"Mom will cook your favorite meal when we get home!" Yoon Ah exclaimed excitedly while hugging Youngjae's arm.
Sungjin just smiled at her new mom's enthusiasm, different from before. She felt very happy today.
While chatting, Sungjin and Yoon Ah walked to their rundown apartment. However, when they arrived at the apartment, the old woman was surprised to find three burly men standing at the door.
"We have to go," Yoon Ah whispered frantically as she pulled Youngjae down the stairs again.
"You can't run away, Mrs. Yoon Ah!" The man with the fat body and sunglasses grabbed Yoon Ah's hand roughly.
"Who are they, Mom?" asked Sungjin, confused because Yoon Ah was so scared to see them.
"Your mom owes me money! She promised to pay it back today!" snapped the arrogant man. "Now where's the money?!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hyun-ki. I haven't gotten the money yet," Yoon Ah replied shakily. "But I promise to pay it right away if I have—"
Slap!
"Nonsense!"
Yoon Ah fell to the floor as Hyun-ki slapped her.
"Bastard!" Sungjin raised her fist to punch Hyun-ki, but his two bodyguards immediately pushed her to the ground beside her mother.
"Please don't hurt him!" Yoon Ah pleaded tearfully as the two bodyguards stretched the muscles of their arms, getting ready to beat Sungjin up.
Sungjin immediately rose to his feet and raised both fists while spreading his legs, setting up a stance. He had learned karate for an action movie he had starred in.
"Get him!"
The two men immediately beat Sungjin to a pulp. Youngjae's fat body made it difficult for Sungjin to move swiftly.
"Argh!" Sungjin cowered as they trampled his body.
"Please stop! Don't hurt my son! Just hurt me! I'm the one who owes you, not my son!" Yoon Ah screamed hysterically as she hugged Hyun-ki's legs.
Hyun-ki grabbed Yoon Ah's hair to make her look at him. "You're useless! If you don't have the money to pay, don't get into debt!"
He turned to Sungjin. "Did you go into debt for him?" The old man chuckled mockingly. "You should have just aborted that kid when you found out how much trouble he was! He's no use at all!"
He released his grip harshly and then ordered his men to confiscate the goods in Yoon Ah's apartment.
They grabbed the stove, the television, and anything else they could carry.
"Please don't take my things!" Yoon Ah again prostrated herself at Hyun-ki's feet, but he kicked her roughly.
"These things aren't enough to pay half of your debts! I'll come again in a week! If you don't pay off your debt, then I'll kill you and your son, then sell your organs on the black market! UNDERSTAND?!"
Yoon Ah could only sob. Another week?
Where would she get that much money in a week?
There's no way she can pay all her debts in a week since she owes 900,000 won.
After they left, Yoon Ah immediately helped Sungjin, who was lying bloodied on the floor.
"I'm sorry, son. I made you suffer. You shouldn't have known about this." Yoon Ah hugged Youngjae tightly while crying. She felt useless as a mother. She couldn't even take her son to the hospital.
"Calm down, Mom. I'm fine." He screwed up his thumbs with a small smile. Although his whole body was almost crushed, he didn't want Yoon Ah to worry about him.
"Come on, let's go inside. Mom will treat your wounds." The woman quickly brought Sungjin into the room and applied compresses to the bruises on his face.
"You'd better get some rest. Mom will buy you some food."
Sungjin nodded, and Yoon Ah went out. Silence engulfed the room. He sat stunned after what had happened.
How could he help Youngjae's family? There was no way he could ask Kim Jun for his money with his physique like this.
Sungjin's eyes were glued to a cardboard box near his feet. He picked it up and put it on his lap.
He was surprised to see a stack of albums inside the cardboard box.
"Oh my! Aren't these expensive? Where did he get them? Did he work as a cleaning service to buy these albums?"
Sungjin thought it was rare to find high school teenagers working to fulfill their dreams.
"Although I was touched, I was very annoyed with him. Why didn't he give the money to his mom?"
He grinned as an idea crossed his mind. "I can sell these albums and merchandise to pay off mom's debt."
Sungjin rushed out and went to an antique shop. He was sure the owner would offer a high price for each of the albums as they were very rare since they had been discontinued.
"I want to sell this." Sungjin placed the box on the table in front of a flat-faced man. He smiled smugly, guessing that the man would be immediately enthusiastic when he saw the item he was going to sell.
The shopkeeper examined it, then nodded slowly. He took out a few bills from the cashier table and handed them to Sungjin.
"Are you out of your mind?! How can you only give me 100,000 won for something worth 1 million won?!"
"Do you want it or not?" the man asked coldly. "If you don't want it, then take that useless stuff with you and never come back here—"
"Wait a minute!" Sungjin spontaneously grabbed the money that the man was about to put back into his wallet. "Who said I didn't agree?! I just have a slight objection, because Sungjin is the number-one artist and idol in South Korea! Don't you want that about him?"
"Of course, I know. But what fool would buy an album from an idol who has lost his fame?" He sipped his coffee while reading the newspaper.
Sungjin's hands clenched into fists at that. He was deeply offended, but he couldn't argue with him.
Sungjin left feeling disappointed.
"Am I going to be forgotten?" Sungjin muttered sadly. Moreover, he failed to get the money to pay off his mother's debt.
However, his steps stopped when he saw a poster about a singing audition.
"10 million won?!" Sungjin screamed hysterically when he saw the prize. He smiled widely. "I have to win it!"
He pulled the poster off the wall and pocketed it. Tomorrow he would go to the audition.
"This is a great start to changing Youngjae's destiny."