Chapter 56: Weird Children.
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, revealing a corridor lined with soundproofed walls and sleek nameplates. Ren's eyes moved lazily over them, until they stopped at the golden plaque engraved with one word: ATE.
Ren exhaled, unimpressed. "Why does a single person have an entire flat for themselves?"
The tall man accompanying them-broad-shouldered, polite smile plastered on his face-replied without missing a beat. "Because that single person happens to produce extraordinary results every single time."
Ren tilted his head, skeptical. "So that's the requirement now? Produce a miracle, get a penthouse?"
Ji-eun elbowed him lightly, whispering, "Show some respect, this is Midas. He's basically the reason half the industry's still breathing."
Ren smirked. "And the other half choking on admiration, apparently."
The tall man-Eiden, as his ID tag read-let out a tired chuckle. "You're not wrong." He gestured ahead. "Anyway, please keep your voice down, the maestro doesn't like-"
A thunderous laugh interrupted him, followed by the unmistakable sound of something crashing.
"-noise," Eiden finished under his breath.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't like noise, huh?"
Eiden sighed. "You'll see."
As they approached the door, it swung open slightly. Shouts, giggles, and the pitter-patter of small feet poured out. Ji-eun blinked in disbelief.
"Are... those children?"
Inside, the room was a bizarre fusion of chaos and genius-soundboards, monitors, and cables scattered across the floor, but in the middle of it all, four children were running wild.
A boy darted past Ren's leg, laughing. "Jason! Don't throw that!" a calmer girl shouted after him. "Catch me first!" Jason yelled, waving a small mixing console like a toy.
In the corner, a quiet girl with neat hair sat cross-legged, absorbed in drawing. The last one, with twin braids and a bright red dress, was laughing so hard she snorted.
Ren blinked. "...So this is the composer's legendary studio."
Eiden hurried in, exasperated. "Kids! Kids-please! Stop running before you-"
Crash.
A monitor nearly tipped, but the calm girl grabbed it just in time.
The mature-looking one, sitting in a chair with arms folded, finally spoke. Her tone was commanding for someone her size. "Shut up or I'll tell Dada."
Instant silence.
Jason froze mid-step. "Y-you wouldn't..." "Try me," she said flatly.
Ren's lips twitched. "Well, someone runs this place at least."
Eiden pinched the bridge of his nose. "My deepest apologies, Mr. Ren, Ms. Ji-eun. This... is not the usual environment. Midas asked me to take care of them for a few hours."
Ren gave him a look. "You mean he dumped his kids here and ran off?"
Eiden raised both hands. "He said, and I quote, 'Something idiotic happened."
Ji-eun clasped her hands together, sparkling. "Still, isn't that so him? Always eccentric, always mysterious."
Ren gave her a side glance. "Careful, you're putting two legs on two different boats."
She blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You can't worship two men at once," he said dryly. "Me and him. It's unfair."
Ji-eun laughed, half-flustered. "Who said you're even on the same boat?"
Jason piped up, tugging Ren's sleeve. "Are you Dada's friend?"
Ren looked down. "...Do I look like I have friends?"
Jason giggled. "Yeah, kinda! You look like Nana when she's mad."
Nana gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "How dare you compare this face-"
"-to that hair," Sumi interrupted calmly, pointing at Jason's messy head.
"Hey!" Jason shouted.
Ren crouched to their level. "You guys always like this?"
The mature one crossed her arms again. "Sometimes worse. I'm Sumi, by the way. That's Jason, the loud one; Nana, the dramatic one; and Liv, the quiet one who pretends not to hear us."
Liv didn't even look up. "I hear you."
Ren smirked. "Smart kid."
Eiden smiled nervously. "They've been here since morning. Midas had an emergency meeting and left them with the staff."
Ji-eun's eyes lit up. "He has kids? Four?"
"Yes," Eiden said. "He doesn't talk much about them publicly."
Ji-eun clasped her cheeks, starry-eyed. "That's so sweet. Genius composer and devoted father."
Ren rolled his eyes. "Yeah, 'devoted. Left them here like unpaid interns."
Eiden sighed. "You're not wrong again."
Sumi tugged Ren's sleeve politely. "You're funny. Most adults just sigh and leave."
Ren smirked faintly. "Trust me, I thought about it."
Jason laughed. "You should stay! We can play 'studio tag'!"
"No," Ren said instantly.
