For some reason, Hyunseung seemed to be in a good mood today.
He smirked even while doing deadlifts.
He smirked even while doing lat pulldowns.
He smirked even while doing seated rows.
Executive Director Park watched him and asked,
“Why do you keep grinning like that?”
“When did I?”
“Something good happen?”
All of a sudden, as if someone had ironed his face flat, Hyunseung instantly stiffened his expression and answered,
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
However, even as he said nothing good had happened, the corners of his mouth were drawing a subtle arc.
“Hmm….”
Executive Director Park narrowed his eyes suspiciously and scanned Hyunseung up and down. Since the kid was not the type to laugh much on a normal day, seeing him grinning for no particular reason felt downright fishy.
“Hurry up and count my last set.”
Hyunseung sat down on the machine to knock out his final set.
This is bad.
He bit his lower lip so hard the color drained from it, and his body trembled. It was not because the weight was heavy.
Every time he pulled the grip toward his body with a firm hold, he had to forcibly hold back the laughter threatening to burst out, and that effort naturally made him shake.
“I said, why do you keep laughing?”
“I was not laughing.”
“Hey, you are laughing right now.”
“I am not.”
There was a good reason he could not stop laughing.
Namely, as of that day, with the newly compiled points reflected, the song he made, “Look at me,” had proudly taken the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ahh.
Of course, it was the result he had expected. More than anything, that “No. 1” would be a result that continued in sequence from here on.
“I know what it is.”
Executive Director Park suddenly snapped his fingers and went on.
“You are dating someone.”
“Excuse me?”
“Early in a relationship, just thinking about the person makes you smile like that.”
“It is not that, it is Sarah Stewart…”
“What? Sarah Stewart? You are dating Sarah Stewart? Since when?”
Excited, Executive Director Park pressed him again.
“Man to man, I will keep your secret, so tell me straight. Since when? There is no need to keep it even from me, right?”
Looking at Park clinging to his shoulder and prying into every detail, Hyunseung sighed.
“Sir, you have got it wrong by a long shot.”
“What did I get wrong?”
“I am not dating Sarah Stewart.”
“Then you are dating that classmate, Lee Hyoeun. That is why you posted the challenge video, right?”
“What kind of wild guess is that? I am not dating Lee Hyoeun either.”
“Then?”
“I am just not dating anyone at all right now.”
Park asked again with a face that simply could not accept it.
“Then why do you keep grinning?”
“Because the song I made hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart.”
He had given a clear reason, but it was even less acceptable to Park.
Sure, getting No. 1 on a domestic platform and getting No. 1 on Billboard are different, but still…
The Min Hyunseung Park knew was not the kind of kid who would grin just because he got No. 1.
Which was kind of obnoxious, to be honest.
“You are not the type who gets hung up on rankings.”
“Well, this time I have some reason to, a bit.”
“The song you gave Sarah Stewart was ‘Look at me,’ right?”
“Yes.”
Park took out his phone and checked domestic and overseas charts, only for a moment.
“But if you go by real-time on Korean platforms, ‘Black angel’ is No. 1. Wasn’t ‘Look at me’ the title track?”
“Yes? It is, but…”
“Looking at Billboard too, ‘Black angel’ is up at No. 3. Is the title track going to get pushed aside at this rate?”
What is going on? When the chart updated the first time, “Black angel” had the lowest rank.
Right.
The title track “Look at me” was No. 10, and the plain album track “Black angel” was No. 89.
Of course, considering the quality of “Black angel,” he had thought it would eventually be recognized as a masterpiece.
But, because it had a mood that was more maniacal than mainstream, he had not expected explosive love for it.
“Ah.”
He lost his grip right then.
Clang!
With a bang, his face hardened again.
No way.
No, there is no way.
He shook his head firmly and grabbed the handle again.
A few days later.
Hyunseung let out a small gasp, as if dumbfounded.
“Ah….”
What he had feared had happened. On the newly updated Billboard Hot 100, the name “Black angel” was printed right above the No. 1 line.
[ THE HOT 100 ]
No. 1 Black angel — Sarah Stewart
No. 2 Look at me — Sarah Stewart
.
.
No. 4 JJOL?z- rmftmd
No. 5 fuckkkkkk — Sarah Stewart
Why did this result come out?
It was not a movie, but of all things, Vincent mentioned the song “Black angel” on his social media.
He was already influential worldwide, and he had singled out the new song “Black angel” by rising star and singer-songwriter Sarah Stewart, saying it was attractive enough that he wanted to remake it.
