Jamal gasped for air the moment he opened his eyes.
“Heugh! Huff, huff, huff….”
After blinking several times, his blurry vision gradually became clear.
‘Where am I…?’
A white ceiling and an IV drip falling at regular intervals.
Judging by the gown visible beneath his chin, this was a hospital.
“Gasp!”
As soon as Jamal realized the situation, he bolted upright.
“Ugh.”
He immediately groaned, grimacing at the pain that shot through his entire body.
Only then did the memory of being hit by a sudden car while heading to another venue come flooding back.
The moment he was struck, those two eyes visible through the windshield.
No.
This wasn’t the time to be lying around.
Snap, snap.
Just as Jamal was about to pull out the cumbersome needles.
“Oh my! Patient, you mustn’t!”
A nurse who had just opened the door and entered the room stopped him.
“Let go, will you?”
Jamal brushed the nurse’s hand away and spoke with a menacing face.
“Just because I got into a little accident, you think you can admit me without consent and shake me down for money?”
“What? What do you mean by that….”
“And how do I know what you put in this IV…!”
The moment Jamal was about to yank the needle out of his burly forearm.
“Hey, knock it off.”
The door slid open with a rattle, and a man stood there leaning against the frame.
“Hy-Hyung-nim!”
That it was Hyunseung.
“You, if you tell anyone around you that you saw this person, just know that your commute home won’t be very peacef—”
Jamal hurriedly grabbed the nurse and began to threaten her.
“I said knock it off.”
Hyunseung walked over with his long strides and cut him off.
The nurse, who had been glancing between the two, left the room after leaving a brief instruction that the patient needed rest.
Whish.
Only then did Hyunseung take off the stifling helmet.
He sat by the bedside, briefly inspecting Jamal’s condition, which was covered in scabs.
“I heard it was a hit-and-run. Do you remember the plate number?”
“It happened so fast, I don’t remember the plate.”
Jamal added as he stared into space, trying to recall the memory.
“But, I have a faint memory of the driver’s face.”
“Tell me any features.”
“Blue eyes, short blonde buzz cut, and Latin text tattooed under his right eye.”
As soon as the description ended, their eyes met in mid-air.
They both thought of the same person at the same time.
Baddy.
If it’s Latin text under the right eye, it’s definitely him.
“I don’t know about anything else, but I remember those eyes I locked onto when I was hit very clearly.”
Jamal clutched his head for a moment as a sudden headache washed over him.
“Those eyes that looked so unstable, as if he was consumed by rage and about to cause an accident.”
He added in a grim voice.
“Before that bastard tries to harm you too, Hyung-nim, I’ll take care of him, so don’t worry.”
Jamal’s face was currently menacing enough to send chills down one’s spine.
“Don’t worry about me.”
Hyunseung simply snorted and lightly pushed Jamal’s shoulder.
“They said you need to stay hospitalized for at least a month.”
“Hy-Hyung-nim.”
“So don’t talk back and lie down.”
Jamal couldn’t immediately answer “Yes” to those words.
Of course, he knew he had to follow Hyunseung’s orders, but…
A month.
In a month, he could perform at dozens of shows.
“I can’t even do you this favor this time, Hyung-nim.”
“It’s not a favor, it’s an order.”
“Even if it’s an order, I absolutely cannot.”
Jamal shook his head adamantly, looking Hyunseung straight in the eye.
‘Hyung-nim, please forgive me for this.’
Even though his heart was breaking because he had no choice…
He couldn’t help it.
It was already the second half of the year, and the year would be over soon.
Then, the long-awaited Grammy Awards would be held, and he wasn’t doing enough right now if he wanted to hold that trophy.
Yes.
Countless new artists had poured out this year.
And established artists with solid reputations had announced their comebacks.
Furthermore, in this market where songs from famous composers and singer-songwriters were flooding out.
Especially for a Black rapper to survive, the only way was to work even harder to increase recognition and promote his songs.
So even if his body was breaking down right now, he had to get on stage and sing the songs Hyung-nim made for him.
Because he promised, Jamal picked up his t-shirt that was folded on the side table.
It was stained with dust and blood, but since his performance time was imminent, he didn’t even have time to stop by home.
“Are you really planning on wearing that and going?”
Hyunseung asked as he watched Jamal awkwardly trying to put on his clothes. There was a certain crookedness in his tone.
Yes.
It was as if he was asking, “Are you really going to a venue looking like that? Are you out of your mind?”
“Yes, I have no choice.”
Jamal knew what he meant, but he did not yield.
“…”
Suddenly, an inexplicable silence fell between the two.
“Is there a need to be so desperate?”
Hyunseung was the one to break the silence first.
“I know you’ve been going everywhere that calls for you lately.”
Jamal covered his mouth with his scarred hands, his eyes sparkling as if moved.
“Hy-Hyung-nim….”
Was this a reward for faithfully fulfilling his promise to live a hard-working life, unlike before?
Of all people…
The person he respected most, the reason he stood on stage, acknowledged his hardships.
“I didn’t think you’d know….”
