The SUV tires shrieked as Han Yoo-jin took the corner onto Sunset Boulevard.
Behind him, the red and blue lights of the LAPD were distant but persistent. They weren't chasing him for a murder; they were chasing a visa violation. But in the current political climate, that was enough to put him in a holding cell for weeks.
"Are they still behind us?" Mina asked, twisting in her seat. She was clutching her passport like a holy relic.
"They're stuck in traffic," Hana reported, looking out the back window. "LA traffic is our ally."
Yoo-jin checked the GPS. LAX: 18 Minutes.
He had to make a choice. If he went to the main international terminal, immigration officers might be waiting. The tip-off from Dragon Ent would have flagged his passport.
"We aren't going to the main terminal," Yoo-jin said, swerving into the carpool lane.
"Then where?" Mina cried. "We need to catch our flight!"
"We're chartering a jet," Yoo-jin said.
"We don't have a jet!" Hana yelled. "And we don't have the money for one!"
"I have something better," Yoo-jin said. "I have a favor."
He dialed a number. It rang once.
"Chairman Moon."
The Chairman of TK Group answered, sounding amused. "Mr. Han. I hear you are making noise in America. My news feed says you are 'fleeing a mansion raid'."
"I need your private jet," Yoo-jin said. "It's parked at the Van Nuys airstrip, isn't it? Your daughter is with me. If we get arrested, she spends the night in an American jail cell."
There was a silence on the line. The mention of Hana (the Chairman's estranged daughter) was the only card Yoo-jin had.
"You are using my daughter as a shield," the Chairman said coldly.
"I'm using her as a VIP passenger," Yoo-jin corrected. "If you authorize the flight, we leave the country quietly. If you don't, the headlines tomorrow will be: 'TK Group Heiress Arrested in LA Drug Raid'."
"There were drugs?"
"It was a rock star's house," Yoo-jin lied. "Who knows what they'll find?"
The Chairman sighed. "The flight crew is on standby. The tail number is TK-001. Go to Van Nuys. But Mr. Han?"
"Yes?"
"When you land, you owe me 10% of your US royalties."
"Deal."
Yoo-jin hung up. He spun the wheel hard to the left, exiting the highway toward the private airfield.
"We have a plane," Yoo-jin announced.
The Gulfstream G650 was a silver bullet sitting on the tarmac.
Yoo-jin drove the SUV right up to the stairs. The engines were already spooling up. A flight attendant stood by the door, looking confused but ready.
"Go!" Yoo-jin shouted.
The girls scrambled out of the car, dragging their bags. They ran up the stairs.
Yoo-jin paused. He looked back at the airfield entrance. Two police cruisers were just pulling in, lights flashing.
He tossed the keys to the rental car on the tarmac. He ran up the steps.
The door sealed shut with a hiss.
"Take off," Yoo-jin ordered the pilot through the cockpit door. "Now."
The jet lurched forward. It didn't wait for a gentle taxi. It roared down the runway, pressing them back into the cream leather seats.
As they lifted off, Yoo-jin looked out the window. The police cars were tiny flashing dots below them.
He let out a breath. His heart was still racing at 140 BPM.
[System Notification]
[Objective Complete: Escape LA.]
[Reputation in US: 'The Outlaw Producer' (Rising)]
"We made it," Mina whispered, staring at the shrinking city lights. "I thought we were going to prison."
Hana was already raiding the minibar. She popped a can of soda.
"That was awesome," she said, chugging it. "Did you see the cop's face?"
"It wasn't awesome," Yoo-jin said, collapsing into a seat. "It was reckless. If we had been caught, Starforce would be dead."
He pulled out his laptop. He connected to the plane's Wi-Fi.
"Now," he said. "Let's see if Olivia did her job."
He opened YouTube.
There it was. Uploaded 10 minutes ago on Olivia Ray's personal channel.
Hunter (Remix) - Sol & Luna feat. Olivia Ray [Official Video]
The view count was stuck at 400,000. That meant it was rising so fast the server couldn't keep up.
Yoo-jin clicked play.
The video was chaotic, grainy, and beautiful. The fish-eye lens made the mansion look warped and claustrophobic. The scene where Olivia smashed the table was synced perfectly to the bass drop.
But the music... the music was the real weapon.
The blend of K-Pop precision and American grit was unlike anything on the charts. It was aggressive. It was catchy. It was dangerous.
He scrolled down to the comments.
"OLIVIA IS BACK???"
"Who are these Korean girls? The rapper is insane."
"This isn't K-Pop. This is war."
"I need this on Spotify NOW."
Yoo-jin checked the trending tab.
#1 Trending in Music (US)
#1 Trending in Music (Global)
"We have the viral catalyst," Yoo-jin said. "Now we need the charts."
