Superstar From Age 0 - Chapter 1199



Only Krnovel

0 years old to superstar episode 1199

At sunset.

There was a man coming into the apartment entrance.

A man in his mid-thirties, wearing slightly worn but clean clothes, looked around as if he had come to an unfamiliar place, took out his cell phone, and tapped the screen as if checking a text message. Then he got into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor where his destination was.

A music app was seen playing on the screen as it passed by, but the audience didn’t notice.

Ding-

The elevator stopped and the man got out.

Then he checked his cell phone and pressed the door lock button.

* * *

The screen changes.

Living room of a private home.

As the beautiful piano performance came into view, the audience quietly stirred.

‘It’s Seojun!’

no.

Jaehae Lee.

The young man, Jaeha Lee, who is the master of the hands, smiled as if he was completely absorbed in playing the piano and pressed the keys here and there. How beautiful is the harmony created by those fingers that move quickly and slowly at times.

It was a scenery where even the mysterious light of the sunset shining through the large window seemed to have become part of the music.

‘good night…….’

When it feels like it would be nice to just sit quietly and listen.

Amidst the soft piano melody, the sound of a door lock being pressed could be heard.

‘You’re here… … .’

Thud thud-

Lee Jae-ha, who thought his father had arrived when he heard footsteps, continued playing the piano despite being afraid.

Lee Jae-ha’s fear spilled over to the outside of the screen, making the audience tense. After all, the ‘father’ was not an ordinary person.

“I’m sorry, Father. I’ll just play this song… … .”

Lee Jae-ha, who was talking, looked back in confusion at the inaudible voice of his father.

“……uh?”

There was a man I had never seen before, not my father.

Lee Jae-ha’s expression brightened in an instant.

“……you.”

“Just a moment. Please wait a moment!”

Not your father!

Lee Jae-ha, who was more scared of his father than of a stranger who suddenly came into his house, could not hide his joy.

“Let’s talk after the performance. It’ll be over soon.”

Jaeha Lee didn’t think the man would listen to him, but contrary to Jaeha Lee’s expectations, the man sat down on the soft sofa in one corner of the living room with a displeased expression.

Lee Jae-ha smiled brightly and continued playing.

“Thank you for listening to the end.”

“Then I should go back now.”

Lee Jae-ha, who had been sitting upright, lowered his shoulders slightly at the man’s words. I knew it.

“As expected, you were the one my father sent me. I thought you wouldn’t know since I rented an Airbnb instead of a hotel… … .”

Lee Jae-ha asked with a look on his face that clearly said he didn’t want to go back.

“Are you a detective?”

“Are you a detective?”

The man denied it outright.

“sure?”

“Just an errand center employee. If you give her money, she’ll do everything from finding people to this and that.”

At those words, the audience also understood the current situation.

The place that was thought to be Lee Jae-ha’s house was actually a place rented through Airbnb, and the man was sent by Lee Jae-ha’s father, who he was afraid of. It seemed that the reason he saw the cell phone in the first scene was to check the number and password of the house.

Suddenly, Lee Jae-ha’s expression brightened.

“Did you tell your father I was here?”

“no.”

“Then can I tell you a little later? It’s not that I won’t go back, I just want to go back a little later. I was planning on going back before the concours, too!”

hmm.

The man stroked his chin as if pondering.

Lee Jae-ha said with a more earnest voice and look in his eyes.

“You said you would do anything if I gave you money.”

“… … Yeah. That’s right. That’s right.”

“I’ll ask you too. Please don’t tell my father that I’m here until the contest.”

Jae-ha Lee looked at the man, who was hesitating whether to accept the request or not, with an anxious expression.

The man who rolled his eyes looked at Jaeha Lee.

“… … Are you really going back before the concours?”

“yes!”

“How can I believe that?”

Lee Jae-ha, who had been smiling brightly and nodding his head repeatedly, looked at the man with a speechless expression.

“Then what should I do?”

“I have to stay here too. Until I send you back.”

Lee Jae-ha just blinks at the sudden suggestion.

At that sight, the man lifted up his cell phone and said.

“Why? You don’t like it? If you don’t like it, go back now.”

It looked like he was going to contact his father at any moment.

“No! Okay!”

Lee Jae-ha quickly answered the man’s words.

“It seems like it would be fun to live with a friend!”

“What about friends?”

Despite the man’s blunt speech, perhaps because of the increased workload, Jaeha Lee was only happy that he did not have to go home.

“Hyung, what’s your name? As you may know, my name is Lee Jae-ha. I’m a pianist.”

The man looked at Lee Jae-ha for a moment and then sighed.

His face looked a little daunted at the thought of having to spend time with this guy until the concours.

“Choi Dong-hyun.”

“It was Dong-Hyeon hyung!”

