Chapter 289: A Free Man: What One Truly Desires
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 289: A Free Man: What One Truly Desires
“You want Cheong-hyeon to focus on his studies, don’t you? You want him to quit being an idol.”
“I simply wish to resolve this amicably before resorting to more drastic measures.”
If the old Lee Cheong-hyeon had tried to terminate his contract, the penalty wouldn't have been much.
But now, that amount would be substantial. Spark was actually turning a profit.
The father’s determination to take Cheong-hyeon back, even if it meant bearing that expense, was formidable.
“There is no such thing as an amicable solution. When two people are looking in completely different directions, how can they avoid hurting each other?”
“In time, he will understand.”
“Do scars disappear just because time passes?”
“What can be done? A person cannot grow up forever in a greenhouse.”
The father was stubborn.
I listened quietly before asking, “If Cheong-hyeon fails while walking a path he never wanted, if he gets hurt and has to pull himself back up, what can his family do for him then?”
The father answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“We can provide the support necessary for him to become a person who commands respect in society.”
“…….”
“There are people who cheer for idols, but no one respects them.”
His sheer confidence was almost breathtaking.
This is why talking to arrogant people is so exhausting. I composed myself and spoke again.
“Cheong-hyeon’s driving force isn't being respected. It’s creation and support.”
“Presenting a theory that has never existed in academia can also be seen as a form of creation. It would suit his aptitude as well.”
“Is that what Cheong-hyeon wants? Or is it what you want him to become? Being respected is certainly a great experience. However, I believe the experience of being loved is just as valuable.”
If you can't give him that kind of love, you should step back. It’s not like you can say, ‘Since you’ve experienced being loved, let’s try working toward being respected,’ because you haven't exactly showered him with affection.
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s father avoided answering. I pressed him further as he retreated.
“How much of Cheong-hyeon’s own will is included in the future his family has drawn for him?”
“……He is still young. He isn't at an age where he can make proper judgments.”
“He’s more brilliant and intelligent than anyone, yet he’s only a child in that regard?”
“Mr. I-wol.”
“What if, in the end, Cheong-hyeon can’t find any interest in his studies? By then, it’ll be too late to go back to being an idol. Will that be okay?”
“He’ll immerse himself soon enough. Cheong-hyeon just needs a little help forming the right habits.”
“He won’t. Cheong-hyeon is old enough now to go out and find just how many interesting things there are in the world.”
Our gazes clashed in midair. His eyes were hard and cold, yet filled with a simmering anger.
There was just one thing I wanted to say to a man like Lee Cheong-hyeon’s father.
“Could you please trust Cheong-hyeon just half as much as you believe in his abilities?”
It was pitiful.
It was lamentable that everyone in that family only looked at the boy’s potential for growth and never at the boy himself.
It upset me that they didn't know Cheong-hyeon loved the sea, that he loved making music, and that he found more joy in a compliment from someone close to him than in a report card.
It made me angry that they didn't realize what moved Cheong-hyeon wasn't a desire for fame, but a desire to create—and that no matter what his source of inspiration was, it always culminated in music.
“I believe Cheong-hyeon will be the best at whatever path he chooses, even if no one pushes him. He’s such an incredible child, just as you’ve always said.”
The father didn't respond. I couldn't tell if he thought it was too obvious to mention or if he simply felt no need to reply. So, I just kept talking as I pleased.
“I went to the sea with Cheong-hyeon once. He said he’d never been to a beach before. So, it was a first for both of us. The weather was beautiful. It was nice just laying out a mat and lying down.”
“…….”
“He said it was on his bucket list.”
I recalled the sea from that day. I remembered Lee Cheong-hyeon, who would grin and be happy even while being whipped into writing songs, and who said he was happy just quietly watching the ocean.
“It’s never easy for a kid who isn't even twenty to learn how to write and produce songs. Yet, Cheong-hyeon enjoys his work. Even when he gets stressed, he knows how to release it. That means he didn't just throw a tantrum because he blindly wanted to be an idol.”
“Once he’s successful, he can do whatever he wants at any time—”
“But it seems he can’t release the stress that comes from communicating with his family.”
No one even bothered to take the kid back to the dorm after he ran out crying.
If you’d cared enough to look into things before coming to see me, you would have known. You would have known there was an assault incident involving Spark.
And yet, you let him catch a taxi all by himself.
That’s…
That’s just abandoning a child who won’t listen.
I felt the scar on my back through the fabric of my clothes.
“If his family won’t accept him, how can Cheong-hyeon accept his family’s opinions?”
“…….”
“Is what you truly want for Cheong-hyeon to be recognized by the world? Or is it for him to be recognized by his family?”
The tea had grown cold. I toyed with the teacup and asked.
“Sir, how do you want Cheong-hyeon to live?”
Not ‘how do you want him to be treated,’ but how do you want him to live?
A long silence followed the short question.
The father said nothing for a long time.
Then, he spoke in a voice that trembled slightly.
“I…”
The thick-faced watch he was fiddling with gleamed coldly.
“I don’t want him to be someone people point fingers at.”
“…….”
“I don’t want him to live his life catering to other people’s whims, singing and dancing until he’s over thirty, doing what some call ‘childish music.’”
The father’s voice cracked, sounding dry and brittle.
“Later on…”
The end of his cracked voice wavered. I could see the sincerity a middle-aged man had struggled to bring to the surface.
