CHAPTER 3

Kyuhyun’s POV

“Algesumnida…”,Eunchul answered.

>Remembering what happened that night made me feel more and more uneasy each day. The incident which took place at that volatile stage echoed in my mind continuously. Every day, it gets clearer and louder as if it just happened yesterday. I felt the need to know that guy. I thought, not able to identify that guy would be the same as losing to him.<

End of POV

At last, First Semester had passed. The students of both Myongdong Art School and Seoul Art School have undergone lots of challenges to prepare them to the entertainment industry. Now, they’re about to leave first sem and are ready to face the Second Semester.

At Seoul Art School, 9:30 am

Kyuhyun’s POV

>The result of the top 1 in academics and performance for the First Semester is finally out. I didn’t even dare to check it out but I knew it. Hearing the other students say, “Whoa, it’s Cho Kyuhyun this time”, “Who would say that Kyuhyun took Sungmin’s place?”, “Kyuhyun is too cool!”…I already could say the result. However, I don’t feel bad nor feel especially happy. All I thought is that I deserve this. Seohyun, on the other hand, again is the top 1 for academics. That really is her throne. But there’s something bothering me. It’s the coin guy. The concert kept on flashing back to my memories.<

“Yah, is this the kind of mood a top 1should show?”, Kibum hyung uttered trying to get my focus into what they were doing.

“What is it? Is it that guy again?”, Siwon hyung asked.

“Look, look at this”, Kibum hyung showed me his ipad. “Hollywood superstar Henry Lau is here in Korea to shoot an MV”, Kibum hyung continued.

I remained silent.

“Jongmalro?”,I heard Siwon hyung asked Kibum hyung.

“Kurae, they’re planning to do the MV with Hallyu Star Yesung”,Kibum hyung answered.

I suddenly remembered that appa appointed a lunch together with omma.

“Ah hyung…I have to go. I have an appointment with appa”

End of POV

At an Italian Restaurant, 11:15 am

Kyuhyun’s Dad’s POV

>I just called Kyuhyun for lunch together with her mother. I came to know that he is rank one in performance. I was quite overwhelmed when I heard the news from Teacher Park. This is the first time he attained something he thrived for himself. <

“Is he really coming?”,my wife inquired.

“Hmm, perhaps he’s on his way now”,I answered.

“Welcome to Italian Restaurant, Sir”,I heard the waitperson say. I assumed it has to be Kyuhyun.

“Mianhaeyo, for keeping you waiting”,Kyuhyun said as he bowed 90 degrees.

“Don’t think about it, just take your seat”,I uttered in a low firm voice.

“Chukhahae, son, for being rank one”, my wife pronounced as she flaunted a sweet smile to Kyuhyun.

My wife is always like this. She is a happy person. She easily appreciates things around her. Sometimes, I tell her not to be very nice to Kyuhyun because it would spoil him. But she would feel incomplete if she won’t give anything that she could to his son. At the end of the day, she would always comfort him. She is very loving and wants everybody to be happy. Her good side, I guess, would be that she smiles easily and in fact, most of the time. But that side of her sometimes bothers me. At times, I wonder if that smile is genuine or fake. Especially when our first son died. I never saw her cry. But I guess, she had her tears when she was by herself.  

“You should maintain that rank from now on”, I haughtily said as I stuck my eyes to the menu. I saw how Kyuhyun’s expression changed.

“Yobo, don’t pressure him too much”, my wife uttered in a soft voice.

“I’m not pressuring him. I’m giving him the motivation to reach for his goal…for his dream. No matter what happens, he has to chase it”, I said with a voice decreasing in loudness.

End of POV

Kyuhyun’s POV

>I was reluctant in going to the restaurant. Appa will not compliment me, anyway.  He will just say things like “Work harder”, “Continue to be at the top”…he wants to give pressure to people, especially me. But I cannot disobey him. His words are my actions.<

When I entered into the resto, I saw appa and omma waiting for me. I quickly reached their place and bowed 90 degrees.

“Mianhaeyo, for keeping you waiting”, I said respectfully.

“Don’t think about it, just take your seat”,appa uttered in a low firm voice. I took my seat.

“Chukhahae, son, for being rank one”, omma pronounced as she flaunted a sweet smile to me. I felt glad when I saw her smile and heard her compliment me. I hoped appa could also do the same, but…

“You should maintain that rank from now on”, he haughtily said as he stuck his eyes to the menu. That was all he said. I suddenly felt my heart aching. I suppose, until now, he still couldn’t forget the incident when my brother died. The incident which I couldn’t even remember.

