The Rap Star [EN]: Chapter 24

< Verse 2. Gotta Move >

Sanghyun’s anger didn’t subside easily.

He wondered where the patience and composure he had gained from doing business had disappeared to, as President Hong’s aggressive tone kept replaying in his mind.

Returning home, Sanghyun confirmed that Sangmi wasn’t there, locked himself in his room, and began writing lyrics.

‘I’ll create a better song than Lundy’s Town and prove it.’

However, Sanghyun couldn’t even start making the rap. It was because he couldn’t find a suitable beat.

Besides,

‘There’s no YouTube yet.’

It was something he realized for the first time. He vaguely thought he could find the Inst (instrumental) to use for the rap on YouTube, but in 2005, YouTube hadn’t officially launched yet.

‘Actually, I don’t know much about rap. But I know I have to do something.’

President Hong’s words came to mind. Sanghyun realized anew that he really wasn’t doing anything. Not even checking YouTube once.

Without a beat, he couldn’t write lyrics. No, he did manage to squeeze some out, but he only felt that it couldn’t be better than Lundy’s Town.

‘What’s wrong? Even without a beat, shouldn’t I be able to write something?’

Sanghyun knew that his thinking ability was that of a 38-year-old, not an 18-year-old, and he thought that if he put his mind to it, he could instantly produce great lyrics because he knew the lyrics of famous raps that would become hits in the future.

But it wasn’t the case. It was too difficult.

Rather, having a kind of prejudice about which raps became hits made writing lyrics even more difficult.

-Buzz.

A text message from Manager Oh Yeonju arrived on Sanghyun’s phone as he was squeezing out lyrics.

Sanghyun checked the message without much thought but was quite shocked.

-XX Pharmaceutical Company has gone bankrupt. Good thing you didn’t invest.

It was a short message, but the meaning it contained was significant.

‘Wasn’t that company supposed to merge with a public enterprise?’

No matter how much he searched his memory, XX Pharmaceutical Company had definitely merged with a public enterprise. In the past.

In the past. Or in the future?

Sanghyun felt confused. The merger of the pharmaceutical company and the public enterprise was something he had experienced in the past. But from the current point of view, it was a future event.

‘Is the butterfly effect already taking effect?’

Even if the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in California causes a hurricane in Texas [a metaphor for how small actions can have large consequences], what role could his actions have played in the pharmaceutical company’s bankruptcy?

Sanghyun gave up writing lyrics and pondered.

He thought that he should doubt everything he remembered from now on. Should he also withdraw the money he invested in the fund?

Suddenly, he thought that the lyrics he had been working on until just now were terrible. Lyrics with no style, no meaning, and no sincerity.

‘Can I succeed with music?’

What if the future music scene I knew changes?

One text message from Manager Oh Yeonju brought great anxiety to Sanghyun.

Trying to overcome his anxiety by forcing himself to write lyrics, Sanghyun fell asleep on his desk.

“Oppa! Oppa!”

“Ugh, my back…….”

Sanghyun woke up to Sangmi’s voice.

“Are you an old man? Why are you sleeping like that?”

He must have fallen asleep on his desk without realizing it.

“I just did……. What time is it?”

“It’s half-past ten. Eat. Oppa does the dishes.”

“Okay.”

Sanghyun barely ate his breakfast. He didn’t have much of an appetite.

“Why are you picking at your food like that?”

“I don’t have an appetite in the morning. What time did you come home yesterday?”

“Around nine. I didn’t know Oppa was home. You should have turned on the lights in the living room.”

“Didn’t I turn on the lights?”

Sanghyun laughed and slurped his soup.

“It’s delicious. When did you learn to cook?”

“What do you mean it’s delicious when you’re leaving all the rice?”

“I ate all the soup.”

Sangmi narrowed her eyes and sighed deeply.

“Oppa.”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have to pretend to be the head of the household so much. Oppa, go out and have fun too. You look so tired.”

“Huh? No, I’m okay?”

Sanghyun’s lack of energy had nothing to do with Sangmi, but that’s not how Sangmi saw it.

