Chapter 49: Breaking Free and Unveiling Truths

No response. Did they close the browser immediately after the stream ended? Well, it was quite late.

Just as I was about to give up and try again tomorrow, a reply finally came.

[Yes, hello? Yuseong. I can talk.]

[I really enjoyed your original song today. Your voice didn’t come through well because of your sore throat, but the song itself was genuinely good. I just wanted to tell you to stay strong.]

[Thank you. Hearing that from you really makes me happy. Honestly, I was thinking of just giving up on everything, but I’ll try to push through a little longer!]

How hard must it have been?

They were embarrassed in front of nearly 150,000 viewers.

I understood the frustration and the temptation to give up on their dreams.

I sent the message at the right time.

My words helped. I was relieved to see them regain their spirit.

[Actually, I have something I’m curious about. It might be a bit impolite, so I’ll just be direct. Could you let me listen to the songs you’ve composed so far? All of them, if possible.]

[Huh? What’s the reason for that?]

For the first time, they hesitated to say yes. Yeah, that’s the right reaction.

Everyone should have at least one last ace up their sleeve.

Even if they were a fan of mine, they would be reluctant to share everything.

That hesitation was proof that they still had lingering ambition and attachment to their music.

[I want to assess your composition skills. If they meet my standards, I’m thinking of offering you a collaboration. What do you think?]

[With me?]

From their perspective, my words might have sounded arrogant.

What does a game streamer know about evaluating music?

It wouldn’t be strange if they felt annoyed.

That’s why I got straight to the point.

As an unknown musician, this was surely a great opportunity for them.

They were bound to show some interest.

I waited patiently for their reply.

[I’m sorry, but I can’t share all of my compositions. Some of them are my last hope.]

[I understand. So?]

[I have a YouCube channel. Most of my original compositions are uploaded there.]

[Aha! Got it. Then, tell me your channel name. And your phone number, too. I’ll check them out and contact you tomorrow.]

[Yes! Thank you! I really appreciate this! (__)]

They responded enthusiastically, filling the message with exclamation marks.

They seemed desperate.

From the emoticon, I could almost picture them bowing repeatedly while typing. Surprisingly cute.

I immediately logged into YouCube.

The channel name was “YuaSONG.” Pretty basic.

No channel art, and the thumbnails were just screenshots.

No wonder they weren’t gaining popularity.

Only 71 subscribers—far too low considering their skills.

I felt a pang of sympathy.

+++

[Original Song – The Road I Walk With You]
Views: 214

[Is this a joke?]
[Jamsun, just quit. Your singing is terrible.]
[But isn’t the melody kind of nice?]

+++

Only three comments. Two of them were hate comments.

The other videos weren’t much different.

If they had just uploaded instrumental tracks, they might have gotten better reception.

Seeing them being ridiculed as a “Jamsun” hurt.

Still, this was enough to verify their talent.

Eleven original compositions in total, featuring a variety of instruments. Did they play them all?

Strings, percussion—they seemed capable of handling everything.

Especially the piano—it was simply mesmerizing.

I could trust them with this. I’d call first thing in the morning.

Yeah, working with a talented independent composer was better than splitting pay with a big agency’s songwriting team.

Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner? The world is full of talented musicians.

My thinking had been too narrow.

“Alright, time to upload four videos today.”

• [Mad Movie, But With My Face]
• [Meeting Actor Lee Seolhyun]
• [Raniza 4? Beat the Boss Without Gacha]
• [Shopping at the Department Store]

It had been a while since I had so much content. The live broadcast provided plenty of great footage.

Especially the video featuring Seolhyun—I had high hopes for its view count.

I decided to save the lookbook content for tomorrow’s upload.

Since tomorrow was a rest day, I needed to hold onto at least one main video.

Next, I checked my messages. I must have grown quite a bit.

There were no more inappropriate sponsorship offers.

It made sense. Considering how much I earned in donations per stream and the YouCube view counts… Of course, the latter wouldn’t be settled until the 21st of next month.

That was my perspective.

From an outsider’s view, they’d think, “That guy is raking in money.”

Shin Yuseong couldn’t be bought with money anymore. Anyone with eyes would have realized that by now.

The next message was a contract proposal from an MCN company.

Even BigStars TV had made an offer. I skimmed through the terms and closed the window.

Moonhwa said they were looking into someone to help, so I’d trust them and wait.

Should I go to bed now? Before I knew it, it was already 3 a.m. Maybe because I had done so much today, the day felt unusually long.

I left the studio room and headed to the living room.

“Are you asleep, Dajang?”

I whispered softly from the front of the sofa.

Dajang was lying face down, completely still.

She must have fallen into a deep sleep.

I had planned to move her to the bed, but I decided against it.

Waking her now would be inconsiderate.

“You really worked hard today.”

I reached out and gently tucked her messy hair behind her ear, then pulled the blanket up over him.

After washing my face in the bathroom, I lay down in bed.

I didn’t need to make an effort to fall asleep. Drowsiness was already washing over me.

+++

[Miss, I’ve arrived.]

The text message woke me up from the sofa.

I had almost fallen asleep for real.

If Yuseong hadn’t come by and woken me up earlier, I might have spent the whole night here.

I entered the dressing room, opened the steamer, and changed my clothes.

Maybe I shouldn’t have washed my underwear… I felt embarrassed the whole time I was at home.

“But… Dajang, is sitting like that really comfortable for you?”

A fleeting glance—Yuseong’s subtle gaze toward my shorts flashed in my memory. Did he see? No way, right? There’s no way… right?

