Chapter 316: University Festival (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 316: University Festival (3)
The lecture hall was a bit noisier than usual now that the exam period was over. It wasn't an atmosphere Lee Su-hun particularly enjoyed.
"Is this festival lineup for real?"
"Who's coming?"
"A boy group."
"That sounds boring as hell. I'm not going."
"The guys who sang 『turn around』 are coming too."
"Hey, you should've led with that!"
The conversation was entirely about the festival. Isn't that the kind of thing you enjoy once as a freshman and then move on from? Even as a freshman, Su-hun hadn't been interested in the festival at all.
"An idol group is coming? Who?"
A few students in the front row turned toward the guys and asked. A classmate, who had been searching for the lineup, mentioned a name that sounded familiar.
"Spark."
"Oh? I'm actually down for that."
The female classmates seemed quite pleased by the visit from the group—one that wasn't even exceptionally famous—which Su-hun's younger brother belonged to. Su-hun silently read through the lecture materials he had downloaded in advance.
During the break, his classmates wouldn't stop talking about the stage lineup. They complained about where the school's money went, said they’d skip their own festival to go to Chungdo University's instead... all sorts of things were said.
"Did you say Spark? Why does that name sound so familiar?"
One student, who had been skeptical about Spark's appearance, asked. Another classmate answered.
"They were in the news last year. The 'power trip' group."
"Why? Did they power trip their manager?"
"No, their company PD went on a power trip against them."
Su-hun’s hand, which had been taking notes on his tablet, froze.
"Wait, is Spark that group?"
Su-hun set his pencil down without realizing it. His attention was already fixed on the conversation behind him.
"The group where a member got hit in the head with a sledgehammer by the PD."
"...What?"
The classmates' eyes turned toward Su-hun, who had turned around to look at them.
"Su-hun, are you interested in idols too?"
"Don't lump Su-hun in with us. Our Su-hun only knows how to study."
Su-hun barely managed to pull the conversation back before it drifted elsewhere.
"The Spark power trip story... does it come up if I just search for it online?"
In all his life, Su-hun had never had a reason to look into celebrity scandals. His classmates knew his personality well; ever since he was a freshman, he had famously cared for nothing but his studies.
"Probably? There were a ton of articles."
As soon as the classmate finished speaking, the professor opened the door and entered the lecture hall. Su-hun put his phone away and sat up straight, facing forward.
A few minutes later, for the first time ever, Su-hun looked away from the chalkboard during a lecture and touched his phone. His concentration had already been completely shattered.
Fortunately—if one could call it that—the member who had been victimized by the PD wasn't his brother. However, this fact didn't bring him complete relief.
He probably thought that if he told the family, they would make him quit being an idol.
There is no clearer ground for contract termination than an environment where safety isn't guaranteed. Su-hun didn't think Lee Cheong-hyeon was unaware of this.
Why on earth does he feel the need to be an idol even while being treated like this?
If he had just sat still and studied, he could have had his pick of schools that wanted him.
At the very least, if he had just gone from the middle school for the arts to a high school for the arts, he could have followed an elite path and played the piano he loved so much.
Searching for Spark on MeTube, Su-hun found a familiar thumbnail.
It was similar to the stage video that had caused his father to raise his voice in anger the evening Cheong-hyeon had come home.
≫ 2X12XX Music Grand Festival Spark - 『IRREGULAR』 Comment Compilation
Through pink and purple lights, six young men emerged, dressed in outfits Su-hun had never seen anyone wear on the street. For someone who always wore a collared shirt under his sweatshirts, this was a shocking cultural influx.
≫ 1:34 The part that explains the song title most intuitively.
Along with a screenshot of the comment, his brother's face filled the screen. Su-hun had to ponder the connection for a long time—why this comment was placed under Cheong-hyeon's face.
Only after reading other comments under the video did he realize it was a compliment about Cheong-hyeon's visuals.
≫ "My love remains unrejected, just as it is"—this part captures Lee Cheong-hyeon's unique, snappy vibe so well that I keep coming back whenever the cooldown is up.
≫ Following the camera with his eyes until it pulls away... he's a total genius idol.
There are a lot of compliments.
Su-hun didn't know that these kinds of videos were usually made by gathering only the praise.
Even if he had known, Su-hun would have been surprised. He had never once imagined that Cheong-hyeon would be praised for being an idol.
He was watching the strangely captivating video for the third time when his roommate walked in. Seeing the unusually idle Su-hun, the roommate approached him.
"Since when do you watch idols?"
"Just because."
Su-hun took off his headset.
Watching Su-hun turn off the screen, the roommate said, "You have weird taste, Su-hun. Watching something so strange."
Su-hun blinked. The roommate nonchalantly took off his coat and organized his things.
"...It's just an idol video," Su-hun muttered.
"Are you into idols now?"
"It's not that."
"You should grow out of that stuff at our age. You're not a kid."
Before Cheong-hyeon had stormed out of the house, their mother had said the same thing. She asked how long he planned to keep doing something meant for children.
To that, Cheong-hyeon had said...
