Chapter 97 : A Strange Yet Glamorous World of Adults
Chapter 97: A Strange Yet Glamorous World of Adults
The backstage had been reborn.
The creaky wooden door had been replaced with an arched iron one.
Instead of the smell of oil, the space was now filled with the pleasant scent of a diffuser. The cozy white and wood-toned interior felt more like a newly opened café than a music studio.
There wasn't even the usual new-house smell.
“Wow……”
Amidst the sparkling furniture,
six people were seated in a circle.
With simple homemade side dishes laid out before them, they looked as though they'd always been one team.
Having reunited after a long time, they were completely at ease. Not even the smallest exaggerations were spared.
Things like, we were incredible back then, or the whole world used to revolve around us...
It was a rare sight.
“Hyung, this is…”
“Shh!”
Unfamiliar names were heard.
Defunct music shows and forgotten singers were mentioned now and then.
There was no room for the younger folks to join in.
Beyond the lively chatter, one person stood out.
Jin Eunha.
A middle-aged woman who didn’t seem out of place even among the legendary group, Cheongseong...
Her hair had a pointy, untamed end, and her makeup was clumsy.
She had dressed up, albeit awkwardly, in a way that blended quietly anywhere.
She didn’t give the impression of being a band member.
Yet without ever picking up an instrument, she held a distinct presence among the members of Cheongseong.
This is…
Taeyoon thought this scene was like an old coming-of-age film.
“What have you been up to?”
“Me? I’m the ace of a strawberry farm these days. It’s been a while since I moved down to Gimhae.”
“Oh, right, didn’t you say your parents farm strawberries?”
“Jin Eunha farming? That’s such a mismatch.”
Now it was clear.
My mom had known the members of Cheongseong for a long time.
Not just an acquaintance, but someone close to them.
Between Cheongseong and Mom—
There was no obvious connection to be found.
She didn’t play any instruments. I’d never even seen her sing.
Why are they all talking about things we don’t know?!
Hyung and I, seated at the edge of the table, rolled our eyes in all directions, trying to piece together the context.
The best I could manage to say at that moment was:
“…I guess she wasn’t just the fan club president?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, look at her. Mom listens to UTAR’s songs and all. I just assumed that’s all it was.”
“Well, yeah, me too.”
Eunha, Jin Eunha.
It was definitely my mom’s name.
But hearing her name from someone else’s mouth felt so unfamiliar.
Because in my world, she was always just ‘Dongyoon’s mom’ or ‘Taeyoon’s mom.’
Hyung seemed to be feeling the same.
His eyes were wide open.
Not knowing where to look, he glanced at Mom, then at me, then at the Cheongseong members. His eyes darted around quickly.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“What is this situation?”
“I don’t know… I mean…”
To us, Mom was just Mom.
Just like any other mom.
She nagged, sometimes smacked us on the back, and when she cooked, she made enough to feed an army…
But right now—
Mom looked different.
“I don’t really get it either, but… I think our mom used to be kind of a big deal?”
Even someone clueless could sense it by now.
There was something going on here.
As I sat silently, trying to guess—
“Wait, hang on. So that means… Taeyoon is… Eunha’s son?”
Suddenly, all eyes turned to me.
With a smile, Mom began to introduce us.
“You already know Taeyoon. And this is my eldest son, Dongyoon. Reliable, isn’t he?”
“Whoa, wait a sec.”
The Cheongseong members took a closer look at us.
Snap—
Someone snapped their fingers.
It was Teacher Bang Gicheol.
“So you two ended up getting married after all?”
“Let’s see… Oh! Now that you mention it, the older one really does look like Jeongmin. I noticed him the moment he walked in.”
“Taeyoon’s got that soft look, but the older one’s handsome. Reliable. Seeing them together now, it all makes sense. He looks just like Seo Jeongmin, who used to work at Taeyang Planning. My goodness. What a small world.”
Seo Jeongmin. That’s my father’s name.
What is going on here?
At this point, I started to suspect—was I the only one who didn’t know?
I glanced at Hyung. He looked just as lost.
Good. At least I wasn’t alone.
I widened my eyes and asked,
“You know our dad too?”
Taeyang Planning.
It used to be a top-tier record company.