The audience laughed softly at the sight of Lee Jae-ha being happy that he didn’t have to go home and Choi Dong-hyun living with him for money.

It was completely different from the story I expected, but that made it more fun.

‘I’m also curious about their chemistry.’

The audience was already building an inner intimacy with Lee Jae-ha and Choi Dong-hyun, wondering how close the two would become.

Choi Dong-hyun looked at Lee Jae-ha for a moment and then got up from the sofa.

“Hey, where are you going, hyung?”

Lee Jae-ha followed Choi Dong-hyun, who was heading towards the real entrance, while pondering, ‘Should I really grab hold of his trouser leg?’

“You have to bring your luggage. Are you telling me to stay here without any clothes?”

As Choi Dong-hyun was contemplating whether to just leave it alone, he clenched and unclenched one hand, and then heard Lee Jae-ha’s innocent voice.

“Take care on your way back, Dong-hyun hyung!”

“……okay.”

After seeing Dong-hyun Choi off, Jae-ha Lee quickly went to the living room and looked at the rooms, thinking about which room to give to Dong-hyun Choi.

Meanwhile, Choi Dong-hyun, who came out of the house, pressed the elevator button and immediately took out his cell phone.

And then I pressed the black wireless earphone that was plugged into my left ear.

“Yes, I have confirmed it.”

… … ?

The audience was dumbfounded at the sight of Choi Dong-hyun contacting someone as soon as he left the house.

“I think it will take some time.”

I told you not to contact me!

There were viewers who felt a little betrayed by Choi Dong-hyun.

* * *

“Welcome, bro!”

Lee Jae-ha welcomed Choi Dong-hyun back with a big smile. Then he guided him to the main room.

“Because it’s an Airbnb, there aren’t many items.”

“This is fine. From now on, I’ll be using this place, so you stay out of here.”

Lee Jae-ha pouted at Choi Dong-hyun’s cold tone.

“I didn’t even think about coming in! And we can just play together in the living room.”

“… … Want to play together?”

“We’ll have to spend a few days together anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to be friendly rather than awkward? And eat together.”

While talking with an excited face, Lee Jae-ha noticed Choi Dong-hyun’s quiet appearance and muttered in a sullen voice.

“If you don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do.”

Choi Dong-hyun said that with a sigh.

“Yeah, well, whatever. What are you going to do for fun?”

“uh…….”

Lee Jae-ha was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected answer.

The audience did the same.

It was just before that he broke his promise and contacted the client right away, and now he was listening to Jaeha Lee again.

‘Are you sorry for contacting me?’

Or is there another reason? Is it because Jaeha Lee might run away?

Well, whatever the reason is.

“I don’t know much about classical music, but if I just listen to it.”

Seeing Lee Jae-ha happy with Choi Dong-hyun’s answer, the audience thought that Lee Jae-ha didn’t have anything to be sad about.

The next morning.

The two talked while eating breakfast prepared by Choi Dong-hyun instead of Lee Jae-ha, who couldn’t even fry an egg.

“By the way, Dong-hyun hyung. Are you still wearing those earphones in the morning?”

Lee Jae-ha pointed with his finger to the black wireless earphone plugged into Choi Dong-hyun’s left ear.

“I feel like I was doing it yesterday too… … .”

“Oh, this.”

Choi Dong-hyun then raised his left hand and fiddled with his earphones.

“I keep it on because I don’t know when I’ll get a call. This job is not about day or night.”

“aha.”

surely.

In the movie I watched without my father knowing, there were errand center employees who worked day and night and dawn. Lee Jae-ha nodded and asked with his eyes slightly shining.

“So you wear it when you sleep?”

“When there is work.”

“It must be really hard to go to work after sleeping.”

“Well, I get paid that much.”

Choi Dong-hyun, who was using chopsticks, continued speaking.

“So there will be times when I have to go out.”

Choi Dong-hyun, who was talking to Lee Jae-ha, put his hand on the earphone plugged into his left ear. It seemed like he had received a phone call.

“wait for a sec.”

“yes.”

Choi Dong-hyun got up from his seat and headed to the main room.

“You look really busy.”

Jaeha Lee, who was looking at the door that had closed with a bang, lifted his chopsticks with a regretful expression.

* * *

After finishing breakfast, Jaeha Lee tried to wash the dishes, but since it was his first time washing dishes, he ended up breaking a plate.

Choi Dong-hyun, who had cleaned up the broken dishes, started washing the dishes without saying a word.

Lee Jae-ha looked at Choi Dong-hyeon’s back with a deadpan face.

‘I guess I can’t do anything else besides playing the piano.’

Just like my father said.

My heart, which had been broken into small pieces by the accusations that had piled up for a long time, was hurt once again and fell down.

When he was in a good mood, he reached the sky, but when he was in a bad mood, he sank to the ground. It seemed exactly like bipolar disorder.

