Jiyu's Underworld Hit List: Jiyu's Underworld Hit List, #1

By Zen DiPietro

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time turned her into a god.

Jiyu's an entertainment executive until a random mishap turns her into a demi-god known as a dokkaebi.

Like she didn't have enough to do already.

Now she has her regular, hectic job of handling movie sets, pop stars, actors, and a billion other things PLUS the responsibility of managing the Great Balance that governs both the living realm and the underworld.

And the mentor who's teaching her about her new life as a denizen of the underworld? He's a grim reaper, and not too happy about being stuck with her.

Angels and demons walk among us, and they are not the different beings that mortal humans think they are. The underworld is much more complicated than that.


**For fans of Asian mythology, urban fantasy, angels and demons, and KDrama.

***Please enjoy Jiyu's origin story. Her ghostly, godly, otherwordly adventures will continue as a serial in Kindle Vella. 
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zen DiPietro
• Release date: May 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781943931408

Book preview

Foreword

JIYU’S WORLD MAY SEEM unfamiliar to you.

It is the underworld, after all. A place that includes both life and death. But it’s also set in Seoul, Korea, with customs local to that area.

Jang Jiyu is our lead character. Her family name is Jang. Her given name is Jiyu.

There will be bowing, a different work culture, and a Confucian approach to interpersonal relationships, which puts elders in a role of respect. There will be some Korean words that describe types of elder/junior relationships.

There may also be some KDrama and KPop Easter Eggs, for those who are familiar with the genre.

But anyone is welcome into this world, whether they’re familiar with these concepts or not. Everything unfolds organically as it goes.

Maybe this is where you discover something that changes your world, just like Jiyu does.

There is a glossary on the next page, if you’d like further explanation of the Korean words introduced in this story.

And yes, on the cover of this book, that suspicious squiggle before Hitlist is intentional. Wait for it.

I hope you enjoy Jiyu and her adventure into the underworld!

Glossary

AJUMMA

A respectful title for a woman who is married or middle-aged. (Can also be used insultingly to refer to a younger woman, implying that she looks old.)

Soju

Korean rice wine. It’s a hard liquor roughly on par with vodka. Soju is the drink of choice for people who want to get drunk fast without spending a lot of money. It is typically served in single-serve bottles, with a shot glass for self-pouring. If is also often combined with beer, (maekju) to make a cocktail called somaek. Soju has a flavor that can be described as floral or sweet compared to the astringent taste of vodka

Konbe

A toast when drinking, particularly when drinking alcohol. It’s like Cheers!

In Korea, drinking alcohol is an important social activity. It is expected to do when going out for company parties. Excessive drinking is normal during this kind of social event.

Noraebang

A karaoke room. There are businesses that have numerous karaoke rooms you can rent for your group. They’re a very popular social activity. Especially before, after, and/or during drinking alcohol. They’re equipped with microphones, tambourines, couches, and everything you need to sing your heart out.

Chaebol

A person born into a rich business family. They are the 1% of Korea. Very rich, powerful, connected people.

Kumiho

A nine-tailed fox with magical powers and shapeshifting abilities. They often turn into a beautiful human. Historically, they were portrayed as women but more recent portrayals have shown men.

Dokkaebi

A deity with extraordinary powers. They are known for being capricious in their interactions with humans—sometimes they are helpful and sometimes they play tricks. Dokkaebi are portrayed in mythology and modern media in a very wide variety of ways.

Sunbae

A person with more seniority, usually in a school or work situation. The sunbae/hoobae relationship is an important social construct in Korean culture, due to the Confucian expectation of respect for elders and the responsibility of elders to look after their juniors.

Hoobae

A person with less seniority, usually in a school or work situation.

Oppa

This one can be tricky. It means older brother and is used only by girls. But it also commonly means any boy older than a girl.

But (and here’s where it can be tricky) it’s also what a girl calls her boyfriend, or someone she’s flirting with.

The multiple meanings can lead to misunderstandings, humor, and confusion.

Aegyo

Aegyo is adorable cuteness, and the act of making oneself appear as such. Often influenced by anime, it usually involves a cute babyish voice and/or certain facial expressions and hand gestures near the face.

Jajangmyeon

Udon noodles in a black bean sauce. It is salty, earthy, and a very popular Korean comfort food. (It is a Koreanized Chinese dish.)

