Chapter 201: Chapter 207

There was a lot of traffic on the Seoul-bound highway.

Hyunwoo just drove his car without saying anything, and the students in the back seat were looking out the window silently, all wearing a blank expression.

Then, Hyunwoo’s cell phone buzzed.

Confirming the caller, he curled his lips a bit.

Jinhon has a clear sense of keeping time.

Hyunwoo called Jinhon before he entered the office of Ani & Funny, asking him to call back later. Now was the exact time that he was supposed to call. The reason he called Jinhon was simple. He wanted Jinhon to instill a strong enthusiasm into their minds.

These days Jinhon was continuing a dreamy record on the Billboard Chart, with his Duckling Fly ranked 2nd on the ‘Billboard Hot 100′.

Besides, he was chasing the woman pop star Lynia by a narrow margin. As Duckling Fly was so popular, it was reportedly a matter of time that Jinhon would overtake her to claim the top ranking.

Hyunwoo answered the phone with the speaker on, so that the students could also hear his conversation with Jinhon.

“Uncle, I finally got the top ranking on the Billboard Chart!”

Hyunwoo let out a horrible shriek, hitting the steering wheel with his hand, “Assa!”

“Boohoo. Thanks so much, uncle. Thanks a million.”

Jinhon suddenly began sobbing when he heard Hyunwoos’ voice.

There was heard Angela’s voice next to her, who also was sobbing.

Hyunwoo got choked up at that as he knew how hard times were when Jinhon went to the United States. Jinhon traveled on a through many cities for performances, even skipping sleep.

Angela must have had hard times, too, as she accompanied her.

Jinhon’s top rank in the Billboard Chart was the fruit of his dedicated efforts.

Hiding his excited voice, Hyunwoo said, “Ranking on the chart is meaningless because the ranking can change. Even if you were ranked top today, that doesn’t mean you’re different from what you were yesterday. So, don’t dwell on the ranking too much. Just focus on your music.”

“Still…Boohoo…I like it so much. I don’t know how to express my extreme joy now.”

“I feel as good as you. I would like to shout at the top of my voice, but don’t change overnight. Don’t be a star. You should be a true musician.”

“Got it. I’ll never forget your favor!”

“Don’t mention anything like ‘favor.’ Thanks to your activities, I’m making lots of money, so I would like to thank you. Let me give a piece of advice.”

“Yes, go ahead, please.”

“You can make a success once by a coincidence, but you need to show your true ability to achieve a second success. Try not to get the kind of cynical idea that you have become a star by sheer luck. Show that you’ve become a star with your own hard work. You know how you can achieve that, right?”

“Yes, let me work harder.”

Hyunwoo intentionally raised his voice, so that the students in the back could hear.

“If you stop practicing because you don’t have time, you will lag behind before you know it. So, you should try to make time for your creative activity.”

“Let me keep it in mind. In fact, I am preparing for the next song with Angela whenever I can find the time.”

“Sure, that sounds good. How can you fail when you keep working like that? I believe you can hit the jackpot if you keep working harder.”

After the call, Hyunwoo felt he walked on air. He felt as if he won the top ranking of the Billboard Chart.

What’s more encouraging was that the upward trend in Jinhon’s popularity was continuing. The number of hits on his music video on YouTube already exceeded 200 million, registering an explosive growth every day.

Jinhon could not appear on domestic TV programs because of Taesu Ahn’s obstruction. So, he only pursued the people’s following on the internet.

But thanks to Jinhon’s top ranking on the Billboard Chart, the domestic media outlets were competitively covering Duckling Fly. Everywhere they went, Jinhon’s music video was quite a vogue. On the street, in the restaurant or clothing store, at the bar or club, Jinhon’s song continued to play out everywhere.

Garbage World was also catching popularity. The moment Duckling Fly was listed on the Billboard Chart, the number of hits on the animation work saw a sharp increase in Story Mecca, along with Tuti & Angelica.

As a matter of fact, the top four animation works in Story Mecca were produced by Ani & Funny. That’s why many writers sent messages demanding that Any & Funny should switch to a paid subscription system as soon as possible because other animation works had no chance of winning popularity because of Ani & Funny.

Anyway, Any & Funny became the byword of a box office hit thanks to Jinhon. The more Hyunwoo thought about Jinhon, the more he wanted to praise him.

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Maybe the students in the back must have felt as excited to hear about Jinhon’s great news.

Hyunwoo instantly looked at them in the rear mirror.

They were silently looking at him, too. When their eyes met his, they quickly lowered their heads.

Hyunwoo threw a question abruptly, “Aren’t you envious of Jinhon?”

“Yes, pretty much,” said they in unison. But their voice was barely audible because they were sulking.

“Why are you so crestfallen? Cheer up! Where you go, you can make a success if you do your best,” he shouted to encourage them.

But it was an empty call. They looked dejected all the more.

“Hey, guys. If someone sees me, he might regard me like a prison guard transferring criminals. You are not criminals, guys. Is it such a big offense that you played computer games? Just straighten your shoulder.”

Nonetheless, Hyunwoo’s encouragement didn’t move them.

Hyunwoo didn’t say anymore. Instead, he focused on driving.

The traffic moved at a snail’s pace. By the time Hyunwoo arrived in Seoul, it was already 7 pm.

There was a restaurant nearby, so Hyunwoo took them there for dinner.

“Let’s have dinner together as I am sorry if you part with me like this.”

Hyunwoo roasted the meal for them, but they could not enjoy the meal. They again began shedding tears.

Hyunwoo reduced the heat and called one of them in a low voice.

“Sungchan!”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why are you crying?” When he was silent, Hyunwoo demanded, “Tell me. I want to hear why you’re crying.”

Only then did Sungchan began to tell. He raised his voice gradually as if he was choked up, with tears raining down his cheek.

“I just can’t understand why I was absorbed in games. I just feel so upset when I think I ruined my life because of it. I just hate myself because I didn’t know how this could bring me such a serious consequence. I really can do well, but I am so annoyed to know I can’t prove it now.”

Hyunwoo replied in a calm voice, “As you know, you live your life only once. And once time passes, it will never come back. I just want to pursue the journey of life with those who value it. I am not interested in anyone who is not willing to pursue an intense life.”

“I’m so sorry. I think I was crazy for a moment. But I am not the type of person who doesn’t value time. I quit school to come to Ani & Funny to lead an intense life.”

“Right, we were really crazy then. We were just absent-minded when we played games. But believe our sincerity. We really risked our lives for success in the animation field,” said another student.

Hyunwoo felt their repent was more than enough to offset their mistakes.

“Are you guys really ready to lead an intense life?”

“…Uh?”

As if they were stunned, the students raised their heads suddenly. For they felt something hopeful in his voice.

“I’m asking you if you’re really ready to work harder than anybody else if I give you one more chance. Are you really ready?”

“Yes, sir!” replied the students in unison, raising their tone.

As their voice was so loud, other customers in the restaurant looked at them.

Hyunwoo continued, “I think trials can steel men’s hearts more strongly. Maybe you must have gone through the trials this time. That means you should be more determined and stronger than other friends. When your friends are wavering, you should hold them tight. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

Their voice became louder, and a ray of hope was sparkling in their eyes.

“Good. Let me watch how strong you have become, compared with other students,” said Hyunwoo emphatically.

Hyunwoo didn’t preach anymore.

“Let’s enjoy the meat. As soon as we’re done, let’s get back to Ansan.”

Hyunwoo increased the heat. The pork belly on the broiler was stiff as it was boiled too much, so he removed it and put the new meat on it.