He had a girl he had liked for a long time at school. But he never dated her. More precisely, he lacked the courage to confess his feelings. One day, he decided to change that. He went up to the girl and said, "I like you. Let's date."
Because her parents were present and she came from a wealthy family, he was rejected with insulting and humiliating words.
At that moment, it hurt him deeply. Inside, he said to himself, "I promise, one day time will pass and I will become a famous person known by the entire world. Then I will have great wealth."
He gave up everything completely — even school — and began to devote himself to music. He started learning to play the piano. He immersed himself so deeply in it that he practiced all night and fell asleep during lessons at school during the day.
One day, while walking home, he noticed a handwritten announcement on paper. It said that there would be a competition for playing musical instruments and singing. He went home, showed it to his grandmother, and told her that he wanted to participate. Holding Taehan's hands, his grandmother said,
"My son, you must definitely take part in this competition. If you win, I will be happy. If you lose, do not be upset. But I will always support you."
Taehan ran out of the house and went to the place where the competition would be held and registered his name. The day of the competition arrived. With a thousand emotions swirling inside him, he stepped onto the stage. "What should I do now?" he thought. Then he gathered himself, placed his palm over his heart, and gently tapped it with his fingers. Taking a deep breath, he said,
"I will definitely win,"
and began.
As he sang and played the piano, the judges stared at him in amazement. They whispered to one another, "How can someone with such talent not be famous yet? Why is he still living an ordinary village life?"
The competition ended. The winner was, of course, Taehan. As he was presented with his prize, one of the judges said,
"The whole world should know the face, talent, and voice of someone like you."
Taehan returned home. Mrs. Sun He congratulated him and said,
"I am proud of you."
In this way, Taehan first gained experience by participating in competitions, and later began giving solo concerts. After that, he started holding concerts entirely on his own. He also began writing his own songs and presenting them to the public. How wonderful it was: once a young, amateur boy, he grew into a mature man — handsome, well-groomed, with a beautiful voice and an unparalleled ability to play.
The date and time of his next concert were announced. During this period, he bought a high-rise apartment for himself, a car, and other things. The concert day arrived. Thirty minutes before the start, it became clear that fans had already begun to gather to see him and hear his voice. Amazing — he had fans not only in the country he lived in, but all around the world.
The concert began. He stepped onto the stage and sang. After every two or three songs, he would go behind the curtain for two minutes to change outfits and then return to the stage. As the concert was nearing its end, a phone call came to one of the assistants standing behind the curtain.
"Hello, I'm listening."
"Is this Taehan's number?"
"Yes."
"I'm calling to inform you that your grandmother has passed away."
"I will pass the message along."
When Taehan returned behind the curtain from the stage, the inexperienced young assistant delivered the news.
"Tell me, I'm listening."
"Your grandmother has passed away."
"Are you joking at a time like this?"
"Sir, how could I possibly joke about something like this?"
Taehan stood frozen, not knowing what to do. As he slowly tried to go down, they stopped him.
"The concert isn't over yet. Sir, you must go back on stage."
He barely returned to the stage. This time, he sang in a weak, lifeless voice. He still hadn't fully realized what was happening. Suddenly, he collapsed on stage and lost consciousness. The fans thought it was part of the performance. The staff carried him off the stage and announced that the concert had ended.