Yoon-jung and Jin-yeon, who were receiving the cold gaze of Kiska, hesitated and stood up, and Shizuka also couldn't bear the awkward atmosphere and eventually stood up.
As Yoon-jung hurriedly greeted Geon while leaving through the automatic doors, she asked Shizuka, who got on the elevator with her:
"Was Kiska Miochichi's character always this chic? When I only saw her face in the articles, she seed so cute and affectionate, but seeing her in person, she seed so cold, it was surprising."
Jin-yeon nodded repeatedly in agreent.
"Right, did you see how she glared at earlier? She's also incredibly tall, which was quite intimidating, and she looked like a kid in the articles, how could she have grown so much?"
Shizuka was also surprised about the height. She had heard from Geon that Shizuka was experiencing a growth spurt, but she thought it ant that a child, who was growing slower than others her age, was catching up, not that she would be taller than an adult herself.
However, since Kiska was Russian, it was natural for her to be taller compared to Japanese, who are generally shorter among Asians.
"Kiska is usually very affectionate towards Kei and Director Byung-jun, but she particularly dislikes won. She dislikes the won around Kei even more."
Yoon-jung asked with a puzzled look.
"Why is that? Weren't you guys like brother and sister since you were young? I heard the age difference wasn't even enough to call him 'uncle' but still awkward to call him 'brother.'"
Jin-yeon also looked curious and focused on Shizuka as she spoke.
"You're right, Yoon-jung. Kei is popular and ets many female musicians for business, how can he dislike all of them?"
None of the three including Shizuka knew what had happened in Georgia, and they were puzzled.
Shizuka had been watching Kiska for a long ti and vaguely realized that the girl might see Geon as a man.
After getting off the elevator, Shizuka buttoned up her coat due to the colder weather and glanced up at the fourth floor.
While still discussing their first impressions of Kiska, Yoon-jung and Jin-yeon glanced at Shizuka, who bit her lip.
Kei's floor.
An awkward atmosphere flowed between two people sitting on a ten-person beige sofa. Unable to endure the cold gaze from Kiska, who was sitting with her arms crossed, Geon spoke first.
"What's the matter, coming without contact? How is grandmother? Why are you alone, Gregory?"
Kiska turned her head and surveyed the Kei floor.
"This is my first ti here. Have all the other people you know already co and gone?"
"Huh? Oh, here... how is it, alright?"
"It's cool. Aren't you going to show around?"
"Ah, alright."
Although Kiska suddenly changed the topic, Geon tried to break the awkward atmosphere by starting to explain the interior of the Kei floor.
The initially cold-faced Kiska soon was looking around curiously, arm in arm with Geon.
"What's this? A liquor storage?"
"Yeah, I use it sotis to drink beer alone, and I offer it to guests as well."
"There's a cafeteria too. You have all this for yourself?"
"Ha, right. Director Lynn took good care of it."
After explaining everything on the Kei floor in detail, and trying on headphones in the recording booth and standing by the microphone stand, Geon, looking at Kiska with a smiling face, turned on the microphone outside the booth. Ꞧ
"Did you co alone?"
Inside the booth, Kiska, wearing headphones, nodded to Geon's voice coming through the headphones.
"Yeah, I ca alone."
Geon looked at Kiska inside the booth and asked again through the microphone.
"Why did you co alone? Did grandma pass away?"
"Not yet."
"You shouldn't say 'not yet', Kiska..."
"Yeah, sorry. She's not in pain, but it's also not getting better, so we took her ho. She insisted on leaving the hospital against the doctor's advice, fearing she might be in pain."
"That's tough. Did Gregory allow you to co alone?"
"No, dad is probably causing a scene at the airport right now since I ca straight from there."
"Phew, I should probably call him. How did you get in here? Security wouldn't have opened the door."
"I t Director Lynn on the first floor."
"Ah... that's how. Do you have to go back?"
"Yeah, I'm flying back this afternoon."
"Huh? Today itself? What brought you here?"
"I ca to see you."
At Kiska's last words, Geon closed his mouth. Kiska, wearing headphones inside the booth
, wasn't looking at Geon.
After a long pause, Geon started speaking again.
"Did you co all this way from Georgia just to see for half a day?"
Kiska silently nodded without speaking.
"Why?"
Kiska's shoulders twitched slightly, and she began to sob. Geon, realizing she was crying, was startled and entered the booth.
"Kiska, are you crying? Why are you crying?"
Kiska, with her back turned, covered her face with her hands. Geon waited for Kiska to calm down a bit and quietly placed his hand on her trembling shoulder.
"Kiska."
Kiska, still facing away, spoke with her head bowed.
"I was anxious."
Geon hugged her from behind and asked.
"What made you anxious?"
Feeling Geon's warmth, Kiska spoke softly.