Chocopie

A very popular Korean dessert snack cake. It has two small round layers of yellow cake, sandwiched with a marshmallow filling, and then enrobed in chocolate. They come individually wrapped in plastic, so are easy to put in lunch boxes.

gapjil

The very terrible practice of people with money and/or power treating people who have less as if they were insignificant. This often includes abuse of workers who are unable to protest. For example, a person in a restaurant loudly insulting and berating a server. Perhaps throwing napkins at the server or even striking her. The server can’t do anything but fold her hands and lower her head until the abuse ends, or she will be fired.

A famous case of gapjil is the nut rage incident (Google it). A vice president of an airline was outraged at receiving her in-flight snack nuts still in the bag, rather than on a plate. She assaulted the cabin chief and demanded that the plane return to the gate to get him off the plane.

About Korean Names

Korean names are usually three syllables.

(A One-Syllable Last name)* + (First syllable of given name) + (Second syllable of given name).

Often, family members will share a common first syllable. Sisters, for example, might be Min-Ah and Min-Ji.

Jiyu's name is actually Ji Yu. It's pronounced as the letter G, and the word you.

*There are some rare last names that are two syllables.

Message from the author

THANK YOU FOR READING! Jiyu is really special to me, and I hope she has become special to you. I know I’m going out on a limb, writing this, but I have to go where my heart is. And it’s with Jiyu. And Yoon. And Jaewon.

Reviews are critical to my being able to keep bringing you new books, so if you enjoy this story and can spare a minute or two to leave a review, I’d be grateful.

Please sign up for my newsletter to receive updates on new releases.

I want to write more Jiyu. I really want to see where things go with Jaewon and Yoon, and to know if she ever becomes the demi-god she was randomly selected to be.

But to do that, I need reviews, shout-outs, and any other support that fans can muster. Any support you can give is greatly appreciated, and can bring Jiyu back for another adventure!

It’s always important to shift the Great Balance in one’s own favor. ;)

Chapter 1

JIYU FINISHED TYPING the next day’s schedule and slumped back in her chair, closing her eyes. Another fifteen-hour day. Probably more like sixteen. If she could just open her eyes to check the clock, she’d know for sure but it felt too good to keep them closed.

The office was silent. Even her assistant had left. She’d sent him home hours ago, out of fear that his new wife would divorce him for being a workaholic.

They worked in a brutal business, but if a person couldn’t even take the time to enjoy their newlywed bliss, then what was the point?

That left her as the only one in her department still working at eleven o’clock at night.

She’d thought her promotion from production assistant to production manager would mean fewer long days and a less brutal workload.

She’d been wrong. Very wrong. She’d been an infant, a mere babe in the cradle. That’s how wrong she’d been.

She let out a sigh and put her hands over her eyes. No, she was lucky. She really was. Jobs were incredibly difficult to get in the current economy, and she’d been selected over three hundred other applicants when she’d applied to Shine Entertainment. That was five years ago, and now she was the youngest production manager ever to work at the mid-sized company.

Lucky, lucky, lucky. She’d fought hard to get where she was, and people would kill to be where she was. She’d never even dreamed of being this far in her career at her age.

According to all reasonable metrics of success, she was killing it.

Never mind that she was exhausted. That wasn’t important because she could always sleep later. And never mind that she rarely got to see her family and friends. She’d catch up with them soon. Nor did it matter that she missed more meals than she ate. She didn’t have time to buy groceries anyway.

Not many people got to have a position like hers at the age of twenty-seven. She worked with actors and musicians, models and comedians. Most of them were good people, too. Sure, there was the occasional diva, but entertainers worked even harder than she did, so she couldn’t be mad when someone got rude. Stress could do rough things to people and she’d learned to be tolerant of artistic sensibilities.

She only wished the administrative support behind those people were all as pleasant as the talent. Most of them at her company were. Underhanded or mean-spirited people who made it through the hiring process tended to find themselves iced out of the office culture. As soon as their personality fault showed in their work, they found themselves walking out of the building with their possessions in a box.

However, there was a single rotten tooth marring the brilliant smile of Shine Entertainment. His name was Mr. Gamdogi and sadly, he was her boss. He was a wet ham sandwich of a boss and had even less value as a human being.

If she were forced to testify under oath how she truly felt about Mr. Gamdogi, she’d have to admit that he was an egotistical crapwagon who was as tone-deaf as they come. Worse, the man piled all his work on Jiyu while he led deep-pocketed investors to the karaoke and hostess rooms for debauchery and illegal activities.

