Chapter 183 : The Son of Ulsan, Seo Taeyoon
Chapter 183: The Son of Ulsan, Seo Taeyoon
‘What… was that guy?’
Hero Park blankly stared at the spot where Taeyoon had disappeared.
How should he describe it?
It felt similar to the emotion a rich male lead feels when he meets a heroine who ignores him for the first time in his life.
“You’re the first person who’s ever treated me like this.”
There had never been a character like this before!
How dare someone treat me, Hero Park, like that?
It had been the same when he arrived at the stage.
His manager had pushed through the sand and asked them to immediately stop that talent show and let him go up on stage.
But they said—
“Can’t you see the atmosphere right now? It’s amazing! Hero Park, you’re the star of this festival, so please close it out with a spectacular performance!”
At the time it sounded like praise, but thinking about it now…
“You’re clueless, aren’t you?”
That must have been what they meant.
Looking at the back of the guy walking farther and farther away, he muttered shortly,
“Cute.”
There are two kinds of people in the world.
People who like him, and people who will eventually like him.
But today, he met a third type.
Someone who didn’t care about him at all.
With that level of provocation, he could have gotten angry.
Yet the guy had simply walked away coolly, minding his own business.
That only made him curious.
And that performance earlier too.
‘Why do I want to see it again?’
Of course he knew Blackhole had become a sudden star thanks to the Orbit Advertisement.
But so what?
He had no interest in DJs, and they weren’t competitors.
Trot and DJing were completely different genres.
You had to understand something before you could like it, and he always thought trends were just trends.
But today—
‘…DJing is damn cool.’
He realized knowing something and liking something were completely different things.
The way the rhythm was split apart and instrument tones were manipulated freely—
It felt as if the performer was connected to the audience through invisible strings.
‘Is that what real music looks like?’
For the first time in his life, Hero Park felt uncomfortable emotions.
He couldn’t yet tell whether it was jealousy or admiration.
That was why he wanted to meet him in person.
He quickly called his manager.
“Hyung.”
“Hm?”
“Let me meet Blackhole again.”
“…Why?”
The manager became nervous!
The guy was already unpredictable enough.
There was no good outcome from provoking a successful DJ for no reason.
In the past, Hero Park had asked to meet people out of curiosity, only to end up causing awkward scenes several times.
If it happened again, he’d really be buried alive this time.
Just thinking about all the effort he had spent suppressing scandalous articles still made his knees ache.
Perhaps noticing the look in his manager’s eyes, Hero Park smirked.
“I’m just purely curious.”
What? Purely? Purelyyyyy?
Did Hero Park even have such a word in his dictionary?
Looking at the suspicious manager, he pleaded with an oddly fascinated expression.
“Just once. Let me meet him just once. After that I’ll handle the rest.”
Even showing obsession now…
The manager eventually sighed deeply and nodded.
“Alright. I’ll look into it. But please, this time don’t cause trouble. I really can’t shield you anymore.”
Hero Park simply replied with a meaningful smile.
---
The next morning, in front of Ulsan Station.
Seo Jeongmin hid his true feelings behind typical fatherly nagging.
“Taeyoon. Take care of your health. Don’t overwork yourself. Eat properly. If something happens, call me. Even if you’re a man, walking alone at night is dangerous, so don’t stay out too late. And…”
“Do you still have more to say?”
Even at Taeyoon’s playful question, his father didn’t stop.
“I’m not worried about drinking or smoking since you don’t do those. You’re old enough now, so meeting a girlfriend would be good. Dress neatly when you go out. Especially your shoes—clean shoes make you look proper. Get haircuts regularly. Call your mom often. And…”
Seo Jeongmin had mountains of things he wanted to say.
But the true feelings deep in his heart never came out.
Maybe what he truly wanted to say was this.
My sons are the pride of my life.
You achieved the dreams I couldn’t.
Thank you for growing up so well.
And…
I’m sorry.
But in the end, Seo Jeongmin only patted Taeyoon on the shoulder and exchanged an awkward glance with Dongyoon.
The brothers could only vaguely guess their father’s unspoken affection through that rough gesture.
About ten minutes remained before the train arrived.
“Wait here a moment.”
Seo Jeongmin suddenly ran somewhere.
He soon returned, breathing heavily, holding a black plastic bag.
“Huff… take this quickly.”
Taeyoon took the bag and looked inside.
“Ah…”
Two cans of cider and several eggs.
“Share them well. Don’t fight.”
“Come on, we’re not kids.”
It was their father’s clumsy way of expressing love.
For someone who struggled to express himself with words,
Cider and eggs were his shy farewell to his son.
While Taeyoon and Seo Jeongmin stood awkwardly,
Dongyoon checked the time and urged them.
“Let’s go. It’s time.”
“Dad, I’ll come visit again.”
“Take care of your health too.”
Dongyoon and Taeyoon slowly began walking away.
Seo Jeongmin gazed wistfully at the backs of his sons heading toward the platform.
Then—
“Dad.”
Suddenly Taeyoon ran back toward him.
