Young Singer, Old Regrets
Namhun was practically a newborn when it came to being a trot singer.
He lagged far behind even compared to the three rookies at Onjeong Entertainment.
Meeting them had made him acutely aware of his shortcomings, leaving him pondering which direction to take.
Unaware of Namhun's inner turmoil, Woo Yeonjeong focused on giving him a tour of the building.
"You saw the first floor when you came in, right? There's Madam's restaurant there."
"Ah, yeah."
"We get all three meals there. It's like a company perk."
"Doesn't the food get boring if you eat it every day?"
"Not really. Madam puts in extra care. She even makes off-menu stuff. Just tell her what you want, and she whips it up on the spot every time."
Namhun knew exactly how tough that was—he'd made side dishes himself just to feed his siblings.
"That must be hard on her."
"Honestly, it's more like a hobby for her, so that's how she can keep it up. Aside from some longtime neighborhood folks, we don't get a ton of customers."
So she's doing it to fend off boredom.
"Truth is, me, Taejin oppa— we're both from out of town, no connections here. That's why this family-like vibe really helps."
"Yeongjung hyung too. He's been in Seoul a while, but still."
"Yeah, we all just click somehow. I mean, all three of us are still living here. If we didn't get along, we'd have gotten our own places by now. Or quit the company."
"Hold on. You live in the company building?"
"Yeah. Second floor's got recording and rehearsal rooms... Third floor's offices, and we use the fourth floor and rooftop for dorms."
Sure enough, a few staff were on the third floor, and the fourth-floor entrance had a fire door.
"They say this building was the first one Big Boss ever bought. Back then, his family lived on the fourth floor... But now that they're older, they moved to an apartment. Just Little Boss stays here now."
On paper, Jeong Jaemin was Onjeong Entertainment's CEO.
But everyone at the company called both Jeong Nam and Jeong Jaemin "Boss."
That made Jeong Jaemin's mom "Madam."
To distinguish them, they used "Big Boss" and "Little Boss."
"Fourth floor's Little Boss and my two oppas. I stay in the rooftop room."
A woman in her thirties, elite in gugak with a PhD, living in a rooftop room.
It was a bit surprising.
Most ordinary women would shy away from that.
"Remember earlier when I said I couldn't fully embody that old-era feminine ideal?"
"Ah, yeah."
"Truth is, I was raised like a princess. With my maternal grandma and mom both in gugak, they had high expectations. Old-school ladies, you know."
Namhun got what she meant.
His own maternal grandma had lived through that era, raising his mom without letting her lift a finger.
They'd pushed music on her so she could marry into a good family without hardship.
Even just ten years ago, music college grads marrying rich was par for the course.
So when she announced marrying his ordinary-family dad, there'd been fierce opposition.
"Little Boss even offered to get me a separate place, saying the rooftop wasn't right... But with no income, freeloading felt off."
"Still, it must be inconvenient."
"I'm not a college kid anymore—when else would I live in a rooftop room? Plus, I felt like I needed that hungry spirit."
"Hungry spirit..."
"Boss doesn't know, but Bang-gun oppa warned me. Trot's no joke. Without serious resolve, you won't last... He told me to stick with gugak where I had a foundation, over and over."
"Haha. Jaemin hyung would flip if he heard."
But Bang-gun—Bang Yeongjung—had always been like that.
When Namhun had run away from home and struggled to fit into the b-boy crew, feeling like an outsider.
Back then, he was no different from a pampered young master.
Bang Yeongjung was the one who'd looked out for him.
"If you got no skills, be the pretty face at least, kid! If talent's lacking, fight with something else. Go out first and kill the vibe. First punch wins, got it?"
It was a ridiculous strategy, but it worked.
He only figured out why much later.
With the cap pulled low and baggy clothes, the other b-boy crews mistook him for a girl and froze.
Back then, no dance crews had girls.
Once he found out, he'd been pissed and challenged Bang Yeongjung to a battle...
Looking back now, it was all to watch out for him.
That incident helped him blend into the crew.
He's the type people misunderstand easily, that hyung.
Sudden embarrassment washed over him.
Reflecting, both Jeong Jaemin and Bang Yeongjung had helped him selflessly when he was young.
Yet he'd seen Woo Yeonjeong and Han Taejin—people they were mentoring—as rivals, debating whether to help.
It felt pathetic.
And even Woo Yeonjeong, whom he'd assumed had it easy, was scraping by in a rooftop room.
Of course, that pity vanished the moment they reached the rooftop.
"The rooftop room... looks better than I thought?"
"Yeah. Once Boss heard I was staying here, he renovated it. Added AC, windows, even a bathroom."
"...Ah, I see."
Well, it was an old building—rooftop rooms weren't great as-is.
Letting her stay like that would've been too much.
Still, plenty inconvenient, probably.
Woo Yeonjeong came out of the room with fresh-squeezed juice.
High-end juice in a rooftop room.
This is the hungry spirit...?
It was confusing.
"Sit here."
Namhun sat with her on the rooftop bench.
Well, whatever.
No need to suffer over petty things on purpose.
Hardship's relative.
This was plenty tough for her.
"Truth is... Taejin's outburst today was partly my fault."
"Your fault, Yeonjeong noona?"
"Yeah. When we first met, Taejin had this look like, I gotta beat this guy. So I came on strong to knock him down a peg."
"...Did you hit him?"
She looked dumbfounded at that.
"What, you think I got the strength to beat people up?"
"Not with fists—with words, then."
"Ha. Name a sweeter girl than me."
Sera had said the same.
But scheming to crush her oppa's spirit from the start...
Didn't sound all that sweet.
"I went full throttle in practice, that's all."
