novelraw Chapter 288: Freeman: Persuasion and Defense
Chapter 288: Freeman: Persuasion and Defense
“Mr. Iwol.”
Perhaps having finished his first impression assessment, the father opened his mouth.
“I heard you were accepted to S University?”
As expected.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then why didn’t you enroll?”
“I agonized over it until the very end, but I made my decision after considering various factors.”
“That’s a shame. If you had enrolled, we would have been alumni.”
There was no trace of regret in the father’s eyes as he said that. It was merely a polite remark.
“Did you graduate from S University?”“I got my bachelor’s there, and my master’s and doctorate in the States.”
“That’s amazing.”
He also naturally started speaking casually, perhaps to show a sense of familiarity.
“Which department did you apply to?”
“I applied to the Department of Business Administration.”
“I guess you weren’t originally planning to go into the arts and physical education field?”
“I was just keeping my options open.”
“Wise. But the result of your actions is disappointing.”
Then came the unsolicited evaluation.
“There were a lot of artists at our school, too. There are tons of people doing art in this country.”
“That’s right.”
“But people with prestigious academic backgrounds start from a different line. Sure, as you grow older, your actual accomplishments matter more, but when you’re just starting out, nothing represents you better than your academic credentials.”
Just then, the tea I had ordered arrived. When I waited quietly at the employee’s words that they would pour the first cup, a light-colored herbal tea, steaming hot, was filled perfectly into my cup.
“What do you think of what I just said, Mr. Iwol?”
“I think they are not wrong.”
“‘Not’ wrong?”
“Yes.”
I sipped the tea after giving a reply that didn’t outright affirm his logic. His gaze turned sharp.
I acknowledge the fact that S University was an excellent credential. After all, wasn’t I, myself, a hot topic for being an idol who had just barely gotten into S University?
But what you had to show in the market was, in the end, the result. If I had just fooled around for a year as an idol, S University would have been a poison. A poison that would make people say, ‘He should just study. It’s a waste of his grades.’
It was probably the same in any field. My academic degree might determine the first impression of me, but the evaluation I received after that was determined by my actions.
The father’s words, trying to persuade me, continued for a few more. I was not moved. Compared to what I had heard from Manager Nam, his words had less destructive power.
Still, I pretended to listen attentively. A seasoned professional could fake attentiveness far better than a high school rookie. Thanks to that, I was able to endure for another 10-odd minutes without getting caught not listening to an elder.
At the point where he realized that I would not be influenced by his words at all, Lee Cheonghyeon father’s attitude changed slightly.
“Right. Since you’ve already made that choice, it’s meaningless for a third party to say this or that.”
“Not at all. Your advice has been very helpful.”
“It would have been nice if Cheonghyeon had also thought of his family’s words as advice.”
“……”
“That child just says no to everything his parents say.”
Well, sir, when you’ve been talking at someone for thirty minutes without letting them say a word, that tends to happen. A conversation isn’t supposed to be a one-way lecture.
Lee Cheonghyeon’s father picked up his coffee cup. I could see the luxury wedding ring that was popular at that time, one that every executive at the Hanpyeong Industry seemed to wear.
How others perceive him, a wedding ring others would admire, a son he could proudly show off to others.
The fact that, within all that, there was no will of Lee Cheonghyeon, who was closest to them, made my heart complicated.
“Mr. Iwol, I won’t beat around the bush.”
His father said.
“I’d like you to persuade Cheonghyeon for me.”
Hearing those words, I thought.
Lee Cheonghyeon must have been very lonely for a very long time, beyond this unchanging wall.
* * *
“What exactly do you mean by persuasion?”
I asked as calmly as possible.
“I heard you won a rookie award.”
“Yes, it was possible because our results were good.”
Saying we were lucky would be a bad move here. Lowering myself would only be self-destructive. I had to speak with confidence.
“From where I’m standing, I think that’s more than enough to say Cheonghyeon has fulfilled his obligations to the team.”
“Are you telling me to pressure him into quitting idol work?”
“You’re quick on the uptake. That’s right.”
So, he was telling me to be satisfied with Cheonghyeon bringing a rookie award to Spark.
“Cheonghyeon is fundamentally different from ordinary people. It’s not because he’s my son, but because he’s a child whose talent is too precious to be left to rot like this.”
“Is it because Cheonghyeon is a genius?”
“A genius.”
Lee Cheonghyeon’s father was lost in thought for a moment.
“Have you ever seen a real genius, Mr. Iwol?”
It didn’t seem like a question that required an answer, so I stayed quiet. His father continued.
“People with a certain IQ, who enter school early at a certain age, they’re just talented. A real genius is recognized by others just by existing. Because they can’t help but stand out.”
“……”
“Cheonghyeon is a ‘real genius.’ One that cannot be made, and can do anything.”
There were three of those so-called ‘real geniuses’ in Spark. Though it couldn’t be denied that among them, only Lee Cheonghyeon was a genius who excelled in various fields.
“There are cases where great research isn’t recognized until decades later. But genius isn’t bound by time. A moment when they are inevitably made known to the world will come.”
“……”
“When my child has such a talent, what parent wouldn’t want to see him shine early?”
Every word he said was as if he were talking about some kind of object, not a person.
