MY ANGEL IN THE DARK | FREEN'BECKY | COMPLETED

109 - RITCHIE

Third person's POV:

- Fire him! - The lady repeats in her cold nonchalant tone. She takes a sip of the Brandy while Teddy looks at her with wide eyes.

- what are you saying? He is one of the core members?

- I don't give a fuck! - She replies rudely while Teddy has his eyes rolled. - If you are going to keep him, he's gonna pull her back. You saw it too, Ted. This isn't for discussing! And if you are worried about the compensation you have to pay for him, then I will pay it.

- No. I'm not talking about compensation, it's just he us my friend and he started The Black Label with me from the day one. You are one of the biggest investors but I'm still the CEO and I'm the one who makes the final decision.

- I'm not using my investor power to force you to do this! I'm a business woman too Ang I'm telling you this from a business view, it's not a smart choice to keep him in the team, or at least, to keep him for her. He will absolutely keep her low with him.

- You have so much trust in Becky and I have so much trust in him. It's just that the recent strategy might not suit herm we could change it, no need to fire him. I don't want to fire a core member just because you tell me he isn't good for her. He is one of the best vocal trainers in Korea.

- But not as a manager. He is ruining everything. She could become one of the most successful solo artists of this generation.

Teddy heaves a sigh as he couldn't find a word to reply.

- Here is a much better option in case you struggle to find a new manager. - she shows him an online resume through her phone. - Jin Ah, the current Talent Director of K-ON Japan. My former colleagues introduced her to me as she knew Jin Ah pretty well. She is currently based in Japan but she plans to come back to Seoul next year. My friend can set up a meeting for you and Jin An since she is having a three day holiday in Seoul. You should meet her.

Teddy is silent as he digests all of the sudden information. She is the most persistent person hrs ever met so there is no chance that she will take her idea back.

- Yeah! Okay. Let's meet her! - Teddy nods after a while. - But it's not like I'm going to fire Taeyang, I might change her manager if this Jin Ah suits the job.

- Alright. As long as he stays away from her then it's alright to me.

___________

BECKY'S POV:

You appreciate relationships in which you feel secure, you feel like you can be yourself. You want to be with people who are happy and positive to be with, or the ones who can make you feel that you are growing or learning.

But sometimes, you are the mean one. Sometimes, you are the toxic person you want to push away. Sometimes you are the one no one wants to be with. Sometimes the problem is you.

So check yourself first.

I sigh, for don't-know-how-many-times tonight. My aunt is cleaning over the kitchen as the Christmas song is still playing inside the ramen shop. I have been checking myself so that I could find where things had gone wrong, where did I do wrong, how could things happen, why did everything turn out to be like this. I sve questioned myself for the whole night Ang I haven't had the answers yet.

Leaving the first floor, I walk upstairs, to Ritchie's room. Sure, he is playing games in his phone.

- Ritchie, we need to talk.

He lowers the phone as he looks at me for a second. He hits the stop button on the screen as he puts the phone down. If you are wondering why he isn't in the dorm, here is the story. He has to retake this semester as he dropped half of the class. I got the call from the school this afternoon and when I got here, he was already in the room with his luggage.

- Ritchie! - I lower myself so I sit next to him. It takes me a while to open my mouth and ask a question that I had never thought I would have to ask him. - Are you okay ?

- Big sis, I'm okay. Don't worry, I won't drop the class next semester.

- No. I'm not talking about it. I'm talking about you, about us, about me. I feel like you no longer open up to me. You talk less as we spend less and less time together. I don't know if it's because of my decision to take this path or not, but I have a feeling that it's all started since I moved out and you lived in the dorm, having a new friends. I feel that you have been changing a lot.

- No. I don't get what you are talking about. I'm not changing. I'm still me.

Like every other teenager, I know he could say this. It's just that I shouldn't ask this question. But if it's not this question, I don't know what to talk to him about.

Mom, I wish that you were here. I'm so tired I'm so lost I'm not oky I want to be with you mom but I can't I know Ritchie needs me, it's just that I am so down, I don't know how to handle this.

- Why did you drop off school, Ritchie?

He stops, looking at me waiting for a second before he turns his head down again.

- It's too easy for me. I got bored.

- What do you really want to do?

- You don't want to know. - He says it like a statement.

- Tell me, I want to know. - I say firmly. Ritchie looks at me, assuring himself before he looks back at his phone and mumbles.

- Drop off the school...

- What?

He stops playing and continues.

- I had stayed at home and self studied for years, so going to school is not necessary for me.

- You have to go out and make friends, you can't stay at home all the time. You can't sit with the computer 24/365. There are much more outside that you need to learn. I have been feeling really bad that I couldn't afford sending out to school at first, but I have been trying really hard to make it up for you nowm you have to go to school, Ritchie.

- I can still have friends. And I can still learn. And there is nothing wrong with being stuck with the Computer since I love programming. I don't like studying other subjects. You don't need to earn a lot of money to send me to school. I'm fine at home. I don't need to go school.

- There are so many things you cannot learn if you stay with the Computer.

- Like what? Everything is on the internet right now. What can't I learn on the internet?

- God! - I caress my head while I can't find any word to respond. - Look! Going to school is the best option for every kid. Not to mention that Kyung Hee is one of the best schools. You have to go to school. This is finally this is not a topic to discuss.

Ritchie is silent while I stand up feeling my chest get heavy with this kind of conversation.

- I have to go now. You should spend your spare time helping our Auntie not spending the whole day with your phone like that.

He shuts his phone, throwing it down the bed, avoiding my gaze while standing up, walking past me down the stairs. It feels like he doesn't want to spend any minute talking to me or listening to me anymore. I bite my lips, feeling mad and hurt at the same time, I don't know what to do with this kind of situation.

Why do things have to get complicated when we go up?