“Yobo, don’t pressure him too much”, I heard omma uttered in a soft voice.

“I’m not pressuring him. I’m giving him the motivation to reach for his goal…for his dream. No matter what happens, he has to chase it”, appa said with a voice decreasing in loudness.

I couldn’t continue eating. Appa is like this again. He says I have to reach for my dream. But, even for once, he hasn’t asked me what my dream is. This isn’t even my goal.

“…I’m giving him the motivation to reach for his goal…for his dream. No matter what happens, he has to chase it”, these words echoed in my mind endlessly.

I wondered if the one appa is talking about who has that goal and that dream was really me.

End of POV

Kyuhyun was saddened at once. After the lunch with his parents, he drove around the city to get rid of his sorrow. When dusk came, he went to the Han River. He glared across the water and toward the sunset.

“Just who are you?!!...”,Kyuhyun started to shout.

“Just who are you?!...Just who are you that I have to follow the footprints you left?!!...I…I am the one who is alive!...Didn’t  you die already?!...You’re gone…but why does it feel that I am the one who’s dead?!!! Can’t you just let me live as I am?!!...JEBAL…jebal”

He then felt a warm fluid brush his cheeks.

At Seoul Art School, 5:45 pm

Seohyun and Taemin are walking out of the school gates. Taemin noticed that Seohyun is smiling by herself.

“Waeyo? Are you that happy for Kyuhyun?”,Taemin asked.

“Hmm”,Seohyun nodded. “I’m even happier for him than for myself”, she continued.

“Then…Chukhahae, for the both of you”, Taemin said happily.

“But…you know, I feel pity for Sungmin”,Seohyun said in a low voice. Her happy expression suddenly became gloomy.

“That’s right…It must be hard dealing with it for the first time. I wonder what is he doing now…”, Taemin exclaimed.

In front of Seoul Art School main gate, 5:50 pm

Sungmin’s POV

>The moment when I failed against Kyuhyun, I already knew that my rank will sink. But seeing it for real actually makes me feel sorrowful.<

I was shedding tears when I heard a “BrOoom, BrOoom!” sound. I saw my friend, Shindong riding his motorcycle. He stopped in front of me and threw a helmet to me. I caught it.

“Hop on!”, Shindong yelled.

I was alleviated. Shindong is the one who comforts me every time I’m in sorrow. I smiled at him and wiped the tears on my face. I rode on his motorcycle and he drove really fast.

“Shindong-ah…”, I uttered. I really want to thank him.

“Today, we will tour around Korea…so grasp really hard on me, araseo?”,Shindong told me with a happy voice.

“Shindong-ah…gomawo”, I cried.

“Aiissstt…Gwaenchana, gwaenchana…everything will be alright, OK”, Shindong tried to boost me.

End of POV

The next day, Eunchul the investigator is working hard to investigate Donghae. He finally found out some basic information about him like Home address, birth date, Educational background, and many more. Knowing that Donghae lives in Myongdong, Eunchul went at Myongdong to ask the people there. She asked an ahjumma.

“Excuse me…Ahjumma, you know this person right?”, Eunchul asked as he showed the picture of Donghae’s mother.

“Ah, ye…This is Kyung Hee, right? I can’t be wrong, it’s Kyung Hee”,the ahjumma replied.

“This is his son, right?”, Eunchul continued to ask as he showed Donghae’s picture.

“Ye…”, the ahjumma replied.

“Then, where is his father?”, Eunchul inquired.

“I’m not really sure but I think Kyung Hee wasn’t married to anybody”, the ahjumma responded.

“Jongmalro? Then how…”

“I don’t know but there was a rumor before that…”, the ahjumma started. “Kyung Hee was a e”, the ahjumma whispered in Eunchul’s ear.

Eunchul was astounded.

At Myongdong Art School, 10:15 am

Teacher Taeyon and Teacher Hyoyeon are talking about something.

“Teacher Hyoyeon, look at this…”, Taeyon pointed at the computer’s monitor.

“Boya?”,Hyoyeon asked in curiosity and peeked on the monitor.

“SM Entertainment, Cube Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, TS Entertainment… they’re back to conducting K-POP auditions and training”, Taeyon read the article.

“So……”,Hyoyeon still didn’t get what Taeyon means.

