No More Thug Life, I’m Playing Music

Episode 40: The Madman Above the Runner (2)

This used to be my home.
Now, it’s Baek Jung Studio.
The place has changed a lot from how it was initially.
The yard, kitchen, and second floor remain the same, but the master bedroom and living room have been completely transformed.
From small spaces for recording and practice to a large hall that could accommodate a small orchestra, it’s a professional classical music studio in every sense.

The transformation was the work of a contractor introduced by a professor, and the results were extraordinary.
The acoustics, in particular, were on a different level from before.

[Ziiing-!]
The violin sound that had filled the studio suddenly ceased.

Han Yeoreum, holding her bow high in her right hand, froze in place.
She slowly opened her previously closed eyes and murmured,
“Wow… Wow….”

Then she looked at me, blinking her large eyes several times.
As the piece had a piano accompaniment that ended earlier, I’d already taken my hands off the keyboard.

Her intense gaze caught me off guard, and I reflexively gave her a thumbs-up.
“That was amazing.”

Having accompanied her myself, I fully appreciated how skilled she was.
In the past few months, I’d worked with many musicians, but none had allowed me to immerse myself in music so comfortably as Han Yeoreum did.

“Unbelievable….”
Han Yeoreum set down her violin and approached me.

Cupping my cheeks with both hands, she suddenly let out a shriek.
“Oh my gosh! You’re insane! You’re so freaking good!”

She then pulled me closer and planted a kiss on my forehead.
I could have avoided it, but I didn’t bother.

“Did you become a professional accompanist while I was gone?”
“Not exactly. I’ve just been practicing a bit.”

The cameras were still rolling nearby, and I wondered if this was okay.
But seeing the expressions on Choo Minji and the team’s faces, it seemed there was no problem. Minji even smirked slyly—her usual expression when things were going according to plan.

“Let’s play again! Please!”
Han Yeoreum clung to my face, shaking me side to side.

She smelled nice. That was undeniable.

“Hey, unnie!”
Apparently, this had gone too far, as Choo Minji rushed over, flustered.
“You can’t do that! We’re live right now!”
“Let go! Go away!”
“It’s too much… I mean, Baek Jung can’t breathe!”

A moment later.
After a childish tussle, Han Yeoreum finally returned to her seat, and the interview began.

Two tall chairs were brought in, and Choo Minji and Han Yeoreum sat facing each other.

“Thank you so much for joining us on Baek Jung TV!”
“No, no~ It’s an honor to be invited to the hottest channel these days~”

Every time Han Yeoreum spoke, the comments and donations exploded.
Though we’d hosted numerous musicians on live streams arranged by Minji, this level of response was unprecedented. Truly the celebrity of the classical music world.

“Wow! Thank you so much, HotSummerLove! A hundred thousand won! Thank you so much~”

Influencer or influenza, whatever you wanted to call her.
I wasn’t familiar with social media, but she was reportedly famous not only among musicians but also among young people who knew nothing about classical music.

Her stunning looks, immense wealth, and status as one of the top musicians—it was no surprise, really.

“The standing ovation you received after performing with the New York Philharmonic has been a hot topic….”
“No~ Well, I think Korea University’s music department is also one of the best in the world….”

The two women’s interview went on.
Meanwhile, I sat at the piano behind them like a background prop.

Honestly, it was incredibly boring.

“When I was in New York, I missed Baek Jung so much. I missed him….”
Han Yeoreum turned around and winked at me.

Choo Minji’s lips twitched. Even on camera, she couldn’t hide her satisfaction.
Everything was going according to plan—to stir up buzz by leveraging the rumors about me and Han Yeoreum.

Four months ago.
Before leaving for her U.S. tour, Han Yeoreum posted on her social media that she would miss Korea.

At first glance, it seemed harmless, but the photo she uploaded with it caused a stir—a picture of her arm-in-arm with me, both of us smiling brightly.

I didn’t know what she was thinking, but it sparked rumors in the classical music community about whether we were dating.

Since then, comments questioning the relationship occasionally appeared on Baek Jung TV, but neither Minji nor the other team members addressed them.
They claimed it wasn’t harmful—in fact, it was beneficial.

“Unnie, hold on.”
Mid-interview, Choo Minji turned around and looked at me.
“Baek Jung! Snap out of it!”

“Huh?”

Minji extended her finger, pointing at the monitor in front of me.
Many of the rapidly scrolling comments were about me—saying I looked dazed, like I was dozing off, or asking me to at least play background music if I was going to sit there.

Among them, a significant number demanded clarity about my relationship with Han Yeoreum.

Why were people so obsessed with others’ private lives?
Especially over a single photo.

As someone who believed social media was a waste of life, I couldn’t understand it at all.

“Goodness, people these days….”
“Sorry~”

Han Yeoreum cut me off, standing up with her violin in hand.
She winked at the camera.

“I’ll answer after the next piece~ Let’s go~”

****

“Ugh… Should I just kill them….”
Kim Bom gritted her teeth.

This was usually the quietest study café near her home.
It was clean and well-maintained, making it her favorite.

But today, a couple of nuisances were ruining the atmosphere.

“Damn it….”

