Sungjae never expected his day to take such a dramatic turn. What started as a simple task—guiding a new trainee and her guardian—had just flipped into something completely different.
He stared at Jihoon like he'd just seen a ghost. This wasn't just anyone.
This was Lee Jihoon—the guy whose name had been quietly making waves through both the film and music industries, and the owner of JH Group.
And he... he was just a mid-level staffer at Loen. Why was he the one assigned to show this guy around?
Jihoon, meanwhile, blinked at Sungjae's stunned expression, clearly confused by the awkward silence hanging between them.
"Uh… Sungjae-ssi?" Jihoon finally spoke, scratching his cheek. "So… where are we heading next?"
Sungjae snapped out of it like he'd been hit with a cold breeze. "Ah! Right, right! If you have time, maybe… maybe you'd like to meet our company director?"
Jihoon raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Don't we need an appointment for that?"
That was a reasonable question.
Most companies wouldn't just let a visitor—even an important one—walk straight into a director's office.
But Jihoon was actually kind of curious. Meeting the person in charge might give him better insight into the company Jieun was about to join. After all, this was his little sister's future they were talking about—he needed to make sure she was in good hands.
Sungjae laughed sheepishly. "Haha, it's okay, Jihoon-ssi. Our director's easy-going person and we're still in the early stages of expanding into the entertainment industry, so things aren't too hectic yet."
"Honestly, he'd probably be glad to meet you—especially since Jieun is one of the key artists we're planning to launch."
At this point, Sungjae had switched gears entirely—his tone more formal, more respectful.
Before, he thought Jihoon was just a relative tagging along. Now he knew better. He led Jihoon and Jieun toward the elevator, walking a little straighter than before.
As they stepped inside, Jihoon looked sideways at him. "Are you sure you don't need to give him a heads-up?"
"Yes, Jihoon-ssi, it's fine," Sungjae replied. "At this hour, he's usually in his office anyway. We just knock and go in."
Jihoon gave a quiet nod. If things really were this casual and accessible, it wasn't a bad sign at all.
In fact, it spoke well of the company's culture—transparent, open-door, and not obsessed with hierarchy. That was rare in this industry, or in Korea in general.
When they reached the director's office, Sungjae knocked gently and turned to them. "You can head in and talk to him. I'll excuse myself here."
Jihoon and Jieun bowed politely. Sungjae returned the gesture, bowing even lower out of respect.
As he walked away, Jihoon couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of approval.
Even without the memories from his past life, Loen Entertainment gave off a good impression.
Sungjae hadn't known who Jihoon was at first, yet he'd treated everyone kindly, without arrogance or pretense. That spoke volumes.
It was a sharp contrast to some other companies—like SM, for instance. Big, powerful, but sometimes a little… too aware of its own importance.
Jihoon still remembered Boa's manager brushing him off the first time they met. The guy hadn't even tried to hide his dismissiveness.
To be fair, that wasn't entirely the manager's fault either.
Jihoon had kept a low profile. Even though his name was tied to major hits like 'Your Name', 'Secret', and a string of chart-topping OSTs, he hadn't made much effort to link his face to that name.
No media interviews, no PR pushes, no magazine spreads.
His photo floated around here and there, but he never capitalized on it—instead, he let the work speak for itself.
And that meant, to the public, "Lee Jihoon" was just a name—a famous one, sure, but a faceless figure. People recognized the brand, not the man.
Only companies that saw real value in him—the kind that viewed him like a golden goose—would actually recognize him.
So perhaps it was no surprise when people didn't recognize him right away.
Even now, as Jieun prepared to sign with Loen and Jihoon quietly evaluated the company from behind the scenes, he didn't mind staying in the background.
Fame didn't interest him—respect did. And he knew that true respect didn't always come from fame, but from how you treated people when no one was watching.
As Jieun stepped into the sleek, softly lit office, Jihoon followed closely behind her.
The space had that unmistakable corporate polish—leather couches, subtle lighting, a wall of soundproof glass that overlooked Seoul.
It was modern, tidy, a little too quiet.
A man in his early forties stood up from behind the desk as they entered. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his expression brightening with practiced warmth.
"You must be Jieun's oppa, right?" he said with a smile, stepping forward and offering a firm handshake. "Our company is very optimistic about Jieun's future. I'm Han Sungsoo, representative director of Loen. What can I do for you?"
Jihoon returned the handshake politely. "Nice to meet you, President Han. I'm Lee Jihoon. I'm just here today to accompany my sister, Jieun, and take a look at the company with her."
Han chuckled, waving off the formality. "Ah, don't call me 'President'—that makes me sound too old."
