"He's like, a fat Galbadian fish in the ocean", Hugo described him. "So fat you'll never eat another fish again."

Julia sat alone in the V.I.P. lounge and wondered what was going on in Hugo's head.

He was her good friend-the friend who saw potential in her before before she saw it in herself.

And it was this same good friend who pushed her to meet with the "Fat Fish" privately. Whoever this "fat Galbadian fish" was, she knew it had to be someone special.

As waited she began to hum a song. Truth was, Julia had always dreamed of becoming a singer and a song-writer. She never dreamed of becoming a pianist- it was a dream her parents had pushed to her be.

She wanted to write songs- songs which changed people; songs which rang hope; songs which inspired people to be who they wanted to be. Those were her deep wants, her deepest and most secret wish. She hadn't told a single soul about it, out of fear of ridicule.

But Hugo, dear sweet Hugo, he saw the flicker of talent she never thought she'd have.

She remembered how they first met. Julia was in the music shop, looking at the assortment of musical instruments. Then she saw a beautiful antique piano, and unable to help herself, she sat down on a chair and played. She chose a piece that she herself composed. It had no lyrics. Just a simple melody she was trying to compose and finish. The lack of inspiration didn't help. She needed an inspiration to finish her composition. The question was how to find her inspiration.

"Love," a voice spoke. "is all you need."

Julia stopped playing. Right beside, stood a man in his early thirties. He had short cropped blond hair styled in the latest fashion, and wore a maroon tuxedo. She estimated he was around 6 feet tall.

"You're a very good pianist." He told her. "But I can see it in your eyes that you don't love playing the piano alone. I can see it in your eyes that you yearn for something more."

Her light brown eyes widened in amazement. "How did you know?" she asked. Only a handful of people could see what her soul yearned for. It was definitely not the piano.

Hugo flashed a warm smile. "There's a reason why people tell me to sideline as a detective. I tend to read people accurately. I bet you always wanted to be a singer."

"A singer and a song writer" she corrected, impressed with the man's person-reading skills.

He shrugged. "Close enough. By the way, I'm Hugo, the Assistant General Manager of Galbadia Hotel in Deling City." He extended his right hand which Julia took. "Actually, our General Manager just tended her resignation letter yesterday. Effective tomorrow, I will be Hugo Delaware, the General Manager of The Galbadia Hotel in Deling City."

"Julia Heartilly" she replied. "A frustrated singer song-writer."

Hugo laughed. "Frustrated? Well, perhaps I can invite you to sing for our Hotel's lounge. I can recommend you to our General Manager- oops! I forgot. I am the General Manager."

Julia waved her hands. "I'm not that good. I might bring embarrassment to your hotel." She had heard a lot of things about The Galbadia Hotel. A five-star class hotel, it was one of the best, if not, the best hotel in the Galbadian Region. Hearing someone work for the Hotel was a privilege, some sort of badge you could tell people. Apparently, getting hired in the Hotel wasn't an easy feat.

"You have the talent." He told her. "And if you want to be a singer song-writer, then all you have to do is to start playing and getting used in our lounge. The Galbadian Hotel caters to the upper class of Galbadia. It's a good start if you want to establish your audience."

Despite the good deal he was offering, Hugo sensed her hesitancy. "Shall I expound the other benefits? You'll get to have your audience. And when you have a loyal army of fans, they will clamor for whatever you'll produce."

That caught Julia's attention. "Really?"

"Definitely."

He wasted no time. "If you ever change you mind, here's my calling card. Good day, Ms. Heartilly."

He handed her his business card and left.

He took and looked at his pocket watch.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Mr. Hugo, can we talk for a minute"

Perfect.

He turned around and flashed a smile. "Certainly, Ms. Heartilly."