Feeling flustered, I roughly tousled my hair with both hands.

Whatever. So what if he saw? It’s not like I lost anything. Forget it. Besides…

“I won’t be seeing him again for a while, anyway.”

I picked up my handbag from the living room floor and walked toward the entrance.

Before stepping outside, I turned back and looked around the living room.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had such an ordinary day.

It was fun. So much so that I wished the same kind of days would continue tomorrow and the day after.

“Thank you for giving me such good memories.”

I pulled my cap down and stepped outside.

Leaving the apartment complex, I walked toward the entrance.

At the far end of my left field of vision, a sedan was parked.

Secretary Choi approached and bowed slightly.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“How’s the situation in front of the house?”

“Members from both parties are waiting. It seems you’ll have to provide an explanation.”

That much was expected. At least, for now, they weren’t direct threats.

But that wasn’t the answer I was looking for.

“What about the hostile forces?”

“They’re desperate to find you. You need to return quickly.”

“Understood.”

I got into the back seat of the car.

At least the journey home wouldn’t be exhausting. Leaning back against the plush seat, I closed my eyes.

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

“Did you enjoy your outing?”

It was rare for Secretary Choi to ask a personal question.

Has it been four years already? He had risked his life protecting me all this time, so it was only natural that I felt grateful.

I hadn’t expressed it, but we had grown attached.

But I don’t trust people.

Not a single one, except for that money-crazed streamer.

I refuse to let even the smallest crack open.

“Pointless question.”

“My apologies.”

Secretary Choi slightly bowed his head before lifting it again.

Resting my chin on my hand, I gazed out at the cityscape passing by the window.

Before long, one, then two escort vehicles began merging with us.

“What a damn mess of a life.”

I must have been too weak all this time.

I’ll wait for the right moment.

Even though I’ve been bracing myself, I always knew those words were meaningless.

I already have more than enough power to take revenge.

And what did I gain by holding back?

Being locked away every election season?

Constant death threats from my enemies?

It’s all pointless.

Because I stayed put, they kept crossing the line.

Annoying.

I’ve changed my mind.

I won’t wait anymore.

I won’t cling to some foolish fairy tale that someone will come and free me from this wretched cage.

I’ll break the bars myself.

And I’ll step out into the world.

As I made that vow, I touched the silver ear cuff hanging from my ear.

“Why is there nothing I like to wear?”

The room was a mess, clothes scattered everywhere.

I had searched through my entire dressing room as soon as I woke up, but I still couldn’t find anything I liked.

What was the brand of that dress that actress Seolhyun wore on that public broadcast?

More importantly, I need to look good so Yuseong will notice me.

This is, without a doubt, our first real date.

During the housewarming party, his parents were there, so I dressed conservatively, but this time, there’s no need for that.

I’ll highlight my best features as much as possible.

“Forget it. I’ll just buy a new outfit.”

I tossed the sky-blue dress to the floor, giving up.

Even when attending corporate parties, I never hesitated this much.

But when it comes to meeting Yuseong, my confidence crumbles.

I feel so inadequate. Nothing seems good enough.

Anyway, I have the day off today.

We’re meeting in the evening, so there’s plenty of time.

I’ll stop by the department store to buy an outfit, then head to a hair salon.

I’ll get my makeup done by a professional stylist, too.

Now, how should I plan today’s schedule?

Just drinking would be a waste.

I want to spend meaningful time together, but I don’t know how.

Maybe I should look up date ideas online.

Ding!

[A message from Team Leader Park: As per your request…]

A text message arrived from Park, the PR team leader.

Checking the details, I saw that everything was progressing smoothly.

It should be done by next Monday at the latest, right?

Faster than expected.

The problem is how to tell Yuseong about this.

The process of making the offer would inevitably reveal my true identity.

Wait.

Is it possible that he still doesn’t know I’m the heir to Shinhwa Group?

He must really not care about business news at all.

We finally got this close, but what if he feels pressured and distances himself again?

I opened my eyes to see it was already 11 a.m.

The time I fall asleep varies, but strangely, I always wake up around the same time.

Does that count as a consistent routine?

No time for unnecessary thoughts.

I should get up.

Dajang must be starving.

Come to think of it, I only fed her one meal yesterday.

I need to make sure she eats properly today.

“Dajang? Where are you?”

I searched the entire house, buts he was nowhere to be found.

She must have left as soon as she woke up this morning.

She could have at least said something before leaving.

It stings a little.

I took out my phone and called Dajang.

“Dajang, did you go home?”

[Yeah, I left in the morning.]

“I see. I wanted to buy you breakfast. It’s a shame. Why did you leave without saying anything?”

[I didn’t want to wake you. You seemed to be sleeping soundly.]

Sleep properly, will you?

I didn’t even notice her watching me.

The more I thought about it, the guiltier I felt.

At the very least, I should have seen her off and called her a taxi.

There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but talking about the past now would just sound like excuses.

I simply said, “I see.”

“That’s true, but… alright. Thank you for yesterday.”

[No problem. I had fun too. Also, I’ll edit the footage from yesterday’s stream and send it to you by email. I’ll contact you then.]

After ending the call with Dajang, I headed into the studio room.

Before making plans with Yua, there was something I needed to do first.

I opened the desk drawer and took out a phone.

Not my current phone, but the one I used in my past world.

I had activated it the day after I transferred here, and it still worked without issue.

I turned it on immediately.

I clicked on the My Files icon and checked the categories.

Audio, music…

And finally, the folder I had been looking for appeared.

[Ballad Classics BEST 200.mp3]