The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

Chapter 766: MEETING (II)

SEEING the serious expression on Shir Atkins’ face, Ellis understood his concern. He likely believed Kiran should not accept this job offer. As Astrid’s agent, she knew it was her responsibility to address those concerns. She had to clearly explain the situation and the protections they would put in place, to show this was a genuine professional opportunity, not just a risky favor for a friend.

She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Mr. Atkins, I can send you a copy of the draft contract we’ve prepared. You’ll see that Mr. Hope wouldn’t be at a disadvantage in this arrangement."

Shir came back to his senses at her words. He pushed the odd feeling aside and gave a sharp nod.

Both of them opened their Terminals, and Ellis sent the contract draft to Shir.

Shir read through the contract. His eyes widened slightly as he went over the terms. The payment offered was significantly higher than the standard rate for this kind of work. The contract also included a generous bonus if Kiran delivered the complete score ahead of the deadline. Furthermore, the production agreed to credit Kiran prominently in all marketing, not just in the end credits. Every clause was clearly designed to benefit Kiran, not the production company.

He read through the contract two more times to make sure he understood it correctly. Once he was certain everything was in order, he looked up at Kiran. The other had a hopeful expression on his face. It seemed like he was silently hoping Shir would approve after seeing the terms of the contract.

"Do you really want to do this?" he asked.

Kiran nodded. "I do."

"And are you sure you can get it all done on time?"

"Yes," Kiran answered with no hesitation.

Shir stared at Kiran’s face, seeing the clear determination there. He could tell how much Kiran truly wanted this project. In the end, he could only let out a quiet sigh and give a slow, accepting nod.

"I’ll agree to this," he said. "But only under two conditions."

"Please go ahead," Ellis said, gesturing for him to state his terms.

"First, Kiran has to run everything by me first," Shir stated. "And second, you need to put me in touch with the film’s director directly. I want to be the point of contact for any concerns about the music. Kiran’s job is to compose, not to manage expectations or handle last-minute changes."

"Of course," Ellis agreed since she found nothing wrong with that.

"Then let’s sign the contract."

Kiran’s face immediately brightened with a wide, relieved smile when he heard Shir’s words. "You’re really agreeing, Mr. Atkins?"

Shir looked at Kiran’s openly excited face. He felt a wave of helpless affection, and his own expression softened into one of resigned amusement. It was the kind of look you might give a child who was overflowing with joyful energy over a simple treat.

But a small part of him was still annoyed that Kiran kept calling him "Mr. Atkins." He decided he would have to do something about that so Kiran would feel comfortable using his first name next time.

"Yes," Shir confirmed. "But just like I said, you’ll run everything by me first."

"Yes, of course! I will, I promise!" Kiran said quickly, his voice full of obvious excitement. He nodded several times, a big, grateful smile on his face.

With the agreement settled, they moved forward with signing the contract. Shir used his Terminal to sign as the representative of Resonance. Astrid signed next as one of the film’s major producers. Finally, Kiran signed as the composer. Once all three signatures were in place, the contract was officially in effect.

Shir looked at the time on his Terminal. "Have the three of you had lunch yet?" he asked. "If you haven’t, I’d like to take you out for a meal. We can consider it a small celebration for our new partnership."

Ellis glanced over at Astrid, her expression clearly asking for his opinion. Astrid responded with a slight shrug of his shoulders, as if to say it would be impolite to turn down Shir’s offer.

"It would be our pleasure, Mr. Atkins," Ellis replied, accepting the invitation.

Kiran’s smile grew even wider when he heard the lunch plan. He was visibly excited about the chance to have a meal with Shir.

Astrid said nothing and just gave his friend a meaningful glance.

***

On the drive to the restaurant, Ellis followed behind Shir’s car. She and Astrid rode together in her vehicle. Shir had insisted that Kiran ride with him instead, stating it was a chance for them to talk business. As Kiran’s big boss, it was difficult for him to refuse. But Astrid suspected Kiran hadn’t found the choice difficult at all.

He had been watching his friend closely during the meeting. Aside from being a little more excited than usual, Kiran seemed normal. But that impression only held true if one did not look too closely.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, he did.

Astrid noticed the secret glances Kiran kept giving Shir Atkins. That wasn’t all. The way Kiran looked at Shir was like a child gazing at their favorite candy, but there was also a strange intensity to it, almost like he wanted to devour him.

It almost felt like a miracle that Shir Atkins didn’t seem to notice. The man clearly had other things on his mind, so it was no surprise he missed it. But still. This was unexpected behavior from Kiran. However, from the looks of it, his friend was probably acting subconsciously. He likely hadn’t recognized his own feelings yet and was simply projecting them without meaning to.

But wouldn’t that mean that Kiran really liked Shir? If he acted that way without even realizing it, then his subconscious feelings were clearly strong. It meant he genuinely liked Shir, probably more than he was consciously ready to admit to himself.

Honestly, he didn’t know how to react to that. He felt he still needed to observe more before he could be sure. So for now, it was better to not get involved at all.