Bound for America
Director Negi Jeong sincerely wanted to meet Yoo Serin in person.
The character designs were already finished, so why bother?
That question got answered the moment a few sample clips arrived.
"Ah… so it's because of the parts where the song has to cut off mid-way?"
"Yeah. It's not a long sequence, but the director wants to listen himself and give direction on the spot."
"I see… Then how many days will you be in America…?"
"That's not the important part right now."
"Then what is??"
Iseul was clearly sulking at the mere possibility that I might go to the States. We hadn't spent a single night apart since we started living together, so I understood the feeling—but like I'd said, that wasn't the point.
"I just had Serin sing for me and recorded it. I didn't explain a single detail. All I asked was whether she was interested in becoming a singer."
"So Serin has no idea at all?? Not even that her song is going into a movie??"
"Nope."
"Ah…. Then what are you going to do…?"
"Go down there, explain everything, and try to persuade her."
"And if she says no…?"
"Then there's nothing I can do."
"……"
That really was the accurate way to put it. If she herself refused, I had no intention of forcing the issue or clinging to her like some desperate fool. Looking at it another way, what I was about to do wasn't so much persuasion as a simple notification.
"Anyway, how are you doing? Is it hard?"
"Not hard at all! It's difficult, sure… but I'm working really hard!"
Iseul was throwing herself into her acting practice. Full-scale filming would start in a month. To shorten the production schedule, editing and CG work would run in parallel, so the whole thing was projected to wrap in about ten months. It was August 10th now, which meant Hidden would finish somewhere between June and August next year—same window as K-Sler.
K-Pop Evil Slayers: 132.7 billion won. Hidden: 250 billion, plus another 80 billion from President Hong Mincheol for a total of 330 billion. Two projects carrying 157.7 billion of my personal money, their success or failure decided around this time next year.
Seen in that light, maybe I really should be begging Serin…
I didn't know. Serin had simply lived the reality handed to her, the same way I had. Even knowing that, I still couldn't look at her with pure goodwill. Guess I still wasn't fully grown up yet.
I headed back down to Busan. Han Jihyun still had a cast on her leg; we sat across from each other.
"When does the cast come off?"
"They said a few more weeks."
"I see."
"Ah, and this…"
"……"
She stretched out a hand, grunted, and dragged a bag over, pushing it toward me. It was the same bag of five hundred million won I'd left at her door last time.
"I think the right thing is to return it."
"It's payment for all the time you suffered because of the woman who was my mother. No—compensation. Just take it. It's not that much money to me."
"Not that much money?! Just looking at it makes my hands shake… And before she was Yoo Eunho's mother, she was my older sister. So I have no reason to accept this."
"Then you're just going to watch your daughter work herself to the bone part-timing and studying with no time left to sleep?"
"……"
"Take it. And move first. If two women keep living in a neighborhood like this, something bad is bound to happen."
It wasn't only Serin who was beautiful. Whether she took after her mother or not, thirty-seven-year-old Han Jihyun still possessed striking looks—hard to believe she had a teenage daughter. And I wasn't saying this just because she was pretty. That morning I'd locked eyes with a few men loitering near the house. Men who should have been at work at that hour, yet were hanging around home. It genuinely looked dangerous, so I'd spoken up.
"Thank you for worrying. I mean that. But we're fine. So what brings you here today? Did you come because you were worried?"
"No. I have something to tell you. And I need your permission."
"Permission…?"
The way she asked, Serin clearly hadn't said a word.
"I came by a little while ago and met Serin."
"Se—Serin?? Why would Serin…"
"I happened to hear her singing, and since I was already planning a girl group, I offered her a chance to become a singer."
"What…?"
"Ah, here's my card."
I handed over the business card and explained everything step by step. It wasn't a long story, yet her face showed she was thoroughly shaken. What had hit her harder—the fact that I was the company representative, or that her daughter had received a singer offer?
"Serin always liked singing… but a singer…. Wh-what did Serin say??"
"She didn't answer either way. No acceptance, no refusal. So I came down today to ask again. And if she accepts, we'll probably need to make a short trip to America."
"America??"
I couldn't go into exhaustive detail about a project still in production, but I gave her enough to understand. While I was talking, Serin came back from her part-time job—dragging along an extra headache I really didn't need.
"Oppa!!"
"Ah, hello…"
"What's this?? Did you come to persuade Serin?? I can do it too!!"
"……"
Of course it got annoying. Minju started listing her own selling points like she was at a job interview. I let her go on for a long while before I finally managed to speak.
"Could you step outside for a bit?"
"What??"
"This is a conversation only people involved are allowed to hear."
