Wanderline

The next morning, on the weekend, Minhyuk slung his guitar bag over his shoulder. Feeling hungry, he decided to stop by a restaurant before heading out. Coincidentally, the restaurant belonged to Director Choi.

As usual, Minhyuk caused some trouble, pestering the staff and insisting they tell him Director Choi's home address. After much persuasion, the staff reluctantly gave in and provided the address. Without wasting time, Minhyuk dashed off to the given location.

On his way, he bumped into the same girl he had encountered twice before. She gave him a curious glance, but Minhyuk barely acknowledged her as he sprinted towards his destination.

When he arrived at the house, he was stopped by a stern-looking guard at the gate. "I'm a friend of Director Choi's child," Minhyuk claimed confidently. The guard frowned and replied, "Director Choi doesn't have any children."

Thinking quickly, Minhyuk came up with another excuse, which finally convinced the guard to let him in. However, he was escorted through the long hallway by the guard, who kept a close eye on him.

Finally, Minhyuk found himself waiting in the garden. Moments later, Director Choi appeared, walking leisurely while sipping on a can of Red Bull.

"What brings you here, young man?" Director Choi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Minhyuk stood up and got straight to the point. "I'd like to ask for a scholarship when I go to college. I... I'm an orphan. My aunt and uncle have been taking care of me since I was little, but I don't want to burden them any longer."

Director Choi nodded, seeming to ponder his words. "If I agree, what would you like to fix in your life?"

Minhyuk hesitated before answering. "I want to go back in time and stop the accident that took my dad's life when I was a kid."

Director Choi's lips curled into a faint smile. "What if he's still alive?" he asked cryptically.

Minhyuk froze, caught off guard by the question. Before he could respond, his phone buzzed loudly in his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he realized it was a reminder about his band practice with his three friends.

"I have to go now," Minhyuk said hurriedly, slinging his guitar bag over his shoulder.

"Good luck, kid," Director Choi said with a smirk as Minhyuk rushed off.

Minhyuk finally arrived at their band's hideout, his guitar bag slung over his shoulder. Pushing the door open, he was greeted by an unusual silence. Normally, the place was lively with music or chatter, but now, Taehyun, Joonseok, and Sangwoo sat in a heavy quietness.

"What's going on?" Minhyuk asked, his brow furrowing.

Taehyun sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We're not performing at the festival anymore."

"What? Why?" Minhyuk exclaimed, looking from one face to another.

Joonseok leaned back against the wall, his disappointment evident. "Apparently, the organizers decided to cut down on the number of performances. They said they needed to prioritize the more 'professional' acts."

"They think we're not good enough?" Minhyuk asked, his voice rising with indignation. "That's ridiculous!"

Sangwoo shrugged, trying to mask his frustration. "I guess it doesn't matter how much effort we put in. They already made their decision."

The group sat in shared disappointment for a while, staring at the instruments that now seemed useless for the time being.

Breaking the silence, Joonseok suddenly stood up. "Alright, enough moping around. Let's do something fun instead. How about dinner at my place? We can grill some meat, maybe have some soju to wash it down."

Sangwoo raised an eyebrow. "Can we even drink soju? Isn't that, you know… against the rules?"

Taehyun smirked and nudged him. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you've never tried it before."

Sangwoo hesitated. "Well… maybe once."

Minhyuk snickered. "What a rebel."

Taehyun turned to Minhyuk with a mischievous grin. "You're coming too. No excuses."

"Wait, wait," Minhyuk stammered as they grabbed his arms and started pulling him towards the door. "I didn't agree to anything!"

"Too bad," Joonseok said, laughing. "We need you there. Someone has to entertain us with their antics."

"And you owe us for being late," Sangwoo added.

Minhyuk sighed dramatically but couldn't help grinning as they dragged him along. "Fine, but you better have good meat. None of that cheap stuff."