With the same eyes he had when he was seven years old, seeing his father off at Seoul Station.
The son who had grown so much stood before him again in the blink of an eye.
Seo Jeongmin looked up at him.
“You’ll be late. Go quickly.”
“Dad…”
If not now, then never.
Taeyoon clenched his fist tightly.
Someone once said—
The heart is like the ocean’s waves. If you don’t release it outward, it becomes a lifelong quiet regret.
“Thank you for believing in me. And… I missed you every day.”
His voice was calm and low, but filled with deep sincerity.
Seo Jeongmin struggled to suppress the emotion rising in his chest and patted his son’s shoulder again.
Taeyoon pressed his lips together, then opened them.
After hesitating for a moment, he shut his eyes tight and poured out everything he had held back.
“Mom worries about you a lot and wonders how you’re doing. I bought a house in Bundang. The neighborhood where we used to live. Someday… I want the four of us to sit together again and eat the food Mom cooks. Like before.”
Then he hurried away shyly toward the platform.
“Heh, that kid.”
Seo Jeongmin smiled faintly as he watched his son run away.
Bundang. A dinner table with all four family members.
That simple memory felt painfully nostalgic today.
---
That evening.
“Oh.”
Maybe the train ride had made me tired.
After waking up from a nap, it was already dark outside.
“Hm?”
My phone was full of messages.
The culprit was CEO Kim Minsoo.
I slowly read through them.
[CEO Kim Minsoo: Are you sleeping?]
[CEO Kim Minsoo: Haven’t you come back from Ulsan yet?]
[CEO Kim Minsoo: How can you sleep right now?]
[CEO Kim Minsoo: What on earth happened? I almost fainted watching the Ulsan EDM Festival.]
Gasp. The Ulsan EDM Festival!
The moment I saw those words, I jumped up.
A sudden uneasy thought crossed my mind.
Both Blackhole and Stay were officially contracted with KIM Entertainment.
Did I need permission to participate in a small festival talent show like that?
If that were the case, my older brother would’ve stopped me.
Just as I was thinking that—
[CEO Kim Minsoo: Well done! Great job! Proud of you, Blackhole! You got first place so it’s fineㅋㅋㅋ I love seeing you enjoy yourself anywhere!]
Along with a barrage of praise, he sent a link.
A performance review?
I had already read most reviews on the train.
Thinking that, I opened the link.
“Whoa…”
It was even better than a performance review.
The soldier friends I gave the first-place prize to.
They had actually bought beef and posted proof on social media!
[ (Proof) Blackhole hyung is awesome!!! ]
The Ulsan EDM Festival was such a fun and meaningful experience. Especially Blackhole hyung’s performance—it was the best. And the prize voucher he gave us was even better…
Thanks to him, we made great memories together.
Blackhole! Godhole! Thanks to you we had a beef feast and are heading back to base happily! Someday we’ll come watch your performance in Ilsan.
(Photo)
This is a secret, but… Blackhole hyung is super handsomeㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
↳ What’s that supposed to mean ㄷㄷ
↳ Blackhole won first place at the festival and gave it to the soldier guys.
↳↳ Soldiers deserve it.
↳ Blackhole… the more you dig, the more good stories appear…
↳ But is that last part true? Handsome? Hmm.
↳↳ Probably not. If someone buys you good food, they automatically look cool and handsomeㅋㅋㅋㅋ
↳ (Top comment) I’m a staff member who worked on the festival planning. Thank you for a performance even more impressive than the final trot stage. You saved our reputation. I hope we can invite you officially next year!
I rubbed my nose with my finger.
It felt nice, but embarrassing.
It wasn’t even that big of a deal.
Ever since finishing military service, I’ve had a soft spot whenever I see soldiers in uniform.
Unable to suppress my smile, I put my phone down.
After eating boiled eggs on the train, I couldn’t remember eating anything else properly.
“Hyung, what are you doing?”
I stepped into the living room, but the apartment was quiet.
What? It’s Sunday today.
There was no sign of anyone in the room or kitchen.
Instead, a note on the table caught my eye.
[ Went to the company for a bit. Eat some cereal or something. ]
I opened the refrigerator.
It looked like an apocalypse.
Both my older brother and I had been so busy lately that the fridge was completely empty.
I almost opened a delivery app, but instead I washed up and got dressed.
“Someone should be at KIM Entertainment anyway.”
In the evening as Seoul’s lights slowly came alive between long shadows,
I took a bus to KIM Entertainment.
The one night and two days I spent with Dad and my older brother.
The seaside drive and beach festival felt like a dream.
Listening to music with my AirPods,
I returned to ordinary daily life.
---
“Oh? I thought you’d come tomorrow.”
The moment I entered the CEO’s office,
Kim Minsoo stood up with a welcoming smile.
“I was hungry.”
“Right. Meals should be paid for with company money. What do you want to eat?”
“Anything’s fine.”
“Ah, before that, I need to ask something.”
Kim Minsoo raised his head and asked,
“Do you know Hero Park? Did something happen?”
