Chapter 4

3. Award Ceremony

Xiaoming went to the address listed in the sales contract, and the house he found was much better than he had expected. It was a duplex office building with two bedrooms, and the space was quite large, sufficient for two people to live in. The first floor had a kitchen, living room, and bathroom, while the second floor had two bedrooms of similar size.

"Brother, what happened? How did you get such a house?"

"It just happened. Which room do you want? Do you want the room with a balcony?"

One of the rooms had a small balcony. It seemed suitable for Taewoo, who was growing several cacti.

"Brother, you choose first. I like any room."

"Then you take the room with the balcony. You'll need that room to put your pots."

"Brother, but am I moving too? I thought only you were going to live independently."

Taesoo's independence was a planned event. He had repeatedly said he would live independently upon entering university, so Taewoo was prepared for it. However, now Taesoo was talking as if Taewoo would naturally live with him.

"Since there's an extra room, it's fine. You can move out if you want, or you can come and go as you please."

"Got it. If I'm not around, you might starve to death, so I'll take care of you."

Taewoo smiled slightly at Taesoo, who turned his head awkwardly. They set a date for the move and went shopping.

They needed many things for the new house, and Taewoo also planned to buy a few new outfits for Taewoo, who had grown taller recently. He thought his luck with the lottery was bad, but it wasn't. While items like a hand mirror or a cookbook were useless, the real items were very satisfying. Especially the bankbook with 100 million won in it made him feel secure and proud every time he looked at it.

*

"Wow, there are so many people."

"Indeed. A lot of people come to see the Entertainment Awards."

"Brother, are you discriminating against the Entertainment Awards? Comedians are popular too, you know."

Taesoo had never attended the Entertainment Awards in his previous life. He had been an actor and had never appeared on variety shows except for movie promotions. Still, he recognized quite a few familiar faces from the entertainment industry. Of course, they wouldn't recognize him since it was all in the past.

"Ugh, I can't see anything with the people in front blocking the view."

"Huh? Oh."

"What? Why? Are you mocking me for being short, Brother?"

"No, you've really grown a lot."

Unlike Taesoo, who had already surpassed 180 cm by the third year of middle school, Taewoo was short. To Taesoo, Taewoo seemed to have grown a lot, but Taewoo himself felt it was still insufficient. He was still under 170 cm, but compared to being under 160 cm throughout middle school, he had grown a lot.

Unlike Taesoo, who was tall and had long limbs like his mother, Taewoo, who resembled his father, grew slowly. He grew gradually until he graduated from high school, but his growth stopped at 174 cm, far from the 187 cm Taesoo had reached and hoped would stop growing.

"It's Park Kyungjin. Oh, she's beautiful."

"Brother, take a picture. Take a picture."

Park Kyungjin, Taewoo's favorite comedian, was walking down the red carpet.

Seeing the comedian pass through the flash barrage and walk down the red carpet was a new experience. A few days ago, he himself had been in such a position, standing in the photoline with blinding flashes making it hard to see.

The cheers and applause of the fans and the cameras of various media broadcasting the scene had surrounded him. Now, he could only watch the people walking down the red carpet from outside the safety line.

The feeling of loss. It couldn't be easily defined by such a simple word. Once, he had been part of this world, even at the peak of it, but now he was nothing. It felt like he had been suddenly cast out from the group.

If it had been a film award ceremony, it might have been different. Probably not. It was fortunate that it was the Entertainment Awards. If he had seen a director or co-star he had worked with pretending not to recognize him, the sense of loss would have been even greater.

"Brother? Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"No, you've been quiet, and your face is pale. Your cold isn't fully gone yet. Do you want to go home?"

"I'm fine. Let's watch the award ceremony."

"Is that okay? Then let's go inside."

Taesoo raised his gloved hand to wipe his face, and the rough feeling of the wool brought him back to his senses. They passed through the crowded lobby and entered the entrance of the award ceremony venue. As they found their seat numbers, his thoughts kept returning to the past.

At film award ceremonies, he usually sat at the same table with the production crew and cast he had worked with. The seats were prepared right below the stage, where the cameras frequently caught them, so he had to stay tense throughout the ceremony.

