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# Chapter 22: Until Kang Riou Comes
At six in the morning, there were ten missed calls on Sea’s phone.
All from Kang Riou.
Sea was back in her goshiwon room. She’d walked along the Han River and watched the sun rise. Once the sun came up, people started appearing—joggers, people walking their dogs. Only then did Sea think she should go home. She didn’t know what she’d do there, but she needed to go. When she picked up her phone, all those calls were waiting for her.
The screen flashed with a name. Kang Riou. Kang Riou. Kang Riou.
The last call had come five minutes ago.
Sea sat down holding her phone. At the edge of her bed. She didn’t click through the missed calls one by one. She just looked at the list. Times were marked in close intervals. 3:10 AM. 3:25 AM. 3:30 AM. Minutes apart between each one. Like Riou had called, waited when she didn’t answer, then called again. Or like he’d told someone something, reconsidered, and called again.
5:50 AM. The last call.
“What are you doing.”
When Sea answered, Kang Riou’s voice was terrible. She wasn’t sure if ‘terrible’ was the right word, but—something in his voice was broken. Control. His voice was always controlled. Slow, precise, emotional but never spilling over. But not now.
“Yes.”
“Where are you.”
“In my room.”
“When did you get back.”
“Just now.”
Silence came. Sea heard Riou’s breathing. Not fast. But deep. Like someone trying to calm themselves. That she could hear his breathing meant his mouth was close to the phone. Very close.
“The contract.”
“I haven’t seen it.”
It was a lie. Sea had seen the contract. All of page 45 and page 14. She understood what it meant. Even without Haul explaining it, she understood. Maybe she’d known from the beginning. She’d just been pretending not to.
“Na Sea.”
His voice changed again. This time control seemed to return. Or more accurately, he was pressing himself down with control again. Like plugging a teapot’s spout with his finger just as water was about to pour.
“I didn’t deceive you.”
“I know.”
“So what.”
Sea couldn’t answer that question. So what. She didn’t understand what those words meant. What was she supposed to do knowing he hadn’t deceived her. Sign the contract. Or believe him.
“Let’s meet.”
“Now.”
“Yes.”
Sea checked the time. 6:05 AM. In Seoul, six in the morning already felt like daytime. Buses would be running. The subway too. People would be getting ready for work.
“Where.”
“Near my office. Gangnam Station.”
Gangnam. Sea had rarely been to Gangnam. Going from Hongdae to Gangnam felt like going to another country. It took less than twenty minutes by subway, but that distance was vast. The music was different, the people were different, even the air felt different. How clean was Gangnam’s air. Did it smell like money.
“Yes. Where exactly.”
“Exit 8, Gangnam Station. In front. There’ll be a coffee shop. Wait inside.”
“How long.”
“Fifty minutes. An hour.”
The call ended.
On the subway, Sea faced a mirror. Her reflection in the dark window of the train car. Her face was pale. Maybe it was the dawn lighting. Or maybe she’d barely slept for two days. Sea touched her face. She pressed her cold cheek with her warm hand. Then lowered it. No warmth from her face transferred to her hand. As if her face belonged to someone else.
When Sea arrived at Gangnam Station, it was 7:15 AM. She came out of Exit 8. The moment she reached the ground, the air was different. Or rather, the smell was different. Gangnam’s smell. Coffee aroma rising from morning. And underneath, another smell. Money. Or more precisely, the smell of spending money. Of transactions and victory and defeat.
It took her two minutes to find a coffee shop. There were several in front of Gangnam Station. Starbucks, Twosome Place, and upscale cafes with unfamiliar names. Sea chose the closest one. Starbucks. It was already crowded. Morning rush. Office workers having meetings, students studying, someone opening a laptop.
Sea didn’t look for a window seat. She sat in a corner booth. She didn’t order anything. Just sat. People might have looked at her strangely—her hair tied up, no makeup, yesterday’s clothes. In a Gangnam cafe, that would have stood out. But Sea didn’t care.
Kang Riou came in at 7:25 AM.
He didn’t rush. He simply entered. But there was something in his walk. Sea felt it. Something different from usual. His clothes were different too. Not a suit. A gray hoodie and black pants. Like he’d been wearing them all night at home. Or like he’d thrown them on when leaving.
Kang Riou sat across from Sea.
“I think we need to eat.”
That was Riou’s first words. No greeting. No looking at her. He just sat and said it.
“Yes.”
“What do you want.”
“Nothing.”
Kang Riou looked at Sea’s face for the first time. Their eyes met. His eyes weren’t red. He hadn’t cried. But there was something in his eyes. Like he’d been clenching something all night. Like jaw tension was visible in his eyes.
“How many hours have you not slept.”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s too much.”
Kang Riou stood and went to the counter. Sea watched his back. His shoulders dropped and rose. He was breathing deeply. Or trying to calm himself.