“No?”
“Then why does he want to meet you? Did you meet him at the festival?”
I recalled that day.
What? Is he trying to argue over something so trivial?
“Yes, we did meet.”
“He’s making a fuss asking to meet you just once.”
“Why?”
“Who knows.”
Either way, he wasn’t someone I wanted to see again.
“Tell him to look somewhere else.”
Kim Minsoo burst out laughing.
“Something definitely happened. Our gentle Taeyoon wouldn’t say something like that otherwise.”
“It didn’t happen to me—it happened to the audience. He came ridiculously late to the performance. I seriously hate people who can’t keep promises.”
“Okay, confirmed. Immediate rejection!”
After I sat down, Kim Minsoo turned back to his monitor.
“Wait a second. Let me send this email first.”
Was our CEO always this hardworking?
Click—click—
It felt strange seeing him focused on work without even playing music.
Looking at him like this, he really looked like a CEO.
The quiet office was filled only with the sound of the keyboard and mouse.
I browsed the figurines on a shelf while waiting for him to finish.
Thud!
He hit the Enter key loudly.
“Done! Nice!”
Kim Minsoo jumped up energetically and called me.
“Taeyoon.”
“Yes?”
“Congratulations.”
“…For what?”
I tried to act calm…
But my heart suddenly started racing.
“What is it?”
“This kid. You really can’t hide your expressions. Alright, drumroll.”
He mimicked beating a drum for a moment, then raised his hand.
“You’ve been selected as Ulsan’s promotional ambassador.”
“Huh?”
Ulsan’s promotional ambassador?
…Me?
“I only worked hard in a talent show. Why would I be an ambassador?”
“The Ulsan Festival organizer and the mayor are both grateful to you. They said it generated more articles and social media hashtags than any local festival they’ve ever held.”
“Oh…”
I see.
I just joined for fun, but good things are good things.
“We’ll have a meeting after the LA schedule. Neither of us has time before that.”
“…They won’t cancel the appointment before then, right?”
“You worry about that?”
“It’s not that… it might look like I’m playing hard to get.”
“This kid.”
Kim Minsoo walked over and spoke reassuringly.
“The decision’s already final. The press release will come after the meeting. Wow. The son of Ulsan, Seo Taeyoon! …Wait, aren’t you from Seoul?”
I was born in Seoul.
But my family registry was in Ulsan.
So technically… I guess I’m from Ulsan?
I wasn’t sure.
When I explained that, Kim Minsoo tilted his head.
He even jokingly accused me of secretly investigating my background.
“Maybe my older brother told you?”
“Ah, smart kid. Let’s go celebrate. Gibong and Junhyun are coming too.”
We ended the day with good meat, expensive drinks,
And a joyful party with precious people.
It was two days before leaving for LA.
---
After arriving in LA,
We spent several days sightseeing.
CEO Kim Minsoo had opened the company wallet wide.
We visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame and saw the night view from Griffith Observatory.
“It feels like we came here to travel, not work.”
“That’s how it is. You enjoy things on the company’s budget. Aren’t you tired though?”
“No. I stay up all night anyway, so jet lag doesn’t affect me much.”
“That’s thanks to first class.”
“Ah, I see.”
Disneyland, Universal Studios, the Natural History Museum…
After visiting everywhere we could,
We finally arrived at the studio of Aether Sound.
It was a standalone building in central LA.
Near Melrose.
From the outside it looked like an art gallery.
Both the interior and exterior had sleek black designs.
As I looked around in admiration,
Someone spoke to me.
“Mr. Blackhole?”
He didn’t introduce himself, but I recognized him instantly.
The owner of Aether Sound’s channel.
DJ Koda.
“Yes. Hello.”
“Gasp!”
Koda suddenly looked shocked and muttered awkwardly.
By the way, I don’t speak English.
Thankfully, an experienced interpreter who was also a friend of Kim Minsoo translated for us.
According to the translation, Koda had said:
“Would you mind wearing a mask during the broadcast?”
Just as I was wondering how to answer,
Koda shyly continued.
“Otherwise I’ll have to tell the PD not to capture us in the same angle. This feels unfair.”
Then Jacob Montero walked over and nudged him with his elbow.
“What are you saying in front of our guest? Stop overreacting!”
Then he smiled at me and added,
“Um… could you sit at the far end over there? I can’t sit next to you.”
Haha.
Small laughter spread through the room.
Were they trying to ease the tension?
Thanks to the warm welcome, I relaxed and switched into professional DJ mode.
“Can I see the equipment we’ll be using for the live performance today?”
“Exactly! I like that you start talking about work immediately. But first!”
After pausing dramatically, he shouted,
“Hey! What are you doing? Blackhole is here. Come out!”
Like a talk show host calling a guest.
A man slowly walked out in relaxed clothes.
“Oh! DJ Blackhole. Nice to meet you! It’s an honor to appear on the broadcast with you. Really, truly.”
A legend of the American DJ scene.
DJ Guldan.
Wait.
I’m doing a broadcast with someone that famous?