novelraw Chapter 316: University Festival (3)
Chapter 316: University Festival (3)
The lecture hall after the exam period was a little more boisterous than usual. It was not the kind of atmosphere Lee Soohoon enjoyed.
“Is the festival lineup for real?”
“Who’s coming?”
“Some boy idol group.”
“Sounds super boring. I’m not gonna go.”
“The one who sang ‘turn around’ is coming too.”
“Hey, you should have led with that.”
The topic of conversation was all about the festival. Festivals were the kind of thing you did once in freshman year and got over with. In truth, Lee Soohoon had no interest in the festival, even in his first year.
“An idol group is coming? Who?”
A few classmates sitting in the front seats turned and asked the group of boys. A classmate who was searching for the festival lineup mentioned a name he’d heard many times before.“Spark.”
“Huh? No way, that’s actually great.”
The female students seemed quite pleased by the visit from his younger brother’s group, who weren’t even that famous. Lee Soohoon silently continued reading the lecture materials he had downloaded in advance.
During the break, the students had much to say about the stage lineup. Where all the money went, whether to skip their own school’s festival and go to Chungdo University’s instead… All sorts of things were said.
“Spark, was it? Why does that name sound so familiar?”
One of the students who had been skeptical about Spark’s appearance asked. Another student answered.
“They were in the news last year. As the ‘power abuse group’.”
“Why? For abusing their manager?”
“No, their company’s PD abused them.”
Lee Soohoon’s hand, which had been taking notes on his tablet, stopped.
“Ah, that group was Spark?”
Unconsciously, Lee Soohoon put down his stylus. His attention was already directed to the people behind him.
“The group where the PD hit a member on the head with a sledgehammer.”
“…What?”
His classmates’ gazes turned to Lee Soohoon, who had swiveled around to look at them.
“Lee Soohoon, you’re interested in idols too?”
“Don’t lump Soohoon in with you guys. Our Soohoon only knows how to study.”
Lee Soohoon struggled to pull the conversation back before it strayed.
“That story about Spark and the power abuse, can I find it just by searching online?”
In his entire life, Lee Soohoon never had a reason to look up entertainment industry power abuse scandals. His classmates knew this about him well. Since he was a freshman, he had consistently shown no interest in anything other than studying.
“Probably? There were a ton of articles about it.”
The moment his classmate finished speaking, the professor opened the lecture hall door and walked in. Lee Soohoon put his phone away and sat up straight, facing forward.
A few minutes later, for the first time ever, Lee Soohoon tore his eyes away from the blackboard during a lecture and fiddled with his phone. His concentration had completely scattered, making it impossible to listen.
Fortunately, the member who had been abused by the PD was not his younger brother. However, this fact did not bring him complete relief.
‘He must have thought they’d make him quit being an idol if he told them at home.’
An unsafe work environment was a clear enough reason to break a contract. Lee Soohoon knew Lee Cheonghyeon was aware of this.
Why on earth did he have to be an idol, even while receiving this kind of treatment?
If he had just sat still and studied, he could have chosen from any of the universities that wanted him.
Failing that, if he had just gone from the arts middle school to an arts high school, he could have followed the elite track and played the piano he loved so much.
Searching for Spark on MeTube, Lee Soohoon found a familiar thumbnail.
It looked similar to the stage performance video that had made his father raise his voice in a great rage on the evening Lee Cheonghyeon had come home.
≫ 『IRREGULAR』at the 2X12XX Music Grand Festival – Spark Comment Compilation
Piercing through the pink and purple lights, six young men emerged, dressed in attire Lee Soohoon had never seen while walking the streets. For someone like him, who always wore a collared shirt underneath even a sweatshirt, it was a culture shock.
≫ 1:34 This part explains the song title in the most intuitive way
Along with a screenshot of the comment, his brother’s face filled the screen. For a long moment, Lee Soohoon had to ponder the connection to understand why that comment was attached to Lee Cheonghyeon’s face.
It was only after reading the other comments below the video that he realized it was a compliment about Lee Cheonghyeon’s visuals.
≫ ‘My love is as raw as ever’ This part really brings out Lee Cheonghyeon’s signature crisp delivery, so I keep coming back for it
≫ The way his gaze follows the camera until it pulls away, a total genius idol
‘There are a lot of compliments.’
Lee Soohoon didn’t know. That such videos were made to compile only positive comments.
Even if he had known, Lee Soohoon still would have been surprised. Because he had never once imagined that Lee Cheonghyeon would be praised as an idol.
As he was watching the strangely captivating video for the third time, his roommate came in. Seeing the rarely seen sight of a slouched Lee Soohoon, his roommate approached him.
“What’s with the idol video?”
“Just because.”
Lee Soohoon took off his headphones.
Watching Lee Soohoon turn off the screen, his roommate said.
“You have weird taste, Lee Soohoon. That’s some random stuff to watch.”
Lee Soohoon blinked. The roommate nonchalantly took off his jacket and organized his things.
“…It’s just an idol video.”
“You liked idols?”
“Not really.”
“At our age, you should graduate from that stuff. We’re not kids anymore.”
Before Lee Cheonghyeon had stormed out of the house, his mother had said the same thing. How long did he plan on doing something only little kids did.
And to that, Lee Cheonghyeon…
‘I don’t want to live like that!’
