Music was always heard coming from the Lee household. Ever since little Byunghun was born, his parents played music for him to listen to all the time. He would clap and laugh happily ever time his father the radio or every time his mother tried her hand at playing the piano. Even if she was no good at it, Byunghun laughed and clapped as if it was the best thing in the world. 

When Byunghun became a little older, old enough to understand what he was watching on tv, his parents allowed him a break from kids' cartoon shows and let him watch the weekly music shows. As expected, Byunghun laughed and sung along, even if he didn't know how to pronounce words correctly yet. His parents were surprised when he would start to dance along and performed moves that even they thought were hard. He loved to imitate the idols he saw on tv and his parents were both thrilled that their little boy was such an adorable kid and even videotaped him performing for them. 

When Byunghun was twelve, his family moved to America and there, his love for music grew. He learned how to dance properly and even took up rapping. He tried singing, but since he wasn't very good at it, he stuck with rapping and expanded his talent for that. During breaks in school, Byunghun would dance and sing with his friends all the time, even going as far as having "battles" with his other classmates. He was always the winner. 

Though Byunghun wasn't the smartest kid in school, he wasn't dumb either. He just never cared enough to pay attention in class. Teachers would send notes home to his parents all the time about how Byunghun never listened and was always writing in that little notebook of his. They all assumed he was doodling or passing notes, but what they didn't know was that he was writing lyrics. Needless to say, his parents weren't too happy when they received those letters from his teachers. 

Progress reports were given out to students one day. Byunghun saw that he had an F in math and he knew that he should start to study more. Shoving the papers into his backpack, he hoped his mom wouldn't go snooping through his bag again. She wouldn't be very happy if she saw that he was failing math. 

What he didn't know was that the school mailed the progress reports home, so students like Byunghun couldn't hide their grades from their parents. When his mom opened the mail that day she was shocked.  His mom immediately stormed upstairs and knocked on his door twice, yelling his name. "Lee Byunghun!" She waited but her son didn't answer nor open the door. So she knocked again while calling her apparently deaf son's name again. There was still no answer. 

Sighing, she pressed her ear against the door, wondering what in the world Byunghun was doing. She heard that stupid rap music and immediately knew. He was listening to music and most likely dancing again, as usual instead of doing his homework like he should. Fumbling through her pockets, Mrs. Lee eventually pulled out what she was looking for - the master key to all the rooms in the house. 

As she unlocked the door to his bedroom, she wondered where it all could have gone wrong. He was 16 now, and had been living in Oregon for nearly four years. His English was almost perfect and his parents often thought he was too Americanized. Though Byunghun knew a lot about Western culture, his mother knew a few things too. She knew that teachers writing comments like 'Always goofs off in class' and 'Nevers pays attention' wasn't exactly a good thing. 

When the door was finally opened, Mrs. Lee confirmed her previous guess that her her youngest son was dancing. Tapping her foot against the hardwood floor, it only took a few seconds for Byunghun to notice his mother standing there and hurriedly turned off his music. With a guilty look, he asked, "Yes, mom?"

All it took for Byunghun to start panicking was for Mrs. Lee to hold up his progress reports. Sending a panicked glance at his seemingly untouched and empty backpack, Byunghun wondered how his mom could've gotten that without him knowing. "The school mailed this home," his mom explained, seeing his expression. She knew him all too well and wouldn't put it past him to be hiding his own copy of the report from her. "Would you like to explain this?" She out her hands on her hips and held out the report for him to see.

Byunghun hesitated, afraid to say the wrong answer as he didn't want to get punished. "Well, you see-"

His mother shook her head to stop him, not in the mood to hear any of his excuses. "You'll be talking to your father when he comes home tonight." And with those final words, she turned around on her heels and left his room, leaving the door wide open knowing he hated it when she did that. 

Groaning, Byunghun sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. If there was anything he more afraid of then his mom scolding him, it was his dad yelling at him. He was definitely in trouble once his father came home from work. 

And even though he knew all of this, Byunghun got off his bed, turned up his music, and continued to dance. 

A while later, he heard the garage door opening and  car door slamming. He gulped and turned his music off, getting ready for what he knew was surely to come. Not even a minute after he originally heard the garage, he heard his father screaming his name. "Byunghun! Come down here!"

Byunghun sighed as he started to walk out of his room. Making his way down the stairs, he deliberately took each step slowly, stalling for the until he had to face his dad. He wasn't even halfway down the staircase when his father yelled, "If you're not down here in ten seconds you'll get an even worse punishment than what I have in mind right now!"

That did the trick. Byunghun immediately rushed down the stairs, even taking two at a time because since when did his staircase become so long. He made it into the kitchen where his parents were waiting for him in eight seconds flat. Byunghun's head was drooped, as he was afraid to look his dad in the eyes, fearing what he would see. 