Already on edge after meeting Han Yeoreum last night, she couldn’t hold back any longer and turned around.

Not far away, two high school girls were sharing a pair of earbuds and chatting.
She couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying, but whatever it was, it grated on her nerves.

Especially since one of them was wearing the uniform of Shinhwa Arts High School—a sight that annoyed her even more.

Creak-
Narrowing her eyes, she rose from her seat.

Determined to say something, she approached the two girls.
As she got closer, their conversation became clearer.

“Han Yeoreum is seriously incredible, no joke.”
“Baek Jung is insane too… especially his face….”
“Do you think they’re really dating?”
“Seems like it… Must be nice to live in their world.”

What?

Kim Bom scowled as she peered at the two girls’ phones.
On the small screen, Han Yeoreum was hugging Jung Seojoon.

“That crazy woman finally did it!”
Kim Bom unintentionally yelled, her voice echoing through the study café.

All eyes in the room turned toward her, but she didn’t care.
Ignoring the stares, she returned to her seat, quickly packed up her things, and gestured to the boy sitting diagonally across from her.

“Hey, let’s go.”

“Why?”

“Just get up and come out.”

Sigh…
Baek Junsoo let out a deep sigh as he got up.
Watching Kim Bom dash out, he shook his head.
“She’s such a handful….”

****

To Kim Bom, Jung Seojoon was special.

He was the one who helped her mend her broken relationship with her father, the one who pulled her out from under the shadow of her violin.
He had even saved her in moments of crisis.

Though she wouldn’t deny feeling some romantic interest toward him, her emotions leaned more toward gratitude than affection.

That’s why Kim Bom had dinner with Han Yeoreum the previous night.

“Bom~ Open your mouth~ Ahhh~”
Han Yeoreum extended a fork with tteokbokki toward Kim Bom.

“What’s with the nonsense again?”

“Come on, open up~ I need a favor~”

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing big. So easy.”
Han Yeoreum winked at her before casually remarking, as though assessing the taste of the tteokbokki she had just eaten,
“I need Kevin.”

“What?”

“I’m going to have Kevin. Help me out.”

“……”
Kim Bom often thought Han Yeoreum was out of her mind.

She wasn’t mean-spirited or unkind, but sometimes she was downright unbearable.
Kim Bom recalled how, as a child, Yeoreum shredded sheet music into tiny pieces and soaked them in milk because she couldn’t memorize them.
Or how she tied a bow to her hand and lived with it for a month because she wasn’t practicing enough.

As an adult, after her parents divorced due to her father’s affair, she changed her surname to her mother’s.
Then, when her mother remarried, she left for the U.S. without a word.

Han Yeoreum was unpredictable and eccentric, someone who had to get what she wanted no matter what.

“So, you’re saying you like Jung Seojoon?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

“Okay, I’ll be honest. It’s an order from Lady Han.”

“The professor?”

Suddenly, it all made sense to Kim Bom.

Though Koreans had been excelling in international competitions recently, they still lagged behind other countries overall. Many musicians preferred to study or work abroad rather than stay in Korea.

It was the same with musical activities. Korea was still overshadowed by neighboring countries like China and Japan.

In such a climate, the reappearance of a former child prodigy who had once drawn global attention was a rare phenomenon.
The public buzz hadn’t fully taken off yet, but anyone in the know could see the truth:
A genius remained a genius.

If he wanted, Jung Seojoon could soar to unimaginable heights.

Given Professor Han’s devotion to Korea’s classical music scene, she wouldn’t sit idly by while Seojoon wasted his potential. She was the kind of person who would use even her daughter to achieve her goals.

Kim Bom’s father had once remarked that Han Yeoreum took after her mother.

“Unnie… can you dial it back a little? Since when do you listen to your mom anyway?”

“Hmm, since I met Kevin again? So sexy~”

“……”

“Anyway, help me out~ Please?”

“And if I refuse?”

At Kim Bom’s sharp reply, Han Yeoreum grinned brightly and said,
“F*** you.”

****

Kim Bom had no intention of helping Han Yeoreum.

Jung Seojoon deserved to spread his wings and fly beyond this small country.
He should attend a world-renowned music academy, not Korea University.

“Too naive for his own good….”

The guy was either playing piano or working out all the time, completely oblivious to the bigger picture.

“So soft…”

Moments later, Kim Bom saw Baek Junsoo descending the stairs slowly.
She frowned and gestured impatiently.

“Hurry up.”

“I’ve still got things to do….”

“We’re going to your place. You can study there.”

“Out of nowhere? Isn’t there filming today?”

“You can study upstairs.”

“Well, yeah, but… are you going too?”

“Yes.”

“Why? To see Seojoon?”

“No, Han Yeoreum.”

“That noona’s back in Korea? It’s been ages.”

“Let’s go.”

Kim Bom took the lead.

The two headed for the dark entrance of the underground parking lot.
It was a shortcut.

From the busy area they were in to Baek Jung Studio, the main road was a longer route, but as locals, they knew a faster way.

The underground parking lot of an old building, once a sauna, was now completely deserted.

The flickering lights and empty space made it eerily quiet.

Tap, tap, tap.

As they walked through the musty underground, heading toward the opposite exit, something caught their attention.