Cold Critique and Sudden Dinner Invite
Black stockings hugging smooth legs, a flat chest. In the underground parking lot of Da'o Entertainment, Cheon Bom parked her car and checked her watch, thinking, 'Thirty minutes left... I got here way too early for once.'
She was always the type to arrive exactly on time, so this kind of slip meant her condition wasn't great.
'Maybe head to the break room and rest a bit.' She didn't want to work in suboptimal shape. With that in mind, Cheon Bom headed for the company lounge and ran into Nam Bu-jang in the elevator.
"Oh, hey there, Cheon Bom. Got a meeting with us today?"
"Yes. A meeting with Lee Sejin about the title track concept for The Queens."
"Right, right. Meeting room's on the sixth floor, then."
Cheon Bom stopped Nam Bu-jang as he kindly reached for the elevator button.
"No, I'm going to the lounge. Still a bit early for the appointment..."
"Huh? Really? You showing up early is a surprise. You're always so punctual."
"Tell me about it. I ended up wasting time unintentionally."
"Ah, haha... Want me to tell you which floor Sejin's office is on? You could call him and get the meeting started right away."
"......"
She'd wanted a little rest.
"Or I could call him for you?"
"No, it's fine. I'll go myself."
Resting in someone else's company lounge wouldn't be proper anyway, and she didn't want to show any weakness. Cheon Bom soon arrived at Lee Sejin's office as directed.
And just as she was about to enter...
"No, I told you—sorry, but just wait a bit. I've got a ton on my plate too, so don't rush me. It'll make things harder..."
She flinched. Caught off guard by Lee Sejin's sudden irritation, Cheon Bom shot back coldly.
"Sorry to inconvenience you. Guess I'm too hasty."
"Hngh!?"
Lee Sejin jumped when he saw it was her. The tense vibe vanished instantly, replaced by his usual friendly self.
"Ah... Cheon Bom? What brings you here? I mean, how'd you get to the office..."
"I arrived a little early, and Nam Bu-jang told me to come here."
Cheon Bom replied with even icier tone on purpose.
"You should've called ahead... or at least knocked. I would've come right out."
Only then did Cheon Bom realize she'd barged in without warning. But she ignored that, crossing her arms and turning it back on him.
"I was just following Nam Bu-jang's instructions. What's the problem?"
No hint of apology on Cheon Bom's face. Lee Sejin, looking genuinely sorry, approached her.
"It's fine. Let's head to the conference room right away."
"Understood."
Cheon Bom nodded, and Lee Sejin grabbed his laptop before stepping out with her.
In the hallway, he apologized again.
"Sorry about snapping earlier. That wasn't aimed at you, Cheon Bom."
"Shouldn't you watch that around others too?"
"I'm really sorry."
"...I get it wasn't for me."
Clack, clack.
Her heels clicked louder, contradicting her words. But the sound softened soon after.
"Sounds like your subordinate's being a real pain."
"Well, yeah..."
"Work-related?"
"Pretty much."
"Hmm..."
A guy whose subordinate bugs him over work.
"Must take a lot of hand-holding. Working with incompetents is exhausting."
"N-no, it's not like that. Just some work snags, that's all."
Even if it was a white lie, Lee Sejin instinctively hated badmouthing his team, so he denied it. But Cheon Bom, who'd tossed it out to test him, interpreted it differently.
'So he's the incompetent type after all. I thought he might be decent since he saved The Queens, but he can't handle work or his emotions...'
Pathetic, getting flustered by a guy like that. Her earlier flinch felt even more embarrassing now.
And that shame twisted into pettiness.
'He probably didn't prepare properly for this meeting either. Time to tear into him.'
Off-kilter from her poor condition and humiliation, Cheon Bom was gearing up for a fight.
Last time, when I'd commissioned a new song from Cheon Bom, she'd laid into me.
"You still haven't nailed down the concept. Talking more would just be a waste of time."
