by L. Marcelo
Being the friends of the two, they had no choice but to follow the arrangement they wanted. How can they not especially when it was so obvious that both parties wanted it to stay that way?
Vhynce who had been so busy with his RMM and non-RMM projects was in one of the studios at the building.
For the past few days, he had been checking up on his artists about their music, their plans as well as the albums that each of them had been working on. He wanted to make sure that everything was ready for their release.
“What do you think?” He asked after he listened to the track that Rayle wanted to use for his single.
“I think it sounds better. I followed what you told me about the chorus and the bridge. I didn’t think it would work that’s why I didn’t arrange the song that way but it did.” Rayle sounded happy and excited at the same time.
When he first let Vhynce listen to the song, he was happy and satisfied with it. Vhynce liked it too but he saw that there was something that could be done to make the track even better. Rayle knew how long Vhynce had been in the industry that was why he always trusted his judgment but only when music was involved.
“Seems like you’re all set for your new single.” Vhynce smiled.
He couldn’t help but feel happy and proud of his artists especially Rayle. The kid was the one who improved the most out of all his artists.
He remembered when the kid first joined RMM. He was an amateur. If it was someone else, he wouldn’t take him in but there was something in the kid that he saw, something that he knew would make him successful.
It was the passion that he saw in the kid’s eyes.
In the past, whenever he asked the kid to make some tracks, Rayle never complained. Instead, he worked day and night. Whenever he told the kid that there was something wrong with the track, he never stopped until he figured out what it was. He never gave up and now, all his hard work finally paid off.
He was proud of Rayle not just as a CEO, a senior in the music industry but as a brother and a friend.
“I’m really looking forward to this one. There’s something in this track that I haven’t felt in all my other tracks.” Rayle smiled.
“Trust me, that’s a good thing. You made it so you know it better than anyone else.” Vhynce knew it. He’d been there before. He had his own songs but he also had his moment. There would always be a time when you feel something different on a track. You can’t explain it. You just know.
“So is everything set?” He asked as he clicked the stop button on the computer’s screen.
“Yeah, everything’s good.” Except for the cover art. He wanted to say those words but he didn’t know if it was the right time to. He may have accepted the arrangement of the two but there were still times that he couldn’t act normal. He was close to both parties. Not to mention, he loved Meahri. There was no way it would be that easy.
“Did you decide on the cover art?”
Vhynce’s question caught Rayle off guard. He wasn’t expecting it but he was talking to Vhynce. Why was he so surprised? He may be his friend, his brother but he was still their CEO. Of course, he would ask everything about his album. He wanted to make sure everything’s ready.
“I haven’t decided on the final design since I wanted to hear your thoughts about it.” Rayle started to feel uncomfortable but tried his best not to show it.
“Do you have the drafts with you?” He asked. There was no trace of uneasiness or any sign of being uncomfortable on Vhynce’s face.
“Yeah, Meahri gave me a few designs that we can choose from.” Rayle replied.
He saw the slight change on Vhynce’s expression when he said Meahri’s name. It was too fast that people could’ve missed it but not him. He saw right through him. He always thought it didn’t affect him anymore but he was wrong.
“We can talk about the cover art later in my office. Bring the designs with you so we can make a decision.” There were no emotions on Vhynce’s words.
Rayle didn’t want to drag the conversation any longer and said okay.
Without any words, Vhynce left the studio and went to another studio where 3 other RMM artists were working.
While Vhynce was busy with RMM, Meahri on the other hand was as busy as he was. Truth was, she was busier than she used to be. She started to receive offers from different parts of the world that she had been busy travelling for the past few weeks.
Just recently, she had a big offer from one of Therry’s friend. He was the owner of one of the biggest music labels in South Korea. He told Therry that he saw some of Meahri’s works and he was impressed that he wanted to work with her.
He knew the fact that she had been busy recently. He wanted her to get some rest too but he knew if she had some free time, she’d end up thinking about things again. He was only doing this for her. He knew that it was the only way for her to not think about anything else especially him.
When his friend called him about Meahri doing some work for him, he immediately agreed without even asking her about it. That same day he went to her place and informed her about it.
He expected for her to be furious for accepting it without even asking her but he got the exact opposite. She was so excited that the second after he told her everything, she agreed.
It has been a while since he saw her got excited over something and it made him very happy.
He missed his Meahri, the happy-go-lucky Meahri, the girl who always made him smile. He knew it wouldn’t be easy. He knew it would take time. And right now, the only thing he can do was stay by her side.
That same day, they booked their tickets to Seoul. They didn’t tell anyone about it except Thiara and Anna.
For the first time since the incident, Meahri can spend time in a place miles and miles away from Vhynce. Therry thought that maybe with such distance between them, she could enjoy herself without thinking about anything else.
Despite the fact that he hated Vhynce for being an ass, he still have a bit of hope that maybe, with such distance, he’d realized that it was his fault, it was his lost and it was never Meahri’s.
After a few days, it was the day of their trip.
