Chapter 128 - The TROT Twist

"Thanks for letting me explain, hyung," said Dr. Kim, fastening the safety belt in the passenger seat of Dae Won's car. He preferred to leave his car with Ye Rim and take the opportunity to resolve the situation now, while Dae Won had offered a ride.

His hyung was clearly in a bad mood when he saw them arriving together at Ye Rim's agency.

Dae Won just said nothing and Dr. Kim went on.

"Hyung, I'm sorry. It was a situation that got out of control. I saw Ye Rim going in a direction other than the restroom, and getting there, she was listening to her friend, Eun Ha, vent and cry in a guy's arms. Eun Ha said things about Ye Rim that made her very upset. I thought she needed to clear up a little, so I took her out of the Ball. Yes, I should have warned you, texted you as soon as I did that. It's true and you have a right to be mad at me. But don't be mad at Ye Rim. She wasn't thinking straight at the time and she trusted me."

"Na Ra cried, you know?" Dae Won was incisive. "Why do you act based only on your interests, Jun Hyeon? Aren't you already old enough to be a little more mature?"

Of course, those words hurt like fire in Jun Hyeon's heart. He took a deep breath, before trying again,

"I didn't expect to find Hani's body in the river, hyung. My plan was to get back quickly."

"You always count on luck," it was Dae Won's soft reply, not looking at him a single time. But he seemed to change the subject for a moment, "What happened to Hani was terrible and heartbreaking. I'll be in her wake. After all, she recorded a song of mine, it' just fair that I pay my respects to her. Poor girl."

Jun Hyeon didn't know that, and commented,

"Really? Did she record a song of yours? I didn't know."

"It's not hard to believe, Jun Hyeon. You show little interest in anything that doesn't directly involve you. It surprised me you agreed to give Ye Rim dance lessons. But of course, it involves you directly," he said as he searched the on-board computer display for a playlist. Jun Hyeon imagined that his hyung would show Hani's music, and he was right.

"Well, you can't escape from this car for some minutes, so listen at least once," sardonically said his hyung.

The thing I miss most, is the half of me

That you were, and it makes no sense any more

Wait for what? There will be no new twist

There's no longer a way up

There's no escape, but the final escape, the deep dive

"Don't be afraid, you said"

Cross over and you will see

Jun Hyeon was disturbed,

"Wow, it's intense," he commented.

"You really hadn't heard it, wow! My theory that you don't even try was right," Dae Won spoke in his beautiful, melodic voice, but of course, there was a lot of poison in his words. Jun Hyeon knew he was at fault. That he was a reckless friend with Dae Won. He just couldn't get too close to hyung, and he felt guilty about it. He wanted that song to stop at once, in fact. It was a painful song about someone who flirts with death. At least that's what it sounded like. He wasn't trying to pay attention, to be honest. It was a depressing song, to say the least.

I grabbed your cold hand and I felt safe, because you were my smiling half

We discovered so many things; we were so young and foolish

Tap and Toe, these were us

Swiss chocolates and French lipsticks

Mute people, sidelong looks,

Broken mirrors, compassion

Welcome to the new world, I was the half that wept

What remains of that, if not the deep dive

different from that, in the summer of Jeju

"Poor Hani. Don't say that, hyung. I've been busy…"

I plunge, in the cold waters of my pain,

One misstep, and the sky has become the bottom

of the endless well of my existence

A deep dive…,

"Jun Hyeon, do you make time to steal Ye Rim from a Ball, as you made time for Na Ra that day. Even if it hurts other people. But I know why you keep me away. It's okay, because I know. You keep me away because I saved Ji Hyeon in the fire. You have created a bad feeling about it. I'm sorry…"

"Stop talking now, hyung," that sad song about suicide and now Dae Won bringing Ji Hyeon up, it was making the doctor very upset. His wish, at that moment, was to shut up his hyung's mouth with so many punches!

"You'll keep hurting people if you don't assume to yourself that you keep doing the same things, always! You just want me to understand your faults, for Ji Hyeon to understand your faults! You are good at mending, but what about avoid doing?" Dae Won raised his voice, looking for the playlist's repeat button. 

Jun Hyeon, who felt his head throbbing through the set of things, pushed Dae Won's hand away from the button, without thinking. Dae Won reacted, pushing him away, and Jun Hyeon did the same, out of instinct and anger. 

Then the steering wheel turned, and Dae Won could not control the car in time.

°°°

Ji Hyeon's hand trembled over the piano key, and she paused for a moment, feeling sudden dizziness. It seemed that everything around her spun and spun, but she was not in the bas.e.m.e.nt, but in a car out of control.

"Jun!" she called, knowing her brother was in danger.

Then she felt a deep pain in her chest, and went out on the open piano.

°°°

"It's a shame that Pearl succ.u.mbed. As ajuhmma knows, my dad likes it here a lot. But business is business," Hong Gi told Ms. Song, just as Ye Rim and Eun Ha arrived at Pearl. The gangster, as always surrounded by henchmen, counted the rent money slowly, while the owner of Pearl swallowed his anger. Ye Rim passed Hong Gi without saying hello and stood beside Mrs. Song. She had come here to bring the money to pay for Pearl's renovation.

"But the President is being a little pessimistic today," interrupted the singer. "Pearl didn't succ.u.mb yet. Mrs. Song will start the renovation and soon Pearl will reopen."

As a quick-witted woman, Ms. Song agreed with the singer,

"As long as I have the strength, the trot will have its shell here. And please, President, tell your father he is our guest of honor for the reopening!"

Looking at the three women staring at him so intently, the man clicked his tongue, barely hiding his contempt. "Very well. I believe. But I heard that Pearl's mermaid is leaving. She's going to swim in bluer seas ..." Taking a walk around Ye Rim, he didn't hide his lasciviousness, clicking the tongue as he did so. The singer wanted to remove her shoe and stick it in his face, but resisted the urge to do so.

"I knew that this big fish wouldn't be around for long. This wonderful golden-tailed mermaid. Miss. Nam, I wish all the luck in the world on your new project, far away from this stinky muffle. It is good to know that you have not been affected by the cheap sentimentality of the people here," after these words, Hong Gi left the place, followed by his minions.

Upon making sure that Hong Gi or his men were not around, Ye Rim handed the money over to Mrs. Song, with a bow,

"Forgive me for taking so long, but please start the Pearl makeover soon. That scoundrel cannot win this battle!"

"So it's true that you got something better and you're going to leave us," Pearl's owner commented. "It will be difficult without you here, Ye Rim."

Mrs. Song was a very practical woman, and if she said that, it wasn't just to make her feel good, Ye Rim knew. It moved her heart. And looking at her beloved club, falling apart and looking even worse after a few closed days, brought tears to her eyes.

"It was necessary. And the ajuhmeoni said that I should follow my dreams."

"Yes, it's what you must do, so as not to become someone bitter and ugly," said Ms. Song. "But will we have one last show of yours, at least?"

"Yes, it won't be a problem. I also want to say goodbye to the place that did me so well and taught me so many wonderful things. To respect the great classics of our country, and our singers! And I got to know the legend of the trot, Duk Mi!"

This made Mrs. Song laugh. Eun Ha asked, 

"What was it, Ms. Song? Why did you laugh when Ye Rim talked about Singer Duk Mi?"

"Duk Mi is not the trot star he says he is. He thinks he deceived me, but I just leave things as they are because he is a good singer after all. His name is not even Duk Mi. He is the double of the real Duk Mi, the legend of the trot, who died in an accident 20 years ago," the ajuhmeoni spoke in a secretive tone.

The revelation stunned the two friends,

"Aigoo!" they spoke in unison.