He opened his email. It was flooded.
Requests from Spotify. Apple Music. And three emails from major US labels asking for licensing rights.
One email stood out.
From: Universal Music Group
Subject: Distribution Deal
Mr. Han. We saw the video. We want to push this to radio immediately. Name your price.
Yoo-jin smiled. He typed a reply.
No exclusive rights. 70/30 split in my favor. And you get Olivia Ray's probation lifted.
He hit send.
"Girls," Yoo-jin said, turning to them. "Get some sleep. When we land in Seoul, you're going to be international stars."
Incheon Airport. 14 Hours Later.
The arrival gate was a zoo.
Yoo-jin expected some reporters. Maybe a few fans.
He didn't expect a thousand people.
The crowd was pressed against the glass barriers, holding signs in English and Korean. WELCOME HOME QUEENS. SOL & LUNA WORLD DOMINATION.
Flashbulbs popped like strobe lights as they walked out.
"Mr. Han!" a reporter shoved a mic in his face. "Is it true you fled the US police?"
"Did you really record with Olivia Ray in a squat?"
"Billboard predicts a Top 10 debut. Comment?"
Yoo-jin stopped. He adjusted his sunglasses.
"We didn't flee," Yoo-jin said smoothly. "We finished our schedule. And regarding Billboard... Top 10 is low. We're aiming for Number 1."
He guided the girls through the mob to the waiting van.
Inside, Director Park was waiting. He was hyperventilating into a paper bag.
"You..." Park gasped. "You crazy bastard. You stole the Chairman's jet? You got deported?"
"I'm not deported," Yoo-jin said. "I left voluntarily. And look at the stock price."
Park looked at his phone. Starforce stock was up 50% in one day.
"Okay," Park breathed. "You're forgiven. But never do that again."
"I can't promise that," Yoo-jin said.
The next week was a blur.
Hunter (Remix) debuted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the highest debut for a K-Pop girl group in history.
Olivia Ray's probation was reviewed and lifted thanks to "new employment opportunities" (and Universal's lawyers). She posted a video thanking "The Crazy Korean" and hinted at a world tour.
The domestic agencies—Dragon, Starlight, KM—were silent. Their boycott had failed. You couldn't boycott a group that was getting played on Z100 in New York.
Yoo-jin sat in his office, looking at the Global Map on his System interface.
The red dot on LA was now green.
[Next Objective: Tokyo Dome.]
"Japan," Yoo-jin muttered. "The second biggest market."
But before he could plan the invasion of Tokyo, his door opened.
A woman walked in. She was tall, elegant, and wore a suit that cost more than Yoo-jin's car.
It was Jung Sae-ri. The Actress. The SSS-Rank Muse who had started this whole journey.
She hadn't visited in months. She had been filming a movie overseas.
"You've been busy," Sae-ri said, looking around the opulent office. "From a basement to a tower. You move fast."
"Survival instinct," Yoo-jin said, standing up. "What brings you here, Sae-ri? I thought you were busy winning Oscars."
"I am," she smiled. "But I have a problem. My movie needs an OST. A specific kind of song."
She walked over to his desk. She leaned in, her perfume filling the air.
[System Notification]
[Target: Jung Sae-ri]
[Status: Awakened (Confirmed)]
[Energy Level: Overflowing]
"I need a song that kills people," Sae-ri whispered.
Yoo-jin blinked. "Metaphorically?"
"No," Sae-ri said. Her eyes glowed with a faint, golden light. "Literally. There is a... competitor. Another Awakened. He is using his art to drain people. Just like Director Yoon, but stronger."
She placed a hand on Yoo-jin's chest.
"You unlocked the System, Yoo-jin. You know what we are. We aren't just artists. We are batteries. And there is a war coming."
Yoo-jin felt the static return. The silence was broken.
The "K-Pop" arc was over. The "Supernatural" arc was waking up.
"Who is he?" Yoo-jin asked.
"A conductor," Sae-ri said. "Maestro Kim. He runs the Seoul Philharmonic. And he wants to conduct the end of the world."
Yoo-jin sighed.
"Can I just produce a pop album in peace?"
"No," Sae-ri said. "You're the protagonist. Protagonists don't get peace."
Yoo-jin looked at his System.
[New Quest: The Symphony of Destruction.]
[Difficulty: Unknown.]
[Reward: The Truth About the System.]
He looked at Sae-ri.
"Fine," Yoo-jin said. "Let's go kill a conductor."
He picked up his headphones.
"But first, I need to approve the lightstick design for the tour."
Sae-ri laughed. It was a beautiful, dangerous sound.
"Priorities, Producer Han. Always priorities."