Therry picked up Meahri at her place and went straight to the airport.
It was around past 3 in the morning – the next day – when the two reached Incheon International Airport. When they got out of the immigration, Hugo, Therry’s friend, was already waiting for them.
“It’s been years, Therry!” Hugo greeted as they approached him.
“It sure is!” Therry gave him a hug.
Therry put his hand around Meahri’s shoulder as he introduced her. “By the way, here’s Meahri.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet such a very talented artist.” Hugo complimented her and offered his hand. She took it. “The pleasure is mine, sir.” She smiled.
“Just Hugo.” He insisted.
“Hugo.” She repeated after him.
Hugo and Therry exchanged smiles.
Whether they want her to see it or not, it didn’t matter since she saw it. She knew it wasn’t a simple smile. She knew that there was a meaning behind it but she also knew that she shouldn’t pry.
When Hugo saw the look on her face, he changed the subject. “Where’s Anna?”
“She can’t make it today since she had plans tomorrow and the day after. She’ll be arriving this weekend.” Terry explained.
He wanted to ask Anna to cancel her plans so that she didn’t have to travel alone but he didn’t want to be selfish. Besides, before he could even tell her, she already knew what he had in mind. She would love to cancel it but it had been set long ago. She didn’t want to miss the chance to meet with her older sister too. Much as she wanted to travel with Therry and Meahri, she’d rather travel alone than miss the chance to see her sister.
“Good to know she’s coming. I’ve been looking forward to meeting her. I wanted to meet the amazing woman who can keep up with you.” Hugo had a smirk on his face.
The
rry should’ve found it offensive but he didn’t. He and Hugo went a long way back so the man knew how he was. Therry knew how lucky he was to have Anna in his life. He didn’t only lost her once but twice and it was something he didn’t want to experience ever again. He couldn’t imagine anyone else to spend the rest of his life with.
Anna was the only girl who could keep up with how messed up he was.
“Don’t worry, you’ll meet her… Just be sure not to fall in love with her or you’ll regret it.” This time, it was Therry who had a smirk on his face. It was a joke and they both knew that. After all, Hugo has his on family now and even has twins.
The two was having their usual talk when they didn’t know that there was someone with them who was about to freak out. Meahri was scared. She didn’t know if they were joking but the way they talk to each other, they didn’t sound like it. At least for her.
She didn’t know how much time had passed by but she was called back to earth when Therry called her without knowing it wasn’t the first time he called her.
“Sis, you okay?” He asked in concern.
“Are you guys fighting?” She was surprised to hear the words came out her mouth. She shouldn’t have asked. If they were in a fight, she could’ve made it worse. Next thing she knew, they burst into laughter like she just said something very funny.
“We’re not fighting Meahri. This is just how we are.” Hugo’s smile was genuine and there was no way for her to doubt his words.
“Okay…” It was the only word she said. She can’t believe they weren’t fighting. For her, they sounded like they were. These two aren’t normal! They seriously have a fucking weird way of talking. She cursed in her head.
Hugo broke the silence. “Let’s go?” He asked. Both Therry and Meahri nodded.
Before they started walking, Hugo offered Therry some help since he was the one who pulled both of their luggages. When Hugo was about to take Meahri’s luggage, she insisted not to.
Therry knew she wouldn’t let the man take her luggage but he was smarter than that.
“Trust me Hugo. We can stay here all day and she still won’t agree but that doesn’t mean she would mind you taking mine.” He flashed a grin. It has been years since he last saw it but it was so familiar to him that he found himself smiling back. “I’m only doing this because it’s been years since the last time we’ve seen each other.”
The two were busy arguing over the luggage that they didn’t seem to hear Meahri’s words.
“Therry!” She exclaimed. This time she finally got their attention.
“Meahri, Hugo is really big here in South Korea. He’s so big he never even pulled his own luggage. Just help me with this. I don’t get a lot of chances when it comes to teasing this guy.” Therry laughed.
“Why am I not surprised?” Hugo asked.
Therry acted as if he didn’t hear Hugo’s words and continued talking to Meahri. “Just leave him. Don’t worry he won’t get back to you on this. He won’t.” He assured.
“Hugo, this isn’t on me. It’s on Therry. You’re free to do anything to him when I’m not looking. Actually, you can kill him too if you want.” She laughed.
“So this is what I get after getting you this project?” Therry knew it will get to her and like he planned, it did.
“Hey! Okay. Okay. You win.” She stopped. She looked at Hugo and continued, “At least don’t kill him.”
Before Therry could react, Hugo beat him to it. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
This time, it was Hugo’s time to smirk.
“Okay kids, stop talking and start walking.” Therry barked.
Hugo took them to their hotel and told them that they could take the rest of the day off.
It was past lunchtime the following day when Meahri woke up. She couldn’t remember when was the last time she slept so much. She felt so good, felt so well rested. She didn’t missed sleeping until now.
Still feeling sleepy and wanting to go back to sleep again but didn’t after seeing the sun was already up. She lazily reached for her phone on the bedside table and called Therry.