While Jamal’s eyes were turning red.
“It’s not like I looked into it. My younger sister mentioned it. She said there’s nowhere you don’t go these days.”
He let out a small sigh at Hyunseung’s blunt answer.
Ah.
Then, he recited the Ten Commandments he had set in his heart.
First, do not expect anything from Hyung-nim.
Second, do not feel hurt by Hyung-nim.
Third, do not want anything from Hyung-nim.
Fourth, do not annoy Hyung-nim.
Fifth, do not talk back to Hyung-nim.
Sixth, obey Hyung-nim’s orders.
Seventh, do not cry in front of Hyung-nim.
.
.
Tenth, live with the determination to die for Hyung-nim.
As he was reciting them by heart.
“Does the Grammy give out awards for running around like a fool?”
Hyunseung asked in a dry tone.
But was it because it was too dry? Jamal’s heart cracked like parched earth.
“It’s not that, but…”
Jamal’s voice trembled uncontrollably before stopping.
He didn’t have the confidence to continue his sentence.
Actually, it was true. The Grammys weren’t a pushover ceremony that gave out awards just for running around foolishly.
However, this was the only way he knew.
He had lived a life that was more than just foolish. It was rough and he had always lived with a desperate, spiteful will.
As if he could die tomorrow.
So he didn’t know any tricks.
In a way, he might have been justifying himself by leaning on the hope that—maybe if I do this, they’ll give me an award.
“Or, do you think you can’t win an award with my songs?”
At the follow-up question, Jamal waved his hands in horror.
“How could that be!”
Jamal even let out a shout, his face flushing as he huffed.
Simultaneously, blood began to seep from his recently stitched forearm.
“Ah, this…”
Dark red blood soaked the bedsheet.
“Jamal.”
Hyunseung’s low voice weighed heavily upon his head.
It was a call filled with such immense pressure that it felt like a royal decree or a ruler’s speech.
“It’s a bit much for me to say this myself, but trust my songs and just lie down and rest for a while.”
Jamal raised his head and looked at Hyunseung blankly.
“In Korea, there’s a four-character idiom called Nang-jung-ji-chu. It means ‘a needle in a pouch’, meaning a talented person is bound to stand out even if they try to hide.”
The intimidating aura from a moment ago had vanished without a trace.
He wore a gentle smile like warm sunshine.
Of course.
It wasn’t that he was actually laughing, but that was how it looked to Jamal.
“Just like that saying, if my songs are good and the sound of the instrument playing them is good, everyone will eventually recognize it.”
Having heard praise he had never received in his life, wasn’t it natural? It felt as if an angel were blowing a trumpet from heaven right this instant.
The sound of the instrument being good….
Yes, that meant.
‘It means my voice is good.’
Just as the corners of Jamal’s mouth twitched with uncontrollable joy.
Tap, tap.
Hyunseung patted him on the back and added.
“So you don’t need to live so desperately anymore.”
Jamal’s vision blurred in an instant. It wasn’t that he had actually gone blind, but because his eyes were welling up with tears.
Somehow, he felt as though he was receiving comfort for the life he had lived.
As if he were being told he’d worked hard, and that it was okay to take a break now.
Eventually, Jamal’s face crumpled like a piece of paper.
“Heub, h-heub, ugh….”
Soon, hot tears poured down his cheeks.
It wasn’t out of sorrow or pain.
An unknown surge of emotion swept through him, flowing before he could stop it.
Even though ‘Do not cry in front of Hyung-nim’ was in his Ten Commandments.
“I’ll make sure you get that Grammy award.”
The more Hyunseung spoke, the more uncontrollable tears soaked the sheets.
He continued to cry until the blood-stained sheets began to fade.
“You know it’s a total horror show when a guy your size cries.”
Hyunseung spoke jokingly, but his hand never stopped patting Jamal’s back.
“Just for now, heub, I’ll cry, h-heugh, and then never, ever cry again.”
“I’m not saying never cry at all….”
“No, heub, I made Ten Commandments and swore to myself, ugh.”
At that, Hyunseung repeated, “Ten Commandments?”
“Yes, would you like to hear them? First, ugh, do not expect anything from Hyung-nim. Hic, second, do not feel hu—”
“Stop, stop.”
Hyunseung cut him off by slapping him on the back.
“Ah! Hyung-nim! I’m a patient right now!”
Jamal shouted, recoiling from the sudden surge of pain.
“Judging by your lungs, you’ll be better in no time.”
Hyunseung chuckled for a moment.
“I’ve paid all the hospital bills, so don’t say a word, stay for the full duration, and then get discharged. Don’t go threatening the nurse with that scary face like you did earlier.”
With those words, he brushed himself off and stood up.
“And stop crying, your crying face is extremely horrific.”
“Hy-Hyung-nim, are you leaving already?”
“Yeah, I’m leaving because looking at your face is terrifying.”
Soon, Hyunseung pulled his helmet on and left the room.
“Baddy….”
Inside the helmet, Hyunseung’s face was filled with cold fury.
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