[An Offer She Can’t Refuse]

Saying that she was nervous was probably the biggest understatement ever made.

JinHee craned her neck up to fully assess the tall building standing in front of her. It was gleaming under the sunlight, the words ‘SM Entertainment’ clearly hung on its side. The girl scratched her ear, feeling restless as she remembered the call from earlier.

A woman claiming to be Lee SooMan’s secretary had rung, asking if JinHee had enough time to spare for a meeting at the SM building. She had said yes almost immediately- excited for what Lee SooMan had called her for.

So that was how she found herself arriving at the said building the next day.

JinHee had informed Yixing about her visit, although he said that he had a schedule by the time she would be there. The man was excited for her too, and asked her to stay back near the practice room after the was done so he could meet her as soon as he got back.

Without any further ado, she walked towards the doors, letting it slide open before her. The lady at the reception asked for her appointment and JinHee merely said her name. With that, the staff told her to wait for a bit as she went ahead and called the CEO to see if he was ready.

JinHee sat quietly on one of the provided lounging seats, and almost fell off her chair as she saw two of the girl group members walk by the lobby, accompanied with their manager.

The idols flashed her a commercial worthy smile as they strutted by, one of them slipping a pair of sunglasses before heading outside. If she had remembered correctly, the girls were called TaeYeon and Tiffany or something along those lines.

Not long after, the receptionist appeared in front of her, bowing politely as she smiled, “Seo JinHee-ssi, the CEO is waiting for you in his office. Please follow me.”

JinHee nodded and was quick to her feet, trailing behind the lady into a long corridor. They passed some rooms, and more hallways before getting on the elevator. She saw the lady press the button for the topmost floor just as the metallic doors closed.

They walked for some more until they arrived to a door JinHee recognized from her last visit as Mr. Lee SooMan’s office. The receptionist knocked on the door lightly before opening it, ushering for her to enter.

Jittery, JinHee stepped inside the familiar room.

“Ah- Ms. Seo. I have been expecting you.” The man said when he acknowledged her appearance, his hands gestured to the seat in front of his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

As stupid as it sounds, JinHee felt as if she had been called by the headmaster of a school. She did as he told timidly, glancing around the big office. The last time she was here, it hadn’t been so bad- Since Yixing was next to her. But know, it was all on her.

“So…” she said, “What do you need to discuss with me?”

SooMan smiled at her kindly, “Well Ms. Seo- to be honest, I was quite impressed when I heard your song last time. It was a proof of great potential.” He said, “I’ve been in this business for a long time, and I’ve seen many talents grow into stars. And I think I know gifted people when I see them.”

“Y-you… You don’t mean me being an idol, do you?” JinHee choked, terrified by the thought.

The man laughed at her assumption, “No- by all means, no. Unless if you want to, that is.” He added, looking at her with a meaningful gaze, “But that’s not the point here. What I wanted to tell you was that I would like to employ you under SM Entertainment.”

She couldn’t believe her ears and only stared at the CEO with widened eyes.

“We could use a talented song-writer in our hands,” he explained, “It would be such a waste to let your geniousity slip away when we had the chance.”

“I- I…” JinHee stuttered, “I’d love to.”

She saw his lips form a thin smile, “That’s amazing to hear, but there’s one condition…”

Her smile faltered slowly, confused. “What condition?”

“As I know, Ms. Seo,” he said, “You haven’t gone to university yet, neither have you acquired any degree in music. We need you to at least have one certificate to apply for the job. It’s a policy.”

JinHee tasted a bitter feeling in , and realized that it was just her own blood. She didn’t realize she was biting on her bottom lips this whole time, “Oh…”

SooMan gave her a comforting look, “And that’s where our first condition lies.”

“Wait- you haven’t said the condition yet?” she asked, feeling hopeful all over again. The man shook his head and caught her eyes, looking at her thoughtfully. “No, Ms. Seo. But now I will-”  said he, “Our first condition is for you to go to China for that degree.”

Everything was blank for JinHee after she heard those words.

“Uhh- come again?”

Lee SooMan let out a grin, nodding like a happy monk.

“We’ve applied you for special scholarship in one of the top music universities in China- since we have connections there. It would be great if you accept.”

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