For example, it sounded like he was talking about a trophy that would be placed in the center of the largest glass display case in the living room.
“And this will be helpful to you guys as well.”
His father asserted.
“Because when you’re next to a talent that is too great, the people around are easily overshadowed.”
In my opinion, you, sir, are the real genius. A genius at making people speechless.
I understood what he was getting at. Because the third son in that house must be in this exact situation. He had a sufficiently brilliant mind and worked hard, yet he must be constantly being compared to the remnants of Lee Cheonghyeon, who had already left the path of academics.
But he shouldn’t try to discourage other kids like this. Without even knowing the caliber of the Spark members.
And Lee Cheonghyeon…
“As you said, I believe Cheonghyeon’s talent is truly outstanding. So much so that just by looking at him, I can feel that I can’t carelessly gauge the extent of his potential.”
“Right?”
“But that doesn’t mean we are incompetent enough to be overshadowed by Cheonghyeon. And Cheonghyeon isn’t the kind of person who would make others feel inferior, either.”
…The kid was sociable and kind. If Lee Cheonghyeon’s father truly cherished him, he shouldn’t be concerned about the people around him who were overwhelmed by Lee Cheonghyeon’s brilliant talent, but rather worry about the heart of his son who would be conscious of those people. If he truly cared for Lee Cheonghyeon, he should have known that much.
“Cheonghyeon’s genius is more than enough to uplift those around him. And none of us in Spark feel inferior because of him.”
The sound of a teacup being set down was unusually loud. His gaze had changed. He no longer saw me as someone to coax, but someone to defeat.
“Doesn’t that mean you guys are going to use Cheonghyeon to climb up?”
“That’s a misunderstanding. It means that all of us can create a synergy with Cheonghyeon.”
Spark had proven their potential—not just in the past, but now. With a first-place win on a music show and a rookie award that placed them first among their peers.
“How can you guarantee that the result of you and your friends working hard together is better than Cheonghyeon’s name value alone?”
“Are you asking about the group’s future value?”
“I’m curious. Just how great of a role does Cheonghyeon play in your head, Mr. Iwol, for you to come out like this?”
“There are many things I want to do with Cheonghyeon, but do they have to be great?”
“If it’s not something that helps your career, it will be a waste of life.”
“Spark surpassed its break-even point in less than a year since its debut. The number of songs Cheonghyeon has registered with the copyright association will soon be in the double digits. Cheonghyeon also won first place in the position battle of the competition program. In the entertainment industry, these are not results that can be dismissed as meaningless.”
“That kind of stuff only impresses kids.”
“Compared to research that targets only middle-aged specialists, isn’t the fanbase for idols much larger?”
Lee Cheonghyeon’s father glared at me.
But you were the one who disregarded this line of work first. Listening to you is so frustrating, really.
“…Why an idol, of all things?”
He let out a sigh as he muttered the words onto the table.
Why an idol?
A question that had made me think, too.
Because it was the first thought I had when I was faced with the system telling me to debut as a boy group.
I still didn’t know why the system handed me an idol debut out of all the many tasks.
But, if I were to state a reason that came to mind right now, a reason that Lee Cheonghyeon would also agree with…
“We were on a year-end stage recently.”
“……”
“When we sing there, over 10,000 people sing along with us. Waving their light sticks. Even though not everyone in that place was our fan, they did.”
…Perhaps it was because the cheers and shouts, which were not a visible concept, were still clearly imprinted in my eyes, even while I was busily changing clothes and standing on stage.
“The experience of receiving that much love is not something you can easily have.”
Moreover, it’s hard to get out of. So much so that once you’ve been loved, you don’t want to be hated again.
Lee Cheonghyeon just wanted to constantly give and receive love. By making songs, having us sing them, and confirming that others listen to them.
“Don’t you know how starved Cheonghyeon is for love?”
Lee Cheonghyeon’s father, who was about to lift his coffee cup, flinched.
* * *
When he heard that his son was starved for love, he was forced to dig back through his memory.
It took a long time to trace the past—his second son had always pierced some part of him like a rusty nail lodged in his body.
However, with his excellent mind, he managed to recall a moment when his child had been particularly memorable. The childhood of the bright Cheonghyeon.
The grandparents had said he must be smart like his parents, but he and his wife knew.
This child was not smart because he resembled them. He was born as a different being.
A child who knew a hundred things without being taught one. A child who was faster in everything than his older brother since childhood, when the developmental speed was said to be on a different level.
A child whose memory was so frighteningly good that he could tell if it was daily necessities or their own things just by looking at the courier company’s logo, and who had his own opinions since he went to kindergarten.
A child who was happy when praised for being smart, but who cried when scolded for being stubborn, asking, ‘Why do adults only call it clever when I say what they want to hear?’
A child who never bent his opinion and spoke his mind to his mom and dad, but who didn’t show off to his friends and naturally got along with them.
And…
‘Math test? I got a 100!’
…he had let it slide, focusing on these words.
‘I did well, right!’
A child who wanted to be praised.
The image of his wife, stroking that child’s head and making a call to inquire about the entrance test for a gifted academy, and his own image, checking the eligible age for the Math Olympiad, came to mind.
Kim Iwol had said that the experience of receiving that much love was not easy.
But before that, Lee Cheonghyeon might have never felt that he had received even the smallest amount of love.