Still reeling from his confusion, Foca watched Luca move around the small suite kitchen.
Luca opened cupboards, pulled out plates, glasses, and utensils like he had been there a hundred times before.
A moment later, he returned carrying a large pizza box in one hand and a stack of plates in the other.
"Here we go," Luca said, setting everything down on the coffee table. "This place makes the best and most authentic Italian pizza in New York. None of that Americanized bullshit."
"You know," Foca said with a small smile, "when it comes to anything Italian, you can be quite the elitist."
"What can I say?" Luca shrugged. "I'm a proud Italian."
He smirked.
"Although I'm always open to trying new things. But when it comes to Italian food… I'm definitely more critical."
As Foca lifted the lid of the pizza box, the warm, mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked pizza filled the room.
Luca disappeared into the kitchen for a moment before returning with two wine glasses and a bottle of wine that probably cost more than someone's yearly salary.
He poured the wine carefully before handing one of the glasses to Foca.
"Thanks," Foca said with a soft smile.
Luca sat down beside him, grabbed a plate, and helped himself to a slice of pizza that was still steaming slightly, cheese stretching as he lifted it.
The smell alone was enough to make anyone's stomach rumble.
"So," Luca began between bites, "it's been a while since you started Bread Music."
He took another bite.
"Was it everything you hoped it would be?"
Foca didn't answer right away.
Instead, he leaned back slightly and stared up at the ceiling, carefully thinking about how to respond.
"Honestly…" he finally said, "there are days when I ask myself things like, What the hell did I even get myself into?"
He let out a quiet breath.
"Or Am I even doing this right?"
"Are you regretting it?" Luca asked.
"No," Foca answered immediately. "Never."
He shook his head.
"It's just… there are days when I wonder if I overestimated my capabilities."
His voice grew quieter.
"Some nights I can't even sleep. The thought of being responsible for so many people… it scares the hell out of me."
He stared down at his glass.
"It scares me knowing people trust me with their careers, their livelihoods… and I don't even know if I'm doing that trust justice."
He sighed.
"What if I'm just doing the bare minimum?"
Turning toward Luca, Foca finally allowed himself to show the vulnerability he usually kept hidden.
"I just…" he paused, struggling to find the right words.
"I just hope I'm doing the right thing."
Saying the words out loud made something shift inside him.
For the first time, Foca fully felt the crushing weight of the responsibility he had been carrying.
Luca listened quietly while finishing his slice of pizza.
Then he spoke.
"I don't envy you right now," he said honestly. "Not even a little."
He glanced at Foca.
"I know it's been hard."
****
"But here's what I think," Luca said after taking a gulp of his drink.
"I've seen you work harder than all of us."
"Well, shouldn't that be obvious?" Foca asked.
"For most entertainment companies out there? Not really," Luca replied.
"The amount of hard work and genuine care you put into your artists and employees isn't normal in this industry."
He leaned back slightly on the couch.
"Most CEOs just sit comfortably in their fancy chairs and bark orders from above. But you? You put yourself out there with your employees. You get your hands just as dirty as they do."
He chuckled.
"Half the time people forget you're even the CEO because of how you treat everyone—with respect and as equals."
Luca pointed his pizza crust at him.
"I'm not saying that's a bad thing. But sometimes you run yourself completely dry because you insist on doing everything yourself."
"You forget that you actually have employees you can trust."
He shrugged.
"And you're paying them way above industry standards, by the way. So let them earn it by actually doing their jobs."
"You don't have to carry everything alone."
He gestured between them.
"You've got me, Tuesday, and your all-in-one number one fan—Hyouka."
"Use us."
"Tell us what you need so we can help."
Luca looked at Foca more seriously now.
"You know something? For someone as ridiculously rich as you are, you've never once acted like you were above anyone else."
"You don't treat people like shit just because their status is lower than yours."
"And in all the years I've known you, that has never changed."
He took another sip of wine.
"And I can promise you this—every single artist and employee under Bread Music is grateful for the chance you gave them."
"You treat people the way they deserve to be treated."
