Recovery takes time—a necessary trade for healing, whether the wounds are physical or not.
For Jihoon, it had been two days since his narrow escape from the SNSD ambush. Two days of licking his wounds. Two days of avoiding their calls, dodging their texts, and pretending he was too busy to function.
Of course, demands had been made. And, of course, he had no choice but to comply.
The worst part? The 'emotional damage' was far worse than expected. But if he were being honest, most of the pain was concentrated in his wallet.
Today was a new day, a fool day.
A day free from SNSD's financial terrorism.
At least, that was what Jihoon told himself as he crawled out of bed, feeling like he had just survived a battlefield.
Not a physical one, no—a financial battlefield. His bank account had suffered heavy casualties, and he wasn't sure if it would ever recover.
But no more sulking. A new day, a new start.
And the first step to reclaiming his life?
Coffee.
Jihoon trudged into his kitchen, made himself a steaming cup of morning salvation, and took a deep sip.
Immediately, the world seemed a little less terrible. The pain of his financial losses? Still there, but at least now it was manageable.
Step two? A workout.
He hit the apartment gym, not with the goal of becoming a Steve Roger's level, but something more realistic.
If he could land somewhere between "casually fit" and "Chris Evans pre-super-serum but post-strict-diet," that would be ideal—just enough to flex if needed, but not enough to be mistaken for a superhero.
After an hour of self-inflicted suffering, Jihoon showered, got dressed, and finally made his way to JH Entertainment, ready to start his workday.
By late morning, Jihoon had mostly caught up on his workload—emails, project updates, and the usual chaos of running a company. He was about to finish his last task before lunch when—
Knock, knock.
Without looking up, Jihoon called out, "If this is about money, I'm officially broke."
The door opened anyway, and in walked Park Jaehyun, the company manager and one of the few people who knew Jihoon too well.
Mainly because Jaehyun had been there since the very beginning of JH Entertainment's foundation.
Jaehyun leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, amusement clear on his face. "I have to say, you spend more time at SM than your own company. Should I be worried?"
Jihoon grinned and leaned back in his chair. "Hyung, we don't even have a recording booth here. What do you expect me to do? Sing in the breakroom?"
Jaehyun rolled his eyes. "Then why don't you just build one? It's not like you don't have the money."
Jihoon sighed dramatically, as if the weight of capitalism itself was crushing him. "And what's the point when I'd be the only one using it? You think our office workers are secretly aspiring idols?"
Jaehyun smirked. "Honestly, at this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up with a desk at SM Entertainment."
Jihoon laughed, "You think they'd charge me rent? Because I'm pretty sure Taeyeon and the others have already taxed me into poverty."
Jaehyun smirked. "With that level of pettiness, it's no surprise you're still single."
Jihoon sighed dramatically. "Yeah, well… my wallet and I are currently in a toxic relationship. And I think it's about to break up with me."
Jihoon leaned back in his chair, letting out a dramatic sigh as he stretched his arms over his head.
He waved a hand lazily, signaling for Jaehyun to get to the point. "Alright, enough about me, hyung. What brings you here?"
Jaehyun chuckled, shaking his head. "It's rare to see you this defensive. Did they break more than just your wallet?"
Jihoon groaned, rubbing his face. "Hyung, if we keep bringing this up, I might actually cry. Let's move on before I start charging therapy fees."
Jaehyun smirked, clearly enjoying Jihoon's suffering. "Fine, fine. Nothing too important."
"Just some updates. Jongbin's film is officially done. CJ has locked in the release date."
Jihoon nodded, pleased to hear it. "That's good. He worked his ass off on that one."
Jaehyun leaned forward, his tone turning slightly more amused. "Yeah, but that's not why I'm here."
Jihoon raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Jaehyun smirked knowingly before dropping the real bomb. "Mrs. Mikyeong wants to know when you're planning to start your next project."
At the mention of Mikyeong, Jihoon's face twitched. His expression didn't shift much, but Jaehyun, who had known him for the start, could see the immediate shift in mood.
Jihoon let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "Of course, she does."
Jaehyun folded his arms. "What? Still holding a grudge over that last deal?"
"Grudge? Nah." Jihoon shrugged. "I just learned my lesson. If I wanted to get steamrolled, I'd rather take my chances up north with supreme leader Kim than negotiate contracts with CJ Kim"
Jaehyun laughed. "HAHA! Smart man."
