Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Na-young Han
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"Waaah...!"
Stepping into the karaoke room, Na-young couldn't hold back her awe, just like she hadn't been able to at the PC bang.
A cozy space surrounded by sofas on all sides, a mirror ball hanging from the ceiling, and a massive TV mounted on the wall—she was busy taking it all in.
I wonder if my reaction was the same the first time I came to a karaoke place.
Her fun and cute response sparked my curiosity.
But it was regrettable that I couldn't just watch my past self like that.
"Wanna sing first?"
"Uh, u-um...?"
When I handed her the remote and asked, her eyes trembled nonstop.
It might feel a bit awkward to go first since it was her first time at a karaoke room.
"Should I go first?"
"Yeah...!"
So I decided to sing first.
My heart was pounding strangely—it was my first time at a karaoke place since regressing back in time.
"Ah... wasn't this out yet?"
I didn't know the exact release dates of songs, so I searched for one I used to love listening to and singing along with, but it came up with no results.
This song was really good, too. Brushing aside the disappointment, I tried searching for another.
Same result. No matches found.
With no other choice, I went into the popular charts and picked a familiar tune.
"...!"
In an instant, the lights dimmed, and the mirror ball spun, casting colorful lights around the small room. Na-young flinched in surprise.
Soon enough, she got used to it and watched me sing with a bright smile, clapping along.
"Waaah! Ji-hoon, you're amazing at singing!"
"......"
After the song ended, I sat there with a dissatisfied pout, but Na-young—oblivious to my feelings—showered me with seal-like applause and praise.
Tsk.
To be honest, I wasn't good at singing.
I thought I was at least average, but maybe because my body was younger now, my voice just didn't sit right with me.
The high notes went up fine, but they came out as screechy wails—disgusting even to my own ears.
"What do you wanna sing?"
"......"
Na-young, who had been smiling just moments ago, suddenly stiffened up.
Her shaky eyes subtly avoided mine.
It looked like she was hesitating out of shyness and lacking the courage to sing, but it felt like something else.
No way.
"Na-young. Do you... not know any songs?"
I asked just in case, but it must have sounded like an interrogation because she dropped her head.
"It's okay. You might not know any."
The thought that she'd lived such a closed-off life—surrounded by walls on all sides, never hearing a single song—brought tears to my eyes.
Forcing a smile, I gently pulled her into my arms.
"Then let's pick one slowly together. Okay?"
"Yeah......"
Her face flushed as she nodded.
We stayed pressed close, holding the remote as we checked the popular charts.
"Know this one?"
It was an old hit even by today's standards, still topping the charts and showing no signs of falling off in the future. I figured she might know it, but Na-young glanced at me nervously and shook her head.
"How about this?"
"I... I don't know......"
I asked about other songs she must have heard at least once, but the answer was always the same.
"Remember the one I just sang?"
There was an unspoken rule not to repeat someone else's song.
I'd been trying to guide her toward something different, but there was no helping it now.
"The one Ji-hoon sang?"
"Yeah, that one."
"I remember."
She didn't know any songs, so I couldn't be the only one singing. I told her to sing the one I'd just done.
I handed the mic to Na-young, whose eyes had narrowed noticeably, and started the track.
As the lights dimmed and the backing track played, she kept glancing at me nervously.
Was she worried I'd be disappointed if she couldn't sing it?
"It's okay if you can't sing it. Singing can be good or bad—it's all about having fun with it."
With those words, all her worry seemed to vanish; her face lit up as she nodded.
And then she sang along with the music.
As expected, Na-young sang ridiculously well.
It wasn't that she was dumb—she just hadn't studied, or rather, couldn't. In reality, she must have been incredibly sharp.
After all, it was hard to perfectly follow lyrics and melody without hearing it multiple times, even with them right there.
But Na-young nailed the rhythm and pitch spot-on.
It was almost flawless, like a song she sang all the time, and her voice was so pretty that it cleansed my ears, sullied by my own terrible singing.
"......"
When the song ended, Na-young—having poured her all into it—panted heavily. Unsure if she'd done well, she looked to me for judgment.
"Na-young, you could be a singer."
"A singer...? Me...? Did I sing well...?"
"You sang amazingly. Best song I've ever heard."
"Really...?! Heh, heehee...!"
