I woke up drunk… and I was sixteen again.
No—since I was about to graduate from middle school, did that technically make me seventeen?
Whatever.
I had no idea what was going on, but… well, it happened. I didn't know the reason. How would I? All I did was drink.
"Son, why are you just sitting there like that?"
As I sat there blankly, unable to accept reality, I heard my mother's voice—a voice I had missed so, so much. I forced myself to shake my head, pretending it was nothing.
"I'm just tired."
Mom worked herself to death because of me. I still couldn't forget her hands, worn down until there wasn't a single uninjured spot left.
The moment I remembered how she believed in me until the very end, my lips trembled.
This isn't a dream… right?
If it's not a dream, did I regress?
Whatever it is, it doesn't matter.
I've been given another chance, and I have zero intention of wasting it.
First, priorities.
The most important thing is filial piety. Yeah. I need to repay Mom for all the suffering I caused her.
And what do you need to be filial?
Obviously, money.
Money, huh.
I know how to make it—Bitcoin, stocks… but the problem is, I don't remember exactly when the money-printing starts. And that's far in the future anyway.
With zero cash right now, it's impossible.
And there's one more thing.
"Oppa."
My younger sister, Yoon Suyeon.
The only person who believed in me after Mom died. But even Suyeon eventually left me—not that it was her fault.
I was the bad one.
I remembered the words she said as she left. I had my own dream too.
In the end, I never even asked her what that dream was.
I really was the worst.
The thought hit me all over again.
But this time will be different.
Repaying Suyeon and Mom, who both suffered because of me—that is my goal.
And I will never look at singing again.
"Suyeon."
"Yeah?"
I called her while she was resting after getting back from her academy. She looked at me with the brightest smile. At sixteen, she should've been at the age where rebellion starts, but there wasn't even a hint of it.
Well, in my memory, Suyeon always smiled.
She was so cute that I reached out and patted her head. She smiled—and smacked my hand away.
Ow. That stung.
"Why'd you call me?"
"No reason. I was just wondering what your dream is."
"Out of nowhere?"
"Yeah. Out of nowhere."
Suyeon started thinking seriously. She was so focused that her cheeks puffed up.
…So cute.
I seriously debated poking them—then she spoke.
"I want to become a singer."
"A singer?"
"Yeah."
My eyes widened.
Her dream was to become a singer?
I'd never even considered it. Now that I thought about it, I'd never asked. I knew nothing about the family that sacrificed everything for me.
A wave of self-loathing washed over me.
I forced it down and looked at her.
"Why do you want to be a singer?"
"Because I like singing?"
She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I had no words.
Even if we're siblings, we really didn't need to resemble each other like this.
A singer, huh.
Honestly, I wanted to stop her. You can't survive in this industry just because you "like singing." If you don't have talent, you just suffer and burn out.
I didn't even need to look far. Just look at me.
But… I don't want to stop her.
She's still young. She's only fifteen—an age where you should want to do lots of things. Trying, failing, giving up if it doesn't work—that's not a bad path.
I want to let her try, so she won't have regrets.
And to do that, money is necessary.
Learning music costs a lot, but our family can't afford to support two kids in music. Knowing that, Suyeon must've given up at some point.
Unlike me, she's smart. Honestly, who's the real older sibling here?
"The timing is kind of awkward," I muttered.
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
I folded my arms.
The point I regressed to was the winter vacation of my third year in middle school. Soon, I'd have my graduation ceremony and start high school.
And the high school I was entering was Seolwon Arts High, Practical Music Department. A prestigious school in Korea—and insanely expensive.
Like I said, our family can't afford to send both me and my sister to a school like that. But if I quit school now, Mom would beat me to death.
"Suyeon, do you really want to become a singer?" I asked seriously.
She gave a small, awkward smile. "I do, but… it's okay."
I could tell she said that for Mom and me. Seriously—what a good sister.
I nodded as I looked at her. "No. If you want to do it, you should try."
Money is a problem, but it's not like there's no solution.
Scholarships.
Seolwon Arts High offers full scholarships to students with excellent grades or outstanding talent. If I get one, Suyeon can pursue music too.
The problem is that I've never gotten a scholarship. At Seolwon Arts, my grades were always average. Getting a scholarship among insanely talented kids is ridiculously hard—especially considering my singing.
As a singer, my ability is mediocre. My fundamentals are fine, but I have zero charm as a vocalist. Didn't they say I lacked emotional delivery and expressiveness?
The only reason I stayed mid-tier was because my basics were solid.
Thinking back, I should've quit then.
…Then should I change my major?
In my previous life, I studied vocals. Back then, I thought I had talent.
But now I know I don't.
So why stick to it?
If not vocals, then what?
Classical music is obviously impossible. Kids there start practicing at four or five. I can't copy those insane fingers.
Then… composition.
Composition, huh.
Not bad.
Honestly, my composition skills weren't bad. When I released an album, people said it was a waste on me as a singer. Some even asked me to write songs for them.
It really isn't bad.
After regressing, I'd been thinking nonstop about what I should do. In my past life, the only thing I ever did was music. But because of music, I hurt my family. That's why I wanted to quit it completely at first.
But there was a problem.
I lived obsessed with music. All the knowledge I have is related to it. If I quit music, I can't use my future knowledge at all.
If I want to use that advantage properly, I have to stay in music.
And in that sense, Seolwon Arts High is actually a great place. Like I said earlier, it's a well-known school. In the future, many beloved singers come from there. If I build relationships with them now, the future becomes much easier.
I kept running through everything I needed to prepare in my head.
Then I suddenly stood up.
Forget what I said about the timing being awkward.
This is the perfect timing to change the future.
There's so much I need to do. I don't have time to just sit around.
"Oppa?"
"Yeah?"
"Mom said it's time to eat."
Well.
Family meals are non-negotiable.
I nodded.
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