The result was only natural.
It was enough to make him wonder if Vincent had done it on purpose to keep “Look at me” from getting No. 1.
Honestly, he might well have done it on purpose.
Of Sarah’s new songs, they had agreed that if the one he made stayed No. 1 for three months, Vincent would become his instrument.
Of course, although Hyunseung had handled the arrangement and directing for “Black angel,” he could not call it entirely his own song.
Vincent…
As he stared at the newly saved track file, he ground his lower lip.
Ping.
A text message came in.
“Oh.”
At the same time, an intrigued smile rose on Hyunseung’s face.
The place he drove straight to was Elder Lee Duseok’s residence.
“Hello, sir.”
Lee had come out to greet him, but…
“It has been so long I almost did not recognize who you were.” He stood with hands clasped behind his back, gaze set in the distance.
“Are your memories already getting hazy? I figured you might, so I brought supplements that are supposed to be good for memory…”
“That is not it. I mean you only show up when I am about to lose you in my memory.”
Ah, shoot.
Looked like he was sulking because he had not visited for quite a while.
“I deliberately did it so you would practice Go more…”
“My, you are good with words. Well then, you are prepared, I trust?”
“Prepared for what?”
“Prepared to lose miserably to me.”
When Hyunseung pointed at himself and asked, “Me?”
Lee nodded with a calm smile.
“Looks like you have prepared thoroughly.”
“What else would this old man do all day at home? In contrast, you have had a very busy time, I hear.”
“Yes, but I will not be losing easily.”
Lee snorted and answered at once.
“Today I cannot let you win either.”
A tense air spread between them.
Soon, they sat facing each other across the go board set up in the pavilion.
“If you want, I will give you black.”
Lee offered boldly.
“No, it should be fair.”
Hyunseung grabbed a handful of stones and declined.
“I am white.”
After drawing stones, Hyunseung had white, Lee had black.
“Let us set the komi at six and a half points.”
Lee’s wrinkled eyes narrowed as he spoke.
“Let us do that.”
Hyunseung was very tense. To begin with, it had been far too long since he last held go stones, and judging by Lee’s confident manner, telling him to prepare to lose did not sound like mere bluster.
More than anything, if he beat Lee, he could ask his favor, could he not?
Clatter, clatter.
To hide his nerves, he fidgeted with the stones.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Concentrating fully, he continued to place stones with care.
Clatter, tap.
As the evenly matched game continued, cold sweat ran.
Before long, looking down at the board, Hyunseung spoke gently.
“Sir.”
“If you are trying to rattle my focus by talking, put it away.”
Lee drew a firm line and placed a stone.
Tap.
All the more, Hyunseung grew impatient.
“If I win this game…”
He met Lee’s eyes with a stone pinched in his fingers.
“…will you lend me your strength?”
“I sensed as much from the moment you finally showed up. You are being rather blatant.”
“I am in a bit of a hurry. Please help me just this once.”
“Brazen, are you not?”
“In return, I will visit once a month from now on.”
“I do not believe it.”
“If I win the game, will you believe me?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he placed the stone in his hand with force.
Tap.
It was a sort of clever move.
“Hmm….”
Lee glanced at the stone that had left Hyunseung’s fingers.
“Win first and then talk.”
He continued to play in silence.
Clatter, tap.
As the board filled with black and white, the result of the wagered match, which had seemed like it would never end, was decided.
“Phew.”
Hyunseung let out the breath he had been holding.
Then, he rose and bowed at a right angle.
“It was a valuable game.”
Lee gazed at him quietly, then burst into a hearty laugh.
“I wonder if there will ever be a day in my life when I beat you.”
He set his glasses down and continued.
“So, what is it that I can help you with?”
“Do you have any press contacts in the United States?”
“Well, I do.”
“In that case, I would like you to use a lot of influence so that the song I made this time can reach No. 1.”
Lee nodded slightly.
“I can try to exert some pull, but it will not be as influential as here at home.”
“That is fine.”
“Then you are leaving already?”
“Yes, I have something else to do.”
For a moment, Lee smacked his lips as if a bit reluctant to part.
“Make sure you keep your promise too.”
“Of course.”
Then, before leaving, Hyunseung bowed his head to Lee once more.
“Thank you, as always.”
“I am helping because I lost a wagered game, so no need to go that far. It is not like you.”
At that, Hyunseung only smiled slightly instead of answering.
“I will be going now.”
“Off you go.”
“Please stay well until I see you again.”
Hyunseung knew.
That Lee had deliberately lost to him.
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