In the end, Sanghyun was forcibly kicked out of the house by Sangmi, who insisted that he go out and have fun today. Sanghyun shook his not-quite-dry hair and sent a protest text to Sangmi.

-Are you kicking me out so you can invite your boyfriend over?

-You just ate breakfast, and you already want to get cursed at?

-I’m going to barge in unannounced. Be nervous. Make sure you eat well.

No reply now.

Sanghyun thought Sangmi’s thoughtfulness was admirable. Of course, it wasn’t like Sanghyun was really struggling under the weight of being the head of the household.

The cause of the stress he was feeling was that the future he thought was certain had changed.

‘I decided to challenge an uncertain future in the hospital.’

Sanghyun’s resolution in the hospital room was still valid. The will to challenge rather than live the same life as in the past.

But why is he anxious?

Sanghyun forcibly shook off his thoughts.

It’s a Saturday off.

‘Should I contact Woocheol or Junhyung? Are they still asleep?’

Sanghyun’s phone buzzed as he was wondering how to spend his Saturday. The name ‘Shin Miju’ was on the phone screen.

“Hold this for a second.”

“Bring me that over there.”

“Ah, what are you doing? Why are you so slow?”

Sanghyun followed Miju as she roamed around the shopping district, repeating just one phrase in his mind.

No, we’re not that close, are we?!

Miju’s call was a call to come downtown because she had something important to do that she needed Sanghyun for. The thing Sanghyun had to do after arriving downtown was to be Miju’s porter.

“Excuse me.”

“Why? Are you hungry? Wait a minute. I’ll buy this first.”

“No, it’s not about being hungry……!”

“Which one do you think looks better? This one is better, right?”

He had felt it several times, but she was a very subjective woman.

Sanghyun, who had been grumbling, gave up on everything at some point and began to follow Miju with a comfortable mind.

When he thought about it, he had been running non-stop from college graduation to getting a job, quitting, starting a business, and struggling to prevent bankruptcy.

He couldn’t even remember the last time he had gone shopping on the street. It seemed like he didn’t have much time for himself other than making money.

He hadn’t proposed, but his fiancée, whom he had implicitly thought he would marry anyway, naturally broke up with him when his business failed. What is she doing now?

‘No, when I think about it, is she in sixth grade now? Oh my god.’

A five-year age difference wasn’t a big deal when he was 38, but it’s terrible now that he’s 18. 13 years old! An elementary school student!

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“Clang, clang.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

Sanghyun shook his head.

“Let’s go eat.”

“Just a moment. There’s something I want to buy too.”

Sanghyun went into the store and bought a fairly expensive bracelet.

“Are you going to give it to me?”

“Am I crazy?”

“You little thing, being rude to your noona [older sister or female friend]……!”

Sanghyun put the wrapped bracelet in his bag as if he was dumbfounded.

“Then who are you giving it to?”

“I’m going to give it to my younger sister.”

“You’re lying! In my 22 years of life, I’ve never seen an older brother buying a gift for his younger sister on the street once!”

“Anyway, it’s not for you, so mind your own business.”

It was a gift for Sangmi.

“Rude to your noona, calling me ‘that person.’ When I think about it, you haven’t been using the word ‘noona’ much since last time, have you?”

“……Let’s eat. You said you were going to buy me food?”

Even if he’s adapting to being 18 years old, the word ‘noona’ doesn’t come out easily to someone as young(?) as Miju.

Miju said she would treat him to a big meal since she received her part-time job pay and took Sanghyun to a snack bar.

“By the way, is the important thing being a porter?”

“Of course not. This is just something we’re doing on the side since we have time. There’s something else you need to do.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll know if you follow me.”

Sanghyun and Miju had a hearty meal of *lettuce twigim* [lettuce fritters], *tteokbokki* [spicy rice cakes], and glass noodle spring rolls before heading back downtown. They also showed their wisdom by leaving the many bags at the karaoke counter where a friend worked.

“Let’s go.”

Sanghyun was led by Miju to a park on the outskirts of downtown. At the park named Geumnamno Park, an event hosted by Gwangju City Hall was taking place.

< Verse 2. Gotta Move > End

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