Chapter 50: The Spark of a Dream

Dreams are the fragments of the future that people cherish first in life, and a word that gives us hope.

Some forget them too early, and some live their lives without ever grasping them.

But I believe.

Dreams give us direction in life, and the strength to endure trials.

I suddenly wondered what kind of dream this guy sitting in front of me might have.

I’d known early on that he could draw to some extent, but I never expected he’d be this good.

Why?

Because the drawings you do in art class and in comics are completely different.

Having an original art style, not just copying someone else’s, was a truly remarkable talent and skill.

“Breaking into my house out of nowhere and asking about dreams?!”

Daesik muttered, throwing me a dumbfounded look.

Well, I suppose I did barge into his room out of the blue and startle him, only to ask about his dreams, so it must have seemed ridiculous.

But to me, that was a trivial matter.

I really wanted to hear Daesik’s dream.

“Hurry up. Depending on your answer, your future might change.”

The most unfortunate thing in the world is when someone has talent but, lacking the right environment, never gets to blossom.

What’s the point of having great items or skills?

If you can’t put them to use.

In my previous life, I saw many such people.

I was one of them, too.

At the very least, I hoped those around me wouldn’t have to give up on their dreams because of their circumstances, and that they could put their talents to good use moving forward.

“......Honestly, I don’t really know. These days, I’m just so busy living... It’s been ages since I even thought about dreams.”

Daesik’s gaze was hollow.

It was the look of someone suppressing their emotions to protect themselves.

That look reminded me of myself, back when I’d lost all self-esteem.

Not standing on the edge of a cliff, but hanging on by my fingertips.

A life where everything you do seems to be a minus, not a plus, brings only despair, not hope.

Seeing my friend Daesik like that made my chest ache.

The urge to help him grew stronger.

“Then what about being a comic artist? What do you think of that?”

I pointed to the sketchbook, bringing up the topic I’d been thinking about.

My gaze closely watched every change in Daesik’s expression.

I focused, so I wouldn’t miss even the slightest shift.

“Well... It’s just something I draw as a hobby.”

Daesik’s gaze shifted to the comic he’d drawn.

“You know I used to like novels. But after... that happened, I stopped reading books. Instead, I started drawing comics. Whenever I got lost in thought, I’d just start drawing out of habit, but I never really considered it a dream.”

I could understand Daesik’s feelings.

The Daesik from our middle school days, full of confidence, wasn’t here anymore.

“If not a dream, then a goal?”

Let’s change the question.

“If it’s a goal... paying off Dad’s debts, all of them. And, the kindness I received from your father, and from you. I want to pay all that back someday, no matter what.”

Daesik quietly inhaled as he spoke.

‘Daesik, you’ve been carrying that in your heart all along. Not thinking of it as your parents’ debt, but as your own.’

Most children don’t care much about their parents’ debts, no matter how large.

They treat their parents’ debts as separate from themselves, and expect help from their parents.

I was like that too, before I grew up.

Only after I became an adult did I start to shoulder my parents’ burdens, fulfilling my duties as a son belatedly.

There are plenty of adults who pretend not to notice that their parents took on debt to raise them, while ignoring their own responsibilities.

Stories about modern-day ‘abandonment’ are everywhere.

Unlike those who steal the wealth their parents worked hard for and abandon them to live in comfort, Go Daesik wanted to pay off his parents’ debt as if it were his own.

“Then, do me a favor. If you do it, even if I can’t help you achieve your dream, I’ll make sure you achieve your goal.”

It was proof that he’d taken on this duty willingly, not out of obligation. I liked that sincerity.

With a gentle smile, I parted my lips.

“‘Lord of the Smartphone.’ Draw it as a comic for me. For real. I’ll fully support your comic studies.”

I wanted Daesik to become a comic artist.

And to carve out his own life.

“What?!”

Daesik’s eyes widened.

He looked utterly shocked, but I didn’t sense any negative feelings.

If he hated the idea, he would have said so outright.

“It’s too much of a waste for your talent to just sit unused. I hope you’ll use your talent for yourself.”

“......”

Daesik didn’t say anything.

“Think it over and tell me.”

All I did was rekindle the spark in his burnt-out wick.

Lighting the flame was now up to him.

“Oh, right. That’s not even why I came. Hey, we’re having a pork belly party at my place later. Don’t be late. And think about what I said before you answer me. I’m off.”

I’d briefly forgotten my original reason for coming because of Go Daesik’s situation.

I decided to give him plenty of time to think, then left Daesik’s room.

---

Staring blankly at the sketchbook spread out on my desk, I mulled over Seunghyun’s words.

【‘Lord of the Smartphone.’ Draw it as a comic for me. For real. I’ll fully support your comic studies.】

That line echoed in my head.

‘A comic artist...’

It was a job I’d never even considered.

As I rolled my pencil, I recalled an old dream I’d forgotten.

My dream, my goal, was to fill a study with my favorite novels and spend my days reading to my heart’s content.

To achieve that dream, my practical goal had been to own a book rental store.

I could read books and make money, so I’d thought there was no better job.

