The next day.
After a long evening of drinking at the hotel lounge with Carlos, Geon woke up at 11 AM.
"Ugh, my head. Did I drink too much?"
Sitting up in bed, Geon rubbed his forehead and decided to take a shower before checking the time.
"Yikes, I'm going to be late for my meeting with Carlos!"
He quickly got dressed and rushed to the next room, pressing the doorbell. Kiska, already prepared, opened the door smiling in a lovely sky-blue coat and white shoes, raising her arms in greeting. Geon lifted her up in a hug, placed a black mask over her face, donned his own hat and sunglasses, and headed for the hotel café. Carlos, who had woken up early and was reading the newspaper while having coffee, smiled and signed an autograph for a fan who had recognized him.
"Carlos. You're up early."
After Carlos glanced at Geon and finished signing, he shook his hand and sent the fan on their way. Once the fan had left, Carlos playfully slapped Geon's shoulder and his eyes widened upon seeing Kiska.
"Kiska? Is that young Miss Kiska?"
Geon set Kiska down and said,
"Yes, that's right. Kiska, say hello?"
Kiska greeted Carlos with a bow, her hands neatly on her stomach, which made Carlos laugh heartily.
"Ha! How adorable! Come here, little princess."
As Carlos opened his arms, Kiska hesitated but then gently embraced him. Although she seemed a bit uncomfortable, being next to Geon gave her confidence. Carlos warmly hugged her and sat her down next to him.
"Haha, sit here. What should we order for our princess?"
Geon, sitting opposite, replied,
"Kiska likes ice cream."
"In the morning?"
"Haha, seems like it doesn't matter whether it's morning or night. She always wants ice cream."
"Heh, still a child I guess. Little princess, should Grandpa buy you some ice cream?"
As Kiska nodded with a bashful smile, Carlos pinched her cheek and ordered vanilla ice cream for her. Geon, seeing the waiter turn away, asked with an incredulous expression,
"What about mine?"
Carlos smacked his forehead.
"Ah, my mind's been all on the little princess here. Sorry, haha."
Geon chuckled, then called over the waiter to order lemonade. Carlos apologized again with a laugh.
"Sorry, my mistake. Haha. By the way, did you finalize the contract with Fantagio yesterday while we were drinking?"
"Yes, we did. A message from the manager came through while I was with you."
"That so? Good to hear. When will they send over the music then? That's been arranged with the company, right?"
"Yes, Carlos. I've already discussed it. Once the music is ready, the manager will bring it straight to you to finalize the deal."
"Great, it's all coming together nicely. Feels good dealing with a big company. I havenât heard much about Fantagio in the States yet, but they seem to be efficient. Might even contact them myself if I think about switching."
"Haha, if Carlos comes over, Chairman Wang Hao of Fantagio will probably rush over himself."
"Wang Hao? Ah, thatâs the chairmanâs name? Good, good. Itâs nice to be treated well. Haha."
As they were chatting, Kevin entered the café, and Geon smiled subtly.
"Looking sharp."
Kevin, who had a fresh haircut and styled back with wax, wore a black leather jacket over a clean white shirt, black jeans, and bootsâquite the transformation from his ragged appearance the day before. Carlos rubbed his fingers together and commented,
"Money sure changes a person. He looks pretty good, doesnât he?"
"Haha, indeed."
As Kevin hurried over after recognizing them, he said,
"Am I late? Sorry about that."
Geon moved to an inner seat, offering his spot to Kevin.
"No, you're not late. We're just early."
Kevin cautiously asked as he sat down,
"I heard from the manager yesterday... is it really Kay?"
Geon chuckled and took off his sunglasses as Kevin looked at him in awe.
"Wow, it really is an honor."
Kevin grabbed Geonâs hand eagerly as he exclaimed, which led Geon to withdraw his hand and say,
"Haha, let's just talk, no need for handshakes."
"Ah, sorry! It's a habit."
"That's alright, haha. Kiska, say hello. This is Kevin. We met him yesterday."
Kiska looked at Kevin with wide eyes, then shook her head slightly in confusion.
"The person playing the guitar in front of the park yesterday. That's him."
As Kiska looked Kevin up and down, he pointed to her masked face with a baffled expression and asked,
"Kiska... you donât
mean Kiska Miochichi, the young prodigy?"