"Yes," Nana countered, grinning. "It's a fun game! You run and don't trip on cables!"
Ren deadpanned. "That's not a game. That's survival."
Ji-eun giggled. "You're good with kids."
Ren glanced at her. "No. They're just easier to deal with than adults pretending to be human."
Eiden chuckled under his breath. "You'd get along with Midas just fine."
Ren leaned back, eyes narrowing. "We'll see about that."
After a while, he called out, "Hey, Eiden."
Eiden peeked through the doorway, a tablet in hand. "Yeah?"
"Mind if I ask someone to come in?"
Eiden tilted his head. "You mean, like, right now?"
Ren gave a lazy shrug. "Just a call. No one's teleporting here."
Eiden exhaled, half-smiling. "Then sure, go ahead. Just don't invite another walking disaster."
Ren smirked. "No promises."
He took out his phone and dialed. The line connected after a few rings and the familiar voice of chaos spilled through the speaker.
‹-No, not that! The blue file, not the red one!›
"Akeshi," Ren said dryly. "You sound like a man leading an orchestra of toddlers."
‹Feels like one. What do you want?›
"Just checking in. You sound like hell."
‹It's a meeting. Something big. I'll call you later.›
"Since when do you sound that serious?"
‹Since things started breaking down.›
There was a pause a chair scraping, someone shouting. Then Akeshi again, hurried, quieter.
The call cut off.
Ren stared at the phone for a few seconds before pocketing it. "Huh."
Sumi, who'd been sitting beside him, tilted her head. "Is he your friend?"
Ren half-smiled. "He used to be the kind of person who could talk through an apocalypse without blinking. Now he sounds like the apocalypse itself."
Sumi gave a tiny smile. "Maybe he just has too much on his plate."
Ren looked at her. "That coming from someone who acts forty at twelve?"
"I'm ten," she corrected, straight-faced.
Ren blinked. "Exactly my point."
Sumi sighed softly, looking down at her lap. "Someone has to take care of the others."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "So you're the mom now?"
"If no one else does it, then yes."
Ren's tone sharpened a bit. "That because of your dad?"
Sumi hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."
Sumi shook her head. "It's not because of him."
Ren frowned. "Didn't you just say-?"
"It's because of him," she interrupted gently. "Because he tries too hard. Because he never stops trying."
Ren leaned forward, confused. "You're going to have to explain that one."
Sumi's voice softened, like a memory replaying. "When we were in kindergarten, he got into a car accident. He was rushing to see us graduate. He didn't have to come - but he did. Late, limping, covered in bandages. Still smiling."
Ren stared at her. "...That's idiotic."
She laughed faintly. "Yeah. The good kind of idiotic."
Ren leaned back again, looking oddly conflicted. "Guess that's one way to love someone."
Across from them, Liv was seated cross-legged on the floor, watching dust motes drift through a sunbeam. She smiled when she noticed Ren looking her way.
"You like quiet things, huh?" Ren asked.
Liv nodded. "Quiet things don't need to prove they exist."
Ren tilted his head. "That's... poetic."
"Is it?" she asked. "I just think there's beauty in everything."
"Everything?" he repeated skeptically.
"Yes," she said, without missing a beat. "Even the things people don't notice."
Ren leaned forward a little. "Like what?"
She looked around the room. "The paint cracks on the wall they show where time has passed."
Ren's expression softened slightly. "Go on."
"The sound of pencils scratching - it means someone's creating."
"The creak in the floor it means people have lived here." "The smell of coffee it means someone's tired but still trying."
"The rain outside it means the sky gets to cry too."
"The wind it means we're still breathing."
Ren didn't say anything for a long while.
Liv smiled, serene and sincere. "I'm grateful for being alive... because some people aren't."
Ren looked away, jaw tightening just slightly. "You're too kind for this world, kid."
Sumi chuckled. "She's always like this."
Ren gave a dry smile. "I can see that. Between you and her, those other two brats might be the only normal ones here."
Sumi giggled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Jason and Nana? Normal? You sure about that?"
Ren exhaled through his nose. "Anyone who can turn chaos into background noise deserves to be called normal."
Liv tilted her head, thoughtful. "Then maybe you're one of us too."
Ren blinked. "…Why?"
"Because you're trying, even when you say you don't care."
Ren froze for half a second, eyes flicking to her.
She smiled. "That's beautiful too."