Disgusting. How he’d managed to get a job at Shine E, the one and only entertainment company with a stellar reputation for trustworthiness and treating its clients well, she had no idea. Apparently there really was a bad apple in every bushel, or however the saying went.

Maybe he had some sort of extortion material on someone in Shine E. Or maybe he was some kind of demon sent from hell to torture hard-working, persevering people like her.

Wearily, she gathered up her long-emptied bento box. At the thought of food, her stomach growled. She checked the time on her phone. Almost midnight. The friends she’d intended to meet up with would have left the restaurant already and gone on for drinks or karaoke.

She’d missed the fun again. As always.

Typing up schedules wasn’t even her job. That was a task for someone much further down the management chain. An unfortunate sequence of cancellations, postponements, and other people not getting their jobs done had floated upstream and become her problem.

Everything always did. She was the snag in the Shine E river, to which all the forsaken miscellany flowed.

There was a whole lot of ugly that went on behind all the glitz and glam that the public saw. The entertainment industry was a hallucinatory nightmare of deadlines, tight schedules, negotiations, and disasters.

Consumers saw talent, enjoyment, and dreams to aspire to, but the truth was that this brutal industry was all about money and power. For her, money was just a bothersome detail. She was in this for love.

Not love for a person—love for art. The very first time she’d gone to a movie, she’d been spellbound by the art of transporting people through entertainment. Her idols had been songwriters, directors, and drama writers. She had always felt like it was her calling to be the bridge between the world those creative people created and the world that everyone else lived in.

She believed in the power of dreams, and how those dreams helped people get through life.

A good song could change a mood. A good television drama could change a mind. A story that touched a heart could change a whole life.

Entertainment was dreams, and dreams made life worth living.

Rolling her shoulders, she turned off the lights in her office and shuffled out to the elevator. She’d been looking forward to having chicken and beer with her friends, but now she’d probably end up slurping some cup noodles before falling into bed, still wearing her work clothes.

No. No, she couldn’t do that again. She’d saved up to buy stylish, professional clothes, and she needed to take good care of them.

Being responsible for others came naturally to her. Finding any leftover energy to be responsible for herself was really hard sometimes.

After the long elevator ride down to the lobby, she walked into the warm night air, looking for a taxi.

Oh. Right. It would be really hard to find one at this hour in this part of the city. Expensive taxis weren’t usually her first choice anyway, but she was tired all the way down to her bones.

With a deep, soul-rattling sigh, she trudged toward the bus stop. The subway would get her home faster, but the station was a much longer walk and she just didn’t have the energy for it. The buses and subways were about to stop running, too, so she had to take what she could get.

Right when she sat down, her phone rang. A rebellious feeling rose within her like a cresting wave. If that was Mr. Gamdogi, she didn’t care what he said. She wasn’t going back to the office, even if it was on fire with their top actor still in it.

No, that was terrible. Park Sunjun was very nice. He always used polite speech to address her and was even nice to the lowest-level secretaries and janitorial staff.

Of course she’d go back to office to save him. But for him, not for the company. Definitely not for that jackwagon Gamdogi.

Fortunately, she recognized the incoming call as her best friend Jessica and not work. Glancing quickly around, she saw an older lady and a teenage couple also waiting for the bus.

Hello? she said softly, putting her hand in front of her mouth to avoid disturbing others.

Where are you? Jessica asked.

Bus stop. Sorry I didn’t make it. Again.

Don’t worry, it was mostly boring anyway. Everyone brought their boyfriends or girlfriends, and the couples spent most of their time paying attention to one another. Urgh! It’s so annoying.

Jiyu smiled. You’re just jealous you didn’t have a boyfriend to bring.

Damn right I am! Jessica chirped. Why can’t I ever meet someone good?

Same reason I can’t. We spend all our time working.

Right. Well, that’ll change soon, I’m sure of it. A pair of winners like us can’t stay single forever, right?

Jiyu laughed softly. Jessica always cheered her up. Right.

So, have you eaten? Want to grab some skewers and soju?

The idea of some hot street food made her stomach growl. It sounded about a million times better than cup noodles, and hanging out with Jessica would be a big bonus even though she was tired. She had to take time to eat either way, so why not see her friend? She’d be multi-tasking, really. Being as efficient with her personal life as she was with her professional one.

Sure. Jiyu looked up to see the bus approaching. Meet you there in twenty minutes.

She didn’t have to ask which skewer stand. She and Jessica considered themselves connoisseurs of food on a stick, and only one place had the best.