“Look who’s up?” Therry greeted her. She may not see him now but she knew that he had his crazy smile on his face.
“Morning to you too, Therry.” Her voice sounded too husky that it was so hard for him not to smile. It was the first time he heard her like this.
“Sis, it’s already afternoon.” He continued teasing.
“Where are you?” She asked. She didn’t bother Therry’s teasing especially when she just woke up. She wasn’t in the mood.
“I’m at the lobby having lunch. I didn’t wake you up since I know you haven’t been getting enough sleep recently.” He explained.
“Are you almost done eating?” She sounded worried.
“Yeah I am. Just go ahead and get ready. Once you’re done, send me a message and let’s meet at the lobby.” He said.
“Okay. Thanks!”
She ended the call.
After the phone call, it was the only time she checked her phone for the time. It was now 1:47PM. She felt so good and well rested. She can’t remember when was the last time she had more than 5 hours of sleep. She realized how busy she had been. She got out of bed and started to get ready.
After almost an hour, Meahri and Therry met at the lobby.
“Don’t you have any thicker coat with you?” He asked.
“I don’t think so…” It was pretty much the thickest coat she bought with her. At least from what she remembered.
“I think it’s best for you to buy a thicker one. We can drop by later before we meet Hugo.” He said.
“Is it really that cold outside?” She asked. She got worried. She thought she was ready for the weather in Seoul but it looked like she wasn’t.
“Hugo told me it was colder than it used to be. Just to be sure, let’s get you one later but for now, you need to have your lunch.” He sounded like a dad. For other people, they might hate it but for Meahri, she loved it. She loved how Therry had always been not only a brother but also like a father to her.
While she was having her lunch and Therry enjoying a glass of juice, she started to ask questions about Hugo.
“What’s Hugo like?” She asked as she took a spoonful of her spicy seafood soup.
“He’s a very nice guy.” He replied.
“That’s all you can tell me? Here I thought you guys went a long way.” She said sarcastically.
“You were the one who started talking before I can continue.” He laughed at her.
“Ooops… Sorry.” She smiled like a little girl that it made Therry laugh even harder. He was really starting to feel like she was his daughter.
“Well, I’ve been working with Hugo for a long time now. Probably a decade or so. I didn’t expect to work with someone like him since he was from a country far from us but I guess, that’s how good I really am.” He said with full confidence that she had to make face.
“He was the one who first contacted me and from then on, we worked together from time to time. Hugo’s a really nice guy.”
“When it comes to work, he’s strict but it’s only because he knows what he wants. He always made sure he gets what he envisioned. He always had a high standard.” He stopped after he saw the change on her face.
“Should that help me or scare me?”
She whitened at his words. Sure, she worked with a lot of people. Some of them are famous but she never came across someone like Hugo. He can’t help but laugh. He just scared the hell out of the girl.
“I’m not trying to scare you sis. I’m just telling the truth. I want you to know what to expect from him. Hugo had always been like that.” He explained and took a sip of his juice.
“What if his standards are too high for me to reach?” There was a change both in her face and voice. She was worried.
“Sis, Hugo’s standard may be high but trust me, you’ll do just fine. Just do your thing.”
“I hope so…” She sa
id in a weak voice.
She never thought of Hugo that way. Therry told her some stuff about him but never this kind of stuff. Now that she found out how Hugo seemed to be so strict and high standard, suddenly, she started to doubt herself. She started to doubt her capability.
Can she be the artist that Hugo thought she was?
She finished her lunch after 20 minutes.
The moment she stepped out the hotel, the wind blew. It sent chills all over her body. She realized it was colder than she anticipated so she decided to go with Therry’s suggestion and bought a thicker coat.
After they left the hotel, they decided to drop by to a mall on the way before going to Hugo’s office.
Being a good friend of the owner of one of the biggest music labels in a country has its perks. Since Therry was a very good friend of Hugo, he was nice enough to lend them his own BMW X6 and even provided them with a driver who understand and speak English.
“What time does our meeting with Hugo starts?” Meahri asked.
“He didn’t have any specific time. He just told me to message him when we’re on the way to meet him.” He replied.
“I see.” She said flatly. He looked at her and saw her reaction. She looked like she was bothered by something. He had an idea what it could be but he couldn’t be sure until he asked her. “What’s on your mind, sis?”
A few seconds had passed and she still hasn’t answered. She was just staring outside the window.
“Meahri.” He called in concern.
“Huh?” She sounded surprised. Her mind was in some other place.
“What’s on your mind?” He repeated.
“Nothing much… I’m just kind of worried.” She confessed.
“About what?” He asked her as he waited for her to look at him.
“I don’t know… About this project… I’m just worried that I might’ve think too highly of myself accepting this... Maybe, I was too excited to come here that I didn’t think carefully about the consequences if Hugo didn’t like what I’ll come up with. This is bigger than my other projects. Way bigger.” She didn’t only sound worried but she also looked like one.