Golden Slumber 📚 ATEEZ [▶]

10

Seonghwa walked back outside, searching for possible locations where his student might be. The multi-level area confused him. He looked around the second floor, but his mixed Korean-Spanish student was nowhere to be seen. Just as Seonghwa was about to search elsewhere, a commotion across the street caught his attention.

He turned around, hoping to see someone he could ask about Wooyoung’s whereabouts. Instead, he saw Wooyoung himself, running frantically across the street, separated by a square hole fenced on all sides.

“Salazar!” Seonghwa shouted, waving.

Wooyoung, hearing Seonghwa’s shout, stopped, seeing his teacher waving from across the street.

“Mr. Park!” His voice was shrill, unmistakably so.

“Hey, I’ve been looking for you!”

“Help me!”

Seonghwa stared in shock as Wooyoung ran away again, disappearing from view. The next commotion he heard explained why his student was so agitated. A group of adult men around his age was chasing Wooyoung, raising their fists and shouting angrily.

Not wanting anything to happen to his student, Seonghwa ran to the other side, bumping into several people who were accidentally in his way, and finally met up with Wooyoung, who was still gasping for breath in front of a shoe store.

“Why are they so angry?” Seonghwa asked while running alongside Wooyoung.

“Later!” Wooyoung’s face was starting to redden with exhaustion. Sweat beads began to fall from his temples, accompanied by heavy breathing.

Wooyoung thought that with Seonghwa here, he would be safe. However, his guess was wrong. His teacher stopped in front of a roast chicken stand. Wasn’t this the wrong time to eat? Wooyoung was puzzled as to why Seonghwa had to stop.

“Hey, buddy!” Seonghwa greeted a chicken vendor, which only annoyed Wooyoung further. “Can I borrow this?” he asked, while pulling a long knife from the table. He stepped back out, seeing the pursuers surrounding from all sides.

“Hey, slow down! Explain clearly!” Seonghwa pushed everyone away with the knife in his hand. Of course, he didn’t intend to actually harm them. It was only to ensure that he and Wooyoung were no longer in danger. However, they remained unruly, continuing to shout with remarks that Seonghwa couldn’t quite understand. Amid the chaos, a burly man approached to mediate, his face flushed and breath labored.

“Salazar!” Miguel looked furious.

Seonghwa was about to ask the man to step back when he felt Wooyoung behind him take a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Seonghwa asked Miguel.

“I’m his father.”

Seonghwa recalled being stunned by how fierce Wooyoung’s father had been a few minutes ago. Now, he found himself amused.

After Wooyoung apologized and returned the stolen ticket, Seonghwa took his student outside the market, for a nighttime stroll, and stood near a bridge.

“So, why did you want to steal the ticket if you knew they wouldn’t want to lose one?” Seonghwa reopened the conversation.

“I really like BTS,” Wooyoung huffed. He didn’t think he did anything wrong by wanting to see the group that inspired him to compose songs every week.

Seonghwa nodded in understanding. “Have you ever thought about singing on stage?”

“I hate the stage,” Wooyoung replied tersely.

“Are you afraid?” Seonghwa grinned slightly.

“Afraid?” Wooyoung felt mocked.

“Yes, why else?”

“No, not at all. My voice is better than all the singers in this town.” Wooyoung was confident.

Seonghwa smiled with amusement at his student’s bravado. “Really?”

“Of course.”

“I still don’t believe it.”

“My voice is good.”

“Not afraid?”

“No.”

“Then sing here.”

This time, Wooyoung did not immediately respond to Seonghwa’s words. He turned and frowned in confusion. “Here?”

“Yes.” Seonghwa was not bothered by Wooyoung’s expression. He pointed to a low stage where people played musical instruments with modest skill. It honestly sounded more like off-key music. “There. You can sing and prove your voice.”

“You’re kidding.” Wooyoung remembered the first time Seonghwa made an unbelievable statement in class, that a student could leave early if they answered a question correctly. And that unbelievable thing ended up benefiting him. Was this the same? Wooyoung studied the face in front of him. There was no strange expression indicating his teacher was joking.

“Let me show you.”

“Huh?”

Before Wooyoung could ask further, Seonghwa had already run to the stage and talked to them. Wooyoung thought his teacher was drunk, casually borrowing someone else’s stage time. But when his teacher started singing, Wooyoung was sure such a smooth voice did not come from someone who was drunk.

“If you’re a bit scared, you’re living on edge, it’s hard to escape your worries

If you wanna hide, you’re losing your mind, you gotta lean on somebody”

People around the stage seemed enthusiastic, making rhythmic noises, clapping, or simply getting into the mood. Seonghwa turned around, inviting Wooyoung up, which his student promptly agreed to.

“C’mon, you can do this!”

Seonghwa let Wooyoung take the microphone, starting to continue the lyrics with his own guitar accompaniment. Those who had initially just watched began to pull out their phones, recording videos while continually expressing their amazement. Maybe it was because usually people sang here to simply quench their thirst for making notes. But Wooyoung was different. It was as if this was his stage. As if this was his concert.

He sang to his heart’s content, for the first time without being judged. Not a single person laughed mockingly at his Latin face. Everyone enjoyed the song he performed, with Seonghwa clapping, arranging the accompaniment, and cheering on his student.

“When it’s overwhelming, hold on tight I’ll be here, don’t forget it

Cause in life sometimes we need a helping hand

You’ll be alright, just take it slow.

One day at a time.”

Wooyoung was delighted. He felt free.