Jinyoung slowly opened his eyes as he completed his performance. He scanned the crowd, checking their smiles and nods of approval. Everyone seemed to enjoy his guitar skills. Grinning, he eagerly took out a microphone and tapped on it.

Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat, and brought the microphone closer to his mouth.

“I will be singing a self-composed song next. Please enjoy!” Here goes, my first step to knowing if I really have the qualities to chase my dream, he thought.

And he let the melodies and lyrics take him while the crowd cheered in anticipation.

One would see an excited group of people huddling around a handsome singer, clapping their hands along with the rhythm, at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, an unmoving individual in the midst of the active audience could be noticed.

Mark stood rooted to the ground, his pale hands stiff in his pockets and his pretty lips slightly agape. When the boy with the guitar smiled, his stomach fluttered uncontrollably.

He is so happy.

He shuddered at the thought of happiness, not because of any particular negative emotion but because the idea was already so foreign to him. He was about to shake his head and walk away to hurry back home when the boy spoke.

His voice… It’s sweet like honey…

Mark wasn’t sure how he came up with that description, having heard nothing more than his own voice, his butler, Mr Park’s voice and the occasional voices coming from the television. But he could tell how this boy’s voice sent tingles down his spine and made his heart beat faster than before.

It hit him harder when the boy started singing. Mark swore that his heart almost jumped out from his chest. He was sure the lyrics were beautiful, even though he didn’t hear a single word. Yes, the words floated into Mark’s ear and floated back out without going to his brain, which was pretty much fully occupied by the sweet quality of the voice itself.

Mark wasn’t sure when it happened but soon, he was spellbound by the voice of a boy he barely knew.

Jinyoung was ecstatic by the crowd’s response. A couple of adults walked up to him and patted him on his shoulder, while a few youngsters shouted their praises across the street.

He has always wanted to be a singer.

Jinyoung was born to a happy family. His parents are always so supportive of him, telling him that he should follow what his heart tells him to do no matter what other people say, and no matter the circumstances. He is loved and has learnt to love others by treating them well; he never fails to help a beggar on the street with whatever pathetic number of coins he has left in his pocket. 

That was his family’s only inadequacy – poverty.

Jinyoung’s dad was a kind man, but lacked education and qualifications to get a proper job. He leaves the house before the sun rises, and sometimes only comes back after Jinyoung falls asleep, taking any job under the sun, no matter how unreasonable the pay is for the amount of effort put in, or if his overused limbs were about to give in anytime.

He scrimped and saved for two full years, depriving Jinyoung of full meals and sometimes also starved himself for an entire day. Jinyoung was furious and did not understand his father’s intentions, until his fifteenth birthday when his dad came home, beaming with a mysterious bag in his hands.

That’s how he got the guitar, which was as precious to him as his very own life. It was not a branded guitar; in fact, it was a second-hand one in a bad condition, but his dad polished it and saved enough money to afford new strings for the guitar.

Jinyoung was touched by his father’s efforts to help him get one step closer to his dream of becoming a singer. He no longer had to practise his chords on the “guitar” he made with cardboard and old thread. That was the love his father endowed him with.

His mother, on the other hand, stays at home and takes care of Jinyoung’s needs. Everyday after school, Jinyoung would knock loudly on the main door and shout across the house to greet his mum. He would announce that he was entering the kitchen and his mum would turn around to give him a wide smile.

But her eyes would be staring blankly past Jinyoung’s shoulder. Jinyoung’s mother was blind.

He didn’t mind at all; he still loves his mother very dearly. However, his mother’s condition has proven to be another financial deadweight.

Jinyoung ever considered dropping out of school to get a proper job, in order to lessen his father’s financial burden. That would mean sacrificing his dream, but he was willing to give up anything for his family. However, his parents were insistent and aggressively sought to ensure Jinyoung completes his tertiary education and keeps his passion for music.

Hence, Jinyoung was determined to chase his dream and achieve it as soon as possible, for him to be able to contribute to his family and support his loved ones.

He smiled and encouraged himself by taking a deep breath. Picking up his guitar and the coins he collected from his ardent audience, he prepared to leave his busking spot to head home for dinner. As he swept the dust off his pants and looked up, he saw a boy with fiery red hair in a cashmere cream-coloured sweater and black pants, standing right in front of him, as though in a daze.

Was he one of my audience?

Jinyoung smiled at the boy out of courtesy but he didn’t return the smile. He was unresponsive and seemed paralysed. Jinyoung stared at the strange boy for a couple of seconds. For a moment, the boy resembled more of an inanimate object than a human. His features were almost too perfect to be real – porcelain skin, clear eyes and pink lips. Jinyoung admitted that this stranger was beyond handsome.

Another half a minute of an endless staring competition and Jinyoung began to find the situation hilarious. He cracked up with a big hearty laugh and the red head finally responded.

Mark blinked his eyes rapidly after he heard laughter and shook his head to recover from the trance. He nearly jumped when he saw the raven-haired boy looking at him intently.

The boy grinned again. “Hi, did you like my performance?”

What? Performance?

Mark took a moment to recall his thoughts.

Ah… His song…

“So… was it that bad that you are speechless?” The boy inquired with a slightly fallen face.

“Oh! N…no! It was great! I l…lo…loved the melody!”

Mark almost slapped himself for stuttering his words, but he could not control his anxiety. He was confused and scared. He did not have friends to begin with, not to mention his lack of experience speaking to strangers. Furthermore, this stranger has made him go on a rollercoaster of emotions he has never felt before in a mere ten minutes.

The boy seemed unsatisfied with the answer. “How about the lyrics? Did you feel that it is relatable? Or are they too cliché?”

Lyrics? What… lyrics?

“Oh yeah, sure! They were good too!”

Jinyoung heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment, he thought that his song was a complete failure. The approval of the shy red head boy gave him a form of assurance that could not be explained. 

He opened his mouth to thank the boy but he cleared his throat first.

“Um… I’ve gotta go! Nice meeting you…” His voice trailed off as he hurried away, half walking and half jogging.

Jinyoung became even more muddled by this action.

I didn’t even get your name…

He sighed, shrugged his shoulders and walked off.

~~~~~

Mark scurried away as fast as he could. His heart was palpitating and he broke out in cold sweat. He took out his handkerchief and patted on his beading perspiration, catching his breath from the daunting encounter.

He had no idea who the boy was but he certainly made an impression on Mark. 

♥♥♥

END OF CHAPTER 1. I tried my best writing in a style I personally admire a lot, but of course, I still have a lot to learn since this is my first story. Do comment on your thoughts of the chapter and thanks so much for subscribing and supporting! ^^