…was what he had said.
But, Cheonghyeon.
The people praising you are just figures on a screen with no real substance.
On the other hand, the criticism will fly directly to you and hit its mark. Just like now.
No matter how many good comments you get or how high your votes go, can those invisible things truly protect you? From things like power abuse or assault?
At the very least, if your value rose, if you gained an honor that no one could refute, then people wouldn’t dare treat you so carelessly.
And yet, you still want to take such a difficult path?
What on earth is the sense of achievement you can get from that?
For a long time, Lee Soohoon stared down at his dark phone in silence. Reflected on the black screen were his own two eyes, devoid of any warmth.
‘After something like that happened, weren’t you scared?’
In truth, this was what Lee Soohoon wanted to ask. To the younger brother whose phone number he didn’t even have.
* * *
On the day of the festival, Lee Soohoon impulsively bought some clothes at a nearby department store. It was because he remembered his younger brother, who had been kicked out with nothing but a single pouch.
On the day Lee Cheonghyeon had confronted his parents, Lee Soohoon had packed some clothes from his room to give him. But by then, Lee Cheonghyeon was already gone.
The process of buying clothes was quite difficult for Lee Soohoon. ‘He’s taller than me with broader shoulders, but his frame is a bit thinner.’ Lee Soohoon found it difficult to use such abstract expressions.
He had no answer to the question of what style his brother preferred. So, he searched for ‘Lee Cheonghyeon’ on his phone, showed the screen to the clerk, and said that he looked similar to this person, asking them to pick out a style that would suit him. The clerk gave him a strange look but still chose the clothes with care.
As he was leaving with a large shopping bag in each hand, Lee Soohoon noticed passersby carrying bread bags of the same design. After struggling with his phone in front of the department store for a bit, he found out that a branch of a famous bakery was nearby.
For the first time in his life, Lee Soohoon went to a so-called ‘hot spot.’ He then bought the bread he had heard of the most, the ones people were putting on their trays, and the one pictured on a poster, and left.
He wondered if he’d even be able to give him these. After all, he doubted they would let a regular student into an area where a celebrity was. Even more so if Lee Cheonghyeon didn’t want to see him.
Suddenly, his actions felt futile.
Then, Lee Soohoon’s gaze fell on the heavy shopping bags.
‘We won first place on a music show. We even won a rookie award. You always liked awards, didn’t you? Are you ashamed of this kind of award?’
“……”
Lee Soohoon hailed a taxi. He told the driver the name of the university and leaned back against the seat. The taxi sped toward the campus.
He made it to the preparation area behind the bustling stage.
There, he asked a staff member if he could see a representative from Spark. When he said he was family, a person who was the manager came out.
Since Lee Soohoon didn’t have a single photo with his brother, the only thing he could show for proof was his ID. The manager said he would check for a moment and went inside the tent.
A few minutes later.
Lee Cheonghyeon, his hair damp as if from sweat, appeared.
“Let’s talk in the car.”
With those words, Lee Cheonghyeon led the way. Lee Soohoon silently followed him. A new person, who must have been another manager, opened the car door and then stepped aside, leaving just Lee Soohoon and Lee Cheonghyeon alone inside the mid-sized car.
* * *
It was Lee Cheonghyeon who broke the silence.
“Are you angry that I mentioned you?”
“Mentioned me?”
At Lee Soohoon’s question, Lee Cheonghyeon’s expression hardened.
“Right. Of course you wouldn’t have seen our performance. I got ahead of myself.”
Lee Cheonghyeon scoffed sarcastically. Looking down at the floor of the car, Lee Soohoon said.
“I didn’t avoid it on purpose.”
“I know. You just have no interest in the first place.”
Every single one of Lee Cheonghyeon’s words was sharp. It was exactly the way their family spoke.
But Lee Cheonghyeon himself had rarely spoken this way. A bitter taste filled Lee Soohoon’s mouth.
“Just tell me why you’re here. The other members are tired, we have to go soon.”
Lee Cheonghyeon pointed to the car right next to them. Lee Soohoon’s eyes met with the other members, who were visible through a slightly open window. Lee Cheonghyeon had his back to them, seemingly unaware of what was happening behind him.
As the window rolled back up, a particularly sharp-featured, pale-skinned handsome man caught Lee Soohoon’s eye. Unlike the others, who had peeked before quickly ducking out of sight, he continued to watch the brothers’ car with a calm gaze.
Lee Soohoon sighed. Then, he held out the shopping bags he had brought to Lee Cheonghyeon.
“Take them.”
“What are they?”
Lee Cheonghyeon asked without taking the bags. It was a sign of his wariness.
“They’re clothes. I missed the performance because I was buying them.”
“Why would you buy me clothes?”
Because you were kicked out without a single change of clothes.
He didn’t bother saying the words out loud. Since Lee Cheonghyeon had always been excellent at reading between the lines.
As expected, Lee Cheonghyeon quickly understood the meaning behind the clothes.
However, it only made him more defensive.
“Why are you suddenly doing something so out of character? It’s not like you want to start getting along now, is it?”
What Lee Cheonghyeon said wasn’t wrong, not then and not now. Lee Soohoon quietly stared at his brother’s face—at the gaze full of nothing but hostility, and at his own indifferent eyes reflected in them.
Their gazes failed to meet, merely reflecting each other.