She was right. If the client can't articulate what they want, the creator can't deliver. Business-wise, it was on me for not doing my homework.
'Gotta study up.'
To convey concepts properly, I needed music knowledge too. But I was too busy and drained for that. Managing alone was overwhelming, and after "caring" for the girls, I had zero motivation or energy left for studying.
Listening to tons of idol tracks to broaden my ears and brainstorm concepts in that state... impossible.
'But it's doable. I've got the hypnosis app.'
Lack of drive or energy was no issue for me. No matter how tired, the app got me 100% focused.
'What an amazing app.'
Thanks to it, I'd analyzed countless idol songs intensively despite the time crunch and crammed music theory on the fly. Short bursts, but super efficient—like bodybuilding.
'I've got a solid grasp on the second album's title track theme, and prepped solid data for Cheon Bom.'
The hypnosis app was perfect for self-improvement and studying. It squeezed me to my limits, max focus in any state—progress was insane.
'...Though I paid the price for overdoing it.'
The exhaustion post-Polynesian sex was from pushing too hard, but that was in the past.
"...So, I'd like to request it based on the concept I just explained."
In the conference room, after 20 passionate minutes with Cheon Bom, I looked at her expectantly. Days of study and prep—this was sincere effort from a client. It should make up for past scoldings and show I meant business.
"......"
Did my pitch fall flat? Cheon Bom crossed her arms silently. Her flat chest made it look way comfier than with my girls. Maybe comfier than for me.
"Cheon Bom? If something's missing, let me know."
Still quiet despite my stray thought, I prompted her.
"Hmm..."
Unable to respond, she crossed her legs. Her basic mini skirt highlighted the black stockings and sleek thighs.
"......"
Arms crossed, uncrossed, legs crossed, uncrossed—she pondered with a furrowed brow, then lit up and spoke.
"No, it's fine. But I have a few points to raise."
She stood from across the table, came to my side, and manipulated the laptop to page 2.
"First, your initial examples. Cute and sexy as dual concept, but those aren't apt."
"The examples?"
"Yes. Yoshina Akiko's '25 O'Clock Night' or Lunatic Luna's 'Day&Night&Day'—those are straight sexy, not cute & sexy. Plus, foreign songs don't vibe with domestic tastes."
Foreign songs not fitting? In this era? I glanced at her, but she ignored me and pressed on.
"And they're not even idols. Examples like that help zero."
Even if not idols, referencing other genres is fine—no issue. Borrowing strengths from established styles while adding idol freshness? Smart move.
'Her critiques feel off.'
But no time to dwell—she kept nitpicking relentlessly. Too abstract, explain more; micromanaging like this, why outsource?
'What's her deal suddenly?'
She hadn't been like this before. Now it felt like deliberate tearing down.
"Get what I'm saying?"
"Got it. So..."
"Let's revise together now. Lots to fix."
Sigh. She let out a dramatic exhale, like for my benefit.
'What the hell?'
Not picking a fight with me, right? Revenge for snapping at the door? Her face was stone-cold.
"Something wrong?"
"No, nothing."
Bu-jang had warned me: Cheon Bom's willful and tough to handle. I'd never felt it much till now.
'Nah, overthinking.'
I refocused. Finish quick to soothe the girls tonight. No distractions.
"So, first... besides my examples, any better ones for cute & sexy? Or just the vibe."
"......"
Silence again. She leaned half on the table, crossing her long, stocking-clad legs perfectly.
And said nothing.
"......"
"......"
"...Um, Cheon Bom...?"
Beep-beep-beep!
Then my pre-set phone alarm blared.
"Ah, time's up already."
4:55. Meeting ended at 5. She was punctual to a fault, so reschedule...
"Then for next meeting..."
"N-no, wait! Let's grab dinner and talk properly!"
...Dinner out of nowhere? What?
* A version without stockings will also be uploaded...!