"Ah."
"He started off deflated but worked hard and caught up. Eventually, I had to respect him. Like, this guy's the real deal with trot. He's got what I lack. So I started trying to learn from him."
Only then did Namhun understand why the three seemed so tight-knit.
Two years building camaraderie under one roof had forged deep bonds.
I'm jealous.
It stirred nostalgia too.
He'd once had that—with Evil Spirits.
Woo Yeonjeong was gugak expert enough to teach at university.
Her willingness to start from the bottom resonated deeply with him.
I need to learn that attitude.
Even a three-year-old has lessons to teach.
Guiding Woo Yeonjeong and Han Taejin had made him realize the weight of his ability.
A sudden thought hit him.
Was it mere coincidence that his vision ability and experience let him help Jin Seryeon and these folks?
Maybe God gave it to him to spread good influence.
That mystical feeling loosened his tongue.
"Um... I've got my own worries too."
"What?"
"Trot's all new, so I don't know how to practice."
"Well, I'm no expert either, so advice is iffy..."
As Namhun and Woo Yeonjeong sat side by side chatting, someone panted up to the rooftop.
"...Look at you two? Some of us are running our asses off, and you're up here sipping juice and flirting?"
The face poking over the edge was Bang-gun's.
"I got Taejin. Come on down."
It didn't take Bang-gun long to catch Han Taejin.
But calming him down took a long talk.
"...Sorry for losing it earlier."
Han Taejin apologized to Namhun politely.
"No, it's fine."
After hearing the story from Bang-gun and Woo Yeonjeong, he understood.
Thinking you had the most talent, only to hit a wall in reality.
Who here got that better than Namhun?
His voice cracking in puberty.
During his first album activities, feeling something wrong with his vocal cords.
The agency collapsing, parents dying.
He'd felt similar despair.
"Harsh to say, but you gotta overcome it yourself."
Namhun advised sincerely, and Taejin took it straight.
"...Yes. I'll practice hard."
Han Taejin's face was serene now.
Like finding the North Star adrift at sea.
The blunt critique stung, but he knew the fix now.
The urgency faded.
Just row the boat.
Watching him, Namhun asked,
"Can I call you hyung now?"
"...Yeah."
Namhun smiled back at the bashful grin.
Yeah.
Did helping someone even need overthinking?
Even if it soured relations, fine.
His brief advice could change a life.
If Seokho hyung hadn't scouted me that day... no vision ability.
Since it started with help received, no hesitation in passing it on.
Namhun resolved.
From now on, use this ability not just for himself, but to aid those in trouble.
Maybe that's the ultimate reason for God's gift.
"So when are you debuting?"
"Once I'm good enough."
"Ten years from now?"
"Don't jinx me. I've got three kids depending on me."
Jeong Jaemin's face fell sullen as Namhun freaked.
Only then did he realize Bang-gun still hadn't cleared up the misunderstanding.
"No, not married—three younger siblings."
"Huh? Don't you have just one?"
Jaemin sighed in relief once he heard the details.
"Phew. Thought you'd beaten me to marriage."
"Aren't you just avoiding it 'cause you don't wanna?"
Jaemin bristled at Namhun's question.
"No! I wanna get married ASAP."
"Then join a matchmaking service. You've got great specs—rich, CEO."
"..."
Sensing the odd vibe, Namhun asked carefully,
"...You already joined one?"
"...Yeah."
Bang-gun, who'd been chuckling beside them, chimed in.
"Even the matches who show up seem like part-timers."
"Part-timers?"
"Normal folks see your pic and bail. Face is kinda scary, hyung."
Namhun tilted his head.
"Jaemin hyung looks manly to me. Charismatic, solid."
Bang-gun gaped in disbelief.
"You indirectly roasting him right in front?"
"Huh?"
"Damn, you're serious..."
Jeong Jaemin tossed out as Bang-gun shook his head,
"Let it go. Kid's a natural devil. Digs into wounds without knowing."
Bang-gun nodded vigorously.
"Exactly. Real villain here's him."
"And what's with the stage name Jang Nam? Sounds like a Jeong Nam impersonator."
Bang-gun snickered.
"Hyung, that's his real name."
"Huh? Wasn't it Jang Namhun?"
"We called him Nam, Nam back in the day too."
"What? That's a nickname. You trying to fool me?"
Namhun was floored.
"Wait, you thought it was a nickname all this time?"
Even with him confirming, Jeong Jaemin scoffed.
"You punks ganging up to make me look dumb? Who names their kid Jang Nam? Joke's on you."
Namhun was baffled.
How many years had they had it wrong?
"Hyung. Jang Namhun's the legal name change. Original from parents is Jang Nam."
"...For real?"
Namhun, Jeong Jaemin, Bang-gun all nodded, and Jaemin finally got it.
"...Damn, great name. Perfect to hook Mom's fans."
"Troll fail!"
Jaemin lightly smacked Bang-gun's head as he declared judgment.
"Why hit me?"
"Shoulda told me sooner, man. Can't sell boss shares now."
"Ha..."
"Ahem. Anyway, since we're at it—wanna join our company and practice together? Could help each other. Plus oversee Taejin's training."
Tempting offer, but Namhun declined.
His trot skills were too raw to keep up with them.
"It's just beat practice anyway. And you'll all be busy post-debut soon."
"True. Once tracks drop, Bang-gun and Yeonjeong start promotions, Taejin hits clubs after fixing his beat."
"I'll swing by to watch recordings."
"Cool."
With his vision ability, observing would help plenty.
Just like today.
"And if Bang-gun's at the office, drop by too. Eat together. Mom loves feeding the kids these days."
"Sounds good to me."