A Shared Dream

Let's sum this up.

So Seola is...

My first viewer.

My first manager.

My first girlfriend, who also happens to have a body that defies Asian standards, is cute and beautiful, and is the youngest daughter of the AQ Group?

If anyone heard this, they'd probably ask if there was a web novel titled My Manager Turned Out to Be a Diamond Spoon.

"I-I see."

"Hehehe... So Saebyeok, don't worry about money at all!"

Ah, is this the dream life that men in other worlds fantasize about?

The impact is quite something.

Well, not that I'm the type of guy to squeal with joy over it.

"Okay, fine. Let's make a concrete plan together. I'll be in your care, 'Chief' Manager."

"Kyaaa! Really? You promise? No taking it back later, okay?"

Stop, you question-mark murderer!

"Hmm... In times like this, do they say 'a man's word is his bond'? Anyway, don't worry!"

"Huh...? Isn't it 'a woman's word is her bond'?"

A twist on the classic!

"C-cough. Let's go with that. So, is there any problem with your original job?"

"... (I'm unemployed, though)."

"Right... You can have confidence."

"I mean it! I'm going to spend the rest of my life looking only at you, Saebyeok! I don't need any other job anymore!"

Judging by how her decibels rose higher than necessary, she really was a hardcore viewer.

The gap between internet streaming and the professional scene is quite large, so I'll have to keep an eye on things.

"Well, I was actually planning to discuss the streaming schedule, but yesterday..."

"Honestly, I really didn't expect things to turn out like this..."

"Just because our relationship has changed doesn't mean the work has. Shall we discuss it now?"

"Yes!"

I hesitated for a moment.

How much should I tell her?

No matter how close we had become, I couldn't tell her about my past life.

But I had no intention of giving up my identity as 'Ed', nor should I.

For now, let's explain the stream and future activity plans.

"First, about the streaming hours. I'm thinking of cutting it down to about three times a week. Instead, we'll need to increase the content."

"True, streaming every day isn't easy. Of course, there's nothing better for keeping a loyal fanbase. But... Saebyeok, you probably don't need to worry about that."

Huh?

Weren't you more serious about streaming than anyone?

"Why do you think so?"

"Well... because you're unique?"

"...Aren't you being a bit too direct in front of the person in question?"

She vehemently denied it and launched into a lecture.

"Noooo! Honey, you're a guy. On top of that, your singing and playing are amazing. It's true that music streams have less demand than variety streams or streams that rely solely on looks. But you know what? On the flip side, you're like a sweet rain in a drought for viewers who are sick of that cliché stuff!"

"It's true that male streamers are rare."

Suddenly, Seola stood up, rushed over, and cupped my face in her hands.

"Plus, this angelic face! Those unique eyes that make it impossible to look away once you see them! And your proportions are amazing. You're not going to stream without a camera forever, right?"

"...Apologize to the angels first."

"That's why! Even if you only stream once a week, you're bound to become a massive streamer with tons of fans! Do you know how many streamers and BJs I've gone through? I'm absolutely sure of it!"

"Oh... You've gone through a lot of men?"

"Noooo! I-I meant I only watched them!"

"Wow... Everything is a first for me, but you were like that, Seola."

"N-No, it's not like that!"

"Oh, you. I know. Come here."

Her eyes grew red in an instant. I couldn't even tease her lightly. I pulled her onto my lap and stroked her hair, and she quickly quieted down.

"Anyway, in the eyes of an expert, streaming once a week is enough. It's due to various advantages, but the most powerful one is my looks. That's your conclusion, right?"

"...Yeah, I can't deny that looks are the most powerful metric. I think I understand a bit now why you started with a no-cam stream. You wanted to be recognized solely for your skills, right?"

"Sharp. Of course, I know better than anyone how important looks are. But Seola, I'm surprised. I thought you'd oppose me showing my face."

"...I have to have enough mental strength to separate work and love. Honestly, sharing you with everyone... *grind!*"

Isn't your mental strength a bit too low? Maybe I should buy her a mouthpiece.

"A streamer is a kind of public figure, after all. It's true we have to sell a fantasy. That means toxic fans will appear, and there will be women who try to throw themselves at you."

"Sigh... Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl! But what can I do? I'm your number one fan! More than anyone, I want to see you shine. I can bear it. Instead, I'm always going to watch you from the very front row!"

"I'm actually a bit touched."

"Hehehe... Of course, those bitches who throw themselves at you, I'll kill... *gasp*."

Seola. What did you just say?

"N-No! I didn't mean physically killing them, just socially destroying..."

That's terrifying in its own way.

"Ahaha... Right. Let's leave that to the authorities, and I'll tell you my plan."

"Okay..."

Since she was the person I loved and the one who would be managing my work, this was something I absolutely had to share with her.

"Ed...? Ah, because Edward is your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠English name... If it's overseas, are you aiming for Billboard?"

"No, not aiming for it specifically, but just curious to see how far I can go?"

"Keeping your identity hidden... Whoa! A two-track strategy."

"Exactly. I'll change my voice a bit, and the music style will be quite different. Sounds fun, right?"

