The Superstar's Autograph [YiZhan]

Chapter Four

The Superstar’s Autograph
_Chapter Four

I knocked once and his assistant opened the antique wooden door for me to his luxurious office. My father occupied the whole floor of the high-rise building for it. The atmosphere of the CEO’s workplace was still the same from that time I’ve been here, two months ago. Smell of orange and milk lingered in the air. Dad’s still the same…

“Good thing, you’re here, how's school?” his voice was joyful, as always. He was in his early fifties but still looks like in his forties. Maybe because he laugh and smile a lot, being angry was natural but my dad was a person who listens to every reasons and weigh things fairly. He is optimistic in dealing with complications. Hate never reach him. “I’ve been expecting you since this morning. You’ve been ignoring my calls,” he was seated on a huge wing-backed chair, reading a book with the blazing soft light from a lamp.

I glanced to his desk, there were bundles of papers waiting to be organize and his laptop was turned on with visible data’s all over its screen.

I walked to his electric massage recliner chair and quietly sat on it, switching it on. “Yeah, something came up,” I closed my eyes, feeling the chair kneading my muscles.

A fire was beginning to burn nicely and theres a crackling sound in the hearth, adjacent to where I am. Dad preferred to choose outdated interior designs and kept on using that old ways he mastered for 30 years in dealing with employees. He cared for the well-being of our workers, the reason why he was loved by everyone. The easy-going boss that always intensify my annoyance when he complains and demands me to do something for our business.

Truth to be told, I am the one who do half of his job being the Chief Executive Officer, if Atlas was condemned to hold heaven, I am destined to hold up our company that my dad created ever since I was young. I juggled these two worlds on my palm, being a medical student and being a CEO to be precise.

I heard he close the book he was reading with a low thud, “Girlfriend issue?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I never wanted to talk about it ever with him because I know if I’ll do the opposite, I will end up breaking that thin thread that binds the two of us as a family and I am not programmed to take that risk. It’s not his concern anyway, my love life. “Other than that, I’m stuck with loads of course works. Studying too, I need to ace my exams or grandma will kill me.” I continued.

“You study all the time, son. Why don’t you take a break and enjoy your youth for a bit?” He suggested with a huff.

I knew what sentence come after that, “Don’t tell me to play any instruments for you again, I am not a kid anymore,” I gave him a sharp look.

He stood up and blinked his eyes in front of me, beckoning for me to realize that he was about to cry, “Aww, pity please only for tonight? Remember that violin I bought for you from France when you were eight? The first instrument you taught yourself how to play? It’s in here inside my office, my valuable possession…” he sniffed.

That old, slightly warped brown violin... He can’t really admit that his beloved little boy is full grown-up now.

“Play it for me, please…” He’s too childish.

First Zoey, now him. Why am I surrounded with this kind of people? No wonder I can stand Zoey because literally my dad and her were from the same alien planet.

“No, I won’t do it. Stop being dramatic. I don’t play violins anymore. Dad, I am an adult man for Pete’s sake!”

“Do I know this ‘Pete’ guy?” he smiled gigantically, tears flowing from his eyes.