Ajumma the Skewer Fairy! At around fifty years old and always wearing her hair in a meticulously pinned-up bun, she might look like the average ajumma, but Jessica and Jiyu had long ago agreed that the woman’s cooking abilities were otherworldly.

Or at least they liked to pretend that heavenly forces were at work in order to cover up their own very lacking cooking skills.

Still holding her phone, Jiyu boarded the bus. Work was a real grind, but it wouldn’t be this way forever. And having a best friend like Jessica made it a lot easier to make it through the days and weeks while she waited for things to improve.

They would improve. They really would. Her hard work had already been acknowledged when she received her promotion. Now she just had to keep working hard while also getting better at delegating tasks and making sure she didn’t end up being the one everything got dumped on.

Curse her strong sense of responsibility! That was why she ended up working so late. She could only blame her parents. They’d raised her too well. They should have been irresponsible in their parenting and taught her to be irresponsible, too. Then she wouldn’t have to feel bad about running off to the noraebang for karaoke or going to parties with her friends.

She watched the buildings and streets of Seoul roll by, allowing herself the luxury of letting her thoughts wander.

What a delight it was to think only of the brightly-lit billboard advertising luxury lipstick or the pretty tree she noticed when they slowed for a traffic light. Her thoughts touched briefly on the idea of friendship when she saw a pair of teenage girls marching along the sidewalk, arm-in-arm. Then she noticed a person who looked suspiciously like a religious cult recruiter, and she hoped he didn’t catch any naïve fools that night.

Religious cults were the worst. Just the other day she was reading about a man who’d been sentenced to prison for abusing his followers. Awful, awful stuff.

Hm, bad thoughts. Those needed to go away. She turned her attention to a couple who strolled together, casting shy but eager glances at each other. They were probably walking home after a company dinner that ran late. Colleagues who wanted to be more than colleagues, she’d wager.

It was encouraging to see. She didn’t have time for romance herself, at present—who wanted to date someone who was constantly working? But someday, when work settled down, she’d start dating.

Real dating. Dating with marriage in mind, not the simpler, happy-go-lucky kind she’d done back in high school and college.

Her parents were already trying to set her up with eligible guys. They were proud of her career, but they’d be even prouder of grandchildren.

Oof. She couldn’t think that far ahead. The concept of serious dating was as far as she could get her mind to stretch for now.

She was still thinking about it when the bus stopped.

What’s that sour face? a voice asked as she stepped out.

Looking up, Jiyu saw Jessica standing up from the bus stop bench, looking far more refined than anyone ever should be able to do while waiting at a bus stop.

Everything about Jessica promised class and sophistication. Even when wearing ratty old clothes to help Jiyu paint her very first apartment, there was always something about Jessica that indicated that she was valuable.

And for good reason.

Oh, just thinking about dating, Jiyu answered flippantly, putting her arm around Jessica and heading toward the food stand.

Jessica laughed. If that’s the face you make just thinking about it, then forget it. It’s a lost cause before you even get started.

No, it’s not that. It’s just trying to imagine there being enough time in my life for dating. Right now, it’s impossible.

Jessica hooked her arm around Jiyu’s waist. That’s why you should come work at Lee Entertainment. My parents love you. You’d get more pay for less work. And a bigger office.

My office is plenty big since my promotion, Jiyu protested. "It has a door and everything. But we’ve been through this a million times. It’s one thing for a chaebol like you to work in your family’s company—that’s the expected thing. But I’m not your sister or their daughter. I don’t want my colleagues saying my success is only due to connections."

Yes, yes, I know. Jessica heaved a theatrical sigh. But someday, after your track record is well established, I expect you to come to Lee E. Work would be so much more fun if we could do it together!

It would, Jiyu admitted. But I chose Shine Entertainment for a reason. They’re changing the industry. Better treatment of the talent, better treatment of the staff, and integrity that fans can count on. The entertainers signed to us rarely have scandals and when they do, Shine E supports them.

Jessica sighed, this time wistfully. Yeah. It’s a great marketing concept. I almost wish our company was small enough to be able to pivot our image in such a modern, trendy way.

It’s not just marketing. Management really cares about transparency and not dealing with corrupt people. It’s not just for show. The company really runs that way.

How’s that going for you? Jessica asked dryly. Is there anyone even left to do business with once you skim out all the corrupt ones?