I heaped on every compliment I could think of, and Na-young trembled with joy, not knowing what to do.
"Let's try another one."
"B-but... I don't know any?"
"It's fine. I'll sing it first, then you can follow."
"Aha...!"
The thought of subjecting her to my awful voice again gave me chills, but picturing her singing it right after made it bearable.
So I sang whatever I wanted to hear from her, letting her perform after each one.
Later, playing future songs from the Future Smartphone didn't sound like a bad idea.
Actually, why not release songs under her name? Those masterpieces weren't even composed in composers' heads yet anyway.
Sorry as I felt about it, it seemed worth considering.
We sang until my throat was hoarse, and when we finally stepped out, night had already fallen.
"Na-young, wanna grab dinner before heading home?"
"Dinner...? Sure!"
Na-young answered brightly at first, then suddenly darkened and shoved her hands into her pockets.
"No... can't..."
She'd let me cover the PC bang and karaoke, and now she hated making me pay for dinner too, shaking her head belatedly.
"I'll treat you."
"Aren't you spending too much...? It's already over ten thousand won."
Ten thousand won was a lot for kids our age.
But to me, with a mature mind, it felt like pocket change.
With all the money I'd made from FX trading—and what was coming—ten thousand won didn't sting at all.
"It's fine. Really. Call your parents and tell them you're eating dinner and coming home after."
"Uw... Okay......"
In the end, Na-young nodded, agreeing to let me buy dinner too.
"No need to call..."
"Why?"
"They won't care... anyway......"
I knew why.
When she was young, they'd treated her like she didn't exist, then later—after her success—tried to leech off her through media exposés and lawsuits.
From her reaction, she clearly didn't want to talk about her home life.
If I pressed, she'd tell me eventually, but it risked losing some of the goodwill I'd built up.
I approached her darkening expression and took her hand.
She panicked at the sudden touch, then got shy—it was adorable.
"What do you wanna eat?"
"Uh, a-any... anything......"
"'Anything' is the hardest choice, you know? Pick one for sure."
"Uw."
She had plenty of wants but was cautious since I was treating.
I waited and waited, but she hemmed and hawed, unable to decide, so I picked for us.
"How about some meat?"
"Ex-expensive...!"
"It's fine. I wanna eat it anyway. Mom gave me extra allowance since I'm hanging out with you."
A lie.
Mom had been frustrated that her son, holed up in his room glued to the computer, wouldn't go out and play.
But today, I'd left suddenly and still wasn't back by nightfall, so texts and calls had flooded in until just before.
I'd been in the karaoke room then and hadn't heard them, so I'd ignored them.
But I'd eventually said we were eating dinner out, so it should be okay.
"So let's go eat."
Anyway, all the money spent and to be spent today was entirely mine.
"Uh, y-yeah."
She'd seen how huge my house was, with even a yard, so she knew we were rich.
No reason to refuse when I said Mom gave me lots because we were having fun together.
She even seemed pleased, mistaking it for Mom approving of her, grinning like a fool.
We arrived at a nearby BBQ joint.
"Where are your parents?"
"Just us two."
The owner looked puzzled when we sat down with the menu but no adults showed.
"Just you two?"
His troubled expression made sense.
I'd never seen kids come to a BBQ place alone either.
"You got money to pay?"
"Yes. Fifty thousand won."
"Alright... What'll you have? Auntie'll grill it for you."
Money was money, age be damned. She smiled warmly, brought our ordered meat, and grilled it deliciously.
"Ji-hoon. Don't I have one Wish Voucher?"
"Wish Voucher? Oh... yeah."
Besides the one about whether she was pretty or not, I'd given her another.
"Use it now?"
"No. I'll save it for later. Only got one."
Even Na-young seemed to realize the outcome was decided.
"Nah. I'll give you another."
"Why...?"
"Just 'cause. I wanna."
She wouldn't use it anyway since it was a hassle, so I gave her one more.
"No take-backs!"
"Of course. But in return, you gotta keep up the exercise steadily, no quitting."
"Yeah! Obviously!"
She was pretty enough now, but I preferred slim Na-young over chubby.
Just watching her devour the long-craved meat like a storm made my stomach feel full.
I wanted to stuff her till she burst, but I couldn't let her regain the weight she'd lost, so we stopped at a moderate amount.
Then I walked her all the way home before finally heading back to mine.