Moby popped a few pills into his mouth, swallowing them with difficulty, and took a sip of water. He then stepped out of his truck, whistling a cheerful tune.
It was early morning, but he was already bubbling with excitement. Just arriving in this neighborhood lifted his spirits—no more dealing with loan sharks and individuals engaged in shady businesses!
He spotted Bobby’s car parked near the building and chuckled, realizing his boss was even earlier than he was.
However, the moment he stepped foot inside the building, dread suddenly filled his stomach.
For one, the exterior was a mess—glass shards were scattered everywhere. Moby’s heart raced, and dizziness threatened to overwhelm him, but he steadied himself and pressed on.
He froze. The interior was even worse. Clear signs of a struggle were evident.
“Sir?” he called out. “Where are you?”
“Bobby?” he tried again, using his friend’s name, but received no response.
He attempted to call him on his phone, but there was still no answer. Eventually, someone picked up, and Moby sighed in relief.
“Bobby!” he exclaimed. “Where are you?”
But it wasn’t Bobby’s voice that answered, just a cold, unfamiliar tone. “Seoul Metropolitan Police…”
***
Word spread quickly. Dreamy Entertainment, the incompetent company that Zeno Han had signed with, had met its downfall. Multiple articles were published in mere seconds, and although Dreamy was still relatively unknown, Zeno’s name was featured in all of them to boost views.
‘Dreamy Entertainment’s Collapse: Zeno Han’s Empire Crumbles Under a Mountain of Debt’
’15 Years of Failure: How Dreamy Entertainment’s Incompetence Doomed Zeno Han’s Career’
‘Zeno Han’s Last Stand? Debt-Ridden Dreamy Entertainment Nears Total Liquidation’
‘Zeno Han Rejects Other Companies for Dreamy Entertainment. Who Will Pick Him Up Now?’
– This was Zeno’s biggest mistake.
– I heard he was recruited by Moonrise before but he rejected. This comes from a very credible source.
– Sucks for him. ‘The Forsaken Prince’ is a hit, but without a company, he is nothing.
– I agree! What a waste.
– Fuck off. You’re all happy about this. The investigation is still ongoing.
– Don’t drag Zeno’s name into this! He doesn’t have any fault in these issues.
Jace and Zeno arrived at the police department, the paparazzi snapping away outside. Zeno wore a frown as he entered, and once again, it was all over social media. Moby stood at the police table with Bobby; they lifted their heads, looking weary but still managing to smile through it all. Zeno clicked his tongue as he sat beside them.
“What happened?” Jace asked, concerned.
The police officer cleared his throat. “As I was saying,” he continued, “you will be detained here until your trial.”
“What?” Jace stood, capturing everyone’s attention in the precinct.
Moby urged him to sit down while the police officer glared at him.
“I’ve explained the reasons thoroughly, Mr. Bok Hyun,” he said, referring to Bobby. “The evidence against you is strong, so I advise you to contact a lawyer right away for the negotiations.”
“All of your assets will also be seized momentarily,” he added.
Jace was about to argue again, but Moby held him down once more. Bobby turned his gaze to his lap before nodding. With that, a police officer came forward, handcuffed Bobby, and pulled him away without much explanation.
“Sir,” Jace said, appearing distressed. “This can’t be happening.”
Bobby merely turned to Moby. “Please take care of everything while I’m gone.”
Moby nodded, looking distraught but trying his best. Meanwhile, Zeno remained seated, listening to officers whisper about him.
“That kid is handsome.”
“My daughter asked me to get his signature. Would it be weird to do that?”
“No, go ahead!”
Before it could turn into a fansigning event for Zeno, the three of them left the precinct, still bombarded by paparazzi. Moby drove them and parked next to a convenience store.
“Moby,” Jace said as soon as they stopped, gripping the older man’s shoulders. “What’s really happening? Is Bobby going to be arrested? I thought we paid off all our debts already? Is it the landlady? And what about our new office? Are we really getting it taken away?”
Moby smiled despite his pain and tiredness. “Don’t concern yourselves with these matters, hmm? I will handle it. Just focus on your projects.”
“How can we do that when the company is literally falling apart?”
“It’s not,” Moby insisted, appearing more serious than ever. “I won’t let it,” he added.
“Anyway,” he continued, snapping back to his bubbly self, “I’ll get you some hot coffee and a meal. You must be hungry coming all the way here at dawn. Wait for me.”
“Wait—” Jace called after him, but Moby was already on his way out. As soon as Moby left, Jace slumped in his seat with a sigh.
“Crap, I feel so bad,” he muttered. “It seems we’re allergic to success. The moment everything starts improving, the universe just says—’nope, you’re not done with your hardships.'”
“Until when?” he exclaimed, staring up at the ceiling of the truck. “Until when will Bobby and Moby suffer? They have never been anything but kind. Stupid, yes, but they don’t deserve all of this. I know they have done nothing wrong.”
Jace continued ranting before glancing at Zeno, breathless. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Zeno pursed his lips before turning to Jace with a serious look. “How many years have you been with Dreamy?”
“Seven years,” Jace muttered. “I was one of their earlier artists and the only one who stayed this long.”
Zeno leaned against his seat. “Then you must know something.”
Jace froze for a moment before letting out a deep breath. “Moby and Bobby are truly kind, but that comes with a flaw. I didn’t know better back then, so I couldn’t guide them through it. I was even dumber before.”
“That’s hard to believe,” Zeno muttered, causing Jace to frown. Still, he continued.
“They trusted people they shouldn’t have and took on a lot of debt for their artists just to let them flourish. They ended up paying for it themselves, so the company was always bankrupt.”
“But,” he muttered, recalling something. “There was an artist who was there before me. He seemed to have a lot of debt from gambling, but Bobby paid for it all. Then, he just left right after. No explanations.”
“It must be him,” Jace said through gritted teeth.
Zeno observed him and tilted his head.
“Perhaps, is that artist J-Slick?”