“That girl, seriously.”
Kang Hyun looked down at Yooha, who had fallen fast asleep on the bed. It seemed she was quite tired from waiting for him alone at the movie theater.
Kang Hyun gently patted Yooha’s head and covered her up to her shoulders with a blanket to keep her from catching a cold. Though he wanted to lie down next to her, he couldn’t.
Not only did he reek of alcohol, but Yooha was still a high school student. Sleeping together was out of the question—it would be a crime.
“Oppa, hmm-nyang…”
At that moment, Yooha called out to Kang Hyun as if she were sleep-talking, stretching her arms like a baby. Finding her adorably cute, Kang Hyun patted her head once more and moved away.
On the table, scripts were still piled up like a mountain. Some of them sparked musical ideas just from reading the opening lines, while others didn’t inspire him at all.
“Just worrying about it won’t solve anything.”
Wasn’t that a saying he’d learned while working as a prosecutor at the Western District Prosecutor’s Office? Unnecessary worries only lead to more pointless concerns, so it was best to follow his instincts. Kang Hyun began to sketch out the musical ideas that came to mind on the staff paper.
The script by director Jim Filmer was a horror thriller. The musical ideas that came to mind were as sharp as moonlight on a midsummer night.
Srrrrng.
A melody like a knife slicing through the air resonated in his mind. Just reading the script brought such inspiration; seeing it on screen would be even more astonishing.
It was a film he’d never seen in his past life. Although he was familiar with Jim Filmer’s filmography, there was definitely no movie like this one.
How much time had passed?
Sunlight poured in through the hotel room window. Yooha, who had been sleeping soundly on the bed, rubbed her eyes in the warm sunlight and sat up. Noticing the empty spot next to her, she immediately looked around for Kang Hyun.
“Oppa?”
Kang Hyun had fallen asleep sitting on the chair with the table as his pillow. Scripts and sheet music were scattered messily on the table.
He was holding onto the sheet music and pen tightly, not knowing when he had fallen asleep. Carefully, Yooha brought over a chair and sat next to him.
“How can someone be so handsome?”
Yooha closely examined Kang Hyun’s features.
The boy she had met at her grandfather’s house had grown into a young man. The mysterious boy who had captivated Yooha’s eyes from their first meeting still made her heart flutter intensely even now.
Yooha gently ran her long fingers through Kang Hyun’s hair.
When the skin hidden under his bangs was revealed in the sunlight, Kang Hyun squinted his eyes even tighter.
Finding it cute, Yooha smiled and gently placed her lips on Kang Hyun’s forehead.
Smooch.
A refreshing sound resonated as Yooha looked at Kang Hyun and used the table as her pillow to fall asleep.
Only the warm sunlight was watching over these two beautiful people.
“How was the movie?”
At Kang Hyun’s question, Yooha showed a happy expression. It was because they could finally have the movie date they missed a week ago.
The movie they watched together was “The Perfect Storm,” released in 2000. In his past life, he had been too busy preparing for the bar exam to watch it, but now he got to see it on Broadway in New York!
“It was great because I was with you, oppa!”
To Yooha, the movie’s content didn’t seem to matter. She was just happy to walk around Broadway with Kang Hyun.
“Shall we go for dinner?”
Kang Hyun had never been on a proper date in his past life. In his youth, he had been known as a study freak, focused solely on success.
Even marriage, which is considered a major event in life, was like being sold off to a politician’s family for ambition. Naturally, the woman he married never treated him as her husband; they lived a strictly show-window marriage. At that moment,
“Oh, should I buy that for you?”
Kang Hyun asked, pointing at a hairpin being sold at a street stall on Broadway.
“The one I gave you before is too old now.”
“Then I’ll wear this one and the one you gave me before alternately.”
The hairpin, which cost no more than ten dollars, made Yooha look as happy as if she had received a diamond.
After buying the hairpin, they headed to the restaurant they had reserved, Restaurant Vermia, which they had visited together before.
“Hyun, welcome.”
The chef personally came out to greet Kang Hyun upon his arrival. Although he hadn’t known it before, he had heard a lot about the chef’s reputation at social gatherings of film directors.
Among famous chefs, he was known to be particularly picky.
No matter how famous the person was, if they didn’t please him, he wouldn’t show his face. But how did he act in front of Kang Hyun?
“The quality of the fresh meat we received today is excellent. I’d like to serve a well-aged red wine on the house, but unfortunately, I can’t because of the young lady’s age. If you wish to savor it, please let the manager know anytime. It’s a personally kept red wine.”
