The Pinnacle

Episode 2 - The Deal

Inside a dance studio, the sound of energetic voices echoing across the room collided with the upbeat song playing in the background. Leslie, the choreography director, was rehearsing an unreleased song with the boyband, We Are One.

Leslie: One, and two, and three, and four! Elbows up! Nice, much better! Great, that's it for today! Thank you for your hard work!

We Are One: Thank you for your hard work!

As the studio emptied, Tiger sat down in front of the mirror, staring at his own reflection. It was hard for him to believe that he was the lead dancer of a boyband. It felt like it was just yesterday when he set foot in this studio. Friendship, fame, and money all came pouring towards him in the past few years. He owed all this to Leona. Overwhelmed with exhaustion, he shut his eyes and tilted his head down. It wasn't long before the silence was broken by the sound of heels knocking against the wooden floors in the studio.

Tiger: Fancy seeing you here.

Leona: Just finished the rehearsal?

Tiger: Yeah. I heard you've been busy resolving some problems?

Leona: News sure travels fast.

Tiger: Is everything all good?

Leona: Not really...

Tiger: ...

Leona: You free this evening?

Tiger: Sure. Why?

Leona: I haven't eaten all day. Let's go grab a bite.

Tiger remained silent in the passenger seat as Leona drove in the rain. He glanced over, noticing how loose the sleeves of her blazer were on her. Realizing she hadn't been taking care of herself, he made a mental note to himself that he needed to encourage her to eat more. Suddenly, the flashbacks of her driving him out to dinner for the first time reminded him of how this all started.

This is my number. Feel free to contact me if you need anything. Leona stared at the phone, pondering what to do with it. Although they met not long ago, somehow, she felt connected with Tiger. It was as if the two of them had known each other before they met. She laid the phone down, convincing herself that it was best not to stir any trouble at the moment. A week went by, Leona was pulled in different directions, juggling multiple tasks simultaneously. She finally knew what it was like to run a business, to be a true leader. Knowing that she could not show her weakness in front of her employees or business partners, she did her best to put on the persona of a strong, independent young heiress who was capable of turning her father's company into the most successful entertainment company in Asia. As she laid in bed with her eyes wide open, unable to sleep, Leona suddenly had the urge to talk to someone about her issues. This is my number. Feel free to contact me if you need anything. Those words from the text message kept appearing in her mind, as if they were guiding her to reach out to him.

For the first two weeks, they exchanged text messages, getting to know each other. Tiger grew up in an orphanage, finished high school, and developed an application with his partner from school. Sadly, his partner sold the app without his consent, and ran off with the money. Tiger did everything he could to save his app, and held on to it with his dear life even when he was being chased by the group of men that bought the app from his partner. He vividly recalls the words from the boss of the gang.

Boss: If you want to buy the app back, then you will have to pay $1 million dollars.

Tiger: What? I don't have that much money.

Boss: I paid a generous amount of money for it, and I expect to earn a profit from it.

Tiger: But I never gave consent to sell it. This was a deal between you and him.

Boss: I haven't got all day. Just let me have it and off you go.

Tiger: Sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to talk to him to get your money back.

Boss: A stubborn one, aren't you? Boys, make it quick.

Gang1: Yes, boss.

Tiger endured each blow in the face, the impact from the punches in the abdomen, and kicks in the back. As soon as he got the opportunity, he escaped from the gang, out of an abandoned warehouse, and ran as fast as he could.

There's a new Greek restaurant that opened recently. If you want, we can try it out together. Leona stared at the invite and thought about how to reply. When the two arrived at the restaurant, they chose a table in a corner so they could talk freely.

Tiger: So, you said you'd been busy looking for candidates to replace the lead dancer?

Leona: Yeah, it's just that we haven't been able to find someone that fits well with the rest of the group.

Tiger: What about an open audition?

Leona: We thought about that, but we really don't want to wait months to train a new person.

Tiger: Of course. I know how hard it is. I remember auditioning for the dance team in high school. It was extremely competitive. I bet your company is even stricter than the instructors in high school.