'I don't want to live like that!'
...That's what he said.
But Cheong-hyeon.
The people praising you are just figures on a screen without substance.
On the other hand, the criticism will fly straight at you and pierce you. Just like now.
No matter how many nice comments are posted or how high the vote counts go, can those invisible things protect you? From things like power trips or assault?
At the very least, if your value increased—if you gained a reputation that no one could dispute—then people wouldn't dare treat you so carelessly.
And yet, you still want to walk such a difficult path?
What kind of sense of accomplishment could you possibly get from that?
Su-hun stared down at his darkened phone for a long time in silence. His own eyes, devoid of any warmth, were reflected on the black screen.
After something like that happened, weren't you scared?
In truth, this was what Su-hun wanted to ask Cheong-hyeon. To the brother he couldn't even contact because he didn't have his number.
On the day of the festival, Su-hun impulsively bought a few sets of clothes at a nearby department store. It was because he remembered his brother, who had been kicked out with nothing but a single pouch.
On the day Cheong-hyeon had stood up to their parents, Su-hun had actually brought some clothes out of his room. But Cheong-hyeon had already left.
The process of buying clothes was quite awkward for Su-hun. He's taller than me and has broader shoulders, but his frame is a bit slimmer. Su-hun found it difficult to use such abstract descriptions.
He had nothing to say when asked what kind of style his brother preferred. So, he searched for 'Lee Cheong-hyeon' on his phone, showed it to the clerk, and said he looked like this, asking them to pick out styles that would suit him. Despite a strange look, the clerk picked out the clothes with great sincerity.
Coming out with a large shopping bag in each hand, Su-hun noticed passersby carrying bread bags of the same design. After struggling with his phone in front of the department store, he discovered that a branch of a famous bakery was nearby.
For the first time in his life, Su-hun went to a so-called 'hot spot.' He bought the bread he’d heard of most, the bread people were putting on their trays, and the bread depicted on the posters, then left.
Will I even be able to give this to him? Surely they won't let a regular student into a place where celebrities are. Especially if Cheong-hyeon doesn't want me there.
Suddenly, his actions felt futile.
Then, Su-hun's gaze fell on the heavy shopping bags.
'We won first place on a music show. We even won a Rookie Award. You used to love it whenever I got an award. Are you ashamed of this kind of award?'
"..."
Su-hun hailed a taxi. He stated the name of the university and leaned back against the seat. The taxi sped toward the campus.
Su-hun managed to reach the crowded preparation area behind the stage.
There, he asked a staff member if he could see someone related to Spark. When he said he was family, a man who identified himself as a manager came out.
Su-hun, who didn't have a single photo taken with his brother, had nothing to show but his ID. The manager said he would check and went inside a tent.
A few minutes later.
Lee Cheong-hyeon appeared, his hair damp as if he had been sweating.
"Let's talk in the car."
With those words, Cheong-hyeon led the way. Su-hun followed silently behind him. There must have been another manager, as a new person opened the car door and stepped away, leaving only Su-hun and Cheong-hyeon inside the mid-sized car.
Cheong-hyeon was the first to break the silence.
"Are you mad because I mentioned you?"
"Mentioned me?"
When Su-hun asked back, Cheong-hyeon's expression hardened.
"Of course. There's no way you would've watched our performance. I'm overthinking it."
Cheong-hyeon gave a short, cynical laugh. Su-hun spoke while looking at the floor of the car.
"It's not that I intentionally didn't watch it."
"I know. You just don't care at all."
Every one of Cheong-hyeon's words was sharp. This was exactly how their family spoke.
However, Cheong-hyeon was rarely the one to speak this way. A bitter taste filled Su-hun's mouth.
"Just tell me quickly why you're here. The older members are tired, so we have to leave soon."
Cheong-hyeon pointed to the car right next to them. Su-hun's eyes met those of the other members visible through a slightly open window. Cheong-hyeon had his back turned, so he didn't seem to know what was happening behind him.
While the window was going back up, a particularly sharp-looking, pale-skinned handsome man caught Su-hun's eye. Unlike the others who had peeked and then scurried below the window frame, he was watching the two brothers in the car with a calm gaze.
Su-hun sighed. Then, he held out the shopping bags he had brought to Cheong-hyeon.
"Take these."
"What is it?"
Cheong-hyeon asked without even taking the bags. It was a sign of wariness.
"Clothes. I missed the performance because I was buying those."
"Why are you buying me clothes?"
Because you were kicked out without a single change of clothes.
He didn't bother saying it. Cheong-hyeon had always been excellent at reading between the lines.
As expected, Cheong-hyeon quickly realized the meaning behind the clothes Su-hun had given him.
However, Cheong-hyeon became even more defensive.
"What's the reason for suddenly doing something you never do? It's not like you want to start getting along now."
Cheong-hyeon's words were as correct now as they had always been. Su-hun stared quietly at his brother's face—at the eyes filled with nothing but hostility, and his own indifferent eyes reflected within them.
Their gazes failed to meet, merely reflecting one another.