OT

The novel's setting is Earth in a parallel universe.

Lee Ju-hyeon was overflowing with gratitude. In that moment, I found myself curious about her singing talent.

Ji-yu had possessed a singing talent of 8, and Jeong-mi a 7. From them, I held a Level 7 singing talent of my own.

Ji-yu's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠potential talent is the same as Ju-hyeon's? An 8...? And a 3... Jeong-mi's current talent is kind of ambiguous.

It occurred to me that Jeong-mi might not even pass Ju-hyeon's test. For me, acquired traits didn't change between current level and Max level.

That said, boosting Jeong-mi's singing feels a little off... I should be raising her martial arts and things like that.

If I brought Gao Shun over from the other world, her Training Specialty would make it possible to awaken weapon traits like sword and spear at Level 1. Then I could recombine them and push one weapon all the way to Level 12 Max for her.

Huh?

The rustle of paper filled the air. Jeong-mi and Lee Ju-hyeon were completely absorbed, passing ten sheets of sheet music back and forth between them. I glanced at them once, then gave a slight nod.

Huh?

What was this? The rewards were vague, and there was no penalty at all.

All I had to do was record the duet tracks. Honestly, I wanted to hear a few of Baek Ji-su's songs for myself — and the voice of a master singer like Michael Johnson, live.

Jeong-mi's bag sat on the seat beside me. She was so absorbed in the sheet music next to Ju-hyeon that she never noticed as I slipped my hand inside and pulled out the two duet scores.

Hmm... I'll do it.

What is this? Is the Constellation originally from a world that has this music and these films?

Jini fell silent after that. I figured that was as much of an answer as I was going to get.

"Um... Ju-hyeon, are you happy with all the scores?"

Her pupils trembled violently. Her face was still flushed a deep red. Even Jeong-mi couldn't tear her eyes from the sheet music.

"Yes... Did you really write all of these for me? You can tell every single one is from the same person."

I nodded. She bowed her head even deeper, more moved than before. I reached into Jeong-mi's bag again and pulled out more scores — ones I hadn't transcribed myself.

Hiding my surprise, I handed them over.

Lee Ju-hyeon's face lit up with shock. That pure, innocent expression... She had the looks of an actress and the singing power of Baek Ji-su.

A woman who seemed to have everything.

"These are duet songs. I didn't write them with you in mind, Ju-hyeon. But somehow I feel like you'd sing them beautifully. If you're planning to put these on the album as well... sing them with me."

She took both scores, then passed one to Jeong-mi — who looked far too curious to be left out.

The one Ju-hyeon held bore the title A Wound Greater Than Love.

A masterpiece. My favorite among all duet songs.

The one Jeong-mi held was an OST from the drama I Miss You 1998. There were plenty of legendary duets out there, so the choice of this particular one was a little surprising.

Both of them seemed to love it. And for a moment, Jeong-mi's eyes went soft and distant — as if the singer's dream she'd held in her youth had just come alive again.

"The songs are wonderful, but... Ian's skill is..."

"Hmm... Just a moment, then. Ahem."

There was no need to stand ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on a stage and make a show of demonstrating my singing ability.

I called to mind my favorite song among the OSTs performed by the original singer of A Wound Greater Than Love.

I closed my eyes and drew the emotion up from deep inside. Acting 12 and Singing 8 (+1) activated at the same time — I could feel them both.

"How is it that we, in this tangled fate~~"

I had no idea how the original singer had performed it. I loved his music, but I wasn't sure whether it would even be among those hundred songs. A ridiculous thought crossed my mind — that I might never hear his voice for real.

I sang it the way I had interpreted the score: relaxed, clean, pulling the notes free without force.

"Ah..."

A gasp of admiration from Lee Ju-hyeon. Then a soft moan from Jeong-mi as well.

I had already read the scenario this song belonged to — while scouting Hye-yun's next project. Maybe that was why the emotion sank in so deep as I sang.

Acting, right here...

"For you~~ I'll leave~."

I sang only the first verse, then opened my eyes, clasped my hands together, and nodded.

"Well? Is that enough?"

"Ah... yes. I'd imagined a man's voice a bit huskier, but this suits it perfectly too. Yes... I want to do the duet with you, Ian. Now more than ever..."

I looked at Jeong-mi. She nodded as well.

"Then contact President Go Hye-rim first. Just us deciding this doesn't mean an album actually gets made."

I said it with a smile, and Lee Ju-hyeon beamed right back, promising she would go see her without fail.

We talked through the songs until five o'clock. Only then could we start the car again and head for Hangang Jium in Mapo.

In front of Hangang Jium's main gate.

Jeong-mi's face was flushed from her cheeks all the way down her neck — a full level more radiant than before — but with OT at ten, finding free time was hard.

Originally, the reason I'd met Jeong-mi was to ask which woman I should take to the Three Kingdoms World. But after gaining confidence through Ju-hyeon, I found myself wondering why I even needed to consult the women about it.

So I'd already decided on Ji-yu. With Jeong-mi, I simply ended the night at a late-night date.

"Master... whenever you have something weighing on you, please use me like you did today."

"Got it?"

Jeong-mi smiled bashfully.

"Yes. Before you met Ju-hyeon, there was hesitation — even your lips kept twitching, like you had something to say. But after that... you were full ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of confidence. That feeling just vanished..."

"Yeah. Thank you, Jeong-mi. I love you."

"...Yes. Me too."

At the words I love you, Jeong-mi flushed and twisted her body shyly. Watching her reach for the door, I spoke again.

"Everything's already set up in Suseo-dong, so finish the move first. Leave the furniture here as it is."

"Yes... Um... would it be all right if I moved my mother and my younger sibling into my place at Hangang Jium first...?"

"Sure. Something like that is nothing."