"And that's already more than most of them ever expected."
He pointed at Foca again.
"And don't even get me started on how you treat your artists."
"You spare no effort or expense supporting their growth."
"You even accepted Bobby and Lili's relationship. Most companies would have kicked them out instantly just to avoid any 'risk.'"
Luca shook his head in disbelief.
"You pay salaries to new artists even before they release music."
"You give them health and dental benefits, for God's sake."
"You make sure their mental health is taken care of just as much as their physical health."
He scoffed.
"Do you know how many entertainment companies don't even care when their artists are struggling mentally?"
"They treat them like machines. Like slaves whose only job is to make money."
"Sure, some groups get treated better—but only after they become profitable."
"And even then, it doesn't come close to the things you do for your people."
Luca leaned forward slightly.
"And that's why you, my friend, are an anomaly in this industry."
"You attract supporters not because of fame or flashy marketing…"
"But because of pure, unfiltered sincerity."
"You're not some greedy asshole exploiting the people under you."
"Which, sadly, is pretty much the norm in this world."
He gestured toward himself.
"You gave me and Tuesday job security."
"In this day and age, do you know how rare that is?"
"People are literally working themselves to death just to keep their jobs."
"Some work their asses off and still never get recognized for it."
He shook his head firmly.
"So get rid of those doubts."
"You've been nothing but amazing."
"You were never just a boss."
"You're a leader."
"The kind who stands on the front lines during the war."
Luca raised his hand slightly like he was in a courtroom.
"And I'm not saying this just to glaze you," he added.
"Hell no."
"I'm simply speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, Your Honor."
Foca stared at him quietly.
A strange warmth slowly spread through his chest.
"Thanks for telling me," Foca said softly.
"I guess… I just needed to hear that I'm doing something right."
Luca immediately shook his head.
"You're not just doing something right."
He smirked.
"You're doing everything right."
****
"Well… not everything," Foca said. "Some people on the internet don't seem to think so."
Luca immediately groaned.
"Oh my God. That's the internet. You could be the most perfect human being alive and people would still find something to complain about."
"It's just…" Foca sighed, taking a bite of pizza. "They confuse me."
"How so?"
"One group is practically screaming and shaming me for being a nepo baby." He shrugged. "I mean… I am one. But I never saw it as something detrimental or something that should offend people."
"And then there are others saying I have this 'holier-than-thou' attitude. That I talk like I know everything and that I'm shaming idol culture."
Foca rubbed the back of his neck.
"I honestly thought when I voiced my thoughts about the term idol, it would just be that… an opinion."
He gave a small laugh that carried more exhaustion than humor.
"But now I'm getting multiple death threats and hate DMs."
Luca stared at him for a second before shaking his head.
"Dude, you're focusing on the wrong people."
"There are way more people online who support you. It's just that the ones with way too much time on their hands—probably unemployed and suffering from severe 'touching grass deprivation'—are the loudest and most unhinged."
He scoffed.
"They're the reason we can't have nice things anymore."
"Even the internet hates the internet. Everything has to turn into some damn drama."
Luca leaned back dramatically.
"Honestly, just thinking about it makes me lose faith in humanity."
He sighed.
"I fucking hate it here, bro."
Foca blinked.
"Is it normal that I find it comforting that you hate the internet even more than I do?"
Luca snorted.
"Well hey, at least something good is coming out of my suffering."
He flashed a soft smile.
After a brief pause, Foca spoke again.
"Thanks for this, Luca. I really needed it."
Luca waved a hand dismissively.
"You know I'm always here if you need to talk, right?"
He pointed at himself.
"Just holler at your boy and I'll come running."
Foca tilted his head slightly.
"…Okay."
"I think my heart skipped a little."
It wasn't dramatic.
Just a small, gentle skip.
But it was a skip nonetheless.
Luca froze.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Really?!"
He shot up from the couch.
"FUCK YEAH!"
"There's hope!"
Foca watched his best friend celebrate like his team had just won the World Cup.
And honestly?
He found it pretty damn amusing.