Encounter at Alive Entertainment

Lee Hae-jun was resting his head against the back of the worn-out sofa when the sudden sound of water made him blink.

The toilet flushed, followed by the scuff of slippers.

As voices murmured in sporadic conversation, he sat up.

Having nowhere else to go upon returning to Korea, he had contacted Hyeok-hwan, an old acquaintance. His situation quickly spread among their group, and thanks to the kindness of his hyung, who lived alone, he ended up staying in his studio apartment.

He didn’t know what to do. The shock seemed to linger in his brain, unable to reach his heart, leaving a strange, hollow sensation floating within him. His days consisted only of visiting the hospital to check on his mother and coming back. Just as he was about to close his eyes again, the sting of jet lag making them ache, his phone rang loudly. Hyeok-hwan immediately asked what he was doing.

“Just… well, what, right now?”

– Yeah, I know you can’t focus on anything. We can’t help much, but we can share music together.

He said the busking members had gathered after a long time and suggested they meet. Hae-jun wasn’t keen, but Hyeok-hwan insisted that it was times like this when he needed to be around people. When he added that they could even do an impromptu performance if the mood struck, Hae-jun pretended to give in and got up.

The truth was, he craved music. Ever since he had returned in a daze, nothing seemed to register in his ears. The warm words, “We’ll wait, so come quickly,” suddenly made his eyes sting. Pressing his eyes firmly, he stood up, took his violin, and headed out.

Maybe things would work out somehow.

***

Lee Hae-jun looked down at the business card the man had handed him. It read: Park Eun-jae, General Director of Alive Entertainment.

“Are you perhaps interested in being an idol?”

The neatly dressed man in his forties wore a kind-looking smile. Hae-jun shook his head, looking bewildered.

“You were playing the violin in the club earlier, right? I caught a glimpse and was drawn in. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a refined-looking young man.”

Hae-jun’s eyes drooped slightly in disappointment. He had thought the man liked his playing, which had made him feel good.

“So, what do you think? Interested?”

“No. I’ve never thought about it. Sorry.”

A street casting? Even though he didn’t know much about Korea, it seemed suspicious. He had heard that these days, even celebrities started as trainees from a young age. It felt like it could be a new type of scam.

“You don’t have to decide right away. If you’re interested, get in touch and come for an audition once.”

Despite Hae-jun’s refusal, the man flashed a friendly smile and turned around. As Hae-jun watched his back with an indifferent expression, the friends who had been silently lurking behind rushed toward him.

“Hey, this is insane! What the hell?!!”

Hyeok-hwan, his face flushed, was practically screaming. When all the passersby turned to look, Hae-jun quickly covered his mouth.

“Hey, keep it down.”

“You’re going, right? When are you going? Hey, take me with you!!”

“Me too! Me too!!”

They were acting like children. Their clamoring to be the first to see the entertainment agency made his head throb.

“This isn’t fake, is it? What idol at 22…”

“Let me see. Hey, this is Alive?! It’s real, you idiot!”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. Alive, no joke. When are you going? Tomorrow?”

“I’m not going. How could I be an idol?”

“What? Are you crazy? You’re kicking away a golden opportunity that fell into your lap?!”

Hyeok-hwan, who had been raising his voice in excitement, smacked his own mouth when Hae-jun stared blankly at him.

“No, I mean, you need money now, don’t you? You might not know yet, but there’s no way for a student to earn money. And you said your friends won’t answer when you try to borrow. You know why, right?”

Hae-jun flinched at his words. The busking friends were ordinary people he met at gatherings, but the friends he was close with at art school all came from wealthy families. They were all studying art around the world. When he first told them about his father’s death, they had been sympathetic, but when he contacted them again to borrow money, they said they were busy and hung up.

“I get that you went abroad early and don’t know how things work here, but the hospital bills will keep coming. Yet you still take taxis and insist on paying for meals like before. I was going to tell you to get a grip, but if you become a celebrity and hit it big, you could make tons of money!”

