Chapter 16
Chapter 16
The place Baek Seunghee led Baek Seungchan to was the rooftop of their building.
“Oppa, I need a moment to get ready, so sit down.”
Seungchan sat on the wooden platform and watched as Seunghee headed into the shared storage room in the corner of the rooftop.
Crash, bang—.
It sounded like she was rummaging through something.
“Want me to help?”
“No, I’m done now.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than she came out carrying a large guitar case.
Seeing it, a look of recognition spread across Seungchan’s face.
“Didn’t you say you sold that?”
The guitar she held was one Seungchan had bought himself when he once wanted to learn. After he lost interest, he had passed it on to her.
Later, when it disappeared, she had said she sold it secondhand.
“Why would I sell something this good? I just… hid it because I felt self-conscious…”
Seunghee mumbled awkwardly.
Back then, it had cost over a million won—a fairly expensive beginner’s guitar.
“No wonder you kept coming up to the rooftop so often.”
Now it made sense why she frequently came up here, saying she needed fresh air.
“When my head gets too complicated, playing guitar helps a little…”
“You like music that much, yet you said you wouldn’t do it?”
“I don’t know! Just listen to the song!”
Blushing, Seunghee quickly picked up the guitar and began tuning it.
Twang— twang—.
Watching her tune it by ear without a tuner, Seungchan asked,
“Perfect pitch?”
Perfect pitch—the ability to identify and reproduce notes without a reference.
It didn’t guarantee success, but it was undoubtedly a remarkable talent.
“You didn’t know? I was a musical prodigy, you know.”
She puffed up proudly.
After finishing the tuning, she introduced the song.
“The song I’m going to sing is called ‘Stay.’ It means I didn’t give up on my dream—I’m just staying for a while.”
She cleared her throat and strummed the guitar.
Strum—.
The moment the melody filled the rooftop, her previously playful expression turned completely serious.
“I stop my wings that once flew across the blue sky, and quietly catch my breath…”
At the first line, Seungchan’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
‘Not bad.’
Her clear, pure voice immediately captured his ears.
Combined with the gentle guitar melody, it blended perfectly.
That meant she had a strong understanding of both her instrument and her voice—whether intentional or instinctive, both pointed to talent.
But that wasn’t all that caught his attention.
“I haven’t stopped forever, I’m just taking a short rest…”
Each lyric struck at the heart.
It wasn’t just a song—her emotions were being conveyed directly.
That meant she had a natural gift for expressing and delivering emotion.
Then—
The melody gradually picked up, shifting into a brighter tone.
“FLY, FLY— I’ll rise again!”
Her determination not to give up on her dream could be felt clearly.
“FLY, FLY— Someday, I’ll soar into the sky…”
The song ended on a hopeful note.
“How was it?”
Opening her eyes slowly, she asked cautiously.
She had started confidently, but inside, she had been extremely nervous.
It was her first time singing in front of someone since quitting her trainee days.
“Hmm.”
“Was it bad?”
Seeing him hesitate, she grew anxious.
Seungchan dropped the act and spoke sincerely.
“No, it was good.”
Relief washed over her face, blooming into a smile.
“Really? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
“It was genuinely good.”
It wasn’t empty praise.
The lyrics were simple yet impactful, the melody memorable enough that he found himself humming along.
She had talent not just in singing, but in songwriting too.
“So when I make it big, you better not pretend you don’t know me.”
“Of course! I’m a loyal person!”
She flexed her arm playfully.
Seungchan laughed.
“What about Mom and Dad? Want to tell them now?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I’ll tell them after I pass the entrance test. I might fail.”
“Alright. Want to go now? We said today, but tomorrow’s fine too.”
“Let’s go now. One day of practice won’t change much.”
She answered without hesitation.
“And if I fail… I’ll quit music for good. I don’t want to be greedy if I don’t have talent.”
“Okay.”
Seungchan smiled.
But he was certain that would never happen.
Because her talent was, without a doubt, genius-level.
Her guitar playing still needed refinement, but that was just a matter of practice.
‘Now I understand why they kept coming back…’
He recalled how, after she quit being a trainee, the agency CEO had come multiple times trying to persuade her and their parents.
At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it.
Now, it made perfect sense.
The building, designed in black and white like piano keys, was Dream High—the top music prep academy in Korea.
After finishing the entrance test, Seungchan and Seunghee walked out together.
“How was it?”
“Easier than I thought.”
She answered casually, almost teasing.
Just as Seungchan expected, she passed easily.
“Genius really is different.”
“Ahhh, stop! I get it!”
Blushing, she quickly changed the subject.
“Oppa, what now? We have some time—should we go wait at the restaurant?”
Since they were already in Yeongdeungpo, they planned to have a birthday lunch at the same place he had gone to with Nam Siwoo.
“No, there’s somewhere we should stop first.”
He took her to a department store.
“Huh? Why are we here?”
“To buy something. Let’s go.”
They headed to the electronics section.
Seunghee assumed he was there to replace his phone.
After all, his current one was five years old—practically ancient.
“Oppa?”
She stopped him.
“The phones are over there.”
“Phones?”
He tilted his head.
“Why would I need one? Mine still works fine.”
She remembered—he was extremely frugal with himself.
Soon, he stopped in front of a display filled with Apple products.
“Pick one you like.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You know better than I do.”
“…That’s true.”
Apple laptops were almost essential for musicians due to their design and performance.
Seunghee had always wanted one someday.
“What’s it for? That determines the specs.”
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.
Then Seungchan realized she misunderstood.
“It’s not for me. It’s for you.”
“…What?”
Her eyes widened.
“You said it’d help with composing.”
“That’s true, but…”
She hesitated.
The academy fees alone were expensive—this was too much.
“Don’t feel burdened. If you’re going to do this again, do it properly.”
Seungchan had learned something in his past life—
If you’re going to spend money, spend it properly.
“Are you really sure?”
“I’ll get it all back later—with interest.”
“Okay! I’ll pay you back soon!”
Relieved, she began choosing.
“This color is so pretty! Oh, this one too!”
Moments ago she was hesitant—now she was glowing with excitement.
Seungchan chuckled.
“Classic is best. I’ll take this one.”
She picked the most popular gray model.
“Anything else you need?”
“This is enough! Let’s go pay—miss!”
She hurried to call a staff member before he could offer more.
After paying, she hugged the laptop tightly, beaming.
“Happy?”
“Of course! I’ve wanted this so badly!”
“Good. Use it well.”
Seeing her bright smile made him happy too.
Money really should be spent properly.
But he still wasn’t satisfied.
There was one more place to spend.
“Mom and Dad are already there. Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
And the siblings headed toward the restaurant where the rest of the family was waiting.