An SUV sped down the road.
Screeech–.
But before long, it got caught at a red light and came to a stop.
“Hello?”
He tapped the display to make a call.
“Oh, oppa.”
“You at home?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Is Dad there too?”
“We’re together.”
“Tell him to come outside with you.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Yeah, meet me in five minutes.”
As soon as the light turned green, Hyun-seung hung up and pressed the accelerator.
After weaving up the steep alley, he spotted his dad and younger sister, Hyun-ah, standing in front of the house.
Beep!
He gave a light honk, but neither of them looked his way.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and get in.”
Eventually, Hyun-seung stepped out of the car and called to them.
“Oppa, what is this?”
“A car.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
“Oh yeah? Then what?”
“Where did it come from?!”
“Work.”
Hyun-ah thought that talking to him was like talking to a brick wall.
“You know what, never mind. I give up.”
Their dad, who was still staring at the new car in amazement, got an explanation in sign language from Hyun-seung:
– This is the car the company provided this time. Please get in quickly.
– They’re just giving us a car? Did they look into it well?
– Yes, I received it after successfully completing the project I was handling this time.
Hyun-seung opened the back door for his dad, then slid back into the driver’s seat.
“Oppa, did Seo Jini’s album do so well that they gave you a car for it?”
Hyun-ah’s face was all curiosity and excitement.
“A second ago, you told me not to talk to you.”
“Oh my god, you’re so annoying!”
“Let’s move soon.”
Hearing that, Hyun-ah, who’d been stewing in annoyance, suddenly snapped her head around.
“Move? When? Where? Why the sudden move?”
“Someplace closer to your school, with safer surroundings.”
A little smile spread across Hyun-ah’s lips.
“Really? Then I won’t have to climb that ridiculous alley anymore?”
When Hyun-seung nodded, Hyun-ah let out a big, happy grin and went, “Nice!”
“But do composers really make that much money?”
“If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.”
Cracking a little grin, Hyun-seung added with a smug tone:
“I can make good money because I’m the one doing it.”
“Wow, you’re insufferable sometimes—although you are family.”
Despite her words, her face lit up. She was practically bouncing in her seat like someone heading off on vacation for the first time.
“Ooh, what does this button do?” she asked, pointing to the hill-assist button on the control panel.
“That’s for going amphibious, so you can float the car on water like a duck boat.”
“For real? Like, on water? The car does look a bit duck-like if I squint…”
Trying not to laugh, Hyun-seung gave a tiny nod.
“Then what about this one?”
She pointed to another button.
“That’s the self-destruct button.”
“What?! Are you–? You jerk!”
Hyun-ah’s tone turned sharp in the blink of an eye.
“All of that was total BS, right?”
“Did you seriously believe it?”
“I’m done talking to you!”
Hyun-ah’s lips poked out into a duck pout again.
“Just put on your seatbelt,” Hyun-seung said finally, and the SUV slipped smoothly down the alleyway.
They drove for a while, the interior of the car filled with an awkward silence. To lighten things up, he turned on some music.
“It’s one of the Seo Jini songs you like.”
“Whatever.”
He tried extending an olive branch, but Hyun-ah, thoroughly miffed, just stared out the window.
After a bit, another sound cut through the music and the engine’s hum.
Hmmmm–.
When Hyun-seung glanced over, he saw Hyun-ah gently humming along.
Soon, that quiet humming turned into her shoulders bobbing with the beat.
“Nice song, huh?”
She quickly straightened up and answered stiffly,
“Well, yeah, I guess.”
“Which track did you like best from the new album?”
A brief pause filled the car.
“Walk With Me.”
Hyun-ah spoke softly.
“It’s so good.”
He glanced at her face—she looked genuinely happy in a way he’d never seen before.
I didn’t know she was this into music…
He’d never once seen his little sister so elated by a single song.
Compared to all the money or fame that might follow success, her expression felt like a whole different kind of reward.
“Did you produce all of Seo Jini’s tracks, Oppa?”
“Produce them? That’s putting it lightly.”
“Huh? I thought you just composed them.”
Hyun-seung shrugged, a proud look on his face.
“I was basically the producer for the whole thing.”
“Seriously? Then can I brag about it to my friends?”
“Ah, sorry, but I’d rather you didn’t.”
His tone grew serious, so Hyun-ah asked carefully,
“Why not? I wanna brag about you for once…”
“I don’t like being famous.”
“You don’t like it? But isn’t that what everyone wants?”
Hyun-seung hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
“No, I’d rather just keep living like I am now.”
“Like you are now?”
“Y’know, normal, free, low-key.”
She didn’t fully get it, tilting her head in confusion. Eventually she changed the subject.
“Anyway, can we hear Walk With Me again?”
“You like it that much?”
“Yeah! All three tracks are good, but that one’s the best.”
Family opinions can be oddly different from the public’s, but to him, they felt like another kind of reward.
“What about you, Dad? Which one do you–”
Oops.
Catching sight of his dad in the rearview mirror, he realized his mistake—he was too excited and forgot. At the same time, Hyun-ah seemed to notice too, and awkward silence fell again.
Even though I’ve come back, Dad still can’t hear my music…
He glanced at his dad’s reflection in the mirror—he was quietly watching the scenery outside, knowing nothing. The realization that his dad would never hear any of his songs hit him all over again.
Click.
When they parked in front of a restaurant, Hyun-seung turned off the engine.
“Hyun-ah, we’re here. Let’s go.”
They went inside for what turned out to be the quietest, most awkward family meal in the world.