“It means, the K-POP Industry is now open again!”, Taeyon exclaimed.

“Oh, jongmalro?! That’s great!”, Hyoyeon shouted for joy.

“Also…You know what it means?”

“What?”

“Our students will have all those slots! Whoa, it’s really a right choice that Mr. Kang didn’t close this institution. Who would say that the industry will be needing for new artists in just a few years?!”

“Yeah, that’s right…but Teacher Taeyon, isn’t there another art school? The school for the elite…Seoul Art School?”, Hyoyeon said.

“Oh,…that’s true…”,Taeyon suddenly decreased in energy.

“But…Teacher Taeyon, come to think of it… Even though there is another school, the possibility for the students for each school is 50%...It’s much higher than before”, Hyoyeon said.

“That’s right! Whoa…we’re really in to it this time!”, Teayon exclaimed.

While Teacher Taeyon and Hyoyeon are having fun, there are those who are eavesdropping.

“Yah, Donghae-yah, you heard that?”,Eunhyuk joyfully asked.

“Kurae…Is this for real?”, Donghae asked.

“Of course! Donghae-yah…Do you think it’s time for us to step out and be discovered?”, Eunhyuk said.

“That’s right…Shall we debut individually or let’s just form a group of two, what do you think?”,Donghae asked while thinking seriously.

The two were enjoying their conversation when Teacher Heechul intruded.

“What are you two saying? Who is going to debut?”

“Teacher, I think you should spend more time with us now. Sooner or later, we might be performing on international stage”, Eunhyuk declared.

Donghae kept on nodding.

“Yah…”,Heechul uttered as he curled her arms on the guys’ shoulders. “Curfew violator, Lee Donghae and voracious Lee Eunhyuk…you think too much, huh?...Don’t even dream about it”

Meanwhile, Hallyu Star Yesung, together with his manager and staff are discussing about the MV inside their car.

“Manager Zhoumi, what’s about my new MV?”,Yesung asked.

“Oh yeah…I almost forgot to tell you. It’s an MV where Hollywood Superstar Henry will be featured. So far, this is the biggest project to be done as far as MV is concerned. Moreover, the director demanded for new performers to appear in the MV. For now, we will have to look for them”,Zhoumi explained.

“Chincharo? Then when will I be recording the song?”,Yesung asked.

“Tonight”,Zhoumi answered.

“OK!...Then I guess I have to start vocalizing now..”, Yesung happily yelled.

Yesung is always like this. His passion for singing is really great. During recording, he would always be the first to arrive and the last to leave the studio. When he performs on stage, people admire him. Behind his powerful voice, amazing moves, good looks, and charms, resides an ordinary man in real life.

“And also…manager, how about the new performers? Shall we choose art students?”,Yesung asked.

“More likely…So we have Myongdong Art School and Seoul Art School. I will schedule for a meeting”, Zhoumi replied.

At CHO’s Residence, 5:00 pm

Kyuhyun is in his room playing computer games when he heard a knock at the door.

“Come in”,Kyuhyun responded.

It was Eunchul, the investigator. He’s now ready to report.

“The investigation…how did it go?”,Kyuhyun asked impatiently but his eyes still toward the computer screen.

“Young Master, I’ve found out that his name is Lee Donghae and he lives at Myongdong. He’s 17 years old”, Eunchul started to report confidently.

“Lee Donghae, eh?”, Kyuhyun uttered.

“Ye, Young Master. I’ve also discovered that he is a student at Myongdong Art School”,Eunchul continued.

Kyuhyun halted. He directed his sight to Eunchul.

“Myongdong Art School?...The only Art School in South Korea aside from Seoul Art School?”,Kyuhyun asked.

“Ye, Young Master”,Eunchul responded.

“Hmm…”,Kyuhyun grinned. “That sounds interesting, huh”

“I’ve also been following him these days and I found out that he leaves the school dorm at about 9:30 in the evening and proceeds at a place in Seoul which they call ‘Rock and Go’…”, Eunchul said.

“What was in there?”, Kyuhyun curiously asked.

“A gig. It was really loud and lots of people go there”, Eunchul answered.

“A hallyu star in the making, eh? This guy is really interesting. How about his family?”,Kyuhyun asked.

“According to an ahjumma I had interrogated, Lee Kyunghee is the name of his mother. However, Kyunghee wasn’t married to anyone, and rumors say that he was a e back then. It was just a rumor before but they say it was confirmed when they saw her with a kid in the year 2000, 6 years after she came back from Busan”, Eunchul explained.

