Chapter 12: Fate?

"Alright, we're still high schoolers, so no alcohol, but how about a toast with soft drinks!"

Intae cheered spiritedly.

The kids, more than ten of them, who had come to a pork belly restaurant near the Seong-su-dong practice room, included not only band members but also fan club members who wanted to spend even a little more time together. Seeing them tagging along, Intae was briefly taken aback, but with the mindset of 'if we're doing it, let's do it properly,' he smiled and suggested having pork belly.

Watching the pork belly sizzling on the grill, Intae poured himself a shot of soju. Raising his glass, as Intae lifted his drink, the kids, in a rush, raised their cola glasses in a toast. After downing a shot of strong soju, Intae glanced at the girls surrounding Geon. While the band members sat in one corner, girls, including Ju-hee, had formed a barricade around Geon.

"Geon-nim, try this. Oh, this is supposed to be really good for guys. Hehe."

"Geon-nim, should I get more cola for you? Or would you prefer Fanta?"

Seeing the girls hovering around Geon, either making wraps for him or holding trays, Intae chuckled and said, "Everyone's crowding around Geon, huh?"

"Wow, indeed, whether it's a guy or a girl, looks matter. That little bro of mine really looks amazing," Intae said, laughing heartily, looking at Geon.

"Hyung, aren't you spending too much money because of us? There are over ten of us, it might be a burden..."

Intae picked up a piece of pork belly without dipping it in the sauce and spoke.

"This hyung may seem like a small business owner here, but well, even if I don't earn big money, I can at least eat and live. Don't worry and eat plenty."

The kids exclaimed "Wow!" and voraciously dug in.

After devouring pork belly and cold noodles, the kids, holding their full stomachs, moved around, started chatting in groups of three or five. Seizing the opportunity when Geon's side was empty, Intae moved to sit beside him.

"Your name is Geon, right? Have you received vocal training? Who taught you?"

As soon as Intae sat down, it wasn't Geon but Joo-yong who answered his rapid-fire questions.

"Hyung, Geon hasn't had that kind of training. He's more into studying. Actually, he's a genius at it; he's always first in the class and recently ranked in the top 100 nationwide in a mock exam."

Raising his eyebrows, Intae asked, "Top 100 nationwide? Ah... no, that's not the issue. You mean he hasn't learned to sing? Is that true?"

Geon nodded in affirmation.

"Yes, hyung. I haven't had any formal training. If I had to name someone I learned from, it would be every person who makes music. I just liked listening to music since I was young, listened to a lot of musicians' songs."

Intae asked with an astonished expression, "Wait, so you produced that vocal tone without any training? I heard it outside the practice room, and it was nearly perfect. Are you some kind of prodigy?"

Geon chuckled and modestly shook his head.

"Oh, no, I'm not a prodigy. You heard it outside the practice room, that's all. It's just not up to par beyond kids' level."

Observing Geon's humble demeanor, Intae nodded.

"Geon, you're wasting your talent. You're good at studying, right? Does your family live comfortably?"

Responding to Intae's question while sipping cola, Joo-yong said, "I heard they used to live in the Gwangjang-dong apartments, maybe middle-class, but I heard it's not so good now."

Suddenly interrupting Joo-yong, Intae glanced at Geon and said, "How about you? Want to try part-time work?"

Geon smiled awkwardly and replied, "Part-time? Like singing at a cafe or something? I'm not really into that... it's embarrassing."

Shaking his head, Intae said, "No, I have a friend who produces music for broadcasting, like drama OSTs. Usually, there are about six insert songs in one drama, aside from the main theme, and many newcomers get opportunities for those. With your talent, you could earn about 500,000 won per song. Recording takes just a day, how about it?"

Wide-eyed, Geon exclaimed, "500,000 won per day? That much?"

Laughing, Intae said, "Yeah, those singers who sing drama main themes get over 10 million won per song. If you become famous, it's totally doable."

Geon's allowance was around 50,000 won per month, significantly less compared to his friends. He hadn't thought much about it because many kids around him were living on meager amounts. But the idea of earning his monthly allowance in a day piqued his interest.

Seeing Geon contemplating, Joo-yong strummed his guitar and said, "Hyung, do you happen to need a guitarist for a session?"

Chuckling at Joo-yong, Intae said, "Hey, with your skills, what part-time job are you talking about? Practice more."

Laughing and chatting away, Intae turned to Geon again and asked, "So, what do you say? Willing to give it a shot?"

Nodding decisively, Geon said, "I'll give it my best, hyung. Thank you."

"Great! Strike while the iron is hot, let's make that call right away."