KIRAN walked into the school in a daze, still trying to process what had happened the night before. The experience had shaken him so much it felt like it had taken years off his life. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but he was just that shock.

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Kiran was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice someone approaching until a voice broke through.

“Good morning, Kiran!”

The sudden greeting startled him so much that he almost tripped over his own feet. His breath hitched as he quickly steadied himself, blinking in surprise. It took him a moment to register what had just happened, his heart still pounding from being startled.

He had already recognized the voice, so when he lifted his head and saw Astrid, it didn’t surprise him as much as the suddenness of his greeting had.

“Good morning, Aster,” he said, attempting to salvage his embarrassing stumble earlier. “When did you get back?”

“Just yesterday afternoon,” Astrid responded.

When he returned to the apartment yesterday, he was so exhausted that he fell asleep immediately, completely forgetting to message his friends to let them know he was back. And since he would see both Kiran and Snow at school, he thought he’d just surprised them. He hadn’t expected Kiran to be so startled by his sudden greeting, almost stumbling in surprise. Unless, of course, the other was deeply lost in thought about something.

“How was your short leave?” Kiran asked. “Are your parents doing okay?” S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Everything went as well as expected, and my parents are doing fine,” Astrid replied. “But what about you? What got you so lost in thought?”

Kiran scratched his cheek awkwardly, debating whether sharing what happened might help. But as he glanced around, he decided against it—this wasn’t the place to talk, not with so many people nearby who could easily overhear.

“Later. I’ll tell you and Snow later during lunch.”

Astrid looked at Kiran, raising his brow. It seemed to be more serious than he thought?

“Okay,” he said.

Soon, the two of them parted ways. As Kiran watched Astrid head toward the Acting Department, his mind drifted back to the events of the previous night.

The night before, Kiran had met an acquaintance of Miss Rose, someone who had recently founded a talent agency. Miss Rose had arranged the meeting at Lapillus—the piano lounge she owned and where Kiran still performed once or twice a month. She had likely chosen the venue to put Kiran at ease, knowing it was a place he felt familiar with.

When Kiran headed to Lapillus, his thoughts were simple. He was merely wondering if the person he was meeting would present a good offer, and if not, how he would politely decline.

However, his mind went completely blank the moment he opened the door to the private room where he was supposed to meet the person.

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Kiran froze, unable to move, his gaze locked on the person seated inside.

The man sitting inside had long, aquamarine hair that draped softly over his shoulder. His pale amethyst eyes were striking, like polished jewels, and his skin had a smooth, almost translucent quality. His lips were a deep, vivid red, contrasting sharply with his delicate complexion. His clothing was a perfect blend of masculine and feminine styles—sleek trousers paired with a flowing, tailored top that blurred the lines between a blouse and a shirt. The neutral tones and minimalistic design further emphasized his beauty, making his appearance both sophisticated and captivating.

Shir Atkins!

That’s definitely Shir Atkins, right?

Kiran rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not hallucinating, and he was truly seeing this generation’s ‘god of music’. But no matter how much he rubbed his eyes, the man who looked exactly like Shir Atkins was still sitting inside.

No, wait. Could it be he went and opened the wrong room?

Thinking that was the case, he immediately bowed and apologized, “I’m sorry. I must have walked into the wrong room.”

“If your name is Kiran Hope, then you’re in the right room,” Shir Atkins said in a calm, almost lazy tone. “Come in and close the door behind you.”

Hearing his name spoken by the other, Kiran froze for a moment before stiffly stepping inside, almost like a robot, and quietly closing the door behind him.

“Do sit down.”

At Shir Atkins’ words, Kiran moved stiffly and sat down in the chair across from him, his movements awkward and uncertain.

As he sat there, thousands of thoughts swirled in his mind. Why was Shir Atkins here? If he knew his name, could he be the ‘acquaintance’ Miss Rose mentioned? Was he the one who had recently founded a talent agency and was now considering recruiting him? These questions buzzed relentlessly, leaving Kiran struggling to make sense of the situation.

“Don’t be too nervous. If you’re going to be under my agency in the future, you can’t always freeze in my presence,” Shir Atkins said in that same lazy tone.

Kiran’s head snapped up, and as he did, his gaze accidentally locked with Shir Atkins’ amethyst eyes. The brief interaction sent a wave of heat rushing to Kiran’s face. It was only in this moment that the reality fully sank in—Shir Atkins was truly sitting right in front of him!

And he went back to what the other said, about the agency and all. Then he remembered the reason he was here. To meet Miss Rose’s acquaintance who wanted to recruit him to his newly founded talent agency.

So that person was Shir Atkins?

At that thought, Kiran’s heart began to race. If this was true, it meant he would be joining the agency Shir Atkins had founded. Did that also mean he would get to see him more often from now on?

The thought of that possibility almost made him declare that he would sign the contract right there and then. Fortunately, a small part of him remained rational, allowing him to hold back and stop himself from doing just that.

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