Chapter 31

Reckless Genius Composer Returns - Chapter 31 (31/482)

"Aww, what a shame."

This was what Hyun-a muttered as we headed towards the parking lot at Incheon International Airport.

Given the sudden nature of our trip, it seemed she was quite disappointed that our one-night, two-day itinerary had come to an end.

"A trip isn't a trip without a bit of regret."

"But still…."

"Let's go on another trip soon."

As if to console her, I promised another trip, and Hyun-a's eyes immediately sparkled as she nodded.

Thud.

After confirming that my father and Hyun-a were in the car, I drove in a direction different from our usual route.

I was worried it might arouse suspicion, but...

Thanks to the fatigue from the trip, it wasn't long before the sound of her gentle breathing filled the car.

She must have fallen into a deep sleep.

As I drove, I pondered over the melody in my head, using the engine's hum as a beat.

"Brother, how much longer?"

Hyun-a, who had woken up, asked with half-open eyes.

"We're almost there."

"Huh? But where are we?"

Hyun-a suddenly looked around, puzzled by the unfamiliar scenery.

I had clearly said we were heading home...

Outside the window, a neighborhood I had never seen before came into view.

"Are we on the way home?"

In response to Hyun-a's question, Hyun-seung gave a vague answer.

"I'm not sure…."

I had planned this trip to surprise them with the new house we were moving into.

With the help of Manager Kim, we had secretly packed and even completed the move-in cleaning.

I couldn't reveal the truth before showing them, so I had to give a lukewarm response.

'Of course, it's a lease, but…'

It was a brand-new apartment in a prime location in Seoul.

Infrastructure, transportation, schools, security, and more...

It was a carefully selected home, chosen after much discussion with Manager Kim.

"Okay, you can get out now."

"Where are we?"

"Try waking up Father first."

At this, Hyun-a gently shook Father awake.

- Where are we?

Father, surprised by the unfamiliar surroundings, looked around...

- Father, this is our last destination.

Hyun-seung's answer made Father nod in confusion and cautiously follow.

Eventually.

As we reached the communal entrance of the parking lot, Hyun-seung naturally pulled out the resident card key from his pocket...

"Brother, is this an Airbnb or something?"

"Huh?"

"You said it was our last destination! Are we staying here for another day?"

Despite her continuous questions, Hyun-seung continued walking a few steps ahead without answering.

- The door is opening.

The elevator, carrying the whole family, began to ascend at a very fast speed...

Ding!

When the elevator door opened, Hyun-seung stepped out first.

"Come on, let's get out."

Hyun-seung took out the card key from his pocket and placed it on the door lock, and the door opened with a lively chime.

As Hyun-seung entered the house first and opened the inner door, he turned around to see the two of them hesitating at the door.

"Come on in."

Hyun-a, with teary eyes, cautiously spoke.

"Wow, Brother, it's amazing…."

"Amazing?"

"Like, really amazing…."

"Whatever."

Hyun-a and Father hesitantly looked around the house for a moment.

"Wow…."

Hyun-a licked her lips and continued.

"I want to live in a house like this someday…."

Then, she pulled Father by the hand to the living room window and said,

"Wow, the Han River is amazing…."

To this, Hyun-seung asked,

"Do you like the Han River?"

"Of course!"

"What exactly do you like about it?"

After a moment's thought, Hyun-a answered,

"Just looking at it makes me feel so open."

Hyun-seung, muttering "Is that so…," also began to gaze at the Han River outside the window.

Nowadays, people seem to be living as if their lives depend on that river, don't they?

Some even say their dream is to live in a house with a view of the Han River.

To Hyun-seung, it was just a river.

A river that has been flowing in one place for a very long time, mocking many people.

A river with no meaning, where tens of thousands of bodies might have been dumped.

At that moment.

Hyun-a, who was looking around the house, exclaimed again.

"Wow, the kitchen is huge! Let's go shopping and cook dinner later! I've never seen such a big kitchen!"

From the kitchen to the spacious bathroom...

