognition through variety shows?"

Unfamiliar with the situation in Korea, having worked there briefly and filmed a variety show in Nepal at Yeong-seok's request, Geon looked genuinely puzzled, prompting Yun-jung to say with a sorrowful look,

"In Korea, musicians struggle to make a living without doing variety shows. Unless you have a few mega-hit songs, most musicians do variety shows, and rookies like us need to get known on them, or we can't even get gigs."

"Gigs? What

 kind of gigs?"

"Like, university festivals or local events."

"Huh? You mean live performances at local festivals?"

"No, brother, being invited as a guest performer at university festivals or local festivals."

"Oh... I see. But wouldn't it be better to improve your music rather than attending those festivals?"

"Sigh... Korea isn't like that, brother..."

Geon, who studied and worked abroad, couldn't understand the Korean system. The disconnect between their views on why musicians must do variety shows and why it becomes a means of survival rather than an option led to a lengthy conversation between Geon and the two girls. After listening to Yun-jung's calm explanations, Geon leaned his chin on his hand and said,

"So, you're saying that to make it as a singer in Korea, you have to do variety shows, even if you have talent?"

Yun-jung paused, then replied,

"Even talented people do it, but most do. The higher your recognition, the more gigs you get."

"So... you do variety shows to get gigs, and the main income is from these gigs?"

"That's right..."

"That must be hard, traveling around the provinces."

"It's tough even to sleep two hours a day, often in the car."

"Wow... What about meals?"

"We eat things like kimbap or tteokbokki in the car."

"Wow, that's tough. Korea is a tough place for singers."

"It's only at the beginning. Once you build some recognition and your income stabilizes, it gets easier."

"How does it get easier?"

"You can choose which events to go to... and more variety shows invite you."

"So, the cycle of doing variety shows to get gigs doesn't change?"

"That's right... Only singers from the 90s can live on music royalties alone; for people like us, it's not enough, and idols have a short lifespan, so after gaining popularity, you have to branch into acting to keep working in entertainment."

"Acting? Musicians turn to acting?"

"Yes, many long-loved idols switch to acting. There are some who don't, but they are very few. Usually, once their popularity fades, they live off the money they've saved by starting businesses or shops."

"Hmm... It seems like the environment forces you to give up your dreams..."

Yun-jung's face fell a bit, and Jin-yeon also looked sadder. Seeing this, Geon brightened up and clapped his hands.

"Let's not talk about such sad things! Let's drink more, a friend of mine said that drinking doubles the joy when you're happy, doubles the sorrow when you're sad, but halves the sorrow when you're with good people, so let's drink!"

"Ho ho, that's a wise saying. Yes, let's drink!"

"Cheers!!"

Yun-jung and Jin-yeon cherished every second among the stars, something they had only dreamed of from afar.

The drinking session went on until late, and Geon dropped the girls off at their hotel with his car. They waved until his car was out of sight, Yun-jung drunkenly slinging her arm around Jin-yeon.

"Hehe, Jin-yeon~ Kay brother is really cool, isn't he? *hic*"

"Hehehe, yep, the best. Today was the best day of my life, let's go inside~!"

The two, uplifted by the night's events, collapsed onto the hotel bed. Luckily, the club-going older girls hadn't returned yet, allowing them to fall asleep maintaining their good mood.

The next morning, Team Leader Lee from Fantagio rang the hotel room bell early. Despite pressing the bell repeatedly, there was no response, so he called an employee for the master key.

Since he was the one who booked the room, the employee verified this and opened the door with the master key. Team Leader Lee crinkled his nose as he entered the room.

"Ugh!! The smell of alcohol! How much did they drink to pass out like this!"

Seeing Soo-jung, Yun-hyun, and So-ah sprawled on the living room floor without having changed their clothes, he opened the door to Yun-jung and Jin-yeon's room.

Luckily, they were at least dressed in pajamas, and he banged on the door, shouting,

"Wake up!! Fantagio called!"

Soo-jung, looking like she might vomit, ran to the bathroom. After a long bout of noisy retching, she came out looking somewhat refreshed and touched her parched face.

"What did he say, Team Leader?"