The audience felt a bit of a sense of alienation from Lee Jae-ha, but they still didn’t know for sure why.

I just thought he was depressed because he got gaslighted a lot by his father.

“… … Don’t worry about it. It’s your first time, so you might not be able to do it.”

Choi Dong-hyun said, feeling the stinging gaze from behind his back.

“Try it.”

“Uh… …Me?”

“Then you want me to do it? You said you’d help me?”

Lee Jae-ha, who was about to say that it would be more troublesome to leave it to him like this, looked at Choi Dong-hyun’s calm face for a moment, smiled faintly without realizing it, and stood in front of the sink.

This time, I wore rubber gloves and picked up the dishwashing sponge. I dropped it twice in the sink and once on the floor, but I finished washing the dishes without any problems.

since.

Lee Jae-ha and Choi Dong-hyun’s lives flowed similarly.

Choi Dong-hyun mainly did the housework, and Lee Jae-ha helped out a little.

Of course, since this was his first time doing something like this, Lee Jae-ha made a lot of mistakes and Choi Dong-hyun was the one who took care of everything. Sometimes he even taught him everything from start to finish, and when that happened, Choi Dong-hyun looked at Lee Jae-ha with a face that seemed liberated.

“… … Would you like more money?”

“……okay.”

Choi Dong-hyun said with an expression that said he had a lot to say but would not say anything.

As this continued for several days, Lee Jae-ha, who would recall his father’s criticism every time he made a mistake and dig deep into the ground, disappointed in himself, became quite shameless.

The audience also ended up laughing at that.

Of course, I suspected that when Choi Dong-hyun went into his room to answer the phone or went out to work, he was going to meet Lee Jae-ha’s father.

When the audience outside the screen were wary of Choi Dong-hyun.

Lee Jae-ha, who knew nothing about anything, stayed home alone and practiced the piano in preparation for the competition.

It was a fun and happy time, but sometimes painful memories related to the piano would come to mind helplessly.

For Lee Jae-ha, that was his memory of his father.

“I was wrong, Father… … .”

The image of young Lee Jae-ha shedding tears appeared on the screen.

The soft back of the hand of young Lee Jae-ha, placed on the piano keys, was covered in red lines as if it had been hit by a whip.

“How many times did I get it wrong?”

A commanding man’s voice was heard, which did not sound like he was speaking to his son.

The atmosphere was so good that even the adult audience members flinched without realizing it.

In that situation, it must have been even more frightening for young Lee Jae-ha.

“All, five, black, number… … black.”

Even though I knew crying was useless, tears came out without me knowing.

‘If I do this, my father will scold me again.’

As soon as I thought that, I heard my father’s cold voice.

“Don’t cry and answer honestly.”

“Five times, you were wrong.”

In a quiet voice that was scarier than a loud voice, young Lee Jae-ha answered while trying to swallow his tears.

“Play it again until you get it right.”

The light coming in through the window created backlighting, making my father stand tall and appear even darker and more massive.

On the contrary, the young Lee Jae-ha has a smaller appearance.

“Why don’t you straighten your back?”

no.

In a situation where I couldn’t get any smaller, I put my two small hands on the keyboard.

—.

A perfect performance came out, just like the score.

Then, when a strange beeping sound was heard, both Jae-ha Lee, who had been lost in the dark past, and the audience who had been feeling regret and anger, all came to their senses.

Choi Dong-hyun had returned.

“How’s practice going?”

“yes!”

Then, Lee Jae-ha, who was no longer alone, was able to smile and play brightly again.

thud!

And the front door closed.

Choi Dong-hyun went out to work and Lee Jae-ha was left alone again.

The past came back to me once again.

This time, the current appearance of Lee Jae-ha appeared.

But the structure was the same as when I was young.

A father standing in front of a window holding a falcon, Jaeha Lee with his two hands with red falcon marks on them placed on the piano keys.

The bruises on his arms and face visible through his slightly rolled-up shirt, and the fact that he looked a little thinner than before clearly showed what kind of life Jaeha Lee had been leading at home.

The audience swallowed the laughter that was about to come out without them knowing it at the sight of Lee Jae-ha contrasting with the large, spacious, and wonderful practice room.

“again.”

“There’s no need to explain at length,” said my father.

Then Jae-ha Lee started playing again, following the score exactly.

A heavy, low piano note was heard.

Along with that eerie melody, the light coming in through the window became backlit, making my father dark and large once again.

Lee Jae-ha sat up straight and continued playing silently.

But it seemed like the young Lee Jae-ha was cowering in that sight.

Now that he is an adult, he has grown up to be as big as his father, but he does not realize that he has become an adult. He has not been able to stand up to his father or rebel against him. This is because he has been raised that way since his childhood, which he does not even remember.