"What, what! What kind of bathtub is this! I might drown in it! What kind of bathtub is this big? I should have bought some bath salts!"

And then to the bedroom.

"Huh?"

When Hyun-a entered the bedroom, she suddenly had a strange look on her face and came back to the living room.

"Brother, what is this?"

"What is it?"

"Why are... my workbooks and textbooks here?"

Before he could answer, Hyun-a started opening other doors.

"Look, this room has all of Father's clothes in boxes…."

She also opened another door.

"Here, it's set up like a composer's studio!"

Although all the furniture and appliances were new, we couldn't throw away the clothes and belongings we had been using, so we had to bring them all.

"Did you figure it out?"

Hyun-seung scratched the back of his head and said, as if giving up.

"You said you wanted to live in a house like this?"

"Huh?"

"Then, you can live here from now on."

He added,

"Let's live in a house like this."

At this, Hyun-a's eyes widened.

"My goodness…."

Hyun-a knew very well how successful her brother's songs had been.

Not only did they dominate the charts, but she had also felt it through community discussions and even on the streets of Japan.

"Are we really going to live here…?"

Hyun-a, with a bewildered look, explained the situation to Father.

- Dad, this is our new home!

Father, with the same expression, looked at Hyun-seung, who immediately explained in sign language.

- Father, this is the house where Hyun-a, I, and you will live from now on.

Father also seemed quite surprised.

Of course, it was understandable.

A shabby villa at the top of a slum.

A father who gave up his room to his children and slept in the living room of a 10-pyeong two-bedroom apartment.

Suddenly moving to a brand-new apartment in the heart of Seoul, large enough to run around in...

- We couldn't buy it outright due to the timing and funds, so we got it on a lease, but my goal is to write a few more hit songs this year and buy an even bigger house. We'll live here until then.

Hyun-seung's mature demeanor, having grown so much, left Father speechless.

- I'll earn the money, so don't worry, Father.

Although the copyright fees from Jung Ah-rin's song had not yet been settled...

The first settlement from the copyright fees of the previous Seo Ji-nee album had secured not only the house but also a substantial surplus.

- Hyun-seung...

It was clear that this was not an unrealistic goal.

Thinking about it.

In his previous life, he had never worried about money thanks to his composing.

- Father, how about the sofa? It's a gift from the manager who helped a lot with the move...

- It's very comfortable.

- He said it's a 100% genuine leather recliner sofa and asked me to keep the price a secret...

At this, Hyun-a tilted her head.

"Brother, there's a receipt here?"

"Huh?"

"Look, it's the sofa receipt."

Hyun-seung shook his head.

"Whatever…."

He then checked the receipt she handed him.

"He always has to show off…."

Although he said that, the high-end product was indeed very comfortable.

"Nice…."

Sitting on the sofa, it felt cozy and comfortable.

What had changed?

In his previous life, he had a lot of money too.

"Nice…."

An astronomical amount of money.

But what had changed?

What had changed to make the house feel so cozy?

What had changed to make it feel like this...

* * *

The next day.

"Composer! Put down your phone and try this!"

Jung Ah-rin, holding a plate full of desserts, came to Hyun-seung's studio.

"I don't eat it."

"It's really delicious!"

"Have it yourself."

Hyun-seung, taking his eyes off the phone, glanced at Jung Ah-rin.

"Don't you have a schedule? Aren't you busy?"

"I'm super busy!"

"Then why are you here? Go do your work."

Indeed, Jung Ah-rin was dealing with a schedule that could be described as brutal.

Her bright and cheerful personality had made her a regular on several variety shows...

She had even started hosting a radio program.

How to put it?

If you give someone a chance, they really do well, right?

Considering that seizing opportunities is also a skill...

Jung Ah-rin was a naturally talented entertainer.

Of course.

He couldn't say he 'won' against KOK.

If it came down to a win or loss, he lost.

But considering she was a female solo debut artist...

'She's a promising newcomer, at least.'

It was a satisfactory result.

"Today, I finally had a break in my schedule, so I bought this from a famous shop. If you try it, it might be a good addition to your diet."