Finishing up first, Hyun-seung paid at the register and was headed out when…
Tap tap.
His dad followed him out and lightly tapped his shoulder.
Then came a request he never expected.
– Can I see the sheet music for the songs you wrote, in some form?
That brought back memories of his father’s old keepsake box in his previous life.
Hundreds of worn-out sheets of paper inside, the sheet music he held onto even while he was sick.
– Sure, I’ll bring it to you.
Then and now, his dad was always the same man.
That consistency made his heart ache, like he’d just swallowed a handful of gravel.
Dad.
Just three letters, but somehow the saddest, most poignant word in the world… When did that happen?
It was a mystery.
After spending time with his family, Hyun-seung stopped by the LS Entertainment building later that evening.
“Jeez, this is heavy.”
He hauled some stuff over to his personal studio. He also planned to prep some sheet music for his dad.
But… where was this studio again?
He wandered around for who knows how long until he spotted a faint light at the end of a dark hallway.
Maybe I’ll ask whoever’s in there how to get to the composers’ studios.
He headed that way, and as he got closer, he heard a young-sounding woman’s voice:
“If you come to me, I’ll fly away…”
Her breathing was shaky. It made him automatically furrow his brow.
Hmm, her voice itself sounds nice, but her breath control is a mess…
Peeking through a crack in the door, he saw a pale, young woman flailing her limbs awkwardly.
“You need to stretch your arms like this, then turn right away…”
She looked stiff as a board, like a tin robot.
What’s with this sign-in sheet?
He suddenly noticed a sign-in sheet on the door.
It’s not a school—why would they have a sign-in sheet?
There was only one name listed under today’s date: Jeong A-rin.
He repeated the name in his head:
“A-rin… A-rin… Jeong A-rin…”
Just then, she stopped what she was doing and stared toward the doorway.
“Wh-who’s there?”
“Oh, just an employee passing by.”
He sounded totally casual.
“Don’t mind me; just carry on.”
It was past midnight, in a B1 practice room usually used by trainees.
A random guy she’d never seen, standing by the slightly open door, muttering her name… it was kind of creepy for Jeong A-rin.
“How do you know my name…?”
“It’s right here on the sign-in sheet.”
She looked and went, “Oh,” nodding.
“I’m trainee Jeong A-rin! It’s nice to meet you!”
She tugged at her baggy T-shirt and bowed deeply.
“I don’t need you to be nice to me. So, you’re an idol trainee?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I am!”
“Just curious… Do you really want to be an idol?”
She nodded eagerly.
Ring, ring.
Her phone suddenly started ringing.
“Do you still need something? Because I’m getting a call…”
He shook his head and turned to leave.
Some time passed as he walked off, only to realize he’d forgotten something.
“Oh, right.”
He’d meant to ask her for directions.
Tap, tap.
He circled back to the lit practice room and was about to pop in, when he heard:
“Dad, can’t you just trust me this one time and wait? If I do well on my monthly evaluation, maybe I’ll get a shot.”
Her voice was laced with tears.
“If I fail this time too, then I’ll come home.”
She ended the call and sank to the floor.
Huh.
Glancing at her, he figured now wasn’t the best time to ask for directions.
But walking away left a nagging feeling.
“Hey, you.”
She whipped her head around, eyes still teary.
“You’re still here?”
He gave a blunt critique: “I only watched a bit, but you’re terrible at dancing.”
“What?!”
“You’re half-assing it and end up messing up your singing, too.”
Her jaw dropped, stunned by his harsh words.
“With a stiff, tin-can body, you’re forcing yourself to dance while singing. It’s awful to watch.”
“Huh…?”
“I’m saying if you can’t dance, cut it out and focus on your voice, which isn’t half bad.”
Though her face burned with anger and embarrassment, she couldn’t really contradict him.
All the trainers had basically been telling her the same thing:
“A-rin, your voice is nice, but your dancing’s just no good.”
“It’s already been years, and you still haven’t improved.”
“How can you become an idol if you’re so stiff…?”
She started trembling, tears welling up.
“My monthly evaluation is in two days.”
Her eyes were red-rimmed.
“If I fail this time, I’m out.”
She tried hard not to cry, fanning her face and tilting her head back.
But Hyun-seung spoke without sympathy.
“With the level I just saw, you’ll probably fail again.”
He continued firmly,
“You know as well as I do, tears don’t solve anything in this field.”
He strode right over to her in a few long steps.
She roughly wiped her eyes and stared back at him.
“Who said I was crying?”
That’s when he casually handed her a business card.
“Take it.”
She turned it over and over in confusion.
“What’s this?”
A pause hung in the air.
“If you end up failing, call me.”
He shrugged.
“If I feel like it, maybe I’ll help you out.”
Jeong A-rin just blinked at him, baffled.
He’d just insulted her to her face, so what was this about helping?
“Which department are you from? Who even are you?”
“It’s written on the card, plain as day.”
She glanced down at the card.
“You’re… a composer?”
“Yeah, kind of fell into it.”
Acting offhand, Hyun-seung recalled the sound of her voice from earlier.
She might be a really good instrument…
He figured it might be worth meddling just this once.
“Oh, right.”
He suddenly remembered something.
“…Yes?”
He asked in an oddly serious tone,
“Actually, can you tell me where something is?”
“Sure, what do you need?”
“I was looking for the composers’ studios. Where are they?”
She looked from his card to his face a few times.
“Wait… You’re a company composer?”
He must be some weirdo, she thought. How does a resident composer not know where his own studio is?
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