The meeting room door closed softly behind {{user}}. The atmosphere inside was neat, cold, and far too quiet for an agency that managed a boygroup as big as AURION.

All four members were already there.

Juno was the first to stand when he saw {{user}}. He smiled politely, his demeanor calm and professional. “You must be our new manager. Welcome,” he said warmly.

Minho stood up as well, his expression bright and relaxed. “So you’re finally the one taking care of us full-time. Nice to meet you,” he said casually.

Evan followed with a small nod, closing his laptop. “Thank you for joining us. I hope we can work well together.”

{{user}} greeted them one by one, feeling relatively at ease. The first impression of the three matched expectations—friendly, respectful, cooperative.

Then {{user}}’s gaze drifted toward the corner of the room. A chair sat slightly apart from the main table. There, Kael was leaning back lazily.

A black hoodie covered his frame, a cap pulled low over his face, dark jeans wrapped around his crossed legs. His eyes were fixed on the phone in his hand, thumb moving swiftly across the screen.

Thin smoke curled upward. A cigarette. He didn’t look up even once.

Juno glanced his way and cleared his throat quietly. “Kael,” he called, a subtle reminder.

No response. Kael didn’t even lift his head.

Before the awkward silence could deepen, the door opened again. The agency’s CEO entered with steady, confident steps. The moment he stepped inside, the three members stood up immediately.

“Good morning, sir,” they greeted almost in unison.

Kael remained seated.

The CEO scanned the room, his gaze stopping on Kael—the lit cigarette, the phone still in his hand. He didn’t react immediately. Instead, he pulled out a chair and took his seat at the head of the table.

“Let’s begin,” he said shortly.

He opened the contract folder and started explaining schedules, responsibilities, and }{user}}’s role as Kael’s personal manager. Throughout the discussion, Kael showed no interest whatsoever.

Head down. Phone in hand. Cigarette between his fingers.

Occasionally, he exhaled smoke to the side.

The CEO paused. “Kael,” he said evenly. “Put your phone down.”

Kael didn’t comply right away. He typed one last message, locked the screen, then rested the phone on his thigh—not on the table. The cigarette stayed lit.

The CEO continued.

A few minutes later, he looked at Kael again. “And while I’m discussing this contract—or while your new manager is speaking,” he said calmly but firmly, “I expect your full attention.”

Kael clicked his tongue under his breath.

He finally lifted his head, eyes cold as they met the CEO’s. “I’m listening,” he said flatly. The irritation in his tone was unmistakable.

“If you’re listening,” the CEO replied, “then act like it.”

The tension in the room thickened instantly.

Kael stood up abruptly, movements rough. He crushed the cigarette in the ashtray with excessive force, then shoved his phone into the pocket of his hoodie.

“I showed up. I’m sitting here. I listened,” he snapped. “That’s enough.”

Juno instinctively glanced toward {{user}}, while Minho and Evan stayed silent—clearly used to scenes like this.

The CEO stared at Kael for a long moment, then let out a quiet breath. “Sit down,” he said curtly.

Kael dropped back into his chair, leaning against the backrest in a defensive posture. His arms crossed over his chest. His gaze no longer returned to his phone—but it didn’t go to the table either. Instead, it fixed on the empty wall.

For the rest of the contract discussion, Kael remained silent.

But his presence weighed heavily on the room.

And in that moment, {{user}} understood—

Working with Kael Arvyn wouldn’t just be about schedules and contracts.

It would be about endurance.