Business block, Zithen family complex, State Zhyphrese, Draconian continent Voldage, and the Year 2041, Planet Grimoire.
Hmm, this should work better than what he'd thought of before. Cilin was pleased that he'd come up with a solution that would work for them both. He hoped that this would end any further issues between them.
With that in mind, he headed to Tae-Jun's room. There, he found the younger man still profoundly asleep. "Hey, time to wake up. There's a full schedule." He nudged Tae-Jun with one foot.
Fortunately, he wasn't too grumpy when awakened.
"Huh?" Tae-Jun blinked at him sleepily. "Oh right, sorry." He yawned and pushed the covers aside. "Guess there's no rest for the weary or wicked." His low mutter confused Cilin.
What on earth set that off? Cilin shook his head. He waited patiently for Tae-Jun to return to the room. "I thought we could eat in the living room and review the schedule." He suggested when Tae-Jun sat sleepily, stretching and yawning.
That stopped his movement. "That sounds good to me," Tae-Jun nodded. "I should probably get dressed."
Huh, at least he didn't seem too sleep-deprived, even if it had been only about six hours of sleep. Not sure what to make of Tae-Jun's calmness, Cilin blinked. "Ah yeah," he realized he was still in sleep clothes. That made him grimace. Right, he should get dressed as well. Cilin returned to his room, took a brief shower, and headed into the living room since he knew Tae-Jun was completely awake. "I'll be in the living room."
However, Tae-Jun said nothing more than, "Okay, I'll meet you there once I'm fully awake." He simply found some clothes that he'd set on a chair nearby and headed into the bathroom.
After a quick shower, Tae-Jun appeared in the living room, fully clothed. "So, what are we doing now?" He also looked at the schedule with bafflement. "Huh, a kickoff activity that comprises two parts. That doesn't begin until around 2 p.m., though?" Clearly, Tae-Jun was less than pleased with the scheduled time. "So, what're we supposed to do in the meantime?" He was drumming his fingers on the table with agitation.
"Yeah, I suppose that doesn't seem to make sense." Cilin shrugged. "If you recall, a huge purge occurred," he reminded Tae-Jun.
Tae-Jun scowled. "Oh, right. They have to find more candidates for trainee positions that opened up, hmm?" He shook his head. "This must be their way of keeping the selected ones from getting too bored."
Cilin thought about it. It seemed strange now that he had reviewed what was proposed, and he sighed. "I do have some reservations." Cilin tapped the part where new managers would be introduced. "Do you recall someone being introduced to you last night?"
"Come to think of it, I was. However, there appeared to be controversy over whether we should acknowledge the managers." Tae-Jun paused and thought about it. "Maybe, but I don't think it was officially announced." He finally told Cilin. "I think I remember hearing the terms, pro-tem, unofficial,"
Well, now that was a different way of looking at things. Cilin grunted when he realized Tae-Jun was reserving his opinion until he knew what was happening. That made sense because everything was still up in the air.
"Yeah, we were warned not to view them as official or anything. They were just introduced as potential managers for either groups or soloists." Tae-Jun snorted in disgust. "Nothing was mentioned about any of that being finalized until we've gotten to the fourth or fifth challenge. Something like that." He tapped the schedule. "See, here it is in bold about the managers not being officially assigned until much later."
Cilin looked at it and nodded with a sigh. "Oh, right, just so we're clear on one matter." He waited until Tae-Jun looked at him straight in the eye. "You didn't have to convince me to become your manager." Cilin made his stance clear on the matter once and for all. "There was no harebrained scheme at all. I chose to be your manager." A sigh escaped him when he ruefully admitted. "I don't know why I acted so foolishly yesterday either." He was at a loss about why he'd acted the way he had.
Maybe Tae-Jun could offer some insight—at least, Cilin hoped so. Otherwise, awkwardness would push them apart, and he didn't want that to happen, especially right now.
*
Of all the topics Cilin had to bring up, it was about his behavior the previous night. Why was he doing this? It wasn't in the least bit comforting either, despite the fact that they'd supposedly known each other for quite some time before now.
That was no longer the case for Tae-Jun, who regarded Cilin with uncomfortable silence. What should he say to comfort Cilin in this puzzling scene? He was temporarily at a loss for words.
At least Cilin tried to make things comfortable for both of them with his candor. It was clear he wasn't used to apologizing, much less explaining. However, he was trying to do so. I suppose I should extend an olive branch of my own to ease this situation. Tae-Jun appreciated his efforts even if they were on the awkward end of the spectrum.
Tae-Jun regarded him thoughtfully. "I can think of something, but I don't know if you'd appreciate the observation," he admitted with a sigh. "I think you were thrown by the fact that someone replaced the old Tae-Jun, whose mannerisms and quirks you knew by heart. Now you're dealing with a complete stranger, completely unfamiliar with how this world works." He spread his hands. Anyone would be thrown off kilter and into a world of confusion when something like that happens."
Now, then, how would Cilin react to that? It wasn't as though Tae-Jun meant to offer life-altering advice, but that did seem to be what he made of the situation.
Tae-Jun kept an eye on the time. They would need to receive word on when to assemble next.