Later that evening, the four friends gathered in Joonseok's backyard. The grill was fired up, sizzling with slices of marinated beef and pork belly. The scent of the barbecue filled the air, lifting their spirits as they sat around the table.

Joonseok popped open a bottle of soju and poured shots for everyone. "Alright, a toast," he declared, raising his glass.

"To what?" Sangwoo asked, lifting his own glass hesitantly.

"To us," Joonseok said, grinning. "Even if we're not performing at the festival, we're still a band. And we're damn good at it."

The others clinked their glasses together, their earlier disappointment beginning to fade. Minhyuk, ever the troublemaker, tried to chug his soju like it was soda, only to start coughing violently.

"Idiot," Taehyun said, laughing as he patted Minhyuk on the back.

"Shut up," Minhyuk wheezed, his eyes watering. "I'll get used to it."

As the night went on, they laughed, ate, and shared stories, the bond between them growing stronger with every passing moment. The festival might have rejected them, but nothing could take away the passion and friendship they shared.

As the night continued, the group's laughter echoed in the warm air. Minhyuk, feeling a bit more relaxed after a couple of soju shots, leaned back and stretched his arms above his head.

"Oh, by the way," Minhyuk said casually, picking up a piece of grilled meat with his chopsticks. "I went to Director Choi's house today."

The reaction was immediate. Taehyun, Joonseok, and Sangwoo all froze mid-bite, their eyes wide.

"You what?" Taehyun exclaimed, almost choking on his drink. "Director Choi? As in the Director Choi?"

"Are you serious?" Joonseok leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "How did you even get his address?"

Sangwoo raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Wait, wait, hold on. Back up. Why were you even at his house?"

Minhyuk smirked at their barrage of questions, enjoying their shocked reactions. "Let's just say… I have my ways."

"That's not an answer," Taehyun said, narrowing his eyes. "Spill it, Minhyuk. How did you find out where he lives?"

Minhyuk shrugged nonchalantly, popping a piece of meat into his mouth. "I stopped by his restaurant this morning. You know, the one he owns. I might've… persuaded one of the staff to give me his address."

"You what?" Sangwoo's jaw dropped. "You convinced someone to give out the address of one of the most influential people in this city? Are you insane?"

Joonseok shook his head in disbelief. "What did you even say to them?"

Minhyuk grinned mischievously. "Trade secret."

"You're unbelievable," Taehyun muttered, rubbing his temples. "So what happened when you got there? Did you actually meet him?"

"Of course, I met him," Minhyuk replied, sitting up straighter. "Why else would I go through all that trouble? We had a little chat. He asked me some questions; I answered. It was… interesting."

"Interesting?" Sangwoo repeated, leaning forward. "You're seriously not giving us any details?"

Minhyuk tilted his head, pretending to think. "Oh, I did learn one thing that might interest you guys."

"What?" they asked in unison.

Minhyuk smirked again. "Do you guys even know Director Choi's full name?"

The trio exchanged puzzled looks.

"Uh… isn't it just Choi?" Joonseok said, frowning.

"Yeah," Taehyun agreed. "Everyone just calls him Director Choi. Why? What's his real name?"

Minhyuk leaned in closer, lowering his voice dramatically. "Well, let's just say it's not as simple as 'Choi.' But I'm not telling you what it is."

"What?" Sangwoo groaned. "You can't just say that and not tell us!"

"Come on, Minhyuk," Taehyun said, glaring at him. "Quit being so cryptic."

"Guess you'll have to find out for yourselves," Minhyuk teased, leaning back with a smug grin.

"You're so annoying," Joonseok muttered, throwing a piece of lettuce at him.

Minhyuk laughed, dodging the attack. "Hey, if you really want to know, why don't you go visit him yourselves? Maybe he'll tell you."

The group continued to bicker and laugh, the tension from earlier completely forgotten. Even though Minhyuk's story left more questions than answers, it became just another part of their endless adventures together.