"…I'm involved too! Serin and I are one body! Right??"
"Uh…? Uh… yeah…."
"Haa…"
"Heehee~"
In the end I left Minju sitting right there and gave a brief explanation. Only Minju got excited.
"America?! Let's go! Come on?? Serin~!!"
Hey. America isn't for you.
"Serin-aaang~~"
"B-but… Mom…"
"Your mom can stay at our place or Chan's place for a few days~"
"No! Auntie can stay alone just fine! Serin, don't worry about your mom. If you want to do it, do it."
"…Then I won't."
"What?? Why?!"
"Serin, are you really not going to regret this? You've loved singing since you were little."
"Yes. No regrets. I don't want to."
Faced with Serin's firm stance, I simply nodded and stood up.
"Oppa, where are you going?!"
"She said no. So I'm leaving."
"Who gives up that fast?! Ever heard of the three visits to the thatched cottage?!"
"I don't feel like clinging to someone who already said no."
"Shiiit…!! Hey, Yoo Serin!!"
"Hm…?"
"You love singing! And who said you have to be a full-time singer?! It's just one insert song! You'll make way more money than a hundred days of part-timing around here! School starts soon—time for one proper big score!"
What is this, a casino? "Big score," my ass…!
Yet somehow that ridiculous pitch seemed to be working.
"……"
Serin wore a conflicted expression. Minju shot to her feet, glued herself to my side, and made a circle with her thumb and index finger.
"Oppa, you'll pay proper part-time wages, right?? Over a million won!"
"Well… if she does it."
"……"
"You heard that? Don't become a singer—just treat it as a one-time part-time job! You're doing it, right??"
"That's…"
"Oppa! Two million!"
"Hey."
"Hurry!!"
"Haa… Fine. I'll give you two million."
"Kyaaah~!! Serin, congratulations!!"
"Huh…? I…! I mean…!"
"Oppa, when do we leave for America??"
"As soon as possible. But not you—only Serin."
"Whaaat?!!"
Minju looked devastated. But from the beginning she had nothing to do with the America trip. She'd just been drinking the kimchi soup all by herself.
How the hell did it end up like this?
"Woooow~! It's America!!"
"Minju, keep it down a little…!"
"Ah, sorry. Got a bit carried away. Wow, it's really America."
"……"
Acting demure now was completely useless!
Ugh, seriously…!!
School was about to start, so the America trip had been decided in a rush. Minju had engineered the situation with perfect cunning. She'd gaslighted Serin into believing that if Minju didn't come along, Serin shouldn't go either. Then she'd yelled at Han Jihyun that even cousins shouldn't travel alone as a man and woman—seven years old and they don't share a seat, after all. On top of that, both Serin and I felt uneasy leaving Han Jihyun alone in that dangerous house, so while we were in America, Jihyun would stay at Minju's place. Just like that, Minju had manufactured an airtight justification for tagging along.
"Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn! now I'm down in Tribeca!
Right next to De Niro! but I'll be hood forever!
I'm the new Sinatra!"
"Minju, could you maybe quiet down a little?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I want to be a singer too. So I'm going to keep selling myself. And since I made it here! I can make it anywhere! Yeah, they love me everywhere!"
"……"
The entire taxi ride, Minju kept rapping. The Black cab driver didn't stop her once. If anything, he was bobbing his shoulders to the beat. In America, when a Black guy starts moving his shoulders, does that mean you're actually good…? Or was he just enjoying the cute little Asian kid's antics?
"Serin, your turn!"
"I…"
"Come on~ let's do it!"
Was he really into it? When Serin hesitated, the driver glanced through the rearview mirror and fired off some support. Maybe Serin had the spark too, because she started singing.
"…In New York—
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York—"
"Ooooooh…!!! Hey ladies~ Where y'all from, man? Y'all got some serious soul!"
I wasn't some English genius, but with a life that had nothing else going for it, I'd put in serious work. Especially with American dramas and movies, so listening was one of my stronger points. I understood exactly what the Black cabbie was saying. It wasn't complicated language to begin with.
Where the hell are you girls from? That soul is no joke.
Hearing that from a Black guy on American soil—didn't that mean they were actually good? Both Serin and Minju.
"We're from Korea!"
"Korea? I love Boogogi!"
"No! No! Bulgogi!"
"Boogogi!"
"Bul! Gogi!"
"Bul! Gogi!"
"That's right!"
And so the taxi rolled on, chanting "Boogogi" and "Bulgogi," until we reached our destination.
Culver City, California.
Seni Pictures Animation—the studio currently producing K-Pop Evil Slayers.