Page 22 of Idol Lives
“It’s only gotten worse.” Jason snorted. “I mean, people talked about me before. But now they’re really talking.”
Seong Woo raised an eyebrow. “The overnight billionaire routine tends to do that.” He chuckled. “Not that I’d know from personal experience. Even combining my finances with Yoo Mi’s, we’re somewhat more humble.”
“Humble’s probably the last fucking thing I’d ever call Yoo Mi,” Jason teased. “Speaking of the wife, how is she?”
“As lovely and headstrong as ever. She’s filming in Busan right now.” Seong Woo absently frowned. “I miss her when she’s away. But it only makes me more certain that marrying her was the right choice.”
A whisper of longing poked at Jason’s thoughts. “I hear you. I should be in Tokyo with Tae Hyun right now, but I’m stuck here instead.”
Seong Woo leaned in, his voice lowered. “You’re hardly stuck. You grabbed a table here on one day’s notice. This place has a six-month waitlist.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Jason bitterly rolled his eyes. “Like I ever cared about that shit. And it doesn’t make me miss Tae Hyun any less.”
Seong Woo offered him a genuinely sympathetic frown. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to imply that.”
“Don’t you start with that shit, too.” Jason quietly scoffed but without any malice. “I’ve had so many people up my ass lately. I’m surprised Tae Hyun isn’t jealous.” He chuckled, hoping to mask the melancholy behind his humor. “But I’m still me. I don’t need you bowing and scraping just because I’m richer than you now.”
“Richer?” Seong Woo snorted. “I’d offer to have you thrownout just for old time’s sake, but they’d probably toss me out if I tried.”
Jason quietly groaned. “I might take you up on that. It would be a nice change of pace.”
“Heavy is the head, eh?”
Jason lightly scoffed. “If you’d told me even a month ago that my perfect life was about to magically transform into a boardroom drama, I would’ve laughed in your face. But here we are. Which leads me to what I wanted to talk about.”
“Back to business then? Okay.” Seong Woo grinned. “Let’s have it.”
But their server arrived with Jason’s bourbon instead, placing it on the table before asking for their orders. Seong Woo ordered for the both of them, choosing the Bibimbap de Pato, a deconstructed bibimbap with seared duck breast, seasoned vegetables, a fried egg, and a gochujang salsa, for himself, and the Kalbi Asada, a Kalbi-marinated grilled skirt steak served with kimchi fried rice, roasted vegetables, and a doenjang chimichurri for Jason. Seong Woo raised his glass in a toast after their server departed. “To friendship.”
“To friendship,” Jason toasted.
Seong Woo sipped from his glass and set it on the table. “So, what’s on your mind? You want me to ditch the Imperative Group and become Brightstar’s new CEO?”
Jason laughed. “Maybe. Did you bring your resume?” Then he shook his head. “But, no. Although that’s not far off the mark. I think most people would agree that I’m not even remotely qualified to run Brightstar. Myself included. Even if I had the head for business, which I absolutely don’t–”
“Don’t sell yourself so short,” Seong Woo interjected. “You’re better at it than you give yourself credit for.”
Jason half-frowned, unsure if Seong Woo was blowing smoke up his ass. “That still doesn’t change the fact that it’s Gerald Park’s business we’re talking about. I’d last a day behind his desk before they ate me alive.”
“So, what do you plan to do about it?”
Jason took a generous swallow of his drink, relishing in the spicy warmth as it coated his throat. “I hired Naomi to do it instead.”
Seong Woo’s eyebrows shot upward. “Are you serious?”
“Completely. And that’s part of why I wanted to talk with you. Was that impulsive and reckless, or did I make the right call?”
Seong Woo generously smiled as he nodded. “Oh, you absolutely made the right call.”
Jason frowned, still unsure if Seong Woo was being genuine. “Do you really think so, or are you just humoring me?”
Seong Woo leaned forward, his expression becoming stern. “I’m completely serious. I’ve worked with Naomi for a while now, remember? She’s sharp, capable, and driven. She’s perfect for the job.”
Jason slowly nodded, not entirely convinced. “Okay, but–”
“But, what?” Seong Woo sighed, anticipating Jason’s next worry. “Alright. Yeah, you’ll get a lot of shit for hiring a Black woman for what many–maybe most–still consider to be a white man’s job.” He wryly chuckled. “I can only imagine what my father will say when he finds out. But that’s not your problem. You don’t have any investors or creditors to appease. Your primary concern should be whether or not you trust her.”
“I absolutely do.”