"Good grief, what were you all up to yesterday?"

"We went to a club..."

"Dammit, I told you to stay put. Get everyone up and ready now, shall I call Director Lim and show him how you all look?"

The mention of Director Lim instantly got Yun-hyun and

 So-ah scrambling to get ready.

Soo-jung, also fearful of Director Lim, quickly washed her face as Team Leader Lee pounded on Yun-jung and Jin-yeon's door.

"Yun-jung, Jin-yeon, get up and get ready!"

As Team Leader Lee was shouting, the two were already awake and jumped out of bed to start washing up.

Fortunately, the suite had three sinks, so the five women didn't take long to get ready. Dressed in their prettiest clothes, they gathered in the living room as Team Leader Lee was on the phone.

"I've booked a hair salon, so go down and get in the car. A staff member is waiting downstairs."

The idols went to a Korean-run hair salon nearby, where they spent three hours getting their hair and makeup done to cover up their worn-out appearances.

Still smelling of alcohol, Soo-jung bought breath spray and sprayed it into the idols' mouths. Just then, Team Leader Lee arrived at the salon.

Seeing the idols transformed into fresh and beautiful appearances, he checked his watch with satisfaction.

"Good, we're not late. Let's go."

As they boarded a Japanese-made van waiting in front of the salon, Team Leader Lee looked at the demurely waiting idols and instructed,

"Listen up. The permission from Fantagio is for a 'tour.' Our goal, the Kay floor, is not open to the public, nor are the spaces of Snap Dog and Neminem, only the basement, first floor lobby, and rooftop lounge are available. The basement has sound spaces designed for other musicians, so focus there, according to Fantagio's instructions."

He looked at Soo-jung with a serious gaze.

"But we all know our real goal, right? Stretch the tour as long as possible, ask about everything you see, even down to how many toilets there are and where they're located.

If we don't run into Kay, we'll switch to another plan. Then you'll all be stuck waiting in the U.S. for a while longer, me included.

So today's goal is to extend the time until we meet Kay. After that, Soo-jung will take over, so follow her directions."

"Yes, Team Leader~"

As the idols chorused their response, Team Leader Lee surveyed them and eyed the red brick building of Fantagio growing distant, his eyes gleaming.

As they arrived in front of Fantagio's building in the van, fans surged forward to catch a glimpse of the singers.

While the bodyguard checked their IDs, Soojeong waved to the fans pressing against the window almost instinctively and cracked the window slightly, to which fans eagerly peered inside.

There's a lesson taught during idol training about providing proper fan service without letting the fans get overly excited to the point of creating a dangerous situation. Soojeong, as always, opened the window just enough to flash a smiling eye.

"Ah, what a disappointment. It's just East Asian girls."

"Shoot, it would've been great if it were Snep or Neminem, but looks like they're just dancers. Let's go back."

"Ugh, how many hours has it been? Are we really going to see Kay today?"

"Wait up, you. Kay comes to the office every day."

It was okay for them to show disappointed expressions, but Soojeong blushed due to American fans not recognizing them and closed the window. The other idols also looked embarrassed and bowed their heads.

Team Manager Lee, who had been checking identities, clapped to focus their attention and then said,

"Let's go, this is America. It's natural they don't recognize us, don't worry about it."

After the bodyguard opened the barrier, the path to the parking lot cleared. The parking lot was vast but only had about ten cars parked, so Team Manager Lee parked the car as close as possible to the entrance before cautioning them again.

"Remember what we talked about earlier, our goal is Kay. Don't rush up to him the moment you see him, try to build some rapport. You don't have much in common with him aside from being Korean, but if you talk about the music aspect, a conversation could happen. He's still a student but considering the time he has been presenting music, he's a senior to you all, so respectfully call him 'senior.' Got it?"

"Yes, Team Manager~"

After scanning the idols, Team Manager Lee engaged in a discussion with Soojeong, while Soa leaned over to Yunhyeon and whispered,

"Yunhyeon, was Kay a senior to us?"

Soa asked cautiously, noticing Team Manager Lee's attention.

"'If I could change the world' is officially registered as a track, you know."