“Jaeha, you’re wrong there.”

Lee Jae-ha’s piano teacher, whom I didn’t even know existed, said this.

He was one who tolerated, and sometimes agreed with, his father’s violent teachings.

A lot of people did that.

No one told Jaeha Lee that his father was bad, and no one helped Jaeha Lee when he was in pain.

“also!”

Lee Jae-ha became very nervous at the teacher’s comment.

It was because of violence that could strike at any time or place.

But that didn’t mean I could stop playing.

It would be okay if I stopped in the middle. Maybe I would have to play the piano without eating or sleeping.

—.

I heard piano music.

A perfect performer, without a single error, just as the score says.

‘… …Why do you like the piano?’

Lee Jae-ha’s past was so miserable that Song Yoo-jung and Im Ye-na thought the same thing without realizing it.

If I had to hate it, I would have hated it. I couldn’t find a single element to like.

But Lee Jae-ha really loved the piano.

Lee Jae-ha’s performance when he wasn’t thinking about his dark past was really bright and beautiful. It was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

‘He seems like a completely different person.’

The contrast between Jaeha Lee’s dark past and Jaeha Lee’s bright present made the difference feel even more apparent.

‘If it’s this bright just from leaving the house for a bit, then I can’t go back!’

Rather, it was a situation where reporting domestic violence right away would not have been enough.

Of course, there was no evidence as Jaeha Lee now had no traces of being beaten or bruises.

Song Yoo-jung, Im Ye-na, and the audience looked at Choi Dong-hyun, who had come at his father’s request, with sharp eyes.

“How was it, bro?”

“It was good.”

But I don’t think he’s a bad person.

But Choi Dong-hyun, who seemed to notice that she was being abused but was still thinking of sending her back, didn’t look so good.

Choi Dong-hyun looked at his watch, got up from the sofa, and said he would throw away the food waste.

“I’m practicing more. There’s a competition coming up as soon as I get back.”

therefore!

Do you really have to send me back home like that?

Without knowing what the audience was thinking, Lee Jae-ha was delighted by the cheering that was completely different from his father’s.

“I will! I will practice hard!”

* * *

Choi Dong-hyun went outside and Lee Jae-ha started playing the piano.

A slightly freer performance was heard, completely different from the score.

After the performance ended, Lee Jae-ha looked out the living room window at Choi Dong-hyun, who did not return.

There, Choi Dong-hyun and a middle-aged woman were seen talking.

‘… …Is this Lee Jae-ha’s mother?’

The audience, who knew that Choi Dong-hyun had contacted his client, assumed that the middle-aged woman was Lee Jae-ha’s mother.

It wasn’t shown in the flashback scenes, but it was understandable that she would be worried since her son had left home. Well, she didn’t seem like a very good mother, since she allowed her father’s abuse to continue.

‘There may be unavoidable circumstances, but… … .’

But unlike his adult parents, wasn’t Lee Jae-ha still young?

My heart was heavy when I thought of Lee Jae-ha, who had been abused since childhood.

‘… … Wait a minute. So you mean I have to go back now?!’

When a thought suddenly occurs to the audience and they shout in their hearts that it can’t be done.

“Wow… … When did you two become close?”

Lee Jae-ha looked out the window and exclaimed in admiration.

He seemed to not know middle-aged women.

……ah.

Aren’t you your mother?

The audience felt awkward in a situation where they seemed to be neighbors.

Lee Jae-ha, who doesn’t know that the audience was worried about him.

“Should I go out too?”

He looked excited at the thought of going out.

After a while.

The front door opened and Choi Dong-hyun came in.

“Brother! When did you become so close with your neighbors?”

As soon as he entered, Choi Dong-hyun flinched at Lee Jae-ha’s question with sparkling eyes. Then he scratched his chin and averted his gaze slightly, but Lee Jae-ha and the audience did not notice.

“Oh, did you see that?”

“Yes. Through the living room window. What did you talk about?”

Choi Dong-hyun frowned slightly at Lee Jae-ha’s eyes filled with curiosity, then slowly opened his mouth.

“He told me not to play the piano at night.”

“……yes?”

“He said he could hear the sound of the piano.”

“… … !”

Aah!

Just like Jaeha Lee, who was surprised, the audience was also surprised again.

If you think about it, Lee Jae-ha was playing in a living room that wasn’t even soundproofed. And he did it day and night.

“… … You are truly kind people.”

Song Yu-jeong and Im Ye-na also agreed with Lee Jae-ha’s words.

It was a great performance, but I am truly grateful to those who put up with it for several days.

“Would it be better to come see me with a gift?”

“It’s okay. I told you well.”

Lee Jae-ha looked at Choi Dong-hyun with an expression full of gratitude.

“Thank you, Donghyun. Really.”