"Yoo Ji-seok is hosting. Next to him is Yeon Ah from 'Lady of the House.'"

"She's beautiful."

"Brother, you always say all female entertainers are beautiful. Wow, our national treasure, Nuna, is really giving it her all today."

The celebrities in elegant dresses and tuxedos were seated in the front rows. The Entertainment Awards were clearly different from film award ceremonies. The cast of variety shows with children were seated with their kids, and there were also famous sports personalities turned broadcasters, such as a former national soccer player who was now an announcer.

"Ha ha ha ha."

The congratulatory performance was a cover of an idol stage by comedians. Despite their impressive dance skills, their heavy breathing and pained expressions made the audience laugh. It was a lively and enjoyable award ceremony with enthusiastic applause and responses.

Taewoo's favorite, Park Kyungjin, didn't win an award. Instead, a more experienced female comedian won the grand prize. She was a comedian who had been inactive for years due to controversy but had recently made a comeback and won the grand prize.

She had a rough appearance but a uniquely passionate work ethic. Although they had never met due to working in different fields, he had heard that she had faced many hardships, including a poor family background, a friend's suicide, and fraud by a talent agency. After overcoming all these challenges and making a comeback, she was the perfect fit for the spotlight.

'The place where the light shines.'

Whenever Taesoo saw the stage illuminated by the spotlight, he had always wanted to stand there. The 16 years he had dedicated to standing there were now just memories.

Despite being so exhausted that he had decided to retire, seeing the shining stage in the distance rekindled his motivation. He wanted to stand in that shining spot again. Watching the winners smile brightly under the bright lights brought back old memories.

The moment he decided to become an actor after seeing an actor win the grand prize at a film award ceremony. Registering for an acting school with the money he had saved for tuition. Auditioning for a talent agency and being cast as the lead in an independent film, practicing all night. These were memories he had forgotten but now remembered.

If he were to start acting again, he wouldn't follow the same path as before. The past was satisfying, but it was also exhausting. This time, he planned to take things slowly, enjoy life, and even fall in love. He wanted to correct the regrets he had and help those he couldn't help before.

*

The new year had arrived, but there was no sign of anyone at home. His mother had gone on a trip abroad, including the New Year's holiday. His father, as usual, had gone out without a word.

"Hello. What do you want to eat? Ribs?"

– Grilled ribs? Not stew?

"No, stew. Spicy rib stew."

– Got it.

Taewoo, who had gone to the market early in the morning, felt sorry for himself. He hadn't realized before, but it wasn't normal for a high school freshman to go to the market in the morning for his family. Taewoo was trying to mend the family relationship in his own way, but to Taesoo, it seemed futile.

Taesoo was determined to take Taewoo out of the house as soon as possible. The next week, his father's illegitimate child would be visiting, and there was no reason to face them.

"Even though the other one is a child, this one is my younger brother."

Only the children were hurt by the adults' affairs. They had to be observant, patient, and mature beyond their years.

"Brother, take this."

"What did you buy so much for just the two of us?"

"It was on sale."

Taewoo filled the refrigerator and cabinets with the items he had bought, and Taesoo announced it as if giving an order.

"The moving company will come tomorrow morning. Since we don't have many things, the estimate will be quick. We'll set the date as soon as possible. Sort out the things you want to take."

"We'll move after the graduation ceremony."

"Why leave the house empty? It's a bit early, but it's better to go early if we want to look around the nearby shops."

"Have you told Mom and Dad?"

"I texted them. They know."

He received a reply from his mother, but as usual, there was no response from his father.

'Come to think of it, it's more surprising that the whole family was home when the child came.'

He could understand his mother's feelings, but Taewoo didn't need to suffer.

'How could she have an affair with her friend and even bring the child? I wouldn't forgive it either.'

His mother, who refused to divorce, and the illegitimate child, who was being pointed at, were both pitiful. And Taewoo, caught between them, was also pitiful.

He wished his mother could divorce and live abroad as she wanted. His aunt in the U.S. had once invited the whole family, but his father had refused, citing his company. His mother had been unusually happy there.

She had even mentioned opening a coffee shop by the lake during dinner. If they sold their current apartment, it might be possible for his mother to live as she wished.