"I don't really like sweet things."

"Come on, thanks to you, everything is going well, so I'll make an exception this time."

Jung Ah-rin happily took a big bite of the pie.

With a busy schedule, it was hard to have proper meals these days...

"Ah, right! Senior Seo Ji-nee, her recent showcase in Japan went really well, and the local reaction was amazing."

She kept talking while shoving desserts into her mouth.

"Her title track seems to have firmly established itself in the upper ranks of the Oricon charts. The song is really good. As expected, our composer! You're the best in the world!"

As Jung Ah-rin praised him with cream on her thumb, Hyun-seung, with a nonchalant "Really?" asked,

"Then, will you do me a favor?"

Jung Ah-rin, narrowing her eyes, asked,

"What kind of favor?"

"Is it asking me to be quiet?"

"It's not that."

"I'll do anything you ask!"

Hyun-seung, who had been living like he was alone in the world, was not someone who asked for favors.

"What is it? Is there something I can help with?"

Hyun-seung calmly answered,

"It's nothing much, but I keep getting rejected when I ask someone out on a date."

Jung Ah-rin, thinking she might have misheard, tilted her head and asked,

"Really?"

"I don't know how many times I've been rejected now."

Hyun-seung was looking at his phone with a serious face.

"Hmm…"

Jung Ah-rin, looking at Hyun-seung's face, thought.

He had a handsome appearance and outstanding abilities, but...

Didn't he have a clear flaw in his personality?

'Looks aren't everything, after all.'

She could guess why he was being rejected.

It wasn't the lines...

Did he need to work on his personality?

"Composer."

After a moment's thought, Jung Ah-rin asked carefully,

"What did you say when you asked her out?"

"I have a set line."

"Can I just choose one for you?"

"Sure, that's the idea."

"Tell me the lines, and I'll choose one!"

As Jung Ah-rin showed enthusiasm, Hyun-seung answered,

"First, I'll give you my weekend if you give me yours."

Jung Ah-rin, narrowing her eyes, asked,

"Are you serious? You're asking someone out with that line?"

"Is it that bad?"

"Yes! Absolutely! Next! What's the second line?"

Hyun-seung, scratching his head, answered,

"Second, do you want to go on a date with me or die with me?"

"Then I'll just die! What's the third one?"

"Third. Saturday, Gangnam Station Exit 5, 2 PM, kid."

"It sounds like a challenge, not a date!"

Hyun-seung replied,

"That's it, pick one of the three."

"Is that it?"

"Yep, which one do you think is the best?"

As the examples ended, Jung Ah-rin's expression turned to shock.

'They're all terrible.'

If he had really used those lines, he would have been rejected many times over.

"Are those the only options?"

Hyun-seung nodded and returned his gaze to his phone.

「Heart-throbbing, Sweet High School!」

On his phone screen, the mission window of a 'romance' game was displayed with flashy graphics.

After losing a lot of money in a game, he had lost interest in the island game he had been obsessed with.

He had stumbled upon 'Sweet High School!' and found it surprisingly engaging.

"Ha, is there at least one more normal option?"

"Sure."

"If you're going to set a concept, it's better to stick with it."

Jung Ah-rin reluctantly answered,

"Let's go with the first one."

As she suggested the least bad option and sighed,

"Ooh-?"

Hyun-seung, holding his phone, jumped up from his seat.

"Did you get a reply?"

"Yeah, she finally agreed."

He continued, sounding proud,

"Women do understand women's hearts."

"You seem very different from her, though."

"I was a bit hesitant about the first line, but it worked."

"It's not surprising. Her taste is really... unique."

Jung Ah-rin couldn't help but smile at Hyun-seung's unexpected success.

Of course...

There were layers of misunderstandings, but she felt a sense of pride.

More than that.

She was curious.

'Does Manager know about this?'

The composer, who seemed like he would bleed metal if pricked, asking someone out on a date!

Talking about love!

Such a fluffy word, and he's looking for love!

'I want to tell her right away!'

The misunderstanding was growing uncontrollably.