"I know. You don't see as a woman."
Geon's body stiffened at her unexpected words. Unable to continue, as Kiska's doubt turned into certainty, she wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks and bowed her head further.
"I won't give up, though."
Geon, not knowing what to say, hugged Kiska a bit tighter.
Kiska, feeling Geon's arms around her neck, wiped her face with her sleeve and managed a faint smile.
"Give your ti today, please."
Geon nodded without a word. Although no answer was heard, Kiska, feeling Geon nodding from behind, turned around with a bright smile.
Her face was still streaked with tears, but Kiska was trying her best to smile brightly.
"Buy ice cream. I wanted to go to that ice cream shop with you."
As Kiska turned around, Geon naturally let go of his embrace and extended his hand.
"Alright, let's go."
Kiska smiled brightly as she took Geon's hand. Geon also smiled back as they took the elevator down, and to the surprise of the security guards who had co down without any notice, they approached.
"Are you going out? Should I prepare the car?"
"No, I'll take the car we brought from ho."
"Ah, yes. Where are you heading?"
"We'll be near Brooklyn today, then heading straight ho."
"Understood, I'll report that."
"Yes, thank you."
As Geon approached the car waiting in a corner of the parking lot, a Red Castle mber, who was smoking a cigarette and making a phone call, hurriedly stubbed out his cigarette and approached in surprise when he saw Kiska.
"Miss? K, Kiska Miss?"
Kiska didn't know his na, but she smiled at the familiar face of the organization mber.
"Hello, sir."
"Ah... I didn't hear about this... Does Miroslav know?"
"No, he probably doesn't."
"Oh... ah! Sorry, please get in."
The organization mber opened the car door for Kiska and Geon, then imdiately made a phone call to report to Miroslav.
When the two arrived at the Ice Cream Factory under the Brooklyn Bridge, Miroslav had already arrived and was waiting in front of the store.
Over a hundred organization mbers had co out and were controlling the Ice Cream Factory, making it impossible for people outside to approach the shop.
Miroslav, who would do anything for Kiska and cherished her more than anyone, was very pleased to see her.
"Miroslav!"
"Miss!"
Miroslav, seeing Kiska speak to him for the first ti, was moved and said.
"You're talking! It's true!"
"Hehe, Miroslav. How have you been?"
"Yes, Miss. I'm doing well. But the boss seems very angry, you should give him a call, he's very worried."
"Yes, I'll call him later."
"Yes, please do. Now, let's go inside."
As Geon greeted the staff who welcod him back to the Ice Cream Factory after a long absence, Kiska ordered her favorite type of ice cream and then took her hand to a window seat.
An employee, surprised to see the famous Geon holding hands with a slender beauty, instinctively reached for his phone cara, but seeing the nacing looks of the organization mbers, he awkwardly smiled and put his phone away.
One of the organization mbers looked straight at the employee and made a zipping gesture from left to right across his mouth, frightening the employee into nodding frantically.
With no other custors in the ice cream shop, only the organization mbers and staff were standing guard, far enough away not to disturb the conversation between Geon and Kiska at their window seat.
When the ice cream arrived, Miroslav personally handed it to them and then left the shop.
Alone in the shop, Geon scooped a bit of ice cream and fed it to Kiska.
Kiska, receiving the ice cream with a happy expression, rolled the lting treat around in her mouth with a smile
.
"Brother, I'm big enough now, you can give a bigger scoop. It's too little. Hehe."
"Oh, sorry. Here, have so more."
Continuing his habit of feeding Kiska ice cream since she was a baby, Geon kept spooning ice cream into her mouth, which Kiska watched with a happy expression that slowly turned sad.
She watched as Geon scooped out her favorite flavors from the ice cream tub, her eyes fluttering slightly as she secretly wiped a tear that had ford.
'You still see as a child, brother. That's why you keep doing this... But it's okay, it's been a while since we've seen each other. I just want to be happy like this today.'
Unaware of Kiska's thoughts, Geon continued scooping ice cream earnestly. Kiska, watching him with love-filled eyes, asked.
"How far along is the album work?"
Geon gathered her favorite parts on the spoon and smiled.
"Yeah, it's in the mastering stage. It's a ti-consuming physical process, but that's all that's left. Marketing photos and music video shoots start next week. The first album out of the factory will be yours, Kiska, I'll make sure of it."
"Thanks. There's not much ti left until graduation, huh?"
"Practically graduated, yeah. The break is coming, and after the break, there's just the graduation ceremony."
"I'll definitely co to your graduation."
"Yeah, it would be nice. But I hope grandma lives longer than that."
"Yeah..."
Autumn afternoon.
A happy yet slightly sad atmosphere lingered at the window seat of the Ice Cream Factory where the two were sitting.
>
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