NOVEL NEXT Chapter 77
At the end of August, just after the midterm exams for the second semester.
♪♩♬
In a corner of the music room, the Shinhwa Middle School band starts jamming with some seriously powerful sound equipment.
Normally, they would have to find a separate room and go through a long budgeting process, but all that was skipped thanks to the band’s leader.
“Is it true that Kim Donghu is in the band, and we can’t even give them a music room?”
Just hand over the spare key and let them practice anytime!
Under the principal’s trust and support, the Shinhwa band gets to enjoy (?) school life.
As always, they continued their jam session to Kim Donghu’s keyboard performance.
The smooth melodies create a harmonious blend of soft sounds.
With drums from Kim Min-hyuk, bass from Na Kang-sik, and guitar from Shin Ye-rim, the four of them joyfully wrap up their jam session and let out a sigh of relief.
“We won’t be able to play together like this for much longer.”
Out of nowhere, Kim Min-hyuk’s comment made everyone look up.
“Since Donghu and Ye-rim said they’re going to a popular high school, there’s bound to be a distance, right?”
Kang-sik and I don’t have any different plans, so I guess we’ll be going to Shinhwa High.
As Min-hyuk’s words sink in, a somber atmosphere fills the room.
To think that we can only hang out like this for about six more months.
Half a year might seem long, but looking back, it could actually feel very short.
In what could be a sad moment…
“U-uh, b-but let’s m-m-meet again later!”
Na Kang-sik blurted out something no one saw coming.
“W-we’re f-f-friends, so even if we’re apart, we c-c-can keep in touch, okay?”
“Right, Kang-sik’s got a point. We’re in the age of KakaoTalk and all.”
And we could still gather and jam during breaks or vacation if the timing works out.
Kim Donghu quickly jumped in to prevent the mood from getting weirder.
“Right, all we need to do is keep practicing our instruments?”
“Yeah, I should work harder on my drums. I’ve heard we might even play at graduation if we do well!”
“…Ah, things are moving along without me again.”
“I heard it too while I was playing guitar… They were talking about something graduation-related.”
“Oh, and they said they’d change the banner too… to ‘National Prince’ or something.”
From what I hear, the principal is covering the entire banner cost out of pocket.
I wonder why they need to change the banner so badly.
For a moment, Kim Donghu felt confused, but quickly brushed it off.
‘Well, it doesn’t really matter anyway.’
“Yeah, it’s not like it really matters anyway.”
By the way…
“I didn’t expect Kang Sik to respond like that.”
After hanging out with Kang Sik, I thought he’d be super sad when the moment of parting came. But his response was just so unexpected.
“Anyway, that’s it for today’s performance. Let’s figure the rest out tomorrow.”
“Hey Donghu, are you really going to keep resting this year?”
“Um, probably? Unless something special comes up, I think so.”
“I hope you keep resting. Being together like this… then I can do my modeling…”
“Le, let’s talk about that later, later.”
Anyway, let’s wrap it up!
With Donghu’s words, the kids began putting away their instruments. Normally, everyone would clean up together and then go for tteokbokki after school, but…
“I-I’m gonna, um, head out first.”
Recently, Kang Sik had been slowly pulling away from that routine. I thought maybe he was trying to lose weight, but that wasn’t it either. Whenever I asked him why, he always said it was a secret.
“Kang Sik, I’m buying tteokkochi today, aren’t you coming? Pikachu’s gonna eat too!”
“Uh, um… I, I was just guarding your wallet, Minhyuk.”
Even Kang Sik’s favorite tteokkochi + Pikachu combo didn’t work on him. So he hurriedly packed up and left first.
“Phew, I played it well.”
As Kang Sik made his way home, he let the sadness he had been holding back slowly dissolve.
“This is the end of gathering together after middle school.”
He didn’t cry. Not even a sniffle. He had already run this simulation countless times in his head.
“Next year, everyone will be gone.”
Donghu, Minhyuk, Ye-rim.
Saying goodbye to the closest friends he met in middle school. The days when he joined the band with no clue, and when he invited friends over for a fun dinner…
“So regretful.”
There’s not much time left.
He hated goodbyes but knew that throwing a tantrum wouldn’t change anything. So Kang Sik hurried his steps home.
“I-I’m back.”
“Yeah, you’re having dinner later, right?”
“Yes.”
Quickly.
Once home, Kang Sik washed up and promptly sat down at the computer.
Tick.
Beeeeep.