*

"Phew. The rainbow seeds haven't sprouted again. A 100-day crop. I must have planted them wrong."

Taesoo was trying to spend as much time in the garden as possible, but it wasn't enough to reach 100 days. The egg on the bed, which needed 10 days to hatch, was about to hatch. The timer on the egg showed about 14 hours left.

The cabin had changed significantly since he started entering it. It was now furnished with a sofa, rug, fireplace, rocking chair, coffee table, and tea set, making it a comfortable place to spend time.

"Shall I listen to some classical music today?"

He put a record on the antique phonograph and poured a cup of tea. Despite his terrible cooking skills, Taesoo was very good at making tea. He also enjoyed collecting teacups and had a variety of them on display.

"Ugh, it feels a bit heavier."

He wrapped the egg in a blanket and sat in a chair in front of the fireplace. Recently, after finishing his work in the field, Taesoo would hold the egg and read books. The store had many interesting books, including stories of heroes from other dimensions and a book similar to an encyclopedia of mysterious animals. Today, Taesoo planned to read a book called 'Basic Herbology.'

He bought this book after learning that the 'rainbow seeds' he got from the random box were very rare. The herbs that grow from 'rainbow seeds' are all rare and have good effects. Some can increase mana, and some are needed for resurrection spells.

He planted all 20 seeds in the bag. It had been almost 10 days, and he was anxious that they hadn't sprouted yet, but he was very excited to see what herbs would grow.

Recently, Taesoo was considering expanding the cabin. The cabin could be expanded to the basement and second floor, but it was currently impossible due to the low level of the garden.

He needed to plant more flowers and trees and add more decorations to raise the garden's level, but he hadn't decided on the direction yet.

"Is this bread tree really going to grow round bread?"

He found a unique sapling in the store. It was a tree that bore round bread the size of a palm. It cost 5,000 DP, which was extremely expensive compared to the 300 DP for an apple sapling. He was tempted to buy it because he was tired of eating only strawberries and apples in the cabin.

"I could plant this and have it in front of the cabin."

He had already learned cooking skills but hadn't cooked anything due to a lack of ingredients. The cabin had an oven, but it lacked proper cooking utensils, and the only cooking tool was a kettle for boiling water.

"Maybe it's better to draw from the random box."

Should I close my eyes and spend 5,000 DP? The items I got for 10,000 DP before were surprisingly useful.

The temptation to draw from the random box for the price of the bread tree was strong.

Fortunately, he wasn't completely unlucky. A chocolate cherry tree came out, compensating for all the losses.

The chocolate cherry tree bore chocolate fruits shaped like cherries. Although it wasn't the bread tree he had hoped for, he was very satisfied. The chocolate cherries had different flavors depending on their ripeness. Well-ripened chocolate cherries had a rich dark chocolate flavor. They were also expensive, making them a good source of income. They could be good gifts and had many uses.

Crack.

After harvesting the strawberries in the field and fertilizing them, it was almost time for the egg to hatch.

Crack.

A small cracking sound came from the egg.

He carefully held it up to the light of the fireplace, but as always, he couldn't see inside the egg.

Crack, crack.

The cracks on the egg's surface gradually became visible. A large crack appeared on the white egg. He was worried that something might go wrong, even though he knew the egg was fine. He was anxious about what to do if the egg didn't hatch properly.

The book said not to help the egg break the shell until it hatched on its own, but he read online that mothers sometimes help their exhausted chicks by breaking the shell for them. He felt a tense, heart-wrenching feeling, even though he wasn't the one who laid the egg.

Pop.

"Is that a paw?"

Instead of the yellow beak he had imagined, a paw covered in white fur emerged from the egg.

Pop, pop.

The egg split open, revealing a fluffy face. It was a white kitten with black stripes.

Meow!

The kitten's cry was high and thin, like a chick's. Taesoo carefully wiped the kitten with a warm, damp cloth he had prepared and wrapped it in a blanket, then rushed out of the cabin.

He had expected a bird to hatch and hadn't prepared anything for a kitten. He didn't even have milk, let alone a cushion for the kitten to lie on. He frantically searched the store.