Jeong-mi's request was adorably modest. I nodded — but she still held the door, hesitating as if she had more to say.

"...Master, the sheet music... if you could entrust it to me..."

"Ah — not my Maver. Check the Daum mail I sent myself. The scenarios and sheet music should all be saved there."

I'd wondered what she was about to ask, and then the tension drained out of it. I cut her off and told her about the account where Kang Ho and I stored the scenarios and scores.

I only used Maver and Daum — Maver for communication, Daum as storage space.

"Ah... thank you, Master."

At last she moved to close the door, and this time I stopped her.

"Jeong-mi. Looking at you, you seem pretty interested in this side of things. Keep Mi-jin under you and manage K&J yourself. That's an order."

"...Thank you, Master."

Click.

Jeong-mi shut the door, clearly embarrassed. I smirked, rolled down the window, glanced once at her bowed head, and drove off.

February 17th, 2003. Somewhere between 3 and 4 a.m.

In a glittering space of about twenty pyeong, three men and four women sat drinking across a table.

Thud.

The clean-cut man with glasses at the head of the table pulled a document envelope from the bag at his feet and tossed it into the middle of the table.

"Cheol-seung — what you asked for. Su-jeong's entry and exit records. And Jun-ho, the records on that Seo A-jeong you wanted? They're in there too."

Cheol-seung and Jun-ho, who had been draping their arms over their partners' shoulders, pulled them back at once and both reached for the envelope.

Jun-ho got there first. He opened it, scanned the contents, pulled out a single A4 sheet, and handed it to Cheol-seung.

"Thanks, Hyeon-jae hyung. Getting this must've been a pain."

Park Hyeon-jae pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index finger and smirked.

As the third-generation heir of the Mirae Group and grandson of the current chairman, he swept his gaze over the reactions of Han Cheol-seung — third-generation heir and successor of Samhwa Mining — and Kim Jun-ho, third-generation of Segye Trading. Then he knocked back the drink in front of him, thoroughly satisfied.

"Please. The immigration officer is a Mirae man. Wasn't that hard. Well? Are they the people you were looking for?"

Smack.

Park Hyeon-jae said it, then kissed the women pressed against either side of him, swallowing the liquor one of them passed into his mouth.

Han Cheol-seung and Kim Jun-ho scanned the documents and both nodded.

Their expressions, however, could not have been more different. Cheol-seung's face crumpled. Jun-ho's lit up.

"Ah!!! Sh—sorry, Hyeon-jae hyung. That bitch Su-jeong left for the States again..."

"Tsk... Why the hell are you hanging onto a bitch like that? Sure, Su-jeong's pretty, but she's just the niece of Seomin Steel's chairman. And her personality is a nightmare..."

Hyeon-jae smirked and opened his mouth. The woman on his right picked up a piece of fruit from the table, held it between her lips, and kissed it into his.

"I—it's just... my father is trying to absorb Seomin Steel, and Su-jeong holds thirteen percent of the shares, so if we get that..."

As the sole third-generation heir of Mirae — Korea's undisputed top conglomerate — and son of the current vice chairman, Park Hyeon-jae was in a class of his own. Han Cheol-seung bowed his head with bottomless servility.

"That so? Don't worry. Su-jeong's on a short-term visa, not a long-term one, and I confirmed she hasn't even filed for a leave of absence at school. Gulp."

"Really? Thank you, Hyeon-jae hyung..."

Park Hyeon-jae just grinned at Han Cheol-seung's reaction.

He thrived on reigning like a king over the heirs of conglomerates and mid-sized companies. Watching Cheol-seung and Jun-ho grovel like this was pure catharsis.

"Jun-ho — what's so great about that A-jeong bitch that you're making such a scene?"

"Sh—she's pretty. My family doesn't get involved in entertainment, so they just told me to bring anyone home. Preferably a pretty girl..."

Hyeon-jae looked at him with eyes gone cold and flat. Marriage among chaebols was closer to business than anything else.

The fact that Jun-ho's parents had already contacted every high-end matchmaker in Korea was common knowledge in chaebol circles — and yet Jun-ho seemed completely oblivious. Hyeon-jae found him pathetic.

"Pretty, huh... Then what about Mi-hyeon next to you?"

At Hyeon-jae's words, Jun-ho shot a glance at his partner, Park Mi-hyeon.

She was one of the members of Piano — until a few years ago, Korea's top girl group — recruited by Cheol-seung. As the main vocalist, she was certainly pretty.

"I—it's just... A-jeong is a little prettier."

"That so? No wonder you're that desperate."

Park Hyeon-jae was a fourth-year history major at Yeonseo University. Han Cheol-seung and Kim Jun-ho were third-year economics majors at the same school.

Among the current second- and third-generation chaebol heirs, cliques had formed almost like factions — the close ones splitting off to Korea University, Yeonseo University, or Guryeo University.

At Jun-ho's words, a glint flashed briefly through Park Hyeon-jae's eyes. He covered it at once by kissing Hyo-jin — Piano's visual — on the mouth.

Smack...

"Hyung. A-jeong is seriously pretty. I left her alone because that bastard Jun-ho marked her first, but if he hadn't, I would've made a move myself."

"Ha... You naive little shits. Is she as pretty as Hyo-jin or Yu-ri? Just buy out an agency and mess with celebrities or trainees."

Hyeon-jae wrapped his arms around the waists of the girl group members on either side of him, peeled off their panties, and slid a finger into each of them at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠same time, smiling.

Squelch. Squelch.

"Hahhk... Young Master..."

"Nngh!!!"

A-jeong and Su-jeong, huh... I should eat them before these idiot bastards do....

For a split second, Park Hyeon-jae's eyes — which had been playing at drunken haze — sharpened to a razor's edge.