"Yeah, I knew about that song before 'Fury'... wasn't that music released about a year and a half ago? Soojeong unnie hasn't debuted for over four years, has she?"

"Yes, but... you know how it is in this industry, popularity counts as age. And honestly, even if Soojeong unnie were to stand before Kay, how could she claim to be a senior unless the age difference warranted Kay treating her as such, since she isn't even active in Korea?"

"Mmm... that would really complicate things if Kay were active in Korea."

"What's there to complicate? I've heard Kay is really nice. He'd probably just call anyone older than him 'brother' or 'sister.'"

"But there are those younger ones with terrible attitudes who debuted early. They might clash."

"That won't happen. Who would dare go up to Kay and demand seniority unless they're out of their mind?"

"Mmm... really? But yeah, if they did something like that and Kay responded even a bit, it would be the end for them. Plus, the company is Fantagio."

"That's right, Fantagio isn't just any company. There are already over thirty cases where journalists tried to approach Kay without formal requests and got sued. After that, no one tries to approach Kay without permission."

"Phew, but are we really okay doing this? If it goes wrong, could end our lives."

"I'm a bit worried too... but you know, from experience, if we fail, we just pretend we never did such a thing, and if it succeeds, it's game over for them too; it's just as over if it gets out."

While Yunjeong and Yunhyeon had their small talk, Yunjeong looked worriedly at Jinyeon.

"Is this really okay? Now that I've seen Kay in person, I can't do this."

Jinyeon firmly held Yunjeong's hand and reassured her,

"Me too, but after being with him yesterday, he's not someone who'd want this sort of thing. We're bound to fail, so let's not worry too much."

"Right... that makes sense."

"Exactly, you can tell by looking at someone. There's no way Kay would fall for this."

Recalling yesterday's drinking session, Yunjeong felt somewhat relieved as they waited for the conversation between Team Manager Lee and Soojeong to end. Team Manager Lee then exited the vehicle and said,

"Still

 wait. Once the Fantagio staff in charge of escorting us arrives, then you can get off."

"Yes, Team Manager~"

As Team Manager Lee stepped out and lit a cigarette, a few bodyguards frowned at him for smoking in a non-smoking area, but knowing he was a guest, they did not intervene.

Seeing the automatic doors of the building open, Team Manager Lee quickly flicked the cigarette ash and pushed the stub under the car.

The person emerging from the automatic doors was a blonde woman with her hair tied up, wearing a black pantsuit. Holding a chart in one hand, she walked towards Team Manager Lee with the sound of her high heels echoing.

With a too-clean appearance for someone working in an entertainment agency, more akin to a career woman in finance, Team Manager Lee was slightly intimidated by her aura. The woman approached with a friendly smile.

"Hello, I'm Clara Anderson from Fantagio's American branch, Music Business Department. We spoke on the phone last time, right?"

Team Manager Lee, surprised by her fluent Korean, recalled that she was the woman who had answered when he first called Fantagio, and he bowed slightly in delight.

"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Yong-wook, team manager at YDN Entertainment. You're very fluent in Korean."

"There's no office worker at Fantagio who can't speak Korean. If they're not proficient in Korean, they can't even get an interview. Except for the bodyguards, think of it as everyone can."

"That's impressive."

"Since the company is a Chinese company, they must also be proficient in Chinese for communication with the headquarters. But I only got introduced to you as Team Manager Lee Yong-wook. Which team are you affiliated with?"

Though just a team manager in name, Yong-wook quickly named any team.

"Ah, yes. I belong to the Domestic Business Division 1."

Clara noted something on her chart.

"Domestic Business Division 1... so you're talking about Korean business, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Understood, please enter with the musicians."

"Yes, thank you. Everyone, let's get off!"

As Yong-wook opened the rear door, the beautiful idols all filed out and bowed in unison at ninety degrees, greeting in unison.

"Hello!"

Clara looked surprised at the idols' synchronized, traditional Eastern greeting but smiled and said.

"It seems you're all from one team, I knew Eastern idol groups greeted this way, but it's still refreshing."

Team Manager Lee chuckled awkwardly and introduced the idols.

