Sometimes I asked myself how lucky I was to have a house when I was little. But the truth was—I lived there alone. Maybe that's why I decided to move out and share a cramped room with friends. Still, sometimes I wonder... if I'd kept that house, would my life have turned out different? Or what if I could've chosen both—home and freedom?
I woke up submerged in the warm water of a white jacuzzi inside a private spa suite. My muscles ached as I lifted my wrist to check the time—past two in the morning.
My phone showed a few missed calls from Mr. K. "Guess I passed out for hours," I muttered to myself, climbing out of the tub. Just as I reached for my clothes, a knock echoed through the door.
Knock, knock.
"Seokjin? Hey, anyone in there? I'm coming in," came Sanghye's voice, right as the door creaked open.
"W-wait!" I lunged for the towel, missed, and sent it splashing into the tub. "Damn it!"
"Whoa!" He froze in place, eyes wide. "Uh… sorry!" Five steps back and the door shut again, leaving me my privacy. Once I was dressed, we stepped out into the quiet city night together. Pink and blue neon lights shimmered along the street, and the trees glowed white like winter snow.
"How was it there?" Sanghye asked, grinning. "Fun?"
"More than I could describe. I stayed at the top—literally. A penthouse suite like something out of a dream. Felt like being reborn as an emperor. The new contract's insane too. If I can keep the group's standards, I get to stay—and the bonuses are huge."
"So basically… endless renewal, huh?" He whistled. "You're damn talented, man. Trained day and night until you made it. You know how many kids dream of joining D\8/? You're one in a million. If I were your brother, I'd be proud as hell."
"You sure you never wanted to try joining?" I asked.
He chuckled. "Nah. I'm good where I am. Jin Kang Yoo, Giyul, Juwon—they're family to me. Besides, I'm the leader of my own band and have stuff to take care of. Oh, and guess what—I'm almost done saving for two houses. Twelve-hundred-fifty million won total. One for my parents—they've had enough of that moldy old flat—and one for… the future." He tossed an empty beer can into a bin.
"Strike!"
"Wow, planning for wife and kids already, huh?" I laughed. "Anyway, you didn't think about taking a loan? You're so close to the goal already. Honestly, I've been thinking of switching to Rubic digital currency. The won's getting too weak these days."
He shook his head. "No way. Too many scams. One mistake and you're done. These days it's hard to trust anything. "We shared a quiet laugh as we walked the empty street, the city humming around us.At the crosswalk, Sanghye stopped and turned to me with a soft smile.
"So, Seokjin—what about you? What are you saving for?"
"..."I fell silent and looked up. The sky was clear—but not a single star shone. The neon from the buildings had swallowed them all.