❝ Stardust & Heartstrings ❞ YEONBIN FF

Chapter 26 : Unshackled

In the vacant hotel room, a tense gathering took place. Yeonjun, accompanied by his parents - the owners of the hotel - faced Soobin and his parents. The room's emptiness seemed to amplify the emotional intensity of the moment, as the two families confronted the sensitive issue at hand.

Yeonjun's father, his face red with rage and humiliation, slammed his fist on the table. "Do you have any idea how much embarrassment I suffered today because of you?" he thundered, his voice echoing off the walls. "Years of reputation, decades of hard work, all tarnished because of your reckless behavior!"

He glared at Yeonjun, his eyes blazing with anger and disappointment. "I built this hotel empire from scratch, and in one day, you managed to destroy it all. Our guests, our investors, they're all talking about the scandal. My name, my reputation, everything I've worked for, is being dragged through the mud because of you!"

Yeonjun's mother placed a calming hand on her husband's arm, but he shook it off, his anger unabated. "You're a disgrace, Yeonjun. A complete and utter disappointment."

Yeonjun's voice cracked as he poured out his heart, tears streaming down his face. "All you've ever cared about is your prosecutor work and your business empire. Have you ever seen me as just your child, Yeonjun, without the weight of the Choi surname? Without the expectations and pressures that come with it?"

He took a step forward, his eyes pleading. "When I went to Pohang, I was treated like a normal person. I planted lettuces with the locals, cleaned the roads, ate tteokbeoki from street vendors... I lived a normal life, free from the suffocating need to be perfect, to be a polished doll."

Soobin's heart ached as he watched Yeonjun's emotional outburst. He instinctively took a step forward, wanting to wrap Yeonjun in a comforting hug. But his parents grasped his arms, holding him back, their eyes warning him not to interfere.

Yeonjun's father, still fuming, raised his voice. "How dare you question my parenting? I've given you everything, and this is how you repay me?" But Yeonjun stood his ground, his voice shaking. "You've given me material things, but you've never given me the one thing I truly needed - your love and acceptance, without conditions."

Yeonjun's mother sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "You think those fleeting moments of happiness, those trivial experiences with common people, are better than the luxurious lifestyle we've provided for you? We've given you the best of the best - designer clothes, luxury cars, a grand mansion, unlimited credit cards, and extravagant vacations, five times a month, to anywhere in the world you desire."

She shook her head, incredulous. "And yet, you're complaining about the pressures of being a Choi? You're ungrateful, Yeonjun. We've spoiled you rotten, and this is how you repay us? By throwing away everything we've worked for, everything we've given you, for some...some... ordinary life?"

Her words cut deep, and Yeonjun's eyes flashed with pain and anger. Soobin's heart went out to him, but his parents' grip on his arms remained firm, preventing him from intervening. The tension in the room was palpable, the gulf between Yeonjun's desires and his parents' expectations seemingly insurmountable.

Yeonjun's voice trembled as he confronted his father, tears streaming down his face. "Did you ever once attend a parent-teacher meeting at my school? No, you were always too busy. But you'd send elaborate pastries for the teachers, students, and other parents, just to show off your wealth. You'd sign my report cards without even looking at them, never once congratulating me for my achievements, never once asking about my well-being."

He took a shaky breath, his words pouring out like a pent-up flood. "The only time you took notice of my results was when I didn't come first in every subject. You berated me, saying I was slacking off. But what you didn't know was that I was running a fever that day. I was struggling to even stay awake, but I still managed to come second. And that was all you cared about - the fact that I didn't win."

Yeonjun's body shook with sobs, his eyes pleading for understanding. "You never cared about my feelings, my health, my happiness. All you cared about was your own pride, your own reputation. And that's why I'm so tired, Appa. I'm tired of being a trophy son, tired of being a disappointment to you."

Yeonjun's mother's face twisted in rage as she screamed, her voice echoing off the walls. "Do you think you can survive in this world without us? Without the Choi name? Without our wealth and influence? You're nothing without us, Yeonjun! Nothing!"

She took a step closer, her eyes blazing. "You think you can just walk away from this family and make it on your own? Ha! You'll be nothing but a nobody, a insignificant speck in this cruel world. You'll be begging to come back to us, begging for our forgiveness and our support."

Her voice dripped with venom. "Remove Choi from your name? You might as well remove your own identity. You're a Choi, and that's all you'll ever be. Without us, you're nothing but a shell of a person, a hollow, empty vessel."

Yeonjun's eyes flashed with anger and hurt, but he stood his ground, his voice firm. "I'd rather be a nobody than a puppet controlled by you. I'd rather be poor and happy than rich and miserable."

Yeonjun's voice was resolute, his eyes locked on Soobin's as he made his declaration. "I'm leaving with Soobin. We'll go back to Pohang, and I'll start a new life there. I won't take a single thing from this house, not a single penny or a single possession. I'll leave everything behind, including the Choi name."

He took a deep breath, his shoulders squaring. "I'll make my own way, without your wealth or influence. I'll find my own happiness, my own purpose. And I'll do it all with Soobin by my side."

Soobin's eyes shone with tears as he gazed at Yeonjun, his heart full of love and admiration. He knew how hard this was for Yeonjun, how much he was giving up. But he also knew that Yeonjun was finally finding the courage to be true to himself.

Yeonjun's parents were stunned, their faces pale with shock and anger. "You'll regret this, Yeonjun," his father growled. "You'll come crawling back when you realize you can't make it on your own."

Yeonjun's mother's voice was cold, her eyes icy as she delivered the ultimatum. "Once you walk out of this room, it's over. We're done. We'll be dead to you, and you'll be dead to us. You'll be disowned, Yeonjun. You'll be cut off from the family, from the business, from everything."

She took a step closer, her words dripping with venom. "You'll be on your own, completely and utterly alone. No support, no resources, no safety net. You'll be nothing but a stranger to us, a stranger to this family."

Yeonjun felt a shiver run down his spine as he met his mother's gaze, but he didn't back down. He knew what he was giving up, but he also knew what he was gaining - his freedom, his happiness, and a chance at a real life with Soobin.

"I understand," he said, his voice steady. "I'm willing to take that risk."

Just as Yeonjun and Soobin were about to walk out the door, Soobin reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. With a triumphant smile, he slapped it down on the table in front of Yeonjun's father.

The paper was a sales report, detailing the monthly numbers for Soobin's seafood restaurant. And there, in black and white, was the proof of Soobin's success: his restaurant had surpassed the Choi family's own restaurant in Pohang, outselling them by a significant margin.

Yeonjun's father's face turned beet red with rage and shock as he stared at the numbers, his eyes bulging in disbelief. Soobin's smile grew wider as he leaned in, his voice dripping with satisfaction.

"Today, when I take your son with me, I fulfill the promise I once made to you," Soobin said, his words dripping with triumph. "I told you I would surpass you, and I have. I've proven myself, and I've proven my worth."

With that, Soobin turned and walked away, Yeonjun by his side. They left the room, leaving behind the toxic relationship and the suffocating expectations of the Choi family. They walked into a bright new future, one where they could be themselves, free from the shackles of family obligations and expectations.

***