"Yes, it's become a habit. This girl next to me is Soojeong. She's the leader of the girl group ATP from Korea. Next to her is Soa from RedLovelyz. Next to her is Yunhyeon from LizSisters, and next to her is Jinyeon from B to C, and the last girl is Yunjeong from BlackGirls."

Clara took note of the idols' names and their teams, then smiled and extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you. Please come this way."

Beyond the automatic door, there was a small window, and inside was another security room.

Since they had already received permission to visit, Clara received several passes all at once and distributed them to each person.

"Please hang these around your necks, and if you touch the passes to the sensor, you can freely enter and exit, but please be aware that the 2nd, 4th, and 5th floors are off-limits."

After making sure everyone had their passes around their necks, Clara touched her pass to the sensor to enter, then said,

"For record-keeping, you must enter one at a time. Touch your pass to the sensor after the door closes. You only have to do this at the entrance, so please bear with us even if it's a bit cumbersome."

Following Clara's instructions, they entered one by one through the automatic door. When Yunjeong was the last to enter, Clara spread her arms and welcomed them.

"Welcome to Fantagio, everyone. The first floor is a space for staff, musician interviews, and hosting external guests. The space behind the glass wall you see to the right is exactly that."

Everyone looked to the right to see a large area. Contrary to the modern space, the space beyond the glass wall was an antique, circular room.

The room had white and red walls with arched windows, and the ornate furniture was also antique.

Clara explained with a smile.

"This room was created based on Kay's idea to clearly hear the performances or songs of musicians during interviews. It replicates the ballroom of Slane Castle in Ireland."

Team Manager Lee folded his arms and nodded.

"That's where Professor Sharon, Professor Leontine Price, and I used to busk in Ireland."

"Yes, that's correct. The ballroom is not accessible to the public

, so it was conducted in front of the castle, but before that, the three of them had sung in this space. Especially Professor Leontine Price often visits and spends time in this room. Now, please look to the left."

As they turned to the left, they saw what looked like a massive dining hall.

The dining hall was decorated with charcoal-colored marble on the floors, walls, and ceiling, and all the tables and chairs were integrated with the floor, with about fifty tables and over two hundred chairs.

The kitchen area was divided into three sections, with ladies in different outfits preparing food in each section. Jinyeon and Yunjeong looked at the dining hall with envy.

"Wow, it's like an employee cafeteria. Our company is big and has many singers, but I wish they'd build something like this."

"Yeah, I'm tired of ordering food all the time."

Hearing their conversation, Clara smiled and explained.

"This is the cafeteria where the employees eat. Musicians often eat here as well. The food is served as Western, Korean, or Chinese cuisine, but since most of the staff are American, Western food is a staple, while Korean and Chinese dishes are sometimes replaced with Japanese or other international cuisines. Today, instead of Chinese, Indian cuisine is being served."

After touring the cafeteria, Jinyeon and Yunjeong were about to leave when they saw Team Manager Lee's face.

He seemed to be signaling them to linger and kill time, so the two hesitated before moving toward a planter in the corner of the dining hall and pretended to be interested in it, allowing them to scope out the surroundings. Meanwhile, the other idols scattered throughout the dining hall, each exploring something different.

Clara, unaware that they were stalling for time, simply smiled proudly.

It took over 15 minutes just to tour the company cafeteria. Clara, who had started off with a proud smile, checked her watch and spoke to Team Leader Lee standing next to her.

"Shall we go see the underground practice room now?"

Team Leader Lee nodded naturally and loudly exclaimed,

"Alright, kids! Let's head to the underground practice room."

Sua, noticing Team Leader Lee's cue, timidly raised her hand and said,

"Um… Team Leader, may I go to the restroom?"

Yunhyeon joined in beside Sua, saying,

"Me too, Team Leader. I'd like to go as well."

Team Leader Lee, with an apologetic expression, turned to Clara and asked,

"Could you show them where it is… Miss Anderson? The kids need to use the restroom."

"Sure, this way please."

Clara led Sua and Yunhyeon to the restroom, while Sujeong quickly moved closer to Team Leader Lee. Taking advantage that Clara wasn't looking their way, Team Leader Lee whispered,

"Here. Nag her to have lunch at the cafeteria later. It's the best chance to bump into Kay."

