novelraw Chapter 326: The More You Look Up, The Higher It Gets
Chapter 326: The More You Look Up, The Higher It Gets
In the kitchen, Park Joowoo was on standby, wearing an apron.
Weren’t these guys supposed to have school today? I had to sit them both down in the living room and hold a hearing the moment the camera was turned off.
Leaving me in my confusion, Jeong Seongbin even pulled out a chair for me at the dining table. Feeling undeserving of the formal treatment, I fidgeted, not knowing what to do with myself as I sat down.
As Park Joowoo bustled about bringing over the dishes he’d been preparing, Jeong Seongbin kindly added an explanation.
“Today’s menu is a main dish made purely of steamed original grains, a bone marrow soup, a broth-based dish steeped with vegetables and fermented soybeans, and cooked meat. The meat is even more delicious when dipped in a purée of chili and soybeans.”
That’s just rice, bone broth soup, and doenjang stew. And ‘meat with chili and bean puree’ clearly means samgyeopsal with ssamjang.
Besides, isn’t this meal a bit too Korean for a ‘Young Master’? Where is this Young Master’s registered address, anyway?
“What about you guys? Aren’t you eating?”
“We servants do not dine with the Master.”
Jeong Seongbin said something terrifying. What a horrifying thing to say in a society where all people are equal.“Can’t we just eat together instead?”
I pleaded earnestly. Nobles steeped in class consciousness were doomed to a bad end. My personal color was 100% pure proletariat. I was not even the friend of the worker—I was the worker. This was so unfair.
When I appealed with all my heart, Jeong Seongbin smiled and replied.
“We anticipated you would say that, so we ate beforehand.”
“Seriously, why are you guys doing this…”
I was at a loss for words. All alone, between Park Joowoo, Jeong Seongbin, and the camera, I had to eat the lightly salted bone broth soup.
“What about Choi Jeho? Did he eat breakfast too?”
“Sebastian has gone to the training grounds to build his stamina in order to protect the Young Master.”
“You mean he went to the gym, right?”
Now that I was fully awake, I was able to understand Jeong Seongbin’s words to some extent. Jeong Seongbin nodded.
After the uncomfortable breakfast ended, Park Joowoo busily cleared the empty dishes. When I tried to at least do a pre-rinse, Park Joowoo stubbornly blocked me. He wouldn’t even hand me the rubber gloves.
“Young Master, just sit down and eat some fruit…”
“Joowoo, it seems you’re not fully in character, are you?”
Worldbuilding education failure. Park Joowoo, who clearly had no idea what his role even was, presented a rather well-peeled oriental melon with an innocent face.
“Seongbin, what role did you give Joowoo?”
“…The role of a witty, sharp-tongued comic relief chef.”
“The R&R is a bit lacking. That’s too difficult a role for a beginner.”
“I agree, it was a mistake.”
Jeong Seongbin tried his best to ignore his friend. Yet, his arm remained fixed in that ‘L’ shape. I had a strong premonition that today was going to be a long day.
* * *
Even the journey to the practice room was anything but ordinary. Jeong Seongbin’s performance showed no sign of ending.
“I have prepared a cashmere shawl so that your journey may not be uncomfortable.”
With a microfiber cashmere plaid blanket draped over my shoulders, listening to ‘meditation words to help calm the mind and body,’ I felt like I was losing my mind. Even though I was riding in a 21st-century carriage, it was the first time my commute had ever felt this long.
“Before you begin your physical training, we will provide a massage for your safety.”
“If the Young Master is set up to be that physically frail, shouldn’t he be resting instead of learning physical skills?”
“A wise point. Would you like to take a rest, then?”
“No.”
Jeong Seongbin remained unfazed by my rough tackle. He simply pointed politely at the floor with both hands as Park Joowoo quickly spread a blanket in the practice room.
I suddenly found myself in the position of lying face down in front of the camera, receiving a leg massage from my younger members. I was so embarrassed I thought I might pass out. I begged to be allowed to get up, but it was no use.
Why were they suddenly acting like this? There was no reason for it, unless they just wanted to mess with me. Like the scariest type of boss, the one who grills you while smiling…
‘Huh?’
A bad feeling hit me. Sensing that my body had tensed up, the hands of Seongbin and Joowoo, who were massaging my calves, stopped.
“Seongbin.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“…Don’t tell me I’ve filled up all three ‘patience’ slots?”
Jeong Seongbin only answered with a smile. If I had known the price for upsetting the leader would be this harsh, I would have lived a kinder life.
***
I, Kim Iwol, for the crime of upsetting Jeong Seongbin, became a young master by the name of February. K. Spark.
The Young Master’s duties were simple. Under the care of Butler Seongbin, I was to wake up later than usual, eat the meals prepared for me, receive massages, and basically, rest well.
“Did you not consider my mental discomfort as a factor in this recuperation?”
“I believe that if you get enough sleep, your mind will also be at ease.”
Jeong Seongbin didn’t lose a single word of the argument. He was like a reed that bends but never break. Whatever I said, the kid would deftly sidestep my protests and maintain his concept.
I commend his wisdom in using this for our self-produced content. Thanks to that, I couldn’t even argue back and had no choice but to play along.