Hmm, I have to admit that we have a much smaller pool to fish from. Sometimes there’s nothing we can do but partner with someone crooked, but maybe less crooked than the others. It’s the reality of the industry. But, all things considered, Shine E has the happiest employees of any large or mid-sized agency. Our morale is high.

Other than being worked to death and too exhausted to even date, Jessica reminded her.

Well, there’s that. But it’s going to get better!

Always the optimist. Jessica, her arm still around Jiyu’s waist, gave her a little shake before pulling away. But just a reminder—Lee E is one of the big three agencies, fully developed, and executives have plenty of support staff. Most days, I leave work exactly on time.

Jiyu envied that more than her pride would let her admit. Noted.

They turned a corner, revealing the food stand that had been their little oasis of sanity ever since their college days.

The savory aromas and hints of onion and soothing spices made Jiyu’s mouth water. By the time they seated themselves at the two narrow stools in front of the stand, her stomach was yowling like an angry cat.

Jessica noticed. She raised an eyebrow at her.

It’s been a long time since lunch, Jiyu said sheepishly, putting a hand to her tummy and willing it to be quiet.

The tummy would not be denied. It sent up a long, warbling yowl that even Ajumma noticed.

Ah, you came hungry. Good girls. The older woman nodded approvingly.  She waved a hand at the various skewers already out. You start with these, and I’ll make you something that will keep your cheeks round and pink.

Ajumma’s real name was Baek Sunyoung. She had a son and a daughter who were both grown and working. She liked naughty jokes, gossip, and trying to keep up with pop culture. She loved to ask questions about popular actors and singers and what young people found trendy. Nothing delighted her more than seeing young, lovely people enjoying things.

Given the generational gap, the rules of polite behavior said that Jiyu and Jessica should use honorific speech when speaking to Ajumma. Likewise, it would be proper for Ajumma to talk down to the girls. But the older woman had long ago insisted on using polite but casual speech with them, so long as they did the same. Ajumma was a title for a married or middle-aged woman, and worked well to keep things casual without being disrespectful.

The lack of honorifics and the fact that Ajumma always greeted them like family made Jiyu feel like Ajumma was more like a friend or an aunt.

While Jessica studied the types of skewers, Jiyu grabbed one of her favorites—tteokbokki. The tube-shaped rice cakes were threaded longways on the skewer and covered in an orange-red sauce. They were chewy, spicy, and not at all healthy.

But delicious!

Jessica chose a chicken skewer and took a bite.

Ajumma turned around and set bowls of steaming brown liquid in front of them. Bone broth. You two eat it well. It will keep you strong.

We’ll eat well! Jiyu chorused with Jessica in well-practiced harmony.

Ajumma again turned her back on them, reaching, mixing, and humming an old folk tune.

Something in Jiyu relaxed, like a muscle she didn’t know she’d kept tensed for hours. Something about being here with Jessica and comforting food and Ajumma, who always seemed to know what they needed...well, it just swaddled her soul in a way that made her feel protected, loved, and comfortable.

All of her tension exited her body, like a ghost giving up possession of a person it had haunted. She felt less weary, too, though still tired.

Biting into a chicken skewer next, she chewed with the satisfaction of simply being cared for, fed, and alive.

There was nothing in life better than this.

Ajumma, she said, her voice slightly raised so the woman could hear her over the sizzling of the two-burner grill she had set up to the side of the cart. How about I quit my job and work here with you?

Their food fairy dished up some food and moved a step closer, putting a steaming plate in front of each of them. Sorry. No room back here. There’s barely enough for me. Besides, you’re good at what you do.

Not as good as you are at what you do, Jiyu said, but her words were flat. She was too distracted by the smell of leeks, onions, and chives wafting up from the vegetable pancake. She grabbed a pair of chopsticks and quickly tore the pajeon apart and began shoving it into her mouth.

As far as she knew, Ajumma didn’t make broth or vegetable pajeon for anyone else. She was in the skewer business. But she always made special things for Jiyu and Jessica.

Truth be told, she doubted Ajumma needed to run a skewer stand. She always noticed the older woman’s well-made shoes and the way she occasionally mentioned luxury items as if she were personally acquainted with them. If Jiyu had to bet, she’d say that the skewer stand was Ajumma’s hobby—a way of feeding people and keeping busy now that her children had moved out.

Jessica wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. How do you get it so crispy on the outside without drying it out inside? Every time I try, it’s not even worth eating.

Ajumma smiled mysteriously. I’ll tell you what. When you get married, I’ll teach you how as a wedding present.

