"Okay, then, Himari has my sincere gratitude for helping me win our little wager. I am expecting the money to appear on my account later, Lester." Vincent said, sipping his champagne with style.
"Who said that tonight you won our bet?" Lester smirked.
"Ah? What do you mean?" Vincent asked. "My painting was sold for one hundred million dollars, right? Then it means I won the competition."
Dice and Gael share the same opinion.
"Have you forgotten that Shiri's sheet music sold for one billion dollars?" Lester asked again.
"Of course not. How can I—Wait a minute. Don't tell me..."
The other managers did not miss it as Lester gives Vincent a smug look before he glances in Himari's direction. Lester turns back to Lily and asks her to refill his champagne glass, ignoring their shocked expressions.
"So, for tonight's auction, one of us brought that sheet music? Who is going to... Oh my god! Himari's item for tonight is that music sheet!"
Except for Lester, everyone pauses to look at Himari, who is swirling the soda in her glass while talking. As Dice and Gael recover from their shock, they clink their glasses together, congratulating Himari on winning the bet and defeating their artist friend. They are more eager to get together and party now that Himari won rather than Vincent.
"That is such a bummer! I really expected to see a lot of zeros in my bank account soon." Vincent pouted as he spoke. "Himari, why do you have to participate in this anyway?"
"Why not? It seems fun anyway." Himari answered after sipping her soda using a straw. "If you want, you can have the money instead."
"I don't think so. A deal is a deal. You get to have it. And, frankly, I can not just take the money because you handed it to me." Vincent said, leaning over and rubbing his head. "But how did you get the music sheet? And Shiri's blood signature, too!"
"Who is that Shiri, anyway?" Gael asked.
"You are truly a no-class person, Gael." Vincent said, rolling his eyes. "Shiri was a famous musical prodigy who wrote his first composition at the age of eight. Everyone in high society, especially those who enjoy music, knows him. But Shiri vanished from the spotlight several years ago, and no one knows where he is now. But his fans are still so enchanted by his talent and compositions that even the items he previously used are considered rare."
"Oh? Is he really that famous?" Gael asked again. "So where is he now?"
"That is the real question here," Vincent replied. "After Shiri disappeared, no one knew where he was or what he was doing right now."
Then Vincent returns his attention to Himari.
"So, Himari, do you know where Shiri is currently?"
"Of course," she answered with a smile. "Shiri and I are close friends, after all."
"Hold on, what?" Dice reacted. "Are you serious?! You know the identity of that masked musician?"
Himari's eyes sparkle with amusement as she looks at them. She notices the surprise in Lester's eyes, which he quickly conceals. But Himari pretends she does not notice and continues to stir her soda with a straw.
Shiri made his musical debut at the age of six. In the music world, he has already performed long and complicated compositions by famous musicians. Shiri almost always plays the notes on the music sheet exactly as they are written. It is as if he is playing music directly from ancient recorders. In some cases, however, he added his own stamp to those music sheets, ensuring that they were unique to everyone who heard them.
Shiri is a well-known young musician for more than just one reason. Aside from his incredible musical talent, Shiri has never shown his face to the public. Shiri usually performs on stage while wearing a decorated mask that covers his entire face. He always wears his signature red and white mask to keep his identity hidden from the rest of the world. Shiri always wore turtle neck shirts to cover his neck, which matched the color of his mask.
Many people attempted to find the person behind the two-toned masked musician, but they all failed to learn anything about him. Shiri is so secretive and mysterious that it appears he does not exist. Shiri's sudden disappearance from the music industry has made that stupid thought about him more real. Until now, some people have waited patiently for his return, hoping that he will once again demonstrate his incredible musical talent.
"Wait! But... how?" Lily asked. "I am not trying to offend you. But... You are actually friends with 'that' Shiri who is famous because of his unique and mysterious talent in music?"
"Yeah. Here is the proof. Can you recognize the mask I am holding in this picture?" Himari asked before showing them a photo on her phone while holding a red and white mask. "Shiri gave it to me saying he did not need it anymore."
Lily almost screamed, but she quickly covered her mouth to stop herself. But her gaze is still fixed on Himari's phone, staring at the photo with sparkling eyes. She can already see the imaginary sparkling diamonds around Lily's eyes. Himari raises her brow and looks at Lester with a questioning expression.
"She is one of Shiri's fans," Lester said.
"Oh. I see." Himari said and nodded her head. She then took another sip of her soda and placed the glass on the table in front of them. "Lily, you can have that mask if you want."
"Are you sure?" Lily whipped her head quickly and stared at Himari with wide eyes. She laughed with amusement at that.
"Of course. I cannot use that mask anyway. So, rather than letting it collect dust in my room, I will give it to one of his fans."
"But I will feel guilty accepting such a gift. Let me pay you, Himari." Lily said. "I can send it directly to your account if you want."
"No, it's okay. You can have that mask. I will give it to you tomorrow."
"But, that's..."
"You can repay me by always making a cup of coffee for me whenever we meet, Lily." Himari said. "Or you can just have a box of chocolate ready for me every time we meet in the future. No more buts, alright?"
"...Okay."
"Wow. Himari, you are so generous. Did you know that items related to Shiri have a high market value these days?" Vincent asked. "It feels like you are giving Lily a million dollars that easily!"
"It's just a mask. I can always ask Shiri if I ever need a mask like that." Himari said with a shrug.
"Damn. The perks of having a famous friend!" Gael exclaimed.
"There is one thing I would like you to mention to me. You never told us how you became friends with Shiri, Himari." Dice replied.
"Yeah? Well, let's just say Shiri and I were classmates and childhood friends."