Into The Thrill

A person whose name and face were barely memorable knew Haewon’s recent activities with surprising accuracy. Words circulated, looping endlessly, spreading, and eventually even reaching someone as unremarkable as this. Taeshin’s death would be passed around in the same way. It would be carried along, pushed around, eventually fading, colliding, and finally disappearing. In the end, that was the extent of its worth.

The reason Haewon didn’t want to sit and drink with his former classmate wasn’t because he had no intention of mourning Taeshin. Rather, it was because he didn’t want to be put in a position where, just because he had been slightly closer to Taeshin than the others, he would have to defend him, make excuses for his death, or explain anything on his behalf.

"How much do you get paid for that? The album work. Do they give you running royalties? I heard you sold a hundred thousand copies. Must've been a huge hit."

"Just enough to live on."

"Come on, don’t be so tight-lipped. What’s the big secret?"

At that moment, the food arrived. A disposable bowl of yukgaejang, a plastic plate with dry slices of boiled pork that looked like they had been sitting out for a while, along with kimchi, rice cakes, and seasoned skate.

The man mixed his rice into the yukgaejang and swallowed it down like water. Haewon clutched his ankle, which was trying to slip out of his posture, pulling it back in. The man chewed loudly, stuffing his mouth, revealing grains of rice rolling around inside. It was enough to kill Haewon’s already nonexistent appetite. His brows creased slightly.

"By the way, they said Taeshin committed suicide? Do you know why? Or is it just that artists tend to be mentally complicated?"

"Maybe."

"Did he study art? Painting?"

He had studied sculpture. He hadn't shown much talent, nor much interest in it. He had chosen sculpture simply to graduate from a prestigious high school and a decent university. It was likely his parents' decision, not his own. For those with money, art was the easiest path—while for those without it, it was a nearly unattainable dream. The things Haewon did were merely a means of appearing cultured for the wealthy.

"Sculpture."