“Kurae?”, Kyuhyun uttered.

At Myongdong Art School Dormitory, 9:30 pm

Donghae’s POV

>It’s 9:30 pm. I have to go to the gig. Yeah, I know that the curfew starts at 9:00 pm. But I really have to go. Music is my life. I can’t leave a day without doing music. Now, I really have to escape.<

As the light in our room is turned off, I mooched through the dark so that I won’t be able to wake my roommates up. Before I left the room, I went near to Eunhyuk who was sleeping.

“Eunhyuk-ah…”, I repeatedly uttered in a soft voice.

“Ah, wae…?”,Eunhyuk responded, heavy-eyed.

“Here…I’ll put your phone near your head. I’ll call you later. When your phone rings, be sure to open the window for me, araseo?”, I demanded.

“Araseo, araseo”,Eunhyuk said drowsily.

This time, I won’t be caught. When I come back, I’ll pass through the window. I’ve been always caught by Teacher Heechul violating the curfew hours. It’s because he has the nocturnal habit of urinating every hour or so…

I’m about to get out of the dormitory when I bumped with Yoona who is also going out.

“Oh…”,Yoona softly uttered in astonishment.

“Yah…Where are you going this late?”,I asked her curiously.

“Ssshh…I have to go somewhere important”,she replied.

“Don’t you realize that it’s dangerous to stroll at night?”,I told her.

“Then why are you going out then?”,she asked me.

“Because I’m a guy…I can protect myself”, I answered.

“Gwaenchana…I’m not going for a stroll. It’s somewhere I really have to go”,she replied.

“Are you really dating a gangster?”,I asked her.

“Aniyo!...”,she yelled.

“SHHHhh!!!”,I told her.

It was then when I heard footsteps approaching.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…I saw you there!...Don’t even try to hide”

I heard someone say. It’s Teacher Heechul. I pulled Yoona and we hid.

“Aisssttt…is he going on a pee again?”,I said.

“Ottoke?”,Yoona uttered.

Suddenly, Teacher Heechul’s flashlight reached near us.

“Gotcha!”,he exclaimed. “Don’t you dare get away from me again, Heebumie!”, he said joyfully as he carried his cat.

I felt relieved. I thought I will be caught again.

End of POV

At CHO’s Residence, 9:45 pm

Kyuhyun’s POV

>When I heard Eunchul’s report, I felt I have to see it for myself. I was so curious that I was on my way to ‘Rock and Go’.<

I went in. It was really loud. People are jumping and chanting. I hardly made my way to the crowd. And then, I found myself in the sea of fangirls and fanboys. They were really uncontrollable. I set my eyes on the stage. The performers are not there yet, but the people are going crazy. Then, the loud screams became louder and louder and louder. The performers were soon on the stage. It was a band. And the vocalist was the coin guy….And the music started.

Hok si gahm cheoh waht deon geoh nee
Neouyeh ma eum ee
Byun hae ga geoh itneun gul mal ya
Neuh goon ga si gan ul deh dol ryuh joon da myun
Cheakkoo hee mee hae jee neun neoh eh
Ye peun uhl gool ul ke ryuh neo ah deol ten dae

Nan keoon ul koon guhl ga
Nuh eh wooseum bwa (oohh~)kin kin bahm deul do
Ah mu hui mee uhp neun deut neon jeom jeom meoleouh jeoh gaht jee

It's gonna be me! 
Yeoung won hee neh gyut eh suh
It's gonna be me! 
Meoh meu reuh go sip eun na ya

Heun deul li jee ma jeh bal na reul kkok jeap go isseouh 
Ee byul ee ran da sineup neun guh ya
It's gonna be me! 
Nuh eh noon mool dak ah jool gae

It's gonna be me! 
Eeto rok neo reul won ha go eet neun na ya
Sarangh keuh ee sangh eh geot deoh weon ha jee do ana
Nuhl ee rut gae kee da ree go issuh

It's gonna be me~

I didn’t take my eyes off to the coin guy. The way he performed was very different from mine. It was the first time I saw him on stage, and I would say that he has the skills and the looks.

“Not bad”, I whispered.

It was about 11:00 pm when the gig ended. The coin guy was walking back to the dormitory when unknowingly I was tailing him. He might have noticed me because he would glance back momentarily, but I would hide at the posts. Soon, he stopped walking and stood still. I hid at the nearest post.

End of POV