"Yes! Yes! It's so cool!"

"The ultimate goal is to one day reveal that Saebyeok is Ed."

"...You're amazing, Saebyeok."

"All of a sudden?"

"Yeah... It's a kind of courage most people can't easily muster. I can feel that you aren't afraid of failure."

"Not afraid of failure... I suppose it could look that way."

"Is it not?"

"It's more that I'm greedy."

"So passion overcomes failure."

"It'll be fun to watch the results together, right?"

"Yes, I'll always be on your side."

"I feel reassured. My Seola."

"Hehehe..."

We continued talking for a while.

Both she and I came to know each other a little better.

We had become partners sharing the same dream, learning to rely on one another.

What kind of music would I make in the future?

My heart beat fast with anticipation.

While I was lost in thought for a moment, Seola squirmed.

"Saebyeok. Let me down now... I'm heavy."

Naturally, she would be with me. When I looked down at her, she gently closed her eyes on her own.

As our kiss deepened, I felt a sudden surge of heat rise again.

Hmm...

Should I try composing in a different way?

After all, I had a wonderful instrument right in front of me.

"Huh? I asked you to let me down, so why...?"

"Shall we go, then?"

"Where... No way! It-It's broad daylight, the sun is high in the sky!"

"Do I have to say it again? I've already explored every nook and cranny..."

"Kyaaaa!"

"Up we go!"

"N-No, wait! Can't we talk a bit more? Please?"

"I want to go talk about something else."

"Whyyyy!"

We spent our days flirting and fooling around like that.

I put the stream on a complete hiatus, which caused a temporary uproar in the fan cafe.

Having her legs turn to jelly on both the first and second days, leaving her unable to go home, she declared she wouldn't lose and ordered a computer to my place.

She claimed she couldn't afford to slack off on managing the fan cafe.

Since there was a spare room, it wasn't an issue.

Before we knew it, we were in a state resembling cohabitation.

When I suggested we just move in together, she refused for now.

She said if we stayed in the same space, she'd end up having to crawl everywhere, leaving me speechless.

C-cough. Was I a bit too rough?

On top of that, she said there was a lot to prepare for the future, and she didn't want to be a woman who got in the way of my work.

Since she was being so cheeky, I punished her one more time, and now she was fast asleep, completely knocked out.

And so, left to my own devices, I was currently unboxing and setting up the "babies" that had arrived two days ago.

"There's still so much missing."

It was hard to dismiss this as mere gear acquisition syndrome.

It was a fact that I needed different things for different genres.

Of course, there were all-purpose guitars.

But all-purpose was just all-purpose; it could never beat a specialized one.

If I played a song that required whammy bar action, I needed a guitar with a tremolo arm, and preferably a specialized bridge to keep it from going out of tune.

And that wasn't all.

There were guitars specialized not just for genres, but for specific playing styles or purely for performance.

"Well, I guess I can get by with a Suhr for a while."

I pulled out a sheet music notebook and a pencil, roughly jotting down the melodies I had been humming lately.

I wanted Seola to be the first to hear the song once it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was finished soon.

I hoped she would like it.

Choi Seunga raised her voice irritably.

"How many days has it been since Seola went to that boy's house?"

"It's entering the fourth day."

"Sigh... They say the quietest cat is the first to steal the cream."

"Should we take action?"

"No, let it be. We can't interfere in the private lives of adults. More importantly, you're saying there's no additional information you've uncovered?"

"Yes. Even the secretarial team is at a loss. They say it's been a long time since they've encountered a case so difficult to investigate."

"I see. You may leave."

Some of the staff in the secretariat were former members of government intelligence agencies.

He wasn't some top-secret agent or a criminal, so how on earth was this possible?

Choi Seunga dismissed Secretary Kim and scanned the document once more.

"Uncle Jehak did?... Why would a heavyweight like him act as a guardian?"

Out of habit, she tapped her index finger rhythmically against the desk.

"The parents' causes of death are suspicious, and his childhood is full of question marks."

Moonwol Group.

When Choi Seunga was young, it was a massive chaebol that rivaled the top one or two in the business world.

Was it because of their outdated family traditions, steeped in extreme bloodline purity and submissive foreign worship?

Since the death of the Chairman, who had been the pillar of the family, the group had been fracturing in all directions.

"He is strictly the eldest son of the fourth daughter, yet they treat him like a bastard! In this day and age when mixed-race children are so common, I simply cannot understand it."

To her, whose own younger sisters were mixed-race, this was only natural.

What she understood least of all was that Moon Saebyeok was a male.

Why did chaebol families go through the trouble of polygamy or strategic marriages?

It was all to obtain a male heir.

"Besides, if it gets out that he's a child of the Moonwol family... he might face unnecessary interference."

She tapped her finger again, weighing the pros and cons.

What if he marries Seola, or they have a child together?

Moonwol Group might covet AQ's affiliates and try to assert their rights.

Or, conversely, AQ might have to step in.

She soon shook her head.

From the looks of it, Moon Saebyeok had been cast aside without receiving his rightful dues.

"...I'll have to meet with Uncle Jehak."

Having made up her mind, she pressed the call button.