“I would like it if… if he could show us that our thinking was wrong. That his choice was right.”
“Oh, he’s more than capable of that.”
I gave him a bright smile to reassure him. But the father didn't let his guard down easily.
“Glory can be short-lived. Even if he completes his contract, Cheong-hyeon will only be in his mid-twenties.”
“If his life as an idol ends then, try suggesting studies again. He’ll still only be in his mid-twenties. As you said, being an idol might get harder after thirty, but life is long. There’s no age limit on learning.”
“By then, his brain won’t be as…”
“It might be harder for it to fire on all cylinders. But if it’s a glory he can achieve at twenty, is there any reason he couldn't achieve it at eighty?”
I smirked.
The father across from me let out a sound like a deflating balloon.
“And about that ‘catering to whims’ thing.”
“…….”
“Cheong-hyeon is actually great at social life. He’s loved wherever he goes, and people always say how hard he works.”
Lee Cheong-hyeon is his own harshest critic. No matter what others say about him, he doesn't get shaken much. He bounces back quickly as long as he has his members’ praise.
“It’s not because he lacks pride that he bows his head. Cheong-hyeon has confidence in the songs and stages he creates.”
The father’s pupils wavered. He’d probably said something disparaging about the stage. That’s likely why the kid came home bawling his eyes out.
A finger pointed by a stranger is different from a finger pointed by family. The latter hurts more. If you want your son to be loved, you have to love him even more at home.
“Once he has a few more years under his belt, builds his career, and gains influence, he won’t have to cater to anyone’s whims.”
“…….”
“I give you my word on that. Our team can make Cheong-hyeon a muse for everyone. In exchange, please just give him some time to see the world. I’m asking you.”
While I refilled the teacup, the father muttered as if to himself.
“That’s sophistry.”
“The fact that this conversation is happening without the person involved is the real sophistry, haha!”
I mean, who told you to come alone without your son?
Just as I was about to take the last sip, Lee Cheong-hyeon’s father spoke to me.
“……Fine.”
His voice was low and brief.
“I leave him in your hands.”
And he was very polite about it.
Outside the window, bare branches swayed. The wind still seemed strong.
“I heard you went to a PT all dressed up today. It was true!”
As soon as I returned to the dorm, Lee Cheong-hyeon popped out like a ghost. I didn't forget to put the tub of wax I’d bought in the bathroom before washing my hands.
“Of course. Do you know how hard it was?”
“What did you do? How many sets?”
“It was a competitive PT.”
“Hyung, you were working?!”
Was it because he’d been pulled into that emergency meeting when we were making the OST? Lee Cheong-hyeon understood the meaning perfectly.
“What work? We didn't have any meetings today.”
Jeong Seong-bin also ran out of his room holding his phone. The calendar app was already open on his screen.
There aren't many things in this world that are better kept secret. Except for things like my embarrassing past or insect carcasses.
“I went to see your father.”
“……Huh?”
“He said he wanted to meet.”
I was about to take off my coat and put it in my room, but Cheong-hyeon grabbed me.
“What did you two talk about? No, why did Dad… to Hyung…?”
His face was pale with fear.
“He said he wanted you to quit Spark and focus on your studies.”
A loud crash came from the kitchen. Stainless steel utensils were scattered at the feet of a white-faced Park Ju-woo.
“Sorry, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop… Please, keep talking.”
Ju-woo crouched down and hurriedly gathered the utensils. Then, he practically threw them onto the table and approached us.
“I’m really sorry… but I can’t pretend I didn't hear that.”
“…….”
What an innocent kid. He could have just pretended to go into his room and listened through a cracked door. Not that I was planning on hiding it, which is why I was talking openly in the living room.
“What did you say, Hyung?”
Cheong-hyeon’s voice trembled with anxiety.
“I said, ‘Please give Lee Cheong-hyeon to Spark!’”
“What?”
“Don’t they always say that in dramas? No?”
Cheong-hyeon looked horrified at my words.
“Dramas, my foot! Are you really the type to copy stuff like that? You, the guy who always says ‘Life is always the real deal’ and ‘Society is just a cold-blooded jungle’!”
“Anyway, it was my first time meeting your father, and he had quite an impression. I guess you take after him.”
“I take after my mom!”
Cheong-hyeon barked.
“……What did Dad say? Did he say anything to you?”
“He told me to take good care of you.”
“Huh?”
He stared at me with a blank expression.
I figured there was no need to get into specifics, so I just gave a vague summary. I didn't want to plant more resentment in a kid who still had ties to his family.
“……What did he say?”
“He said to take care of you. So you don’t have to suffer anymore.”
Cheong-hyeon stammered. Then, with a face pale as a sheet, he muttered.
“Is Dad sick?”
“What are you talking about?”
“There’s no way Dad would say that unless he was sick. I—I’m going to go make a quick call.”
With that, he actually ran into his room. One moment he was crying his eyes out coming home, and the next he was acting like a devoted son the second he thought his father might be unwell. It was quite touching.
“Dad, it’s me. Um… you’re not sick anywhere, right? No, just…”
Through the door he hadn't quite closed, I could hear Cheong-hyeon’s rambling voice. There really was no other filial son like him in the world.
Park Ju-woo sent me a look asking if everything was resolved. I answered with a smile instead of words.