After a brief chuckle, he smirked and continued, "So, what now? Are you going to answer her yourself, or should I tell her you went north?"
Jihoon sighed, running a hand through his hair.
Mikyeong was tough—too tough.
Their last partnership deal had been exhausting, and not because of the usual business headaches.
No, the real issue was that she had turned Jihoon himself into a marketing product, shaping his public image in a way that led to relentless media attention.
The endless press coverage, intrusive headlines, and the sudden rise of his name in every tabloid left him so drained that he had to literally hide out at school for a while just to let the media frenzy cool down.
And the worst part? He never even saw it coming.
Filmmaking? That was second nature to him. He could do that in his sleep.
But business negotiations—especially when dealing with sly corporate elites? That was a completely different battlefield, and Mikyeong was a seasoned general.
Jihoon, on the other hand, was the unsuspecting soldier who didn't realize he was being sent to war until it was too late.
And it didn't stop at just branding him. No, she went one step further.
Mikyeong had practically put him on display—parading him around to the chaebols and business elites like some money-making showpiece they could invest in.
If he hadn't caught on to her motives early, he would have been pulled even deeper into a world where he had little control over his own career.
Since the success of his film Secret, investors had been lining up, eager to pour money into JH Entertainment and claim a piece of his growing empire.
Every single one of them? Rejected. Jihoon wasn't stupid—right now, he was the boss of JH, but with outside investors involved, who knew who would truly be in charge?
Fortunately, Jihoon was sharp enough to see the trap before it closed.
The moment Jihoon realized what was really going on, he withdrew—fast. From that point forward, he made a firm decision: all dealings with CJ Entertainment and other business matters would be handled strictly by his company executives.
He knew business wasn't his strong suit, and he wasn't about to risk being outmaneuvered. No exceptions.
Even when Mikyeong personally called him, trying to smooth things over or lure him back in, Jihoon would always redirect her to his executives.
He wasn't about to take the risk of falling into another one of her carefully laid traps.
Not again. Never again.
"Nah, you handle it, hyung," Jihoon finally said. "That's why I pay you the big bucks, right?"
Jaehyun scoffed. "Big bucks? You pay me like I'm working at a startup."
Jihoon smirked. "Exactly. We're building dreams, not burning cash."
Jaehyun rolled his eyes. "Says the guy who owns a company."
Jihoon shrugged. "Hey, just because I own one doesn't mean I want to deal with all the paperwork."
Jaehyun exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Alright, back to business. What do you think? Should we start prepping?"
Jihoon leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Hmm… what's your take, hyung? You're the one who keeps track of the market trends."
Jaehyun rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Honestly? I'd say now is the right time to start."
He leaned back slightly, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Pre-production for your next film is already done, so there's nothing holding us back."
"If we stick to your usual schedule, filming should take around three months, followed by another month for editing."
"That means we'd wrap up just in time for the Christmas panel—right before the market gets oversaturated with releases from other studios."
Jihoon tapped his fingers on the desk, mulling over the idea.
He knew Jaehyun was right. Timing was everything.
The film industry wasn't just about making a good movie—it was about making sure the right people saw it at the right time.
Finally, he grinned. "Alright. Let's do it. Time to make some magic."
Jaehyun smirked. "And hopefully, this time, you won't get scammed by nine women with unlimited spending power."
Jihoon groaned. "I said stop reminding me!"
Jaehyun patted his shoulder with mock sympathy. "You know, if you ever need financial counseling, I hear some great agencies offer discounts for emotionally traumatized clients."
Jihoon grabbed the nearest pen and hurled it at Jaehyun. "Get out now, hyung!"
Jaehyun dodged effortlessly, laughing as he strolled toward the door. "Alright, alright, message received!"
But just as he was about to step out, he paused and shot Jihoon a knowing smirk. "Oh, and since you practically have a second home at SM these days, why not swing by and arrange the casting session? We're still partnering with them, aren't we?"
Before Jihoon could throw something heavier, Jaehyun slipped out, leaving him alone in his office.
With a deep sigh, Jihoon leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. His schedule was about to get a lot more hectic.
[Happy April Fools' Day, guys!]
[Author's Note: Heartfelt thanks toDaoist098135 for bestowing the power stone!]