When he came back, he was carrying food. Two sandwiches. Milk. And an Americano.
“You get a sandwich. I get a sandwich.”
He slid one in front of Sea.
Sea picked up the sandwich. Turkey slices, avocado, tomato. A Gangnam cafe sandwich. It looked expensive. Sea took a bite. It was delicious. But she didn’t taste it. She only knew something was in her mouth.
Riou didn’t eat either. He just placed his in front of him. And looked at Sea.
“I didn’t make that contract.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t set those conditions.”
“I know.”
“But still you.”
Riou stopped. Like he couldn’t find the next words.
“I wanted to protect you. Protect your music. But I don’t know how to protect you. Reading that contract makes me feel like I showed you a poisoned well and told you to drink. And you were standing there thinking about drinking it.”
Sea bit the sandwich again. This time she tried to taste it. So she chewed. Slowly.
“You warned me it was poison.”
“But you were still thinking about drinking it.”
“If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve drunk it faster.”
Kang Riou closed his eyes. Then opened them.
“My father called me. At four in the morning.”
Sea’s hand stopped.
“You said you saw the contract. But you haven’t signed it yet, right.”
“Right.”
“So my father asked me why it still hasn’t happened. He said, aren’t you doing something. Aren’t you stalling.”
Kang Riou picked up his sandwich. Then put it down. He didn’t take a bite.
“And he said to me, ‘Riou, understand what I’m trying to do. I’m giving you something for your sake. You’ve gone crazy. Because of that woman.’ ”
Kang Riou looked at Sea’s eyes.
“My father called you crazy. And called me crazy. You just need to accept those conditions. And I just need to find someone to make you accept them. That’s what we do. That’s the music industry.”
Sea said nothing.
“I wanted to protect you. But I don’t know what I can do. If I reject that contract, my father will find another composer. And you’ll become an unnamed session vocalist forever. If I accept it, you become a JYA artist. But inside a cage.”
Kang Riou covered his face with his hand. Then slowly lowered it.
“There’s probably a better cage. I’ll find one for you. I promise. But until then, I think you need to accept this one.”
Sea spoke.
“So I.”
“Yes.”
“Can go anywhere.”
“What.”
“Inside the cage. Until you find a better one like you said. I can go anywhere.”
Kang Riou thought.
“Yes.”
“Then.”
Sea picked up the sandwich again. This time she ate it properly. One bite. Then another. Saliva came. Her body responded.
“You brought me this far. So I need to see how far you can take me.”
Kang Riou looked at Sea. Like seeing her for the first time.
“You’re.”
“Yes.”
“Going to sign the contract.”
Sea swallowed.
“I don’t know yet. But if you’re right, I can go anywhere. So I’m going first. I’m accepting the cage and flying like a bird inside it. And if a door opens, I’ll go out. If it doesn’t.”
Sea bit the sandwich again.
“Then I’ll figure out what I can do.”
Kang Riou reached out his hand. On the table. In front of Sea’s hand. But didn’t touch it. Just there. Leaving the right to choose.
“I will.”
His voice broke again. But this time a different kind of breaking.
“Keep you safe. I promise. No matter how narrow that cage is. I’ll be there. Inside it. With you.”
Sea looked at Riou’s hand. His fingers were trembling slightly. Like a hand that had stopped playing piano. Like a hand remembering music while trying to forget it.
Sea placed her hand on his. Matched her fingers to his. Warmth came through. Not the warmth of a morning Gangnam cafe, but the warmth of a person.
“Okay.”
That was Sea’s answer.
Outside the window, Gangnam’s morning was growing brighter. More people had gathered. Time was passing. Sea and Kang Riou sat at the table with their hands touching. The sandwich was getting cold. The milk remained untouched.
But those things didn’t matter.
Sea thought. How would she translate this moment into music. This meeting of hands, this silence, this dawn. Where would the melody start. How many harmonies.
And when that thought came, for the first time Sea felt she wanted to keep this moment for something. Not for someone else, but for herself.
Kang Riou let go of her hand. Slowly.
“Let’s go home now. Sleep. Then read the contract again. This time with me. It’ll be clearer then.”
“Okay.”
Sea stood. Riou stood too. They left the cafe. Out onto the morning streets of Gangnam. The sunlight was strong. Winter sunlight was strong.
On the way to the subway station, Kang Riou took Sea’s hand. Not really holding it, but lightly gripping near her elbow. Like guiding someone so they wouldn’t lose their way.
“You’re really something special.”
That’s what Riou said. In a voice like nothing.
Sea didn’t answer. She just felt his hand. And walked. Through Gangnam’s morning, toward the subway station, back home.
All the way there, music was filling Sea’s mind.
Not fire. Something else. Something without a name yet.
[Preview of Chapter 23]
Before signing the contract, Sea must do one last thing. Tell her mother. Tell her younger sibling. How will they react. When Sea tries to enter the cage, what must she protect.