Well, becoming a famous idol would certainly make money. But it wouldn’t be easy. He didn’t know if he would succeed or not. He didn’t even know the basics of dancing, which seemed essential for an idol.

“Hey, hey, look at this.”

Hyeok-hwan, who had been whining as if he worked for the agency despite Hae-jun’s lack of interest, played a video on his phone. A male actor was lightly scuffling with a female actress of similar age.

“You know this guy, right?”

Hyeok-hwan pointed at the young actor on the screen, demanding an answer. Hae-jun felt like he had seen his face before, but didn’t know his name. Hyeok-hwan’s eyes widened in disbelief at his lack of response.

“You don’t know Seo Ri-hong?”

Hyeok-hwan asked incredulously, then immediately launched into a speech as if it didn’t matter.

“He’s the hottest actor right now. He appeared out of nowhere two years ago and now he’s huge. You’re really handsome. If you become like him, you’ll be in dramas and commercials, and ten billion won is nothing, you know?”

…Ten billion won like it’s nothing? Hearing a specific number made his gaze turn to the screen. Honestly, it was tempting. Hyeok-hwan was right. He didn’t know or have learned anything besides music, and as a student, where could he earn money? He was worried about the hospital bills, and seeing money only go out with nothing coming in made him anxious. The savings he had set aside for pocket money wouldn’t last long.

Hae-jun thought of the idols he saw on TV shows and fidgeted with his pocket. The crisp business card he had received earlier tickled between his fingers, as if teasing him.

***

Standing in front of a building with the words “Alive Entertainment,” Hae-jun looked around with renewed interest. He had come at Hyeok-hwan’s urging, and the building was so grand that it was impressive it belonged to just one agency. Holding a visitor’s pass, he headed for the elevator, looking at the bustling people around him, when his eyes met someone’s.

A pale-skinned young man with a sophisticated hairstyle tinged with light brown and a sharp nose bridge looked familiar. It was the trending actor Hyeok-hwan had dangled in front of his face. He never expected to see him in person.

Seo Ri-hong, who had been lingering as if waiting for someone, rudely looked Hae-jun up and down when their eyes met, then curled his lips.

“Hey, didn’t you learn to greet your seniors? What are you doing blocking the way?”

Ri-hong approached with an aggressive glare, but his expression suddenly softened mid-step. Following his gaze, Hae-jun saw people exiting an elevator.

Deciding to avoid unnecessary trouble, Hae-jun ignored him and headed for the elevator. But before he could take a few steps, he was shoved from behind and nearly fell. Startled, he turned around, his eyes narrowing in irritation. As he followed Ri-hong’s retreating figure with his gaze, he spotted a tall man.

His gaze suddenly stopped. A man with a height and build that made everyone around him look small had strong, well-defined features. With monolid eyes and a sharp nose, the man exuded a sophisticated aura as he calmly approached.

Ri-hong, who had practically leapt forward, whispered something with a bright smile that was unimaginable from his earlier expression, laughing shyly. Only then did Hae-jun realize he had been staring intently at someone.

He quickly averted his eyes, but then found himself looking back at the man, swallowing the admiration that followed. Whether it was imagination or not, Seo Ri-hong, who had been picking a fight, was handsome as an actor, but that man had a completely different aura. Especially his eyes; looking at them made him feel somehow intimidated.

When he heard Seo Ri-hong’s voice, Hae-jun realized there was another person behind him. A cold-looking handsome man, an ordinary-looking man beside him, and the radiant young actor Seo Ri-hong. A somewhat mismatched trio approached.

Ri-hong, who had been chatting while sandwiched between the two, noticed Hae-jun passing by and frowned. Pretending to move, he swung his bag, jerking his arm as if to tell him to get out of the way. Hae-jun, hit hard enough to make a thud, winced.

There was a limit to tolerating rudeness.

“Excuse me.”

The three people who had just passed him turned around simultaneously. Hae-jun stared straight at Ri-hong, who raised an eyebrow at being called.

