[ "Hida—well, I mean, Da-yeon—insists it must be this day. She really hopes you’ll make time for her, Diah." ]

Over the phone, the general manager chuckled apologetically, expressing regret for being unable to rein in Da-yeon’s stubbornness.

It wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Neither Da-yeon nor Ha-eun had much free time, so from the perspective of someone managing their schedules, juggling commitments like this was undoubtedly a headache.

In the end, Ha-eun relented, replying, "Okay."

She wanted to push it off again but realized she had already postponed their collaboration several times. Another excuse might only anger Da-yeon further, especially when …