It’s now changed names, but anyone in music would know it.
“Of course, very well.”
“That’s wild.”
“No wonder I felt a connection to you from the start, Taeyoon. You’re Eunha’s son. If I’d known that, I would’ve treated you even better. I’d have fried up ten pork cutlets for you every time!”
You’re already treating me plenty well, sir.
Mr. Moon Jungbae shook my hand enthusiastically.
As if expressing his joy about Dad through me.
“How’s Jeongmin doing?”
“I’m not sure. You’ll have to ask the kids about that.”
“Huh?”
I thought the conversation would get a bit heavier.
Maybe this was how adults talked—sensing things without having to spell them out.
“These days, that kind of thing happens. But Eunha, you really raised your son well. Taeyoon... you know he does music, right?”
“I only found out today.”
“Huh? Today?”
The Cheongseong members began narrowing their eyes as they looked at me.
“You mean you didn’t say anything until now...”
Uh-oh, something felt off.
The atmosphere was turning scolding-like.
Weren’t they saying I was the baby of the group?
That anything I did was cute...?
As signs of reproach began to show, Mom stepped in to shield me from the Cheongseong members.
“That kind of thing happens. You all know about their dad.”
“Aigoo, we do.”
“He said he didn’t want to tell me because I might worry. Isn’t that sweet?”
It was like she was saying, ‘Only I get to scold my son.’
Mom gently held my hand.
Blinking slowly.
She didn’t say a word, but the message came through loud and clear—You’re doing great.
I felt reassured. Comforted.
“Knowing he’s your son, Eunha, everything suddenly makes sense.”
“Exactly. I was wondering where such a fine kid came from.”
“Eunha was amazing, remember the festival at Sinchon University? I still remember the crowd going wild just from her silhouette…”
Wait, I did know my mom and dad had gone to Sinchon University.
But something happened there?
My ears perked up automatically.
It felt like the mystery was finally about to unravel.
Just as Bang Gicheol-sensei was about to begin the story—
Mom changed the subject, as if she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet.
“Why do you keep bringing up the past? Don’t you know talking about ‘back in my day’ makes you unpopular with today’s kids?”
“Is that so?”
“Sure, it was special back then, but that’s not the case anymore. There are so many talented young people nowadays.”
I didn’t know the full story.
But I could make a small guess.
Mom had burned brightly once too.
It felt like I had caught a glimpse into the strange yet dazzling world of adults.
“By the way, have you heard from Bokhee?”
“No.”
“What about Seongryeol?”
“I heard he’s a director at an entertainment company now.”
Again, names I didn’t know were brought up. The adults’ memories wandered somewhere in the ’90s, tinged with both nostalgia and warmth.
They must have always been like this.
Gathering in places like Sinchon, making music together, sharing dreams, and laughing over the same stories time and again.
My heart swelled.
Even my mom, who always seemed so ordinary, had once lived like I do now—or like any young person—with stories of her own.
Before long, the topic circled back to the present.
“Isn’t strawberry farming tough?”
“I’m more like a supervisor than a worker. These days, we’ve got folks from Southeast Asia doing most of the work.”
“When did you learn to cook like that?”
“Wouldn’t it be weird if there was something I couldn’t do?”
It was fascinating.
That my mom—who raised two sons on her own without a husband—had such a deep past with the Cheongseong members.
And I found myself growing curious.
About what my mom and dad were like when they did music.
Because I couldn’t picture it at all now.
“…Even now, I still think about the past sometimes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Gicheol that shocked before.”
Still, I didn’t ask.
The more I heard about Mom and Cheongseong’s past, the heavier it felt—like there were deeper stories behind it.
Besides, I didn’t yet understand.
What it meant for memories to become cherished over time.
What mattered most was the future.
Whatever happened in the past, what truly counted was striving for a better tomorrow.
Wasn’t that what was really important?
So I chose to leave the past buried.
Because if the past could become fuel for the present—that would be something truly romantic.
Someday, when the time is right, I’ll understand.
That was how I tried to console myself.
“Phew, that was a great meal.”
“If you’re done eating, please hurry up and give us the tour.”
There was still the present, more important than the past.
Right here, right now…!
The transformation of Backstage.