"So," his dad started to say, sounding surprisingly calm, "would you like to explain to me why you are failing your math class?"

"I am?" Byunghun asked innocently, trying to pull off the 'I have no idea what you're talking about' look. It, of course, failed and it only earned Byunghun an angry look from his father. Byunghun sighed and muttered something along the lines of, "I don't know..."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Mr. Lee asked. Byunghun just shrugged, which he regretted right away as he knew it was a stupid move. He wasn't exactly thinking clearly at the moment, just thinking about how he could get away with a lesser punishment than the one he would surely receive. 

Mr. Lee sighed at his son's behavior. "Sit down," he commanded. Byunghun did. "Now look at me." Once again, Byunghun did. "Now listen to me and answer my question. Why are you failing your math class?" He enunciated each syllable slowly, as if he was talking to a small child. 

"Dad," Byunghun whined, but his mother sent him a look and he attempted to change his tone. "I really don't know," he said, this time without whining. "I do my work and I pay attention in class." He then paused and mumbled as an afterthought, "Sometimes, anyway."

"What was that?" his dad asked sternly, hearing the last part of Byunghun's sentence and not liking it. 

Byunghun shook his head quickly and he replied just as quickly, "Nothing."

Letting out a long breath, Byunghun's father sat down in the chair opposite him. With a hard look in his eyes, he said, "I'll tell you why you're failing." He looked directly at Byunghun, who tried his best to avoid his dad's gaze. "It's all that dancing and singing, or whatever it is you do all day in your room. That has clearly been more important than your studies, which is not acceptable, Byunghun." Byunghun stayed quiet, although he was starting to get annoyed. "From this point on, we'll have no more of that nonsense."

Byunghun stood up as he spoke out, interrupting his father. "But it's important to me!" Both of his parents were shocked that their son was talking back. 

"Well your studies are important to me!" Mr. Lee said angrily, standing up to match Byunghun's stance. That successfully shut him up and he let his father speak. "Now," he said, calming down a bit, "until you get your grades up, I'm afraid ill have to take away all of your electronics. That includes your laptop and cellphone. 

"But I need them! How am I supposed to listen to music now?" Byunghun complained. 

Shaking his head, Mr. Lee said, "You won't be. That's exactly why you will not be getting your things back. I'll also be taking away your radio and iPod."

"How am I supposed to be doing school work if I can't use my laptop?" Byunghun slightly smirked, thinking he had found a loophole in his day's plan to ruin his life. 

Unfortunately for him, his father had thought of everything. "You will be using the family computer. All music sites will be blocked and I will be checking the history after every time you use it. Don't even try to delete it either."

Byunghun groaned and sunk down into his seat, laying his head on the table. Somehow, even in his position, he managed to mutter out, "My life is now ruined."

Mr. Lee rolled his eyes. "You're exaggerating. You're life will go on as normal, probably even better now that you don't have all that rap nonsense taking up precious brain space."

Suppressing another annoyed grunt, Byunghun quietly asked, "But how am I supposed to practice without any music?"

Butting into the conversation, Mrs. Lee suddenly interjected her thoughts. "Practice what, honey?" Byunghun had almost forgotten his mother was there. 

"My dancing and rapping!" he exclaimed. Sighing in exasperation, he knew his parents probably wouldn't understand. They never do.

And he was right. They didn't. 

"I don't understand why you dance and sing all the time," Mr. Lee said, "all it does it wastes your time." He clucked his tongue condescendingly at Byunghun. "Your time is better spent studying or spent learning a new and useful musical talent, like piano or violin, not that hip hop stuff."

His father's comment really irked him, however, Byunghun tried his best not to let his irritation show. "I want to become a successful music artist," he finally said after a moment's hesitation. There. It was finally all out in the open. Never before had he told his parents of his dream to become an idol. When he was younger his parents joked about it, but as he grew up they thought he had grown out of that pop star wannabe phase. Obviously not. 

His father stopped munching on the biscuit he had found while his mother nearly spit out her drink. If Byunghun has bothered to look directly at his parents, he would've noticed his mom looked more upset than his dad did.

What?" she asked, after wondering if her ears were deceiving her. After realizing that they indeed were not and her youngest son actually meant what he was saying, Mrs. Lee nearly exploded. She was even more angrier than her husband. "No! Of course not! Absolutely not!" For once, his father was the quiet one. 

Byunghun opened his mouth to rebut his mom's opposition to his dream, but an angry and stern look from her shut him up right quick. Mrs. Lee continued to speak. "I can't have a son of mine become an idol, I just won't allow it!"

"But mom," he begged, wanting an answer as to why she was suddenly so opposed' "why?"

