Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 40: That’s Mine.

Even though Gaeul frantically hit her hands and even scratched with her nails, her father’s choking grip didn’t stop.

He seemed to have completely lost his sanity, mad with drunkenness and inferiority.

Unable to breathe for a long time, Gaeul felt beyond pain, as if her head were floating. She instinctively knew that she was reaching her limit.

In her fading consciousness, Gaeul thought.

‘…Taeyang Oppa. Will you be sad?’

Thud!

At that moment, a dull thud sound was heard, and her father’s grip loosened.

“…Haa. Haa.”

Gaeul, who had fallen away from his hands, breathed roughly. As oxygen was supplied to her lungs, she felt the stopped blood flow resume.

Gaeul’s blurred pupils returned to normal. And she faced the horror in front of her.

Gaeul’s father, Yoo Dae-cheol, was lying on the ground, bleeding from his head. The spilled blood splattered on the floor and on Gaeul’s hands. And Gahyeon, holding a folded dining table with his legs, was breathing heavily. Blood was dripping from the corner of the table.

It was a catastrophe.

Gaeul couldn’t handle the reality and lost consciousness.

The lawyer hired by TwoBear told Gaeul.

“The victim’s condition is very critical, so it won’t be easy. But I’ll try my best to lead it to self-defense.”

Gaeul couldn’t properly grasp those words.

It wasn’t just now. Since the incident, Gaeul had never been able to collect her thoughts properly. She felt like she had just been swept along by time to get here.

Still, Gaeul tried to gather her thoughts and spoke.

“…What will happen to Gahyeon?”

Gaeul hoped that Gahyeon would avoid serving a prison sentence.

The lawyer shook his head regretfully and said.

“It will probably be difficult. Right now, the judges are likely to not look favorably upon it.”

She was scared. She had a feeling that she might be separated from Gahyeon.

And shortly after, the trial began.

The judge looked down at Gahyeon and said.

“Do you regret your crime?”

“….”

After a brief silence, Gahyeon spoke with a resolute expression.

“I do not regret it.”

The lawyer sighed deeply. Even without the lawyer saying anything, Gaeul could easily understand that those words would work against Gahyeon.

But Gahyeon spoke confidently, as if he didn’t consider such disadvantages.

“I would do the same thing again in that situation.”

“…Gahyeon.”

Gaeul could understand Gahyeon speaking like that. That was the kind of kid he was.

That stubbornness and inflexibility that didn’t match his age was part of Gahyeon’s personality. Gaeul cherished that side of Gahyeon. Still, Gaeul wished that Gahyeon would bow his head just this once.

“…Sorry, Unnie.”

The verdict was given.

Gahyeon was sent to the juvenile detention center. She couldn’t prevent that result.

Her father still hadn’t regained consciousness after being hit on the head.

The family that Gaeul had tried so hard to protect had fallen apart so easily and quickly.

Gaeul walked aimlessly. She didn’t know where she was going; she just kept walking.

It wasn’t until she entered a building and got on an elevator that Gaeul realized. This was the place where her father was hospitalized.

Even after realizing it, Gaeul trudged forward. Even though she knew there was only her unconscious father there…

She passed through the wide hallway and entered a small corridor where private rooms were gathered. And she found Seon Taeyang sitting in front of a room, looking exhausted.

“…Taeyang Oppa?”

“…Gaeul!”

Taeyang got up delightedly and stood in front of Gaeul. His suit and shirt, which were always well-ironed, were soaked with sweat as if he had been running around for a long time. His always neat, pomade hair was also disheveled, creating a fringe.

“Are you okay? I was worried because I couldn’t reach you.”

He must have searched everywhere for her, running around to end up looking like that.

To Gaeul, Seon Taeyang seemed to shine so brightly.

That light was too bright—almost excessive for her.

Gaeul was convinced. Taeyang was too good to be tied to someone as poor and messy as her.

That’s why Gaeul spoke the words that suddenly came to her mind.

“…Team Leader Seon. I’m sorry. I don’t think I can be an idol.”

‘Is there anything else that would trouble Taeyang Oppa? Yes, the contract money. There was the contract money.’

“I’ll pay back the money no matter how long it takes.”

Gaeul resolved to pay back the money even if she had to take on four part-time jobs a day again.

Taeyang, as if the money didn’t matter at all, looked straight at her and said.

“Is there anything I can do to change your mind?”

His voice and his gaze were so warm.

“I want you to become an idol.”

