Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Just Like That
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After hearing Yeonwoo's piano playing, Elkind Logan knew this was it and immediately proposed they work together.
Because of that, to discuss the contract and legal issues—necessary since Yeonwoo was a minor—Elkind Logan hurriedly arranged a separate meeting with Jihoon and Jiyeong, who had just rushed home.
Yeonwoo left the adults behind and sat in the living room with Amelia.
Heo Ok, right on cue for Yeonwoo's snack time, set out his favorite dumplings in front of the two.
They weren't the usual ones from the dumpling shop, but steamed retort dumplings crafted by culinary experts, guaranteed to be delicious.
For snacks, Yeonwoo was generous even to retort packs.
“This is called dumplings. Give it a try. They're tasty.”
“I know these. We've bought them at home a few times.”
“Really? Anyway, they're good.”
With that, Yeonwoo dipped a fairly large dumpling in soy sauce and popped it into his mouth, chewing away.
Amelia just stared blankly at him.
“What? Not hungry?”
“It's been barely any time since you ate noodles. How does it fit?”
“Yeah. Playing piano emptied my stomach.”
Was playing piano such a demanding task?
Come to think of it, Grandpa did say he took breaks to eat during his private concerts without stopping.
He must expend an incredible amount of energy.
‘It really was amazing…’
Thinking back to Yeonwoo's piano, Amelia shivered.
The afterglow hadn't faded yet; just recalling it sent chills down her spine.
“Um… you know.”
“Yeah?”
“How do you play piano so well?”
At that, Yeonwoo hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Just?”
“Just?”
“Yeah, just like that.”
“Wow… you know how obnoxious that sounds, right?”
Others couldn't reach this level at Yeonwoo's age even in death and rebirth—no, even most adults might not match him.
It felt like a total brush-off.
“Yeah, I hear that a lot, but it's true. I just play because I like it, and the skill comes naturally.”
“What, is it because you're a genius?”
“Yeah, guess so.”
These days, Yeonwoo didn't deny it.
Denying he was a genius just led to more backlash for being deceptive.
Sure, saying it to someone's face might make them think he was full of himself.
“So, expressing emotions like sadness or joy—that comes naturally with being a genius too?”
Amelia asked Yeonwoo a bit cautiously amid all that.
Expressing emotions?
Yeonwoo shook his head right away.
“Nah. There's this teacher named Uesugi Himari who taught me how. Before that, all I could do was churn out mechanical music.”
“Even sadness?”
“No, other emotions I learned to put in later, but sadness? That was already ingrained from the start.”
Did Yuin, now living happily with family, still have sad moments?
Amelia was curious but hesitated to ask outright when Yeonwoo suddenly said it.
“I don't have a mom.”
“Oh, uh, y-yeah.”
Amelia stammered in shock. Who could say something like that so matter-of-factly?
Regaining her composure, Amelia spoke carefully.
“M-me too…”
“Huh?”
“Mine's gone too. Cancer.”
“Same with my mom. Don't know the details. She passed without even seeing a doctor.”
“Is that… possible?”
Amelia glanced at Jihoon, who was far off, then leaned close to Yeonwoo and whispered.
“Then isn't your dad a bad guy? He just left his sick wife to suffer without taking her to the hospital.”
“Dad wasn't around back then.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“It's complicated. Short version: Mom and I were locked up at her family's house. She passed, and Dad came and rescued me.”
Amelia could hardly imagine it. Still gaping in shock, she snapped out of it and said.
“Wow, that's insane. Like something out of a movie.”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“But… after all that, you're okay now?”
Yeonwoo tilted his head at the question.
Me?
He shrugged.
“Mom crosses my mind sometimes, but I'm good now.”
“…How?”
“Hm?”
“How are you good? Without a mom?”
Amelia was pretending to have overcome it, but she still hadn't truly let go of her farewell to her mother.
A corner of her heart remained filled with longing, an unhealed wound that ached every day.
She hid it because if she grieved, Grandpa, Grandma, and Dad would grieve too—forcing her to fake cheerfulness.
“Dunno.”
Yeonwoo felt annoyed seeing Amelia pressed up close, prying.
Talking about his departed mom wasn't pleasant for him either.
He just said he didn't know, ignored her, and started devouring the dumplings.
Amelia watched him.
It was a first.
No one had ever been this unkind to her.
Her family, the household staff, school friends, teachers—all treated her with kindness.
Like a princess.
Like a fragile glass ornament, handled with utmost care lest she shatter.
Yeonwoo's reaction was entirely new to her.
And for good reason—her social standing stemmed from Elkind Logan.
He'd ascended to GOAT status, wielding immense influence, prestige, and wealth.
Of course, her school only admitted kids of similar caliber, but no one matched Elkind Logan's clout.