But that dream didn’t last long.

After Dad became a loan guarantor for someone and things went wrong, we lost everything. The house, our ordinary life—gone.

In a reality where dreams were impossible, I let go of everything.

From then on, I stopped talking about the future. Survival was all that mattered.

All I had left was drawing.

Even when I didn’t know what to draw, my hands would move on their own.

Sometimes, when I was bored, I’d sketch the main characters from novels I’d read.

“Could I really become a comic artist?”

I asked myself the question.

I’d never seriously wondered if I could become a comic artist, but just one word from Seunghyun pulled that question out of me.

I started to seriously consider whether I could do it.

‘Could I really pull it off?’

The more I thought about it, the deeper my thoughts became.

“Daesik, Seunghyun’s grilling pork belly! Time to come out~”

Just then, a voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

It was Mom’s voice from the living room.

I could hear Dad getting ready to go out, too.

“It’s already...”

Looking at the clock, it was already past six.

Time had flown while I was lost in thought.

Deciding to put off worrying for now, I hurriedly got dressed and headed outside.

---

In the evening, the sizzle of pork belly grilling and the savory aroma filled the yard, making passersby’s mouths water.

The pork belly cooked on granite slabs looked so delicious, it would make anyone drool. Dad flipped the golden-brown meat with tongs, smiling, while Uncle held up his beer glass beside him.

“Thanks to you, life’s been worth living lately. If it weren’t for you, the future would’ve looked so bleak.”

“Now that you’ve settled down, take good care of your son. Stop making your wife work so hard.”

“Of course. This time, I’m thinking of opening a makchang restaurant.”

Uncle started talking about business.

‘Well, Uncle has devoted his whole life to cooking. The reason he didn’t settle down before was because he was too focused on developing his own recipes.’

Uncle had studied Korean, Western, and Japanese cuisine, and took great pride in his cooking. He was even featured in the newspaper once, but left that great job because it wasn’t the path he wanted, which led to hard times financially.

Later, an acquaintance invested in his makchang restaurant, but when business started booming, the investor demanded a lot of money every month, so Uncle quit halfway through.

‘Even running the makchang restaurant, he kept developing new recipes. Especially, marinated ribs were his signature dish.’

The makchang was, of course, delicious.

He even developed his own special dipping sauce, which was popular among customers, and neighboring shops often asked for his recipe.

“Check things out carefully before you jump in. Don’t expect me to invest in your business.”

Dad made it clear he wasn’t going to invest.

“Don’t worry. I’m confident.”

“Good. I believe in you. I’m sure you’ll do well.”

The two clinked glasses and shared brotherly affection. Aunt was sitting with her two-year-old son on her lap, feeding him fruit. Uncle’s one-year-old son was waving his arms on a mat inside the tent, spending time with us.

“It’s quite a spread when you look at it.”

Next to the tent, on a low table, besides pork belly, there were lettuce, perilla leaves, garlic, kimchi, peppers, marinated onions, and fried rice—all set out abundantly.

The adults’ conversation, the sound of meat sizzling, and the children’s babble filled the yard with warmth.

“Seunghyun.”

While I was listening to the adults’ conversation from inside the tent, I heard Daesik’s voice.

“Yeah?”

“...I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve decided to become a comic artist.”

His eyes were filled with a determination I’d never seen before.

His expression was completely different from earlier in his room.

“Really?”

At his words, I smiled. Hearing it directly from him, a heavy emotion welled up in my heart.

“Really. I want to do it.”

His short, resolute words carried significant weight.

“Alright. Let’s get started.”

“But... thinking about it, how exactly are you going to help me?”

Daesik asked the question that had occurred to him while pondering.

“Before I answer, promise me one thing.”

I, too, had reached a conclusion after much thought.

I wanted to hear Daesik’s commitment.

“What is it?”

“Everything I’m about to say—keep it an absolute secret.”

“Huh?”

“If you can’t promise, it’ll be hard for me to tell you.”

“Hmm... Alright. I’ll keep anything secret.”

“You promised. If it comes out before I reveal it, I’ll be disappointed.”

“That won’t happen. I might not look it, but I can keep my mouth shut.”

“Good. Then I’ll tell you. The truth is, the author who wrote the book you’re holding is me.”

“Huh?”

“I’m that Unreal Oppa.”

“......”

Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!

Go Daesik, who’d been silent as if he couldn’t comprehend my words, suddenly opened his mouth wide in shock, then, realizing the sound might escape, clapped his hand over his mouth and stared at me.

“I’m the Unreal Oppa you’ve always wanted to meet. I wrote ‘A Genius Was Adopted by a Chaebol Family,’ ‘Lord of the Smartphone,’ and ‘Living in the Chairman’s House on Monthly Rent.’ That’s all me.”

“......”

“I’ve saved up more money than you’d think. I’m going to use my own money to help you, Go Daesik.”

Other than my family and my homeroom teacher, I’d never told anyone my secret, but now, I revealed it to Go Daesik, who made me want to work with him.

Now, Go Daesik was mine.

I watched his shocked face and gave him a deep smile.