"Just 'Deputy Han' is fine. I'm only the face of things here. There's someone much higher up than me," he said with a slight smirk, the kind that hinted at more than it said.
His tone was light, but Jihoon caught the meaning loud and clear.
This was a subtle reminder—not a threat, not quite—that Loen wasn't just an independent entertainment startup.
It had backing. Big backing.
The kind of money and influence that could make problems disappear—or people. And Han wasn't shy about implying it.
That wasn't uncommon in this world. Big companies liked to use people like Han as frontmen—well-dressed, well-spoken intermediaries.
If something went wrong, they'd be the ones catching the fallout.
A Puppets with plausible deniability.
Jihoon just nodded, unfazed.
Then Han leaned in a little, peering at him curiously. "Lee Jihoon, huh? JH Lee Jihoon? No wonder you looked familiar."
"When you first walked in, I thought you resembled him—but since you're never in the spotlight, I wasn't sure. I'm a fan of your movies and your songs, by the way," he added with a friendly laugh.
"Big fan."
The smile was genuine enough, but Jihoon could feel it—just beneath the surface, there was something else. Not menace, but intent. This man was sizing him up.
Not as a celebrity, but as a piece on the board.
Still, Jihoon appreciated the transparency.
Most people would've played dumb or flattered him without giving anything away.
But Han was being straightforward about who he represented, and that counted for something in Jihoon's book.
Han gestured for them to take a seat on the leather sofas near the window. "So," he said as he sat down, "what do you think of the place? Meeting any of your expectations?"
Jihoon looked around briefly before replying. "Yeah, everything seems well-organized."
"But there's one issue—Jieun's parents are currently overseas."
"I'm a distant relative, technically. Her guardian while they're away. I'm not sure if that fits your company's criteria for signing a trainee contract."
Han tilted his head thoughtfully. "Ah, I see. That makes sense. From what we could tell, you don't have any publicly known siblings," he said casually, but the weight of the words lingered.
Jihoon caught the implication. They'd done their homework on him.
All of it. Which meant someone—maybe even the shadowy "real owner" of Loen—had already been watching him, even before this meeting.
But again, Han had chosen to put that information on the table rather than hide it.
Jihoon respected that. To some people, it might've felt intrusive, even threatening. But to Jihoon, it meant he was dealing with someone who preferred to deal in facts rather than pretense.
That was a good starting point for any relationship.
He nodded, letting Han continue.
"It won't be an issue," Han said after a pause. "As long as her parents sign a legal waiver declaring you as her guardian during their time abroad, the contract is valid."
"That's good to hear," Jihoon said.
Then he leaned forward, his tone a little firmer now. "But before we move ahead—I need to be clear on something."
"If we're signing this trainee contract, I want assurance that Jieun won't be forced into anything beyond her role as an idol."
"No 'PR dinners', no shady backroom obligations, nothing that makes her uncomfortable or treats her like a bargaining chip."
He met Han's eyes directly, displaying a resolve that hadn't been as clear before.
Jihoon hadn't been in the industry long, but he'd seen enough to understand how it worked.
In this world, artists weren't always treated as people.
Sometimes, they were currency—used to sweeten business deals, curry favors, or satisfy personal whims.
If someone important wanted a 'gift,' there were companies out there that would make it happen—whether the artist agreed or not—delivering them like wrapped packages, all dressed in ribbons and laid upon their bed, as if their dignity were just another part of the presentation.
Han didn't flinch. In fact, he nodded almost immediately.
"Of course," he said calmly. "I understand where you're coming from, and I respect that."
"Loen may not be one of the big three, but we have solid backing—and more importantly, solid principles."
"Our parent company is SK Telecom. With their support, we don't need to trade our artists for resources. We already have the infrastructure. We don't do those kinds of deals here."
Jihoon studied him for a second longer, then nodded. That was what he needed to hear.
"In that case," he said, relaxing slightly, "Loen sounds like the right place for Jieun."
Han grinned. "I'm glad to hear that. Honestly, we're just getting started, and we're looking for real talent to grow with. Jieun's presence here will be a win-win for both sides. We'll grow together."
Jihoon smiled faintly. "Then let's proceed with the contract."
Han chuckled, then raised a hand. "No rush. If you're not in a hurry... our real director would actually like to meet you."
Jihoon blinked. "Oh? Your director? As in... SK Telecom?"
Han's smile deepened, more mysterious now. "Something like that. They heard you were coming today. Let's just say... you've got some admirers in high places."
Jihoon leaned back in his seat, mildly surprised. He hadn't expected this to turn into anything more than a routine signing visit.
But now?
Things were getting interesting.
[Author's Note: Heartfelt thanks to Wandererlithe and JiangXiu for bestowing the power stone!]