“If you hit someone, you should apologize. Hitting someone twice and pretending it didn’t happen is not polite, Seo Ri-hong-ssi.”

Hae-jun enunciated clearly, even using his name. No matter how famous a celebrity, it wasn’t acceptable to be that rude to a stranger.

“Ri-hong, do you know him?”

It was the man with brown glasses walking behind who spoke first. Ri-hong, who had been frowning at Hae-jun’s serious confrontation, quickly glanced at the tall man and answered in a flustered voice.

“Well, he seems like a trainee junior. The cheeky junior… no, it’s nothing, Eunsung hyung.”

“I’m not a trainee. And even if I were, is it okay to just hit people? Is this the atmosphere at Alive Entertainment?”

At the sarcastic remark, the tall man, who had been checking the time, finally looked properly at Hae-jun. Ri-hong, whose face had turned red and pale, frowned and sneered.

“If you stand right in the middle, you’ll get bumped into. Who told you to stand there?”

“This place isn’t so narrow that only one person can pass. Even in public, there’s personal space. And I don’t know you personally, Seo Ri-hong-ssi. I’m uncomfortable with being spoken to informally on a first meeting.”

Ri-hong, who had been rendered speechless by the logical rebuttal, scowled fiercely. As if to stop him from stepping forward with a curse, the tall man intervened. Just one step forward, and his presence filled the space with an overwhelming pressure.

The man tilted his head and looked down at Hae-jun. Up close, Hae-jun noticed a faint vertical scar on the left cheek shadow of his perfectly symmetrical face. Strangely, it suited him like an accessory that enhanced his unique aura.

“Our actor was rude. I apologize. I’m Cheon Mujin. I’m the CEO of Alive Entertainment.”

The man’s face, as he offered a handshake along with his apology, carried an intriguing expression that seemed to say, ‘I’m the CEO of this agency you just disparaged.’

Hae-jun bit his lip in dismay. He had bad-mouthed the company in front of the CEO. Just like that, a big X was drawn over his ambitious plan to debut at this agency and make money.

“…I’m Lee Hae-jun.”

As he held out his hand in surrender, the large hand gripped his as if binding his will. Feeling a pressure, he looked up to meet the man’s dark, sinking gaze. Suddenly, an unexplained anxiety rose within him, and his pulse raced. Hae-jun quickly pulled his hand away, feeling as if it had been constrained by a powerful force.

Mujin nodded calmly.

“Nice to meet you, Lee Hae-jun-ssi. Are you here for a visit?”

“Um, hyung, it’s not like he said, it’s not…”

Ri-hong tried to intervene belatedly, but the CEO glanced back. At the cold look, Ri-hong hesitated, then shut his mouth.

“Someone here gave me a business card. I came to meet Director Park Eun-jae.”

“I see. Seo Ri-hong-ssi, aren’t you going to apologize?”

At Mujin’s words as he turned back, Ri-hong, who had been watching nervously, flushed. Expecting him to throw a tantrum at being told to apologize, surprisingly, he did apologize. Muttering under his breath, Ri-hong stormed off with a sulky face. Mujin turned away as if his business was done.

Freed from the man’s gaze, Hae-jun finally felt he could move and realized he had been so tense he had been holding his breath.

“Lee Hae-jun-ssi?”

As Hae-jun took a conscious breath, he quickly swallowed at the man’s voice behind him. Turning around, he saw the man he thought had left, looking at him. A hiccup suddenly threatened to escape. Hae-jun pinched his hand painfully to suppress it and barely managed to answer.

“Are you perhaps a violinist?”

How did he know? Startled, Hae-jun blinked, and the man made a light gesture as if he had read his mind.

“Your fingers.”

“Ah, yes…”

Looking down at his own hand at the man’s words, Hae-jun also saw the blunt fingertips. Years of playing the violin, with blisters forming and popping, had left rough calluses on his fingertips.

It had been just a brief handshake, but how had he noticed his fingers in that instant? Thinking it was strange, Hae-jun looked up, but no one was in front of him anymore.