Hearing the computer boot up, Kang Sik briefly reminisced about the past.
It was June.
He suddenly realized how little time they had left together.
“Donghu’s going to a public high school.”
When it was said that their parting was inevitable, he started thinking about what he could do.
Kang Sik endlessly pondered this part.
“I want to commemorate our last moments together.”
He wanted to turn this lovely moment into something splendid.
I wanted to turn this moment into a fantastic outcome.
Then I remembered Kim Donghu’s support.
– I believe you’ll become a truly amazing game developer.
With that thought in mind, Kang Sik realized what he needed to do.
‘Let’s make a game.’
The notebook game we enjoyed the most.
Even Shin Ye-rim reluctantly participated in it at some point,
Let’s really create that game filled with our countless memories.
And in that moment, destiny shifted.
Originally, Kang Sik, who could never make friends throughout school,
Would end up creating games focused solely on solo play.
Games he struggled to develop all on his own, without anyone’s help.
They boasted incredible gameplay, but at the same time, they were Kang Sik’s painful reminders.
Games made to soothe the loneliness of his past.
Every time he saw them, he recalled his solitary school days.
But now, it was different.
The very beginning had changed.
With Kim Donghu’s arrival, more diverse possibilities opened up.
From the moment Kang Sik discovered the fun of enjoying things together rather than walking alone.
Kang Sik could walk multiple paths, not just his own.
– If you’re struggling, just say so, I’ll help you.
Is there anything more valuable than a friend’s offer to help?
When Kang Sik heard those words, he thought that was enough.
‘Taking the first step.’
Must be done alone.
Kim Donghu did it that way.
Just like he had brilliantly navigated the audition he prepared alone.
So too would I.
‘I want to be like you.’
At some point, I wanted to be someone who could help you.
To become a really great friend, someday for sure.
‘We’ll make a game that the four of us can play for a long time again.’
Genius game developer Kang Sik.
His first game would not be a single-player game born from loneliness and solitude.
But a multiplayer game made from the desire to play together and laugh together.
+++++
At the same time, after school.
I quickly saw off Kang Sik before jumping into the van.
Immediately, I replied to the KakaoTalk from Seok-ho hyung.
“Is this for real?”
“Yeah, for real. I originally didn’t want to accept this during your break, but this seems very different, sorry.”
The script for [Hide Dream 2] was in my hand.
It had a different and exciting change from the first one,
But what was more shocking lay somewhere else.
[Lead Role - Kim Donghu]
The bold letters written on the very first page.
Of course, there were more names listed later since it was a joint lead role,
But having yours at the very front was a kind of symbol.
It was like a symbol.
‘It’s like saying it plays the most important role, or something like that.’
I thought Lee Jae-yi’s story was already over.
“I said I’d let you know after reading the script, but… it seems like the story can’t progress at all without you.”
The script was written with you in mind from the start,
so without you, it’s just a cancellation.
Seok-ho hyung’s words weren’t meant to burden me.
They were like gilded compliments, indirectly telling me how amazing I was.
“Dong-ho, I really feel like only you can…”
“Hyung, seriously, this is so overwhelming. You remind me of our director.”
“Oh right, Baek Sang-ha is my same age. We decided to be friends.”
So, a bunch of burdensome people are sticking together.
‘No way, will we create a ‘gilded synergy’?’
Worrying about that, I checked the script.
[Hyde Dream 2, B+]
B+.
‘Does this mean a viewership rating of about 35%?’
40% just happened once, you know.
35% is already an incredible number.
Plus, it’s not easy for a series to keep hitting it big like this.
Considering all that, it was really a high figure.
Let’s stop the intro here.
I jumped straight into the main point.
‘Empathy.’
Lee Jae-yi’s world unfolds.
++++++
Naturally, there’s no such thing as an eternal relationship.
But sometimes we cling to the word ‘eternity’ and,
knowing how futile it is, we still don’t give up.
It wasn’t out of stubbornness.
‘It’s probably because of love.’
My world was still shattered.
The pieces aligned into one amidst the many distortions.
“…It’s really nice because you shine like that.”
My mom smiled weakly at the brilliance of my talent.
Even after running tirelessly for a long time,
I couldn’t prevent Mom from falling apart in the end.
Still, I did my best to not give up.
Two years passed like that.
The year I turned 19.
“…Ha.”
Mom died.
Many people came and went at the funeral, but it was all meaningless.
The most important person didn’t come.
Despicable, vile,
lowly and filthy.
‘My father.’
Where are you now?