A white man who championed Black and even rare Asian rights; a hip-hop saint who aided the poor with his body when others paid lip service or threw money.
That foundation made him untouchable by politicians or tycoons.
Amelia Logan, his granddaughter, was essentially royalty.
No one bullied her, not even scolded her.
They only spoke kindly, avoiding any provocation.
So, the thrill of seeing Yuin in person faded quickly.
Irritation bubbled up toward Yeonwoo, who showed her no interest.
“You're really unkind, you know?”
“I'm shy around strangers.”
“Really?”
“And you're being annoying. It's not like my sadness is completely gone. Keeps bringing up Mom isn't good.”
“Oh…”
Now that she thought about it, yeah.
“Sorry, I was only thinking of myself.”
“Got it. You really not eating any dumplings?”
At Yeonwoo's question, Amelia gingerly picked one up, dipped it in soy sauce like him, and took a bite.
“Ah… this sauce makes it so good…!”
“Right? For these dumplings, the soy sauce makes or breaks it.”
“…You're more sincere about food than people, huh?”
Yeonwoo tossed out casually.
“When I lived with Mom's family, I ate leftovers almost every day. Or bread crumbs, snack scraps.”
“Oh…”
Amelia averted her gaze, flustered, and said.
“A-anyway, isn't it too bright? I don't like sunlight shining so directly.”
“Really? I was locked in a dark room without windows at Grandma's house, so I love sunlight.”
“Oh…”
Amelia fell silent after that.
With the prying Amelia finally quiet, Yeonwoo could finally have some time to himself.
Truth be told, his mind was preoccupied not with her, but with the music for collaborating with Elkind Logan.
‘I want to capture the sadness you expressed in my music.’
That's what Elkind Logan had said.
Sadness, huh.
Could he craft sadness using just beats, no melody?
Sure, slap killer lyrics, rhymes, and flow over beats, and you'd get sad music.
But Elkind Logan had asked him specifically.
To express sadness.
Yeonwoo wasn't rapping, so what he wanted was Yeonwoo's melodies.
‘Hm… do I have to stick to just beats?’
Was there no hip-hop blending beats and melody?
“What're you thinking so hard about?”
“Wondering how it'd be to layer melody over hip-hop.”
“Hip-hop with melody? What's that about? Why think that?”
“Feels hard to express sadness with just beats? I'm no good at writing rap lyrics, rhymes, flow. Might not be what your grandpa wants either.”
“Yeah, but there's tons of that hip-hop. Lofi hip-hop's making a comeback lately too.”
“Lofi hip-hop? Yeah, that niche subgenre that popped up briefly then kept a steady underground pulse? It's rising again with the retro vibe trend.”
Yeonwoo looked up lofi hip-hop at that.
Ah, these vibes—he'd seen plenty in Korean hip-hop too.
That Cyworld nostalgia hip-hop or whatever?
Hip-hop folks subtly looked down on it, though.
Having searched lofi hip-hop, Yeonwoo rode YouTube's algorithm into similar tracks.
Many layered lyrical melodies into hip-hop.
Even Elkind Logan had.
“LOVE…”
“That's Grandpa's ‘Love,’ right?”
“Yeah.”
“It's a track from his second album, after his debut blew up and he could do whatever. He made it thinking back to first meeting Grandma and falling in love.”
Yeonwoo nodded, then looked at Amelia.
“You know a lot about hip-hop, huh?”
“Obviously. Whose granddaughter am I?”
Pride beamed on her face.
Yeonwoo couldn't help but chuckle.
“What? Why laugh?”
“You seemed like a kid just now.”
“A kid?!”
“Your pride in your grandpa is strong.”
“Obviously. It's Elkind Logan.”
Elkind Logan was her pride.
The usually mature girl gazed at Yeonwoo with childish eyes.
“You don't have one, right? Someone like Elkind Logan?”
Yeonwoo shrugged.
“My grandma was a famous jazz pianist in America too.”
“Oh, really?”
Amelia said that, but her expression held a smug ‘still not quite Grandpa level’ superiority.
That did it.
A childish spark ignited in Yeonwoo's heart too.
After a brief surge, he composed himself with a relaxed smile.
“You've got your grandpa. But I don't need one. I'm Yuin.”
“Ah.”
Amelia was speechless.
She replayed it.
Elkind Logan's granddaughter title versus Yuin.
Elkind Logan vs. Yuin? Maybe. But one step removed, she was…
‘Lost…!’
No matter how objectively she viewed it, defeat was all she felt.
Meanwhile, Yeonwoo picked up the plate with the empty dumplings and stood.
Looking down at Amelia, he said.
“I don't need anyone else. Being me is enough.”
Amelia couldn't keep her eyes wide open, staring at Yeonwoo glowing in the backlight.
‘Sunlight really sucks…!!’
It was way too blinding.