Sujeong nodded silently and then stepped away. After spending enough time in the restroom, Sua and Yunhyeon emerged fixing their makeup, and Clara, checking her watch again, led the group into the elevator and pressed for the third basement floor.

"You don't need to see the fourth and fifth floors since they are just parking lots. We'll start from the third floor."

After seeing the floor buttons, Team Leader Lee asked,

"The fourth floor is labeled as the 'Kay Floor,' right?"

"Yes, it's a dedicated space used by Fantagio's marquee musician."

"Wow, that's impressive. Miss Anderson, you must run into Kay quite often then. I'm really envious."

As soon as the name Kay was mentioned, a sense of pride flashed across Clara's face.

"Hehe, yes. It's an enviable place to work. Besides, Kay remembers the names of all the employees, which is very kind of him."

Yunhyeon, slightly surprised, asked,

"He remembers everyone's names? How many are there?"

"Hehe, there are about forty staff members on site, but including security, it's over fifty. Kay remembers and addresses over ninety employees by name."

Everyone was astonished at Clara's revelation about Kay remembering the names of over ninety employees. Sua whispered to Yunhyeon,

"Is that even possible? I don't even know the name of the receptionist at the YDN lobby."

"It's unnecessary to remember those you don't need to, isn't it? Maybe he just has a good memory? Why waste mental energy on trivial things?"

Though they spoke softly, Clara heard them and said,

"It's not trivial at all. By doing so, Kay is loved by everyone."

Caught by Clara overhearing their whispers, Sua thought to herself,

'So what if he's loved by the employees? It's hard enough getting love from the fans.'

As Clara showed them around the underground practice rooms, the idols kept gasping in amazement and asking about various musical facilities. Clara continued the tour to the rooftop and the third-floor office space, and though two hours had passed, they had not encountered Kay.

As it was nearing time to leave, Team Leader Lee, clearly anxious, patted his stomach as if to suggest it was audible, saying,

"Wow, we've been touring so long that we missed lunchtime. Aren't you kids hungry?"

Sujeong, Yunhyeon, and Sua quickly agreed,

"Yes, Team Leader. We're really hungry."

"It would be so great if our company had a cafeteria like Fantagio's. I'm so jealous, and it looks delicious."

"I'd have no more wishes if I could just eat here once."

Unable to ignore the hopeful looks of the idols, Clara eventually picked up her phone.

"Please wait at the rooftop relaxation area. I'll check if it's possible to have a meal and come back."

The rooftop was designed as a terrace with natural grass flooring, equipped with several parasols and chairs for the staff's comfort.

As they found a spot, Team Leader Lee crossed his arms and looked around, whispering to Sujeong,

"This is the last stop, we can't stretch the time anymore. If this doesn't work, we need to think of a next plan."

Sujeong frowned and whispered back,

"Is there even a next plan? The security here is like iron. Did you see how many CCTVs there are?"

Team Leader Lee, glancing around at the numerous CCTVs installed, nodded,

"Yeah, there are about ten CCTVs per floor. But I bet it's not like this on the Kay Floor. Imagine someone being monitored while they work on music. That wouldn't be allowed, so our top priority is to make it onto the

 Kay Floor."

"If it doesn't work today, how do you plan to approach next time?"

"I'm thinking of targeting the school route. He goes to school every morning, so we just have to keep watch there."

"Ah, another long wait begins."

"Can't help it. If this works, you guys will be stepping onto the global stage. Don't you like that?"

"No, of course not."

"Then do well. Here she comes, spread out!"

As Sujeong quickly moved away from Team Leader Lee, Clara approached with a bright smile and announced,

"Permission granted. Let's go have our meal."

The idols feigned extreme happiness, causing a loud commotion as Clara led them down.

In the cafeteria, everyone chose their preferred meals and sat down, but no one really paid attention to the taste of the food.

While complimenting Clara on the delicious food, the idols kept their eyes on the entrance to the cafeteria. As they ate, Sua dropped her spoon with a clang, prompting the others to follow her gaze toward the entrance.