Leona: Wait, you can dance!?

Tiger: Kind of. Probably not as good as the professionals though.

Leona started studying Tiger's face. Why didn't she notice this before? He's got a high nose bridge. He's got the mesmerizing eyes that can win the hearts of many girl fans. Not to mention how kissable his lips look. Tiger was a few years younger than her, so he was a little older than the other boys, but his baby face would make him fit in perfectly with the rest of the group.

Leona: Have you thought about being an artist?

Tiger: Haha, me? Other than a few dance moves, I don't think I have anything good to show to the world.

Leona: Your looks?

Tiger: No, no. I used to get bullied in school. They called me a fat cat. A fat scaredy cat.

Leona: I guess you lost weight after you started dancing?

Tiger: Yeah.

Leona: You should try auditioning for the position.

Tiger: What?

Leona: I'm serious!

Tiger: Look, I know you're desperate, but I really can't do this.

Leona: Come on, just try it out.

Tiger: ...

Leona: Besides, I thought you said you needed money to get your app back.

Tiger: I'm working on it.

Leona: Getting an attorney and filing patents cost money.

Tiger: I know, but...

Leona: What about that friend of yours that ran off with your money? Part of it was your money. Don't you want to earn it back?

Tiger: I...I never thought of that...

Leona: You can just try it out and then decide later if you're a good fit.

That night, Tiger tossed and turned in his bed, considering Leona's suggestion. He reached for his phone, opened up the photo gallery, and tapped the thumbnail of him standing next to a young man his age, both smiling brightly at the camera.

The next day, Tiger arrived at Peak Entertainment, and walked up to the receptionist.

Tiger: Hi, I'm here for an audition. My name is Tiger.

Receptionist: Certainly. Miss Gong and her team will meet you in studio A on the 10th floor.

As the elevator door opened, Tiger nervously stepped forward and looked for the direction signs. The entire floor was filled with studios, labeled A to F. He stopped at studio A and placed his hand on the door handle. He whispered to himself "you can do this", and pushed open the door.

Exhausted and covered with sweat, Tiger closed the door behind him while Leona and the others evaluated his performance.

Leona: So, gentlemen, what are your thoughts?

Leslie: I approve of his dance skills.

Peggy: I think a little work is needed for styling, but that's what I'm here for, right?

Andrew: He may be a good dancer, but I'm afraid he'll need lots of work on the vocals.

Kenny: I'd say we could have him rap, since the other members are vocalists. This would save us time, and I'm sure Peggy can dress him up to fit in with the rest of the members.

Leona: Well, then, sounds like we all agree to have him on board!

Staring at the contract, Tiger wondered if this would be the right choice. Leona offered to sign him as an artist, where he would receive training for three months before debuting as a boyband. This wasn't something that he wanted, but he needed the money. He wasn't sure if he could handle the risks. What if the audience didn't like him? What if he never becomes famous?

Leona: Hey, it's been two weeks since we sent you the contract, but I was told that you haven't signed it yet. Is there something wrong?

Tiger: Look, I don't think I can do this. Thanks for trying to help, but I think I want to try figuring this out on my own.

Leona: What do you mean? Is our offer not good enough?

Tiger: No, I just don't think being an artist will get me what I want.

Leona: But it will get you what you need.

Tiger: It'll get you what you need, not what I need.

Leona: You're right, I do need you. We need you. We are trying to debut a boyband with individuals who can capture the hearts of many young girls, and we believe that you would be capable of doing so.

Tiger: Thanks, but I don't think this is for me.

Leona: PLEASE! I'm trying really hard to keep my father's business running. I can't fail now, not now...

Tiger: Sorry.

Tiger hung up the phone and walked towards the window. He looked outside. It was dark, but he could see the rain splashing onto his window. For some reason, he felt guilty, perhaps for not helping Leona, who saved his life that day. He looked at the contract one more time before picking up his phone.

Tiger: Hey, it's me. You want me to sign the contract, right? I have one request, and if you can fulfill that, then you have a deal.