Kiska puffed her cheeks and slapped Kevin's pointing finger away. Kevin, startled, pulled his hand back as Geon laughed.
"Haha, yes, that's Kiska. You shouldn't do that."
Kiska crossed her arms and scowled, but her mood instantly improved when the waiter brought the vanilla ice cream, and she began scooping it up eagerly. Kevin murmured in disbelief,
"I can't believe Kiska Miochichi is eating ice cream in front of me..."
Hearing Kevin's murmured words, Geon chuckled and then suggested,
"Shall we talk business?"
Carlos, patting the ice cream-eating Kiskaâs head, said,
"We covered most of it yesterday, just need to decide when youâre leaving your current home for Mexico."
The two looked at Kevin, who bowed his head after a moment of silence before finally raising it with a determined expression.
"Thereâs something I need to tell you both first."
Carlos leaned back, crossing his arms as he lay on the sofa.
"What? That your father is the president?"
"Whaâ How did you know?! None of my friends even know that."
Geon spoke in a calm tone,
"Please sit down. Youâre disturbing the other guests."
After Kevin barely managed to sit at the edge of the sofa, he asked again,
"Did my father's influence play a part in choosing me?"
Geon looked him in the eyes and said,
"You know I have ties with President Harold Winston, right?"
Kevin thought for a moment then nodded.
"He met my father during a trip to Nepal."
"Yes, thatâs right. To be clear and honest, I met you at your fatherâs request. But the decision to choose you was entirely mine, based on your abilities, not your fatherâs influence."
Kevin, trying to gauge Geon's intention, received a slight smile from him.
"If you lacked talent, I wouldâve just recommended another capable member from a student band. You know who youâre talking to, right?"
Kevin turned to Carlos, who nodded slowly,
"If you were useless, not even the President of the United States could make us accept you."
Carlosâs blunt words made Geon chuckle and add,
"The contract with Fantagio and the recommendation to the major band Montana was solely based on your abilities. Are we clear?"
Kevin looked remorseful,
"Yes, that clears it up. Sorry for the misunderstanding, Kay."
Geon patted Kevinâs back, smiling,
"No problem. It's understandable."
Listening to the conversation, Carlos raised an eyebrow and said,
"Listening to you two, I'm getting a little embarrassed. Youâre about the same age, why not speak more casually?"
Kevin, flustered, waved his hands,
"Oh, no! How could I possibly!"
Contrary to Kevinâs protest, Geon smiled and offered his hand,
"Letâs just be friends. Kevin."
Stunned, Kevin hesitated before shaking Geonâs hand,
"Can I really? I mean, is it okay?"
"Sure. Iâll introduce you to Suzuka later."
"Suzuka Miyawaki, right? Please do."
"Haha, you like her more than me."
"Haha... Well, I am a man."
"Alright, I'll make sure to introduce you."
As they became friends, Carlos lightened the mood,
"Good, now that that's settled, let's plan your departure."
Geon waved his hand,
"Thatâs already taken care of with the company handling the house contract. Just take Kevin with you and thatâs it. Just give him time to pack."
Carlos grinned,
"Oh? Thatâs great. The more I see of that company, the more I like it. Alright, we'll leave tomorrow then. The band members have been anxiously waiting for a bass guitarist. Pack by tomorrow, Kevin."
"Ah... Yes, I don't have much to pack, so it'll be quick."
"Good, then Kay. When will the song be ready?"
Kevin, puzzled by Carlos's question, asked,
"A song? Does Kay work on songs?"
Realizing the potential for misunderstanding, Carlos closed his mouth and turned to Geon, as did Kevin. Geon smiled slightly and said,
"As a celebration of our friendship? Iâll gift you your debut song."
Overwhelmed, Kevin reached for Geon's hand again, but Geon quickly hid it, laughing awkwardly,
"Ah, I appreciate it, but let's not hold hands anymore, Kevin."
Kevin, oblivious, continued to fumble for Geon's hand,
"Really, thank you. I donât know if I should just receive this from you. Let me know if you need me anytime, Iâd even come if you called from space."
Geon playfully replied,
"Would you come even if I held a concert on a satellite around the moon?"
Kevin slammed the table with determination,
"Of course!!"
Kevinâs slap caused the ice cream cup to nearly topple again, prompting Kiska to glare at him with a dissatisfied look.
>
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