The place we were sitting was like a lobby.
If even the lobby was this stylish, how much more amazing could the other rooms be?
This stunning space was our turning point.
As we cleared the table and tidied up for a moment, Hyung asked me,
“You came here often?”
“Pretty much.”
“By yourself? Whoa… That’s shady. Hey, hey, can we see Ham Doyoung-sensei play the guitar? Are there any instruments here? I have to see that.”
At home, he acted so grown-up.
But he was no exception—just another music geek.
He always pretended to be so polite in front of others, but now he couldn’t stop talking.
It was kind of funny, kind of endearing.
“You could’ve asked him yourself.”
“I couldn’t say a single word.”
“You’re the ace of Tomorrow Entertainment, aren’t you?”
“Ace, my ass. I’m way too nervous… How are you so calm?”
“I’m a guest member of UTAR. UTAR’s adorable youngest, DJ Seo Rabbit!”
“…Wow. Not even trying to hide it anymore, huh?”
“You already knew anyway, didn’t you?”
At this point, teasing and scolding would’ve been the normal response.
My hyung must’ve been really nervous.
Hoo—haa—
The way he was taking deep breaths made it obvious.
“You wanna see us play?”
Nod, nod.
Hyung nodded vigorously.
“I wish you could play with us too.”
“What? Are you serious? But… can I really? I feel like they’d laugh at me.”
“Don’t you still practice?”
“Well, yeah. But how could I possibly play guitar in front of Cheongseong? No way, I can’t do it.”
“So what?”
“I wanna see you DJ too.”
He looked like some burly mountain man.
Watching him awkwardly scratch his head for no reason… it made me feel all soft.
Whatever. If Hyung wanted to see it, I’d show him.
But… would the instruments be set up?
The moment we opened the practice room door—
“Ddalalalan-!”
Mom leapt forward, humming an unfamiliar tune.
…What is this song?
“Ddalalalalalan↗”
Even the Cheongseong members were singing along?
Wait—Hyung too?
It felt like the whole world was playing a prank on me.
“What is this song? Am I seriously the only one who doesn’t know it?”
Then Mom asked in surprise,
“Taeyoon, you really don’t know? Love House BGM? This is basically a national anthem!”
I seriously didn’t know.
Hyung asked in disbelief,
“Then what do you say in moments like this?”
“Du-dung—”
“Webflix?”
Nod, nod.
At my reaction, Hyung teased with a smug tone,
“Kids these days wouldn’t know.”
“As if you’re not a kid these days too.”
“I’m better than Taeyoon, at least. Ahem.”
“A seven-year age gap and this is what I get...”
Whether it was Love House or Webflix—
None of that mattered right now.
“Woooowwwww!”
The awe escaped me the moment I saw it.
It was even brighter and wider than I imagined.
The guitar, bass, drum set, and keyboard set up in the center—
Everything was perfectly arranged.
Not a single cable or effects pedal was out of place.
As soon as the door closed, the music from outside was cut off instantly.
It felt like standing alone on a quiet stage.
I found myself holding my breath, my footsteps instinctively softer.
“How is it?”
“It’s so beauti—huh?”
I hadn’t even had time to fully soak in the emotion.
Was it for real that everyone was already in place?
Mr. Moon Jungbae stood at the mic.
Mr. Kang Musong at the keyboard.
Mr. No Byeongcheon at the drums.
So far, all as expected.
But—
The person holding the guitar looked… off.
“Hyung, why are you there?”
“...Ah, I didn’t even realize.”
Mr. Ham Doyoung laughed heartily at the sight.
“You know how to play guitar?”
“Please, no need to be so formal with me!”
“Whoa now, you Seo brothers have some powerful voices. How long have you been playing guitar?”
“I love it!”
“How random. Let me see your hands. Whoa… with these calluses, looks like you’ve practiced even more than me!”
Watching Hyung and the teacher chat so naturally, I chuckled as I scanned the room.
Turntable—set up perfectly.
Knew it. I believed in you!
Grinning, I began walking toward the turntable when—
“…Huh?”
I froze on the spot at a scene I never could’ve imagined.
Why was the person holding the bass…
“…Mom?”
It wasn’t Mr. Bang Gicheol.
It was my mom.