“Young Master, excessive practice is poison. Let us take a short break.”
“Drink some water, Young Master…”
But are you guys really okay filming yourselves like this? Are you really fine with it?
Choi Jeho observed the situation from afar. He had come in a little while ago, saw Seongbin’s suit, and all he said was, “You’re seriously doing this?” It seemed Choi Jeho was also in on this cheeky plan.
“Young Master, are you alright?”
Jeong Seongbin waved a hand in front of my face.
“I’m not alright. My mood is foul.”
“I anticipated this, so I’ve summoned musicians.”
If you anticipated this, shouldn’t you have not done it in the first place? And who else are you summoning?
My bewilderment was short-lived as my gaze turned to the practice room door, which had been flung open. Choi Jeho and Park Joowoo were in the middle of carrying in a pile of things.
“You guys really planned this all out, huh?”
My words scattered into the air as no one listened to me. The two of them went in and out one more time, bringing in none other than… a standing microphone and parts of an electronic drum kit.
“For the Young Master who enjoys appreciating music, we have with great difficulty gathered the court musicians.”
“Are palace musicians even allowed to moonlight like this?”
“If it’s for Young Master’s healing, I’ll even try triple shifts…”
The court musician answered shyly.
Musician-nim, when you get home, you should definitely check your employment contract. See if there’s a non-compete clause.
The song Park Joowoo chose was RoseD’s 『46610』, which I had played at my birthday party.
Choi Jeho, the rookie drummer who had started learning at the beginning of the year, provided the accompaniment on the electronic drums. Since he had a great sense of rhythm, he was playing quite faithfully to the basics, even though it hadn’t been long since he’d picked up the sticks.
『What am I, this existence? I walk the same path as others, but I cannot fit in.
I am so small and insignificant, I won’t even be visible among the giant stars…』
Park Joowoo’s singing was, of course, flawless. It seemed he was telling the truth when he said it was a song by a band he liked; his pronunciation and pitch were perfect. His gently closed eyes drew the listener in even more.
『If you find me, please give me a name.
So that people can remember me.』
His undamaged throat produced a high note that sounded like a scraping metal string of an electric guitar. The veins on the hand gripping the microphone stood out.
『I want to remain, anywhere.
Please make a place for me to stay.』
The final verse and Choi Jeho’s drum solo decorated the end of the song. It was a performance that one couldn’t help but applaud.
“…How was it?”
Park Joowoo asked, wiping a bead of sweat from his chin. No matter how low his stamina was, he didn’t usually break a sweat from singing just one song. It meant he had poured that much energy into his singing.
“You’re not a court musician for nothing. Your skill is amazing.”
“It is an honor…”
Park Joowoo bowed his head. I pointed to Choi Jeho, who was sitting crookedly with a drumstick on his shoulder, and said.
“Is that man also a court musician? His attitude is quite poor.”
“That man is a street musician, Young Master.”
“I did as you asked, and I still get complaints.”
Choi Jeho grumbled at my and Seongbin’s conversation.
“No, I was moved. I don’t know how fortunate I am to be able to capture this for our content.”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t know you could play the full song.”
“Do you have any idea how much Park Joowoo stares at me on the days I go to the academy?”
In other words, he had practiced hard to meet Park Joowoo’s expectations.
“Jeho hyung, that was really amazing…”
Park Joowoo looked the happiest in the world. He was probably the biggest and most joyful chinchilla to ever exist.
***
The ‘Make Kim Iwol a Young Master’ content became even noisier when the student members arrived.
“Young Master Cheonghyeon, back from studying abroad, has arrived!”
Lee Cheonghyeon came in with that very line. I began to wonder just how long Jeong Seongbin had been preparing this content.
“I’m the Young Master, so if you’re a Young Master too, doesn’t that make us brothers?”
“I’ll give you a choice. First, we say you’re the son of a close neighboring noble. Second, I adopt you as my brother.”
“Seeing as there are nobles living in the neighborhood, the estate must not be very large.”
So, in the end, Lee Cheonghyeon became my younger brother. As Jeong Seongbin had more young masters to serve, Kang Kiyeon volunteered to be a servant.
The two young masters, the butler, the royal guard, the servant, and the head chef had to devote a long time to dance practice. No matter how noble the family, there was no escaping the demands of a promotion period.
Of course, there were intermittent moments of the butler’s intensive care.
“Young Master, please have a sip of water before you continue.”
“Would you like to take a short break?”
“Young Master, your posture is excellent!”
Thanks to this, the Young Master’s mental state was in tatters. I promised I would go to bed before 2 AM tonight, but it was no use.
But is this my fault? What am I supposed to do when practice ends late because the students arrive in the afternoon?
After that, I still have to write a reflection log and plan for tomorrow. I also have to do my skincare and think about the future. The earliest I can go to sleep is 2 AM!
“This is unfair. I’m going to report this.”
“Report what? Are you going to sue Seongbin hyung for worrying about you and taking care of your meals and blankets?”
“Haa…”
The corners of Kang Kiyeon’s lips twitched. That brat was clearly enjoying my misery. It was clear that both of them were getting a kick out of putting me in a difficult spot.