Gaeul felt like tears were welling up and about to overflow. But she forced them down and spoke.

“I think it’s difficult. This is simply an emotional issue for me.”

This was true. Since the incident, Gaeul couldn’t sing.

“The thought of me smiling and singing in front of someone makes me feel repulsed. My hands shake, and my head gets dizzy a bit severely.”

Gaeul’s hands were still shaking as she spoke.

Taeyang gently patted Gaeul’s head and said.

“…I see. Then it can’t be helped. Let me know anytime if you need me.”

Leaving those words, Seon Taeyang disappeared.

In the hospital corridor alone, Gaeul quietly burst into the tears she had held back. And she quietly repeated the words she wanted to say.

“…Be happy, Taeyang Oppa.”

She never called Seon Taeyang again after that. Not even once.

A year passed.

Gaeul’s daily life had returned to how it was before she met Seon Taeyang. Working four part-time jobs a day, coming back home only late at night in a hamster wheel-like existence.

To make that life bearable, not painful, Gaeul numbed herself to not feel any emotions. A year had allowed that.

But it wasn’t that her life had no joy at all.

Gaeul watched AllTube on her budget smartphone on her way home from her part-time jobs.

It was a channel set up by TwoBear Entertainment, which she watched most frequently these days.

This was the only joy in her life after losing Gahyeon and her father.

The channel’s videos consisted of the daily lives, music videos, and original content of the girl group that Taeyang debuted.

Gaeul felt vicarious satisfaction watching that channel. She felt happy and relieved to see Taeyang succeed without someone like her. Gaeul supported Taeyang.

Sometimes, she imagined herself in the girl group in those videos. Whenever she did, Gaeul shook her head vigorously to forget the feelings that arose.

That was a path Gaeul had already passed. A path she could never return to.

The four members in the videos were all talented and charming. Gaeul liked them.

Except for one.

“Team Leader Seon. I told you I drink vanilla latte! Why can’t you remember my words every time? Change it!”

That Park Jina kid just couldn’t grow on her. She really didn’t like how she constantly snapped at Taeyang.

Taeyang didn’t deserve such treatment.

“No, you said you drink banana latte. Want me to play the recording?”

“Ew, you even recorded my voice? That’s kinda creepy.”

“…It’s because you change your words every time.”

If it was simply because she didn’t like Taeyang, it could be understood as a lack of professional attitude. But it was different.

Gaeul could tell. Park Jina was drawing Taeyang’s attention through such reactions. It felt very distasteful.

“I don’t care. I’m going to drink vanilla latte!”

Then Park Jina grabbed a cup off-screen and drank. Although it wasn’t shown on camera, Gaeul was sure it was the drink Taeyang was having.

She found herself biting her nails as she watched the video.

After the short skit, Park Jina, who was acting as the MC, began explaining the content.

Today’s content seemed to be about Park Jina singing cover songs. As she listed the cover songs, Park Jina cleared her throat once and started introducing the session.

“We have a special session for today’s cover songs. He’s not someone for big applause, so let’s welcome him with a small clap. It’s our Team Leader Seon!”

Seon Taeyang appeared on the screen, looking a bit embarrassed, and stood in front of the piano. Two steps behind, Taeyang held the piano, while Park Jina, holding the stand microphone, prepared to sing as the MC. It was a very familiar scene.

The moment she saw that scene, Gaeul felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Park Jina started singing to the soft piano melody played by Seon Taeyang. She glanced at Taeyang and sang as if she were enjoying it immensely.

An unbearable nausea swept over her. Even though Gaeul had skipped both breakfast and lunch and had nothing in her stomach, she threw up bile.

A few people on the same subway approached Gaeul to check on her.

“Are you okay, student?”

“Wait a moment. This girl is sweating too much. I’ll call the station staff.”

Even with the concerned eyes around her, Gaeul’s eyes were glued to the video on her smartphone.

In the accumulating melody, Park Jina and Seon Taeyang couldn’t hide their smiles, as if they were enjoying the moment immensely.

Ah…

Ah…

That situation.

That position.

That place next to him.

“…That’s mine.”

It should have been hers.

“…Hic, it’s mine.”

Even if she couldn’t sing, even if imagining going on stage made her body shake, even if she was judged unnecessary, she should have stayed, fighting with all her might or forcing her way. Gaeul would regret not doing so for the rest of her life.

It was only now, too late, that she realized her true feelings.

[‘Memory of Possibilities’ usage is complete!]