Both women stopped eating, jaws open mid-chew, to stare.

Really? Jessica said with her mouth still full of food. Her mother would be mortified to see it.

What about me? Jiyu also had food in her mouth, but her own mother would merely roll her eyes. She knew who she’d raised.

How are you ever going to get a husband looking like a cartoon? Ajumma demanded, gesturing at Jiyu with an expression of despair.

Jiyu and Jessica busted out laughing. Ajumma was always teasing Jiyu’s fashion choices.

She ran a hand over her candy-pink hair. She’d adopted unusual hair coloring and a penchant for colored eye lenses while at university, and had been delighted to be able to continue her sense of style even after beginning her career.

Shine E likes their employees at all levels to be stylish, since the company has a young and trendy image to maintain. And it’s much more fun to dress like I’m in a music video or on a drama than it is to dress like...well...

She glanced subtly at Jessica, who wore a very expensive, very classic, and very boring black dress.

Hey! Jessica pretended to protest. This dress is...um. Well, it’s... It has pockets!

It’s a fine dress, and you look like a fine lady in it. Ajumma nodded approvingly.

It looks like something your mom would pick, Jiyu pointed out.

It is, Jessica admitted. She bought it for me.

Ew. Jiyu grimaced. Then, feeling guilty, she added, But hey, pockets are really nice.

Jessica chuckled. I know, conservative business clothes can be awfully dull. But expensive, old-world style is Lee E’s image. There’s not much I can do about it.

The sad life of an heiress! Jiyu teased fondly.

Jessica bumped her shoulder against Jiyu’s, smiling. They both knew that being a chaebol came with big benefits and big drawbacks. Like everything in life, there was a give and take that balanced things out.

The edgiest fashion choice Jessica could make was her short bob hairstyle. It actually suited her position since it made her look sleek and no-nonsense.

They ate and chatted, with Ajumma interjecting opinions and questions while plying them with her cooking.

It was the best hour of her entire week, but the fuller her belly got, the more her eyelids drooped.

Finally, she had to admit, If I don’t get home, I’m going to fall asleep right here.

I’ll call my driver. Jessica reached for her phone.

Jiyu waved off her friend’s protectiveness. That would be silly, your place is just two blocks from here.

Jessica didn’t look convinced. The driver would be for you. It’s not safe to walk alone this time of night.

Jiyu shook her head firmly. She’d never allowed herself to get accustomed to the perks of Jessica’s life. It was one thing to ride along with Jessica if she was already going somewhere, but having private use of one of Lee Entertainment’s drivers stepped way beyond the line.

I’ll be fine. It’s not much further than your place.

I won’t be able to sleep unless I know you got home okay. My driver can drop me off, then take you home. End of story.  Frowning, Jessica tapped on the screen of her phone.

Take the car, Ajumma advised. She’s right that it isn’t safe. I hope the two of you never find out how dangerous the city can be, especially at night.

Outnumbered, Jiyu reluctantly agreed. She really didn’t want to walk home feeling this tired.

They finished eating and gave their fond farewells to Ajumma after settling the bill. As always, Ajumma only charged them for the skewers, but they insisted on tripling the price to show their appreciation for Ajumma’s tender care. After the ritual of paying—which was never about money for either side—Jiyu got in Jessica’s car. After letting her off at home, the driver took Jiyu to her cozy, warm apartment.

It was small, but it was a safe and happy place. She still got a thrill out of coming back here to her own place in the city at the end of the day.

It was home, and she liked her life.

Chapter 2

"NO. NO. No, Jiyu repeated firmly into the telephone. It was a sunny new day outside, but she was unlikely to leave work in time to enjoy it. Our artist did not consent to you sampling his track for your artist’s album. You didn’t even ask, which is a jarring lack of professional courtesy. Since you’ve already released the album, there are only two options. Either you compensate our artist in the way we’ve described, or we’ll be forced to seek legal action."

She closed her eyes as she listened to words coming through the phone. So many words. Babbling words. Contrite words. Words of blame, and words of excuse. But, ultimately, none of them were compensatory words, and that meant she would have to wage war.

Benevolently, she let him prattle on for a while because it gave her a chance to lubricate her eyeballs behind closed lids. Computer work dried her eyes out something terrible. She needed to stop wearing colored lenses to work.

But they were so fun!

After two minutes of diligent eyeball care, the man on the phone began to cut into her time. Time was money in this industry.

She cut him off. "I can see that you are bound