He decided to take a day off from his flyer distribution part-time job and called the manager. The date location was Migliore.
Migliore was the most popular place among teenagers. Especially at night, the 24-hour shopping mall’s signboard lights became even more dazzling, and it was attached to Doosan Tower and apm. That place, the mecca of youth and fashion, was undoubtedly the best stimulation for a second-year high school student.
The World Cup Round of 16 match had just started. Not Gwanghwamun, but here in Dongdaemun was also bustling with waves of Red Devils. Latin salsa-style songs by Baek Jiyoung and pop songs sung by Britney Spears flowed from the stage in front of Migliore. A dance club was performing sexy dances to the music.
The smell of cigarettes wafted from everywhere on the street. They had a Pump competition at the arcade, and Yeon Cheonguk lost. It was amazing how someone could jump around so well to Novasonic’s <Another Truth>.
While browsing clothes and hats inside Migliore, Yuyoung suddenly brought something up.
“You know that scary kid at your school. The one who controls the east side of Dongdaemun. It’s crazy these days, right?”
If even his girlfriend living in Eunpyeong-gu knew about it, he realized just how big of a deal it really was.
Various stories followed—that even the older girls in our neighborhood were terrified of him, that he does Muay Thai, and other miscellaneous tales.
Muay Thai? He didn’t know. That kind of thug was truly outside his interest.
Yeon Cheonguk’s interests were only money, singing practice, and popularity management. It was also last year that he lost his virginity with a noona he worked part-time with at Canmoa. Since he’d been so popular since middle school, he had to manage it well. What made Yeon Cheonguk the envy of male students his age was precisely that popularity and his ability to smoothly converse with women.
Anyway, for Yeon Cheonguk, who was trying to earn pocket money, graduate from school safely, and become a singer, someone like Hwang Jegu was a person outside his interest.
“I really hate being told to call him Your Majesty, but he’s not the type to bully someone first. Looking at how he’s never been suspended for bullying kids at the same school so far. The suspensions he got were probably for things that happened outside school. Like messing with unlicensed taxis or speeding on motorcycles.”
“Is he really on the same level as the third-years?”
“I don’t really know. I heard earlier he went to Myeongjin Technical High.”
Now having even forgotten the fact that he possessed his manga café membership card, he answered as if he were a complete third party. Yuyoung shook her head.
“Yikes… Scary! How did a kid like that end up in an academic high school? I guess his grades weren’t completely rock bottom.”
Right, somehow. If he managed to pass the academic high school lottery, he must not have completely bombed the test. As he was nodding his head, the main point emerged.
“So that’s why. My friend told me to be careful when going to Migliore today.”
“Careful? Why?”
“That technical high school oppa who got beat up by that Hwang Jegu kid is trying to get revenge and gathered all his friends. They say there are over 40 people….”
“……”
“They’re supposedly hiding with wooden clubs, split between here and Rodeo Street? Since they don’t know where he’ll show up. Isn’t that like total war?”
Yeon Cheonguk laughed indifferently.
“Wooden clubs, not steel pipes? Why not spread rumors about Japanese swords or meat cleavers?”
“Hahaha! Right, it’s probably just a rumor? Nothing will happen, right?”
“Nothing will. School was quiet too.”
Following the classic date course, they chatted away while looking around inside the complex shopping mall and then came outside. An amateur hip-hop performance had just ended on the plaza stage in front of the mall.
The MC was encouraging the audience, asking if there were any more friends who wanted to come up. Yuyoung pushed Yeon Cheonguk’s back.
“Cheonguk, you should sign up too! If you sign up now, they can call you right away!”
“No, it’s okay. It’s been a long time since I sang, so my vocal condition…”
“Over here! Over here! He’s going up!”
Thinking Yeon Cheonguk’s refusal was just a formality, Yuyoung jumped up and down toward the MC. In an instant, everyone’s attention poured in. It was a situation he couldn’t back out of anymore.
Eventually, Yeon Cheonguk went up on stage and grabbed the microphone the staff handed him.
“Now, the next student has come up on stage! Student, what’s your name?”
“Hello. Second year at Seolyun High School. My name is Yeon Cheonguk.”
More than a month had passed since the school trip talent show. It had been a long time since he properly sang a song.
He was nervous like someone standing on stage for the first time. With the pouring lights and the audience in front of him, for some reason, a lump of emotion welled up. Mixed feelings crossed over.
What broke through the life that had been growing numb to everything was defiance. He steadied his breathing with his jaw clenched.