"Because," she yelled, "I saw my own sister's dreams get crushed when she didn't make it as an idol. I don't want my son to feel the same way she did. Not under my watch." 

Mrs. Lee was near tears now but Byunghun was only more confused. Also, he was slightly offended she thought he wouldn't make if into the entertainment industry. He knew he would. He just had too. "Are you saying I won't make it? Mom, I'm talented! You and dad both know that."

A sad look reached his mother's eyes. "Byunghun, we both know you're talented. But you're my baby and the entertainment industry would just eat you right up. You're talented, but not that talented." She knew what she was saying was harsh, but it was the only way to ensure that Byunghun wouldn't make the same mistakes her own sister did. 

"But it's my dream!" Byunghun screamed. He was overly annoyed now and he couldn't even hold back his irritation even if he tried. "It's my life! Why can't I decide for myself?"

"You're only a kid, Byunghun," Mrs. Lee said. She stepped closer to him to his cheek but he pushed her hand away. "Why can't you be like your brother," she asked rhetorically. "He's attending Berkley and studying to be a doctor. He doesn't have any of that nonsense in his head like you. Why can't you be like him?"

Byunghun hated to be compared to his older brother and his mom knew that. Opening his mouth to retort, he was only cut off by his dad. 

"Enough!" Mrs. Lee and Byunghun both turned there heads to Mr. Lee, who had been sitting back and staying quiet for far too long. "Byunghun, you will listen to your mother and I. Being an idol isn't an acceptable dream."

Clenching his fists in anger, he shouted, "Then what is an acceptable dream?"

Ignoring his question, his father only shook his head in disappointment. "Just go to your room for now." And that was that. That ended the discussion and Byunghun knew his parents will refuse to speak anymore on the subject. 

He stormed up the stairs to his room, locking it, only to have to open it a minute later when his dad came up asking for his electronics. He reluctantly gave them all up. As soon as his dad stepped foot out of his room, Byunghun slammed the door closed behind him, making sure to lock it. Immediately, he pulled his black and red notebook out of his backpack and started to write down lyrics. They easily flowed out of him and he loudly rapped them, just to irk his parents. That night, he pulled his dance mat out from under his bed and danced his hardest. Who cared if he didn't any music. He would do just fine without it. 

A year later and he was on a plane for Korea. Leaning back in his seat with the song he composed blasting through his headphones, he wondered how he managed to convince his father to let him fly by himself to South Korea to pursue his dreams. Then he wondered when his mom will find out and how'd she'd react. Biting his bottom lip, Byunghun felt bad for running away from his mother like that, but he also knew that she would've never given him permission. He was still surprised his father gave him the a-ok.

Just a month ago he had broken down and begged and pleaded with his dad to let him go to Korea and pursue his dreams in music. In took a long month of reassuring that he'd be responsible and convincing until his dad agreed, on the terms that he would come straight back if he didn't pass auditions. Byunghun, of course, snatched up the opportunity. Immediately he started packing, and the next day he was buying his plane ticket. Byunghun felt unfortunate that he couldn't say goodbye to his mom, but she didn't even know he was gone. 

Sighing in content, he knew he had only this one chance and he couldn't blow it. No way no how. He wasn't going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. 

Byunghun was doomed. He failed his past two auditions and now he hit a dead end. It's been three months since he first came back to Korea and he knew that his dad would call anytime know wondering when he will be coming back to Oregon. He couldn't give up just yet, though. Not when he's gotten this far. 

One more, he thought, just one more audition. 

It must've been Byunghun's lucky day. As he walked down the street wondering what he was supposed to do now, a poster on a telephone pole caught his eye. Grabbing it off the nail, his eyes widened as he read what was on it. Lotte World: Open Audition. Come and show your talents!

Knowing that this as his last chance, he took the poster and ran home, already starting to prepare for his audition. A week later and it was finally time. It was nerve wracking having to stand on that stage performing in front of people. However, Byunghun knew he'd have to get over this fear if he wanted to succeed. So he did. 

And he won the prize. 

At the age of 17, only a few months after he came back to his home country against his mother's wishes, he debuted as the rapper of a six membered boy group called Teen Top. Gaining a large fan base in such a short amount of time, the group's success was almost guaranteed. 

Their debut stage was fantastic. Having performed their song, 'Clap', cheers from the crowd was almost deafening. As soon as Byunghun, now called L.Joe, ran off the stage, all smiling and sweaty and tired, he immediately phoned his mother. When he heard her voice greet him, he nearly cried. "Mom," he managed to mutter. His voice was cracking from sheer excitement and exhaustion. Add his mother into the mix and Byunghun was near tears. "Guess what, Mom? I did it, I succeeded. I made it."