He showed a happy expression as if meeting his first love.
Given that the usually disciplined managers were treating them like VIPs, Kang Hyun thought that if he ever held a concert in America, he would personally invite this chef from Vermia.
While they were enjoying a delicious dinner,
“Yooha, is there something you want to say?”
Maybe it was because he’d known Yooha for so long. Kang Hyun could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her face.
At Kang Hyun’s question, Yooha hesitated for a moment, then nodded and spoke. As Kang Hyun listened to Yooha’s story, he asked curiously,
“You want me to come to your school?”
“Yes, I mentioned you to my school, and it somehow reached the teachers’ ears…”
Yooha lowered her head as if she were a criminal.
From her explanation, he could fully understand the situation. Yooha’s friend Michelle had mentioned Kang Hyun at school, and the students found out.
Given that Kang Hyun was gaining popularity as a classical idol, it was no wonder he attracted attention.
Eventually, even the principal asked if they could invite the violinist Hyun to the school.
‘If it were by principle.’
Kang Hyun hated bothersome things. By principle, he would have either told them to talk to his agency or flatly refused.
But this was Yooha’s matter. Yooha didn’t talk about it with bad intentions; she probably mentioned it out of pride, and the rumor spread.
“Alright, I’ll go.”
At that moment, Yooha’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
‘The meeting with director Jim Filmer is a week away…’
Kang Hyun first started composing the insert music for Jim Filmer’s script. The main reason was that the script inspired him the most.
The only issue was director James Cameron, who had passionately sent him a love call.
“Hmm.”
He liked the script. However, he was worried about its impact on James Cameron’s filmography. After all, Kang Hyun had never learned acting.
Moreover, it was a music film that also included intense romance. There was even a deep kiss scene with the female lead, which would undoubtedly make Yooha furious if she found out.
Anyway,
‘What can I do when I go to the school?’
It wasn’t just any regular high school but a prestigious one in New York, known to educate the children of famous business tycoons and influential politicians. There wasn’t much Kang Hyun could offer them.
The school expressed that they’d like Kang Hyun to give a lecture to the students in the auditorium.
Kang Hyun had attended such lectures before, given by geniuses who had made a mark in the IT industry, sharing their lives and values to help students solidify their own life goals. But,
‘To think I’d be giving such a lecture.’
On the surface, he was just a twenty-year-old young man. Even though the high school students were minors, they were not much younger than Kang Hyun. What kind of advice could he give them?
Moreover, they weren’t music students, so even a music-related volunteer session was difficult. But Yooha didn’t seem worried about Kang Hyun’s concerns.
“I believe in you, oppa.”
“Yooha, but do you think your friends will welcome me?”
At that moment, Michelle, the black girl sitting in the back seat of the car with Yooha, waved her hand as if to say not to worry.
“Oppa, you don’t need to worry. The girls at our school really like you. You’re even more popular than Matthew, the vocalist of Iris Band these days!”
Somehow, he felt sorry for Matthew. In any case, Michelle kept glancing at Kang Hyun’s face as if she still found it fascinating.
“Mr. Hyun, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Principal Jameson of Phillips.”
The principal, with a protruding belly, rushed out to greet Kang Hyun. It wasn’t just the principal; other teachers were also there to welcome him.
The principal revealed that he was a big fan of Kang Hyun and repeatedly thanked him for coming today. He kept talking to Kang Hyun, not giving his mouth a moment’s rest.
Kang Hyun wondered if the principal was always this talkative, but Michelle whispered to Yooha that it was the first time she had seen the principal speak so much.
“The students are waiting in the auditorium.”
“The auditorium?”
“Yes, we announced over the school broadcast that students of any grade could attend Mr. Hyun’s lecture if they wished. The remaining teachers who couldn’t come out to greet you are also in the auditorium, having put aside their afternoon classes to manage the students’ safety.”
Just how many people had gathered for him to say this? As they approached the auditorium, the murmur of the students echoed through the walls.
Unconsciously, Kang Hyun smiled. When did it start? He felt both nervous and excited at the same time. It seemed like a side effect of having performed on stage too many times.
Thud.
After parting ways with Yooha, Kang Hyun climbed onto the stage with the principal.
Waaaah—!
With Kang Hyun’s appearance, the auditorium erupted in an overwhelming cheer. The female students screamed and looked at Kang Hyun with adoration.
Just as Michelle had said, it seemed like Kang Hyun was indeed more popular among the students than Iris’s Matthew.
Meeting the gazes of countless students, Kang Hyun smiled once more. Now, it was his turn to boost Yooha’s confidence.