He wanted to sing the most powerful song he could. Now that he had the microphone and was on stage, he wanted to pour everything out and cry out. So the song he chose was Kim Hyunsung’s <Heaven>. Although he asked to lower the key, it was still a difficult song to sing because of the continuous high notes and the pitch variations.
But he felt like he could do it. Because he was full of pent-up emotions he wanted to vomit out.
The accompaniment begins. Yeon Cheonguk forgets everything.
The song starts. Yeon Cheonguk becomes the heart of everyone listening to the song.
*Why did you only come now, were you as struggling as I was*
*You make me live twice, you are my life*
*Let’s take our love to a place farther than eternity*
*A world without tears, I’ll make you live only by my love*
*You and I, the place where we’ll be happy forever, Heaven*
“When did becoming a singer become your dream?”
The host, who stopped the enthusiastically pouring applause, threw out a question. Yeon Cheonguk breathed, calming down the storm of emotions that hadn’t yet subsided.
“Well, as for a dream… I’m just an ordinary student.”
“The person who came with you, is she perhaps?”
“My girlfriend.”
Loud cheers and envious jeers poured out.
He sees the girl blushing in front of the stage. She’s lovely. Her face shows she possesses the whole world, so happy to be dating a boyfriend with special talent.
How happy must she be. How her heart must be pounding.
Suddenly he envied her happiness. Looking at his own heart withering away in secret, Yeon Cheonguk blamed his gloomy home situation. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her. It was just that he wasn’t in a situation to like her…
As he came down the stairs, Yuyoung clasped her hands over his. Yeon Cheonguk had an intuition. The air excited by the World Cup match, the deepening summer night, the burning pulse. They weren’t going home like this. It was an atmosphere where he needed to take her somewhere. Should they go to Myeongdong Cathedral? Was there any secluded place in Dongdaemun…
They were walking straight down Myeongdong Boulevard and naturally turned into a quiet alley when a man suddenly cut in front of them.
“Hey, friend. You know Hwang Jegu, right?”
Yuyoung was startled and hid behind Yeon Cheonguk. The man, who was about a span shorter than Yeon Cheonguk, was obviously dressed like a shady high school student at first glance.
When he backed away with a guarded expression, the man urgently shoved his shoulder forward.
“Fuck, kid. When hyung asks you something, you need to answer. You’re from Seolyun High, right.”
“……”
“Yo, your singing was king-level amazing. Kid… are you gonna be on Music Bank later?”
So it wasn’t just a rumor that thugs were lying in wait to attack Hwang Jegu. Women’s information networks were truly incredible.
Was it a mistake to come to the mecca where teenagers gather? Was it wrong to open his mouth on stage?
Goosebumps rose at the gaze scanning Yeon Cheonguk up and down. A chill that made him forget it was summer settled at his fingertips and toes. He sensed something had gone wrong. With a girl attached to his side, he’d gotten into serious trouble.
“He’s such a famous friend that I do know of him. But we’re not close.”
“Is that so? How can I believe what you’re saying?”
“No, well… How many students would be close with Hwang Jegu. There are about 270 second-years total at our school. I’m just one of those 270 people.”
“Can you come here for a minute? Just a minute. There’s something I need you to confirm.”
Thugs who appeared to be in league with him appeared from behind, creeping up. The headcount had already increased to three.
“No. Sorry, but we’ll be going. We don’t have time.”
“Hey, just a minute! Really, just 5 minutes!”
Of course, he knew he shouldn’t listen to him. If he’d been alone, he would have run away with all his might! But running away together with his girlfriend was impossible. When he looked around to request help from others, they were already completely surrounded.
Yeon Cheonguk tightly gripped Yuyoung’s hand as she trembled with fear. He held his mind together firmly and looked around.
As rumored, they seemed to have steeled their resolve for revenge. They each held a wrench or bat in their hands, and when he counted heads, there were more than twenty people.
Behind them, three male students who appeared to be hostages were being held captive. Among them was Hwang Jegu’s friend he’d talked to in the 7th class classroom. They had already been beaten a few times—their eyes were swollen and bleeding from their noses.
“Hwang-je… Fuck, where the hell is he.”
The hulking brute who kicked each of the hostages once muttered. Yeon Cheonguk realized that bastard in the red jersey was the technical high school’s boss. Because his face was a mess.
He’d heard that Hwang Jegu had stormed into the school, found the guy’s classroom during class, and finished him off. Among the more than twenty people, the only beaten-up face was that one bastard, so the answer was obvious.
