The incessant buzz of his phone jolted Yi-an awake as he groggily reached over to his nightstand to turn it off. Squinting his eyes from the bright glare of his phone, the singer balked at the hundreds of notifications on his phone. What was all this?

Sitting up from his bed, Yi-an’s dark brown eyes wavered as he read the messages from his friends and acquaintances. What were they saying? What did he do for them to react with so much disgust and surprise? Pulling up the search engine on his phone, Yi-an hesitantly typed in his name, and immediately, his heart stopped as soon as he saw the article sitting on top of the page. 

His entire body trembling, he dropped his phone as it clattered to the hardwood floor. Why did Reporter Kang write this? Did he do something to offend him? Why was he being framed as a bully?! 

Clenching his fists, the singer hurried to get dressed. Yi-an went through too much for the last sixteen years– he wouldn’t let his career hit rock bottom with such a blasphemous article! However, as soon as Yi-an stepped out to the living room, an amused voice called out to him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Whipping his head around, Yi-an gasped, staring at CEO Lee, who was leisurely sipping a cup of coffee while lounging on the leather sofa. As he observed his mentor’s nonchalant behavior, a sense of dread slowly suffocated Yi-an. His heart racing against his chest, the idol took a step back. No way, was CEO Lee behind all of this?

“... What are you doing in my house? I thought you’d be looking for Reporter Kang–”

“What’s the point when he’s already fled the country? And why can’t I be here? This is technically my house, isn’t it?”

“What…? What are you–”

“I gave you an advance on your paycheck, so you could buy this place, didn’t I? So, technically, I’m still the owner of this place. Ha... It’s a shame, though. I thought you’d last for a few more years before discarding you… Tsk. What a wasted investment.”

“You… Did you tell him to write that false article about me?! What did I do to deserve this type of treatment?!”

“That wasn’t me, but… You should have known your place, Yi-an. Why were you so greedy?” Placing the cup back on its saucer, CEO Lee grunted as he got up to his feet. Slowly, he sauntered to Yi-an with his hands in his pockets and peered down at the disgusted singer. “If you didn’t set your eyes on him, you could have continued down your path to stardom.”

“I have no idea what you’re saying. But… greed? You’re the greedy one here! You profited off of Min hyung’s death! You’re always using his death against me, so you could continue to rank in profit–”

“And? It’s part of the business. How can I control my assets if I have nothing to hold against you? You’ve been in this business for seven years, so you should know this by now. You’re acting like an amateur.” 

“What are you, a thug?! I’m a person– not a mere ‘investment!’”

“Tsk, tsk. I never thought you’d be so naive. Listen carefully because I’m saying this for your benefit. You were the most prized asset of GOLD Entertainment… But now, you’re worth nothing.” Shrugging his shoulders, CEO Lee gazed sympathetically at the star, “You should have let go of him sooner, Yi-an.”

“...Are you serious right now?! Stop talking in riddles and tell me why you betrayed me!” Yi-an bellowed, seizing CEO Lee’s collar while his face twisted in unwavering rage and fury.

“Now, don’t get so agitated! Doing this won’t get you anywhere. You’ll learn the reason why soon enough.” 

“Do you think you’ll get away with this?”

“Oh, Yi-an… I didn’t think you’d be so innocent!” CEO Lee smirked, pulling Yohan’s hands away from his shirt. “By the way, don’t forget about the performance on K Countdown today! You still have a debt to repay me, remember?”

“What the hell are you talking about–”

A chill ran down Yi-an’s spine as the idol stared at CEO Lee’s phone. How did he have that picture…? Without thinking, Yi-an reached out for it when the two-faced entertainment executive quickly slipped his phone back into his pocket. 

An amused grin on his lips, CEO Lee patted his mentor’s shoulder, “If you want these back, do well on the performance today. I didn’t invest millions on you for you to be ruined this early in the game.”

“You conniving piece of shit–!”

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!” CEO Lee excitedly clapped his hands as he grinned at the flabbergasted idol, “You can keep this penthouse if you want; it’s my parting gift to you. And remember….” CEO Lee started as he sauntered towards the front door, “If you want those files back, you better give it your all today.” 

The idol stood in stunned silence as the door slammed shut. Feeling sick to his stomach, Yi-an crumpled to the floor while his heart lurched in terror. As if they were a curse, CEO Lee’s words swirled in his head like an endless loop. An investment. Was that all that he amounted to? A mere ATM machine to the company?

Curling onto his side, Yi-an’s quiet, bitter sobs soon turned to gut-wrenching laughs. He couldn’t believe the absurdity of his situation. He had trusted CEO Lee with his life. He had been like a second father and mentor– comforting and reassuring the idol when things got tough. But just like eight years ago, Yi-an had foolishly trusted another set of empty promises. Hadn’t he learned his lesson when Min left him behind?

“... Why am I like this...?”