A tall black man with a hood and sunglasses, even indoors, was giving high-fives to passing staff as he entered the cafeteria. Yunhyeon put down his spoon and muttered,

"That's Snoop Dogg... I can't believe I'm actually seeing him in person."

The rest of the group showed similar reactions, which made Clara laugh and say,

"Snoop Dogg recently transferred to our company. Ah, since he wasn't with any company before, 'transfer' might not be the right word. Eminem and Montana are also with us now."

Snoop, now addicted to Korean food, walked past with a mountain of spicy pork bulgogi and greeted Clara,

"Hey, Clara. Looking beautiful today?"

Clara smiled back at Snoop and asked,

"Snoop, you're eating alone? Where's Eminem?"

Holding his tray with one hand and pointing upward with the other, Snoop replied,

"He's on the second floor, busy with work. That guy doesn't eat when he's working. Last time, he didn't eat for two days. Crazy, right?"

"Hehe, I see. You must feel lonely today."

"That's why I went up to eat with Kay."

As Kay's name came up, the idols, not understanding English, focused intensely on Snoop.

Team Leader Lee, fluent in English, had been closely listening to their conversation from the start and when Kay's name came up again, he looked intently at Snoop. Noticing the change in their expressions, Snoop shrugged and said,

"But he was sleeping, cuddled up so lovingly with Lucy, I couldn't wake him."

"Hehe, I see."

"Yeah, enjoy your meal, Clara. I don't know who these friends are, but have a good meal, everyone."

As Snoop waved and found a seat, Clara looked at her group.

They were all staring at her in shock, prompting Clara to tilt her head and ask,

"What's wrong?"

Team Leader Lee, swallowing hard, cautiously asked,

"Um… does Kay have a girlfriend?"

"A girlfriend? Not that I'm aware of. Why do you ask?"

Team Leader Lee, looking at Snoop gobbling up the spicy pork bulgogi and giving a thumbs up to the kitchen staff, pointed out,

"You just said… he was cuddling with someone named Lucy…"

Clara paused with a blank expression before bursting into laughter.

"Hehehe, Lucy is a cat, Team Leader."

Realizing his embarrassing mistake and the need to revise their entire plan if Kay had a girlfriend, Team Leader Lee breathed a sigh of relief.

Once again looking at Snoop, who had slightly lowered his sunglasses to scrutinize them more closely, Team Leader Lee returned the wary glance. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Snoop approached and asked,

"Hey, aren't you Jinyeon and Yoonjeong?"

Correctly pronouncing their names, all eyes turned to the two. Jinyeon awkwardly smiled and raised a hand,

"Ha… hi, Snoop."

Yoonjeong, with robotic movements, also raised a hand and waved,

"Hi… hello…"

Recognizing them, Snoop extended his hand for a high-five,

"Yo, did you get home okay yesterday? Why didn't you say hi when you saw me?"

Though they didn't understand what he was saying, Jinyeon gave him a high-five and stammered,

"Ha… thank you, Snoop."

Clara, overhearing, turned to Snoop,

"Do you know each other?"

Snoop chuckled and pointed at them,

"We drank together yesterday, along with Kay, Eminem, and Shizuka at the same table."

Clara looked at Jinyeon and Yoonjeong with a surprised expression,

"You were close enough to drink together? Why didn't you tell me?"

With everyone's eyes on them, Jinyeon and Yoonje

ong looked uncomfortable.

"It's not like that… we just happened to be at the same table at the Bibiking Club…"

Team Leader Lee frowned and said,

"By chance? A drinking table with Kay, Snoop, Eminem, and Shizuka is possible by chance? And why didn't you tell me?"

Jinyeon faltered,

"That… it's not… it wasn't really a significant connection, so I didn't think it was worth mentioning…"

Seeing Sujeong restraining him, Team Leader Lee held back from saying more.

Sujeong, with a serious look, blinked at Team Leader Lee, who quickly thought it through and backed off. Not understanding Korean, Snoop stood there puzzled before Clara spoke to him again,

"Tell those two friends to come back later. I'll show them around Eminem's studio too."

"Yes, Snoop. I'll let them know."

As Snoop waved once more and returned to his seat, Clara translated for Sujeong and Team Leader Lee, their eyes lighting up with excitement.